This week has been a little bit unusual and with everyone focusing on the election, it seems that there has been little time to think about anything else but I have still tried to focus on being savvy. My husband has what we will call a "project car" and said car appears to be more of an expensive project than originally anticipated, so my desire to become more frugal is currently being offset by the car but we shall gloss over that small detail for now and concentrate on the good things!

Emma from Emmas Savvy Savings always talks about her Marks and Spencer bargains and I have to include them in my five frugal things I've done this week post! Take a look and see what you think?

1. 20% off School Uniform at Marks & Spencers

As soon as I saw this, I was immediately on the website and ordering sizes for both girls for the new term in September. 20% works out to be a decent amount of money when you are buying 5 pinafores, 5 trousers and countless blouses and tshirts.

2. Cashback

Not only did I get 20% off the school uniform, I activated the link through a cashback site, which technically means I got it even cheaper.

3. Kidstart

I set up a Kidstart account years ago that saves money for your children, in a similar way to a lot of cash back sites but this one saves for your children. I had completely forgotten about it in recent years (for no apparent reason) and have realised how easy it is to save for the children this way when shopping online. 

4. Ocado Smart Pass

Now I am well aware that there are cheaper supermarkets than Ocado but I actually deteste food shopping and when I can order via an app on my phone and have the magic food fairies come and deliver to my door, I can accept that this may not be the most frugal way of doing it. However, I have an Ocado Smart Pass that costs me £1.99 per month but gives me reduced delivery charges and discounted products every time I shop, saving 10% on a lot of the branded products I buy!

5. Repeat Customer Bonus

I am a big fan of Ocado (as you might have gathered), they win all sorts of awards in terms of customer service and unlike other supermarkets, have never been substitued with random products that I don't want or need. Ocado recognise this and having placed 4 orders within the last 6 weeks, they have awarded me with a £10 bonus to spend on my next shop!

Have you got any top tips you can share with me on my quest to recover the money for my husbands "project"?

Finally, as always, I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.

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I’ve seen you all, all over Instagram, the picture perfect parents… and kudos, I don’t know how you do it! I dream there may be days when I will successfully juggle PTFA meetings with perfectly timed homemade paella, served with a kale breakfast smoothie, and a side of successful Pinterest crafts. But, alas, it just doesn’t seem to be for me.

And, according to recent news reports there are a number of mums feeling exactly the same way, so I have come to accept that I will never quite make it into the perfect parent ranks, and I’ve assessed why.

The kids don’t eat quinoa

The kids eat spaghetti hoops and chicken nuggets, they eat pizza, and they eat hot dogs. They also eat vegetables, fruit, and a variety of fresh, homemade dinners. What they don’t do is live by a strict health regime that only allows wholegrains and clean eating options. While I take my hat off to mums who make this work, sometimes you’ve just got to head to the freezer for an easy meal. Plus, what is childhood without a jam sandwich.

The house isn’t always "Insta" ready

The house isn’t even always best-friend ready! Keeping the house in such a pristine condition that you can post immaculate, well-lit photos of your munchkins making memories is, in itself, a full time job. My house is clean, full of toys and laughter and for now, that is okay with me (despite my Instagram envy).

I sometimes fake the bake sale

It’s 8:15am, we’re on the way to school, we see masses of ecstatic mothers proudly parading cakes and buns. And that’s the point when I have to smile to myself that not only will I be sending in a shop bought bake today .....I may have made it look homemade with a few additional sprinkles on top :-)

My crafts go in the bin, not on Pinterest

All crafts sessions begin as well-meaning attempts at quality family time. Half the effort is in the planning; just purchasing all the bits and bobs ups your parenting ranks to almost perfect. Yet these are the days when I feel like pulling my hair out and needing a Hair Transplant because try as I might, I cannot create anything with my children that remotely resembles anything I’ve seen on Pinterest. It goes in the bin. So shoot me. You need a BA in Arts to do that stuff.

Sometimes I am still finding my way.

I frequently say the words "because I said so" and I am just waiting until my girls are old enough to perfect a reasonable argument against my instructions because some of the time I am simply just winging it. Overall my girls are brilliant, they are funny, engaging, messy and gorgeous and I have had friends say to me that they don't know how I juggle it all with work, the kids and still trying to rock a killer pair of heels on the school run but we all find out own way ..... I still still finding mine.

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Father’s Day will soon be upon us and of course, one of the best feelings in the world is showering loved ones with gifts of appreciation, but there are other ways to show we care.

This Father’s Day, for my children, myself, and all the other mums out there, I propose that we all go back to basics and find inventive ways to show Dads some love. 

Show some interest in his hobbies

OK, they may be boring, but have you ever actually shown given any attention to Dad’s interests? From stereotypical football fanatics, to golf, motors, fishing and everything in between, Father’s Day is an opportunity to set some time aside and get involved. Dads are sure to love spending time with the children, painting model aeroplanes, uprooting home grown veg from the allotment, or cosying up on the sofa to watch some old-time TV classics.

Cook him up a tasty treat

Whether Dad loves steak and chips, Indian cuisine, or fish and chips, ditch the takeaway and spend an afternoon preparing a culinary delight for Sunday night. Is there really anything better than a home cooked meal, made from the heart?

Sort out a radio shout out

If your Dad still sticks on breakfast shows as he showers in the morning, why not call in to his favourite station and arrange a shout out? Get the kids together and come up with something short, but personal, and ask for it to be read out to the nation over the radio waves.

Get him something that he really wants

My husband is always telling me that I need to buy things that the recipiant will like, not just what I like and he is right. Making time time to find out about something your Dad really wants means that he doesn't have an unecessary amount of aftershave or socks.

The folk at Mainline Menswear very kindly sent us this Ted Baker Jonnys Core Mini Card Leather Wallet In Black, which is brilliantly priced at just £37.00 and is definitely something that my husband wants! He has been talking about getting a new wallet for ages, so I know that this gorgeous soft leather wallet will be perfect for Fathers Day from the girls.

Go on a family adventure

Forget costly tickets and absurd admission prices. That’s not what this is about. Days out with Dad can simply be family dog walks across the countryside, day trips to the beach, or a picnic at the park – with football nets nearby, of course.

Togetherness is key when you have the best Dad ever. (he is mine by the way but I will agree to disagree with you on this one)

So if you were as taken by the Ted Baker wallet as we were, we are thrilled to be able to give you the chance to win one. All you need to do is enter below. Be quick though .... it's not long until Fathers Day!!

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 Good luck!

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End Date 14/06/2017 at 12am

We have just returned from a family holiday in Futerventura and I have actively encouraged my eldest daughter to use the Spanish she learns in language class at school while we have been away. Aside from this being good for her studies, I was a little horrified to learn that when the average Brit heads off abroad on their summer holidays, able to speak just eight words of the local language, according to a new research.

The study, commissioned by Holiday Autos found that French is the language Brits are most familiar with, with the average UK adult being able to rattle off up to 15 words. I learnt both French and Spanish at school but chose French at GCSE. In hindsight, I wish I had thought about this more as Spanish is more widely spoken across the world, especially as despite millions of Brits travelling to Spain this summer, the average holidaymaker knows just eight Spanish words.

 'Hello’, ‘yes’ and ‘goodbye’ are the most common words Brits know how to say in a foreign language, followed by ‘thanks’, ‘no’ and ‘good morning’. Three in ten of Brits can ask where the bathroom is and over a third can competently ask for a beer .... or prosecco in my case. 

The research showed that of the 1,500 respondents surveyed 23 percent said they holiday in popular resorts so there was no need to make an effort and speak the local language, which in my opinion is more than a little ignorant of us, even if it is true.

Hilariously though, being so limited with the local language has landed one in ten adults in hot water with problems occurring when ordering food and drinks, following directions and settling a bill.  In fact, the average holidaymaker has experienced three ‘lost in translation’ moments when on holiday. 

According to the poll .....

• One man asked for directions and kept being told the price of a chicken. 

• A holidaymaker thought he was asking a waiter where the toilet was, but was actually repeatedly asking where the man’s wife was. 

• Another asked for egg on his pancake and got a raw egg. 

• One respondent asked for a lemonade and ended up buying a newspaper. 

• Another respondent regularly got the French words for rabbit and bread around the wrong way. 

• A gentleman got a surprise in France when he asked for jam to go with his croissant and got a condom. 

• One respondent ended up with a slap around the face. To this day he doesn’t know what he said! 

Have you ever said anything that you were unsure of?

So I shall finish off by saying Au Revoir, Adios and Tchau. (thankfully I know what they all mean!!)