My friend and I were discussing giving things up in March the other day and she was telling me that she was doing "DECHOX". DECHOX is a nationwide sponsored challenge to give up chocolate for March and raise money for life saving heart research, which is obviously a great charity to support. However, I simply replied that I was giving up chocolate for Lent and she asked why, so I thought that there must be so many people that say they are giving up things for Lent, without actually realising why we are doing it. 

There is so much more to the religious celebration than ditching chocolate or other bad habits before Easter, but what exactly is Lent? After you have eaten your Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40 day fasting period (not including Sundays) before Easter. The 40 days of Lent are meant to represent the time that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness ahead of his ministry.   

The season of Lent does not include Sundays but most believers will still stick to a humble lifestyle on Sundays during Lent.

This year, Lent begins on Wednesday March 1 and ends of Saturday April 15, one day before Easter Sunday. It is worth noting that the dates are dictated by the lunar calendar and change every year.

In the end, everyone makes their own choices regarding their faith but Lent is a chance for people to follow Jesus’ example and give up vices in a bid to grow closer to God as Easter approaches.

Have you given up anything for Lent, Dechox or any other reason this month?

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I was introduced to Wicks of Water Orton on the school run. It isn't necessarily the usual place for networking (or it may be for some) but a conversation arose in the school playground about the business that a fellow mum had created from her kitchen table. This is Donna's story ......

"In June 2015 I gave birth to Erin, and within hours we were told that she had a rare heart disease. After many months and operations, Erin was discharged from hospital at the end of July 2016. Upon arriving at home my husband gave me a whole kit of everything I would need to make candles. He decided I would need a hobby, as during my time in hospital with Erin, my long term employer also made me redundant. I love candles, so I was super excited to give this a go. We soon found out it was not safe to burn parrafin wax around Erin, and so my search for an alternative began, which thankfully led me to soy wax. However turned out that soy wax candles were extremely expensive to buy, so I decided to buy some wax and started making them for myself. When family and friends came to visit I was always complimented on how lovely they smelt and as a result I started making them for others too.

So Wicks Of Water Orton was born"

We love knowing the story behind the brand and especially that the soy candles are suitable for children with heart conditions like Erin. Wicks of Water Orton tell us that all of the soy candles are hand wicked and poured, and 100% natural. We were therefore more than a little delighted when at one of those endless birthday parties the children seem to have every weekend, Donna asked if we would review one of her candles on our blog. Wicks of Water Orton have a select range of scents, some favourites and some seasonal but we plumped for the very traditional "Fresh Linen".

The other scents currently available are:

🕯 Fresh Linen
🕯 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
🕯 Berry Blast
🕯 Lavender, Rose & French Vanilla
🕯 Sandalwood & Rose
🕯 Lemon & French Vanilla
🕯 Lily Of The Valley

The candles retail at £9.50 each, which when they come in a solid glass kilner jar, makes them considerably more cost effective than a large number of the high street brands (and you get a re-useable jar if you are so inclined to make jam or something similar).

The first thing that struck me is the adorable wick on the candle. I have never seen one crafted like this but apparently all candles start off like this but most are trimmed before they are released for sale. I think it makes a love quirky addition to the look of the candle BUT it is important to trim this as if you don't it can actually render the candle unusable after the first use. 

The scent is subtle and not overpowering like you have put your face in the clean washing (disclaimer - I may or may not do this on a regular basis) but the fresh linen fragrance filters around the house without the need for me to drape washing all over the radiators to create the same smell. 

The burn time on the Wicks of Water Orton is a minimum of 30 hours, although I don't want to keep burning mine as I don't want it to end. I light it for a couple of hours each evening after dinner, to remove the food smell and fill the kitchen with its fresh clean scent. 

Candles are ALWAYS a great gift for all ages, from my daughters friends who are 12 years old through to my pension collecting mum, they all love to receive a candle as a present. So how would you like to enter to win one of these fabulous handmade candles from Wicks of Water Orton? All you need to do is enter below .....

a Rafflecopter giveaway Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Wicks of Water Orton Soy Candle
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
Wicks of Water Orton will make every effort to provide a choice of scent but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
UK Entrants Only
End Date 25/03/2017 at 12am

We are giving up chocolate for lent so finding alternative Easter gifts has become a little bit of a quest. We are therefore more than a little bit excited to be able to share the chance for you to win your own Cuddledry Snuggle Bunny Towel worth £32.99.  This super soft and fluffy hooded towel from Cuddledry is the perfect alternative to chocolate this Easter time.

For parents it is a practical yet adorable gift but for toddlers and young children, the floppy bunny ears are irresistible, and they will love to snuggle in the warm, soft fabric.  Cuddledry tell us that it’s made with clever microfibre technology so it’s as soft as a feather and so absorbent it will dry them in moments.  The only problem will be catching them to take it off and get them dressed, as your little rabbit hops away happily, cosy and warm.

So if you want something different to chocolate this Easter, all you need to do is enter below to be in with a chance of winning .... What are you waiting for?

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Cuddledry Snuggle Bunny - RRP £32.99
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
Cuddledry will make every effort to provide a choice of colour but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
UK Entrants Only
End Date 04/01/2017 at 12am

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I mentioned last week that I have been enjoying the Five Fabulously Frugal Things posts from Emma and 3 and I have become a little more conscious of our spending habits, even more so as this week has been half term. Keeping two girls of two different ages occupied and happy is no mean feat, especially when I am sure they simply believe that the money is delivered from the hole in the wall.

1. Saved on Cinema Tickets by using my Taste Card. As part of my bank account, I get a Taste Card and it gives you money off meals but if you upgrade to the Taste Card Plus for just £7.99 you can make HUGE savings on days out, like 40% off Cinema or Warwick Castle tickets.

2. Kids Eat for £1 at Harvester. Yes £1! So after our discounted cinema visit, we went and had lunch and for every adult meal we bought, we got a childs meal for £1. This was a half term offer but it is definitely worth checking out websites for venues prior to arriving.

3. It is no secret that I LOVE shopping and I do 90% of it online but before I check anything out and pay for it, I always google discount codes for that website. This week I have managed to find 20% off codes for some of my daughters clothes which was a great saving.

4. I bought uniform for next year! I know this sounds ridiculous but it appears that John Lewis are not longer stocking our school uniform so they are selling off all their stock at less than half price, I therefore "may" have purchased enough school logo cardigans and jumpers to last for the next school year, or so. 

5. Theatre visit for FREE! Now I have to admit that this wasn't something I found but we were lucky enough to be offered tickets by some friends to go and see a traditional pantomine and it was amazing. (Oh no it wasn't ..... oh yes it WAS!)

There are lots of things we want to save for this year and being a little more conscious week by week, will hopefully help us get those things a little sooner. 

Have you done anything to save money this half term?

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