Category: School Days

1. Five Frugal Things I've Done This Week

   Posted on 12:00am Friday 9th Jun 2017

   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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2. 5 Reasons Why I Am Never Going To Be The Picture Perfect Parent

   Posted on 12:00am Wednesday 7th Jun 2017

   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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3. 5 things to celebrate about the end of term

   Posted on 11:00am Sunday 4th Jun 2017

   The dread of the looming summer break is a long-standing quip between school run mums. Social media sees parents counting down the days, as children become bored and unoccupied, ‘ready to go back to school’. You know, swinging from the lightshades and dragging their siblings around by the ear.

    

   I just know I’m not alone here. I’m surely not the only parent that can’t wait for the six week break to begin. Once May is out of the way, I find myself counting down the days until the end of term, when I can spend quality time with the kids. After all, blink and these years are gone. Gushing aside, there’s plenty more to celebrate about the upcoming end of term.

   1. No more school runs

   It’s not even as though you’ll get a lie in. We all know that those are a thing of the past. But, just imagine six whole weeks where it’s perfectly possible to stay in your PJs after 8am. No more screaming over unfound socks and shoes. No more school run traffic or compulsory morning walks. 

   2. A break from hellish homework

   Reading stories with infants can be cute. Pythagoras theorem with teens? Not so much. In fact, anything beyond finding fractions is simply out of the equation. How do children know this stuff? Did we know this stuff? Summer is a break for the brain.

   3. Lunch is made at lunchtime

   Is there anything worse than dragging yourself out of bed at 6:30am, only to prepare a packed lunch every single weekday morning. Yes, the better routine is to make it in the evening and pop it in the fridge. Does anyone actually stick to this, though? Summer shows us that sandwiches for lunch can be made at lunchtime. Who knew!? 

   4. No school, no afterschool activities

   We all want the best for our children, but I challenge you to find me any parent whose patience hasn’t been tried by afterschool club schedules. Music tuition, swimming lessons, Brownies, the list goes on. Oh and on, and on. And on. How splendid it will be come summertime, when beans-on-toast-Tuesdays and even whack-it-down-your-throat-Wednesdays are temporarily replaced by relaxed evening meals.

   5. It’s not quite the end…

   And of course, if you really are dreading the six weeks holidays, perhaps the best thing about a looming end of term is that we’re not quite there yet! Relax. There remains a few more weeks of child-free nine-while-threes. 

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4. Win a Lonely Planet Kids Prize Pack

   Posted on 10:00am Monday 15th May 2017

   Whenever our children want to find out anything, they instantly get the laptop or iPad and ask Google and whilst there is nothing wrong with using the instant tools available to you, there is also nothing more satisfying that finding out information and details by yourself. 

    

   Lonely Planet Kids is an online resource but with books and downloads to excite and educate children about the amazing world around them. Combining astonishing facts, quirky humour and eye-catching imagery, it is their aim to  ignite childrens curiosity and encourage them to discover more about our planet and we are thrilled to give you the chance to win this amazing prize pack.

   

    

   A fold-out height chart with more than 80 stickers, a journal to record your backyard adventures, and a quiz with the world’s best questions are all on the itinerary with the latest Lonely Planet Kids releases in its Activity Series.

    

   For Kids Aged 5+

   Lonely Planet Kids: My Family Height Chart

   Tall enough for the whole family, this pull-out height chart is metres of fun. My Family Height Chart is filled with facts and includes more than 80 stickers to track your progress and record your growth. Prepare to compare yourself and the rest of your family with some of the world’s biggest, smallest, weirdest and wackiest items. How will you measure up? Are you taller than the world’s biggest bunny?

    

   

    

   For Kids Aged 5-8

   Lonely Planet Kids: Backyard Explorer

   Scribble, jot and draw in this brilliant fill-in journal and see your amazing neighbourhood in a whole new way. Backyard Explorer is filled with fun things to make, do and find on your own doorstep. Go cloud spotting, make a skyline collage, design your dream house, go on a scavenger hunt, create your very own time-and-place capsule, and lots more...

    

   

    

   For Kids Aged 8+

   Lonely Planet Kids: The Round-the-World Quiz Book

   Challenge your friends and family to the ultimate quiz. This book is packed with more than 500 questions about our planet to boggle your brain and blow your mind. With different difficulty levels, there’s sure to be trivia tricky enough in The Round-the-World Quiz Book to fox the whole family. Can you name the biggest country in the world? Where you’ll find the world’s tallest waterfall? Or which animal disguises itself to look like bird poo? What are you waiting for? Test your knowledge, and see how many points you can score...

    

   

    

    

   So there really is something for all ages with Lonely Planet Kids and we are thrilled to give you the chance to win all three of them. All you need to do is enter below.

    

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

    

   Good luck!

    

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   Terms & Conditions

   The Prize: Lonely Planet Kids Prize Pack
   The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
   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

   End Date 03/06/2017 at 12am