Category: News

1. Kids Go Free : Cbeebies Magazine & Merlin Entertainments

   Posted on 8:55pm Tuesday 29th Jul 2014

   I read an email that said the words "Kids Go Free"

   You know the kind of email that makes you pay attention because where children are concerned, there are not a lot of things that are free!

   I now hope that this blog post does the same for you.

   CBeebies magazine has teamed up with Merlin Entertainments to launch a fabulous Summer long campaign which gives parents the chance to save up to £355 on top kids’ attractions in the UK.  (see I told you that you would want to pay attention).

   

   Every issue of CBeebies Magazine from the 16^th July until the 7^th October will come with two vouchers for kids to go free to a different attraction every issue with some of the most popular kids’ attractions in the country including Legoland, Chessington World of Adventures and Sealife.

   Issue 409 has been on sale for a while but the full list of attractions and dates included in this fantastic offer are:  

   • Issue 410 (30^th July) - Chessington World of Adventures – Save £68 (£34 per ticket)
   • Issue 411 (13^th Aug) – Alton Towers Resort inc. CBeebies Land – Save £86.40 (£43.20 per ticket)
   • Issue 412 (27^th Aug) - Warwick Castle – Save £39.60 (£19.80 per ticket)
   • Issue 413 (10^th Sept) - Legoland and Legoland Discovery Centre – Save £82.80 (£41.40 per ticket)
   • Issue 414 (24^th Sept) – Sealife Centres and Seal sanctuaries – Save £39 (£19.50 per ticket)

    

   We love ways of saving money and having fun, so in exchange for a magazine costing less than £3, we get oodles of adventures and priceless fun with the children ...... I'm in, are you?

    

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2. How friendly are the Scottish?

   Posted on 3:06pm Wednesday 2nd Apr 2014

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   Before anyone jumps up and down on me about Scotland, the title is a little bit of a joke. I am engaged to a Scotsman and I can reassure you that they are very friendly!

   However, the nice folk over at Scottish Friendly have also put together a helpful guide and video to help answer questions about the new ISA's that the government have recently announced. Saving for our children's future has always been important to us and with the Chancellor announcing in his budget that from 1 July 2014, ISAs will be reformed into a much simpler product, the New ISA (NISA), we thought it was time to look at it again. 

   

   Apparently, all existing ISAs will automatically convert to a New ISA. Meaning those already saving and investing into an ISA will benefit from the changes. So it really is "nicer".

   I know that there are lots of families consciously save for the future, whereas others believe in living for today by spending what they earn and I suppose I fall somewhere in the middle. My love of shopping for myself and the girls (and the Scotsman too), is no secret but I am always aware of that rainy day or "college" fund in the distance and an ISA gives me the freedom of saving but with easy access in case I need it!

   Scottish Friendly

    also have a handy video that tells you more:

    

    

   So what about you? Do you save for the future or live for the now?

    

   This is a collaborative post but we thought that as money saving is so much of a focus for parents, that we wanted to share!

3. Travelling with children : Cbeebies Live

   Posted on 4:20pm Friday 28th Mar 2014

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   Anyone with a toddler will not be able to escape CBeebies and the joy it brings to their lives, so when we hear that there was a CBeebies Live tour, we were a little excited but equally a little scared at the thought of a long car journey, trying to amuse a determined toddler.

    

   

   Now we all know that travelling with children can be as easy as juggling jelly, so here are my top tips for a wobble free expedition!

   Take your time.

   It sounds so simple but trying to get out of the house with a toddler can take twice as long as any other time. Give yourself an extra hour if it is a long journey, allowing for some traffic and the inevitable toilet breaks!

   Book in advance

   Whether it is tickets for the event or a hotel close to the event, a tired, hungry and impatient toddler can test the patience of the most calm of parents. Relieve the stress and book in advance.

   Baby wipes are your friend

   Baby wipes are definately underated. Not only do they deal with dirty bottoms and sticky hands, they are great for wiping a table over in a busy service station or cleaning baby sick off leather seats in the car. No need to ask how we know this. We just do.

   Technology is your friend

   I fondly remember the days playing I-Spy in the back of my Dad's Ford Cortina on long car journeys as a child but this game will only last so long. It also isn't quite so effective with a toddler who doesn't really grasp the concept and shouts random words, consequently aggravating the ""tween". So in-car entertainment is your friend. DVD players on the headrests are a godsend .... although what is played can be a whole other debate!

   Wear comfortable clothes.

   This applies to everyone. As much as I love my skinny jeans and heels combo, its not the most practical for a long car journey and the same applies to the children.  They will undoubtedly be eating at some point, maybe spill a drink (or be travel sick), put them in something comfortable, not too warm and not too fussy. It makes life easier for everyone.

   Think about the time of day you travel

   We always try and arrange a longer car journey around nap time. It makes for a much more peaceful journey.

   Don't swear

   Driving can bring out the worst in the best of us. If a driver cuts you up, take a deep breath. If you swear, you know that your toddler will store that little gem of information until a really quiet moment, in front of a group of really important people. Or in church.

   Enjoy!

   We sometimes spend so much time planning our adventures that we forget to enjoy them. So Enjoy!!

    

   Would you add anything else to the list?

4. eBay Inspires .... me!

   Posted on 3:18pm Thursday 27th Mar 2014

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   I have to admit that I have only really started using eBay in the last few years (I am not entirely sure how it passed me by before) but now before I buy anything, the thrifty side of me has to check eBay to see if I can get a better deal. The range of products listed every week never ceases to amaze me and you really can find anything on eBay.

   So in March 2014, eBay launched their eBay Collections and we were delighted to be asked to create some of the the first collections to feature on the site. This was extremely exciting, especially when we found out that we were in the company of style icons such as Danni Minogue and Kelly Hoppen. The collections are essentially a mood board or an online scrap book for you to create a visual picture of what you are trying to create, whether that be a room, a theme or (like me) just indulging a shopping habit!

   

   eBay have rolled out their collections now so you can click and create collections to your hearts desire. You will find  "add to collection"  just underneath "add to watch list" on each item listing. It really is that easy. I have created collections around our home and socialising .... which is something we love to do! The Man on the Pad is a little concerned at how excited I got over finding new things to add to each collection but it is a great way to see if items work together, especially if you are redesigning a room.

   If you would like to have a little look at our collections, just click here. You can follow the boards too, if the mood takes you!

   Click.

   Create.

   Inspire.

   eBay Inspires me to shop more cleverly. How will you use the collections?

    

   This post, is part of my ongoing partnership with eBay.