It is almost October, I have seen Christmas cards in the shops so I am sure that it is okay to start mentioning Christmas. There has been a lot of talk online and on TV this week about not being excessive with Christmas shopping and remembering that being with family is the most important thing, not the latest gadget.

Last year I worked out that I had 25 children to buy for and that is without my own children and all my family, so with a list that long how do you remain frugal with your Christmas shopping? 

Start Early

It is never too early to start Christmas shopping and it is always good to have the list of the people that you need to buy for close at hand so you can buy what you need, rather than what you like.

Take advantage of the sales

This week I had an email to say that the Paperchase sale was on and I quickly clicked through and ordered 3 presents online for less than £30 and because I spent over £25, I also got free next day delivery. They were 3 presents that I needed to buy, within my budget and great quality, so it was a win all round.

Find out what they want / need

I love buying gifts but get so much satisfaction buying a gift that I know someone really wants or needs. It is lovely to get indulgent gifts or the typical bath and moisturiser sets but how many of them get put to the back of the cupboard or regifted to someone else? This year I have resolved to spend a bit more time finding out what people want so that I spend more wisely.

Cash in those points

All those points that have been building up this year on my Tesco clubcard, Boots advantage card and even my Costa card, now is the time to cash them in and turn them into "free" gifts.

Tap into your creativity

Whether it is taking advantage of your childrens cute school photos and making frames for the grandparents or getting the children to handmake gifts for their friends this Christmas, a present doesn't have to be bought from a shop.

We have talked previously about how to stay debt free this Christmas and with the cost of everything rising, hopefully we can all be a little more frugal and spend a little less this Christmas.

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As I look out of the window today, it just all feels a bit grey and the colder weather makes everything seem a little less brighter. Summer in the garden serves up a natural palette of bright and vibrant colours. Autumn has its own hues to offer, but they are much more muted.So, in order to inject your garden with a range of rich and interesting shades once the air turns colder and the nights close in, you have to get a little bit more creative.

Whatever your favourite colours are, never fear, Sloane and Sons Garden Benches has a few interesting ideas up its sleeve to give you the tools to really brighten up your outdoor spaces this Autumn!

1. Red 

Red, and even brown, is certainly one of the colours you think of in conjunction with Autumn. So, naturally, there are many plants, shrubs and trees that will see your garden full of scarlets, burgundies and crimsons. Here are a few you might wish to try…

Red Maple. This variety of maple is, as you may have guessed, at least partially red for the whole year. Although all maples produce red leaves at some point during the Autumn, this one is known for its abundantly red pigmentation. It is at its deepest red in mid-Autumn. If you plant a fresh one, you will be starting small, but when planning for it you might want to consider that some varieties can grow up to 50 feet tall!

Holly. These bushes are prolific and do require regular pruning. However, the bright red berries are a dramatic splash of colour and can really lift your garden when they come through in the late Autumn.

Tulips. They come in many colours, but the red variety has a similar hue to the poppy, and is quite the contrast to the more rustic red tones that occur in decaying foliage. 

2. Orange and Yellow

Orange is perhaps the most common pigmentation around at this time of year. However, there are ways you can inject even more of it, other than that which comes from the leaves, into your garden.

Pumpkins. The bright orange of the pumpkin is a wonderful thing to see. Pumpkins, and other squash, also come in yellow, as well as a bunch of other colours. They grow very easily and to quite a large size. Plant a few of these and you could have a garden decoration that is not only your favourite hue but is edible as well!

Rust. This depiction of decaying metal might well spell the end of the road for your old wheelbarrow, rake or garden chair. However, if preserved, your old rusting kit could become quite the injection of orange if you repurpose them as garden ornaments!

3. Green

Green, although it is not a classic colour for this season, is remarkably easy to get into the garden all year round. Evergreens, so called because they retain their pigment at all times, are brilliant additions to your plant collection. There are a lot of varieties to chose from, however, favourites include Daphne, Fatsia and Holly. 

4. Blue and Purple

These are harder to find in nature in the Autumn, but there are many ways to both blue and purple in if they are what you desire.

Bulbs. There are a number of Autumnal and Wintery plants that you can put in at this time of year for blooms of this colour. Lavender is an excellent choice as it is not only a vibrant purple/blue colour, but its perfume is amazing, and it is an evergreen, so will produce flowers all year round. The Purple Emperor and many varieties of winter lily are also brilliant.

Bird Food. It is always advisable to encourage wildlife into your garden, it aids both the life and the general quality of your gardens eco-system. Indeed, a tempting bird feeder might also bring a flurry of colour into the picture in the form of a brightly coloured bird, such as a Robin or the odd Blue Tit!

5. White

Other than the various plants you could grow in your garden (such as snowdrops and Nippon daisies) to bring the freshness of white into its palette, you might also take this opportunity to get some paint out! Autumn and Winter are darker months, so a bright white shed or fence will make a welcome addition to the place. Make sure you go about it the right way though, it is not as simple as just splashing a bit of paint directly on to the wood! As well as appearing to be uplifting and fresh, it will also help to extenuate the other colours around the garden.

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Back to School. It seems like we have been back for weeks now. 

The alarm clock goes off every morning and the dawning realisation that I have to brave the school run again dawns on me. The girls both (thankfully) enjoy school so once they are up there is never a huge drama about going (it is usually me they have to drag out of bed). 

After the first week or so back, we were thrilled to receive a goody bag from our friends at Moj Moj. We like to think it was a reward for surviving the first week back at school and both girls dived into the mega bag of goodies to see what they had been sent. 

As you can see, it was a truly great bag of goodies!

Moj Moj are a big favourite in our house at the moment and we have talked about them recently on the blog. They are one of our current favourite collectibles as Moj Moj squish, squash and stretch and are totally adorable. Moj Moj are perfect for cute little collectors aged 5 and up.

Each creature belongs to their own group of family which include Adventure Seekers, Party Animals, Couch Potatoes, Happy Campers, Sun Bathers and Day Dreamers.

Each "blind bag" pack contains two Moj Moj and there are so many to collect, duplicates don't happen very often but even if they do, swapping with your sister, or your friends is half the fun. There are 95 squishy Moj Moj to collect and they come in all shapes and sizes with different animals and fun, bright colours to squash and squish.

You can buy Moj Moj mystery packs at Smyths Toys, they are £3.99 a pack which makes them ideal pocket money treats. We are therefore thrilled to be running a little giveaway at the moment for you to win your own Moj Moj bundle so if you want to be in with a chance to win your own Moj Moj to squish and squeeze, just enter below. 

 Moj Moj giveaway

 

Terms & Conditions

The Prize:  1 x Moj Moj bundle (1 prize)

The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Gleam and notified within 7 working days by email
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 29/09/2018

 

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How do you get the best deals online? This is a question that my mom in particular regularly asks me as I am always on a quest for a deal online, whereas she prefers going into a physical shop to do her shopping (and haggling). She is very tactile and likes to see things in the flesh, a real old skool shopper but what if you can do all of those things AND still get the best online deals?

Let's say that you go into a shop, find the perfect item but it is a little more than you really want to pay? Well now you can simply go home and find the best deal.

Sounds good right?

I am going to let you into a little secret, this week I have been introduced to a new price tool alert in the form of PIWoP which lets me know when the item I want is at the price I set.

I can't tell you the amount of times I have seen a product I want, only for the price to change a few days later.

Or get a discount code from a voucher site, then to find it has expired.

PiWop takes away all of this guess work, their universal price-drop alert engine simply tells you when items you like drop in price to or below a level you choose. Take a look at this video that explains a bit more.

Registering for the service is FREE and it can be used on a PC/Mac but, if like me, you prefer all the information at your fingertips, you can also download the App so you can use on your phone/tablet too. 

I usually get involved in a weekly link up of money saving activity and 5 frugal things I have done this week and I have to be honest after our holiday and a certain little lady's birthday, things have not been so frugal around here but I think that is about to change after being introduced to PiWop.

In my mind, finding the best deal means more shopping for less money and whilst that may not make me frugal, it definitely makes me happy!

Why not take a look for yourself?

 

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