Friday 23 June 2017

Tips and products for making mums life just a little easier

Whether you are a working mum or stay at home mum, life can be hard, trying to juggle all the things we need to get done as well as managing a budget is sometimes impossible and almost inevitably something gets missed or has to put on the back burner.
People tell you to treasure the moments with your kids, housework will wait, work can wait, well..Yes to an extent that's great but practically can you put it off long term? We have to eat, we have to have clean clothes, we have to have money coming in. 


But there are a few ways we can cut corners and products to help save time...Or money.

Spontex mop
With a refillable chamber and the squeeze of the trigger you no longer need a mo and bucket, breeze through the floors in half the time, just add your cleaning products to the water in the chamber, spray and mop, simple!!! See my review and giveaway here




Weatherproof clothing
How often do you end up going out to buy a new jacket (motorbike clothing in our case) or throw the tent out as it is getting a little less waterproof than you would like? Then these products from Nikwaxcan save time and money by recoating and making clothing or waterproof materials as good as new, either apply directly or add to the wash cycle, simply follow individual instructions.
Nikwax manufacturers high quality cleaning and waterproofing products for gear that helps prolong the life and enhance the performance of clothing and equipment you spend lots of money on. Nikwax is a UK based company that was started by Nick Brown 40 years ago and prides itself on being environmentally friendly. 

Nikwax make LOADS of products for cleaning a whole host of items from leather boots to waterproof jackets to down sleeping bags but here are some of the most popular:
Tech Wash: effectively cleans, revives breathability and water repellency. Use this to wash your ‘technical gear' every time it needs washing.
  • Every time you wash a waterproof or ‘breathable’ piece of clothing with normal detergent, the detergent blocks the pores of the fabric reducing its Durable Water Repellency [DWR] and reducing its breathability by around 70%. Tech Wash will remove not only dirt, but also residue left behind by household detergents revitalising the DWR and the breathability. 
  • TX.Direct: adds DWR and revives breathability. Use this as a waterproofer when you notice that your clothing is starting to lose it’s DWR. 
  • DWR on waterproof jackets doesn’t last forever and will need to be topped up when your garments start to get sweaty and clammy on the inside. 
  • Fabric & Leather Proof: waterproofs, maintains support, texture and breathability of all combination footwear.
  • If you have fabric or leather boots or shoes that are starting to look shabby, apply Fabric & Leather Proof to help revitalise the leather/fabric and keep it waterproof. 
  • Tent & Gear SolarProof: Adds DWR, increases fabric strength & protects against UV deterioration. One application can double the effective life of fabrics and can be applied to wet or dry synthetic fabric. 
  • When you use a tent or a camping chair outside, the UV rays can damage the fabric making it weak. Do you know anyone that has ever fallen through an old camping chair? This is likely why. So, to extend the life of your camping equipment, apply Tent & Gear SolarProof. Tent & Gear SolarProof will also add DWR to ensure your tent and chairs stay waterproof










Make bed time a breeze
Bedtime can be a testing time as well as time consuming so i bring you this book and sleep solution to help your child drift off happily and peacefully giving you a little more time back in the evening.
Asleep in Minutes… Bedtime the Danish way
How bedtime meditation helps children to sleep
FROM ‘Hygge’ to parenting, the Danish way of doing things is often widely talked about and one of Denmark’s latest exports is no exception. “The Children’s Meditations In my Heart” by emerging Danish author Gitte Winter Graugaard enables children to fall asleep within minutes. Now available in three different languages, it is beginning to change bedtime routines the world over.
What’s her secret? A method so simple it will surprise you: you’ve just got to turn up the love.
A collection of four meditations for parents to read to their children, Graugaard’s book shows parents how to teach their child the importance of self-esteem and self-love, enabling them to drift off into calming, reparative sleep, their hearts full with love.
Now more than ever our children are bombarded with messages, overt and subliminal, wrangling with expectations both perceived and real, which when coupled with the casualties of modern living, stressed and divorced parents, stressed and still together parents, over-scheduling and long school days, can greatly impact on their mental wellbeing: more children than ever before suffer with stress, depression, anxiety and sadness.
Sleep, or rather a difficulty in falling asleep, is one of the most obvious tell-tale signs that ‘something’s up’, and in general, children today sleep for one hour less than they did 25 years ago.
Continual information overload and lack of sleep makes for a challenging cocktail for any child and of course their parents, with research indicating that children who consistently miss out on sleep can, over time, show symptoms similar to reactions we see in children with ADHD.




Packed lunch dramas
One thing I hate is doing packed lunches, you try to make it healthy and varied but can take twice as long bagging or wrapping each individual thing, because God forbid the cucumber touches the cheese!!!  So these fab lunch boxes from sistema are amazing, each thing can be packed in individual compartments so the cucumber has no chance of touching the cheese, saving miles of cling film (let's not mention the battles with cling film) and dramas averted!



Ok here is the biggie, lost keys
Whether it's Dad who can never remember where he left them or the kids playing hide and seek, how many hours a week are wasted searching for things....Bring on the TrackR Bravo, it attaches to your keyring/ bag or any object you lose on a regular basis and links up to the app you install on phone and through Bluetooth technology it will tell you where your missing keys are! How many hour saved??? Tired of losing your keys, wallet and phone? Attach the 
Attach the coin-sized TrackR bravo to any item and use the TrackR app to locate it in seconds. Ring your missing item or get a reminder to grab your item before leaving it behind.
Lost your phone? Press the button on your TrackR bravo to ring your missing phone – even on silent!
And if you're far away from your missing item, TrackR's Crowd Locate network will show you its last location on a map.

For me this is a god send, forever putting things down and they get moved, keys are never in the same place so this will save me so much time and stress next time they take a little walk!



Birthday gifts 
Is it me or does shopping for gifts get harder so what about a subscription service, easy to sign up to and arrange, no hours wandering around the shops aimlessly looking for something.
How about a mystery subscription box from a-box.com so every month you get a box of surprises for a whole year, So how does it work and what kind of things come in the box?

YOU WILL RECEIVE AUTHENTIC, LICENSED AND/OR EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS ONLY FOUND IN THE A-BOX• Apparel
• Collectible Figures
• Publishing (books, comics...)
• Accessories (jewelry, hats, scarves...)
• Souvenirs (pins, keychains...)
• Desk accessories (mousemats, paperweights...)
• Home goods (mugs, cups, tumblers...)
• Downloadable content & Games
• Other (bags, phone accessories, luggage tags...)



Alternatively what about buying a gift set online such as this amazing Prosecco gift set from vincredible.co.uk, quick simple, luxurious and again avoiding the high street, 
Prosecco, Truffles & Scented Candle- Perfect as a birthday treat! Light your candle, allow the rich velvety chocolate truffle to melt on your tongue and then relax with a chilled glass of Prosecco. Is there a better way to relax? The chocolate truffles have a delicate hint of popping candy so they sparkle on your tongue which is a delicious combination with the sparkling wine. The Simpatico Prosecco is a light and slightly dry sparkling wine.

The dreaded diets!

We all know our bodies change after the children cone along, and life can be so hectic it really is difficult to find that time to focus on yourself, bad habits creep in - we pick at kids leftovers, we go for easy meals when time is short, and we skip the exercise classes just once too often, for me I love a drink at the end of the day, surprise surprise! but all those calories in a glass (or two) soon add up! So what about all the taste but with out calories (or the hangover!) Yes really... check out Botonique





Yes it looks like wine......and...... it tastes like wine! without the calories or the after effects, double bonus!
Botonique has been expertly crafted by experienced wine merchant, Hilary Marsh, who when deciding to reduce her wine intake for personal health reasons, found that non-alcoholic drinks alternatives were too sweet and a frustrating shadow of the drink she loves, which did not complement food like a good wine does. As a keen mixologist, Hilary decided to take a completely different approach by creating the distinctive, intriguing and captivating taste of Botonique that has the complexity and long finish often associated with white wine.
As busy Mums trying to make good choices we can easily do so with the refreshing taste as well as the health benefits of Botonique! This is because it contains the beneficial elements of Prelixir®, a unique blend of vitamins, minerals and amino acids which alcohol is known to deplete. This unique element means that Botonique is able to provide anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, alkalising, detoxifying and hydrating benefits, resulting in all the pleasure of drinking without the negative side effects. So there is just one more thing we mums can enjoy without worrying about the effects of drinking as well as making healthier choices...and what an easy and enjoyable choice that is!

Although we will still have a fair amount on our plates, just maybe these little things will save us a bit of time, stress, improve our health and save some money!!