Sunday, 29 May 2011
A New Hair Do - Regis
A couple of weeks ago I was on Facebook when I noticed a competition. It was in the run up to the Royal Wedding and Regis Salons were asking who would be the ultimate celeb bride. I said Lady Gaga *obviously*
..and I won!! The prize was a free cut and colour at my local Regis Salon worth up to £100!
Despite needing an immediate update I decided to wait until yesterday to go (it's Little E's Christening today so I wanted to save it for a special occasion.) As you all know, there have been a couple of hair disasters of late - namely due to the scissor happy hair dressers on two magazine shoots, the latter I didn't even share pics with anyone because I was so mortified!
Anyway, as you can imagine I was a little bit apprehensive having been butchered a couple of times by 'trusted' professionals, but when I arrived I immediately felt relaxed and at home. My stylist was Ben who had come over from the Preston salon. Luckily he didn't lose patience with my indecisiveness - why is it that you can book a hair appointment weeks in advance but then you still don't know what you want done when you get there!? I umm'd and aaah'd over colour and eventually decided to give my bonce a lift with a full head of blond highlights.
I've been brunette for over a year now but fancied a change ready for Summer. Ben and I had a good old natter about concerts, birthdays (it was his birthday on Friday 'Happy Birthday!') and Ben's application to go on Big Brother. I think he'd make a fab contestant by the way, so good luck with that Ben - I'll see you on the TV this Summer!
Soon my foils were in and I was under the lamp. Here's a really flattering pic...
and here's one of me now... (this is for you to see the colour only - I've been caught in the wind, rain and slept on this since Ben finished me!) The pic really doesn't do Ben any justice but I can tell you I'm really, really happy with it.
I had a great experience at Regis - Ben, Kim and Ashleigh were all lovely and i'll definetely be going back there again. Fabulous! Thank you guys!!
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| From left: Ashleigh Scott, Ben Heyes and Kim Mason, Regis Salon Ormskirk |
If you fancy a new barnet then head to www.regissalons.co.uk or if you're local to me then head to Regis Ormskirk for 20% off Monday to Thursday. Go!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
North Wales Borderlands - Half Term Fun
Struggling for things to do in the Half Term? Why not try North Wales? There's something for everyone..
Best for... Kids with a sense of adventure
Woods and Wildlife Family Trail
Date: 28th May – 5th June 2011
Time: 9am - 5.00pm
Admission: Normal admission prices apply
(Full castle: adult £9, child 4.50, family £22.50. Garden and tower only: adult £6.48, child £3.24, family £16.20)
Where: Chirk Castle, Chirk, near Wrexham
Explore Chirk Castle's historic parkland with this trail for all the family. Take a tracker pack with you and discover ancient trees and rare bugs.
Information: For more information visit www.northwalesborderlands.co.uk or call 01691 777701
Best for... Bringing history to life
Call to Arms at Wrexham County Borough Museum
Kids and adults will love this fun day of re-enacting medieval battles with Michael Roberts, medieval historian and professional re-enactor.
Date: 1st June 2011
Time: 10.30 - 12noon (7-10yrs) & 13.30 - 15.30 (9-12yrs)
Admission: £3. Advanced booking is required.
Where: Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archives
Information: For more information visit www.northwalesborderlands.co.uk or call 01978 297460
Best for... A vintage-style day out
1940’s Tea Dance
Date: 4th June 2011
Time: 1.30- 4.00PM
Admission: All inclusive: Adults £5, Concessions £4, Children £3
Where: Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbighshire
Dance to the sounds of the 1940s big bands with dance tutor Helen McGreary. Learn how to dance the waltz, foxtrot and lindy hop, then unwind with a home-made afternoon tea. Suitable for beginners and people of all ages.
Bodelwyddan Castle is situated in Denbighshire, North Wales. Set in 260 acres of magnificent parkland, the Castle is a partner of the National Portrait Gallery and is open to the public most days throughout the year.
Best for... Kids with a sense of adventure
Dipping in the Dell
Date: 4th June 2011
Time: 11am – 12:30pm
Admission: Free of charge for all ages
Where: Plas Newydd Hill Street, Llangollen
Children who are wild about insects will love this chance to explore as families are taken on a minibeast safari to discover what lives on the land and in the river. Wellies recommended.
Best for... An eerie evening
Ghost Hunt
Date: 11th June 2011
Time: 8pm – 2:30am (adults)
Admission: £59 per person. Advanced booking is required.
Where: Ruthin Gaol, Denbighshire, Wales
Adults wanting to feel the chills of paranormal activity are invited to an evening at Ruthin Gaol – the only Pentonville style prison open to the public.
Your evening will include a tour of the Gaol with ghostly tales and a history talk about life in the Victorian prison system, platform readings from spiritualist mediums, a late night ghost hunt and supernatural investigation.
Information: For more information visit www.eerie-evenings.com or call 0845 201 3994
Best for... Bird and nature lovers
Birdmania!
Date: 11th June 2011
Time: 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Where: Plas Newydd Hill Street, Llangollen
Bird enthusiasts will love this day of bird watching and afternoon of tales from renowned storyteller, Andy Harrop-Smith, in the beautiful gardens at Plas Newydd. The gardens are quaintly nestled within the stunning North Borderlands countryside.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
The One Where I'm Half Naked With A Hoover
It's no secret that I love a bargain and friends of mine will know that every once in a while I get a little bit addicted to something - whether that's zig zag partings, a certain Gypsy Kings CD or collecting ring pulls from coke cans, there's always something on the go.
Well now the bargain loving and the addictions have combined and I have officially gone mad with it! Yes, my name's Leanne and I'm a daily deal site addict.
Where's the problem in that I here you ask? Well, the problem is I buy things I don't really want or need - hence me spending yesterday half naked with someone hoovering my love handles at a session of lipo massage. I didn't even find out what lipo massage was - I just clicked buy!
Next week Chris and I are off on an aerial rope course - another one of my buy before you think purchases.
In the hall sits a huge box of sunglasses that I bought in the hope that they'd last me through the Summer - none of them fit and even if they did they'd make me look like Jeff Goldblum in The Fly.
I bought my entire family go-karting vouchers at Christmas - yeah, I bet they were thrilled! -We still haven't been.
There are too many more to name and this has to stop. Do you have any strange addictions? Share them to make me feel better. I promise to try and stop making silly purchases but I'll just go see what's on offer today though first!
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Brilliant FREE Stories For Your Little Ones
If you've got a spare 5 minutes today then can I suggest you go watch a collection of 4 short stories that I've found on YouTube. Mister A can't get enough of them. Here's the first of 4. You can find the rest at thelittlemonsters channel on YouTube.
Monday, 16 May 2011
Review: Lego Duplo Play With Letters Set
Here at Second Time Mummy we are lucky enough to be Lego Duplo Experts. In fact Lego Duplo are even sponsoring us to go to CyberMummy 2011 in June.
This week we had an email telling us we were getting sent some more goodies to review. Mister A was so excited, he loves Duplo, so I showed him the Play With Letters set on the Lego website.
It arrived the very next day and he couldn't wait to get it open. We love toys in our house but when there's an educational aspect that's even better. Mister A is great with letters and his writing is coming on in leaps and bounds.
Here's what Lego say about the set: "Build a bigger vocabulary with LEGO® DUPLO® bricks! It has never been more fun to learn the alphabet! Big, colourful LEGO® DUPLO® bricks with matching letters and pictures, let children will have a great time learning letters."
Here's what Mister A thought of the set...
After unpacking Mister A decided to set himself a challenge. He wanted to lay out all the letters of the alphabet. It was great watching him hunt for all the letters and soon the alphabet began to emerge...
As boys do, he quickly tore the letters apart and started plotting an alphabet tower...
and soon the 'flowers' that are included in the set were being used as propellers...
Mister A really enjoys buildingg with Lego Duplo, it's great to see his thought process when he's playing and deciding what to buld next.
This set is great because he's having fun but also learning the alphabet too. It's using his creative side but also thinking about the different letters, shapes and colours.
Mister A is 4 and a half now so he's almost ready for 'big boys Lego' - that's not a problem though because Duplo fits Lego perfectly.
I can highly recommend this set for many, many hours of fun!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Review: Leap Frog Maths Adeventure To The Moon DVD
For the past few weeks we have been watching a preview of a brand new DVD - Maths Adventure To The Moon from well known toy brand, Leap Frog.
As you know, Mister A has quite an obsession with his Ben 10 DVDs so I wasn't sure he'd take to watching a DVD based on a couple of frog characters that feature on his baby sister's toys. I explained that this DVD, was a special number DVD, and given that Maths appears to be Mister A's preferred subject he was intrigued.
We put it in the player and sat together to watch. He seemed to take it all in and enjoy it but he didn't really interact with it.
A couple of days later it was DVD time again and he actually asked for 'frogs adventure to the moon'. I put it in the player again and went about trying to tidy the house. When I peaked my head around the door he was engrossed and a couple of minutes later I heard him singing along. At the time I hadn't noticed what exactly he was singing to. I presumed it was the alphabet section but now I realise it was actually the number songs he was singing.
So What's it all about?
Well, Tad and Lily (the frogs) blast off in to space on a big adventure. They have to collect everything they need for their maths project. Throughout the DVD Tad and Lily count, sort and use patterns and numbers and the rhythm of the number songs means that they are quite easy to remember.
What's the Verdict?
After 3 weeks of watching the disc every couple of days I am very pleased and proud to say that Mister A can now sing a number of times tables at the grand old age of 4 and a half - even without the DVD on.
This week when I went to pick the children up from nursery they were pleased as punch - apparently Mister A had been teaching his entire class how to count in 10s! I am so, so happy with this DVD and the affect it has had on my little boy. He thinks it's so much fun to watch and sing along and probably doesn't even realise how clever it's making him.
Leap Frog really has made learning fun with this brilliant curriculum based DVD and I'm confident that when Mister A starts school in September they'll be really impressed with his mathematical skills. I would definitely recommend this to all of you! Go, buy one now, you won't regret it.
The Science Bit...
MATHS ADVENTURE TO THE MOON:
DVD Technical Information
• Number of discs: 1
• RRP: £9.99
• Certificate U
• Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Running time: 37 Mins Approx
• Special features: The Sorting Game, 4 Sing-along Songs,The Alphabet Song from Let’s Go To School
My Dad x
This post is dedicated to my amazing Dad - thank you for everything you and Mum do for us and the children, thank you for being so brave, thank you for being you. We don't tell you enough how much we love you, but we do love you... millions!. xxx
My Dad was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer early this year and had to have a cancerous mole removed from his forehead. We were all really shocked and worried to hear the words cancer. We're no stranger to the word - my Nan died from terminal cancer and my sister in law has been affected by it too. For Dad to be told he had skin cancer came as a surprise because he is always so careful in the Sun.
When we were growing up we holidayed in Majorca every year, Dad would always be under the parasol with a cap on reading a book and if he went in the water he's be wearing Factor 50 and a hat. It was a shock to here that word and it certainly scared us all.
Dad has had to have specialist chemotherapy drugs to prevent any further development . Unfortunately as the drugs work on destroying the cancerous cells they also destroy healthy cells too. The drugs are essentially burning away all of the skin on his face leaving him with weeping wounds and he's extremely tender. He is so brave and just continuing with his life as normal whilst the drug works it's magic on him. We're almost at the end of the treatment now - the tumor disintegration phase - so hopefully he's be fully mended by the time we go off on holiday in July. It's made us all sit up and appreciate what we have though- life is so short. I love my family so much and my mid years resolution is to spend more quality time with everyone and tell them all how much I love them... you should tell yours too.
When we were growing up we holidayed in Majorca every year, Dad would always be under the parasol with a cap on reading a book and if he went in the water he's be wearing Factor 50 and a hat. It was a shock to here that word and it certainly scared us all.
Dad has had to have specialist chemotherapy drugs to prevent any further development . Unfortunately as the drugs work on destroying the cancerous cells they also destroy healthy cells too. The drugs are essentially burning away all of the skin on his face leaving him with weeping wounds and he's extremely tender. He is so brave and just continuing with his life as normal whilst the drug works it's magic on him. We're almost at the end of the treatment now - the tumor disintegration phase - so hopefully he's be fully mended by the time we go off on holiday in July. It's made us all sit up and appreciate what we have though- life is so short. I love my family so much and my mid years resolution is to spend more quality time with everyone and tell them all how much I love them... you should tell yours too.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Tight Issues!
Those who work with me may have seen me walking a little differently today. I was struggling with my tights, I pulled them on in the morning rush straight from the drawer. I did think at the time that there was something 'not quite right' but who has time to mess around thinking at that time in the morning - especially when you have children to handover before making the long drive to work?
Not me.
It was fine during the commute but on the walk from the car to the office, I discovered that the cut of the tights felt a little different than Id usually expect. Normally you just wear tights, you don't think about them they're just 'there'.
However, today my tights seemed to taunt me. Every time I took a step, my tights may as well have been singing "some thing's not right, some thing's not right" in time with my walk.
I went to the toilet in case it was just a case of 'twisted leg' - you know when you put your tights on right on one side but then one leg twists as you put your leg in so the top of the foot part of the tight should really be at the bottom? Oh dear... you don't know what I mean do you? God, I'm clearly completely inept and seem to be able to dress myself even less successfully than Chris' attempts to dress the kids!
Anyway, having had such a busy day I had to wait until I got home to investigate the real cause of the issue and it now appears that the problem was...
However, today my tights seemed to taunt me. Every time I took a step, my tights may as well have been singing "some thing's not right, some thing's not right" in time with my walk.
I went to the toilet in case it was just a case of 'twisted leg' - you know when you put your tights on right on one side but then one leg twists as you put your leg in so the top of the foot part of the tight should really be at the bottom? Oh dear... you don't know what I mean do you? God, I'm clearly completely inept and seem to be able to dress myself even less successfully than Chris' attempts to dress the kids!
Anyway, having had such a busy day I had to wait until I got home to investigate the real cause of the issue and it now appears that the problem was...
I was wearing maternity tights... BACKWARDS.
What a numpty! Hopefully this will count as a lucky inside out type mishap and I'm destined to win the lottery on Saturday night.
For now though, I think I'll have to go back to my childhood and get my Mum to come round each night and lay out my clothes ready for the next day.
What a numpty! Hopefully this will count as a lucky inside out type mishap and I'm destined to win the lottery on Saturday night.
For now though, I think I'll have to go back to my childhood and get my Mum to come round each night and lay out my clothes ready for the next day.
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