Showing posts with label Mothers Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mothers Day. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 March 2014
Mothers Day Gift Guide 2014: Tried & Tested
If she needs to unwind...
Potters Crouch Floral Fragrances £8.50 each Reviewed by Vic: I tried Lily of the Valley & Hyacinths and Bluebells candles but there are a huge amount to choose from depending on your mood and preferences. The candles have a real premium feel and look really special. I lit the Lily of the Valley candle first, once the initial wax had melted the beautiful aroma filled the room. The scent reminded me so much of my grandma as these were her favourite flowers. Next I tried the Hyacinth and Bluebell scent. The colour of candle is amazing and the scent was delicate but lovely. I burnt each candle for a couple of hours and both were really slow burning which is great. Potters Crouch say each candle burns for 50 hours meaning these are a great value buy costing only 17p an hour! These candles are beautiful and would make an ideal gift for mums and grandma's this Mothers Day.
If she loves music...
JAM PLUS Wireless Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker
If she needs a feet treat...
Reviewed by Emma: I've recently taken up running so my feet have taken a bit of a battering and I was excited to try the foot spa (my mum had one in the 90s but it didn't really do much so I didn't have high expectations!) This particular foot spa comes with aromatherapy oils too so it's a real treat and if it's good enough for Elle then it's good enough for me! The spa claims to have double the bubbles of a normal foot spa as well as LED mood lighting and the aromatherapy mist diffuser.
I absolutely loved it,I felt so pampered and it was so nice to relax after my run by dipping my feet in to the warm bubbles and using the (removable) massage rollers. There's also a pedicure attachment in the centre meaning that you can give yourself a mini pedi as you relax. It's a great gift - a little pricey but a lot cheaper than regular trips to the salon.
Emjoi Micro-Pedi Portable Pedicure Device
Reviewed by Leanne: Being a mum I never have the time or money to pamper myself these days but
It's really, really easy to use- with the flick of a simple on/off switch the roller starts up at 30 rotations per minute. You just hold the micro-mineral roller against any hard skin on your feet and it goes to work. It didn't take long at all and the results were fabulous even after the first try. Ive used it 3 times now and my feet are silky smooth. The MicroPedi isn't something I would have thought to give as a gift but having tested this one I'm planning on getting one for my mum AND my sister!
If she loves fashion...
Second Time Mummy loves fashion so we had to test this one ourselves. First off we should say Just Blue have an amazing range of dresses but we chose this ponte stretch panel detail shift dress which is perfect for giving you a slimmer appearance due to its black side panels. The real thing we love about this dress though is that it's the perfect dress to take you from work to bar because it's so easy to dress up or down.
The fabric is a great quality and with it's neon coral and black colour it's on trend too - I know I'll be wearing it a lot this season.
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Reviewed by Carol: When I was told these items came from Alsi and they were priced at £3.99 each I was stunned. They come in thick plastic for protection but once you get them home and open them you see that they come with indiviual gift boxes. They certainly look a lot more expensive that the RRP.
I wore the set this weekend for a family meal and I had two compliments (which is epic when you have a family like mine). I'd certainly head to Aldi to get a couple of sets as gifts - once they're in the gift boxes they look at least 3 times the price you'd pay! A surprising thumbs up from me - I'd never have considered Aldi as a go-to for gifts!
If she loves beauty treats...
Review by Molly: Coming soon
An exclusive complex of 10 active ingredients at full concentration makes this uniquely formulated serum an essential part of every skincare routine. Skin appears youthfully vibrant and radiant.
If shes a new mum...
Review by Erika: Coming soon
Turning the tables on the wealth of huge parenting manuals and their conflicting advice, GP and mother-of-two Ellie Cannon will empower you to relax, trust your instincts, have faith in your parenting and enjoy more time with your baby.
If you want to treat her on a budget...
The entire Aldi beauty collection is being reviewed as we speak - check back on Tuesday night to see the verdict on thee fab products...Lacura CC Face Cream (£4.99) is one of the most exciting new Specialbuys to hit Aldi’s shelves this weekend. The CC cream promises to banish dull, red and sallow skin. It’s a little too dark for me (MAC NW20), but mixed in with some moisrusier to lighten it, it looks great. It provides good coverage as a base for my foundation – I’ve used it for 4 days now and I’m looking forward to seeing more changes to my skin.
The Lacura Nutri Build-Up Face Mask (£3.99 for 40ml) and Lacura Anti-Fatigue Face Mask (£3.99 for 40ml) have been specially designed to rejuvenate dry and tired skin.
Lacura Shimmering Day Cream (£1.99 for 50ml) is also back on shelves on as a Special Buy. The cream contains light pigments that give a silky-shimmering effect to make the skin appear more even and radiant and is enriched with DEFENSIL® - a special complex that helps condition and protect sensitive skin. Pro-Vitamin B5 provides skin with moisture and botanical oils to support moisture retention.
And for the body, Aldi has range of body-butters available. The sweet-scented Shea Body Butter (£1.99), Coconut Body Butter (£1.99), and Raspberry Body Butter (£1.99) are all nourishing moisturisers with vitamin complex to leave skin feeling noticeably soft and smooth - perfect for pre summer preparation.
Gallo Family Vineyards Summer Red & Summer White RRP £6.99
The red is a refreshing, sweeter wine, bursting with flavours of cherry, pomegranate and raspberry. Best served chilled, it's perfect for serving on Mother's Day alongside a traditional roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, followed by rich blackcurrant cheese cake. It has an RRP of £6.99 and is available from from all major retailers.
The Gallo Family Vineyards Summer White is packed with sumptuous fruity flavours of ripe apple, pear and citrus with subtle floral notes. This sweeter, light wine is a perfect treat for mothers relaxing on a crisp spring evening this Mother's Day, paired with a light salad or pasta dish. It has an RRP of £6.99 and is available from all major retailers.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Budget Gift Ideas For Mother's Day
A new report from Budget car hire has highlighted that 2 in 3 Brits are now neglecting to celebrate Mother’s Day. I find that really sad, Mother's Day is so important and whilst I agree that it has become a commercial money making event, you really don't have to spend to make your Mum smile. Here's my top tips for a budget Mother's Day...
Make Your Own Cards
Last year Mister A made me a fabulous card (above), that cost just pennies to make. I still have it stored in a special keepsake box. There is something so special about childrens homemade cards and gifts, you really can't go wrong.
Treat Her
My ideal Mother's Day would to be woken up by my children and treated to breakfast in bed by my other half. It's the simple little things that count. Cook her dinner, do the dishes - do something you usually wouldn't - even if it's just replacing the loo roll (grrrr)!
Have Some Family Fun
My ideal Mother's Day would to be woken up by my children and treated to breakfast in bed by my other half. It's the simple little things that count. Cook her dinner, do the dishes - do something you usually wouldn't - even if it's just replacing the loo roll (grrrr)!
Have Some Family Fun
A Mum loves nothing more than seeing her children smile so why not head to the park and have a giggle. We have a boomerang and when we take it to the park we always end up in fits of laughter - usually because Daddy made it and it never comes back!
Bake!
This one is for Mums with a sweet tooth! Make some gingerbread (very cheap) and ice your lovely Mothers Day message on to it.
Make A Memory Box
Get the kids to decorate an old shoe box with crafty bits and pics and then fill it with memories. She'll love it!
Make a Mothers Day Collage
Use old magazines to cut out words that link to your mum and stick them all down with copies of family photos.
WIN: Why not share your best tips for Mother’s Day money saving ideas. We will pick the best response and the lucky winner will get a weekend (Friday to Sunday) free car hire courtesy of Budget.
Just comment with your tip below to be in with a chance of winning but make sure you leave a contact method!
Competition closes Midnight Sunday 3rd April 2011. Standard Budget T&Cs apply: http://www.budget.co.uk/bu
Competition closes Midnight Sunday 3rd April 2011. Standard Budget T&Cs apply: http://www.budget.co.uk/bu
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Tried & Tested: Mothers Day Gifts
It's Mother's Day on 3rd April and if, like me, you always struggle to find that perfect gift then this Tried & Tested guide may be of assistance. All the gifts have been reviewed by real people so you can be sure you're selecting the very best lovelies for your Mum. There's something for every budget so let us know if you find something you like...
Greens Cookies With Love (Asda £1.25)
Nothing can be sweeter than spending a little bit of time and effort on a homemade creation, so with Mother’s Day around the corner, now is the time to kick start your baking bonanza. Convenient and easy to make, these vanilla flavoured cookies come complete with scrumptious strawberry icing and blackcurrant writing gel so you can personalise your cookies with lovely Mother's Day messages. All Green’s products are made with natural ingredients and no artificial colourings and the cookie box also includes your very own heart shaped cutter. Cookies with Love are sold exclusively in Asda for £1.25.
What our reviewer said:
"We absolutely loved this kit, it's so easy - all you need to do is add butter - something we've all got in the fridge. The Cookies with love Set comes with a heart shaped cutter which you can reuse again and again. These cookies are great for any time of year but we'll be buying more packs to decorate for Grandma on Mother's Day. What a lovely handmade gift with not much effort and delicious too - nom nom nom."
Ella Pure Stressy Rollerball (£5.00)
Clary Sage, Geranium & Rose Help combat the stresses and strains of the day with this powerful blend, which also has a strong effect on balancing emotional tension such as feelings of loneliness, resentment, fretfulness, shock, lack of confidence, grief, guilt, and even jealousy. These instant application blends use Grapeseed Oil as the carrier and are ready to be applied directly to your pulse points to gain rapid entry into your blood stream, easy to use, compact and easy to take anywhere. 10ml
What our reviewer said:
"The first time I used this I wasn't particularly stressed but I just wanted to have a smell and see if it had any affect on me. I wasn't really sure it did anything to be honest. A few days later I hit a particularly 'testing' time with my son and thought I'd give it a go. It didn't stop the rage immediately I must but it did relax me and calm me. It's hard to explain how it worked but it left me feeling 'unwound' is that a word - he he - what I mean is - usually I would have been in a bad mood for the rest of the evening but I wasn't. Worth a try - I'm keeping it with me at all times!"
ELF Mineral Glow Kit (£10.00)
Our Mineral Glow Starter Kits will help you on your way to healthier glowing skin. Whether you want to create a subtle healthy glow or summer tan with our 'Bronzed Mineral Glow' or illuminated and shimmering skin with our soft pink 'Shimmer Mineral Glow', these sheer, natural powders will leave your skin looking and feeling healthy and radiant. After following this beauty regime you will noticeably feel and see the pure difference e.l.f. Natural Mineral Makeup can do! All of our mineral glow powders are 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.
What our reviewer said:
"Summers on the door step but I'm one of those people that likes to look glowing without the help of the Sun. I usually use bronzing pearls so I was looking forward to trying something different. I have in the past struggled with loose powder but there's a little 'tray' inside the ELF set so you can't overload your brush. It's not as orange as my pearls, which can only be a good thing, and I found that it left me with a lovely natural glow. Lovely set, soft brush and case. Fabulous."
Hotel Chocolat All About Mum H-Box Selection (£11.00)
Chocolates created especially for mums to enjoy this Mother's Day with their feet up – including melt-away pralines, uplifting fruity recipes, mellow caramel, luscious truffles and more, all beautifully decorated and ready to make sure your mum is well and truly pampered this Mother’s Day.
What our reviewer said:
"It's no secret that I'm a chocolate fiend -I literally tore the box apart when it arrived! I did the usual trick of eating my least favourite flavours first but even they were A-mazing and by the time I got to the end I was in chocolate heaven! These chocolates were something else and they've certainly left me wanting more. I know what I'll be getting for my Easter Treat!"
Simple Radiant Skin Mother's Day Gift Set (£17.99
or half price when you sign up*)
Simple offers the perfect treat for your mum this Mother’s Day with the Simple Radiant Skin gift set. The Simple Radiance range is packed with a blend of vital vitamins and skin loving nutrients, further boosting and brightening the skin, creating a more youthful, healthy, glowing appearance every day. Perfect for mothers in need of a little lift, the Simple Radiant Skin gift set contains Simple Radiance Cleansing Wipes, Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser SPF 10 and Simple Radiance Eye Cream. All Simple products are formulated with no perfume, no colour and no harsh chemicals, so you can rest assured that the Simple Radiance range is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive.
What our reviewer said:
"I've heard a lot about Simple but in honesty I'd never tried it. The range is absolutely gorgeous though and the creams smell good enough to eat. The products are packed full of 'mango goodness and they really left my skin glowing. I use these everyday now and I'm already leaving notes for my OH to buy me more! I would recommend you all to try this and I know my mum would love one of these sets too. The wipes are handy and keep them in my bag at work to perk me up! The range is a great price and is well worth the money."
*Simple are offering a 50% discount on the gift set to anybody that signs up as a Simple V.I.P. (exclusive to http://www.simple.co.uk/) in time for Mother’s Day.
MamaJewels (£23.95)
Mama Jewels is all about gorgeous motherhood, whether it's Mum to be gifts, unique new mum gifts or breastfeeding necklaces, we have a gorgeous selection of teething necklaces and nursing necklaces. Mum shouldn’t sacrifice style and we believe that a happy mummy makes a happy baby. Our gifts are thoughtful, practical and above all glamorous. We truly believe that New mums give up so much when baby arrives. Unusual New Mum presents are our speciality and we feel that this is a very important time to treat mum.
What our reviewer said:
"I put the necklace on as soon as it arrived and it wasn't long before an inquisitive Little E started tugging at it and trying to put it in her mouth. I was happy to let her bite on it as I knew that MamaJewels were fully strength tested and non-toxic. The necklace has become a part of my 'mum uniform' and it really helps to wear it when I'm breast feeding. Instead of getting distracted by the surroundings Little E plays with my MamaJewels. Brilliant and stylish - love it- a fab gift for new mums!" Use the code YUMMYMUM for a 20% discount at the checkout
Aromathetrapy Associates Miniature Bath & Shower Oil Collection (£28.50)An international best-seller, the Miniature Bath & Shower Oil Collection contains award winning blends of natural bath & shower oils to suit your Mum’s every mood. The Relax oils restore peace and tranquility, De-Stress can help to clear the mind and ease physical stresses and strains, Revive invigorates and energises and Support takes care of your Mum in times of need.
"Having just gone back to work, I'm finding myself quite stressed out and there's nothing better than a nice warm bath to unwind. I've tried all of these fab oils my favourite is definitely the De-Stress Mind Bath & Shower Oil. It smelt good and I believe it helped me really helped me to relax and unwind. If your mum likes a little bit of luxury then treat her - she'll love you just that little bit more."
Philips Quadrante (Amazon £79.99)
Our new model Quadrante coffee machine, inspired by new interior design trends, is more than just a great looking coffee machine. Apart from inheriting the ease of use and speed from it's predecessor it also brews coffee in under a minute.With a unique brewing system for optimal coffee taste,every cup of coffee is freshly brewed and prepared with the ultimate balance between coffee and water - a guarantee for a smooth, full coffee taste and delicious aroma. Removable extra-large water reservoir for fewer refills (4 mugs/8 cups).
What our reviewer said:
"I was so excited to test this - poor Leanne doesn't like coffee so she couldn't test it herself mwahahaha *evil laugh* Firstly I'm pleased to say that it was really easy to set up once I discovered the quick start card but I would recommend that you give the tank a shake before you use (just to realease the sensor). You can interchange the filter thing-a-me-bob depending on whether you want 1 cup or two. (I used the 2 cup for one big mug) We tested the Easy Weekend and the Morning Americano pods (they look like giant teabags) we loved both but preferred the latter. It's a fab coffee machine that's changed the way our house drinks coffee. The only downside was that you didn't get the fancy square cups shown on the box : ( All in all, a great invention, quick brews and I think my Mum would agree!"
Mothers always enjoy the gift of beautiful flowers delivered to their homes. Choose from a wide variety of vibrant, colorful arrangements online. Why not have flowers delivered?
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Happy Mother's Day
I ended up working 15 hours solid on Wednesday - 8am til 1am - I was sooo tired but had to get up again and start at 7am. By Thursday night I was a mess - I ended up
crying for no reason! It was worth it - I managed to get everything done perfectly and impress my boss - but i won't be doing it ever again!
I went to see my mum too - she was asking Mister A if he'd got me a present for Mother's Day. He said "Yes, flowers" when Mum asked what kind of flowers they were he replied "Tesco's!" Me and Mum we're crying laughing!
When I got back I finally forced Chris to get up in the loft and dig out my old maternity clothes. I have to say I didn't realise quite how unfashionable I was in 2006! There's probably 2 tops and a dress that I can wear now but I have no trousers or jeans from last time - what the hell was I parading round in? Maternity knickers? Very strange! Oh well it looks like it's time to go shopping again!
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