You Will Always Be My Baby

A week today my little boy will take those little steps in his big boy shoes through the gates of school and the next stage of life. It seems like only two minutes ago since I waved my first born off, and now it's time to kiss my youngest child goodbye and wave him off on his first day.

Children In Colour

Recently on my Instagram feed I've been having a think about what I wanted to share and the feel I wanted to portray. I've loved Instagram almost since it began but for me it was more of somewhere I just enjoyed rather than making it anything to do with my blog or to do for followers. More and more, though, I have realised that I put a lot of work into it, I love finding new like-minded people to follow and it is something PR's now look at when they are considering who to work with. So now I am trying to find a balance between hobby and social media that works for me.

I decided that I have always loved colour - when I was twenty I had a pair of bright pink corduroy flares and I always wore a multitude of brightly coloured eyeshadow. Now I may not dress quite as boldly, but there is always an element of colour in my life, from flowers to home decor. My love of colourful clothing has definitely spread to my childrens' wardrobes and I can't resist a bright item of clothing if I see it in the shops.

So with that in mind I have decided to reflect this love of all things bright in my Instagram feed, and I try to share something colourful in almost every post. And of course that is generally of the children and what they are wearing.

Keeping Your Home Safe Whilst You're Away

Unfortunately recently there have been a number of crimes in our area. Whilst we live in a relatively safe village, because we live in a new build we seem to have been targeted and things like cars been broken into and even a house has left be quite anxious to ensure our house is as safe as possible.

Rather stupidly, and possibly naively, we have never had an alarm fitted. We are the only ones on the street not to do and I am aware that this isn't exactly recommended. Money and other things being a priority are the reasons behind this, but with all these things going on recently it has brought it to the forefront as a necessity so next week the alarm is being fitted.

I am even more conscious os home security when we are away from home and often wonder what we can do to increase this when there is no way for us to be there to keep an eye on things. I have a few methods we put into place whenever we travel so I thought I'd share them on here.

Win A Braun Multi Groomer

A couple of months ago we took part in a fun video with Braun and Mumsnet for Father's Day, which you can have a look at below.

Today I've got a great giveaway with Bruan for one of their Multi Groomer's worth £69.99! With the Braun Multi Groomer you can shave, style and trim just about any beard style you can think of. The ultimate 3-in-1 system allows you to trim, style and shave all with one product.The versatile groomer has a shaver and trimmer with three attachments, and is the ideal tool to complement any grooming regime.

So if you would like to be in with a chance of winning one of these, follow the Gleam below. Good luck!

Win A Braun Multi-Groomer

Building Friendships No Matter The Miles

Crystal clear waters. Golden sands. Meeting new friends you know will become a part of your life for many years to come. Last year we were lucky enough to visit San Lucianu, a Mark Warner resort in beautiful Corsica. Not only did we have an amazing time taking in everything Mark Warner has to offer, we also met some really special people. One such family are The Doves - Charly, who blogs at PODcast, her hubby and beautiful POD. We all first bumped into each on the bus from the airport when Charly's hubby very kindly gave up his seat so I could sit with the children, and then Charly and I bonded over our over-tired kids who eventually fell asleep in our laps whilst we got to know each other.

Bringing In The Magic with Opening Fairy Doors

The children have always been full of imagination and as their mummy I've always tried to encourage and build on it. We believe in many things from Santa to the Easter Bunny and since they were very little fairies have featured in our lives. When they gave up their dummies at three the dummy fairy visited the swapped out their dummies for gifts, leaving a trail of fairy dust behind. Holly loves the Tinkerbell films and also has a fairy-themed bedroom.

Your Youtube #82

Hello and welcome back to Your Youtube and thanks for joining in! My co-host and I Sian love watching your videos each week and we love seeing you all link up. This week's video of the week is from Vic at VeViVo's who has shared a video of her recent trip to Northern Ireland. It looks pretty special and this footage definitely takes your breath away.

Having A Ball With Walkers Bugles

Have you heard about the latest snack to hit the shelves, Bugles? A new corn snack from Walkers, they come in three different flavours and have been a huge hit in our household! We were sent a pack of each of the new flavours to try and have a bit of fun with, so after a busy morning out playing with friends, Holly and I settled down in front of the TV with a brew for me and some Bugle snacks for us both. It wasn't long before we starting having a bit of a play with the cone shaped treats.

First we tried to build a tower out of them - easier said than done! Holly was definitely more skilled than me at getting them balanced and achieved five high before they fell to the table.

Next Holly decided to get some toys in on the fun, with several Paw Patrol and a Pterodactyl trying the snacks on for size - trumpets, a hat and a torch all worked with these fun treats!

Inevitably though, they all ended up in our tummies, and they were really tasty, and moreish! They reminded me of Wheat Crunchies in their texture and my favourite was definitely the BBQ.

Walkers Bugles are available in all good supermarkets in either a 110g sharing bag at £1.99 or in multipacks of 6 20g bags at £1.50, what fun could you have with them?

*In association with Walkers

A Ten Year Anniversary

Last week it was my birthday. Not a special birthday, just your every day mid-thirties acknowledgement. But my birthday also marks another special event - our wedding anniversary. Ten years ago, on my 23rd birthday, Mr and H and I said I do. Ten whole years. A decade. So much time has passed and so much has happened, yet in many ways it feels like only yesterday.

Me & Mine July 16

Ok, so I'm about three months overdue with our 'monthly' update - I'm just so inconsistent! In my defence the days seem to fly and before I know it another month has been and gone and I've missed posting about it. So with that in mind, I'm pinning down July and what we've been up to.

It's been a great month and lots has happened - Jack had his selling in session at school and despite initial reservations he loved it; Holly had her reception graduation and final day of her first year at school. Now that HAS flown. We have visited my in-laws caravan for a few days, taken a trip to Drayton Manor with friends and spent lots of time with our close friends now the summer has arrived (without the sun). Here's a little update on the children for July: