OUR CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas day was really busy. The kids were up really early waiting patiently to open their presents. Lewis didn't want to take part in any picture taking. He just wanted his presents as you can see hes not too impressed!

I loved seeing their faces as they opened their presents.

Then I had to start work on my turkey that had been defrosting for 48 hours! It was going to take about 3 hours 15 minutes to cook and Brett's family were coming round in about 4 hours so I had to crack on.

The finished Turkey (Brett stole a piece before I took the picture - for testing it was cooked apparently!)

Our dinner before we piled on the gravy. Altogether we had turkey, potatoes, roast potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, sausages wrapped in bacon, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and baked onion slices with a choice of cranberry and mint sauce. Yum Yum!
Then later on we went to my mom's and had another dinner. Yes two dinners in one day. That was fun for my stomach I tell you! But the kids had a lovely time. I was shattered by the end of it all.

How Did you Christmas day go?

LOOKING FOR BEAUTIFUL DISCOUNTED WEDDING DRESSES?

So you have the big day set and the first thing I'm sure you want to do is start shopping for Wedding Dresses ?

But with all the thousands of stores and online shops you can browse at where do you go to? Then there is the what style dress do you want, what color or your searching for a specific type for a particular season?

One of the best stores I came across for variety and price value is Lightinthebox.com. For their 2011 New Years Eve sale you can get 70% off wedding dresses. They tend to have starting prices of about $69.99 upwards.

What I liked when I was looking around was that when you click on a product you like most of them have real customer reviews and star ratings from people who have bought the item. This can really help you decide in your choices.

The selection of dresses on offer is not just for your typical size 2-6 either. You can find ranges for maternity wear, plus size ladies and even ones especially designed for the different seasons such as Winter and Summer. You can even request custom sized measurements and have your outfit made from scratch too if need be.

Browsing here definitely would give you some great ideas on the look your want to go for. I really loved the fact you get to see the clothes modelled by an actual person instead of a plastic model or just see the item laid out that usually gives you no idea on its potential at all!

Looking at Lightinthebox takes me back to my big day. I wish I had such a huge choice back then but don't get me wrong I was still very happy with my final look. Now I can concentrate on helping my sister choose - if she will let me that is!

REMODELLING: Dont Forget The Kitchen Sink!

Me and my husband have recently been talking about extending our kitchen and that would mean having completely new kitchen units, an Undermount Kitchen Sink and everything.

The sink size and style is particularly important to me as we don't have a dishwasher so I need to make my space as efficient as possible.

With a family of four I would be looking for quite large Undermount Kitchen Sinks the way my lot go through their food. I would buy more plates and cutlery but then it would end end up in an even bigger pile by the sink!

So recently I went on a kitchen sink hunt to see if I could find the perfect one for me. I want something decent quality that is not going to scratch or wear easily and more importantly is going to do the job its intended to do without any problems. However I don't want to be spending huge amounts of money for this enjoyment.

There was one site in particular that caught my eye called MR Direct. They create their own brand named sinks but at prices that are affordable to anybody. The range of sinks is really good and because of this I am yet to decide on my one but I'm sure I will very soon!

MOON DOUGH DINER REVIEW

For ages: 3 +

Overview:

Run your own restaurant by creating burgers, fries, chilled drinks and pies using the special moulding dough that will never dry out.

You can create burgers by putting dough in the roof of the diner and turning the handle so your burger comes out the bottom. And the rest of the food is done using moulds.
My Thoughts:

I must say this looked really good on the front of the box. But then I came to learn that the picture had obviously been photo shopped quite a bit (see above)

There is no way you can mix the red and yellow colours together as shown in the picture without them sticking together permanently afterwards, meaning you end up with a mixed colour looking burger instead of a nice yellow bun and red meat if you were to use it again.

Deceiving in the picture also are the pies going in the roof giving you the impression you make all the food in there but you can make burgers only.

Further disappointment were how the moulds didn't come out as perfect looking as the picture and the mess the dough made was terrible!

Luckily I put a blanket down but as you can see in my picture with my children playing with it the dough is bitty and crumbles. It will get into your carpet very easy but if so it can be wiped away easy too thankfully.

Conclusion:

Although my kids enjoyed it I didn't think it was very good value for money at all. Its not something you can let your kids play with on their own for fear of the mess it will cause! I will not be buying Moon Dough again that's for sure.

TRACK YOUR VEHICLES, PRODUCTS & EMPLOYEES

If you run a business that involves transporting people or products you may be interested in learning more about vehicle tracking systems.

Brought to you by TrackYourTruck.com the device is simply fitted to your vehicle. Then using special GPS technology data can be collected and sent back to a PC where you can track the vehicle location, track employees whereabouts, receive real time tracking updates and much more.

Track Your Truck's website has recently revealed a new user friendly site design. From here you can find out how the tracking system works, request a quote and view the systems, devices and software that's on offer.

LOW PRICE BRAND NAME STAINLESS STEEL SINKS

I have always felt that stainless steel sinks can go with any type of kitchen. Whether it be a traditional looking one with the cottage style doors and knobs or a more modern trendy colourful style.

In my last few homes I have lived at I've always had stainless steel sink. But I never realised before how many different types of sinks you can actually get.

When I was browsing over at MR Direct for a new one they had an excellent range of brand named sinks and faucets of which they make themselves ensuring the quality is passed onto you.

Plus the prices were decent too. The stainless steel kitchen sinks I was looking for started from just $60.00.

QUICK MEAL IDEA FOR THE KIDS NO.6

I am always thinking of simple quick meal ideas for the kids especially around lunch times. The kids usually have a ham or cheese cob so I thought I would change it up a bit and make a hot sandwich so it would be like they were having more of a burger instead.

So first of all I toasted the top buns in the toaster. Then I placed the bottom buns on the grill pan and added some ham and cheese. Then you just put them under to cook for a few minutes so the cheese melts and the bottom buns crisp up a little.
That gives you this. Put your toasted buns on top ...

..... And you get a nice hot ham and cheese toasted sandwich. The kids love it!

PRACTICAL TOP MOUNT SINKS

I have always been a fan of double top mount sinks. I like to use one for soaking and washing the dishes and the other for rinsing food.

I have had my top mount sink for several years now so I think its time for a replacement. Online sink specialists MR Direct have a nice collection of stainless steel sinks as well as other different finishes too.

LOOKING TO BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE?

Template Example

So you want to build a website and make your presence known on the Internet?

I remember when I started blogging several years ago and naively thinking that I could just use a free blogger service to create a blog, put a few posts up and everyone would find me! That's a typical newbie for you!

Its the same thing if you want to make your own website for business purposes. There are plenty of things you need to do to drive people to your website. Having a good product(s) is obvious but if you landed on a basic site some people may just think it's a spam site.

It's all about the design of your site and drawing people in, then once you have got their attention its making them stay there and not just clicking off to the next site.

There is a websitebuilder site called Site2You that can teach you everything you need to know about creating a successful website and how to build it up, promote and maintain it to the highest level.

Maybe you already have a blog or a website and your looking to completely redesign it?
Doing things like that make a great impact on getting visitors if you promote it right. People will stop by even if they are not interested in your blog or product just to look at the before and after. But then if they stop by you never know they might see something they like.

It's all about putting yourself out there and trying to make your site stand out from all the others. What makes your place different from the others? Simple things like having your own domain name can have your audience take you more seriously and it's easier for people to find you on the Internet.

Check out Site2You to find out more and try out the 7 day trial.

TIPS FOR PREVENTING EARACHE

Earache is a nasty health issue to have. My son is a regular sufferer unfortunately and his is linked to ear infections too. You can read about how he eases his from here: How To Ease Earache.

If you're looking for ways to try and prevent ear ache from happening in the future here are a few things you can avoid doing that you probably didn't realise were causing the problem.

1. Avoid cleaning inside your ear hole by prodding things in it like cotton buds, your fingers or any other objects.

2. Steer clear of cigarette smoke. Many people can be allergic to the smoke and they don't even know it. Research has shown that people who actually smoke long term are more likely to get constant earaches and infections.

3. Colds and infections around the head and face area can often lead on to earaches. Especially with the nose that is linked to the ears. If you are suffering from a cold or infection blow your nose gently often to prevent a built up that can be passed onto the ear.

4. Avoid people with colds and infections. It may seem like an obvious option but if you catch that persons germs it just makes it harder on yourself to try and deal with things as mentioned in point 3.

5. A lot of ear infections can be picked up from public swimming pools. Even though the water has chlorine in it you are much better off wearing ear plugs to prevent this 'shared' water going inside your ear. When you have finished always clean them before wearing them again.

PLEASING PETCARE RX COMPLAINTS SYSTEM FOR ONLINE PHARMACY

Well known online pet pharmacy PetCareRx have recently been looking into their PetCareRx Complaints systems to see how they can further improve on their positive customer service.

For one they always provide their customers with a toll free number for any queries or problems with the products as well as an email and mailing address for people who prefer not to talk on the phone.

So far customers have generally been quite happy with the PetCareRx Complaints procedure and the way things are handled saying the service they received was 'adequate' but could use some improvement such as their problems being dealt with in a quicker manner. But everything else seemed to be fine.

A HAPPIER HOME: Air Conditoning, Air Purifying Services & More

Have you ever walked into a commercial building on a hot day and been hit with the lovely cooling air conditioning breeze?

Well its not just businesses who can enjoy this. You can actually have systems installed in your home too. Maryland air conditioning, heating and electrical experts Arundel have been helping people out with their home needs for about 40 years now.

One of the things we don't tend to think about are air purification systems. Imagine how much dust and dirt goes through your home each day that we are breathing in. We probably spend 90% of our times inside our own homes too so it's something to think about.

Find out more by visiting the website and have a look at what other services Arundel can offer.

BAILEY'S EXTRA THICK CREAM REVIEW

Overview:

A thick spoon served cream filled with the real gorgeous flavour of Baileys. Yes there is actually about 6% volume of alcohol inside mmmm!

My thoughts:

I was really excited about trying this as I am a huge fan of Baileys. They should definitely have bigger tubs of these as I used it with all my deserts and sometimes I ate it on its own too.

It really does liven up any cake or pudding and the burst of the Baileys flavour mingled in with your favourite desert is simple delicious.

It's not a pouring cream and you would have to spoon it out. But a piled tablespoon of it goes a long really long way.
Value for money:

For what it is compared to normal single or double cream you pay on average about twice as much really and the tub is smaller. It retails for about £1.76 compared to the 99p normal cream you can get.

I think if it went above the £2.00 mark it wouldn't be worth it as much but for the price at the minute I will definitely be buying more for me (and the family of course!)

RESTORE YOUR STAINED OR WATER DAMAGED CARPET TO IT'S BEST

When you first put your carpet down its great but then over time stuff gets spilt, dirt gets grind in from your shoes, it starts to smell from your pets and probably many other factors too. I know this feeling well having two young children and a dog!

Then you can have inevitable accidents like flooding. These are the times where you could do with getting in a professional certified carpet cleaner to rectify it.

Benchmark carpet cleaners Portland are a 24/7 restoration and cleaning company that have been trading for over 20 years.

There is no need to dispose of your carpet even if it seems bad as Benchmark will be able to clean, repair, re-stretch and restore your carpet to the best possible condition.

VIRGINIA FUNERAL HOME OFFERS PREPLAN'S & NEW SERVICES

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a funeral. For starters are you looking to do a traditional burial or a cremation?

At Morrissett Funeral Home Richmond VA you can actually preplan your own funeral to save your loved ones the grief of organising it and trying to decide what you would have wanted.

This is for things like choosing the coffin, location of service and burial, the transport, flowers etc.

Morrissett Funeral Home who have been trading since 1870 have a free online basic planner that helps you do this in a step by step process.

One of their newest features are modern projection systems in their chapel so that loved ones can see video tributes for the deceased.

HOW TO EASE EARACHE

My 6 year old son is a regular sufferer of earaches and ear infections. He usually gets them when he has been out in the cold for a while without wearing a hat or he has picked up a cold from someone. The ear infection is what he gets instead of a cold.

The ear infections can be dealt with using medicine given by his doctor but the ear ache usually comes at night times.

With the ear ache I found this simple method works really well for my son and is great for adults too:

1. Fill a hot water bottle with boiled water
2. Wrap a blanket around it that's thick enough that it wont burn your child when handling it yet thin enough that the heat can pass through effectively so the blanket feels warm to the touch.
3. Get your child to hold it onto their ear gently for several minutes. Then have a small break and reapply.
4. If its a night time and your child is in bed I put my sons hot water bottle under his pillow so he can lie on it. But the warmth wont be so effective so after a while you or they can turn the pillow over so they get the side the hot water bottle has been on and lie on that. Repeat as necessary.

The hot water bottle acts as a hot compression for pain just as you would use a cold one for burns.


Please be aware this method works for my son but it may not work for everybody. If yours or your child's pain is consistent and continues over a few days it might be an ear infection or something else and requires medical attention. See your doctor if in any doubt.

GUARD YOUR BABIES SKIN: Boudreaux Butt Paste + FREE SAMPLE! ...

This post brought to you by Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

To be honest I am quite a traditionalist so when my children were babies I would use products that my mom and gran had used in the past. But then as with most things something newer and better always comes along.

The Boudreaux's Butt Paste first caught my attention with the name. Butt paste is something I would usually say as a joke when asking someone to pass me the baby rash cream. I didn't quite know what to make of it but then it made my more curious to want to try it.

Then I heard that a pharmacist had actually developed the product alongside a pediatrician with good reputations so I thought this must be a great product.

I saw the butt paste featured on Oprah too and I knew I had to get some to try out and see for myself.

My children were quite prone to getting diaper rashes and even with the use of the other cream I was using the rashes would reappear from time to time. After using the butt paste I was pleasantly surprised how easy you can apply it and wash it off and the smell was lovely.

I used it every day even when there were no rashes present and it really helped my children's skin. They hardly broke out in any rashes and when they did they were only very minor. The paste definitely acts as a protection aid to guard your children's sensitive skin.

If you want to try out it yourself before you buy it you can always grab yourself a free sample from Boudreaux's website. All you need to do is send a self addressed envelope. You can find out more about this and Boudreaux's other fantastic products via the link within this post.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS

I wanted to take this moment to wish all my lovely blogging buddies a wonderful Christmas and to thank you for always visiting me and leaving your comments.

Eat lots and drink lots if you haven't done so already. I ended up having two Christmas dinners today do I didn't offend our families! But hey at least my belly is nicely full now.

If your around today how will you be celebrating your Christmas? And if you have already how did your day go?

QUALITY GEAR FOR YOU AND YOUR HORSE

If you're a serious horse rider whether it's for a sport or hobby you will love online website Dogwood London.

Here you can find a vast collection of equestrian clothing such as riding hats, jackets, body warmers, footwear and safety clothing for jockeys and hunters like body protectors and shooting jackets.

Everything you should ever need for yourself and your horse is there. For your horse you can get saddles, flea sheets, horse rugs, grooming accessories and supplements.

Dogwood London offer worldwide delivery so everyone can enjoy the selection that's on offer. Plus any orders placed over £100 and you will qualify for free delivery.

DRIVER TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMENS INSURANCE

Do you ever wonder why there is women insurance and no insurance just for men? Stats show that women drivers are generally better.

Cover Girl Insurance recognises this and use a special black box technology in their plans to track how well you drive.