Winter Beauty Tips From Emma Willis And Gillette Venus

Finding time to spend on a beauty regime is practically non-existent now I am a mum of three, long gone are the days I use to spend hours pampering myself for nights out. Even though I am short on time I do still like to make a little bit of an effort with my appearance, but like most women, I find that I make less effort than normal in the winter. As let's face it we are all nice and cosy in warm jumpers and too busy eating our own body weight in chocolates and mince pies at this time of year to worry things like shaving our legs and spending time on beauty treatments (or maybe that is just me). 

Win Tickets To The North East Wedding Show

It is no secret that me and the other half often talk about getting married. We both know it is something that we want but we have never actually gotten around to planning things yet, plus we have yet to make things official with a ring or proposal yet. To be honest I can not really see it happening anytime soon. For those of you lucky enough to have received a proposal over the festive period, or who are already engaged or planning a wedding then I have details about the North Easts best wedding show, plus a giveaway where you could win a pair of tickets to the event.

Sylvanian Families Gift Guide

Regular readers will know that we are Friends of Sylvanian Families, my two girls love Sylvanians and I do too as they are such a timeless toy that reminds me of my own childhood. Now that Christmas is just a week away I thought that I would share with you a few of my favourite Sylvanian products, just in case you still have some shopping to do.

Sylvanians make such a lovely Christmas gift that will bring hours of fun. My eldest was Sylvanian mad a few years ago and we have so many families and sets all ready for her younger sister to play with, they last so well and still look brand new. No matter what your budget you are sure to find something in the range that would make a fantastic gift as prices start at just £4.99.

 So here is a quick look at my favourite Sylvanian Families items.

Stay Hydrated This Winter With Robinsons

In the summer I drink so much water to keep me feeling cool and refreshed on warm summer days, however in the winter I am guilty of rarely drinking any. Now that the weather is colder the idea of a cold glass of water does not appeal to me and I much prefer to drink a hot cup of tea or coffee instead, along with a huge 62% of people questioned in a recent survey carried out by Robinsons who also prefer to drink hot drinks over water in the winter months. 

We need to remember that drinking enough water is important in winter as tea and coffee is a diuretic and if we do not drink enough water we can easily become dehydrated. Robinsons have come up with lots of recipes for hot and cold drinks using their delicious fruit cordial drinks, to help inspire us to start drinking more water and staying hydrated this winter. 

Hornby Santa's Express Train Set Review

When I was a small child one of my uncles used to have a train set going around his Christmas tree, I use to think that it was the most magical thing ever. I always wanted a one of my own and when I had my own children I vowed to get a one, although I have never actually got around to getting a one yet. Last week that changed when Hornby kindly sent us their Santa's Express train set to review. 

My brother used to have a Hornby train set when he was younger which he spent hours playing with, so I knew that they were a great brand who make quality train sets to last. When the set arrived everything we needed was included in the box, it contained a three-piece train, lots of track, a control and even a mat that you can use to place your train on if you prefer. 

Last Minute Christmas Celebration Ideas In The North East

Christmas is just under two week's away and everyone is getting into the festive spirit and getting excited for the big man in red arriving on Christmas morning. This time of year is the perfect time to celebrate with family, friends and work colleagues and have some fun in the lead up to the big day itself. However if like me you have left organising a Christmas celebration to the last minute then fear not as I have come up with some ideas suitable for all kinds of people that will certainly get you in the festive mood. 

If you are looking for a work, family, friend or couple night out then Durham County Cricket club have some great party nights on the 18th and 19th December. The 18th of December sees a host of amazing sounding tribute acts take to the stage followed by a two-course meal and a night of dancing the night away. If  Bond is more your thing then 'A Bond night in Monte Carlo' will be just the thing to get you in the mood on the 19th when the black-tie casino night hits the club. This night sounds right up my partners street as it includes casino tables, a formula one simulator and a disco as well as plenty of martinis at the bar. These sound like great night outs that I would enjoy going on with my friends or partner and are priced at only £39.95 per person, which is incredible value.

Disney Princess Royal Boutique Cash Register Review

My two-year-old Sophia is really into Disney Princesses and role-play at the moment, like most little girls her age she loves watching Disney films and playing with the shop and till at pre-school. So when she was recently sent the Disney Princess Royal Boutique Cash Register to review I knew that this would be something she would love.

As soon as Sophia seen the cash register her little face lit up and she could not wait to get it open and start playing with it. Opening the cash register was really quick and easy and I was pleased to see that it already had batteries included (it uses 3 AAA). The till reminds me of old-fashioned style cash registers which I think gave it that princess feel to it, it is a beautiful pink and gold colour decorated with popular princesses Belle, Aurora, Snow White and Ariel. 

Buddy The Elf's Adventures Week One

Last week we welcomed Elf on the shelf to are home for the first year, as I mentioned in last weeks post I brought the Elf back in the summer as I thought it would be a nice tradition to have in our household. Last week our Elf arrived with the children's advent calendars and a storybook about who he was. My eldest decided to call him Buddy and my two-year-old toddler adores him and is always blowing him kissing and shouting his name, which is very cute.

The first week with Buddy the Elf has been a success as it is fun setting him up the night before (thank you Pinterest for the inspiration) and I love seeing my toddler Sophia look for Buddy each morning. I have not planned anything elaborate and have kept things fairly simple a toddler-friendly, I thought I would share with you what Buddy has been up to in his first week at our house just in case you are after some ideas for your own Elf.

Stocking Filler's From Snapfish

Christmas is fast approaching with less then three weeks until the big man in red visits and I, like many other people am busy buying and wrapping gifts. When I am buying gifts I like to buy thoughtful gifts that I know will be loved and appreciated, I am a big fan of personalised gifts and I especially love photo gifts. 

In this day and age, I am guilty of taking photos on my phone, uploading them to social media and then totally forgetting all about them. I always forget to print them out. So when Snapfish got in touch to see if I would like to create a range of photo-based stocking fillers I knew that I had to get creative and see what I could come up with. 

Christmas Books From Parragon

Regular readers will know that we are Parragon book buddies, this means that we are lucky enough to be sent a book for Sophia and Jacob to review each month. I adore reading and always have done since I was a small child and I am really hoping that my love of books gets passed down to my own children. I love nothing more than snuggling up with them on the sofa and reading a story with them both, it is something we enjoy doing most days. 

Now that it is December and Christmas is fast approaching it is the perfect time to start reading Christmas stories to get us in the festive spirit. This month Parragon have helped us achieve this by sending us two Christmas themed books to review, we were sent The Night Before Christmas and Jingle, Jingle Little Reindeer. 

Welcoming Elf On The Shelf

This time last year I heard lots of people mentioning Elf on the shelf and photos and blog posts popped up all over the Internet with what each families scout elf were up to. I had no idea what Elf on the shelf was so I was intrigued to see what it was all about. 

I soon learnt that the Elf on the shelf is sent from Father Christmas on the 1st December to live with a family in the run-up to Christmas day. Each night the elf will fly back to the north pole and tell Father Christmas what the children in the household have been up to. In the morning when the Elf returns to the family home he will have moved position and the children will have to find him, they can not touch the Elf though or he will lose his magic powers.