Jess's 2nd Birthday Haul

As you might know on the 15th September Jess turned two I know where had my baby girl gone now she is a grown-up little toddler who loves been super independent. On the run-up to her birthday, I have been reading up on what other people had been purchasing for their toddlers because as you might know, Jess is rarely at home because she is in full-time nursery and this means she does not actually get a lot of time spent at home to play with toys.  So I thought I would share with you what Jess actually got for her birthday.

I am not bragging about what she got because I know she is a very lucky little girl people did not have to spend any money on her however they did and I am sharing with you the lovely gifts she got.
First of all is the card which we actually got Jess usually I wouldn't include cards in a post like this, however, I had it specially designed from the lovely handmade_by_bubblestorm on Instagram. Jess is paw patrol mad and I had been trying to find one which was paw patrol with daughter on with no much success so when I found this lovely lady I knew I had to purchase. I think either the crayon and colour of Skye it was £5 as part of an offer she was conducting one Friday. I would recommend checking her store out because she does amazing cards.


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Days Out- Yorkshire Wildlife Park Review

Recently we visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park for Jess's second birthday because of the fact she loves animals and we wanted to do something special for her because it is not every day you turn two after all. The wildlife park, if you are not familiar with the wildlife park, is in Doncaster it is close to the airport actually which means that it is only about an hour from us. It has taken me till now to actually visit and it has been open 8 years. The park is home to around 400 animals which means there is plenty to see we spent around 6 hours at the park which is amazing because it was not very busy due to the fact we visited on a Friday in September. I feel like we got our monies worth because it only cost us £17 each and Jess was free because she is still under 3.

The first animals which we saw on our trip was the baboons which had me in stitches because they were all been cheeky one kept shaking the house which you can see some of them sat on before another one decided that they wanted to mount and try and make babies with another one in front of the other baboons. The park seems to have a fair amount of them as this is only a selection of the species somewhere actually sat near the window just chilling as you can see there are some small ones which are either clinging onto their mum or dad which I think is adore able it is a shame I could not get a closer picture of them. 

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A Bow Come True Haul

Bows are something which recently I have fallen in love with and love now that Jess has a little bit longer hair which means that she can pop them in her hair because as some of you may remember when she was born she had no hair at all. It took her a while to grow it and now it seems to be growing at a rate of knots which is no bad thing because she has an amazing colour hair even if I do say so myself. In the middle of August came across a lady who was making bows in my local area since then I have gone on to purchase a handful of bows. You can also purchase from here as she does post them she sells on Facebook and her page is A bow come true. As you know I love to support small business and this for sure is one of them.

As you know recently Jess turned 2 which of course was an occasion which we could celebrate with a bow she didn't wear it all day because Mummy forgot to take it with us to the wildlife park, however, however she did end up wearing in for her meal on the evening. I love how you can have these changed for the age which your child is going to turn and the cake on the other side is so beautiful.The number is raised up which means that it does stand out and is full of glitter like an actual princess would wear. I adore the pink colour of this because it goes with Jess's hair colour so well.  Jess did not want to take her bow off all night so it must have been comfortable for her they are so well made that they even look amazing after Jess has been playing with them so much. These are priced at between £2-3 I think. I for one will be purchasing more of these when it becomes to birthday's in the future for Jess. 

If you know me you will know that I am obsessed with dinosaurs I wish there were more dinosaur things for girls when I see them I just have to have them. So when I saw this bow I had to pick it up Jess even knows the word dinosaur which is amazing at such a young age and even pretends to rawr like she is one. I love the contrast between the dark pink/red on the back of the bow and the white which is on the front. This for sure is going to be one which she is going to get a lot of wear out of because it will go with a number of outfits. Again this was around the £2-3 mark like all the bows this company make.  I think that if she does design some more in this style I would have to purchase more of them. 

Halloween is just around the corner I know people will not like me saying that but it is now only a month away. So when a couple of weeks ago I spotted that they had launched their Halloween selection of bows I knew I had to get my hands on them quickly before they sold out or I forgot and did not end up ordering one. I purchased this beautiful bow which is black and orange which for sure screams Halloween to me and then it has a witch on the other side which I noticed also has ginger/orange hair. I think this one is going to be perfect for around the Halloween season hopefully, Jess is going to be allowed to dress up at Nursery again this year and she can rock this bow. I would say if you are looking for Halloween bows to purchase them soon. A bow come true also have Christmas bows out now but I can not think that far in the future so have not purchased any yet. 

The next one which I purchased was this mermaid bow which is a blue and purple colours which I thought really go well together which is one of the reasons why I purchased the bow, as well as the mermaid, seem to be alternative because of the fact that she has multicoloured hair which is something which you do not see on most bows. I also love how it will end up being able to go with a lot of outfits. It was not till after I noticed that the mermaid has a little unicorn next to her and these both really on trend at the moment.

I also had to pick up this panda one well I think it was actually Jess who chose this one because it has panda on and it also had flowers on which is something which must have drawn to her because it was one of the first ones she choose. I love how the flowers are 3D because it gives it an extra element. I think again this is something which is different compared to other bow companies which I have seen. I love how this one is black and white so of course is going to go with everything which Jess has. 

The reason I first saw this company is because when Hull FC got to the Challenge cup final back in August a bow come true came out with this range of bows so that everyone even little ones could support the team. Even though Jess did not actually attend Wembley she did get to support them from a far this is going to be perfect should they reach the grand final and also when she attends games in the future. I love this bow I think if I could get away with it I would wear it. Even for this one it only cost £3 and I think there was only around 50 made so Jess is a lucky little girl. 

Unicorns are something which are everywhere at the moment so when I saw this print which is so different to anything which I have seen I knew I had to have it. I love the pink colour because again I think it is one which is going to suit Jess's colouring because pink is something which suits her so much. I love the glittery element because I feel like it gives her something which extra this is one which will go with a lot of her plain dresses and I am sure a few other things which she has. Again this was around the £2-3 mark I can not fully remember the price. 

I love this company and for sure it is one which I will be ordering from again in the future.This is one which I would recommend that you check out because you will not be disapointed by the quality or designs which they make.

What are your favourite bow stores because I am always looking for more?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- Missing You Already

Dear Dada

I can not believe that the time has come for you to leave the UK again I guess as you kept telling Mummy today that it is only 6 weeks and then you are going to be back for a long time hopefully. I know we are going to have so many amazing memories when you get back because it will be November which means it will be getting colder and then we can go explore the new season. If you are lucky we might even have snow for us to play in but I do not know if this is a good thing at all.

I have had so much fun since you have been home and have adored spending a lot of time with you and Mummy. I do not think I have seen her that happy in such a long time because I know it must be hard for her to be both parents when you are away. I know that I am going to have to behave so much this time because Mummy is going to have so much to do because of the fact she is back at uni now instead of been on summer leave.

I am sure you are not going to miss having to listen to the wheels on the bus all of the time as well as ba ba black sheep and wind the bobin up because that is all I have been making you listen to whether that be on your phone or whether it be me singing it. I have loved being able to do some drawings for you I can not wait to be able to do even more at nursery for your return because you know how excited they get when they know you are coming home. I think they get more excited than Mummy or she is just really good at hiding how excited she is. Been able to see you every single day has been amazing I feel like I have really had my Daddy back and like we have been an actual family.

You been home for my birthday was amazing because it meant that I did end up we did end up having an amazing family day at the wildlife park because you know how much I love being able to see the animals. We have had some amazing meals out which has meant that I have had some super tasty food and I have managed to try some new kind of foods as well. I am so glad we have spent this time together because I think that it has just proved to mummy how much everything means because sometimes she gets down as you know but been able to do silly things with you has made her feel like she is not alone.

I love my new penguin teddy but I would really like a live one as a pet because I think it would be pretty cool, maybe we will have to go and see them at the deep at some stage or go up to the zoo in Edinburgh because mummy says they do an amazing parade. Hopefully, these next 6 weeks go super fast because I can not wait to be able to tell everyone Daddy's Car and be your little princess again. I have even learned the phrase I miss you now so don't worry I will be saying this a lot when you come back.

I have found out today that I am only doing  3 days at nursery this week which is a bonus because it means that I am going to be able to play with some them amazing toys which I actually got for my birthday because you know how much of a lucky girl I was.

I hope you have an amazing flight back Daddy I love and miss you already

Jess xxx

Autumn Bucket List

Today officially is the start of the autumn and if you know me this is one of my favourite times of year because of the fact that the weather does starts to become cooler and then we get the leaves on the ground and who does not like kicking them. This is going to be the first time I think that Jess is going to understand the fact that it is coming colder and we have to wrap up when we go out which I guess is always one of the fun parts of this year.  Autumn officially runs from today to the 21st December when it is officially winter.  This year I want to have a bucket list of things which me and Jess want to do before December.

Stay In PJ's All Day- Me and Jess do not have a lot of time where we do not actually do a lot at all we are always on the go. This means that we have a lot of days where we are wearing clothes which we would wear outside. Jess does get more PJ days than me but I think she would love one with me.

Have a film day-  Is there anything better than been snuggled up with a blanket and been able to watch films this is something which I love been able to do in the colder months. Usually it is a Sunday when we have no plans and the weather is super rubbish which is can be a lot of the time in these months. We usually watch things which are like cartoons or Disney they are always really easy watches.

Build a den- This is something which Jess does her bed but I think we would have a huge amount of fun building a den in the front room and be able to chill in our huge den and even ban boys from coming in. We can do a lot of different things I have not a huge plan of what we should do in the den yet maybe it should be sponteous

Having an Indoor Picnic- We loved been able to actually eat in the outdoors having almost like picnics at home when the weather was nice in the summer because snacking is one of Jess's favourite things to do so I think that having a picnic with a blanket on the floor while the weather is rubbish would be so much fun and I am sure Jess and her pups would love that.

Make Cookies-  I know for sure that we actually have a couple of kits to make cookies in the cupboard in the kitchen and Jess had her first taste of baking at nursery baking bread. I think that this is going to be something which Jess is going to love to be able to do and when the weather is rubbish one weekend we can make cookies and she can give them to other member of the families.

Dress Up For Halloween-  This is one which is aimed more at Jess than me because she is actually going to be at nursery for Halloween which means that she is no doubt going to have a part and there is going to be party for her to attend. I really love been able to dress her up so this is something which I will be planning in the next couple of weeks to be honest.

Go on a Walk- This is not something which I am going to class if it is just a normal walk it is going to have to be a walk which is for the purpose of going for a walk this is something which I love doing because I love the crisp air and been able to kick the leaves this is going to be something which Jess is going to enjoy for the first time.

Visit the Fair-  As a resident of Hull every October we have to make the annual pilgrimage to Walton Street because Europe's largest travelling fair comes to Hull. I took Jess last year and she loved just looking at the lights however, this years she is going to be able to go on some of the rides and I can not wait to see her face light up and have so much fun one night as it is getting dark and the lights become brighter.

Before I have too many things to do this autumn and not enough time I will leave it here. I love been able to have some ideas which I am going to be able to do in this time of year. I am sure we will add some things to this plan as well.

What do you plan on doing this autumn?

Charlotte x

Lush- Mask Of Magnaminty Review

Mask Of Magnaminty is a facemask which I am constantly repurchasing and have been since I first tried it over two years ago now. I have hormonal breakouts like any other girl more so around the time of the month and this is when I seem to be reaching for this product more and more. Before I had tried this product I had actually managed to read the reviews now any of you who have done this will know it has really high reviews. 

This is not one of Lush's fresh facemask however, it is self-preserving which means that it does last a bit longer meaning that you do not have to use it as quickly as a fresh one and this also does not have to be stored in the fridge. Which if you are anything like me is a good thing because I put them in the fridge and can actually forget to use them because I rarely go to the fridge before a shower. 

The main ingredient of this facemask is peppermint oil this is what makes it get for people who have acne or spot prone skin as it is actually a natural antiseptic which helps promote healing of scars and blemishes which can occur when skin there is breakouts. I have noticed when I have been used this the scars which I have from previous spots do seem to fade which is a bonus when you are very self conscious about scarring.  

This mask also can help tighten pore which is something which is not always a problem for me but this is always a bonus because having huge pores is not something which we all want. As well as this another benefit which helps soothe and protects the skin from break out as you may remember I said I use this more when I am breaking out. The ingredient which helps this is the bentonite gel and African marigold oil. 

I use this mask maybe only once a week on my whole face and then when I need it in specific areas I will use it more for example when I break out I will apply this maybe every day however, I have been known to use this overnight and it has the same benefits as washing it off after 30 minutes. 

You'll find when you scoop some out of the little pot that it's a really thick mask full of little scrubby bits because the mask is so thick and lumpy, you have to apply it to the skin in quite a thick layer to get even coverage. Be careful not to apply it too thickly however, so that it doesn't dry onto the skin. This is just a waste of product and makes it harder to remove. Do be warned, the application can be super messy I have been known to get it in my hair at stages which can be super annoying. 

Once the mask is on your skin you get that immediate tingly, cold feeling all over your face that comes with peppermint oil this is a feeling which I have to admit I really like. This mask contains Kaolin clay, which whilst setting on your skin, pulls impurities like oil out from your pores, but without drying your skin out even though I do feel like I have to moisturise after but that is just me. 

When you wash the facemask off it is actually exfolicating as you rinse it off which is great because I love looking at how much dead skin cells I have removed as well as the extra oil which does not need to be in my face.

I love this facemask and it is one which I will repurchase time and time again I think I have already been through a couple of the larger pots of this facemask which shows that I really do love the product. I would recommend this product to others who may have blemish/spot prone skin. 

Have you tried mask of magnaminty if so what did you think?

Charlotte 

Skip Hop Unicorn Backpack Review

A year ago I was on the hunt for a nursery bag because Jess was going to be starting nursery and it meant that I needed to be able to carry a few items for her every single day. I actually watched a video that Jess Avey did a video which was all about what was in her toddler's nursery bag. He has an amazing Skip Hop backpack and once I saw that I knew I had to have one. I think her son had the monkey one however, I knew that I needed to get one which could be a little bit more girly I am all for gender neutral but Jess does get called a boy a hell of a lot. This is when I saw this amazing Unicorn bag on the JoJo Maman Bebe website and this was before the unicorn trend actually started. I have seen a lot of people use these style of bags recently I think I have seen a couple of these people who have been had the unicorn bag.

These skip hop bags are actually £20 which to some people may seem expensive for a backpack bag for a toddler to carry or use for nursery. I did actually a discount code which got me £2 off this bag but I did worry that I had an purchased a bag which was actually expensive would not last us that long. This bag has actually lasted us at least a year I have been able to wash the bag I do not know if you're meant to wash it, however, I did and it looked as good as new. I only washed it on a gentle wash I would not recommend washing it on a high temperature I think I did ours on a 30.

This is inside the bag as you can tell there is a lot of space in this bag and it does actually have a couple of complete full outfits in the bag. As you can see there is a lot of room which means that a lot more could be carried in the bag. I think I have managed to put a whole weekend worth of clothes including spares and pj's as well as nappies and wipes which is a hell of a lot of stuff to fit in a bag which does not look like it will be able to fit that much in. This means you could use your bag as a weekend bag for your toddler or for your hand luggage if you lucky to be going on holiday.

The bag also has a huge pocket on the front which I have found is good for storing gloves and socks which is something which we always need now because Jess seems to be able to get her socks wet at nursery easy and I know I am going to need easy access to her gloves because of the fact that the seasons are changing and mornings are getting colder. I think this would be a great place for snacks if you are traveling because it is so easy to access them.  On the side, the bag does have a holder for a bottle which is great for when we are traveling because I can stick a fruit shoot in the pocket so I can grab it before Jess kicks off because she is thirsty.

The straps which are on the back can be adjusted which means this bag can grow with your toddler which is great because if yours is anything like Jess they will want to be able to carry their own bag. I can even adjust it so it fits over one of my shoulders should I need to carry the bag instead of Jess, for example, should I make the bag to full for her to carry it. I think that one of the reasons Jess wanst to carry her bag is because she thinks she is a big girl and because of the fact that the bag is so cute she wants to.  The straps as comfortable for Jess to be able to wear them all day which is great because it means that she is not going to get in discomfort when she wants to wear this.

I would say that the skip hop bags are worth the money because we have used ours nearly every single weekday for a year. However, if you are not going to use the bag every day and are scared that your child will not get their money's worth I would look for a discount code or on Amazon as they are on offer every so often. I think that the quality of this is still as good as new of course it does have a few scraps from the use but you could not tell we have had this bag over a year. I think that had I purchased a cheaper bag I may have had to repurchase a new bag by now.

Have you tried a skip hop backpack?

Charlotte x

Jess at 2

Dear Jess

Wow time really flies when you are having a lot of fun. I can not believe that it has been two whole years since you came into our life's or does not feel like it has been that long I now can not imagine life with you. You have grown so much since you were no bigger than Daddy's forearm and now your own toddler who never stays still enough to measure you against Daddy.

In the past year you have grown up so much you have managed to master walking and now never want to stay still. You love even been able to hold our hand and be able to walk against us because you are growing up. You even love to hold our hand when you are crossing roads. You also love been to explore when on your reins and you think you are a big girl and you love being able to feel like this when you are exploring.

You really love the outdoors at the moment it is hard to keep you in because you are obsessed with been outdoors all of the time. You love being able to play on your scuttlebug and your rocker which you adore. I can not wait till you can get a balance bike next year and we can have so much more fun with you exploring. I am sure you are going to love putting on your wellies and coat on once the leaves start changing because you will be able to kick the leaves and have so much fun.

You adore been able to colour and draw pictures recently it is something that you have got in you seem to be able to doing more drawings. Which is amazing because one of the great things which mummy loves is been able to put your pictures on the fridge. You get excited when you see it and you always are making pictures for Daddy which he loves as he can take it away when he is not with us. I am sure he loves it because he can look at them when he is missing you.

Recently you have gained your own personality you are super stubborn if you do not want to do something you will just basically say no and have a tantrum stood where you are. This is something which can drive me insane because you can push my buttons. Hopefully is it is something which you are going to grow out of very soon because it's so horrible.

You are still the daredevil which you have always been I dread it every single time you do something to yourself it only took you less than 18 months to get your first black eye. You managed to trip over a table and give yourself one. You wouldn't be Jess my daughter without having a couple of bruises because you are always on the go and tripping over. I think it's worse because of the fact your always on the go.

Your eating is still amazing we still get to find something which you do not eat which is amazing. You have tried a huge range of foods even including curry and fajitas you even have tried jalapeños and loved them which was shocking because I didn't think you would like them. They burnt your mouth a little bit but not too much which is always a bonus. You usually drink a little bit of milk usually a cup before bed. It seems to be something which you really enjoy doing before doing bedtime.

Talking of sleep you go to bed between 7-8pm and then wake up at 5.45 so that we can make the train in the morning. However you have actually stopped going to sleep on the train but you actually have a nap at nusury and sometimes that can be a couple of hours which is always a bonus because it does mean that you are awake when it comes to the trip home which is great because it means we can have a little bit of time when we are travelling.

Talking is an element which you seem to have improved a lot now we can have a whole conversation with you. You do seem to be improving your vocabulary which is always great. Singing is another element which you are always trying to sing wind the bobbin up, the wheels on the bus and baa baa black sheep.

I can't believe you are now 2 Jess where did the time go. Next time I write one of these you are going to be 3 which scares me you are growing up way to fast please can you slow down . I think we are going to have a lot of fun while you are 2 I can't wait to see what adventures we are going to get up to.

Love Mummy xxxx

Tips For A Happy Bath Time

When Jess was first born and till she could sit up she hated going into the bath it was one of the most painful experiences because she would not want to be in the bath for longer than a couple of minutes and this would only give me enough time to wash her hair and then actually do her body.

This has actually changed in the last changed since she can sit up in the bath and now she is actually begging me to go in the bath she loves to shout splashy splashy which means that Jess wants to go into the bath and splash. I think her record of being in the bath is something like close to a couple of hours which is crazy I think it is nearly as long as I have spent in the bath. There is a range of products which we use to make sure that she had a lot of fun and actually does end up getting clean because of the bath.

We are not loyal to one type of bubble bath Jess uses a range of different bubble baths bottles she has used child's farm, boots own brand, as well as ultracare. Jess loves actually a good bubble bath because she likes to pop the bubbles. I tend to purchase the bubble bath which is on offer I know I am lucky because of the fact that Jess does not have sensitive skin I can use any products. I would recommend using a scent which you child actually likes as well. We sometimes as a treat every so often use a lush bath bomb which I do because Jess loves watching seeing what they do in the water which I know she adores as she always says wow when she watches them.

I would recommend getting your child's favourite characters to help get them washed so I picked up in Tesco a paw patrol flannel because of Jess, as you may know by now, is super obsessed with the pups. So this means I can say to her do you want me to put the body wash on the pups and then she will wash her whole body. We have used a Marshall sponge in the past which we picked up from Primark and they do the hand washing mitts with characters such as Minnie mouse as well and they are all between £1-£2.

Then, of course, you have to get some toys because they are some things which help the child enjoy the bath because they think they are playing which is what they are doing and you can have a hell of a lot of fun different games which you play. The first item which we love is rubber ducks they are a cult classic when it comes to playing with the toys I picked a huge bag of them off amazon however, I did not check them and they came from Japan/China. You may want to order them off a UK seller so that they come quicker. I know stores such as home bargains and B&M always seem to have them in. We have had hours of fun with ours and they are super cheap that reminds me that I do need to purchase some more because ours are getting a little bit battered.

We also have boats which I ordered online because of the fact that as every knows you can get online a hell of a lot cheaper wet got I think it is 4 boats for only £1-2 which I think is super cheap and we have had them a year and a half have been using them a lot, to be honest. We love being able to put some water in them and sink the boats as well as linking the boats together and driving them. I know that Jess loves to be able to tip the water all over me so I would recommend purchasing something like boats. Or the animals which squirt you because if your child is anything like mine she loves getting other people wet when in the bath because she is wet she thinks you should be. I know again you can pick these up in stores such as home bargains and b&m as I constantly see them in stores such as these.

Wow else remembers when you were a child and you had the foam letters which stuck to the wall and you used to try and spell your name and if you are someone like me you would never be able to actually do this because you would always run out which used to pissed me off. Jess even though she cannot spell at the moment because of the fact that she is only just turning two. However, this does not stop her from actually putting them in the bath and the walls and of course, I can write words and teach Jess what they are and this is something which she finds really fun. I actually picked up about 48 letters and a few numbers from TKMaxx for Jess for Christmas and she has used them so much however, I really need to rinse them now because they do start to smell because you are meant to let them fully dry out and this is not something which me and Jess have been doing.

The final item which we love to use to have a happy bathtime is the bath crayons which you only need to get a slight amount of water on them and then they become like a paint which you can use in the bath and your own body. This is something which Jess at the moment is adoring due to the fact that she is loving been able to colour because that is all she wants to do at the moment. I love that I can draw and be involved in her bath and what she is doing rather than her having all of the fun. I got this again from online on Amazon however, I have seen that they are available in stores such as the pound shop which is great for when I need to be able to get another pack because ours actually are running out fast.

What do you use to have a fun bath time?

Charlotte x

The September Melt Box - Flamingo Candles '17

One thing which I am always looking forward to when a new month started is that there is going to be a new melt box arriving as you know I am someone who loves burning candles and tarts. With this weather which is coming colder, I can see myself burning some of these fast. Today I am going to share with you September's edition I know this is super early for me to put one of these up but I have some amazing content which is going to be coming up in the next few weeks.

If you are unsure what the melt box is it is a monthly subscription box from flamingo candles each box has 8 wax tart melts. They are a combination of old favorites, current scents and some which are still yet to be launched as well as some exclusives to the melt crowd. As a member, you receive a wax burner with your first box which allows you to burn the wax as well as a 20% discount code with every box which is useful for us candle addicts.

Bubblegum is not one which I would have selected should I have gone into a shop which sells the wax tarts because of the fact that I am not a huge fan of sweet scents. This does actually remind me of the scent of the cheap chewing gum which I used to get when I was younger. This does mean that I am going to be more likely to actually burn this at some stage in the future maybe before Christmas. If you love sweet scents this for sure one is which you will love more than me. I do love that this month because the theme is Grl Powr it comes with really cute little saying to make yourself feel better about yourself. I do love thinking I am magical and this is something which I think a lot of people are going to love. 

Black Raspberry and Vanilla which is one which for sure is one of my favourites the reason behind this is because I like vanilla however for me it has to be mixed with something otherwise I find it a little bit too bland and boring. The black raspberry in this tart gives me something which actually which is not too fruity it gives it an element which I love that I can not describe but it is almost like a spicy edge, however, it can not be but this is what makes me actually love this. This for sure is going to be one which I am going to be burning very soon because we all know that I cannot wait once I have my tarts.  I also feel like I have a life at the moment and that is very rare for me because I do not usually have my shit together.

Cherry is a scent which I love as long as it does not smell too artificial which is a problem which I have found with a lot of cherry scented candle products which I have had in the past and usually I tend to go for more black cherry scents. I do not know if flamingo have managed to crack the cherry scent or if it is the amaretto which makes me adore this scent but for sure it does make me think that I am going to have to burn it very soon because it is amazing and one of my favourites in the collection which we received this month. Which technically is a sweet one which is surprising because as I am sure you are aware I prefer fruity and fresh to sweet scents. 

The next scent which I got in the box is the lime and black pepper which is not one which I think I would have thought as a candle scent instead it is something which reminds me of the crisps which I think it is walkers who do. This scents one which is very clean with a hint of something which means that it is not too fresh this must be the black pepper element. This for sure is not one which I would have picked up if I had not been sent it, however, it one which I am actually liking andthis I am going to end up burning this in the next couple of months while the weather comes cooler.

This one I am not going to lie to you is one which for sure I was unsure about because of the fact that I know I love the smell of new books there is nothing more I love than actually sitting down and reading a new book, however, old books just makes me think of a library and the smell of that. This scent is one which I kind of am not going to be able to do justice because I can not put my finger on what it actually smells of. This is one which I am going to say is not unpleasant at all it is far from it but it is not one of my favouites from this box. I do not want to put the candles down though because it is really nice.  

Lilac to me is actually a colour not a scent so when I received this one I did not know what to actually think about the scent.I still am unsure what I think this smell like I think it is very floralish. I don't think I actually like the scent too much because of the fact I do not know what it does actually smell of an I think I actually like to know what a scent is before I burn it because there is nothing worse than burning a candle which you do not actually like in the end. This is going to be one which I am not going to be burning for a while. 

I love thunderstorms which are in the weather they are amazing I do not know what this scent smells of as well because of the fact that I do not think that thunderstorms actually have a scent, however, every single time I smell this scent I can actually smell something different every single time I actually dry sniff this. I am unsure what I am decided if I adore this scent it could be because of the fact that every time I smell it I get a different vibe. I am sure if actually burn this candles I will find out if I do love this because I should get its true scent. This for sure is going to be one which I do not burn for a while because there are ones which I love more. 

This box is not one of my favourites I think that I have had months which have been of more appeal to me however, I know this is personal preference. I am looking forward to the next box because October I think could be an amazing box because after all it is going to be Halloween and techincally Autumn. 

Have you tried out this box if so what is your thoughts?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- See You Soon

Dear Dada 

Wow can you believe it by the time your actual reading this you might be back in the UK I know that you will need some good things to read on the train up to see us so why not actual read some of my ramblings. I can not believe that on Wednesday that I will actual be able to see you I almost think it is a dream I do not think that until mummy tells me that you are in the UK I will not believe that you are going to be back and I can actually bully you. Ekk I am excited I think that I am going to look for your plane all day when I find out that your in the sky because I want to find your plane because then it might mean you come home so much faster. 

This week has been fun because we have been super productive because of the fact that I think mummy has so much to do before you return/ before she goes back to university. Monday she managed to picture the majority of my old clothing because of the fact that the she wants to put it on eBay which I am sure she would do to me if she could when I annoy her. Actually maybe etsy because of the fact that she made me and she might get more money there. I think that she is doing pretty well at selling it which is good because otherwise she would have stacks of clothes just in case I get a sibling who is a girl.

On the days which I have been at nursery painting pictures as well as my own body and shoes which I do not think that pleased mummy very much because she had to was them. She has done a lot of blogging which means that she has some posts ready for when she is going to be busy doing work for uni because this is going to be a priority rather than actually blogging even though this is something which she would rather do. I have been making sure that I mingle with other children now I have moved upstairs because of the fact there is more children who I can play with and they are not all babies who can not play. 

I even have managed to stop crying when I get dropped off at nursery because I have been crying every single day when I have been getting dropped off which is good because I know it was hard for mummy because of the fact that it pulls at her heart strings every single time because she feels bad that she actually has to leave because I am so upset. So hopefully this is something which I can keep up with and the staff upstairs are amazing and only have to ask me if I want to make a picture and I am happy. 

This weekend we went to town on the Saturday because Mummy need to pick up somethings for my birthday and as you know she is not the most super organised person which is not great. I think she had click and collected them and needed to order wrapping paper because you can not order that online which is not the greatest. I did managed to get some items which I could have now I managed to get some bows because of the fact one of our favouite bow ladies had a stall in the town which of course meant that I need to visit because mummy can not resist purchasing me bows because they look cute in my hair. 

I love you so much I can not wait to see you soon and give you the world's biggest hug

From Jess xxxxxx 

Problems Of Having An Outdoor Child In Autumn/Winter

Jess, as you may know, if you have read some of my previous posts, is a girl who really loves to be outdoors, however, at the moment there is getting an increasing number of days where she is unable to play outside due to the fact that the grass is wet and it is taking longer to dry out. Or it is raining because if it is cold we can just put another layer on, however, when it is raining sometimes it is just fully unpleasant. 

Currently, at home with have grass in the front garden as well as the back which is great because this means that we can do so much and have so much fun in the garden. Due to the fact that we well Jess spends a hell of a lot of the time in the garden, and the outdoors it means that we have a lot of clothes which has grass stains as well of covered in mud should it have been raining in the last couple of days in as well as Jess falling over on the concrete which means that she has a lot of bumps and grazed knees. This means that sometimes her clothes do have to be washed multiple times in order to get the stains removed so if you have any tips to remove stains please leave them in the comments. 

Nursery, on the other hand, does have an outdoor area which Jess plays in, however, this is not grassed it is actually has had an rubber playground surface installed. This means that it does not take as long to dry it out and there is no mud to get covered in when it rains because Jess is one of those children who attract dirt. So this is perfect for her because it doe s means that she can get out as soon as it has dried a little bit so that if she does fall over because she is always running around like a crazy person she will not get drenched. It also means that I have less watching to do and fewer clothes are ruined because of the fact that here is not the stains or the mud which if you ask any parent is an added bonus. 

There is less grazes because of the fact that there is no concrete which is something which I love because I am sure that people must think that I am always pushing my child over or something because if her knees are not grazed or bruises usually there is something wrong. This is because she runs everywhere and does not realise the danger and even falls over her own feet which are never a good thing. 

I think that when we get out own house I may be tempted to look in to be getting artificial grass because it would mean that Jess would be able to play out more often which is something which she loves and I will tell you that she is not the greatest person to be with when it is raining. She just does not know what to do with herself so this would be something that keeps her entertained. One of my friends has this installed and I am always jealous because it looks amazing and of course you get no weeds and you do not have to do a lot of maintenance. 

How do you cope having an outdoors child in the autumn/winter months?

Charlotte x

This post includes which I have recieved payment for however, all views, however, are my own. 

Our Favourite Toddler Snacks

With the summer nearly over now I thought I would share with you some of our favouite toddler snacks because we all know that after a long day exploring there is something nothing better than been able to give your whining toddler a snack to tide them along till the next meal. This is something which we have had to do a number of times this summer because we have been exploring and that sometimes means that meals times do get pushed backwards.

Toddler snacks are not something new to us we have been using them since we started weaning of course we do try and use things like fruit as snacks but sometimes when you are always on the go like we see to be. We have to resort to snacks which come in packs which can be easy put into bags and had when someone is about to have a temper tantrum.

We really love the brand Organix we have used them since day one and have found that the bags which they come in are a perfect size which means they do not spoil a meal should they have them close to the time you may be eating. They have no nasties in them which is always a positive because if you are like me you do not want to pump your child with food which will not be good for them and send them super hyper. As you can see from the picture we love the crackers we also love the gingerbread men which they do carrot sticks, tomato crosses and they also do an amazing flapjack style bar. Can you tell that they are one of our favourite brands they are a name which we have come to trust and if we are out and about and we have no snacks with us and Jess needs something we would try and head in a shop and get an Organix snack.

Little Dish are a new company to us I think we tried them first around Easter time when we have been travelling. Jess had tried the Go Go biscuits which are wholegain, oats, flax and chai seeds biscuits. Which means that there is no rubbish in them which again is something which we love these are some snacks which I will admit I have actually tried myself and thought these were tasty. They come in a pack of 5 which means that you can always have some spare in the cupboards and they are individually wrapped so can pop them in the bag very easy. We have only tried the coconut and raspberry ones I need to keep my eyes out for the other ones because I am sure Jess will love them.

Ella's Kitchen are another brand which we love as well if you haven't heard of them they are another company who do not like to put naties in food and are very proud of that fact. Jess has not tried a lot from their snack range I think she has tried some of the crisps which she demolished which must mean that she actually likes them. However, the product that I really recommend is the nibbly fingers which are also like a flapjack treat which is great because I like that they are small which means Jess can actually hold them which is a problem with some of the larger snack she can not get her little hands around them. I would recommend Ella's Kitchen as you may remember I reviewed their cereal a while back.

The final brand which we love is Kiddylicous who make the most amazing wafers for sure these are something which we repurchase time and time again. The ones which Jess seems to love the most is the blueberry ones. Inside the pack you get two wafers which means that you can always give your child one now and then give them one at another stage during the day. They can easily be broken down which means that you child doesn't have to hold the whole wafer and make it very sticky and it also saves it been dropped and another tantrum occurring which is the last thing we all want.

What are toddler's favouite snack?

Charlotte x

Lush New Releases Haul

Recently I visited Lush which is not a rare occurrence for because I usually visit the store at least once a week, however, I have not been in that much since Joe left because I have had to purchase everything for Jess and I did not want to bankrupt myself as well as try and use some of the stash I have at the moment because the Halloween/ Christmas range are launched.

They have just discontinued some of my favourites in their annual summer cult which annoyed me a lot because it means that I had to stock up and while I was in stores I noticed that they had some new products out which as a Lushie I knew I had to purchase. A couple of the items which I purchased have been available in Oxford Street for a number of weeks now but as you know I live in the North around 2 1/2 hours by train away from London.

The first bath bomb which I picked up is cheer up buttercup which is the small yellow circle bath bomb at the top of the picture. This bath bomb is like sunshine which is going to be great because it brings a touch of summer and sunshine which we are all going to need soon because we are fastly approaching the autumn months. This bath bomb for sure smells like Lemon it just smells like pure Lemon and almost like lemon sherbet if you have ever used the refresher shower jelly it is almost like that.

Yellow Submarine is one which I am sure which you have to sing the Beatles actual song when you hear of this bath bomb and its name. This is one of my favourite bath bombs of the whole regular line collection at the moment I think because of the fact that it smells of orange and lemongrass it does have coconut in it as well which means this bath bomb does smell tropical I guess it makes me think of actual summer and holidays for some reason I think of cocktails on the beach when I smell this scent.

Rocket Science is one of the cheapest bath bomb which is priced only at £2.95 however, do not make the price make you think that it is going to be a poor bath bomb at all. I think it is going to be one which you will want to pick up as well. It has bergamot oil and lemon oil which is a couple of scents which you know I like if you have read my blog before. I would say this is one which does make a pretty show in the bath so it could be one to use with the children and it is very cheap as well compared to some of the other products lush do.

As you know if you have seen that Lush has made Jelly Facemasks and of course I could not go in and not pick them up because of the fact that they are different and I love things which are a little bit strange but sometimes these are the best kind of products. I picked up 1000 millhelens this is a very apple scented mask which has witch hazel to soothe and relieve irritated skin, green tea to detox and purify the pores, and kaolin clay to remove unwanted grease and dirt. This is something which I need because at the moment my skin is terrible and it is breaking out to the high heavens if I could hide at the moment I would. 

The other jelly mask which I purchased was the was just to clarify is designed to brighten you skin and it also super rejuvenated and clean the skin which of course is something which I need while my skin is like this horrible and broken out The reason why you get these amazing results is due to the fact that there is enzymic papaya which is great for brightening, bamboo stems which exfoliate, grapefruit and bergamot which helps lift the mood as well as the fresh orange juice which is meant to help perk you up. The jelly facemasks are actually only £6.95 and I can imagine that they are going to last a while if I am honest I think I will get more use out of them that they fresh ones. 

A final couple of items were body spray which who does not want to smell like Lush all of the time if they can. I picked up twilight which of course helps me sleep but it also makes me relaxed which is really good because I can struggle to calm down and because I know I am going to get more stressed with uni this year I think this is one which I had to pick up because the scent does last all day and who doesn't love that the reason it keeps you relaxed is because it has lavender and tonka in as the main ingredient. This for sure is going to be one which I wear when I am at uni as well as when I just want to chill out this whole body spray only cost £20 which make sound expensive but the scent does last all day long and I think the bottle is going to last a fair while. 

The other body spray which I picked up was Dirty which I know what you are thinking that sounds strange why would you want a body spray which is called dirty well I will tell you it is actually a mint scented product which is something that I adore because I do like nice fresh scents, however, the reason why I purchased this one was due to the fact that the Joe was using this shower gel just before he left and then this me and then this means when I am missing him it can spray this it does mean that I think that he is there and it means that I do not have to steal his hoodie because I am that annoying girlfriend who loves stealing the hoodies.

Have you tried any of the new releases in Lush?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- Time to Chill

Dear Dada 

Another week has passed wow this time of you been away really does seem to be gone can you believe that it is going to be around 10 days time and you are actually going to see my little crazy face again. I bet you can not wait because I have grown up so much and have so much more to show you. You know that I am not going to leave your side because I think I am going to fear that you are going to leave again because you have been gone for such a long time. 

This week everything had got to us because we have been so busy for the whole time that you have been away and I think it has hit us both that we need to chill out a little bit because do not forget in a couple of weeks Mummy is going to be back at uni and life is going to get crazy again. I know she is going to be super busy and no doubt stressed because she will have so much work to do and it is important because it is her final year. 

Monday was bank holiday but as you know this does not mean that it is a day off for Mummy nope she ended up going up to Ripon and working there. This of course meant that I had a to have a grandma day which is something which I think I needed because it means that I can play with the toys which I have at home and no doubt I will find some toys which I have not had out for a long time because this seems to be something which I do everytime I have a grandma and Jess Day. 

This week I only had to go to nursery a couple of days because the car had to go to the car hospital this week which meant that I could not go to nursery so I had to stay at home and have another day at home which I was allowed to chill. I still have been loving the play kitchen and making pictures maybe if I am lucky I will be able to bring some of the pictures which I have made home for you to see and possible you can take one so when you are missing me you can just look at it and it will be like I am close to you. 

This week saw change my wardrobe size I have now finally gone into my 12-18 months clothing which is shocking seen as I am going to be 2 this month. Mummy is glad about this because apparently, I have some very nice pieces which I can wear now, however, it does make mummy sad because of the fact that she is going to have to sell some of her favourite pieces of on eBay but at least it does me that we will have some more pennies to spend on more clothing because you know we love purchasing clothing. 

This weekend we have had such a chill out because if we didn't I think mummy might have actually burnt out which is something which we really do not want to happen. I think that she actually decided to nearly have two pj's days which of course is her idea of an ideal weekend at the moment because as you know mummy never seems to stop which is not good for anyone let alone her. She did watch the F1 but it was not a great race and I do not think this pleased her because she wanted some excitement but this was not the case. 

Next week hopefully will be a productive but quieter week for mummy because it means that she may be less grumpy which means that she might actually want to play with me and that is something which I love doing. 

I love you and miss you so much Daddy

Love Jess xxxxx

Day's Out - Chester Zoo Review

Way back at Easter time when we visited Liverpool/ Chester with my family on Easter Sunday because Jess was recovering from the chicken pox we had to change her plans instead of visiting the family member were meant to be seeing we took a trip out to Chester Zoo.

As you may know, Jess was born in Chester so my brother kept joking she was actually going back home. 4 of us made the trip to the zoo me, Joe, my brother, and Jess. I booked the tickets in advance and I think it cost around £70 for the three adults and due to Jess been under 3, she was free.  I would recommend booking online as you then do not have to queue when you get there.You also actually get a 10% discount should you book online as well.

Chester is one of the largest zoo's in the UK it is set in 125 acres which means that there is a lot of walking so you may want to take a pram should you have little legs or hire ones which we saw. We took our own pram otherwise, I think we would have had to hire one and they are only £7 for the day which I did not think is too expensive it will save your ears having to listen to all the moaning from a child whose legs ache. If you are a little bit older you can get on the monorail which gives you a view from above of the animals which means your legs don't have to ache to see all of the animals this was £4 all day for an adult this is maybe something which we would do should we visit again.

There are over 500 species of wildlife and over 15,000 animals which mean there is plenty to see even with Jess we arrived at the zoo around 10.30 am and actually left the park as it closed at 6pm. This to me shows there is plenty to see and we did not feel like we had not seen everything which we wanted and there was nothing we had missed visiting we even managed to visit some of our favourite animals twice which was nice as Jess loved the rhinos and Chester have plenty of them.  

Another thing which we would recommend doing is making sure that you get a map because then you will not miss any of the animals which you may want to visit and do not have to start walking around in circles. Something we noticed this visit was that they actually have a free app which you can download which tells you when the keepers are doing a talk about the animals which was amazing because we actually went on a Sunday when it was the Jaguars feeding and apparently is it usually hard to see them and we managed to see them which was pleasant. I found the talks very interesting and they are something which I would recommend checking out.  The talks are actually free so it does not stop you actually might as well because the expert do know why they are talking about and they are very useful. 

Due to the fact that we were there over lunch and only took snacks in for Jess meaning that she would not be as grouchy. We had to eat which is something which we try not to do at places as it can be super expensive because of the fact that they have the monopoly over you which is never good for the bank balance. My brother has a huge bowl of pasta which was freshly cooked. There was a whole range of food which you could have from pizza, pasta, fish and chips and also just sandwiches yes they were slightly expensive however the food was of high quality. There is plenty for the children to eat as well as children's meals which maybe be better portion sizes as adults are very large and filling. 

I feel like we would all have had a different animal and moment at the zoo which was our favourite but once thing which I did like was that we could let Jess walk around with her reins on allowing her to see things and get close to the animals rather than only been able to see everything from pram height. 

I would recommend visiting Chester zoo even if you have been before like me the animals change and there is always plenty to see l. I for one will be back since our visit they have had some baby rhinos and I know Jess would like to see them so maybe next year we will go back for a visit. We know Jess had such a good time because she actually cried when she had to leave I think this is a sign we might have to visit again

Have you visited Chester Zoo if so what did you think? 

Charlotte x