Cheesy Bacon & Mushroom Pasta Bake Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I actually was cooking for my brother and Jess one Saturday night and of course, they are both people who love pasta and cheese so of course I have to use these items so this when I decided to create a cheesy bacon mushroom pasta bake. This is something which would keep us warm on a cold autumnal night because after all it is something which felt super hearty and that is always something which you want at this time of year.  So today I thought I would share with you the recipe and pictures so that you can make it yourself. 

The ingredients for this recipe is:

5-6 White Mushrooms

6 Slices of Bacon

Cheese

200g Pasta

A Jar of pasta bake source

Water

A shallow ovenproof dish

Pan

The first step I did was cut the bacon and I had to cut the fat off the bacon because this is something which I can not stand. Of course, I had to make sure that the bacon chunks were not too big because I was feeding a toddler and sometimes she decided that she does not want to chew food up even though she really should. I fried it till it looked like it was all cooked it doesn't matter if it not fully cooked as it will go in the oven later. 

What are your favourite recipes to cook in the autumn/winter months let me know. As cooking is something I want to do more.

Charlotte xxx

I then stir in and made sure that it all of the pasta was covered because this is what is going to give it the flavour. It is at this stage I added the mushrooms which have been washed and sliced you could actually purchase them this way if you wanted to. I think I added about 5-6 mushrooms into my recipe. I also added the bacon I forgot to take a picture when I had added the bacon but this is when I did this. I put it on gas mark 5 I think it is for 25 minutes

 

This is a picture of the pasta bake at halfway you need to remove this from the oven after 25 minutes this is the stage where you need to make sure that you stir it. Make sure that the pasta is all over covered in the sauce and if you want the cheese to add this to the top. Of course, I had to add a ton of cheese because these people are cheese fiends Jess would have it all the time if she could. You need to then put it back into the oven for another 20 minutes.

And this was the finished article I promise it did look a lot nicer than it actually it looked. This was something which I think Jess enjoyed because she asked for more and this must mean that she really enjoyed it. For sure this is something which I would cook again even though it takes 45 mins plus prep time. It might have to be something which I would cook when we were having a couple day at home.

What are your favourite items to cook in the autumn/winter months because cooking is something which I want to do more and hopefully get Jess involved in the future. Please leave your recipes links in the comments.

Charlotte xx

Baby Name Tag

In the last few months, I have seen a lot of Youtubers dot the baby name tag and it has become one of my favouite videos to watch because I am noisy and like to see what other people think of names. I actually saw my lovely friend Emily do it on her blog so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and do it as well.

1. What is your favourite boy and girl's name from the top UK names list?

For a girls name I think I would have to go with the name Scarlett which I think is just such a pretty and really girly name without sounding too cute and young. I do not actually know anybody called this at the moment but I am sure this will change now I have said it.  For a boy my favourite name is Logan which I think is all to do with Xmen but for me it a really strong and powerful name which is maybe the reason behind why I like it so much.

2. What is your least favourite boy and girl's name from the top UK names list?

For a girl it has to be Jessica, I know the reason why it is my least favourite because this is what so many people ask if Jess is name actually is when you tell them her name. No, it is not I feel like getting her a t-shirt which says Just Jess maybe that could be her blog in the future she was one of only 15 Jess's registered in the UK in 2015.  For a boy it has to be Bobby there are some personal reasons and the fact is that I just don't think the name Bob would suit a child now. Sorry if your kid's names are these.

3. If you had twins, what would you name them? (G/G, B/B, B/G)

Oh, this is a hard one I think girls would be Scarlett & Daisy, boys Jacob & Harry, Boy and girl would be Scarlett & Jacob. For some reason  it is a lot harder for me to think of boy names I like maybe because I seem to know a lot more guys than I do girls and their names remind me of so many people.

4. If you could change your name to anything what would it be?

No, I wouldn't even though my name is super common it has not done anything to annoy me too much and it has lasted me 22 years so why change it now.

5. You have four children, any gender, their first names all have to start with the same letter. What would their names be?

Jess, Jacob, Jordan, Josh I don't think I could have all J names thought it would confuse me way too much and I would be pretty outnumbered.

6. What's your favourite animal inspired name?

Leo which is Latin for Lion I think this is a name which I like and an animal name which people wouldn't think is too out there and different.

7. What's your favourite colour inspired name?

Violet without a doubt it is such amazing name for a little girl and it is not one which you seem to hear too often. 

8. What are your top 3 favourite boy names?

Jacob, Harry & Matt 

9. What are your top 3 favourite girl names?

Scarlett, Daisy & Masie

10. What is your favourite celebrity baby name?

I had to have a google because I can never remember celebrity baby names however, I really like Luna which is John Legend's little girls name I think it is something which is super different and so cute and very pretty without been too unique as well. 

11.What is your ultimate guilty pleasure name?

I guess I don't have one because how can a name be a guilty pleasure I really do not understand this. 

12. What are your most hated baby names?

I don't hate it any baby name as this is very strong word but a name which I am not a huge fan of is the name Bear I don't know why maybe it is just cute while they are young but I do not see a grown man called Bear.

13. A baby name based on a food / drink?

I think I am going to have to say Louie which is a crab I think it is one which you could use and people would not think that it was too unique and I do not think there are many people who I actually know who have this name. 

14. A baby name based on a month?

This for sure is not a name I would use at all because I do not think you could get away with it but September I think it is different but who knows I might start a new trend and this might become a new name. 

15. Choose a baby name from a movie?

Logan, of course,  I think this is a beautiful name and of course, it is from the Xmen which is one of my favourite series of films so it only seems fitting. 

16. Choose a name that is already in your family.

Noah, I think is a really beautiful name, however, I know so many people called this now so I do not think I would be using this in the future should I have any more children.

What do you think of the names I have chosen. If you have not do this tag and would love to please do, leave me your links in the comments because for sure I will check them out.

Charlotte x

Supporting Small Business

Tomorrow is actually shopping small business Saturday I think it is a day which has come over from the US and it is always the first Saturday of December. If you have read my blog, previously you will know that I like to support smaller companies whether that should be companies who make bows or toddler clothing to beauty products and candles.

As Christmas approaches quickly and many of us are still yet to purchase gifts so those who we love why not have a look at some of the smaller companies. Today I am going to share with you 9 of my favourites who I have either used this festive period or have used in the past don't forget some of these people run them as a hobby on top of the full-time job and the majority of them are also parents.  These companies can change people's lives forever so please support them.

If you are looking for a blanket for a toddler or a baby this festive season I would recommend checking out gladragscustomcloths. This is a company who I used very recently and Jess adores her buggy blanket so much that she actually gets very annoyed if I do not pick it up when we go in the pram. She has a wide range of fabric so you can customise what you have it does not have to be Marvel like mine and the fleece on the back can be changed to be brushed cotton and the colours can be personalised as well. We have has so many compliments on our blanket in the few weeks we have been using it so if you want something a little bit different I would recommend checking them out I think this cost me £20 so it will not break the bank. 

 A company who I know I have mentioned previously is a bow come true I actually got some bows for the rugby final back in August and Jess's Birthday bow from this company. Along with a handful of other bows, I have not actually purchased her Christmas ones yet however, there is a penguin one which I have my eye on and a few more so beware I am sure a bow haul will be coming up before Christmas. If you want your little girl to have something pretty in her hair these would make an amazing gift, they would be great in a stocking you do not just have to get festive ones she still is making normal ones which you can wear all year along and they are such a reasonable price of around £2.50. You do not have to be a toddler to rock a bow either.

 Another, company that I have used a couple of times now and would recommend is Pretty penguin clothing. Recently, I purchase Jess a children in need skirt from this store and she has so many compliments on it when I took her to nursery. They are such good quality fabrics in a lot of different designs I think we currently own about 4 different skirts they also do bibs, leggings and rompers. I am unsure what size they actually go up to so this is going to have to be something which you might have to contact them about. I have my eye on a few more skirts for the future which after Christmas I think I am going to purchase. These skirts wash so well I could not be more impressed they are only £8 for the size which Jess needs which is crazy as that is cheaper than some of the high street stores.


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Dear Dada- It's Over

Dear Dada

Wow look how much I have changed in the last 6 months you have been away. I know you will feel guilty because you feel like you have been missing out on so much of my life but you really haven't don't worry. We can make a lot of memories now you have been back, and you have my weekly updates to look back on. Don't worry now I will hand Mummy her laptop back after this update, and I can go back to colouring like a good girl.

The last 6 months have been so strange without you because I had got used to seeing you so much, and then I had to go an extended period of time without. The only contact we have really had in all of this time is skype once a week, and you know how sometimes I get too excited and do not want to talk to you. I love being crazy with you I am sure this is something which is going to happen which is going to happen more because we have a lot of making up to do. I know you love me so much and will not mind me been crazy. In the past 6 months, I have done a hell of a lot of fun things, I have had many dressing up days, a few family BBQs, I have had day's out to the park and a couple of trips to see animals. I have been such a big girl and the dummy has now gone forever because I do not need it anymore, I have even moved upstairs at nursery.

I have been on hundreds of trains since you left shock horror I have been going on the bus a few times which is nice because I never seem to go on them. I have eaten a few meals out because I am a spoilt little princess and been such a good girl and I couldn't have done it all without Mummy and my grandparents. They have allowed Mummy to have a break when she needs it because you know I can be a handful sometimes which is never good. Grandma had been like a second mummy to me because I know solo parenting must be super hard on top everything else she has to do which is never great.

I have had a couple of visits to see the other set of grandparents and spent two whole weeks with them which is nice and cause they remind me of you. I am sure we will be seeing them a little bit more now that you are home. Now Mummy does not have to be as strong because she has someone on hand to help parent with me when I am crazy, or I am throwing a tantrum. I am sure you can not wait, and because Mummy should be a lot less stressed now, we might get to explore more on the weekends no doubt after Christmas because we will be so busy. I have to start behaving because I know you will end up spoiling me even more if I do and Santa is coming very soon.

I can not wait to give you a huge hug and kiss when I see you tonight because I missed you so much it has been two whole months since I last saw you can you believe. I love you so much Daddy you are not going to be allowed out of my site for days don't worry about it.

See you very soon Daddy.

Love from Jess xxxxxxxx

Lush Oxford Street Haul

Way back on the 26th August I managed to visit the holy grail shop for any lush fan's which is Lush Oxford street a 3-floor store which sells just pure Lush. Which as I am sure you know because you're on my blog is a kind of heaven to me. The store opened way back in April 2015 and it has taken me this long to visit. I was down in London for the challenge cup and found myself in a bar about 15 minutes walk away from the store so I had to pop quickly and due to the fact that I had to carry it so I only picked up the ones which were exclusive to the store.

Cherry Blossom reusable bubble bar is one of those items which I managed to pick up Cherries are one of my favourite scents however, it is not something which Lush do a lot of for some reason I don't actually know why. This is not a scent which reminds me of cherries too much it reminds me more of cherry bakewells and the cherry boiled sweets. This for sure is going to be one which I would love to come to normal stores because for sure this is one which I would be repurchasing I have not actually tried it out yet but it is one which I will be using in the near future. 

Big Calm Jelly bath bomb is one of the first jelly bath bombs which Lush have done one is meant to help you sleep which at the moment is something which I am not having a problem with because I am so tired all of the time. The reason it is designed to send you to sleep is due to the tonka and chamomile I think this is one I purchase for when I have a lot of deadlines and need myself to be sent to sleep. I know these are not exclusive just to Oxford street there is around 10 stores nationwide which have them in. Unfortunately for me, my local one which has them is Leeds so if I do end up loving it I am going to have to purchase online. I think this is my favourite of the jelly ones which I picked up. 

Dark arts Jelly bath bomb which has now changed its name to I think secret arts is this lovely black bath bomb I am surprised it took lush this long to do something which turned you bath black because we all know Lush like to be a little bit different when it comes to their products. This bath bomb is cinnamon, orange and almond which gives it a very spicy cinnamon with a hint of orange scent. This is one which I have not used yet because I thought I would save it for the winter when the weather turns as this is one which I think would suit that time of year more than when I purchased it. I am unsure how much I am going to love this because it could be like bathing in a bath of tar but this is sure going to be an experience. I may do a post about my experience when I have used this and do a review on the product. 

One Eskimo is a bubble bar which I picked up out of session but there was no way I could leave it as it shares it's scent with Christingle which is a very menthol/ mint body lotion. This is a bubble bar which is going to be part of the Christmas line if I am not mistaken. This has a hint of grapefruit, spearmint and peppermint. I feel like this is going to be one which is great should my muscles be sure because mint really seems to help me or if you have bad sunburn this may be a product which you want to try. This for sure is going to be one which I am going to be stocking up on in the coming months. As I think if this is part of the Christmas range it will be coming to all stores. 

Fidget spinners are something which was a huge trend this summer and of course Lush had to jump on the bandwagon and make their own fidget spinner bubble bar. This is one which I had to pick up because of the fact that I love anything novel and this is of course citrus so there was no way that I was not going to be picking this one up. I can not actually say what oils are in this because I can not find it online so I am sorry for this. This is a product which produces a ton of bubbles so is one which Jess adores as well. I do seem to think that you purchase this in all stores now throughout the UK. 

Green coconut is another jelly bath bomb which does not sound a combination which most people would think of this bath bomb does not smell overly of the usual coconut smell which we have got used to with Lush instead it is almost a curry smell which I get when I have a whiff of this product. I know that this is something which could put a lot of people off because they may not almost like the thai green curry scent that this product is. However, to me, it not a spicy as a curry would be and have as many in it. This is going to be one which is going to be very interesting as I do not know how I feel about sharing my bath with green slime it may be an experience which I am not going to love. I think I will have to report my findings on this very soon. 

Green windmill is another one which I picked up purely because of the design I am a sucker for anything I guess you could say gimmicky. The scent on this is a really nice as well which is always a bonus it is a very fizzy kind of citrus smell with almost a hint of ginger I know it sounds like the stranges combination of product well scent ever but I promise you that it is one of the nicest that I have smelt from Lush and so different to anything which I have ever tried before. I am gutted I dropped mine which means some bits have come off but I am sure it is still going to make pretty bubbles in the bath. 

Guardians of the forest bath bomb is another one which I knew before I headed into the store is one which I needed because of the fact that it is the closest which we have to Lord of misrule all year long which is one of my favourite scents of the year. It is a very earthy scent which has a lot of Cyrpuss oil, rosewood and moss oil which means that it really smells of the forest as the name suggests. There is nothing better than the this when it is in the spring which is one of my favourite times to visit the forest.  This for sure is one which I would be purchasing more if I lived closer to oxford street I might have to purchase this one online because I know it is going to be a firm favourite. 

This is a product which I purchased because of the fact that one of the lovely members of staff used this product and demonstrated it on my arm. I have to say that my arm has never felt so smooth using this showder. This is a product which smells like lemon cheesecake which of course is something which just makes me want a product as well as the fact that it is a product which allows delicate but effective scrubbing. So it removes the dead skin cells before making the skin soft due to the fact that it has cornflour in the ingredients. It is a product which I am going to have to store in a black pot due to the fact that it comes in a cardboard box which is not going to be great for storing in the shower. This for sure is going to be awake me up product which I am looking forward to using in the colder darker mornings. 

Marmalade is the final jelly bath bomb which I picked up I thought that it was going to be a scent which is similar the famous condiment so I thought it was going to be a very juicy orange kind of smell. However, this is not the case at all to me it is a hell of a lot of powdery scents which is not something which I am a huge fan of. This for sure is not my favourite and I do not think it is one which I am going to be using for a long time because I have more which I love in my collection. I might even let Jess try instead and take photos that way because I am sure she would love jelly in her bath. I actually almost regret purchasing this one. 

The final item which I purchased was this plum rain body spray which of course is the same scent as the shower gel. This is one which I love because if you have ready my review of the shower gel you will knoe how I like the fact that this is a different scent to others which I have in my collection it is a fruity and fresh scent. This is going to be perfect for spraying on when I am going to university in a morning, The scent on this lasts for a fair amount of hours I know this is going to be one which I am going to get a hell of a lot of use out of. 

What exclusives have you tried from Oxford Street?

Charlotte xx

Dear Dada- The week of Charity

Dear Dada

So another we passes and we are now only 3 days away from your return. Not that we believe it till you actually get on that plane we are not actually getting our hopes up that you will be back on Wednesday. Even I keep saying it's 10 days till your back so maybe I know something that you don't.
This week has been a strange one mummy has the week off however that did not mean a week of lounging around in our Pyjamas and watching paw patrol or whatever else I can force her to watch on nick jr. Nope we headed off to York for 4 days so that mummy could smash some more of this work that she seems to have stacks of at the moment. I swear she must be miles ahead of anyone else
students are meant to be hungover and party animals right I don't think mummy is that anymore.

This week saw me take a lot of things which we no longer wanted to nusury for the shoebox appeal. I know I am a very lucky girl to have so many toys and nice things and some children have nothing I donated some brand new tights, socks even hundreds of pencils so that they can draw pictures like me. I have been told if I keep doing nice things like this that if I am lucky I might get some Christmas presents.

Thursday was a day which I helped Mummy we stayed at home all day. I didn't even get out of my pajamas and we cleaned the worst room in the house. A teenage boys room we uncovered so many gems even a peppa pig cuddly toy that mummy got for her 18th birthday which I have now claimed. While sorting out we managed to find a lot of things which we didn't need anymore so we put them in a bag for for the charity shop and on Saturday took 3 bags full of donations to help raise even more funds. This included things such as DVDs and books but mummy still has about 200 books to read so don't worry we will still be needing a good bookshelf when/if we get a house.

Friday saw me do something else charitable it was Children In Need. Of course, this is another excuse for me to dress up at nursery this year I rocked a pudsey Tshirt and dotty skirt which you saw in a haul a week ago and the pudsey bow. Of course I smashed it and nursery couldn't believe how good I looked of course I couldn't have done it without mummy we know she puts together my outfits.

This weekend we have had a pretty chilled one to be honest we took the charity items on Saturday which gave us a walk. On the evening I watched my first film on Netflix I watched the postman pat movie. I haven't seen pat much before but I loved the film even though the cat is called Jess and is a boy what's that all about. Sundays at the moment are a pretty chilled day of course I had my standard bath so I am clean for the start of the week. Mummy ordered a few more Christmas presents gosh she is smashing it not many more I think and she will be done even though she says she hasn't bought me anything yet.

Anyway Daddy I better go before mummy catches me using her laptop. I love you and hopefully will see you very soon.

Love your princess Jess xxxxxxx

Dreaming of Winter Sun

This week I have been lucky enough to have a week of university so you would think that I have been doing fantastic days out maybe even taken a trip on a plane to somewhere warm. No instead I have been cooped up in the library trying to get ahead on assignments to take a little bit of a break for Christmas to enjoy it with friends and family and not be as stressed out as usual. I hopefully will be able to study a little bit less when Joe comes home next week you have him to thank for the amazing picture in this post. I am not jealous at all he got to meet penguins. My parents have also just returned from a week away in Lanzarote, and they have come back so suntanned I look like I don't belong in their family. It's hard to believe as a child who travelled abroad so much every single year I was lucky to be jetting off to a warmer climate it had been 7 years I think now since I left the UK.

This is something for sure I want to change next year I would love to be able to take Jess on her first holiday abroad and feel some of the  Sun on our backs. I am sure she would enjoy the pools because she really does seem to be such a water baby.  That reminds me we should take her swimming a lot more when Daddy is back, so she gets used to it again. Recently as my stress levels have risen and the temperature has plummeted, I have found myself dreaming of warmer climates. It is so tempting to take a week of uni and just go let's forget I don't have a valid passport at the moment.

The best thing about being able to go on holiday is that I could have so much fun in the pool with Jess and actually spend some quality time with her something I feel like I haven't done since September.  I might actually be able to read something which is not academic and do it for pleasure I think I have around 200 books to read and I plan on moving house hopefully next year, and that's going to be a lot of transporting.

Places such as Tenerife, Lanzarote are places which I would love to visit. I have been to Tenerife multiple times as a child and had so much fun over there. Visiting places such as Loro park and Siam park is something which I would love to do as it is something I haven't done in the past. I think I would be tempted to only travel a maximum of around 4 hours at the moment on a plane because it is a whole new venture for Jess.

I can keep dreaming about the winter sun because currently, I have no time to pack my bags and jet off. Fortunately, I do have a weekend away break coming up in around a month, and it will be amazing to escape everyday life for a few days.

Many 2018 will be the year I get a new passport and one for Jess and explore the world again. For now, I am going to stay focusing on my studies and exploring places a little bit closer to home.
Have you got any winter sun breaks planned if so where? Or are you super organised and already booked your summer getaway for next year?

Charlotte xx

November Toddler Instagram Haul

As you know, I love shopping small business, and Instagram is a platform which allows me to do this more often. If you got onto my Instagram feed, you would see that half of it at least is a small business which is impressive because some of the ladies who run these companies do it on top of a full-time job which is crazy. They make these items on a night and weekends which shows that it is their hobby so if I can promote them all a little bit and support them I will.

The first company is actually one from Facebook and a company which is local to me, and it is B's boutique this is a company which I actually purchased some bows from way back at Easter time. When I was aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, I saw that she was doing these amazing Children In Need bows which I knew I had to purchase as I knew that Jess would be doing something for the occasion at nursery.  I knew I wanted to get her something a little bit different like a bow rather than just getting something off the shelf from Asda. When I went further down on her page, I noticed that she was also doing these remembrance bows and of course Jess is too young to actually wear a poppy, so I thought that if I managed to get her something it still shows that she cares even though she doesn't know what it fully means. I think both bows with postage only cost me £7 which is a steal when you think how long they will have taken to make and how much wear Jess is going to get out of them.

As you might remember way back in July I purchased a skirt with this same fabric, however, with the weather coming colder I knew that Jess needed a blanket which would keep her warm on cooler mornings when we are travelling. This is when I found Gladragscustomcloths which is a very small Instagram company with less than 200 followers. which has the exact fabric and offer to make buggy blankets which is the perfect size for what we wanted. The lovely lady actually purchased the fabric in as she had none in stock and in total it took less than two weeks I think for me to receive which is an amazing turn around for a small company. This cost me £20 however, I know that I am going to get plenty of use from this and Jess is not going to drag it along the floor like she used to with the bigger ones. I would recommend this company and if I require anything like this in the future I will return to this store.

I purchased again from prettypenguinclothing which is where I purchased the avengers skirt from in July. I still follow this amazing company so when they announced that they were doing to do Children in Need skirts I knew that I needed it because I think it is going be great for Jess as I knew nursury were going to do something for the occasion I think this skirt only cost me £8 with so much of the money going to the charity which is always amazing as this is what we are all raising money for. I picked this up in the size 12-18 and actually it is the same as the one which we had last year and it suited Jess so I know she is going to look super cute with this skirt this year. 

While I was looking on prettypenguinclothing I purchase another skirt I love Jess in black for some reason however, it is not a colour which you see a lot in toddler and baby clothing. So when I spied this skirt which is black with white and grey clouds on it I knew I had to purchase this. I can see this been teamed with a bright coloured tshirt and some tights. I did actually purchase this in 2-3 years which means that it is not going to fit Jess for a while but when it does I am sure she will look super cute and rock this outfit. I can not believe this skirt is only £8 and it is actually homemade. 

The final item which I picked up from prettypenguinclothing was this super awesome pink rainbow skirt which is in 18-24 months so I think it is going to fit Jess in the spring time at the rate she is going. I think this is actually one of my favourite fabrics which Jess has. It is something which I was going to get leggings in however, I decided to get it in a size up and be able to use it in the spring again this is going to be paired with tights. I think this is an item which is going to get plenty of wear out of. Again this skirt is only £8 and the company have a turn around of 2-3 weeks however, I actually got mine I think in around 1 week. This is a company which I would completely recommend. 

 The item item which I purchase is from a lovely company called Surviving Society which is ran by a lovely lady who I have made friends with over on there. When I saw that she had launched these tshirts I knew I had to have them because one this colour really suits Jess and you do not see a lot of this colour. The second reason was because tigers are something which are really love in the house it does not have anything to do with our local football team at all. The final reason I purchased this is because I really like to celebrate little companies where you purchase makes a huge different and of course if you have met Jess you will know that she is a fierce mini person I am even scared of her sometimes. 

Have you purchased anything from Instagram recently?  Also with it coming up to the festive season please leave me links to your favourite stores because I actually want to shop as local and small as possible this year. 

Charlotte xxx 

Toddler Book Advent Calendar

Jess is a child who is really not that bothered by chocolate and due to the fact that we end up leaving home very early in a morning she would not be able to eat the chocolate and I do not think that she would be that bothered when she gets home. Instead of actually purchasing her a chocolate advent calendar this year again I have decided to make her a book advent calendar as reading books is something which she really enjoys before bed.  I think it is a good way to be able to get new books into your children's collection you could do this by picking books up in the charity shop because you can get some very cheap good quality books doing this. You could also pick them up in the works when they do they £10 books for £10 offer which is what I did.

If you are unsure on the concept of this basically you select 24 books for your child wrap them up like a present. Last year I purchased some cheap gift tags and wrote the number on them and then you open the one which corresponds with the date like a normal advent calendar. You could write on the wrapping paper should you want and this is something which I might do this year I am undecided yet.

The books which are in Jess's advent calender if you want some inspiration in what books to purchase for a 2 year old are the following.

Home is where the heart is by Lisa Alderson & Alice King
The greedy dog by Alex Firth
I love you sleepyhead by Claire Freedman & Simon Mendez
Stop Monkeying around by Cupcake
Hungry Harry by Joanne Partis
What you doing in my bed by Daniel Bedford
What's in your pocket by Ruth Symons
My big shouting day by Rebecca Patterson
Bedtime for little bears by David Bedford
Hold Tight by John Prater
Grubs Pup by Abi Burlington 
Grub in love by Abi Burlington & Sarah Warbuton 
Who loves baby? by Julia Hurbery
Your the Best
I love you Daddy by Jillian Harker 
The very sleepy sloth by Andrew Murray 
This is my pet
Lion Practice by Emma Carlisle 
You and Me always
Bedtime Hullabaloo by David Conway
Shy Little Lion 
That's not funny bunny by Bethany Heines
Dog did it by Lynne Garner 
Bye Bye baby brother by Sheena Dempsey

What are you putting in your little ones advent calendar this year?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- Hurry Up Home

Dear Dada

I think you need to hurry up home because the as the weeks go on the bad things which keep happening to us keep growing. This week saw me break another replacement pram the back wheel came off again so I had to get a pram which I was way to big for really but lucky on Saturday I actually got mine back I have really missed it as it has been 3 weeks and there is nothing like your own comfy pram.

On top of having to travel home from York with a back wheel missing from the pram this week with the grandparents away, Mummy thought it would be the best time to become ill. I don't think she actually planned it because she has to take 3 days off uni and spent them on the sofa with a blanket. She must have felt horrible as you know she doesn't like to stop usually but she had to despite this she was still completing work and has managed to do the first draft of an assignment due in December. I am sure this is something which we should be proud of because a lot of people wouldn't have done any work at all.

This meant that I have only been to nusury 2 days this week which means that have spent a lot of time watching tv. Just because it keeps me quiet and happy as I can't really play outside when it is cold and mummy is unwell. I now love Peppa pig and Fireman Sam. I think Mummy is happy about that because she can watch Sam so easy and finds it a good easy watching programme.

On Saturday we had to go collected the pram so we took a trip to some bargain shops which saw us purchase a few more sneaky Christmas presents. Don't worry I will not tell you who for or even what they were because I am an evil person like that I know secretly you love me. I finally managed to pick up a Children In Need top for Friday because it's a dress up day at nusury and you know how I love to smash the occasions. Well I secretly think it's mummy who loves to do it nearly as much as me.

On Sunday we was hunting out shoeboxes and small items which we did not need anymore because we are doing the shoebox appeal at nusury. I understand that I am a very lucky girl who has a lot of things whoever there are some people in the world who do not even have a toothbrush. I think we managed to get 6 shoeboxes and some things so we can help these people. I think nusury will be very happy about me been able to help them do something so special.

This week even saw me were my poppy bow which you might have seen mummy posted a picture on Facebook of the bow. I was such a good girl and managed to complete the minutes silence multiple times because we watch so much sport and that have been doing them for a couple of weeks. I even know why we do it and I am proud to have you as my Daddy because I know that without you we might not be here and safe.

I love you and miss you so much Daddy. Promise I will see you in only 10 days now.

Jess xxxxxx

10 Ways To Save The Pennies This Christmas

Christmas can be an expensive time of year but it does not have to break the bank. This year we are trying to save money because we are actually looking to purchase a house our first family home next year so of course at them moment every pound matters because we know getting the deposit and then all of the other hidden costs is going to cost a fortune.

This year we have set budgets for people so that we do not go crazy when we are shopping and spend way to much money. We are lucky and do not have a lot of people to buy for I think in total it is around 10. However, anyone who has a toddler knows that you can blow your budget just thinking about it because you want to make them have a great time and toys other things such as clothing you want them to dress in are not cheap. So today I am going to share with you ways that we are trying to save the pennies this Christmas.

- The first tip I would say is set a budget we have done this for example we have different budgets for different people with people like our parents having a higher budget than my brother. Having a budget means that you are less likely to end up spending more than you planned.

- Don't be afraid to shop early if like us you see something which you know is going to be perfect for someone and it is discounted maybe in August pick it up make a note of what you have purchased though so you do not end up having too much for one person. This is what I did with Jess's book advent calendar I made it when the works had their 10 books for £10 offer.

-  Shop around the amount of times I think I have found a really good deal to only find that it is actually cheaper on amazon than it is in the store advertising the discount. I always check if the item is not one on the cheap side the price on Amazon and even have been know to do it in store because I have the app on my phone.

- Shopping online google discount codes valid for that shop sometimes you can get as much as 20% off and sometime free delivery which is always handy because all them £3.95 delivery fees add up and could nearly be a budget for a person. While on this topic if there is an option of free click and collect to store rather than paying the deliver fees why not do this. I have done it in a number of stores including Sainsbury & Next.

- Cashback sites such as Quidco and Topcashback can be your best friend recently when renewing the car insurance I used this site and managed to get £29 back by going through this site and on a recent  Christmas present I managed to get a couple of pound back on a purchase. Every little bit helps I am trying to remember to do this throughout the year.

- If you are purchasing experience days do not go straight to Virgin Experiences shop around for example last year I purchased a fast car experience day I actually managed to save over £100 by shopping around so it is worth checking sites such as Buyagift, Wowcher, Groupon & Travelzoo all of which I have used and would recommend.

- Need things such as small socking fillers head to places such as B&M, Home Bargains, Pound stretcher & TkMaxx they have a fantastic selection of things which are not too expensive for example I know  you can get things such as sweets for a fraction of the price in their I have been known to purchase them before. Sometime you can get gift sets for a fraction of the price of Boots and Superdrug so it is always worth checking out.

- Something which I have been known to do in the past is trawl eBay sometimes you can get unwanted gifts for a fraction of the price I have done this for people's birthday's in the past. I have also purchased clothing which can be only worn at occasions such as Christmas which has been hardly worn I have found this is a good way to be able to get items such as Christmas Jumper's for Jess. Don't forget you can also sell your unwanted items and make some cash I know this is what I will be doing with some of Jess's old festive outfits.

- Use Loyalty cards last year I has purchased Jess a car seat from Boots which meant that I got a shed load of points.I actually saved them and used them at Christmas when I needed to purchase some gifts from there I think in the end I got around £70 worth of gifts for around £7 which is amazing and I did not do anything. Boots was the cheapest place to purchase the car seat and I got the gifts as a result. This year I haven't shopped in Boots as much so will not be able to replicate that crazy amount but even if you just have £5 worth of points its always worth cashing them in during the festive season.

- Looking to purchase a gift card try purchasing them off Zeek which a website that is the main marketplace for giftcards either buying or selling. People sell them as they are from stores which people do not end up using so it means that you can get them sometimes for as much as 20% off. You could use them to purchase gifts or give them too people as gifts as long as you know they may not have that long left on them.

What are your top tips to saving money this festive season?


Charlotte x
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