It's August and the end of the school summer holidays.  However much we love our kids we all need a break and I bet many of you are waiting for that peace and quiet again! 

There is nothing nicer than sitting down with a cup of tea and a box of chocolates with your feet up.

So carrying on from the success of my recent competitions I am giving away another scrumptious box of chocolates this month.
Win Lindt Chocolates

Times are not easy at the moment, many of us are counting the pennies, changes of job or unemployment from the pandemic mean we may not be as wealthy as we once were. Some people are really struggling, and there is a new term starting too with new uniform to buy the kids. 

I know a little of some of the hardships many of my readers are going through. My freelance work is less than it was, my husband's work had dried up and with my adult son is still living at home with the cost of food has gone through the roof I've had to look at my budget as well.  However, I am really appreciative of my readers and want to give back to you for supporting me on my blog since 2012.  So I have a lovely competition you can enter.

The competition I have running today is for an awesome prize of £270 worth of Tesco Vouchers. This is split into 3 prizes of £200, £60, £10. You even have a chance of winning all 3 prizes if you enter all of the options on the Rafflecopter. Just think about what you could buy with that.

Being Tillys Mummy// Miss Tilly And Me// Life Lessons With Vicky// The Little House By The Sea// Tillys Travelling Telegram// We Made This Life// My Life Your Way// We Made This Vegan// The Diary Of A Jewellery Lover// Diary Of The Evans Crittens// Life In A Breakdown// Simply Saving// Uk Lifestyle Hub// Mirage// Adventures Of A Yorkshire Mum// My Three And Me // A Guide To Gifts// Life Of A Fishermans Wife// Melanies Fab Finds// Stressed Mum// Makeup Muddle// Stylish London Living// Happy Time Blog// Rachel Bustin// Socially Rach// Adventures Begin At Home// Not Got A Clue// Blog Bay-Bee// Camping Solid// Gemma Etc// Mums Guide To Life// Joanna Victoria// Rice Cakes And Raisins// Beauty Queen UK// Might Mama Bear// M M Book Blog// Spilling Life Tea// Miss L J Beauty// MTB LM// Yeah Lifestyle// Fashion Mommy// Rhian Westbury// Petals And Planes// My Tunbridge Wells// Travel Bugs// Step Into Parenting// My Dreamality// Binancially Inclined// Be Happy Be You// Extreme Frugal Living// Love Marriage Kids// At Home With Kayla// Girls Gospel// Miss Makeup Magpie// Simple Reveries

In order to be in with a chance to win, please enter through the Rafflecopter app below. First, be sure to write a comment on the blog you came through. What we need is for you to tell us What would you spend the winning voucher on? Would you save it for a big purchase, use it for Christmas food or something else?

Also let me know in the Rafflecopter app, the name you commented with and the blog you commented on. There are also more ways to enter the competition. You do not have to enter using all of the options but the more you enter, the more chances you will have of winning. You have to be in it to win it! All three prizes total £270!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding that perfect gift is always difficult. It can be a bit of a minefield.
What do you choose for the person with everything? Will your mum think that you have put thought into that gift you have bought her? Will your son like his present? That is why I like sending personalised gifts. 

Personalised gifts are customisable with names and messages to really mean something to that special person. One such leader in personalised gifts is The Personalised Gifts Market. This an advert in conjunction with them. Read on to find out how you can win a personalised gift too!

Firstly though, let's find out about The Personalised Gifts Market  The Personalised Gifts Market sells a range of well made, quality items made available for customisation. Gifts can be monogrammed, engraved, embroidered and more to show you know and love the person you are buying for. A personalised gift allows you to share a connection with that person and means something more than a regular gift.

Here are some of my favourite items from the Personalised Gifts Market.


For your little angels, this personalised mermaid cotton bag is a lovely gift. Perfect for keeping gym kit in I love the bright design and I am sure your kids would too. There is also a range of other designs suitable for boys and girls in a black or cream.


A personalised gift means a unique gift for a birthday, wedding, christening, graduation or just because and as you can see there are some lovely and unique gifts on the Personalised Gifts Market website.

Today on the blog you can win anything up to £50 in value from the Personalised Gifts Market website. Entry is easy via the Gleam app below, and once you are registered all it takes is a click on a button to enter. You can enter daily too so bookmark this page to come back every day. Good luck!

Win A Personalised Gift Voucher

As seen on https://www.theprizefinder.com/ https://www.loquax.co.uk/ and http://www.superlucky.co.uk/

Vitamins and minerals are essential to how the body performs and your overall health. These important nutrients have a whole host of functions and many of us get the vitamins and minerals we need from our food, but if we can't or need some extra health insurance then a vitamin and mineral supplement is a good idea. 



Let's look at the benefits of taking a vitamin and mineral supplement, who should take them and how you can win some! This post is in collaboration with Epsilon Life, a small family-run health care company based in London. All the vitamins they sell are made in the UK and are of the highest grade. Check them out if you are looking for vitamins or minerals to supplement your diet.

Why should you take vitamins and minerals?



Vitamins and minerals are essential to the body's performance, and if you become deficient it can manifest itself in a number of illnesses or conditions. 

Here are some common deficiencies and how they show in the body.

Vitamin D deficiency - muscle weakness, bone loss, hair loss, muscle pain, rickets
Vitamin A deficiency - dry skin, dry eyes, night blindness
Iron deficiency - tiredness, weakness, pale skin, cold hands and feet, impaired brain function
Calcium deficiency - confusion, weak and brittle nails, muscle cramps, rickets, osteoporosis
Folic acid deficiency - tiredness, weakness, headaches, palpitations, behavioural disorders

This isn't an exhaustive list just a guide to what a deficiency could cause. If you are having any of these symptoms it's important that you visit your GP to get checked out in the first instance. Also, seek out food containing these vitamins and minerals. However, if you know your diet is lacking in one area then it's worth considering taking a supplement to help prevent these illnesses.

Who should take vitamins and minerals



Some people like to take a regular vitamin and mineral supplement as an 'insurance' that they are getting what they need. Also, there are certain groups of the population that should also look into taking a vitamin or mineral supplement. Some of these people are below.

Women with excessive bleeding during menstruation
People with a diet that is very restrictive
Children especially those who do not eat a range of food
The elderly especially those with chronic illness
People who have lost their appetite
People on very low-calorie diets
Vegetarians and vegans that may be new to this lifestyle
Alcoholics
Illegal drug users
People with malabsorption problems

Pregnant and breastfeeding mums should take a supplement specially formulated for pregnant and breastfeeding mums. Breastfeeding mums could also try this lactation product from www.lovemajka.com. It will really help every mother in their milk production.

How you should take vitamins and minerals



It's important to always read the information about the supplement you are taking and never take more than the recommended dose. 

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding always check that the supplement you are taking is suitable for you and your baby. Women who are considering becoming pregnant should also take folic acid as it as been shown to help prevent spina bifida. The NHS advises pregnant women to not take any vitamin A supplement as it could harm your baby. Read the NHS advice on vitamins and minerals in pregnancy here.

Most vitamins and minerals are meant to be taken on a daily basis. It is recommended to take them at the same time once a day so that you remember. Some vitamins are recommended to be taken with food but others should be taken on an empty stomach. That is why it is always important to read the label. Always store vitamins and minerals in a cool dry place to prevent the tablet degrading.

Epsilon Life multivitamin complex



Epsilon Life multivitamin and mineral complex provides all your recommended daily allowance of essential vitamins and minerals in one tablet a day. They sent me a three month supply and this is what I thought.

Firstly I was pleased to see that the tablets are suitable for vegetarians. I think this is so important in this day and age, and who wants to take gelatin that is in some gel tablets anyway? Secondly, the tablets are shaped so that they are easier to swallow than round tablets. Thirdly the GMP symbol was reassuring, this means it has a Good Manufacturing Practice symbol which means it is manufactured to quality standards. Finally, it's handy to have just over a three months supply in one bottle, as the bottle has 100 tablets.

I have been taking the tablets for a week now and I feel my skin has improved slightly with less breakouts. Of course, you are not going to immediately feel like superman, but the reassurance that you are taking everything you need in a tablet is great!

You can find Epsilon Life multivitamin complex tablets on Amazon, and priced at £13.99 I think they are well-priced too.

On the blog today you can have the chance of winning a winter's worth of multivitamins and vitamin D3. Enter below for your chance to win, and good luck!

VictoriaPlum.com, one of the UK’s leading bathroom retailers, is offering one lucky bride or groom the chance to win a bathroom makeover worth up to £500! So your wedding day photos will look picture perfect.

The competition is easy to enter. Simply send an email to competitions@victoriaplum.com including a picture of the bathroom which requires a makeover. Don’t forget to include your name, your partner’s name, your wedding location (must be in the United Kingdom) and your wedding date (must be before 1st October 2019), along with the subject line “Wedding Competition”.

Skates is a family owned company based in Romsey that has been around for 12 years.  Their sister company www.flywalk.co.uk were the first to champion Heelys and it became such a successful site that they decided to start Skates.





Starting with just a small range of inline and roller skates, as well as foldable scooters, their website expanded quickly and in 2009 their moved to an 8000 square foot warehouse and today they have over 50 staff.

Run by enthusiastic skaters, they are always happy to offer advice on which is the best products for your needs. They now sell all types of scooters, skates, boards, shoes, clothing and protection including helmets, pads and gloves. 




Win A Scooter from Skates

’Tis the season to be jolly once again and as a Christmas gift, SoundPEATS sent me something special to review - TrueFree Wireless Headphones. Now my son Jake, loves his headphones so I gave the task of reviewing them to him, so over to you Jake!

SoundPEATS TrueFree Wireless Headphones Review

When SoundPEATS sent my mum some TrueFree wireless headphones I was keen to try them out. Finally, no more untangling the wires and no more worn cables. I can listen to all my favourite Christmas tunes without hassle but just how good are these headphones? I've never had a set of wireless headphones before and I had many questions about battery life, pricing, quality and potentially losing them. So, in this review, I’ll be going over how the TrueFree Wireless Headphones addresses every worry I once had. Size




It may no longer have an awkward cable holding it together, but that once made it easier to find my old headphones if I ever lost them. Has SoundPEATS found a way to fix this issue? Thankfully yes! This pair of wireless headphones comes with it own portable, bitesize charging station that has a bit of weight to it, can easily fit into your pocket and is fitted with tiny magnets that keep your headphones securely in place when you’re not using them. Otherwise, they’ll fit snugly into your ears thanks to its in-ear design and form. Quality


Speaking of which, I’ve had a poor history with in-ear headphones in the past, either never fitting properly or always sounding ‘tinny’. This is now the exception to that rule. It may take some time to get it in the right position (that was largely due to me misreading the instructions) and it comes bundled with 8 different sized ear tips if you’re struggling. Once you get a good seal, however, you’re treated to a great balance of clarity and bass. You can lose yourself in your favourite jingles while it blocks out any noises from your kids.
Battery Life


I always find charging batteries to be such a hassle, especially for devices that previously didn’t need any thanks to a trusty cable… that would get tangled up in a mess. The thing is, in all my time using these TrueFree Headphones I never once recalled a time where it was low on battery, or even just partially emptied. That’s because according to their website, SoundPEATS have managed to squeeze in 15 hours into its total battery life, including the battery in the charging station. That’s a seriously impressive feat.

Price

But what about the price? I’ve seen many wireless headphones selling for over £100 and I wouldn’t be able to afford this at any time of the year let alone Christmas, right? Well jingle my bells, I’ve been proven wrong. £29.99. That’s all you’ll be spending. And that includes all the features you’d find with the rest on the market such as Bluetooth connectivity, a microphone for voice calls and buttons to pause and play your music. That seals the deal for me, SoundPEATS’ TrueFree Wireless Headphones offer such incredible value for money that it’s hard not to recommend these to everyone!

If you like the sound of these headphones, on my blog today you can win some of these SoundPEATS TrueFree Wireless headphones retailing at £29.99. So if you want to try some wireless headphones for the first time or want to win some for a friend or family member, go on and enter as someone has to win. 

We all love a hamper, don't we? The mix of tasty goodies is always a treat and makes a great gift, so when Virginia Hayward, the hamper company invited me to try one of their hampers, I could hardly say no.

The Love Chocolate box retails at £19.99 and contains a tempting selection of chocolate goodies.




Presented in a useful wicker basket the small but perfectly formed selection includes:-

A bag of Radfords chocolate & caramel fudge, 
Vital soft chocolate nougat, 
Atkins and Potts decadent milk chocolate dipper pot, 
Reids crunchy chocolate chunky shortbread,
A yummy looking mini chocolate cake by the Original Cake Company hand-topped with chocolate buttons and chocolate pieces,
A delectable hot drinking chocolate spoon with pieces of mini marshmallows.

My son Jake and I tried the products. I hadn't heard of these brands before so I wasn't sure what to expect but I felt they were good quality and really tasty. 

The chocolate nougat was similar to fudge. It had a really good chocolate flavour and was studded with almonds which added some nice crunch. 




My favourite was the shortbread, it was buttery and rich and the inclusion of chocolate chips was a nice touch, although there could have been more of them.



They were also great dunked in tea!



Yum!



My son was eyeing up the Belgian chocolate sauce from the company Scarlett and Mustard and was quite happy eating it out of the jar. I think it would be great warm with ice cream personally, but I didn't get a look in here to try it as he polished it off.

Again I didn't get a look in with the chocolate and caramel fudge. Jake really enjoyed it, and the piece of fudge I managed to steal from him was excellent. The caramel fudge had a good sweet caramel flavour and the chocolate fudge was decadent and rich.

Next item to try was the mini chocolate cake. What we all liked about the cake was the chocolate chips and chocolate pieces on top, a mix of white and milk chocolate, that had some crunchy pieces as well as smooth. The cake was light as well.




The last item in the Love Chocolate hamper from Virginia Hayward was the hot chocolate spoon with marshmallows. Although we haven't tried it yet, it looks like a lovely treat. You stir it into hot milk and watch as the chocolate melts and makes a hot chocolate drink.

All of these items were presented in a wicker basket which I thought was a nice touch, and perfect as a gift for a loved one. The hamper was also packed in environmental packaging, the basket was made of willow, the paper is recycled, the outer box recycled too and the loose fill is 100% biodegradable. Well done, this is so important in this day and age. 

For £19.99 I think this is a welcome gift that doesn't break the bank and most chocolate lovers will really enjoy tucking in to this hamper too. Check out the other chocolate hampers available from Virginia Hayward too. 

Today on my blog I am giving my lovely readers the chance to win a scrummy 'Love Chocolate' hamper. Entry is easy via the Gleam app below. Why don't you bookmark the page and come back for a daily entry? Whilst you are here check out my other competitions too. Good luck!

Win A Love Chocolate hamper

Damart is a French clothing company founded in 1953 by three brothers. Since then the family-run company has expanded so much that is has over 10 million customers worldwide. It's UK base is in Yorkshire where it employs a friendly team to deal with customer phone calls and orders.

I would say Damart's website and products are aimed at those of us the wrong side of 40. Clothing is made for comfort, with lots of bright prints, and flattering designs. If you pick well you will find some great items and prices aren't too expensive either. Check out my holiday shop wishlist below and go to the bottom of the post to find out how you can win £50 to spend with Damart. 



Win a £50 voucher with Damart

So Christmas will be here soon, yet there are so many choices out there and choosing what to buy your friends and family can be hard.  Here is my Christmas Gift Guide for 2017 with the added bonus that you, my lovely readers can win all these items below.
If your brother works in a smart environment, why not buy him a pair of stylish but clever cufflinks? Can cufflinks be clever you may ask, well if they spin they can be! These spinning steel cufflinks are meant to be fiddled with and are made using stainless steel 626 bearings that are attached to silver plated cufflinks. The centres of the bearings are filled with a coloured resin and come in yellow, red, blue, orange, black, green, purple, white, turquoise, gold, silver and bronze, I prefer the black ones myself.

Off The Cuff is an Etsy shop started by Pete Lever. Making and selling items on Etsy has provided him with a creative outlet as well as bringing Pete's unusual designs to a legion of fans. As well as spinning cufflinks which have been funded by a Kickstarted campaign he also makes and sells watch movement cufflinks, he makes cufflinks from motor agate, also known as Fordite, from the Chevrolet plant in Detroit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway