Valentine's with Rakuten #RakutensBlogger

A few weeks ago a lovely email arrived in my inbox. Rakuten were enlisting bloggers to take part in their #RakutensBlogger Valentine project and I was so excited to be involved. Nick and I don't usually make a big deal of Valentines so it was nice to be on board with this as it gave us something extra to look forward to. 

Being a #RakutensBlogger I was sent a little surprise Valentine's parcel full of goodies to indulge in on the big day. Inside was body butter, nail polish, lip stick, lip balm, a mirror, tea lights, sweets and chocolates. My idea of heaven in one little red box! 

As if this wasn't enough Rakuten also added £50 credit to my account and told me to spend it on whatever would make our Valentines special, be it a gift or something to enjoy together on the day. 

I browsed the website for hours! I was absolutely spoilt for choice and I could have spent a fortune. It took me a while to decide what to go for as there was so much to choose from. I deliberated between buying a hamper and a movie or a valentines gift for the both of us and I did decide eventually! 

In the end I decided to spend our credit on gifts for one another. I bought Nick some Jean Paul Gaultier cologne as it's a favourite of his and I knew he needed a refill. For myself I chose the Champaca Blossom Large Yankee Candle and the Jean Paul Gaultier Classique perfume. I thought both my gifts complimented one another and perfume and candles are amongst my favourite things, I know they will make my Valentines extra special. 

I'm so looking forward to Valentines Day! Have you made any plans or bought any nice gifts? 

- I was sent the box of goodies and given £50 store credit to use on the website however all opinions are my own.

My Sunday Photo - 6/52

Project 365 - Week 5

31st January - 6th February

31/1/16

1/2/16

2/2/16

3/2/16

4/2/16 

5/2/16

6/2/16

Unfortunately this week has been just as terrible weather wise as last week. We are all totally fed up of the rain and cold winds but we've not let it stop us from getting out and about. Both Noah and I have had a bit of a cold this week too so with that and the terrible weather it's been a bit of a poor do! Lets hope to better health, better moods and better weather next week! Though I'm not raising my hopes on the weather front, ha ha! 

What have you been up to this week?

Summer Fashion ideas for Boys

We are jetting off to sunny Spain in May and we can't wait. We haven't been overseas in around 4 years and it will be the first time we have taken Noah abroad. Although we are a little apprehensive about flying with a toddler we are so excited to go! Noah loves to be outdoors, visiting new places so I think he's going to have a great time exploring a new country.

With the holiday only a few months away we have teamed up with Joules to put together a little summer holiday themed wardrobe wishlist. Some of the items I am set to by for our vacation and others are on my to by list. 

Grey Marl Crew Neck Sweatshirt - £24.95

Though we are hoping for warm sunny weather in Majorca the evenings can be a little cooler. This Sweatshirt would be perfect for those type of evenings as it looks like it's super soft, lightweight and breathable. I also love the colour combination too as you don't often see orange and grey together. 

Blue Rocket Print T-Shirt - £17.95

Summer tshirts are one thing we are short of at the moment and need to buy half a dozen before we go away. This little number has a badge motif on the chest and on the back it has the most wonderful rocket print. With Noah's obsession with Buzz Lightyear I can see him falling in love with this tshirt, I don't think he would want to take it off! 

Beige Cargo Shorts - £24.95

These shorts are my taste to a tee when it comes to dressing Noah as I love the laid back, casual style. I will definitely be buying these shorts and I can picture him wearing them in the evening with a smart shirt and a pair of pumps. What's a holiday without a pair of cargo shorts?

Shark Character Rucksack - £21.95

Last but not least we have this shark rucksack which I think is super cool and I know for a fact that Noah would love it. It would be ideal for taking on the plane as we could fill it with colouring books, sticker sheets, snacks and a few toys. 

Have you seen the new Joules range? Has anything taken your fancy?

 - This is a PR Collaboration. 

ISAs: Are they a good place to put our savings?

Although investment may not be my area of expertise, one school of thought I always subscribed to was to diversify, diversify, diversify. Hedging your bets, and spreading your money far and wide is well documented as the best course of action.

But as a concerned parent who has our family’s long-term financial future at heart, it’s still hard to know which are the most worthy homes for the little bit of extra money that we have squirrelled away. There are so many unnerving stories in the news about stock markets plunging this year, while it is widely known that rates on savings in the UK are pretty dismal too.

So, what to do with your money in the face of such a conundrum? One of the most popular options in the UK are ISAs, which are generally user-friendly, and give you as an individual up to £15,240 (the ISA allowance) to protect from tax for the next financial year. The ISA framework is divided into further branches though, and I thought I’d take a look at five of them.
Some you will probably be familiar with; others, perhaps not…

Cash ISAs:
This is the most popular of the bunch, and has been serving Britons relatively well in various forms since 1999. Setting them up can be easily done with your bank, building society, or even investment firms, and, unlike standard savings, you benefit from a tax efficiency. However, interest rates on Cash ISAs have plummeted recently, so be sure to choose carefully if you decide to allocate some of your ISA allowance to this.

Stocks & Shares ISAs:
If you have a greater appetite for risk, you could put your money into a stocks & shares ISA. Money within this type of ISA is invested in ‘qualifying investments’. In addition to listed stock market company shares, these include things like unit trusts, corporate bonds and other public debt securities. Bear in mind S&S ISAs are investments though, not savings accounts, so be sure to tread carefully.

Help to Buy ISAs:
This is a great option for potential first-time home buyers, as it is essentially free money to the tune of £3,000. If you save £200 a month, Government will top you up with £50 (25%). New accounts are available for four years, but once opened, there is no limit on how long you put funds into it for. So that means if you save £12,000 on your own, you’ll be boosted to a total of £15,000. The solitary catch is that is only valid for houses costing under £450,000 in London and £250,000 outside the M25.

Junior ISAs:
This is definitely one for you and your kids to consider. From the age of 16, they are free to open one for themselves, although you can do it for them while they are a child. The annual limit for JISAs is
£4,080 a year, and is available in both the Cash or Stocks & Shares varieties. Not only is it a good little investment for them, but it’s also a good way to ingrain the habit of saving.

Innovative Finance ISAs:
One of the increasingly popular forms of investing at the moment is peer-to-peer lending (P2P). I hadn’t heard of it before, but essentially it involves you lending your extra money to fellow consumers in need of a loan for a return of up to 6%. And from April, these returns will have the potential of being tax-free courtesy of the new Innovative Finance ISA. Bear in mind though that P2P loans are not covered by the Financial Compensation Services Scheme like money in the bank is, so do your homework beforehand and ensure you are comfortable with the risk.


Of course, places to put your money aren’t limited to ISAs, and there are many ways to skin a cat. But securing the financial security of our families is as difficult as it has ever been, and it’s good to know that there are a variety of options out there. Just be sure to do your research first, and don’t be scared to ask for advice from the real experts!

- This is a PR Collaboration 

Wow Toys Harvey Harvester - Review & Competition

Being both a Mummy and a Blogger I come across so many different brands on a daily basis and over the past two years I've amassed quite a few favourites, Wow Toys being one of them.

Wow Toys are a breath of fresh air within the toy industry. They specialise in making lovely to look at and super tough toys that our little ones are destined to love and better yet, they require no batteries! These toys have no flashing lights, annoying noises and really encourage your child to use their imagination.

We recently received Harvey Harvester to review and I couldn't wait to see what Noah thought about him. He's obsessed with both farms and vehicles so I knew it ticked all the right boxes for him.

Harvey (or Harv as he likes to be called!) is a combine harvester and he has tough motorised wheels and drops barrels of hay as he rides along. You can pop the bales of hay into the top of Harvey and they cleaverly pop out as he moves. He also has a grain pipe which can be moved around which adds another dimension to the toy. 

Contents:

1x Motorised combine harvester called Harvey
1x Farmer figure called Phil
3x Removable hay bales

Functions & features:
Friction-powered motor
Realistic engine sounds
Rattling corn
Hay bales pop out of back
Thresher rotates
Grain pipe swivels
Removable hay bales
Moving wheels for easy push-along play

Developmental benefits:
From 1½ years – Sensory stimulation and motor skill development
From 2 years – Discovery & learning
From 2½ years – Social interaction
From 3 years – Role-play & exploration

Quality & Safety:
They don't use PVC Plastic.
They use high grade materials that are very strong so the toys are durable
There are no small parts in their toys
They don’t use any toxic materials
Wow Toys are regularly tested by a certified independent testing house to high global safety standards
No batteries! 

Harv has gone down a storm with Noah and he plays with it almost every day. He loves to see the grains of corn spin around the motor and is obsessed with putting the bales of hay inside. The little man who drives Harvey is called Bill and he's just as charming as the rest of the Wow Toys characters. Harvey Harvester costs £25 and has made a welcome addition to our ever expanding Wow Toys collection and I think he's also sparked the need to expand it even more!

How would you like to win your very own Harvey Harvester? To enter all you need to do is use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck and don't forget to enter my other competitions. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

t&c-

1. 1 prize to 1 winner

2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.

3. Competition ends 07/03/16

4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.

5. UK entries only.