3 Simple Ways To Stay Safe In The Sun

Hot summer days here in the UK are few and far between but this weekend temperatures have soared to over 23 degrees! It's been hotter here than it's been in parts of Spain and we've been loving it! We've spent so much time outside, splashing in the paddling pool, slurping on ice lollies and soaking up all the natural Vitamin D. I find that because we aren't used to the heat that I have to give myself a little bit of a refresher every year when it comes to sun safety. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a post all about the 3 simple tips that I follow every year.

Apply quality suncream -As soon as the sun comes out, so does the sunscream. It's recommended that you replace them every year and that you choose a quality suncream that's not just high in SPF, but one which has 4 or 5 star UVA protection rating too. I apply head to toe but pay close attention to the spots the sun naturally hits such as top of the years, nose, back of the neck and their limbs. It's also important to apply it at least half an hour before you venture outside and make sure to reapply throughout the day, even if it is once a day. it's better to be safe than sorry.

Dress appropriately -
Dresses, shorts, tshirts, sandals and most importantly, sun hats! I'm always so excited when it's time to start buying summer clothes for the children and with going abroad next week I've been looking online for some last minute holiday shop bargains. The latest White Company deals have been very useful. They've got some wonderful swim suits with built in UPF 50 and lovely poncho towels which are perfect for the beach or around the pool.

Stay in the shade - 

Kids shouldn't bask in the sun like us adults do, that's just common sense but I do find that they naturally seek shade anyway. No matter where we are, when it's sunny I always make sure we are near an area which offers shade so they can cool off and re hydrate every so often. It also gives you the perfect opportunity to reapply their suncream.

Have you been enjoying the sun this bank holiday weekend? How have you been keeping safe? I'd love to hear some of your tips.

- This is a PR collaboration.

My Sunday Photo - 18/52

Project 365 - Week 18/52

29th April 2018

30th April 2018

1st May 2018

2nd May 2018

3rd May 2018

4th May 2018

5th May 2018

Another action packed week for us. The weather started a bit poor but towards the end of the week it turned to glorious sun shine. It's been as hot here as it is in Spain, we've loved it! Highlights this week have got to be out weekly family day out, this week to Knowsley Safari Park. It was amazing to see rhinos, lions, baboons, giraffes and zebras up close. We had a Lion walk right past out car, within reaching distance and rhinos are so inquiring to watch. It was such a great day out, even though the baboons vandalised our car, ha ha! Other highlights have go to be splashing in the paddling pool, a fancy meal out in the sun, visiting family and Star Wars day!

What have you been up to this week?

Sleeping Soundly With Breathe Right

As a Mummy of two, sleep has become quite the commodity lately. Both children like to tag team me when it comes to their sleep stealing ways. Just this past week they've both taken turns at waking numerous times during the night and seem to be on an alternating rota for their 6 am wake-up calls. As if that wasn't enough I also have a partner who snores, this of course means even more sleep disturbances.

Between the kids and my partner, I don't get much sleep at all, and the little that I do get is very broken. It sometimes feels like I sleep in shifts. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the kids waking up, that's just what kids do, but I can try to do something about my partners snoring and that's where Breathe Right have come to the rescue.

Did you know that on the 23rd of April through to the 27th it was National Stop Snoring Week? To support the week the team at Breathe Right sent us a 'Snory hamper' full of items to help my partner with his snoring and a few things to help me relax at bedtime. Inside our hamper was two packets of Breathe Right strips, two pairs of earplugs, a Shearer Candle, and a Snory Diary. I was encouraged to use the products and to log our 'Snory' in the diary to report back on this blog post.

We started documenting our week right away, but typically Nick didn't snore for the first couple of days. Towards the end of the week I noticed that his sleep started to become more restless and with the tossing and turning came the snoring, and with the snoring came lots of elbows to the back! How frustrating is it when the kids are fast asleep, you finally close your eyes to sleep and your partner begins to snore?!

With Nick snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow I decided to try out the Breathe Right nasal strips that had been provided in the hamper. Neither of us had ever used them before so we were interested to see if they had any effect. The Breathe Right strips work by opening up your nasal passages to allow up to 31% more air flow.

After reading a few reviews online I was impressed to discover that they help 9/10 people breathe easier and I'm happy to report that Nick is included within those stats! As soon as he put one on his nose he said that he could feel a difference and that some of his hay fever congestion (something that he'd been complaining about earlier in the week) seemed to ease. He used them for the rest of the week and I noticed that he was sleeping a lot more soundly and was disturbing me a lot less with his snoring. With the help of all the goodies in my hamper I'm sure that both Nick and I will be sleeping more soundly in the future!

Do you have a snorer in the family?

Loud snoring accompanied by other symptoms (e.g., daytime fatigue, gasping for air during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness) are associated with a sleeping disorder called sleep apnea. 

If you or anyone in your family is experiencing these symptoms, talk to your health-care provider immediately. Sleep apnea can be managed with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy using a sleep aid mask and machine. Sleep is essential to living a healthy and full life, so never let anything get in the way of a good night’s rest.

- This is a PR collaboration #spon

Inch Blue Shoes - Review & Competition

Inch Blue is a shoe brand which was created in the sweetest of ways. Inspired by a Mum who felt passionate about her little ones feet, the brand was born in 1999 and has grown from her kitchen table top to a 20 strong team. Inch Blue shoes are now stocked in hundreds of stores and children's departments across the UK and are available online. I can't help but become a fan of brands which start organically in this way and I was delighted when I was offered a pair for Ava to review.

Inch Blue shoes are handmade here in Britain, using only the softest, most natural leather. Endorsed by Podiatrists, their shoes are specifically designed to allow little feet to breathe and grow naturally, without any restrictions or discomfort. Babies feet are so delicate that they can easily be damaged by shoes which are too small or too tight. From their very first pair, it's so important that you take care of your little ones feet.

Every pair of Inch Blue shoes are handmade to order, created with a soft, breathable leather outer and lined with 100% wool felt. They are so soft to touch and must be extremely comfortable to wear. The non-slip suede soles are a great feature for tots which are very fast and clumsy on their feet. The shoes are recommended for indoor use, or light use outside when it's dry.

When it came to choosing a pair for Ava I was blown away with the choice of shoes available. From bright and funky slip on shoes through to cosy little sheepskin boots, there's something for every occasion. I was personally drawn to the Heirloom collection as I adore the classic style and traditional colours. It was a coin toss decision when it came down to choosing between two pairs as I adored the both. The Mabel Red shoes won the coin toss but I could have easily gone for the yellow version as both colours would go with so many of Ava's outfits.

We adore our new Inch Blue shoes and are going to have to buy some more once she's outgrown this pair. Ava's only worn them in the house so far but she seems very happy to wear them. I must say however that the laces must be a bit of a novelty to her as she's always trying to undo them! I'm sure that once she's used to them that she'll leave them be. The price of Inch Blue shoes vary from style to style, the Mabel Red shoes retail at a reasonable £25.00. Sizes start at 0-6 months and go up to age 5-6.

How would you like to win your favourite pair of shoes from Inch Blue? To enter simply use the Gleam form below. Good luck and don't forget to enter my other blog competitions!

Inch Blue Shoes

Terms & Conditions.         
1. There will be 1 winner who will the prize mentioned above.
2. Prize sent directly by the PR. 
3. Competition ends 27/05/18.
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.

Quick & Easy Hair Tips For Busy Mums

I've always had super long hair, all the way down to my bottom. Over the years I've spent countless hours, washing, conditioning, treating and preening my hair. I took a lot of care and pride in it and I'd get so many comments on how healthy and beautiful it was. Having extremely long hair is one of the things I'm most known for in my group of friends and I'm always described as "the girl with long hair."

Of course this all changed when I had children. I still have very long hair but long gone are the spontaneous hair and beauty pamper sessions. I just don't have the same amount of time to spend on my hair anymore which means it's usually scraped into a ponytail or assembled in some sort of messy bun.Lately I've come to the conclusion that I need to put more time and attention into my hair again. It's becoming quite unmanageable and lack lustre, and to be truthful, I miss having nice hair. With this in mind I've decided with the help of some friends, to put together a post which is full of quick and easy hair tips for my busy mum's like myself.

1. Go for the chop! I had my rib length hair recently cut to shoulder length and it’s so much easier to manage. Fast to dry and a quick blast with the hairdryer each morning straightens it! - Victoria 
2. Always apply heat protection spray when using heat styling products like GHD's. Just a few squirts not only protects your hair from heat damage but it gives a sleek finish, just like you'd achieve from the hairdressers - Jen
3. I take vitamin b for healthy hair and nails. After only a month I have seen a dramatic change in how my hair feels and it's grown a lot too - Carla
4. I swear by using coconut oil twice a week to keep my hair conditioned and shiny. Using straighteners everyday isn’t great for my hair - Andrea 
5. I make 4 big plaits at night, sleep in them and then take it out in the morning, add a little serum and put my fingers through my hair for natural easy wavy curls. No brushing required - Latoya
6. I'm terrible at having neat hair. If I need fancy hair I just twirl stands around my finger and pin them with the old faithful bobby pins. A messy (yet fancy looking) up do in 5 minutes - Sinead

Do you have any tips that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

- This is a PR collaboration.