Bach Flower Remedies Gift Set Review

(ad) During this month of January I have been talking about all the little pick me ups that you can use to help yourself feel better and become more mindful. 

So now I have some Bach Flower Remedied to tell you all about. 

You may have heard or even tried Rescue Remedy? Well these are created by that same well known brand. They are made for emotional wellness and taking them is meant to help you deal with your emotions better. 

"Bach Original Flower Remedies follow Dr Bach’s system of 38 Bach Flower Essences, which was developed in the 1920s and 30s, for emotional wellbeing and care for everyday life, which he believed play a vital role in your general wellbeing. He identified 38 negative emotions and a corresponding flower or plant essence for each one. Each essence has a positive potential that balances your emotions allowing you to reach your true potential."

Whats included? 

They have made a special gift set that has 3 different flower essences included. These are Larch, White Chestnut and Mimulus and they all come in small 10ml bottles.

Each essence come from its own group and helps with a different feeling and comes with with a different positive potential. 

Larch is from the Find Joy and Hope group, it is perfect for people who lack confidence in their abilities, and it will give a positive outcome of confidence. 

White Chestnut is from the Live the Day group, its for people who struggle to switch off and have repetitive thoughts and its meant to give a positive outcome of tranquility. 

Mimulus is from the Face your Fears group and is for people who are shy or are feeling worried about something specific. It will give a positive outcome of courage. 

How to take them? 

Each bottle comes with a little pipette so then you can use drops of the flower remedy. It is super easy to use and you simply squeeze the top and the pipette fills with liquid. 

There are 3 ways that you can use your flower remedy, one is by adding 2 drops of your chosen essence into a drink. You can choose which ever drink you like.

You could use all drops making it 6 drops in total and with this its recommended you make up your own sample. Get a mixing bottle, add all 6 drops and swish together. Then take 4 drops of this, 4 times a day.

Or you can use it for immediate use and simply take the essences directly from the bottle. Just drip 2 drops onto your tongue and then repeat when you feel necessary. 

What do I think? 

Firstly, my chosen method is to take it directly. I prefer to just get it on my tongue and in my system instead of faffing about with drinks. But this may not be many's favourite way as you have to be ok with the very strong taste. I would say it has a very alcoholic taste, simular to vodca. Which a couple of droplets worth I can cope with. 

One thing I did find with this way of taking it, was that it helped me with my 'funny tastes' I can get in my mouth when I am anxious. It kills that and gives me a new taste to focus on. 

I am not 100% sure if the droplets do exactly as they say on the bottle, but in a way they also do. For example, taking Mimulus, I feel like I have more courage because this has taken the edge away making me calmer and so then more likely to fill an ability to do something courageous. 

They are definetly something I would keep using and I would recommend trying, I love that they are herbal as I am not a big fan of chemical medicine. Anything that can help me with my wellbeing that isn't going to do my body any harm sits very well with me. Plus they have been being used for more than 80 years and I always think that the older more natural ways were the best. 

This gift set is £14.99 and if you head to www.bachremedies.co.uk then you can see more information and places to buy it. 

WIN

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Monthly Book Roundup - What We Have Been Reading in January

I have to smack myself on the hand because I haven't actually done a book post for a good couple of months now. Last year I found I was very busy and struggling to keep up to date with blogging, but so far this year I have found my new lease of life and i'm back on it. 

So i'm back with what we have been reading this month in January. 

Lily still loves her story time, and we still read a few books a night. Though she does also bring one home from the school library and insists we read that lots, which doesn't help her books at home get read. 

I haven't really had a theme for January but these are 3 new books that I have got her and want to tell you about. 

1. Zog and the Flying Doctors by Julia Donaldson 

As soon as I spotted a new Zog book in the shops, I just knew we had to have it. We are a big fan of the first Zog book so to find a sequel to it is great. In this story, Zog has his job flying the doctors around so they can attend to patients. One day the princess doctor decides they should fly in and visit royal relatives in the castle. Bad move as they don't let her leave. Good job though as the king gets ill and so princess pearl sends out Zog and the other doctor to go get ingredients so she can make him better. The story is really good with a great storyline and also lots of characters. It also has a great story of kindness to it. I picked my copy up from WH Smith but you can get it from many book stores.

2. The Cave by Rob Hodgson

This is such a funny little story about a tiny creature living in a cave. The big bad wolf wants it to come out so it can eat it, and tries all sorts to make it come out. The funny twist is that actually when the small creature emerges from the cave, its actually not so small and its a big bear bigger than the wolf! the wolf runs into the cave and roles reverse where the bear is trying to get the wolf to come out the cage. The story isn't mega long which is great for those nights you want a shorter story and Lily did really enjoy the comedy behind it. We was gifted this from Lily's school but you can find it online and in shops. 

3. Elmer by David McKee

A classic! Elmer. But Lily has only just started to enjoy the Elmer stories. She was bringing them home from her school library each week so I figured I would get her one for home. If you don't know the storyline of Elmer, which I will admit, I didn't. Its all about a patchwork colourful elephant. In this origional story, Elmer feels very different to all the other elephants, and decides to colour himself in grey. It is at this point he gets up to his usual tricks and plays jokes on the other elephants. But then when the other elephants see his colours, they want to be colourful too. So one day a year, Elmer goes grey and all the other elephants go colourful. The Elmer stories are all so good and have such a good storyline to them. I picked this up from WH Smith but it can be bought in most book stores. 

Which of the books do you like the sound of and why? 

Mindful January - The Happiness Box

This is something I have been using and building for months now. I got some advice from someone who works as a life coach. She recommended that a great thing to do if your feeling low, or struggling to relax, or just need your mind taking away from things, is to create a special box that you get out when ever you feel the need for it. 

The idea behind it is that it gets filled with all your favourite things that can either help perk your mood, or distract your mind, or aid a little relaxation time. It is a box that is all about giving YOURSELF a little bit of focus. When you feel that bad mood coming, or a depressed night coming, you grab your box and have a good route through it to choose how you want to cheer yourself up.

The box is 100% tailored to you as an individual, but I thought I would give you some ideas of things that can be put in and also tell you about my happyness box. 

1. Candles, or Incense 
These are perfect for your box if you don't already light candles or incense. For me candles are all around my house, so wouldn't be in my box but would most definetly be lit while I was using my happiness box. But incense sticks are a great thing to pop in there. They are the perfect thing to light as an extra special treat of getting to smell a relaxing scent and to use something a little bit different to candles. 

2. Photographs
When feeling low, photographs can be something that really help us feel a little better. Maybe you want to put your family in there, your loved one, or pictures of your children. Maybe you have pictures of a good family vacation or one you took alone and really enjoyed. They are great to look through to lift your mood. 

3. Colouring Books or Drawing
I have both of these in my happiness box. I find colouring and drawing so therapeutic and I can really loose myself while doing it. I feel relaxed and it has taken my mind away from any worries. For me, the more complex the colouring, the better. I am more focused on thinking "what colour shall I use" than thinking about my problems. I now have 4 colouring books and a HUGE range of different shades of pencils. They actually don't all fit into my happyness box but I keep them on top of it so then I can choose which I want to use.
The great thing about drawings, is that also after you have finished the drawing, you can keep in it your happiness box. Its lovely to look at something your proud of. Though of corse drawing isn't for everyone.

4. Letters, Notes, Things from loved ones. 
These things could be anything from letters from family, cards from loved ones, or maybe drawings that your children have done. What ever works for you when it comes to making you smile. They are just nice things to look at and also remind you that you are loved. I keep a lovely drawing of Lily and me that she did in my box.
You can also write notes to yourself, they may be positive reminders, affirmations, or lists of why your life is good. Sometimes when you are down it is hard to remember those things you do actually love about yourself or maybe even others. So its great to get these written down when your in a positive mood so then you can read back on them when your not.

5. Foodie Treats (ad - gifted)
Food, is generally something that makes us all happy. It may be your favourite chocolate? Maybe you love biscuits? Think about the thing that always makes you happy when you eat them. For me, I usually put some chocolate in, sweets, and some of my other favourite treats like stroopwaffles, macaroons and amaretti biscuits. I also love to put popcorn into my box. Sometimes it may be popcorn that you heat in the microwave, or I may treat myself to different flavours of popcorn like the Popcorn Shed have.
It is always good to make sure you box is constantly stocked though, nothing worse than thinking your favourite chocolate is in your box and then getting to the box and finding out that its not. 

6. Health and Beauty
So I am not a big Pamper girl myself, but this it totally something that fits perfectly into a happiness box if a good pamper makes you happy. The only things I may keep in my box is nail varnish and foot detox masks. I find the painting nails a good focus activity, and I do actually enjoy my feet being pampered. You may have more ideas on beauty things you can put into the box, but things like face masks, makeup, and any other beauty rituals are great ideas. 

7. Puzzles and Activities
There are so many different things you can put into your box, and puzzles and activities are something that can really help the mind stay focused and switched off from daily struggles. I like quite a lot of puzzle books, crosswords are one, but I mostly love a good wordsearch. I am focused on one thing and one thing only, finding that word. Maybe if puzzle books arn't your thing then you might want to put a jigsaw in there, again it is something that really focuses the mind. What ever you enjoy and what ever makes you happy, is the perfect activity for your box. Do you remember Where's Wally? My boyfriend spotted loads of them in a charity shop and bought them me for my box! I find it so much fun even as an adult trying to find the characters hidden in the crowds. 

8. Drink Treats
Just like your foodie treats, you may also want to think about what drinks you enjoy. Maybe your favourite tea? There are some lovely relaxing ones out there to try, like chamomile. Or maybe you love a hot chocolate, sometimes I have put little sachets of these into my happiness box. Mint hot chocolate is my ultimate favourite. As for Alcohol, I don't fully recommend it myself, alcohol can be a depressant. But I do know that for some, that odd glass of wine really helps them feel relaxed and treated. So if in moderation, the odd glass can't hurt. You can buy really cute miniatures that would fit into a box nicely and also keep that drinking to a minimum. 

I am sure there are loads more ideas of things that could be put into the box, maybe a favourite film that always makes you laugh, maybe your into sewing or knitting, what ever it is that you love, it has a place in your Happiness Box. 

What would you put into your happiness box? 

How to Identify Your Child's Learning Style

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How to Identify Your Child's Learning Style

Parents can help to bring out the best in their child’s academic abilities by simply identifying the way that they learn.

You may be surprised to learn that there are three common learning styles. By understanding the characteristics of each style, parents are able to identify the best learning activities and tools to aid their child’s development.

To help you identify your child’s individual learning style and discover their full potential, Taunton School have provided the following information and advice…

What are the three main learning styles?

Each learning style relates to the individual senses children use when they are learning. For example, seeing, feeling and hearing. Schools aim to incorporate these learning styles into lessons using a number of practical hands-on tasks, as well as interactive whiteboards and roleplay activities.

Read through the three main learning styles below and see if you can identify which one matches your child’s method of learning…

Visual learner

Visual learners like to be able to see what they are learning. Pictures, diagrams and instructional videos are all incredibly beneficial to this type of learner. Visual learners are also particularly good at remembering things that they have seen.

When teaching visual learners it is a good idea to have pens and paper available, as they like to write things down and draw whilst listening. It is also beneficial to visit museums and art galleries with your child to enhance their learning experience.

Kinaesthetic Learner

Kinaesthetic learners process information best through hands-on activities. They want to touch and feel whilst they are learning and they often like to learn through movement.

You may notice that this type of leaner will move around whilst listening and speaking, and often use hand movements when explaining something.

Kinaesthetic learners enjoy subjects such as Science, Art and PE, where there is a lot of physical activity to help keep them engaged.

Auditory Learner

This type of learner likes to absorb information through listening. Auditory learners benefit most by having things verbally explained. They are also more likely to remember key details by saying things out loud. You may notice that an auditory learner will easily remember verbal instructions, however they will require more time to process information during a reading exercise.

What kind of learning style does your child have? 

Books to Read to Help your Mind

There are so many books out there on the market to buy that are all about helping your mind. Daily life can be hard and sometimes we don't know how to handle the pressures of every day. Books can be a really great way to firstly relax and also get some well grounded advice on how to help you feel better. 

So I have 3 books here that I have chosen to tell you about. 

1. (ad Gifted) - Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing 

This books is perfect for if you are feeling unmotivated about life, but you have dreams, and don't know how to get there. Cut the Crap and Feel amazing is by Ailsa Frank who is a self help author who also specialises in being a motivation coach and a leading hypnotherapist. She has a compassionate yet no- nonsense approach which you can find through out her book. This book is full of techniques which will help you cut out negative habits in your life and also make some improvements where needed. She believes that making small changes to your mindset will enable you to make bigger changes in your life.

The book has 17 different chapters with each one being a new subject of things we deal with in life. For example Relationships, Dept, Addictions, and decisions. she gives tips and steps on how to try and make situations feel better and literally cut that crap out of your life. 

The book is £10.99 and can be bought from her website. 

2. Recharge, A Year of Self Care to Focus on You

This book is classed as the ultimate self care bible for women who want to find their balance in life. Julie Montagu is a wellness guru who knows a thing or two about health and happyness. In this book she shares guidance and tips designed to make self care your focus, which will then support you on a journey to wellness and vitality. 

The book is set out in 12 months. Each month deals with a new topic of helping an area of un balance. For example, Stress, Anxiety and Learning to Love yourself. Each month has tips and ideas of ways you can help your self in this way. It even has space in the book to answer questions about yourself. The book is aimed at helping you with self care to be able to feel recharged and feel a better you.

This book is £12.99 and can be bought from Amazon.

3. TIME - Your journey to a slower, richer, more fulfilling way of life  

This book is for the person who never feels they have enough time to get done what they want to in life. It is all about looking at the time we have and making new choices about the way we spend it. It gives a new fresh perspective on time and how we can manage it and shows you how you can take control of your own time.

 The book is full of inspiration, suggestions and tips that will help you get the most out of your time. Filled with quotes that really get your brain thinking, and also explaining concepts of time you may not have thought about. The idea to the book is to get you to look at time compleatly different so then suddenly you feel like you have so much of it. 

This book is £6.99 and can be bought from Amazon. 

Which of these books do you like the sound of and why? 

How we feel about Anxiety and Tips how to help it!

Anxiety seems to be something is either happening more, or is now more talked about. I myself can suffer from anxiety and so I wanted to put together a post that was all about it, with at the same time providing you with some tips to over come it. 

But, everyone experiences it in different ways, and so I thought I would get the help of finding out other experiences that bloggers have with Anxiety. 

I wanted to know about about what causes it, what feelings they got, and then how they helped them self. 

I hope that if you can relate to some of these then hopefully some of their tips can also help. 

Lianne from lifewithlianne.co.uk

FEELINGS - My anxiety flares up when my kids are ill , I feel totally out of control as I can't make it go away and then I have Panic Attacks. 
HOW I HELP MYSELF - I find breathing exercises help and writing down my intrusive thoughts.

Sarah from www.boorooandtiggertoo.com 

FEELINGS - Anxiety is the friend that you wish you'd never made, the one that will pop up out of the blue and consume all your time. Plaguing you with self-doubt and making you question every little thing you say or do.
HOW I HELP MYSELF - I find that concentrating on the decisions that need to be made such as 'what's for tea' etc. rather than everything that might be on my to-do list for that given day. Sleep is my anxiety reset, which I find that if I'm a position to sleep for an hour or so then I'm better to do so that battle my way through it.

Becca from beccafarrelly.co.uk/

FEELINGS -  When anxiety hits, for me it's an overall panic about the amount of 'stuff' I have to do in the day, it's the panic about not being able to spend more time on my blog, and the panic that I'm just not good enough. 
HOW I HELP MYSELF - I find it helps to break down my day into chunks of 3 jobs/activities. If I can just get 3 small things done (1 chunk) then I'm able to go onto the next chunk and the next. 

At the end of each day, I look at my ticked-off list and it's really rewarding. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets me through!

Kate from kateonthinice.com/

FEELINGS - Peri-menopause has brought new anxiety with Whirring and troublesome thoughts.

HOW I HELP MYSELF - I have worked out that telling myself "Stop thinking!" out loud has stopped this in the main - so simple but works for me.

Sarah from www.arthurwears.com

FEELINGS -  Anxiety is raking through every possible negative outcome of every action before the moment comes, and usually doing anything you can to avoid being in that situation. It’s avoiding conversations, small talk or even meetings with people for fear of what they might think of you because you aren’t at your best, you don’t have anything fun to talk about and you really aren’t that interesting. It’s pulling apart every conversation, wishing you’d said something else, wishing it hadn’t happened and wondering how long it will be before the person you spoke to brushes you off. 

HOW I HELP MYSELF - I find that getting out in the fresh air and walking helps. Listening to upbeat music and dancing around the kitchen...and, ironically, actually getting out and meeting up with a friend for a coffee or a chat. It puts those thoughts back in the box and helps you to remember that you are worthy of someone else’s time.

Kate from refinedprose.com 

FEELINGS - Anxiety is being with my best friends, and still feeling the doubt creep in that they are happy in my company. It's tripping over my words because I'm analysing and over thinking every tiny detail instead of relaxing and enjoying the moment. It's craving connection, and then sabotaging it. It's leaving friends, and letting out a sigh of relief that you can stop the pretence of being normal.

HOW I HELP MYSELF - Gratitude keeps my anxiety in check, and nature brings me relief when I get overwhelmed.

Christy from www.welshmum.co.uk/

FEELINGS - Anxiety for me something that stops me living in the moment, making me focus on worst case scenarios and become overwhelmed by worry and negative emotions. It stops me sleeping, which makes everything else harder, and at it's worst, it makes me sick and unable to function properly at all.

HOW I HELP MYSELF - Medication has helped me a lot, as has cognitive behaviour therapy and support groups online. Talking to other people with anxiety helps and makes me realise I'm not alone. Being open and honest with my husband, family and friends has made a difference. I no longer feel like I need to hide it or put on a mask - I can ask for help. When I feel overwhelmed it helps to break things down into tiny achievable steps. Writing todo lists and checking off what I've achieved is also helpful as is general self-care and trying to focus on myself and relax.

MYSELF

FEELINGS - My Anxiety I know is totally powered by my brain and its ability to over think. Im funny in the way that things that people would normally panic over, I don't, but then little things will set me off. I know putting a lot of pressure on myself has a lot to play with it and when I get overwhelmed and stress it can set if off. The worst part of my anxiety is the physical symptoms that comes with it. Sickness mostly and sometimes a horrid acidic feeling at the back of my throat. 

HOW I HELP MYSELF - Firstly, I ask for help, I have a great support from my partner. I also work on my mindfulness, trying to think positive about my future and focus more on being in the now than worrying. Distracting my mind works really well, things like colouring relaxes me and stops my mind from over thinking at night. But the main one is being in control, telling myself that I am in control and also noticing when things and people around me are being helpful, or just dragging me down and then choosing wether to take that on or not. 

Do you suffer from Anxiety? How do you help yourself? 

Understanding Your Child's Curriculum

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Understanding Your Child's Curriculum

Research shows that parental involvement in a child’s education has a positive effect on their performance.  The more supported a child feels at home, the more he or she will accomplish at school.

To help you provide the best possible support for your child at home, it is important to understand the school curriculum and learn more about what they are studying in class. To make this as easy as possible, Parsons Green Prep School has put together this handy guide to the school curriculum for parents…

The National Curriculum is split into five different Key Stages based on the age of your child. 

These Key Stages are:

Key Stage 1: Aged 5-7, Years 1-2

Key Stage 2: Aged 7-11, Years 3-6

Key Stage 3: Aged 11-14, Years 7-9

Key Stage 4: Aged 14-16, Years 10-11, GCSEs

Key Stage 5: Aged 16-19, Years 12-13, A Levels

This curriculum is an important framework that helps to ensure all children are reaching their full potential and that a consistent level of education is provided across the board. Within each key stage your child will study towards exams. These exams will assess their progression and allow the teachers to check whether or not they are meeting national targets. The classwork and activities your child takes part in throughout the term will follow the National Curriculum. 

The curriculum also places importance on learning essential skills that will benefit children throughout their life and future careers. Teachers will help to develop communication skills using activities such as reading, writing, talking and listening, as well as mathematics and technology.

Your child’s annual report will tell you about their learning and progress in a number of areas. The teacher will give your child a level to indicate how well they are doing in each area, as well as provide an overall assessment of your child’s progress.  As your child moves through school, it is hoped that their ability in each area will improve and they will progress to a higher level.

At the annual parents’ meeting, you will have the opportunity to talk to the teacher about your child’s progress and how you can help to support their learning at home. 

Which Key Stage is your child in? 

Scentered De Stress Hand and Body Wash, and Lotion Due Review and Giveaway

I just love it when I am sent something and I end up really really loving what I have been sent. I was contacted by the lovely company Scentered to see if I wanted to review something from their lovely collection of Aromatherapy products. 

Due to the fact I was looking for Mindful products I felt that this would be a lovely thing to review and so they said they would send me something out. 

Now, on their website they have balms and candles that all come in a range of sizes, but I was lucky enough to be getting my hands on their new product which is being released onto the website soon. Their De Stress Hand and Body Wash and Lotion duo pack.

De - Stress!!! That sounds good to me. My life is always full of stress one way or another, and I think a lot of you reading this will be thinking "me too" So I welcome anything in my life that could help with stress. 

But I was a little unsure on how washing my hands or body with this lotion could help me de stress. I was about to find out!

Firstly let me tell you a little more about the product. You get two 300ml bottles in a pack, both look lovely with their grey bottle with green and white writing. I think they would compliment any bathroom you have. Plus the bottles are made from recycled plastic, which is great if you are looking for eco friendly products. 

Both the wash and lotion are made from Camomile, Neroli and Mandarin which are great essential oils to help promote calm, soothe tension and support feelings of well being. 

The wash contains organic Aloe which helps cleanse, detoxify and moisturise the skin. I am a big fan of Aloe so I was really happy to find out it contained it.

The Lotion is made from a Jojoba Oil to sooth and a Sweet Almond Oil and sunflower oil to condition and moisturise the skin. Some of my favourite products have had Almond Oil in and so I know how good this is for you, so again, I was pleased to find out it contained this. 

The bottles both have a press lid to squeeze the wash and lotion out of, which is easy to use and means you don't have to faff around with any lids.

So what did I think? 

AMAZING! Never ever have I found that washing my hands was a experience that could de stress me! 

I actually hate most hand washes, usually they leave my hands too dry after use and I end up dosing my hands up with hand cream, but not with this. Both the hand wash and lotion made my hands feel amazing after, lovely and soft and moisturised. 

But the most amazing part about these is the smell. IT IS DEVINE! I seriously could not stop smelling my hands after using it and the scent also lasted a long time on my hands meaning I just kept putting my hands over my nose to smell it. Plus you keep the smell topped up because compared to a body wash that you use in the bath, washing your hands is something you do many times through out the day, meaning that your stress levels are also being kept lowered through out the day. 

I will hands on my heart say that after washing with this, I would put my hands over my nose and take a big deep breathe of it and it would make me feel amazing. It really has been something that has helped me take a mindful moment of bliss. 

I think that I would love to eventually see a handbag size hand wash of this type of product. Imagine having a stressful day at work and being able to wash your hands with this to help. Or if you have a work place with workers, popping this into the bathroom may keep your workers stress free for the day!

I can not recommend this product enough. Plus with it being a body wash too, you are not just limited to washing your hands, I found it great when I needed to wash all the way up my arms after cleaning my fish tank out. 

This Duo pack is retailed at £30 and I think is worth every penny. It will be available soon on the website - Scentered.com  

What about this product do you like the sound of the most? 

If you do love the sound of this product, then you are in luck! Scentered are letting me give away one duo pack with £30 to one lucky winner!

For your chance to win, enter on the gleam app below. 

WIN A DE-STRESS BODY AND HAND WASH AND LOTION DUO

How Can a Poor Diet Affect My Child's Education?

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How Can a Poor Diet Affect My Child's Education?

What children eat and drink during their early years is crucial because it can affect their future health and learning progress. It is also important to encourage children to eat healthy and nutritious foods in order to develop good eating habits when they are older.

Here are some great tips from St Hilda’s School on how to support your child’s development by including healthy eating into your daily routine.

1. Breakfast

There is a lot of truth in the saying ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, especially when it comes to your child’s learning. Try to start your day with a healthy family breakfast, including foods that are rich in fibre and protein. This will help to boost your child’s attention span, ready for a full day at school. Breakfast can also benefit your mood and memory, so don’t let your little ones leave home without it

2. Food

Have you noticed a change in your child’s behaviour or mood when they are hungry? Do they become irritable or find it hard to concentrate? It is important that your child eats little and often, throughout the day in order to maintain their energy and concentration levels.  It is also important to educate your child on choosing the right foods, such as fish and vegetables, and to avoid sugary foods such as sweets and biscuits.

3. Water

Water is vital for your child’s health and concentration, so it is important that they stay well hydrated at school. Pack a refillable water bottle in their school bag and encourage your child to drink as much as possible throughout the day. This is particularly important during the summer months or after sporting activities. Even the mildest form of dehydration can impact your child’s brain function and this can affect their motor skills and mood.

What sort of healthy foods do you feed your child? 

Better you Magnesium Flakes and Oil Spray Review

(ad - Gifted) 

Keeping on the theme of Mindfulness, I have another lovely product to tell you all about.

This time its a product that is all about helping relaxation, and that is from using Magnesium. 

Magnesium is something we all have in our bodies but it also may be something that we are all not getting the right amount of, so a little extra is needed. This is where the products from Better You come in. 

I was sent some Better You Magnesium Flakes and an Oil Spray to try out. 

Did you know that Magnesium is responsible for over 300 actions in the body. Magnesium is great to help repair and detox our cells in our body and so perfect for after a hectic day, week or month. This is why Better you have created these products to help you get that well needed Magnesium into your body. 

Firstly they have a special oil that is made into a body spray that you can apply to your body when needed. 

The bottle comes as a 100ml bottle with a push down spray bottle top. The idea of this spray is to be used on joints and muscles to help support recovery and relaxation. But can also be used to help get that all needed Magnesium into the system. 

You can get Magnesium in other forms, like oral capsules but the good thing about getting it in a oil spray is that it penetrates the barriers if the skin and by passes the digestive system and delivers the magnesium directly to the bodies cells. It makes it one of the fastest way to get Magnesium into your body. 

So what did I think? 

Firstly the fact it is a spray I think is great. It really makes it easy to use and you can also apply it your self easily in places you need it. It does soak into your skin pretty quick though, so this isn't the best for massage but could be a great thing to use before a massage to get them all needed nutrients inside your system first. The oil does not have a scent, which is good in one way because if you are using it on a daily basis then you may not want to smell of oil, but then it also isn't great it as smells help you relax. 

It is a little cold to spray on yourself though which I didn't enjoy, and I would recommend using it before bed, or before a bath because I did notice a oily feeling was left on my clothing after use. This does wash out, but not great if you use in the morning and have the oily feeling on your clothing for the day.

It is hard to say if this has helped any with my muscles relaxing, but I think it is something that I may end up using when my body has had a stressful time and is aching. 

I was also sent Magnesium Flakes for the bath. These are ideal for replenishing the body with the essential mineral, promoting overall wellbeing, aiding skin health, and also helping to relax muscles. 

The perfect thing about it is that while you have it in the bath it is aiding all of the body. The flakes dissolve into your bath and then as you lay in it the magnesium then soaks into your body and again goes straight to your muscles instead of having to pass through your digestive system first. Perfect if you are like me and totally forget to end up taking the capsules. 

So what did I think?

I did prefer the use of the flakes over the oil, and if I was to choose between using one or the other, I would choose these. You pour 2 cup fulls into your bath, but you can add more if you like for a more intense bath. I decided to add more into mine.

They devolve really quickly which is great, last thing you need is things floating around the bath with you. When you are in the bath you can't overly tell they are in. There is a slight scent to them, which I can only describe as a natural smell. So when I was having them in my bath it was great to know that they were doing something to my body, without my bath being too effected.

If you didn't want to have a full bath with them, then you could also use them for a foot soak. I haven't done this yet but I do love a foot soak so will be doing this soon.

Other great points to express about these products that I love is that they are against animal testing, they are super natural and they can also be used when pregnant!

The bath flakes retail at £9.99 a pack, and the spray is £12.95

You can find out more and about where to buy on the BetterYou website. 

Would you use these products? 

Celebrating My Blogiversary - 4 Years Old

I think this year has been the fastest yet. Another year has past and just after celebrating my actual birthday, its time to celebrate the Birthday of my blog!

My First post was today 4 years ago, I must admit when I first set up my blog I never thought that 4 years later I would still be doing it, never mind still loving doing it. 

So looking over the last year of blogging, I have to admit, it took a backseat. I don't often talk about the upsetting things of my personal life on my blog, I more focus on the fun, Lily and promoting all the wonderful brands out there. But I have had some struggles with stress over the last year and so my blog was one of the things that took a back seat. 

But this year I am going to be trying to focus more on myself, which does mean more of the things I love doing. Including blogging. You may have read i'm doing Mindful January, well I want to carry on that mindfulness into every month, and so there may become more of a lifestyle theme to my blog. Of corse I will still be blogging all about Lily, and I really do need to give myself a kick up the bum with activity posts, but I think putting a little focus on myself this year isn't a bad thing. 

So my totals of posting, is 839 posts. Which means over the year I did only write 100 or so posts. I have been feeling though that quality is better than quantity and its much more important to write decent posts than it is to do one for the sake of posting. 

So one thing I do each year is show how Lily has changed from one year to the last. I love that i have some followers on here that have been looking at my blog for all these years. they get to watch Lily grow just like I do. 

So here is lily from a Year ago

and Here is Lily now - 

There was much more of a difference in images last year as she seemed to turn from a toddler to a big girl, but you can see from the picture how she is getting bigger. But Lily is growing more in intelligence than she is height, she still fits into some 3-4 year old clothing and some 5 to 6 is way to big. 

Now to look how my blog has grown, I always like to look at my stats and have a compare. 

Twitter Last Year - 7923

Twitter This Year - 8199 

Total Gained - 276 

My twitter gain isn't high at all, but I really haven't put any focus into gaining twitter followers this year. I am really happy with the amount of followers I have and have put more focus on other areas. 

Facebook Last Year - 3592 

Facebook This Year - 3733 

Followers Gained - 141

So again not high at all, but I do find facebook a tricky one to gain followers on.

Instagram Last Year - 2614 

Instagram This Year - 2990

Followers Gained - 376 

As you can tell, my main focus has been instagram this year. I plan to carry on putting my focus into Instagram this year too. 

Instagram is one platform I wish I had put more effort into from the start, but I have been learning a lot lately and there is lots that I haven't been doing. Lately I have felt like I am in a black hole of the internet, where Instagram is not showing me to my followers, I find I have to work for my likes and so if you are a blog follower, and a Instagram follower, I really would appreciate more loves and comments on my posts. I plan to interact back with you too! 

Last year I was pleased because my Tots 100 score went up to the top 250, well this year I am even more pleased to see it rise to number 163. I really never thought my number would be up there. I remember my first year of blogging not getting a job because I wasn't in the top 200, so its great to know that I am there now.

My plans for last year on the blog was to go out more and take more photographs to show you. I was bad! I didn't do this! So going to say it again, I really want to go more places and show you them this year. Even if its only through a Instagram story. 

Usually for my Blogiversay I do a giveaway, this this year I already have one running on my Instagram so you may want to go and enter that. 

If you are a blogger reading this I would love to know how your blog is doing? 

If you are a reader then I would love to know what you think of my blog? 

So here is to another year of blogging!

Thank you to all my readers and friends and family who support by reading and sharing!

Helping Your Child with Friendship Problems

(Ad- Paid Guest Post)

Throughout your child’s education, and their whole life in fact, they are bound to fall out with their friends from time to time. As a parent, you can help your child overcome these problems as they occur and teach them how to manage a bullying situation. A prep school in Surrey have put together the following advice to help you understand how to deal with your child’s friendship problems, without interfering too much.

It might be worth encouraging your child to socialise and join some extracurricular clubs. This will help them make new friends and develop important social skills. The more communication that they have with others and the more friendships they develop throughout life, the easier they will find it to respond appropriately when any of those friendships become a little rocky. It will also help with their confidence. Rocky friendships are, of course, a normal part of life but these conflicts should be short-lived and resolved on their own. However, parents do have to step in from time to time.

Provide a shoulder to cry on if your child needs it and listen to them as they explain to you what has happened with their friend. Try not to interrupt them or judge them when they are talking, as this will discourage them from opening up to you again. Where necessary, you might need to get a teacher involved, but at the beginning its better to take a step back and try and let your child work it out alone. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt for you to give some advice. For instance, you could explain that their friend might be going through some turmoil in their personal life and they are taking it out in an unpleasant way. This might help your child find it in their heart to forgive them friend. Always ask them how they wish to move forward and if they would like to continue a friendship with the person in question so that they can figure out their next steps. 

As with anything that concerns your children, you should always try and set a good example. When it comes to navigating relationships, you should always demonstrate appropriate social skills. Be kind, considerate and have good manners. Teach your children that when they are having a conversation with someone, they need to listen just as much as they need to talk. 

How do you deal with your children's friendship problems? 

Naturopathica, CBD for the Mind - Review

(ad - Gifted) One of the reasons I have wanted to start blogging about Mindfulness is that I can suffer from Stress and Anxiety. Lately more often than not I am finding myself in a panic, and usually over little things. I know plenty of reasons why this is, I have had a stressful year and I put way to much pressure on myself and really do over think. 

So when Naturopathica offered me some CDB tablets to try. I thought I would give them a go. 

Naturopathica are a brand with a background in pharmaceuticals and have made CBD capsules that are designed to target wellness areas. I was sent the Mind Capsules to try. 

So here is a little information about CBD, given to me from Naturophica - 

"CBD (cannabidiol) has seen a surge in popularity of late, but there is still much confusion surrounding its properties and benefits. The plant itself, Cannabis Sativa, has been used medically for thousands of years and can be highly beneficial to our bodies by helping to improve a variety of issues including anxiety and pain as well as helping with sleep and aiding the immune system. Combine the CBD with specially selected vitamins, minerals and herbs that are proven to have specific benefits and you have CBD Plus, a great way to get your daily CBD, plus a supplement, all in one."

So as it states above, these capsules from Naturophica are not just CBD alone and also contain other minerals and Vitamins. 

The Mind Capsules that I was sent to try also had Taurine, an amino acid, Vitamin B2, which contributes to normal psychological function; Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), which supports mental performance; and ginseng, which can help you withstand the pressures of a modern lifestyle.

I had already known some facts about CBD, that it is good for anxiety, good for healing and good for well being. I also knew that although CBD comes from the Cannabis plant, I would not feel any drug related effects like you would do from smoking the drug. CBD is completely different to the drug.

So after they arrived, I happily started taking them. You may have noticed them in my Good Morning Basket, which you can read about here.

You need to take one capsule a day, and there are 30 inside, so meaning they should last you a month. 

I have never been brilliant at taking capsules, but can just about manage to as long as I have a bottle of water to swig it down with. These capsules are quite large though and if you do struggle taking larger tablets, then these may be tricky for you. I have taken a picture of one next to a penny for you to be able to see the size.

Also you can expect a strange taste to come with the tablets, I didn't find it over offensive myself, but best way to describe the taste is herbal, leafy. The taste wears off pretty quickly after you have swallowed it though. 

So, after initially taking them, I didn't really feel much. But I kept on with them as I know that it can take a little while for things top get into your system and take effect. After a few days, I would say I felt that they were taking the edge away from my anxiety. I have in the past had days where I wake up all shaky and I feel that these were taking the edge off. 

I even had a few days off them to see the difference and there was definetly a noticeable improvement to my anxiety levels. 

After taking nearly a months corse of them, I wouldn't say my anxiety is cured, but there is a good chance they have contributed to less anxiety. For me I feel it takes a range of trying different things to help your body and mind out, but the CBD capsules are something that can be one of those things to add to a list of other things. Such as finding relaxing time for yourself. 

The only thing I did find, is that at times I felt headaches as a side effect from them. But I can't fully say that it was the capsules giving me the head ache, as I also spend a lot of time on the computer and don't drink enough water. Which are 2 big contributing factors to headaches. 

My biggest point from the whole review is that if you are suffering from Anxiety, then CBD capsules are 100% worth a try. I love that they are compleatly natural and so no trips to the doctors needed for pills filled with chemicals. 

You can buy these from stores such as Holland and Barret for £39.99 - See more information here on the website. 

Have you ever tried CBD?