My new found love......

I have to admit that at the ripe age of 36 years I have never really had a skin care routine (shocking I know)  Taking my make up off after a big night out is usually the most attention it gets.

Since a friend of mine started doing The Body Shop at Home, I have rediscovered a love for the products having first used them over 20 years ago. With different needs for my skin now I am determined to get this skin looking better than ever.

Admittedly I am not a huge fan of face scrubs and prefer to use cotton pads and a liquid to clean and moisturise my skin, however when I saw so many recommendations for The Body Shop Liquid Peel, I was intrigued to give it a try.

I used my usual cleanser beforehand then just two pumps of the Drops of Youth Liquid Peel placed on my face and lightly massaged in and you could feel the dirt coming away. To finish I then soaked some cotton pads in warm water to remove the residue before applying a moisturiser and my skin felt fantastic.

Despite not being a rough, scrub like product, this is not a product that you would use daily however,  more of a way to develop a weekly pamper routine and give your skin a boost.

Initially I was surprised that the product was £18 it seemed a little steep especially for someone like me that doesn't really look after their skin, however now I know why. This product will just last and last.

In the last year or two I have become more aware of lines appearing on my face and Drops of Youth is the product that aims to help with signs of anti ageing.

There are three ranges that you can find the liquid peel, Drops of Youth, Drops of Light and Vitamin C.

I have been that impressed with the Drops of Youth that I have also purchased the Drops of Light to help boost dull skin that comes with having many sleepless nights!

You can find this product online or instore or via a local Body Shop at Home representative.
RRP £18

Soothing those cracked lips in one hit.

A friend of mine recently started to do the Body Shop at Home, having used the products for years I know that they offer quality but it must be at least 8 years before I have truly been to the shop and browsed the range of products....shocking!

With her group on Facebook it has become so much easier to look at the products and see them recommended from friends, so this month I placed my first order and looked forward to my products arriving just a few days later!

One of the products I ordered was the hemp lip balm. With this cold weather my lips have really been suffering and also the two kids have been complaining as well.

So what is so good about Hemp Heavy Duty Lip Care?
Containing an emollient it is very good for the lips as it helps with chaffing and splitting skin. It helps to maintain moisture without feeling overloaded, something that I find The Body Shop are very good at with all of their products.

From the first use my lips instantly felt softer, I didn't feel that there was a real fragrance or taste to the product and could feel it tingle after the application.

If you take a look on The Body Shop page for this product it has a very high rating of 5 out of 5 and I can see why.

I have used many products to try and help soothe my sore lips and yet they still remained split and heavily chapped, this little beauty however added a great deal of moisture and is now my go to for lip care.

RRP £4.50

The terrible two's have arrived!

So my daughter turned 2 on Monday and it ha been non stop since then. She has developed a distinct like for not only whingeing for what seems like 24/7 but she is also very keen on throwing things at her Big Brother, pair this with a mum that is surviving on about 3-4 hours sleep a night and is currently full of cold and you can imagine that things are pretty demanding!

Last night we turned a point where we just couldn't do anything, our son is now 7 years old so it's been a while since we were in this scenario and forgot just how tough it can be, that said we are putting in place measures to help and this was last night's measure by my hubby when he couldn't even put a pizza in the oven!

As I sit here now with my living room upside down, birthday cards aimlessly being tossed on the floor to join the toy littering the entire carpet the travel cot is still up and being rocked back and forth, for me this is a measure that just won't work so it's the good old fashioned distraction technique to try and get her to help clear up some of this mess before the hubby gets in to a trashed house!

Ain't no Party like a Princess Party

When it comes to hosting parties, I will be the first to admit that I tend to steer away from them as I end up running around like a mad woman no matter how much planning and preparation I put into it, today was no different.

Trying to find a day and time where most of your children's friends are free is becoming increasingly difficult and waiting on replies is something all too common when hosting a party, hence I would now with my son at the age of 7, pay for him to have a few friends go out for the day or have them around for a party tea. We now have a daughter Zara, she turned 2 on Monday and with us being away the week before we delayed a little party until today.

As always there are last minute cancellations and hiccups but it had no effect on the day as my daughter and her friends had a wonderful time and the boys, despite it being Princess themed joined in with 'Pass the Parcel'.

Fortunately to alleviate the stress levels the cake and party decorations were taken care of courtesy of www.bakingmad.com

I had always been aware of the Baking Mad website when looking for recipes previously and come across some pretty amazing creations but always believed them to be beyond my ability and that is the beauty of this kit. Everything you need is in one little box (albeit fresh ingredients) so there is no need to panic about not having enough ingredients.

The Party Cake Kits from Baking Mad contain high quality ingredients to ensure that you bake a delicious cake and the recipe and instruction booklet is very easy to follow.

Beautifully packaged the ingredients were  contained in tissue paper within a high quality box  that was hand tied with ribbon.

Contained within my Princess Party Kit was the following;

Allison Self Raising Flour (1kg)
Silver Spoon Icing Sugar (500g)
Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar (500g)
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract (60ml)
Pink Cake Decorating Sugar Paste (1kg)
Edible Silver Pearls (25g)
Tiara Cake Topper
Tiara Cupcake Toppers (pack of 10)
Silver Foil Cupcake Cases (pack of 45)
Cake Board
Recipe and Instruction Booklet

The kits normally retail for £44.99 but there is currently 25% off making them £33.74.

I am by no means a good baker but often enjoy baking with my son and he loves getting involved.

The kit however does not include the baking tins, 3 are required to bake this cake, I only had two so found myself baking in two batches.

I would love to see an 'Additional items required' section on the website before purchase to ensure that you have everything to hand as it's a 20cm tin that you need to replicate this recipe and to enable you to buy them before the actual package arrives so you can literally start baking from the moment it is delivered.

To make the pattern on the cake we used a lid from a spice jar, it was actually difficult to source the correct shape to do and would like to see this included in the kit.

The party was enjoyed by the parents and children alike and they were very complimentary about the cake in both the appearance and taste test. The cake was perfect for slicing and great for adding into the party bags.

Admittedly it may look like a huge layout for a cake but the convenience of having all your party essentials at the click of a button, even if you just need to bake a cake for an event is a great idea and so very convenient.

Certainly the way forward for mum's who need ingredients in one place and quick!

I was sent the Princess Party Cake Kit from Baking Mad to review. My opinions are however my own.