The Beautiful Book Company

Looking for a gift that keeps giving?? 

Have a book worm in the family??

Know any little people who love receiving new books? 

Then look no further! 

The Beautiful Book Company

A gift like no other.

You can buy a whole box at once or pick the 'one a month' option. Which will the receive a book a month until the subscription is finished, giving the recipient time to read the books before another turns up. 

Not only do they offer beautiful children's books they have books to suit everyone - 

The Classic Collection - from £34.99

The Contemporary Collection - from £34.99

The Children's Classic Collection - from £29.99

The Baby and Toddler Collection - from £29.99

The "New Mums" Collection - from £34.99

The Travellers Collection - from £54.99

The Chefs Collection - from £59.99

The Film Lover's Collection - from £39.99

The Arts & Crafts Collection - from £44.99

The "Big Cheese" Collection - from £59.99

The "Put Your Feet Up" Collection - from £34.99

The Retirement Collection - from £34.99

The Couple's Collection - from £69.99

The "Get Well Soon" Collection - from £64.99

How it works ::

 1) Pick from one from range of packages.

2) Choose "Book a Month" and pick a length of time or a whole book collection 

3) Fill in a few details about the lucky recipient so The Beautiful Book Company can ensure they will love the selection.

4) Check out, sit back and relax. They'll  deliver a beautifully packaged and wrapped book every month to the recipient along with a personalised card in the first package, telling them who the gift is from.

5) Feel smug in the knowledge you've bought a beautiful, thoughtful present which will keep on giving (and remember to renew the gift for them when it expires!)

A little bit about The Beautiful Book Conpany 

"Born from a life-long passion for books, combined with the frustration at a lack of options for literary based gifts, our company was founded in 2014 in St Albans.

We believe in the power of literature to inspire and fire imaginations of all ages, temporarily transporting people from their day to day lives. 

Whilst many people choose e-books these days, we're sure you'll agree that there is nothing better than the look, feel and smell of a physical book, whether you're opening it for the first time, or pulling it off the bookshelf to devour for the twentieth time.

Especially when that book has been hand selected for you, beautifully packaged and delivered right to your front door."

I was very kindly sent a sample from the Baby and toddler box.

Beautifully packaged with a hand written note. It just shows the love for books that the guys over at The Beautiful Book Company  have!

It's nothing at all like receiving a book from any other online book shops.

Books are special and should be shown love. 

I adore new books.

I can't bring myself to read books on a kindle or any other device as it just isn't the same.

I love the feel of having a book in my hand, I love the smell of new books, the noise the pages make when you turn them over is joy to my ears.

My names Hannah and I'm a bookaholic!!

I have passed on my love of books on to the boys and make sure we read books every day. I do try to treat them to new ones every now and then.

I would be over the moon if someone got this as a gift for me/the boys.

 I think it's s great idea and it's always fun reciving a surprise box on your doorstep.

It makes such a nice change from the usual bills and junk mail that gets pushed through the letter box! 

www.thebeautifulbookcompany.com 

 

Beach strolls

After not going out for a couple of days due to snotty noses and moody boys.

Cabin fever had set in! 

The boys and the dog were all on a mission to destroy the house, so the only solution was to get everyone out. 

We set off to the beach to stretch our legs and let Ray have a run. 

The boys all had fun finding sea glass and throwing stones into the sea.

Ray had a good run and tried digging to China! 

Getting out the house into the fresh air really cleared away the cobwebs! 

Dettol in the Kitchen

Most of our household cleaners are from the Dettol range.

Why?

Well because of antibacterial properties in them.

With a house full of boys we do get our fair share of germs through the house. So I like to try my best to get rid of the harmful ones! 

Dettol Anti-Bacterial Cleansing Surface Wipes are just perfect for wiping up after cooking/eating/messy play/general mess!

They are great at cleaning and come in very handy when you just need something to wipe up that knocked over milk or that sticky thing on the floor your not too sure what or where it came from. 

We do a lot of cooking and I always make sure I clean up straight away after using raw meat and I never use the same chopping board or knife. Once it's touch raw food it goes into the wash and out comes a new one!

I also wash my cleaning cloths after they have been used.

I have a ridiculous stack of cleaning cloths in the draw as I do a ridiculous amount of cleaning.

it's always important to clean up after using raw meats! 

Not just cleaning the surfaces, but chopping boards, utensils and making sure to wash your dish cloths!

Dirty dish cloths can have more germs on them than a toilet seat!! 

Food poisoning is very common. Follow these simple hygiene tips and keep your kitchen free from harmful bugs such as E. coli and Campylobacter.

* Disinfect washing-up brushes, cloths and sponges regularly.

* Wash dishcloths at the hottest washing machine temperature or use disposable ones.

* Mops and buckets should be cleaned, disinfected and dried every time you use them.

* Wipe down all food preparation areas with food-safe disinfectant before and after every use.

* Always use separate chopping boards for meat (especially poultry) and vegetables.

* Scrub chopping boards, disinfect and dry after every use.

* Change wooden chopping boards regularly as they can harbour harmful germs. 

* Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling raw food, especially meat.

* Clean floors regularly to remove food scraps and other debris as this can attract pests. 

* Don’t allow pets on to kitchen work surfaces.

* Store pet food away from human food and use separate tin openers, bowls and cutlery.

* Wash hands immediately after touching the rubbish bin – a foot pedal for opening/closing your bin is the most hygienic option.

* Make sure you dispose of food scraps and rubbish properly.

* All cleaning chemicals should be stored away from the food preparation areas.

* Ensure all food is cooked through properly before eating. This is especially important when re-heating leftover meals.

* If you don’t have access to clean running water, use an antibacterial washing up liquid or surface wipes.

I don't just use Dettol Cleansing wipes in the kitchen, I use them all over the house. 

Anywhere and everywhere!

Germ 101

The most common types are:

* Bacteria (e.g. Salmonella which can cause food poisoning)

* Viruses (e.g. Rhinovirus which causes the common cold)

* Fungi (e.g. Trichophyton which can cause athlete’s foot)

* Parasites (e.g. Giardia Intestinalis which can cause diarrhoea)

How are germs spread?

Bacteria and fungi can thrive anywhere warm and moist in your home. But viruses are different. Around one hundredth the size of a bacterium, viruses need to be inside a living host in order to reproduce. It’s through this process that they cause disease.

Common sources of germs in the home are:

* Contaminated food and water

* Regularly touched surfaces like doorknobs, taps, TV remotes and telephones

* Cleaning and waste areas like bins, sinks and toilets

* Household waste like used or gone-off food, used tissues and soiled nappies

* Cleaning items like cleaning cloths, sponges and dirty toothbrushes

* Pets and other animals like rodents and flies

* Other people

How do germs get into the body?

There are several ways that germs can get into our bodies: 

* They could be eaten in contaminated food

* Germs in the air could be inhaled through our nose and mouth get into the lungs

* Germs on our skin can enter via untreated cuts or wounds

* They can be introduced to our bloodstream through injections, surgery or through animal or insect bites

* Finally, some specific germs in our body fluids can be passed onto others through bodily contact.

Did you know…

In the right conditions, bacteria like Escherichia coli (e-coli) can divide every 20 minutes so that in only 8 hours a single bacterium can grow to nearly 17M bacteria.

Dettol offers a range of products that kill germs to protect you and your family from illness.

Keep those nasties at bay people and use Dettol!!!!

www.dettol.co.uk

I was sent a sample for the purpose of the post. All thoughts are my own! 

Black Friday is upon us!

Black Friday is the biggest date in a bargain hunter’s calendar with thousands of discounts and deals to be had.

Festival Place will once again be joining in the money saving fun, hosting their own Black Friday event on Friday, 27thNovember.  

Participating retailers confirmed so far include Zara, Game, HMV, Smiggle, Hotel Chocolat, Build-a-Bear, Goldsmiths, Paperchase, Schuh and Pizza Express to name but a few.

Originating in America, Black Friday is traditionally the day after Thanksgiving when retailers hold massive sales that consumers go crazy for. 

Often seen as the beginning of the Christmas season, the day is called Black Friday as it’s usually the time when the retailers come out of the red and back into the black.

The Black Friday event comes as part of a series of activities organised by the centre to spread Christmas cheer this festive season, including changing their name from Festival Place to ‘Festive Place’.

To allow plenty of time to find the best bargains, Festive Place will be extending their opening times from 8am through to 9pm.  

However, these sales are not just on Friday – many retailers will be putting on deals over the whole weekend, until Sunday 29th November. 

The Festive Place team will also be working hard to make sure the Christmas shopping experience is as easy and stress-free for customers as possible – with their special Festive Place ‘Festive Services’ pop-up shop.   

Whether a customer is looking for the best gifts to buy, need their gifts wrapped or help with their shopping bags, Festive Place’s dedicated staff will be on hand to assist.  

Parking won’t be a problem either this Christmas as Festive Place has over 2,500 car parking spaces.  

Customers can park for just £1 if they park after 5pm all the way through to 6am.

To keep up to date with details of Black Friday and other upcoming events at Festive Place visit www.festivalplace.co.uk or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A Christmas gift guide for a toddler.

Today I'm sharing my idea of a good gift guide for a toddler. 

I've had my fair share of toddlers but I still get stumped every year when it comes to buying presents. As every toddler is completely different and they don't always like the same things and if like Ru they're not really into much and could happily just sit in their own little world.

Some of Ru's top things at the moment are Mr Tumble and Toy Story.

So starting with something I know Ru would adore and is in my Amazon shopping trolley....

He's learnt to sign Spotty Bag and is now starting to say it quite clearly! I can see him becoming quite attached to this! 

Some more CBeebies favourites

For the little artist in them 

For play time

Toddlers have an issue of growing far too quickly so they are always in need of new clothes! One brand I LOVE is Little Bird by Jools Oliver 

Then as it's getting rather chilly 

Slug&Snail tights are ideal to wear around the house or underneath trousers when out and about.

And to finish with something cute for their bedroom 

Hope this has helped a little bit :) 

A Christmas gift guide for 3yr old boys

Goooood morning!! 

Here's a little gift guide if you are stuck for things to buy for the 3yr old boy in the family!

Some of the things on the list are actual things the twins will be receiving Christmas morning! 

I'll start off with the twins favourite TMNT!

 Then on to everybody's favourite little yellow men 

If like my 3yr olds your will be superhero mad!

A phase that doesn't fade for a long long loooooong time! 

My boys take after their dad and enjoy playing with trains/cars/tools you name it if Jon likes it the boys will love it! 

Then of course it's back to that magically tablet! 

The boys have a leappad each at the moment, we aren't changing that at the moment but if we had the money we would treat them to a 

Kindle fire kids 

This list would probably be a good fit for ages 4,5 and 6 and some suitable for even older boys!

Hope this helps if your stuck! 

X 

A Christmas gift guide for 8yr old boys

If you're stuck for things to buy the 8yr old in your life have a look through this!

This is just a rough guide by going from Noah's Christmas wish list! 

If like Noah and the rest of the world your kid is Minecraft crazy, the following will be a big hit 

Next on to everyone's favourite Lego!!!

This book will help you child use all that random Lego that's covering their bedroom floor and turn it into a fabulous make! 

Then Lego meets PS4, Noah believes that the portal is real and he'll actually be able to go into the screen! 

Pop heads ..... Just because they are uber cool! 

Then something to tear them away from the tv screen and get them using those brains of theirs! 

Then to end a personal tablet for themselves! 

How's your Christmas shopping going?