I think we all suffer from house envy at some point in our lives ... it might be envy of the actual house itself or more often in my case it's the contents. I often look at people's rooms and think - I'd never have put those two colours together but they look great.
One of my most envious rooms though is the kitchen. Don't get me wrong we have a lovely kitchen and we are very lucky. Sometimes though you walk into a kitchen and it just feels organised yet friendly. We were recently staying with a friend whose kitchen was unbelievably organised, but as well as that it was bright and friendly. What do I mean by that? I guess I mean it's not clinical, it's welcoming, the kind of kitchen you could quite happily stand in with a cuppa and chat for hours.
Who knows, maybe people think that when they come into my kitchen, but sometimes you just don't feel like that about your own rooms do you? Or is just me?
Anyway, having visited the bright and friendly kitchen I started wondering if there were any changes we could make to brighten up our kitchen. I then promptly slapped myself and thought you can't go buying new stuff in January, it's far too expensive.
Well that might be the case but, like many things in life, there are exceptions to the rule. Browsing www.wilko.com I found some great, colourful products that would really bring that fresh, friendly vibe to the kitchen in 2013.
So I thought I'd share a few of these finds with you (I had to limit myself to 3!)....and give you the chance to win a £20 voucher for www.wilko.com too!! More on that soon....
I do like the idea of adding a splash of colour into the kitchen - it seems to be what designers are doing at the moment, but I'd imagine they spend a lot more.
The lovely people at www.wilko.com are offering Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to enhance their kitchen for 2013, by giving away a £20 voucher to one lucky winner.
To be in with a chance of winning just complete the rafflecopter entry form below....... easy!
For more information about Wilkinsons and to find your nearest store visit www.wilko.com.
Thank you to www.wilko.com for providing the prize for this giveaway. No form of payment was received for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own and, as always, honest.
Liz and hubby, Mike, blog about a winter trip to Edinburgh Zoo.
Outdoors and Out of Season – Edinburgh Zoo in the winter?
Score: 7/10.
Winter. Two kids
under five and a serious case of cabin fever. Someone says “how about the zoo?”
and you think, “don’t be daft, it’s not even open”.
So, in January
2013 we arrive at Edinburgh Zoo. After visiting in the summer we knew where it
was: Corstorphine Rd and up the wiggly road to the car park (£4).
We’ve planned
our route but can’t hope for everything because animals is animals and there
are too many for one day. At this time of year we guess most will be sensible
and be asleep (if I was allowed to hibernate...) so the kids are primed not to
see anything at all.
On entering, a
nice gent accepts our tickets (£15.50 (adult) and £11 (age 3-15) – concession,
member, and family rates are available). (Remember to check for Money-off vouchers before you go). He says that it’s free roam to see the
pandas (in the summer we booked a viewing slot, stood in a big queue, then
squashed in to see them) and apparently the hunting dogs are closed (maybe they
ate ranger for tea). The man gives us the quickest route to the pandas, which should
pass the sea-lion, but he's not there... much like your average city centre a crane is being
brought in as part of redevelopment (except this one’s a bird).
We pass the
Jungle Food Court which was excellent in the summer, not because of its
over-priced food, but because of the soft-play. £2 allows parents to rest their
feet for 30mins whilst their own wild animals run riot (which you’ve prevented
them from doing for fear of them being eaten by a zebra). It looks suspiciously
closed.
Next we pass the
new ‘Penguins Rock’. In the summer they said it’d open late December/early
January but we found no information on the rather cumbersome website. We phoned
up and a computer answered. When we eventually spoke to someone “they hadn’t
been supplied with the information”. So no Penguin Rock. Also no information on
display, just the sound of distant hammering (I work in construction – I
recognise the ‘It’s snowing’ sounds). Ok, they need to revamp and there are
still two small colonies but they are the zoo’s logo. Maybe we missed the
information board, I hope so.
We digress. The
pandas are both sitting up and having brunch. The zoo-keeper is excellent; doing
a bit of talk, and chatting to the folk (who wish they had panda-fur jackets to
keep warm). She answered ‘the boy’s’ question with a clear knowledge
(apparently it’s water, the boy was hoping for hot chocolate). She even helped
a man work his new camera, which we thought was really nice.
A girl on a
zoo-keeper experience was feeding the meerkats (full day costs £250 (pardon?!),
30mins with the meerkats is £35 (better...)). You’d have thought they’d keep
well away from snow (probably working in insurance), but it’s always someone’s
turn to keep watch. A zoo-keeper was looking after her and teaching her all
sorts of things. ‘The boy’ asked one of his two animal related questions and
the answer was ‘bugs and worms’ which he was pleased about.
We won’t talk
about every animal, but the sun-bears were play-fighting like two kids on an
old sofa and at the fun-loving Gentoo Penguins the boy announced “it’s a lovely
day for penguins” to a passing zoo-keeper.
Cold and thirsty,
we enter the Penguin Coffee Shop, a decent place to dry out although tricky
with a buggy. There’s a small selection of foodstuff with unenthusiastic ‘baristas’.
The Budongo Trail (chimpanzees) is a building with great viewing and outdoor area, cafe, interactive exhibits and a large screen info-mertial. A free tour is underway and we tag along (by which I mean I chase a child past the guide). The guide’s really good; I learnt something about bananas that really shocked me!
Lunch. The
Jungle Court is confirmed as shut despite the soft-play probably being the most
profitable area of the zoo today. The other option is the ‘design awarded’ Grasslands
Restaurant (a cafeteria with a picture of a couple of zebras on the end wall
and a few lines of ants/butterflies). We ordered hot dog, burger, and turkey schnitzel.
6/10 and not really worth the £28.
The zoo is on a steep
hill so later we catch the ‘Hilltop Safari’ (a converted trailer pulled by a
land-rover) to the top.
Some of the paths are very steep and could be difficult
for a wheelchair user. There was no commentary so we shivered in silence all
the way up and decided to ski back down (service not available or recommended).
There’s a great view from the top and there’s normally a van that sells coffee.
Time for home
(exit via the shop; apron for £8.50, mug for ~£17. Didn’t stop).
Zoo info
It is a
conservation zoo and therefore all animals need conserving (Visayan Warty Pig
Jam anyone?). It funds projects and research across the world through donations
and presumably does a great job. The upkeep of the zoo is based entirely on
footfall through the gate, restaurants, and shop. This is probably why some
bits are tired and prices are high. Our £82.90 for 6hrs was just worth it, despite
the grumbles we had a great day.
As a winter
attraction we expected shorter opening hours, less attractions, and sleepy
animals although we actually saw more than expected. The seasonal nature of the
zoo could be better addressed by reduced prices, a decent sit down restaurant,
and some winter entertainment.
This post is an entry into a competition with Tots100. A family ticket to Edinburgh Zoo was received FOC. As always our opinions are completely our own and totally honest.
Today Anne Denny, SleepTalk Consultant and psychotherapist, shares with us her top 5 parenting tips.....
1. ALL children want attention and most of all they want your (parents) attention over anyone else's. Remember this when you are trying to pacify them - don't promise them sweets or toys in exchange for good behaviour, promise them your time and attention.
2. Children are always learning - they don't have the experience you do, so when they get things wrong ask yourself - how can I teach them more effectively to get it right ?
3. Know your family values and lead by example. If you involve your children in family decision making from an early age it makes them feel like they belong, this doesn't mean they get to make the decisions, far from it, they learn everyone has an opinion and theirs is as important as everyone else's.
4. Praise, praise, praise. We are all motivated when we are praised for the things we do well. Look for the positive in your child's behaviour. Too often all we do is point out when they get it wrong! Being at the receiving end of negativity long term will cause rebellion, depression and low self esteem.
5. Practice what you preach and don't expect your children to behave any differently than you do!
It's that time of year again, the time when everything turns red and pink and all lovely dovey. Here at Rhoda Reviews we are no different as we have a great Valentine's giveaway launching today!
Back in the early days of this blog we had the pleasure of reviewing a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from bunches.co.uk. The lovely people at Bunches have joined forces with us again to offer two lucky readers a gorgeous Valentine's bouquet!
Bunches have a great selection of Valentine's flowers on offer and the thing I really love about their website is that you get free chocolates and free delivery with all online orders! Don't worry I'm not about to launch into my rant about delivery costs, but suffice to say I love free delivery!
So what can you win? Well Bunches are giving away two of their bestselling Heart of Roses to our readers.
Heart of Roses - £27.99
With six specially selected Upper Class Red Roses, a heart keepsake, Salal leaf and fragrant Eucalyptus leaves, the Heart of Roses makes a perfect gift for your Valentine.
To be in with a change of winning this great giveaway simply complete the rafflecopter entry form below - easy.
The giveaway will close on 8th February 2013 and the winners contacted straight away so as to try and ensure delivery for the 14th February. So if you're a winner please reply promptly - thanks!
We all have books that we loved as children and that still hold a place in our hearts....well I certainly do. I remember that feeling as a child of finding a book that resonated with me and captured my imagination. It opens your mind, inspires you to read more and makes you feel great.
Of course it's quite a while since I was a child now, but I do still enjoy reading what are essentially children's books. They still give me that warm feeling ..... and thankfully aren't overly taxing for my fog-addled brain.
Last week I heard about a new book, the first of a trilogy, called Children of the Wild by Giles Milton. I read the blurb and knew that this was something the child in me would love.
Eliza, Maud, Francis and John are embarking on the biggest adventure of their lives.
They are sailing on a voyage to the New World to claim the land for Queen Elizabeth the First.
But they are in for a big surprise when they reach this unknown and uncharted land. They discover that the New World is already inhabited by native tribes - tribes who view the arrival of the English settlers with alarm.
When all the grown ups mysteriously vanish, the four children are left alone. They have no food and no supplies. Soon, they find themselves locked in a desperate battle for survive.
The book is beautifully written and split into thirteen perfectly balanced chapters. Every part of me wants to launch into describing this book in great detail, but I'm resisting. I really do not want to give away any spoilers in this post.
What I will say though is that large parts of the book are based on historical fact, other parts are things that could perhaps have happened. It's a book that doesn't just tell a story, it educates. It promotes awareness of a multicultural world and demonstrates the open-mindedness of children.
This truly is a fantastic read. Just like the books I loved in childhood it captures the imagination and takes you on a journey... a journey that will keep you turning the pages as you are desperate to know what happens next.
I cannot wait for the second book of this trilogy to be released, I hope Giles Milton is currently typing on his computer so that we don't have to wait too long.
Children of the Wild is published next month, February 2013, with an RRP of £9.99. However here at Rhoda Reviews we are giving readers the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of this new release.
To be in with a chance of winning simply complete the rafflecopter entry form below. You can do any number of the entry methods, it's up to you.
A copy of this book was received free of charge. Thank you to the publishers for providing the prizes for this giveaway. As always all opinions posted are entirely our own and completely honest.
At the moment in our house we are trying to declutter...... it's not something I enjoy doing but I do love the results. At the moment our spare room is full of bags ready to go to the charity shop. I love that feeling, handing over bags at a charity shop and knowing that you are doing something, however little, to help.
This week we tackled the linen cupboard. It's fair to say it was a mess. It was driving us both mad every time we went to get a towel, or when hubby had to rummage to find a full set of bedding. Apart from anything else towels and bedding cost a fortune, surely we should be looking after them properly?
It was then I remembered a great post on the lovely Me and My Shadow Blog (I highly recommend following this blog, it's fantastic). She shared a great Martha Stewart tip with her readers and after implementing it I feel it's definitely worth sharing with our readers.
It's a really simple, but effective idea. Basically you sort out your bedding sets and then store each set inside one of the pillowcases. It's great as when you go to change the bed you just need to look at the pillowcases to decide which you want, then everything you need is in the pillowcase!
I do wonder if I am getting old by loving such things....and indeed sharing them. I think it's just a fantastic idea and it has really made a massive difference to our linen cupboards. So thank you to Me and My Shadow and indeed Martha Stewart for this great idea!
Phase one of "operation declutter" is complete.........now to look for inspiration for phase two!
Everywhere we look at the moment there are weather warnings about the cold weather and snow. So far we haven't actually seen much of it up here but I have to admit I have been filling the freezer just in case. A few years ago we were snowed in. In fact hubby was stuck at work in the city centre as there was no way home and I ate copious amounts of soup. So with that in mind I want to have some emergency foods in, just in case. A few weeks ago we were sent McCain Ready Baked Jackets to try. They are frozen ready baked potatoes, ready to pop into the microwave.
I have to admit that when they arrived I wasn't entirely sure about them. We normally put potatoes in the microwave then crisp them up in the oven so I wasn't sure how exactly these microwaveable jacket potatoes were going to give an oven taste and save any time. However, these potatoes need to be microwaved for 5 minutes so they are quicker to prepare. They have been previously oven baked so they do have that oven taste. Truthfully at the time I thought "hmm, I think we will just to "normal" tatties". Now though I'm thinking what a great idea! If you could have these lurking in the freezer then they'd make the perfect emergency meal...or indeed a quick, filling dinner. They are really easy to make, no hassle. McCain have come up with Winter Warmer recipes to use with the Ready Baked Jackets. In fact they sent us the ingredients to try their Sausage and Caramelised Onion McCain Ready Baked Jackets.
We gave it a go and it was lovely. We added a bit of butter (naughty) onto the potato first to make it moist.
This isn't our pic - ours didn't come out very well.
It's the perfect comfort food and if you keep sausages in the freezer and caramelised onions in the fridge it can be thrown together fairly easily as an emergency meal.
So here's the recipe for you, hope you enjoy it!
Serves: 2
Preparation & cooking time: 10
minutes
Cost per serving: £1.46
Ingredients:
2
McCain Ready Baked Jackets
1
tbsp olive oil
1
small red onion, finely sliced
4
chunky sausages, cooked and cut into chunks
3
tbsp red onion chutney
Handful
of freshly chopped parsley
Method:
Cook two
McCain Ready Baked Jackets in the microwave as per instructions on pack
Heat the oil
in a large frying pan, add the onions and fry gently until softened and
slightly sticky
Add the
sausage chunks and heat through
When the
potatoes are cooked, add the chutney to the sausages and allow to bubble.
When heated through, open the potatoes slightly and top with the
caramelized red onion and sausage mixture.
McCain Ready Baked Jackets can be found the the freezer aisle of your local supermarket.
We were sent the ingredients to try this recipe. The opinions expressed are entirely our own and. as always, completely honest.
Well we are now midway through January (scary isn't it?!) and I'm pretty sure most of us a feeling rather skint after Christmas. The problem is there are still things to be bought, January birthday presents, new baby gifts and indeed supplies for our own children. We are stuck with the dilemma of buying cheap presents that aren't as nice as we would like, or spending more money and struggling through to the end of the month.
Does that sound at all familiar?
Well fear not because we have come across a website that means you can buy top quality gifts at low prices. Yes of course I am talking about www.casabu.com.
Casabu is a parenting flash sales website with up to 90% off great brands and products for mums, kids and babies. In fact Casabu were one of the finalists in the 2012 Startups Awards for Online Business of the Year so they have really made a splash in the world of online businesses!
Before Christmas Liz was given a voucher to spend and was let loose on the Casabu website. The beauty of Casabu is that since it's a flash sales website there are different things every day, with a huge range of bargains and products to choose from.
To have access to the Casabu site you need to sign up... but it's free! The site is easy to navigate, allowing you to search by brand, age, category and next day dispatch.
After much deliberation Liz opted for a pair of Trespass Salopettes for Jonny. She's always thinking ahead so she bought two sizes too big so that he's ready to go when he's 5....that does mean though that we don't have a photo for you, sorry!
The whole ordering process was simple and straight forward and we were informed that the delivery could take a wee while as it had to come directly from the supplier. Truthfully they arrived quicker than we expected and Liz is absolutely delighted with them. A great quality product at a fraction of the normal RRP.
They even have a price match promise too!!
I have to say that we love this site. We love a bargain and with Casabu you are certainly getting top quality products at a great price. Perfect for those January presents you have to buy, and indeed throughout the year.
For more information about Casabu visit their website or like them on Facebook.
Oh and one last thing - if you refer a friend and they buy from the site Casabu will give you £10 credit!
We received a voucher in order to try out the Casabu website. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. As always all opinions are our own and completely honest.
It's been a while since we have blogged but we just want to assure you that we are still here with more posts, features and giveaways coming up in 2013.
We hope you all had a great Christmas and that 2013 proves to be a great year for you.
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