One - A fantastic Brand Really Making a Difference!

One of my favourite bits about being a mummy blogger is being invited to events and since I started this blog my favourite ones have been the cooking ones (Philly & Young's). I love food and cooking and so to be able to meet with other like minded people and to sometimes get to see a famous chef in action is really great! A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a cooking event where one of my favourite TV Chefs, Simon Rimmer (Something for the Weekend), cooked us some fantastic food using some really good quality ingredients.

The event was held by the 'One' brand, you may have seen some of their range in the supermarkets? It all started with a discussion in a pub between some Ad men about the fact that one billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. 'One' was born and from One Water they went on to create other One products: One Good Egg, One Clever Loaf, One Toilet tissue and One condoms and a few others. The idea behind it is that every One product funds a like for like project, so bottled water funds clean water projects in Africa and eggs fund chicken and egg farms. It's really simple! All profits from each of the One products goes to fund the afore mentioned projects. It is such a brilliant way to give back to society - these are all products that we use every day so why not use them and help others?

So on the day of this event, I skipped out the door leaving the OH to do the regular Saturday stuff with the kids - MAD Academy and soft play. I did feel slightly sorry for him but my pity soon disappeared when I arrived at the venue and saw what we were going to cook and caught sight of Mr Rimmer in some fetching bright green trainers!

Duncan Goose welcomed us all and explained how One was born and the ethos behind One. Check out this interview with Duncan here to find out more detail:



And then we got down to the business of cooking and Simon had created 3 recipes that were set to have us all salivating and wielding our forks to get a bite! He made the Chorizo Scotch Eggs with Pepper Chutney, Lamb Tikka with Curried Cauliflower Pancakes and Earl Grey Bread and Butter Pudd (recipe below), all recipes used One Products and they tasted bloody delicious!

After we watched Simon do all the hard work we all set to work to make our own Scotch Eggs to eat for lunch and they were so easy to make and so much more delicious that any shop bought number.

Having to really hold back from scoffing the lot!

If you want to make a difference then One Good Eggs are available from Tesco, The Co-Op and Ocado. You can also find out more about the brand by visiting

www.onedifference.org

or by following @onedifference on Twitter and Liking One on Facebook

I really had a fabulous time that day and would like to say thank you to One for inviting me and also thank you to Simon Rimmer for some fantastic food and great recipes to go away with. I also got to meet some other excellent bloggers, amongst them Claire from A Boy with Aspergers. We had a lovely chat over a glass of vino and the delicious 'One Good' Scotch Egg we all made! 

Claire from A Boy with Aspergers, Simon Rimmer and little old me!

And finally here's a recipe from the day, this is the one of all the 3 that I seriously loved and will definitely be making at home soon!

EARL GREY TEA BREAD AND BUTTER PUDD WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

Ingredients

1 x One Clever Loaf (white bread)

75g butter

6 One Good Egg yolks

2 whole One Good Egg

150g sugar

Vanilla pod

250ml full fat milk

250ml double cream

100ml strong earl grey tea

25g each sultanas and raisins

100g prunes, soaked in brandy

demarera sugar for layers

100ml double cream

100g soft dark brown sugar

100g butter

method

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar. Bring the tea, milk and cream to a simmer with the vanilla, sieve onto the eggs and whisk
2. Butter the bread and layer up in a 9” x 4” x 2” ovenproof dish, with the fruit and sugar. Don’t put any fruit on the top layer
3. Pour on the custard. If poss leave for 20 mins, sprinkle with lots of sugar then cook at 180c, 30 m ins
4. For the sauce – simply bring the sugar, butter and cream to boil, then remove
5. To serve – dollop a big load of pudd, drizzle some sauce round and top with a quenelle of mascarpone

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor - Review

I was recently sent a Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad to try out. I have to admit I'm a bit of a technophobe and I found it a bit daunting to work out how to use it! I got my OH to read the instructions and set it up and then explain it to me! I've found that as I'm getting older I'm easily flummoxed by things (ugh, old age setting in!). I was keen to see how good it was as it won an innovation award in 2011.

So what's it all about then?

As this baby monitor is digital it is said to have crystal clear sound and increased security. It has a range of 300 metres and relays every single sound and movement made by your baby to the parent unit. It is also a video monitor, with the parent unit having a 3" colour screen. Other features are:

• It has an infra-red night vision camera
• Baby's room temperature is displayed so parents can see if the room is too hot or too cold
• A sound level indicator to monitor sound from baby
• Remote controlled night light
• Talk back function and a pager to help locate the parent unit if you happen to misplace it

The other main feature about this monitor is the sensor pad that is designed to sit under baby's cot mattress and will trigger an alarm if no movement is detected for 20 seconds, with adjustable sensitivity settings.

So what do we make of it then?

What struck me first was how sleek and design conscious both units were. They are black and white and really streamlined.

We've always had an audio monitor up till now for both Isla and Noah, so we've found that we really like having a video monitor! It's good to see Noah (I like seeing him with his cuddly Bobby the Dog, wrestling around when getting off to sleep!) and when he makes any noises we can see what he's actually doing. The picture quality is excellent, especially with the night vision camera.

The sound is crystal clear as promised, not that we wouldn't be able to hear the little darling as he is rather loud when he's belting out for his late feed!

We've always been used to our monitor showing us the temperature in the bedroom and so I was glad that this was also a feature of the Tommee Tippee monitor. It always helps us to know what tog sleeping bag to put him in before bed.

We used the movement sensor pad a few times but decided after a while that we didn't need it. The pad is designed to detect baby's movement and if none is detected for 20 seconds then an alarm will go off. The alarm is designed to alert the parents but it is also to shock the baby into moving. Personally I think that this is a great feature for first time parents who may be a bit nervous and need that extra peace of mind. We're not those kind of parents though. Noah is our second baby and we're not as nervy about him as we were with Isla. The video picture for us was enough to check on him. We also had a couple of occasions where the alarm went off and it was purely because he had been a wriggle bum moved around sideways in the cot and was completely off the pad! This is quite common for him as he is 7 months old and moving about loads, but for a newborn and maybe up to 6 months then I would say the pad would be great.

One thing that I would like to see if the monitor was revised in the future would be for the parent unit to be charged using a docking station, for ease of use really. 

All in all I would recommend this product, it is a little pricey, but you do get what you pay for and the audio, video and movement pad all combine to give excellent reassurance to parents while their babies are sleeping.
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor is available now  at Argos, Amazon, Mothercare, Tesco Direct, Boots or online at tommee tippee for £199

This baby monitor was sent to me to review. My review is honest and the words are my own.

Spend Vouchers, Get Rewards

I have many loyalty cards in my purse and amongst them is my Tesco Clubcard. I do the main household shop in two big supermarkets and one of them is Tesco as it happens to be the one nearest to us within walking distance. I'm currently on maternity leave so a few times a week when I need to get out of the house and Noah is perhaps a bit grouchy I get him all wrapped up and we go for walk to town and usually pop into Tesco to get some top up bits of shopping.
What I love about using my clubcard is that every few months a letter comes through the post with my Tesco Clubcard Vouchers and instead of spending them instore (which you can do) we use them on Clubcard deals. 

 

For instance one of our favourite ways of spending our Clubcard Vouchers is on Pizza Express Vouchers. We've recently become a family of four, so money is considerably tighter than it was and meals out are rare. Tesco Clubcard Vouchers make it possible for us to enjoy a meal out, at such a low cost as for every £10 of Clubcard Vouchers you can exchange these for £40 to spend in Pizza Express! Fantastico! And Pizza Express is so family friendly too, Isla loves the kids menu, especially the big ice-cream and BabyChinno at the end of the meal!

Another way of spending Clubcard vouchers is on memberships and days out. Last year we used some Clubcard vouchers to buy an English Heritage membership. It lasted us a year and meant that we could go on days out without paying entrance fees and see some of the sights our country has to offer. Something that I know we will definitely do this year is visit Legoland and Tesco will enable us to do this too! The website is so easy to use and you can search regionally for days out and events local to you.

Don't forget that it is also Valentines Day coming up and there are many deals where you can treat your loved ones, from Choccies at Thorntons to some nice new undies from Figleaves.com. and check out these Valentines bouquets! So you see there are so many other retailers that you can end up getting goods and treats from. It's really flexible and your choices are not limited.

How it Works:
You can collect points on almost everything you buy in-store at Tesco.com, as well as when you fill up your car, buy your items from Tesco direct or use your Clubcard credit card.
Once you've collected 150 points these are converted them into a Clubcard voucher worth £1.50 which Tesco will send you in your Clubcard statement. The more points you collect, the more vouchers you'll get back!
You can spend your Clubcard vouchers in-store, at Tesco petrol filling stations, online at Tesco.com and at Tesco direct. Simply use them at the checkout and their value will be taken off the shopping bill.
Or you can get even more from your vouchers by spending them on Clubcard rewards. Like I've already mentioned Tesco have hundreds to choose from, ranging from holidays to meals out, hotels to cinema tickets. And look out for special offers from Tesco which change each month, but be quick: when they're gone, they're gone!


Sponsored Post
Viral video by ebuzzing

Photo When I Feel Like It...The Girls

I love this photo. It was taken at the Choccy Philly Event last week. Isla was the only little one there, so she was having a bit of fun with the masks, gloves and wigs. I love it when we get some time, just us girls.

Regis Hair Salon Review - Guildford

I was recently lucky enough to be asked if I would like to have my hair done at the newly refurbished Regis Salon in The Friary Centre in Guildford and given my recent post about my hair falling out after having Noah I thought it could definitely do with a revamp. You'll be pleased to know that my hair has stopped coming out in handfuls and and has really settled back down! Haircuts really feel like a luxury to be honest, it's a nice bit of time out from being mum, so when I dropped Isla off to my mums and drove off in the car, I felt really happy!

I explained all about the hair loss to Sherry, my stylist for the appointment and she was so sympathetic. I decided that I'd have my fringe trimmed back up (to hide all the hair regrowth round the front of my face) and have a good chunk cut off the rest. It felt like the appointment whizzed by as we chatted the whole time, kids, Croydon riots, teeth braces, and hair products, a real wide spectrum of topics!

I had a conditioning treatment on my hair and then Sherry set to work taking off the 3 inches that I asked for. And the result is the haircut above. I never have time to blow dry my hair properly at home, so I always love that part the best. It was a really pleasurable experience and the salon refit has really put life back into the place. It's light and bright and the staff were very friendly. I'm also a big fan of Kerastase products which are stocked at Regis. I walked out of the salon and felt great! I'd definitely go back there in the future, the haircut was a reasonable £35 and the conditioning treatment would have been another tenner on top. When I left the salon I took advantage of being child free, did a little bit of window shopping in the town and then rushed back home to be mum!

If you'd like to find out more about Regis and where your local Regis salon is then click here

The haircut and conditioning treatment were free of charge in exchange for this review. My review is given honestly and in my own words.

British Chiropractic Association are Straightening Up Britain!

I recently went to an event held by Publicasity PR for the British Chiropractic Association. I really wanted to go because in the past I've had back failures that have really put me out of action and my most recent one happened in the last 3 months and I totally blame that cute but rather large son of my mine! Or I did blame him until I saw all the things that I could be doing for myself to make it easier on my back.

The idea of the day was to spread the word about the importance of caring for backs, a major issue during pregnancy and when you have children (as I well know!). It was a really nice informal get together with other bloggers, where Tim Hutchful got hands on and told us about the benefits of the perfect posture for those everyday tasks. The rooms were all set up with various items that all us mums are familiar with, cots, baby slings and we also popped outside (in the rain, that's dedication to the cause for you!) to talk about fitting a car seat.

As I walked to the location in Covent Garden I met Kate from WitWitWoo and her cool son Skig. We chatted on the way and tucked into tea and cake on arrival (Skig enjoyed quite a few skittles....). We were introduced to Tim and he got stuck in talking to us about how to look after our backs and talk about the things we're doing wrong.

One of the first things we discussed was putting the baby in the cot and this was where I had to admit that my cot is set at the lowest setting and every day I lift Noah in and out and the strain it put on my back one day a few months back was enough to have me walking around bent over like an old crone for days and I needed my MIL to come and help me with the kids. It was really not funny. The cot we have has 3 settings and at the moment we should really have it on the highest, but we have been incredibly lazy (and stupid) and left it set right down at its lowest since Isla stopped using it! I showed Tim how I lifted the baby out of the cot and he said it wasn't the worst way of doing it but that I could give my back a break by leaning my leg against the cot as I lifted Noah out.

One thing I had done right was the choice of baby carrier. It's always best to use one that criss crosses over your back and not one of the sling types that go over one shoulder. This is in fact bad for the person carrying and also not great for the baby's spine either.

One of the key pieces of advice I took away with me that day was that it's always best to keep things close to your body when you are carrying them, as this will cause less strain on your back, so while we all like our baby change bags to look pretty (stroking Pacapod as I type...) we should probably be using a rucksack as this spreads the weight evenly! As it's impossible to avoid carrying the baby around, it's important to try and remember when lifting them to keep your spine straight and BEND THE KNEES! And as if to prove the point, right at the moment when Tim dropped his pen on the floor to show us the best way to pick things up, one of the kids that was there on the day stopped, crouched at the knees and picked it up for him. Just goes to show that it is the natural way of doing things.

I also spend a lot of my day playing with Noah down on the playmat and the advice there is to try and use a cushion to sit on to keep upright and support your back. Try to remember to change position as well while you're playing.

Tim also kept repeating that we should remember that our spine is straight when our ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles are all in line. A plumb line should hang straight from head to foot if we are standing properly. The way to a healthy back is of course good posture!

Check out the British Chiropractic Association site for more information about the Straighten Up Programme

Apart from being a really informative event it was also really social, other than Kate, I also saw Liska from New Mum Online and Mari from Mari's World. I ate rather a lot of crisps and I also won a fabulous foodie hamper. Thank you Aaron for having me at the event, a good time was had by all I think!

Philadelphia with Cadbury - Choccy Philly!

This week I was invited to the launch of the new Philadelphia Flavour. It was all top secret before I got there and I had no idea what to expect, honestly I thought it would be another savoury flavour. We've recently been eating and loving the Sweet Chilli one.

So Isla and I set off to London to go and meet everyone and find out what it was all about. The location for the launch was fantastic and on reflection was a slight clue to the unusual new flavour to hit the Philadelphia range. It was at Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in the heart of Piccadilly Circus. I've not been to Piccadilly Circus in ages and I'd not heard of Ripley's, but its a brilliant museum full of exhibits, some unbelievable, some extraordinary and others unusual.

When we were shown into the room where the launch was taking place, all was revealed and you should have seen Isla's face. It was almost wall to wall chocolate! There were digestives with Choccy Philly on, Brioche with Choccy Philly, Choccy Philly with Strawberries, Choccy Philly on rice cakes, croissants etc etc. It was everywhere and I couldn't stop Isla from sticking her finger in it wherever she could (sorry everyone)!! As she was the only little one there at the time, she was in danger of stealing the limelight from the Choccy Philly, the photographer kept snapping away at her and for once she was getting really into having her photo taken, unlike when I try to take a snap of her!



Mmmm which one shall I eat next.....

What did we think? Isla loved it. Rather too much. The fact that it is a cheese/chocolate combo would never even occur to her as she's too young and I think that just shows if you have no notions about combining the two then you won't even hesitate to try it. For some people though the very idea is a turn off but let me tell you, it's only really like cheesecake. To me it tasted delicious and the idea was mentioned about using it as a cake frosting which really makes sense. It's got a great consistency and would be perfect for that. I also think that it does give a good hit of chocolate, so say when you haven't got any Dairy Milk in the house, Choccy Philly on toast would be good.
After a while I decided that Isla had lingered around the chocolate for long enough we went off to explore Ripley's except by that time she was tired and had caught sight of a moving dinosaur exhibit that scared her enough to want to go home. So we whizzed round really quickly and I caught sight of two things that really interested me:


Made with gumballs!

Piece of the Berlin wall

 Our verdict is that it was delicious! Thank you for inviting us, we had a great time!

The facts: At 86 Calories per serving, Philadelphia with Cadbury is less than half the fat and has less sugar than many other chocolate spreads. It is available from this month in the shops and is £1.62 per 160g tub. Packs of 4 mini tubs are also available. It is a refrigerated product unlike other chocolate spreads.