Journeys Are My Diary

Life, Adventures, Entertainment and more - A little bit of everything blog!

Life Lately (an April update)

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Hey everyone! You may (or may not) have noticed my substantial absence from my blog this month. To begin with, I was just busy but for the last 3 weeks (maybe even a little more), I have been so ill that I haven’t even picked up my laptop! I haven’t updated about Lily’s birthday, going to see the Live Action Beauty and the Beast movie, or the Escape The Room game that we played for Chris’ birthday. To be honest, most of March is a bit of a blur now and we’re almost half way through April too.

So I’m writing this post by way of explaining why I haven’t been around. But I’m also hoping to go back and catch up too. After posting this, I’m going to write my March round-up. I can’t promise I’ll remember much but I will give it a try! During this coming week I hope to update on Chris’ Escape the Room at least as it was such a new experience for me, but hopefully some of the other things too. Anyway I’m sorry I was gone so long but hopefully I will go back to posting at least 2-3 times a week. With moving house soon we’re going to have some life changing/exciting times and I want to make sure I document it!

Is Wales Seriously Banning E-liquid Flavours?

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You might have heard recently that the Welsh government has been taking steps to get E-cigs ‘under control’ in Wales. They attempted to ban E-cigs in public places, but have thus-far failed to do so.

But, ironically, they may have actually figured out how to make E-cigs much less enjoyable.

They are banning flavours.

Yes, this is true – it’s not a prank or a joke. Here’s the official statement from Public Health Wales.

“Confectionary-like flavours of e-liquid should not be permitted, in order to reduce the appeal of vaping to children and young people.”

 According to a spokesperson from Public Health England, it was said that ‘only children’ enjoy sweet flavoured E-liquids – and that the flavours were obviously designed with the intent to market the devices and the liquids to children.

This is obviously a stretch. In fact, it’s more than a stretch – it’s downright ridiculous to those of us who understand vaping and the ideology behind it. We obviously disagree with this completely… but just for the sake of the argument, we are going to share a few thoughts on why we believe that such a ban is not only unnecessary, but also on how it could also cause more harm than good.

Argument Number One… Fruity and Sweet Flavours Appeal To Ex-Smokers Too

Believe it or not, fruity and sweet e-liquid blends carry a lot of appeal for ex-smokers. They taste good, and they help people who used to smoke to move even further away from the idea of smoking as it pertains to cigarettes.

They also help to establish vaping as its own habit… separate from smoking and something unique in itself. Without flavours, far more people may just stick to smoking.

Argument Number Two… Fruity and Sweet Flavours Were Not Designed To Market E-cigs To Children

No E-cig companies in the UK make it their policy to sell to underage users. E-cig websites and businesses alike, as well as all of the prominent vaping associations, support the ’18 and over’ rule for vaping. Nobody wants to sell vaping products to kids or children. Nobody wants to see children getting addicted to nicotine. Nobody wants to see younger vapers using the devices behind their parents’ backs.

The idea that these types of flavours were designed specifically for children and minors is quite outlandish, to put it lightly.

Argument Number Three… Fruity And Sweet E-Liquids May Increase The Odds That Smokers Will Be Able To Successfully Switch To E-Cigs

Vaping is definitely a bit different than smoking. It’s also a bit more expensive to get started with. These are both disadvantages that can cause smokers to continue to smoke instead of switching over.

So what does vaping have to offer over cigarettes? Well, vaping is up to 95% less harmful than cigarette smoking. It’s also less expensive in the long run, and can provide an alternative nicotine delivery system that can help smokers to quit.

But it also offers a larger, more diverse array of flavours – which make it its own unique experience. This diversity is part of what has made vaping so successful. One day, someone is smoking cigarettes that they don’t even like, just because they are addicted to nicotine. The next, they’re vaping on a fruity, sweet E-liquid blend that they love, while also getting their nicotine at the same time.

This allows them to kick smoking, because they’re not even missing out on anything by switching!

Hopefully, the Welsh Assembly will change its viewpoint on vaping. The vaping industry has done a lot of good things for Wales. It has provided jobs and revenue – despite the challenges that vaping has thus-far endured.

And this, unfortunately, just seems to be another roadblock in the way. Will the vaping industry be able to get past it? It’s impossible to know for sure at this point. Hopefully things will work out to negate this rather extreme ruling – but only time will tell, so we’re eager to get some more updates and clarification from Public Health of Wales.

Have you got an opinion? We’d love to hear it.

Monthly Round-up – February 2017

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Watching: This month I watched Maze Runner, Sharknado 4, Anastasia, Sing, Batman Lego Movie and Green Lantern. I also watched Bitten, Helix and started Riverdale. As usual there was Dance Moms, Bones, New Girl, Big Bang Theory, Grimm, Blindspot, Casualty, Holby City, Let It Shine, Suits, Jane the Virgin and of course The Walking Dead started again.
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): February has been crazy busy with orders but seems to have gone in spurts. I listed Moana ears and bows in the store on January 30th and so that caused the first wave of crazy. February 1st was also the last day for my 2K giveaway box, but I also launched a new monthly giveaway later in the month which was Beauty and the Beast themed (not to mention a loop giveaway I had been participating in finished too). I fiddled with some new bows, got some of Megan’s artwork printed on postcards, tried out some candle designs and generally ploughed my way through orders. I made a duvet cover and pillowcase, then bunting to match. I tried to work on new ideas for dresses but never seemed to find time – but decided to look for boy models, so I might list boys clothes. All in all, it was hectic and that’s not even mentioning when I sewed my finger!

And in other news…
– This month we have definitely spent more time being sociable. One night we had our friends Jon and Becka around for games and ended up staying up till 3.30 in the morning. Another night we have Jon and Becka, plus Nat and Dan around for dinner and though Chris headed to bed early, we went well past midnight.
– Amy and I booked to go to Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea at The Kensington Hotel in London. It’s not till May but I’m already looking forward to it.
– Lily chopped her hair short! The decision came out of nowhere and luckily she hasn’t regretted it since but I couldn’t believe she actually decided to go through with it.


– Valentine’s Day happened! The night before, Chris and I had a M&S Valentine’s Meal because it was our one night without the girls in the week. Valentine’s Day itself I spent the day with the girls and my mum, playing board games. Then when Chris got home we all exchanged gifts (that’s a sort of new tradition we have now) and then we headed out for some food and the cinema to see Batman Lego movie.


– I treated myself to a new lipstick and nail polish from the L’Oreal Beauty and the Beast range. I had to order from Amazon Italy but I actually had some euros left on my travel card so it worked out well. The Beast lipstick that I picked is perfect, but I haven’t tried out the blue polish yet. Hopefully I’ll do a review!
– For Galentine’s Day I sent Amy and Liv a gift, plus gave Nat something when she came around later that week. In return Amy sent me a Gaston Pop Funko and I love him.
– I booked to go away for my birthday weekend and I’m so pleased I have. I’m desperate to get back to the Harry Potter Studios, especially now they have the Forbidden Forest though a bit sad Chris might not be able to come. I’m still hoping to throw a murder mystery the night before we go away though.
– Lily and I worked on and off on her chocolate project, largely through half term. When Pippa’s birthday came around I used everything I’d learnt about making ganache and baked an amazing (even if I do say so myself) chocolate cake for her.
– I reformatted my laptop as it was dying fast and I honestly thought I would need to buy a new one. However it seems much better and much faster now so hopefully I can last out a little longer!
– Got a letter from Megan’s school, commending her on her hard work (this is the second one I’ve had since September. She’s also up to 16 certificates, which she needs 10 merits for each (so 160 merits in total!).
– Finally came Pancake Day and in true form we had pancakes for both dinner and dessert. We had stuffed pancakes with chicken, followed by sweet pancakes with various toppings.

Looking forward to in March:
– Can’t really think what March has planned to be honest but I know it’s a fairly hectic month. There is Lily’s birthday to begin with, followed by Amy’s, followed by Chris’ and then finally Mother’s Day. Lily has a school trip and a school play in March, plus her chocolate project is due so I imagine that will make things even busier.
– Amy is coming to visit for the weekend of 17th-19th. I haven’t seen her since we went to DLP so it will be nice to catch up. We’re also seeing the new Beauty and the Beast movie which I’m excited but nervous about.
– As I mentioned, Chris’ birthday is this month and we’re going out for dinner with friends and then doing an Escape the Room game. I’m quite excited about that too but I have to admit I’m worried it will be creepy!

A Guide to Buying Kids Shoes

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Children’s feet grow so quickly which means they go through shoes at an alarming rate! It’s important to regularly get your children’s feet measured to make sure they aren’t pinching or too loose. Blisters and bunions are no fun and can be avoided with shoes that fit properly.

Getting the Right Size Matters

First things first, get your kids feet measured by a professional. Your children are running around, exploring, and walking. Their footwear needs to be comfortable and durable. A professional will be able to give you an accurate size and style of show to suit your child. Your children’s feet can grow up to two sizes bigger within a year! So it’s vitally important to get measure regularly.

Consider the Style you Buy

A professional will be able to tell you, but bear in mind the style you buy. Your child may be keen on the cute design, but they need to be practical too. Heels, over an inch high, are going to affect the way your child walks. Over time your children’s feet may develop blisters. More seriously, if they wear heels too high this can lead to changes in the bone. This could make it difficult to walk normally in the future. Fendi baby shoes are a good option. They have some good slip on shoes and pumps that are fuss-free. If you notice there is more wear on one side of the shoe, or the shape of the shoe is slopes, it could indicate your child’s putting more pressure on certain areas. A trip to a podiatrist will be able to tell if there’s anything that needs correcting.

For Babies

For all children barefoot is best, but especially babies. Letting babies crawl around your home without shoes on is a good idea. It allows muscles to develop correctly and also gives skin the opportunity to breathe. For those who’ve not yet learnt to walk, the feeling of the floor beneath you is a good aid to learning. Make sure you’re baby’s socks are made of the right material and fit correctly. They really should be made of 50% wool or cotton.  Young feet are extremely soft and pliable so be careful about squeezing feet into socks that don’t fit.

Hygiene

Another thing to consider is your young child’s foot hygiene. Feet should be washed and dried thoroughly on a daily basis. If not the spaces between the toes could become infected and lead to athlete’s foot or other infections. Toenails should also be trimmed to make sure that shoes and socks aren’t rubbing against them and causing pressure.

Happy 9th Birthday Lily

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Just a quick update from me today and I also know I’m yet to do my February Round-up. However I couldn’t let today go by without wishing my youngest daughter Lily, a Happy Birthday. We’ve had a lovely day that’s involved opening presents, muffins for breakfast, building Lego, eating at Pizza Hut for lunch, catching up with family and then chilling out. I’m actually quite sad the day is over but I think some of that is knowing tomorrow is Monday and the school run begins again!

So once again, Happy 9th Birthday Lily. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown and what a beautiful, funny and smart girl you’re growing up to be.

How To Have A Really Successful Family Holiday

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Going on vacation with your family can be extremely stressful.  It can be hard to not only get everyone on the same page, but the communication can lack in some places.  Planning out the perfect holiday isn’t easy, and it takes patience and a plan.  Preparation is key, and you’ve got to invest some of your time to plan a vacation that is successful.

Communication is essential

When you are planning a family vacation, communication is going to be crucial.  You want to avoid a lot of drama caused by miscommunication and instead, make sure that everyone is on the same page right from the beginning.  This means that you should sync up your flights, how you are getting to the hotel and even what you are doing throughout the stay.  There are a lot of different apps out there that can help keep you organized and keep your family in the loop.

Be realistic with your money

This is another thing that can cause a lot of drama.  Money can be tight for some family members, and that is why being practical with money up front is huge.  While you are planning out what you are going to be doing throughout your holiday vacation, make sure that you incorporate some free things, as that will help offset some of the costs for those that have thinner wallets.

Pad your time

What this means it that if you are set off across the country with your family to check out different amusement parks or malls, leave a chance to explore.  You might have a list of things that you want to see and a list of stuff that you want to do but pad your time.  Leave time in the agenda for family-time too, that’s important, and it will help everyone bond and be a little closer.

Keep it active for the group

If you are not a keen conversationalist with your family, why not up the ante and plan something active?  A sporting event is one of the best things to go to with a group.  It also provides a lot of memories for your family, and it doesn’t require a lot of personal interaction.

Safety first

Whenever you are traveling with a bigger group, preparation is essential to keep the stress at bay and to ensure that everyone is safe.  If you are going with small kids, you should keep a photo of them as well as the entire family on you at all times.  The younger kids should also carry an identification card with their parents’ names, address and phone number of where you are staying.  Safety first, especially when it comes to family holidays.

Have a packing party

Packing is probably one of the most stressful things when you are preparing for a trip.  You have to make sure that you have everything and that is why coming prepared with a checklist and having a packing party is huge.  Make a game out of it, see who can pack up everything the fastest.  There are also packing hacks that you can use to understand how to pack for a longer trip without the stress.

WiFi is paramount

Finally, don’t try to fight it, WiFi is going to be vital when you are traveling.  If it is a cost?  Spring for it.  It will stop a lot of fighting, a lot of drama and it will make the trip that much better.  There are also a lot of ways that you can get WiFi for free and save a few bucks.

Now that you know some of the best ways to cut down on the stress and to have a fabulous family holiday, what are some of the tips that you have?  Share them!

Recipe – Mocha Brownies

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Anyone who reads my blog often will know, that the majority of time I’m busy sewing and working on Closet Geek. However I do have a huge passion for cooking (especially baking) and it’s rare that I find an excuse to take time off work and do so. This half term, Lily and I have been doing a lot of baking because she’s currently doing a project called Scrumdiddlyumptious at school, which focuses on chocolate. We’re making an A-Z of Chocolate for her project and part of that involves making lots of yummy food! The basic concept of her project is for us to make a page for every letter of the alphabet. Some pages will be information and history about chocolate, while others will be recipes. I think in total we have about twelve dishes we’ll be making, but over half term we made about half that.

This recipe that I’m sharing today is for Mocha Brownies (chocolate and coffee flavour) and they were absolutely delicious! The finished product is very similar to the ones Megan made Minecraft Brownie Blocks with but these are sort of an adult version (I only say that, as some people don’t really like their kids eating/drinking coffee). I however, am addicted to coffee! My Instagram is a constant stream of ice coffee pictures, while my Amazon wishlist is littered with coffee machines, mugs and I even have a bean grinder on there! Anyway, the coffee brownies were a big hit so I decided to share the recipe here on my blog.

Ingredients
– 3 eggs
– 450g sugar (brown is best but white works too)
– 350g plain flour
– 200g cocoa
– 250g chocolate chips
– 1 tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 60ml boiling water (I personally used a coffee pod from
www.gourmesso.co.uk which worked brilliantly and gave a strong intense taste)
– 200ml oil
– ½ tsp salt
– ½ tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

To start off, it’s always best to preheat oven. This needs to be set at 180 oC (Gas Mark 4). After that you need to grease two square 8 inch tins (or at least that’s what the recipe said, ours was actually longer and rectangular).

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, coffee, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla essence.

Once the mixture is smooth and combined, sift the cocoa and flour into the bowl slowly, stirring as you go.

Next you need to add the chocolate chips (or chopped up chocolate if you prefer chunks) and stir well to make sure they are spread throughout the mixture.

Finally you will need to divide the mixture equally between the two tins. Give them a tap on the counter to level them out and knock out any air bubbles.

Cook in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the centre is no longer runny. You may need to stick a knife or skewer into the mixture at various intervals, just to check if the brownie is setting. You’ll know it’s done once the knife or skewer can be stuck into the mixture and comes out pretty much clean of mixture.

Allow to cool and if possible place onto a cooling rack (this isn’t essential so long as you’ve greased the tins well or even used greaseproof paper). Once cool cut into squares and serve.

As I mentioned before, we made several other chocolate items including; chocolate ice cream, ganache, rocky road and even chocolate Yorkshire Pudding. Of course none of these things are vital to this particular recipe, but served together they were pretty amazing. We actually had some friends around on the same evening and we served everyone chocolate Yorkshire Pudding, with brownies, rocky road, ice cream and ganache. There was cream too. Everyone said how amazing it all was and I admit it really was. I’d love to experiment a bit more with the Yorkshire Pudding recipe however as it wasn’t as good as I think it could be. Otherwise though, it was all Scrumdiddlyumptious!

 

Movie Review – The Lego Batman Movie

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As I mentioned in my previous post about Sing, we were lucky enough to see two movies over half term and this was the other movie – The Lego Batman movie. If you have seen the original The Lego Movie, then you may well be prepared for the humour and ridiculousness of The Lego Batman movie, but if not then be prepared!

I want to start by saying, I did really enjoy The Lego Batman movie. It was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. The humour was there in heaps. But so was the stupidity. If you were to say the movie wasn’t ridiculous in parts, then you’d be lying. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, but its just a fact. Kids will love it – they will probably even laugh at parts they don’t understand. People who love Batman, will probably love it or hate it. Adults will definitely find humour in it – but may well be divided on whether or not it’s a good movie. There are so many nods to older Batman movies, comics and even the original TV series, that you can’t help but appreciate the effort that has gone into the movie, even if plot is definitely somewhat lacking.

Anyway, the movie is obviously about Batman. He’s a loner. He doesn’t really like people. He doesn’t really do anything other than fight crime, but even then he’s just indifferent about it all. There are so many DC villains in this movie, it’s unreal. The movie really starts with the realisation that Batman just sort of takes everything and everyone for granted and doesn’t even care enough to dislike the Joker – shock horror! This upsets Joker somewhat and sets him on a path to prove that Batman wouldn’t be happy if Joker wasn’t there to be his biggest enemy. The story then gets a little far fetched – but in someways adds more humour, especially with the addition of other bad guys (my favourite being Voldermort). So without spoiling things, the movie twists and turns in a fairly predictable but still enjoyable (and funny) manner, resulting in a sort of sad/happy moment (where some may cry – my kids did – but I didn’t, as it was still a bit stupid).

I’m sure my review doesn’t make it sound great but it also probably doesn’t give it enough credit where credit is due. I laughed. I laughed a lot. I enjoyed it. But it was ridiculous. Would I watch it again? Yeah probably. Would I buy it on DVD? Nope…

Cover Your Wheelie Bins So Your Garden Looks Tidier

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Everybody wants to make their garden look tidier, whether they’re a dedicated gardener or prefer the indoors, no one wants to look out the window and see ugly, council issued wheelie bins staring back at them, especially when a garden is supposed to be a place of relaxation and joy.

Plastic wheelie bins do tend to look messy, especially once they have become weather beaten and worn, which can really ruin the look of your garden. They can crack easily, alongside being covered with moss and muddy water which can cause all sorts of problems, making them slippery to grip or even allowing water inside. This is all very inconvenient, and this is just one way that covering your wheelie bins can really help to improve the look of your garden. The solid timber frames of the wheelie bin storage unit protects the bin from the weather, as well as making them easier to grip, much safer and much, much less likely to be damaged by the weather.

On top of this, covering your wheelie bins can help to make your garden look tidy by ensuring that your rubbish is protected from small animals that live in the city, including vermin such as rats and pests such as foxes. Animals like these are able to knock over or get into bins, pulling out and ripping the bin bags while rummaging for scraps. This sounds harmless and not necessarily something that you should be concerned with preventing, but if this keeps happening, animals can become dependent on these scraps, which can keep them returning to your house again and again every night. This can then cause them to come to your home at other times of the day, and while rats and foxes are rarely vicious, they may have diseases that you really don’t want passed on to your family or neighbours. It is not just disease prevention that wheelie bin storage can be useful for, it can also help to prevent the animals getting rubbish all over your garden. Once bin bags have been ripped, the rubbish can spill out easily, and with a little wind this can blow all over the garden. This means that you have to go out and clean up the rubbish, which is never fun and is easily fixed by putting your bin in a storage unit.

As wheelie bin storage caters for multiple bins and boxes, it means that you are able to contain all your bins in the same style units. This helps to create a more uniform look which is appealing and helps to keep your garden look tidier and keep your bins all in the same place. This makes rubbish disposal nice and easy alongside keeping your garden looking like that natural oasis that you’ve worked so hard on.

Covering up your wheelie bins can help to improve the look of your garden dramatically and with only a little expense, you can keep your wheelie bins tidy, safe and secure all in shelters that won’t make your eyes hurt. Wheelie bin storage is definitely worth looking into if you’re trying to find a way to make your garden look a bit more eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

When was the last time you stayed at a Bed and Breakfast?

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I have to admit, that for the longest time, I haven’t stayed in a B&B. There was definitely a time in my life, when I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in Bed and Breakfast over a Hotel, but in truth – several bad experiences has made me very wary.

One of the first strange experiences was at least ten years ago. My then husband and I, stayed in a Bed and Breakfast for one night, while having a very rare night away. The place itself was lovely, but the shower was in the same room as the bed! Now obviously I was with my husband so it wasn’t the end of the world, but imagine if you’d gone with a friend and had to shower (not much frosted glass!) in the same room as they were watching TV!

The very last time I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast was with my best friend Amy. I won a competition to stay in a beautiful hotel and have a trip to the theatre to see Grease. We decided to extend our stay and extra night, but couldn’t afford the same hotel and instead booked a B&B near Camden. It was, no lie, the most awful place I have ever stepped foot in. I won’t freak you out with the details but needless to say we slept fully clothed and we even tried getting drunk to help us sleep!

These days I tend to stay in a Travelodge or Premier Inn, as at least you always know what you’re getting, however I have been looking at a B&B for an upcoming holiday we might be having. Is it time I braved it again? Or will one more time be the sealing of the deal! Here is an interesting infograph by Toprooms I wanted to share with you, about all the reasons we should stay in Bed and Breakfast. What do you think?