Ever Considered Laser Tattoo Removal?*

I am someone that really loved ink and tattoos, but can never really decide what I want. I do have ink which I love, but I had to think long and hard before I got it as I knew it something that I would have for life.

I have to admit, I do love all sorts of ink on other people. I think big, dramatic tattoos can look fantastic on people and would always encourage people to get something they love if that is a route they wanted to go down. Whether I'll have the same opinion when Darcy is 18 is something that remains to be seen!

Removing Tattoos

Although I have never had to think about removing tattoos, I was recently introduced to a clinic in London that does offer this service. It got me thinking about what I would do if I decided I wasn't a fan of mine any longer, and I guess laser removal would be a good option!

Laser removal success can depend on the type of tattoo you have and how dark the ink is. You'll more than likely need a couple of sessions in order for it to do the job as successfully as you would like, but it can work. The idea is the laser sessions fade your tattoo enough that you'll be able to get a new tattoo designed as a cover-up to disguise the original tattoo that you no longer liked.

Regretting Ink

So far I have never had anything like a partners name tattooed on me, but it's good to know that should someone do this and then things go sour, there' no need for anyone to be left with the name of an ex partner branded on them - which sounds like good news to me!

Of course, anything like this you should look into and research yourself, however, I have to admit reading up on this it sounds like a pretty positive thing for those that need it.

What do you think?

Christmas Shows For All The Family In London 2018

There are lots of magical London Christmas shows to enjoy this winter. From Christmas pantomimes to hip hop beats and spectacular Christmas theatre productions there is plenty to see this winter in London for all the family.

Beauty and The Beast

Enter the enchanted forest where curses need to be broken, true love must save the day and the Princes aren't always so handsome you have all the ingredients for another fun packed Millfield Pantomime! Brought to you by the team, that brought you Jack & the Beanstalk last year so you know to expect a show packed with special effects, stunning costumes, beautiful scenery and of course, lots of comedy that will have all the family laughing along from beginning to end.

On Thursday 3rd January at 5pm there will be a relaxed performance. This is specifically designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder

Beauty and The Beast is at Mildfield Theatre, Silver Street, N18 1PJ from Thursday, 29th November 2018 to Sunday, 6th January 2019 Buy tickets here or call the box offce 020 8807 6680

Hippity Hop 
Fancy something a little different this Christmas? Experience the poetry, puppetry, music and movement of the first ever interactive hip hop show for young children aged 2 - 5. With graffiti-based designs, hip hop flavoured beats and the twinkling lights of the city

Hippity Hop is at ArtsDepot, 5 Nether Street Tally Ho Corner North Finchley London N12 0GA from Tuesday 11 - 31 Decemeber. Buy tickets here or all the box office 020 8369 5454

Seussical The Musical
This festive season, let yourself be transported to the colourful, magical world of Dr Seuss. Join the mischievous Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, and a host of other much-loved characters on a magical, madcap adventure from the Jungle of Nool, to the Circus McGurkus, to the tiniest planet in the sky, Whoville.

On Tuesday 11th December at 5pm there will be a relaxed performance.  

Seussical The Musical is at The Southwark Playhouse from Thursday 22nd November to Saturday 29 December 2018. Buy Tickets here or via the box office on 020 7407 0234.

Aladdin on Ice at Alexandra Palace
Experience a unique adaptation of the famous Aladdin story told by Alexandra Palace Ice Rink Amateur Productions. Using a mix of modern and traditional music, a cast of all ages will perform the magical story in a show sure to get everyone into the festive spirit

Aladdin on Ice is at Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY from Friday 7 - 10 December. Buy Tickets here or via the box office 0844 412 4650

Pinocchio
Lose yourself in an enchanting visual journey, combining captivating circus skills, music, storytelling and puppetry.  Pinocchio is a unique family-friendly production drawing on the community spirit of Christmas

Pinocchio is at The Albany Theatre, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG from Sunday 2 - 29 December. Buy tickets here or call the box office 020 8692 4446.

Christmas Tale at The Dugdale Theatre
Based on the well-known Tales from the Shed shows - but with an added sprinkling of magical snowflakes - these colourful and vibrant shows will be showing in the cosy Dugdale Theatre. With plenty of puppets, singing and dancing, Christmas Tales is guaranteed to entertain the very youngest of audiences (and grown-ups too!), leaving everyone happy and joyful at this most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas Tales is at Dugdale Centre, 39 London Rd, Enfield, EN2 6DS on selective dates from Thursday 6 - 30th Decemeber. Buy Tickets here or call the box office on 020 8807 6680

Adding a Touch of Personalisation to Your Family Home*

The majority of us will take great pride in our family home. This is the space in which we kick back and relax after a long day at work and where our little ones will return after a (not quite so) long day at school. It is where we spend quality time together and bond. It is where we eat our morning meals, lunchtime meals, and evening meals. It’s where we watch films, sing, dance, and make memories together. So, it’s not all too surprising that we want it to be a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing space. In order to achieve this, many families have verged towards minimalism. 

 

This is a style that minimise the number of unnecessary belongings that we have. It helps to reduce clutter and free up space for activities. Less mess generally means less stress, which is positive for parents who already have a lot on their plates. However, minimalism can also come hand in hand with a bit of a blank and vacant feel. Your home can look as if it is fresh out of a catalogue or an interior design Pinterest board. While this is a good thing in many ways, it can also easily feel impersonal.

 

You don’t want your living space to look as if anyone could live there. You want it to look as if you and your family live there, and you’d want anyone who walks in to get a feel of your personalities and vibe. So, how can you strike a balance? A good idea is to maintain the minimalist aesthetic in general, to maintain cleanliness and order, but add a touch of personalisation to your home at the same time. Here are a few steps that you can take in order to achieve this!

 

Framed Photographs

Nowadays, we take more photographs than ever. Improvements in technology and the accessibility of technology mean that the majority of us have a smartphone with a brilliant camera that can capture high-quality images of us and the ones we love. You probably have thousands of snaps of your little ones stored away on your device. 

 

We also tend to share these images through social media or blogs - uploading image after image of our kids and highlighting the brilliant things that we are up to as a family. But this has also resulted in a reduction in the number of people printing images. This is a shame, as framed photographs of your family could make a great addition to your interior design. Consider having your favourite snaps printed as film prints and placing them in frames that perfectly match your interior design. They could be freestanding on shelves or mantelpieces, or you could have them hung up on the walls.  

 

Family Photography

If you want to take things a step further and add a more professional touch to proceedings, you could engage with professional family photography through a reliable company like Light Republic Family Photography. This will serve as a fun day out in and of itself. You and your family can head to a studio and have a full blown photoshoot together. You will get high quality images and then be able to choose to have them presented in a way that best suits your taste - from prints to canvases. These can then be placed in your home, adding a professional and stunning touch to your home design. People won’t be able to walk through the front door without knowing exactly who lives in your home!

 

Scent

Remember that all aesthetics aren’t visual. You may want to scent your home in a signature way. Just as many of us can be recognised by a particular perfume that we wear, certain smells can be highly associated with your home. If you use the same scent over the years, your little ones will always associate that smell with the happy memories of growing up. Now, there are various ways to scent your home. You could use spray air fresheners. You could use scented candles (just remember to keep these out of reach of children and to put them out when you are not in the same room). You could even simply bake regularly!

These are just a few different ways to personalise your family home! Incorporate them into your lifestyle and you will have the perfect place to live that reflects you and your loved ones perfectly in next to no time!

 

 

 

Car Maintenance Tips: Top 5 Easy Ways To Prevent Costly Repairs*

It is slowly getting colder and darker sooner, which means if you are a car owner. You will more than likely be using the car more for doing the school run or popping over the shops.

Checking your car regularly can make the difference between it running smoothly and fuel efficiently, and the risk of it breaking down and incurring an expensive and unexpected repair.  

Here are 5 preventative vehicle maintenance tips to help prevent costly repairs!

Regular oil change

If you do not change your oil regularly. It can cause the engine to run less efficiently, and as time goes on, it can cause the engine components to warp and wear out. The lack of lubrication between these parts will also contribute to these problems. Eventually, if the oil is not changed, the entire engine will shut down and have to be replaced.

Check your battery

Your battery lasts up to 3 years, what happens is with all the electronics that's going on in the car. When you start your car you are running solely off your battery, if your battery is weak it turns your starter over slower which draws more power.

Keep Your Fuel Above ¼ Tank

You shouldn't drive with your tank empty as could cause problems with the fuel pump. If you do drive often with a low fuel tank, you could encounter part failure, including problems with the fuel pump and fuel filter

Check your Air Con

You should book your car in to have its air-con serviced every two years. During the service, the mechanic will replenish liquids used by the system and make sure that everything is in full working order. It is very important that you have your air-con serviced regularly because in a year your system will leak 10% of the air conditioning gases in the system, compromising it. A service will rectify any faults in your air conditioning or fill depleted stores of gases and lubricants.

For a cooler and cleaner car, get your car air conditioning serviced by Ossett Tyre House.

Check your tyres

Make sure your tyres are in tip-top condition, the legal limit for tyre tread is 1.6mm. You should also check that your tyres are not over or under inflated as this cause issues with your steering which could lead to a collision.

Check that neither the treads are not cracked or damaged. Any damage here can get worse on the roads.

5 Amazing Feature Wall Ideas*

Whether you want a big change or a subtle upgrade, a feature wall could be just the thing you need. Here are five feature wall ideas to get you started;

Paint your walls
The simplest and easiest way to get a great looking feature wall is simply to paint it a different colour to the rest of the room. For a bold statement that is still in keeping with the overall design of the room, you should simply choose a shade that is at least 2 shades darker than the other walls. This ensures that the look is in keeping with the existing aesthetics.


Use Brick Slips
If you love the look of brick inside your home you can take advantage of these amazing things called brick slips. These are essentially a slice of a brick front (often several bricks joined together) that are lightweight, and can be applied directly to your wall with adhesive.
The look is authentic brick as that is exactly what it is, but the brick is there for decorative effect, and not to protect your home

Add a mirror
A well-positioned mirror can make a smaller room look bigger. You can use group of mirrors to make a impact feature wall or use a mirror with a pretty frame to deflect attention away from things that are not perfect in your room.

Use removable wall stickers
Rental homes can be tricky, on one hand you want to make it feel like home whilst you're staying there. On the other hand you don't want to make it so homely that you will lose your deposit. Wall stickers are brilliant as they do not take the paint off the walls. 

Add a fire place
Not just a great wall to update your home, fireplaces add some practical usefulness to a room. Electric fireplaces can work out cheaper than using central heating and can also be used during the year’s warmer months to provide an ambiance boost with its lifelike flames, but without the heat turned on.

5 Creative Ways to Add Colour in to Your Home

 

Decorating your home can be a lot of fun, and a great opportunity to switch things up a bit and stop them from looking too boring. However if you are not brave enough to go the full hog. Here are some simple but creative ways to add some colour into your home.

Consider adding some mother nature
I love plants and flowers, you change really change a feel of a room by adding a vase of your favourite flowers to your living room or dining table. 
If you’re looking for something that lasts a bit longer than a bunch of flowers, try looking for a house plant. They’ll not only purify the air, giving it a bit of much needed freshness. They will add some colour and personality to the room too. Try an elegant orchid or a bold monstera plant! 

Change your cushions
Even the smallest change like swapping your existing cushions for different coloured ones could completely alter the feel of any room. Places such as B&M, Home Bargains and Ikea have a great slection to pick from.

Paint your skirting boards
They are normally neglected or not noticed. You can really vamp up your room by painting a well designed skirting board. Be brave and paint them a slate grey or for a child's bedroom a nice soft pastel shade. 

Invest in rug
A rug can hide a horrible flooring and, add some needed home comfort and a dash of colour. For something a little different you could layer rugs on top of each other.

Add some wall art
Adding some wall art to a wall is a great way to add colour without having to pick up a paint brush. You can be thrifty by placing some wallpaper into a frame or searching Pinterest for some free print ables.

What ways do you like to add colour to your home?

5 School Uniform Cleaning Hacks with #ACEforschool

I cannot believe we have almost survived our first term in reception. Darcy has loved every minute of it and I am so proud with the way she has settled into her new routine. I otherwise, have has to learn the ins and outs of being a school mum. This including dealing with the dreaded school uniform.

Today I am sharing with you some of my favourite hacks for making cleaning school uniforms as stress free as possible. 

Grey Shirts
Did you know that the sun actually helps whiten shirts? So make sure you dry them in the sunlight. If you do not have a garden like myself or if it is raining. Hang them up in front of a window. You will see get the much-needed sunlight and notice that your shirts actually look brighter.

Pesky stains I do not know whos clever idea it was for school shirts to be white. I always dread picking Darcy up from after school club as I never know what state she will be in. I mean look at this shirt, I asked her what was on it and she couldn't even tell me. Luckily a few spurts of ACE stain remover and it was as good as new.

Bubbling on clothes
Wash your clothes inside out and wash on a short cycle unless they are indeed of a really good wash. You want your clothes to be spun around as little as possible to cut friction and rubbing which results in bubbling. 

Dark clothes losing their colour
Use ACE for colours as has been formulated to remove stains, but be gentle on the clothes so it is suitable for use on silk, wool and even cashmere! You put it into the wash with your normal detergent and it works it’s magic to remove stains from all the clothes. I am really impressed that Darcy's uniform looks as good as new still.


Dry clothes on hangers
I only iron clothes that is wrinkled, hanging wet clothes on hangers reduces the amount of creases.I mean there are better things I like wasting my time on than ironing.

So those were my 5 school uniform cleaning hacks, what is your best stain removal hack?

This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEforSchool Challenge, sponsored by ACE. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper or to buy head to your local Tesco’s, Morrisons, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s.