Shop 'til You Drop at Cheshire Oaks - A McArthur Glen Designer Outlet

This summer is the perfect time to indulge in a spot of retail therapy at one of the McArthur Glen Designer Outlets.  With six in the UK: Ashford, Bridgend, Cheshire Oaks near Chester,  East Midlands near Nottingham, Swindon and York, and a further fourteen outlets across Europe, they offer fantastic discounts on leading premium, designer, high street and lifestyle brands.

Throughout the summer, the UK outlets have extra activities on site to keep all the family happy.  We were invited to visit our nearest McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, Cheshire Oaks to discover what it had to offer over the school holidays.  With water walker balls, trampolines, fairground rides, giant sandpits and inflatables, the Activity Zones will make sure everyone is having fun.  Parents can relax in the deckchairs, enjoying a drink from the Beach Bar, while little ones play in the sandpit.  Older children will love the rides (extra charges through the purchase of tokens is required).   The outlet also has two fabulous play areas where kids can run off steam.  One of the areas is undercover so kids can play whatever the weather.  There are also ten coin operated children's rides around the site, to give little ones a treat when they have been good!

Today, Cheshire Oaks were hosting an event in conjunction with Heart FM.  A team from Heart were on hand in an al fresco area offering shoppers the chance to take part in a competition to win vouchers.  Shoppers were also invited to chat to the team about their shopping experience with the possibility of  their Vox Pop being featured in an ad on the radio!  Myself and my 18 year old daughter Ella recorded one and had a chat with the lady from Heart.

On arrival at Cheshire Oaks we were met by the lovely Marketing Manager who showed us around the site.   We learned that the whole outlet is in the process of a massive refurbishment with new flooring, fresh white paintwork and funky seating being introduced.  Everything looked fresh, bright and clean.  It was brilliant seeing all the shops so busy and bustling.  There were even queues outside some shops, in particular the Ralph Lauren stores.  Everybody loves a bargain and with discounts typically up to 70% off, there are lots of great money saving offers to be found.

Parking is free and there are over 3000 spaces available.  There are 135 stores and 12 restaurants as well as numerous food kiosks dotted around the site.  Cheshire Oaks is accessible from junction 10 of the M53 and is close to the city of Chester, Chester Zoo and the Blue Planet Aquarium, making it a great place for incorporating into a weekend away or a short break.

For the summer at Cheshire Oaks, there is a great free competition where shoppers can Unlock Their Style.  There is a selection of locked perspex boxes with some great prizes inside.  You have to choose a key and if your key fits one of the padlocks, you instantly win what is inside the box it opens.  I had my eye on a £100 Yo Sushi voucher, but sadly our keys did not unlock any of the boxes.  It is a really fun, instant win competition, and lucky shoppers are winning prizes everyday.

Trying to unlock the padlock to win a prize!

The range of shops available is brilliant.  High end designer names such as Burberry, Radley, Ralph Lauren and Armani, sit alongside top high street brands such as M & S, Next and Nike.  So whether you are looking for an expensive designer item with a great discount, or whether you want to pick up high street brands at outlet prices, you will find whatever you are looking for in a one stop shopping experience.  And it's not just about fashion, there are lots of stores selling cookware such as Pro-Cook and Le Crueset.  There are cosmetic shops like L'Occitane, W H Smiths and Paperchase for stationery and  Cadbury, Thornton's and Lindt for buying chocolatey treats!

My girls loved the Claire's Accessories store which offered 30% off full prices as well as a load of sale items at 10 for £5!  They bought loads of lovely bits and bobs including jewellery and hair accessories.  The Next outlet was also a huge hit as the kids amassed a haul of clothes, shoes and make-up at low prices.  Kizzy picked out a dress that she took a fancy to when she saw it at a Next event we attended earlier this year.  Now at just £6, it is a great bargain for the summer.  Freddy picked out some half price character tees and some jeans.  Ella found two pairs of shoes and a top, all heavily discounted.

We also enjoyed visiting the Vans store where Kizzy bought a pair of hidden heel hi-tops for just £10!!  A huge bargain!  Nike, Adidas and Sports Direct also proved excellent sources for picking up bargains.  Kizzy got some essential sports equipment she needs for her new school and Freddy bagged a football for just £4.  The M&S outlet had some incredible clearance bargains including a three pack of pyjamas for Freddy, a school skirt and a summer playsuit for Kizzy all at just £3 each with an extra 20% off at the till!  He also got a tuxedo jacket, shirt and bow tie set also for £2.40 which is a massive 90% discount on its original price.  He will look like a mini James Bond and I'm sure there will be a special occasion for him to wear it.  The Joules store and Gap have some great buys for children and the Superdry store is huge and is heaven for teenagers!

For lunch we were treated to a meal in Ed's Easy Diner, which is a funky restaurant steeped in Americana with juke boxes playing Elvis and a real 50's vibe throughout.  We enjoyed veggie burgers and some of the most incredible milkshakes we had ever tasted which came in metal jugs.  The girls had Oreo and peanut butter milkshakes while I had a skinny coffee milkshake.  Delicious.

It is nice to see so many restaurants with so many options for vegetarians like us.  With Yo Sushi, Cafe Rouge, Harry Ramsden's, Starbucks and McDonald's among the choices, there is something for everyone whatever your taste or your budget. You really can enjoy a full day out at Cheshire Oaks; shopping in the amazing shops; letting the kids enjoy the play areas and having a family meal together.  

There are plenty of facilities for families with young children including baby changing stations, restaurants with baby food heating and high chairs and kiddy cabs for hire.  There are ramps around the whole site making easy access for pushchairs when walking between the stores.

We had an excellent day enjoying all the facilities at Cheshire Oaks.  Because of the play areas and Activity Zone, Freddy had a fun day too. Ian looked after him for a while in the undercover play area while the girls and I did some serious shopping!  It worked really well and everyone was happy.  It's a great day out. When we arrived home we checked all the bargains we had bought.  We had masses of stuff for all three children for their summer holidays and for Kizzy's Back to School essentials. A very productive trip indeed.

Find out more about McArthur Glen Designer Outlets.

Check out a Heart FM or Capital Radio event near you at Bridgend on 2/8/14 or Ashford, York and East Midlands on 9/8/14. 

“I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity”.

My Top Three Baby Picks from Casabu

Casabu is the great deals sites for parents, offering daily sales of stylish products from quality brands with prices discounted between 40 and 90%.  Every day you can find a great selection of items for mums, babies and children.  Now I am a granny, I am really interested in all the baby wear deals so I've chosen my three favourite baby buys available today!

Jack and Lily footwear is designed and lovingly crafted for little feet allowing them to grow and develop  naturally.  These Miss Brown boots are gorgeous and fur lined, perfect for this weather!  The RRP is  £44 but you can get them for just £22.50.

Bebeloo clothes are designed to bring out the star in any child.  They produce fun styles to create a wardrobe as individual as your child.  I love this seven pack of long sleeved bodysuits, one for every day of the week.  Practical but fun, with the mix of colours and the daily design.  RRP is £32.50, but they are on offer at just £13.

Rockabye Baby sell clothes with attitude for parents who want to bypass cutesie!  This Kid Rocks bodysuit is £19 RRP but is on sale at just £13.

Deals don't last long, but you can find great new bargains everyday.  There are also Flash sales and Pop Up Shops so it is worth keeping a close eye on the website.

Signing up is quick and easy and completely FREE!  Once you are a member you can access the daily sales events online. You can invite your friends to join up too, and when they make a purchase you receive £10 to spend!

Take a look at Casabu.com and discover great deals on some brilliant brands!

*I have been gifted with a £20 voucher to treat my grandson!*

My Name is Wendy and I'm an Addict

I can imagine myself in a draughty community centre hall.  A circle of chairs in the centre of the room are filled with nervous, fidgety people avoiding eye contact with each other, staring at the floor between their shuffling feet.  Slowly I stand up and take a deep breath as I announce "My name is Wendy and I'm an addict."  The ripple of applause rewards my admission and puts me on the path to recovery.

But what is the addiction I am confessing to?  I've battled my demons. I no longer drink and have been riding the wagon of sobriety for over 4 years.  I haven't  smoked since I was a nightclubbing teenager, back in the days when it was acceptable to wave a lit cigarette around on a crowded dance floor, risking the ignition of the alarming quantity of flammable hairspray that was synonymous with '80s hairdos.  I have even conquered the binge eating, yo-yo dieting that has plagued my adult life.  As for sex addiction?  Really, who has the time for that!  Drugs??  Hell I don't even drink caffeine and I totally hate taking  so much as an aspirin.  However, I do have a dirty secret....

I am an absolute unstoppable force to be reckoned with when faced with a bargain.  I'm not talking 50% off some designer handbag, or even the half price sale at Next.  I'm talking bargain basement, post seasonal  goodies sold at silly prices.  Things I don't need or even want.  Sometimes I don't even use them...but I MUST have them!

Today I went shopping and this is just some of the haul I returned with....

Halloween goodies galore...art sets, costumes, cups, plates, jugs, goblets, hats, masks, gloves, candle holders, scene setters, decorations, toys...all sorts of nonsense!  I just can't turn my back on the shelves of unbought Halloween/Easter/Christmas fayre that appears in the days following these events.  My garage is overflowing with things bought over the years but I can't help adding to my collection!

My eldest daughter despairs as I fill my trolley with armfuls of nonsense...but I can't help it.  It calls to me to give it a home.  Besides...who could resist buying  Make Your Own Halloween Craft sets reduced from £2 to 8p!!  I couldn't...I bought 20!!  And how about an inflatable axe for £1?!  I need one of those...honestly.  The monster windsocks for 35p were just too tempting...I got one of each design.  And you can never have too many spider napkins for 15p a pack.

So Wilkinson, Asda and Morisson's will find their shelves significantly emptier after my visit today.  But as a result my overcrowded garage has now got to house 4 huge bags of Halloween nonsense which I hope I remember to dig out to use next October!   Good job we love Horror stuff...maybe Fred can have a Monster Party for his 3rd birthday next year!  And who said that tinsel with skulls and spiders in it can't be used for Christmas??

At the end of the day, my obsession for buying mad novelty items for rock bottom prices isn't that awful.  I just thank my lucky stars however that my compulsion for purchasing does not extend to anything costing more than a couple of quid.  If I was a shopaholic with a passion for fashion and a desire for shoes and handbags, then I'd really be in trouble!  My entire stash today did not equate to more than the price of a pair of designer shoelaces...and they are going to bring much more fun!

**NaBloPoMo Day 2!**

The Savvy Shopper's Best Kept Secret...Whatafind.com

We are all feeling the pinch of the economic climate.  With prices skyrocketing, I'm on the constant look out for ways to save money without compromising on quality or style.  However, searching for those elusive bargains, to make my hard earned pennies go farther, can be a laborious process.  That is until now.  I've discovered Whatafind.com, the savvy shopper's best kept secret!  What a Find offer market clearance items, end of lines, overstocks and returns from quality brands at hugely discounted prices all in one place.  They do all the legwork sourcing these bargains saving us considerable time, effort and energy as well as saving us up to 80% on the original prices.

Including brands such as Panasonic, DeLonghi, Dior, Miss Sixty, Emma Bridgewater and Mamas and Papas, this isn't a dumping ground for old stock, it's an Aladdin's cave of hidden treasures. They aim to offer unrivalled value with stock that is constantly being updated.  What a Find act as middlemen, organising delivery to your doorstep direct from the suppliers.

The website lists its goods under seven headings: Electrical, Fashion, Living Room, Bed and Bath, Kitchen and Dining, Baby and Child and Gifts making it easy to browse for what you are looking for. You can also shop by brand.  The site is easy to navigate and user friendly.

All items are fully tested and come with a 3 month warranty.

The prices on the website represent genuine bargains when compared to big high street stores.  It really is worth checking out Whatafind if you are looking to purchase something online.  For instance I've just looked for a DeLonghi Coffee Maker (Model ECO310.BK)

Whatafind Price on 31/3/2011 is £98.00
Amazon Price on 31/3/2011 is £132.58

Delivery times depend on where your item is being shipped from, but generally it will be shipped within 14 days.  Delivery charges vary depending on the supplier, but it is made clear as a price breakdown in your basket exactly what you will be charged.

Whatafind have kindly offered to send me a quality, top brand item from their website so I can review it Inside the Wendy House.  I am looking forward to experiencing  Whatafind  for myself and will be giving my opinion on the delivery, the packaging, the quality on arrival and on the product itself.  I am very excited to be trying out Whatafind.com because I am genuinely impressed with what I've seen so far.  If it lives up to my expectations I will be very impressed indeed!