Canvas Design - creating wall art from your favourite photographs

I love displaying my favourite photographs in my home.  Liberating the virtual images from my hard drive and creating beautiful works of wall art is a wonderful way to showcase much loved pictures.  

I've been given the chance to make a canvas with Canvas Design and I chose a photo of my three girls and Freddy taken at the Alton Towers Scarefest last October.  I love the autumnal colours, the detail, the composition and the kids' faces as they smile for the camera in front of them.  

The end result is absolutely brilliant.  This photo does not do it justice.  The colour, the print quality and clarity of the canvas is wonderful.  It is well constructed with a deep pine frame and a tight cotton canvas, and comes ready to hang. The service is speedy and efficient with 48 hour delivery and the online prices are really competitive.  Prices start at just £7.99 for a 6 x 6" canvas and delivery is free.  

A bespoke canvas would make an excellent gift for Mother's Day or any other special occasion.

You can get a big 15% discount off when ordering from Canvas Design using the code BLOG15 

PLUS this is your chance to win your very own canvas from Canvas Design using an image of your choice.  

To enter simply fill in the Rafflecopter entry form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

A Little Outdoor Winter Adventure

It's been cold and wet this winter, and we've suffered from an extensive list of minor ailments that has made me think I should just hibernate my family away until springtime.  The start to 2014 has on a whole been quite glum, but for the first time I have had a glimmer of hope for brighter days and better health.  After the onslaught of storm after storm after storm, something magical happened this weekend.  The wind dropped, the rain stopped and the sun shone again.  Not only was mother nature being kind with the weather, she also saw it upon herself to allow myself and the kids to feel well after weeks of battling various viruses and spreading germs among ourselves in an elaborate game of pathogenic pass the parcel.

It's amazing how a little winter sun can lift the spirits and energise the soul.  So, dressed in our cosiest woollies and armed with some snacks to keep us going, we headed off to have some much overdue family fun in the great outdoors.  

Freddy has only just got himself back on track after struggling with a nasty virus that lead to a secondary infection and a problem with his glands.  But in the last few days, we've seen him go from strength to strength and a day in the sunshine proved the perfect tonic!  His big sisters also benefitted from getting away from being stuck indoors and had great fun unleashing their inner child and getting down to some fun and games.  You are never too old to simply get back to basics, put away your electronic gadgets and devices and enjoy enjoy the simple pleasure of being outdoors.

Days out don't have to be elaborate or expensive.  Simply being outside sparks a child's imagination, giving them the freedom to explore, challenge themselves physically and look at their surroundings with their natural curiosity.  Little ones can discover mini-beasts that scurry away when their leafy homes are disturbed.  They can spot little plants pushing up through the soil and buds bursting from the branches of once dormant trees.  They can splash in muddy puddles, emulating  the favourite pastime of Peppa Pig, and watch as they create little waves and ripples around their feet.  Simply feeling the sun on your skin and the gentle breeze tickling your face is a joy, and something that we have all greatly missed.  

Freddy was free to embrace his little outdoor winter adventure and he loved every minute of it!

And when all that playing, exploring, discovering and challenging left the kids feeling a little peckish, a quick Barny cake bar filled with apple or strawberry filled them up sufficiently and gave them the energy to play some more!

“This post is an entry for BritMums ‘Winter Little Adventures Challenge’ sponsored by Barny, individually wrapped bear-shaped sponges with a hidden filling. Find out more about Barny here.”

What Fred said about the dangers of eating too much candy!

Freddy: Is orange a good thing to eat?

Me: Yes, oranges are healthy things to eat.

Freddy: Is candy bad for you?

Me: Yes, it's unhealthy to eat too much candy.

Freddy: Is it because candy is sharp on the edges and goes down into your neck and cuts your throat and then blood drips down inside you and goes into your legs?

What goes on inside my boy's mind?????

Country Kids - A day out at last!

At last, a weekend where the sun was shining and we were all germ free!  It was absolutely wonderful to head out for a lovely walk and play in the fresh air.  Freddy donned his wellies and made the most of the weather as he climbed, ran, slid and jumped to his heart's content.  I hadn't realised just how much I have missed the great outdoors, and we fully intend on making the most of all the local places we are lucky enough to live near.

Today's adventure was to Bridgemere, which includes Britain's largest Garden Centre and covers 50 acres of land on the Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire borders.  There are extensive gardens to explore which have lovely play areas for the kids to enjoy.  There is also a restaurant, a cafe with a soft play area and some great shops.  Freddy was delighted to spot one of his friends from school and had a lovely play with him in the indoor play area while we enjoyed a nice hot drink.  It's lovely to see him so sociable and joining in with the other kids.  He used to be so shy and reserved, now he gets stuck in and makes new friends wherever he goes. It reminds me just how far he has come!

Hopefully we will see many more lovely weekends where we can enjoy many more lovely family days out.

TalkTalk HomeSafe - Keeping Families Safer Online

In today's world, we are all under threat from potentially dangerous situations involving the internet.  Our identities, our bank details, our online credibility, our precious photographs, our music collections and our hardware itself are all risk from online crime and viruses.  But potentially more damaging than any of that, is the risk to our own children's safety.

Thankfully, there are things we can do to protect ourselves from such risks and keep our families safer online.  For TalkTalk Broadband customers, HomeSafe provides a simple way to keep control over the websites accessed by the household.  Any type of site deemed unsuitable can be blocked across all devices connected to your TalkTalk broadband.  This means you can prevent your children from accessing sites that feature gambling, pornography or other unsuitable content whether they are on their phones, laptops or PCs.

HomeSafe also features a Homework Time setting where you can set a time where children are banned from accessing social media and gaming websites to prevent them procrastinating online when they should be doing their homework. Useful if this is a bone of contention in your household!

HomeSafe is incredibly easy to use.  You simply access your TalkTalk account online and switch Kids Safe and Homework Time to ON.  There is also a Virus Alert which blocks infected websites to prevent you from getting a virus on your devices by accessing dangerous sites.

The beauty of HomeSafe is its simplicity.  You are in complete control from the moment you switch the protection on, giving you confidence and peace of mind when the kids are online.  It's a great free service for parents who want to keep their family safe from some of the potential risks of being online.

For £2 a month you can upgrade to the Super Safe boost which also protects your identity, bank details and other information from security threats and detects and removes existing infections, keeping you protected wherevr you are connected online.

You can test how internet savvy you are by taking the Internet Age Calculator quiz.  The Internet Age Calculator puts your online knowledge to the test by asking eight questions about the online world to give you an internet age based on research of 1,000 7-14 year olds. 

I did quite well and got the same score as a savvy teenager!  You can take the test here.

For top tips on how to keep the family safe and to find out more about TalkTalk's range of services, take a look at their website atwww.talktalk.co.uk.

We are trialing TalkTalk as part of their Family Blogger programme.

Brighten up Breakfast with Lyle's Golden Syrup

Lyle's have a new, easy to use, mess free Breakfast Bottle to add to their range of Golden Syrup products. The handy sized bottle has a flip top lid and non-drip valve making it easy to squeeze some delicious Golden Syrup over your pancakes or porridge in the morning.  It will bring a smile to breakfast time, especially welcome at the moment with this awful weather we are having!

Freddy loves to start the day with a bowl of porridge topped with a golden syrup smile.  The girls love it on American pancakes.  The new Lyle's Golden Syrup Breakfast Bottle is much easier to use than spooning from a sticky jar or tin and makes a minimal mess, even in the kids' hands.

Lyles have come up with some great recipe ideas to liven up your morning porridge.  How about serving with juicy blueberries, hazelnuts and a squirt of golden syrup?  Or how about pomegranate and berries or even a sticky toffee apple topping?  You can find details of these and other Golden syrup recipes on their website at www.lylesgoldensyrup.com.

The new Lyle’s Golden Syrup Breakfast Bottle is available now in Tesco, Asda and Ocado stores nationwide with an RRP of 1.75 (340g).  I received a bottle for the purpose of this review.

Money Saving Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

My Valentine's Day planning is underway.  Although currently riddled with a really heavy cold, I have my fingers crossed that I will feel well enough to celebrate the day according to our family tradition - a romantic dinner for the whole family to enjoy together!  It's a great excuse to do something special and we enjoy extending the remit to include the children, and not just focus on myself and Ian.  We'll have plenty of years when it's just the two of us when the kids leave home, so we prefer to include them while we still can!

I have got a load of Valentine's Day decorations to decorate the dining room and a planned menu for a three course meal with Red Velvet Cupcakes to follow.  

It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to give token Valentine's Day gifts to my loved ones. But I still like to retain my thriftiness and like to get a bargain.  Homemade cards, framed photographs or home baked treats make wonderful and thoughtful gifts.  Even if you have a budget of just £5, there are some lovely bargains to be had this year.  Here's a few suggestions.

If your other half is a film fan, then why not add a DVD to their collection?  Whether you think they'd enjoy a good rom-com or if they'd prefer an action film, Aldi has a great range of films starting at just £2.99.  Perfect for a Valentine's Movie Night.  Just add popcorn, chocolates and a glass or two of wine for a great budget night in.

Don't forget the kids!  There are some lovely films in the Aldi range for little ones too.  So you can enjoy a family film night, or let the kids watch a movie in bed while you  enjoy some uninterrupted time together!

For a sweet toothed loved one, how about this chocolate heart from Asda?  Just one of a range of confectionery gifts starting at just £1.  A lovely way to show someone that they make life sweet!

This net of chocolate bees are perfect for your honey!  They make a really cute decoration when scattered across the dining table.  Tastier than table confetti!

These bricks from Asda are a fun way to get the message of love across.  They are a novelty gift that could double up as a quirky alternative to a card.  Simply write your own message on them with Sharpie marker for a personalised keepsake. They are just £2. 

Make breakfast in bed for your loved one and start the day with a smile.  These toast stamps are a playful way to say 'I love you' and start the day in a romantic mood.

For just £1 you can treat someone you love with a gift box of HARIBO Heart Throbs.  They also make  brilliant and cheap toppers for homemade cupcakes.  

Instead of dining out this Valentine's Day you could save a fortune by eating in.  If you don't feel like cooking

something from scratch, you could get in a Valentine's Meal Deal.  Lots of supermarkets have meal deals allowing you to dine at home in style.  Asda have a deal on their Extra Special range for two to dine for just a tenner, available online and in store in selected stores.  It's so much cheaper to eat at home and you also save on transport costs and babysitting - plus no one has to be the designated driver!

However you decide to celebrate, I hope you have a really happy Valentine's Day!

We received the items featured from Aldi and Asda to review.