Collaboration | How To Keep Your Home Safe

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There's been a chill in the air the past few weeks and we've already noticed that it's getting darker much earlier than it was before our Summer holiday. It's always this time of year I start to feel a little anxious and probably more aware of keeping our home safe. We are very good at making sure our home is secure and we still use our Piper camera however darker nights and mornings attract opportunists so I've created a list of top tips for keeping your home safe.

1. Keep All Your Windows And Doors Locked. 
So this may seem obvious but I am almost certain that we have all left the house in a rush and maybe not locked the door behind us or we've left a top window open. Any unlocked windows or doors attract burglars and if they can gain easy access then they will take it. If any of your windows are damaged or do not lock properly now is the time to think about getting replacement windows.

2. Keep All Valuables Out Of Sight.
Again obvious but most people will start thinking about Christmas around this time of year, maybe picking up little bits here and there. It's normal to leave shopping bags or boxes on the floor by the door or on the sofa until you've found a place to store them. If these are on show when you are out the house anyone could look through your window and see exactly where you've been shopping.

3. If You Are Unsure About A Knock At The Door, Don't Open It. 
Whenever someone is at the door that I am not expecting or don't know, I don't open it. I pop upstairs and open a top window. If they tell me who they are and I'm happy to open the door to them I will. If it's someone I'm unsure about then I speak from the window. Make an excuse, tell them you're putting the baby down to nap or you're in the middle of ironing.

4. Use Timers For Your Lights
As the darker nights creep in, its always obvious in our road who is home and who is not. Even if you only work till 5 or 6pm it's dark then so more than likely if you haven't left a timer on your lights, your home will be in darkness when you return.

5. Avoid Putting Plans On Social Media
This applies all year round, you should never put where you are planning to go or where you are on public social media. You are basically telling anyone who wants to know that your house is empty. Lots of people talk about holidays, days out, concerts etc they are going to online and this is an easy way for an opportunist to know you aren't home.

Do you have any tips on how to keep your home safe?

Michelle

This is a collaboration
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Closed Giveaway | Win An Amazon Echo

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We have a fantastic giveaway for you on our blog - we are giving away an Amazon Echo.  The Amazon Echo connects to Alexa-a cloud-based voice service-to play music, make calls, set alarms and timers, ask questions, check your calendar, weather, traffic and sports scores, manage to-do and shopping lists, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
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Travel | Planning A Ski Trip

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Before big J left primary school he was offered the chance to go Skiing with the school to the French Alps. I remember being shocked at first because our little boy wanted to go somewhere he had never been before doing something so different than he had ever experienced, without us. It took a lot of persuading and tears before we said yes, but looking back now I am so glad we did. As expected he had an amazing time with his friends and recently we have spoken about maybe going skiing as a family.
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Review | Schleich Eldrador Creatures, Lava Golem

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One of our favourite things to play with are figures. We have so many and they all stay together in one big box so when it comes to play time they can all get involved. Little J uses his imagination to create a world where all the figures live. Some are goodies and some are baddies and the world usually involves them fighting each other. We were recently sent a new figure to add to our collection. Lava Golem is an Eldrador Creature from Schleich.
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Review | Schleich Wild Life 4x4 Vehicle With Winch

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We absolutely love Schleich and our collection is growing nicely thanks to our latest addition, the Schleich wild life 4x4 vehicle with winch. I knew this was going to fit well with little J's animal collection as the vehicle is a rangers 4x4 and it comes with a ranger, called David.
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Review | Crate Creatures Surprise Sizzle

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We had a very interesting delivery last week for little J, a crate which was all locked up and inside was a very unexpected surprise. Firstly we had to unlock the crate using the crowbar supplied and the once the lock was open we popped open the lid and up popped Sizzle.
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Days Out | CBBC Summer Social 2018

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We were so excited to hear that the CBBC Summer Social event was coming to Liverpool this year and we were literally counting down the days. The lineup for the 3 day event was amazing including lots of CBBC and CBeebies favourites such as Sam and Mark, Mr Tumble, Dr Ranj and lots more.
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5 Reasons Why I Love Autumn

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Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. I usually start preparing for Autumn once the kids go back to school. I love to pack up my Summer wardrobe and swap it for knitted jumpers, leggings and boots. I also like to change the furnishings around the home to match the season and give it a more cosy feel. I'll introduce lots of browns and oranges and choose a candle that smells just like Autumn.

a pathway through trees



I could honestly think of so many reasons why I love Autumn but I've listed my top five. 

boy looking in to a clowns mouth


1. We have so many traditions that happen in the last few months of the year including our trips to Alton Towers for their Scarefest and Fireworks celebrations. We have been visiting every year for the last 20 so it's something we look forward to all year.

2. Binge watching TV Boxsets. This is mine and John's time to chill in the evenings and catch up on all the TV we missed over the Summer. We don't tend to watch a lot of TV during the warmer months as we are usually out and about or chilling in the garden in the evenings. This year we are looking forward to a new series for us, Manifest. Also we need to finish the Marvel movies then get stuck in to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and then Loki.

3. Cooler nights means we can get out our cosy blankets and put the central heating on. It only ever feels like true Autumn when you can hear the central heating system making its little noises. We also get the candles out to give us a warm effect in the house too.

boy and woman walking

4. Autumn walks are a must. We would much rather prefer to go for walks this time of year as the colder weather starts to creep in and the leaves begin to fall. Since we joined National Trust we have found so many properties to explore and cannot wait to find more this year. 

5. The countdown to Christmas begins. I always feel that once September comes, Christmas is here before you know it. I know some people don't like hearing Christmas songs in the shops especially when it's only September but I love it. I love seeing all the decorations going up and visiting Blackpool for the illuminations is another sign for us that Christmas will soon be here.

Do you love Autumn? What is your favourite thing about the Season?

Michelle
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Collaboration | Creating A Space Themed Bedroom

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boy holding a home made rocket for space themed bedroom
You may have read my post yesterday about Little J's ambition to be an Astronaut when he grows up. He's really into Space at the moment and is always trying to make rockets out of plastic bottles or building spaceships out of Lego. I love how creative he can be at times and he will sit for hours trying to perfect his latest model. I hope his love of Space stays, as he now wants a Space themed bedroom. We have not long decorated his room however we just painted it, we didn't give it any type of theme as he wasn't really passionate about anything at the time.
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Parenting | When I Grow Up I Want To Be . . .

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Little J has now graduated from reception and is ready to move on to year one in September. Time certainly has flown this year and it doesn't feel like a year ago that we were preparing for the start of his school journey. The last term was all about their ambitions and encouraging the children to 'Reach for The Stars'. They were told to never give up on their dreams and that anything is possible if you believe it. It was a lovely way to end the year and in their graduation ceremony we got to see what each child wants to be when they are older.
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How To Educate Your Child Through Gardening?

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I have to admit that I never been been a huge fan of the garden. Although my mum and dad love gardening, planting flowers or just sitting out it's never been my thing. I've always said they could have been professional gardeners because they definitely have an eye for garden design. When I became a nursery nurse I found that a huge part of my job is outdoor play and how important it is especially with children spending more time indoors now on consoles and tablets, it’s important for them to know that enjoyment can be found outdoors, too.
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Learning To Love My Body

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I wrote a post recently about when we take little J to the swimming pool it is mostly dad's in the water with the kids. Whenever I look around it is mainly women watching from the viewing area, me included.  I know how much little J enjoys swimming and going to our local pool so I have promised to make more of an effort and visit the pool with him.

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Days Out | Indoor Play Centres In Manchester

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Over the last few months we have visited lots of indoor activity / play centres, however there are three in particular that little J has said are his favourite. All completely different but all based around in and around Manchester so I thought I would share with all three.
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