Pink Ginger Cordial from Thorncroft

I like ginger anyway, but I know that it's not everybody's cup of tea.  Even so I really want to share this delicious drink with everybody.  Before tasting Thorncroft's pink ginger cordial, throw out all of your preconceptions of what ginger is like.  This drink is subtle, textured, delicate and delicious.  Just writing about it makes me want a glass.

For my full product review of Thorncroft's Pink Ginger Cordial, click here.

Flash Cleaners

With three young kids, I have a lot of cleaning to do.  I've learned that not all cleaners are created equal.  Some cleaners don't seem to be any more effective than a bottle of water, while others make cleaning a lot easier.  The best all-around cleaner that I've found are Flash sprays.  They really do work.

For more about why I love Flash cleaners, click here.
To visit the official Flash website, click here.

Britax Evolva 1-2-3 Carseat

I'll be brief.
I love this carseat.

We have a Britax Evolva for our daughter.  It's a grow-with-you style so it will last them for a long time.  It's super safe, comfortable, and practical.

To find out more about the Britax Evolva 1-2-3 carseat, click here or here.http://www.britax.co.uk/
(The Britax Evolva is similar to the Britax carseat shown.)

My AA Nightmare

I have heard it said that one mistake can ruin a hundred rights.

If AA had only made one mistake, I would have forgiven them.  Unfortunately there were way more mistakes than that.  I'll explain.

Having a car with a lot of miles and young children, we decided to get breakdown coverage.  We went with AA--even though they weren't the cheapest--because they were the most widely known and respected company.

We had a few small events where we called them out (car in the driveway wouldn't start, etc.) and they were fine.  Then came the event where we really needed them.  We had car problems and were forced to pull over on the motorway (interstate).  We were in a dangerous position and forced to wait by the side of the road with our baby and toddler.

We called AA and were assured that we were a high priority and help was on its way.  Unfortunately, we waited for hours for help to come.  AA blatantly lied to us every time that we spoke with them and never followed through with the actions they promised.  When a tow truck finally came, the operator was very rude and abusive to us.  After being stranded out for hours and hours, AA finally told us to get a taxi and that they would reimburse us for the cost.  They never reimbursed us.  They never really apologized to us.  The whole experience was awful, and it lost AA my business.

To read my full experience, click here.

The Knoxville Museum of Art

These are three pieces of artwork photographed on display in the Knoxville Museum of Art.

The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) is a fairly small art museum.  However, it has a nice modern building in a great downtown location.  With free admission it's a great Knoxville attraction that should be especially enjoyed by locals.  I really enjoy the KMA because it showcases a variety of artwork (usually including Southern artists, including artists from the Knoxville area) and is a really friendly museum that encourages you to think of it as your art museum.

To find out more about why I love the Knoxville Museum of Art, click here.
If you're interested in visiting the KMA, click here for their official website.

Ganger Farm



We picked these gooseberries at Ganger Farm and used them to make gooseberry jam.

I can't believe that it's already June.  Somehow spring has disappeared and it's summertime.  There are so many things to love about summertime.  One thing that seems to catch me by surprise every year, though, is how much better food tastes.  Fruits and vegetables taste best when they're fresh and in season, and so many delicious foods are ready to harvest over the summertime.

Foods are best if they're eaten soon after picking, so one of my family's favorite summer time activities is to go to a nearby farm, pick our own fruit and vegetables, and then come home and eat delicious food.  We normally go to Ganger Farm.  It's fairly local, has a good variety of fruit and vegetables, and is competitively priced.  It's also just a really pleasant place to be.  If you happen to live in Hampshire, England, then I recommend giving Ganger Farm a visit.  If you live somewhere else in the world, I hope you can find a pick your own farm near you to visit.

For my longer description of Ganger Farm, click here
To visit Ganger Farm's official website and get up-to-date information about what fruits and vegetables are available at their pick your own, click here.

Culpeper Aloe Vera Bath Foam

I was introduced to Culpeper bath products by the New Park Manor Hotel.  Their complimentary bath products were made by Culpeper, and I absolutely fell in love with the company's products during my stay.

The Culpeper Aloe Vera Bath Foam is one of my favorite shower/bath products.  It smells great (very aloe like and natural, but also smelling very fresh, clean and appealing).  It cleans well but gently, and is good for even the most sensitive skin.  I use it as a body wash as well.  I love it.

Sadly, though, I've just found out that the company Culpeper is under administration.  I'm really disappointed by this news as they created fabulous products.  If you can still get your hands on any of Culpeper's bath products (especially the aloe vera bath foam), snatch them up while you can.  Also, keep your fingers crossed that the company doesn't go completely under.

The Dixie Stampede

Picture taken by Jared Withington at Dollywood (another of Dolly Parton's attractions in Pigeon Forge) near the Dixie Stampede

I love the Dixie Stampede.  Yes, it's kind of cheesy and expensive.  It's also a lot of fun and guaranteed to bring out your Southern Pride (especially if--like me--you are actually from the South).  It's also great family entertainment.  My kids LOVED it and I'd definitely bring them back.

If you've never heard of the Dixie Stampede, it's basically a dinner/entertainment extravaganza with horse stunts, musical numbers, and more.

The Dixie Stampede is essentially a dinner theater, and serves southern country cooking.  For examples of the type of food served at the Dixie Stampede or to cook your own Dixie meal, check out one of Dolly's cook books, like this one: Dolly's Dixie Fixin's: Love, Laughter and Lots of Good Food.

Click here to read my article about The Dixie Stampede (Pigeon Forge, TN location).
To book tickets or find out more, visit the official Dixie Stampede website.

Boarhunt Recovery

Having your car break down is a frustrating and sometimes dangerous experience anyway, but it's even worse when you have young children with you.  To make a long story short, my family was in a situation where our car broke down while we were driving on the motorway (freeway).  We were stuck on the small area by the side of the road with our young kids.  Having breakdown cover, we called and assumed that we would get rescued quickly.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be an absolute nightmare.  The people at Boarhunt Rescue & Recovery were mean and rude to the point of being abusive.  We were stuck waiting for hours before being dumped in a parking lot somewhere (still not knowing what was wrong with our car and still not having a way to get it to a garage/mechanic to get it checked out).  The experience was so bad that I still shudder and cringe every time that I pass a Boarhunt vehicle.  This was hands down the single worst experience that I have ever had as a customer.

In short: If you live in Southern England, and your car breaks down, do not call Boarhunt for help.  Just about anything else is a better alternative.  Be aware that they are an affiliate of the AA.  If the AA tries to send them out to help you, refuse and politely insist on an actual AA vehicle (their rescue vehicle drivers have--in my experience--always been friendly and helpful).

To find out more about my experience with Boarhunt Rescue & Recovery, click here.
To visit Boarhunt's company website and find out what they have to say for themselves, click here.

Schwarzkopf Live Colour XXL Mystic Violet Hair Dye

I have dyed my hair a lot over the years.  I was blessed with naturally thick and strong hair that can put up with a lot of abuse, and it's been through a lot of hair styles.  One of my favorite hair colors is purple (ranging from bright purple to more subtle darker hues).  Normally I love Schwarzkopf hair products, and I've used almost all of the colors in their Live range.  So I tried out the Schwarzkopf Live Color XXL Mystic Violet Hair Dye (permanent dye to use at home).

To make a long story short, the dye was terrible. (To read the long story about using this dye, click here.)  I was really disappointed in it.  Although I'll keep using Schwarzkopf products, I won't buy the mystic violet hair dye again.

Yellow Dot Nursery in Ampfield, Hants, UK

If you're a parent, then you know how difficult it can be to find good childcare and find the right educational match for your kids. 

Yellow Dot is a small group of nurseries and kindergartens in Hampshire, southern England.  They are known for their very high standards (excellent Ofsted ratings and government awards, and long waiting lists because of good word-of-mouth reviews by parents). 

In Ampfield, a small area nestled between Romsey and Hursley, there is a Yellow Dot Nursery.  They have a baby room, a toddler room, a transition room, and a kindergarten (for preschool aged children).  They have great facilities and a high standard of child care. 

I was impressed from my very first visit there.  To read more about my initial visit to Yellow Dot Nursery, click here.


Both of my children later regularly attended Yellow Dot in Ampfield.  They both loved it there.  My oldest daughter is now in school, but she still talks about how much she loved Yellow Dot.  I have nothing but praise for their work with children.  My only complaints that I've had with them are with the woman in charge of finances (she was unreliable and frequently made mistakes on our bills, etc.).

Click here to visit the official Yellow Dot website (for all Yellow Dot locations, including the nursery in Ampfield).

Nando's in Eastleigh, Hants, UK

My family first went to Nando's about two years ago for the "soft opening" of their Eastleigh location.  We were really impressed by them then, and have continued to enjoy going there since.  They have a good atmosphere, delicious affordable food, and a convenient location.  This is definitely my favorite place to stop for a quick meal in Eastleigh.

Click here to visit the official Nando's website.

Plum Fromage Frais

Plum is a company that makes high-end organic baby food.  Their foods are tasty (I like snacking on them along with my kids) and very nutritious. 

Their fromage frais pots come in great flavors full of natural ingredients that help to aid digestion.  They are delicious, healthy, and perfect for weaning kids.  They do cost about twice what I would normally pay for fromage frais, but they are a very good product.

Click here to find out more about Plum Fromage Frais, or visit the official Plum website.

Ecolibrium Paint

I'll be really straightforward.  I love Ecolibrium's paints.  I used their interior wall paints.  They have a great range of beautiful colors (think nature tones, but a wide variety), and were really easy to use (we did our own redecorating).  They are safer and greener than just about any other paint in the market.  Several months later, I still love the way the paint looks. 

If you're doing some painting inside your home or office, I highly recommend Ecolibrium paints.  I would definitely buy them again.

To find out more about why I like Ecolibrium paints, click here.
To visit the Ecolibrium website and view their full range of products, click here.

No 7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream

I should probably begin by saying that I do not normally use a night cream.  I don't consistently use any face cream.  However, as I'm  prone to dry skin, I was happy to try out No7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream from Boots.

The cream comes in a nice little plastic pot, is a generic white color and creamy texture, and has a cosmeticsy smell (slightly old lady-ish, but not strong).  I tried putting a little on my face at night.  Overall I have to say that I did not notice any significant difference from using it.  The Protect & Perfect Night Cream did not rub particularly well into my skin, and my skin was still dry after using it.  I don't think it absorbed very well.  It also didn't seem to help with wrinkles, bags, skin irritations, etc.  Basically it was the same as not using it, only my skin felt a bit greasier after applying it.

I would not buy this product.

Disclaimer: I was given a sample pot of No7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream with some other cosmetics from Boots.  I do not have any relationship with Boots and this post is based on my opinion. 

Asda Brand Laundry Products

Like most people these days, I've thought about ways to save money on my weekly shopping and household costs.  Having a family we create a lot of laundry, and so use a lot of laundry products.  I usually buy the name-brand products.  In an effort to save some money, I decided to try out Asda brand laundry products and compare.

First off, the Asda brand products were cheaper when both the Asda items and name brand items were at their normal prices.  However, the name brand products like Persil and Comfort often go on offer so that the price difference is not as great.

I tried out the cheap Asda brand stain spray, non-bio laundry detergent, and fabric softener.

The stain spray smelled bad and didn't remove stains.  The loads without any stain spray at all were cleaned equally with the ones using stain spray, so that was a total waste of money.

The non-bio laundry detergent did not get our clothes as clean as the name brand alternatives.  Also, my daughter has eczema and her skin was irritated by the clothes washed with the Asda laundry powder.

The fabric softener didn't soften our clothes nearly as much as name brand softener.  This means that our clothes/towels/etc. were left rough to the touch which, again, irritated my daughter's skin (and didn't feel nice for any of us).

So here's my prognosis: Asda's brand laundry products are not worth the small amount of money I saved using them.  I'll stick to Persil and Comfort in the future.

To find out more about my experiences using Asda brand laundry products, click here.

Stain Spray Trial: Shout Vs. Wizz

I'm clumsy and I have little kids.  We have a lot of dirty laundry, including a wide range of stains from mud and grass to spilled food and smudged paint and craft supplies.  So I tried out two different brands of stain removal spray on my families laundry: Shout and Wizz.

Both the sprays cost about the same amount at supermarkets, and both are the same to use.  The results, though, were different.  I definitely preferred the Shout spray.  It got clothes cleaner without discoloring clothes, whereas the Wizz bleached some clothes and left stains in others.

To get more details about my comparative trials of Shout and Wizz stain sprays on my family's laundry, click here.

Danone Shape Yogurts

When I go grocery shopping, there's a whole huge aisle of yogurts and other diary products (and replacement dairy products, like soy yogurt) to choose from.  Finding the yogurt that is both what you want and tastes good can be difficult.

If you are looking for a fat free yogurt that is also low in carbs and sugars, I recommend Danone's Shape Yogurts.  They have a nice creamy consistency (I hate when low-fat yogurts seem all slimy or runny) and taste pretty good.  I don't like that they have aspartame in them, but otherwise they're pretty good.

To read more about Danone Shape Yogurts, click here, or you can click here to visit the Danone website.

HOTmilk Maternity & Nursing Bras

As a mother, I know first-hand that finding good maternity and nursing bras can be difficult.  Even companies that normally make good bras often have a really poor selection of maternity/nursing bras.

HOTmilk is a company that only makes maternity/nursing items, especially lingerie and nightwear.  Their bras are really attractive, supportive, and functional.  These are by far the best maternity and nursing bras that I've ever tried.

The only downside is that their range currently only goes up to an H cup.  However, they're a relatively new company and their range seems to get bigger each season.

To read my review of HOTmilk's Cherry Bomb Chic lingerie set, click here.
To visit HOTmilk's website and see their full current range, click here.

Wet Wipe Wars: Asda's Own Brand Vs. Name Brand

Having young kids, we get through a lot of wet wipes.  I've learned that they are ideal not only for changing diapers/nappies, but are also great for wiping dirty hands/faces, cleaning items around the house, etc.  I used them all the time.

I decided to compare the name brand wipes (specifically Huggies and Pampers) with Asda store brand wipes.

Overall I have to say that I was pretty impressed by how well the cheaper store brand wipes held up against the name brand competition.  I'll still buy the name brand wipes if they're on offer for the same price, but otherwise I'm happy to use the Asda brand wipes.

To read my longer comparison between Asda's brand and name brand wet wipes, click here.