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Spring is approaching fast and after the last 12 months we’ve had we’d all love to treat our family members and make them smile with some super gifts from days out for all the family to a fantastic new luxury bag for mum (to keep all the goodies in for a said family day out).

When the current Covid19 restrictions start to be lifted there will be so many more opportunities to treat ourselves and our loved ones.  After spending so much time apart and being so limited in what we can do, treats like fun days out will feel even more special.

Here are some ideas for places you might like to visit and gifts to give to show people you’ve missed how much you appreciate them.

Bewilderwood

The forest of family fun at Bewilderwood has been awarded the prestigious “Award of Excellence” by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for its outstanding design and quality.

The forest has amazing items for the children from rope swings, zip lines, jungle bridges, pirate boot trips,  and climbing frames. Tickets for the forest can also be bought as a gift for a special occasion such as Christmas, New Year or even a birthday or in fact when this lockdown is finally relaxed.

Llandudno

Llandudno in North Wales is a favourite traditional day out by the seaside and a great destination when the lockdown is relaxed and we can go back to a decent quality normal life again. Llandudno has a beautiful pebbly beach, a long pier and some stunning looking beachfront properties.

The kids will love the Great Orme (you can have great fun on the cable car up and train back down) With great fish and chips, and a plethora of ice cream shops all with a traditional old world setting you will have a lovely time.

Now, let’s look for a great gift for a mum to help carry all the items you will surely need. 

Luxury handbag or shoes for a treat for Mum

If ever there was a year when you could treat yourself to something luxurious and beautiful, and really feel you deserve it, it’s  2021.

It’s been a really tough time for everyone so, if you have to money available to spend, treat yourself or a loved one to something a bit special like a luxury handbag.  You can find some beautiful pieces at www.Larizia.com including handbags, shoes and accessories, if you want to start looking while the shops are still shut.

Luxury handbags are more durable, hold their value and make your outfit look polished and more expensive, so it’s often worth the investment. Of course, they are made of high-quality materials like premium quality leather and are made to very high standards perfect for the gruelling trips with the family as well as a fancy night out with the girls. You will be using the bag for years to come, so on a cost-per-use basis it’s often worth spending more initially.

If bags aren’t your thing, then you might prefer splash out on some designer shoes, after a year spent at home in slippers.  As long as you have the money to spend, go ahead and treat yourself or your loved ones to something special.

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

EYFS—The Early Years Foundation Stage is responsible for setting standards related to the development and learning of all children from their birth to when they’re 5 years old. 

As a result, all Ofsted-registered early providers and schools offering early years education are required to abide by the guidelines provided by EYFS, including: 

• School reception classes
• Child-minders
• Nurseries
• Pre-schools
• School reception classes

The framework provided by EYFS is meant to offer a unified approach to early care and learning. 

EYFS—What Is It? 

The Early Years Foundation Stage refers to a framework by the UK government that explicitly sets the development and welfare goals for children from birth to their 5th birthday. 

For parents whose children have been placed under any type of childcare beyond their own, for example Reception year at school, Nanny, Pre-school, Child-minder, and Nursery this framework will be used in tracking and monitoring their progress.

Parents can also take child tracking and monitoring to a higher level by using the EYFS tracker. 

It’s a reliable online tool that they can use as a learning journal. The data collected by the observers is shared with the parents making it possible for them to see how their children are doing at school. 

The following are the basic learning goals provided by the EYFS framework.

1. Specific Learning and Development Areas

1. Expressive arts and design: This is classified into:
   1. Being imaginative – all about using what they have studied to represent their own thoughts and ideas.
   2. Using materials and media to explore – They get to sing songs, dance and make music of their own.
2. Literacy: includes reading and writing
3. Understanding the world: Here, the kids get to learn about technology, the world, and other people and their communities. 
4. Mathematics: This is classified into:
   1. Numbers: They get to count reliably from one to twenty. They also get to solve problems such as sharing, halving, and doubling.
   2. Measures, pace, and shape: The purpose of this step is to enable them to describe, create, and recognize.

2. Prime Learning and Development Areas

These are classified into 3 groupings as follows

• Personal, social, and emotional development: Children get to learn self-awareness and self-confidence, how to behave and manage their feelings, and the importance of making relationships. 
• Communication and language: The purpose of this category is to teach the kids how to listen and pay attention. In the course of their studies, they will also tackle understanding by getting to answer ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. Lastly, they will be taken through how to properly express themselves by paying attention to their listeners’ needs.
• Physical development: It covers everything to do health and self-care, moving and handling. By the end of this stage, they should have learned how to show control in all types of settings and the need to exercise a good diet.

Conclusion

Understanding your legal duty as a childcare provider makes it easier for you to follow the EYFS framework to the latter. As seen above, the framework is comprehensive as it seeks to tackle all childcare aspects, taking time to confirm that no category is marginalized. 

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

I know the old saying goes that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but is moissanite actually what we’re all really looking for?

The world of gemstones welcomed the discovery of moissanite in 1906.  Henri Moissan (a Nobel Prize winner) discovered a significant quantity of silicon carbide (Moissanite) occurring naturally within the perimeter of a meteorite impact site.  At the time a lot of people believed that it had come from space but the truth is a bit less ‘out there’ than that.

The compound actually exists naturally all over the world.  It can also be ‘cooked’ in a lab, if you have the right ingredients and equipment.

So what does make moissanite so special?

There are quite a few different reasons that couples are starting to look to moissanite for their engagement and wedding rings.

One of the biggest reasons is that it is comparable with diamonds in terms of colour, density, radiance and toughness, but at a lower price point.  It also has a really beautiful sparkle that makes it something really special – in contrast to a diamond’s white refraction, moissanite gives off a rainbow-coloured refraction.

Is a Moissanite gemstone expensive?

Considering the weight ratio, a small diamond can costs the same as a much bigger moissanite stone, making it a good choice for individuals and couples who want to save money, don’t have credit score to finance diamond jewellery, or who are looking for bad credit engagement ring financing alternatives. 

Although moissanite is not a substitute for diamond, it has carved-out its own niche of customers in the world of gemstones and unlike diamonds, it is more widely available for a significantly lowered price tag.

Gemstone experts often describe moissanite as a jewel with no ethical baggage, unlike diamond which has ethical considerations to keep in mind like its mining techniques, underpayment of miners or environmental degradation.  So buying moissanite satisfies the desire for a beautiful gem stone, without the ethical concerns. Some even say there is no better definition of a dream come true. It ticks all the boxes.

Opting for the perfect moissanite gemstone

Like diamonds, moissanites are colour-coded with the gold-standard of moissanite being the forever brilliant colour-code.

The stone is 100% colourless and closest in appearance to diamonds. Although, other colour tints or variants are available across the spectrum, it is worth noting that these colour qualities are graded according to letters of the alphabet.

The colourless group is represented by D to F, semi-coloured stones fall between category G and I while the colour-coded category is represented by alphabets J and K.

Gemstone experts are constantly working towards mixing the colours of moissanite stones, making them available in multiple colours. So, if you ever have plans to sweep someone special off their feet or brighten up their world, you don’t have to overthink your options. Simply walk into a jewellery store nearby or one you are familiar with and purchase that beautiful and perfectly carved moissanite gemstone. 

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

If you’ve had a tree cut down in your garden, the likelihood that you’ve now got an unsightly stump just sitting there is pretty high.

Figuring out what to do with that stump becomes your next headache and mission. But there’s no need to panic, you have countless of options to choose from, whether that’s repurposing your stump for something more useful or removing it altogether! 

Want to find out more? Keep reading to see what options are available to you…

Repurposing your tree stump

Rather than leaving your tree stump sitting in your garden and sticking out like a sore thumb, have you thought about using it for something more useful?

If you’re stuck at what you could use your stump for, here are a few creative ideas that you can try! 

• Birdbaths – For the bird lovers and watchers among us, being able to help our little winged friends is a great feeling. With some assistance of your tree stump, you can keep your garden birds well hydrated throughout the day by using your stump as a birdbath holder. If it’s cut level, you can easily place a birdbath on top that helps the local birds while they’re going about their daily excursions.

• Garden furniture – If your garden is a little light when it comes to places to sit, why not turn your stump into a wonderful wooden throne? Okay, maybe not a throne but with the help of some nifty carving you can easily create a chair where you’re able to sit back, relax and enjoy the surrounding nature.

• Sculptures – Why carve a chair when you can carve a masterpiece? If you or someone you know is particularly handy when it comes to woodwork, you can transform your tree stump into your garden’s centrepiece with a glorious wooden sculpture. The possibilities here are endless, so get your tools and your thinking cap on and get carving! 

• Games board – If the surface of your tree stump is level and smooth, it can double-up as a fantastic games board. Paint or draw your board on top, grab your pieces and another player and you can have hours of fun! Whether its’s drafts, snakes and ladders or tic tac toe, the options are plentiful.

• Planters – Do you have green fingers? If so, your tree stump is the perfect place to hold your plants and flowers. Similar to the birdbaths options, if your stump is cut level, you’re able to place almost any plant pot on top to add a splash of colour to your outdoor space. 

Removing your tree stump 

Of course, if none of the above options really tickle your fancy, you always have the choice of removing your stump altogether to free up some much-needed space. Typically there are two ways of doing this. 

The first method of stump removal is total removal whereby the stump itself, as well as the tree’s roots underneath the ground, are excavated out using heavy machinery. The second method of tree stump removal involves a process known as ‘grinding’, where equipment is used to grind the stump until it is gone, leaving the roots as they are. The latter is the more popular choice amongst homeowners as it is the less intrusive method and leaves a lot less mess. 

Whatever you decide to do with your tree stump, we hope this article has given you the help and inspiration you need! 

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

If you’re planning on giving your garden a fresh makeover complete with a brand new deck but are undecided on what type of decking to opt for, here we give you five reasons why you should consider choosing composite! 

Now, you may have heard that composite is quite pricey compared to other types of decking, which can be true, but as the old saying goes ‘you get what you pay for!’  Besides, composite decking is not what it once was and is far more accessible nowadays, so you shouldn’t outright dismiss it without giving it at least some thought, right?

Well, without further ado, here are the reasons why you SHOULD install composite decking or your next garden project.

Benefits of choosing composite decking

• Low-maintenance – The first and most obvious benefit of choosing composite decking over other types of decking (mostly natural wood), is that it offers extremely low levels of maintenance to keep it looking good. Unlike the majority of wood decks, such as hardwood or timber, composite decking never requires staining, sealing or painting to keep up its natural beauty or protect it from the elements, which is all thanks to its state-of-the-art manufacture.  

Its ability to resistant the sun and water means your deck boards are far less likely to rot or warp as a result. The only upkeep required is a jet wash from time to time, meaning you’ll be saving countless hours and additional money needed to keep your deck looking the same as the day you installed it.

• Improved safety – Unlike traditional wooden deck boards, composite boards are produced using a combination of both real wood and synthetic materials, which results in a splinter-free finish. It may not seem like a great deal at first but if you have young children or pets that are likely going to be running around on the deck, the peace of mind knowing that they’re going to be completely safe from stepping on a splinter or split board is definitely worth the investment.

• Long-lasting – Another added benefit of composite decking’s manufacture is the longevity you’re going to receive from the boards. Often available in a ‘capped’ style where the boards are wrapped with a protective sleeve to fight against moisture, composite deck boards can last up to 30 years! That’s three whole decades where you’ll never have to worry about replacing your deck. 

• Environmentally-friendly – Did you know that the real wood materials used to produce composite deck boards come from reclaimed wood that would otherwise go to landfills? Also, almost no trees are cut down to make them, making them a far more eco-friendly choice compared to other types of decking. Nowadays, you can also choose to buy hollow composite deck boards which use even fewer materials in their manufacture, making them even more sustainable. 

• Adds value to your home – If you decide to sell your property in the future, the addition of a composite deck can be used as an extra selling point to any potential buyers. Thanks to its long-lasting nature, future owners of your property wouldn’t have to think about replacing for some years, given that they like it of course. This once again reinforces the notion that a composite deck can be seen as an investment, rather than an expense.  

So, there you have it! The five reasons why a composite deck should be a part of your next big garden project. Of course, more benefits come with adding a deck to your outdoor space which we’re sure you are already aware of but if not, don’t hesitate to do some extra research. 

In terms of choosing the right composite decking for you, there now exists a plethora of options, including the hollow boards mentioned above, so you should have no problem in finding a composite board that suits both your style and budget! 

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

When it comes to feeling, and looking, good a lot of the time it comes down to being confident in who you are.  To completely and utterly accepting and loving your body and being comfortable in your own skin.

There are some tips though that have stood the test of time in picking out clothes that you feel great wearing and that make you walk with that extra bit of confidence.

Making a traditionally sexy look work

Although perceptions of what is considered sexy have definitely changed in the past few years, many people remain traditional in their views.

If you’re in the mood for a more sexy look after months of living in joggers, then these tips can help:

A sleek skirt or a sexy dress that skims and hugs your curves is great, but it can also be sophisticated enough to wear at work. Another great option is a light, flirty dress with an appealing front and back view.

Try adding a more masculine element, like a blazer, to a floaty dress to take it from playful to sexy.  There is no need to be underdressed or try too hard in order to get your outfit seen!

It should be right for you

Without exception, clothing should always be the right size for you. Wearing something that is way too big or much too small is never flattering, and can either draw focus to the wrong areas or make you look frumpy. Don’t be shy to ask the sales assistants in the store for help – avoiding ill-fitting clothing is a big deal, and should not be underestimated in the search for the perfect sexy dress. 

Most women will recall a time when they put something on, looked in the mirror, and wondered if the outfit was “too much”. Think about the times you’ve felt like this. Chances are you might have been wearing something that something that didn’t match your personality and just didn’t feel like ‘you’. 

Let the colour do the talking

Never underestimate colour, particularly red, when trying to be more sexy. Years of research and experience have shown that red is a “drawing” colour, making people more noticeable and ore appealing to one another.

The data is truly in – wear more red, even if you wear an oversized sweater! The same goes for make up – a stylish red lipstick on an otherwise neutral face, or a dab of red nail polish can go a long way in not only rounding off the look, but adding some spice and attention to it!

Zone it off

Alternating zones is the perfect way to dress up and show off your personality, regardless of your age, body type, or shape.

Broadly, it means focusing on one zone at a time. Busy top half? Tone down the bottom. Revealing some leg? Cover up your arms. Easy!

Because it is a guideline, it gives you enough freedom to adapt it to your needs, but because it gives structure, it can help you to create a solid look that works for you, while taking your personal preferences into account. 

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post

When you get dressed in the morning, what are the main factors that influence the clothes you choose to wear?

Like most of us at the moment I work from home, so generally the main thing I think about when I decide what to wear is how comfortable the clothes are.

If you need to look professional though you might pick out clothes that look neat and polished and that make you feel confident and well put together.

And if you’re feeling a bit low you might pick out something in a bright colour that cheers you up.

I have to admit that I’m not a big follower of fashion, but I do think that the clothes we choose to wear can have a big impact on how we feel.  They can also effect how other people see us, and we can use the clothes we wear to make a statement to the world.

One of my favourite trends over the years has been slogan T-shirts.

There are so, so many designs to choose from that you can always find a T-shirt with a slogan or image on it to suit your mood and let the world know how you’re feeling.

You can start by picking out the colour of a T-shirt to suit either your mood or what you’re doing that day.

Bright colours like yellow and red are great if you’re feeling cheerful and want to show that to the world.  Or if you’re feeling a bit anxious and want something to help you feel a bit calmer you could go for a purple or green T-shirt.

The interesting thing with this is that studies have shown that the clothes we wear can change the way we feel, but as a result of us believing that they will.

So putting that red T-shirt on won’t magically make you feel happier, unless you believe that it will.  And that belief tends to come from knowing that this particular top fits you well, and that you feel confident in it.

The other place you can start with choosing a T-shirt is the slogan or design on it.

There are so many designs to choose from when it comes to women’s T-shirts so there really is something for every personality and every mood.

I love T-shirts with simple slogans like ‘not today’ for days when you’re not in the mood for dealing with the world and want to make a bit of a joke about it.  On the flip side of this I also love T-shirts with uplifting slogans and messages reminding people to be kind and keep positive.

These kinds of T-shirts can make us feel better when we put them on, as well as make other people smile when they see us wearing them, which isn’t bad for a humble T-shirt.

We can also express different sides of our personalities with the T-shirts we choose to wear.

You can use them to show your allegiance to a particular sports team, or to tell the world about your love of your favourite tv show or film.

If you have a more quirky personality you can find T-shirts that help you express that side of yourself with fun graphics and slogans.

No matter who you are, what mood you’re in or what you want to present to the world, you can find a T-shirt that will help you express yourself without having to say a word.

Do you have a favourite slogan T-shirt?  What do you think it says about you when you wear it?

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post