Monday 27 March 2017

Mystery Blogger Award!

Hi everyone,

I have been nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award by the Lovey Steph from Steph's World. This tag was created by Okoto Enigma.


Rules
  1. Put the award logo/image in your post.
  2. List all the rules.
  3. Thank whoever nominated you and leave a link to their blog.
  4. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  5. Nominate 10-20 people.
  6. Notify each nominee by commenting on their blog.
  7. Ask nominees any 5 questions of your choice, with a weird or funny question (specify)
  8. Share the link to your best/favourite post of yours.
3 things about me

  1. I am huge Harry Potter fan
  2. I am also a huge Lush fan
  3. I am a natural blonde
Steph's Questions:
  1. If you could live in any other country, where would you live?

    A: I would definitely pick America! It is my dream to go

  2. Do you have a favourite quote?
  3. 'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remember to turn on the light.'
    -Albus Dumbledore

  4. How long have you been blogging, and do you see yourself still blogging in 5 years time?

  5. I've been blogging for about 8 months now and right now I definitely see myself blogging in 5 years time!

  6. What are your favourite blogposts to write?

  7. I like writing all sorts of blog posts. I especially like doing tag posts as I find it fun to answer others questions but I also like doing haul posts and reviews.

  8. Funny question – If you could live with any wild animal, what which one would you like to live with and why?

  9. I would probably live with a Lion or Tiger. Imagine how protected you would feel.

My 5 questions:

  1. If you could live in a film or book for a day what would it be and why?
  2. Who's blogs would you recommend to read or YouTube channels to watch and why?
  3. What is your favourite Disney film?
  4. What is the worst habit someone could have and why?
  5. Funny question- What is a saying you say a lot?

I nominate:


My favourite post I think has to be my labour story.

Tasha x

See my last post here.




Friday 24 March 2017

Jackson Reece Baby Wipes Review*

Hi everyone,

So as you may or may not know, I am a Mummy. One of the things us parents have to do on a daily bases to fulfil our children's care needs is, change their nappy! That's if they are still at this stage of course. As its happens my beautiful daughter Darcie is, she is 3 months old.

Now you probably think 'a wipe I a wipe, get over yourself Tasha?!' Trust me when I say, when dealing with a poo-splosion a wipe is not just a wipe! This is the ultimate test any wipe will have to go through! I'll spare the details! I'm sure anyone who has dealt with a poo-splosion will be with me on this.

There is so many things to think about when choosing and using a wipe like. I've tried loads of brands of wipes. There's been ones that are too wet, too dry, too rough and even ones that aren't strong enough and rip when trying to get them out of the packet. I'm sure as a parent you would have had at least one of these problems.

The lovely people at Jackson Reece sent me some of there wipes to review. Jackson Reece have won the Mother & Baby Gold Award (many times), the Tips Best award (for eco-friendly, Tips best of the best, unscented), Practical pre-school awards (gold and silver) and the Practical pregnancy & parenting award (bronze and gold) for their wipes and honestly, I can understand why.

A bit about Jackson Reece:

'Every baby's skin is so delicate, it makes sense to choose the most natural wipes you can. Designed by the experts at Jackson Reece, our range of natural and herbal baby wipes are made from natural ingredients and contain no nasty chemicals, making them ideal for use even on babies with eczema. That's why we can say with confidence that we're kinder by nature.'
-Jackson Reece 

Below are the 3 types of wipes Jackson Reece sell.

children, babies, herbal, natural, nose nuzzles

From Left to right:
  • 'Kinder by Nature- Herbal'
  • 'Kinder by Nature- Nose Nuzzles''
  • 'Kinder by Nature- Natural'
Before I go into talking about the wipes themselves, I want to make a comment on the packaging. When I started to use the wipes on Darcie, I showed her the packaging. Darcie looked at the fun, bright and very relevant design on the packet and started to smile. Packaging is Darcie approved, so lets find out how the wipes faired.

To start with I used the 'Kinder by Nature Natural' wipes. To give a brief description of these wipes they are 100% biodegradable, 100% alcohol and paraben free, 100% unscented, 100% fragrance & perfume free and have certified organic soothing Aloe Vera. You get 64 wipes in a packet.

children, babies, wipes


Darcie's delicate little bottom can go a little red sometimes so I was curious as to how these would go down. My one main test was the strength of the wipe. When I pulled it out of the packet, there was no breakage. I proceeded to give a little tug on the wipe. Nothing. No rip, no tear, nothing. I thought this can't be right, how can something so natural be so strong? So that was it, I tugged as hard as I could and all I ended up with was a misshapen wipe. I even handed a wipe to my boyfriend (who is significantly stronger then me) to have a pull on and all he ended up with was a misshapen wipe to. Brilliant, a wipe that doesn't break! These wipes are also have the right amount of wetness to them as well, not too dry and not too wet. Another point to add is they are not rough, they are just the right material to be able to clean. Perfect! The initial test earned full points! Now to see how they cleaned Darcie's bottom up. We use Sudocrem (other creams are available) on Darcie's bottom and some wipes can take ages to clean up the left over bits up, but not these. In a couple of wipes the left over Sudocrem was no more! These wipes are very effective at cleaning up a dirty nappy! Also, after a day or so using them I noticed a complete difference. Darcie's little bit of red on her bottom had pretty much cleared up! The pack lasted about 3 to 4 days. This is probably due to my OCD and having to use an even number of wipes each time, even though it isn't always necessary.

Next up is the Herbal packet. These wipes are 100% biodegradable, 100% alcohol and paraben free, 100% perfume & fragrance free, with organic ingredients and hypoallergenic and have certified organic Aloe Vera and aromatherapy & Ylang Ylang.

Children, Babies, wipes


I am still using this packet but so far all is good! The wipes are exactly the same as the natural wipes above strong, they're not rough, are not too wet and not too dry and clean really well! Another thing I will mention about both packets is that I personally haven't had any problem with going to get one wipe out and ending up with 6. They also break away from each other well. These wipes come out one sometimes two at a time. This is another great aspect for me. There's nothing worse then trying to clean up your baby and having to deal with a trail of wipes coming out and you can't seem to break one or two off. Again, Darcie's redness is yet to come back.

Last but by no means least, the Nose nuzzles. These are natural saline wipes for stuffy noses, 100% alcohol and paraben free, 100% unscented, fragrance and perfume free and have soothing Aloe Vera and calming camomile.

children, babies, wipes

Any parent will know that a sneeze or that one boogie that looks yucky can happen at any time. Darcie has the latter. These are so handy just to pop in you handbag or the changing bag when going out or even for when you're indoors. I can imagine for older children as well they would be great for teaching them how to wipe their noses affectively. Using these to clean up the sneeze streams will be 100% and not using tissue that leave sore red marks and an irritated, dry nose. They're also great for cleaning up little bits of milk sick or for when you are weaning or on solids, cleaning mucky faces.

Over all they are definitely a product I would purchase and will probably be my wipe of choice from now on. Whilst browsing as well I also found they have a moisturiser and hand spray! I will be trying these sometime soon!

The wipes are avaliable from Amazon, Tesco, Kiddicare, Waitrose and Boots.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Tasha x


*I received these products in return of a fair and honest review*

Monday 20 March 2017

Mothers Day Gift Guide 2017: Last Minute Gifts with Baylis & Harding*

Hi everyone,

Mother's Day is approaching quickly and is this Sunday! It will also be my first Mother's Day as a Mummy myself! So, I thought it would be fitting to do a mothers day gift guide featuring Baylis & Harding!

Baylis & Harding are a brand I have known for years and quite often a brand I would gift to my own Mum. The gifts they bring out are affordable and have that luxury feel and quality to them, just what any Mum needs!

I was lucky enough to be sent one of their products to review. The set I recieved was the Pink Prosecco and Cassis Luxury foot set.

Pink Prosecco & Cassis Luxury Foot Set
The first thing I said when I opened the parcel was 'FLUFFY SOCKS!' and to my disappointment my Mum who watched me open the parcel also had her eye on the socks. So Baylis and Harding are on to a winner there with me and my Mum and that's just with the socks. (Also cheap Mother's Day for me a pair of fluffy socks and Mum's happy! Only joking, I won't just buy my mum socks.)

Here's what you get in the set:

Fluffy socks, Foot lotion, foot soak crystals
White fluffy socks, Soothing foot lotion and Foot soak crystals
First I put about half the packet (packet contains 25g of crystals) of foot soak crystals (as I only have little feet) into a bowl of warm water and for about 15 minutes I just sat there completely indulged. It was so nice to just sit and relax for a little while and take a load off my feet.

After I had dried my feet I took a bit of the foot lotion and began to rub it into my feet. You get a 50ml tube and you only need a bit as a little goes a long way! The first reaction I had to the lotion was the smell! It smells heavenly! It's a fruity and sweet scent but not over powering. My Mum is yet to smell this as I am worried that once she smells it, I won't get it back. The lotion itself is beautifully smooth and sinks into your skin like a dream! They definitely got the name of the set right, it definitely feels luxury! My feet feel amazingly smooth and soft.

After, I put the fluffy socks on and they are super soft! They topped of my pampering session well! As I mentioned above it was nice to take a little me time and pamper myself, so thank you for this treat Baylis & Harding!

Pink Prosecco, Cassis fragrance, scent


You can buy this set on Amazon. (RRP £8)

Other products in the Baylis & Harding range ideal for Mum:

Pink Prosecco & Cassis Wick Candle in a Glass Cloche, available from Tesco
(RRP: £15)

La maison Linen Rose & Cotton Heart Gift Box, available at Morrisons
(RRP £10)

Linen Rose & Cotton Bathing Essential Tin available at Argos 
(RRP: £30)


Linen Rose & Cotton Large Single Wick Candle, available from the House of Fraser 
(RRP £15)

Linen Rose & Cotton Luxury Shower Crème, available from the House of Fraser
(RRP: £12)

Linen Rose & Cotton Set of 3 Candles, available from Debenhams or Argos
(RRP £20)

Pink Prosecco & Cassis Fragrance Diffuser, available from Asda or Amazon
(RRP: £15)

Don't forget Mother's Day is this Sunday the 26th! What will you be doing?

Tasha x



*I received this item in return for a fair and honest review*

Thursday 16 March 2017

Lush, Primark, Urban Decay Haul!

Hi everyone,

I've been waiting to get the opportunity to pop my haul post up. I've started using a different camera and I'm just experimenting with photography at the moment and what works best. I've decided to split my purchases in to two posts as I want to do one separately for the clothes I brought.

So, I went into one of my local towns with the intention of not spending a lot. That was short lived as Lush sucked me in and teased me with it's pretty, gorgeous smelling delights!

But the first place I brought from was Primark.



The only thing I brought in Primark (for myself) was the above 'I can't run I'm a mermaid' bottle. This was a bargain price of £3! I'm still yet to use this but I thought it was funny as I don't run and what better excuse then being a mermaid?!

This is when the power of Lush sucked me in. Not only did I but the below stuff for myself but I also brought stuff for my giveaway! It is now live and you can enter here




So I always want to buy the whole shop when I walk into Lush! I have to restrict myself from buying excessive amount of products. I'll go from left to right and then on to the two central products.
  • Dragon's Egg- Also featured in my giveaway! I love Dragon's Egg bath bomb. I haven't had one of these citrus scented delights in a while.
  • Lava Lamp- This is a new one for me. I thought Lava Lamp bath bomb looked interesting so thought I would give it a go!
  • Butterball- Another bath bomb that is featured in my giveaway! This is a little favourite of mine that leaves my skin feeling so soft. Small but very mighty!
  • Frozen- Move over Queen Elsa we have a new Frozen queen in town! I cannot get enough of this refreshing bath bomb. It's like bathing in a sparkly blanket of ice but without it being cold!
  • Mum (pink)- Mum is another in my giveaway! (Psst! You don't have to be a Mum to enter, I just thought is was a nice edition as it's limited edition.) This oval shaped bath bomb and is my first thing I have ever tried in the mothers day limited edition range from Lush. I am looking forward to using Mum as it smells like I am going to have a very relaxing bath!
  • Daddy-O- Yes, I am a natural blonde and yes I probably should dye my hair but I can't bring myself to. This is why I am trying Daddy-O out. I desperately need to try and get my hair brighter. I know we are just exiting winter but there's nothing I can't stand more then my hair turning a brassy colour. I thought I would give Daddy-o shampoo a go as I have heard great things about it. I will let you know how I get on.

I have also made another couple of purchases one online and one from Ryman. (Sorry that  the photo isn't the same style as the rest.)


I finally got round to placing my Blogosphere Magazine subscription! I've been wanting to do so for ages! I am definitely looking forward to getting round to reading these! Another thing I brought was a Leuchttrum 1917 bullet journal from Ryman! I also treated myself to some Papermate Flair pens from Ryman.


Last but by no means least I popped into Debenhams as I had a £15 gift card to use in there. If you follow me on Twitter you may vaguely remember me tweeting about something I have been wanting for ages and that happens to be...

Naked 2 in box

Naked 2 Palette

Naked 2 palette from left to right

Naked 2 from right to left

An Urban Decay Naked palette! I have been wanting one for ages now! I finally went and got myself one and I choose the Naked 2 palette. I haven't used it yet but when I do I will put a review up on my blog. Buy from Debenhams here or on Urban Decay's website here.

What has been your favourite purchase recently?

Tasha x

Find my last post here.

Saturday 11 March 2017

March 2017 Lush giveaway!

Hi everyone,

I've been debating when to put this up and I thought no time like the present! So, here is my March giveaway! I ran a poll on twitter and asked what I should include in the giveaway and Lush was a very popular choice! I recently went into my local Lush store and picked up a few of my favourites and a Mother's Day exclusive!

There will be one lucky winner. Here is what you could win:

Giveaway, Bath bombs, bubble bar
Lush goodies!

I have left them in their bags unopened because obviously they are not mine. Instead I will leave a link to each item so you can see what the product looks like and read all about it.

From left to right:

The Comforter: This happens to be one of my top favourites from Lush. I believe this was one of the first Bubble Bars I had tried from Lush, alongside 'Pop In The Bath'. As the name implies it is one of those products when you have had a long, stressful day or your just in need of a bit of comfort, The Comforter does just that. It also reminds me of Ribena warmed up, which to me is a comfort in itself.

Mum (Pink): So as you more then likely know, it is my first Mother's Day being a Mummy this year! So I picked this one up in homage to that fact. Also, it's a Lush exclusive bath bomb at this time of year. I have to admit even when I wasn't a Mum I used to pick the exclusives up as they smell so good!

Dragon's Egg: I love Dragon's Egg! With it's uplifting scent, it's guaranteed to lift your mood! The scent kind of takes me back to my childhood. My Nan's favourite sweets are Sherbet Fountains and a Sherbet Dip Dab and it kind of reminds me of the smell of them.

Butterball: It may be the smallest of the bunch, but don't underestimate the power of this little beauty! As I mentioned with 'The Comforter', this small but extremely relaxing bath bomb is great at the end of a hard day or when you just want to take 5 (or 40 minutes) and relax! It's the cocoa butter scent 'Butterball' has (not to mention how soft it leaves your skin) that does it for me!

I have created a Rafflecopter entry form for everyone to fill in. I would be grateful if you could either follow me via Blogger or Bloglovin' (or both would be lovely). This one will be UK only this time as I am scared these won't get anywhere in one piece even though I will do my best to try and keep them safe. Even shipping them to somewhere else in the UK I'm scared they won't make it intact (apologies in advance).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Look out for more ways to enter on my Twitter, Facebook Page and Instagram.

Good Luck!

Tasha

*The prizes in this giveaway were brought by me with my own money*

View my last post here.

Sunday 5 March 2017

Dealing with Divorse, Parent break-ups

Hi everyone,

So this is quite a difficult post for me to write as a 21 year old I suppose women. As I type I am eating a triple chocolate cookie from Morrisons (other places to buy cookies are out there) and I can smell my lush goodies under my desk (ready to be photographed for a haul and giveaway) which I will find quite soothing whilst writing this.

break-up, splitting up, advice
Dealing with Divorce

Something I have never mentioned before is that my parents split up when I was just 6. Now when I say 'just 6' I don't mean for you to feel sorry for me as there are some out there who were or are younger then me. I mean I had just turned 6 and it happened less then a month after.

Bearing in mind this happened to me 15 years ago but things are still fresh in my mind. You may think that happened a long time ago, this isn't going to help me I'm dealing with it now. Trust me, when I say you can't just click your fingers and as if by magic you're back to normal again. It doesn't work like that and if it does for you great! However, it didn't for me. Yes, I still cry and yes there isn't a day go by that I don't wonder what life would be like if my parents were still together.

So long story short my parents split, I still after 15 years don't have the greatest of understanding as to why. My Mum and I moved in with my Nan and I still got to see my Dad a lot and still do. I was very lucky, my parents stayed civilish. (That's how they were for my benefit, but you try walking down the street and seeing your ex coming the other way. What do you do? Freak out and walk in the opposite direction.)

I am going to give a few pointers on how to get through or to give you a piece of mind. Just remember everyone deals with situations differently!


1. It's Not your fault!

Please don't for one second believe it is your fault. I constantly believed it was my fault and it only tore me down. Did you get your parents together in the first place? No. Being a parent myself I know you have to be very grown up to be a parent and yes it gets stressful at times. Again, people deal with things differently including stress, but it's up to them how they handle it. If my boyfriend and I broke up, there is no way on this earth would I blame it on Darcie nor would it be your fault. It is as the phrase goes if they are big enough and ugly (this sounds rude, I'm not being rude. Oh dear. You're parents aren't ugly, no one is, it's just an old saying) enough to do the deed, then they are big enough and ugly enough to take 5 minutes, count to 10 and de-stress and talk things over like adults. Not communicating in a relationship gets you no where, you should no that if you have been in one or are in one.

2. Speak to someone

Don't bottle your feelings up. It may take time for you to want to, but when you are ready let them free! Speak to one of your parents, a close relative or even go to counselling sessions. Trust me, it could help you. A loud will be off your mind and you never know, they may have been through the same as you or may be able to give you some helpful advise.

3. Don't let people try and tell you how to feel

This is a big one. If their parents are still together, who are they to talk anyway? They haven't a clue what you are going through or have been through. Even if their parents have broken up as I have said about 3 times already, people deal with things differently! Deal with it in your own way and in time you will find your own way of dealing with it.

4. Don't be afraid to cry about it

No, you're not being silly. The 2 main people in your life have broken up. This doesn't mean they can't act as a shoulder to cry on, or anyone you feel you can cry to for that matter.

5. Most importantly: You're not the only one!

100's if not 1,000's go through break-ups everyday. Yes, in life these things happen but it's even harder when it's your parents. Just remember that you are not the only one going through it. Last of all your parents may have fallen out of love with each other but they still love you! That is the main thing.

If you need to ask a question about any of this I'm only a message away on Twitter or Facebook. However, the real experts you should really contact (24/7 all year round) are at Childline (telephone 0800 1111) or The mix for under 25's (helpline: 0808 808 4994).

Now my Dad is happily married to someone else (sorry no Cinderella story here with the cruel step mum. However, I have found my handsome prince) and my mum is just happy on her own but has had boyfriends.

If you are reading this because you are going through this, I'm sending hugs.

Tasha x

See my last post here

Saturday 4 March 2017

Giveaway winner!

Hi everyone,

Sorry this post is a bit late. I had planned to put it up earlier but I just wanted to sleep due to having a bad headache. That's gone now and I am here to announce the winner.

Drumroll please...

The winner is...

Ellie Smith!



Congratulations Ellie! If you could pop me an email over at itsatashathing@gmail.com that would be great!

Thank you to everyone who took part. There will be another giveaway coming up very soon, I am hoping at some point over the weekend or maybe Monday.

Watch this space!

Tasha x