Elf on the Shelf - Poundland Ideas

I thought as it is the 'eve' of December, and the Elf on the Shelf time of year, that I would let you see what I picked up in PoundLand for this years antics.

Just in case you don't know the story behind the Elf on the Shelf, the Elf turns up on 1st December and is there to watch your little one(s) to see if they are being naughty or nice.

Each night he flies off back to the North Pole to report to Father Christmas. He returns to your house each morning. He is a very mischeivious Elf, and on his return he usually doing something funny or naughty, for your children to find. On Christmas Eve he returns back to the North Pole to assist Father Christmas with his present dropping and then won't be seen till the following December.

So here is what I got for our Elf on the Shelf shenanigans this year!

Elf House Stickers 

These are perfect for sticking on to the skirting board or a wardrobe door. Magical for children to find he has built his own house whilst they've been sleeping. There's even a little washing line to hang out his clothes.

The Postman Elf - Message in a Bottle

I loved this little bottle, and I think little ones will too. It has a little message inside from the Elf too..so cute!

Elf Swing Seat

For some naughty pranks in the middle of the night - I am thinking of putting the swing on the curtain rail for Ella to find one morning.

The Christmas Countdown 

This is pretty self explanatory, but nice for a bit of excitement - and a good way of learning numbers in a Christmassy way.

Candy Canes

I am going to use these as a little treats from our Elf throughout the month, around the house.

Gingerbread Decoration Kit - Christmas Trees

I picked these up for a little gift to be left by the Elf on Christmas Eve, and something fun and crafty  for Ella to do the night before Christmas.

If you want to do something fun with your children in the run up to Christmas then Poundland is definitely the place to go and get some Elf on the Shelf goodies and props.

I will be posting some of the mischief our little Elf gets up to over the next month on my Instagram, so make sure you are following me for some updates. 

xxx

The Ultimate Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving!

It's safe to say I don't find it easy when it comes to finding the perfect Christmas gift for the man in my life.

Its not that he is fussy, its the fact that he doesn't ever really ask or want for anything. So when it comes to finding a gift that's perfect for him, I struggle most years.

I don't know about your other half, but my husband has a busy life. He works in an office, plays different sports throughout the week, and is a Daddy too, so he is always doing different things throughout the week.

When I was asked by Daniel Wellington if I'd like to take a look at  their range, there were so many beautiful watches to choose from.

I found the perfect gift idea! I decided on the Dapper Durham 38mm. I loved the timeless look, the genuine leather strap, the roman numerals, along with the added date feature to give it a little more added sophistication.

I personally love that one of the perks of Daniel Wellington watches is the versatility to change the style of one watch by adding another strap. When you have an ever changing lifestyle it has the ability to compliment any style of outfit, and a gift that keeps on giving. Fantastic!!

I am completely obsessed with how the watch is packaged. It is just the most perfectly presented gift for anyone.

Over the Black Friday weekend (23-27 NOV), Daniel Wellington are offering all my readers 25% off the Dapper Collection and a free strap of your choice (free straps are offered with any watch from DW's collection between 23-27 Nov), PLUS by using my discount code MICHELLEANNA you will receive an extra 15% off of that too!

And if you thought it couldn't get any better - they're offering free delivery and returns too.

If you too are hunting for a bit of luxury in a gift this Christmas, then look no further than Daniel Wellington. 

Disclaimer: This is a collaboration with Daniel Wellington but all opinions are honest and my own.

 

Say Hello to Hello Fresh - Special Offer

I don't know about you, but I get really bored of the same meals every single week.

We buy the same stuff and never really mix it up.

So when I saw HelloFresh boxes, I was really curious to see one for myself and ordered one for the following week to try.

How it works?
The idea around HelloFresh is you are given all the fresh ingredients to make a dinner within around 30-40 mins, from preparation to plate.

There is nothing you will need to leave the house for ingredients wise, because it is ALL provided in the box. You are provided with step by step cooking instructions for each meal, which are thorough and easy to follow. And everything is colour coded to the meal, so for example a bag with the purple label will have all the ingredients needed for the cooking instructions with the purple tab on it. 

My HELLOFRESH Experience

ORDERING

I downloaded the app, signed up and found the menu options.

You pick between 3/5 meals for the week ahead, and then all the meal options are then listed, you can make choices like, meals for two, a family etc and also choose vegetarian options too. Pick your meals and then make your way to checkout.You are asked for delivery instructions, so if you are not going to be at home on the day of delivery they will leave the box in a safe place or with a neighbour. They also text you on the morning of the delivery with a two hour time slot which I bloody loved!!

One ASPECT I liked about the whole experience was menu choices can be changed within a certain time frame (cut off a week before delivery), you are not tied into the meal choices religiously until the cut off date, which meant if needed it could be amended really easily.

DELIVERY and PACKAGING
I really didn't know what to expect from a 'deliver to door' food subscription as I hadn't ever used that sort of service previously, but, I was overly impressed with not only the delivery administration (ie: the text messages with a time slot) but also the packaging. It was fantastic.

Perishable goods, (chicken, chorizo, cream, etc) came packed in an insulated bag stuffed with large ice blocks to keep them fresh on the delivery.

And as I mentioned before all the ingredients for the meals are contained in a brown paper bag, colour coded to the cooking instructions. 

All the ingredients are packed in a rather large cardboard box, which is fine by me, as it can be recycled. 

Hello Fresh Cooking instructions

Meal Prep
Preparation of the meals were simple and easy. The instructions are so clear and easy to follow that it makes it a pleasant experience, and both myself and my husband enjoyed making the dinners together. 

We both were impressed that  the ingredients were for a meal for two, but the amount given was really generous and could have probably fed 3 (so maybe good for a family of 3). 

The Taste Test
All of the meals we cooked actually tasted so fresh, which was good as it lived up to its name. 

The ingredients were all high quality and tasted so flavoursome.

Overall
I think that the concept of HelloFresh is a great one. It is great for busy people.  It is a fab way to explore new foods and ingredients, and improve on your culinary skills.

One of my tips is to make sure you have plenty of room in your fridge for the day of delivery, and then enjoy the flavours! 

If you would like to try HelloFresh for yourselves you can use my discount code MICHEL799 to get £20 off your first order. 

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have tried HelloFresh.

Michelle xx

Quick and Easy WEEKEND Meals with Aldi UK

I believe that weekends are for enjoying time together. When there are only two precious days a week to have quality time together as a family, I like to have quick and easy meals that don't make too much of an intrusion on our day. 

With that in mind I have shared two of my 'go to' meals.

All ingredients are from Aldi, which means they're affordable, yet very tasty to feed a family of 4. 

Firstly, I have made a quick and easy 'Stuffed Pepper Chilli Con Carne'. I've listed everything you need below.

Super Easy Stuffed Pepper Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients

• 250G Ashfield 5% Lean Beef Mince
• Fiesta Mild Chilli Cooking Sauce
• 4 Red Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Red onion 
• Champion Sweet Potato Wedges
• Cheese
• Onion & Garlic Dip

Method

Oven 200 degrees.

Put the peppers in the oven whole, with the tops on, for half an hour or until they are starting to brown. After ten mins put the sweet potatoe wedges in the oven for twenty mins.

Then in a pan, put the chopped mushrooms and onion and cook for five mins. 

Add in the beef mince and cook till brown. Put in the cooking sauce and cook for a further ten minutes. Let it simmer.

Once the peppers are ready, slice off the top, cut out the seeds.

The add in your Chilli Con Carne, sprinkle with cheese, and add some onion and garlic dip on the side, and there you have it.

Next up are homemade pizzas. They take five minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook. If you would like to make them too, I've listed all you need below. 

Easy Peasy Pitta Pizza

Ingredients

• Sunnyhills White Pitta Breads (pk of 6)
• Cucina Tomato Puree
• 1 Red Onion
• 3 Mushrooms
• Sweetcorn
• Olives
• Grated Cheese 




Wild Rocket (to serve)

Method

Oven 180 degrees. 

Squeeze out two desert spoonful's of tomato puree onto the pitta, spread evenly.

Cut up the mushrooms, olives & onion, sprinkle on top. Add the sweetcorn and cheese. 

Put in the oven for 8 minutes. 

Once cooked sprinkle over some wild rocket.

And that's it, the most easy pizza for a busy weekend.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you try out any of these ideas yourself.

Michelle xxx

The Primark Edit - AUTUMN 17

I am a lover all things high street, but nothing pleases me more than being able to walk into Primark and buy a lot of what I had already seen in more expensive high street shops for a fraction of the price.

We are all trying to save money these days, so why splash out when you can look good on a small budget?  

Here's my top picks from Primark this Autumn 2017.

The Boots 

I always reach for a tan pair of boots in Autumn/Winter.

This year I wanted a little bit more than a plain pair of boots. I found these little gems in Primark. I love the gold stud detail to add a little more to an outfit. They're perfect for wearing smart or casual, and look fab with a pair of skinny jeans or a little skater style skirt and a roll neck. £14 

The Knit

I have fallen in love with mustard knitwear over the past few months. 

There was something about this jumper that caught my eye. I like its simplicity but also the nod to a smarter option with its bronze button hardware. It was a bargain at £6 - in fact I picked up two! 

 

The Jacket 

I have always wanted a wax Barbour jacket, so when I saw this jacket on the rails I had to pick one up. I use mine most days, I find its especially good for walking the dog. Its got big pockets, perfect for your phone and keys. Its a steal at £25.

The Bag

When I saw this little beauty I couldn't resist. It immediately said designer handbag to me. The gold bees and stud hardware work perfectly against the black faux leather. The strap is the perfect length for wearing cross body. I have also used it as an evening bag, and tucked the strap inside, it really looked pretty. It's a versatile accessory to have in your wardrobe this season and for £8 it's a really cute addition for the season. 

These are the Primark editions to my wardrobe for Autumn, what are yours? 

xxx

AUTUMN LEAF BISCUIT RECIPE

I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. So I decided to try something less scary and more pretty to bake and enjoy with the family.

I wanted to make something seasonal and thought that after seeing all the gorgeous colours of the fallen leaves in the park, that it would be nice to recreate something tasty and also autumnal that fitted with this beautiful time of year. 

I found some cute Leaf Biscuit Cutters in The Range and they were perfect for my little idea. If you would like to see how to make these cute little leaf biscuits, I've put the recipe below...

R E C I P E 

Preheat the oven - 180 degrees 

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Makes: 20 biscuits 

250g PLAIN Flour

110g Butter

65g Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Tsp of Ground Ginger 

2 Tbsp of Golden Syrup

Renshaw Ruby Red Ready to Roll Icing

Renshaw Pastel Yellow Ready to Roll Icing

Edible Gold Glitter (optional)

 Jam - any flavour(to attach the icing)

T O O L S

Greaseproof Baking Paper

Rolling Pin 

Leaf Biscuit Cutters

M E T H O D

Turn on the oven. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Mix flour, sugar and butter together until breadcrumb consistency. 

Add in vanilla extract, bicarbonate of soda, ginger & golden syrup.

Mix into a dough.

** TIP** if the mixture is too dry add a teaspoon of water. 

Once all mixed together, scoop the mixture out of the bowl and get ready to roll...

**TIP** I used GREASEPROOF paper to roll out the dough instead of putting FLOUR on the kitchen side, it worked really well , there was a lot less mess and the dough didn't stick which, lets face it, is what we all want!

Roll out to around 0.5cm thick. Use the Leaf Biscuit Cutters to cut out the biscuits.

Place on to baking tray & put into oven. 

Once golden brown, leave to cool.

I C I N G  

Cut off a third of the red icing and third of the yellow icing and roll them in to a ball in your hands to form the marble effect. 

Once happy with the patterns, roll out the icing (I used the greaseproof paper instead of flour so it didn't dry out the icing) to around 0.25cm thick and then started using the Leaf Cutter to cut the icing out.

Put a thin layer of jam on the under side of the icing leaf to attach it to the biscuit and leave to set. 

To add some shimmer to the biscuits, lightly spray with edible glitter dust. 

 

And there you have it. A nice and easy little baking project for Autumn. It's great for children too, my 3 year old daughter loved helping cut out all the leaf shapes and rolling out the mixture. 

I would love to know if you make the biscuits yourself, so please leave a comment if you try and tag me on Instagram in your pictures.

Have you made any seasonal bakes this autumn? I would love to get some more ideas :) 

Thank you so much for reading! 

xxx

Easy Steps to Simplify Your Day

Our lives are busier than ever before. We are expected to fit so much into one day.

Working, parenting, eating well, exercising, housework, social life etc etc... It can be hard to unwind and find time to not think about the stresses and strains of everyday life.

We come from a generation, where we strive to have the perfect life. Perfection is the only way to be, or so it seems, which is a strain in itself. We live our lives looking at screens; phones, TV's, tablets, smartwatches etc, which can result in feelings of stress and anxiety.

Recently, I have tried to slow down, cut out what isn't necessary and think more simply.

Here are a few things I do to simplify my day.

ROUTINE
Have a routine - you will know what to expect.

Get up at the same time everyday, eat at the same time each day, go for a walk at the same time each day and relax at the same time each day. 

I find it's good for young children too. My daughter's mood and behaviour always improves when she has a good routine. The expectation at certain times of day helps with behaviour and learning. Having a routine can also help ease the mind, and if a parent is calm the child will be calm. 

DECLUTTER 
Keep the house and your surroundings clutter-free. 

Try not to have emotional attachment to too many material things, take pictures for treasuring the memories instead.

I cannot function properly if things are cluttered. I like to de-clutter at the beginning/end of each season. I have three piles, one for the bin, one for the charity shop and one for Gumtree/eBay.I clear my wardrobe/cupboards/garage etc, and I am ruthless.

I am really benefitting from doing this and so is the bank balance.

More day to day, I make sure toys are back where they belong when my daughter has gone to bed. All clothes are put away from the dryer, which results in a tidy, clutter free bedroom to relax in. The kitchen is clean and tidy before I settle down to watch any TV and this leaves everything fresh and clean for the following morning.  

WANT LESS. BE GRATEFUL
By appreciating the things you have rather than yearning for things you do not have, will result in being grateful for smaller things in life.

Rather than focussing on not liking a part of your body appreciate what it does each day. Appreciate that you are alive, that you have your health.

Being grateful is an important quality. It results in feeling happy and content with life.

QUIET TIME
Schedule quiet/down time every day.

Whether that be alone or with your family. Switch off the TV and talk to each other, even if it is for ten minutes a day. Having quiet time can refresh you for busier times during the day.

My new quiet time, is after dropping my little one at nursery. I walk home, make a cuppa and catch up on YouTube to have some time to myself.

It really makes a difference.

FRESH AIR
Get out in the fresh air!

We love a walk in the park with the pup. Since having him, I have noticed that I actually enjoy walking a lot more than I thought. It helps clear my head and appreciate the smaller things. I usually head out early in the morning or just before the sun goes down and I love it.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LOVED ONES
Eliminate toxic people in your life.

Be with the ones that make you smile, who are positive and genuinely want to be in your life. Friendships and relationships should be pleasurable and not a pressure.


And that's it....I would love to know how you simplify your day.

Thanks for reading.

Michelle xoxox