We really enjoy Christmas arts & crafts. It really helps us feel festive and Christmasy. Baker Ross have such a wide range of Christmas arts and crafts. We were sent these really cute reindeer decoration sewing kits to review.


Each kit contains three individual reindeer kits and felt shapes, self-adhesive felt pieces, yarn, stuffing, googly eyes, ribbon & plastic needles and of course Rudolph's red nose.  No glue is needed as the felt shapes are self adhesive. Instructions are also included.


Ellie and decided to make these together. We put our reindeer shapes totgether and then added the ribbon. I started Ellie off with her sewing as she needed a little help to begin with, just until Ellie had got the hang of it.



"This is actually really good fun and quite easy once you get use to sewing" Ellie told me. She was rather proud of herself and her sewing!


Once we'd got half way around the reindeer with the yarn, we decided to add in the stuffing to make the reindeer "puffy and soft" as Ellie calls it, haha.

Once the stuffing was in we carried on sewing around the edge with the plastic needle and yarn. And then it was time to decorate our reindeer with a big, sparkly, red nose! Some eyes, antlers, ears and a mouth!

 Ellie really liked that the shapes are self adhesive, you just simply peel back the paper on the back and stick the shapes in place. We thought the holly was a lovely touch, too!


"They are SO cute!!" Ellie declared "I can't wait to put them on the Christmas tree in a couple of weeks". Bless her.
The Rudolph Reindeer Decoration Sewing Kits are perfect for children aged 5+ and really do encourage children to learn to sew. They're great fun to make and they look so festive and cute!
I'm kind of tempted to put the Christmas tree up now just so we can use our new decorations, hehe.
Priced at just £3.60 for a pack of three, they are affordable and really good quality!

Sarah xXx






We received a sample of this product for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid for this post.

Baker Ross sent us these rather lovely Scratch art scenes to try. They're festive and Christmas themed and perfect for this time of year! My children couldn't wait to try them!


Each Christmas scratch art kit contains 6 assorted Christmas scenes including Santa, Snowman, Robin and Elf. Each scene is supplied with a scratch tool.The scratch tool is plastic and perfect for little fingers. Although for younger children I would recommend adult supervision. My children are 13, 11 and 9 years old and they had no trouble scratching off there scenes themselves.


Ellie choose to scratch off Santa Claus because he's her favourite person in the whole entire world - So she informed me, haha. I wonder why?! Hehe.


As my children started scratching the scenes, they uncovered some lovely colours! "WOW! These are SO cool" Ellie told us. "They're so bright. I wonder what other colours are underneath the black layer" To scratch off the black layer, you simply use the tool and gently rub off the top layer. Which then reveals the colours underneath. The tool iself has a pointed end and a flat end. We found using the flat end for larger spaces and the pointed end for smaller spaces and corners was really easy!

Charlie also joined in and so did my eldest son.

Charlie chose the penguin. "I really like that it's multi coloured and colourful" Charlie declared. It took the kids about half an hour to scratch off there pictures! It was great fun. They really enjoyed scratching off the layer to reveal a colourful picture. They'll look lovely on my fridge! Very festive and wintry.
Harry choose the Elf, he was quite impressed, too! He's a teenager so getting him to join in anything is hard work but he actually couldn't wait to scratch off his Elf! And he even enjoyed doing so! It was lovely to have the children all around the table together doing a Christmasy activity.


Aren't they brilliant?
Priced at just £2.95 for a pack of six, they are well worth every penny. They're fun, easy and a great festive activity for children (or adults - I'm a big kid and of course had to have a go myself, haha)
These would make a great stocking filler, too!
(Harry insisted that Ellie held up the elf so I could take a photo! Is it just my teenager that is camera shy?!) 

Baker Ross have such a huge range of Festive and Christmas arts and crafts. All very reasonably priced.
you can also follow Baker Ross on Facebook, too!

Have you ever tried any scratch art?

Sarah xXx





 

We were sent a sample of this product for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own, honest, personal opinions. I was not paid for this post.

The first book I read this month was Behind Closed Doors by B.A Paris. I picked up a copy of this book for 20p in a charity shop and I'm so glad I did, I loved it! It's a physiological Thriller that I found very hard to put down, it's very well written in my opinion and covers some really difficult topics. I rated this book four stars on goodreads. You can read my full review here.


Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay a story based in World War II and follows the story of a ten year old girl who is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the
Vel' d'Hiv' round up.
"Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life."

Historical fiction and brutally sad. This book is wonderfully written, I felt so connected to the characters, it's very a good read. I found is difficult to put down. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and have read many books, this one is one of the best historical fiction books I've ever read. I felt incredibly sorry for Sarah and her family. I rated this book 5 stars. 

Naomi's room by Jonathan Aycliffe
"On Christmas Eve, four-year-old Naomi Hillenbrand disappears from her father's side in a crowded toy store; on Christmas Day, her mutilated body is discovered in a field. But a part of Naomi remains, unwilling or unable to leave this world. Ghostly photographs capture her playing with two other little girls dressed in Victorian garb while a sinister man in black watches...watches them all.

Charles Hillenbrand is tormented by grief. When sinister whispers in the night begin to taunt him, he tries to uncover the evil truth behind Naomi's death. But long-buried secrets await him and threaten to take him beyond the brink of sanity, to a place where he could lose his very soul." 

Naomi was taken on a busy Christmas eve in the middle of a busy shopping centre... Disappeared without a trace. Naomi's father is haunted by her... This book keeps popping up everywhere and so I thought I would give it a read. Being a paranormal/mystery/horror themed book I thought I would really like it. I didn't. It's frustrating in places and I felt like the story was dragging on. It's a really good plot but, I don't know... I feel like this book was missing something, I'm just not really sure what. It is scary and creepy I guess but it just wasn't for me personally. 

Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys Is a book that I have been meaning to read for a while. Another historical fiction book and yet based on true stories/events that happened during world war two. This book is also connected to "Between Shades Of Grey" by the same author. (I recommend reading between shades of grey first but you don't NEED to read that first in order for Salt To the Sea to make sense. The author is very clever the way she has connected these stories and characters.) Salt To The Sea follows the story of four main characters who are trying to escape Nazi Germany. Beautifully written, cleverly done, it's heartbreaking but it is a very good book and I highly recommend it. I wrote a review on Salt To The Sea here. 

What have you been reading lately? Or what's on your reading list? Let me know in the comments.

Sarah xXx

 

Baker Ross kindly sent us this very festive Elf Mix & Match Decoration Kits to review. We love arts and crafts, especially at Christmas! My children enjoy being creative. Baker Ross sell a very wide range of Christmas art and craft supplies for children. 

We couldn't wait to make our Elves.

•  6 Elves in two colours - red & green.
• Foam Elf templates 
• Self Adhesive decorations to decorate the elves and ribbon. 
• Instruction sheet

No glue is required as the decorations are self adhesive. Ellie couldn't wait to decorate her elf, she mixed and matched the clothes and faces. "I really like the hats" Ellie told me. Charlie thought the candy canes were a lovely touch, too! Elf size is approx. 13cm.


The decorations are self adhesive which means no glue is required. One thing I really like about these Elf Mix And Match Decoration Kits is the fact that little is mess is made! 
The kids had no trouble creating there elves themselves. Ellie loved that the elves shoes and gloves could be mixed and matched! In the top of the hat is a little hole, just big enough to thread the ribbon through. 


"These will look so Christmasy on our tree" Ellie said. "I wonder if Santa will know we made them?" She asked me. Bless her. Both Ellie and Charlie commented on how fun they are to make.


We are so excited to put our Christmas tree up in a couple of weeks, these will look truly lovely hanging on the Christmas tree! As my children are getting older, I really like to keep there creative projects for keepsakes and these are perfect! My children really enjoyed making these little elves. 



Priced at just £3.49 for a pack of six, I personally think they are well worth the money. They're fun, creative and kept the kids entertained for a while! They also make no mess, which is always a plus, haha.

What's your favourite Christmas creative activity? 

Sarah xXx 



(We were sent a sample of this product for the purpose of the review. All opinions are our own, honest, personal opinions. I was not paid for this post)

My weight has really been getting me down lately. I am a size 14 clothes and most of my clothes are size 10-12. I really need to fit back into those. It's not only that though, I've noticed how unfit I am. Just walking up the stairs I was becoming out of breath, that can't be a good sign so I decided it was time to start working out again. I am currently on day 4 of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I've done it before so I knew what to expect but it doesn't make it any easier! Here are five things I learned about myself since I've started working out and eating healthier, again.

1. It doesn't matter how slow you go, just do not stop. - I can't work out everyday because I have a brain condition (The fluid builds up around my brain and causes headaches/visual problems and so on. The medication I have to slows down my metabolism, therefore I gain weight) but when I feel like I CAN workout, I try not to push myself too hard. As long as I stay eating healthy and try to aim for 10k steps a day, workout three times a week and think positive, I CAN do this and I WILL be skinny for next summer! Slow wins the race, right? 
2. Green Tea is actually pretty good. Especially the berry flavoured green tea's. I actually find myself craving it now! Although it makes me feel sick and dizzy if I drink it on an empty stomach.. I've also been drinking a lot more water! Always a plus. No more fizzy drinks!
3. Eating healthy is hard. Although I am into the swing of things now, it does take some getting use to, it is not easy. I've been eating healthier for almost three weeks now and I don't even think about eating junk. It's ok to have a treat now and again but in moderation and only once a week! 
4. Don't become obsessed with the scales - This is easier said than done let me tell you! I weigh myself once a week but it's so hard not to weigh myself every other day and become obsessed with those scales. (I'm speaking from experience now! I've learned by my mistakes). I'm going to weigh myself once a week for the first month and then I'll weigh myself every two weeks after that. If I don't see a loss, I'll feel so disheartened. However, this week I have lost 2.2lbs and I'm very, very happy with that! 
5. Rewards - When I reach my first goal of loosing that first 5lb I am going to reward myself. I may reward myself with a nice face mask/pamper evening or something similar.
6. Stay active - Anything is better than nothing! I just need to MOVE more and eat less. Even just doing the housework burns a good amount of calories and then add in a half hour walk. It all adds up.  I find step counters help me - There are plenty of apps. I am planning on investing in a Fitbug after Christmas, my old one sadly broke. 

Do you have any advice for me? Or fitness/weight loss/healthy tips? Let me know in the comments.

Sarah xXx

I actually can not believe it'll be December next week. I really need to get some Christmas shopping done. I haven't bought the kids anything yet. Eek! I'll be glad when November is over though, it hasn't been the best month. It's been stressful and blah. Anyway, here's this weeks best & worst moments.



Negatives:

I don't really think there are THAT many negatives this week. And certainly not massive things! Thankfully.

• I had an appointment cancelled last week, which isn't the greatest as I'd rather just get it over an done with but it is what it is. 
• My weight is really, really getting me down. At least I am doing something about it now though - More on that in a bit. 
• The weather has been crazy. There's been a lot of wind and rain. I haven't managed to do much walking but it seems that the worst of the weather is over now (hopefully!). Perhaps we'll have some dry days so I can walk! 
• I've been really worried and concerned about my grandparents. There going through a stressful time. I can't wait to see them tomorrow!! 

Positives:

• I've started working out again, yay! I've lost 2.2lb this week. I'm really pleased with that result! I've only done three proper workouts and been watching what I eat. So yes, rather chuffed with my weight loss this week! I actually feel better in myself and a lot more productive! Amazing what a little exercise can do! 
• Ellie had her assessment for braces. We need to go back in a couple of weeks so we can discuss treatment and have impressions, photos, X-rays etc done. She's coping very well with all these dentists appointments. She's only nine years old, bless her. 
• I'm going Christmas shopping tomorrow, woohoo. I'll be able to make a small start. At least all the nieces and nephews Christmas pressies are sorted! 
• I had a lovely catch up with my mum the other day which was really nice. 

Things to look forward to:

•  Christmas shopping with my grandparents tomorrow! 
• Having my tumble drier fixed - I have one of those driers that has been recalled and is intentionally a fire hazard. It's being fixed for free! (And rightly so!!) I've been waiting months so it'll be nice to be able to use my tumble drier properly again. (I have been able to use it but I only keep it on for twenty minutes at a time)
• All the Christmas festivities that are very fast approaching. 

What have been your best and worst bits lately? What are you most looking forward to?

Sarah xXx

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 393

"Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope." 

This book follows the story of four young people during world war II. The Russians are pushing further into Germany, people need to evacuate, this story focuses on the four young people trying to escape Germany. There are so many refugees and yet not enough ways to safely transport so many people. The four people this story focuses on are lucky enough to get onto a ship after a long time of travelling by foot! The ship they boarded 'Wilhelm Gustloff' is very over crowded and there are not enough life boats... 
Little is actually known about Wilhelm Gustloff and the sinking during the second World War. 9000 people died on that ship that sadly sunk. Over half of those were children.

An utterly heartbreaking story. The characters were all very interesting and I felt I got to know them very well indeed. There's a lot of mystery which I really enjoyed and was very clever the way the story is told. This book was beautifully written and I was finding myself reading fast, it was hard to put down. I have read 'Between Shades Of Grey' (A couple of years ago) by the same author and 'Salt To The Sea' reminded me of Between Shades Of Grey. I later realised that the characters are indeed connected! I love that the books were connected, I wish I had of picked up on it a lot sooner than I did! Very cleverly written. I hope that one day 'Salt To The Sea' becomes a movie because if it's done in the right way, it would be amazing! 
(You don't need to rad Between Shades Of Grey first, Salt To The Sea will still make perfect sense.)

I'm going to re-read 'Between shades of grey' next! I also feel inspired to learn more about the '
Wilhelm Gustloff' ship that sank.

If you like Historical Fiction I know you will enjoy this book! 

Absolutely fantastic read. Rated 5 stars. 

Sarah xXx

Well, we are over half way through November already! This year has gone SO fast, I honestly can't believe it. It doesn't feel like a year ago that I was planning last Christmas and now it's time to start planning for THIS Christmas. Craziness! Anyway, I thought I'd write a 'Life Lately' post.

I don't know why but it feels like November has been a really stressful month for me. I think with having the brain condition I suffer with (IIH) flare up and just everyday life, it's been hectic and hard. I've been suffering with numbness, feeling sick and headaches for pretty much most of November - All due to my brain condition. My medication has been increased so that's helped a bit. It seems to have settled down now though (I hope I haven't jinxed myself!) and I've even started working out again. I'd like to loose 10lbs before Christmas but that might be a little ambitious. We'll see how I go and it really depends on how my head is.


The kids are all doing fantastic. They're all doing really well in school. I had Ellie's parents evening last week and she's doing AMAZING! I am so very proud of her. We're working on division and reading at home. She's a really good reader and quite a fast paced reader like me, hehe. Bless her.
I'm waiting to hear about when the boys parents evenings will be, I dare say they'll be soon! I am looking forward to seeing how well the boys are both doing. I think Charlie has got the hang of high school now, with lots of help from his big brother. I'm very proud of them both.


This up coming week I am hoping to do some Christmas shopping and get a big chunk of it done next week, all going well. I need to come up with some ideas for Harry, he's thirteen years old and so hard to buy for, he's so fussy with clothes, too! I also need to fish my Christmas tree out of the shed and bring that inside (I'm not putting it up anytime soon though! My cats will destroy it).

A photo posted by Sara ♡ (@sassyserz) on Nov 8, 2016 at 11:59am PST

How has November been for you?

Sarah xXx

Go Ahead! Sent us a lovely box of snacks to review.
Go Ahead! Have a wide range of delicious and satisfying snacks that are carefully portioned so you can snack the smart way! Go Ahead! snacks are have a wide range of healthy snacks. We were sent the Yogurt Breaks, Crispy Slices.Fruity Breaks and Cookie Bites.


First of all we tried the yogurt breaks which are light and crispy biscuits with a fruit flavoured filling and are topped with a yummy yogurty topping. The banana yogurt breaks have a banana falvour filling, they're ever so light and so delicious, as are the cherry ones! The cherry yogurt breaks we found tasted really fruity! Each box contains 5 individual packs and each pack contains two slices. They're a really good size and make the perfect healthier snack!



Ellie was all "I really love the cherry yogurt snacks best but they're all so yummy"
The yogurt breaks come in five flavours. The flavours include - Raspberry, Cherry, Tropical, Banana and Forest fruit. Each yogurt break contains only 73 calories! That's pretty impressive for such a yummy snack! I personally really like the banana flavour but they're all very tasty. Charlie said that he thought the top tasted perfectly like yogurt and is quite creamy. Yum!


The kids couldn't wait to try the crispy slices! The crispy slices are light,thin and very crispy biscuits that contain a fruit flavoured filling. They are very crispy indeed and quite sweet. I really enjoyed the orange flavour but the apple ones are yummy, too! All three kids really liked them but I think these were probably Harry's favourite! Each slice contains: 57 calories, 1.0g of fat, 0.1g of saturated fat and 5.3g of sugar, they're very low in salt (0.1g). The crispy slice range contain 7 flavours - forest fruits, orange, apple, red cherry, raspberry , blueberry & strawberry! The crispy slices come in packs 5 and each pack contains 3 slices. Priced at just £1.65, I'd say they're the perfect healthy snack and are well worth the money!


The fruity bakes are golden baked bars, filled with a tasty fruit flavoured filling. They come in two flavours - Sassy Strawberry and a-peeling! apple. We tried the strawberry flavoured ones. The kids absolutely loved them. The bar itself is soft with a slight crisp and a soft fruit filling. "They're perfect for snack time at school" Charlie told me and he's right, they are. They're quite sweet and very delicious. I really like these and so do the kids! They're actually pretty filling.
The strawberry fruity bakes contain 133 calories per bar and the apple flavour contained 129 calories per bar. Each box of Go Ahead! fruity bakes contain 6 individual bars. RRP £1.99.



Next we tried the cookie bites. The new crunchy mini cookies with chocolate chip and bursts of fruity flavour. These are perfect for when you're craving something sweet as they're a healthy option. (As are all the snacks mentioned in this post!)


The mini cookies are perfect bite size. They come in individual packets. Each bag contains 6 packets of mini cookies. The 'cheeky chocolate and orange' ones are quite chocolatey but not too much and they have a scrumptious orange flavour to them, too. They contain chocolate chips. Of course these are the kids favourite of all the snacks we tried! The white chocolate & raspberry biscuits are also the perfect bite size. They have a slight raspberry taste but taste very much like white chocolate. "I LOVE the raspberry flavour" Ellie declared rather loudly, haha.
The white chocolate and raspberry cookies contain 99 calories and the chocolate and orange cookies contain 98 calories!



All the snacks mentioned above would be perfect for lunch boxes too (depends on schools individual policies). They're all very reasonably priced and much lower in calories and healthier than other sweet snacks. All three of my children absolutely love them all. They are a huge hit with the kids and myself. I'll certainly purchase these snacks in the future.
You can find out more information about Go Ahead! snacks over on there website! You can also follow Go Ahead! over on Twitter. 

What's your favourite healthy snack?

Sarah xXx







(We were sent these products for the purpose of this review, all opinions are my own, honest, personal opinion. I was not paid for this post)