The Kooples X Clarins Lip Comfort Oils

The Clarins Lip Comfort Oils are a product I use daily, my go to has always been the Tangerine but I have tried a number of the others too. They're a unique plant based blend to help smooth and nourish lips with a hint of colour, each one is inspired by Clarins expert face and body oils and are like a mini spa treatment for lips. 

They're very comfortable to wear and leave my lips feeling nourished albeit a touch sticky but as it's not lip gloss sticky I really don't mind them at all. I always have one in my bag floating around for when I need to give my lips a little nourishment. The doe foot applicator is brilliant too. 

So with my love of these fabulous little lip products already firmly in my heart, The Kooples X Clarins collection had me very excited. 

L'Occitane Beauty Advent Calendar 2019

It's the time of year for beauty advent calendars and I have my hands on a L'Occitane Advent Calendar full of skin loving treats. It's one I've been looking forward to and it doesn't disappoint, especially if you're a skincare fan like me. I find advent calendars are a great way to discover a new brand and get to try their products before committing to something full size. From hand creams, face cleansers and soaps to their much loved oils and perfumes, it's a fab treat to open each day in the lead up to Christmas. 

L'Occitane is a brand I really love, I use a lot of their products daily so something like this is my favourite way to try more even if I do always go back to my beloved Verbena range. 

Joshua's Halloween Box

I was chatting recently on Twitter about Halloween boxes and if they were a thing because I really loved the idea of creating one for Joshua. My idea originally stemmed from Christmas Eve Boxes and so I started researching and didn't find much so I thought I'd just create my own. Joshua is too young for trick or treating and buckets full of sweets so a Halloween Box was the perfect alternative for our little ghoul and to help make things a little spooky. 

8 Top Tips for Pumpkin Picking

We've been going to pick our own pumpkins for the last four years and it's one of our favourite autumn activities to do, even before having Joshua. We have a wonderful pick-your-own farm that is really local to us and we head there regularly throughout the year for strawberries, blackberries and sweetcorn too. 

Pickwell Farm in Southampton can be found on Grange Road and with free parking and really reasonable prices, there's never been a better time to support our local farm and of course, pick your own. Pumpkin Patches are great if you're near one and there are a number that pops up this time of year but supporting a local farm is so much more worthwhile!

I've put together some of our top tips for making the most of pumpkin picking and with half term right around the corner now is the perfect time to go. 

Why you should be encouraging Pretend Play with your Little Ones

When I look back on my own childhood, it's full of memories of fun, pretend play and cooking people pretend meals in my kitchen and it's something I feel is so important for children. Arran and I are relatively laid back when it comes to parenting Joshua, we have television time and he also has time to play on his own but one thing we agreed on equally is that there should be fun with pretend play too. 

Encouraging Joshua's creativity and mind is something we do a lot of because the pros are invaluable for children. It was one of the many reasons we wanted Joshua to have a kitchen for his second birthday. He adores watching me cook and helping me when it's safe so we just knew it was the perfect gift for him and I've been enjoying a number of pretend coffees since his birthday. 

Afternoon Tea at Lakeview Hilton Ageas Bowl

When it comes to relaxing afternoons with family or friends, there's nothing better than afternoon tea and a trip to the spa which is exactly what Emily and I did recently. We were invited to Hilton Ageas Bowl for Afternoon Tea at Lakeview Bar followed by a few hours in the Eforea Spa and it was the perfect way to while away a Friday afternoon. 

The Hilton Ageas Bowl is somewhere we visit often as paying customers and as guests to review their latest offers, seasonal food and hotel stays and we always have an enjoyable time. The hotel is based in West End, Southampton and is the ideal location for pre flight or cruise stays as well as being great for escaping the city. 

Who doesn't want to do that every now and then? 

What's in Joshua's Trunki

We recently had a staycation in the city which meant Joshua was able to use his Trunki for the first time so it was the perfect time to show you exactly what we packed inside for our little lad. Trunki recently contacted us about designing our very own and with over one billion options, we couldn't wait to get started. 

Trunki is the perfect luggage for children, it;s hand luggage sized and little ones can ride along by sitting on top of the Trunki which will make airport dashes a breeze. There's every colour, animal, creature and theme available and with the option to design your own, you can make yours completely one of a kind. I sat with Joshua one evening and pointed to the different colours and that is how we came up with our blue and purple Trunki with black horns. 

Looks fab doesn't it?

Room2 - The Perfect Place to stay with children in Southampton

(Complimentary stay for the purpose of review - see disclaimer)

We vowed to take more staycations while Joshua was younger and so what better way to start than with a staycation in our home city at one of our favourite places? 

Room2 Hometels opened a little over a year ago in Southampton and it's somewhere we've frequented a lot in that year. I actually stayed on the opening night so it was great to come back and see the Airbnb come hotel a year later. You can still view my first post - Room2 A Home away from Home but in this post, I'm going to give you a second look from a family perspective.

Latest in Beauty Grazia Advent Calendar

If you thought Latest in Beauty's 24 Days of LiBmas was packed full of beauty treats, you're going to love the Grazia Beauty Advent Calendar. It's the first ever Grazia Beauty Advent Calendar and it is going to turn up the luxury this December! The Christmas edit features some cult classics as well as some new beauty wonders and with a value of over £326, you are not going to want to miss out. 

The Grazia Beauty Advent Calendar (£85.00) features products from Clean Reserve, Spectrum Collections, Nars, Weleda and so many more and if you order yours by 13th October, you'll pay just £80 with the code GRAZAC5!

If you're here reading this then I'm going to assume you're dying to know what's inside but don't worry I won't tell you which door features what product so there's still that element of surprise. If you're not then look away now because there are some serious spoilers up ahead!

A Day at Paultons Park & Peppa Pig World

Paultons Park is somewhere I've visited since I was a child and I remember so many fun days out there with family. It first opened its doors in 1983 and with over 70 rides and attractions there is something for all ages which is why it ended up being the perfect day out with my friend and both of our sons. 

The theme park has been voted the UK's top family theme park repeatedly over the last few years and I'm not surprised at all. In recent years, it has welcomed Peppa Pig World and the Lost Kingdom as well as Critter Creak and Little Africa so finding something to do with children of all ages is a breeze. 

Autumn Bucket List

Creating bucket lists was a way to pull me out of a slump in 2016 and it's something I've done ever since. I find they give you a little push to do something different be it big or small. I share Autumn bucket lists most years so I've created a new one for this year. Autumn is my favourite season and in the spirit of falling leaves, pumpkins and chai teas here is this years list with a dose of toddler activities too. I'm going to document everything I get up to on my Instagram again and I can't wait to tick everything off my list and share in a post before Christmas. 

Perfect Presents for a Two Year Old

With a certain little boy turning two in a few weeks it was time to start looking for the perfect presents but I struggled this year, really struggled. We decided on his main present quite some time ago and we also wanted to get some smaller bits but when it came to it we were a bit clueless on what to actually buy. Joshua has a real love for anything wheel related and the lucky guy has plenty of cars, tractors and trains so we needed to be a little more imaginative as we knew others would be adding to his wheel collection. 

We've gone down the play route so think puzzles, books, building blocks and of course play-doh to help his imagination and coordination. I spoke to a number of friends and we were all struggling for ideas so once we'd finally decided on what we would be wrapping up, creating a gift guide seemed like the obvious answer so I can help any of you that may be struggling too. 

The best bit? Everything is square or rectangle so wrapping will be a doddle! 

Motown the Musical at Mayflower Theatre

With the Autumn theatre season in full swing, it was time to head to Mayflower Theatre for the latest show gracing the stage. Motown the Musical is one I've been looking forward to for yonks. My parents regularly played Motown while I was growing up so I'm really familiar with the music and having seen rave reviews about the show, I really couldn't wait to see it live. 

And the wait was worth it! It was truly sensational and I would watch it again in a heartbeat because it just totally blew me away. The singing was incredible, the way the story was told was completely captivating and it was so hard not to get up in the aisles and have a little boogie. 

Molton Brown Guard Perfume Collection

Fragrance is quite personal, it can take you back to a memory or moment in time which is why I always love fragrances by Molton Brown as they help you tell a story. The new Guard Perfume Collective is exactly that and more. The new collection allows you to explore their new scentscape thanks to a stunning collection of 27 eaux de parfum and eaux de toilettes. 

It's been heralded as a new pioneering movement in British fragrance and a complete industry game changer. The collection went live at the end of August and a little while after a beautiful bottle of Heavenly Gingerlily landed in my hands. 

It's gorgeous and I'm completely in love. 

Latest in Beauty 24 Days of LiBmas!

Tis the season of beauty advent calendars and I can't get enough of them. I've been following along with Chloe's beauty advent calendar unboxing videos recently so when Latest in Beauty's advent calendar arrived I did a little squeal of excitement! 24 Days of LiBmas features a whole host of fabulous products including Aromatherapy Associates, Sanctuary Spa and many more. 

Latest in Beauty 24 Days of LiBmas launched yesterday and retails at £65 or £58 for subscribers. The contents is worth a massive £274 and having seen what's behind each door, you'd be mad to miss out. 

If you're here reading this then I'm going to assume you're dying to know what's inside but don't worry I won't tell you which door features what product so there's still that element of surprise. If you're not then look away now because there are some serious spoilers up ahead!