Tuesday 19 November 2019

What To Know Before Buying A Car



What sounds better than hitting the open road, roof top down, your favourite song playing and setting off on a new adventure.



Nothing sounds better than that! But what puts a bummer into it, is I don’t have my driving license, but by the time you’ve read this, I should have passed my driving test and become a prouder owner at 35 of a drivers licence, so long provisional I’m an official license holder.


I’ve been thinking about getting a brand new car, but I want to ease myself into it and not splash the cash, I mean you can get some next to brand new secondhand brilliant, good condition cars!

When sourcing a secondhand car, there a few things to take into consideration, one its time, have patience you will find the right car for you. When looking to buy a car, you also have to do your research on the dealer, making sure they are trustworthy! Google them and check out their reviews, you don’t want to have any post-sale issues, hop fully that won’t be the case, but better to be safe, do your research.


I’ve been looking at cars for a while now and I think I found the perfect one. A few weeks back, Leanora and I went to Brighton for the day to meet friends for lunch. I was talking about purchasing a secondhand car and a friend referred me to KAP Motor’s. Soon after lunch we set off and headed to the dealer, when looking at second hand cars at dealers, a little tip inspect the car when you found the one for you for dents, scratches and even tyres, be a little bit cheeky and negotiate on the deal, after all you don’t ask you don’t get.

Hopefully, I’ve passed and pick up my new beauty.

Do you have any tips for purchasing a secondhand car?



Lindsey


Disclaimer: This is a paid post, all words are my own

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Wednesday 13 November 2019

The £10 Monthly Beauty Subscription I Can't Recommend Enough


As we come in to a new season, new skincare is needed for the cooler weather, as like you I notice a change in my skin, it’s becomes more dry and more hydration is required and I need to treat it accordingly.

Beauty Pie, the new monthly beauty subscription, it is the latest must have, it allows you to buy premium skincare and beauty products available at affordable prices, it’s hard to pass it up and I have to say I’m addicted.

Introduced officially by a colleague and seeing it all over Instagram I had to give it a go, the beauty junkie in me could not resist.

I decided to start with the first membership level at £10 per month giving you up to £100 to spend, just to dip my toes and test the waters! Bonus your first month you can choose products up to £200. How it works is like this instead of paying for full price you purchase at members price and each month your membership allowance renews and any money you have left over simply rolls over.



I selected the Japanfusion Pure Transforming Cleanser, it transforms from gel to oil to milk (once in contact with water) super lightweight balm and fragrance free and is perfect for my sensitive skin to help brake down my makeup and pollutions. I use it everyday and a small amount goes along way, and to help remove any left over residue I use it’s best bud, Double-Sided Organic Cleansing & Exfoliating Cloths the perfect accompaniment to any cleanser.



A skincare product that I use on a daily basis is oils, great for forming, plumping and adding that much needed hydration into your skin to give you that perfect glow and supple looking skin, so for he past month I’ve been using Beauty Pies, Superdrops™ High Intensity Hydration serum, if I’m honest whilst it glides on my skin it’s very watery and for me used on my skin on its own it doesn’t do much so I add a few drops to the Super Healthy Skin™ Daily Moisture Lotion and I find combing the two give me the healthy hydrating glow I’m after. The Daily Moisture Lotion is a true gem for me, not to light, yet not too heavy and doesn’t leave you with that greasy feel either once applied, it’s suitable for all skin types plus vegan friendly also.




With a busy work schedule and out most days, in meetings having to pound the pavements my feet need a little extra TLC so I added to basket the, Dr Glycolic™ Soft Feet Peel Socks, you can imagine my surprise when in my reformer Pilates class when I took my trainers and socks off to find they were peeling, whilst I totally forgot that they would start to peel after 7 days I couldn’t hide my shame!!! But a few days later when they stopped peeling my feet did feel as soft as anything and cracked heel repaired, thanks to the bags you keep on your feet for an hour are filled with high-percentages of Glycolic and Lactic Acids, Natural Fruit extracts of Grapefruit, Orange and Lemon, plus Sweet Almond and Coconut extracts.

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Beauty Pie originally started with makeup and have branched out into skincare, hair care, fragrance and now bodycare so I had to select a few makeup pieces, it would be rude not too! I love a glow no matter the tome of year, but wanting to boost radiation in a subtle way and stepping out my comfort zone and playing trying new makeup to see what works for me I knew I had to try the Pro-Glow™ Superstrobing Drops, a cruelty-free vegan friendly highlighter, perfect t to use on its own or a little added to your foundation for the ultimate glow on those dull days and perfect now for the party season for that supermodel glow. It comes in two colours, Illuminati & AstroTurf, I’ve purchased both as Leanora decided to put her on and her dolls caught her and she dropped the Astroturf in shock and my horror, but both are great for my skin tone......and hers!!




I’m an 80’s baby and a 90’s teen and it was all about the lip gloss, so it would of been rude to not of purchased the Nude Nectar, Wondergloss Lip Oil. I wouldn’t really say it’s a lip oil, more of a gloss, a little sticky but it doesn’t bother me, once worn it does make my lips feel a tad dry, so I like to use a balm before application and I use it everyday I don’t hate, but I don’t love it either, but weirdly enough I carry it with me everyday.

Thinking of signing up, you can get your first month FREE add my name Lindsey London Mumma at checkout.

Have you tried Beauty Pie, what are your thoughts and what have you purchased?

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Lindsey


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Monday 11 November 2019

Wild Mushroom With Thyme Pizza


This wild mushroom with thyme pizza is flavoursome and pure perfection! It’s not your traditional red sauce pizza, oh no, it’s a lot more special than that! Here it’s covered with a tasty bechamel sauce, it is super quick to make, perfect for those days when you get home late and assembled with one of our top veggies, plus costs next to nothing to make!!

When it comes to pizza night, we like to keep things simple and make it easy for ourselves so pizza base is always bought, in fairness I’ve never made a pizza base from scratch, but I rather keep things simple for myself, plus when we make pizza at home we always get a gluten-free base, as I’m sure I have an intolerance to it.


We went for Wild Mushrooms for our pizza, a great selection from all over the world, plus I added a few chestnut ones in too for that extra nuttiness, with fresh thyme. 

Now, if you don’t know, we have an obsession with mushrooms in this house, if we could have them every day it certainly wouldn’t be an issue, one of our favourite ways to have them is roasted with polenta, another great rich and hearty weeknight meal for these dark nights we are having. Another great recipe which always goes down well with the kids  is my mushroom and lentil Bolognese, always a hit, trust me and they don’t even miss or ask for meat.


Ingredients 
3tbs unsalted butter
3tbs all-purpose flour
* 1 cup (260ml of milk)
* 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
* Salt 
* freshly ground pepper
* 250 grams of mixed wild mushrooms, such as chanterellesshiitakes or oyster and chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 
* A few springs of fresh thyme, chopped 

Directions
1. Kicking off, pre heat your oven to 210c
2. In a small saucepan set over a medium heat, you are going to make your béchamel sauce. Melt your butter, then whisk in your flour add in your milk, oregano a pinch of salt and pepper and keep on whisking to make your sauce, when it covers the back of your spoon you know it’s done
3. Spread over your sauce on to your pizza base and a sprinkle over your chopped mushrooms and thyme
4. Place in the over for 10-12 minutes or until your pizza is crispy and golden 

Serve with salad, crisp white wine for you juice for the kids and thank me later.

Don’t you just wish every night was pizza night!? If you fancy a meat pizza, then i highly recommend you try my fig, mozzarella and prosciutto pizza, say goodbye to Domino's.

Lindsey 

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Tuesday 5 November 2019

5 Ways To Stand Out At Work



What is the The secret to standing out at work? Well it depends on the type of person that you are, be it the witty, cheeky one to the ever so serious focused person to the cool as cucumber colleague. Know matter the type of person you are, play those to your strengths to get you out there in the best light possible of course, nothing less credible than a cockey colleague. 

1. Support your team
To put it honestly, there is no I in team, support others around you. If you see your colleague struggling and needing a support offer it. It's shows you know what you are doing and offering support is a sure fire way to get you stand out, plus it a brilliant way to help with your own personal development and progression.

2. Deliver Your Best Service
Believe it or not going above and beyond and showing empathy goes a long way trust me, it took me a while to even realise! We all have busy demanding jobs, but turn the tables and think of how you want to be treated and the service that you want to be delivered. Nothing worse than receiving communication that you are unhappy with. We have all been there be it trying to contact our bank, or phone provider to be in hold for 30 plus minutes to finally get through and talk to someone who literally can not be bothered to help you, or the worst one your train is delayed you get no information or on the tube and stuck in the underground and then driver tells you diddly squat about what is happening and the only way to find out is by checking Twitter? That's when I stumbled on CALLCARE who did research on how long it took customer service accounts in the UK for train and tram companies to respond to tweets from customers, and I was surprised by the stats.
You know the still by now, deliver the best sincere service, manage others expectations even your own, the more you practice this and take a moment to listen the best service you will be delivering to help you stand out.

3. Develop Your Strength
We all know our strengths and what we can offer, so work and develop it, make it your own so that our colleagues your boss, know that if they need help in that department that they can come and rely on you for support and knowledge.

4. Be positive
Nothing worse than a negative Nancy! Negativity can spread like wild fire, now Dont get me wrong we can all have bad days, wake up on the wrong side of the bed, when speak with someone at work and put you in a funk!  Best way to deal with that take 5 out for yourself, Dont forget most importantly your mindset is what matters the most in order for you to be the best you.

5. Be A Sponge
Another smart way to get yourself to stand out and what a company loves, is when you show your willingness to listen and learn more, not just about your own role, but whilst mastering that, look at the next step ahead, it's all about progression after all, whilst some are happy to stay in their current position which by all means is fine, some want to go all the way, so share your knowledge and see if there are different skills and courses you can learn.

What are your tips on standing out at work?

Lindsey xx

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Disclaimer: This is a paid collaboration 




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Monday 12 August 2019

Mum Hacks With Ikea




I don’t know about you, but I can be a little disorganised from time to time. Mornings are crazy in my house, rushing around getting ready for work and school, summer holiday camps, play dates, morning swims you name it, it’s pretty much intense.





As you know it’s key for the kiddos to have a nutritious and healthy diet, but when you lead a busy life, it's easy to just pick up something on the go from the shop to give them to eat, knowing that it’s bad for them and loaded with a tonne of sugar and salt.


With that in mind, I’m being more proactive in providing Leanora with healthy, tasty treats! Prepping the night before and with the help of L, making it fun for her and me, so we’ve teamed up with IKEA to share some of our favourite products to help our morning’s be a little less crazy and a lot more healthy and manageable.




Sometimes the best way to get and be organised is to have something visual, for me when it is out of sight out of mind, I forget about it and what I need to do, so I picked up last week the SKÃ…DIS pegboard. What I love about this I can put all my important items on here and I had my super creative friend make us a calendar for the month and listed on there what we are eating, where we need to be, this way it remind me of what I need to do in order to prep and have a more hassle free productive day. This is kept in the kitchen as this is where I spend most of my time and I’ll always see it, the SKÃ…DIS is great as you can mount the SKÃ…DIS accessories on to the board to store all your essentials, plus you can create your own combination to suit your style needs.

 

Sometimes to encourage kids to love and want to eat and try a variety of foods, I find the best way is to get them involved in the whole process from beginning to end, plus you can always do with a few extra hands come washing up. First off getting them to look the part in the TOPPKLOCKA apron to make them feel like a proper chef, plus if your kids are as accident prone as mine, this will help protect their clothing.

My daughter loves her sandwiches, especially when cut into shapes it makes it more fun for her to eat plus she will notice less if filled with lettuce which she is not a fan of, but with the FISKBEN moulds used as a cutter it’s a lot more fun to eat. 

I’m guilty of it, wrapping sandwiches in cling film or foil, the wastage is high and not great for the environment, I highly recommend sustainable lunch boxes that you can use on repeat a fun one for the kids is the SMASKA doggy lunch box and at £3.75 it’s a total bargain saving you money and the environment too. Another great reusable storage item that I have a load of is the IKEA ISTAD resealable bags which are great to store fruit or treats for the kids.

What are you hacks to help manage your days better with your family?

Lindsey

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Wednesday 17 July 2019

My Pro Teeth Whitening Journey




Hey guys, my name is Lindsey and I am a coffee addict! Phew I’m glad I got that off my chest!! For years, since I was probably 15 , I’ve been drinking coffee, from espressos, to chai lattes and milky office made coffees, years of drinking my fave cuppa has caused my teeth to stain and it’s never bothered me too much until recently and thought crap, do I really want yellowish teeth all my life, duh! Hello no! Especially as you see pearly whites swarmed of Instagram.

A true and funny story, my best friend, he refuses to date guys with teeth not as pearly white as his, he has even taken his partner to go have his teeth whitened haha! My kinda guy, I kid! But yes whilst I’ve not gone to the dentist to have them professionally done, I’ve found a more affordable way to achieve it, teeth whitening strips.

Want a killer smile of course you do, I certainly do, so when Pro Teeth Whitening reached out to trial their 14 day charcoal teeth whitening products I was ecstatic to give it a go and take my first step to achieve a glorious pair of pearly whites.


These peroxide free, charcoal activated teeth whitening strips have been developed to safely whiten your teeth, remove stains and bring back that radiant smile. I am always a little bit dubious about teeth whitening strips, I feel so they really work, the first few days I did not notice too much of a difference, but I was still guzzling coffee before and after each use, you have to leave them on for 30 minutes and goes without saying you shouldn’t eat or drink when in use. But I had to get strict I really wanted to see results, so I got smart, days after that I limited myself to one cup, one large cup of coffee in the morning to get my caffeine fix then applied the strips and followed the steps, no coffee for me after that and in honesty I did notice that they were getting a little lighter, not massive amounts but enough for me and even Leanora to notice, bless her! Well the strips are charcoal activated so when she saw me each morning, she did get a little freaked out saying why are my teeth all black and I look great-grandad with no teeth and are my real teeth stored in a glass haha! Bu always once removed she was pleased as punch.

My thoughts on the Pro Teeth Whitening strips, they are good, don’t know if you’d even achieve pearly whites with them, but if your strict with yourself as I had to be, you will notice a slight difference.


You can snap these whitening strips over at Amazon, they retail for £19.99 more affordable than others brands, plus you can get 10% off with code: WHITENING

Now I’m off to have my first cup of coffee and use my last strip, will I continue to use them? I think I just might!

Have you guys used teeth whitening strips before? Have you tried Pro Teeth Whitening or any other brands what have your results been like?

Lindsey

Disclaimer: I was sent these strips to review and all thoughts and opinions are my own

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Tuesday 11 June 2019

Lunch In Clapham, Megan's




An utterly new charming restaurant has recently opened in my home town of clapham. Hungry as always and eaten in pretty much every restaurant in Clapham for lunch, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new restaurant nestled in the heart of Clapham Old Town, Megan’s.

I met up with a few friends for lunch, for a little catch up and we are all big foodies, so it was the natural choice to come here for lunch, that way we can all get something different and able to share the Mediterranean delights that Megan’s have to offer, well they didn’t know it, but I’m always thinking ahead, well belly first.

Limited to an hour, we didn’t bother with starters we got stuck in to mains straight away.

After a night out drinking and partying, I always will be naughtily found in a kebab shop, I mean who doesn’t love a good kebab, but the next day you can be left feeling very questionable. We’ll roll up to Megan’s and they too serve kebabs, ‘Posh Kebabs’ to be precise, so it would be rude not to order these.


2 lamb doners, served on the fluffiest of flat breads, with harissa hummus, pickles, feta and pistachio with the most mouth-wateringly delicious fall off the bone lamb shoulder was simply divine and melts in the mouth, was followed by a lot of ‘mmms’ and ‘aahhs’ and lot of eye rolls. If I could I would be more than happy to just eat a bowl a hefty one of this lamb shouler.

Beth went with the moorish chicken, served with peanut dukka, it was nice and light and fresh, but don’t be fooled it sure packs a punch in flavour, I did end up eating this with her or for her, however you like.



Now when I see halloumi fries on a menu, anything halloumi in fact, it would be rude not too order. They were crispy on the outside and salty and delicious on the inside, followed with a pot of normal fries of course.



A superb lunch spot, the decor is amazing and the staff are friendly. I know I will be back, to try there tasty cakes plus brunch menu.

Now time to walk off the lunch, always a good sign if you've left content and fancy a little snooze.

You can find Megan's at: 55-57 The Pavement, Clapham, London SW4 0JQ

Lindsey xx
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Tuesday 28 May 2019

10 Steps For A Healthy Work & Dating Life



We know it’s hard to find a balance with work and dating life, especially when you reach a certain age! Now, in my 30’s and my 40’s fast approaching my outlook on my career and dating life are far more different than that of my 20’s.

My 20’s were fun, I spent it running wild and free with one guy, until it no longer worked out, to heartbroken and angry to give others a try, I was content, to be free and single and that suited me just fine, fast forward a few years later I decide to focus on my career, my daughter and Milo I was not interested in settling down but building a good foundation around us, plus I love my independence.

Recently I woke up in the middle of the night crying, me crying can you bloody believe it, not bawling, but a little tears! I’m far for the emotional type, but I thought of a guy who I loved, I mean truly loved, like the moment I saw him lost for words love, but that too due to cultural differences it was not destined to happen. it got me thinking and speaking to my bestie for a bit of support, he turned and said to me Lind’s, you’ve got beautiful daughter, career on the up, you give your time to everything but you and in fairness he was not wrong, but can it be done, I mean, be a single parent who works full time, who spends her weekends ferrying her kid from activity to party, to laundry and homework and everything in between can I dare wonder if I could actually have a home, work life and dare I say it dating balance?

Read on to find out how I and you can find that perfect equilibrium between work and dating.

Make the time
We all have busy life’s, and busy days but who says that you don’t have the time! Forget making excuses and shoulda, coulda, woulda’s, make the time for you and what you want to do.

Stay present
Yes we are ambitious and it’s super easy to get swept up in your own thoughts of what should, could of been done, but be it at work or on a date stay present in the here and now.

Evaluate priorities
We all have them, but the first should be you, I’m not saying to neglect anyone or anything but put things into perspective and priories what is important right now for you and what and who is around you, how else, will you be able to achieve those goals.

Set boundaries
There is a time and a place for everything and everyone. Nothing wrong with keeping work and personal life separate, no one has to combine the two or even share the two, remember it’s your playing field.

Have fun
So easy to forget to do, I’m all serious in my 30’s, but serious is not fun, well not all the time, so live a little and step out of our comfort zone and simply enjoy it! A great way to have fun for those older or  over 50s dating sites, can be a lot of fun, check out older-dating.com.

Don’t negotiate
Rule number one, your a boss, a girl boss, I know what I want and I work hard for it, so no more negotiating on my time and spending it with someone that simply is not worth it!

Ditch the rules
We’ve all heard the rules, but are there really any dating rules that work? I think not! I’m old and mature enough now to know what I want and what works for me! Instead of over thinking it connect with the person meaningfully you will get a better result.

Have a set time
It’s easy to get carried away at work, you want to leave with a clear inbox and before you know it it’s midnight! A great way to have a set time and stick to it, is by making a to-do list, prioritise what’s important, what you need to get done and work your hardest to stick to it.

You need your own life
Yes we’re are ambitious, career and family minded, but in order to enjoy those things and have a healthy balance of everything, it’s super important to have your own life, meet up with friends, giggle, gossip, shop and simply catch up, to going out and meeting up with that someone and even doing something just for, be it a hot bath to going to the gym and getting in on a class. You have to remember to have your own life you only get one after all so make the most of it.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance, let me know in the comments below!

Lindsey

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post!

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Friday 3 May 2019

3 Ways To Wing It As A Parent


I remember the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was in utter shock, totally unplanned in all honesty I thought me and my then flatmate just had a bad bottle of wine the night before, but no, it was much more than that, that was the day my life changed.

8 months later, the love of my life was born, an easy labour, well depending on what side of the bed you look at it, I did have my mother in a headlock, kicked the poor midwife in the face whilst I probably looked like Regan from the exorcist, quite frankly I thought I was a treat ha!


With my wolf baby in my arms (she was very hairy - kinda guess from all the acid reflux) I felt right there and then my life had only just begun.

Every parent all over the world has them! A brilliant shortcut to make your life easier, a lot less stressful and by goddamit to have something for yourself.

Hiding treats like a pro
Now, I must confess I’m not a chocolate fan, I prefer chewy sweets like Haribo, but on the odd occasion I fancy a sweet treat from time to time, I can’t keep anything for myself in the open, as sure enough Leanora and Milo (cat) will find it and scoff the lot! I learnt my lesson last year with my Ferrero Rochers. So I found the perfect way to stash my loot! Kale crisp bags! Leanora won’t go anywhere near these beauties which is great for me as anytime I fancy a little treat, I am guaranteed to have one.


Artistic Mess
Honestly, I can’t stand it, whilst I’m more than happy to have L paint in the house, it never ends up on the paper, more like the walls, tv and even the cat! So for a little less cleaning in my life and a lot more money saved in the form of white paint for my walls, I get Leanora in the garden and paint out there, so any mess she makes won’t be in the house and what ends up on the floor will be washed away when it next rains, plus an added bonus I’m able to the gardening and keep an eye on her at the same time.


Snack time
We all can agree too much snacking is bad for you especially when it is the unhealthy kind, but don’t beat yourself up about it, be kind to yourself. Rather than have L kick off in public wanting something to snack on, I always make sure to have a bag of snacks in my Ikea freezer bags. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t mind her having a chocolate here and there but a great shortcut I find that works for me and Leanora is making something at home, say our cheese and chive scones together or even having a bag of carrots or cucumbers and what is better, I find she will be more inclined to eat more healthy treats if she helps prepare it alongside me.

I recently read a post by another blogger Lucy post called the Fucket List a really great read, on cutting shortcuts and just owning and embracing all things that come with being a parent. 

How are you winging it in parent life, do you have any great shortcuts or hacks even? Let me know in the comments below!

Lindsey 

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post



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Thursday 2 May 2019

Moji Pops | Kids New Best Friend



Are you ready for them? Make way, there is a new colourful toy on the scene now, it’s the loveable Moji Pops! Have you heard of them? Neither had we until recently. They are a fun new range of toys made up of everyday objects brought to life as fun characters with an array of colourful emotions based on popular emoticons.

I knew Leanora would love them the moment we got them and I must confess I enjoyed playing with them too, my favourites are the limited edition rare sparkly ones.



She was super excited to receive her gift pack and couldn’t wait to open her blind bags, it’s the unknown that kids love the surprise of not knowing which emoji pop you will find hidden in the bag. It was also great to see her get right in and create a story play it’s the I like Playset, she was able to build on that with the Story Playset, she was able to jump from a beach party to a sing-off between the cat and teapot, with Mr television acting as Simon Cowell.

There are a whopping 90 different characters from cats, ice creams, tea pots and even a television to collect which means endless fun and role play set up for the kids, which is great to get there imaginations going in the form of play, with loads of emotions and moods thanks to the interchangeable faces its a great way to get the kids creative as well as learning about different emotions through the art of play.


My thoughts on these cuties are great, not just for the collectibility but helping Leanora with any emotions she may have, for example her teacher told me the other day that she and her friend squeezed out and used all the soap up in the toilets at school, so by using these Moji Pops, I was able to express to Leanora that it is not a good thing to do, which makes everyone sad, but if she wants to use hand soap in the future, don’t forget sharing is caring and using a little is good, plus it will mare her happy knowing that there is soap to help clean her hands to protect her from germs #TrueStory

Not only are the great for expressing our feeling and exploring the world of play, but they are also affordable too as the blind bags are only 90p perfect for the kids to buy if they get pocket money along with Story Playset SD as they are only £2.50. The large play sets are £12 each and the Blister Glitter Surprise are £10 each. Leanora is desperate for more playsets and with her 5th birthday coming up, she may jus5 be in luck, well as long as there are no more soap accidents at school.

You can purchase the Moji Pops now at Amazon and The Entertainer.

London Mumma

Disclaimer: This post was in collaboration with Magic Box Toys

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