Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, which means it is time to get ready.

I am not planning anything extravagant but some little surprises during the day are very much in order.

First thing first – Setting the scene

Human Touch – Love Pillow Cases sent me one of their lovely pillow case sets. They will be perfect for setting the scene for a romantic evening / night plus I am sure they will put a smile on our faces every morning we wake up and look at them.

There are 12 lovely, cute and extremely adorable designs to pick from. Human Touch – Love Pillow Cases are a great way of extending the magic of Valentine’s Day for longer.

To make a day even more special why not start it with a nice cup of coffee from a Love Mug?

Cook that special breakfast

This part still needs some thinking and planning. I have a few options on the short list. The Valentine Breakfast Pinterest board was very helpful but I still couldn’t decide: sweet or sour.

Hide a little surprise in their lunch box

Did you hear about Joy Maker? The Cadbury website offers an option of making your very own chocolate bar. The process is easy and very straightforward and as a result you get a chocolate bar with a personalised message of your choice (on the wrapper only to be precise). I think that this would be a very nice touch, which would definitely put a smile on Marks face, so I am getting it made.

A special gift which will last a lifetime

I am still stuck for ideas and would consider any help you can offer. I don’t plan on getting anything huge (budget wise) but something special and thoughtful would be ideal. I found a Name A Star kit, which allows you, among other things, to name a star (surprise, surprise…). I think that Mark would really like that.

How is your preparation going in the run up to Valentine’s Day?

Are you planning something special that’s out of the ordinary?

Baby #ootd – Comfy at Home for Stripe Lovers

Catch the ball

Nap Time

Ready to go again

Grey Striped All in One – F&F (similar here)
Striped Sleepsuit with Dino – Cool Club
Navy Striped All in One – Jasper J Conran Junior (similar here)
Sippee Cup – Tommee Tippee

90:10 – Tapping into the inner child

Dan is right.

All the men I know have something in their lives that connects to the inner child. Man never completely grow up… they are committed to maturing and “evolving” but they never full grow up. 90% grown up…the other 10% not so much… sums it up just about right.

Anyhow, 90:10 is a men’s clothing line designed specifically to preserve the boyish part of our man. Currently they offer hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts and polo’s. Their design is simple yet elegant, childish but still suitable for a full grown man.

Mark was sent a navy blue 90:10 signature embroidered pullover hoodie to review. Features of the hoodie include:

• Made from 100% pure organic cotton
• Double kangaroo front pockets
• A draw string neck line
• Lightweight yet warm
• Close-fitting
• Small logo

The first sensation which grabs you once you have opened your package is the amazing softness of the fabric. We are quite a sporty family (at least when it comes to clothing) so we have our fair share of tracksuits and hoodies but it is really quite a rare thing to have something so soft. It is not possible for me to describe it in words; you will just have to order one to feel it for yourself 😉

But back to the hoodie – The 90:10 signature embroidered pullover hoodie is suitable for being worn all year round, no matter what nature has installed for us. This isn’t one of those mega thick hoodies which make you look like a snow man; this one is manufactured from medium weight cotton, which means that can even be worn as an undergarment if needed.

90:10 is also fairly unique in this modern world of corporate takeover, they are small, young(ish) and above all genuinely enthusiastic about their products and their company and best of all they want to do better. They are still connected to each other in such a way that customer feedback can have a noticeable impact on the way they do business, I know from experience. If they think your idea is an improvement over what they currently do they are only too happy to step it up to a new level of customer service.
So in conclusion 90:10 is a modern company with the quality of foundations that sets it on course to go far in the market place. I appreciate the cutting edge customer service and the absolute top level in quality from their products.

I have their website as a favourite in every browser, need I say more?

Oh, and if you fancy trying the amazing softness of this hoodie for yourself, you can use the discount code CUPID to receive 25% off your order.

Baby #ootd – Slightly Bigger Little Men

Shirt – CoolClub
Cardigan – Next
Jeans – Next
Shoes – Adidas

Why all pet owners should use PetsPyjamas?

Ok, I know what you are thinking now… “Why on earth would I need pet pyjamas?”… You wouldn’t but you might need PetsPyjamas – the website where smart pet lovers go 🙂

PetsPyjamas is the number one lifestyle website for smart pet owners – putting you and your pet at the forefront of everything we do, from providing the very best products and services to arranging your next pet friendly holiday.

There are a lot of aspects to the PetsPyjamas website. It is not just your average online pet shop. You can find in there all sorts of information that you may need relating to your pet, including pet-friendly travel, pet services and a lot of well written articles covering all sort of pet related topics like travel, wellbeing or current trends.

To make PetsPyjamas even more attractive they run a PetPoints scheme. For every purchase you make you are rewarded with points which you can then swop for goodies. I know that a lot of shops run reward schemes like this but here you can actually get something useful without the need for collection your point for ages and ages. You will get 10 PetPoints (more or less) for every £1 spent and the rewards can be redeemed starting for as little as 500 points, which means that your £50 purchase could already yield a free gift…

Actually you get 400 points as a joining bonus so… you do the math 😉

The PetPoints scheme is one thing which makes me want to shop on PetsPyjamas but there is something else which in my humble opinion beats it – shopping by breed. Bunk is giant (as a generic breed only… as an individual dog he is actually on the skinny side), which makes shopping for him rather difficult. So many times I have spotted something I would love to buy for him, only to find out that this particular item is not available in his size. PetsPyjamas gives you an option to shop by breed – for both cats and dogs – which will bring in your search results only items suitable for your selected breed.

No more getting excited about that nice new collar, which is only available for “cat” sized dogs.

But this isn’t all the things I like about the website. I also like all the additional bonus information which you can find on the PetsPyjamas site, especially all the Pet Services. Currently they have a selection of both pet friendly services and pet friendly places covering:

Every vendor on the website is described in detail and has a review page, so you know exactly what to expect. This really makes life easier, doesn’t it? No more hours of internet searching and checking forums for feedback on that new sitter or groomer you found… now all you need to do is open PetsPyjamas and pick your location.

Have you ever used PetPyjamas?

Did you know that they offered so much more than just an online pet shop?

* Post written in collaboration with PetsPyjamas

Jacamo – Top Menswear Brands – Review and Giveaway

I am not sure how the man in your life is dealing with the issue of clothes shopping but my other half totally hates it. For Mark this is almost like a punishment to go to town in order to buy some clothes. Thankfully nowadays we have the internet and great online shops like Jacamo, which makes life so much easier!

Jacamo stocks top menswear brands you want (or your man wants) in the size you need. You can purchase there footwear up to size UK 15; chest size from S to 5XL, waist size from 34” to 62” and trousers length from 27” up to 36” – so they really stock clothing for all shapes and sizes 🙂

To make the shopping experience easier and more convenient for you Jacamo stocks many great brands. With names like Bellfield, Ben Sharman, Joa Browns, Firetrap, Rockport, just to name a few, there is a huge selection to pick from.

Mark was offered an opportunity to try something from Flintoff by Jacamo range designed by Freddie Flintoff. This famous English cricketer says: “All of the clothes in my collection are things that I like to wear and feel comfortable in”.

The Flintoff by Jacamo collection currently includes pieces like blazers, shirts, jumpers, sweaters, suit jackets, suit trousers or even a waistcoat and if you prefer a more casual look you can get jeans, polo shirts, or even a hoodie.

Marks top pick from the collection was a Flintoff by Jacamo Military Jacket. This jacket has a cool relaxed style and has carried on the military trend for the season. It is constructed with full zip fastening and two top and bottom pockets. Also has an inner drawcord fastening at the waist. It can be worn throughout the year making this a great purchase!

We must agree with this description.

We took it on holiday and it proved to be the perfect wear for colder evenings. The jacket looks very stylish yet casual. The biggest plus: it is made from cotton, which means that it is soft and pleasant to the touch. The jacket is machine washable which will allow you to save on dry-cleaning bills. 🙂

Mark has totally fallen in love with his new jacket, proclaiming that it keeps him warm in the wet and wind and yet is light enough to fling over an arm or shoulder should the sun pop out for one last blast of heat. He was particularly happy with the large storage ability offered from all the pockets. Looking snug as a bug when all fastened up he could indeed be quite happy in even quite inclement weather. Though the more he falls for it the less my chances of getting hold of it to do the wash test, evidently it is still looking brand new so I will have to get back to you on the ease of washing point…

And now for an added bonus…

We have one Flintoff by Jacamo Military Jacket in a lovely olive colour and size XL to give away to one lucky reader. All you have to do it to follow this easy step below.

1. Leave a comment on this post with your top clothes shopping tip.

If you really like the jacket and want to increase your chances I have for you some additional daily entry method:

1. Follow me a Twitter @AgataPokutycka and RT the tweet below, then please leave a comment telling that you have done so.

I want to #win #Flintoff by @Jacamo Military Jacket. For your chance to win this #giveaway visit http://wp.me/p3l2gI-1fp via @AgataPokutycka

Good Luck!

T&C

1. Open to UK readers only.
2. One obligatory entry per reader + 1 additional extra entry per day allowed.
3. There will be 1 winner in total.
4. Winner will receive 1 x Flintoff by Jacamo Military Jacket in colour and size as stated above.
5. Winner will be picked at random and informed within 7 working days via email or Twitter.
6. Winner will have 7 working days to claim the prize, after this time, a new winner will be selected.
7. Closing date is 05-10-2014 at 23:59pm, an entry made after this time will not be counted.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
SuperLucky Blog Giveaways Linky

***

WINNER UPDATE

@Dawnmrey was chosen as a winner. Congratulation!

 

#SmartBuy – Kitchen Roll and Dog Poop Bags

When it comes to shopping and saving money we all have our tricks. I would like to share with you two of mine… just to start with…

Actually this post was prompt by an overheard conversation that a dog owner is not going to clean up after his pooch because poop bags are too expensive… what a lot of rubbish!

Poop bags when bought in a smart way cost almost nothing!

So what is my secret? – get a superstore own brand nappy bags. They come in lot of 300 and cost around £0.30 – £0.35 for the lot – bargain isn’t? That’s much cheaper than buying bags which are advertised as a dog poop bags. Really what’s the difference? A bag is a bag! And with a nappy bag you can have a nice bonus as in most cases they are scented, you see… only benefits 😉

Nappy bags make perfect dog poop bags

Second item on the shopping agenda is a kitchen roll.

Now sure if you use them in your household, but we sure do. We didn’t use to as Mark always wants to find ways to save the trees, so we were just using a proper fabric kitchen towels like a J cloth and a dishcloths but with the arrival of a Newfie in the house we kind of have no option… life without a stack of kitchen roll is just a nightmare when you own a gloopy dog.

So we got a Newfoundland and started buying kitchen rolls. It didn’t take long before we were wondering about getting some shares in some kitchen roll manufacturing company to help save some money… we needed it constantly and the rolls bought in your superstore don’t last for long… even the one advertised as extra long or as extra absorbent. So one day whilst at Costco Mark suggested that we get an industrial strength kitchen roll we got the one from Tork, you know those huge while rolls you see in every burger van or most likely in your place of work… I was not impressed with the idea as they are huge and bulky but I agreed to give it a try. OMG, this was one of the best decisions we have ever made regarding household items purchase. Yes, they are bulky and yes, they do not look so sexy but they last forever… and comparing their price to your standard superstore kitchen rolls they are ending up being less than a quarter of the price.

It may looks horrible but it works like no other

So here you have it, my 2 cents on how to shop smart and save some money during this crazy recession time.

Do you have any smart buy tips?

eBay.co.uk – Zero insertion fees – 1-2 February

Please check your email or / and your eBay account to make sure you can take part in this offer.

What is the promotion?

Create up to 100 listing(s) with a starting price of £1 or more in an eligible category during the promotion period using the auction-style format and you won’t pay an insertion fee for each listing during the promotion period.

Feature fees and final value fees will still apply. The number of listings eligible under this promotion may be less where seller restrictions apply.

Who is eligible?

eBay.co.uk registered private sellers who have been invited to participate and are not below-standard sellers or otherwise restricted from selling. Participation is linked to the seller’s account and is not transferable. Sellers must be registered as a resident in the UK.

Where is it?

eBay.co.uk.

When is it?

Saturday 1 February from 00:00:01 until Sunday 2 February 2014 23:59:59 local UK time

For T&C please click here.

eBay.co.uk – Zero insertion fees – 18-19 January

£0 insertion fees.
Start the New Year with new listings.

No email about this offer, so almost missed it 😦

What is the promotion?

Create up to 100 listing(s) with a starting price of £1 or more in an eligible category during the promotion period auction-style format, or auction-style with the Buy it now upgrade and you won’t pay an insertion fee for each listing during the promotion period.

Feature fees and final value fees will still apply. The number of listings eligible under this promotion may be less where seller restrictions apply.

Where is it?

eBay.co.uk.

When is it?

Saturday 18 January from 00:00:01 until Sunday 19 January 2014 23:59:59 local UK time

Who is eligible?

eBay.co.uk registered private sellers who have been invited to participate and are not below-standard sellers or otherwise restricted from selling. Participation is linked to the seller’s account and is not transferable. Sellers must be registered as a resident in the UK.

Restrictions & exclusions:

• Business sellers and/or PowerSellers.
• All items listed in the Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles and Property categories. However items listed in the Vehicle Parts & Accessories category are included.
• Items listed in the Classified format.
• Identical listings that don’t comply with our duplicate listings policy.
• Any items listed that don’t comply with eBay’s listing policies or prohibited and restricted items policies. Items which are listed with a Reserve Price.
• Any item listed during the promotional period but scheduled to start after the promotional period.

For T&C please click here.

eBay.co.uk – Zero insertion fees – 25 December – 5 January

What is the promotion?

Create up to 100 listing(s) with a starting price of £1 or more in an eligible category during the promotion period using the auction-style format and you won’t pay an insertion fee for each listing during the promotion period.

Feature fees and final value fees will still apply. The number of listings eligible under this promotion may be less where seller restrictions apply.

Where is it?

eBay.co.uk.

Who is eligible?

eBay.co.uk registered private sellers who are not below-standard sellers or otherwise restricted from selling. Participation is linked to the seller’s account and is not transferable. Sellers must be registered as a resident in the UK.

When is it?

Wednesday 25 December 2013 from 00:00:01 until Sunday 5 January 2014 23:59:59 local UK time.

How do I get the promotional rate?

• Only items listed on eBay.co.uk using the auction-style format in an eligible category with a starting price of £1 or more are included.  Listings using the auction-style with Buy it now format will be charged only the listing upgrade fee.
• Only sellers whose accounts meet eBay’s minimum seller performance standards are eligible. Please sign in to My eBay and view your Seller Dashboard to verify whether your account is currently meeting the standards. If you’ve completed fewer than 10 transactions as a seller, this information will not appear in My eBay but you’ll receive email notification if your account falls below the minimum performance standards. Find out more about eBay’s seller performance standards.
• If you registered after 15 March 2011 or haven’t listed any items for a while, you may have a listing allowance of 10 items per month or of £650 per month, whichever is reached first. You may be able to increase this allowance by providing additional verification.
• Any eligible item previously scheduled to go live during the promotional period will qualify for the promotion.
• If an item that is eligible for the promotion had previously closed without a successful sale and is re-listed during the promotion period, it will form a part of the 100 listings limit of the promotion. You will not receive a refund of your original insertion fee if the item sells.
• When items have been automatically relisted with the Quick Sell form, this won’t count towards your allocation of 100 free insertion fees during the promotion.
• For items listed in 2 or more categories, only the insertion fee for the first category will be eligible for the promotion. Standard insertion fees will be charged for listing the same item for each additional category, according to the eBay fees policy.

FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS PLEASE VISIT EBAY.CO.UK