Things to use up in May 2015

Hi guys,

For those of you who follow my YouTube channel you may have seen my video explaining all the things I have which I would like to use up by the end of May 2015.

First of all I would like to explain in a little more detail why I have started this...the videos and blog posts are for those of you who are interested BUT they are also for me, to help me keep track of what I have and haven't used. I love getting freebies and samples and only request things I think I will use....but for some unknown reason I find it hard to bring myself to use them up! SO I have challenged myself to use up a few samples/freebies/cheap bits every month to keep my 'stockpile' from going out of control. What is the point in having 50 shampoo samples if you aren't going to use them....I would still like to have a stockpile of bits for emergencies - like when someone uses the last bit of shampoo before I get there!!...but I would like to make use of what I have, in order to save myself some money. Please see picture below for all the things I have chosen to try and use up this month.

I have chosen a range of samples to use up, some of which I would like to do reviews on, like I said at the beginning of this blog, I started a new one and I wanted to make sure there were more regular posts (which I hope has already happened)....The Elizabeth Daughter's samples I have doubles of so I hope to get a good idea of how they work/what they are like and then do a little review on them.

The QV cream is going to be used to help soothe the burn on my arm, I used it yesterday and it seemed to make it feel a little better so I am going to continue with that and may do a review for that too as it is a decent sized sample.

The Jimmy Choo perfume has gone in my bag and I did manage to use it a couple of times yesterday so that is off to a great start.

I can not wait to have a pamper night so I can use up the face mask, foot cream and probably use the shower gel as bubble bath as it smells great.

The tea bags are going to be the hardest to use up I think, as we rarely run out and I always forget they are there....that is why I decided to put all the samples into a clear bag - I can see them and it makes me remember (I hope). I also am not a big fan of green tea, but these will be passed on to members of my household and get used up by the end of the month easily.

The toothpaste, dog food sample (to be used as treats), washing scent boosters and hair oil should be fairly easy to use, as these are everyday items. I do have a full sized hair oil, but I also have another sample which I am saving for if we go away or if I stay at a friends or something similar happens.

The big bag of dog food will be used up easily, our dog is a big dog so she eats quite a lot, I will be slowly introducing her to the food and then using it on its own for a week or so before introducing her old food back (as not to upset her tummy). I will see how she gets on with the hill's food, and will be doing a review on that - its taken me a while to get round to it, and I apologise to you all for that! 

The air freshener has already gone up and is being used. I love the smell but it isn't too strong tbh. This may not be gone by the end of May but it will have been used up soon after if not :) and what a bargain at 25p.

The Febreeze has also started being used, I have sprayed it on my pillow and around the bedroom the last two nights and I do love the smell, I have been so tired lately that I have been sleeping a lot better anyway, but I am still waking up of a night, so I am hoping that maybe this will help a little. I am not hoping for a miracle just a little change would do.

And lastly is the shower gel! This I know there will be no problem with, we are constantly running out of shower gel and running to get some from the shop, or phoning each other while we are out to ask if we can pick some up. I feel a little silly as I have atleast 6 stored away, some from cashback offers, some from couponing and others were cheap - like the adidas one. But I know by the end of May - maybe even before - all this will be gone.

That is all the things I would like to use up by the end of May 2015 - I hope you enjoyed reading, maybe I have been ambitious - maybe I need to add more next month, I am not sure. I won't know until I have tried :)....I will be coming back and doing another video at the end of May - this will show you how I have got on with this list, and I will be adding all the things to use up in June :).

Thank you for reading :)

Sophie Jo x

Office Pantry

Hi guys,

I just wanted to tell you about an amazing company I have come across while looking on The Blogger Programme. They are called Office Pantry, and they deliver great, healthy snacks to offices all over the country. The reason they started doing what they are doing is because they know how it feels. They used to work in offices, and they were fed up of the lack of healthy food available to them.

Now I do not work in an office as such BUT I am a sports coach, I teach children gymnastics, I am always rushing about and never get time to eat properly - always popping to the corner shop or the vending machine and grabbing a mars bar or a bag of walkers or just skipping food all together (not the greatest example to set hey!). So I am totally in love with this idea, every second we have spare we are normally completing admin in the office as we are a family run business so we don't have a huge amount of admin staff (we have one lovely lady named Debbie).

The concept is very simple, you get a pantry with your first order and this 'houses' your snacks, and each week you get refill packs delivered to your office! - Each pantry costs £35 and you pay by Direct Debit so it is easy peasy and you don't have to worry about forgetting to pay for the next one...

If you choose to go with the honesty box option then you will make your £35 back once all the snacks are gone. A price list for the snacks is provided with the pantry and the staff put the money in the little slot. When the last snack has left the pantry you can use this money however you like, you can even use it to purchase your next box BECAUSE they guarantee that the retail value of the snacks is NEVER lower than the price of the box itself.

One of the great things about these boxes is that if you find there is something people are not particularly liking you can ask office pantry to change the mix in your box. Your pantry/box is tailored to your office.

All their food is locally produced, taste tested and grandmother approved (read more about that here) and they serve many offices including BT, Lovehoney and more. AND you can get 50% off your first order - get started right now by clicking here!!!

You can also refer a friend by clicking here.....when they try Office Pantry out you will both get a treat box (bonus).

I spoke to the lovely Giles and he kindly sent me some of their snacks to try out for myself and they really are delicious and healthy at the same time - there is such a thing!! I think this is a brilliant idea and I have suggested Office Pantry to many people already in the week or so since discovering them.

You can find out more by visiting their Site.

Their Facebook.

Their Twitter.

Or

Their Instagram.

Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed

Sophie Jo

xx

Ipanema Wishlist

Ipanema.uk.com is one of Brazil's hottest flip flop brands. They bring out new and stylish designs each season, which means that there is something for everyone! They sell flip flops, sandals and wedges in a huge range of colours and finishes. The thing I find most interesting about this brand is that they are 100% recyclable I honestly don't think I have come across another company that has this - there may be one but I don't know of it. This brand has designs for women, men and kids - which is brilliant. I thought I would create a wishlist of all the things I would like. I hope you enjoy reading and head over to their site if you'd like to check them out for yourself here.


1.  Ipanema Applique (womens) had to be my first choice, and anyone that knows me will instantly know why! Owls, I love Owls so much! These Flip Flops are so so cute and even comes with some interchangeable accessories to go on the front - an owl, a heart and a glitter bow.  There are 3 different colours to choose from - White/Blue, Pink/Beige and Pink/Black, I personally would go for the White/Blue but they are all very nice. They look to be good quality from the picture and are made of 100% recyclable PVC which is great. They are extremely easy to clean which is good because we all know how dirty flip flops can get, and how unattractive they look once they get to a certain stage. The price is £23 which, due to the quality, the uniqueness and the fact that it is recyclable, I think is reasonable. You can check them out for yourself here.

2. Ipanema Lovely III (womens) would be my next choice, the reason I like this flip flop is that it is very delicately decorated with a lovely pattern which sort of hypnotises me. This also comes in a range of colours but I personally would go for the Black - I think it looks the nicest and although I would wear all of them (and despite the fact that my first choice was light coloured) I think black would be the most practical and not get as grubby. BUT in saying that, as with the last pair, they are made of 100% recyclable PVC and are very easy to clean - so I am sure that light colours would not be a problem. The price of these is £17 which is a good price for the quality. You can check them out for yourself here.

3. Ipanema Deco (womens) would be the third choice, I like these wedges because they do not look flimsy, but they are not so high that I would lose control (which lets face it, would be totally embarrassing). There is a pretty design at the back of this shoe, where you would rest your heel, and the front is plain. This makes the shoes simple yet pretty. Again this comes in a few colours but I would choose the black, they are 100% recyclable and very easy to clean. The price of these wedges are £23 which I think is a reasonable price, considering what you might pay elsewhere. You can check them out for yourself here.

4. Next I would pick Ipanema Lipstick Wedge (womens) - can you tell I like this brand! I like this design for its simplicity there is no design on the top, but the whole wedge is patterned. After going on about how much I like all the designs in black - well with this one I prefer the white! I think it looks lovely and would be perfect on the beach in summer time! Again this is made from 100% recyclable material and is very easy to clean, these are all bonus' if you ask me, and it makes it better value for money. The price for these is £35 which I think is quite a lot but as they are very good quality I would say this is reasonable. You can check them out for yourself here.

5. Ipanema Monster (kids) - I think these would really suit my little boy, he is 5 and loves things like this! The design would be appealing to a range of ages I believe and I think I would pick the Green/Black just because it seems more Monster like! Again the flip flops are 100% recyclable and are easy to clean - even more of a bonus for kids. The price for these is £12 which is a very reasonable price for kids flip flops. You can check them out for yourself here.

Payments and Packaging - You can currently pay with a range of cards but also through PayPal - I love this, and I think more companies should offer this, I think it is an easy way to track your payment, and it makes you feel a lot safer! Postage and packaging cost are £3.50 per order and if you buy 3 pairs or more then its free. For UK mainland (where I am) your order is tracked and delivered by DPD. If you are anywhere else your order is tracked and sent by DHL. The items being tracked is another thing that makes people feel safer and I think that all larger companies should offer this service.

That concludes my Wish list for Ipanema.uk.com I really hope you enjoyed! You can check them out yourself on their site.

Or follow them on twitter - https://twitter.com/IpanemaOfficial

And find them on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IpanemaOfficial

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

Sophie Jo x

Blogger Network

Pooch & Mutt - Calm & Relaxed Dog Food

I was very very kindly sent a 2kg bag of the Pooch & Mutt Calm & Relaxed dog Food. Pooch & Mutt are a company that makes grain free dog food - why is grain free good? - Well dogs do not need grain, wild animals are 'designed' to eat mostly meat, and just like humans, some dogs can be allergic to gluten which is in many grains. The actual fact is that dogs do not need grains, so why do we need to give it to them. As I have mentioned before in a previous review of some other dog products (see it HERE) bloat can be very serious for dogs and can even kill them, if a dog is finding it hard to digest a grain they are more likely to get bloat.

Pooch & Mutt is also the only company who's food contains Nutra-Bionic which is a supplement that includes a lot of things including Cranberry to aid Urinary Tract Health, Zinc and Botin to aid Skin and Coat, plus lots lots more. You can read more about it on their site here.

They also sell Dog Treats and Supplements.

On to the product - first of all the packaging is very simple and easy to read, you can tell what you are getting and who you are getting it from. The character is very sweet and you would instantly recognise these on the shelf at any store. The package is purple which I do think is a colour associated with relaxing - but it makes me think Lavender which this food does not include. The only thing I would like to see is a re-sealable packet - I use tape to seal mine, and I think this is something a lot of companies are missing out on! Even a sticker to seal the packet would be enough to make me look twice. 

Now on to the ingredient which make this product Calm & Relaxed - Chamomile - We all know this helps us all to relax and it has been proven. This is the only ingredient (as far as I can see - please someone correct me if I am wrong) that actually helps to calm/relax - BUT interestingly (I have done a little reading) chamomile has a whole range of other uses such as anti-inflammatory, gas relieving and anti-spasmodic among many others. For me this is a huge plus point, keeping my dog healthy is a very high up on the list priority....she is part of the family, I love her as if she is one of my children. There are also many ingredients in this food which help to aid digestion such as, b-vitamins and probiotics - this a long with the grain free aspect will make it easier for any dog to digest - causing much less intestinal problems (plus point!!!).

The effects - this food claims that it helps to calm and relax your dog. I for one was very excited about this concept as I have, probably the most hyper, cheeky and unrelaxed (if that is a word) dog on earth. Lola, is a Labrador, and Labradors are puppy like for much longer than other dogs...she has just turned 1 year and is always getting into all sorts of trouble. I fed Lola this food, along side her other food (as you must always take time in changing over to a different food - please be careful as you can upset your dogs tummy)....I was feeding her half and half by the end, Her morning feed was Pooch & Mutt and her Night Time feed was her usual food (this may have an effect on the results)....Within 4 days of using this food, I saw a small difference in her behaviour - now normally she will be hyper from the moment she wakes up, to the moment she goes to bed, and never never stops. I have noticed that now in the evenings she is slightly calmer, a little less up in the air and actually sits still for a period of time. This is great and I would definitely consider purchasing this food in the future and transferring Lola over completely. Above that she absolutely loved the taste, within seconds she gobbled it up - this is probably due to it being new as well BUT if she didn't like it then she wouldn't eat it. Check out these adorable pictures of her hearing me open the packet and looking through the window, then having a good old sniff at the packet. 

  

The Price - This is another thing I like to look at, because although I would give her anything, I do think some dog food is far too over priced. Pooch&Mutt Calm & Relaxed is £13.99 for a 2kg Bag, which looking around is average for a grain free food, I think paying a little extra for the good stuff is ok. With all the benefits this food provides and the quality of the ingredients that are put in it is well worth that price tag. 

Thank you again to Pooch & Mutt for the lovely bag of food.

Again you can check out their website - http://poochandmutt.co.uk/

Find them on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/poochandmutt?fref=ts

Follow them on twitter - https://twitter.com/poochandmutt

And instagram - https://instagram.com/poochandmutt/

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

Sophie Jo x 

Next Haul and Wishlist

Hi guys,

I had £40 worth of vouchers to spend at Next which I got for my birthday. I love Next and always use them, I think they are great quality and last a while so I do not mind spending a little more than other stores. The other great thing about Next is that most of their items come in a good range of sizes from 6 to 22 some items even cover other sizes too. And their shoes (although I did not purchase any at this time) come in a range of sizes too.

The first 3 items I bought were their T-shirts - I always use T-shirts for work and know that with Next I will get great quality, long lasting and good value for money. These T-shirts were £4.50 each, 2 for £8 or 3 for £12. I got it in Grey, White and Bright Pink...3 colours I love to wear, I always wear them with tracksuit bottoms for work but although they are very basic they can also be dressed up with accessories and look great with jeans. They come in a huge range of colours - you can take a look here.

The next item I purchased was a Bright Pink mesh top/jumper, I thought it looked really nice and comfortable and I love the colour. These also came in a range of colours but I liked the pink the best. This cost £14 which I think is an average price for something like this, but again like the T-shirts I know it will last me a while. I think this top would look lovely with jeans but I think it could go with leggings too for a more comfortable look. It could be dressed up with a range of accessories. I got mine in the size up as I wanted it to be a little baggy on me for comfort, with a nice little vest top on underneath. You can check it out on their site here.

Next I got another comfy piece - an over sized T-shirt which I would either wear to bed or maybe even on the beach over a swim suit or leggings. I can not find this on their site so I am not sure if this is available everywhere BUT I love it. It it white and says 'I DREAM OF SUMMERS THAT LAST FOREVER' in black writing. I got this again in the size up as I love over sized things they are comfortable and easy to wear. This cost me £12.

The last thing I purchased was a real simple and beautiful pair of earrings - I love them because they are sterling silver and sparkle when the light hits them. They can be used with almost any outfit for almost any occasion, they are so versatile. They were £4 which is a really good price for a good quality pair of earrings. You can check them out and buy them from here.



WISHLIST

I saw so so many things today in store that I wanted to buy but I couldn't get them all! So here is my wishlist...I am hopeful that I will purchase some/most or all of this in the future - so anything I do get will be crossed off the list! I have written all of my wishlist items in order 1 being most wanted/favourite.

1. Printed Jersey Dress - £20 - this dress is beautiful and comes in 2 different designs, I would like both if I am honest and I think they look great for summer! Check them out here.

2. Single Band Footbed Sandals - £20. These come in a few different colours but I would like the Metallic ones, I think they would go with a few different outfits and they look so comfortable, unfortunately they did not have my size in store today so I may have to order these online. You can check them out here.

3. Five pack Fruit Trainer socks - £7. I have only seen these online I did not spot them in store otherwise I would have snapped them up. They are so cute, and if you know me you know I love a good pair of socks. Socks are very useful and I always need them for work, I work with children so cute socks are always my fave! You can check them out here.

4. More socks - Five Pack Animal Footbed Socks - £8. I just love these because they look practical but cool. The animal print on the bottom is great, I love animal print and again working with kids, funky and cute patterns always appeal to them and me. You can check them out here.

5. Soft Shirt in Daisy Blue - £26-28. This shirt comes in 3 different colours/prints, but I like the daisy blue one most. I down actually own a shirt so I think this is why it really appeals to me. Shirts can be worn for all sorts of occasions, they can be dressed down and up. I would wear this with a lovely pair of jeans. You can check it out here.

That is the end of My Next Haul and Wishlist. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed, there are probably hundreds of things I could wish for from Next but these are the main things I would like.

Sophie Jo x

Imune Nurture Drinks

Hi all - I was kindly sent some I Mune Nurture drinks for my little man to try out. He is 5 years old and we really struggle with his eating so I often worry that he doesn't get enough vitamins & minerals above this he is forever picking up bugs and since he has started school this has got worse, with both his parents working with children we find it very difficult to keep him away from it all and I have forever been looking for something which will help. I recently joined The Blogger Programme and came across this brand, I have never seen anything else like it on the market and was very interested to learn more. They are 100% natural with no artificial sugars (which many kids drinks do have now days) and they have even been scientifically proven to boost a childs immune system (wow). The other great thing about these drinks is that with all the vitamins and minerals inside them you can be sure that any of you Mummy's with fussy eaters like mine will be getting the good stuff in! Suitable for ages 2+.

I firstly want to talk about the packaging, its very sweet and the brand is very clearly written across the top of the pouch. Rhys (my little boy) really liked the look of it and asked to try it before it was even offered to him. The design of the pouch means that it is completely spill proof - don't believe me? (I couldn't believe it at first either) Grab a pouch - turn it upside down - and squeeze it - go on - nothing will come out. If you don't want to try it yourself then take a look at this picture of me doing it.

The first one we tried was the strawberry and cherry - anything strawberry normally goes down a treat with Rhys. At first he found pushing the top down whilst trying to drink it quite difficult but after a few tries he got there. That was the only thing that phased him, once he got over that he drunk the whole lot in a couple of minutes, I had a little taste but wasn't allowed any more than a sip as he wanted it all. The taste was quite strong, which I wasn't expecting it to be because it is 'Fruity water' 50% juice/50% water. I was pleasantly surprised by this, this was probably the reason he wouldn't share, and I will definitely be purchasing some in the future. With a RRP of £1.99 per 4 x 200ml pouches (working out at around 50p per pouch) thats amazing value for so much goodness!!

Next we tried the Orange and Pineapple flavour which I wasn't 100% sure he would like as he isn't a big fan of Pineapple, but I did not tell him what flavour the drink was and asked him to try it. I gave it to him before his first gymnastics competition last saturday - thinking it was a brilliant way to start off his day and get him ready! His comments were 'this is delicious' and 'mmmmm' but not much else came out of his mouth until he had finished. He seemed to love this flavour just as much and I didn't get to have a taste - he was very happy with it, he carried it all the way to the competition and finished it all. Please see below the pictures of him showing it off!!

The science behind the drink amazes me - I have read into the ingredients in the drinks and I think its amazing. There has never been anything like this before, and I am really excited to be able to try it. Wellmune WGP has been proven to strengthen the cells within your body which help keep you healthy....Please read about it yourself by visiting http://www.wellmune.com/research/. This along with Vitamins B6, B9, B12, C, D and Zinc which help to keep the normal function of the immune system going are what makes this drink so great.

These drinks can be purchased at Tesco stores nationwide and at www.tesco.com with a RRP of £1.99 for a 4 pack (incase you didn't believe me the first time I told you).

For more information on these fantasticly fruity drinks please head over to their website - http://www.munehealth.co.uk/#top

Follow their Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImuneNurture?fref=ts

Or find them on Twitter - https://twitter.com/ImuneNurture

Thanks for reading, and thank you again to I Mune for sending me these to try.

Take care xxxx