Author: Scottish Mum

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Why it’s important to keep flies out of your kitchen?

Collaborative Post

Flies can be a real nuisance in our homes.  They’re frustrating and annoying, with that constant buzzing noise around your head, and that’s not to mention the potential for spreading disease.  The spread of disease is something you want to avoid, especially in the kitchen, where our food is prepared on a regular basis, and good hygiene routines are essential.

Saying all that, getting rid of flies from your kitchen should form part of any hygiene routine we have in place, but it’s not easy to get fly control perfect, as those little flying things have a knack of escaping even the most energetic of fly swatters.

Disease.

That says it all really.  House flies are not fussy about spending their time in clean areas. In fact, they prefer mucky filth, and revel in the internals of a rubbish bin, and we’ve all seen them swarm around dog poo.

After all that, they fly in through an open window or door, and flit around, from room to room inside our homes, spreading their lovely germs as they go.  If we don’t get rid of them straight away, they’ll land on our kitchen work surfaces, tables, and any uncovered food left lying around, or set out for the next meal.  Salmonella has been potentially linked to house flies, which are known to be carriers of more than 200 types of bacteria, so getting rid of flies should be a priority in our homes.

How to help stop flies invading your home.

We can’t actually avoid finding flies in our homes, especially from spring to autumn, but we can reduce the risk in our homes by taking a little action.

  • Make sure that any gaps and cracks in the exterior walls of your home are sealed up.
  • Make sure that debris is cleared away from the exterior of your property.
  • Keep outside rubbish areas clean and tidy, with lids on.  Open rubbish tends to attract flies and the closer they are to your house, the easier it is for them to get in.  Wash your outside bin with hot soapy water.
  • Consider hanging screens on windows and doors you leave open frequently, to make it harder for flies and other insects to get inside.

What if flies do invade?

Let’s face it, you only have to open a door, and flies can get into your kitchen. You need to make sure that you get rid of them straight away, so that they do not have chance to spread disease in your home.

Taking preventive measures can help reduce the amount of flies that get into your property. But, you need to look out for those that do get in, and make sure that you get rid of them straight away.

  • Make sure that food is kept in the fridge or covered up.
  • Dispose of waste products properly and keep it outside, eg cat litter and nappies.
  • Clean your sinks and hobs regularly with hot soapy water.  Any food residue will attract the flies to your home.  Remember that flies can breed in dirty mops and cloths, so don’t leave them lying around.
  • There are several home remedies that you can use, to help you get rid of flies. You can also opt to use a fly spray, or a UV-A lamp which attracts flies and then kills them.
  • Grow insect repelling herbs, such as mint, rosemary and lavender on your window sills, to deter them coming in.
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10 Ways To Get Your Kids Drinking More Water

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Everyone who reads my blog, knows my mother is now pretty much bedridden after a stroke, but she still knows what she likes and what she doesn’t.  I spent my whole childhood being told that I needed to drink more water, and even my own kids have been at the sharp end of the grandparental water police, but there she is, now only eating and drinking what she likes, and not what she thinks is good for her, and unless it’s a glass also filled with ice, water isn’t ever going to be her go to drink in future.

I think if we’re realistic, we all relate water to our mother figures and being coerced into drinking something we’d rather not.  I was determined not to be part of the water police when my kids were growing up, but I still wanted them to take in as much of the good stuff without too much sugar being added.

It started one breakfast time, when my kids got up, poured glasses of milk, gulped them down and left for school.  Milk turns to food in the stomach, so technically, they’d had nothing to drink, and no water.  I couldn’t blame them though, as straight from the tap, water tastes pretty horrible.

Here are my tips to getting the water intake up.

1 – Drink it yourself.

Our kids often end up being mini versions of ourselves.  If we want them to drink water, we have to be a good example and drink it ourselves.  My morning drink of choice used to be a diet soda, so I cut that one out and started having a glass of water with lots of ice while the kids were still at home, and it’s satisfying on a hot day, but doesn’t tickle my taste buds at all.

2 – Cool bottles.

When sports bottles began to become popular among kids, I paid attention.  It might cost me £10, but with the right bottle, my kids would take bottles of water out with them as they play with their pals, for football sessions, and just to look cool.  Don’t underestimate the power of cool…..

3 – Ask schools to help.

Our local schools were very proactive.  They banned soda and high sugar drinks, and only allowed kids to have water bottles on their desks, to sip from during lessons.  Being able to have a drink during class was a huge proactive campaign that worked a treat.  More schools should do this.

4 – Chart incentives.

With my middle child with learning difficulties, chart incentives worked great.  I pinched the idea from school and created a water chart based on glasses of water a day.  This is how we worked it.

  • One glass of water a day for 7 days =  new pencil.
  • Two glasses of water a day for 7 days = pick a sweetie from the shop.
  • Three glasses of water a day for 7 days = movie night with mum and dad.

5 – Jazz it up.

There are lots of ways to do this.   Some of the following are my favourites.

  • Add fruit for an infusion.  Lemon and lime slices, berries or much more.
  • Add sugar-free cordial to disguise the taste.

6 – Make it a smoothie.

There are different opinions on this, but mine is that any water is more beneficial than no water.  I love to take blueberries, strawberries, mango, raspberries and many more base ingredients, freeze them, then add the frozen fruit to a blender with water.  Blitz it up for a healthy smoothie that’s both good for all of us and is packed full of water too.

7 – Make it available.

As daft as it sounds, choosing water might be the last option kids will go for, if there is an alternative in the cupboard or the ridge.  If all that’s available is water, then they’ll drink it.  Use filtration systems to remove the icky tap water taste.

8 – Keep at it.

Two of my kids try to thwart me at every turn when it comes to drinking the H2O these days, but as teens, they have choices, though I am very proud that my middle child picks water as his drink of choice, several times a day.  He’s developed a very healthy relationship with his beverages.

9 – Choose it out and about.

You know the routine.  For a change, you visit an eatery and the first thing you do, is order a soda.  Replace the first drink with a glass of water.  Not only will you save money on the bill, your health will love you for it too.

10 – Make soup.

What!  Well, we all know that home-made is always best.  As well as hiding lots of vegetables we can’t get kids of all ages to eat, and that goes for my mother too, a pot of soup can contain a nice serving of water, used to add the liquid content of the soup.  This is one of my biggest tricks of my life.  If you make it yourself, for every 1.6 litres of soup, there could be approximately 1 litre of water.  That’s nothing to sniff at.

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6 Foods That Aid Restful Sleep

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We all need our sleep. It’s a fact. Because there’s a lot more to a great night’s sleep than the benefits of beauty, let me tell you!

Sleep deprivation can lead to all kinds of physical and mental repercussions, from obesity and heart disease to anxiety and depression. So it should come as no surprise that, in this fast-paced, stressful world, as a society we’ve never slept worse.

There are lots of ways to ensure a better night’s sleep. Paying attention to what the experts say is one – and you’ll find handy tips to improve your sleep on The Sleep Advisor website. Practising mindfulness is another and whether it’s doing a guided meditation before bed or simply relaxing your body and mind with a nice bath before you settle down, this can work wonders for your sleep cycle.

And since the food we eat is basically fuel for the body, there are certain foods we can try to help it shut down when it needs to.

Foods to help you sleep

1. Bananas

It may sound counter-intuitive – aren’t bananas supposed to give us energy? Well yes, that’s true…but they’re also a source of magnesium and vitamin B6, both of which promote feelings of happiness and calm. Plus, alongside magnesium, the potassium that stars in a banana’s make-up is actually a muscle relaxant – so chowing down on a bedtime banana can actually make you feel calmer and physically relaxed. Bonus.

2. Kiwis

The next superfruit of the bowl is New Zealand’s finest export. Nope, I don’t mean the delicious rugby team – I mean the humble kiwi. It packs a powerful protein punch for something so cute and furry. And researchers in Taiwan found that eating a kiwi – or even better, two kiwis – an hour before bedtime increases the chance of a good night’s sleep. Something about the high levels of serotonin and anti-oxidants, I’m sure they know what they’re talking about!

3. Almonds

With muscle-relaxing magnesium and calm-producing serotonin, this is one nut you should – ahem – go nuts for. Sorry. Have a handful before bedtime to ward off any night time cravings or, for something a bit more substantial, spread a dollop of almond butter on a piece of wholegrain toast. Mmm.

4. Sweet potatoes

For another tummy filler that won’t keep you awake all night, include some sweet potatoes in your evening meal. Their complex carbohydrates keep you fuller for longer and prevent a rumbling tummy from disturbing your snooze fest. Oh, and they have potassium in them, too. Your dreams will never be sweeter.

Tip: Try making sweet potato wedges with tahini on its own, or hummus made with tahini. The sesame seeds within it contain tryptophan, an amino acid that’s linked with aiding sleep. It takes an hour or so to kick in though, so enjoy it as an early evening snack or as part of your dinner rather than dipping in before bedtime.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric has been proved as having a whole heap of benefits. In terms of helping you sleep, it reduces your blood-sugar levels, it boosts your immune system and it eases your digestive system. All of these things can prevent you from falling into a deeper slumber so turmeric kindly removes these obstacles from your path to Snoozeville.

Tip: Add a helping of ground turmeric to your evening meal or stir a teaspoon into some hot milk of your choice. Add half a teaspoon of ginger and sprinkle with cinnamon – they call it ‘Golden Milk’ in India; I like to think of it as a hug for your insides!

6. Yoghurt

Dairy products are rich in calcium. And research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it hard to fall asleep. So having a yummy yoghurt before bed can actually improve your sleep – good news all round.

Now, I’m not giving you an excuse to have 10 bowls of ice-cream with that Netflix series you’re binge watching. Because sugar isn’t known as the most relaxing thing in the world! And lay off the cheese while you’re at it. It may not have been proven as a nightmare enhancer but it can lead to heartburn, indigestion and other unwelcome bed companions.

So stick to yoghurt instead, or if you’re not a fan of dairy, try other calcium-rich foods, like dark leafy greens.

Tuck in and get tuckered out

Next time you’re reaching for a bedtime snack, avoid the coffee and biscuits and whip up a turmeric latte with almond butter toast instead. Sounds like too much effort? Have a banana!

Trust me, you’ll be glad you did come morning.

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Soup Maker Recipe: Root Veg with Mushroom Soup

Mixing mushroom with any soup is always a hit or miss.  The colour of this soup was more muddy than it looks in the picture.  The colour seems to be very photogenic with a flash gun, but although muddy colour due to the mixture of green and orange, it was pretty tasty.

Lesley Smith

Soup Maker Recipe: Root Veg with Mushroom Soup

4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Soup Maker
Cuisine: Soup
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g Carrots peeled and sliced.
  • 200 g Potatoes peeled and cubed.
  • 150 g Onion chopped.
  • 50 g Leek chopped.
  • 50 g Asparagus chopped.
  • 50 g Mushrooms chopped.
  • 30 ml Olive oil.
  • 1 Garlic Clove Crushed.
  • Pinch Black Pepper.
  • Pinch White Pepper.
  • Pinch Chilli Powder.
  • Pinch Paprika.
  • 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes.

Method
 

  1. Saute your onions and leek with the oil, garlic, black pepper, white pepper, chilli powder and paprika.

  2. Add the rest of your ingredients to the pot.

  3. Fill the soup maker to the maximum level with water, making sure it fills above your minimum and below your maximum level. Stir well to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of your pot.

  4. Ensure the lid is on properly.

  5. Choose the smooth setting for your soup. If you make it in a pot, simply cook the soup and use a blender to smooth.

 

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Gadgets I’d Like on MY Christmas List – Yes I Know it’s only October

It’s no secret that I’m a gadget girl.   Between Air Frying, Soup Making and Pressure Cooking, I tend to fall for lots of ideas and then not always follow through.

Some gadgets have been absolutely disastrous for me.  I bought an egg cooker that I thought was a saving grace, but within a month, I hated the blasted thing.  It kept cutting out, never cooked how I’d like it to, and the eggs just didn’t taste right.  A rice cooker that I was loving, packed up after a few uses and I couldn’t find the receipt to take it back.  On principle, I wouldn’t replace it.  I see rice cookers and I eye them suspiciously from shop aisles.  I was even suckered into an Air Fryer as my one had packed in.  I have regretted that choice for the last 2 months that I’ve owned it, but it does get lots of use.  I should have stuck to what I know, but it’s done now.

I have a yoghurt maker that I love, and works a treat.  My breadmaker, however will soon need replaced.  Mine is years old and I think is beginning to wilt.  For years, every loaf turned out perfectly, but now, it’s hit or miss.

So – the top gadgets for me are:

1 – New Soupmaker

My husband decided to drop mine, into a bucket of water.  Ahem…..  If you ask me, I think he dunked it to wash, then realised it doesn’t like the electrics being flooded with water.  He did dismantle it to dry it out, but although it still worked to heat, it no longer blended.  He owed me a new one.  I actually just went and bought this, so Christmas won’t be without a soup maker after all.  It’s a little more fancy than my last version, and has a lift out inner to make for easier cleaning, and today, yes, today, will be the first day I try this out with a new recipe.  I do need to review this soon.

(Aff Link)

2 – Actifry

My last Actifry blew up.  It had been used for hundreds of hours, and didn’t really stand a chance against loads of teenagers constantly making chips…….  The ideal thing about that, is that I don’t have to get involved.  The teens found it easy to throw in some chips, bung in a spoon of oil, and when it finished turning, the chips were ready.  AND, if they got distracted and forgot about the chips, they weren’t burning the house down.  When they put food in the oven, it invariably ends up burnt, or with the bottom of my oven seeping whatever food they cooked.

I was in Costco when my Actifry blew up, and they had another make on offer, which I ended up buying.  And while it’s great for other features, it fails miserably for chips.  For the teens to use it on their own, they have to put the chips into a closed basket, which rotates.  It’s rotation feature is amazing for chicken, but for chips, not on.  To get the chips out, they either have to open the basket with their hands wrapped in a towel or oven glove, or lift the whole thing out and do it.  If’s fiddly, and there’s a bigger chance of getting burned.  If they put the chips on the bottom of the pan, they have to be moved around in person half way through cooking, which sort of defies the potential of air cooking.

Anyway, I’m stuck with a machine that is actually good for many things, but just not for chips.  A new Actifry isn’t in my future, but one of these, I’d like.

(Aff Links)

3 – New Phone

Again, this isn’t actually in my future, but I’d love the new, super dooper iPhone.  I guess most of us Apple gadget fans would.  It’s just too pricey for me, so I’ll stick with my old iPhone 6S Plus, which is now out of contract and only costs me airtime.  It does have a teensy scratch on the screen, but I haven’t managed to persuade myself that it’s worth the cost of replacing with something that costs around a thousand pounds.  It doesn’t stop me looking at the picture with pure envy….

I can’t afford the phone, but maybe if I buy an iPhone X case, I can pretend there’s one on the way for my Christmas.  Given that the hub and I only give token pressies to each other for birthday and Xmas, I’ll just live and dream..

(Aff Link)

4 – Hoover – Vaccuum Cleaner

The name depends on where you come from.  Up here, we say hoover, but online, people all tend to say vacuum cleaner, and think Hoover is just a brand of vacuum.  Our is borked.  I don’t buy these often, but when I do, other people tend to be the ones who break them.  Kids – are you listening…….

These are what I’d like.  I haven’t pressed the button on buy yet, as I keep hoping for a sooper dooper sale, but I think I’ll have to go for it soon.

(Aff Links)

5 – Breadmaker

In actual reality, the first one below is the one I’d ideally love, as it also makes pasta.  I haven’t tried making pasta flour in my old breadmaker, so it might be worth trying to see if my dying machine can make anything suitable before splashing out.  I suspect that although I’d love one that also makes pasta, it’s a bit on the pricey side for me, so the second one is more likely to be my replacement one after Xmas. I like the idea of a black breadmaker that’s more likely to blend into my worktop than the light coloured machines.

(Aff Links)

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Soup Maker Recipe: Potato and Apple Soup with Nigella Seeds

Potato and Apple are just the right blend of sweet for me, in a soup.  Apple goes with just about anything I find, and is an easy fruit add for picky eaters.

Lesley Smith

Soup Maker Recipe: Potato and Apple Soup with Nigella Seeds

4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 Bowls
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Soup Maker
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 260 g Chopped Leek & Onion
  • 280 g Peeled and Chopped Potato
  • 130 g Peeled and Chopped Apple
  • 50 g Asparagus Spears
  • 30 ml Oil
  • 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Clove Garlic Crushed
  • 1.5 Teaspoon Nigella Seeds
  • Water
  • 150 ml Milk

Method
 

  1. Add leek, onion, oil, crumbled vegetable stock cubes and garlic clove to the soupmaker and saute until the leek is soft.

  2. Add the potato, apple, nigella seeds, salt, and asparagus spears to the pot, and top up the pot to above the minimum and below the maximum levels with water. Keep back a pinch of Nigella Seeds for decoration

  3. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

  4. Make sure your lid is on properly.

  5. Choose the smooth setting.

  6. Add the milk to the pot once the soup had finished cooking.
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Brave by nature. Healthy hydration.

Highland Spring is one of those brands who like to highlight the benefits of healthy hydration, especially for kids.  When back-to-school comes, it’s always a worry for us parents, to know if our kids have had enough to drink or not.  It’s not as if we can tag along after then during the school day, and mark up what they’ve had to drink.

As a parent, I tend to think that under hydrated children get grumpy.  I doubt there is much in the way of evidence, but I know how I feel if I’m thirsty.

Highland Spring says:

When you’re 100% hydrated, you’re much more likely to be on top of your game – mentally, physically and emotionally.

I’d have to say, that I very much agree with that.

With back-to-school season just past, it’s the perfect time to encourage kids to give every day their all, with the help of great hydration.

Highland Spring ran a #BravebyNature project, which was all about that natural drive in children to let nothing get in their way and for us parents to help our kids stay naturally hydrated enough to wield it.

That’s why Highland Spring is one of your most important #TermTimeEssentials right now.

For me, I have a special needs boy, whose idea of fluid has to come in flavoured varieties.

To get him to be #BravebyNature, I tend to mix it with other things.  it could be diluting juice, or fresh orange or strawberry, or anything I can get him to drink, that isn’t just sugar in a glass.

Water is actually great for lunch bags though, so at school, it’s a bit of a no brainer.

Our schools do pretty well and will remove fizzy drinks from the kids, and ask for parents to send in healthy options.  At our local secondary, the kids are allowed to take in water for their desks, but aren’t allowed any other drinks.  It’s a positive step for hydration.

From Highland Spring, I learned that staying well hydrated  can boost attention by almost 25%. Its even nicer when you know the plain natural source water you’re giving drawn from organic land in Scotland’s beautiful Ochil Hills!

Where do you get your hydration from?

Thanks to Highland Spring for our water.

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Where’s YOUR Happy Place?

In collaboration with SACO

Would you believe that one in four of Scottish people given a choice, said their favourite happy place is a white sandy Hebridean beach?  It’s a thought provoking finding, and I suspect it has absolutely everything to do with those white sandy beaches.  I don’t think anyone could say no to a sandy beach.

The further research from SACO, found that visiting Loch Ness and walking in the Lake District were joint second place, while visiting the Roman Baths of Bath and enjoying fish and chips in Padstow harbour completed the top five happy spots for Scots.

It’s no surprise to me, that two thirds of the adults said some of their fondest memories of being a child were spent holidaying in Britain.  When I grew up, going abroad was just not an option for us.  Most of my kids holidays have been at home too, in caravans or latterly the motorhome before we sold it.  We still take holidays here in the UK, as the cost is what does it for us everytime.  I know that camping would be cheaper still, but something to do with the open air, hard ground and no en suite facilities tends to put me off…  As a tin tenter for years, we’ve taken our fair share of holidays at home, and we’ve all loved them.

We’ve stayed in Dornoch, Nairn, Cambridge, Devon, Montrose, Perth and many  more, always being part of the outdoor caravan site life.  At times it’s been luxury holiday site and at others, it’s just been us and a couple of other vans….  It was always different.  One of our favourite places to go, as a Scot, was up in Aviemore.  You can’t beat it for scenery and things to do if you’re an outdoorsey type.

Caravan Site John O’Groats – The Lone Van

In Aviemore, we’ve also stayed in their chalets, as there’s an enormous amount of good quality serviced apartments in Scotland.  One of the best we’ve had, was a one night to Edinburgh, where we got a last minute apartment on Princes Street itself, with all the mod cons and falling out onto the street.

I think I really do agree that if we could guarantee the weather, it’s unlikely we’d go abroad much.  We don’t go often as it is, but if we had great weather, it would be even less.  It’s the little things that stay in our memories.  I’m glad we managed to pass those along to our kids, and I hope they pass great experiences along to theirs.

←

You just never know what you might see on your travels.  We got stuck behind this little posse one year….

I must admit, that having our dog, was influenced our UK based holidays for many years, as we didn’t want to put her into kennels, and it was nice to take her to new places, and create great family experiences for the kids and the animals in our lives.

How I miss this girl being in our lives…..

We don’t have to spend a fortune for kids to have a great time.  We’ve rolled down hill, skimmed stones, dug holes in sand during a cold winter day and more….  It’s all about doing……



Have a look at the infographic from SACO, for more information on their research.  Where’s YOUR happy place?

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The 4GEE Community Cinema Club

We got the chance to give this a try.  It was a bit of a no brainer, as it involved gadgets and movies, which are the two biggest hobbies of almost all the Scottish Mum family.  I think most of us have heard of EE these days, and they launched a new Community Cinema Club for 2017.

This year, EE brought a series of 4G powered film screenings to rural communities across the UK, in partnership with BAFTA.

The first event was on the side of Gimmer Crag, a sheer cliff face in the Lake District, which has only recently become connected by EE and the 4G network.

I’ve obviously got no head for heights, as just looking at this picture makes me feel dizzy.

As a Scot, whose relationship with 4G was very patchy until very recently, when even the possibility of 3G working, seemed to be a distant memory.  EE is continuing it’s 4G roll out, with each newly connected community being given a 4GEE Community Cinema Kit to keep, which includes a 4G WiFi device, a state-of-the-art connected projector, wireless speakers, and a movie streaming voucher to host al fresco movie nights with BAFTA-winning films during the year.

Many rural communities which have just come online with EE, are pretty remote, and miles away from a cinema, although EE intend to connect 95% of the UK landmass by 2020,.  It’s also a lovely idea, to help communities make their own cinema club, with a kit that can be used outside and indoors too.

While the bigger competition for a full kit like mine is over, there is still the option of winning a smaller on the go kit to watch movies on the move.  On the 25th August, 10 lucky winners will be in with the chance to win one of these, so keep an eye out on their Twitter for the news, and details of how to enter.

We’ve been doing some renovations inside, and rainy weather convinced us to give our kit a try on a dark damp night, by stitching the canvas screen onto the supports of the new wall that’s going up.  It made a perfect place to hang the screen.

We used our box as the stand for the movie, which worked a treat.  As it’s the first time we used it, it took a fair few minutes to get it up and running, but how fabulous was that when we had half a whole wall to watch a movie with……..

I realise just how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to test this kit out.   With the canvas screen, the speaker and the projector, it’s a pretty good full blown cinema experience.  Outside, I think we’d have to try and find some trees to tie the screen to, but it’s worth a try to give it a go.

We hadn’t charged up the gadgets before use, so we had to plug in, but everything operates by battery.  I think we’re going to enjoy this very much over the next few weeks, while we learn to get to know it a bit.  In the end, it was fairly simple, with the EE 4G being used to provide the data, which allowed us to watch the movie by streaming it through the projector box.

Even the cat was interested in the box………

EE, is part of the BT Group, which means it’s the the largest mobile communications company in the UK, delivering mobile and fixed communications services to consumers.

EE pioneered the UK’s first superfast 4G mobile service in October 2012.

I have to admit, watching a film was the longest I’ve had our youngest in the room with us for about a year.  It must have been something about the size of the canvas screen, as we certainly did have the cinema experience.

Remember, make sure to keep in touch with EE on Twitter, to find out how to enter for the smaller on the move kit on the 25th.

We’re taking our kit outdoors next.  This will be interesting….

Thanks to EE for the opportunity to try the cinema kit.

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Review: Nespresso New Summer Iced Coffee Pod Range

My last coffee machine was on it’s last legs, and being ever thrifty, I’ve just let it limp along, sometimes working and sometimes not.  I’ve meant to look for one for a while, so the offer to try Nespresso coffee pods came at the right time.  We didn’t have a compatible machine to try the pods in, so they sent us a wee one to use with the pods.

To be honest I was just expecting the wee Nespresso Essenza Mini and some iced coffee pods.  What arrived was a bit different.  Along with the little machine, came a whole box of iced coffee pods, two coffee glasses, a travel mug, and an ice cube tray.

The machine is very neat, and takes up little room on a worktop.  It’s not very wide at all and seems to make enough for two larger coffees, and several expresso sized beverages.  It took me a while to figure out the different coffee names, but I got there in the end.

The two new flavours of iced coffee, are:

  • Intenso on Ice
  • Leggero on Ice

Intenso on ice, is a rich, roasted coffee, with cereal notes, whereas the Legeero on ice is subtle, with lemony notes.   I did have to look up their website to figure out how to make iced coffee with a coffee maker.  Call me an iced coffee numptie, ahem, newbie.

I’d like to have made the iced vanilla coffee from their recipe, but my wee machine doesn’t have a milk frother, and I don’t own a milk frother.  Yes, I know, I have almost every type of gadget under the sun, but a milk frother isn’t one of them.  I did half wonder if putting some milk into my blender on a high setting might do the trick, but I didn’t take the chance.   I am making a mental note to get a milk frother however.  Having milk frothed latte needs to be in my future.

I did have a few cheeky cups of coffee to test out the machine, and to be honest, it’s fairly simple and doesn’t have excess bits on it to take up space.  I might even give this one to my mum so that her carers can make coffee up in her room, and don’t have to come downstairs a dozen times a day.  I might earn some brownie points there…and I can get myself a gadget with a built-in milk frother.  See, there is some method to this chain of thought….

Ok, now the coffee part has been well figured out, it had to go to the iced coffee version.

This is what I did.

  • Fill glass with ice.
  • Pop Leggero on ice pod into machine and choose expresso setting.
  • When expresso shot has finished, I poured cold milk over the back of a spoon, and into the glass, then stirred at the end.  I did manage to achieve a little froth on top of the coffee, which went down pretty well on a warm Aberdeen day…

What did I think?

To be fair, iced coffee isn’t ever going to be my thing, apart from the odd glass as a change.  I’m pretty much a traditional girl, and a hot latte is my bevvy of choice with caffeine.

Can I see this being popular?

I can.  I’ve always thought of iced coffee as being an American thing, but my kids tend to buy themselves iced coffee shots in a coffee shop, so now I just have to figure out how to use these pods for the same effect at home.  I suspect lots of crushed ice will do the trick, along whipped cream and some chocolate powder, but the possibilities are wide, as is the variation in the type and strength of coffee for the little machine.

Future

Our machine is going to be well used, whether by us, or my mum and her carers, so for that, I am grateful.  I doubt I’d buy iced coffee pods personally, but that’s just me, although my youngest is planning how to use the Caramelito and Vanilio pods instead of the Intenso on ice and Leggero on ice for whipped cream iced coffee.  He’s a teen, and I guess for teens, iced coffee really is a thing…..  Ok, this old woman is off to settle for an old fashioned cup of hot caffeine…

Thanks to Nespresso for our samples.

 

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Review: Antsy Labs Zuru Spinner and the amazing Fidget Cube

We received some samples of the new Antsy Labs Fidget Cube and Fidget Spinner.  To say two of my boys couldn’t wait to get their hands on them, is an understatement.  Two of mine are very restless, and tend to use anything they can get their hands on to fidget with, even if it’s just elastic bands.  I’ve lost count of how many pencils and rulers I’ve had to buy, as they fidget with them, and they end up broken.

We’ve seen fidget spinners before, but the one from Antsy was far better quality than the cheapo I first bought from a big company, but that one had sharp edges.  No fear of that with the Antsy one.  I can see the attraction for the kids with the spinner, as they flick and twist, but personally, I struggle with that.

Moving onto the fidget cube, I just couldn’t put that down.  With all the little bits to twist, spin, press, flick and click, and how it fit nicely into one hand, I could see the enormous benefit for that when my boys go back to school.  The spinner is great for home, but the cube, as it’s less of a distraction for other kids, would be great for school.  At the moment, my kids have a sort of putty they use at school, but the cube would be far better.

Watch this:

What does Antsy Labs say?

 
Leading international toy and consumer products company ZURU Toys is thrilled to announce an exclusive worldwide deal with Antsy Labs to manufacture and distribute the original sensation 
which started it all – Fidget Cube™.

Fidget Cube™ is available now in major UK retailers including Smyths, Tesco, Asda, Argos, Toys R Us and The Entertainer, selling for £9.99 each.   So, forget about fiddling about with paperclips and pens, once you get your hands on these toys you won’t want to fidget with anything else!

Headlining Fidget Cube™’s global launch is the world’s most famous “finger tutter” 23-year-old John Hunt (aka PNUT) – who wowed everyone with his amazing finger dancing moves in Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off videoclip. PNUT shows off his incredible finger moves with the cube in Fidget Cube™ commercials and other parts of the #FreeTheFidget campaign and has to be seen to be believed!

Check out the Fidget Cube™ TVC with PNUT here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj2Nn0iEOI4

 
Also available in the range is the ZURU Spinner – the unique design uses high-quality ball-bearings for an even smoother spin, twirl and fidget. Designed to satisfy your natural fidgeting urges, you can choose from 4 classic colours. http://www.zurufidget.com/product-details-spinner.html

 

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Giveaway & Competition – Hot Stone Massage in Aberdeen, Worth £70

Closes 31st August 2017, at  midnight.

Who isn’t under some kind of stress in today’s fast moving life, where children, elders, work, pets, e-mails and social media place more and more need to fit into a certain slot, no matter how much it impacts on our lives!

It’s not surprising that people seek out massage therapy as a way to de-stress and relax, to improve their well-being going forward.  The one thing that all massage therapists know, is that massage helps to reduce stress levels, and all it takes, is half an hour of relaxation.  We often see stressed clients arrive, for hot stone massage, or an indian head massage.  They are tense when we begin, and at some point in the treatment, perhaps a  minute or two in, or perhaps ten or more, we can visibly feel the client begin to relax under our fingertips.

We all need sleep.  I blame lack of sleep when the kids were young for my wrinkles, but that’s just a guess.  the CDC believes that lack of sleep can lead to increased risk of diabetes, obesity and depression.  I don’t know if that’s true, but lack of sleep definitely has negative effects on my body, and we all know that driving while tired can lead to devastating consequences if we fall asleep at the wheel.

Giveaway:

Prize:  Full Body Hot Stone Massage in Aberdeen, worth £70.

How to Enter:

One entry for each condition met.

1 – Like Sanctuary Aberdeen on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/sanctuaryaberdeen.co.uk/

2 – Retweet the tweet at the the following link.
https://twitter.com/Scottish_Mum/status/888738236104921088

3 – Join the Sanctuary Aberdeen Newsletter below.  You will need to verify the mail in your inbox to be fully subscribed.

Subscribe to the Sanctuary Aberdeen mailing list

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The Rules

– Open to UK Mainland Entrants only.

– Open to over 18’s only.

– 1 winner will receive a 1 hour session for a full body Hot Stone Massage in Aberdeen.There is no cash alternative.  The winner is required to have booked and received their Hot Stone Massage by end of December 2017

– The prize will be booked and redeemed at Sanctuary Aberdeen.

– The Scottish Mum Blog is not responsible for your prize and cannot be held liable in any way for non delivery or non receipt at your end.

– Winners will be notified by DM on Twitter, or e-mail. If the giveaway is not claimed within 14 days, a new winner may be drawn.

– The winner will be chosen by random generator.

– Scottish Mum Blog and Sanctuary Aberdeen, reserve the right to amend, add or withdraw this giveaway at any time.

– Each entry method entitles you to one entry into the draw.

– The giveaway is not associated with any social media channels.

– The winner decision by Scottish Mum Blog is final.

– Closes 31st August 2017 at midnight.