Relentlessly Purple

Wooden Jigsaws From Wentworth – Find A Golden Puzzle Piece

Games / 5 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

We received Wooden Jigsaws from Wentworth for #NationalJigsawDay which is the 3rd of November. These puzzles are so cute and well made, not to mention perfect stocking fillers. I loved getting jigsaw puzzles in my stocking as a child and these are such great quality too!

Wooden Jigsaws - Wentworth Wooden Micro Puzzles

These gorgeous wooden puzzles are just £7.50 each and you could win simply by ordering some!

Wentworth Golden Puzzle Piece Competition Details

To celebrate #NationalJigsawDay Wentworth are running a great competition! Find the golden puzzle pieces in any of their 40-55 piece micro puzzles from 2nd-4th November. Simply order online during the #NationalJigsawDay Period for a chance to win.

If your puzzle contains 1 of 3 golden pieces you’ll win £400 of Jigsaws for a year. Take a picture of your completed puzzle with its golden piece and send it to Wentworth to win. Click Here for full terms & conditions.

#NationalJigsawDay 10% Discount

During this period you can receive a10% discount too! Enter Code NJD18 at the checkout to receive your #NationalJigsawDay discount. Don’t forget to check your puzzle for a golden puzzle piece!

Wooden Jigsaws

Wentworth’s wooden jigsaws are handmade, unique and intricately crafted in Wiltshire. All their puzzles are made from a specially developed wooden board called Medite PremierTM, all taken from sustainable sources.

Wentworth Wooden Puzzles come in a wide range of designs from seasonal to weird and wonderful. There truly is something for every jigsaw puzzle lover. I love how the pieces are so different from typical puzzles too, it makes it much more fun.

We were sent the Festive Bookshelf & the Cats Selfie Micro Wooden Jigsaw puzzles to review. I was really pleased with the quality overall. Even the box is of high quality not to mention the jigsaws themselves.They would make fantastic gifts from stocking filler 40-55 piece micro puzzles to bigger 1500 piece jigsaws.

Do you love Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles too?

Healthy Wellness Teas -Adagio Teas

Physical and Mental Health / 5 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

I received Adagio Teas Healthy Wellness Tea range last week. Just in time as I’m focusing more on mental and physical health & wellness on the blog for a few days. This week I’ve shared the mental health benefits of crafting and today I’m sharing some healthy wellness teas that will help your mind and body too.

Adagio has kindly been sending me different ranges of tea to try out and share with you. I recently shared a large selection of Adagio Teas and their limited edition Wicked Teas, a Halloween special. Whilst reviewing Adagios different tea ranges I’ve become a big fan, each tea is a unique blend full of flavour.

Healthy Wellness Teas Range

Day & Night Collection

Adagio has curated a trio of loose leaf teas for everyday use, specially blended for each phase of the day. Promoting healthy wellness with these teas available individually or as part of the set for £20

Jump Start

Enjoy a cup of tea blended to get you going in the morning, we all have days where we need a morning boost! An invigorating breakfast blend of toasted mate and black tea. Full of cinnamon and cocoa nibs, this warming tea will give you a kick of caffeine without the jitters! I love a morning cup of tea and Jump star has helped a lot this week. I’ve felt so ill I haven’t wanted to leave my bed but Jump start helps me feel a little more human!

Daydream

Sustain your afternoon with a cup of Daydream! Blended with soul-soothing herbs such as passionflower, lemon balm and lavender. The perfect cuppa for handling daily stress. Perfect for an afternoon or evening break from a busy day. Softly minty with a delicately floral bit of tanginess from hibiscus flowers. This calming blend is oasis in a teacup!

40 Winks

The perfect cuppa to wind down with and promote healthy sleep, this bedtime tea will lull you into a deep sleep! A commonly used sleep aid, Valerian root is combined with soothing chamomile, spearmint and lavender. I’ve been drinking a cup before bed as my sleep has been awful lately and it does help me drift off much quicker!

Body & Soul Collection

With winter approaching rapidly Adagio have the perfect trio of teas to ease the effects of winter sniffles and promote overall health and wellness. Tea and herbal blends offer care and kindness to your body and soul. Taking a moment to enjoy the comforting qualities is a great way to promote healthy wellness and take 5 minutes out. You can buy each tea individually or as part of the set for £20.

Tea-Tox

Cleanse your body and lift your spirits with a minty fresh, spicy zest of detox Tea-Tox tea. Naturally caffeine-free with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This blend is specially formulated to aid in restoring your body to its natural state. I love this as a mid-morning tea. It really does leave you feeling perkier.

Throat-Therapy

A tea blend perfect for your sore throat. A warm and soothing cup of sweet liqorice, calming anise and fresh raspberry leaves. Add a bit of honey for an added coating effect and your sore throat will soon be feeling better! Yesterday I was worried my sore throat was turning into a chest infection so I tried Throat-Therapy and was pleasantly surprised how soothing it was. Hopefully, a few more cups of Throat-Therapy and my sore throat will disappear!

Happy Belly

Specifically blended with Pu Erh and ginger root to encourage stomach and digestive health. Happy Belly combines soothing Senna leaf and the natural sweetness of anise and liquorice. A cup of tea that will keep you tummy content. I’ll no doubt be drinking this tea fairly regularly, medication really affects my digestive system, as does stress. Happy Belly sounds like the perfect cup to calm that down!

I’m sure you’ll agree these healthy wellness teas sound perfect, especially this time of year!

Discussing Feelings With My Mood Stars

Games / 5 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

We’ve been discussing feelings with My Mood Stars this week from Wendy Woo. As mental health and wellness is the focus on the blog right now these fit in perfectly! Being able to discuss our feelings is important and learning that from an early age can only be beneficial.

My Mood Stars

My Mood Stars are a fun developmental aid which encourages children to learn about and discuss their feelings. Through imaginative play children can find fun ways to share their feelings. There are 8 stars in total, Happy, Sad, Sleepy, Shy, Scared, Silly, Cross & Surprised. My Mood Stars comes with a Velcro board for the stars to attach to for £29.99

The Idea Behind My Mood Stars

Self-confident children in touch with their feelings find it easier to flourish in social situations. Indeed personal, social and emotional development and communication are key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK. Children who understand and can express and manage their own emotions, as well as those around them, are more likely to develop a positive sense of self and be assured and inquisitive learners.

Discussing Feelings

We’ve spent the week discussing & drawing what makes us feel each feeling. We began with finding one thing for each feeling and I was pleased to see the girls could easily come up with ideas. We received a My Mood Stars book to record our feelings in which you can buy for £5.99.

Eva really enjoyed drawing each feeling and came up with some great pictures!

We’ve used the board to throw Stars when we want to discuss a feeling too. Angry has been used quite a bit with the girls off school and arguing. It’s had a very positive effect as they then take the time to listen to each other.

Another activity we have enjoyed is looking back at our day and through feelings and what made us feel that way. From waking up Cross because there’s too much noise in the building to feeling Happy because we watched a film. It’s lovely to see the girls discussing their feelings and I love the whole idea behind My Mood Stars.

You can also buy a fantastic rhyming book called Rat’s Musical Band written by Wendy White which the girls really enjoyed reading. It really flows nicely and appeals to children with colourful illustrations by Claire Rollinson. This is just £9.99 on the Wendy Woo Site.

Another lovely addition to the Wendy Woo Site we were kindly sent are cute baby Tooth Pockets. The girls love these and now can’t wait until they lose a tooth! Right now they are only £2!

What do you think of My Mood Stars and the other Wendy Woo products?

Mental Health Benefits Of Crafting

Crafts / 5 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Mental health benefits of crafting ranges from stress relief to a sense of achievement. There are several benefits of crafting, something I have written about before. I especially find crochet relaxing. Having anxiety, depression, PTSD and chronic pain (peripheral neuropathy) is hard work, focusing on a small craft project can be really beneficial.

Mental Health Benefits

Over the last few years, I’ve realised crafting is so much more than a hobby for me. It’s a stress reliever, a way to escape, a way to quieten my brain whilst I’m ‘in the zone’. For someone who struggles to go out and can’t work, it gives me a sense of achievement I otherwise lack. With low self-esteem and confidence crafting gives me a huge boost!

I encourage the girls to craft too as I know there are so many benefits. You’re are never too young to look after your mental health, a day at school can be stressful and crafting is great for winding down.

I’ve teamed up with BestFabricStore.com to share the infographic below highlighting the many mental health benefits of crafting.

How Crafting Is Good For Your Health from BestFabricStore.com

Anyone that follows my blog will know I craft most days, whether it’s crocheting blankets, drawing with the girls, crafting Cardboard box dragons, I even learnt to make a felt woodland garland last year! The Mr, having realised how much blogging & crafting is beneficial to me has encouraged me to create my own workspace too. It’s made crafting, writing and storing things so much easier.

Especially as the cold weather closes in rapidly on us, crafting can turn dull days into something positive. You can turn your mood around completely by working on a craft you enjoy. From painting, drawing, crochet, knitting, paper engineering, sewing and countless other crafts, there is something for everyone.

Do you craft to benefit your mental health too? What is your go to craft?

Izzy’s First Term At School

Family / 5 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Izzy’s first term at school went surprisingly well. I was a little nervous for her to be honest but after running straight off to the paint table on the first day, I knew she’d settle ok. She goes into class happily each day and comes running out at home time happy. Starting reception has gone fairly well!

Izzy’s First Term – Toilet Training

As some of my regular readers may remember, Izzy started toilet training a few weeks before starting school. I am extremely thankful she’s managed a whole term with only one small accident at school. I expected a fair few more accidents! Izzy is confident using toilets anywhere, she can change herself if she does have an accident too which I am really pleased about.

Pranking Teachers

Anyone that has met Izzy will know she is a joker! She loves to make people laugh and has a fantastic sense of humour. Izzy made this clear to her teachers from day one. For the first week or so children wear name badges to help teachers learn their names. Izzy is of course Isobella, so we reminded her this is what was on her name badge. Obviously Izzy’s mischievous brain decided that was a great way to prank her teachers.

Several teachers spent a while calling Isobella, she acted oblivious. A learning support aid sat with her for a while and asked if her hearing was ok. She told Izzy teachers kept calling her but she wasn’t responding. Her reply? ‘I can hear them fine but I prefer Izzy!’. So of course the LSA suggested changing her name label to Izzy but she refused, leaving teachers confused all day!

When the Mr collected her at the end of the first day he asked for Isobella, the teacher laughed and asked if he meant Izzy and explained what had happened. Izzy came bouncing out laughing her head off as she had pranked her teachers on the first day of school!!!

Making Friends

As anyone with a 4/5 year old in reception will know, you never hear the full story! Izzy says she has no friends yet according to the Mr comes out chatting to other children daily.

Eva was meeting Izzy at the dividing fence between upper and lower school for the first few weeks. Unfortunately, this led to Izzy getting upset each time Eva went back to class. I was also worried this may make it harder for Izzy to make friends at break time. The girls weren’t too happy about it but I encouraged them to play with their friends and catch up on the way home from school instead.

Lunch Times

Izzy has a mix of packed lunches and school dinners across the week. She gets on well with her school dinners but I’m finding packed lunches can be tricky for her. She struggles to open her drink and some packets so occasionally she has come home with half her lunch & drink untouched. We have been using half term to teach her to do these things properly so hopefully next term there won’t be any issue.

Getting Ready

The idea of getting both girls ready each morning filled me with dread to be honest. Eva isn’t one for just getting on and doing what’s needed, she needs constant reminders which can be stressful! Thankfully Izzy is ready in under 5 minutes and can mostly dress herself, put on her shoes etc. This makes mornings easier than I had imagined, now I’m only left chasing one child around.

A Great Start

Overall, Izzy has had a great start in reception. She likes her teacher, loves the sandpit, paint table & play dough (nothing new there!) and seems to be getting on ok. She has moments where she say she doesn’t like school, but that’s more because she’d rather snuggle up with a film and mummy!

How did your little ones get on in their first term?

Wicked Teas – Adagio Halloween Special

Halloween / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

The Wicked Teas – Adagio Halloween Special sampler set is now available! This limited edition collection is just £19.00 for 6x 14g tins of loose tea. Having recently sampled a large collection of Delicious Adagio Teas, I was really excited to try their Halloween special!

Wicked Teas

These wicked teas come in Halloween themed tins with a mix of spooky sprinkles across them all. Perfect for any tea lover & collector who loves Halloween too.

Bat Brew

Adagio have taken their Chocolate Chai to a new level, blending it with chocolate chips and green sugar crystals. Resulting in an indulgent sweet treat for Halloween, Bat Brew is possibly my favourite!

Candy Apple Concoction

A candy apple concoction reminiscent of the trick-or-treating favourite! Blended with apple pieces red sugar crystals that look like the candy coating has fallen straight in to your cup. This makes for a frightfully good cup of tea.

Cat Scratch

A wickedly delightful blend of cat shaped sprinkles with cinnamon and a customer favourite, Tiger Eye. Another delicious tea with a hint of cocoa & caramel too!

Ghoul Gulp

A frightfully smooth decaf vanilla tea, spook-tacular enough to satisfy any ghost, goblin or ghoul! Accented with coconut pieces and topped with mini ghost shaped sprinkles, this is the perfect Gulp after a night of trick-or-treating.

Monster Mash

A monstrous mash-up of caramel and cream tea flavours will have you screaming with delight! Topped with ghastly green jimmies and bone-chilling candy eyeballs for the perfect Monster brew.

Pumpkin Potion

It won’t take long to fall under this potions spell! This naturally caffeine-free concoction contains Honeybush Pumpkin Chai with orange Pumpkin shaped sprinkles and a dash of cocoa nibs. Another spook-tacular treat!

It’s safe to say Adagio have all ghouls, ghost, monsters, witches, goblins and more covered this Halloween when it comes to tea! Picking a favourite is tough as they are all delicious and a perfect sweet treat.

Which tea do you like the sound of most?

Unicorns & Rainbows Craft Box From Squidgydoodle

Crafts / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

We received a Unicorn & Rainbows Craft box from Squidgydoodle to try out. Each box comes with 4 themed crafts, the girls loved the Unicorn & Rainbows Crafts. Debbie who runs Squidgydoodle lovingly hand-makes each box. From as little as £2.75 for a mini box there are several different craft boxes including party boxes! Something I know my girls would love to!

Unicorns & Rainbows Craft Box

Our Unicorns & Rainbows craft box contained 4 fun crafts for the girls to do including Unicorn Slime, Unicorn Crown, Rainbow Scrape Painting & a Rainbow Rain Unicorn. These crafts are quite different from the typical craft boxes we’ve received. I love the theme and uniqueness of the crafts.

Rainbow Scrape Painting

Eva wanted to do the Rainbow Scrape Painting but decided to do things a little differently but still ended up with a lovely colourful rainbow picture.

Using the rainbow template, Eva used the paints to create a colourful rainbow and surrounding leaving a white cloud & rainbow print.

Rainbow Rain Unicorn

Izzy wanted to try the Rainbow Rain Unicorn craft first. This is a lovely simple craft perfect for any age. Simply mix water with a drop of paint supplied (any colour you like, or mix your own!) and collect it up with the pipette. Then squirt the watered paint all over the card, letting it drip down to create cool patterns. Once finished, remove the unicorn to leave a unicorn silhouette in a colourful background!

Unicorn Slime

Eva loves to make slime so she chose to make the Unicorn Slime. We mixed all the ingredients but we couldn’t quite get the right consistency but it was still so much fun getting messy and watching the colours mix.

I’m sure if we tried this again the slime would turn out better but we added to much water!

Unicorn Crown

Finally, Izzy made the Unicorn Crown using the items supplied including pink glitter glue, sheets of glittery card, coloured tissue paper and glitter! Everything you need to be a sparkly unicorn.

Izzy really enjoyed this craft and had loads of fun cutting and sticking things on to her Unicorn Crown. Once she was finished we rolled up the Unicorn horn and taped it together. We then added elastic and Izzy had a fab Unicorn Crown to wear!

Squidgydoodle

As a family we LOVE crafts, there simply isn’t a day that goes by without one of the girls cutting, sticking, drawing and creating. Whilst I do like craft boxes I tend to find they are a little too restrictive. Squidgydoodle craft boxes are much more fun and lets you vary the crafts slightly. This is always a win as kids aren’t always fond of sticking to the rules! We love Squidgydoodle and I’ll be ordering more boxes myself for the girls.

10% Off Code

As promised, the lovely Debbie at Squidgydoodle has provided you lovely readers with a 10% off code. If you fancy trying out a craft box yourself then enter PURPLE when ordering online. This code is valid until Midnight 8th December!

What do you think of Squidgydoodle? Will you be trying out their craft boxes?

Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 & Multivitamins

Parenting / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Flavour Pastilles for 3-6 years come in a juicy orange flavour. We were kindly sent some samples to see what we thought about the multivitamins.

Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Flavour Pastilles
These Bassetts Vitamins are tasty, soft and chewy multivitamins. With no added sugar, natural flavours & colours, Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Flavour Pastilles contain some of the necessary nutrients to help support the health of three to six year olds.

Giving Your Child A Smart Start

With children starting nursery or school around these ages it gives you peace of mind knowing your child is getting some of the essential vitamins each day. Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Flavour Pastilles contain Vitamin B6 to support normal psychological function and Vitamin B5 which contributes to mental performance to support a smart way to start the day.

Bassetts Vitamins Omega-3 % Multivitamins

Izzy’s Thoughts

Izzy thought the chewy multivitamin was juicy and delicious! She said it reminded her of trying the juiciest orange she ever had. She thought it was so juicy she could just squeeze all the juice out of it to make orange juice and drew this picture of the ‘juiciest orange ever!’. It’s definitely a thumbs up from Izzy.

*Sponsored Post

*Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a healthy and balanced diet

Halloween Melts From Geeky Melts

Gift Guide / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

The most amazing Halloween Melts arrived last week from Geeky Melts for me to review. Melts are simply placed in an oil burner instead of oils and they release scents as they melt.

Geeky Melts

I tend to find Melts a little pointless BUT there’s something very calming watching bones and skulls slowly melt. I think I finally understand the fascination. Geeky Melts have so many different amazing designs available for every occasion.

Halloween Melts

I was kindly sent 4 pots to review with a mixture of melt designs and scents and I truly love them all! Laura at Geeky Melts hand pours every wax melt and they start from as little as £1.50 (+P&P).

The First pot contained Black & Red Dark Mark Skulls, and Mini Heart Melts with a Black Rose and Oudh scent. This is my favourite scent by far and I really enjoyed watching the skulls melt away.

Melon & Cucumber Rose wax melt from Geeky Melts

The next pot contained a gorgeous Melon and Cucumber scented White Glittery ‘Dead Flower’ Melt. I love how fruity this scent is, it really makes the room smell lush!

I love the designs in the third pot these 3D Melts are amazing in blue with a hint of red on 2 of the melts. With a refreshing Rock Salt and Drift Wood scent, these are seriously cool melts.

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh linen? The final pot contained a mix of Fresh Linen scented Hearts, Skull & Bone Melts.

I really do see the interest in wax melts now, they make your home smell amazing. They are fascinating to watch melt & rather calming too. I love how much detail has gone into making these melts from the colours, sparkle and scents, they are fab!

I’ll be treating myself to more from Geeky Melts very soon for myself and as gifts for Christmas. There are a range of different designs and scents to choose from at Geeky Melts to suit everyone.

Do you like wax melts? What do you think of Geeky Melts?

Frost Book Review – A Winter Animal Story

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Eva received a copy of the Frost book to review last week, reissued and redesigned with a dazzling new cover! Frost is written by bestselling author Holly Webb and award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup. A perfect, read aloud, heart-warming winter tale full of wondrous animal adventure.

Frost Book – Eva’s Thoughts

Eva really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book. Frost, a cute fox gets Cassie to follow him. She transports back to the Frost Fair on the frozen Thames which sounds really exciting too. She finds out Frost is a big sister and helps feed them with sausage rolls. Eva thinks this is lovely of Cassie as Frost needs her help.

Frost

Cassie’s neighbours all complain about the foxes hanging around the flat she lives in, close to the river Thames. Cassie thinks the foxes are beautiful though and has a favourite fox! A small fox with a white tail-tip Cassie calls Frost is her favourite.

One night Cassie spots Frost looking cold and thin so she decides to sneak him some food. Frost wants her to follow him and leads Cassie towards the river where she feels the world change around her! She finds herself back in the 17th century- at the time of the Frost Fair on the frozen Thames. Cassie is thrilled by the sights and sound of the famous fair, then she glimpses a fox with a white tail-tip!

Frost wants Cassie to follow him again, can she find a way to return Frost to his countryside home?

Wentworth Golden Puzzle Piece Competition Details

#NationalJigsawDay 10% Discount

Wooden Jigsaws

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Healthy Wellness Teas Range

Jump Start

Daydream

40 Winks

Tea-Tox

Throat-Therapy

Happy Belly

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My Mood Stars

Discussing Feelings

What do you think of My Mood Stars and the other Wendy Woo products?

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Mental Health Benefits

Do you craft to benefit your mental health too? What is your go to craft?

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Izzy’s First Term – Toilet Training

Pranking Teachers

Making Friends

Lunch Times

Getting Ready

A Great Start

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Wicked Teas

Bat Brew

Candy Apple Concoction

Cat Scratch

Ghoul Gulp

Monster Mash

Pumpkin Potion

Which tea do you like the sound of most?

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Unicorns & Rainbows Craft Box

Rainbow Scrape Painting

Rainbow Rain Unicorn

Unicorn Slime

Unicorn Crown

Squidgydoodle

10% Off Code

What do you think of Squidgydoodle? Will you be trying out their craft boxes?

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Giving Your Child A Smart Start

Izzy’s Thoughts

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Geeky Melts

Halloween Melts

Do you like wax melts? What do you think of Geeky Melts?

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Frost Book – Eva’s Thoughts

Frost

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