Can Anyone Help!? Let's Beat Cancer Together!

Cancer is something that has affected all of us in at least one stage of our lives, when I say affect us all, I don't mean we have thought the illness ourselves, some of us have, other's have been affected in other ways. Watching a loved one battle Cancer or watching a friend suffer through the horrible illness. Sadly I lost my Grandad to Cancer. Cancer stole my Grandad from me, thanks to the illness, my son never met him. Tear's are welling in my eyes as I type this post, wishing he could come back, wishing he was still here, wishing he got to meet the 1 grandchild (my little sister) and 3 great grandchildren (my Spud, Little Big Man and Baby Boo) he never had the opportunity to meet. 

Me, my two big sisters, my sister in law and Paula's (my eldest sister) sister in law is running the Race for Life next month July 21st at 11am. We are walking/running/sprinting the Race for Life not only for the memory of our loved ones, but to raise money into cures for Cancer's. There are so many different types of Cancer's in the world (200 different types) and although some people fight the illness and go on to lead healthy lives, other's are sadly stolen of their lives, just like my Grandad.

I am pleading for help in any way you can by sponsoring our team, even if its just for 1p, every penny helps! Race for Life is a womans only event where the participants run/walk/crawl/sprint/jog either a 5k or 10k path. Me and my team would really appreciate any help you can afford and hope you can all understand its for a fantastic cause. You can find our official Race for Life, Just Giving page here, I would just like to say a thank you in advance for anyone who can hep by sponsoring us!

To find out more about Race for Life, check out the official website here.

Jade xx

We're Both Going On A Summer Holiday..

Everyone's going on holiday, or everyone has a holiday booked at least! When I say everyone, I really do mean literally everyone, even the next door neighbours dogs have gone on holiday to luxury dog kennel hotels, I mean how cool is that!? Dog's, as in animal dog's are having holidays at luxury hotels whilst their owners are having a holiday in Turkey in luxury hotels with a beautiful sea view, sipping cocktails by the pool, dressed in their summer clothes because it's so hot!

Not much chance of that here in England, yes last week may of been nice but this week has been a different story! Me and Spud live in a flat, so even on the odd few times we have sun, unless we have money, all we can do is lounge around at the local 'park', how the council can even call it that is a bit of a joke, its one big field, dry in the sun, horrid with the rain! 

Being in a flat and having no garden makes it more important to me, that me and Spud get away on holiday at least once each year. Spud's never been abroad as we always do English sea side breaks but now he's 7 and I feel comfortable with taking him abroad alone with just me and him, I'm planning on taking him away this summer holiday sometime in August to Spain. Being a single Mum, I have to cover all the cost myself, to me it's important I find low-cost holiday deals, something that's not too expensive but includes our flights and accommodation for the duration of our holiday.

As going abroad is something very new for Spud, we've been looking online and reading reviews of the place that has caught our eye the most, Spain. Spain has a massive theme park called Port Aventura (a Disney Theme park) and if your a regular reader your know me and Spud LOVE Disney! Both myself and Spud will love a day out to Port Aventura, a day trip to Barcelona will also be on our to do list, along with sun bathing, making huge sand castles on the beach, swimming in the hotel pool, trying out the local food and lets not forget the shopping!!! 

Going abroad alone with a small child is quite nerve wracking for me too, luckily the company I have booked through have fantastic resort information on all the destinations they provide for, with details on weather, local tourist attractions, the best times of year to go and even the best places to eat! Everything is all located on one website which is great for me, I'm not the best of multitasksers at all!!

So my lovelies, have you got any holiday hints and tips for me, have any of you been to Port Aventura? I would love to hear from you!

Jade xx

Starting A New Life.. The Single Way

It's not no secret I'm a single Mother to Spud, a quick read of my about me page gives you a very big clue. No one chooses to be a single Mum do they, well I don't think anyone would like too if they had the right set up, I would say perfect family set up, but who's perfect nowadays!? Everyone has problems, weather its minor or major, we all have them, no matter how hard we try and run away from the situation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a single Mum and I now pride myself in the fact that I've done everything alone, I've got Spud to where he is today, I'm the one who gets him through day to day life, rewards him, treats him, teaches him right from wrong, cares for him, cherishes him, praises him, cleans him, feeds him, dress him, gets him to school so he can have a education, the list is endless, I've done it all, me, myself, ALONE.

Being a single Mum hasn't always been easy, there has been times where I've wished Spud's father helped out more, when I could just do with a 30 minute break to go for a walk, or just to have a bath in peace and not have to worry about what Spud is getting up to alone, or when next he is going to pop his head round the door and laugh at Mummy's jelly belly!

A once close friend of mine got in touch with me recently, we met at college in 2008 when she was 25 and a wife and mum to one, we was on a beauty therapy course and grew close within the 10 months of the course. We remained in contact until 2011 and sadly then just stopped speaking much until it was twice a year when we wished each other a happy birthday and merry Christmas. My friend married young at the age of 24 and had her firstborn four months after her wedding back in 2007, in 2010 she went onto have another baby and is now a single Mum of two. 

My friend did seem to have the most perfect relationship to us outsiders, she had two children, a husband, a lovely house, they both drove nice cars and both had jobs. After the phone call with my friend, all was not as it seemed. Things had gone wrong in the marriage, things they had made vows against was broken from her husband, betrayal in the worse way, he had been having an affair with a work colleague. My friend needed divorce advice but didn't know where to start after all the government cuts, she called me, knowing I'm good on the laptop and asked me to have a look around for her online.

After reading advice after advice on numerous forums and reporting back to my long lost friend on what I had read and noted down, we realised she needed to seek help and advice with family law as children are involved in the relationship. My friend has had her first meeting with a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell and happily reported back to me this afternoon that thing's are looking well thanks to her amazing solicitor!

Sadly these things do happen on a daily basis, if you ever find yourself in this situation, reading advice forums in the long run will not help your problems and situation. You do need to seek legal advice and get the correct information and steps into place, child custody is always one of the biggest situations to sort out, I wasn't married to Spud's father but this is something we needed to seek advice with ourselves.

Until next time,

Jade x

Because Word Of Mouth Is So Last Century!!!

I received a phone call from a family member of mine last night, requesting some 'business' help. I'm a busy working Mum, receiving a phone call during my favourite soap Eastenders and asking me for business help is most probably not the best time to call and ask for help and advice. My answers last night was something along the lines of, oh my gosh how could Alice go with Michael!!!!!

This family member called me asking for help and advice on her cellophane, bow and ribbon business as she knew I studied business at college back in 2006, I'm not a pro, far from it, after all I only done a year of it, but I do know a little bit, and since starting my own blog I've come to know little hints and tips in regards to marketing.

How beautiful are these Leopard print bags that Favourites 4 U sell?

To get a business established and known, you need customers, you need returning customers, new customers, old customers, customers of all sorts. How do you get these customers, how do they find out about you!? Well back in the Victorian times, I would of told people about Favourites 4 U (my family members website) via word of mouth, that technique is something businesses can't survive on alone anymore.

Going through a list of options this morning after the school run, once I had my morning cup of coffee and no Eastenders to occupy my brain, I brainstormed what I as a potential customer to companies enjoy seeing. It was then that I remembered Royal Mail Door To Door a service that I believe is really going to kick off in the marketing world! After sending the link to my family member, they have called Royal Mail to find out more and was so happy with what she heard, has booked in her first lot! 

The advances of technology these days, everything and anything can be done online, soon we will be booking tickets for flying ferrys before we know it!

Until next time,

Jade xx

Treat Your Dad With Football Heroes Stamps!

It seems that every week since 2013 some occasion has taken place in my family, last weekend was Baby Boo's birthday party, the week before that was one of my college friends, the week before that it was my Dad's birthday, this Sunday it's Father's day, next week its my brother's birthday, there is just so much going on! 

I find men a little harder to buy for, I can buy the females in the family, chocolates, flowers, perfume, a pretty top, a pair of sunglasses, a tickets to see a show at The Hexagon (our local theater) the options are endless, but the males... Well one option is hard enough to find alone! I had 3 brother's and 1 Father, who are all football mad, my Dad is a Chelsea FC fan, along with my two older brother's, my younger brother is a Liverpool fan, you can imagine the tension when the two teams are playing each other ay, especially as my youngest brother still lives at home with my Dad!

My Dad and me when I was a very big premature newborn, as usual my Dad can be seen wearing a football top!

I'm not a huge football fan myself, even though I was brought up in a football mad family! I do however love to watch England play, it is after all my country, I have to support our boys! You should see me when the world cup is on, I turn into another person screaming and shouting at the TV, face painted, flag around my neck, I do really get into the spirit!

So yes, back to Father's Day this Sunday, I have found the perfect, MOST perfect present, Royal Mail Football Heroes stamps! I'm just hoping my Dad doesn't read my blog this week, and if you are Dad, I'm obviously going to get you something else! The set I have my eye on is only £6.60 and includes 11 stamps of Jimmy Greaves, John Charles, Gordon Banks, George Best, John Barnes, Kevin Keegan, Denis Law, Bobby Moore, Bryan Robson, Dave Mackay and Bobby Charlton!

I think these stamps would make a lot of Father's/Grand Father's/Great-Grand Fathers happy this Sunday, and many men, boyfriends, brothers, uncle's, friends etc happy on any occasion, maybe someone's birthday is round the corner, you can now present them with the perfect gift ;)

Until next time,

Jade x

Our Sunday In Pictures

Today, we went to Baby Boo's 2nd birthday party, Baby Boo has featured on my blog before, being a tester for Mam dummies and Tomy toys, I can't believe tomorrow (10th June) Baby Boo will be 2!! Time goes way too fast. Here is some of our day in photo's!

Spud having a go at the pinata with Auntie Paula.

On the bouncy castle with 2 of his uncle's and some of his cousins.

Spud's party box.

Excited to see what's inside!

It's filled with goodies!

Lot's of goodies to keep him going!

Sat at Uncle Paul's newly built bar, enjoying a cup of blackcurrant!

Big smiles.

Receiving a kiss from the birthday baby.

Chilling with Uncle Paul, the youngest baby and Bailey the puppy.

Having a go on the pinata again big boy, my oldest nephew and Spud's oldest cousin.

Chilling out on the bouncy castle with 3 of his little cousins.

All 6 boys, my 5 nephews, and Spud's 5 cousins!

Baby Boo blowing out his second birthday cake with his Mummy and Daddy.

We both had a fabulous day, its rare when we are all free together, it was lovely to see all my nephews and brother's and sisters apart from my baby sister who lives in Cornwall now with my Mum. Gutted they wasn't there, but we will soon see them. The party was fab and so was the delicious yummy BBQ food! I hope you all had a lovely Sunday/weekend and managed to enjoy the sun! I would love to hear what you got up too!

Until next time,

Jade xx

Our Saturday In Pictures

Today we went to Beale Park, I won't blog about it because I was very disappointed! Expecting to see more then what we actually did, the only good thing about the park was our picnic and the park area! Here is our day in pictures!

Spud with two Ostridges, the one nearest to him was sitting on 3 eggs!

Spud enjoying the picnic.

On the pirate boat.

Firing the canon!

Starting the assault course.

Finishing the assault course!

Steering the wood-chip boat.

Riding the sand sea boat!

Enjoying a ice lolly on a very warm day!

Chilling out with a very big Lion!

Taking photo's on Mummy's Nikon, the start of something maybe?

Due to Beale park closing their gift shop (but still having signs up around the whole park with directions to it) Spud was upset as I promised he could have something from it. So we drove to Toys R Us where he picked a toy, we then come home and watched Disney's Wreck It Ralph, you can always trust Disney to put huge smiles on your faces, no matter how disappointing your day has been!

I hope you all had a great day! I would love to know what you got up too, feel free to leave a comment!

Jade xx