Halloween is one of the most well known and celebrated autumn holidays, celebrated world wide in many different ways, whilst some of us will be taking our children trick'or'treating, some of us will be staying at home to answer the door to trick'or'treaters, some will be throwing a party and some won't be celebrating what so ever.

What ever you're doing this Halloween, Mark's and Spencers, otherwise known as M&S have created this beautiful lamb recipe to serve up this autumn, and I just knew I had to share it with you all.


Herb, Olive and Mustard-Crusted Rack of Lamb.
Ready in 45 minutes, Serves 2

Ingredients:
·         380g pack Rosemary Potatoes
·         25g sourdough pavĂ© bread
·         25g Greek Olives with Oregano, finely chopped
·         1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
·         1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
·         1 tbsp olive oil
·         1 x 330g French-trimmed rack of lamb
·         1 tsp Dijon mustard
·         200g Boston beans or fine green beans

Method:
1.      Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 (180°C for fan ovens). Cook the potatoes according to the packet instructions.
2.      Put the bread in a food processor and pulse to form rough crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the chopped olives, thyme and parsley, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3.      Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the lamb. Cook over a high heat until browned all over, then transfer to a board. Remove any excess oil with kitchen paper. 
4.      Spread the mustard over the lamb and press the crumb mixture on top. Put the lamb in a small roasting tin and roast for 25 minutes. Transfer to a board and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until just tender.
5.      Divide the potatoes and beans between 2 plates, then slice the lamb into cutlets to serve.

Per serving:
141 calories, 9g fat (3.6g saturated), 8.3g carbohydrates, 1.3g sugar, 2g fibre, 6g protein, 0.45g salt

Enjoy!
x

Why Are You Destroying Me?

in , , by Jada, October 27, 2014
I first remember seeing you when I was a little girl, you was with my grandad and I asked him who you was.

Psoriasis on my elbow and arm

Marks and Spencers have a fabulous selection of Halloween treats this year suitable for Halloween fans of all ages and sizes and no matter how they're celebrating. From crisp to cake, biscuits to sweets, M&S really have covered all Halloween food items this year for both the meat-eater and vegetarians.


We very luckily received four items from the large Halloween food range M&S sell during the scary period. At time of writing and posting this article, all Halloween confectionery was on a 3 for 2 special offer promotion.

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Spooky Skull & Bone Mallows£1 for 180g bag.



This bag of vanilla flavoured skull and bone shaped marshmallows are a steal at just £1. Pop them into a bowl and enjoy then at home with a movie, or place them onto a mini Halloween themed tray and watch big and little horrors demolish them at your party, or you could even pop them onto skewers and toast them over your favourite candle!

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Animated Coffin Box Of Jelly Sweets
£5 for a 350g box.



This has got to be my favourite Halloween themed product of 2014, a coffin shaped box, that is not only filled with individually wrapped jelly sweets, but a box that also makes a spooky noise every time you open the coffin lid thanks to the tiny speaker on the inside of the coffin door.



This box went extremely down well at our Halloween press party, the orange, lime and blackcurrant jellies were gone within an hour, but the door still kept getting opened just so we could hear the sound effect! Me and Spud have purchased one our self and can't wait to spook out trick or treaters this year! 

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Veggie Pumpkins
£1 for a 100g bag.


Another great steal at just £1 is these fruit flavoured veggie pumpkins. suitable of course for vegetarians. I'm personally not a vegetarian but a large number of family members are which means whenever parties and get-together's are organised, we have to cater for both type of guest. I've not seen any other Halloween sweets out there on the market that are vegetarian, and for the price of these M&S Halloween sweets, they're worth a try alone!

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Severed Fingers
£1.50 for a 80g net. 


Sporting extremely well looked after fingers and nails, this pack of individually foiled wrapped fingers fortunately doesn't contain a real severed finger, but instead a chocolate finger with a gooey caramel centre. Each finger weighs approximately 10g.
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So no matter what you're doing this Halloween, there's sweets and treats for the whole family, and of course, if you're having a party, they're suitable for friends too!

For the full Halloween food range, visit your local M&S store. To locate your nearest store, please visit the Marks and Spencer website.



Baker Ross is a well known, online arts and crafts business started up by Patti Baker in 1974. The company sells over 4000 items through their catalogues and online website including pocket money toys, educational supplies, party bag items and thousands of art and crafts products.


I've seen quite a few Baker Ross post on other blogs, and must admit I was a little envious of the people being so lucky to work with them. I've mentioned arts and crafts on here a few times before, and if you're a friend or family member, or even a fellow blogger who's on my Facebook, you'll know how much me and Spud love a good arts and crafts session.


When Baker Ross got in touch sending me some images of their fantastic Halloween range, which is impressively quite large, I just knew I had to get them involved in this year's Halloween feature and was delighted when they sent me some of their Halloween bath ducks and party bag fillers to try out.

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Halloween Rubber Ducks
Cost for pack of 6: £3.96
Cost for pack of 18: £11.34

I thought these Halloween themed rubber ducks would go down well as not only party bag/Trick or Treat items but also as a fun water themed activity! Each duck is approximately 5cm and are suitable for ages 3+, costing just 63p per duck if brought in a pack of 18, and 66p if brought in a pack of six these ducks went down in the Unique Young Mum household.


Each pack of six features six different designs which are a mummy duck, a witch duck, a vampire duck, a ghost duck, a pumpkin duck and monster/Frankenstein duck. We received twelve ducks, of which we gave one each to the six other children who attended our Halloween press bash, and kept the other six at home for Spud to play with.


Decorating our bathroom sink with Halloween tinsel and some Halloween light accessories, I filled the sink with warm water, the six ducks and a spooky hand salad server for Spud to play with whilst we waited for his bath to run. I then took the hand away and told Spud to close his eyes, picking one duck each time and asked him to try to identify the duck he had selected, it was a great little activity and game, and took a minute to set up, and just minutes to play!

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Halloween Toy Pack
Cost for pack of 6: £1.98 
Cost for pack of 30: £9.00

Party bag fillers are sold all year round, but when it comes to Halloween, it's not often you come across a good selection of Hallowen party bag fillers. This Halloween toy pack is just one of the many sets of Halloween fillers that Baker Ross sell.


Included in each bag of six is two hand drums; one a black colour with a ghost, the other a orange colour with a pumpkin, two magic springs; one a black colour with a skull, the other a orange colour with a pumpkin and two whistles with attached cord to be worn around the neck in a purple or green skull design and a green or purple pumpkin design.


These fillers cost as little as 30p each when brought in a bundle of 30, or just 33p each when purchased in a packet of six, suitable for ages 3+ they make great tricks to give Halloween knockers, make fabulous favours for party guest, or can even be a treat for the children who celebrate Halloween at home.

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The two Halloween items I've mentioned above are just a few of many Halloween themed items Baker Ross sell. To give you a rough idea of the other items the company sell, I've made this little collage below featuring make your own witch and wizard hats, a pack of four Halloween mugs, a pack of six colour in mini Halloween bags and witch broomstick kits.


Baker Ross have a number of delivery options available, ensuring your desired products reach you on time. They ship to the UK, Channel Islands and B.F.P.O with next day delivery available on UK mainland orders, as well as international shipping to many countries.

To view not only the full Halloween range, but thousands of other products too, check out the official Baker Ross website.


Halloween with Choc on Choc

in , , , by Jada, October 23, 2014
Messing around with chocolate in the kitchen one day in 2003, talented inventor Kerr Dunlop and his then recently graduated daughter Flo Broughton was filling rubber moulds shaped as noughts and crosses. The idea was small, that the chocolate used in the moulds would create nice presents for the family. The pair soon devised a business plan and made enough chocolates to take to a trade show in Birmingham, to their surprise several shops made orders for their beautiful looking chocolate.

A white chocolate ghost on a slab of milk chocolate.
For most women, Halloween isn't just a time to dress up – it's a time to look good doing it. No matter what costume you wear, from the spooky to the glamorous to something sports-themed, you want to look sexy in it. With a cat costume or a devil outfit that's easy, but when it comes to sports costumes for women it can be tricky. Don't worry though! With a little planning and the right knowledge, you can get a sports costume that will wow everyone.


The key to a sexy sports costume for women is making sure you don't come across as too masculine. While there are many female athletes who are heroes to many of us, a sports costume for Halloween is less about looking like one of the players and more about making a fantasy out of it.

Here are four sports costumes ideas that do just that, helping you look great while also injecting the fun and excitement of sports. Just add fake blood, some fake wound scars and maybe a spider web or two and away you go!

Referee A football player has a pretty masculine outfit. So what should you do if you want to rock a football-inspired costume? Go for a referee costume instead. Being a referee has endless potential. The black and white stripes are instantly recognizable, and they have a slimming effect and look great style-wise.

Then there's the fact that referees get to pass judgment on the players and whether a play was legal or not. You can have a lot of fun calling foul on your friends or on that cute guy you meet at the party. The perfect referee outfit includes a black and white top, black short skirt or short shorts, and knee high baseball socks. Don't forget your whistle!

Cheerleader Cheerleaders are athletes too, and they are perhaps the most timeless female sports figure of all. Even better, cheerleaders are the stuff of men's dreams. Every boy grew up with a crush on one of the cheerleaders at his school. Plus, cheerleader outfits really are fabulous!

Cheerleader Halloween costumes tend to be even better, often with a lot of tummy showing and a very small top, but there are more traditional options available as well. Match a pair of fuzzy boots with your pom-poms and you're ready to go. 


Race car driver A race car driver is one of the hottest sports costumes for women. That's because most race car driver costumes come with a full bodysuit that hugs your curves and shows off your best assets—while also being surprisingly comfortable. These suits are sleek and eye-catching. You can pair the outfit with a helmet (carried, not worn) or a checkered flag.

Baseball outfit Okay, we said the key is to not look too masculine, so why are we recommending a baseball costume? The answer is simple: because a baseball tee looks amazing on a woman's body. Every man thinks it's sexy to see a woman wearing one of his shirts, and the same goes for a baseball uniform. It should look a little big on you and you can pair it with shorts so it looks like the tee is all you're wearing.

Do you have other ideas for great sports-themed costumes for women?
In October 2010, two brothers Mark and Stephen Walder founded the No1 Gadget Store on the belief they could provide the greatest toys, games, gadgets and other cool stuff at rock bottom prices. After just two months of development, the two founders were actively selling their stock on both eBay and Amazon with the launch of their website during the new year.


The No1 Gadget Store originally got in touch with me showcasing just two of their products, the zombie shower gel and the blood shower gel, on further inspection after browsing their website, I come across a small number of products that would fit in well at any house hosting a Halloween party this year.

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Blood Bathmat.
£13.95.


Enter the bathroom of doom and find yourself baffled as to why the bloody footprints lead in or out of the shower. Scare guest this Halloween with this terrifying bath mat as one of the most spooky Halloween bathroom accessories!

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Zombie Shower Gel
£5.99 for 400ml.



This zombie shower gel is not only a zombie lover's bathroom essential, but also the fabulous accessory to leave laying on show at any Halloween party this year, because you're not safe from zombies, not even in the bathroom!

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Blood Bath Shower Curtain.
£11.95 (180cm x 180cm).


Surprise your guest even more this Halloween with this shower curtain in your bathroom. Keep the curtain closed, and maybe prop a cutout behind it for the ultimate bathroom scare tactic! This shower curtain goes brilliantly well with the other bloody products available from the website.

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Billy Bob Little Vampire Pacifier/Dummy.
£7.99.


This vampire themed dummy would look great accompanying the little Halloween fans around the country, especially those dressed up as vampires! It may cost a little bit more then the other dummies on the market, but what dummy do you know has a full set of vampire teeth!?

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Blood Bath Hand Towel.
£9.99.


To go along perfectly with the bathmat and shower curtain, this blood bath towel will add the finishing touches to your bathroom of horrors. Of course the towel can be used an an accessory on it's own, but I think the whole set will make a brilliant scene setter!

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Blood Bath Shower Gel.
£6.95 for 400ml.


Lastly but not least is this amazing fake blood shower gel! If you're not afraid of some mess, you could pour this over your bathroom tiles, around your sink and toilet and let your Halloween guest scream in shock at the scene they've entered!

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To view more products, visit the official website No1 Gadget Store.


Based in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, The Original Candy Company is a respected old hand in top-notch confectionery, from timeless classics like natural ingredient candy canes, candy sticks and round pops through to bespoke personalised treats. 

The Original Candy Company dispatches direct to it's customers within 3-5 days of receipt of order, the company is close knit with a real eye for detail and a proud reputation for exemplary customer service.


Often found on display stands nationwide, these blackcurrant flavoured Halloween themed lollies only contain natural colours, sugar, glucose syrup and natural flavouring. They have a good shelf life lasting approximately around 12 months and have the texture of a hard boiled sweet.

Available in three different designs; a skeleton, spider and skull priced at just £1.25 each, these lollies are great gifts for trick or treaters, or as a gift for children who stay at home celebrating Halloween. With each lolly having an approximate net weight of 50g and tasting delicious with it's natural ingredient these lollies will go down a right treat with Halloween candy fans of all ages.

As well as being sold online, these three Horror Pops are sold in farm shops and deli's nationwide. 

To view the full product range, visit The Original Candy Company website.

Sainsbury's Back to School Review.

by Jada, October 19, 2014
Last month, the lovely team from Sainsbury's sent Spud a large box full of fabulous back to school items to try out ready for not only a brand new school term, but also a whole new year. You may of read that first sentence and thought why are you writing this post now, in the middle of October? There is of course, a valid reason for this.

I'll be the first to throw my hands up and admit I am tired of replacing uniform and shoes only a few weeks into the start of a new school term, so I thought I would give this year's lot of school items a real thorough review, I wanted to see how long the shoes went un-scuffed, how long those beautifully white polo tops stayed white, and how long the jumpers would last for before they started bobbling!



The Facts:
  • Sainsbury's sell an amazing selection of clothing (available at selected stores) through their clothing label TU.
  • TU school uniform really does cater for children of all ages, the smallest sizes are from 2 years and the biggest 16 years.
  • The quality is brilliant, with every item from the TU uniform range having been rigorously trialed, ensuring garments will withstand the daily wear and tear of school life.
  • Sainsbury's cater for many school uniform colours, from shades of blue to grey, red to green, yellow to white and black.

What We Received;
Grey school trousers - pack of 2.
White polo tops - pack of 3.
Sweatshirt - pack of 2.
Socks - pack of 5 pairs.
Shoes.
Lunch box & bottle.
School Bag.
Stationary.
Snacks.


What We Thought;


TU school uniform; sweatshirt, polo top, trousers and shoes.

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School trousers:
I was pleased to see that the trousers we was sent was a pack of two, saving even more money then buying individual pairs. Spud is so tall, I have to order every pair of bottoms in a size bigger then his usual size, to ensure they fit him in length, but then I'm often left with him having too much room around his waist. Thank's to Sainsbury's smart technology, I had no worries with the trousers giving a nice snug fit.



Brand new with a perfect crease.
I hate ironing, and usually leave everything until the last minute, so when it comes to school trousers, my hatred of ironing is actually saved a little! If I hang the trousers straight onto the airer after a wash, nine out of 10 times, I'm lucky and will not need to iron the trousers with the crease staying in next to new good shape!


After a wash, and no iron.
I've washed these trousers so many times now, they're Spud's most comfortable school trousers and they've really impressed me with the overall performance and price!
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Sweatshirts:
The official school jumpers really do annoy me, not only do they cost a small fortune (£12.95 at Spud's school), but they're thin, fray easily and stain with the smallest bit of paint or ink! These sweatshirts have been brilliant with the colder weather settling in, they're thick, comfortable and a steal at just £4 for two!


Polo top and sweatshirt after a number of washes! No bobbling sweatshirts! 

I don't usually dry school jumpers in the tumble dryer but I had too when I forgot to wash the uniform one weekend and needed a quick wash and dry! I was dreading the thought of getting Spud's uniform out, but was really impressed when the jumpers appeared to be in perfect tact! I prefer these sweatshirts to the official school jumpers, and have already picked up another two myself.
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Polo tops still looking fresh and white after a month of school!
Polo tops:
I feel like I cant really ever complain about polo tops, as to be fair they're relatively cheap. However, cheap just isn't something that really occurs these days, every thing cost money and every penny does add up. These polo tops are unisex, so not targeted just for boys, or just for girls and have survived about seven washes so far.

TU sell a number of different polo tops, including styles for girls, a number of different multiple packs as well as a large range of colours as seen at the beginning of this post.


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Socks and shoes.

I was surprised to see a smart pair of school shoes tucked at the bottom of our box of school uniform items. When it comes to shoes, you automatically think of a shoe shop, so I'm impressed to see that you don't have to shop all over the place to complete your childs school look!



The shoes Spud was sent, Unfortunately, I decided to get the school shoes in a size bigger, and so can't give a real detailed review of the shoes themselves until Spud has put them through the test! However, they're slip ones, which are great for Spud as he's not learnt how to do laces properly just yet.

The socks have done us well, for five pairs costing £6, it does work out £1.20 per pair, so 60p a sock but the comfort and quality of the socks is worth the price. I don't like compromising with Spud's clothes, and make sure he is as comfortable as can be. The socks have started sadly to bobble a little bit, but what socks don't? Especially after being work for long school hours!

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Lunch box accessories.

As the above section, I'm pleased Sainsbury's sell a wide variety of goods and not just groceries. We was kindly sent a Transformers 4 lunch box with a matching sports/drinking bottle which put a big smile on Spud's face!




The lunch box has a shoulder strap, which Spud isn't finding any more harder then carrying a normal lunch box because mummy carries everything. I'm pleased to find the inside insulated helping to keep food and drinks fresher for longer and the bonus is it's easy wipe material! The amount of half eaten yogurts that get left in their on a regular basis means it's so easy to wipe off!

We've been using the bottle as Spud's main break time and lunch time bottle, filling it to the top with diluted squash. Spud's an active and healthy eight year old who does run around a lot, leading him to become thirsty. I use to pick Spud up from school and he would be thirsty and wanting a drink straight away, now he comes out of school with drink left over due to the decent bottle size!

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Snacks.

Sainsbury's is one of the top well known supermarkets here in the UK, we're lucky to have a few Sainsbury's in my town and I'm often popping into the smaller stores for smaller shops. We was sent a great selection of snacks, acceptable for school snacks and lunches!



These cereal bars sold in packs of five are great for not just breakfast time but also for snack or lunch times at school and even as an after school snack! A box of five cost just £1.40 and is available in both raspberry & yogurt, and strawberry & yogurt.




It's not always that easy getting the recommended five a day into your child, especially on school days, luckily Sainsbury's sell a selection of dried fruit and veg including these jumbo raisins & cranberries priced at just 60p for a handy 35g bag, or these corn thins sold in a multipack of four - with each pack containing four thins for just £1.


Spud is loving the corn thins and I've been asked to promise I'll get some more when I next visit our bigger Sainsbury's! These two items are just two of many dried snacks that Sainsburys sell, other dried fruits include apricots, mango's, prunes, figs and berries and cherries.




These fantastic little pots of fruit in jelly cost just 40p each and come in a large variety of flavours and fruits. They're great as a lunchtime treat in a lunch box, or as a after school snack at home! Spud's favourite is the diced peach in mango jelly as mango is his favourite fruit!




These fruit slurps contain 75% juice, and 25% water giving your child that little bit of extra goodness whilst also giving them a treat. Priced at just 95p for three cartons and available in two varieties (apple, raspberry and grape & apple and mango), these drinks are great for lunch boxes or for refreshing drinks at home!


Spud loves these smoothies, they was demolished within a few days and I've already re-stocked on these a number of times! Spud loves smoothies, and I think they're a great way to get good stuff into your children, but usually, they're from the chilled aisle and need refridgerating making them not the bestest of snacks for packed lunches.


However, these orange and mango smoothies, priced at £2.70 for five can be found down the usual grocery aisle making them great treats for home time and school time! They taste yummy, and don't need to take up fridge space, what more could a mum and child ask for?

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Stationary.

And if you think Sainsbury's has already covered all the back to school buys, think again. Sainsbury's sell a huge selection of stationary, and not just for children too! I always look down their home aisle when I visit our superstore and love the styles and brands of stationary they do.



Satisfying buys for the whole family, Sainsbury's sell a great selection of their own brand stationary as well as some top leading stationary brands such as Crayola and Stabilo.

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So there we have it, for all your back to school needs, all under one roof, do pop down to your local Sainsbury's to stock up on all those school related items.

That is another thing I love about Sainbury's, unlike the other well known supermarkets who seem to rush the school items out of the way once September has come, Sainsbury's are still selling the items now in October, I think school uniform should be sold all year round, you never know when that growth spurt is going to hit!

Until next time,
Jada x



Visit larger Sainsbury's stores or check the Store Locator at www.sainsburys.co.uk. For further information call 0800 328 1700.

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