I wasn’t going to bother doing Skip Tax because it sounded complicated but after reading other peoples experiences using it, I thought I’d give it a go and received £49.86p back from my purchases. *This…
View PostHere you can read our recent experience on using Le Shuttle for our Disneyland Paris trip 29th July 2024- 1st of August 2024
Having not long returned from our Disneyland Paris holiday and whilst it is fresh in my mind I wanted to write a quick post about our experience.
We shop at Tesco’s and I had read online that you can use your rewards vouchers towards Le Shuttle so we left the points to accumulate and managed to save enough to pay the majority of the balance and use my card to pay for the rest. We transferred the points into a voucher code on Tesco website and used this at the checkout to pay for the journey.
When using your Clubcard points with Le shuttle please bare in mind that if you have used your points and have booked a refundable option ( see below) and need to cancel, you will NOT get your voucher points back.
Booking was very easy to do, I think the most difficult part for us was working out our timings inline with when we wanted to arrive at Disney. We didn’t use the facilities on the way there but we did on our return travel which was toilets, duty free, another fast food restaurant and a WHSmith’s.
As your journey gets closer, Le Shuttle will send you a message asking you to add details of everyone who will be in the car as well as their passport information. Don’t worry you only have to do this once for departure as there is a tick box to confirm all the information is the same for your return journey to save you doing it all again.
Short stay Saver would be used if your thinking of taking a short break 5 days or less where you will be returning. There is no refunds on this service.
Standard is for any duration and can be used for single or return trips. There is no refunds on this service.
Standard refundable is for any duration and can be used for single or return trips and your ticket is fully refundable. (You will not get your Clubcard points back if you cancel this)
Short stay Flexi Plus is for short breaks 5 days or less where you will be returning, fully refundable tickets, priority boarding, access to exclusive lounge where refreshments are all included and the freedom to turn up and board anytime on your booked travel day. (You will not get your Clubcard points back if you need to cancel this)
Make sure you arrive 60 minutes before your train is due to leave
When you arrive at Le Shuttle Folkstone and check in, you are given a ticket to hang on your inside mirror with a code on which allows the workers there to navigate you into the correct loading space depending on your boarding time.
Once you are through and if you have time you can pop in to use the facilities , have a look at the duty free or just stretch your legs before you board. We didn’t bother doing this on the way there but we did on the way back.
Driving onto the train was again easy as you were navigated on and led through by workers and were told to stop, they ask you wind all your windows down half way, open your sunroof, turn off your engine and pop your hand break on.
There are toilets on the train which we didn’t use and the total trip was 35 minutes. Before you know it you are arriving and being guided off the train. There is a duty free shop just as you leave Le shuttle in Calais that has a Primark but we missed the turning not realising how soon it was.
You can buy kits from places like Halfords that include the bulk of these in.
It is also worth mentioning the Skip Tax app whilst your in France. Download it and register before you go and in the Le Shuttle services BEFORE you leave France, there is a Pablo kiosk at the back where you will NEED to go and scan a barcode. This needs to be done whilst your still in France otherwise you miss out.
Read my post about how to use SKIP TAX HERE.
Overall, our experience was excellent from booking to arriving and leaving. Not stressful what so ever.
We went through Top Cash back and found a very good level of cover. This is always worth taking out to protect yourself on holiday as well as your holiday should anything unfortunate happen.
You will need to contact your insurance company if you have a hire vehicle before you leave to obtain a VE103 certificate. If you own your own car then you will need to take the log book with you
We had the most amazing, wonderful time in Disney. If you are reading this and are also planning a magical trip then I think you will find my next blog post very informative.
Click the photo below and it will take you directly to my blog post where you will find very useful and money saving tips.
Couldn’t get tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour for whatever reason? Don’t you worry, Katy Ellis has got you with her version- Taylor Mania.
Lydia is obsessed with Taylor, her songs are playing all the time, her phone case is the Era’s tour albums, and she even started a friendship bracelet business on Etsy inspired by her. Unfortunately, all the tickets to the Era’s tour were sold out by the time she got into her music, so we couldn’t get tickets.
I think my phone was listening because not long after, Taylor Mania ads started to appear on my Facebook and I noticed they were coming to the Cresset which is our home town. I booked three tickets for the second row and when I told Lids, she was so excited, then as the big night approached the preparations began and I had two extremely excited girls.
Preparing for the night was fun. My sister had made Lydia a T-shirt and I had been on Shein and ordered some 1985 and reputation earrings, sunglasses and sparkly shorts to go with the girls’ outfits. Lydia dressed up from the Red Era and Emily was from Lover Era. We brought hair tinsel and Em wanted eyeliner and red lippy just like Taylor.
On the way there, we blasted our favourite songs and our spirits were high. There were kids all dressed up with their friendship bracelets on, ready to swap with other fans, the atmosphere was brilliant and we couldn’t wait for the show to start.
The whole night from start to finish was incredible, Lydia was so happy she cried and both girls sang every song and smiled through the whole show, they fell asleep pretty much straight away when we got home yet I was awake till midnight because of how excited I was. I had a 9.5-hour shift the next day and it was worth being tired for the next day.
Katy was unbelievable, her singing was stunning as she sang songs throughout each Era, every outfit she wore was identical to Taylor’s, the stage presence was exciting, the dancers were amazing, and the band was phenomenal. It gave us a night that we will never forget and the girls the most amazing memories. Everyone was singing along, Katy encouraged them to swap bracelets and had them wave their backlights on the phone. She also sang the 10-minute Taylor version of ‘All to Well’.
There is a short interval halfway, I’d say 15-20 minutes which is plenty of time to stretch your legs, pop to the loo and buy some merch.
Cameron is the merch man and is at every show with his official Taylormania merchandise for you to buy before, during and after the show. He has the iconic T-shirts, caps, Friendship bracelets, lanyards, postcards, posters and tote bags for sale. We brought a large poster for Katy to sign at the meet and greet after.
I don’t think many people realised that Katy and the dancers came out after the show because a lot left ‘swiftly’ which was great for us as the queuing time wasn’t long. Katy was so lovely and Lydia had made her a special bracelet.
Taylormania is currently touring around the UK throughout 2024 and already has a lot of dates booked for 2025 but you will need to be quick because her shows sell out very fast. It’s the next best thing to Taylor Swift herself but with a more affordable ticket price. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it!
I am keeping a close eye on tickets ready for next year and booking as soon as they become available.
Read more reviews here.
*I brought this product*
Having never owned a dehumidifier before, we had no idea what brand or model to go for. I just knew that we needed one; our house was starting to create mould spores from the humidity of the bathroom when the door was left open after a shower.
I bought this particular model on a whim, I didn’t know if 12 litres would be sufficient enough for what we needed and the other dehumidifiers were more money than what I wanted to spend. I have had the Meaco unit now for a year and I feel that I can give it a thorough review, especially as we have also experienced their customer service under the warranty.
It is also interesting to know that this unit doubles up as an air purifier and includes a free Hepa filter, additional HEPA filters cost around £29 for a pack of three, direct from Meaco.co.uk. We have not used the air purifier yet as we have a separate unit specifically for this. What I do know is that the air purifier is amazing for people with allergies & asthma.
We have a small bathroom with the main bedroom next door, the hallway and two more bedrooms. The Meaco unit lives within the bathroom most of the time and we found that it is excellent at drying our clothes, which saves us money as we are not using the tumble dryer. The unit also includes a child lock (hold the up and down button together for a few seconds).
Occasionally, we will pop the the dehumidifier on the landing or in the girls’ room if the bathroom door has been left open so that we can reduce the humidity which results in less mould spores growing.
Having a dehumidifier is amazing for drying our clothes, however, it is also fantastic for drying our carpets after I have given them a good clean with my carpet cleaner, the carpets are dry in less than an hour.
Using the unit is very easy to navigate
On the top there is a digital display which will tell you what the humidity is in the room as soon as you’ve turned it on; you can also set the dehumidifier to stop once you have selected and reached your desired range (this would be between 40-60%). We tend to turn it off around 49. The unit will also turn off automatically when the water tank at the back is full – the tank will hold 2.5l of water. You can remove this easily by pulling it out – I usually use it to water my house plants. You can also add a hose for continuous drainage if you want to, however, the hose does not come included.
I bought our Meaco dehumidifier from Appliances Direct, back in January last year when humidity in houses was at its peak. Due to stock issues, I did have to wait a few weeks for delivery but that is not the case now. My advice would be to purchase one in the summer, ready for winter, and take advantage of the offers.
After using the unit for quite a long time, the Meaco unit started to make a loud humming noise which vibrated through the floor. I contacted customer services online and had a response the next day: I explained what was happening and they asked me to provide a video and then sent me a form to complete, including proof of purchase. After this was all verified, I was sent a returns label and I shortly returned the unit to be repaired.
A few days later, I received an email saying that it was faulty beyond repair and they would send me a replacement within a few days. I received the new unit the very next day and everything has been great.
Do I rate this?
Absolutely. I am very happy with this product and I would recommend it to you If you are looking to purchase a dehumidifier. If you have a larger area to cover then I would buy the 20-litre instead.
Read more house reviews here.
*This is a sponsored post.
It’s super important to build a cool and stimulating environment for your kid, and one way to fix that is to think carefully about the toys for their room. From educational to creative toys, the choices are endless. In this piece of writing, we’re throwing at you four children’s room toy tips that will keep your little ones enthralled and entertained.
Wooden toys have been a classic choice for children for centuries, and for good reason. They are durable, eco-friendly, and have a timeless appeal. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, wooden toys can also be educational. From alphabet blocks to puzzles, there are plenty of options to choose from that can help your child develop their cognitive and motor skills. One popular educational wooden toy is a shape sorter. This toy is usually just a wooden container with all the holes in different shapes, and then there are matching wooden blocks to put in it. Super simple, but totally fun! Not only does it help with recognizing different shapes, but it’s also good for solving puzzles and training hand-eye coordination. And check this out, another fun thing is a wooden abacus. With this, kids can have a great time counting and doing a little math. Really a hit!
A dollhouse is a classic toy that can provide endless hours of imaginative play for children. Whether it’s a traditional Victorian-style doll house or a modern, minimalist one, there are plenty of options to choose from that will suit your child’s interests and preferences. Dollhouses can also be a great way for children to develop their storytelling skills and social interactions. One way to make a doll house even more engaging is by encouraging your child to decorate and furnish it themselves. You can provide them with miniature furniture, decorations, and even small dolls to populate the house. This not only allows your child to express their creativity but also helps them develop their fine motor skills and attention to detail.
STEM toys are getting hipper because parents want their kids to be introduced to those important subjects at an early age through play. There are so many cool STEM toys on the market that allow kids to fiddle with things like coding, robotics and engineering in a cool and interesting way. For example, a hit among STEM toys is a coding robot, a cute little robot that kids can mess around with by entering some simple codes. This not only allows them to improve their skills in problem-solving and logic but also gives them a little taste of the basics of computer programming. And hey, another super fun option is a science kit, which allows kids to do some nice simple experiments and learn more about the natural world around them.
While it’s cool to have toys that get the brain working, it’s also important to have stuff that gets the kids moving. Outdoor toys like trampolines, swings or a playhouse invite little ones to go outside, have a good romp and work their muscles. A real favourite among outdoor toys is the playhouse, where kids have their place to run around and daydream. Whether you choose a classic wooden one or a modern plastic one, a playhouse is a great addition to any garden. Also, consider installing a sandbox or climbing frame as well to further fuel the climbing and scrambling fun.
