Here 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…
View PostCouldn’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.
*We received the Simba Hybrid mattress in return for an honest review
When you think about it, we spend roughly a third of our day (for some of our teenagers, definitely longer) in our beds.
I am fortunate enough to get through thirty-six years of my life without having any back problems, for which I am extremely thankful, however, there are a large amount of people who do struggle with back and limb pain problems and dread going to bed at night because they just can’t get comfortable, my partner for one suffers with a thinned disc and has struggled for a while.
Leo, my eighteen-year-old son, has a physical disability called Cerebral Palsy which mainly affects his lower limbs and because of that, it also takes its toll on his posture. I had never really given much thought to mattresses and would just buy a standard one, layered with mattress toppers and the kids were usually fine.
Leo’s condition means that it affects his muscles and for Leo to function mentally and physically during the day it is vital for him to have a decent, good night’s sleep. As Leo is getting older, and growing, the changes to his body have meant that the standard mattresses we were getting were just not adequate, and Leo was complaining that it was becoming more uncomfortable for him, so we knew it was time to get him a good, high quality mattress, which would give him all the support for him during the night.
I am confident to assume that everyone has heard of Simba or knows someone who owns one of their award-winning mattresses, you only need to type Simba Sleep into a search engine and there are pages upon pages of good reviews to read through. But let’s talk about Leo’s review.
First of all, delivery was quick, within two days from the order, and the process was very straight forward. We were given details and updates all the way from the time of dispatch to the minute it arrived at the door. Leo has a single bed, so the mattress is easier to manoeuvre but I would still suggest two people being on hand to move it as is still quite heavy. The mattress comes rolled up and vacuum sealed so it is super compact in the box which did help to make it easier to move it on to the bed.
Once you open the sealed bag, the mattress expands instantly and fills the bed and the packaging information suggests leaving it for between 3-6 hours before sleeping on it. At time of arrival, we were able to leave it for about 5 hours before Leo needed to sit on it, as it does also double as his gaming location (for his console).
You do not need to flip this mattress over however, you will need to rotate it once a month for the first 3 months and then every 3 to 6 months but don’t worry too much about remembering when to rotate it because Simba will email you to remind you for the first 4 reminders. I love this because I am forgetful and I did forget until they emailed me to do so. I plan on setting an alert on my phone when the reminders stop.
I had to have a go on the mattress myself to see what it was like and I would say that the Mattress feels medium to firm, and since Leo started using his new mattress, he has had nothing but praise for it and looks forward to going to sleep at night (well, as much as any teenager would). However, he does wake up feeling good and his muscles do not feel as tight as they felt before with his old mattress.
We have had our Simba mattress now for around six weeks and in Leo’s words, “I look forward to going to bed and being comfortable. I feel refreshed in the mornings and ready for the day, it’s strange how having a decent mattress can impact your day so positively”, and he has certainly been noticeably happier waking up in the morning since the change. And as an added bit of information, if you use fitted bed sheets then I do recommend you buy a deeper sheet for a better fit.
Simba offers a 200-night trial so you can give it a really good test before you decide if you want to keep it. That is how confident they are that you will love their product, they even come with a 10-year guarantee* How awesome is that?
You can also sign up for their newsletter and receive 15% off.
