Neal's Yard Manchester - A New Store

Neal's Yard are a brand I've grown up with. My mum was always an advocate of their natural and organic beauty products and remedies for minor ailments so it wasn't surprising that as I grew older my bathroom cabinet and dressing table filled up with their beautiful bottles of  creams and fragrant jars of remedies. Since moving to Manchester a few years ago i'd visited their John Dalton Street store many to purchase their ethical and organic health and beauty products. When I heard that they had opened a brand new store in King Street with an exclusive new design I couldn't wait to visit and was delighted to be invited to a blogger evening there on Tuesday. I met up with the lovely Steph and Pippa for a bite to eat first and then we walked up to King Street to check out the new store, which was designed by Barber Design and is now the biggest Neal's Yard store in the UK!

The store front fits in with the traditional colours of the brand, the blue facade is elegant and inviting. On stepping into the store we were greeted by beautiful light and airy displays of familiar products complemented by natural wood and tiled shiny tiled services, my eyes were immediately drawn to the impressive ceiling light feature that displayed a cluster of the trademark blue bottles hanging down from the ceiling and shining a distinctive blue hue of the centre of the store.

The remedies are displayed in a way that invites you to try them out, from the frangrances drifting over from the diffusers on one side to the ethical make up products on the other. At the rear of the store behind the till and to the right were magnificent displays of large jars of herbs and remedies giving the feel of an old style apothecary shop.

Stairs led down to four holistic treatment rooms offering a variety of therapies from aromatherapy massage to facials and much more in between.

The beautiful @redrosemummy and I at @nyr_official #nyrmanchester event tonight, it was a lovely evening #friends #bloggers #flowers #floral #flowersofinstagram #frame #instaframe #nealsyard #bloggerevent #fun

A photo posted by Jen Dixon (@mymummyspennies) on Sep 29, 2015 at 2:22pm PDT

While at the event, we were treated to some delicious vegan nibbles, processo and had the chance to chat to the lovely staff about all they had to offer.

LOVE the new pretty packaging for my favourite @nyr_official product - #wildrosebeautybalm! I'll have to use all of my current jar up quickly so I can buy a gorgeous floral one! #nyrmanchester #beauty #favouritebeautyproduct #floral #flowers #nealsyard #pretty #instabeauty #lovepackaging #rose #wildrose #beautybalm

A photo posted by Jen Dixon (@mymummyspennies) on Sep 30, 2015 at 8:07am PDT

King Street is an ideal location for their new Manchester retail and therapy base as it's really central, just five minutes away from my office in the popular Spinningfields area, and mere steps away from accessible public transport. King Street's other residents include some of my other favourite brands with Cath Kidston and The White Company to name just two. There are also plenty of places to enjoy high quality food if you fancy enjoying lunch after a relaxing therapy session...

I love the look and feel of the new store and am delighted at how close it is to my office, I'll certainly be popping in on a regular basis and will be treating my Mum to a relaxing massage therapy there next time she comes to stay.

If you're in Manchester, do pop in whether you're a long time fan of the brand or new to Neal's Yard you'll be delighted by what the store has to offer and the friendly staff will be happy to help with your needs.

Frugi are coming to you!!

As you probably already know....

We Love Frugi!!!

I first discovered this Cornish Organic Children's Clothing brand when my daughter was wearing cloth nappies and I was looking for clothes that were cut for cloth, but even now she has been out of nappies for a while both my children are still kitted out in Frugi! The funky and unique designs that stand out from the high street offerings are not just pleasing to the eye, they are hard wearing too! From climbing tree's to jumping in muddy puddles, rolling down hills and what ever other messy states that children get in to, my two have done it all in their frugi gear, yet wash after wash it still looks great! And it's all organic too!

I have to admit the prices are higher than I would usually pay for children's clothes but the generous sizing and great quality mean that I am prepared to spend that little bit more!

Saying that though as you know, I'm always on the hunt for a bargain and if you live near Derby, York, Balham, Farnham or Swindon then the Frugi bargains are heading your way! They are leaving sunning Cornwall and are going on a road trip this November to bring you  sale stock at up to 70% off! Wow! 

Check out your nearest pop up sale location below...

If like me you aren't near enough to grab theses bargains, do not fear! You can still get 15% off current season offerings at www.welovefrugi.com with discount code BORIS. Frugi offer FREE standard UK delivery and accept paypal too!

If you manage to get to one of the pop up sales, do come back here and let me know what you bought! I'd love to read about your Frugi loveliness!

Happy Shopping!

Fit Antibacterial Vegetable wash - 100% natural!

You will probably know by now if you are a regular reader that as a family we try to eat organic when possible. We have yummy weekly fruit and vegetable boxes delivered and I love cooking with fresh seasonal vegetables! I always thoroughly wash our fruit and veg and usually just use water (sometimes a vegetable brush to scrub those carrots or spuds that come covered in soil!) however last week I was sent an interesting new product to try!

Fit Antibacterial Fruit and Vegetable wash is 100% Natural, and removes 98% more pesticides, waxes, people-handling residues, and other contaminants than washing with water alone!

To be honest I had always thought water was sufficient especially on organic produce, however I came across this on their website which made me think again!

Organic produce can have higher levels of bacteria due to the use of natural fertilizers and the restrictions on how processors can clean the produce to adhere to current European Organic standards. Many of our customers use Fit on their organic produce when they purchase it to extend the shelf life as the high level of bacteria can accelerate normal deterioration.

So I thought why not try it?

I have now been using this spray to wash my fruit and vegetables for over a week and have to say I have actually noticed a difference! The colours of the vegetables are brighter after washing with this and seem tastier too! It completely took away that 'soily' taste that you can get with carrots and spuds!

At first I was concerned that a product that was able to do this may be full of chemicals. How else could it clean so throughly? But no, Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash is 100% Natural and uses only food approved natural ingredients which include organic grapefruit juice! It is also certified and recommended by the UK Vegetarian Association.

My second concern was that it may leave an aftertaste that could put my son off eating fresh fruit, However we soon found that Fit rinses away completely, leaving clean fruit and veg with no aftertaste or smell! So my son still devours the fruit bowl at any opportunity!

Fit spray is really easy to use! You simply spray, rub and rinse! With fruit I cleaned with fit before putting in the fruit bowl so Ben could still help himself when he wanted to. With Vegetables I sprayed them while preparing for cooking.

It does state on the packaging that it is recommended to eat produce within two days of cleaning as it removes any preservatives, but we had fruit that was eaten after 3 or 4 days and was fine!

We were sent the 350ml sprayer bottle which costs £4.49 to purchase and they also have a 950ml bottle available for £5.99 which can be used as a refill for the sprayer or to crate a 'bath' to soak produce in.

I think this is really good value for a natural product that does seem to last! We have been using the spray on all fruit and veg for a week now and it's still over 3/4 full!

You can find out more about Fit Antibacterial Fruit and Vegetable wash and purchase it online at www.buyfit.co.uk. You can also keep up to date with the latest news and offers on Twitter!

Lush Duck - Natural organic products online - Review

 As you will know I like to use natural and organic products where possible, and I find this especially important when it comes to beauty and skin care. If I don't want 'nasties' such as toxins and chemicals in the food my family and I eat why would I want them in the products we use on our skin?

That is why I am so pleased to have discovered the fabulous Lush Duck!

Lush Duck are a new online business selling Natural Organic Hair & Beauty products from well-known brands. Read more about what they offer and why in our previous post here...

Natural Organic Hair & Beauty from Lush Duck.


The lovely Amanda from Lush Duck kindly sent Mymummyspennies a selection of their products for our family to use.

We were sent a variety of samples with products for the whole family to use.

The first samples we tried were from the Burt's Bees' range. Burt's Bees are a leading manufacturer of Earth-friendly natural personal care products, they are committed to the environment with recycled and recyclable packaging and nature-safe manufacturing processes. Their products range from body & skin care, to baby care & outdoor treats. We were sent a selection of the Burt's Bees products that Lush Duck offer, including the super shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet shampoo and conditioner from the hair care range and the buttermilk soap, shampoo & wash and nourishing lotion from the Baby Bee range.

The Burt's Bees sulphate-free shampoo is loaded with essential citrus oils blended with gentle plant-based cleansing complex to create a natural and effective shampoo which with the complementing conditioner, not only made my hair look softer and shinier that it had for a while but it also smelt divine! All this from products that only use natural ingredients!

My children tend to share a bath (easier for me and more fun for them!) so I used the Baby Bee products on both my 9 month old daughter and my 3 year old son Ben. The all in one shampoo and body wash had a gentle but pleasant scent (kind of coconutty!) that I was comfortable using on even my daughter's very sensitive skin. It lathered up well and left both my childrens' hair and skin feeling silky soft. The nourishing lotion was ideal for moisturising the little ones skin after bathtime and it smelt so good I even saved some for myself!

As well as the Burt's Bees' samples we were also sent a sachet of A'kin Very Gentle Unscented Conditioner which is a deeply soothing, wheat free, fragrance-free conditioner perfect for adults, children and babies with sensitive and irritated scalps, and a great natural treatment for cradle cap! Although Elizabeth has never suffered with cradle cap as badly as Ben did when he was her age, she does get it on occasion and it's lovely to have a gentle natural product to treat it rather than one filled with a long list of ingredients including sulphates and parabens.


We were also sent a sample of Lavera all round moistening cream for men which is even suitable for vegans. My husband used this after shaving (under protest as he's not really one for lotions and potions) and even he admitted how smooth it made his skin feel!


The last sample we were sent was of Pai chamomile & Rosehip sensitive skin cream. Pai Natural Organic Skin Care offers this luxury face cream which is designed to be kind and gentle making it a perfect choice for sensitive skin or people that maybe prone to skin allergies. None of Pai skin care products contain synthetic chemicals or artificial fragrances that can cause dry or irritated skin reactions. I decided to ask my mum to try this sample for me as she has always had very sensitive skin and in the last few years has been suffering from Rosacea which is a common disorder of the facial skin that can be irritated by many skin creams, even those marketed at 'sensitive skin'. This is a real shame because I have always enjoyed treating her to a 'luxury' face cream for birthdays and mothers day.

My mum was thrilled that after using this cream over three days it did not cause her skin to flare up at all! She also commented that it smelt lovely and felt very light, left her skin extremely smooth with a nice silky feeling.

She has already decided this is what she would like for Christmas!


The Mymummyspennies family have really enjoyed using these products and I will certainly be using them again in the future. All of the products mentioned are free from SLA'S, paraben's and toxin's and contain only natural, and mostly organic ingredients. This makes me feel good about using them on my familys' delicate skin, knowing I'm not causing damage with added 'nasties' that many hair and beauty products contain.


I was surprised at the extensive range of hair & beauty products for the whole family sold by Lush Duck. This is not just a site to buy your luxury skincare but also the essentials that you use every day!
Although not 'cheap,' the natural hair and beauty products that Lush Duck offer are very competitively priced and they offer gift vouchers, gift packs and run special offers from time to time so be sure to keep an eye out for some great deals! 


They offer FREE standard UK Delivery and currently have a fabulous 10% discount for all new customers, see their website for further details...
www.lushduck.co.uk


Lush Duck can be found on Facebook – this is a great way to stay up to date with the latest product updates, promotions and from time to time some FREE product giveaways.


You can also follow Lush Duck on Twitter – another great way to be kept up-to date with the latest news and info.




Tweet

Natural Organic Hair & Beauty from Lush Duck

As you will know I like to use natural and organic products where possible, and I find this especially important when it comes to beauty and skin care. If I don't want 'nasties' such as toxins and chemicals in the food my family and I eat why would I want them in the products we use on our skin?
That is why I am so pleased to have discovered the fabulous Lush Duck!

Who are Lush Duck?

Lush Duck are a new online business selling Natural Organic Hair & Beauty products from well-known brands. Lush Duck’s co-founder Amanda has always been passionate about beauty products and their benefits. Amanda is a fully qualified beauty therapist and knows and understands the effects of using chemical rich products on our skin. Armed with this passion & knowledge Amanda
and her partner set to work on creating a website where people can buy chemical free products that are pure and kind to both you & the environment, Lush Duck was born on the 6th July 2011.

Why Natural Products?

Many of us are simply not aware of the chemicals found in commercial hair & skin care products, some common nasties found in everyday hair & beauty products are;

•SLS – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a de-greaser known to cause drying of the skin.
•Parabens – a type of preservative believed to be carcinogenic.
•Phthalates – hormone mimicking chemicals, some studies believe this has been linked to feminisation of babies when exposed to high doses in the womb.
•Formaldehyde – harsh chemical that can cause skin irritation and has been linked to
  respiratory problems.

The above are just some examples of common ingredients found in commercial products. Lush Duck only offer products that are sourced from nature and are toxic-free. There are many benefits to using natural hair & beauty products; it is estimated that our skin absorbs up to 60% of the products we put on it, not surprising really when you think our skin is the largest organ of our body. By using natural, kind, pure & no-toxic ingredients you can be sure no nasties are entering the blood stream.
Natural products are great for people that are prone to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, dry skin or any other skin ailments.
Another good reason for using natural organic beauty products are environmental issues. Chemical rich products get washed down the plug hole and back in to our water system, so using natural ingredients is kinder to our environment.
Feel good factor, knowing you are using natural beauty products that are kind & pure gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside, that’s a must have feeling!

What Products Do Lush Duck Offer?

Lush Duck offer a range of natural organic hair & beauty products;

Hair Care – a range of natural hair care products to suit all types of hair, if you have ever suffered with dry, itchy or stressed out hair as a result of using chemical rich products then this is a must have.

Skin Care- this range of natural skin care products covers everything you need for the ultimate in face pampering, experience skin care from natural ingredients that will leave you feeling blissed-out and beautiful.

Body Care – Unwind from the day’s stress with this range natural body care products that will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Baby Care – We all want the very best for our little ones, now you can with this range of pure natural baby care products that are kind & gentle to babies’ skin, the way it should be!

Men’s Care – have you ever felt sore, been left with skin rashes from shaving? Try natural mens care products and feel the difference.

Lush Duck also offers gift vouchers, gift packs and run special offers from time to time so be sure you keep an eye out for some great deals! The range of products are also growing so be sure to look out for promotional items and samples.

Great! How Can I Connect With Lush Duck?

For further information and to view all of  Lush Duck’s product range please visit their website
www.lushduck.co.uk

Lush Duck can be found on Facebook – this is a great way to stay up to date with the latest product updates, promotions and from time to time some FREE product giveaways.

You can follow Lush Duck on Twitter – another great way to be kept up-to date with the latest news and info.


They offer FREE standard UK Delivery and currently have a fabulous 10% discount for all new customers, see their website for further details...

Keep watching Mymummyspennies as we will be trying some of Lush Duck's fabulous products and reporting back... See our review here.

Hello from Mymummyspennies!

Hi my name is Jen and I'm Mummy to two gorgeous little monsters, Benjamin who is almost 5 and Elizabeth Rose who is 20 months. I am a working Mummy, but even with two incomes in the current finacial climate money is tight! However I still want to be able to take my little ones out, occasionally buy them treats and be able to invest in a few products to make my life easier and indulge my shopaholic  tendencies! As a family we try to have a minimal effect on the environment, we walk and use public transport during the week, eat organic where possible, buy pre-loved items, recycle and try to use natural products where we can. Elizabeth wears real nappies, is breastfed and enjoys her food, while Ben is a lively and active little boy who is loving his first year at primary school.
I started this blog while on maternity leave to share with you my life as a 'penny pinching mummy' and everything I do to save those pennies! I'll be sharing with you any bargains I find, how to make the pennies last longer, ideas for free or very cheap things to do with the little ones and reviews of products I think are really worth 'mummies pennies' as well as general posts about family life! I'll also try to throw a few competitions in the mix too...

I am a bit of a cloth nappy addict so you'll see a lot of  posts about fluff!

Watch this space for those 'mummysaving' tips....


If you are a company who has a product you think is really 'worth mummies pennies' and would like us to review or run a competition with you please email me on jendixon35@googlemail.com