Top Picks from the Smyths Toy Catalogue

With just twelve weeks left until Christmas, the shops are starting to fill up with toys and gifts as the toy catalogues and gift guides start arriving on the doormat in droves.

The Smyths Toy Superstore catalogue fell through our letterbox this week and my children couldn't wait to get looking through it in preparation for writing their Christmas lists.

Unlike some parents who try to put off all mentions of the big day for as long as possible, I actively encourage them to choose what they will be asking the man in red for fairly early.

No, I'm not just a glutton for punishment, I actually do this for money-saving reasons. I find that buying gifts earlier on means that I can take advantage of store promotions and offers such as the save £10 on a £50 spend promotion that Smyths have been running this weekend.

Another advantage of the children choosing their wishlists early is that I can pre-order or purchase when there is plenty of stock available, especially with the most popular toys, meaning no stressing and queuing in December!

What's great about Smyths is that they have toys to suit all budgets, from the big ticket 'Main' gift, that family members may club together to buy, to the small stocking fillers, and everything in between.

After much research on the parts of my six and ten year olds, we've come together to bring you our top picks from the 2017 Smyths Toy Catalogue:

Blow the Budget toys:

Luvabella

The top name on every doll loving child's lists this year is most definitely 'Luvabella', this lifelike, interactive doll responds affectionately to love, changing her expression just like a real baby and has already sold out in many places. Even with a price tag of £99.99, Luvabella promises to be a favourite this Christmas! Suitable for age 4+

Cozmo

Cozmo by Anki is a clever little robot with a mind of his own and coveted by tech kids young and old! His unique personality evolves as you hang out with him, so there’s no end to the fun you can have together. Cozmo expresses a wide range of real emotions in response to his environment and Anki’s innovative and powerful technology lets Cozmo interact with the world around him to make decisions based on his mood. Both my son and my husband have him at the top of their lists but he may have to be a joint gift with a price of £199! Suitable for age 8+

Great value smaller gifts idea as Stocking fillers:

 Shnooks

Pop the bubbles, shake, and bring your new best friend to life! Shnooks magically grow 8 times in size from their unique shnubble- bubble pack, once fully grown, you can style their hair and play with the comb, hair clip and surprise accessories that come with it. With 6 to collect in the range, they are fantastic value at just £7.99 each but beware your child may want more than one as they each have their own name and personality! Age 3+

MAYKA

Mayka toy block tape is on every LEGO fan's Christmas list this year! It offers builders of all ages a new flexible way to play with and display their creations. It comes in a good range of colours and the option of two or four studs across and a variety of lengths, with prices starting from just £7. With re-usable backing tape that allows you to change it's placement as often as you like this is great value and idea for stockings or 'table presents'. Suitable for age 3+

These are just a few toys that the Children have picked out and we'll be sharing more of their favourite things and some amazing toy reviews on the run up to the festive period so watch this space!

Don't forget you can now pick up your FREE copy of the 300 page catalogue in-store.

Have you started the Christmas Shopping yet? When do you find the the best time to find the bargains? I'd love to read your tips in the comments...

This is a collaborative post with Smyths Toys.

My Top picks of the 'Real' Black Friday Deals

It's been a bit quiet around here recently, some health issues caused me to to need some offline time and then it was difficult to make the return but what better time than the day of bargains it'self, Black Friday?

I know there will be many of you that have already stopped reading as you're so fed up of all the 'Black Friday american nonsense. I've seen an image shared a lot this morning stating, 

'It's only a bargain if you really need it.' 

I completely agree. There are many retailers out there that are using the Black Friday chaos and confusion to  blightsight you in to thinking that their old stock is worth buying at discounted prices. That's not the case with everyone though, there are plenty of genuinely good deals out there if you know where to look, and let's face it at this time of year every penny counts!

I've seen some really enticing offers land in my inbox today and i'm pleased to say that apart from a couple of gifts that were all ready on my shopping list I've managed to resist temptation so far (there's still a good few hours to go though!)

Here's my top real deals this Black Friday

Kids Clothing 

We all like to treat out little ones to a new outfit for Christmas Day and I've noticed some of my favourite brands are running fabulous promotions on their childrens clothing range!

Frugi have 25% off all their Autumn Winter range and you can save an extra £10 when you use the code CHIMNEY too!

F4G have 50% off everything on their website until Monday, bith my children have their Christmas party clothes from here this year and I love their latest range!

Toys and Tech

Amazon have some really amazing toys and tech at great prizes this year but they are each on for a limited time and are selling fast so be quick! We ordered the Kids edition Fire tablet this morning for just £69.99 saving £30! This has been on my daughter's Christmas list so I'm really pleased with the saving!

Pampering Gifts

The Body Shop is always a popular choice for gifts for friends and family and they have 40% off everything today with free delivery over a fiver too!

Books

Books always make a good Christmas gift, for both Children and grown ups alike, who doesn't love curling up with a good story?! The Book People not only have a fantastic Sale on with some fantastic offers, they also have an extra 10%  off when you use the code FRIDAY10.

Happy Shopping!

Do let me know what bargains you find! 

Top Tips for Money Saving Mummies

My Mummy's Pennies is four years old today! That's four whole years that I've been tapping away at the laptop sharing money saving tips, reviews, competitions, offers, photography and snapshots of our family fun together. Over that time I've gone from being a new mum on maternity leave to being the main bread winner of the family and now a working mum with a bit more of a work / life balance. 

The back bone of this blog is always going to be about getting more from your hard earned pennies even if the posts are a lot more varied these days. My Mummy's Pennies has grown from being just a blog to becoming a social media community. Often really good deals and offers can be short lived so I find it easiest to share them over on twitter and on the facebook page and money saving group.

When you become a parent, immediately your finances become stretched. You are likely to have a reduction in your income while you‘re on maternity leave and may decide to go back to work part time or stay at home with your children. In addition to this you have an extra little person to feed, cloth and entertain.

For many people this can be the first time in their life that they have had to start to pinch the pennies (apart from those years living off noodles on toast at university, maybe!) It can be a shock to the system, but if you shop smart you will find that you can still live a luxurious lifestyle without breaking the bank (Well as luxurious as you can get while covered in breast milk and pureed carrots with a handbag full of nappies and LEGO…)

Here I wanted to share my top five tips for penny pinching Mummies…

Buy Pre-loved

There was a time when there was a stigma attached to buying second hand but these days where vintage and upcycled goods are in fashion and Kirsty Allsopp champions thriftiness in her hit show ‘Fill your house for Free’ it couldn’t be more on trend! The Equipment you need for babies and children really mounts up and you can save hundreds of pounds by checking out local selling sites on facebook, ebay, gumtree or even freecycle! If you can pick up from the seller you often get and even better deal!

Charity shops and Car Boot sales are and ideal place for find toys books and children’s clothes too. Remember there are some things that should bought new for safety reasons such as cot mattresses and child car seats but for everything else shop around! One of my favourite pre loved bargains was my son’s Mama’s and Papa’s pram, it was a hi spec pushchair from one of the most popular nursery stores in the UK and had only been used for a few months so was in immaculate condition. I was able to pick it up locally and only paid £30. A huge saving on what I would have paid on the High Street!

Keep a coupon folder

Do you read magazines? Newspapers? Or even just get leaflets through your door? If you look a little closer you will find that most of these publications will contain coupons and money off vouchers. I’ve got myself in to a habit of cutting them out and keeping them all in a cardboard folder even if it’s not something that I would usually buy. It may be good to try something new or someone else may be able to use them. Also add to this any vouchers that you are given at the supermarket till such as price match or money off your next purchase. I take a few minutes each week to sort through and get rid of any expired vouchers.

It’s not just paper coupons! For all the vouchers available online why not set up a coupon folder in your email account, pop in all the money off and voucher coder emails you receive. You never know when you may need to make a quick purchase for a last minute birthday gift or replace a broken appliance and you’ll have them all to hand!

Collect Loyalty Points

Loyalty points are great aren’t they? You do your usual shopping, buying food for your family and fuel for your car and the points mount up ready to knock pennies off your next lot of shopping! Make sure you sign up for loyalty cards for everywhere you shop, Nectar, Clubcard and Boots are some of the best and connect them up to your debit card or credit card if you can to earn even more!

A lot of loyalty point schemes offer ‘double ups’ at certain times of year or even 3 or 4 times their value when you use them to buy cinema tickets or exchange for restaurant vouchers or even breaks away!

I save up all my Clubcard points and exchange for cinema tickets and meal vouchers every 6 months or so. This way my husband and I get a date night out for just the cost of drinks!

Time your Shopping

This isn’t always practical when you have small children but the timing of when you go shopping can be a major factor in what you pay. If you still prefer to do your grocery shopping in person rather than online, find out when your local supermarket starts to reduce fresh produce (usually in the evenings) I’ve been able to halve the cost of my weekly shops by ensuring that I get my fresh vegetable from the supermarket on a Sunday afternoon just before they close I also find around 8pm is a great time to check out the reduced to clear fridges. I regularly get vegetables for as little as 9p and have had a whole fresh chicken for just 30p before!

Get Paid for Spending Money

We all like spending money, right? (I'd prefer if it was someone else's but still...) This last tip is a great way of getting more from what you spend. When ever you buy anything online, make sure you go through a cashback site! When you click through links or banners on websites you will often be allowing these sites to earn a percentage of what you spend. Using a cashback site means that YOU get this percentage instead! Two of the best known sites are Topcashback and Quidco. I am a member of both of these as I find that one often has cashback on websites that the other doesn't.

What is your best Mummy money saving tip?

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The Best #BlackFriday Deals and discounts!

Tomorrow is Black Friday, which traditionally is one of the busiest Pre Christmas shopping days and is named as it is supposedly the day which retailers go from the red to the lack and start to rake in the profits. More recently though it's the day many shops and site reveal their best festive offers.

I've brought together a selection of the best Black Friday deals I could find. So if you have some shopping left to do, grab a brew and have a browse at the links below. Remember that most of these are just teasers and won't actually go live until Friday morning...


Black Friday Lightening Deals

Amazon have been bringing us some good ones all week but these should be even better!I a case of fastest finger first so check out what's upcoming!






Toucan Kids

This fabulous site that sells gorgeous brands including Frugi, Lily & Sid and Brio is offering 25% off all non-sale clothing and toys starting today and running until Sunday. Use code 'BLACKFRIDAY' at checkout. Also in store. www.toucankids.com





HippyChick

25% OFF Hippychick who sell gorgeous toys and gifts such as wheelly bugs and Moover prams

Visit www.hippychick.com between 7pm – 9pm on Friday 28th November 2014 and receive 25% off all product lines just quote  BLACK14 a the checkout!

Asda

With 40 inch TV's just £139 and XBOX 360's for less than £100 it's worth the early tip to yor local store to see if you can grab a bargain!

Tesco

Build a Bear

Build A Bear welcome Peppermint Kisses Bear and Festive Fun Bear! 2 for £15 or £10 each. Signature outfits only 2 for £7!

The Book People

As always the book people have some cracking deals. With books from just £2 and 

Mr Men & Little Miss All New Story Collection for £15 it's worth a browse!

Frugi

The Fabulous Frugi have Buy one get one half price on all tops until midnight tonight!

Back to School Essentials

Have the summer holidays flown by for you?

I'm struggling to come to terms with the fact that it's almost September and next week my son will be starting Junior School!

Just in case you are also in last minute panic mode I've put together a list of essentials that you don't want to forget for the new term.

Stationary

This is always something I leave until the last minute as some days it feels like our house is filled with coloring pencils, felt tips and about 30 multi coloured rulers but as soon as it comes to sorting out Ben's pencil case for the new term I can't find anything! I find that Poundland is a great place to stock up on the essentials at great value!

School Shoes

School shoes are one thing that I never know when to get! The stores are always so busy in August when it's close to term time and I worry that that won't have a lot of choice in the right size, but then If I try to be organised and go early on in the holidays, my son is bound to have a growth spurt and need the next size by September! This year we visited our local Clarks' store in Bury around mid August and managed to get the best of both worlds I think. Queuing for only about five minutes, great service from the friendly staff and the perfect pair of smart school shoes for less than £40!

A Lunchbox

With the introduction of Free School Meals  for infant school children, many of you may not have to worry about this any longer, however as my son will be starting juniors we have decided to keep him on packed lunches so are still on the search for the the perfect lunch box. y almost seven year old of course wants the latest character craze but my worry is that as soon as one of his friends decide they've 'grown out' of Turtles or Angry Birds, he'll be whinging for a new one! I also find that the quality of the licenced products can be somewhat lacking. I tend to favour something like the YumBox, with different sections for fun and exciting lunches!

A School Coat

A school coat is difficult, you ant get one that will last through the winter at least but you don't want it to be too bulky to carry around or your child cold end up leaving it somewhere. Also a school coat has to be tough! I remember in my sons first year in school I had to replace his coat twice as rough play (usually football!) at lunch time has caused rips and tears! I find Matalan has a wide selection of inter coats for both boys and girls that are both great quality and great value!

In association with Clarks.

The Best Buys in Bulk Purchases - Win a £50 Amazon gift card!

I'm always looking for ways to save pennies when shopping and buying household items in bulk is a great way of making savings...

A lot of people don’t plan ahead when it comes to a good shop.  With some groceries you can only buy small amounts at once, Salad, for instance, doesn't keep for long and neither does fresh fruit. If you buy  large quantities of these you may end up adding to world’s giant piles of wasted food.

However there are quite a few things you can buy in large numbers that will help you to save on your credit card bill and feel a little bit smug about your forward planning. Be warned though if you live in a house the size of a broom cupboard then you’ll may be navigating around boxes for a while.

Below are just some examples of ways you can shop smart by buying in bulk...

Toilet Roll

Shop around. Sure, buying four, six or eight rolls at a time may seem like you’re thinking ahead. But bear in mind they don’t have a sell-by-date, they won’t go out of fashion and they definitely will be needed at some point. When buying toilet roll find the largest amount that you can afford and know you can fit comfortably in your home. Remember to shop around. If you do your homework, you can find packs of up to 32 or more rolls for less than a fiver. They won’t be double-quilted, but does that matter?

Meat

Some foods should generally be avoided when it comes to bulk purchases. However there are others that are worth taking a risk with. If left refrigerated meat doesn't have the longest life, but it does freeze incredibly well. So why not buy a bit more than you need and freeze some? It makes sense to buy meat in bulk and also to buy it when it’s on offer, check out the reduced fridges in your local supermarket towards the end of the day for great deals on meat that is close to it's use by date and fill up your freezer! 

Pasta and Rice

Pasta and rice are cupboard essentials and can be picked up for a song (or a few pounds) from plenty of independent or wholesale places in giant bags that will do you for a considerable amount time. You will need to be able to carry some weight (I wouldn't recommend doing this if you're catching the bus home!) but these are staples that can be used in so many meals helping to make other ingredients go further....

Alcohol

Some alcohol doesn’t have a sell-by-date and most don't lose their quality over time. In fact, in many cases age makes alcohol better. So if you like a drink, whether that be beer, fine wines or spirits and liquors, then you should consider getting yourself down to the bulk alcohol supply store and stocking up. Buying large quantities now will save you pounds, as long as you don’t do something silly and drink it all in one night! Remember to drink safe!

Laundry detergent

Laundry detergent can cost a pretty penny and while it will make your clothes all lovely and clean, the constant buying of detergent every month can be a drain on the bank accounts. So here’s the solution - stock up on the detergent now and you will save in the long run.

In fact, there are all kinds household products that can be bought in bulk: from toothpaste to washing up liquid, bin bags, soap, shampoo and much more.

I hope the above suggestions have given you some ideas about buying in bulk to save on your expenditure over all but of course it all depends on how much money you have available to spend in the first instance...

To start you off on your bulk buying journey I am giving you the chance to win a £50 Amazon gift card! Amazon offers you some great discounts when you buy a larger quantity of some items. For your chance to win just follow the rafflecopter instructions below...

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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!

Don’t mention the ‘C’ word….

Shhh! Don't mention the 'C Word!' Kate from Family Fever shares her tips for being prepared for the fast approaching festive season....

Ok, I know I promised not to mention it, but Christmas really is approaching like a high speed train, and many of us are worrying about how we will afford it all. So, without further ado, here are my top 3 tips for Christmas on a budget. 

1. Spread the cost. 

Christmas is hugely expensive – no matter how much you try to cut back, it is still a big outlay, especially when you have children. To make things easier on ourselves we pick up little bits and pieces throughout the year – anything from stocking fillers to main presents. If we see something that we know the children would like, or something that they have been eyeing up that is now on special offer, we grab it while we can and stash it away ready for the big day. It means we don’t end up with a huge, costly to-do list in December. 

2. Join a Christmas saving scheme. 

 Now, I know there are some ‘dodgy’ ones out there, but it can be worth finding out if your employer offers anything. My husband company offer a Christmas Club – a set amount of our choosing is taken from his wages every month and set aside. Then in November we receive that lump sum. It’s a huge weight off our minds, and means that Christmas is paid for in advance – toys, food, drink – everything. You can save as much or as little as you like. 

3. Set up a gift-swap. 

 I can’t take credit for this idea – a friend of mine recently thought of it, but it’s too good an idea to miss out! Nearly all of us have toys/games/books etc lying around that are either brand new or barely used. Try swapping them with a friend – not only does it clear out the things you no longer want, but it means your children end up with some great new things, at no cost to you. And trust me, children really don’t know, or care, that things are second hand.

I'd like to thank the very lovely Kate from the fabulous blog Family Fever for writing the above guest post and sharing her tips for preparing for the festive season with us! Please show her some love!

Make sure you pop over and check out her Facebook and Twitter pages too...

MegaBloks Build n Go Pad - #Bargainoftheweek!

Are you thinking about Christmas yet?

Yes, you're right, I did just mention Christmas in August and I'm not sorry! Living on a tight budget as we do, there is no way that I could afford to do all my Christmas shopping out of my November pay packet so I like to spread it across the year, usually starting as early as Boxing Day the year before...

I find that August is the best time for getting big discounts on toys as the big high street shops (such as Boots, Debenhams and Argos to name just a few) are clearing out their shelves of the 'old' stock ready for the 'must have' buys of the festive season, (some of which will be the same toys in different packaging!)  I've seen better than half prices sales at all of the above this week, but my 'bargain of the week' came from Argos...

Construction toys are always a good present both for my own children and their friends or relatives too, so when a friend told me about the Mega Bloks Create 'n' Play Build 'n' Go Pad's being reduced at Argos from £11.99 to just £4.99 I just had to get a couple for the 'Christmas cupboard' and when I took a look on the website and realised that Argos were offering 3 for 2 on all Toys until Tuesday I immediately reserved 3 at my local store!

They are currently on offer at many other shops for £10 each so at fraction of that at just £3.33 you can't go wrong. They are a perfect travel toy that includes a storage drawer, a building platform and 75 pieces. They are the smaller bricks though so aimed at children aged 4+.

One thing to bear in mind though is they come in two different styles; Blue with kits to makes cars and things with wheels and purple/ pink which includes flowers and animals, (I know which one my car loving daughter would prefer!) however when you reserve (or order online) you cannot specify which one you want so it is luck of the draw. When I when to collect mine I had to ask a very lovely staff member to nip down to the stock room and swap and pink one for a blue one, if you don't ask you don't get!

Have you started your Christmas shopping this year? I would love to hear about your 'bargain of the week'

Last Minute Christmas Gifts without leaving the house...

So all the shopping is done almost all wrapped and you're secretly smug when you see friends status updates saying they've left it all to the last minute and are having to rush round the shops battling the crowds and searching for a gifts on the empty shelves...

But then a disaster occurs! You've missed someone out ( or just found out your brother in law is bringing his new girlfriend for Christmas Dinner / or were so organised buying you Dad's present in July that you can't actually find it!) It's Christmas Eve, you want a lazy day in with the children, playing games, watching movies and preparing tomorrows veg, the last thing you want to do is traipse around the shops with the little ones in tow, fighting through all the last minute shoppers after being so prepared...

And you can't even order online even amazon prime won't get it to you on time now!!

Is the only option to run out to the corner shop and see if they have a box of chocs that could pass for half decent?

There are some alternatives!

Why not make it an activity with the children and bake a present? We made these lovely Festive Gingerbread cookies for the teachers at Ben's School and nursery staff at Elizabeth's nursery and today we will be making simple vanilla chocolate truffles as gifts for family members from the children. Great fun and hardly costs anything either so great if you're saving your money to spend in the sales!

If baking isn't your bag then why not get a voucher that you can print at home? From an experience gift at  Buyagift to a wide variety of things at Groupon including family days out, meals and even getaways, or if you think they'd prefer some music or a book then why not Amazon? Simply print it out and they can choose what to spend it on!!

All of the above offer the option of e-vouchers on their website, simply purchase and print off and you have a gift in seconds! To make it extra special, why not let your children get crafty and make a card to put the voucher in?

So don't panic, it may be Christmas Eve but you can still get some great gifts from the comfort of your own home!

Poundland Christmas Challenge

As a Poundland Ambassador I was challenged to spend £20 instore at Poundland on Christmas Goodies. To show that Poundland offers quality, value and choice I was asked to buy products from a number of different Christmas themed catagories....

So for £20 here is what I got...

 Christmas Wrapping and Accessories

We go through so much paper at Christmas I tend to go for 'budget' patterns and dress it up with some cheap ribbon as it all ends up in the in anyway, however when I saw this 3 meter roll of Disney Cars paper I couldn't resist, Ben is a huge Cars fa and I know he will be delighted to find his presents wrapped up in it on Christmas morning! I also bought a roll of 50 sticky labels as although we do like to make our own tags from old Christmas cards its nice and easy to have some stick on label for the children's (many) presents, These were bright and colourful designs that made me smile.

Christmas Gifts 

There's some things that I just don't think of Poundland for and everytime I go in it surprises me! When asked to buy some Christmas gifts I was actually spoilt for choice, from CD's books and DVD;s to toiletry sets and homeware, the aisles had more to offer than I realised. After careful consideration I bought a Martina Cole Hardback and a pair of gorgeously soft fluffy bed-socks. Lovely little gifts for just £1 each!

Christmas Stocking Fillers for Kids

When it comes to kids stocking fillers, Poundland is ideal to fill up those stockings with lovely little gifts, again there were shelves of books DVD's and CD's to choose from, along with craft sets, toys and even clothing. I decided on a cute little pack of Disney Piglet socks (2 pairs in a pack) for Elizabeth and a Twelve Days of Christmas book for Ben which will make a lovely Christmassy bedtime story.

Christmas Party 

I have to say I have a bit of a thing for gingerbread men and just fell in love with this range of melamine tablewear ideal for a festive party, I chose a large salad bowl, a dip dish and a tray from the range and they are just adorable!

Christmas Tree Decorations

With Christmas Tree decorations, we like to buy a couple of new decorations each year to add to our collection In the past we have got these from Christmas markets, craft stalls and garden centres, so I have to admit that I didn't expect to find anything as 'special' in Poundland, but I was wrong! I discovered this four pack of glass angels, which are just so detailed and lovely I can't wait to give them pride of place on our tree! I also got a pack of twelve cute velour ribbon bows which will look lovely on the tree also, We've had these in past years but a few always seem to disappear!

 Christmas General Decorations

I decided to let Ben choose the other decorations for the challenge  and he immediately went to the window stickers. He choose two packs of festive stickers that will cling to walls, windows and pretty much any clean surface. I also added a pack of snowflake stickers that I think will look lovely in the the window.

Christmas Table Decorations

The selection of table decorations was vast and I was spoilt for choice but when I saw these lovely green and silver tea-light holders I couldn't resist, they were just so 'me' and looked really expensive too they will make a lovely centerpiece on Christmas day (I won't be telling guests they were only £1!!) As another addition to the table  Ben chose this pack of two cute melamine penguin bowls, a fun addition to any table!

Christmas Sweets

Poundland have a great selection for anyone with a sweet tooth, but we went with traddition and bought these Cadbury's selection packs at 3 for just £2

Home wares

Poundland are great for the essentials too the things that you don't have out on display, but would be lost without. This turkey Roaster tray and 15m roll of kitchen foil will come in very handy for Christmas Dinner...

So for just £20 at Poundland I certainly made a dent into my Christmas shopping and found that they really do have something for everyone! As always the staff were helpful and friendly and helped to make my shopping experience easier even on the very busy first Saturday in December!

 Poundland have put some Christmas top tips videos together that you can view here...

And if you fancy doing your own 'Poundland Challenge' then check out their 'Pin it to Win it' competition where you could win £250 of vouchers!

Disclaimer: We were sent a £20 poundland voucher to spend on this challenge. 

Win one of two funky Re-Uz bags...

Want to ditch the plastic and opt for something greener when you’re out shopping? 

You need a Re-Uz carrier!

These funky carriers come in many fun designs and are the perfect choice for carrying your goodies. The bags fold down into their own neat pouch – so pop into your handbag and you have a fab fabric carrier whenever you need one.

We’ve teamed up with Re-Uz to offer 2 lucky My Mummy's Pennies readers the chance to Win a Re-Uz carrier worth £6.99! 

Online bag retailer Josoblu was launched by husband and wife team Benedict and Joelle in 2010. It specialises in all kinds of bags from baby change bags, to shoppers to everyday handbags.The couple set-up the company after Joelle became so fed-up of searching for the perfect baby change bag, that she designed her own. Check out the facebook page here...

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WIN Tickets to The Baby Show Manchester

The must go to event for parents and parents to be!

The UK’s leading baby and parenting show is coming to Manchester this August and to celebrate The Baby Show has teamed up with My Mummy’s Pennies to offer you the chance to WIN tickets to this essential parenting event on 31st August – 2nd September at EventCity, Manchester.

The Baby Show in association with Made for Mums and sponsored by Fisher-Price is the perfect place to visit for all parents and parents-to-be who want to find the latest maternity and nursery products on the market – all from the very best UK and international brands! The show will feature 200 must-have brands including Fisher-Price, Babies R Us, Mamas & Papas, and Mothercare, as well as niche and designer products. Visitors will be able to enjoy special offers, great entertainment and hear from baby care experts all in one place. What’s more, EventCity, Manchester offers first class first facilities and has over 3000 FREE car parking spaces.

The Baby Show also boasts expert speakers on hand to give support, guidance and advice to all visitors, including midwives from Channel 4’s award-winning show ‘One Born Every Minute’ and baby food and nutrition expert Annabel Karmel. The Baby Show has become an essential event in all parents’ calendars and has also attracted a celebrity following with stars including Una Healy, Stacey Solomon and Chantelle Houghton spotted searching for the best products at earlier shows this year!

With everything in one place and with the added bonus of exclusive offers and expert advice, you’ll find everything you need without the stress of the high street!

For more information, visit www.thebabyshow.co.uk

I had a great time at the show last year and can’t wait to visit again…

Tickets are available in advance for just £11 or two for £17, to book tickets visit www.thebabyshow.co.uk.

For the chance to get your hands on one of three pairs of FREE tickets for The Baby Show in Manchester, simply enter below…

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to....

 Robyn Logan (Redraw), Kellie Faggle McIntyre and Emma Ann Scott. Please email your addresses over to mymummyspennies@gmail.com and I will arrange for your tickets to be sent out...

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