Family Safety: Tips for Keeping Your Car in Top Shape

Being a parent is hard already – being a parent who has unwittingly caused an injury to their child is even more so. Make sure you keep your whole family safe on the UK's roads with the following tips to keep your car in top shape. Simple steps of caring for your vehicle go a long way and keep you and your family protected when you are out on the road. Pampering your car is definitely going to pay back and improve your car's performance.

Maintain It

Regular maintenance is the key to keeping any piece of machinery running smoothly, and your car is no different. Write up a system of checks on your vehicle, from the most cursory visual inspections to more detailed torch and touch checks (when you run your fingertips over the whole vehicle, feeling for distortions or blemishes, and use a torch to check the underside of the car and closely inspect the tyres) and adhere to it stringently.

Service It

Most vehicle manufacturers have a recommended service schedule which can be found in your instruction manual or online, on the manufacturer's website. Making sure your car is serviced regularly is another form of a maintenance schedule, albeit more intensive one, looking more deeply into your engine than you would be able to do.

MOT It

Any vehicle in the UK must have an MOT once it is three years old, and annually thereafter. The only exception is Ireland where cars are four before their first MOT. An MOT is a check of roadworthiness, designed to make sure that your vehicle is visible to other road users, can be safely controlled by you, even in the event of an emergency (so you can move to the side of the road and stop, then activating your hazard lights, for example), and that you have a clear view of the road, its environs and everyone in the vicinity. Making sure your MOT certificate is up to date is a great way to ensure that your family stays safe on the roads. If you are looking for an MOT in London or nearby, why not try Iverson Tyres – call them now on 020 8566 4666.

Plan Ahead

It is seldom a good idea to barrel into a route without some forethought and planning, especially if it is going to be a long drive. Plan your route, making sure there are rest stops and hotel breaks along the way, and also ensuring that the roads you will be using are well-maintained and will not cause damage to your car.

Drive Defensively

Finally, learn to drive defensively, actively looking out for hazards and being aware of all the other road users at all times. This might sound strenuous, but you adapt to it surprisingly quickly and fairly soon you will drive defensively as a matter of course, keeping your family safe on the roads and doing your bit towards looking after other families too!

How to embrace the cosy life and escape the winter blues

This is a collaborative post

Without a doubt 2020 has been a challenge so far and with the longer nights encroaching I'm here to tell you how to embrace the cosy life and escape the winter blues.  I've had the seasonal affective disorder for many years and built up all kinds of coping strategies so I know what I'm talking about and the past couple of years I've mostly managed to knock it on the head by living the cosy life so here are my top tips.

The basics

There are some basic proven things that can work and I wanted to start with them.  Taking a vitamin D3 supplement really can help, I'm under the care of an endocrinologist who told me that the biggest vitamin we lack in the UK is vitamin D3 because we just don't get enough oily fish or indeed sunlight so taking this as a supplement during the dark winter months really can help.

Buying a lightbox and sitting in front of it for 20 minutes a day can also help if you can't get outdoors into the winter sunshine, there are all kinds of lightboxes available which range in price, you just have to find one you like, you can even switch your light bulbs to daylight bulbs which can help brighten up the living space although that in itself might not be enough so just bear that in mind.

Live the cosy life

The most powerful tool I've learnt is to live the cosy life, dedicate the darker months to fairy lights, furry throws, comfortable furnishings and cosy pyjamas, candles which remind you of happy times or the rich scents of baked apple, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, all of these things give you a life which is more hygge and less horrible. Simple things like changing your surroundings with things like Parquet flooring can make for a much cosier life.

Connection with the earth

One of the best mindfulness tools is to reconnect with the planet, it's also called grounding, basically, we have moved away from our connection with the earth and so being barefoot on real wood flooring is one way of reconnecting ourselves, I know it might sound a little woo but honestly, the carpets many of us have in our houses do not help us to ground and it's one of the reasons I have real wood flooring all through my home and why I like to be barefoot as often as I possibly can.  If you can get outdoors and it's not too cold, try walking barefoot on fresh grass, or the ground or sand and breathe deep, honestly, I promise this stuff helps.

Celebrate the seasons

Christmas is coming and it's going to be different this year so I don't think building up to "One special day" is going to work and in fact, it might prove to be completely counterintuitive so instead, I would encourage you to celebrate the seasons, embrace them for all they are worth and see the Christmas period as a wholly wonderful thing on its own.

The end of 2020 might well be a challenge and especially if like me, you live on your own so be good to yourself, treat yourself kindly and surround yourself with the people or animals who you do have near you, I know that Holly Bobbins and the cats are a great source of entertainment so they'll be good company and when it does come to festive decoration, well you can be sure this year I'm going big, even if it is only for myself because twinkly lights and a glowing Christmas tree are most certainly a tonic which can make everything better.

Photographs are Life

(Ad - Sponsored Post) Now more than ever we have realised the value of family, the value of memories and the value of photographs.  We have them on computers, we have them on our phones but now is the time to get them off your digital devices and onto your walls.  I've spoken so many times about having happy memories on your walls .  I particularly love canvas prints and have them all over my living room, most of these are actually available from BestCanvas.ca 

It doesn't matter what's happening in the world, I can look around my living room and smile at the past memories that I've had.  I remember the smiles that Looby and I had on our day out at Holy Island and my infamous best friends trip to Barcelona, I also remember my love of discovering Lincoln, one of the prettiest cities I've ever been to, even if it does have the steepest lanes of anywhere I've ever been.

With this code MANDYCHARLTON you will get up to 5 FREE MIXPIX Photo Tiles from BestCanvas.ca. To acquire your free print, go https://www.bestcanvas.ca/mixpix/ , upload your desired photos and enter the name MANDYCHARLTON  during the checkout. The more you buy the more you get free! 

Life passes by at the speed of light and we never seem to have time to smell the roses but perhaps at this time, we do have the time to slow down, to take stock of what's happening in the world and to just sit and while away the hours thinking about all of the good times.  I know that I can't travel at the moment and that's really hard as I live to travel and to discover new places, new ways of life and different cultures but I do have lots of time to collate all of my memories and to order new wall art, blankets, mugs, memories everywhere that I look, eat, sleep, breathe.

Photographs are life and memories are the joy of life so surrounding yourself is such a positive thing to do for your mental health and your wellbeing.  I know we have the photos on our phone but how many of us take the time to just sit and look through them all, when they are on your walls you have the absolute joy of them always surrounding you, they're more than valuable, they're beautiful, wonderful moments of forever so, whatever your situation is currently, why not order someone a gift to bring some much-needed happiness, I can promise that you will make their day.

National Feet Week {Ad-Gifted Products}

It's National Feet week, and until a few weeks ago when I was asked to take part in a Twitter party for it, I hadn't even heard of it!

Does anyone actually like their own feet, feet are weird things, they work hard, really hard and they're prone to hard skin, dodgy nails and all kinds of things but these overlooked parts of our body really do require extra care to keep us in good health.

I was lucky enough to be sent a box of goodies which are all about foot care from an assortment of wonderful brands like Footner who make those exfoliating socks that give you baby soft feet (after all of your old skin falls off) and I can't wait to use those, my feet definitely need to be exfoliated.

We all know that we should get regular eye tests, 6 monthly dental checks but we also need to go see a podiatrist to help care for our feet, you can search for your local podiatrist at Pods Fix Feet I shall hold my hand up now and say I've never been to a podiatrist but would I go to one?  Yes, if I thought I needed it, self-care is everything after all.

I do try and keep my feet happy, I have Reynauds Phenomenon so have really bad circulation and I'm happy to say that since I found some wonderful sheepskin slippers it's one less thing to worry about.  In our package of goodies was included some orthotic soles from formthotics, I don't have a need for those but have gifted them straight to Harriet, she has plantar fasciitis so they're going to be essential for her in her foot recovery.

I think feet are a funny thing, we rarely talk about them and we're almost embarrassed to admit when we have feet, toe or nail problems but really, when you consider just how much walking around on them, it's no surprise that you might have issues from time to time and it's really nothing to be embarrassed about.  One thing is for sure, be kind to your feet and your feet will thank you for it.

Mother's Day Gift Guide for the Modern Insta-Mum {AD-Gift Guide}

Mother's Day is fast approaching and given that I spend half my life on Instagram I thought I would profile the modern Insta-Mum, mums like me, we're juggling, life, work, business, we love technology, we are renovating our houses and we love memories above all other things.  You don't have to look too far on Instagram to find thousands like me.  So here without further ado is my ultimate gift guide for the modern Insta-mum.

Ember, the world's first temperature-controlled mug, the internet of things has come along way since it's first inception and I for one could not be happier, I honestly never thought I would need a wifi enabled mug which keeps your drinks at the perfect temperature but since I've received this one I use it every day, long cups of tea in bed, coffee that doesn't go cold whilst I'm running around in the mornings, it's an actual miracle in a coffee cup!

If you, like me, love a good hot chocolate, then Cadbury's has the perfect gift for that hot chocolate loving mum with it's amazing hot chocolate gift hamper, just don't put it in the cupboard and expect the box of flakes to last when your teenage children get to them before you 😉

Gtech Myo Touch - an adjustable automated massaging bed isn't something I would ever have thought I couldn't live without but after having one now for the last couple of months I can tell you that this is the most amazing thing since sliced bread!  You lie on top of the bed and the massaging mechanism runs up and down a track massaging you in your chosen zones, you can go from a whole-body massage to adjusting on concentrated parts of your body.  Put on a candle, dim the lights and download a meditation and I promise you will never need a masseuse ever again.

Posterhaste Dual Star Map, I absolutely love this, when I renovated my kitchen it was the first thing that went on my walls, my star map has the constellations at the time of both Iain and Looby's birth and so every time I look at it, I'm taken back to a happy place, and isn't that what wall art is about, no matter how stressed or anxious you might be, one glance at something lovely and you feel a little better.

Beautify quilted storage stool, it's just not okay to be messy in today's aesthetically beautiful Instagram world and that's where clever storage solutions like this quilted storage stool come in really handy, it's comfy to sit on, it makes a great little poufee and it's roomy inside so you can store all of the clutter!

Mermaid Pink Gin, you may have seen my Christmas gift guide with the original Mermaid Gin direct from its home, the Isle of White distillery, well now it's younger sister, the Mermaid Pink Gin has been released and isn't she glorious, I quote "Fresh Island strawberries, grown in the rich and fertile microclimate of the Arreton Valley, are steeped in our signature smooth gin for four days, before being redistilled to create Mermaid Pink Gin, with its intensely aromatic, fresh flavour. Infusing fresh sun-kissed strawberries with our smooth yet complex gin creates a refreshingly layered serve, with a hint of sea air from fragrant rock samphire."  Now I know you're going to want to try that!

Every mum wants Tom Ford perfume, if you've ever been to their perfume counter and drooled like me then you'll wish for this to be gifted this Mother's Day, Tom Ford Noir Femme is a divine evening smell which lends it's self to high-end nights out as well as the Insta-Mums next most fabulous dinner party and unlike some perfumes, it does not fade, I absolutely love this. Available from Perfume Direct.

For the mum who has everything, why not print a year of memories with just a couple of clicks, printable from social media, I received a whole year of my Instagram in a book from My Social Book and what a delight to have it as a coffee table book, as a photographer, I enthuse often that we should be printing as many of our photographs as we possibly can so for me this is just perfect.

Exercising is one of the things the Insta-mum wants to do but never seems to find the time so this little gadget, the Active 5 is like having the gym in your pocket, it's a portable strength training and coaching app and it fits in the palm of your hand, it contains all you need to exercise at any time from anywhere and that to me is amazing.

Thanks to all of the companies who helped with the making of this year's Mother's Day guide, a lot of time, research and communication goes into compiling each gift guide and I'm so grateful to the amazing PR's and companies who make everything run so smoothly.

Things to do on your great north staycation {AD}

This article contains a restaurant review where I was given a gift voucher towards a meal for two.

Last week I had a great north staycation, you may remember from my previous article that I'd worked out how to save money on lots of northern attractions, well I can confirm that it absolutely worked and I spent next to no money even though we were out every day from Mon through to Wednesday.

RHS Harlow Carr

As an RHS Member, I got in free and I also got to take a guest free as well so Harriet and I had a wonderful day walking around the beautiful Yorkshire gardens. The borders were full of Alliums and Iris's.  It's a wholly beautiful day out and if you have children with you, there's so much for them to do. As well with wicker dinosaurs all around the gardens and play areas, there are long expanses where they can run and run and run.  What they also have is Betty's and that was a highlight, I'm thankful we had a £5 off voucher for that as we did enjoy a delicious lunch followed by cake.  We had the full Betty's experience and Harriet loved it.  She's from Yorkshire and had never been!!

Wynyard Hall Gardens 

Definitely, worth a trip to the beautiful walled garden, we had a delicious and not too pricey meal in the cafe and a wander around the gardens, we paid a fiver for both of us and we've just bought a years pass for £6 each so we'll definitely be going back as the plants you could buy weren't too expensive and it gave me the opportunity to photograph flowers.  I'm not sure what it would be like if you have children, it does sell itself as being child-friendly but perhaps only if your children are called Timothea and Anunciata, most of the people when we were there were older couples and ladies, much like me, ladies of a certain age.  It's a quiet, calm and peaceful place, the farm shop had a big selection (I bought cheese), the homeware store was expensive but not completely ridiculous, let's call it aspirational.  The staff were professional but not overly friendly.  It does have a bit of an Alnwick gardens feel to it but maybe not quite so friendly.  As I said we've bought yearly passes and we'll definitely return but I don't think it would be worth paying £6 a time.  

Neither of those attractions is dog-friendly and that's proof that we still have a way to go in this country to embrace the joy of guests bringing along their cherished four-pawed companions, I think it's actually weird at outside attractions to not accept dogs on leads, and after all, our friends at the National Trust and English Heritage have no problem at all with dogs on leads so maybe it's time to take a leaf out of their books.

Thaikhun

One of the other lovely things Harriet and I did was eat out at Thaikhun for dinner, we'd been invited to try the new menu and it did not disappoint.  we marvelled at every course and though we didn't drink any alcohol the cocktails did look delicious.  I think there's something special about Thaikhun, it gets the vibe just right between casual dining and going out for dinners, I love the atmosphere and the staff are always so utterly helpful.  I loved everything we tried on the menu, the Bangkok street platter with its assortment of magical morsels.  The main courses which were a stack of 3 different dishes plus Jasmine Rice and I couldn't have been more excited about the Unicorn Sundae.  We did receive a gift voucher to partially pay for our meal in return for an honest review but I regularly dine at Thaikhun anyway so believe me when I say, I've never been disappointed, although there was that comedy disastrous visit the first time I went with the kids.

During the week we also went down to Yorkshire to meet up with Harriet's parents for lunch but it was raining and we really didn't do much after lunch other than discovering a weird garden centre frequented by the older generation which didn't even contain a single plant inside it but it did have a hairdressers and a full selection of comfortable shoes.  It was dog-friendly though so that's always a win in my book.

This summer we'll be off again on our travels but this time instead of Madrid or Barcelona we'll be doing a great British holiday starting in Cumbria and then continuing down to Wales and of course, I'll be taking my camera, Harriet and Holly Bobbins.