Save on your Family’s Day Out

There are so many places available now where you can find money off vouchers; you can get them through the post, you may also find them in newspapers and magazines, but the most fruitful and convenient way of obtaining your money off vouchers is via the internet. The best places to find money off vouchers on the internet is via sites like moneysupermarket.com, where you will find a vast selection of printable vouchers, voucher codes and exclusive deals.

If you’re more of a fan of shopping online than on the high street then there are numerous voucher codes that you can type in at the online checkouts, however, if you still prefer the thrill of popping down to your local high street and stocking up on the items you want then you can still have the benefit of the voucher savings with the use of the manyprintable vouchers available on the site.

Many people are now getting into the habit of checking the vouchers available to them before they go out to the shops, knowing that that every year shoppers are saving more and more money each year by using vouchers. This trend is showing no signs of slowing down at all, and why should it? Shops are benefiting from the increased amount of sales they are seeing as a result of offering money-off vouchers and shoppers are spending like never before due to the amount of money they can now save.

At this time of year, many families are gearing up to the Easter holidays and are starting to plan their fun days out with the kids. These days out can end up being very expensive so it really is in your interest to check what vouchers are available on moneysupermarket’s vouchers page before venturing out with the whole family. On the site you can “search thousands of UK offers for the latest voucher codes and discount vouchers to make sure you get the best deal”.

There are several major UK attractions that are featured on moneysupermarket at the moment, including the 20% off deal you’ll get of you visit the Wookey Hole Caves with up to six members of your family. Here you’ll enjoy viewing Britain’s most spectacular caves and the legendary home of the infamous Witch of Wookey. Whilst at the caves you will be able to visit the prehistoric valley of the Dinosaurs, view the King Kong feature and relax in the magical fairy garden. If this isn’t enough to keep your family entertained then make sure you don’t forget about the 19th Century Paper Mill, as this houses a variety of fascinating attractions including the Victorian Penny Arcade, Magical Mirror Maze, Pirate Zap Zone, World of Miniature and the very interesting new cave museum.

This is just one of the many fantastic vouchers that you can get to make your fun family days out this Easter as cheap as possible but without losing any of the enjoyment along the way.

Money Saving For Parents (and others)

We all want the best we can manage for our kids don’t we, but with food, clothes, school trips to pay for, and all the other etceteras that go along with being a parent, we sometimes need to keep the costs down at the same time.

One of the best ways of keeping the costs down is to talk to other parents and share ideas and bargains that you find whether they’re online bargains, or just that one of the big supermarkets has a 3 for 2 deal on nappies. Obviously you can do this by talking to your friends, and the people you meet at the school gates or at nursery, but sometimes it can be useful to look a little wider and share information online with people via forums and websites.

Some websites post information specifically about one subject, and you can go there to find out things like voucher codes, or deals that are on at specific stores online, but generally these sites only contain limited information unless they have a forum where everyone can join in with the posting of data.
There are quite a lot of forums out there where people can share information, and some which are dedicated to mum and baby, or to new parents and have articles specifically aimed at this group of people, however sometimes it can be just as useful to look at forums that are a bit more open or which are aimed at saving money generally.

One of those which covers quite a variety of money saving ideas is peazyshop. The forums here are open to anyone to use, and are divided into a variety of sections from online bargains, money off codes, supermarket chat including TMF’s and saving schemes, freebies you can send for, those you can get in shops with purchases, as well as a whole variety of other things like ways to make a bit of extra cash, green money saving ideas and cheap days out.

When you visit a forum like peazyshop, you can view it as a guest, which means that you can see what others have posted, or you can join it properly and then you can make posts yourself. Although some people shy away from doing this, it’s actually the best way to participate in a forum as it gives you a properly interactive experience, you can thank others for the finds they share, and you can share finds yourself too. It’s also lots of people joining and posting and sharing with each other that makes forums work as well as they do.

Visit the forum at - http://forums.peazyshop.co.uk

Where to buy Harry Potter’s Half Blood Prince this Christmas

If you are looking for the best deal on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince then this Half Blood Prince price comparison website will be invaluable.

The website (www.buyhalfbloodprince.co.uk) includes a lot of useful background information to the film, plus a nice comparison tool which shows currently where the best offer is from a range of online retailers including Amazon, Play.com and HMV.  At the time of writing the cheapest offer was for £12.99 from BangCD.

Hairspray The Musical - Now with Phil Jupitus and Belinda Carlisle

If you are looking for a Christmas family treat in London then why not check our Hairspray The Musical, currently showing at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.

With the opportunity to also take in the Christmas Lights in Oxford Street and big stores such as Hamley’s it could make a great family day out.

The show currently stars Phil Jupitus and Belinda Carlisle, and also has Sunday performances.

To whet your appetite, have a look at the Hairspray trailer below:

French Connection babywear launch fc:baby

French Connection, the fashion clothing designers, has announced the arrival of its first ever babywear range.

The capsule range which is being launched as fc:baby will include designs for both genders and will be available in five sizes: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and 12-18 months. The new baby clothes collection will be available from the end of August in select London and Manchester stores as well as from the French Connection website.

The new french connection babywear range will feature all in ones and full length bodysuits as well as bodysuits, tops, bottoms and hats all made in soft jersey for both style and comfort.

For the boys, the clothing comes in an understated palette of traditional blue or the option to go grey or white. Girls - as well as having the obligatory pink and purple clothes to choose from - can also take their pick from navy and white options.

Plain designs are also available for parents who want to give their baby a more discreet look, while star print pyjama tops can be paired with stripy trousers to give an alternative funkier look for infants who want to make an impression. Sleep suits with drawstring bottoms or elasticated waists and retro button-up detailing will be available in toned down stripes or bold and kitsch flower prints in crimson or grey.

In keeping with the classical designs, the fc:baby collection will also offer tops with thin horizontal stripes for boys and polka dot patterns for the girls for a timeless day wear look, along with stuffed toy rabbits in prints and fabrics from the range.

Creatures Baby and Toddler Bath and Body Toiletries

A new range of baby and toddler bath and body toiletries - Creatures - has been created using natural ingredients including remarkable Rooibos from South Africa. Rooibos (pronounced royboss) has been used for hundreds of years by the African “bush people” who realised its powerful healing properties when used in natural remedies.

The paediatrician-tested range combines Rooibos with other natural ingredients like camomile, lavender and aloe vera to create a gentle range of bath products that are PH balanced and hypo allergenic. It uses 100% natural fragrances and colours, and contains no parabens, petro-chemicals or sulphates, making it particularly good for children with sensitive skin, eczema or other skin conditions. None of the products are tested on animals.

The Creatures range features a sweet baby animal on each pack, with drawings by well-known children’s book illustrator John Butler. Each product also contains a different fun fact about the animals, which children will love, ensuring bath time is fun time.

With a beautiful baby elephant on pack, the range for babies is suitable for children aged one month to 14 months. The products are made primarily from Rooibos, aloe vera, lavender and camomile to cleanse, soothe and protect. The range includes:

- Creatures Baby’s Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – instant natural foam to lather up and gently cleanse away impurities
- Creatures Baby’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml) – for a delicate hair wash that won’t cause tears or irritations; and
- Creatures Baby’s Balm Butter (£9.50 for 220ml) – enriched with Shea Butter, it’s perfect for massaging onto baby to soften, soothe and protect delicate skin.

The toddler range has been specially formulated for children aged 14 months to four years. Featuring an adorable baby giraffe or zebra on pack, the range includes:

- Creatures Toddler’s Body Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – for natural bathtime fun in a breath-easy formula as no synthetic bubble risers are used (it’s the clever pump that makes the bubbles);
- Creatures Toddler’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml)– to gently cleanse and detangle the messiest toddler hair;
- Creatures Toddler’s Body Mousse (£9.50 for 220ml)– made with jojoba oil, this vitamin-rich, easily absorbed mousse protects skin year round from nasty dry patches; and
- Creatures Toddler’s Hand Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – perfect for encouraging hand-washing after toilet visits but just as at home in the kitchen to clean up after finger painting.

All of the products are also available for purchase as gift sets in boxes featuring the animal illustrations. The sets include either all of the baby products or the toddler range and cost £35.

The products will be available from www.theworldofcreatures.com and www.cuddledry.com from 1 September 2009.

The Wrapture from Morrck - Helping Toddlers Get Their Coats On

No longer will getting the kids into their coats mean that leaving the house will be a time conduming task thanks to the Wrapture from Morrck.

The Wrapture is a cross between a coat and a poncho-style wrap that is simple for young children to put on themselves with minimal fuss. It has easy to slip into sleeves, a snuggly hood and just one large button on the shoulder for quick and easy fitting. And it’s good value for money as the roomy design fits a wide age range, giving more than a single year’s use.

The fully reversible original Wrapture is available in 100% anti-pil polyester fleece in five beautiful colourways: Aubergine/baby pink; Olive/mushroom; Navy/baby blue; Lavender/lilac; and Lavender/aqua. For a truly luxurious winter coat, the Fur Wrapture is made from machine washable ultra snuggly faux fur, available in Malt, Flowers, Multi Hearts and Pink Hearts.

The Morrck Wrapture comes in 3 sizes: Extra Small (1-2 years), Small (2-3 years) and Medium (4-6 years) and cost £34.95 for the Original Wrapture, £69.95 for the patterned Fur Wraptures and £74.95 for the Malt Fur Wrapture. They’re all available from www.morrck.com

Kids Trainer Cleaner from Kiwi

There is a noticeable buzz around the classroom as every child eagerly anticipates the long summer break ahead, when they can kick off their school shoes and slip into comfy trainers. With a warm and dry summer predicted there¹s no doubt every park and garden in the country will be ringing with the sound of children running riot in the sun!

And while it is lovely to see them enjoying themselves, the last thing you need during this busy season is to spend ages cleaning their clothes and shoes. Whether they are running through sprinklers or building tree houses, one thing¹s for sure, they will be covered head-to-toe in dirt by the end the day!

That is why Kiwi has developed Kiwi Kids Trainer Cleaner to remove dirt and stains from shoes made from leather, textile, suede and nubuck in all colours (rrsp £1.99 from Tesco). It is quick and easy to use which means that you can have more time to do all those other jobs (and go out and enjoy yourself!)

So now you can let your little ones play to their hearts content without you worrying about their shoes looking scruffy!

30% Discount on Photo Gifts and Games for Children this Summer

Let children create their own puzzle, game or cuddly friend. Kids will light up when they receive their game with their own photograph. Only for the month of July 2009 FotoInsight is offering these entertaining photo gifts at a 30% discount. Simply use voucher code ” SUMMER09 ” at http://fotoinsight.co.uk

Picture Pairs Games

Match the photos to make-up pairs. The game promotes the mental development, sorting, mental image rotation, matching and the development of memory skills. Encoding, of novel picture pairs activates the perirhinal cortex (a region of the brain) and is a real brain jogger for all ages. Creating a personal FotoInsight Picture Pairs game from digital camera images is as easy as ordering any other photo prints online.

Now £9.09

Photo Puzzle

Any family that has digital photos can create this unique jigsaw puzzle. A durable print on quality cardboard makes assembling a family photo puzzle an entertaining challenge.

Now £5.59
Teddy Bear

Cuddly quality teddy bear wearing a t-shirt with photo print.

Now £6.29
Baseball cap

Practical sun shield cap with photo print. Sun protection that children actually will want to wear.

Now £4.89

Shoulder bag

Attractive shoulder bag for young girls. The print area extends over the whole cover of 18 x 22 cm.

Now £10.49

More information at http://fotoinsight.co.uk

Big increase in the Second Hand Baby Product Market

Preparing for a new born baby is one of the most expensive things a person can do, especially at present when money is tight.

So how do you keep on top of costs and ensure you don’t over spend? By choosing to purchase second hand goods; according to a survey undertaken by www.preloved.co.uk, one of the UK’s biggest online classified ad websites. Over 300% more parents are buying second hand this year compared to the same time last year.

Preloved, which is free to buy and sell on, enjoys 2 millions unique visits every month from bargain hunters and people clearing their clutter.

In a survey of 1,650 new parents or parents-to-be Preloved.co.uk found that a staggering 89% had purchased more than three items second hand for their new born or impending birth.

• 67% of those stated that pushchairs/prams and cots have been their top purchases, with 23% explaining they had bought everything second hand.
• 73% found these items either online or using classified ads.
• Interestingly, 43% of those surveyed had also sold their own items before the birth of their child to make some extra money and also much needed room.

Those surveyed seemed unwilling to spend huge amounts of money, with people being more conscious of prices since the economic downturn. Preloved.co.uk themselves have noticed a huge increase in demand for second hand children’s items over the last three months, with enquiries having almost tripled when compared to the same period last year.

One couple surveyed had saved up £1,500 which they estimated would just about cover the cost of pushchair, cot, car seat, clothing, a month’s worth of nappies and feeding equipment. By buying second hand, the couple managed to reduce this amount to only £575.

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