Dogs - smelly? unhygienic?

We are animal lovers here, and our pets are as much part of the family as anyone else, our home is very much their home we have Fudgy the guinea pig, Billy the budgie and of course Jackson - our beautiful  2 year old Boxer dog, who is such a huge part of the family.

He is the first one the children say good morning too and the last one they hug before they go to bed, he sleeps at the foot of Chloe bed whenever he gets the chance, and if we go out without him, he waits patiently by the window until we return. He really is an all round perfect dog and we wouldn't want to be without him.

 But having pets is not easy, they are alot of work, they are mucky things with their hair and dirt getting everywhere, and even tho Jackson is short haired and looks the image of perfection the amount of hairs he looses every single day is huge, and he manages to make more muddy footprints around the house than I like to think about. In fact its not surprising really when 2,000 people were surveyed in September 2012 two thirds said they thought dogs were smelly and unhygienic!

 Jackson is a big dog - he is in fact huge, despite the hairs, he also slobbers a lot, and  his big flubbers, which lets face it are the reason boxers are so cute, are somewhat unpractical. When he drinks, water sprays everywhere and as such the area his water bowl and food is kept in the kitchen, is somewhat grimy, the corner that is dedicated to him is in constant need of wiping. Then on top of this, he has boundless energy - again its another trait that boxers are renowned for, and so he loves to run around in the garden, we have gravel instead of the lawn to accommodate him, as the grass was just a mud hole, and the constant muddy feet was becoming unrelentless, but even now, with just paving slabs and a gravel area, he comes in with muddy paw prints trailing through the house on a daily basis - especially through the winter when the floor is damp.

Then there is the walks in the fields, Jackson loves nothing more than to go for a run, but he gets hot quickly and so finds the nearest muddy puddle to take a rest in to cool off - which means full on laying down in the mud! much to my horror, and so he always comes home filthy.

So what do us pet owners do about this? do we just accept these points as part and parcel of dog ownership? Put up with the dirt and germs that tag along to our much loved four legged friends? Reside ourselves to having a slightly mucky home because we choose to share our lives with the joy and friendship of a dog?

Or is there something to make living with a pet a cleaner more comfortable experience. When you want to have a dog as part of your family you want to know that having them taking residence on your childrens bed to listen to their stories is not going to leave a trail of muck and germs behind.

For us dog loving families, Byotrol technology, used in Petface pet care products, think they have the answer to the smelly animal worries faced by lots of pet owners.

Byotrol is a revolutionary hygiene technology range, which delivers long lasting protection. Kills 99.9% of germs, yet it is harmless to everyone and completely safe for your animals - and children. Making this range of products a perfect solution for cleaning those areas your dog eats and sleeps.

We were sent a selection of grooming products to try out, including some dog shampoo, dog face wipes and disinfectant spray.

All products smell really fresh and have the ability to keep on working protecting against germs and odours for upto 24hours after they have dried.

The face wipes, are essentially baby wipes for pets, they are thick strong wipes which you can use to rub down your pet when a full bath is not needed, wipe their face after they have ate a gravy filled meal, or clean their paws after a run around the garden, quick and easy to use these are great, Jackson didn't mind me wiping his face with them, although it advices to be careful around the eyes,  they have caused no sensitivity issues and do smell nice, the pack states they are great at removing loose hairs, although they didn't seem to pick out many hairs from Jackson as I wiped him over, but they were ideal for cleaning off any mud, and they smell nice which is always an added bonus, and so handy for quickly wiping up the hairs which rest around the edge of the room!

The Disinfectant spray has a cotton fresh fragrance which is not too over powering, ideal for cleaning around the food bowls and the floor directly by the door, also perfect for Fudgy the Guinea pigs pen and the budgies cage too, you simply spray on and wipe over with no need to rinse afterwards as it is completely harmless to animals.

The spray boosts to kill 99.9% of virus and bacteria including those which can lead to kennel cough and parvo, and keeps working for upto 24 hours after dry, so these products are really great for that peace of mind to know you are not bringing in nasty germs each time you've been out for a walk. In a 500ml bottle it is sure to last a good while as well.

All these products can be found in Pets at home or Sainsburys so if you are a animal loving family keep your eyes out - they may just be the thing you are looking for to make your family more clean and fresh!

If you want to find out more information and join in with a fun animal loving community be sure to check out PetProud on facebook which has over 8'500 animal loving fans, sharing hints and tips on how to keep your dog clean, fresh, healthy and happy!

You can also read more about Byotrol technology and all the products in the range here : Byotrol - The Hygiene Revolution

and you can find the PetFace range online at Pets at Home

Why not make up a PetCare hamper for an animal lover you know this Christmas - because healthy happy pets make Happy owners!

Disclosure - we were sent a selection of petface products to try out- but all our thoughts in this post are our own, we do think they are great and a perfect way to keep Jackson smelling as good as he looks!

Super Competition for your Super Hero!

There are a few things which my boys love, and dressing up is one of them, so when I was told that Rubies had a fantastic Marvels Superheros competition running at the moment promoting the great range of Avengers Costumes for children, I thought it would be perfect for my boys to join in with!

The Competition is to win an action packed day fit for any budding superhero, with activities such as go karting, climbing walls and Avenger themed fun and games.

The winner and ten friends will receive a special invitation to the ultimate Marvel themed day out. They’ll be kitted out in the latest Rubie’s Marvel costumes and will spend the day at a local kids activity centre. In between tackling the exciting activities, the team will refuel with an Avengers themed party feast and will be entertained by a special party host. The day will be topped off with all party members taking home an exclusive Avengers party bag. 

Launched by Rubie’s, one of the UK and Europe’s leading fancy dress costume manufacturers, the Avengers Academy competition has been created to share kids’ love for their favourite superheroes. In addition to the winning prize, the first fifty entrants will also receive a free copy of the latest Marvel movie, Avengers Assemble, on DVD or Blu-Ray.

To enter you simply have to dress up as your favourite Avenger Super hero - so thats either Spiderman, Iron man, Hulk, Thor or Captain America, snap a photo and enter on the Rubies website.

You can buy costumes directly from Rubies or you can use ones you currently own, or even make your own there is no restrictions apart from the deadline which is this Friday 7th December so be quick!

My boys are big Avenger fans, our Spiderman Costume has had so much wear and tear, it was my eldest sons favourite outfit and then became Mikeys all time favourite outfit too and still gets worn, even tho it is abit on the small side now.

We were however invited to try out the Thor costume, which Mikey was thrilled to receive. Thor, for those not familiar with super heros, is a character based on the God Thor of Norse Mythology, or God of Thunder, and as such he can summon elements of the storm, wind, rain and lightning,  by whirling his hammer he can destroy entire buildings, it is therefore easy to understand why the character  has become very popular inspiring imaginations in children for years, with a film based on the character in 2011, then the Avengers film released in 2012 and a new Thor film planned for 2013 this is a character which is going to be popular for a very long time.

The Rubies Marvel Thor costume consists of a red cape and detailed jumpsuit, which has all the instantly recognisable Thor characteristics.

Mikey has been wearing his costume for the past week nearly non stop and it has not snagged or ripped or pulled in anyway, the quality is great, he even choose to wear it to the non uniform day at school, and it withstood a day of running jumping and playing with no trouble at all, it is stretchy enough to wear over other clothes, and comfy enough to wear alone, although Mikey does like to wear a Top under it as the metal detail on the arms is abit scratchy.

Overall this is a great costume and one which I'm sure all super hero fans would love.

If you have a budding hero then be sure to take a photo and enter it into the competition, and take a look around the Rubies Marvel Heors range to find some ideas for perfect Christmas presents!

 

Disclosure : We were sent a thor costume to keep in return for us helping promote this fantastic competition, but all other thoughts are our own.

Poundland Christmas Review

Our Second Challenge as Poundland Ambassadors was to spend £20 in store and stock up on Christmas Essentials!

I Love Christmas, but once again I have left the organising and buying of presents and decorations till now, and with the first day of Advent upon us, this challenge has given me a nudge which I needed to get into the Christmas spirt and buying mode!

With three children it is always a case of budgeting to make sure money goes as far as it possibly can, and poundland has such a great selection it really does make Christmas shopping easy.

If you remember in October we had the Halloween Challenge which was to spend £20 on Halloween goodies, which we really enjoyed, this time the challenge was to find items that fit into several Christmas categories such as stocking fillers for children, party ware, table ware, tree decorations and so on.

Now I read the challenge and then rushed out on Friday with my vouchers in my hand eager to go and see what I could find, but I made a couple of blogger boo boo! firstly I forgot to take my camera to the store with me so unfortunately I haven't got any photos of the fantastic range to show you, and I forgot to write down the set themes I was supposed to pick items for, I also didn't plan my shopping spree before hand - I should have searched Poundlands website which shows you their range of products!

But besides these minor points, when I went into my local poundland I was blown away by the lovely selection of decorations, gifts and wrapping, I completely forgot to stick to the challenge and I ended up spending more than the £20 we were supposed to - thats how much great stuff there is in poundland this year!

When I got home I loaded up the email and tried to sort out my haul into the categories, I have picked out just 20 items to show that you can get a bit of everything you need to have a great Christmas without breaking the bank.

The first thing we were asked to take a look at were the decorations, Tree decorations and General decorations, the choice is huge, with plenty of variety you will definitely find something to match any colour scheme, with frosty white tinsel tinted with blue, or the traditional red and green and many more!

I love the traditional feel of Greens and Red at Christmas so I picked out a red and green traditional holly garland, and two lovely nutcracker tree decorations. These lovely little wooden decorations have so much character.

For general decorations I picked a lovely Reindeer wreath and a fun 'Days till Christmas' chalkboard, which I know the children will love to update until it says only 1 day to go!

Then I took a look at Tableware and Treats, which are a must have for every Christmas party.
Poundland have a great selection of chocolate Santas, candy canes and traditional Christmas sweets such as After Eights which are a bargain price of 3 boxes for £2 (thats less than half the price of my local village shop!) and always popular with Grandparents!

I picked a Toblerone and a tube of Munchies which are perfect stocking fillers and always remind me of Christmas. As far as Table wear goes I selected a 2 pack of tableclothes and a large red plate, which will be used to place Santats Mince pie and Rudolphs carrot on, on Christmas eve, and a pack of 24 gold party plates for a Boxing day party.
It's amazing how dressing a table with a festive table cloth really makes the room look so much more Christmas spirited!

And if you are hosting a  Christmas Party, there are lots of themed Dress up items, I picked out a fun elf hat, a great accessories for all Christmas parties at work or at home, great value too at just a pound!

Then we were asked to pick out some stocking fillers for Children.

This was easy, as there is loads of choice, from cute cuddly toys, to books and DVD's, art kits, stickers and craft supplies and jigsaw puzzles!

I picked out a set of 4 animal puzzles, a cute funky monkey toy and a Penguin, and of course Poundland do a whole range of fun stockings too, so I also picked out a light up stocking with a snowman design.

But Christmas isn't all about the Children is it, and Poundland have loads of fantastic giftsets and gifts for adults  great scarves and keyrings, perfume and shower gel. Something for everyone!

For Adult stocking fillers I picked out a pink glittery scarf and a letter diamante Keychain.

Then thinking about all these great gifts you need some wrapping paper, there was a great range in my local poundland, high Quality shiny paper was £1 a roll, and the more traditional paper was 3 rolls for £1 thats a great price, and there are lots of different designs to pick from.

 I also picked up a giftbow and ribbon set which will compliment the papers perfectly and add that special finishing touch to my parcels this year!

Poundland also have some lovely Card packs, as well as individual cards, I picked out a glittery pack of 20 cards which will be perfect for my children to write for their school friends.

The final part of our Challenge was to pick out 2 piece of homeware, such as turkey roasting tins, tea towels and other practical items to make sure Christmas runs smoothly, now its not that there wasn't a great selection, but I simply forgot about this when I was in my local poundland so unfortunately I don't have any to show you, but I did instead find some great Childrens craft activities which either make fun activities on the run upto Christmas or great extra gifts on the day!

So thats it, 20 great items, loads of Christmas ideas and all in a one stop shop!

 Poundland also have a Great Pinterest Competition running at the moment where  you can win £250 voucher in time to do all your Christmas shopping!

If you want to be in with a chance to win this fantastic prize, then simply go to Pinterest and create a Pinterest Account, and Follow Poundland.

Then create a 'Poundland Christmas' board and visit the Poundland Website to find upto 20 items to pin to your board. Once you have done that submit your entry via the poundland website here Where you will also find the full terms and conditions.

You can also find most of the products I have mentioned in my review on my Poundland Christmas Pinterest board please do take a look here:  Sarahmumof3 Poundland Christmas

Winter Garden Sort out

The past week has seen a real change in the weather, it has gone from cool Autumn with bright yellows and golds as the sun shines to frosty winter with greys and cool greens as the frost covers the floor and adds a Winters feel to everything outside.

I do love watching the seasons change, and I wish I had more time to spend tending to my garden, which unfortunately gets left to do its own thing, but right now we get to witness the true changes in nature as the plants die down and return to the soil uninterrupted by gardeners melding hands (well thats my excuse for having an Au natural garden anyway!)


There are of course a few things I try to keep on top of, collecting up old leaves as they fall, and tiding up the shed, making sure the bikes all fit in over the winter months, checking outdoors plumbing is important too, with the freezing weather on the way it can cause havoc for uninsulated pipes, and pond pumps. If you have a pond you will be aware of the importance of making sure it is kept free of leaves to prevent a sludgy build up come spring, but thankfully there are lots of pond accessories to help with this job as it never was one of my favourites!

Helping the wildlife is important too at this time of year, with insects dying, and food on the decline for the birds, it is always nice to add some extra bird feeders to the garden to encourage the little visitors.

But really its just a matter of motivation and getting outside even when its cold and muddy and dull, because it may be warm and snug inside but once you get outdoors it really does brighten up the day witnessing nature and all its glory.

This post was brought to you in conjunction with Bradshaws Direct

Silent Sunday

The Christmas Tag

The wonderful Emma, all the way over in Cyprus but just a couple of clicks away on the great blog 'A matter of Choice' tagged me in The Christmas Tag meme, and seems as I'm in the Christmas mood after the Light Switch on last night I thought it was a perfect time to do my post.

Q1. What's your favourite thing about Christmas?

I love Christmas, I think I like the run up to Christmas more than the day itself, I love the music, the food, the decorations, staying in warm and cosy and watching Christmas films with the Christmas tree brightly decorated, the magic in childrens eyes - Everything :)

Q2. What's your favourite make up look for the festive season?

I don't wear make up any time of the year so I don't really know!

Q3. Real or fake tree?

We always used to have a real tree when I was growing up, but since moving out I have always had a fake one, I think practical terms fakes better, but real ones do look nice.

Q4. Giving presents or receiving them?

 I think once you become a mum giving presents becomes the main focus, I don't worry if I have got anything to open myself but I do love to give presents.

Q5. Do you open your presents Christmas morning or evening?

Morning - as a child I always remember waiting with my sister eager to go down stairs and my mum and dad not allowing us down until we were all dressed, but we would all be up and dressed before 6am eager to see what Santa had left us, I don't make my own children get dressed come Christmas morning we go down stairs in our PJ's and dressing gown, and they get to open presents once everyone is awake.

Q6. Handmade Christmas cards or bought?

I love personalised cards and the children love to make them themselves too so most family get personalised cards.

Q7. What's your favourite Christmas film?

I love loads of Christmas films, I love  Miracle on 34th Street, but my favourite more than that is the 1985 classic  Santa Claus the movie, it is the most amazing Christmas film full of magic and wonder - if anyone hasn't seen it - then get it right now!!

Q8. What's your favourite Christmas food?

I am not a huge fan of Mince pies or Christmas pudding, but everything else I love, I love the whole turkey dinner with all the trimmings, sausages and bacon rolls, all the veg everything, I also love trifle and if there is any time when you have to have trifle at some point its Christmas, I always remember my gran making the most amazing trifles at Christmas too.

I'm tagging Sarah at  Follow My Line and Mandy at HexMum

A real Christmas Fair!

Yesterday was the local Christmas light switch on, and the council had coupled it with a visit from the fair and a fireworks display, a local radio station was putting on a show too so I thought we'd go along. If you remember my post about the Circus coming to town, you'll remember these sort of things are not really Chloes favourite, and she panics about the noise, the dark, the scary rides, more so in the past couple of years than she ever did when she was younger, so she was not as eager as me and the boys about going along, but once we got there she soon got into the spirit of it

This is the first time I've ever been to a Christmas light switch on show and I am so glad we went along, the atmosphere was great, the entertainment awesome and we all had so much fun!

The radio had local singers from the collage performing and they were all amazing, they also had some famous faces, which the children loved, like Darth Vader!

There was of course the complementary food stalls and sweet treats that looked great all lit up

and the rides, so many rides,

I wanted to take so many more photos but with so much going on I hardly had a chance, the fair is at Swadlincote every weekend now until Christmas so I may well go back just to take photos!

The only down side being the price, every ride was at least £2 per person per go, which means that money disappears so very fast, a firm favourite for my three is the Fun House, even Chloe dared go on and she loved it!

After we'd ate burgers, candy floss and other sickly goodies and experienced the thrill of the fair

we went back to town centre to see the light switch on and firework display, it was heaving with people, you could not move at all, but the fireworks were amazing and wowed everyone!

I actually managed to set my camera into the correct mode and capture some great shots of the fireworks

and then the countdown to the lights and the town was lit up.

It really was a great evening, I may even put up my own Christmas decorations and lights now!