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Fantastic services saves the day

I’m sure I’m not the first to admit it on the internet, but being a mum is so damn time consuming! All the to-do lists I make at the start of a new week pretty much looks the same by the end of the week, that’s if I haven’t lost it under a pile of Alice’s washing. So you can understand, things start to fall down the priority list pretty quickly, especially household chores that involve a bit of hard work. This is where Fantastic Services saves the day, and boy did they deliver.

In case you’re in the dark about who Fantastic Services are and what they do, here’s a little info..

Fantastic Services (a domestic services provider) all began in 2009 with a meeting of two like-minded individuals, company founders Rune Sovndahl and Anton Skarlatov. They saw a gap in the market, combined their knowledge and expertise to create a marvellous business that now completes around 40,000 services each month! Serving London, South East and North West England, they really are a dream team that come to your rescue when you need it most- be it an oven clean or an end of tenancy blitz.

Now, try not to judge the oven in the ‘before’ pics… I know it was bad. But if you’re like me and just can’t stop watching those satisfying YouTube videos where random objects get cleaned up, you’re going to love this post!

So below you see a very dirty looking oven. This is a standard, conventional fan oven that clearly had seen better days, weeks and years!

The trays had become incredibly stained and we just couldn’t even begin to tackle cleaning it ourselves.

Our knight in shiny vehicle arrives!

The expert cleaners know how to do the best job without leaving a mess behind.

You aren’t ready for these results…

It was so shiny I had to take a selfie in my oven door! Clean and shining bright as if it were brand new again.

Fantastic Services kindly fitted us a brand new oven light too as ours didn’t work.

I’ve taken the liberty of merging the before and after side by side so you can really see the hard work and amazing service we received.

Someone was thrilled to take a peak inside our beautiful oven- and the best thing is you can use it straight away, no chemicals or smells left behind.

If you need to hire Fantastic Services for your oven cleaning, gardening or removal needs, head to their main website here.

Saharasplash x

Next up, how about a wardrobe refresh? Read my transitional style story blog post before you go!

Disclaimer: We received our cleaning service in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts my own. 

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My transitional style story

My transitional style story starts with a holiday. A little holiday for a very special wedding, which got me thinking, what the hell am I going to wear? This month the three of us took our first flight to Ireland, and for Alice it was her first ever flight outside the womb! We needed to pack light but also pack for two adults and a baby, so you know we needed that Ryanair Plus ticket which allows extra cabin baggage.

So, transitional style. For me, this is summed up by something you can take with you and like a chameleon, change your look at the drop of a hat from Mummy chic to Hollywood glam. I also have a theme to this particular transitional style, and that’s stripes!

This look is just perfect for jetsetting on a domestic or international flight. Comfy cropped pants and a button down shirt leaves plenty of room for you to breath in. Flats are essential, but that doesn’t mean you have to fly in Uggs or trainers. These are from Ted Baker, the pants are M&S and the shirt is Hollister.

So, now onto the wedding reception. A simple braided updo and hair pinned back to keep my accessories on show, and Alice’s hands off my hair!

Lujia North East earrings in gold by Sacet Jewellery to compliment my own wedding rings. I wanted this look to be elegant but refined.

The location for the wedding itself was at the Westport Woods hotel, and my stripey transitional style for the day was an asymetric number from Boohoo.com. Black and gold heels from Karen Millen paired with these beauties below made for one of my favourite outfits this year…

I’m in love with these Sacet earrings, just so different and really makes the look work. My pineapple clutch never fails me either- whatever your style or spirit, a stand out fruity bag will work every time. 

I switched to flats for the evening- my feet are not used to wearing heels and it felt so good to change this one detail and become 3 inches shorter again!

It really is all about switching up a few details to completely see a dress in a different eye. A pair of leggings and a fabulous hat creates the country loving girl you see below! These were taken a few days after we got back from Ireland just a couple of miles away from home.

Whether you are off on holidays and weddings this season or just planning a staycation, choose a dress you can play around with and create your very own transitional style story with some gorgeous accessories and footwear.

Here is my top transitional pick from Quiz Clothing, the things you can do with these styles of dresses is limitless. Get some transitional style into your wardrobe before the summer really hits.

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading my transitional style story, why not head over to read Family Fun with Yellow Zebra Safaris next.

This post contains PR samples but no affiliate links, just pieces that I really do love!

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Family Fun with Yellow Zebra Safaris

During this time of the year, places in East Africa like Kenya and Tanzania are receiving their heaviest amounts of rainfall. Although the U.K. is relatively pleasant at the moment, we are still ten degrees behind where Africa is temperature wise. Why am I sharing this information with you? Well, this is going to be a post all about Africa along with Europe’s leading Safari tour operators- Yellow Zebra Safaris. This award-winning luxury travel and adventure company specialises in African Safaris, as well as family safari holidays. Which brings us to our special day out and family fun with Yellow Zebra Safaris…

We (Paul, Alice and I) were kindly invited to a London location recently to help celebrate and learn more about what Yellow Zebra Safaris have to offer. The day was filled with surprises and thrills, and it all started out with this amazing setup for the children and parents.

Alice had great fun looking at all the animal-themed decorations around the room, and she was also pleased to find some new friends along the way too!

Having fun with Fleurdelondres and her daughter Sofia

After a grand welcome, the kids (and adults) were treated to a live animal show by the talented animal conservationist Safari Pete. All of the animals we met were rescued and have quite a back story, but you could see the special bond he had with each of his animals and could tell us all about them. Here are a few we met!

Alice was just loving it! 

When it was time to meet the meerkats, Alice had just woken up from a little power nap, so was a bit shocked! But honestly she was back to her happy self in no time

The food display was ready and waiting for the adults to pounce. The children had their own animal-themed buffet as well which looked like it came straight from the heart of Africa.

After some Safari-themed songs over lunch, it was time for some ceramic painting. The children just loved painting their own animals to take home, clearly Alice and I did something a little different, but it turned out amazing…

She sat wonderfully while having her hand painted bright blue, and here is the result:

We want to thank Yellow Zebra Safaris and all involved for having us, the day was simply perfect, and I know Alice had the best time. This guy below came home with us, and we now have a giraffe in our living room!

If you are thinking about booking a safari trip for you and the family, September is the best time of year for big game viewing. See more info via the YZS website here.

Thanks for reading Family Fun with Yellow Zebra Safaris, we hope you loved hearing about this experience,

Saharasplash x

Needing more cute baby content? Head straight over to my latest post all about a fab little product which can help with sleep and night terrors: https://saharasplash.com/2018/05/sleepy-feet-mummy-loves-organics/

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Celebrating the rose with Cyprus Tourism Organisation

I’m going to take you on a bit of a journey with this post. Don’t worry, it’s a really good journey! A few week’s back I was invited to a rather unique and special event in London to celebrate with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. Sadly the event wasn’t actually in Cyprus, but they most definitely brought the party, feel and Cypriot style right to the venue.

The event was centred around celebrating the annual Festival of the Rose which is held each May in the rural Cyprus village of Agros. Famed for its bright and beautiful roses, Agros springs to life as visitors flock to learn all about the distillation of the roses, attend exhibitions and take part in workshops.

I turned up to the venue ready and set in my floral trousers (got to look the part) and instantly fell in love with the building…

The whole place was decked out head to toe with Alice in Wonderland tributes! Not for the event mind you, this building near Waterloo is like this all year round- my heart melted a bit as I missed Alice who stayed at home while I came into London for the event.

Roses in shades of red and pink could be found everywhere, it really was a perfect venue for an event dedicated to the power of the rose.

We had a warm welcome from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation who gave us some great background into the festival and the country itself:

  • Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Cyprus is filled with vast areas of dense forest and valleys
  • Cyprus annually celebrates traditional festivals such as The Rose Festival
  • When rose water is distilled, its aromatic fragrance can be used in hundreds of different ways- in beauty products like perfumes and oils and also in sweets and liqueurs
  • The Rose of Damascus blossoms in between April and May, making right now the ideal environment for growth

Bloggers and press were then taken into the main area for the night, filled with treats and wonderful things inspired by The Rose Festival.

Mahalepi- a traditional dessert made from rose water, cornstarch and rose syrup 

As if this wasn’t enough, we were treated to a one to one tutorial in flower arranging from Rebel Rebel, a popular London florist- just look at what we created..

Finally, after all the hard work, guests were treated to luxury hand massages and manicures- I got some gorgeous rose details by @poppinpolishldn, go check her Instagram out before you leave!

Thanks to all involved for making this event happen, or rather, ευχαριστώ in Greek!

Fun fact- I did actually take a course of Greek lessons while at sixth form and I still  remember the whole alphabet ?

Saharasplash x

I hope you loved reading all about my adventures celebrating the rose with Cyprus Tourism Organisation. If you want to subscribe to my blog and get posts straight to your inbox the link is on the homepage,  just below my photo!

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Sleepy Feet by Mummy Loves Organics

I know I’ve been doing a lot of posts recently about Alice and parenting, but hey, that’s kind of where my life is right now. There are lots of fashion and beauty edits coming up so don’t think it’s all about Alice, but today I’m letting you guys know about a lovely little product:  Sleepy Feet by Mummy Loves Organics.

Mummy Loves Organics is a cruelty free company and all products are handmade with love and care. The Sleepy Feet oil is used to help babies and children sleep as well as combat night terrors.

Alice was curious about the Sleepy Feet product box and definitely gave me the ‘what’s this mummy?’ look.

Key ingredients are English Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Frankincense, Mandarin and Watermelon oil- such a magical combination. It’s a gentle scent that when used can be massaged into the soles of the feet, into the back of the neck and temples of your baby/child.

The Sleepy Feet oil by Mummy Loves Organics comes with a handy rollerball top so there’s no danger of your baby grabbing it and spilling it everywhere!

The scent is calming, soothing and the fragrance is subtle but long lasting. You can also get this wonderful oil as a reed diffiser for baby’s nursery if you prefer to have the scent in the room rather than putting straight onto your baby.

It costs £12 for a bottle (which lasts for months) and is recommended for use on babies 12 weeks and over.

Discover more to the range on the website (link below) where you can find innovative candles made from essential oils that when melted can be used as a body and massage oil!

Visit the Mummy Loves Organics website here

Let me know if your child suffers from night terrors or if you find it difficult to settle your baby at night, this might be just the product you need!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading Sleepy Feet by Mummy Loves Organics, if you’re after something different then head to Paul’s latest husband takeover here.

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What we’ve discovered through Tots Play developmental play class

I’m sure you’ve all been keeping up to date with Alice’s progress on social media. Not only does she have her own Instagram page which gives you daily doses of baby spam, she also appears frequently on my on socials too. I think it’s really important to document her journey so she (and I) can look back on what she got up to and when. This post is all about what we’ve discovered through Tots Play developmental play class over the past six weeks, and what a difference it has made for Alice.

We were contacted to come and enjoy a taster session at our local play class with Carly at the Havers Community Centre. Tots Play classes are unique, multi-activity, developmental play classes held all over the country, so be sure to look up yours if you’re interested after reading this post!

There are different classes for all ages, and when we started Alice fell into the 8 weeks – crawling category: Discovery Tots. Discovery Tots is a weekly class for babies who love to learn using their whole body and all their senses! This includes baby yoga, movement and music, baby sign language, multi sensory play and wind down time. It’s a lot to take in for a baby in just one hour, but for them I’m sure the class feels like a lot longer.

We met with the other mums and dads in the group and easily joined in singing songs, learning new moves and trying some baby signs.

After our welcome and warm up, the next part of the the class was themed which is ideal for a baby’s sponge-like brain. There is always something new to explore, be it sensory toys, books and lots of different things to touch and hold.

Just look at this fabulous sensory tent filled with lights galore- Alice was mesmerised! 

New things we’ve discovered which Alice now loves:

  • Parachuting material up into the air and down onto her
  • Bubbles- we went out and bought a bubble machine after the first class

The big differences in Alice from week one to week six:

  • Alice is much more confident when interacting with other babies her age
  • Alice has come on leaps and bounds with her ability to move. She was only just about rolling over when we started, now she is on all fours and moving about (very shaky and falling lots though)
  • Alice can now recognise the sign for milk, and she is able to wave hello and goodbye thanks to Tots Play and Carly

Here are some shots from a more recent class- definitely more hair and so much stronger!

If you want to find your local Tots Play class, head over to the website here for more details.

We have just loved being a part of this group, and what we’ve discovered through Tots Play developmental play class is priceless for both myself and Alice. We’re so looking forward to our next session tomorrow! Look out for it on Alice’s insta story (@thealiceiris).

Saharasplash & Alice x

Find out what we got in the latest Aldi Specialbuy event! 

 

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