I Love My Post | 37

Co-Hosts wanted!! If you fancy co-hosting with us drop pop an email through to: sarah@lifeinabreakdown.com

Welcome to the I Love My Post blog hop where we invite you to link up your favourite post of the week, to show it off and hopefully receive some love from the others partaking in the hop!

If you are yet to participate in a hop they are really simple to get the hang of all you need to do is 'hop' around, hopefully finding some new great reads!

The Rules are simple.

1. Check out and follow the hosts and co-hosts. Leave them a comment if you would like them to follow back.
2. Choose at least 3 other blogs and hop on over and leave them some love, plus let them know how you found them - I'm sure they would love it if you followed as well!
3. Have Fun and come back next Saturday.

Please just don't link up and click off to make this successful everyone needs to hop around!

Your Host’s this week are:
Sarah from Life in a Break Down
Bex from Futures
and our lovely co-hosts are:
Brigitte from BreezeyBee Blog
Danielle from KalamityJane Kosmetics
Merk from Merk and her Mastiff
Myranda from Pretty Living PDX

I would love it if you would tweet, share on facebook or place our button on your blog, the more sharing we can get happening the bigger this hop can become!

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This week's Featured Blog is:

Run by two Mum's Powerful Mothering brings you a fun and lively blog that depicts the adventure of these two lovely Mum's ~ Sarah

If you have been featured grab our button!

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If you fancy being next week’s featured blogger make sure you follow all the rules give you hosts and co-hosts a follow and Sarah could be calling on you next week to come and feature with us.

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Giveaway | Father's Day: Gorgeous Recycled Brass Cufflinks from La Jewellery

OPEN WORLDWIDE!

Would you like the opportunity to win some lovely cufflinks from La Jewellery? Then read on for more info!

All you need to do is complete the Rafflecopter below. Please note that by including your email address, you are giving consent to La Jewellery to be added to their mailing list and receive latest offers & competitions on a monthly basis. GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wedding Planning Wednesday | 011

 Together forever, never apart, maybe in distance but never at heart

I picked this canvas up at work a few months back and have been meaning to share it with you since then but keep on forgetting! When I realised that I hadn't yet written the Wedding Planning Wednesday post for today, I knew I had to write about this! Although this probably doesn't look like a conventional wedding gift, it is, in fact, part of our wedding gifts section which is actually my section. As you can imagine, I keep spotting things I like and as soon as I saw this, knew I had to have it. I didn't know for what purpose just yet but I did know that I wanted it at my wedding.

Owning this has also got me to thinking; as well as a normal guestbook, I really want a little notebook where people can write down inspirational quotes/wedding quotes - you know, the kind of things people tell you to prepare you for your life ahead? Has anyone else ever done something like this?

As far as wedding preparation goes, it again has come to a standstill as for the past month, Steve and I have been barely in the same room as he has been so busy at work - we actually have two days off together this weekend, wow! Hopefully soon though, we can start saving a steady amount and actually get round to arranging some things! My previous wedding wishlists are also coming back to haunt me!

Today, whilst walking to work, I passed a market stall selling wedding stuff. Normally, I would walk straight on by, especially now as I am on my spending ban, however the Wedding This Way sign from this WPW wishlist was right in front of me! I resisted but I know that if it is still there when my spending ban finishes, I will be there like a shot!

If you are planning a wedding, how are you getting on? Also, do you have any inspirational quotes?
I've also fallen in love with this website over the past week and keep going back for more!

Blog Every Day In May | Food Glorious Food

I love food. Pretty much any food. I love it. Although I don't really post many foodie posts on here, I thought that today, instead of sharing a recipe, I would do a roundup of all my foodie posts from the past. Whether they are a recipe made from scratch or an item sent for review, please enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Cake {with a twist}

All Occasions Sweet Shop review

Homemade Banoffee Pie

The Spice Tailor curry pouches review

Yummy Millionaires Shortbread

Festive Food

Hammonds PB&J bar review

Cybercandy review

Sioux City Cherries & Mint

Healthy Eating

Lambrini Summer Fruits cider

My Mocktail review: WooWoo and Pina Colada

My Cocktail & Alfies review

Eisberg Alcohol Free Wine

Okay, so perhaps I did more foodie posts than I actually thought..oops! Regardless, please take a look! I also have a few more foodie posts to go up over the next week; a review of some Discovery products plus some Briska cider...yum!

Personal | Valuable Money Lessons

Today I have a guest post from Jenna for you all. I have all this to look forward to with Jack!

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Valuable Money Lessons You Should Be Teaching Your Children

If you’re a parent who has suffered from financial problems but don’t want your kids to do so, start giving them lessons about money. There are some important lessons - which you wish you were taught when you were of their age - kids need to learn. These lessons will play an important role in the future of your children, and save them from time and trouble spent in dealing with financial problems.

Here are some lessons about money you should be teaching your kids

1. Tell them work leads to money, and it doesn’t grow on trees

Set a monthly allowance for your children and tell them what things they should consider as expenditures. However, don’t go the old-fashioned way and relate their allowance to the household chores they do; this will only lead them to think they should be paid to contribute or help out.

Rather, explain to them that they’re getting an allowance because they need to learn about the value of money.

2. Educate them on coupons

It’s a good idea to teach kids about coupons while they’re still young. Teach them what coupons can do for them. If you need to get a part for your vehicle and are currently looking for JC Whitney coupons and promos from car auto part dealers, involve your kids in the search so they can know how it’s done.

If your kids are a bit old, you can also give them a task of searching for coupons themselves. Apart from newspapers, show them the websites that inform about Etsy coupons and others, and bookmark few of them so they can visit those websites frequently, which will also help them to learn how coupon searching tools and sites work.

3. Hard work is what pays

Tell your kids stories about your job, and if possible, take them to the work place so they can see the environment and get a real idea of what you do. You can also tell them about jobs that you did while growing up, and what was your income at that time.

Tell them that those who work hard, with dedication, and are punctual in time go on to get promoted to better positions and earn a higher income. Be honest that jobs aren’t all enjoyable, but being financially independent and working hard to earn praise and promotion leads to job satisfaction.

4. Tell them the difference between needs and wants

Young kids can understand the difference between things that are necessary such as general clothing, food and shelter and things that are luxuries such as branded clothes, restaurant foods and video games.

When going to buy groceries, take your kids along. Involve them when creating the shopping list and make sure that you only buy things that were mentioned on the list, so they can learn how to prevent impulse buying.

5. Tell them what money can do for others

You may not be aware, but families that fall in the low income group contribute more towards charity than families in the high income group. The possible reason is they understand what needs are and what luxuries are.

Your kids, just as they can learn to save a part of their allowance, can also learn what money can do for others by giving out to charity. They’ll know it can be a life-saver for those in needs. 

*Consideration was received for the editing and publishing of the post.

Blog Every Day In May | Collections & Go Green!

Yesterdays prompt was collections. The most perfect prompt for me all month and my internet decided to go kaput. I was absolutely gutted, let me tell you, but it gave me time to think about which collection to show you..and I came up with all of these!

I originally posted about my collection of brooches in April last year as part of Rachael's 'Bloggers Collections' series. This collection is one of the biggest so I had to include it. Although I haven't added it to it very much over the past couple of years (nor worn much of it due to prying little hands), I do love getting my brooch box out every now and again and revisiting them all. I do plan to start wearing them all again soon once Jack is a little bit older and doesn't grab everything in sight. I also plan to start my collection again; I want the perfect brooch for my wedding day as I truly believe a brooch can make or break an outfit.

Another of my collections is Agatha Christie books - ignore the messy bookcase, I am currently trying to sort through my collection! As you can see, the entire top shelf and most of the middle shelf is taken up by books written by the lady herself, or books written about her. I even have some of her Mary Westmacott novels too! I haven't completed this collection just yet but my Mum has asked me to write down the books I don't have  - I think this means she is going to help me complete it! Yay!

Now for the two 'collections' Steve would say I had...books in general and beauty products. I have to admit, he wouldn't be far wrong! Hence why I am on a spending ban for this whole month!  What things do you collect?

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Going green. I do try my hardest to be as green as possible but sometimes I do slip up. Generally, all cans, bottles, paper, cardboard etc goes straight into the recycling bins but sometimes I absent mindedly plonk a coke can in the bin and forget all about it  - oops! I also try to use energy saving lightbulbs where possible - which is definitely getting easier as they seem to be the only lightbulbs you can get nowadays! 

I know I am nowhere near green enough and am currently taking steps to amend this. However, I do use and reuse stuff if possible, turn things off when not in use, only fill up the kettle as much as I need to, turn off the tap whilst brushing my teeth - I've got a long way to go but I'm taking some steps! I do have to remind Steve though; I'm always reprimanding him for doing something wrong!

How green are you?

Blogging For Madeleine

Different post from me today, people.

The Blogging For Madeleine blog awareness campaign is being led by Caroline from A Mummy's View and is intended to continue to raise awareness of the fact that Maddy is still missing and that focus still needs to be on finding her. There are also thousands of other British children missing across the world and this must not be forgotten.

Today is Madeleine's 10th birthday. She went missing just before her 4th birthday from the Praia Da Luz in Portugal on the 3rd of May 2007. 

If anyone has any information, you should contact:

Your local police force immediately

AND +44 845 838 4699 or investigation@findmadeleine.com

• OR Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org

There is an official website at www.findmadeleine.com  too for more information.

What Maddy may look like now.

Please, please remember that there are children just like Madeleine, Ben Needham and many more still missing and their parents have no idea where they are and what has happened.

 http://www.missingpeople.org.uk

Thank you.