Aug 8 2017

Earn cashback on back-to-school shopping with Swagbucks

Posted on August 8, 2017 by admin

It’s time for Swagbucks’ monthly SWAGO again, and this one is super relevant for those of us currently sweating our way through the summer holidays. As if entertaining the kids for 6 long weeks wasn’t enough of a strain on your finances, getting them kitted out for school come September will only add to the headache.

School

New school shoes, trousers, lunchboxes… even stationery… it all adds up. Supermarkets and the highstreet offer a ton of promotions to help parents manage the burden, but stock goes fast and the quality vs price dilemma is all too real for lots of us. If you’re looking to get an early start on your back to school shopping, taking a look at some of the retailers listed on Swagbucks might be a good way to go.

Swagbucks is a cashback site with a difference. It’s different because it’s not all about shopping. In fact, you can earn points called SB without spending a penny - just rack them up by watching videos, downloading apps, taking advantage of free online trials, or simply searching the web. These points can then be converted into gift vouchers for your favourite shops (including M&S, Argos, Debenhams and Amazon), or even cash via Paypal.

Even better, if you check out some of Swagbucks featured shops for school-inspired bits and bobs, you could earn yourself 25 SB in a matter of minutes. How? Well Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago.What is SWAGO you ask? It’s a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks. If you’ve never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO serves as a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly.

JOIN TODAY and take part in this month’s SWAGO

<<< Click HERE to get started and create an account >>>

swago

Here’s what you need to know to get your 25 SB Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern):

SWAGO has already started, so get started straight away and hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items
Each square on your SWAGO Board will contain an action item to complete - this month it’s all about shopping so simply head on over to the featured retailers and check out their sites!
Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change colour signifying the action item is complete
Once you’ve achieved a pattern the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. There are multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE, so make sure you complete your board before submitting for max points
The game ends August 10th at 7pm

EVEN BETTER… Join as my referral and you can get an even bigger bonus!

If you earn 300 SB before 1 September, you’ll get a 300 SB bonus (as long as you’ve signed up under me)! Throw in £25 worth of online shopping, and you’ll get an extra 200 SB on top of that. That’s a potential 500 SB bonus to get your first month on Swagbucks off to a cracking start. CLICK HERE to create an account today

Jul 7 2015

Back to school with Melijoe

Posted on July 7, 2015 by admin

School uniforms have recently been in the news as Trentham High School are set to ban skirts for this upcoming term as they are “too distracting for male teachers”. Yet thankfully all other schools are scoffing at the idea and the ritual of customising school uniforms by rolling, pinning and accessorising will begin in earnest in a few short weeks.

Yep, sales of nylon will literally soar as trousers, pinafore dresses and blazers are snapped up by reluctant parents. You might think you’ve got it covered, but your teenager will soon have a tantrum when they see they try on their ill-fitting cotton shirt for the first time. Worse still, the shoes you’ve bought are ugly and ‘too practical’ and the satchel you got from eBay turns out to be not as retro and cool as you thought it would be. It might feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, but it’s just as hard on your hormone-ridden child.

If you’re after something to really help your child stand out from the crowd, Melijoe showcases the back to school capsule collections of Europe’s top fashion houses. Whether you’re after slick blazers, on-trend PE kits or crown-worthy prom dresses, there’s everything to win you mummy points from your toughest critic, your teenager.

Armani Junior poplin jacket £144 / Junior Gaultier crepe jacket £124 / Frankie Morello Toys blazer en popeline £164 / Diesel bi-material jacket £122 / Ikks fleece jacket £60 / Il Gufo tweed jacket £138 / Junior Gaultier suit jacket £133 / Sonia Rykiel Enfant cotton blazer £132

For an altogether more vintage look, there’s also a french scholar collection punctuated with Peter Pan collars, fluted sleeves and swing jackets. I can just imagine those first-day-at-school shots outside of the front gate in any of these super cute girlie outfits.

Chloe woollen cloth coat £218 / Tartin et Chocolat woven woollen coat £196 / Marni viscose dress £350 / Il Gufo woollen cloth coat £118 / Chloe silk voile blouse and jersey t-shirt £120 / Marese manteau en feutre £113 / Kenzo printed dress £107 / Carrement Beau printed viscose blouse £34 / Mayoral chemisier en voile synthétique £26 / Chipie fancy jacket £50 / Chipie fleece skirt £35 / Tartin et Chocolat woven woollen coat £227 / Il Gufo felt hat £65 / Marni fancy shorts £175

For phys ed classes, you can ensure your teens have the correct amount of swagger with designer joggers and sweats. They’ll be the envy of all their mates and will never bug you for a sick note ever again!

Tommy Hilfiger sports bag £53 / Ralph Lauren fleece hoodie £57 / Dolce & Gabbana Trainers £147 / Diesel fleece tracksuit pants £50 / Sonia Rykiel Enfant one-piece swimsuit £63 / Tommy Hilfiger fleece tracksuit pants £38 / Little Marc Jacobs fleece tracksuit pants £49 / Dolce & Gabbana Trainers £147 / Little Eleven Paris printed fleece pants £38

So if your mini-mes are school-aged, get them back to school with Melijoe and help them stand out from the crowd. Head to melijoe.com/uk where you’ll find children’s wear from 0-16 years from all Europe’s top fashion houses.

Also on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Sep 19 2014

Back to School with Collins Learning Resources!

Posted on September 19, 2014 by admin

I’m desperately late posting this. I can only blame it on the fact that Dexter is not yet at school, and I don’t drive so haven’t had school-run traffic to remind me that little people everywhere are once again donning pinafore dresses and nylon ties. Yep, whereas every other mum is back to work and going through the trauma that is The School Morning Routine, I’m still in bed at 9am!

Before you all douse your laptop in orange juice as a dirty protest, I do have something useful to share with mummy’s of school age children; A range of books from Collins Back to School Learning Resources …And I better crack on with this review before the very beautiful PR girls start dishing out slapped wrists!

I signed up a few months ago to review a couple of their books. I was expecting a few pre-school workbooks and one of their award-winning picture dictionaries and atlases. I was therefore shocked & chuffed to bits by their generosity when this lot arrived! They’ve provided me with a selection of books from the KS1 and KS2 range, covering Dexter academically from age 3 right up to age 11. It includes…

Collins Children’s Picture Atlas

Collins Primary Atlas

My First Dictionary and Children’s Junior Illustrated Dictionary (6+)

Collins French Club & Spanish Club (for foundation level languages)

Collins Junior Thesaurus

Collins Easy Learning French, English and Maths (Ages 5-7)

Collins Starting School Books - 1 & 2 (For Preschoolers)

From preschool right up to A-Level, Collins covers every stage of a child’s education. Whether it be a trusted dictionary, accompanying thesaurus, handy atlas or appropriate learning book, Collins definitely has it covered.

As you can see, it’s a real bounty of reference & exercise books for Dexter! I’m seriously impressed with the quality & variety of exercises provided to support Dexter’s learning. I love how children are encouraged to work inside the books and make them their own. Although this means you’re unlikely to pass them down to the next generation, it means Dexter will be taking some responsibility for his own learning. It also means Craig and I can tutor Dexter alongside his academic studies.

When I went to primary school, foreign languages weren’t on the curriculum. I’m so out of touch with this, that I didn’t realise they are now compulsory for children at KS2 (7+). This is a very welcome overhaul in my opinion. I speak semi-fluent French (I can order a round of alcoholic drinks in a bar at least!) and love the idea of kids being given the opportunity to get a head-start on their secondary school language studies. The French Club series (available in other languages too) is fabulous as it comes with an audio CD and stickers too - adding an element of interactivity to their learning.

This is what makes these books exceptional in my opinion. It’s difficult for parents to stay abreast of every curriculum change - even big ones like the addition of new subjects! Collins books are completely up to date with the latest curriculum and allow mum & dad to better support their child’s learning - all in a user-friendly package for children. The illustrations (particularly in the picture atlas) are really engaging, and the exercises are clearly explained.

Here’s a video review to explain all the books in more detail. Dexter was supposed to join me for filming, but was on the naughty step for painting his baby sister in chocolate mousse! Apologies for the shaky video - I’ve sacked the cameraman!

Without a doubt, Collins have surpassed expectations for me as a parent. I always knew they were a tour de force in the educational arena - but I’m shocked just how relevant, interesting and thorough these resources are. I can’t wait to get started!

Collins is offering parents the chance to get 30% off their range of Back to School books until 30 September 2014. Simply use promo code SCHOOLBAG30 at Collins.co.uk

What’s more, parents can enter a competition to win one of 50 bundles of books for their child in a Collins branded school bag at Collins.co.uk/backtoschool