Sabrina is a Lifestyle, Parenting and Product Review Blogger. A Writer, Photographer, Reviewer, Home Cook, Crafter & Nature Enthusiast. You will find a bit of all those categories here on Severn Wishes Blog, Welcome to Sabrina's Lifestyle Blogging & Honest Reviews.
Autumn is such a beautiful time of the year, and it should be enjoyed by people of all ages and of all abilities too. But as the cost of living goes up again with our need for heating on and more food, not to mention the loom of Christmas… most people will vote to stay in, worrying they cannot afford to go out.
Well I’m in the same boat as all of you again this season, knowing that money will be tight but I also want to make the most of weekends I have my son. School takes up so many hours of the week, and the majority of children don’t really want to be stuck inside (unless the weather is gale force and torrential rain!). So it’s important to come up with some cheap ideas that will suit everyone and that can be fun of course, so here’s what I do.
See what can you do for free in your local area. Where do you begin to look?
Start off by writing down on a piece of paper the people in your household, their ages and abilities.
Do you need toilets frequently, baby changing facilities or access for a pram or wheelchair?
Once you have established the type of place you need to find you can look up on an online map what is available for free in your area.
Check local free magazines in supermarkets, check out social media by searching in events local to you by so many miles radius.
Some of these things can include;
Public Footpaths. Canal Routes or Designated Walkways. Parks and Gardens. Local Heritage Sites. Castles or Stately Homes. Farms with Free Entry to look at Pumpkins, Flowers or do Maize Mazes. Nature Reserves with free car parking so you can do a Nature Walk to collect leaves. National Trust (some people will already be members, sometimes they have reduced entry fees).
What Can You Do While Out?
Enjoy a walk together as a family, don’t forget to take some photograph’s! Gather items to take home and make art and craft pieces another day. Go for a Nature Walk and talk about what you can see and hear (great for young children). Nature Bingo where you make a list before you go and then tick off the items as you find them. Discuss the life cycle of trees with older children and the importance of renewal each year.
(If you don’t mind spending a little money) Pumpkin Patch Picking Maize Maze or Woodland Trails Local Trust Properties or Heritage Sites
Sabrina’s Top Tip: Take a picnic or packed lunch with you, and drinks for everyone too which will save you money, even if you have to eat it in the car then it won’t matter because it’s still family time.
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Thank you for reading this blog post today, I do hope that I have given you some good ideas.
Have a great day and lots of fun if you take on board any of my tips!
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t watch at least something on their television or stream it on their device at home even if it’s just a couple of times a week. And what with so many ground breaking TV series that have been on over the last ten years or so, I decided that I would start to watch things that perhaps not everyone else was seeing. So let me tell you about a few series that I have watched as Winter ended and Springtime began, and these are ones that I would highly recommend.
Look out for the Trigger sections and Themes that I outline in each section, and also the genres to decide if a series if right for you or not. I also rated each series I watched.
The Rising
When I saw this program advertised on my SKY TV Box I was instantly drawn in by its synopsis. This series left me itching to watch the next episode, and with a cast of people who are mainly British and Irish, you will see some familiar faces, as well as a few rising stars for sure. Superb acting and storytelling that far surpasses some of what is on the tele at the moment, The Rising is a relatively short series that I can recommend to anyone who likes thrillers, murder mystery and the supernatural.
I don’t want to give out any spoilers, that isn’t why I’m writing a review, what I will do is give you no more detail than the synopsis does, and tell you in my own words why I think you should give this one a go.
Neve Kelly is furious that someone has murdered her, for the 8 hours of this incredible series we watch her get angry and scared, before vowing for justice. Neve refuses to be somebody’s victim and she starts to slowly piece together what happened that night. The twists and turns will have you binge watching this show episode after episode wanting to find out who killed her, will the family ever get closure?
If you like a good “whodunit” murder mystery, if you like British Drama, if you enjoy something supernatural and/or ghosts and spirits, then this show will be right up your street. I found myself rooting for the main character after the first episode had finished and I was looking for the clues just like she was. A brilliant and somewhat uplifting drama despite its genre, I was also compelled by several actors and their performances and would recommend this show to anyone.
Themes: Death, Drugs, Drowning, Alcoholism, Murder, Death of a Child, Depression Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural Drama Episodes: 8 Average Episode Time: 1 Hour Where to Watch: Sky Boxsets or Sky Go My Rating 5✩
Pretty Little Liars Original Sin
If, like me, you watched the Pretty Little Liars series back in the early 2010’s you’ll know it was a huge deal. I personally loved the show, acting and storyline was fabulous. So when I heard that they were revisiting that area of state with a new series dedicated to the same principle I was intrigued. Set years after the events in Rosewood in a town not too far down the road called Millwood. A group of young women in high school start to become terrorised by a masked figure who calls himself A. Their worlds crumble around them one by one and with tons of references to the original PLL but without trying to out do them, this series had me gripped from start to finish. It’s also been left open to continue on to series two which I really hope they do. I was very impressed by the five young actresses, two of which I had seen before in other shows. They each embodied their characters flawlessly and on screen chemistry of the group was excellent too.
There are plenty of hard hitting themes within PLL, even more so than there were ten years ago in the original series. So if you have suffered trauma and are subjective to trigger warnings, I would like to outline the themes so you can make a decision on whether you should watch this or not. Although some are hard hitting, the show did very well in regards getting justice for people who had been wronged within the storyline, and some lines were done very tactfully as well.
Themes Include; Teenage Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Torture, Death of a Parent, Horror and Gore, Drugs, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Serial Killer.
If you can get past all those triggers it’s actually a fantastic series. It has even more adult themes compared to the original Pretty Little Liars which made it more hard hitting than just teen drama. Many references to the original and some of its characters too made it very nostalgic watching for me. If you liked the original PLL, high school teen drama, adult drama with them having flashbacks, twists and murder mystery with serial killer vibes then this is the show for you.
Genre: Teen / Young Adult Drama, Serial Killer, Revenge Episodes: 10 Average Episode Time: 51 mins Where to Watch: I watched it on BBC1 but it’s still available on BBC iPlayer at the moment. My Rating 5✩
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
I loved this! The Agatha Christie novel adapted by Hugh Laurie, who also stars, so what’s not to love?! Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton have fantastic onscreen chemistry and I thought she was just fantastic with all her mannerisms and quirks! The story was gripping and intriguing and moved on at a pace that you simply couldn’t be bored if you tried. Will Poulter is excellent and I was really rooting for him after only a few minutes of this. I grant that this genre isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I would suggest giving it a chance. Watch out for lots of guest stars too with the likes of Game of Thrones legend Conleth Hill and the brilliant Emma Thompson as well as Jim Broadbent to name but a few.
Brief Overview The vicar’s son Bobby (Poulter) is working as a golf caddy on the welsh coast when he discovers a body at the bottom of the cliffs, upon climbing down to the man he speaks his final words to him “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” before passing away. The bond and this question then leads Bobby on an intriguing murder mystery all over the UK. Frankie (Boynton) is Bobby’s childhood socialite friend who agrees to help him on his quest for the truth. Several twists and amazing characters later and the pair finally start to unravel the mystery.
You could watch this in an evening because there are only 3 episodes totally a time of 3 hours. Highly recommend it for anyone aged mid teenage years and above (due to the blood at the cliff and several other serious scenes including a beating, torture, mental illness and the use of guns and a bit of smoking). Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Genre: Murder Mystery, Period Drama, Thriller Episodes: 3 Average Episode Time: 55 mins Where to Watch: Currently on ITV X. My Rating 5✩
You and Me
This series caught my eye on an advert one night, and after viewing that it was only 3 episodes I decided it was worth a go. I was pleasantly surprised by excellent acting, brilliant on screen chemistry and a story that sadly a lot of people might be able to relate to. Have a tissue at the ready! (No Spoilers!)
If you’re a fan of an unconventional love story, this will definitely be a show for you. It’s really well cast throughout the families involved with a few famous faces as well! There are several triggering parts of this series including death and cancer and sudden loss, but don’t let that put you off viewing this beautiful story. Me and You taught me that you should never give up hope of finding happiness, to be grateful for all that you have right in this moment and to always seize the day and take that photo, because you don’t know if it could be the last you take of that person. It is a romantic comedy and there were times that I laughed, but also times I cried. It’s beautifully directed though.
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama Episodes: 3 Average Episode Time: 45 mins Where to Watch: ITV X My Rating: 4✩
What else am I currently watching?
NCIS Season 19 – the original and in my opinion the best, love this team and all their navy drama and thrilling crime busting shenanigans! Currently airing on Channel 5 USA once a week.
Savage River – murder mystery in a small town called Savage River in rural Victoria (AUS). Miki returns after ten years in prison and all she wants to do is move on with her life. Half the town seem happy for her to do just that, but the other half won’t let her forget the past. As a new murder rocks the town to the core, Miki must clear her name and help find the culprit, uncovering town secrets at every turn. Airing once a week on Channel 5 Star.
I will review these and anything else I end up watching once the seasons have finished.
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Thank you for reading this blog post today, I hope you’ve liked this new content that I’m bringing to the website. If you would love to see more posts like this please leave me a comment letting me know.
Have you already seen any of the programs I have reviewed?
Wishing you a great day and thanks for visiting Severn Wishes Blog.
✩ Sabrina ✩
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Please Note:
✩ Programs were still available to view as of June 5th 2023. ✩✩ All the words are my own including the synopsis’ that I’ve written after viewing the programs. ✩✩✩ I have screenshot the images for reference from BBC, ITVX and IMBD.
The brand new year has begun and the first Treatbox UK box of 2023 landed on my doorstep. I had a few days off over New Year spent with my family, and then I began blogging again at the end of the first week of January. This is why this post is a little later than I would usually do them, however I needed a much deserved rest, and less hours looking at my screens. I hope your year has started off well! Thank you for joining me today!
So let’s get on to this unboxing! I was hoping for some of the usual “start of the year” items in this box, such as a Journal or Calendar or a Planner, and I also hoped for the possibility of new things that we had not yet seen as well! And guess what? I wasn’t disappointed! If you would prefer to watch my unboxing video, then you can find that by clicking here… otherwise please continue as I unbox the January 2023 Treatbox!
What was inside the January box?
January 2023 Monthly Calendar Print 2023 Treatbox Original Bound Calendar Sheet of Stickers for Organising and Reminding Treatbox Original A5 Print “The new year stands before us…” Treatbox Original Notebook “Notes” – Blank White Pages Stationery Pen – Colour Picked at Random – I received a White Pen Pink Iced Shortbread Biscuit “You Got This” Pink Velvet Hair Scrunchie
Let us now take a closer look at the products that were inside for January 2023.
What is my Honest Opinion
A lovely box with a well thought out design this month, the dusky pink throughout and a theme of moving forward with the start of the new year. A mix of organisation items and Treatbox original stationery, combined with some treats with the biscuit to eat and the scrunchie to wear.
The Calendar is of excellent quality and I have created a cardboard stand for mine to stand up on my desk, so that I’m able to keep track of everything with ease as the weeks go on. (See image below). My favourite items are the Calendar, Stickers and the Scrunchie, but all of the items this month are useful and of good product quality. I also like the positive quote on the print this month too, because I personally (as a writer) do see every new year as new chapters ready to be written.
To see the Treatbox UK products in use please follow me on social media as they will feature regularly all month in my photographs and videos.This January box has been a lovely start to the year, and I look forward to the next box in February.
Thank you for reading this unboxing blog post, I hope you have a lovely January.
Don’t forget to follow me on my social media for more updates and individual product reviews as well as witnessing these items I just told you all about in use too.
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A Look Back at the Treatbox Monthly Subscription Boxes for 2022…
Treatbox UK is a subscription box and gift service in the United Kingdom that have some incredible products including in house originals. I have been subscribed to the Treatbox monthly box service since April 2016, and both the boxes and my Review skills have improved vastly since those initial days! I have also introduced a monthly video unboxing to my social media too.
Over the years I have been subscribed there have been some excellently executed themes and some stand alone boxes that made my heart sing with joy when opening them. After so many years of reviewing, I realised that I had never looked back on a year and blogged about it, so I thought why not start with December 2022 and look back at this year.
There have been several stand out boxes this past year, of course my opinion may differ to others, so I thought I would write a blog post and revisit all of the boxes of 2022 and tell you which my top four are and why.I will also mention my favourite item in each box of the year too.So without further ado lets take a quick look, in a photographic sense, of the twelve boxes from this year.
My Top 4 Boxes
The boxes that I think have been the best overall for both product quality and theme have been the November, October, May and March boxes. The items were a good mix in these four boxes and I have either worn or used the products multiple times since receiving them. I love receiving products that we have not seen before, and during 2021 we saw too many of similar items duplicated. However 2022 introduced new things, and new Treatbox originals such as Prints, Keyrings, Pins and Stationery. There were also several brand collaborations this year, such as the Craft Kits with Make Arcade and Socks too! I would say that overall the boxes of 2022 have been excellent quality, well rounded and a good mixture of products throughout the year with very few duplications.
My Top Products of the Year
December Box – Reindeer Socks / Hanging Decoration November Box – Coaster / Bookmark / Pin / Cards October Box – Autumn Socks / Pumpkin Craft Kit September Box – Shell Trinket Dish / Pen / Notepads August Box – Recipe Journal / Adult Colouring Sheets July Box – Smile Socks / Handcream June Box – Monthly Planner / Bracelet May Box – Mindfulness Cards / Journal / Quartz Moon April Box – Craft Kit Umbrella / Socks / Shopping List Pad March Box – Silver Daisy Earrings / Pin February Box – Heart Pink Socks / Bag January Box – Amazonite Bracelet / Bookmark
There is a theme here, I love the socks that come in Treatbox, and I am a huge fan of the Stationery, Planners and Notebooks and the like too. Anything that allows me to be Creative is also a winner for me.
What Do I Hope To See in Treatbox UK in 2023
There are a few items that I would love to see stay inside Treatbox for 2023, these include more Craft Kits, different Self Care items and an edible item in every box (preferably Vegan). We don’t always get something to eat, but even if it were a single wrapped piece of chocolate, or a sweet, it would still be edible. As I have said in my unboxing videos a few times this year, I like to have the following;
Something to Keep, Something to Use, Something to Do, Something for Self Care, Something to Wear, Something to Eat, Something to Drink, Something to Gift and Something to Appreciate.
Do you like my motto? I believe that this is what I personally would like to see every month. I realise there are 9 thing in my motto, Treatbox contains anything from 6 to 10 items depending upon their value. Most of this year we have seen 8 items in a box.
What I love most from Treatbox are the Positive aspects, Socks, Scarves, Stationery and Craft Kits, so I would be more than happy to receive these items inside future boxes. Other items I would like to see in the coming boxes would be things like Emery Boards, Nail Art or Skin Art such as Tattoo’s or Stickers. A yearly planner inside a box is also a great thing, I am not so much into diary writing these days but I journal and keep a weekly planner, as well as a monthly house calendar (so we know what is what). Useful items are the key to making boxes great, because they last far longer than the edible or drinkable item, we need a good mixture of items of singular use and enjoyment versus an item used all month long and beyond.
So in summary, more of the same like this year, a great variety and high quality items, interesting themes and of course the usual Treatbox original staples like the socks and stationery!
Thank you for reading this blog post today, sorry it’s a long one! And I do hope that you have enjoyed looking back at a whole year worth of Treatbox UK with me.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, I cannot believe this is my final blog post of 2022 (or it would have been as I couldn’t submit it live as the website had issues) and I cannot wait to see what 2023 has in store! Hopefully more boxes and more product reviews! I also have some lifestyle things in the pipeline as well.
Have a great New Year!
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Don’t forget to follow me on my social media for more updates and individual product reviews as well as witnessing the items in use too. Search #SevernSabrina or #SevernWishesBlog
Hello! I’m Sabrina! And I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I thoroughly test products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and honest thoughts over to Argos. This latest campaign was to test a brand new Breville Blender and I jumped at the chance to do so, mainly because I hadn’t replaced an old blender when it broke around three years ago.
#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity
I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and it is my honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted on to live public view when this blog post has been published. Please see my review on this screengrab below from the Argos website.All words and photography below this screengrab are my own.
Product Name: Breville VBL248 Blend Active Personal Blender in Pink (also available in Green) Product Price: £23.00 Product Link: Argos Website
Product Information: Two 600ml Plastic Bottles BPA Free. Two Super-Seal Leak Preventing Lids with Carry Straps. 350W Blender Unit. Stainless Steel Bladed Bottle Base (Screw on Top), Blades Suitable to Crush Ice and Frozen Fruit. Only Suitable for Cold Liquids and Food Stuffs. One Touch Easy Blending. Bottles are Marked with ml for Ease of Use. Base Unit also available in Green.0.6 Litre Capacity. Base requires Mains Electricity Supply.
Description from Argos:
Enjoy smoothies, juices, protein shakes and more on the go with the Breville Blend Active. This single-serve blender features a powerful 350W motor that smoothly blends frozen berries and ice with juice and other liquids. The blending occurs in the top of the bottle so nothing gathers in the base, while the one-touch action delivers perfect results in seconds; ideal for busy weekday mornings before you head out to work, school or the gym.
Make healthy, delicious smoothies, frozen juices, protein drinks and more.
One-touch blending action delivers perfect results in seconds; a quick and easy way to your 5-a-day.
My Honest Opinion
I have really enjoyed testing this gadget, and as someone who eats a lot of fruit anyway, it was nice to consume my five a day in a different way for a change. I enjoyed coming up with various smoothies and shakes over the several days of testing this product. I only had one minor issue with it and that was the electric cable from the base unit was a little short, but that’s also my bugbear due to the fact I don’t have many plugs in my kitchen as is. So I have since rearranged my counter top now so that my Blend Active can remain at easy reach. I did my first go on the top of my oven hob which wasn’t going to be practical, so I moved things around. I have used the Breville Active every day so far since I received it. It wasn’t as noisy as I thought it might be, and it was so quick to set up and easy to use too. The bottles are really nice to hold, and the ml on the sides allows for ease of preparation of the smoothie and also tells you how much you’ve created and drank respectively. You could divide one full smoothie of 600ml into three 200ml glasses and give them to your children in a morning. Or you may wish to consume the entire bottle yourself at home or on the go, the decision is totally up to you.
Due to getting a limited word count when I submit my Argos Review I always like to elaborate some more on my blog. So to answer some of the questions other people have had online; yes the device is only mains powered so you will need access to a plug in order to use it. The blending button needs to be held down in order to blend or to pulse your chosen ingredients, however it also doesn’t take very long at all to blend those items, I think the longest that I did one smoothie (with Vegetables in) was for around 45-50 seconds. Usually 30 seconds was plenty enough time for the fruit I was using to become smooth. If you don’t like fruit seeds you could strain your smoothie through a sieve, into a jug and then pour it back into your (rinsed bottle or spare second) bottle, however it is convenient to simply smoothie up and drink. Finally yes it is going to have some noise to it being a mechanical device, but I have a mini food processor half the size and that is way louder than this Breville blender, so overall the noise for me wasn’t an issue, plus if you’re only making noise for a single minute tops, it’s not going to disrupt the neighbours is it.
Overall I would like to rate the Breville Blend Active 5 stars.
Performance 5✩ Features 5✩ Noise 4✩ Design 5✩ Additional 5✩
Performance is excellent and the quality of the end result is consistently very good. Features are great such as the leak proof lids and the ml on ergonomic large bottles. Noise is very good for a loud gadget, it’s not quiet but it’s speed makes up for the noise. Design is great, a compact base unit and everything fits so well with arrow indicators to help. Additional star is for BPA Free Plastic and the Recipes in the Booklet to get you started.
Thank you for reading this review, I hope you have enjoyed it. You can purchase this product or read more about it by looking online from Argos, I have left the link in the product description above.
If you have any questions about this Personal Breville Blender then please leave me a comment below or on my social media posts and I will do my best to answer with the knowledge I have gained from reviewing this product.
Don’t forget to check out my social media to see this in action too!
I love everything about a crisp Autumn day, the colours of nature in the trees, the warm sunshine and the cooler air. Wrapping up in warm clothing and taking a walk in the countryside cannot be beaten at this time of year. But how can you bring that beauty of Autumn into your home in simple yet beautiful ways and on a strict budget! Well here is how I do it!
My Items I bought on a Budget for Autumn Décor over the last few years
Glitter Pumpkins – Poundstretcher – £1 Plastic Light Up Pumpkin – B&M – £4 Artificial Autumn Leaves – The Works – £1 a bag (50 leaves per bag) Wreaths, Craft Items and Wooden Pieces – The Works / eBay – 50p – £5 Autumn Fleece Throws – Asda £6 / Tesco £6 / Dunelm £7+ Artificial Pumpkins / Pine Cones / Acorns – eBay – £4-£12 depending upon how many pieces you want and which country you decide to order them from (China prices are cheaper but you’ll wait around 3 weeks for the delivery). Autumn Cushions – Autumn Designed Cushions or Cushion Covers – Amazon / eBay / Dunelm £3 – £9
(Some of the items in my pictures I have purchased from years 2020, 2021 and 2022 and only similar items may now be available from their respective sellers).
I love nothing more than to cuddle up on my sofa with my cushions and fleece throws, getting cosy as the cold nights draw in. I have a whole box filled with throws, I have some for every season. It’s the turn of my Autumn throws like the one above, it’s navy and orange design emanating the colours of autumn.
Autumn Basket
I used an old wicker basket that I had laying around to create an Autumnal display. Inside I placed artificial leaves, pumpkins and acorns, with some pine cones. Take some leaves and gently slot them in around the outside, so that no matter what angle you look across at it you will see an autumnal theme. You can use any spare Basket or even a Box you have laying around, paint it if you wanted to! And any size works too, the smaller your item the less things you’ll need to fill it up.
Autumn Wreath
An autumn wreath is simple to make from some of the items you’ve already bought for decorations like the pine cones and artificial leaves. You can also go on a nature walk, gather items off the floor (do not remove them from hedges or trees) and dry them out on a towel over the course of the next week. My wreaths are from The Works and eBay. You can buy them as Metal, Rattan or Wicker, but I try to buy plant based ones where they are sustainably grown and made when possible. To make a wreath take your circle base and then using a glue gun attach a selection of artificial leaves as a base layer for your other items like pine cones and artificial pumpkins. Leave it to dry for at least a day before hanging it up, or lay it flat as a centre piece of a table for example. You could stand a vase in the centre of it to continue the theme. I used some Wooden items as decorations for my indoor only wreath as well, which I picked up from The Works over the past two years. The Owls are a particular favourite of mine. I am proud with how both of my wreaths have turned out. See my images below.
My outdoor wreath is a metal ring that I have glued a selection of items including the artificial leaves and pumpkins, small pine cones and artificial acorns.
Thank you for reading this Lifestyle blog post today, I hope you have enjoyed looking at my Autumn décor and I do hope I have inspired you to decorate your own home – even if it is on a strict budget like mine has been over the last few years!
Your children may also enjoy making some Autumn Craft pictures with dried autumn leaves that can be painted and printed, or simply glue a nature picture together in autumn glory and all the colours you can find. It’s so easy to do a nice printed picture using dried shapes from nature and you can even display it in your home after as part of the seasons décor.
Anyone who has ever put a child in school will know that there is so much to remember that it can make your head spin. For example, last weekend I labelled shoes, 37 items of clothing, 7 lunch boxes and a variety of other smaller items. Your child will have a Bag, a Lunch Box or Bag, quite often a Book Bag, a PE Kit and Bag as well as maybe other things to take in with them too. It’s a lot of work for one person (a single parent like me) to handle, and there are time saving ways of doing things and ways to make it easier on yourself too. Let’s see what ideas I have below and what I have done during these last two weeks in preparation for school starting up again.
Yearly Wall Planner and / or Yearly Diary Get a year long wall planner and some little round stickers to keep track of everything, make a key at one side and then add any appointments, school trips, swimming days, special dates (like those where additional things are required like dressing up or concerts) and keep updating it every time you know a knew agenda item. This is useful as well for the non-school days and other important reminders too such as Dentist, Doctors or Opticians for example. I think I would be lost without my wall planner.
Weekly Planner A weekly planner is also something that I have on my dining room table, it’s so that on a weekend I can prepare for the week ahead, read up on any paperwork sent home from school on a Friday and let my child know what is expected of them for that upcoming week. It could be school photo week or they are expected to bring an item in for show and tell, but we will know not to forget because of the planner. I can also arrange this planner in a way that has both adult and child organised, as well as meal planning if I have items to be used on a certain evening. A useful item and much better than a phone calendar you may forget to look at, but if you sit down to eat as we do together as a family, the planner is there for you to go through so everyone knows what is what and where and when.
Labelling – It is so Important! Label all of your children’s items for school including their lunch boxes, clothing, bags and shoes. There is nothing worse than them going to school and losing something, and because it’s not labelled it’s unlikely to be returned to you. Schools tend to have lost property boxes that are checked at the end of every day or the end of the week and the items appropriately returned, but this cannot be done without labels. I used a permanent laundry pen to write on my sons clothing labels, and I used stickers for the more solid items. Consider using their full names or even getting their own personalised stickers printed as I have done. Especially if your child has a popular first name.
Use the halved sticker hack for getting your children to put their shoes on themselves and to ensure that everyone knows which shoe is who’s. The sticker inside hack allows them to put their shoes on the correct feet every time and it’s genius. Simply cut a large sticker in half and place either side of it into the shoes. When the shoes are correct the sticker will match and the child will know that they have the shoes the correct way to go on their feet. See my photo below for inspiration.
Clothes Piles per School Day Fold up any school clothing into “day piles” in their bedroom on a weekend ready for the school week ahead. This hack of mine is so useful, I did it over the summer too with day clothes as I was getting my son to practice getting dressed by himself. It’s so that I don’t have to police every single item of clothing going on every morning. My son has pants with the days of the week on them, and because that’s the item he will put on first he then has a pile beneath that. So you start with a pair of pants with his daily school uniform laying under it. Pants, Socks and Trousers, then his Polo Shirt last and his jumper is always downstairs and the last item to go on (to save any breakfast getting on it). It’s also so much easier on a Sunday to just make these piles up and put them in the correct bedrooms ready for the week. If you have to wash midweek, even doing two piles of clothing is better than searching drawers first thing on a Monday morning for that missing sock.
Save On Washing – Remove at the Front Door This is always a good one! Take off their school jumpers and any “still clean” uniform pieces as soon as you get home through the door before they have time to get messy and creased. Hang the jumpers up especially on hangers close to the front door ready for the next morning. This helps save on the clothes washing and the ironing by hanging them up safely as soon as they take them off. And it’s always a good idea that a school jumper be the last item to go on in a morning routine anyway, after breakfast and teeth brushing so that it stays cleaner for longer.
Something else you can do to save on washing is always wash with full loads, if that means you get to Thursday and it isn’t full yet then why not consider wearing those similar colours yourself so as to fill up the load space.
Mini Cool Blocks Investing in some mini cool blocks so that the children’s lunch food stays fresh is important during the warmer months of the year. I place a block under a removable plastic section of his large Sistema lunch box, or I place it at the bottom of the small cool bag I send with him. It’s important if he’s wanting chicken for his lunch which should be maintained at a low temperature to prevent it going off. These are great for adult lunches and days out throughout the year too.
Practice Makes Perfect and Less Stressed Children Practice the opening and closing of lunch boxes, bags with zips and coats too. We are getting to that time of the year where bags need to be closed from the weather and our coats need to be zipped up. During the summer holiday we might not have used those items very much so it’s good to refresh your children’s memories by having them practice doing these things again. Lunch boxes are another one, as they might have a new one this term and you’ll need to make sure they can safely open and close it in order to get at their food or snacks. It’s important that your children drinks enough water while they are at school too, so get them a reusable water bottle that they really like and will continue using throughout the day.
Thank you for reading this blog post today I really hope that you’ve liked it and found at least one of my ideas to be useful. By getting yourself and your family into good habits like these early on, it will make sure you have more time and energy to deal with anything else that happens. Because life nearly always throws you a curve ball when you just about have everything under control am I right?
I hope I see you again for another of my parenting articles, I hope you have a lovely month of September with (I also hope) minimal stresses.
We live in an age where so much is readily accessible to us, but there can be so much information out there that it can often be overwhelming, especially for first time parents. With so many websites, forums and blogs that can sometimes be opinionated and not necessarily filled with the facts. Every person knows where they would prefer to get their information from, some of us like books and others like the world wide web!
Sometimes you can have a baby that is completely different to any before it or any you have known, and you may need additional help or advice. During these times you should always turn to a Midwife, Doctor or Paediatrician if you have concerns of any kind.
There were things I wished I had known more about before I had my son, and that was despite me reading both books and websites for hours at night when I had terribly painful SPD. I found lots of the websites and apps that I have listed below extremely useful at one point or another during the last four years. So I thought a blog post might help other expectant parents to see what information is available to them.
As a parenting blogger I often get asked about my personal opinion of which apps and websites have helped me since I became a mother. So in order to achieve this post I have gone back over four years of my browsing and researching and screenshot history, to bring you an alphabetical list of all the things that I have found the most useful. I have only included websites and apps that I used more than once and found them beneficial long term.
A Aptaclub Pregnancy and Birth B Bounty App B Baby Centre Apps and Email Newsletter and Website B Baby Names App B Baby and Child (British Red Cross First Aid)
D Duo ABC E Ella’s Kitchen E Emma’s Diary F Free Prints (Photos and FP Cards)
G Get Creative (CBeebies) G Go Explore (CBeebies) K Kicks Count Website
N NHS Website O Online 4 Baby Website
P Pokémon Smile (Teaching Toddler Teeth Brushing) P PooGoesHomeToPooland (Teaching How To Use The Toilet)
S Storytime (CBeebies) S Snapfish (Photo Printing)
Y Your Baby Club Website and Social Media
Let me now elaborate on a few of these now and the reasons why I found them so useful. Some of them are of course self explanatory, but others are really handy for tips and tricks. Some offer you freebies and others offer key medical advice or milestone information.
Bounty App The app gives you information on the progress of your baby whilst in the womb, and then after the birth it gives you key advice on milestones and growth. An app that I found generally fascinating to look at every week as my pregnancy progressed. Now that my son is older he is still on the app as a 48 month old! And the app offers me developmental advice and articles to read. The articles can be read at any time of your pregnancy and usually the app updates what is relevant to you at the time you need it. There are also useful check lists on it too. I score this app a 5✩.
Baby and Child (British Red Cross First Aid) First Aid is such an important part of human life, however most people go through their entire pregnancy without knowing how to do life saving procedures on babies or young children such as, choking, allergic reactions and dealing with illness. The Baby and Child App gives advice as well as videos that people can watch at their leisure for a variety of situations. Just some of what they cover include; Asthma, Bleeding, Burns, Choking, Epileptic Seizure, Fever, Head Injury, Meningitis, Vomiting etc. This app is one that I believe every single person should have on their phone, just in case. I score this app a 5✩.
Duo ABC I found this app while researching after my son had to start Speech and Language therapy. Due to the support being so sporadic due to the pandemic I did my own research, started my own lessons with my child at home, and created my own flash cards. But this app came up on a results search, and despite it being American my son found aspects of it to be beneficial. Writing the letters on the phone screen with his finger, sounding out letters and recognising upper and lowercase letters all helped on our journey. I did just 20 minutes with him a day for 3 months, alongside my other teaching and he soon knew his alphabet and could say all but 5 of the letters properly. If anyone is struggling with their child and they seem distanced from paper methods, try this app, just ten minutes a day with you, you may just see a difference as I did. I score this app 4✩.
Ella’s Kitchen Once your little one reaches the 6 month milestone and you consider starting to wean them alongside their daily milk amount, you may want some advice. Ella’s Kitchen App provide you with advice, recipes and you can sign up for a free pack with a journey poster, stickers and some vouchers for their snacks. It was fun when my son was little, but when he developed lots of food allergies I made my own recipes up. I score this app 4✩.
Emma’s Diary Emma’s Diary is a fun app where you can create all sorts of fun things to keep throughout your pregnancy, it also offers some information and it gives away bags of goodies at certain points of your pregnancy. It’s worth signing up to this as soon as you find out you’re pregnant to take advantage of all the items on offer. I score this app 4✩.
Free Prints (Photos and FP Cards) Free Prints have two useful apps, the first one is Photo’s and you get some free prints every month just pay the postage. And the second one is Cards where you get one free card a month like a postcard, just pay postage. Upgrade to proper cards for pennies and they offer lots of other fun affordable products throughout the year. The more you order the more deals you’ll get. I score these apps 4✩.
Get Creative (CBeebies) and Go Explore (CBeebies) Apps that I don’t know what I would have done without! When I became a single parent even taking a shower was tricky. Sitting my son on the bathroom floor safely on a bean bag when he was a toddler, my phone playing CBeebies programs and videos off the app were a godsend! Now he is older he is using the various parts of the app to learn all sorts of things like shape sorting, mathematics, role play like shopping and problem solving. The Creative app allows freedom in Art and expression using some of the CBeebies favourite characters, and the Go Explore is more about learning and fun, again with the usual friendly faces. Love these apps! In moderation of course. I score these apps 5✩.
Kicks Count Website Kicks Count is something that is really important, and all pregnant women should visit the website and learn about the importance of kick counting and the work this group do. It’s worth following them on social media too. I score this 5✩.
NHS Website When you have questions in the small hours of the morning the NHS website can have useful information or point you in the direction of help if you need it. I score this 5✩.
Online 4 Baby Website An excellent website for affordable baby items such as changing mats and muslin cloths. Worth a look when they have a sale on for certain! I score this website 4✩.
Pokémon Smile (Teaching Toddler Teeth Brushing) Whether you like Pokémon or loathe it, if you have a child that refuses to brush their teeth you will try literally ANYTHING to make that time of the day and night less stressful. For us it was this app that allowed my son to turn a corner! There is an icon of the mouth that follows them while they brush and indicates where to go next so they don’t miss any teeth. I score this app 5✩.
PooGoesHomeToPooland (Teaching How To Use The Toilet) Another app that is a little annoying but if it helps your child to understand that poo goes down the toilet and not on the floor then so be it! My son watched it every day for about a month and then got bored of it, but it certainly helped him realise that I score this app 3✩.
Storytime (CBeebies) Another CBeebies app and this one is all about books and stories. The app can read to your child or they can try and read themselves. The stories are often interactive as well, lots of fun. I score this app 5✩.
Snapfish (Photo Printing) Free photo’s every month just pay the postage, a great way to keep family up to date with how little one changes and you can make an album of their first year for less than £20. I score this app 4✩.
Your Baby Club Website and Social Media As a Blogger Writer for Your Baby Club I often provide them with useful articles surrounding parenting. These first hand experiences from parents go alongside their informative articles on the websites and on their social media platforms too. I score this 5✩.
Thank you for reading this blog post today, I do hope that you have found it useful. Please pass the link to my website on to family or friends who are expecting so that you can share these excellent websites and apps with them. Hopefully they will be just as happy with them as you were today! (I hope).
Keep on visiting Severn Wishes Blog for Parenting related blogging, Product Reviews and general Lifestyle Posts! Thank you! Have a lovely day!
“Sticker Marketis an online custom sticker printing provider in the UK. We are a one-stop-shop for stickers, labels, postcards, business cards, magnets, swing tags and many more.”
This month I am collaborating with the UK business Sticker Market UK. I was approached by them due to my honest reviews and already having worked with many UK based businesses. Thank you for choosing and trusting me to give your business the shout out that it so definitely deserves.
I have been really looking forward to bringing you this blog post, I have had lots of fun designing, and then testing and photographing this particular unique product. As someone who likes to stay organised I am always using stickers, be it on my wall planner, journal, calendar, reward chart for my son (the list goes on), but to be able to design and have printed my very own sticker, now that was something I had never done before.
Sticker Market provides printing for your own custom designs and can print a wide range of sizes and shapes to suit your needs. I chose Circle stickers for my set, however Rectangle and Square are available too.
Sticker Market pride themselves on offering Cheap Personalised Sticker Printing in the UKand offer competitive prices. They also do Business Cards.
What Did I Design and Why?
I have designed my own personal Sticker so that I can easily organise my sons school items, water bottle, lunch box, snack box etc. It’s so much faster than writing out a label and sticking it on, it’s neater and far more legible too! Plus my son chose stars on my design so he knows that it is “his” sticker. I have also used them around my home for items that only my son uses such as his nature pot which houses all the rocks we find on walks and days out. As well as his lunch items I labelled his tray that we use for school paperwork every week.
Stickers are a fun and easy way to keep things organised and in this case so that people know what item belongs to whom etc. I chose to use this collaboration for my sons benefit, but during the product photography I found myself dreaming up all sorts of ways you could utilise this type of product.
So my final design reads “This belongs to Arlo” and my son chose stars as a symbol to make it his own.
When I realised I was able to design my own sticker it took me a few hours to consider that I was better off designing one to make my life easier. And that’s why I chose to make one to label all of my sons belongings that will be heading to school with him in September!
It took me a couple of hours to nail the design that I wanted, and then another hour to knock it out on my Photoshop software – bearing in mind I had to Google how to do a few things because I only ever use the basic editing tools for my photography like the brightness! – but making my own sticker was lots of fun!
I showed my son the final product and he read his name out loud before giving me the thumbs up. It was a simple yet effective design that I hoped he would soon learn was just for his items. After emailing it in and receiving the final proof from Sticker Market, I was very happy to go ahead and they got to printing. The whole start to finish was slick and I was well informed of the progress right up to when they shipped the box out to me.
Products in Use and Product Testing
Once the stickers were in my possession I found it really useful that they were cut individually, and not in sheets. This saves so much time and also storage space by having them in a neat little stack this way. Sheets take up so much more room I think (and yes I’m a parent with many sticker sheets and reward charts!). The Sticker is printed Bright and Bold and Sharp. My Sticker design looked just like it did on my screen from when I created it, I was very happy.
Now the time had come to get peeling and get sticking!
I gathered all of the items that I wanted to place stickers on to, and began to photograph them as well as test out the stickers durability by handling the items the stickers were attached to. I was impressed with how sticky they were on the variety of surfaces that I chose to use them on.
As you can see in my photography the Stickers I created stand out on a variety of different coloured surfaces and I was happy with their overall look. I chose my background colour so that it would stand out against many things. Knowing the lunch boxes were all blue, I didn’t want anything that would get lost against their vibrant colour. People need to bear these things in mind when designing their own stickers and think, what am I going to use them on. You might also consider whether or not you will need waterproof stickers and other aspects too.
My Overall Opinion
From start to finish this collaboration has been smooth and the customer service has been excellent. During the design process every question that I had was answered and my needs met. Delivery was fast and I was kept up to date with regards my stickers being printed and posted. I was also sent an email with a proof of what my sticker would be like which was an excellent feature. The quality of the Art Stickers that I chose are excellent, they are sharp and the colour is bold, the text is easy to read and the sticker itself is printed smoothly, there are no definitive lines from the printing process. I would definitely use Sticker Market UK in the future if I wanted any stickers printing.
As I mentioned earlier I was imagining lots of ways these Stickers could be utilised in daily life, so here are nine ways I have come up with, in which you could use Sticker Market products.
1. Weddings – Personalised Stickers for Wedding Favour Bags or Gifts or even sealing Invitations 2. Birthday Party – Design your own Stickers for a special birthday party or for Party Invitations 3. School – Whether you’re a teacher or a parent you could design a personalised set of stickers for your child/children or for saying “Great Work” to your class. 4. Keeping Belongings in Check – you might have several children with similar items, by designing their own stickers that they can attach to various items, nobody will argue again over what is there’s. 5. Holiday – Going on Holiday? It’s a good idea to mark up personal items and stickers are a fast way to do just that. 6. Small Business – Do you send out products as a small business? You could get business cards or seal packaging with your own unique stickers printed by Sticker Market UK. 7. Journals / Planners – You could design yourself a motivational sticker “You’ve Got This” and stick them where you need extra motivation to achieve, you can design many possible combinations. 8. Calendars – Need Stickers with peoples names on OR activities such as Swimming or Music Lesson, to save time writing it all out you could use stickers to keep track of your busy schedule. 9. Work Space – People in the office always stealing your stapler or holepunch? Not anymore because you can get your name put on some unique stickers and then put them on everything.
My Product Testing Ratings
Overall Appearance When in Use 5✩ Overall Product Quality 5✩ Customer Service 5✩ Delivery 5✩
I have based these ratings over a week worth of product testing including the sticker holding in place while objects are used and handled. I am satisfied with the durability and overall look of the stickers and rate this service as a 5/5.
Where Can You Find Sticker Market UK
If you want to find out more and browse products and current prices for yourself then please visit any of the following links I have supplied below. The website is your first port of call, because you can see exactly what is currently trending and any offers available. You can also contact Sticker Market directly from the website for any queries you might have.
The Sticker Market UK Website is Available HERE The Sticker Market UK Facebook Page HERE The Sticker Market UK X (Twitter) Feed HERE The Sticker Market UK Instagram Reel HERE
Below are some examples of the types and styles of Stickers available at Sticker Market UK.
Sticker Market Quote “Premium Experts in sticker printing with endless product labelling possibilities. Premium quality custom stickers at the cheapest price.”
How I Created This Review
I have been provided with a sample of Stickers in order to provide this Review. Product Testing and Honest Reviews are what I pride myself in giving my readers. Compared to other collaborations this blog post is slightly different, I was first asked to design the sticker that I wanted. That way it was more personal to me, as if I were an actual customer. So I did this, emailed it over and then this design was printed and sent out to me in order for me to test it. I got to keep the product (stickers) in exchange for this honest blog post and the product photography. The company outlined below contacted me directly for the purpose of this review.
Sticker Market, 8 St James’s Square, London, SW1Y 4JU.
Thank you for choosing to read Severn Wishes Blog today, I hope that you have found this review interesting and insightful. I certainly learned a lot more about the types of stickers that were available nowadays through exploring what Sticker Market UK had to offer.
I hope to see you again soon for my next product review, you never know what I might be asked to test next! How exciting!
Welcome to todays lifestyle blogging article “Sabrina’s Top Twelve Ways to Save Money, Spend Less on Electric and Use Less Energy Around the Home”. With the rising cost of living and lots of other prices changing, I figured I would share the ways in which I, Sabrina, a single parent, save money on a daily basis. And by drilling some of these into your head and completing them daily, you will soon see how great they are and hopefully I can help save you some money! Lets begin!
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✩Close Your Curtains – either to keep the heat inside during colder months or to keep the heat out and keep your home cool during hot days. I often see people not closing their curtains in an evening and I wonder if they know how much energy they’re losing. As for the summer it works the same way, don’t open them in a morning to let the heat in, just leave them shut and return to a much cooler room than if you had opened them.
✩Time your Showers – We can all be guilty of letting the hot water run over us and our minds drift off into a tangent of thoughts and procrastinations. However by either setting alarms or by playing a timed playlist on your phone while you shower, you will be saving yourself water and electricity and even time! I personally have a selection of 30 minute music playlists, and I know that when I reach the final song my half an hour of bathroom ablutions time is up! Give it a go yourself and see how you get on.
✩Close Your Doors – even by pushing your doors within an inch or twos gap of the frame will prevent lots of heat escaping in the winter. I usually pop a door stopper on the other side of said door once we are in (for example) the lounge with no intention of moving for an hour or two. This stops children or pets pushing the door open too far and letting your heat escape into a hallway for example.
✩Invest in some USB Chargeable Lights – So I have several of these around my home and various types. I have bars in the hallways so I don’t have to bother turning any lights on, they have sensors so when you walk within range they just pop on. Useful for saving money on electricity! Also great if you forget to turn lights off because these USB ones turn off after 30 seconds to 1 minute (depending on brand). Other chargeable lights include ones that are freestanding and you simply charge them up and then turn them on and let them drain down. One that I have takes about an hour to charge but lasts up to six hours – great in an evening if I don’t need much light.
✩Light Bulbs – one weekend or day off pop around your home with another person. One goes up a ladder and checks bulbs and the other writes down on a piece of paper what types and if they are energy saving and how many watts are the maximum. Then, next time you’re out shopping go and buy the bulbs that are energy saving and cost less to run. These bulbs usually last for ten years or up to 10,000 hours – whichever comes first!
✩Watering a Garden – if you spend water from inside your home to water your garden it will slowly start to become a lot of expense. Instead buy one or two black dustbin type plastic barrels (roughly £14 each) and they come with a lid too! Use a watering can to dip into them and remove water as and when you need it. Set them up in a part of your garden where rain water can easily fill them up. You’ll be surprised how fast they fill on a rainy day! Use the water from the butts for your garden plants before turning your home taps on! It will save you money on your water bill especially if you’re on a meter.
✩Buy or Make Draught Excluders – I have one on the inside of each door of my home, they keep draughts out and stop your heat escaping through holes under doors. If you cannot afford one because they often retail at around £15 these days, and you are good at seeing! Then you could always try and make one out of some old clothes and some stuffing. Might be fun to do with your children!
✩Buy Thicker Curtains or Lined Curtains ready for Winter – I bought lined curtains for £15 in the fabulous Dunelm sale last year. And I also built a pole above my front door and put two curtains up there as well. One reason was to keep the heat inside during the winter because doors easily let your heat escape. Two is also from a security aspect, if you have a window next to your front door then people may be able to look inside easily, a curtain across prevents them from seeing anything.
✩Invest in Fleece Throws – I love a nice comfortable throw, but by putting a couple where you frequently sit down will also save you money. I have one folded up across the bottom of my bed, I have two on my sofa. If I’m cold in an evening I will put that over me or around me and not touch the thermostat on the heating. Maintaining an optimum temperature for your heating is also a great start, then use other things such as wearing another layer of clothing or by covering yourself up with a throw while sitting down to help save the pennies. Fleece Throws can start from as little as £4 each in places like Tesco and Dunelm, I bought 3 at £6 each last year. They are large ones and one covers both mine and my sons legs when we sit and watch television in an evening. Fleece throws are also easy to wash and fast to dry due to the material.
✩Clothes Airers and Camping Pegs – no I’m not mad! I’m letting you in on my clothes drying secrets! So for £20 or less you can buy a large freestanding clothing airer at a supermarket and a packet of camping peg hooks from a local do it all shop. You’ll be able to dry more clothes outside this way and in more weather types simply by pinning the airer down to your lawn with the pegs. This way it doesn’t blow over, but you can easily pull up the pegs and pick up the whole thing to move it indoors if the weather takes a turn. I regularly do this with small thinner items all year round if it’s windy and the sunshine is out. Any reason to not use the tumble drier I will surely take it! You can save lots of money by drying even half a load of washing outdoors.
✩Turning it OFF! – I’m a big believer in “if you aren’t using it then turn it off” and this goes for lights, appliances and electronics. There are only 6 things that are always on, either because they are constantly running or on standby in my home, they are the Broadband Box, the Sky TV Box, the Boiler, the Washing Machine, my electronic Doorbell and the Fridge/Freezer. Everything else is off, I only put the oven or microwave or drier on when they are actually going to be used. It saves me a ton of electricity by turning things off at the socket and not leaving them standing idle – plus with a small child you don’t want them turning on appliances that might get hot! So there are double reasons for clicking that off switch on the wall. It’s the same with main lights, if you leave a room just turn it off. Finished cooking dinner and done with that Oven? Just turn it off.
✩Grow Your Own – Every year I try and grow things but this year I am pulling out all the stops to try and grow more fruit and vegetables. Combining my rain catching water tubs with a watering can, I can easily water the tubs I have created. Follow me on my social media for updates on this because I will be documenting photographically just how well we do through the Summer and into the Autumn. Even if you have a balcony not a garden, you can get vertical planters nowadays where you can grow things such as herbs, raspberries or strawberries, tomatoes and chill peppers. I don’t have a patch that I am able to dig up, so I am simply using pots to grow everything. Check out my Instagram for more photographs on how I am managing to do this. Also, teaching your children (if you have any) about the importance of nurturing something while it grows is an excellent life lesson.
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Thanks for reading this blog post today. I would love it if you would get in touch, write a comment below if you found any of this useful or you liked some of my ideas. Do you have any awesome ideas yourself for saving money?
If you implement any of my hacks yourself I would love to hear from you on here or on social media. You can tag me #SevernSabrina if you want me to see it too.
Have a great remainder of June!
✩ Sabrina ✩
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