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.
Being an Argos Tester I often get sent items for reviewing purposes. This recent campaign has been about Gaming Accessories, predominantly headsets. I chose the Corsair Headset, it is Green and Black and is compatible with multiple gaming platforms such as PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
What I like the most about this piece of equipment is how comfortable it was to wear, this is thanks to the brand choosing to use memory foam for the padding on the headband and also in the ear cups.
Another aspect that is both useful and an excellent idea are the buttons situated on the left ear cup. On the Left side where the Mic is attachable you also have the adjustable Volume and a button for Mute. The ability to choose whether or not to have the Microphone there is a fantastic idea. Sometimes you might want to immerse yourself in a game with the sound effects and music coming through your ears, but you might not wish to have the ability to speak to other gamers.
The final feature I want to talk about is the sound, it has excellent clarity and the quality of both listening and speaking through the microphone were excellent. As a keen gamer I have had, tried and tested several brands of headset over the last few years. This Corsair has so far outdone all the rest in relation to comfort and quality of experience.
Product Information Product Name: Corsair HS35 Headset (Multi-Platform Compatible with Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC Headset). Colours Available: Green & Black, Red & Black, Blue & Black, All Black. Price: RRP £39.99
Features Detachable Microphone – Left Side Ear Cup On Ear Mute Button – Left Ear Cup On Ear Adjustable Volume – Left Ear Cup Comfortable Padded Ear Cups with Memory Foam Adjustable Padded Head Band with Memory Foam Good Length of Cable from the Headset to the Controller Custom Tuned 50mm Audio Drivers An Overall Lightweight Construction
Personally I think this headset is excellent value for money and I would definitely consider this brand in the future. The memory foam is a great asset for both comfort and allowing the headset to be lightweight. The simple but genius design for the volume and mute buttons to be on the ear cup, as well as the detachable mic, has won me over for a full score in aspect to its features.
This Corsair headset has some unique design features such as a detachable microphone & memory foam ear cups. It is comfortable to wear & has the added use of a volume control & a mute button situated on the left ear cup. This is very convenient as a gamer. Another useful feature is the long cord length. It is by far the best headset that I have tried & tested. What has impressed me the most has been the clarity of the sound, both through listening with the ear cups & speaking using the mic.
Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you have enjoyed this review. If you have any other questions about the product then please leave me a comment or click on the links above.
Hello readers! It’s time for the October 2019 Treatbox Reveal with me, Sabrina of Severn Wishes Blog.
Happy Treatbox Day! It is time for some unboxing! This is my Reveal and Review of the October Treatbox.
It has a tissue paper of deep purple again this month and the sticker says “xoxo Treatbox” on it.
Don’t forget you can follow my social media for more Treatbox photos and updates throughout the month!
Here are the contents of the October box, this month there are 9 items in total, 7 physical, 1 Recipe Print and of course the Calendar Print.
October Calendar Print Print as a Recipe “Millionaires Shortbread” Bakedin Chocolate Brownie in a Mug Mix Joe Cool – Pair of Socks – Green Panda for me! Cute! Purple Tree Miracle Balm – Papaya Flavour for me! For Dry Lips & Skin Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte Drink Sachet After Spa – Soap + Sponge 2 in 1 Oatmeal Notepad for Recipes including space for writing Method & Ingredients Bookmark – “When It Rains Look For Rainbows, When It’s Dark Look For Stars”
Here are some more
images of the contents from this October box…
Calendar Print and Bookmark
Miracle Balm and Socks
Chai Latte, Brownie in a Mug Mix and Oatmeal Soap + Sponge
Calendar Print, Recipe, Recipe Notepad and Bookmark
My Opinion on the October 2019 Box I really love some of the items in this months box, especially the Socks, Balm, Bookmark, Recipe Notepad and Brownie Mix!
I love Reading and this Bookmark has one of my favourite quotes of all time on it!
The socks are great quality and the Panda is so cute too! I am someone who nearly always has socks on her feet because they get cold so easily.
The Miracle Balm is a great handbag size and can be used on any dry skin. It smells lovely and I used it on my lips and found it very smooth.
I will definitely be using the Recipes Notepad because I’m always making up new recipes in my kitchen, and I often don’t have anywhere to write them down, so I write on post-it notes or a note on my phone. Now they can go on here! Hurrah!
Finally the Brownie in a Box is great because it has no dairy in it so I can eat it! Yay! I can add dairy free butter to it and even soya milk if I’d like, when I do enjoy it! I will pop it on my social media when I do!
The other additions to the box of a Recipe is lovely (I may have to alter it to suit our family allergies but I will give it a go at some point!) and the Soap + Sponge is rather intriguing! I will be gifting the Chai off to my Sister who loves this sort of thing!
All in all a very good box and I’m happy with the contents.
Are you thinking of ordering a TreatBox for yourself or for a gift for someone? Then you can find Treatbox subscriptions and build your own box at their website
Check out my previous Treatbox unboxing posts in this unique category of mine called ‘Treatbox’ it is specifically for these box reviews and reveals – Severn Wishes Treatbox.
Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you enjoyed the Review of this Treatbox and that I see you here again soon.
What makes my recipe different to others? My “Special” Curry is Free From for my family! The great thing about my recipe is that you can put any meat with it or even vegan alternatives such as Quorn with it. Whatever protein you fancy really! Even fish if you’re that way inclined! The combined flavours work well with everything, but I prefer Chicken and… Potato! Yes… you’ll see!
I use my nifty little food processor (Russel Hobbs Mini Chopper) to save chopping time but if you don’t have a processor then just chop the vegetables as small as possible with a knife and watch those fingers!
The Free From Bit! This curry recipe is DF, NF and GF and it serves 4-6 people. So many curries in the supermarkets contain dairy and nuts. Even local take away restaurants cannot guarantee things being free from certain ingredients. Our family has a wide range of allergies so I’ve learnt to cook my recipes alternatively and figure out what works without it including an allergen. This has been my best recipe to date! You can follow this and it be great for you and your family as well! Plus it’s 3 of your 5 a day!
What can you serve with it? You can serve this curry with a nice Rice, Basmati is a good choice or Pilau, and you can easily get GF rice these days, I recommend Tilda or Tesco’s own brand rice for their flavour! Naan Bread is delicious but obviously it’s not DF or GF so do be careful there! Poppadoms and Chutneys are a great accompaniment but again some of these will not be GF and some even contain Nuts! If you don’t have any allergies then you can have any of these (or all of them) with the curry! If you choose all of the above you will serve at least 6 people…
Sabrina’s Special Free From Curry Prep Time: Up To 60 Minutes Cooking Time: 90 Minutes Serves: 6 People (8 if you include side dishes)
Ingredients
500g – 600g of your chosen Protein into bite size pieces for frying
400g Tomatoes – use a tin of Plum Tomatoes for the Sauce, pop them into a food processor until smooth and a sauce like consistency, use plum will taste sweeter
1 Large Onion Diced Finely for the Sauce, you can pop this in the food processor before you prepare the tomatoes until shredded very fine
1 Large Onion Chop into bite size pieces ready for frying
2 Peppers – Chopped into short slices (Red or Yellow) ready for frying
4 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree for the Sauce
The Sauce needs to be made of the following spices and seasonings; 4 Tablespoons of Garam Masala 1 Tablespoon of Cumin 3 Tablespoons of Coriander Leaf 1 Tablespoon of Garlic 1 Tablespoon of Paprika 2 Tablespoons of Chilli Powder (Mild) (Use Hot if you can handle it) 30ml of warm water Salt and Pepper to your taste.
Oil for Frying
400g – 500g Potatoes – Cut into bite size chunks and washed
Method
Prepare all of the ingredients as stated above, diced and chopped.
You need to have a large saucepan and a frying pan warming with a little oil in each. First begin by adding the chopped onion and peppers to the frying pan. Add the tiny diced onion and some garlic to the large saucepan.
Fry off all the ingredients, once the saucepan with the diced onion is nicely caramelised, you can add the sauce ingredients from the list above and mix well. Leave the Onion and Peppers inside the Frying Pan to caramelise and then add the chicken.
Put your plum tomatoes in a food processor and then once blended add them to your saucepan. Next you’ll need to continue frying off the protein and vegetables in the frying pan until thoroughly cooked.
Add anything additional you require for the sauce, that includes the tomato puree and seasonings. Taste it before you add your meat and vegetables so you can tell if it needs more chilli or more salt and pepper.
Simmer your sauce on a low heat, adding the contents of the frying pan which should now be nicely cooked and combined in flavour. You need to continue to simmer this for at least an hour for the flavours to coat everything and for the sauce to thicken up.
Now is the perfect time to add the Potatoes! They will cook inside the sauce and do not need boiling before hand. Use fresh or tinned whatever you have at hand. Leave it to simmer for a while…
Taste test at one hour to ensure the potato are cooked and the chicken is tender, stir occasionally during this hour of cooking time to ensure it’s not getting stuck to the bottom or sides. It should gradually thicken. If you don’t think there is enough sauce when you add all the contents and mix it then add 10ml of water at a time and mix in until the sauce covers everything.
Serve immediately with Rice and any of the other sides I suggested.
Here is my curry when I served it with Pilau Rice and No Potato in this one either… you don’t have to add them it’s optional.
Thank you reading this post today, I really hope you like the look of my recipe, if you give it a go yourself then please tag me on social media to let me know and show me the end result too!
These are my Six Tips for New Parents – but they are the things that everyone forgets to mention!
So despite being post birth and genuinely exhausted, most mum’s will admit to that feeling of pride that comes with the arrival of a child. Be it your first or fifth baby, they are all special and all little miracles. Just look what you have achieved!
However there are things people forget to mention to you and I thought I would share some of my tips in this blog post for getting passed these… we will call them the six newborn phases!
When you become a mum you look at your bundle of joy and you feel incredible, that rush of emotions and pride… you just grew and birthed (in whichever way you did) a small human being. Go you! Own it!
But, while trapped in a chair under said small human, (in fear of waking them up if you were to even clear your throat!), you can’t help but wonder why your amazing body didn’t also develop the ability of telekinesis while it was doing this awe shattering feat! How amazing and useful would that be?! So here are my six phases… I guarantee you’ll laugh before the end of this article…
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Phase 1. The “I Can’t Put The Baby Down Because We Are Bonding Or Cluster Feeding” Phase.
Always keep the essentials close by, as in within an arms stretch! This goes for the TV remote, your phone, at least one snack, your phone charger or a charging device, iPad or a book, and definitely a glass of water. If you have a little one who won’t sleep very much then life saving materials can be what get you through those afternoons, as you cradle your small bundle who is finally napping but you dare not put them down. Instead you settle in to an afternoon of Netflix binge watching and you have a whole packet of biscuits with your name on.
Personally I had a lunch bag size cool bag next to where I sat with my son. Inside it were snacks, a reusable bottle of water and piece of fruit. I kept a table to one side of me with the remotes and my phone on, and a box of tissues. On the other side within a stretch away was the cool bag, my iPad and a portable USB charger. Life savers for me on several afternoons!
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Phase 2. The “Where’s The Flipping Muslin Cloth” Phase.
Buy Extra Cloths! So cloths for a newborn are a given, but have you considered you may need to wipe all sorts of things off your baby and multiple times in one day. I couldn’t believe how many cloths I went through a day at first. The tip for this is to keep a folded clean pile of muslin’s somewhere in every main room of your home. Also buy similar colours of cloth so that you can just throw them all in the wash together. Because Muslin cloths are thin they don’t take a lot to wash and also dry, but you won’t want to wait a few hours when you’re down to your last one and baby is due for a feed…
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Phase 3. The “What Time Is It? Oh My Days, I Forgot To Stop For Lunch, Again” Phase.
Nobody tells you how fast the time goes. This isn’t a lie, time actually goes faster and you will forget what time of day it is and then realise you haven’t had a drink for hours! Make sure you always get nourished every time you journey into the kitchen, keep snacks and fruit handy, things you can eat one handed, and keep a reusable water bottle by your favourite seat. Keeping hydrated is most important especially if you’re breastfeeding and recovering from birth too. If baby is having something to drink then you should be too!
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Phase 4. The “I’m Too Tired To Cook, Let’s Open Up The Fast Food App” Phase.
Every parent will admit to ordering fast food in those first few weeks with a newborn baby. But if you can organise yourselves in the weeks running up to their arrival, you’ll feel better for it, both stomach and bank balance!
The answer is this, Bulk Cook your favourite Foods! Keep some of those previous takeaway Tupperware tubs, check how many you can stack in a drawer in your freezer. Then bulk cook a few of your favourite dishes using fresh ingredients. Then you can freeze them in tubs and in portions. Throw in Veg too if you like, at least then you’re getting healthy food inside you. Chicken Curry with added Veg or Spaghetti Bolognese made with a few Veg to bulk it out are both easy to reheat.
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Phase 5. “I Managed To Put The Baby Down, Shall I Pop On That New Series On Netflix Or Go To Sleep?”
It’s really tough when Social Media blows up with the latest Netflix series, and you’re surviving on maybe 4 hours of sleep and only scrolling on your phone in order to stay awake during the 5am feed… But there will come a day when things get easier, your baby won’t need feeding every two hours forever. And then you’ll sleep a little more… (does 6 hours or less sound good to you?). Plus you’ll get used to the lack of sleep and gradually be able to do more, like managing to watch half an episode of something… once a week… then forget what happened and watch it again… and so it goes on…
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Phase 6. “We haven’t had any us time for a long time…”
This phase is a serious one and more to do with you as parents, it’s brand new, it’s exhilarating and exhausting but remember you have become two different people. You are still you, and what time you spend together is still important. You might not get a date night in weeks, if not months after baby is born. But if you have the support of family and you trust them, then there will come a time where you can leave your baby with that person and get back to being you “both” again. People don’t tell you how hard it is, not being able to go out just the pair of you, you won’t get to watch television or a film without interruption or pausing it every now and then. This is the new normal and it’s okay to find it a difficult transition. Especially if you’re used to going out for a meal once a week or pop off to the cinema at an hours notice… My tip to get through this phase is this, plan, plan and plan some more. Make timetables and plan ahead with a calendar and try your best to stick to it. Change the usual cinema outings to a Netflix movie and a meal at home, with a big bag of popcorn and sweets from the supermarket as a great and cheaper alternative to the cinema treats…
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Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope that I see you here again soon for more parenting posts.
Hello readers! It’s time for the September 2019 Treatbox Reveal with me, Sabrina of Severn Wishes Blog.
xoxo Treatbox
Happy Treatbox Day! This is my Reveal and Review of the September Treatbox. It has a gorgeous deep purple tissue paper and the sticker reads “xoxo”. Zoe wrote on our calendar that she wants to challenge us to each have a few hours to ourselves this month to enjoy some of the items inside the box… we will see if that happens for me! Follow my social media for more Treatbox photos and updates!
Here are the contents of the September box, this month there are 5 items, 2 small Prints and of course the Calendar Print.
September Calendar Print Print “Dreamer” Quote Print “Namastay in Bed” “Dream Diary” A Blank Book so you can Record your Dreams Made by Coopers Bath Salts – 100g Eucalyptus Rosemary – Vegan Letterbox Bakery – Double Chocolate Flapjack Korean Beauty Mix – 3 Step Mask, Wash and Serum String LED Mixed Metal Heart 10 Lights – Battery Operated – 1m long
Here are some more images of the contents from this September box…
My Opinion on the September 2019 Box I really love the heart lights, they are not only beautiful but good quality too. I chose to place mine into a large glass vase, the mixed metals look delightful when they are lit up. It takes 2 AA Batteries, luckily I had some at home already so that I could instantly use them. I will include a photo below.
The other items inside the Treatbox are a bit mixed bunch in my opinion.
Due to being Dairy Free I couldn’t eat the flapjack, so with my mother visiting me I gave it to her to eat. She said this about it. “That is one of the nicest chocolate flapjacks I have ever eaten. I thought it was soft and tasty and I would give it a 5/5 overall”.
The two prints are a little disappointing this month, there is no colour in them and although the Dreamer print is a nice quote it would’ve been nicer on a coloured background I believe.
This month we see yet another Korean Beauty item, it’s a mask set this time. I actually haven’t used the previous one we received yet! Maybe I will find time to try it this month! Keep an eye on my social media...
The Dreamer Diary is a nice addition, it’s something we haven’t had before and it’s a pretty front cover. Sometimes I wake from a dream and would love to write it down, so I’m hoping to use this booklet.
Finally the Made by Coopers Bath Salts look great! Not only are they Organic and Vegan, but made with natural ingredients and is handcrafted. I really look forward to using them.
How I Have Used My Heart Lights From This Box
Are you thinking of ordering a TreatBox for yourself or for a gift for someone? Then you can find Treatbox subscriptions and build your own box at their website
Check out my previous Treatbox unboxing posts in this unique category of mine called ‘Treatbox’ it is specifically for these box reviews and reveals – Severn Wishes Treatbox.
Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you enjoyed the Review of this Treatbox and I hope that I see you here again soon.
As part of being an Argos Tester I often get sent items for reviewing purposes. This recent campaign has been surrounding Fisher-Price toys and items relevant to development and learning. It has been a great opportunity for me to introduce my son to various new things and to build that level of curiosity within play time and learning.
An Eye Catching Colourful Design on this Fun Toy
Today I’m bringing a new Argos Tester Review to my blog with the help of another fabulous Fisher-Price toy. This is the Laugh and Learn Silly Sounds Light-up Piano, and it is classed as a teaching toy.
This mini piano is great for any child who has shown an interest in liking music and sounds. It’s especially brilliant because of how easy it is to use, any infant will love to press the buttons and make the sounds and songs appear.
Learning and Fun with the Light-Up Piano
Who doesn’t like a mixture of learning and fun?
The Piano has 4 Settings with fun and learning incorporating sounds and words. Numbers, Colours, Shapes and Sound including songs that encourage children to listen and learn. Each key when pressed will be spoken by the Fisher-Price voice in either the Number, Colour or Shape. For example, “8!” “Teal” & “Diamond!” And it also sounds a little jingle afterwards representing the shape.
The 8 main keys are smooth to the touch and are brightly coloured. Each of them have a colour, a shape and a number. They are the perfect octave! Although I almost wish the black keys were also press-able so it was like a real piano.
There are also 2 fun modes of Duck and Cow which have various sounds from both of the animals which is so funny that even 30 somethings laughed when it was pressed in our house! The novelty aspect of these modes makes it quite unique.
The flashing light on the top part of the toy is a great way to get little ones attention to the beats of the songs and along with the sounds it encourages movement. The light colour also corresponds to whichever key has just been pressed too. The green handle on the top right of the you piano is excellent for ease of carrying and moving the item around the home.
This Fisher-Price toy is excellent for allowing children to explore all sorts of sounds, while encouraging their learning of shapes and numbers too. As well as recognising a range of colours and animal sounds. The great thing about toys like this is that a child will be counting and not even realise because they’re just playing, but it’s a wonderful way to introduce both musical aspects of playtime and also early academics with each mode available.
Retailing for around £20.00 this toy has been made to an excellent standard and comes ready to use. When the batteries do run out all that you’ll require is a small screwdriver and 3 new AA batteries to replace them with.
Manufacturing Quality 5/5 Overall Design 5/5 Toy Features 5/5 Entertainment Value 5/5 Development Value 5/5
Perfect for little fingers…
✩Argos Tester Review✩
This toy is excellent for allowing children to explore sounds while encouraging their learning of shapes, colours & numbers too. As well as recognising a range of animal noises. The great thing about this is that a child will be learning & not even realise because they’re just playing with the instrument. It’s a wonderful way to introduce musical aspects to playtime & also incorporate the essential early academics with each of the learning modes available. Just wish the black keys worked too!
“8 keys to count with me” sings the piano…
Thank you for reading this review today, for more of my opinions on some of the latest children’s toys then please click the appropriate categories on my main page.
How To Make Delicious Dairy Free Vegetable Nuggets For All The Family To Enjoy!
Today I will be showing you how to make tasty, nutritious and dairy free vegetable nuggets that contain four different vegetables. They are great fun for your children to eat as finger food and your older children can dip them in the sauce if they choose. This recipe is ideal for weaning and beyond.
Veggie Nugget (broken so you can see the soft inside)
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Ingredients for Sabrina’s Veggie Nuggets
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Ketchup 1 Tablespoon of Reduced Salt Soy Sauce 1 Tablespoon of Mixed Herbs 1 Large Egg (Beaten) 160 grams of Breadcrumbs (approx) roughly 4 slices of bread – I always use the 2 end bits if I have them! 6 Medium Carrots – Grated and Squeezed 2 Courgettes – Grated and Squeezed 100 grams of Swede Cooked First, then Diced Finely using a Chopper 1 Large White Onion Diced Finely 50 grams of Dairy Free Alternative to Italian Style Hard Cheese Plain Flour (6 tablespoons approx) spread this onto a small plate ready for rolling…
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Method
To make the sauce combine tomato ketchup and soy sauce together. Double the amount if you are preparing these nuggets for people to dip into the sauce straight after cooking them. Use half of the sauce for the vegetables mixture and leave half for the dip.
Once you have prepared all of the vegetable ingredients as directed above, you will need to ensure the mixture of vegetables isn’t too wet. Take a handful of the grated and chopped veg and place it between a few paper towels, a muslin cloth or a clean tea towel. Squeeze and press it in the cloth to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Do this with all of the grated veg.
Get a large mixing bowl and crack the egg into it. Add the herbs and stir until combined. Next add some of the tomato dip. Next add the squeezed vegetables, then lastly add the hard cheese (or alternative) and the breadcrumbs, stir it all thoroughly. You don’t want lots of the same type of veg in each ball, try and mix it so you get a variant of all the ingredients. (I do my breadcrumbs in a small food mixer).
Place the flour onto a small plate ready to roll your nuggets in.
To make a nugget take a small handful of the combined mixture and roll between your palms. Top Tip! Do this with wet hands so it doesn’t stick to you! Roll them out into oval shapes, and then once happy you can roll each one in flour to coat it.
Have a large frying pan ready on your cooker with some oil getting hot. You should place the nuggets down gently so as not to break them or splash the oil. Fry each one until lightly browned all over. Top Tip! Use a pair of tongs to adjust them while frying to make sure you do all of the sides. Keep topping up the oil after every few nuggets.
Once they are cooked set the nuggets to one side on a piece of kitchen roll so as to drain any excess oil from them and let them cool a little, and then serve them while they’re still warm in a large bowl with the remainder of the tomato dip. They are great for a children’s party or a finger food family night in.
Squeezing the Veg so as to remove as much moisture as possible.
Veggie Nugget Mixture Ready For Mixing and Rolling
Vegetable Nuggets are ideal for children who are weaning at around 10 months and older, when they are learning to hold and bite into foods. They are great for getting your children to eat vegetables. The tomato dip provides a fun element for older children. The leftovers can be frozen, defrost over night and re-fry them to give them a crunchy outside again. My Recipe made me approximately 24 Nuggets.
Once you have rolled your nuggets between your palms you can get ready to fry them… My Top Tip is to have some done so you can fry one set while you make the next set…
FryingTips
When frying the Nuggets take care and turn them frequently so that they cook evenly on all sides. You also need to maintain the oil so that they sit in a few millimetres at all times to avoid sticking to the pan.
Finished Veggie Nuggets
These Nuggets are great, and rather tasty too, that is providing you like the Veg I have chosen. You can substitute the Courgette for Mushrooms if you prefer those! And you can also do these without being dairy free by using a regular cheese like Parmesan if you wish.
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Thank you for visiting, I hope you have enjoyed reading about this recipe, if you decide to give it a go then please leave me a comment with how it went afterwards… Check out my other recipes on the category list!
Hello readers! It’s time for the August 2019 Treatbox Reveal with me, Sabrina of Severn Wishes Blog.
Happy Treatbox Day! I am ready to Reveal and Review the August Treatbox. It has a gorgeous Yellow tissue paper and the little sticker reads “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade”.
When Life Gives You Lemons…
I’m really looking forward to finding out what could be inside this box, the summertime boxes always seem more exciting somehow…
Unboxing…
Here are the contents of the August box, we can see 7 items, an A5 Print and of course the Calendar Print.
August Calendar Print – blue and yellow A5 Print “The World is your Oyster” Cotton Bag “Let’s Get Away” in beige and blue Notepad for “Lists and Things” Packet of Tissues Queen Bee Key Ring from Sass & Belle Anandas Homemade Gourmet Marshmallows – Caramel(V) 2 Hair Bands with Bows – Several Colours Available at Random
The August 2019 Treatbox
Here are some images of the contents of the August box…
My Opinion on the August 2019 Box What I really liked most about this box were the new items, the hair bands and the Marshmallows. I think we all like to try new things or receive items we have not yet seen before, this made me happy.
The quality of the months items was great, a key ring from Sass & Belle and the bag are great additions, even if they are passed on to others as gifts. Personally I don’t think you can ever have enough notepads or cotton bags! Reuse the bag for whatever you like instead of buying more plastics!
My favourite things in the August box is, well, all of it! There wasn’t an item that I didn’t like, and although the print is a little bit plain this month I’m sure the quote spoke to a lot of you. It’s a bit like, go get um! or, do whatever you like, but saying it in a nicer way of course!
This month there seems to be a theme of getting away for a day, as the bag tells us, and the tissues to go inside it, marshmallows for a tasty treat to share or not, there is a band to put your hair up in the sea breeze and you could even make a list of what to do on your day out! All hypothetical of course! But what I like about Treatbox items, is that there are multiple uses for the contents. It’s totally up to you!
It’s another Vegan treat this month, this makes me very happy!
Bags are so useful and this one is a great size too!
Are you thinking of ordering a TreatBox for yourself or for a gift for someone? Then you can find Treatbox subscriptions and build your own box at their website
Check out my previous Treatbox unboxing posts in this unique category of mine called ‘Treatbox’ it is specifically for these box reviews and reveals – Severn Wishes Treatbox.
Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you enjoyed the Review of this Treatbox and that I see you here again soon.
I’m writing this blog post to outline what I did for each day of July 2019 for the Plastic Free July Challenge. Globally people have been taking part in the hashtag #PlasticFreeJuly in a bid to reduce the amounts of Plastic being used and then ending up in landfill. Lots of people are being educated about the issues that Plastic causes and how it’s our job as human beings to help save our planet.
I’m going to begin with why you should cut down on both Plastics AND Paper waste in order to help the environment. And then I will be outlining the 31 other things I have done this July, ways that you too can reduce your carbon footprint this year…
I saw this being passed around on various social media, some of these things I already knew about but others I didn’t. I was shocked to learn about Plastics causing Hormone Disruption!
Reducing Your Plastic Usage
Use glass jars and dishes to store leftover food inside, instead of plastic tubs. Consider purchasing food items that are packaged in recyclable trays. Choose not to purchase items that come in non-recyclable packaging.
Reducing Your Paper Usage
Consider using Old Tea Towels to clean with instead of Paper Towels. Buy A Set of Handkerchiefs to use at home instead of disposable Tissues.
Other Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Walk More and Use Your Car Less Walk More Instead Of Using The Bus Grow Your Own Fruit And/Or Vegetables Choose Packaging Free Fruit And Veg At The Supermarket Recycle As Much As You Can And Do It Properly E.g Wash It Out Reuse Your Tupperware, Glass Jars, Plastic, Cotton and Hemp Bags
I’m making some positive changes for #PlasticFreeJuly
But I, like so many other people, cannot afford to make tons of expensive changes. I certainly don’t have the money to make any investments in Solar Power Panels, buy an Electric Car or buy Organic Plastic Free Produce at a Farm in the middle of nowhere…
… But What I Can Do, Is Do Things Like What Is On My List Below…
Here is one example… we all need to use something in our kitchen bins, we have a counter top bin and nothing more because we recycle as much as we can. Usually 85% of our rubbish goes into recycling. For the things that are currently not recyclable I use bags in the bin that are made from already recycled materials.
Choosing to buy something made out of 100% recycled paper and plastic when necessary is just one of the ways I’m reducing my carbon footprint.
I have even considered using items to make things and reuse them and re-purpose them for something new. I saw this photo ages ago on a parenting website, where a Dad had collected the family’s toilet rolls and created this awesome car garage for his son. It is made out of an old crate and toilet rolls with some glue and paint, genius!
Plastic Free July – How I Reduced My Plastics This Month
1 Reusing A Specific Tupperware As A Lunchbox – No More Plastic Sandwich Bags. Did you know most sandwich bags and freezer bags cannot yet be recycled? If they can then they need to be clean with no food bits, that’s really hard to do if they’ve been screwed up in a lunch bag after use.
2 Using Cotton and/or Hemp Bags for going Shopping. Retail or Food Shopping I don’t purchase Plastic Bags and always bring my own. I have done this for several years now, and always have two bags folded up inside the main bag I take with me everywhere, so even if I forget my main bags I always have one or more available.
3 Reusing one specific Tupperware for Red Leftovers like Baked Beans or Pasta Sauce so as not to stain and ruin many different tubs. It’s really annoying when food stains something like plastic. If you don’t want to ruin lots of plastic tubs, when you buy a set, allocate ones for specific reasons.
4 Going through all the Plastic in the Kitchen Cupboard, Cleaning and then Recycling everything with the Recyclable Logo that I no longer need or use. Keep what you do use but only if its clean, has a lid and has a purpose, otherwise recycle it.
I do a lot of bulk cooking, but it’s useful every couple of months to go through all your plastic Tupperware and get rid of ones that smell odd, have any damage or wear to them, no longer have a lid or are no longer required.
5 Make Your Own Lunches and Picnics, buy less prepackaged foods, if they are in material that can be recycled then no problem, but if it’s single use plastic then don’t support this type of food packaging. This month I have tried to make choices that include packaging that I can recycle.
6 Decline Plastic Straws when out for a drink, only accept paper ones that can be recycled after use, or use metal ones that you can buy and carry with you.
7 Re-purposing Glass Jars and use them instead of plastic around the home in order to store food and / or items inside.
Lately I have been reusing Glass Jars and Bottles around the home. Here are just some uses, Cosmetics, Pen Pot, Kitchen Drawer Randoms!
8 Don’t replenish your Cling Film when it Runs Out – Change to Foil or reuse Tupperware boxes instead.
9 Reusing Tupperware for Bulk Freezing when bulk cooking, I do a lot of bulk cooking and I reuse old takeaway tubs when I freeze food. They are create for portion control and also for stacking up in the freezer.
10 Up-Cycle something in your home that you’ve not used for a year, gift it to a friend or start using it again at home.
11 Buy something from an Ethical Business or something that is Ethically Sourced and then let people know about it so they can do the same.
12 Choose to have a Takeaway that the containers can be recycled from like Pizza Boxes or Plastic Tubs.
13 Buy / Order / Use A Reusable Water Bottle Today. You can get them at most retailers these days, large Supermarkets or Amazon.
Tesco are selling some very pretty and affordable Insulated Reusable Bottles. They keep Cold drink cold for 24 hours and Hot drinks hot for up to 10 hours!
14 Today I Chose Unwrapped Fruit and Vegetables at the Supermarket to reduce my Plastics for the Day.
15 Go Paperless for your Bank Statements and Bills to save on both paper and plastics, you should be able to do this on your banking app or in branch.
16 Decline bottled water when out for a meal and ask for a glass jug of cold tap water with glasses for the table to share instead. No straws remember!
17 Buying Necessary Home Essentials that are made from 100% Recycled Materials such as bin liners or tissues…
These Bin Liners are made from 100% Recycled Plastic – Go Tesco!
18 Use old tea towels and micro fibre cloths you have at home to do some cleaning and home chores instead of using paper towels, then wash them on a eco washing cycle ready for next time.
19 Reuse any Newspaper or Tissue Paper to Wrap Presents for peoples birthdays. If it’s a large gift then once it’s been unwrapped cut off the best parts and re-use them again in the future.
20 When you go out for a drink choose a glass bottle or a glass, a can or a drafted liquid, rather than something provided in Plastic bottles.
21 Buy something that you need this month from a Second Hand Shop rather than buying it brand new and take a bag from home in order to carry it back in.
22 Bring your own container to a Fish & Chip* Shop & ask for them to serve your food into that to save using their packaging. * Some places won’t allow this due to health and safety, but it doesn’t mean you can’t ask.
23 Buy Less Disposable Tissues and Use A Handkerchief instead.
24 Use a Reusable Water Bottle All Day – Aim for 2 Litres (it should be with you by now if you ordered one online).
25 Buy and Use a Reusable Hot Drinks Cup – If you like hot drinks and don’t already have your own cup then invest in one. With the Cup Tax coming into force across stores it’s going to save you money in the long run too.
26 Refuse Plastic Cutlery if you’re eating out & carry your own set of metal ones when out for the day.
27 Buy Supermarket Own Products that come in Cardboard so you know that it’s easily Recyclable.
28 Choose Food Snacks in the Supermarket that aren’t contained in Single Use Plastic. Don’t purchase anything that comes in single use plastic, choose a different item this time around. Compare what is available to you.
29 Consider Purchasing Refill Packages for things such as Coffee In A Bag That Refills your original Jar…
Refill packets now come for a variety of products, one that we use regularly is this Kenco Coffee one.
30 Start Composting Your Food Waste – this is one I plan to do in the future once we have finished doing our garden, it’s a work in progress right now!
31 Invest in Beeswax Wraps for Food. If you cannot get some then only use Foil to wrap food or place it inside something made of glass.
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Sabrina’s Easy Tips For Recycling
There are some basic things that everyone can do when it comes to recycling, and there should be no excuses nowadays to do just a little bit. Most councils supply the bins, all you need to do is fill them up!
1 Have a designated bin or basket inside the home so that everyone can place recycling inside it. Toilet Rolls are one of the easiest things to recycle yet so many people put them in bathroom bins!
2 Teach young children the importance and ease of recycling now so that they consciously do it as an adult. Recycling doesn’t always mean it goes in a bin it can be used to make craft items for example for school projects.
3 Remember to remove some recyclable materials from one another before using them, such as peel off the label on a tin before you cut it open. That way the paper and the tin can be recycled separately once they’re collected from you.
Items that are easy to recycle Glass, Foil, Paper and Cardboard.
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Thank you so much for reading this relatively long post today. I hope I have given you some ideas on recycling that you can put into practice in your own lives.
Even if you do one thing off this list it is helping the environment and your carbon footprint, let’s make the Earth safer and cleaner and better for our children’s children. After all it’s the only planet we have.
Can I buy a Summer outfit for £20 or less including footwear and an accessory?
I set myself a blogging challenge for the start of this summer, get an outfit or a few for a set price, including footwear and an accessory too! What I mean is buying items that can be paired in different ways to create multiple outfits. This post will explain what I bought and why, and I will also review score the items individually as well.
Primark Dolly Shoes
Why I Set Myself A Shopping Challenge
So I had my first ever trip to the Horse Racing for a Hen Weekend in June… I had a great time! I came home with £47 profit and I decided to treat myself with it. As a mum I don’t get to go out much and I certainly don’t spend very much on myself anymore. Until I went on this shopping trip that I’m about to describe to you it had been almost two years since I had been shopping for clothes that weren’t for a special occasion, or Maternity clothes or Breastfeeding Essentials. It was time to browse and get something that I liked or loved and to try something and not feel guilty about it. Everyone needs a treat once in a while don’t they?!
So I was talking to my best friend about setting myself a challenge that I could explain here on the blog. I concluded that if I popped another £3 on to my winnings I then had £50 to spend. With her opinions on items I picked out I decided to do this challenge, I allocated the money to my two favourite high street stores. I gave £20 for Dorothy Perkins and £30 for Primark.
My Challenge… Could I get an outfit for £20? Yes I could! In fact I got the equivalent of 3 outfits from Primark & 1 from DP! All for £50! Here is how! By mixing and matching the various items that I bought I was able to make several outfits from them.
While shopping in Primark what I found was a mixture of full price (FP) items and sale items (S). My Dorothy Perkins outfit was complied of all sale items and then I would simply include jeans that I already owned from DP to finish the look, I did not include these in the final price because I already had them.
Primark Yellow Accessories
1. The Summer Shirt Outfit – A Garden BBQ or Day at the Beach – Primark – Worth £20 Total
Wear this shirt with either leggings on a cool day or a pair of shorts. Leave it untucked and long in length or tucked in for two entirely different looks. Pair with Dolly Shoes, Flip Flops or even Boots. You can wear something beneath the shirt if you want to, like this vest.
Blue Striped Summer Shirt £10.00 FP Black Leggings £4.50 FP Dolly Shoes in Yellow £3.50 FP Hair Scunchie Tie £2.00 FP
2. The Practical Outfit – Day Out With Family – Dorothy Perkins – Worth £20 Total
Pair this gorgeous Rust coloured duo with black jeans or black jeggings and some dark accessories for a great transition to Autumn look. If you want to wear this shirt in summer it works great in an evening with jeans and heels too. The pretty buttons and pocket details really make the shirt stand out.
Rust Coloured Shirt S £12.00 Rust Ankle Boots S £8.00
Rust Coloured Duo of Shirt and Boots from DP
3. Every Day Summer Outfit For Home Or Casual Outings – Primark – Worth £21 Total
Who doesn’t love a practical pair of shorts that go well with almost everything? Well this dark green pair look great with a vest, t-shirt or even a short shirt. Pair with various shoes depending on the weather and also where you plan on going to.
Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP T-Shirt or Vest £3.00 FP Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP Hair Scrunchie Tie £2.50 FP
Cargo Shorts with Vest with Yellow Accessories for a Hot Summer Day
4. Hot Weather Day Out or At Home Having Fun In The Garden – Primark – Worth £21.50 Total
Using the shorts once again for this combination but based more casually, dolly shoes for walking about and a vest with a shirt for casual but comfortable wearing.
Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP Vest £3.00 FP White Shirt £3.00 S Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP
Cargo Shorts, White Arrow Shirt with Blue Dolly Shoes
Final Primark Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend of £44.00
Striped Blue Shirt £10.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5 Green Cargo Shorts £12.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5 Green Vest £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5 Blue Dolly Shoes £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 White Arrows Shirt £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 3/5 Blue Striped Vest £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 Yellow Dolly Shoes £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 Hair Band and Scrunchie £2.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 T-Shirt £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5
Final Dorothy Perkins Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend £20.00
Rust Shirt with Linen £12.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 LINK Rust Wide Fit ‘Mayfair’ Ankle Boots £8.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 LINK
So I went over my budget very slightly, however the combinations that I have achieved with the clothing and accessories that I bought make it justifiable. Overall the items that I decided to purchase have had added uses because they were either useful, like the shirts I use for breastfeeding during the warmer months, or that the pieces were investments for the next few years (hopefully!) such as all of the shoes.
The previous Dolly Shoes that I bought in Primark were from 2016 and 2017 and they are only just beginning to wear out. I hope these new ones last me just as long! It’s also nice to grab the colours in season when you see them available. A few years ago I had metallic colours from Primark and I never saw them again! I still have a Rose Gold pair I keep for special occasions.
The Boots I got from Dorothy Perkins were an investment for many Autumnal days to come, because at £8 in the sale you cannot beat that kind of a bargain! Especially ones that fit well and are comfortable.
Primark vests are items I wear every single day as a breastfeeding mama bear. So grabbing a couple of these was essential to my shopping trip. (Now that we are currently having a heatwave in the UK I’m even more grateful to have gotten them!).
Primark Items:
Quality of Fabrics 4/5 – The fabric quality was mixed, the vests in Primark are always good, the shorts were thick and strong. The shirts were relatively thin and creased easily. The Shirt is 86% Cotton and 14% Linen.
Designs 4/5 – I thought the items that I chose all had design merits. The shirts were nicely designed with their patterns. The shoes were simply designed by great colours for Summer. I loved the shorts with multiple pockets and the scrunchie hair tie was such a pretty mix of both pattern and colours.
Cost Price 4/5 – Overall I felt most items were affordable for their price and function, the shorts were great quality for their price and the dolly shoes I find are always good quality but very affordable.
Value for Money – 4/5 – I think that Primark items are usually good value for money, some more than others but generally you get what you pay for. I have washed and worn the vests multiple times and they still look good.
Dorothy Perkins Items:
Quality of Items – 5/5 – I was very impressed with the quality of the shirt and the boot that I have purchased. The shirt isn’t thin and is well made, and the shoes look well stitched and are well presented with no marks.
Designs – 5/5 – I love the Rust shade that DP has chosen for some items this Season. Additionally the shirt has a lovely shape to it and is rather flattering when worn. The Boots are comfortable and were available in Wide Fit which is a design bonus. The heels aren’t too high and are wedged to allow comfortable wearing.
Cost Price – 5/5 – I wouldn’t have considered purchasing either of these items unless they had been in the sale already. Their original prices were Boots £35.00 and the Shirt £22. I am very lucky to have gotten them so cheap with a saving of £37.00!
Value for Money – 5/5 – For the amount of money that I have paid for these things I am more than happy to give the value for money spent a 5/5.
Overall I’m very happy with my shopping purchases. It’s also been a couple of weeks now and I have worn the shirts several times, I’ve also worn the vests multiple times and they have been washed and worn repeatedly in this lovely warm weather. I haven’t needed to wear the Dolly Shoes yet but they are an investment for when my current two pairs give up the ghost so to speak! I’m still happy with every piece that I bought, I guess you could say it’s been money well spent! I look forward to wearing the rest of the items over the warm summer weeks…
Here are a couple of images of me wearing some of the new items…
Rust Shirt (Left) & White Arrows Shirt (Right)
Blue Striped Shirt and Yellow Scrunchie Hair Tie
Thank you for reading this blog post today, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Have you gotten any retail bargains lately? Have a great time if you’re off out for some retail therapy!
✩ Sabrina ✩
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