Winter skin tips: #MyAquaphor Challenge

When I was a child, winter used to be my favourite season, with deep snow, skating rinks, Christmas tree and twinkling lights, lovely treats and gifts, TV all night until the early hours of the morning on the New Year's eve. Winter could be great fun.

On the other hand, cold weather with blustery winds could be hard on your skin, leaving it at dull, flaky and dry.
Last month has been relatively mild. My Mum stayed with us for a month, but a week ago she returned home to a proper cold and snow.
While we were lucky not to have any snow yet (though there was a small scattering of snowflakes once last week), the heating is on in the house, as it gets too damp and cold.
This combination of the damp air and harsh winds outside as well as the heating inside could do a lot of damage to a delicate skin.
A contrast between cold outdoors and warm indoors could leave your skin stressed.

One of the solutions is not to keep the heating maxed up to the hilt. I know many people swear by the humidifiers, but I haven't noticed any difference, having bought a digital humidifier a few years ago. We tried it for a while, and since then it just sits in the box in the attic.
My mother-in-law uses the ceramic humidifiers which are hanging on the radiators in all rooms. They look like long-ish narrow rectangular containers, which she tops up with water. They seem to work quite well, and they are more environmentally-friendly.

Another way of dealing with the problem of dry skin is to up your intake of liquids. You need to drink plenty of water. Alas, my favourite latte or hot chocolate is not considered to be a great contribution to hydrating. If you find it hard to drink plain water, add a bit of lemon juice, fresh mashed berries or grated ginger. Tea is also fine.

And finally: moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.
My personal tip is to keep a hand cream or any good moisturiser by the front door, so you don't forget to use it as you go out.
This way it reminds me to apply the cream to my sons' hands as well as my own.

My boys are 16 and 8, but both have a skin prone to dryness and eczema.
In the cold weather the skin on the cheeks and hands might get dry and rough. Gloves would help, but of course, the cool guys don't wear gloves. Every time I go to collect Eddie from school, most kids run out without any coats, hats or gloves (while parents are all fully-dressed in warm clothes).

We've been battling with eczema bouts for years with our elder son, we have tried many creams, lotions and ointments. Most of the prescribed medication in big tubs (like Diprobase, Aqueous cream and such like) didn't help at all, if anything, the skin was getting more and more irritated and inflamed.

Recently BritMums  asked bloggers if we'd like to try Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm.
The range is suitable for all ages including babies.
Eucerin is a well-known family skin care brand. It was first introduced in the States in 1925, and has since become popular around the world.

Formulated with only seven ingredients, Aquaphor is considered to be gentle enough for such skin issues as a highly irritated skin and sensitive baby skin including the nappy area.
I think that was the main reason we first came across Eucerin all those years ago, when my elder son was a baby and we lived in the States. A friend who had a baby a bit older than our Sash recommended it.

You can use it on dry, cracked skin, cracked heels and feet (my winter problem), dry hands and cuticles and baby sensitive skin. After several applications, the skin appears to be soothed and better protected.

It is fragrance, colouring and preservative free.

It could be applied in the morning and used during the day, as it is a lighter cream.
It can be used as a skin moisturiser and also as a skin balm for hands, nails, body, face and even lips. It is not greasy, and works well, leaving skin softer and smoother.

To sum it up, it's great to have a product that is multi-tasking, i.e. it treats so many skin irritations and is also suitable for grown-ups, babies and older children.

It is scent-free. It soothes rough patches. I tried a little bit on my lips. It is similar in consistency to some of the nipple creams that I used in the past, especially after Eddie was born and my breasts were really sore, it is less sticky than those creams, and is of a less dense consistency, making it easier to spread on the skin if you are using it as a barrier cream when going outdoors with your child.
It lasts quite a long time, as you only need a very small amount to apply.

Have you tried Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm?

This post is an entry for the BritMums #MyAquaphor Challenge, sponsored by Eucerin. Discover the benefits of Eucerin https://www.eucerin.co.uk/products/aquaphor/soothing-skin-balm-45ml

Disclosure: I received an Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are my own.

#ACEforSchool Challenge

"I'm never letting you do my laundry. Again."
"I didn't know the red towel was in there, " Prophet protested.
"You did it on purpose to get out of doing laundry."
"Maybe. But it worked."
S.E.Jakes, Daylight Again

This amusing little quote made me chuckle, as I remember dying all our whites pink, when a rogue red sock sneaked into the washing machine. We were just newly married then, and though I didn't do it on purpose, I couldn't stop laughing, looking at my husband's pink undies. He forgave me, well, he had to, otherwise it would have been his task.
We do split home tasks and chores, and washing is one of mine. I haven't done that mistake again, though I might have shrank a few woolen jumpers to the doll's size but that's a different story.
Washing is an everyday occurrence in our household.

When I read about some super organised parents doing their laundry once a week, I'm left in awe and amazement as to how they manage. I load my washing machine every single day.
Having a child with special needs who doesn't care about the state of his clothes and wipes his hands on his school jumper and trousers every time he eats something, does not make my life easier. There is no point in trying to explain to him that he must stop doing it. He would listen, but do it again. And again. And again.
It also doesn't help that the schools use poster paints or glue which are a total pain to get rid of. In fact, we have many ruined white shirts and school jumpers.

Let's just say, stains are unavoidable when you have children in school. It's just a matter of accepting the inevitable and organising the daily routine - as soon as my boys come home from school, they have to change their clothes.
I inspect the stains and treat them before loading into the washing machine.

The evening is my ironing time, now often accompanied by my younger son's reading. Being a victim audience, I have no say in the reading material though, so it's mostly The diary of the wimpy kid no. 10,000 or Horrid Henry, or some other impish character.

And that seems to be my lot in life - to send them off to school in clean ironed uniforms - only to see them returning home all dishevelled, with dried leaves in hair, and a rainbow of stains on clothes, from mud to poster paint, from glue to tuna pate. And don't even mention the PE clothes...

Recently BritMums appealed to blogging parents to take part in an #ACEforSchool Challenge.
We received ACE for Colours and ACE Stain Remover Spray to tackle the stains and keep clothes bright and clean.
I'm always up to any challenge which will make my life easier.

ACE is no stranger in our house. I do often buy one ACE product or another.

ACE for Colours promises to remove stains, clean hygienically and eliminate odours. A new formula has a higher power to remove stains from food, grease, body soils, drinks, vegetable oils, cosmetics, trapped dirt and outdoors.
You can use it either straight in the washing machine, pouring it directly into the drum, or as a pre-treatment on tougher stains.
It definitely keeps the colour of clothes bright.
It also works well as a household cleaning product - just dilute a capful to 5 litres of water.

ACE Stain Remover Spray has  been specially formulated to include an active oxygen which helps to remove dirt and difficult stains gently without ruining the fabric.

ACE works well on many types of stains, but there are some kinds of stains which I find very tricky to get rid of, whichever stain remover I use (and I think I tried all the known brands) - it's poster paints (black paint on white shirts anyone?) and blood.
My elder son is prone to nose bleeds in the night, and unfortunately these stains are tough to eliminate. You need to scrub them with soap under the cold water, or use a bit of white vinegar.

Poster paints... a bane of my life. The water-based ones are OK, they are not impossible to get rid of, but some of the poster paints they use at school stay on clothes after several washings, pre-treated or not, they just fade, but are still pretty much visible.

It's obviously not just the school uniforms that get stains. Just yesterday we went to see Johnny English 3. We laughed so hard, that some of the psychedelic-coloured ice cream ended up on somebody's top. I managed to get rid of the stain, thanks to ACE.

Overall, top marks to ACE for helping to make parents' lives easier.


This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEforSchool Challenge, sponsored by ACE. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper. http://www.acecleanuk.co.uk/ or to buy head to your local Tesco's, Morrison's, Waitrose or Sainsbury's.

The Great Oreo Cookie Quest

Oreo cookies are the Marmite of the biscuit world. Some people claim them to be the food of Gods, some cannot quite understand all the devotion (and there are even some heathens who call them the spawn of the devil... Don't believe me?! Search some of the Oreo threads on Mumsnet, and prepare to be amused).
We are very partial to Oreos, and have been for a good number of years, as you might already know, if you frequent my blog.

I have fond memories of little Sash lovingly twisting each Oreo, licking off the white icing inside and then eating the chocolate wafers.
Eddie is also a big fan of these cookies. I often buy a big box of Oreos in Poundland for £2 which has small sealed packets of two - very handy to carry around in a lunchbox.

We are happy to eat them neat (though never dunked, we are not dunkers as a rule) with hot chocolate or tea, or in any cakes and bakes. There's definitely more to Oreos than a "twist-lick-dunk" mantra of the old ads.

This scrumptious biscuit makes a versatile ingredient for many bakes.
We loved Oreo cheesecake i

Oreo brownies are lush too.

Hot chocolate with whipped cream and crushed Oreos is a decadent treat. Especially when coming home semi-frozen from the snow.

... but it's the White chocolate Oreo fudge that gets requested most often in our house. I do prefer dark chocolate, but even I cede my willpower when I cut this fudge into thick chunks. It's sooo good.

You might wonder why am I going all rhapsodical about Oreos.

Have you spotted promotional Oreo packs in supermarkets?

Its biggest promotion for 2018 is called the Great Oreo Cookie Quest. Technically there are separate promotions by Oreo. One is an instant win competition, where you enter a unique code from a promotional pack to try to win a trip to San Francisco or smaller prizes.

The second promotion requires you to download the Oreo Search mobile app and use it to scan real and virtual cookies to earn points in order to win prizes.
If you want to know how exactly to do it, watch an informative fun video by Di at her blog Superlucky.

I don't think we'll be entering this competition, but I would like to wish everyone else Good luck!

Our own Oreo Cookie Quest is the search for the best recipe with Oreos. Do you have a favourite recipe with Oreos you would like to share with us?


This post is an entry for BritMums #OreoCookieQuest, sponsored by Oreo.


Disclosure: Please don't be misled by the word sponsored above. In our case it means we received two packs of promotional Oreos.

Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge

I think the abbreviation TGIF was invented for my family. Schoolday mornings are usually a painful affair. I get up first, plod to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for my guys, then it's time to wake them up, and oh boy, nobody is happy when I open the curtains in bedrooms.
Fridays are typically more cheerful, because there's a weekend ahead, and for Eddie, it's an extra special day as his best friend Peter is coming home with us after school.
The boys play and live Minecraft, so I leave them to it, offering snacks and drinks, and asking them to have a break from playing. They are days when they play chess, or some board games, but recently it's been Minecraft.
On Friday morning when we go to school, I ask Eddie what his friend and he would like to have for dinner. His choices are usually not very varied - pizza or burgers.

Last Friday I offered them a new burger - Rustlers Southern Chicken Burger. These burgers come with sachets of lightly peppered mayo.
Each chopped and shaped chicken burger is coated with a southern fried breadcrumb and comes in a sesame seeded bun.
Calorie wise it is 410kcal per burger.

If you read my blog even occasionally, you know that I enjoy cooking from scratch, but I also love shortcuts which allow me to have a break from cooking. With a special needs child who eats the same food on a daily basis, I tend to cook several different meals every day, to adapt to my family's needs and tastes (Sash and Eddie eats different meals, and now my husband decided to go vegetarian, so often it feels like I'm running a restaurant).
And there are days when I'm pretty knackered to do a restaurant shift.

Recently BritMums got in touch with parenting bloggers, asking to take part in Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge. All participants received a £20 Tesco gift card to spend on products.

I confess that I haven't tried Rustlers before, I tend to buy fresh burgers which need cooking on grill or in the oven.
I was impressed to discover that Rustlers chicken burgers use only the finest quality chicken, fully traceable to the farm of origin. That is deserving commendation.
Twin packs offer smaller than average burgers (at just 140g each), so they are great for kids - handy to hold and easy to bite into.

Burgers out of packaging, before being cooked

Just pop them into a microwave for 90 seconds and add whichever toppings you fancy.
You don't necessarily need a microwave. We don't have one: I just heated up the burgers in the oven, and toasted the buns. I think buns should be toasted, even if you microwave the burgers.

Since both boys love pickles, I offered them a small dish of gherkins to go with burgers, plus a pink slaw (white and red cabbage, with carrot and red onion in cider vinegar) and a three bean salad with sweet corn and red pepper.
I am not going to take credit for either slaw or salad. The slaw was courtesy Tesco (and it's one of my favourites which I buy often), while the salad is from M&S.
Later they had a mango sorbet (which is Eddie's favourite ice cream).

What did we think of Rustlers?
They are handy to have in the fridge for quick and easy meals, either during the week or at the weekend.
You can be as creative as you like with all kinds of toppings and sides, be it fries, slaw or salad - for a balanced meal. The appeal of burgers, Rustlers or any other, is that you are able to personalise your meal to suit your tastes.
For example, our boys didn't fancy any peppered mayo. In fact, Eddie dislikes mayo with passion. But he loves ketchup, which works perfectly well with the burger.
The burgers disappeared very fast, and got thumbs up from both boys.

Eddie enjoyed his burger so much that we bought another pack on Sunday as a quick pre-cinema meal ( we went to see Early Man).

I used the leftover sachets of mayo to cook small sized Portobellini mushrooms - spread with peppered mayo and later topped with sliced smoked scamorza cheese, and cooked until the cheese melts.

How do you eat burgers? What are your favourite flavour combinations?

If you're looking for ideas on how to serve burgers, check out what some other family bloggers created for the Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge:
Rustling up a manic midweek fakeaway (Madhouse Family Reviews)
Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge (Dragons and Fairy Dust)

This post is an entry for BritMums "Rustlers Burger Hacking Challenge", sponsored by Rustlers.

Disclosure: Please do not be confused by the term "sponsored", this was not a paid for post. I received a £20 Tesco voucher to buy the burgers, which I still haven't had a chance to use two months later.

SportsDirect £5 gift challenge

We don't often visit Sports Direct, as we don't have this store in town. Whenever there is an opportunity to have a peek, for example, when we go to Oxford or visit Penzance, we have a good browse inside and end up buying one item of sports clothing or another, mainly for my guys. Generally we find the prices to be very reasonable, and the range varied.

When BritMums have asked parenting bloggers to join in #sdfiverchallenge and find Christmas gifts for a fiver at SportsDirect online, I was curious to discover just how easy (or difficult) the task could be. I haven't shopped with them online before, so this was my first experience.
All participating bloggers received £30 credit to use, and the task was to pick at least two items for £5, spending the remaining balance as we like.

SportsDirect is well known for its sports range of clothing, trainers and accessories, but would we be able to find perfect stocking fillers for Christmas.
I had a good look at the selection of Christmas gifts and toys, and was surprised to see a big variety of items (Reindeer LED hat for £1.49 anyone?!).

As much as I was tempted by some novelty gifts, I decided to spend my £30 allowance on practical gifts for my family.

Eddie wanted me to buy him a football, but I pointed out to him that he has several footballs in the garden already.
Being a chocoholic, I was tempted to spend the whole lot on chocolate - and yes, I was surprised to find a reasonable choice of chocolate gifts in SportsDirect - from advent calendars to mug and chocolate bars sets.

Ordering online was an easy process, the only difficulty was to stay in the limits of my allowance and not overspend. I could have easily spent a double of that and more, as the selection of products was impressive.

My elder son Sash likes beanie hats, preferably in dark colours.
Rhino Rugby Beanie Hat costs £5 precisely. Acrylic, with fleece lining, it would do nicely for late autumn and winter.

The next gift was again for my him - a warm Lee C FZ Hoodie, which I have squirreled away until Christmas. It is very soft and comfy, and I imagine my son will be happy to wear it, as it is the sporty style that he favours.

Firetrap Pyre Scarf (Grey/Black) was a gift for my brother. My Mum stayed with us recently for several weeks, and I've been buying gifts for her to take back to my family in Russia.
A warm scarf is a must, and I hope my brother will enjoy wearing it.

Eddie is a big Marvel fan. Most of his clothes have characters from his favourite films and animation series. Batman is one of our biggest favourites, so I knew he'd be ecstatic with yet another Batman hat.

Character Flat Peak Junior Batman Hat  has an adjustable snapback fastening and integrated headband. It is made from polyester and cotton. If Batman leaves you cold, you can opt for Minions, a generic Marvel hat or Star Wars-themed one. It comes at a princely sum of £4. What a bargain!

I love hats, and couldn't resist treating myself to a new one.

Heatons Wool Flower Hat is a total steal at £5. I've been wearing it for the past week. It is stylish, soft and warm. Just the other day I've seen a very similar hat at Debenhams at around £20.
It is a mix of wool and polyester, and is styled with a trimmed detail with a flower motif.

Before the challenge I wouldn't have thought of SportsDirect as a shopping mecca for Christmas gifts, but we were pleasantly surprised.

So, what do you think of my haul? Did I spend my £30 wisely?

This post is an entry for BritMums #sdfiverchallenge Christmas Challenge, sponsored by Sportsdirect.com


Disclosure: As mentioned above, we received £30 credit to spend online (including postage). All opinions are our own. The word sponsored above does not mean this is a paid for post.

Chilean Easy Peelers

Caterpillars, dealers, healers...
All rhyme well with Easy Peelers.
A juicy citrus to stave off munchies;
They're great for packed school lunches.
We know our rhymes are silly,
But we have fun with fruit from Chile.

Now that Eddie started a new school, he begged me to allow him to have packed school lunches rather than hot meals. He is slowly settling in in this big school environment, and so far I haven't been pressuring him into eating school lunches. I might at some point encourage him to eat school meals on some days.
He loves simple homemade sandwiches or wraps, with ham and cheese. I also add a yogurt on a stick to his lunch box, a cheese string, a drink, a pack of fruit rolls and a piece of fruit.
He chooses which fruit to have, it is usually an apple or a clementine.

Easy peel clementines and mandarins are a great source of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and water, which helps to keep you hydrated. Chilean easy peelers are now in season, and are widely available at the moment, from September to November.
What we like about easy peelers is their juicy sweet taste and convenience. They are portable and easy to peel. Children won't need help to peel this fruit, especially in the school environment. A lovely snack for a lunchbox or after school.

Did you know that last year the amount of Chilean mandarins sold in the UK reached over 2,000 tonnes, that's a pretty big mountain of fruit. Eddie and I tried to imagine just how big a mountain of 2,000 tonnes might be.
Another bit of useful information: Easy peelers are a great source of water; in fact 87% of their nutritional composition is water.

If you've been at school around playtime, you know it is a total chaos. Many a time, when I arrive to school to help with reading, and the kids run around like mad, screaming, throwing leaves at each other, fighting. It's a wild-wild world. They all look red in the face, hot and flushed.
No wonder they are all thirsty after the playtime. Having plenty of fluids is paramount to stay hydrated. And if you have a piece of fruit which gives you more water, it is even better.

Eddie comes home tired and peckish after school. He likes to relax on the sofa, watching his favourite shows on TV, with a few selected snacks including mandarins on a little table nearby.

It was an Inset day at school yesterday, and Eddie and I watched Witches together. We liked the film more than the book for one simple reason - it has a happy end, while the book ends on a sad note.
We were sitting on the sofa, wrapped up in a duvet, and at times we felt like throwing the mandarin peelings at the screen, when witches were getting particularly nasty.

This post is an entry for the BritMums #ChileanEasyPeelers Challenge, sponsored by Chilean Citrus Committee.

Disclosure: we received 10 easy peelers to sample and give a seal of approval. All opinions are our own.

Italian meatball and pasta soup

Mention meatballs, and I'm going back in time to our old kitchen, with Mum making my favourite meals. I loved meatballs as a child, served either with mashed potatoes and gravy, or in a thick pasta or rice soup. For me this is one of those comfort foods which bring happy memories.

Most children that I know (in omnivore families) love meatballs.
My sons are quite fussy when it comes to meat, they wouldn't eat roast meat, for example. But sausages, meatballs and anything made with mince are a totally different matter. Eddie would even happily gobble up school lunches if there are meatballs or sausages on the menu, and I can just imagine the quality of those products.

Lean red meat is a versatile ingredient in many child-friendly meals, from cutlets to shepherd's pie, from Ragu Bolognese to chilli... Meatloaf, tacos, lasagne, sloppy Joes, pies, pirozhki, and so many more wonderful dishes could be cooked with red meat.
Food nutritionists recommend including red meat in children's diet from weaning onwards, as it provides important nutrients that are often low in toddlers and children - including iron, zinc, B vitamins, selenium and potassium.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, a public health nutritionist and mother, says: "Including a small portion of red meat in the diet a few times a week after weaning can help to bridge nutrient gaps and so help to maintain good health through childhood and beyond"

Recently BritMums and Meat Advisory Panel have invited bloggers to join in the #HealthyRedMeat challenge and create a delicious recipe including beef, pork or lamb - "to bring a little variety and inspire some enticing ways to include red meat into your family diet".

What shall I cook for the challenge, that my children would like? Meatballs, of course. I have quite a few recipes for meatballs on my blog - you might have seen my posts for Swedish Meatballs for Karlson on the Roof and Easy Midweek Dinner: Fusilli with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, and Italian Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella.

This time I am cooking a pasta soup with vegetables and - you've guessed it - meatballs.

Italian meatball and pasta soup
Ingredients:
400g minced beef
500g minced pork
3tbsp Grana Padano, grated
1 slice of bread
a dash of milk
1 clove of garlic
1 medium egg
sea salt

1tbsp vegetable stock
1/2 white sweet onion
1 carrot
8 baby tomatoes
1tbsp tomato paste
50g stellette pasta shapes
4tbsp cannelini beans (tinned)
100g fine green beans
100g baby courgettes
2tbsp basil leaves, chopped finely

Ingredients for meatball pasta soup

First of all, make the meatballs. You will make about 44 meatballs from this amount of mince. I didn't use all of them at once. I have put more than a half in the freezer, once they were cooked and cooled - to use later in the week with spaghetti.
Toast a slice of bread, then cut off the crusts and break the bread into smaller pieces. Add a dash of milk and soak for a couple of minutes. Squeeze the milk out.
In a deep mixing bowl grate the cheese. You can use parmesan instead of Grana Padano. Add the beef and pork mince, a crushed garlic clove as well as the soggy bread. Mix all the ingredients together and season the mince.
You can skip the bread, but then the texture will be more dense.

I used a mix of beef and pork mince, as I believe this combination makes the best meatballs. Go for leaner mince - for example, 8% pork mince and 10% Aberdeen Angus beef mince is a tasty combination.

Pinch a walnut-size piece of minced meat and roll it, using hands, into a ball. Keep rolling until you use all the mince.
In a deep pan bring the water with half an onion and stock to boil. Cook meatballs in batches for about 5 minutes. Take meatballs out of the pan with a slotted spoon and put on a plate. Discard the onion.

raw and cooked meatballs

You will be left with a rather murky-looking broth.
Leave it as it is, or clarify it with a help of a beaten egg white which you add to the broth. Boil it for a couple of minutes, then strain the broth through a large sieve with a piece of clean cheesecloth. Discard the egg white with all the bits on it.

Peel a carrot and chop into small pieces, slice courgettes into little discs. Halve the tomatoes and slice the green beans.
First add the carrots to the broth. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the pasta shapes, halved tomatoes, green beans, tomato paste and cannelini beans. Cook for 6 minutes. Add the chopped basil in the last minute of cooking. Put the meatballs in the soup before serving.
Serve hot with 4-5 meatballs per person.

In this recipe I used De Cecco Stellette, which is a tiny star-shaped pasta, perfect for soups. If you cannot find Stellette, any small pasta shapes will do.

The verdict was unanimous - this soup is delicious. It has pasta and meatballs, and is an all-round crowd pleaser.

This post is an entry for the BritMums #HealthyRedMeat, sponsored by the Meat Advisory Panel.

Disclosure: I received a £10 voucher to buy meat for the recipe.