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mrssavageangel

First time mother just trying to figure out where to go from here.

November

Halfords Black Friday Giveaway

10/11/2016 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Oscar’s Autism meant that he didn’t start using language in any meaningful way until he was 3 and a half. And yet every day since then it seems like he learns another word, grasps another concept, answers another question. For me it’s thrilling. Only last night did he described his book case as a “library”! Asking for things has also been slow to arrive. We focused for the longest time on getting him to express his needs, which he still sometimes struggles with to be honest. So you can imagine, asking for things he wants, verbally, hasn’t been high up on his agenda. Until recently. Suddenly he can tell me when he’s hungry and two weeks ago he told me he wanted a bike. And when your child, who has only just (at four and a half) learnt to sit for long enough in order to learn to pedal, asks you, with words, for a bike, you start looking for a bike. Believe me.

If you follow me on Facebook you’ll have seen I asked my lovely readers where they’d recommend when looking for a first bike, particularly one that was good quality but also value for money. The answer from almost everyone who joined the discussion was Halfords. To be honest I’d completely forgotten Halfords did bikes but I had so many recommendations for them, I couldn’t not check them out online. I had no idea how much a child’s bike cost. Looking around the internet it would appear you can happily pay whatever you like. Bikes are one of those things I think. So I was pleasantly surprised to find the ones at Halfords weren’t crazy expensive.

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Now I don’t know about you, but I love a bargain. I’m the kind of person that takes great pride in finding something I want in the sale. However, I’ve never really got involved with the whole Black Friday thing. The images of people trampling each other to get a cheap telly always left me cold. There’s no bargain on Earth worth that kind of behaviour. But then I saw that, this year, Halfords are having an online Black Friday sale on 25th November. Not a trampling in sight. They are discounting things every day until the main event on 25th and I’m keeping my eyes on the site but I think I’m going to wait for the biggie, the main event on 25th, to be in with a chance of a really decent discount.

Now I love a bargain, but what’s a bigger bargain than free? Alongside their Black Friday discounts Halfords are also running a Black Friday Giveaway. You can enter any time up until 22nd November to be in with a chance of winning one of three prizes of either £2000, £1000 or £500 worth of Halfords goods. That’s a lot of Christmas pressies right there! I’ve put a link to the Halfords Black Friday Giveaway page in the image below.

black-friday-2016

I’ve entered. And you’ve got until 22nd to do the same! Good luck!

Right, back to looking at bikes. I only hope Oscar doesn’t ask for anything more expensive. Like his own private jet or a Ferrari. If he asked me with words, I’d probably get it for him!

 

This is a collaborative post.

Filed Under: Children, Family, Review, Shopping Tagged With: Autism, bicycle, bike, Black Friday, Black Friday Giveaway, children, Christmas, competition, Halfords, November, speech delay

Our Favourite Five – November

01/12/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

November is finally over and so begins my favourite month of the year. But before I get completely caught up in strings of fairy lights, presents and the smell of cinnamon (oh and being kind to my fellow humans etc etc) I want to take a look at what we enjoyed about November.

1. Spirit of Christmas Fair

You may remember myself and my friend Helen went to the Spirit of Christmas Fair last year and had a whale of a time. I wrote all about it here. Anyway after the fair, I completed a customer feedback survey and blow it all if I didn’t win two free tickets for this year’s show. It gave Helen a very legitimate reason to leave her children at home with Daddy (thanks Geoff!) again and come all the way from Devon to spend the weekend with us and come to the Fair with me. We had just as good a time this year, although as I don’t have a target to reach this year we definitely spent more time in the food hall, sampling lots of delicious goodies! We also went to another workshop. This year’s was canapes with Executive Chef Barry Vera. It was fun and all that (who doesn’t love choking on a wasabi oyster!) but it was a watching only workshop, unlike the hands on Biscuit Decorating we did last year. No matter, we had a super day and came home just as tired but happy as we did before.

Thanks to Helen for coming with me, thanks to Ben for looking after Oscar and thanks to Spirit of Christmas Fair for a great day out!

Helen with a reindeer made from dried fruit. As you do!
Helen with a reindeer made from dried fruit. As you do!
Helen and I in the same place we took a photo last year. Cos we're just that cool!
Helen and I in the same place we took a photo last year. Cos we’re just that cool!
My purchases from this year's Spirit of Christmas Fair. Can you see a theme?
My purchases from this year’s Spirit of Christmas Fair. Can you see a theme?

2. Pusskins Plush

My friend Jane started making whimsical, beautiful things in felt and cloth a little while ago and I actually bought my first item from her etsy shop, Pusskins Plush, two years ago. However this year she’s been working on a line of one of a kind Unicorns and I fell in love when I saw the ones she’d created for Christmas. Here she is. She is this year’s Christmas decoration. Isn’t she a beaut?

Gingerbread the Unicorn
Gingerbread the Christmas Unicorn

And it got me thinking about Oscar’s decoration for this year. I had a picture in my head, but knew I didn’t have the skills (or patience, let’s be honest) to make it myself. I decided to ask Jane if it was something she could do and blow me if she didn’t say yes. What a doll! And as she was being such a sweetie, I also asked her to make one for a friends daughter too! Jane’s been amazing updating me all through the process and I received the photos of the finished articles a few days ago. They’re on their way and I cant wait to put Oscar’s up!

My very very rough drawing of an idea for Oscar's decoration. In case you cant read my writing - that's meant to be a train!
My very, very rough drawing of an idea for Oscar’s decoration. In case you can’t read my writing – that’s meant to be a train!

3. Boo Face Photography

How could I talk about November and not mention our Pony Pals shoot with Boo Face Photography. I wrote all about our experience here (and if you haven’t read it yet, you’re the only one who hasn’t! Who knew little boys running around with tiny horses could be so popular 😉 ). It was an amazing experience and gave us some fantastic memories, as well as some wonderful images to keep. Seriously, if you haven’t seen the pictures go and look now!!!

© Boo Face Photography 2015
© Boo Face Photography 2015

4. Mog the Cat

It’s that time of year when big stores release their Christmas advert designed to pull at the heartstrings and make us cry. At least I assume that’s what they’re for. I’m always a blubbing mess when I watch them! Anyway this year’s Sainsbury’s ad is a little different. Based around the ever popular children’s book character Mog, it’s my favourite of the season, for several reasons. Firstly Sainsbury’s are using the ad to support Save the Children and to improve child literacy across the UK. And who can argue with that? Secondly it’s really cleverly filmed and the boy absolutely loves watching it. Over and over! But mostly it’s because it reminded me that I still had my early 80’s copy of Mog’s Christmas. I decided that, as the boy seemed to love the ad so much, I’d dig it out for him. He was thrilled to have the book, but the more I read it the more I realised how potentially useful it could be. Mog’s Christmas is all about how difficult it can be for Mog when everything in the house starts changing and she doesn’t understand why. This is something many autistic children struggle with too and so I’m hoping that by reading the book together, we can explain to Oscar the kinds of things that might happen and help with any anxiety the festive season may cause him. Good old Mog!

image
My original 80’s copy of Mog’s Christmas

5. Tots100

Much as I don’t really pay any heed to these sort of things, it was a lovely surprise to find out I had entered the Top 500 of the Tots 100 this month. The Tots 100 is a scoreboard, a Top of the Pops if you will, for UK parent bloggers and there are 8000 members. I’ve had the badge on my blog since I began blogging, but only linked it up earlier this year. Once you get into the Top 500 bloggers your badge updates and shows your ranking. It was a massive shock to see I’d jumped up the scores and got a number in my badge this month. I have every expectation that it will be gone by the next round of scores, so I took a snap of it to remind myself I was there once! Yay me!

A Top 500 blogger? Get me!
A Top 500 blogger? Get me!

What did November hold for you? Or have you already forgotten in the glare of gorgeousness that is December?

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Autism, Boo Face Photography, christmas decorations, friends, horses, mog, Mog the Cat, November, Our Favourite Five, Photography, Pony Pals, Pusskins, Sainsburys, Spirit of Chr, Top 500, Tots100, unicorn

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Totally petitioning to move Bonfire night to June. Totally petitioning to move Bonfire night to June. It’s not so dark you lose your family, it’s way warmer and the sky just looks more dramatic. Much more fun all round.
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What an amazing day! The little sister who came in What an amazing day! The little sister who came into our lives when she was a sweet little ten year old, is now a beautiful, strong wife and mother. We couldn’t have been any prouder to share her day with her. Oh yeah and James was there too 😜 Only kidding we love you guys so much! #family #wedding
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Oscar’s party was a roaring success. The cousins Oscar’s party was a roaring success. The cousins all came and played together like they were best of friends, the Minecraft themed food was devoured, the castle was bounced to within an inch of its life, the grown ups chatted and most of all the boy had the best day! And now I’m so exhausted I’m off to bed. Thank you to the family (and chosen family) who helped make it such a special day for our special little guy. #whenoscarturnedten #happybirthday #familypartiesarethebest
Ten years old. Where has that decade gone? He’s Ten years old. Where has that decade gone? He’s ten years old. I’m ten years older. Sometimes it feels like we’re growing up together! Happy birthday beautiful boy. And Happy Birthing Day to me. 🥰
It’s that time of year again when I lay all his It’s that time of year again when I lay all his presents out and say I’m ready for him to be another year older and then quip that I am NEVER ready for him to be another year older. But 10 man? I don’t know, it feels so… significant. Double digits, a decade, it somehow feels different from all the other birthdays. I can’t quite believe it tbh. Anyway as he’s having his birthday here (tomorrow) but his party in Plymouth next Saturday it has been decreed it’s his birthday all week. And what with the grand age he’s turning, I think that sounds perfectly appropriate.
Breakfast in bed (toast and a makeshift cloche - w Breakfast in bed (toast and a makeshift cloche - we fancy!) and three cards and a sunflower he planted from seed at school 😱! Now off out for lunch. Very much a Happy Mothers Day to me! And to all the mamas I know. May you be treated like Kweens today!
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