Easter with Lindt *REVIEW*

It is exactly one month today until Easter Weekend begins. 

Easter in our house is always about getting together as a whole family for a nice meal, and enjoying each other's company. We're not a religious family, but any excuse to get together is welcomed with open arms, and so instead we like to celebrate to arrival of Spring: we look forward to the coming of the nicer weather, the beautiful spring flowers and the tiny baby animals! 

Spring for us is such an optimistic and happy season. 

Of course, with Easter comes all the chocolate! In years gone by I've dreaded Easter with all its chocolatey temptation and usually come away from the holiday feeling utterly depressed because I've eaten far too many Easter eggs. This year feels very different. 

During our change to a healthy lifestyle last year Liam and I decided to change the way we ate for good, and with that came a pledge to limit 'treat' foods, and only eat the best of these, to ensure we always enjoyed them, and never regretted what we'd eaten afterwards. This seems to work well for us. As chocolate snobs, we pledged that we would only ever be tempted by our favourite chocolate brands: and so, when Lindt asked if we'd like to try our their Spring 2015 range, how on earth could we say no? 

Of course, we haven't been disappointed. Their new range is completely stunning, and full to the rafters with gorgeous new items to gift to your loved ones this Easter. I'm sharing with you today my absolute favourites from the new range, but trust me when I say that there is so much more to see. 

Lindt Easter heaven for The Bishop Family! 

We were sent the most stunning collection of Easter goodies from the lovely people over at Lindt, our collection included a gorgeously iconic Lindt Gold Bunny for Liam, Albert and I. The Dark Gold Bunny (200g) for Daddy, the Milk Gold Bunny (200g) for Mummy, and a twee little White Gold Bunny (100g) for The Bertster.

What a perfect chocolate family they make!

Of course, Mummy & Daddy will "help" Bert with his ;-)

Lindt Gold Dark Bunny (100g) priced at £2.99 (200g bunny pictured*)

Lindt Gold Milk Bunny (200g) priced at £4.49

Lindt Gold White Bunny (100g) priced at £2.99

A basket full of chocolate happiness...

As part of their Easter range Lindt have launched some gorgeous Lindor eggs, which come with a selection of delectable Lindor truffles, as well as a hollow chocolate egg. 

Their newest collection this season is called A Taste of Spring, and is packaged in gorgeous pastel pinks and greens with spring bunny's a-hopping all over the boxes/wrapping. The Taste of Spring range includes mini flame eggs (pictured above - the small wrapped egg in the pink/green/beige wrapper with pink ribbon), praline gift boxes, and Spring gift boxes. 

(A Taste of Spring is available exclusively at Selfridges, Harrods & other premium outlets.)

We were sent the Lindor Spring Easter Egg priced at £8.99, and a Lindt Taste of Spring Flame Easter Egg (57g) priced at £3.99. 

Is he not the cutest bunny you ever did see? I cannot wait to see Albert's face when I give him this on Easter Sunday! (Keep an eye on my social media platforms for pictures on the big day!)

For Bert, as an extra-special treat this Easter Lindt sent us the newest edition to the Lindt Gold Bunny family...the Lindt Bunny Soft Toy with Mini Milk Bunnies, who is priced at £13.49 and comes with three mini golden milk bunnies, which fit into a little zip pocket on the bunny's bottom! Too cute! He is the perfect mix of gorgeous keep-forever toy and mini tasty treat for any little people this Easter who couldn't manage a whole egg. Genius! 

Five Little Lambs (50g) priced at £2.59

Another option for gorgeous little people who won't manage/aren't allowed a whole egg this Easter are these stunning little lambs, crafted from Lindt's delicious milk chocolate, these cute little individually wrapped lambs would be the perfect chocolate treat for your toddlers/small children. Bert has been completely devouring them - he laughs and cheers when he see's one on his lunch platter...

Bert very much enjoying his Lindt little lamb chocolates! Yum yum! 

My Lindor Spring Easter Egg - it is truly delicious! 

For me, Easter is all about Lindor (the best truffles in the world ever?!) and so Lindt kindly sent me one of their Lindor Spring easter eggs which was packaged in a beautiful pastel green box, and filled with a deliciously creamy milk egg and wonderful selection of Lindor truffles. What woman on earth wouldn't be thrilled to bits to receive this gorgeous girlie treat this Easter? Of course, then men will love it too...it tastes too good to worry about the fact that it comes in a pretty box! Liam has already stolen a Lindor to two from the box! 

And just to give you a taste of what to expect from a Lindor truffle if you've never been lucky enough to try one...

I am in caramel heaven ever since trying this flavour Lindor truffle - nothing is wrong with the world when you're eaten one of these bad boys! 

The selection of Lindt Easter classics and the new additions offer gifts for the smallest members of the household right through to indulgent Easter treats for chocolate-loving adults - Lindt is definitely the perfect accompaniment to your magical Easter celebrations this year.

You can make all of these wonderful treats yours in time for Easter - just head over to the Lindt website and get shopping guys! Ditch the 'BOGOF' cheap-deal supermarket eggs (which, quite frankly, don't remotely compare to their Lindt contemporaries) and treat yourself to something truly special this Easter. 

Your whole family will thank you for it, trust me. 

Lindt products are available from Waitrose, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Harrods, Premium Garden Centres and the Lindt e-shop.

HAPPY EARLY EASTER to all my readers, I hope you all enjoy a truly choc-tastic time!

Bye for now

Mrs B 

xxx

Disclaimer: I was sent the selected of Lindt Easter goodies pictures for the purpose of this review. All images, words and opinions are my own, excluding the Lindt logo. 

Why it Pays to Buy from a Diamond Expert...Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend!

 

Running with the theme of love/marriage today (it is the five year anniversary of when I met my husband Liam) I thought I'd share with you some advice about buying a diamond ring...

Your engagement/wedding rings are probably some of the most expensive purchases you'll ever make (bar a house and a car), and so, it's important that you take your time, do your research and ensure you're getting the perfect diamond for you. 

My diamond! Chosen and purchased in secret by my husband, and I love it's simple beauty. 

Whenever you are making a huge purchase it always makes sense to do the necessary legwork to be sure you get the purchase correct. You wouldn't buy a home, car, or home entertainment system without doing the requisite amount of research. You want to be sure you are getting the best price, you want to be sure that the quality and legacy are going to stand up to scrutiny, and you want to be sure that these are things which are going to get you your value for your money for as long as you own these products.

So what makes your engagement ring any different?

There are many reasons why it pays to buy from a diamond expert when you are out there searching for your perfect ring. Here are a few of these reasons:

Care: One of the main reasons why it pays to buy from a diamond expert is that you get a certain amount of extra care from a personal retailer that you just don't find anywhere else. Whether online or in-person a diamond expert will take the time to get to know and understand all of the things about you and they will get you the right ring for your individual needs.

Attention: When you get up close and personal with an actual diamond retailer, in the online realm or in-store, they are going to grant you all of the necessary attention that you need in order to make such a hefty purchase.  A diamond ring is a big deal and you need someone who will take the time to get to know and understand you and your wishes so that you get the ring that you have been seeking. The attention paid by your diamond ring expert is imperative!

Scrutiny: One more reason why it pays to buy from a diamond expert when you are seeking out your soul mates ring is that you are able to get up close and personal with the stone and get to know exactly what it is that you are buying. Of course, when you are passing out details with a Gemologist that is the ideal level of scrutiny. But we don't always have that level of involvement in our diamond ring purchase. Whatever you think of the ring on the front side you want to be dealing with a retailer; online or in person who stands behind their work. When you have found someone from either dimension who does indeed value your time and unequivocally stands behind their work then you have really found something special.

Value: One of the final primary reasons why it pays to buy from a diamond expert is the overall value you are going to be getting. A diamond ring is an expensive proposition; when you are thinking about the money you are spending it should be for something of requisite value. If you are not buying the very best in diamond rings when you make the purchase then you are subjecting yourself to the depreciation of the lost value in not buying something that you could validate it's worth. Online retailers can show you a vast selection of different rings, getting inside the store to inspect these rings personally also has value. The combination of these two tasks is really what sets apart an expert from just an average individual. 

You need to get the very best diamond ring when you are buying from any type of retailer. Whether it's an online retailer or someone in-person there is but one name to choose to find the very best in diamond ring sales: Laingsof Glasgow

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. 

Five Years...

Today marks the anniversary of when I met Liam. 

Five years ago today I tottered nervously through Bedford town centre in my best dress and heels to meet a sweet guy who I'd sent a few emails to through the dating website Plenty of Fish, for drinks and dinner.

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Five years on we're home owners, we're married, we have a cat and a beautiful son. Isn't it amazing how one decision (to go out on a date) can shape the rest of your life? It's quite unbelievable really...imagine if I'd known that night what that one date would lead to..! 

I was in a pretty bad place when I first met Liam, I was still embroiled in a messy break up (my ex-partner was still living with me as we couldn't afford to go our separate ways until our flat contract ran out), I was suffering from a bout of pretty bad anxiety, and I was extremely down about my weight. The night I met Liam I didn't worry about any of those things - he made me feel beautiful, interesting, and safe. He has continued to make me feel like that for the past five years. 

Within 4 months Liam had moved in with me and my ex moved out: within 11 months we were engaged, after 2 years 5 months we were married, Bert came along 3 years and 5 months into our relationship...and here we are 5 years on in total and we are strong and happy family unit. 

In five years we have...

Hosted a Where's Wally themed party/got engaged in Paris/flown to Edinburgh/had a holiday in Rome/planned a wedding/been to Cyprus twice/started our own blogs/had weekends away in London/eaten at Gordon Ramsay's 'Petrus' restaurant/eaten at Heston Blumenthal's 'Dinner' and 'The Hinds Head' restaurants/bought a house/got our cat Pickle-Lily/Got married in Surrey/Liam learnt to drive & bought a car/We've had too many afternoon tea's to mention/had a weekend in Yorkshire/been to a swanky official BAFTA's party/had our baby boy Bert/Had the best roast beef at 'Simpsons in The Strand' in London for Liam's 30th and we've lost 11 stone 11 lbs between us!!!

It's been eventful!

Of course, there's been some bloody hard times too - when we lost our first baby to miscarriage on our honeymoon, it was absolutely devastating, but we supported each other, loved each other, and carried on as best we could - that experience has made us a stronger team, and made us appreciate what we have and how lucky we are to have been able to go on and have Bert. 

So, I thought it would be fun to share with you some pictures of Liam & I over the last five years...you'll notice quite a change in us. 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LIAM, I Love You!

Mrs B 

xxx

Sooty ABC - Learn the Alphabet DVD *REVIEW*

Sooty, Sweep and Soo are such nostalgic characters for me. I was born in the mid 80's (1986) and I can vividly remember watching my Sooty VHS videos over and over again - I remember seeing the Sooty live shows too, with my mum and my twin sister in tow - and us shouting "Izzy wizzy lets get busy" at the top of our voices! 

Some twenty something years on, I still remember the storylines of some of our Sooty videos, and the characters remain close to my heart. So, when I was asked if I would like to review a preview DVD of Sooty's newest adventure with his trusty friends Sweep, Soo, and of course, Richard (who has changed actor since my day), how could I say no? The nostalgia was too strong, and I thought it would be lovely to share a character so engrained in my childhood, with Bert. 

I'm pleased to report that Bert seems just as enchanted by the little orange puppet, as I was - he particularly seemed to enjoy Sweep's squeaking & the slapstick comedy - he's a sucker for laughing when someone falls over (evil child!). 

He was enchanted from the beginning!

Look at the concentration on his face!

He found his cuddly panda (now aptly named Soo!) and watched alongside her! *cute*

Kissing Soo! 

The DVD see's Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard embark on a search to find words to match each letter of the alphabet in their surroundings (Wookey Hole, in Somerset), before a giant sand timer runs out - from A for Apple, N for Noodles, S for Stick, O for Orange, to Z for Zoo (and so on..) The DVD see's Sooty and the gang land themselves in all sorts of mischief, and ends with their version of the alphabet song! 

Such nostalgia! Izzy Wizzy Let's Get Busy!! 

The DVD supports the Early Years Curriculum, and engages children in a fun way which helps to develop their early literacy skills. 

The DVD would be a perfect alternative Easter gift (much healthier than chocolate) and is packaged with a printed A-Z poster and also features three classic episodes from the hit CITV series: The Swimming Lesson, The Farm and Beach Patrol. It also includes printable worksheets to enhance the learning experience!

The DVD is on sale from today an can be bought online from the Sooty shop for just £6.99.

You can find out more about Sooty over on his Facebook page at Sooty Show Official.

If you loved Sooty as much as I did as a child, why not share Sooty's newest adventures with your little ones?

Bye for now

Mrs B 

xxx

Disclaimer: I was sent a review copy of the Sooty ABC- Learn the Alphabet DVD for the purpose of this review - all opinions, words and pictures are my own, excluding the DVD cover picture and top picture of Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard. 

HOW Is It March Already?

I fail to believe it is already March - how? How have two months of the year passed by already? Time really does fly. 

It hasn't been the best start to 2015, with poor old Bertster getting so poorly, but onwards and upwards - we are just so thankful he has made a speedy recovery, and is back to his (incredibly cheeky) self. 

Back at the start of January I set myself four goals to try and achieve throughout 2015, and I thought it being the first of the month, it would be a sensible time to update you as to how I'm getting on 1/6 of the way through the year. 

GOAL 1: Be Kinder To Yourself

I'm definitely getting the hang of this one, and boy am I enjoying it! Whether it be an hour to myself (while Bert naps, usually) to read a book or flick through a magazine, or time invested into teaching myself a new hobby, I am thoroughly enjoying every moment of this goal. I feel happier too, and I'm hoping my happiness shows. 

I am planning regular social events, nights/days out, and mini trips away throughout the year to give me lots of little things to anticipate and look forward too. This weekend, I headed away to Nottingham with some lovely fellow-blogger friends for a night's escape from the rat race. 

We wandered round the shops, had a leisurely lunch, got dressed up and headed out for a lovely dinner, sat up chatting until 2am, and enjoyed breakfast and a little more shopping together before parting and heading back to our families. 

It is amazing how rejuvenating even just one night away can be: not only do you completely relax but yet manage to fit a million things into such a short space of time, but you also find yourself missing back home, and looking forward to seeing everyone again - I couldn't wait to give Bertster a big squeeze, and see his face when I presented him with a Daddy Pig Weeble toy I'd picked up for him as a treat. I also think it's important for Liam and Bert to get time together just the two of them, as they rarely get that, and good for Bert to be away from me a little bit, so as to ensure he doesn't suffer too much anxiety when I have to be away from him for a while - the more regularly you do it as a parent the stronger you all get. Plus, it's good for home to soldier on without you for a while, I've found they tend to appreciate what you do for them so much more when you leave them to their own devices ;-)

While in Notts I thoroughly relaxed and enjoyed a mooch around the shops, a little retail therapy (it would have been rude not to treat myself to a few lovely things), and some lovely meals with even lovelier friends. As soon as I arrived home from Notts on Saturday afternoon I headed straight out again to my lovely friend Amy's 'Bump Party' (think baby shower but less American!). She is due to have her baby boy this month, and it was lovely to share an afternoon/evening with her, our good friends, lots of cake and Hotel Chocolat tasting (YES! Us British know how to do a baby shower in style!) After the lovely weekend I've just had I feel refreshed and ready to face anything March has to throw at me. 

A little glimpse into what me being kind to myself looks like - my weekend in pictures! 

I'm also very much enjoying my newest crafting hobby - crochet. I taught myself to crochet a granny square, and all the other necessary skills needed to make a granny square blanket (attaching the squares to each other, sewing in the ends, and eventually doing some crochet edging) using amazing tutorials from blogger Sarah-Jayne over at Bella Coco. Her YouTube tutorials have been a godsend, and I'm so proud of my new hobby and how fast I've picked it up (thanks to Sarah-Jayne). I'm working using 100% cotton yarn, which feels amazing, and I've chosen my favourite colour combo of grey and yellow - the aim is to make myself a big blanket, for snuggling on the sofa in front of the TV at night - a thoroughly selfish make - which is very in-keeping with the theme of this year's goal. 

My newest hobby: crochet! I'm making a gorgeous yellow & grey blanket in 100% cotton. 

GOAL 2: Reach My 10 Stone Weight Goal

So, I started 2015 at 11 stone 7 lbs, and since then I have managed to shift 11lbs - I'm pretty happy with that! I now weigh 10 stone 10 lbs which puts me officially into the "normal weight" category on the BMI scale for my sex/age/height, and that is a big achievement for me, having always been classed as 'obese' or 'morbidly obese' my whole adult life. 

I'm pleased with the steady losses throughout the last two months, especially considering I've had weekends away, meals out and parties to attend in the past two months, and we had the horrendous stay in hospital to contend with as well. Slow and steady most definitely wins the race when it comes to weight loss, and I absolutely know I can get to my 10 stone target in the first half of this year for sure. Then the rest of the year will see me concentrate on getting to grips with maintaining within a 7lb range, and enjoying my new sized body. 

I continue to count calories every single day - I don't always stay within my calorie goal, but when I have days that I go over, I make sure that other days in that week I am under in order to balance it out as best I can. I try hard to make sensible, healthy choices as much as possible, and on the whole I think I manage temptation well. 

So, I have 10lbs left to lose until I hit my very final target weight - exciting stuff. I'm hoping I'll be able to get to my goal in another two months, should I carry on the way I've started. So, by the end of April, hopefully I will be done with weight loss, and welcoming the maintenance phase of my healthy life style with open arms. 

10 stone 10lbs and loving life right now! 

GOAL 3: Drink More Water

I'm getting there with this one, but it's going to take a few more months before I'm doing it easily and just as part of my usual routine. After two months I'm managing to drink a glass of water with each meal as a minimum, and I'm trying to make sure I drink a glass in between each meal as well. 

I still drink a lot of tea, but try to balance it with a glass of water for every cup of tea I drink - I'm not always managing it, but I'm certainly drinking a lot more than I was in 2014. 

I very rarely drink carbonated drinks (other than fizzy water) and I never ever drink squash or fruit juice. I really like low calorie tonic water (especially the new flavoured varieties such as cucumber, lime, elderflower and jasmine) and mostly I drink still, cold mineral water straight from the fridge.

It is a work in progress, but I'm definitely improving, and hope to have this habit honed very soon! 

GOAL 4: Read More Books

I've almost managed my 'book a month' challenge - in January I read 'Before I Go To Sleep' by SJ Watson, and my February read has been 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding - I've almost finished it, and will be moving on to my third book (of which I haven't decided on yet) as soon as I'm done with Lord of the Flies. 

I still find it hard to fit reading into my daily life - by the time Bert has gone to bed I'm too tired to concentrate on a book and prefer to veg out in front of the TV with some crochet (or chocolate! ha!) and during the day there's not a chance to read - Bert literally takes the book out of my hand and says 'no'. Kids! 

I take a book up to the bath with me, and read a few pages trying desperately not to drop it in the bath water, and sometimes manage to grab twenty minutes here and there when Bert is asleep, or being occupied by his Daddy. But it still doesn't fit brilliantly into my day to day - must try harder. 

--------------------------------

So, Ladies and Gents, that's my little update - all is going according to plan, and I'm ready and willing for whatever the next couple of months might throw at me. 

Bring it on. 

Mrs B

xxx