Luxurious yogurts that won't break the bank - perfect for an after dinner treat

Soooo I went to Tesco armed with my vouchers from BzzAgent for a mooch around their new Tesco Finest Range of cheeses and desserts.  I found the fridge of yogurts and mousse desserts very easily and was taken aback at the choice available.  So many flavours to choose from, from your basic fruity flavours of peach, raspberry and strawberry, to the more luxurious flavoured yogurts - Rhubarb and champagne, mango and green tea, rum and fudge....  The black and white packaging is plain, but somewhat eye-catching, and does actually scream 'luxury' whilst sitting in the fridge.  So, the question.

So, while I'm thinking about what flavours I'm about to choose, I'm also thinking about what would I like to know before purchasing this product?  Hmmm.  I'd like to know if they live up to the claims of it being one of Tesco's 'Finest' afterall, they have put their name to it.  I'd also like to know if they are worth the price, are they really creamy considering that most of the ingredients are cream?  Here's my answers to each of these questions.

I stood for 10 minutes whilst deciding on what flavours of yogurt I wanted to try.  The yogurts were on offer 5 for £3.50, and as my voucher was for £3 off when you spend £3 on Tesco Finest Yogurts, I decided to make the most offer and choose 5 of these decadent sounding yogurts to take home with me.

I chose 'Lemon Curd', 'Senga Strawberries and Cream' and 'White Peach'.  Peach and strawberry are 2 of my favourite flavours of yogurt, so they jumped straight into my trolley.  Lemon curd just sounded so different and refreshing so thought I'd give it a bash.  I wasn't too fussed on other flavours such as 'Rhubarb and champagne', 'Hazelnut', 'Rum and Fudge', these don't appeal to me, but I'm sure they would appeal to someone else.  I like to stick to what I know.  I am teetotal so I am afraid that these yogurts would taste too 'alcoholic' - ie champagne, rum, etc.

Anyway, for the taste test.  I tried the strawberry one first.  Ohhhhh.  This was very nice.  Thick, creamy, nice chunks of strawberry and very flavoursome.  It's thickness was very satisfying.  It's taste - very nice, full of flavour from the fruit and creaminess from the fresh whipping cream.  Gorgeous.

Second, I tried the White Peach.  This one was very nice.  Creamy, rich and generously filled with juicy pieces of peach.  Very tasty and very nice.  Definitely decadent and rich.  I'd definitely buy this one again.

Thirdly, I went for the Lemon Curd.  I hung on to this one because I was expecting it to be tart, sour and not very nice.  This wasn't the case at all.  It was creamy, thick and completely refreshing.  This has to be my new favourite yogurt.  Normally, I stay away from all things citrus as I don't like the acidic, sour taste of a lot of citrus fruits.  I was pleasantly surprised at this yogurt.  I like Lemon curd as a spread on my toast, so probably was attracted to this yogurt because of that.  I'm going back for more of these.  It was a refreshing finish as a dessert after my sunday lunch, and not too heavy.

All of these yogurts that I've tried are decadent, luxurious and taste so naughty. I'd recommend them to anyone who wants a treat, as an every day dessert, or maybe to surprise someone.  There are plenty of other flavours in the range, and I'm going back to Tesco this week, so who knows, I've been surprised by the Lemon curd flavour, so may go all out and try something else new.

So, the answers to my questions - Do they live up to my expectations of being luxurious and one of tesco's finest?  Yes, certainly.  They are so much more luxurious than your average yogurt, they definitely deserve to be up there with Tesco's finest.  They're definitely worth the price if they're only for a treat.  I think 5 for £3.50 is a reasonable price for a treat - so 1 a day as an after dinner dessert instead of a bar of chocolate, then why not.  As a yogurt to take to work for breaks etc (I take 4 of your bog standard, branded yogurts to work with me for breakfast, 2 x breaks and lunch) so certainly couldn't afford to take that many of these yogurts with me.  I'd also worry that they wouldn't be  good for me, considering they contain 250kcal per pot on average (lemon curd), so 4 of these would be over 1/3 of my RDA of calorie intake.  I'd definitely consider one a day though, probably as my after dinner dessert.  Are they creamy?  Yes definitely.  They're almost like a cream dessert than a yogurt.  I didn't detect a hint of sourness in any of the flavours, just a nice 'desserty' taste.  Some yogurts I've tried in the past have had a horrible, distinctive sour taste, which inevitably puts you off yogurts.  These are lush and worth a treat though.

I'm a bzzagent.  I received vouchers for this bzzcampaign which allowed me to try these products for free in return for my honest review and opinion.  #GotADiscount #Gotitfree

©Cheznal 06/11/2013

Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit - BzzAgent review

Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit - BzzAgent review

I am a BzzAgent and I was lucky enough to be selected for the EasyWax Electrical Roll-On campaign.  I am sent products to try at home to give my opinion on them.  All opinions given in this review are my own, and only my own.

After ignoring the fact that my legs needed 'shaved' for over 2 weeks, for the anticipated arrival of my Bzzkit containing the new Veet EasyWax roll on waxing kit, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a shot.  I’ve waxed before (years ago) using pre-waxed strips but didn’t think much of them, and have pretty much shaved my legs since then. 

Opening the Bzzkit, I found that I’d been provided with the Electrical unit and cable, wax cartridge for arms and legs, waxing strips and finishing wipes.  There was also a replacement cartridge suitable for underarms and bikini line (this one has a smaller roll on and has different ingredients, obviously because the bikini area and underarm areas are more sensitive

I plugged the unit in to let it heat up whilst I made a phonecall, and after 33 minutes (phonecall time) it still wasn't ready to apply.  The roller still appeared stiff and the wax was thick and gloopy, and difficult to apply.  I left it a little bit longer, and after 55-60 minutes of waiting, the wax was eventually ready to use.

I rolled a strip of wax from my knee down to midway shin, smoothed on a fabric strip, pulled my skin taught and, after a deep gasp, ripped the wax strip off my skin.  Was expecting to have a completely bare, smooth strip of skin on my leg, however it wasn't.  It was 'half' smooth, speckled with unpulled hairs.  Gutted!  Thinking that I'd done it incorrectly, I'd refreshed myself with the instructions, and proceeded with strip number 2.  Unfortunately the same thing happened again.  My skin was too sensitive to keep going over and over the same patch of skin to remove very few hairs at a time, so eventually gave up.  I used the finishing wipes to remove the wax left behind, jumped into the shower and shaved the rest of my legs to remove the hairs.  I couldn’t get the wax strip to strip off any more hairs than it was already pulling off, so carrying on seemed to be a waste of time and energy (and causing me to have super red legs, which was giving my sunburn on my upper body a run for it’s money!)

I haven’t tried the bikini/underarm cartridge yet.  I will give it a go just to say I’ve tried it.  I’m going to pass the unit/cable on to a family member when I’m finished with it, in a hope that they will have more luck with it than I had.  

I think it's safe to say that I am not a fan of EasyWax roll on waxing kit from Veet.  I’m so disappointed, as I did want perfect results first time!  The pain wasn’t a factor for it, if it meant that I didn’t have to shave my legs every 3-4 days (luckily I live in leggings/work trousers rather than skirts so get away with not shaving as often as I should ((it doesn’t bother my husband as he knows my comeback would be ‘shave your face and I’ll shave my legs :D )), however I do like to take our son to the swimming baths regularly, so can’t be going with hairy legs!!).  I did leave my legs a bit longer than I normally would between shaves for the purpose of this product test though!

I am so grateful that I was chosen for the BzzAgent BzzCampaign for this product, as I would be annoyed if I’d paid a lot of money for this kit to find it didn’t give me results that I wanted.  I’ve seen that a few people have had perfect results, but unfortunately not me.  I truly am gutted that the EasyWax system didn’t work for me though. Each to their own, everyone else may have a better experience of this product than I have but hey ho, that’s the way the cookie crumbles unfortunately x

(Please excuse the photographs of my milky, (hairy), untanned legs - their only out for review purposes only!)

The product itself is a great innovative idea, its purpose is to remove the need to continually visit a salon to have your legs/bikini line waxed every 6-8 weeks or whatever the turnaround is.  It's easy to use once it's eventually heated up, it's just a shame the strips didn't remove as many  hairs in one shot as I'd have liked it to.  I did find it a bit tedious and, to be honest, it was starting to get a bit painful, which was a bit offputting. 

Watch this space though!  I'm plucking up the courage to wax my bikini line!!

All reviews/opinions are of my own experience of this product, which I have tried for FREE as I’m a member of Bzzagent.co.uk

©Cheznal x

E45 Nourish and Restore - instant hydration for tired, dry skin! Fabulous product

*I'm a BzzAgent and I received these products for FREE to try out at home and give my honest opinion on them*  Please note that all opinions given in this review are mine and mine only.  I am given no payment for these reviews*

When I received my invitation to join in the bzzcampaign for the new E45 Nourish and Restore body lotion, I jumped at the chance.  I have suffered from ezcema for many years, since being a child, and although I don't get 'flare-ups' very often these days, I do suffer with chronic dry skin, specifically on my hands and feet and on my arms and legs.  

When my BzzKit arrived, I was dubious about trying the 'Nourish and Restore' version, as it states that it is for 'mature' skin, so I was expecting it to be a bit thicker with a 'rosy' scented tint to it - very stereotypical, I know.  I received a 250ml bottle of Nourish and Restore and also a 250ml bottle of E45 moisturising lotion from BzzAgent, to try.  

I opened the bottle and took a nice big whiff of the contents, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it smelled quite nice.  It's a light fragrance, not overpowering but enough to leave a clean, fresh scent on your skin.  Upon pouring out a small amount of the lotion, I found it to have a nice light, creamy consistency which absorbed quickly into my skin without leaving any greasy residue.  I kind of expected it to have a very thick, greasy like texture to it, as it's a brand aimed at dry skin.  Oh well, that was one of the many surprises that awaited me.  

The moisturising lotion didn't smell of anything, and I found this to be slightly thicker than the Nourish and Restore lotion, with a more greasy texture.  I felt that this would be more suited to skin that needed a more intense moisturising treatment, for example, dry heels/knees/elbows.

I decided to give the 'nourish and restore' lotion a bash first, so I took myself off for a shower that evening, with every intention of it being a scorching hot shower (not good for your skin, but works wonders for tired, aching muscles!!).  Shower was fab, and left my skin tingling, but also left it screaming for a cool down and a drink.  Cue husband -

I started to massage small amounts of the lotion into my legs, feet and torso, before hubby came up and added some more to my back and soles of my feet (places I couldn't reach) and made sure I'd covered what I could.  If my skin could speak, I would swear there would be an audible 'aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh'.

The lotion was absorbed into my skin pretty easily and quickly, and my skin instantly felt better.  My legs and feet no longer felt itchy and the dry patches of skin started to improve.  

I made a point of using this lotion every day, at least once a day.  I started to use it after a shower or bath and every night before bed (getting hubby to rub it into my feet was the best - 'Oh but I do need to try this cream out to find out it's maximum potential' came the cry......lucky for me, he was all to happy to oblige)

After 3 days, a visible improvement could be seen in my skin, then by 7 days usage, I could really tell the difference.  I no longer have white patches of dry cracked skin in between my fingers, and the dry orange patches on my legs had disappeared completely.  I have kept using the E45 Nourish and Restore moisturiser and will keep doing so.  It's a fab beauty buy, and a one that fits most budgets.  It is available from many chemists, beauty stores, wilkinsons and most supermarkets and isn't expensive to buy.  A 400ml bottle will set you back around £5 a bottle and the 250ml bottle will cost around £3.99 a bottle.

I do think that E45 are missing vital targets in the market though, as this bottle is labelled for 'mature' skin.  I'm 27 and I wouldn't have picked this up in the shop as I feel it's marketed towards the older generations.  Now I have tried it, I will purchase it again, however I do feel that it should be marketed towards those who want to give their skin a bit of TLC rather than those with more mature skin.  I've always thought E45 to be a brand who prides itself on providing products to those who's skin conditions need a helping hand, so perhaps thinking about aiming it towards those who would like a helping hand with TLC.  

I do find the 250ml and 400ml bottles are quite large, so not good if you wanted to take this travelling.  It would be fab if E45 would consider a smaller travel size bottle or even a tube of this lotion, something that would fit nicely into a handbag/overnight bag or even a baby changing bag for use on the go.

Go on, treat your skin!

Review - Sure Compressed Deodrant - No more HUGE cans of deodrant in your handbag

*I'm a BzzAgent and I received these products for FREE to try out at home and give my honest opinion on them*  Please note that all opinions given in this review are mine and mine only.  I am given no payment for these reviews

I have been selected to test the new Sure compressed deodrants and give my opinion on them.  Here are the little dinky cans of deodrant sent to me by BzzAgent.

These new 'compressed' cans are supposed to last as long as a big 150ml can of Sure anti-perspirant, so lets put it to the test shall we?  I've had the 150ml can shown in the image below since mid December, and is used on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day depending on what I'm doing/if I'm going out/particularly 'sticky' days.  I've now taken the larger can out of my handbag and replaced it with the new compressed can.  I was sent 2 variations - Ultra Dry - cotton fragrange and Aqua Crystal.  I've chosen the Ultra Dry one to be my handbag buddy for the next few weeks.  Will let you know how I get on!

Monday, 4th February 2013 - Sure Compressed Ultra Dry's first day as my handbag buddy! 

Wow, these are so dinky!  They fit perfectly into my handbag along with all other rubbish that I carry in there.  The Ultra Dry is Cotton fragrance, and it's quite an amazingly fresh smell.  

The can design:  The can is 75ml, half the size of its 150ml sister.  This 75ml can is supposed to hold the same amount of product as the 150ml can and it's supposed to last as long as the larger can.  

It's now the 5th March and I'm STILL using the first can that I opened, and that's using it on a daily basis, sometimes more than once depending on my situation.  The 150ml bottle I took out of my handbag before starting this product test felt about 1/3 full and had been in use for 1.5 months I think.  I'm doing well if this one carries on x

Scrap that, it's now 28th March and I'm STILL using the first compressed can, and that's based on 2-3 uses a day dependant on what I am doing that day - school runs/work/leisure activities/running around with my son :)  Whoo hoo.  This is definately one product that I will be swapping to.

I'd definately recommend these 'compressed' cans.  I want to say 'smaller' cans, but that's the wrong word to say.  They're not 'smaller' but they are, smaller space taken up by these cans but the same amount of product.  I don't undersand it myself, but I do know that they are great little inventions and will make quite a few women happy for not taking up as much space in handbags and gymbags.  

Check these out at Boots, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Superdrug.  Look out for special offers :)

©Cheznal x

Free Tea? I won't say no to a free cuppa!

Arrived home from work this evening to find a nice little package awaiting my arrival

(Luckily my dog hadn't tried to eat them as he did with the toothpaste that arrived on Friday)

A nice little sample package of Twinings Benefit Blend teas.

I remember entering something for a free sample and they arrived today.  

I chose 'Digest' and 'Double Mint' from the options available.  I suffer from tummy problems every now and again, so chose the 'Digest' tea to see if this would make any difference to my tummy.

I also chose 'Double Mint' as I love a cup of peppermint tea (it certainly helps with bloating and discomfort) and makes a refreshing change to 'normal' tea.

I'll update when I've tried these and let you know what I think of these samples.  

Thanks Twinings!

In the meantime, why don't you grab your free sample and see which benefit blend you may benefit from?  Visit http://twinings.co.uk/teas?tab=free-samples#free-samples to choose 2 free tea samples, and then let Twinings know your thoughts on them!

Getting Ready For Easter! Check out these treats x

Ahhhh Easter will soon be upon us, so time for some preparation in Cheznal's household 

I've been bargain hunting again, this time for Easter treats and got a nice little haul sorted.  Please be aware that this below post WILL NOT be Slimming World friendly, and does contain an awful lot of chocolate.  I'm making my 3 year old son and my 2 nieces an 'Easter Hamper' containing bits and pieces rather than a couple of Easter eggs, which aren't really all that for the money you pay for them, hence my mission to find hamper goodies :)

How cute are these little treasures?  Found these in Home Bargains for £2.99 :)  They contain 13 Ferrero Rochers, and although I LOVE Ferrero Rochers, I think the box they're in is absolutely fabulous! These are my easter present to myself :)

Another bargain find, these fab Easter Eggs are the 'boxless' ones, so less packaging to get rid of.  These are currently retailing at most Supermarkets for between £1-£2 each, some are selling at 2 for £3.00.

I picked these little beauties up at B&M bargains for a fantastic 69p each!!

Aww this is my little gift from my gorgeous little boy.  It's a 'Me to You' egg cup with a small chocolate egg with it.  It's sooo cute, and a bargain buy at £1.99 from B&M Bargains x

This little fella has to be my favourite purchase of today.  I don't actually want to eat him/her/it............ Ferrero Rocher bunny, a hollow bunny of hazelnut chocolate.  Bit disappointed that he doesn't have a Rocher filling though :)  Retailing at £2.99 each in supermarkets, but I got him for £1.49 in B&M's x

Another little novelty.  I have a niece who is still a baby, and this is her first easter.  I refuse to buy her a Milky Bar easter egg as they are so much smaller than a 'normal' easter egg but are selling for the same price.  I picked these little mooo cows up in Home Bargains for 50p each (Multibuy of 2 for £1)

Creme Eggs!  How blumming expensive are these little delights?  Erm, not if you're like me.  8, yes EIGHT of these for £1.00 at Home Bargains.  Only problem is keeping your hands off them! (9 syns if you're doing SW)

Awwwwwww!  I did buy 10 of these but now have 7 as my 3 year old thought they tasted nice.  Lindt bunnies 5 for £1.00 at B&M's x

Now, these were a bargain.  This is a classic example of making sure you get the most for your money.  When I first walked into Home Bargains, I picked up a packet of Mini Eggs - 100g for 49p.  Bargain I though, so grabbed a couple of packs for my son making cakes at the weekend, with the thought of making 'nests'.  Halfway round the store I picked up a bigger bag - 165g.  These were priced at £1.29 per packet, yet further round the store I picked up these ones.  A bigger bag - 360g for £1.49!  So this option works out cheapest.  I'm now kicking myself for picking up only one bag x

Oh here we go again!  Another novelty :)  This one is for my son.  Smarties chicken, which, apparently has a 'smarties egg' inside of it, and inside of the egg there are some Smarties!  How cool is that?  Picked this little hen up for £1.29 in Home Bargains x

Aww these are soo cute too.  Marshmallow bunny rabbits :)  Bargain at 99p in Aldi.  Defo one for the kiddies this Easter.  I'll be chomping on these though as I love marshmallows so will have to work out the syn value of them :)  Other than that, I may go to Lush and buy a Melting Marshmallow bath melt as a synfree treat x

Surprise eggs, only found Power Rangers and Hello Kitty in Home Bargains, each containing a surprise toy for 49p x

Aero Lambs are back!  4 for £1.00 in Home Bargains.  These are just too cute to eat though :(

Aww I have to add these to my little collection now.  How cute?  I mean, who wants to eat one of these?  Bargain at a fraction of the cost in Supermarkets, I picked these up at B&M's for a fab 99p each :)

Now, that's got the choccy out of the way, how about some fun things for Easter?  I've been buying lots of bits and bobs for the kids to play with.  Holiday fun doesn't have to be expensive:

These are great, little books filled with activities, such as make an easter bonnet and a basket, make chicks and rabbits.  It's filled with stickers and all sorts.  Bargain at 69p at Home Bargains x

Time for Easter Egg hunts!  These buckets are fab.  The blue and yellow ones in the top picture are plastic, and I bought them from Poundland priced at £1.00 each.  They're great for little hands with a plastic handle for them to carry them around.  

The bucket in the bottom picture, I bought for my youngest niece.  She's only 9 months old but it's only fair that she takes part too, isn't it?  This dinky little metal bucket was from Home Bargains, and I paid either 79p or 89p for it x

Now for the 'treasures' that we need to go with the buckets.  I've been buying little plastic eggs, which are great for hiding around the home and garden.

The unopened pack are from Asda, and have 12 in a pack.  They're about the size of a medium egg and open up for you to fill the inside with whatever goodies you wish.  They were priced at £1.00 in my local store.  The bottom picture shows little eggs from Poundland.  There is 15 in a pack, but are smaller, about creme egg sized.  Still reasonable, as they're big enough to hold a 'creme egg mini' or similar and great for hiding for my 3 year old son and 2 year old niece at Easter.  Fantastic value for money too :)

Hope you all have a fantastic Easter!  Enjoy the Bank Holiday :)

Danio Yogurts from Danone - Bzzagent Review

I'm a BzzAgent and I've been given the opportunity to try these yogurts COMPLETELY FREE!

If you love THICK yogurts, then you are going to love these new yogurts from Danone

These yogurts are fat-free or very low fat (depending on the flavours) with a fruity layer at the bottom of the pot.  They're strained yogurt, high protein and really are 'super thick'.  

I bought some in my local Asda to give them a bash (they were on trial offer of 50p each).  The pots are a good size at 160g and they come in 6 different flavours: Strawberry, peach, passionfruit, blueberry, cherry and raspberry.

I chose the strawberry, peach and passionfruit varieties to give them a try 

I tried a strawberry one first.  I was absolutely gobsmacked at how thick and creamy this yogurt was.  And by thick I mean thick, think along the lines of cheesecake consistency.  The yogurt is pure white, and just looks so creamy.  It tastes creamy too, with just a hint of yogurty sourness to give it just the right flavour.  After a couple of spoonfuls of just the plain yogurt, I dug deep to give the strawberry layer a try.  It's just the right consistency, not too thin and not too thick. It's very fruity, not too sweet and not too sour.

The whole yogurt is changed once you mix them together.  It was the best tasting strawberry yogurt I've had in a very long time.  The whole thing still remained thick, no matter how much you beat them together, so thick that it stays on the spoon when you turn it upside down.

Rating on the Strawberry one?
Texture - fab, thick and creamy, was almost like eating a cheesecake.  Yummy (although it isn't good dropping your camera into it lol)
Taste - thick, creamy, a sharp almost sour like afterbite which is nice and refreshing and goes well with the very sweet strawberry layer
Price - a bit hefty on the pocket at 85p (rrp) or 50p on offer in Asda at the moment as I eat 2-3 yogurts a day, but they're ok for an occasional treat

I'd definately buy these ones again as a treat, they were tasty and very filling.  Only the price puts me off buying them on a regular basis.

2nd in line for testing was the Passionfruit layer one.  Now this one I'm still not sure of.  The actual yogurt part of the, erm, yogurt, is fine, exactly the same as the strawberry one, however it's the layer of fruit that I'm not so sure on.  It sure looks nice and smells nice, but have decided it's one of those flavours that requires some careful consideration of whether I like it or not haha.  I'm not actually sure whether I've tried passionfruit before so I can't say whether I liked it or not.  Personally, I think that it may be an acquired taste, but sadly, I don't think I have that lol.  I'm now wondering if I'd actually like passionfruit as a fruit as it left a funny taste.  Not sure I'd eat this one again to be honest, but the yogurt part was still yummy like the strawberry one :)

Next in line is the peach one...............watch this space x

These yogurts are available in supermarkets now.  I bought these ones at 50p each in my local Asda, however offers my vary between stores and supermarkets.

I've since tried the Peach one - very yummy, creamy and thick yogurt and the peach fruity underlayer was just right, not too sweet but enough to take the bite off the yogurt.

Raspberry one!  Wow, this one is really nice.  Really creamy too, and again, the fruity layer is just right.  I can see these flavours being a firm favourite and a regular purchase in our house, as long as the price is right. I do find 85p for a yogurt a bit steep, however, I've been able to get my hands on these for 85p buy one get one free - so really 42.5p a pot.  Really good for a nice dessert :)

This is my honest opinion on this product and the review was written as my own experience of this product.
©Cheznal x

Hello!

Hello!

I'm new to all of this, so please bear with me while I find my barings!

I'm Michelle, or 'cheznal' as I am known.  This nickname was derived from the use of both my shortened nickname of 'chez' and my husbands 'al' - chez n al - lol.  Pretty sad, I know, but it kinda stuck and its how I'm known on a lot of forums/internet based groups now.

I'm 27 years old and a working mother of one, a little boy called Samuel who is 3 (going on 18!).  I have many hobbies and interests.  I follow the Slimming World way of life, and loving it.  I'm already over 1 and a half stone lighter than I started out, and am loving the whole lifestyle of it.  It is so easy to fit in with your family life.  No doubt there will be some posts of my weight loss journey once I get myself sorted and settled and my blog becomes established.

I love spending time with my little family - my hubby Alan and our little boy, oh and not to forget our little zoo of pets - Our dog, Casey, 3 Goldfish (forgot their names ha! How ironic as I have a memory of a goldfish), and 6 bunnies - Salt, Blossom, Dusty, Timmy, Butterscotch and Toffee.

I am a Bzzagent, which means I am sent products for free to test in my own home and then give my opinion on them.  You will probably see quite a few reviews popping up on my blog over the next few months or so. If the product I am testing is sent to me by Bzzagent, I will always state this clearly in my posts, so you know I have received the product for free.  I receive no payment for these reviews, however, I am allowed to keep the products I have been testing.

I also love writing reviews of other products that I have tested, which aren't on behalf of bzzagent, but will also state whether the review is off my own back, for a company or for bzzagent.

There will be a random array of posts from myself, depending on what I am feeling like and what I am up to at the time.  There will be a mixture of posts about my son, family life, slimming world journey, reviews, recipes and maybe, a competition or two depending on how I get on with this blogging malarky.  I'm hoping it helps my restless fingers and keeps my hands working!

Must sign off for now as it is now 1.14am and the alarm is set for 5.45am for work

Goodnight, and will be back soon!

Cheznal xx

© Cheznal x

Savoury mince 'cottage' pies - Slimming World Friendly - Recipe

Ingredients

500g pack of Extra Lean Beef Mince
2 Beef oxo cubes and 1 beef bovril cube, dissolved in 500ml boiling water
1 bag of frozen veg - I used Farmfoods 'steam bag' which contained peas, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli
2 bags of Aunt Bessies Carrot and Swede Mash


Prep time - 30 mins prep, 15 mins to bake in the oven

Method

Break up mince into a saucepan and pour over the stock made with the cubes
Bring up to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until gravy starts to thicken, around 20-25 mins
Stir in bag of frozen veg, cover and carry on simmering for a further 10 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare Aunt Bessies Carrot and Swede mash as per instructions on packaging.

Leave both mince and the carrot mash to cool for a bit before 'assembling' the pies

Layer the mince mixture in the bottom of individual lasagne dishes, then top with the mash mixture

Can either be left to cool and then frozen, or 'baked' in the oven like a cottage pie.

Serve with vegetables if you wish (already contains superfree - carrots, broccoli, cauli, and carrot and swede mash) but I serve mine with a bag of Birds Eye steam bag of vegetables.

Yummy, even my hubby approves of this one - 0 syns and laced with superfree !

©Cheznal x

LUSH 'Stepping Stone' foot scrub! - Review

Last week I purchased some Lush foot scrub ‘Stepping Stone’ to try on my awful cracked, dry and painful feet.  I tried it when I bought it and promised to come back and let you know what I thought of it…………

Initial smell of the product is very strong.  The first scent that hits me was that of Lemongrass.  It really is quite strong, but in a nice way.  It’s quite fresh.  It also contains lemon oil and lime oil, so it’s a fresh citrus smell.

I originally tried this by breaking off the big toe of the foot and dissolving it in a dish of warm water, before soaking my feet in it (advised by the lovely lady in Lush when I purchased this).  I soaked my feet for 15 minutes in the water before starting to rub in the scrub.  I’m quite lucky to have such a nice husband who doesn’t mind massaging my feet J so was quite pleased when he offered to give me a foot rub.  My hubby tried to rub a bit in, but it just crumbled up in his hands.  He then broke a piece off, dampened it with a bit of the warm water and made a paste-like consistency with it, before massaging it into my feet. 

Once I got over the initial shock of how cold it felt, I quite enjoyed it being rubbed into the soles of my feet.  It didn’t feel like it was rough.  My husband described it as feeling like he was rubbing ‘wet sand’ into my feet. The smell was still very strong, but not too overpowering.  In fact it was quite relaxing.  Husband massaged it for 10-15 minutes in each foot, before I popped my feet back in the dish of water to rinse off the excess product and dried them. 

Result?  I didn’t think my feet looked any different, but hubby said they felt so much softer.  I also noticed that they didn’t feel as achy and sore as they normally do (I have problems with my feet which causes me to walk strangely, and causes great pain in the soles of my feet), so was pleased with that.  Whether this was due to the product itself or the fact I had a nice massage, I can’t say for sure, but if it works………..The following day my husband commented again that my feet still felt really soft and the dry skin was less visible particularly around my heels and the sides of my feet.

I’m now giving it a bash for the 2^nd time in a hope that I get the same effect.  I haven’t soaked my feet in the product before rubbing it in this time.  My feet were also dry before rubbing in the product to see if I can get a different result from the product.  I’m hoping that if I keep using this product every week or so, that I may not suffer as many problems as I do with my feet – dry cracked skin, which becomes painful, eczema in the summer.  I’m also hoping that it preps my feet in time for wearing strappy sandals in the summer months J. 

I’ve just rinsed off the product, and hubby has dried them for me.  My feet are actually feeling really soft and apparently ‘smell nice’ according to my hubby.  He said his hands feel a lot softer too, so double whammy with this one!

Think this is definitely going on the ‘regular’ to buy list from Lush.  I got 2 scrubs so far out of my whole ‘foot’ and there’s enough for a 3^rd one, so not too bad for a nice treat for your feet!

©Cheznal

Slimming World Lemon Curd - Recipe

I got this recipe from a group that I'm a member of.  I've just made it for the first time today and was pleasantly impressed.  I love shop bought lemon curd, but this one is just so creamy with a real hit of lemon flavours!

Ingredients

2 eggs
6 tablespoons of sweetner
Juice and rind of 1 lemon

Method

Place all ingredients into a glass bowl and whisk together over a pan of boiling water until thick and creamy

Put into a smaller pot if required, allow to cool for around 10 mins then pop in the fridge to chill.

Completely syn free!

I've just tried it as it was just done so was still warm.  Going to try it when its cool and see what its like then!

A little few bathtime treats for me :)

Look where I've been!

I've been to LUSH today and purchased nice little bundle of goodies for myself, with the help of my 3 year old son.  I absolutely love LUSH.  

I hadn't heard of LUSH until my sister in law bought me a little bundle of goodies for christmas in 2004.  I remember that 2 of them were 'Two-Timing Tart' and 'Turbo Bubble' which had become a favourite of mine.    Two-Timing Tart was a dark pinky red colour and smelled strongly of strawberries and cream.  I loved it.  Turbo Bubble was a pale liclac colour, filled with glitter and so sweet scented.  Unfortunately, both of these are now discontinued :(

My little bundle of goodies - I'll be writing reviews on some of these goodies shortly, obviously it will take me a while though.  I do get bathed every day haha, however, some of these will last a few baths lol x  These are what I choose today with the help of Samuel.  I love to sniff and smell before I buy and I do have my favourites.  One of them is the Lavender 'French Kiss'.  It is so expensive though,

 Foot Scrub!  I'm currently soaking my horrible feet in a dish of warm water with a bit of this crumbled in (recommended by the lovely lady in Lush!)  I'm just waiting for hubby to give me a foot scrub hehe.  I have terrible feet, so I'm hoping this helps a lot with them.  I've been walking around a huge shopping centre today and my feet are tired, aching and were soggy when I came in as it's unfortunately been snowing and all sleety today and my boots have been letting in water!  I'll let you know how I get on.

 Pop In The Bath - I've never had this one before, however, my 3 year old son chose it because it was blue (his favourite colour) and because 'mammy like flowers?' lol.  It's a bubble bar, which I love as they tend to last so much longer than ballistics.  I'll let you know how I get on with this one.

 Hmmmmm - Creamy Candy Bath - I love this one.  It's all creamy and girly and sweet.  It reminds me of candy floss and is sooo sweet.

Ahhh one of LUSH's new spring range 'Candy Fluff Egg'.  I just had to buy this one because it looks sooo cute.  I don't actually want to have to put this in my bath.

 Awwww My little boy's choice!  'Mammy, may I have a 'bobot' please?'.  These remind me of Baby talc.  They are just pleasantly scented.  I think they used to be little baby faces at one time, but the scent is still the same.  I'll break this one down into 3 or 4 pieces to spread it out so Samuel can have quite a few baths out of it.  Think I may make a game of it - head, torso, legs lol! x

Think Pink bath ballistic.  It's just pink, girly and sweet.  I love it

  It appears that there is a pattern going on with my purchases.  Pink, candy, fluffy.............What can I say!  I just love girly scents.  I love Melting Marshmallow Bath Melts too :)

I've also got a few other bits and bobs in my drawers (yes, my drawers!).  I keep my wrapped bath products from Lush in my drawers with my pyjama's and my underwear.  It keeps them all smelling lovely and fresh.  It also keeps my products nice and dry so they keep for longer.

What's your favourite Lush product?  Do you have a favourite bathtime treat that Lush has discontinued?

© Cheznal x

My Weight Loss Journey Introduction

In March 2012, I finally took a HUGE step and joined a Slimming World class.

I'd noticed that my size 16 work trousers were very tight, and took the awful step purchasing a size 18 pair of trousers.  I was devastated.  I actually felt sick and ashamed.  Not a nice feeling at all.  I had noticed that I had piled the weight on, but I didn't feel absolutely HUGE and my husband kept telling me that I looked 'fine' as I was.  I knew deep down that I wasn't happy with the way I looked.  I was only 9st 10lbs when I met my husband in 2004, was slender and lean and in size 10-12 clothes.  I worked in a social club and the constant running about, serving behind bars, collecting glasses, running up and down stairs kept me lean and fit.  I had started to pile the weight on after the numerous WEEKEND binges on takeaways, and eating sweets at my desk at my day job, oh and the bacon and mushroom sarnies on the way to work from a local pork shop.

I took the step of joining a Slimming World group near my parents home in March 2012, with the intention of signing up, grabbing the books and running, but after staying through one class I was hooked.  Everyone was so friendly and helpful.  On my way out the door, the holler of 'see you next week' spurred me on, I had to come back to see how I was doing.....

I made healthy, homecooked meals that week, plenty of fruit and veg and was pleased with a 4lb weight loss at my first weigh in.  I haven't looked back since.  I have had some really bad weeks where the scales weren't my friend and was either gaining or staying the same (STS) and it was really disheartening, but as Slimming World say, 'There is no shame in a gain if you enjoyed it', and most times I did enjoy it.  I put 3lb on over Christmas but I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of chocolate I ate, the huge roast dinner, mince pies and fresh cream - yum, but it played havoc with my system and I felt sick and lethargic most of the time so glad to be back on plan.

Unfortunately throughout January, I have only managed to STS for 3 weeks running, don't know why, so my consultant gave me an 'SAS' log (Slimmers Against Sabotage) to see what I was doing that I could change.  I'd been filling in this log and had written down EVERYTHING that has passed my lips, right down to the cups of tea with the 5ml drop of milk in it!  That week, I GAINED 0.5lb!!  Gutted.  The following week though, I managed to lose 2.5lbs so well happy with that.

I stayed the same on 24/02/2013, although this didn't surprise me after what I had eaten on Valentines night when hubby took me out for a meal and I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel that passed my lips.  Again, there is no shame in a maintain or gain as long as you enjoyed it!

Once I start getting this blog established, I will start to publish some recipes that I use to give others some inspiration.  Right now, however, I'm off to make something to eat as I'm starving......................


© Cheznal x

Review for A2 milk - Milk for those with sensitive tummies

I am a Bzzagent, which means I am sent products for FREE and asked to try them, then give my opinion on them.  One of my most recent 'product tests' was for A2 Milk.  This milk is designed for people who have sensitive tummies when it comes to milk, however is not suitable for those who have any medically diagnosed  conditions irritated/caused by milk.  Here is my honest review and what I thought of this milk:

A2 milk

Purpose

I am led to believe that this milk is designed for people who have problems with discomfort after drinking/using milk, however does not have a medically diagnosed milk intolerance.  I suffer from a problem when drinking milk, tummy cramps, feeling queasy but don’t have any sort of medically diagnosed problem, other than a sensitive tummy.

I signed up to the BzzAgent 2 week challenge of A2 milk and was asked what I thought about this product.  BzzAgent sent me 4 vouchers for £1.99 to use to purchase this milk.  This milk retails at £1.99 a bottle and is available in 2 varieties – whole milk (light blue top) and Semi-skimmed (light green top). 

I used my first voucher to ‘buy’ a bottle of whole milk.  My second voucher, I used to purchase a bottle of semi skimmed (green top) milk.

How to use?

I used this milk as I would any other milk – cups of tea, cereal, cooking.  I even gave it to my husband and son.

Taste?

I didn’t notice a difference in taste.  It tasted the same as ‘normal’ whole milk.  I used it daily on my morning cereal, whilst cooking, in my cups of tea, and I hadn’t noticed that the milk was any different to any other bottle of milk.  I even gave this milk to my husband and son to see if they noticed any difference, but they didn’t.

The green top variety is also the same as the whole milk.  It didn’t taste any different, looked like milk, tasted like milk.

Did I feel any different/did I feel any benefit

I didn’t notice a difference straight away, however, after a week of using A2 milk I noticed that I didn’t feel sick and queasy 2 hours after I’d eaten breakfast and didn’t need indigestion tablets to curb the feeling of my breakfast trying to make a reappearance.  After 2 weeks, I haven’t had any bloating, discomfort or crampy tummy pains. 

Would I purchase this product again?

I really like the product, and I do believe it works (it does for me), however, I can go through up to 12 pints of milk in a week, depending on how much my son and husband drinks/eats as well as myself.  This milk retails at £1.99 per bottle, which I find expensive just for a bottle of milk.  I would consider purchasing it on a regular basis if it was slightly cheaper, as I can’t justify paying £2 for a bottle of milk, when I can buy a normal bottle for half the cost.  If I purchased this milk just for me, I would be paying out more than I normally would for milk for the whole family.  Also, in my area, this milk is only available at Morrisons, which I have to travel via public transport into town for.  If this milk were available in another supermarket, say ASDA, which is in walking distance from my home, I would consider purchasing it a bit more regular, if the price was right.  Unfortuately, in this current economic climate, I'm looking to save pennies, so if that means cutting back on my use of 'normal' everyday milk as not to upset my tummy, then I'm afraid that will have to do for the moment.

Overall opinion

Yes, this milk worked for me.  I didn’t feel as sick as I normally do after I’ve eaten a breakfast cereal with ‘normal’ milk.  I didn’t suffer with bloating after using this milk.  It’s a great idea and I do understand what does work for some, won’t work for others, but its all about trial and error.  I’m not lactose intolerant, nor do I suffer from any ‘medically’ diagnosed condition which makes me intolerant to milk proteins.  I’ve just got a ‘sensitive tummy’ when it comes to milk.  I’m pleased to say that my tummy prefers this milk  J


© Cheznal x