Mother's Day Treats at Victoria Retail Park plus Competition to Win £100 Next Voucher

Finding that perfect place to shop as a mum isn't always easy, but with out of town retail parks such as Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield, there are not only plenty of shops and free parking spaces but also plenty of places to eat too.

With stores such as Next, TK Maxx and B&M to name but a few there are plenty of fashion, home stores and food shops to satisfy every shopping craving and to even find that perfect Mother's Day gift.

I love Next & TK Maxx and with the summer fashion slowly working its way through the winter ones, then there is no better time to look for some new items for your wardrobe.

I love these pretty summer dresses and shoes, perfect for days out, weddings or simply wanting that something special.

Next & TK Maxx on Polyvore

"Superdry" Lace & Chambray Dress - TK Maxx / Buy Blush Vintage Caged Prom Printed Dress from the Next UK online... / Buy Nude Mini Across-The-Body Bag from the Next UK online shop / "Replay" Tan & Silver Clog Sandals - TK Maxx / Buy Blush Vintage Caged Prom Printed Dress from the Next UK online...

With other stores including M&S Food, Argos, B&Q, Boots and Halfords there are plenty of places for that full on retail experience no matter what you are looking for.

Along with shops there are also several food outlets, including Frankie and Bennies, McDonalds, Greggs, and KFC, meaning you can grab some lunch whilst you are there too

With Colwick Park just down the road this makes it a great place to pop and get some retail therapy after a visit to the park.

So if you haven't thought of a Mother's Day gift and are in the Nottingham area then why not pop over to Victoria Retail Park to find some perfect pressies for that special lady in your life, makeup from Boots, clothes from Next or simply some flowers from M&S Food.

And if you are feeling lucky, then why not try entering the competition below to win £100 worth of Next vouchers from the lovely people over at Victoria Retail Park.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a collaborative post, all words are my own.

Kids Style Challenge with Bonprix

With golden leaves falling down from the trees and conkers ready to pick, it would seem that we are in autumn. As sad as I am and as much as I will miss summer, it does mean cosy jumpers, sumptuous fabrics and beautiful autumnal colours.

So, when Bonprix challenged me to come up with some outfits from their children's range for my son and daughter, I knew I would take my inspiration from the season.

With plenty of bright colours, styles and matching sets it was easy to pick out what for me were the perfect autumn outfits for my children.

My daughter loves dresses so I chose this gorgeous turquoise dress with leggings to match, the colour is far from her normal favourite, pink, but she loved the flower detailing and lace around the bottom.

This dress is great for autumn with purple and green leaves on the skirt section, I also love that it has pockets, fantastic for putting in any leaf and stick collections.

The fabric is loose fitting so ideal for active children, the dress itself is easy to layer with tights or leggings and will look super with boots for adventures out and about kicking piles of leaves.

For my son I chose this fabulous stripy jumper and petrol blue chinos, he looks great in this colour and it really is the perfect colour for autumn. The jumper is a looser fit so ideal for putting on over a t-shirt or shirt and the chino trousers are thick so brilliant for keeping warm on cooler walks and days out.

The trousers also come with fasteners on the inside so perfect for a slimmer fit and meaning they can grow with your child.

As we picked some blackberries from our garden, it was really easy to see how these colours suited them both and how fabulous it looked against the autumn sunshine.

I am really pleased with my selection and with the whole lot coming to little over £42 I was happy with my choice, the itms are beautifully made and the dress certainly different from a lot of items you find on the high street.

Most importantly though the children loved them and it is always great to find something that they both love and want to wear.

Bonprix have a huge selection of clothing for men, women and children so why not pop on over and have a look and see what goodies you can find.

NB: We were sent the items of clothing to form this post, all words, opinions and photos are my own.

Sunshine, Sun Jellies and Cute Temporary Tattoos

Last week, the lovely people over at Sun Jellies announced a fabulous new collaboration with the uber talented Karen Mabon, creating these cute jelly inspired temporary tattoos. I absolutely adore them and have teamed them up with one of my favourite summer colours from the Sun Jellies collection.

The yellow is so bright and wonderfully summery that you can't help thinking of long summer days eating ice cream and dreaming of being young again. Which one is your favourite design?

Sunshine & Sun Jellies by themummydiary

Glitter shoes, TOTE Jane - The ORIGINAL jelly shoes and jelly bags, BASKET Daisy - The ORIGINAL jelly shoes and jelly bags/ ,attoos - jelly tattoos - The ORIGINAL jelly shoes and jelly bags, Sun Jellies banana sandals - The ORIGINAL jelly shoes and jelly bags

What I Wore to BritMums Live

I've had a few people ask about my outfit for BritMums Live, so I thought i'd put it on a post for everyone to see.

My tops and skirts were from Joules. They are so soft, feel and look great on and are perfect for work or days out. Being stretchy, they are also perfect for bending down to pick up little ones or chasing them round the park .

The shoes are Saltwater Sandals, I have had these for a few years now and I absolutely adore their comfort, durability and waterproofness!

And finally the bag, this bag had so many comments, it wasn't particularly glam in comparison to some but it meant I stayed as comfortable as I could, with my purse, phone, camera etc in it. It is currently in the Cath Kidston sale too for those that liked it

BritMums Outfits by themummydiary

Joules vest waistcoat / Joules blue vest / Skirt / Joules bodycon skirt / Backpacks bag

I got to meet some lovely people from Joules at the event, it was a great opportunity to see some more of their collection up close and talk to them about this fabulous and ever growing brand!

Joules stand at BritMums Live

Joules currently have a sale on so I am off to have a look...

Olive Wishlist

I have been swooning over the gorgeous items over at Olive now for some months, I need to revamp my wardrobe for work and play so here are just a few of the things I would choose.

Olive Wishlist by themummydiary on Polyvore

Real leather lunch bag / Buckle Detail Chelsea Boots, Beige / Slim- Fit Zip Detail Dress, Check / Shirts Long Dress, Camel / Wool Boy Trouser, Khaki / Feather Print Dress, Green / Brixton Messer fedora hat, Black / Chiffon Layered Boucle Top, Black / Multi Print Balloon skirt, Beige / Pleated Mini Skirt, Beige / Short-sleeve crew neck jersey, Grey

My Nextmas Wishlist

My Nextmas Wishlist consists of warm snuggly jumpers, pyjamas and slippers because there is nothing I love more at this time of year than getting snugly and warm. I have also opted for a sparkly skirt, for the Christmas party of course and something I can only dream of owning, but that I would love, a freestanding mixer!

Nextmas Wishlist by themummydiary

Fair isle sweater / Brown top / Merino sweater / Funnel Poncho/ Navy Star Pyjamas / Knit shoes / Next Stand Mixer

I seem to have chosen a lot of grey and blue, this was a coincidence and simply down to how I thought the pieces looked in those colours. I have always wanted to own a fair isle sweater and love this one it looks perfect for Christmas, mulled wine anyone?

NB: This post is my entry to the Next Blogger Network #NextmasWishlist competition

Stylish Mums with Pink Lining

I was recently approached by Pink Lining to choose and style one of their gorgeous bags.  I have never really found a changing bag that I like, but when I saw the Bramley Totes, I knew that they were the perfect bag for my lifestyle and children.

Big enough to put everything child related in but not too like a changing bag, it looks sophisticated and best of all beautiful.  Styling this outfit for autumn was going to be fun, with tights and jumpers a staple now the days have turned cooler.

Being a mum often means being on the go, running round after two children whether it’s the school run, trip to the park or a day at the shops. So I have put together an easy to wear outfit, something that looks good with ankle boots or wellies, without compromising on being me.

First of all I have a snug and easy to wear jumper from Louche, it is cotton so means it isn’t itchy and washes well. It looks great with jeans, a skirt, leggings and knee high boots or wellies. Or, as I have teamed with here, a skirt, tights and ankle boots.

The skirt is from Fat Face, I love this store for it’s easy to wear and hard wearing clothes. I have several items from here and they always look great on, their sizing is also really accurate and means you aren’t left feeling deflated when you go shopping.

And finally the shoes, I got these from Hotter, they have been my staple shoe since I got them, they go with jeans and skirts and are unbelievably comfy. Now for me a comfy shoe is like gold dust, especially when you are on your feet for a while.

The first time I wore these I travelled down to London for the day, not a single sore or blister, if I don’t have to suffer in the name of fashion then all the better!

This bag is perfectly playful and I love it, the gorgeous features of the bag including a large zip pocket across the front for all the mum things, such as a pen holder, key fob, pouch pocket for a mobile and lots of space for other essentials. The bag comes with two removable hook and stroll clip shoulder straps for easy fit over any pram/buggy handle bars. 

I have also put together a selection of other outfits and items that I love with the focal point being the gorgeous Birdcage Bramley Tote bag. This bag is easy to match with so many outfits, the print is simple from a far but when you get up close the detailing is perfect. 

Follow The Mummy Diary's board PLStyle Board on Pinterest.

NG: This is a collaborative post, I was sent the bag to style as part of the post. However, all words, opinions and photos are my own.

Cica Fashion Boutique - Beautiful, Unique Jewellery

Today I would like to welcome to the blog Lisa, owner of Cica a gorgeous online store selling beautiful jewellery and accessories. I have known Lisa for a few years, we worked our day job together until recently.

So here is a little bit about Lisa and her business...

I setup Cica Fashion Boutique in 2013, the name CiCa comes from my two adorable sons 'Cian' (Ci) and 'Calum' (Ca). I was inspired to start my business after realising that I really wanted to work for myself rather than 9-5 in a job I really didn’t enjoy that much, and also to have more time with my children as I realised they were growing up so fast. 

CiCa Fashion Boutique caters for ordinary women who buy jewellery and fashion accessories for social occasions. We offer quality, unique jewellery and fashion accessories in an assortment of styles to accommodate the chic in every woman at affordable prices.

We aim to be different and stand out from the crowd! We pride ourselves on stocking the most unique, exquisite and beautiful pieces of jewellery and fashion accessories on the market. We spend a lot of time sourcing products that are different to the high street but more importantly at a fraction of the cost. We really believe that our jewellery and accessories will make you feel special every time you wear them!

Standard delivery is free on all UK orders which for me is always a plus when shopping online, nothing I hate more than finding something lovely with a hefty price for shipping.

You can find her over on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest so why not pop over and say hello and have a look at her beautiful store, beautiful unique and affordable necklaces and rings delivered right to your door what more could you ask for.

Gorgeous Turbans and Headbands for Your Little One

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous headband from Rhyla over on their IG feed.

It's always difficult to tell what something will be like from a picture on the Internet so when this arrived and was way and above what I'd hoped for I was super excited.

Not only was the quality amazing but the attention to detail is magnificent and best of all it looks perfect on.

Now because they are amazing quality and gorgeous too they already have a bit of a following, especially in the celebrity world with the cute little Penelope Disick daughter of Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick wearing them.

I chose the Ryhla black and white sailor knot turban for my daughter, it is classic and well it looked darn cute on the model.

It looks great on my daughter and best of all as she needed a large it fits me too, I mean I have in no way borrowed it...honest. OK so I did but hay its really cute.

The material is super soft and I love the knot detail it is really beautiful.

At the knot at the back there is this cute little heart tag which is a really cute touch.

Even though my daughter has really fair hair it still looks great on, she isn't normally one for things in her hair but loves this.

There are a few others I adored but alas I could only choose one, I may be back for more though when she has got used to wearing them.

This one is my other favourite and it was a tough choice between this one and the one above.

But there is a wide choice to suit all tastes and budgets with prices from £11.79.

So if you are looking for something to jazz up an outfit for a wedding or party then do check Rhyla out, they are really beautiful and just look fabulous on.

I have received no payment for this and have chosen to right the post entirely out of a love for the product.

Ethical Fashion and Clothing

I love a bargain as much as the next person, but something about fairtrade and ethical fashion appeals to me.

I would prefer to pay a a little more for an item of clothing that has been made ethically, from the farmers who grow the cotton to the people who make them.

I love this selection from some fabulous eco concious brands:

People Tree
Minna
VIVOBAREFOOT

For more on ethical fashion, news and links to eco fashion sites then visit Ecover's eco fashion news.

*This is a sponsored post, all words and opinions are my own.