A Visit to The Tower of London

Back in January, we visited London for a couple of days as a family, during our trip, we took in a few of the wonderful museums that London has to offer, including the Museum of London and the Tower of London.

I've been wanting to visit to the Tower of London for years but it costs quite a lot of money, however we were reviewing a new app called The Entertainer, using this, the tickets were two for the price of one. So, onto our visit, the tower is steeped in history and even today is a working palace/castle, with the Beefeaters, as they are so fondly known, living and working there to protect the crown jewels and should she need it, the Queen herself.

We headed to the crown jewels first but as photography inside is prohibited, I didn't get to take any pictures of the breathtaking crowns worn by past and present royalty, it was an honour to see it all though. The work and craftsmanship that has gone into the gold and the jewellery was just unbelievable, certainly worth a visit if you like all that glitters gold.

Then we moved onto The White House, this is the Castle Keep and stands in the middle of the tower complex, it is such a wonderful building to look at and really is the centrepiece to the attraction.

The White House is home to the line of kings, an amazing display of over 500 years of armoury, the detailed silver and engraved armour was divine and it was wonderful to see so much history in one room. The armour once worn by Henry VIII, with it's rather large codpiece was quite amusing.

Years of history from all over the world are brought to life in the wonderful exhibitions, my son particularly liked this dragon trophy. Trophies were made as a way of showing off the strength of an army, this one was made up with everything from scrolls to maps and rubies to bits of armour, the effect is brilliant and he was very imposing.

After a visit to see the ravens and the slightly gruesome tower torture exhibition, we headed out onto the riverside to see Tower Bridge, a big monument of London and something I have longed to see for some years, even against the grey sky it was beautiful and if we'd had time I'd have loved to walk over it.

We had a great time visiting the Tower of London, however I would say that had the children been slightly older maybe 8 or 9 it would have been a more enjoyable visit. A lot of the information and displays weren't really that easy for the children to understand, however they enjoyed looking at the armour and the jewels and seeing the ravens. After this we headed to the British Museum which I will blog about at a later date.

Father's Day Gift Guide

With Father's Day just over a week away, it's the perfect time for this last minute Mum to look for presents for the Dads in her life.

I love watches but with the rise of the mobile phone they seem to have disappeared off the wrists of lots of people, however they look smart on a man and I think these two from Chisholm Hunter would make great gifts.

First up, how about this sleek watch from Hugo Boss, with a date window and chronograph, it shows more than just the time. Still a classic design but also great for todays gadget loving man.

For a more contemporary fashion watch, how about this from Emporio Armani, with its sleek black dial it is sure to be a timepiece that they love for a long time.

For completing a smart look, for work or maybe a wedding, how about some cufflinks? These classic rectangular stainless steel cuff links are a great choice.

Or, for those that love a splash of gold then these fabulous stainless steel rose gold and black cufflinks are great, they'd look fabulous with a smart suit and I love rose gold, it is so soft and looks fabulous on.

I have put together a Pinterest board with some more fabulous items to chose from this Father's Day

Follow The Mummy Diary's board Fathers Day Gifts on Pinterest.

NB: This is a collaborative post.

Beautiful Jewellery for Mother's Day

Recently, I was approached by Chisholm Hunter to see if i would like to review a piece from their Mother's Day range, not one to turn down jewellery and having gazed in the window of their Nottingham store on more than one occasion, I said yes.

There is currently a divine selection to choose from and the Bronzallure range did not disappoint, I was sent a beautiful rose gold plated bracelet with chalcedony charm, this sent my magpie tendencies into overdrive, and that of my daughter, who cooed over it before being told it was for mummy!

The shipping box was beautifully presented and inside was a fabulous wood effect box containing the bracelet, it shone in the sunlight and I love the rose gold, just beautiful for any skin tone.

The bracelet itself is chunky and the clasp feels sturdy, like it will not break easily. I love the attention to detail, with the tags displaying where it was made and the Bronzallure range name.

It is a fabulously rich colour and I knew instantly what I would style it up with, although at the moment this outfit will have to wait, the rose gold goes perfectly with this gold and black dress and a pair of black patent heels.

But it isn't just for dressing up, I wore the bracelet to tea at my mother in laws house, it didn't feel out of place and just added a bit of glitz to an otherwise every day outfit.

I love how this bracelet looks against my skin, even with my pale complexion, it doesn't wash me out and sits fabulously against my wrist, although this wouldn't be something I would chose myself I am glad I was sent something a bit different. I haven't really worn jewellery much since my children were born, nothing worse than having to pull it off them as they try to chew it or want to wear it themselves.

This will give me a bit of something to glam up my work outfits, trips out with friends and date night. The bracelet costs £89 which I think is about right for a piece of jewellery like this, and because it is so wearable I wouldn't consider it too expensive either. 

The bracelet comes with matching necklace and earrings, perfect if you like to match, I have also put together a Pinterest page with a few of my other favourites so do pop on over and have a look.

Follow The Mummy Diary's board Mother's Day Jewellery on Pinterest.

Finally, if you fancy getting yourself 10% off at Chisholm Hunter, then you can use code BLOG10 at the checkout (T&Cs apply).

NB: I was sent the bracelet to review, all words and opinions 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.