Crushed - Fruit Pouches Review

As a busy mum on the go, sometimes I have days where I forget about myself and eating five a day evades me. After I was diagnosed Fibromyalgia, I knew my diet should be better than it is, but comfort food is a strange thing and you just want sugar, usually in it’s worst form.

So, when I was sent some Crushed fruit pouches to try, I looked forward to having some fruit in my bag, something that I could take with me when I got those sweet cravings and that wouldn’t get battered and bruised as the day went on.

Usually you think this sort of thing is for children, but they have been invaluable for me during my recent house move, meaning I can have fruit on the go, easily and most of all quickly.

The pouches are an easy and accessible way to transport fruit, in your handbag, schoolbag, or lunchbag.

Best of all the Crushed pouches are tasty, the Strawberry & Apple have a little zing to them and the Apple & Banana are nice and smooth, my daughter has tried both and loved them equally meaning they really are a hit for both adults and children alike!

Containing one of your five a day and with a long shelf life they are the perfect store cupboard and fridge staple for when the fruit bowl is running low. 

Currently available in store from Waitrose and online from Ocado at £3.50 for 4 they work out a lot cheaper than some of the similar brands available.

NB: I was sent these to try, I was under no obligation to write a review however I feel they are a great product and wanted to write about them.

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

Yumbox Panino Review

I loved the original Yumbox, so I was super excited to get my hands on the Panino. With one large compartment, two smaller compartments and a dip well, it is a perfect lunchbox for older children and adults although it also makes the perfect bento box for younger children.

I particularly love the background with the French and Italian wording, you get to learn something new with lunch too.

I love salads and this is the perfect lunch box to fill with plenty of health and not so healthy food.

With the silicone lid it offers the same spill proof storage as the original, allowing you to pack a lunch with whatever you fancy.

The proof is, as they say, in the pudding and this chocolate pudding was certainly good for testing the seals on the lid, after a few falls off the car seat on the way to work it was still within it's compartment and had not leaked.

This is another great box and the colours are beautiful too, I love the Tutti Frutti Blue as well as this one the Anguira Pink.

Again I have nothing but praise for the Yumbox, it is such an ingenious solution allowing you to produce great looking healthy lunches.

With the lighter colours I have noticed any scratches show up a bit more, this isn't a problem and hasn't stopped me buying more, it was just something I noticed (and am probably being picky over) but felt I needed to mention. Having spoken with other Yumbox owners though, they haven't noticed these and have the darker ones so. They don't show up on the pictures so aren't 'bad', i'm just here to give an honest opinion.

NB I was sent the Yumbox Panino for review, all pictures and opinions are my own.

Word of the Week - Changes

This week has seen my son start in Year 2, my daughter start in pre school and me, well I have moved from my old office to one 30 miles further away.

An early start saw me leaving the house before my children were awake and getting a train, so my word of the week is changes.

Changes can be good but these changes are hard, after the first day I was exhausted and judging by the grumps from them that evening, so were the kids.

So what does the future hold, possibly more changes who knows but for now I have to keep going and hope that these changes are for the best.

Linking up to Word of the Week on The Reading Residence

Hardest job in the world?

Being a mum is hard, it starts from the moment you wake up and doesn't stop till you finally manage to fall asleep that night!

Sometimes whilst everyone else is asleep you think about mum things, washing, money, dinner, getting up and getting everyone dressed, whether everyone has pants and socks!

Ok so looks like this is one of those posts with too many exclamation marks!!!!

I don't mind all of this but it would just be nice to have a little bit of time without a 'have you done the ironing', 'mummy can I have a biscuit', 'mummy this dinner smells like dog poo' (I kid you not that is what my 3 year old said tonight!)

I tweeted tonight that I was sat on the landing having five minutes to myself whilst I ran the kids a bath, this is just pants!

I don't get many of these moments, I like to think it's when I am having a shower but then I am thinking about the children and what they are up to, when I am having a wee I have the door open in case someone needs me! I have lost count of the times I have sat talking to a child who has come to see what I am doing whilst sitting on the loo.

I often sit in the car outside the house if the kids have fallen asleep on the journey home, read my emails, have a look on twitter, it's better than carrying two rather heavy lumps into the house!

As I walk through the house picking up this, moving that I just long for five minutes to sit and think. To drink a hot drink in peace, now I have gone back to work this is about the only time I get to myself and that is even sadder.

The hours are long and the money none existent but the love and snuggles makes up for that, I just think that you should get some time off every once in a while.

Back to work...sad face!

So this week I have to go back to work, this is not a choice but a necessity.

After suffering with PND when my son was born I think I needed work, but with two children and knowing this is my second and last one I can't face leaving my daughter!

I haven't stopped smiling at my her since the day she was born, she is such a sweetie and the thought of not being with her every day is seriously breaking my heart!

I am so angry at me and my husband for getting ourselves into debt because if we didn't have it I could be a stay at home mum.

But these are debts we've had hanging over our heads for years and one led to another that lead to another and now I think it has hit home!

I don't know where I'm going with this but just had to put my feelings down :(

I just know I feel awful, sick, stupid and so so angry!

But I have to face facts, there is nothing I can do. I know she's in safe hands at nursery with the people who have looked after and have helped shape my truly wonderful little boy.

Hopefully now we have a plan this might only be a temporary situation.

After all if my son can't get into a school with before/after school club working in the day might not be an option! But that's another story!

For one day only!

Well today I am at work, for one day only until I am back properly in January they get the joy of me bleating on like a housebound mad woman!

Gone will be the baby talk and instead I get to put my old independent and rude woman hat on for a few hours, not sure I have a desk so I may just end up being an overpaid tea girl.

I am looking forward to it but at the same time I am really nervous, it is one step closer to having to go back to work which i'm not really looking forward too. I love spending time with my daughter and she is so little I can't imagine leaving her. It was hard enough with my son and to go through it again is just mean!

Anyway, I have decided that I will just make the most of my "day off" from being a mummy and put on a pencil skirt and some high heels instead.

This is my first 'keep in touch day' since I left for maternity leave back in January, I just hope I can get the cogs working as I am pretty sure I have lost a few braincells in the vacuum or washing machine since then ;)

And just to help me even more the chuffing smoke alarm decided it needed new batteries at 4am this morning.....bugger, anyone got any matchsticks!