I find that it has been a funny kind of week – it has been neither here nor there. It seems to have gone by in a whirl and I suddenly find myself here once again at the end of the week and think – “ughhh did I actually wake up this week?!” Well of course I must have done, which means things must have happened this week – mustn’t they?!
 1. Offline – Alyssa and I, along with my mum, nephew and brother-in-law all hopped in the car and visited the beautiful town of Salisbury this week. It has been years since I visited it but it hasn’t changed or if anything has only gotten better. It seemed much bigger than the last time I went and although we didn’t have much time to look around at some of the more historic areas, we were able to look round some of the lovely shopping areas and take a look at the grand guild hall in the big open square near Queen’s Street – beautiful!
2. Online – Okay, so you guys may remember that I mentioned that I was having a new site soon? Yeah well soon is still pending so I decided to hack away at my current one and some of you may have noticed some new menus and sections which will hopefully make navigating my site and finding posts easier. I have also added a gallery for all my “Only Photos” posts which includes a link to my Instagram feed too (I love a bit of Insta!!) Go and check out my Gallery here.Â
3. Offline – I love to grab a bargain – especially as I do NOT have a huge cash flow and was so pleased to find a store called TIGER in Salisbury. It was like a mini IKEA (looovvveee IKEA sad I know) and had kitchen, garden, kids and stationary bits… HOLD THE PHONE!! Did someone say stationary?? Yes indeed. I have a minor a
ddiction to it, in that Staples is my MECCA! I managed to find some gorgeous pens, a notepad and a giant rubber which I LOVED! Bagged a bargain treat for me and got some lovely stacking cardboard learning cubes for Alyssa – BONUS!
 4. Online – Speaking of bargains. A while back I bought a few really nice items off of a seller on eBay for Alyssa. Nothing major – a coat and a couple of dresses worn once and in great condition. However, the seller and I kept in touch (her daughter is 6 months ahead of bubba) and she contacted me a week ago to say she was having a clear out and sent me some pics of clothes. Holy moly – I went nuts! I got 3 cardboard boxes full of summer clothes with some coats and shoes thrown in for £80 all in sizes 9m – 18m. This stuff has been worn once if that, she threw in some extra bits and I have just clothed my daughter in Next, Jasper Conran, F&F and more for a total bargain. Love eBay!
5. Offline – I have managed to make it back into the kitchen this week and have been cooking up a storm. I have gone back to some of my old classics like “Veggie Beef Bourguignon” and also added in some new treats like “Stilton & Mushroom Pie” which I have to say was a little bit naughty but hey – at least the Beef was a slimming recipe! Don’t worry it was all served with veg!
6. Online – As I mentioned a few points ago, I absolutely love me some Instagram! Obviously, a lot of the time there is nothing “Insta” about it. However, it is fast becoming one of my favourite social media platforms. This week, my most useful blog post comes once again from the wonderful Aby @youbabymemummy (I know I know – but she’s THAT good!!) and is called“Growing Your Instagram!” Apart from the odd hashtag, I have been letting mine grow organically which whilst easier is not always efficient! If like me you want to pick up the pace, check out Aby’s post!
7. Offline – This being the final weekend of the Easter Holiday, we wanted to take my nephew Rowan out and try something fun and different. So, we headed over to Swanage, Dorset to check out a medieval archery day being held at Corfe Castle. Whilst a bit windy, it was still really fun to watch and have a go at. Let me tell you, archery is a lot harder than it looks. You definitely got to have some strength in your arms to pull back that bow. However, Rowan had a great time as did we all and that’s what good times are all about!
8. Online – I was really excited this week to publish my very first “How to” post! I have been a bit reluctant up until now, because despite having learnt a fair amount about what I am doing, there is always someone who knows more. However, after encouragement from my lovely tribesters I bit the bullet and published “Mail Chimp: An Easy How to Guide!”
9. Offline – Now I have been after a decent pair of “Boyfriend” jeans for some time. For some reason, the style has vanished in stores and been replaced by endless rails of skinny jeans. However, my legend of a mother spotted some on eBay (I know slight addiction) for the bargain price of £2! They arrived and fit like a glove and looked brand new! They look awesome with my converse that I bought in Greece so you are looking at a very happy camper – I maybe boyfriendless but at least I have his jeans!
10. Online – I have been hosting a giveaway this week for the people over @topessential and decided to do things differently with this one and headed over into the realms of Rafflecopter! OMG love love love this tool – it has made my life so much easier. Whilst you perhaps lose a few entrants because it’s not as easy as “Follow & RT” the amount of work and time it has saved me has been brilliant. QUICK… you may still have time to enter and win a Chilean Rosehip Facial Skincare Gift Pack – just click here.
So that’s it for me this week – how about you guys? What have you been up to?