Reviews and Sponsored

This is an advertorial guest post provided by Car Hire Market. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

With economy car hire so readily available, a drive up the M1 to Hardwick Hall makes for a great day out for visitors to London, and in fact is a fantastic destination for anyone at all interested in England’s rich heritage.

This stately pile dominates the surrounding landscape and can’t be missed. Leave the M1 at exit 29 and thereafter simply follow the brown signs, which indicate historic monuments, or follow the A617 from Chesterfield. This part of the Midlands is strikingly beautiful, and whilst here you may like to visit nearby Nottingham with its castle and Robin Hood connections, or the DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum in Eastwood.

Hardwick Hall consists of two enormous, and enormously impressive, Elizabethan mansions, the best examples of their kind in the country. The Old Hall is in ruins but the New Hall beside it has been beautifully restored recently and there are regular tours of its rooms, corridors and magnificent oak staircase.

Bess of Hardwick is inextricably linked to these imposing structures. Bad luck dogged her early years, with her young husband dying whilst he was still a minor and leaving her no inheritance.

Things took a turn for the better when she fell in love with the very elderly, though extremely rich, Sir William Cavendish whilst later serving as a gentlewoman in Lady Jane Grey’s mother’s house. Sir William lavished Chatsworth house on Bess, as well as other properties, and she was left a wealthy widow when he died within a decade of their marrying. She then proceeded to marry another aristocrat just two years later and when he died in turn she brought a massive fortune to her fourth and final marriage to the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, making her one of England’s richest women.

It took her six years to restore the Old Hall, and when her husband died in 1590 Bess decided to go the whole hog and build an entirely new and far grander hall from scratch right next to it, as a public announcement of her powerful status and a lot of the furnishings were brought here from Bess’s other property at Chatsworth House in the 1800s.

There are always plenty of fun things to do at Hardwick Hall, whatever the weather. There are a number of natural trails to explore in the surrounding parkland, such as the hugely popular Harry Potter Hardcrux Trail. Hardwick Hall was the original of Malfoy Manor in The Deathly Hallows, and has been attracting fans here ever since the film was released. Kids especially love seeing the spots where Harry and other protagonists worked their magic, and on a sunny day it’s perfect for taking a picnic along.

There is a regular programme of events held throughout the year, from art exhibitions and film screenings to yoga classes and den-making, and rare breeds of sheep and cattle to look at in the grounds. Whatever you choose to do here you can be assured that the kids will always have a fabulous time, with lots of space to climb and explore.

Hardwick Hall is about 8 miles from the nearest train station (Chesterfield) and there’s not a direct bus from the station so driving there is your best option and it gives you the chance to exploring the surrounding countryside too.

David Elliott is a freelance writer who loves to travel, especially in Europe and Turkey. He’s spent most of his adult life in a state of restless excitement but recently decided to settle in North London. He gets away whenever he can to immerse himself in foreign cultures and lap up the history of great cities.

This is an advertorial post written by me with links to Propertyads. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

Recently Sally wrote about her hobby and I have to admit it’s a habit I too like to indulge. Within minutes of seeing a for sale board in the village I’m online searching for the details. Imagining where I’d put the sofa and how the kitchen would work out for me. I already have my eye on one or two dream houses nearby, just the tricky subject of the funds to buy them.

I often look at houses in Bristol as I love the idea of living down the road from my best friend. We would have lazy lunches in Kino and hang out a whole lot more than we’re able to now. Of course, in my dream we’d be in a Georgian town house not the more realistic narrow terrace our budget would permit.

I have an idea I get the interest from my Grandmother who has be fascinated by property since she was a child . She has details from hundreds of houses and keeps an eye on any of significance for years. When I was a child she and my grandfather bought a run-down stone manor house which to this day remains one of my favourite places on earth. I half imagine that I will own it when I am a grandmother and my grandchildren will play and roam free as we did when we were children. These days it’s a holiday rental and far from the down at heel house of which have such fond memories.

Ah, big house dreams. One day, one day.

Image from a shoot I did for Kitschy Coo clothing.

I’ve been playing with the Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 7 package for a few weeks and I have barely scratched the surface of it’s capabilities. It is a powerful photo editing and design package. It’s not only great for sorting out your pictures but also for illustration, creating logos, buttons, adverts, cutting out images and many other graphic design tasks you might want to do for your site. Take a look at the video here for a brief tour of the possibilities.

You can buy it for £69 on their site or £39.99 on Amazon which compared to the prices of some editing software I’d been looking at isn’t at all bad.

But if you’re feeling lucky then try your luck in my giveaway. One fortunate reader will win a full copy of Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 7 to download. I’m going crazy and giving everyone up to three entries.

1. In order to qualify for entry you need to leave a comment on this post telling me what makes you jump for joy (please fill in the email field, it isn’t published but is an entry requirement so I can contact you)

2. For a bonus second entry you can tweet to your friends and tell them about the competition using this tweet: “Head over to @thatkat’s blog where you can win a copy of Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 7 http://ow.ly/a0LAJ” then leave me a second comment with the link to your tweet.

3. If you’d like to go all out and enter a third time (and why not?) then go over to Facebook and share this status (this is how I’ll verify your entry). Once you have done that leave me a third comment with your name on Facebook alternatively email me if you’d prefer to keep your name private and leave a comment saying you have done this.

All entries will go into the virtual hat on Monday 9th April 2012 at 9pm and the winner will be notified by email.

Good luck!

Technical:

1. It is open Worldwide.
2. Maximum of three entries per person. Each entry method must have a separate comment or will be counted as one entry.
3. If your entry does not meet the requirements detailed above it will be void.
4. You must leave your email in the marked field when commenting (allows me to contact you if you win).
5. The giveaway will remain open until 9pm Monday 9th April 2012 after which a winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.
6. Your details will not be shared with anyone.
7. The prize is one copy of Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 7. There is no cash alternative for this prize.
8. I reserve the right to change the conditions of entry at any time.
9. Not open to family members.

Many thanks to Magix for giving us this brilliant prize.

Recently the ladies of Not on the High Street asked me if I’d like to choose something  from their myriad of independant retailers. It only took me three days to narrow down my choices. If you’ve never visited Not on the High Street then you’re in for a treat. It provides a virtual shopfront for indie retailers, designers and artesans. A bit Etsy meets the cutest boutiques as there is a mix of handmade, small production and mass produced.

I chose a handmade leather camera strap from Magpie Accessories. Having spent all that time deciding what to buy I then procrastinated some more over leather choices. Eventually I settled on this yummy combo of sunshine and buttery yellow. One of the great things about ordering something handmade is it can fit you specifically; my strap is super long so I can wear it cross body which I can never do with my regular strap. The leather is soft and flexible which makes it ever so comfortable to wear.

At the moment it is rocking my vintage Canon SLR but I plan to shift it to my regular DSLR. Or perhaps I need a second….

You can find Magpie Accessories on Not on the High Street as well as Etsy and Folksy.

With thanks to Not on the High Street for sending me the camera strap.

Barfoots of Botley have recently started selling their sweetcorn in packets as Sweetcorn Bites. They very kindly sent us a few packets to try out and as luck would have it they arrived the day before Monty’s birthday.

Sweetcorn Bites are chunks of corn on the cob packaged in a bag which allows you to microwave them without even opening it up. We ran our four packets over to a neighbours to make use of their modern appliance rather than steam them. A few minutes later we had enough sweetcorn to feed 15 hungry three year olds and their parents.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t buy corn out of season (the corn in our packets came from Senegal) but for the occasional healthy snack I think these are brilliant. As always the proof is in the pudding and there wasn’t a single kernel left – so much better than processed party food.

You can find Sweetcorn Bites in supermarkets including Waitrose and Ocado.

This is an advertorial guest post provided by Money Supermarket. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

Owning a car as a parent involves a constant financial juggling act – and it can prove to be a massive drain on resources just to stay on the road. These are tough times for many families, but fortunately help is at hand in the form of the following hints and tips on how best to reduce costs associated with car ownership, including advice on sourcing cheap car insurance and how to make your money stretch that little bit further.

Be proactive at renewal time

Car insurance can cripple your finances if you fail to be proactive at renewal time. As with most types of insurance (car, home and travel) you buy frequently, never blindly accept the renewal quote from your existing insurer, even if you find yourself pushed for time. Not when you could potentially save yourself hundreds of pounds within a few clicks by checking the online discounts readily available by switching insurers. Other ways to reduce car insurance quotes even further include adding an older driver who drives your vehicle to the policy, raising your voluntary excess and improving the overall security of your vehicle.

Be shrewd at the pump

Keep your eyes open for cheap petrol deals that could just ease the pressure on you. For example, supermarket chain Morrisons have received plenty of media coverage in recent weeks after slashing the price of fuel by 15p for every litre if you spend £60 or more in store. Let’s face it, most families will easily spend that every week in shopping anyway, so it’d be a win-win situation. When filling up, remember to check if your tyres are properly inflated as this is a factor that can impact on fuel consumption if not.

Be a careful driver

Another way of improving fuel consumption and ultimately saving money is to drive more conservatively by obeying speed limits and avoiding harsh acceleration or braking. The better the driver you are, the less likely you are to be involved in an accident, which has a knock-on effect on the price of car insurance. It’s also worth remembering that downsizing to a smaller make or model is the best way to quickly slash your car-related outgoings.

This is a sponsored guest post provided by MusicMagpie. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

The winter frost may not be thawed yet, but there’s no doubt that spring cleaning is already on your mind. If you’re relishing the thought of getting rid of all those old toys, magazines, and thoughtful but impractical Christmas gifts, why wait to get started? Organising and de-cluttering your home now will give you a head start on all that stuff; plus, it’s a good way to make money for a vacation or fun-filled outing when the weather finally warms up. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Sell your games and toys. If your kids have officially outgrown all those old toys, search around for consignment sales where you can turn them into cash by passing them along. Make sure to organise each set of toys by age group to make lightening your load a little easier. And if you have “big kids” who like to play video games, consider selling those games online, which is an easier and faster way to get rid of them. You can sell computer games for cash, many times without even having to pay for the shipping to send them off.

2. Clean out the closet. Are you still holding on to those tie-dye shirts and acid wash jeans that you wore decades ago hoping that they will come back in style? If they ever do, we’re sure that there will be an updated version of them that you can pick up at your favourite apparel store. In the meantime, however, pack up all of your old fashion statements and head to the nearest vintage store to see how many quid you can get for them. This will make space for more modern, more adult fashions and also give you the cash to pay for them.

3. Donate to a charity. Speaking of old clothes, you probably have some items that don’t fit neatly into any “vintage” category. If this is the case, consider making a charitable donation to an organisation that provides low-cost clothing for low-income families. It may not be a direct way to make money, but you could get a tax break for your thoughtfulness.

4. Digitise your music and movies. That home entertainment centre never really went with your decor to begin with, so why not put it up on Gumtree to make a few extra bucks? And while you are at it, you can also download and then sell all those old DVDs and CDs that it holds so that you never again have to figure out how to make rows and rows of discs look like an attractive feature in your home. MusicMagpie is a site that allows you to sell music and movies in bulk while also paying for your shipping and sending a cheque directly to you.

5. Use the Internet for selling miscellaneous items. And finally, what will you do with the exercise bicycle that never got any use, or that hideous set of kitchen towels that someone gave you for Christmas? If the Internet has taught us anything, it is that one woman’s trash is most certainly destined to be another woman’s treasure. Unload all of your quirky and unwanted items onto buyers using a popular listing site that will get you lots of page hits.