Clairol 5in1 Giveaway

For those of you who visit my weekly Freebie Friday's, some of you were lucky enough to receive a full sized bottle of Clairol 5in1 shampoo in the Supersavvy giveaway.

Mine arrived a week or so before Christmas and if you have been using it for the family, as I have its a real treat. 

The bottle is a bright blue, quite eye catching and bright, it smells good, light and flowery.

My son wants clean hair fast without as he says the hassle of conditioning, its been great for him. He is not overly descriptive but says his hair feels smoother, he washes his every day, so this is a good light option.

My husband who sneers at any extras again has been using the shampoo. Ideal for all family use and being the biggest kid in the house who never reads more than the word 'shampoo' and grabs whatever is available has been using it. His hair is soft and shiny, we just don't point this out as he won't use it if you mention these adjectives.

Paige has tried it she like myself has greasy roots and it has not been as effective for grease control, but then it is not designed for teen hair.

What it does do incredibly well is detangle and I would have loved this for my daughters hair when she was little. Having to condition her long hair after shampooing, while not difficult, at the end of a long day would have been a boon to save my weary Mumness!!

Clairol noticed my Freebie Friday and asked if I would like to offer the Clairol 5in1 to my readers so after the info below, why not try your luck.

Being a mum can be the best job in the world but, as all mums know, it is also the busiest.  Savvy mums are famously good at multi-tasking; taking on many roles on a daily basis and constantly thinking of ways to make their family life easier.  That’s why Clairol have launched a NEW family friendly hair care range – Clairol 5in1 – for the whole family to enjoy, and to give mum one less thing to worry about.

NEW Clairol 5in1 has been designed with multitasking parents in mind, packing five haircare benefits in tried and tested formulas with natural ingredients in each bottle, making it a safe and convenient hair care solution that cares for the whole family, just like mum.

Suitable for all hair types and lengths, Clairol 5in1 Everyday Cleansing Shampoo is the perfect addition to the whole family’s hair care regime, gently cleansing and nourishing hair. The formula, containing soothing chamomile, leaves everyone’s hair soft and easy to manage, providing busy mums and kids with essential hair detangling properties.

The Clairol 5in1 collection is available nationwide in three sizes:

200ml (RRP £1.50), 400ml (RRP £2.50) and 700ml (RRP £4.99)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freebie Friday 19th December

Well I can't believe its under one week to Christmas I have been running Freebie Friday since February and I hope its gained you a few wins, free samples, or for the lovely bloggers who add their giveaways, some extra lovely entrants.

As next week will be Boxing day I may just pop up a small post if I spot anything.

I hope you all have a peaceful and happy holiday whether you celebrate or not.

Spotlight 

Free Chocolate using cashback apps and sites

Buy a £1 Terry's chocolate orange from ASDA, keep the receipt.
 
Download the Checkout Smart app and upload an image of your receipt for 55 p 
Then join or login to TopCashback and upload your receipt in the Snap & Save section for 45p cashback.

Free Quality Street with Quidco

£2 cashback

https://www.quidco.com/clicksnap/offers/all/

Freebies

Keratase Hair Blow dry Serum

http://www.blowltd.com/wimh-kerastase-sample

Elf Yourself haha Go On do it!!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/elfyourself-by-officemax/id582486077?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Free 12 Christmas Photo Notecards £1.99 P/P

http://promo.snapfish.co.uk/sb_promo2/student_beans_promo2/

Free £5 Amazon Voucher 

Sign up ans stay a member for 1 week

https://www.mobilexpression.com/Eligible2.aspx

O2 Priority

Free chocolate coins at WHSmith
Free £10 at Takeaway.com no minimum spend
£10 off a £20 spend at The Body Shop
Free Beanie Baby at WH Smith

Worth A Go As So Many

9,000 Little Dish Meals

http://babyclub.asda.com/Promotions/Little-Dish

Timebombco Full sized moisturizer
Like and tag a friend on instagram
http://instagram.com/p/wrV5T1NZIT/

400 Cash Prizes

https://www.ribena.co.uk/bring-a-berry-home/

50 Campo Viego Prizes

http://campoviejosurvey.com/

Pump it Or bump It daily, lots of prizes. Instant Win
http://pumpitorbumpit.co.uk/

50 Heinz Cup a Soups
https://www.facebook.com/HeinzSoupUK/photos/a.125027877578309.31480.120506211363809/735275396553551/?type=1&permPage=1

Money Off and Clever Combining

Guinness Book of World Records for £5

http://www.tesco.com/direct/guinness-world-records-2015/WU8-5JM4.prd?sc_cmp=tp4_aff_1544990

2015 Annuals for £1 (Star Wars, Skylanders, Simpsons, 1 D

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=2015+annual

An InLinkz Link-up

Snow Leopard Vodka Review and Giveaway

Christmas and New Year for many of us means the time to have a tipple, to stock up on old favourites, but also a chance to try something new.

I was asked if I would like to try the Snow Leopard Vodka, which apart from hopefully giving me festive cheer also aims to raise a million dollars a year to conserve snow leopards.

These unique creatures are fast disappearing from our world and I applaud any brand who helps to raise awareness and vital funds for animals in need.

I was also curious to try the drink. I like vodka, I tend to drink it with ice and I often add cranberry juice. I was encouraged to try it at room temperature and neat. I was a tad reluctant as I tend to like cold and with a mix.

But as you know I am always open to new ideas and trials so I did.

Chris wanted to get in on the action, he is more a whisky man, but the description I read to him appealed.

 As Snow Leopard vodka is crafted in small batches at the century old Polish distillery, ‘Polmos Lubin’, using natural spring water drawn from an ancient well in its grounds. Overseen by master distiller Joanna Dawidowicz, the unusual process involves six distillations to deliver a unique purity. 

The vodka is also made from spelt grain - the rare and expensive variety of wheat affectionately known as the ‘grandfather of all grains’. 

The grain taste was the pull for Chris and also he drinks spirit neat and not chilled. 

So we both toasted snow leopards and had a sip.

For me the nutty taste was very evident, what I loved was the real smoothness and fiery warmth. Its definitely not how I choose to drink spirits, Chris thinks I am a heathen, but of all the neat drinks I have tried, this was enjoyable.

Chris said it tasted almost malty to him, incredibly smooth and yes he agreed a nutty flavour. He also said "Hmmm first time I have ever enjoyed vodka, I could get used to this" 

Its certainly a drink I am going to savour over the Christmas period.

Snow Leopard vodka was created by a passionate conservationist determined to save these critically endangered big cats.

Stephen Sparrow, an ex-drinks industry expert, heard about the snow leopard’s plight during a trip to the Himalayas. Shocked at learning there were less than 5,000 left in the wild, he came back and founded the Snow Leopard Trust UK – and then created this super-premium vodka to help fund its projects. Stephen has set a global goal to raise a million dollars annually for snow leopard conservation by 2025. That’s the the figure the President of the Snow Leopard Trust has advised could provide the ‘step change’ to remove the animal from the endangered list. This goal has been helped by the vodka recently gaining national distribution in Waitrose.

With 15% of the vodka’s profit going direct to the Snow Leopard Trust, funds are provided to community-based conservation projects. These range from replacing farmers’ livestock that might be taken by snow leopards; through to helping educate herders’ children and training for adults in spinning wool and handicrafts for extra income. Supporting these projects helps educate the local communities and fosters a positive attitude towards the snow leopard. 

More about spelt and the distillation

First farmed by the Egyptians over 5,000 years ago, spelt has a distinctive and delicious nutty, slightly sweet, taste. Unlike other grains, it has a hard husk which protects it from pollutants and insects, meaning growers can avoid using any pesticides or fertilisers. This eco-friendly grain’s scarcity – and the need to remove its husk - means spelt is typically five times more expensive than grains used in other vodkas.

The final stage of distillation involves Snow Leopard being filtered twice over charcoal. The entire artisanal approach results in a pure vodka with a smooth, creamy clean finish and a distinctive nutty flavour. 

Snow Leopard is now being recognised for its quality, winning a gold medal at this year’s world renowned International Spirits Challenge. £36.00 RRP for a 70cl bottle and available at Waitrose, Harvey Nichols and Ocado.com, as well as all good independent drinks retailers. Snowleopardtrustuk.org / snowleopardvodka.co.uk

I have a real treat for Given To Distracting Others readers

Three of you will win one bottle each.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Florida grapefruit season is back!

My love of citrus is well recorded on the blog, often it has been lemon mentioned and now its the time to mention another love, grapefruit.

At this dull and dreary time, its a little ray of sunshine and when I was asked it I wanted to try some of the new seasons fruit, I could not say no.

I grew up eating grapefruit for breakfast, sometimes the fresh, sometimes canned, but pink grapefruit was rare. Granny always had grapefruit on a Sunday, it would be halved the night before and saturated in sugar. It did need this it was very tart if not.

These lovely grapefruits I have been sent are sweet, so so juicy and I have been enjoying the feeling of a little sunshine. I also have given some to Granny for Breakfast and she loved them.

Oh and they are fab if you are on slimming World a real speed loss food. 

Florida Grapefruit sent me a few grapefruit treats and some interesting facts, plus a lovely recipe below.

With winter fast approaching, many might assume that the change in season also means the end of fresh fruits and vegetables until summer. This simply isn’t the case. This time of the year fresh, ripe and vitamin-rich Florida grapefruit begin to hit the supermarket shelves once again, marking the start of the Florida grapefruit season!

Florida grapefruit harvest begins in October, stretching all the way into April.  Florida grapefruit is available in market from November through May, with peak season sweetness and juiciness starting in January.  Even in the coldest weather, world-famous Florida grapefruit provides an invigorating taste with every bite. Grapefruit is also a healthy and versatile ingredient that can help contribute to a nutritious diet while adding a touch of sweetness to your meal.

“Winter is on its way which means that Florida Grapefruit is ripening to its sweetest and juiciest,” says Michael Schadler, Director of International Marketing at the Florida Department of Citrus. “With Florida grapefruit, there’s more than meets the eye. Many regions around the world produce grapefruit during the winter and spring months, but Florida’s unique sub-tropical climate creates the world’s most delicious grapefruit.  There’s nothing else like it.”  

“Even when it is cold and bleak outside, your meals don’t have to be,” says Gail Rampersaud, registered dietitian. “Preparing meals with fresh Florida grapefruit not only adds flavour, but also nutrients that can help energize you during the dreary months. Florida grapefruit is a healthy way to tantalize your taste buds and provide a natural boost in energy with essential nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and fibre.”

Rampersaud recommends the following tips to eat healthy during the winter months:

• Every bit counts, so look for ways to add more fruits and vegetables into your meals throughout the day. This can be as easy as adding fresh fruit to a breakfast smoothie or a lunchtime salad.
• Whenever fruits are on the menu, consider serving yourself an extra half or full helping to boost your intake. If needed, account for any calorie differences and reduce the amount of other foods you eat accordingly.
• Select fruit high in vitamin C. Half of a Florida grapefruit contains at least 100 per cent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, an important nutrient that can help support a healthy immune system.
• Opting for fruit with high water content, like Florida grapefruit, may help keep you feeling satisfied for longer.
• One-half of a medium sized Florida grapefruit is fat-free and contains just 60 calories. The juice from grapefruit has fewer calories than many commonly-consumed fruit juices at around 100 calories per 8-ounce glass, making it a great addition to any weight-management regimen.

About the Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. Its activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs nearly 76,000 people, provides an annual economic impact close to $9 billion to the state and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida’s schools, roads and health care services. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit http://floridajuice.com/.

FLORIDA GRAPEFRUIT AND WALNUT MUFFINS

Muffins just bursting with juicy pieces of Florida grapefruits and walnuts. Simple to make, delicious to eat!

Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 15-18 mins
Makes 12

150g/5oz plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
75g/3oz wholemeal flour
100g/4oz golden granulated sugar
75g/3oz butter, melted
1 large egg
200ml/7floz buttermilk
1 pink Florida grapefruit, segmented and roughly chopped
75g/3oz walnuts, roughly chopped
50g/2oz icing sugar

1. Place 12 muffin paper cases in a muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 200 C, 400 F, Gas 6. Sift the plain flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Stir in the wholemeal flour and granulated sugar..

2. Mix together the butter, egg and buttermilk and pour over the dry ingredients. Reserve 2 tsp of the juice from the grapefruit pieces in small bowl. Add the grapefruit pieces to the flour mixture with the walnuts. Stir only enough to dampen the flour, the mixture should be lumpy.

3. Spoon the mixture evenly between each muffin case and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. Remove the muffins to a cooling rack and leave to cool.

4. Blend the reserved grapefruit juice with the icing sugar to make icing. Drizzle over the muffins to decorate.

Freebie Friday 12th December 2014

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas, this week the O2 Priority users are really being treated with lots of freebies. As well as the freebies below, there are so many other offers, lots of huge discounts and ideal presents for family at great low costs.

I list these each week and you may just skim past it as you do not have your phone with O2 but you can get a O2 free sim and use it just for these rewards.

https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/

Onto the giveaways I just want to thank again all the people who use the post to add giveaways and offers. Thanks to you who visit to claim a freebie or enter a giveaway. Thank you for the lovely messages I get both here and on Facebook.

It makes me smile and keeps me looking for bargains and offers each week.

Spotlight

Free Mug when you enter and glass to collect.

A chance to win a state of the art tap which provides, boiling water chilled and spakling water.

When you enter you are sent a free mug and for those with a showroom nearby  you can collect a glass too. 

Answer Sparking. Good luck

https://www.nowzipit.co.uk/win

Freebies

Free Snowman Activity Book at Mothercare stores
http://www.mothercare.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-MCENGB-Site/default/StoreFinder-Show

Free Higgidy Pie, share one with a friend and ask them to share back
http://shareapie.higgidy.co.uk/

100 FREE points on your Nectar account very very short survey

https://www.nectar.com/survey/

Lacoste Live Samples

http://www.supersavvyme.co.uk/beauty-recommended/beauty-products/entry-screen/lacoste-live-prize-draw

Free Innocent Smoothie

New flavours only

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/complimentary-smoothie

Free Self Build and Renovation Show Tickets
To claim two FREE tickets simply enter promo code TOTALGD15 
www.nsbrc.co.uk

Free templates for Christmas
Gift tags, place settings, invitations and menus
http://www.avery.co.uk/avery/en_gb/Templates-&-Software/Software/Avery-Design-&-Print-Online-Christmas-Designs.htm

Sun Perks Freebies

Free Christmas Tree Car Freshener
Free Foot warmers
Free wrapping paper
Free Christmas TV magazine
Free Match Magazine
Free Odeon Child's tickets
Free book downloads
Free makeover and Photoshoot

O2 Priority

Free Chocolate coins WH Smith
Free wrapping paper WH Smith
Free wrapping paper at O2
Free £18.35 Albelli Photo Book
Free bike lock Halfords
Free £10 Fragrance Store, no minimum spend
40% off Body Shop
BHS Christmas Socks £1
Free childrens craft box

Worth A Go As So Many

7,000 FREE samples of Bumble + Bumble hair products 

http://www.asos.com/

4000 Free Footballs
https://www.facebook.com/capitaloneuk/app_334443379979708?app_data=little-legends-ball-draw 

10,000 Pret A Manger Snacks
http://hanselsbigadventure.pret.com/

£8000 Photobox Prizes
http://grotto.photobox.co.uk/

1000 Free T shirts
First to sign up
http://www.flash-price.com/sign-up

1000 Photobox £5 vouchers
http://www.supersavvyme.co.uk/family-life/holidays/entry-screen/photobox-christmas-competition

Win 100 Joseph Joseph Kitchen accessories
https://www.facebook.com/Jarlsbergcheese?sk=app_190322544333196&ref=s

Win 500 Lee Kum Lee Oyster sauces
https://www.facebook.com/LeeKumKeeEurope?sk=app_1563308307240142

Money Off and Clever Combining

Fairy Platinum All in One Dishwasher Tablets Original (30)

http://www.supersavvyme.co.uk/tag/fairy

Word FREE image made from cubes,  mosaic pattern thanks to Shutterstock 

Shopping in supermarket. Shopping trolley image thanks to Shutterstock

02 Logo thanks to Shutterstock

Spotlight image thanks to Shutterstock

Free label image thanks to Shutterstock

An InLinkz Link-up

Northern Lights OUT Of The Door Giveaway.

INM Northern Lights Out of The Door Gold and Silver Holographic Top Coat

If you are out this Christmas and New Year  and want to add a sparkle to your nails without the cost and faff of a gel or acrylic then the INM Northern lights top coats may be the answer.

You can apply these over your favourite Christmas colour and also over any nail enhancement you have.

I was sent some to try and after applying a deep red ideal for Christmas I tried the gold.

Northern Lights is created by blending silver and gold holographic film particles with OUT THE DOOR (fast drying top coat). You can apply these over any polish or nail enhancement, and watch the magic happen. As the silver and gold highlights melt away, a dazzling array of colourful, 3-dimensional accents appear on the nail, adding depth and brilliance.

When it arrived it looks like clear top coat. i did for a moment think I had been sent the wrong top coats!!

It says on each bottle to 'Shake It Up' and  I found with the gold one particularly it really does need a vigorous minute of shaking to get the sparkle well mixed. I have showed the two bottles with one shaken so you can see the difference.

It really does add sparkle to my nails, really pretty and when the light catches it, the different colours are cool! What is really good is the actual hardness of the top coat, super fast drying and it really is a top coat you can apply on your way out of the door. 

Unless like me you forget to apply the polish early enough.

I found it very hard to capture the radiance on a whole hand shot of nails so I give you one so you can see. The picture does not do it justice, the golds and greens, blues and purple glittery look is fab.

I love it, I keep admiring the glittering and  will definitely be using a lot with different shades.

You can buy the OTD Holographic polishes at Jica for £9.95 each.

http://www.jica.com/

However I have a set of both the silver and gold to help one lucky winner bring that extra sparkle way after the tree has been taken down and if you are in the gloomy January mood, these will add a little bit of cheer then.

Just fill out the easy rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LILY O’BRIEN’S CHRISTMAS REVIEW

I have a special fondness for Lily O'Brien chocolates. It reminds me of my Irish family and my Auntie first bought me a small box when i was over in Waterford to visit my family and Dad's grave.

Bit maudlin for the start of a choccy review, but a good chocolate was a highlight of the trip and I was pretty glad when I was able to buy these here. So even more happy when I was asked if I would like to try one of the new Christmas ranges.

I was sent the Chocolate Indulgence Collection, the box is pretty impressive like a fancy hatbox and much larger than I expected for the price of £10

 What I also love is that the tag on the top is also the info for what is in the box. A pet hate when having an evening of sharing chocolates and the selection is on the bottom and you have to take the insert out to look.  They are also in a single layer, all those lovely chocolates laid out to gaze at.

But not for long.

What I love is that the chocolates in this box are a good selection, I was happy to see that a third of the box is not nut and coffee. Not that I have anything against those but I love fruit flavours and caramels, creamy yummy chocolates and this box has it all. Creme Brulee that tastes exactly like a brulee. The chocolate on each is creamy just the right sweetness, I am finding it hard to leave these alone and even harder to share!

Whether you’re looking for festive stocking fillers, gifts for chocoholics or after dinner treats, Lily O’Brien’s has Christmas all wrapped up with its luxurious range of chocolate boxes, all brand new for Christmas 2014.

Treat your loved ones to the Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Treasures Collection, featuring 16 exquisite chocolates, truffles and caramels including White Chocolate Truffle, Vanilla Latte, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Dark Chocolate Truffle, Double Chocolate Caramel, Valencian Orange and Lemon Meringue Pie. Presented in a stylish, three-tier jewellery box in festive colours, this is sure to be a welcome gift for chocolate lovers.

Price: £10 (240g / 16 chocolates) Stockist: Waitrose (nationwide).

The Ultimate Chocolate Collection (Keepsake Round) makes a wonderful present or an alternative to Christmas pudding after dinner and contains a scrumptious new selection of delicious recipes including classic Sticky Toffee, Praline Perfection, Le Crunch Chocolat, Lemon Meringue Pie, Death by Chocolate, Zesty Orange Chocolate, Simply Chocolate and Double Chocolate Truffle for an indulgent treat.

Price: £10 (250g / 22 chocolates) Stockists: Waitrose and Debenhams (nationwide).

Lily O’Brien’s festive Petit Indulgence Star collection is a wonderful collection of six of Lily O’Brien’s most delicious milk, dark and white chocolate recipes; Raspberry Compote, Sticky Toffee, Praline Perfection, Chocolate Truffle Surprise, Zesty Orange Truffle and Luscious Chocolate Mousse.

Price: £6 (96g / 10 chocolates) Stockists: Waitrose and Debenhams (nationwide).

The delectable Desserts Collection is inspired by some of the world’s favourite dessert recipes including Passion Fruit Posset, Banoffee Pie, Crème Brûlée, Key Limey Pie, Hazelnut Torte and Raspberry Infusion.

Price: £6 (230g / 18 chocolates) Stockists: Morrisons and Asda (nationwide). 

For a pretty stocking filler or gift for a loved one, choose the Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Gift Bag. This delightful box of chocolates arrives in an elegant chiffon bag and makes the perfect present for chocolate fans. It includes Chocolate Fudge Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Crème Brûlée, Banoffee Pie and Cookies ‘n’ Cream flavoured chocolates.

Price £6 (180g / 15 chocolates) Stockist: Debenhams (nationwide)

Perfect for sharing, for an extra treat or for a little indulgence over the holidays, give Lily O’Brien’s Luxury Chocolate Snacking Pouches. The delicious selection of re-sealable chocolate pouches comes in three distinct flavours; Stem Ginger Batons, Creamy Caramels with Sea Salt; and Cocoa Cookie Crunch.

Price £2.50 (120g / Various) Stockists: Waitrose (nationwide)

Or for a fantastic value treat, stock up on Lily O’Brien’s Ultimate Collection Taster Box, a luxurious assortment of some of the most mouth-watering chocolates including Key Limey Pie, Sticky Toffee, Death by Chocolate and Banoffee Pie.

Price £1.50 (46g / four chocolates) Stockist: Waitrose and Tesco (nationwide).

For more information, visit your local retailer or visit www.lilyobriens.ie .