All posts in Random Mummy Barrow

When social media goes feral

23/05/2013

I hate it. And I don’t say that lightly. I am a huge fan of social media (but then you know that) and yesterday morning I adored it more than ever. I learned I was a finalist in the Brilliance in Blogging awards (into the final six) in the Social Media category, but more about that in another post.

By 4pm I hated it. News had broken on Twitter of a gruesome attack in Woolwich. A young man, now confirmed as a soldier, had been murdered in the street. Twitter had exploded. Tweets from eye witnesses there were being retweeted. And then I saw a tweet that horrified me. Somebody at RexFeatures ( a picture house) was asking for photos to be emailed to them, presumably to then be sold on to the press. What were those photos going to show? Yes, the immediate aftermath. Bloody, gruesome photos. Possibly of the victim, maybe also the two alleged murderers.

Comments: 13 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow

Prom Dresses from New Look

22/05/2013

It is that time of year, isn’t it? When in amongst all the stresses of exams thoughts of older teens also turn to their school prom. C had hers a few years ago now and I remember trailing around Guildford for a whole day looking at dresses with her and a friend. As they tried on dress after dress that was either designed for somebody who was 5’8 or more, or split to the navel, I lost the will to live quite quickly.

I was dreading doing it all over again in a couple of years when E has to do hers. Imagine my panic when she came home from school this week and said that on the school trip to Barcelona next week they have an end of training party and need a posh dress. Ahhhhhh. Mummy Meltdown time.

Added to which I am swamped with a million and one other things, she is at school, and she flies at 6.30am on Sunday morning. Which means we have taken to the internet tonight to see what we can find and to make the most of the “next day delivery” service that most retailers now offer.

I have made no secret of my love of on line shopping. I can do it on my sofa and with a glass of wine. And I don’t have to find a parking space either.

E is a real fan of New Look and does a lot of browsing on their website. I was buttered up last week for £15 for her to buy a pair of their studded boots. Lord only knows when she will ever wear them but that wasn’t the point apparently, they were down from £40 to £15. Even I couldn’t argue with that.

Starting on the New Look site also means that I won’t get that eye roll that 14 year olds have perfected when I suggest another online retailer that she thinks is “fuddy duddy”. We went straight to their prom dresses section and found pages to sort through. I must admit I did look at a few and say “you are not wearing that” and she equally said “and I am not wearing that” but that left dozens we could still choose from. One of which was less than £15 !!

Job done before I had even finished the first glass of wine.

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This is a featured post.

Comments: 0 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow

Choosing new kitchen appliances

22/05/2013

I don’t often talk about my old day job or that I still get asked for advice today. For six years I was a lettings manager for a large letting agency. Managing a team of property managers who between us looked after 2000 tenanted properties on behalf of landlords.

It was our job to help when things went wrong. Either rent not being paid on time or getting a fence replaced that had blown down in the wind. Or more often then not replacing household appliances that had given up the ghost. Not only that but it was our job to source the best deal and get them fitted. I have an enviable little black book of contacts that will install things for me at a day’s notice. Hence friends now calling me to ask for advice, despite me not doing that job for six years.

Last week a friend called me to say they had come into some money and were about to rip our their kitchen and could I help her source the appliances. Whilst she had a comfortable budget and didn’t want to do it “on the cheap” she also wanted to have enough to be able to have a few extras, such as a wine fridge like ours.

I told her that top of my list is always anything made by Electrolux. Not only do they look good, they are built to last and are reasonably priced. You are not paying for the name as you do with some products.

My first suggestion is a built in oven, especially a microwave. We made the mistake of not doing that when we redesigned our kitchen five years ago and now have a big microwave taking up work surface. I also suggested that she have a washer dryer as it has to be in her kitchen, and not in a utility room. Having one that is built in means you keep the sleek run of kitchen cupboard fronts and don’t lose valuable cupboard space by having a side by side washing machine and tumble dryer.

We had great fun looking through the options and it wasn’t long before her decisions were made and she had placed her orders.

Now all I need to do is wait for my invite for tea and cake when it is all finished!

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Yep, this is a featured post. More info on these in my disclosure policy above, under the “About MummyBarrow” tab.

Comments: 0 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow Tags: built in oven, Electrolux, integrated washer dryer

London Dungeon — A review

21/05/2013

When I was asked if I would like to review the London Dungeons I wasn’t sure I could. Not because of any constraints on our diary but because I had heard it was super scary. So scary that grown women had to leave via the nearest “emergency exit”. Hmm well that sounds like a challenge to me and having done Thorpe Park scary rides, well just how scary could the London Dungeon be?

Comments: 2 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow Tags: London, London Dungeon, review, Super Breaks

A splash of bathroom colour

17/05/2013

I wrote recently about our bathroom and how it drives me nuts. It is great on the surface, nice big jacuzzi bath, heated towel rail, lovely big sink etc. But it is all white. White tiled walls, white tiled floor, white bathroom suite. I hate it. It is like being in an operating theatre. I hated it so much that I entered a competition to rip it all out.

Comments: 0 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow Tags: brightening a bathroom, digital blind, web blinds

50 things to do before you are 50

14/05/2013

May is birthday central for me: Eldest daughter C, my dad and Mr B in the space of 5 days this month and whilst only one of them is near 50 this list got me thinking about how many of the things listed I could get ticked off before I am 50 in 7 years.

Comments: 6 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow

Brilliance in Blogging awards

11/05/2013

Yes I know, this is a post about blogging…. I know… I know… a blog should never talk about blogging. I know the rules.

But do you know what? I don’t care. Today I am breaking the rules.

It is just two years since I started blogging and I think you all know how passionately I feel about it now. How much it has become a part of my life. And a part of my family’s life as they get to try out the things we get to review, or talk about the subjects I have touched on.

Comments: 3 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow

How are you paying for your wedding?

10/05/2013

Can you believe that the average cost of a UK wedding now tops £22,000? That includes the reception at £6,000, the dress at £1,600 and even ‘save the date’ invites at nearly £300! Of course, some careful planning and organising for your wedding can trim costs, but how do you go about paying for your wedding when finances are stretched?

Read more…

Comments: 0 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow

The Benefit of good customer service

07/05/2013

Why does Benefit have a capital B I hear you ask? It shouldn’t, should it?

Well actually it should because this is a little story about how great customer service from Benefit made me a customer.

It all started with a last minute day trip to France last month. “Shall we go to Calais for lunch?” said Mr B. Realising he wasn’t joking I jumped onto the P and O website to see how ridiculously expensive a ferry crossing would be for the next day.

Comments: 7 Posted by: MummyBarrow Categories: Random Mummy Barrow