Operation Christmas Child: It's Never too Early...

Since travelling with Operation Christmas Child in December last year the charity has never been far from my mind. It has just become my norm (and that of my children) to be on the lookout for gift items that can go in shoe boxes. I love it that people see me and think shoebox gifts, recently a friend was moving and there were a few times I turned up at her house and she gave me things she had thought would suit the shoe boxes. What makes this even more precious is that she has so little herself.

This afternoon I went to do a presentation about my Belarus trip, to the local warehouse volunteers and it was great to see all these people who are so committed to helping children enjoy a gift-filled box at Christmas time.

It reminded me that I wanted to share some great finds with you and to remind you that it is never too early to start collecting to fill a shoebox or two. I often hear from people who tell me it is too expensive to make up a shoebox and I do beg to differ. For the majority of people spending £10 over the course of a year to fill a box with gifts and love is achievable.

Here are some really nice items I have picked up for bargain prices in the last couple of weeks. The Entertainer toy shops have been very good and I managed to buy some beautiful Pride of Britain lions leftover from Olympic memorabilia sales, these plush toys cost me just £1 and there were smaller ones for 50p each too.

Then also from the Entertainer, I picked up these Lego-style sets for just £1 each.  Just think how much a  child abroad will love and cherish this toy.

Then the last thing I picked up this week was a pack of 3 erasers from Tesco for just 25p per pack.

On all these things you see here I have spent £6 and what else could I have spent that money on? A couple of cappuccinos or part entry to the cinema? Or maybe a couple of greetings cards or soft play entrance for one of my kids?

All these simple gifts make me so much happier than going out and doing any of those things. I go to bed tonight knowing my £6 was well spent and that my shoe boxes are already starting to fill up ready for collection in November.

Have you spotted any good bargains yet?

Do share with me, as I'm always keen to keep topping up and even if they do not make it into the 4 boxes that our family makes I like to help make up boxes at school or  I can donate them to the local warehouse where I was today.

Thanks to all involved, your boxes really make a difference. Just look at these 25 happy recipients from Belarus last year.

All images by Jonty Wilde

Views of Minsk (Belarus) through my iPhone

About seven weeks ago I was in Minsk, the capital Belarus with Operation Christmas Child. It was such an amazing journey and one that will impact me for life.  This afternoon I have just spent an enjoyable couple of hours reliving my journey through Minsk as I prepared to share my faith journey for Church and the practical shoebox distribution for my children's school assembly.

Arriving at the beginning of December the snow was only just starting to fall and we saw it fall and fall as the week progressed. Whilst I delighted in about 3 inches of snow and temperatures of down to -8 degrees. I believe there is now about 10 inches of snow and temperatures more like -18 degrees! ekk

There is no logic to these photos, they are just shots I took as we travelled around the Minsk region with my trust iPhone, they will give you an insight into how the country looks. From the grandeur of the city to the poverty of some of the villages.

These photos have not been manipulated, they are as they were when I took them....

It might look a bit bleak and cold but it was well worth a visit, a real education for me!

Operation Christmas Child Exposed

Me with our translator, Nastia

I’ve been back from Belarus for almost a week now and I have been enjoying the downtime, it is as if I do not have enough brain capacity to blog right now, I am well and truly spent. I did wake up this morning though and have a silent longing for it to be last Sunday again; we met so many fabulous kids in Belarus and we were riding the high of our successful webcast. Last Sunday was for sure my best day there and the people I spent the week with were such fun and kept me grounded during a week which could have been very emotional.

I feel as if I have been propelled on a journey that started in November 2011 when I was first asked to travel with Operation Christmas Child to be part of and blog about a shoebox distribution abroad. Once the initial panic of just three weeks’ notice had dissipated I was so excited to take this journey, as OCC is a charity I have supported for years and love the idea of, so why wouldn’t I do this? I soon realised the answer to this – there are so many people who are anti-OCC and they were not going to make my journey easy. The number of negative comments I have received in the last year could have been seriously demotivating if I had allowed them to be.

For one reason and another I did not make the journey last year but it was agreed I would join the OCC team this year, so I had lots of time to prepare and that was much better for me. If I’m honest I spent much of this year in a bit of a panic that I might not be able to offer OCC what they wanted from me. I was really conscious that as a charity they do not have money to waste and were putting a lot of faith in me to write their stories for the web and their publications. My trip to Ethiopia with the ONE Campaign helped to boost my confidence I could do this, but still, the niggling doubt remained. Oh Michelle, ye of little faith!

Image Credit: Jonty Wilde

R2BC (Week 50) - 50 Smiles....

Some of you might have noticed I was missing from Reasons to be Cheerful last week, I was in Belarus with Samaritans Purse, the charity that runs the Operation Christmas Child initiative.

It was a superb week, I met so many awesome children and had my eyes opened in so many ways. If you look back through my last few posts you'll see more from my trip if you are interested.  At the weekend I'll be publishing a post about what I learnt about OCC while I was away with them, it will make for interesting reading.

Thanks so much to Kat for being a great host last week and this week is being hosted by Sally over at Pressies by Pebbles. Write your post and then please go over and see her to link up, leave a comment and go share some comment love. I'll certainly come to visit anyone this weekend that leaves me a comment.

#R2BC will be back here with me again next week and will run each week over Xmas and the New Year, so do join in.

So what is my reason to be cheerful this week?  Simple - 50 smiles as they received their shoebox gifts...

Have a great week, Mich x

All images by Jonty Wilde

Operation Christmas Child - Belarus, Andrey's story

This is Andrew but pronounced Andrey when said with a Belarusian accent. He was just the most gorgeous boy that we met during our whole stay in Belarus. Yesterday at dinner I told my family about him and I kid you not both my husband and son nearly had tears rolling down their cheeks.

I'll tell you his story -

Andrew is now nine years old and has been living happily with his Babushka (Grandma) for the last three years, it is clear for all to see that they adore each other. We were proudly shown the medals that he had won in the local family fun days, apparently, he had run on behalf of himself, his mother and father and then his Babushka had taken her turn and they had come home with the medal! Very impressive and a good start to Andrew’s desire to be a ‘Speedy man’ when he grows up, that is a racing driver to you and me.

Andrews life did not start out anywhere near as happy. When you learn that he lives with his Grandma you automatically start to wonder where his parents are. It turns out that Andrews’s parents had not been married when he was born and in fact, his father had gone off to Russia to make a new life with his wife and children. Andrew lived with his mother for the first couple of years of his life but sadly she was not fit to look after him and he was taken into care and ended up in an orphanage.

During this time his Babushka learned of his existence and set about proving she was his biological father's mother, this was an expensive and lengthy process but luckily one that she won and Andrew was able to come home with her.  No wonder he is so happy now.  His first couple of years were spent with his mother who I do not really know much back history on but I do know she lost her parental rights through a lack of care for Andrew and she has now died.  He then spent about 4-5 years in the orphanage where he was just one of many abandoned children, it can't have made for a secure and happy young childhood Andrew now lives in a very basic house which is desperately in need of repair but it appears he does not see his surroundings as he feels blessed to be loved. He greeted us at the door of his house with a smile that could light a room. He started to look through his box straight away and then his Grandma called us into the house to take a seat and chat for a short while.

Andrew asked us who had made this box for him and his manner was very inquiring and you could tell it was important to him.  We informed him that children in the United Kingdom had made up the box as they wanted to send him some gifts.  When he saw there was a hand made puppet in there he asked us if he could make something to send to them to say thank you.  We told him his smile and photograph were enough...... 

And they will be enough for me for many years to come. I am sat here feeling so emotional as I type this. The children we met in Belarus were so respectful and giving and are a fine example to our own children. It literally churns my guts when I think of how much kids here have and how ungrateful they are for it. Don't gte me wrong my kids are no worse than anyone else's in the UK but you would have thought the world ended yesterday when I told JJ he was having a week without his computer.  I think maybe he learnt a little lesson himself when I talked about children over there of the same age as him never having used a computer.

May the Lord bless you, Andrew, I hope your dreams come true.

-------------------------------------------------

This was my SoundCloud made on the last day on the trip and I think I might even have mentioned Andrew in it, he touched me deeply.

 Last photo Image Credit - Samaritans Purse/ Jonty Wilde

Operation Christmas Child, Live web cast in Belarus - Job done!

I have had such an amazing time here in Belarus, we have experienced so much in such a little time. A real whistle-stop tour of this great place. The culture is so different from anything I have experienced before and I have been really impacted by the place and the people I have been privileged to travel with. My eyes have been opened to new opportunities, ways to achieve things and avenues to explore.

There are loads of blog posts brewing in my head but for today I'll just share with you the live webcast that we filmed this afternoon and my sound clip made last night at the end of day 4.

It has been fantastic having you join me on this journey. Thanks so much for reading. God bless. Mich x



Day 4 sound clip for you -
 

Oh, and I have to share my favourite pictures of today too. We went to visit the Sunday school at the church where our translator Nastia is a Sunday school teacher and the children had been working on the topic 'God holds each of us in His hand'. The children drew some pictures and asked me to take them back to my children at my church/ school, they liked the idea of reciprocal gifts.  Yes, I was welling up at this point and as I just had not expected it.

One of the drawings

The budding artists!

OCC Belarus - They may look well dressed but....

Before I came here I hooked up with a lady who has been on an OCC distribution trip to Belarus in the past and I asked her if she had any advice for me.  She said not advise really but just be aware that when she showed her pictures on her return home everyone said 'they do not look poor' and she is so right.  Very often the children here do not look poor.....  but we all know looks can be deceiving, right?

At the moment in Belarus, the snow is about 6-8 inches deep and it is -5 degrees, I think we would all agree that means every child should have at least a thick, warm coat and a pair of good boots. What they also have is probably a couple of outfits, one to wear and one for best. The best one might have been worn and outgrown by dozens of children before them but it still looks nice as it is cherished and looked after. The Belarusians I have met maybe poor but they are also proud and keen to present a good image.

Take a look at Eger and his little brother Vladik, they do not look too poor, do they?  No holes in their jumpers, their clothes appear to fit, their hair is tidy - they must have enough money in their family, right?

Shall I show you where these two beautiful little boys live?

These pictures will paint quite a different picture for you and you'll see why a shoebox of small and insignificant (to us) items mean such a lot to these children.

I couldn't have made that up, could I? The back of their house has literally fallen down and the inside is not a great deal better. Leonora, their mother cooks in a tiny, cold thin wood outhouse with a peeling ceiling.

My message to anyone reading this is to not judge a book by its cover. Just because a family wish to present a good front does not mean that all is well and they are trying to deceive you into giving when they do not require it.

You also have the other side of things to think about as well..... is poverty just about a lack of money?

Or could it be a lack of love or a lack of spirituality as well? I certainly think it can be both of those things too.

I have been to two social shelters since I have been in Belarus and both of these have looked really well maintained - they had nice rugs, toys for the kids to play with, ample heating and lots of room to run around outside but what they do not have is parents, people who love the children and will be there forever for them.  Don't get me wrong, they have superb staff from, what I have seen but the children only stay there for six months whilst longer-term solutions are sorted out.  I would call those children poor too, despite them being well dressed, like this -

I hope you will give this post some thought and if you feel compelled to visit Shoebox World where you can still make a shoebox online for as little as £12.60.

Go on, make a child's Christmas....

And for those who asked, here is my day 3 update sound clip -

Do you have to make noise and smile widely? (OCC Belarus Day 2)

This is a question that the team here in Belarus have been asking ourselves since yesterday.

Tomorrow and Sunday we have two live webcasts (God willing) to transmit to the UK from a live Christmas shoebox distribution here in Belarus and what are the people back home expecting to see I wonder?  Hmm, I suspect they may be looking for children whooping, jumping for joy and beaming big smiles. So much work has gone on in the UK to help these 9000 odd boxes make it safely to Belarus that it would just be the icing on the cake to see how much they are loved.

However, I have a little concern, having now met a number of Belarusian children it is evident that children are far more traditional and reserved here (especially in front of adults and esteemed guests at that - yes that's us! lol), they are extremely well mannered and polite but quite distant at first too - not in a bad way, they just appear cautious and watchful until they know you a little better.

When I was in Ethiopia just two months ago I had to ask the local people if it was OK to hug the children or to lift them up as they literally throw themselves at you with open arms and want to be loved and feel affection. I do not have this dilemma in Belarus as the children maintain a distance and smile coyly if I catch their eye.

It would be easy to be fooled into thinking that Belarusian children have no sense of fun or joie de vivre but by chance yesterday, after we had spent time with a group of children at a social shelter and then gone for tea with the adults we asked if we could see more of the centre and we got taken unannounced into the older boys dormitory bedroom and there was the sight I wanted to see. All those children happy together, engaged in free play and chatting about their boxes and what they had received and what could be swapped.


It is not a great photo but you can see how natural the children are here interacting with each other.

Then today we visited a family home and again the children were quiet and appeared underwhelmed with their gifts, but then as we went upstairs for a quick tour we got to watch the children being natural with each other as all the foreign guests had gone (or so they thought) and this is when you see them really happy and at ease.

I pray you'll get to see some children on the webcasts who are able to relax and show you how much they appreciate the gifts you have given them. You can rest assured they will turn up in their best outfit (perhaps their only outfit) to make a good impression for you.

Just remember that if they look a little apprehensive or pensive it is because this is a very different occurrence for them to their everyday life and they have not been taught to embrace difference but to be aware of it.

Once the camera stops and we leave the room then the real fun starts for them and you have been part of that, thank you and God bless, Mich x

There is still time to make a shoebox online if you would like to - visit Shoebox World.

OCC trip to Belarus - Day 1

I really need to sleep but equally, I really want to share. So I am going for the time-saving option and I'll share some photos from our visit to a social shelter today and if you want to find out more then listen to my SoundCloud clip, please. What a fabulous bunch of children we got to meet if only I could speak their language...

I promise I'll post in full tomorrow.  For tonight I must be sensible so I can survive the rest of the week.

Oh and if you were wondering about the weather here in Belarus, yes I am glad I packed for it to be very cold!

Keeping warm with Simply Piste

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post asking for your advice about how to keep warm when I travel to Belarus in just over a weeks time. As I have never really skied (once when I was 13 in Scotland and there was a distinct lack of snow, so it doesn't really count!) nor properly travelled to a very cold country I am all new to this and was not equipped in the least.

The thing I kept hearing from friends in the know was that if my hands and feet were warm I would be able to cope. I was really pleased to hear this as my contact at Simply Piste had agreed to help me out and send me a few items to help make this trip a happy one.

I received a beautiful pair of Dakine Lynx ski gloves. They retail at £25.00 at Simply Piste and this is a good price, the average I found them for on the web was about £33.00 for this same model. They are specially made to not only keep me warm but dry also and if I was skiing they have rubberised palms to ensure a good grip.  There is even a little pocket inside where a heat pack can be inserted, never heard of that before - genius!  From a novice point of view I like these gloves as the lining is super soft and they come in S, M and L so I could find a pair that fitted me really well. They look stylish and have an adjustable band around the wrist to help with fit and also a draw string on the top of the glove so I could ensure that no snow would get inside.

They also sent me some snazzy ski socks from snow-tec and my friend Sue has already asked me if she can have them when I return from my trip!  The socks are knee high purple with big white stars on them and are 50:50 wool/ acrylic for the best comfort and breath ability. I have to be honest and say that I never knew so much science could go into a pair of socks.  I just needed some that will keep me warm and these will certainly do that but also be ultra comfortable too, due to the technical supa-fit zones which provide comfort and support, especially if I was wearing hard ski boots for skiing for snowboarding. These socks retail at £12.95 per pair.

Obvioulsy not me modelling this jacket and sadly not my husband either!

Then lastly I was super happy to receive a fleece jacket from the North Face. I have obviously seen this brand name before but being as I am so completely not sporty I have never worn or bought them.  I knew it was a good brand but after having worn this jacket for just 3 or 4 days I am in love and I totally understand that this is a quality product which comes at a price. Being a larger lady I opted for a men's fleece jacket so I could have a really good fit on my body, this did of course mean that the arms are a bit long but when I am in Belarus and it is really cold this might be a bonus and for now in the UK, I have just turned the cuffs back as they are slightly elasticated and stay OK that way.

The jacket is light to carry and wear and as such I did not think it would be very warm but I was wrong.  I have been wearing it this week in 5 degree temperatures and that has been enough, I did not need a coat over it. This is really encouraging for me, it means in Belarus I'll be able to wear a light top, my fleece and ski jacket and be super warm.  The fleece fabric appears to be built up in layers to ensure the wind cannot get though and there is also a cinch cord at the bottom to ensure the cold does not get in that way either.  I am really happy with it.  This mid-layer fleece retails for £79.95.

There is a great selection of items available for winter sports and weathers, including lots of super ski jackets from Simply Piste. If you need to kit yourself out this winter it is worth taking a look. Delivery starts at £2.99 for standard delivery and you will be able to track your parcel and kept fully in touch with what is happening. I have received good service from Simply Pistes sister company (Simply Swim) before and was really pleased and again this time things went smoothly.  It appears I am not alone in being happy with the goods and service received as I checked on TrustPilot and saw that Simply Piste has 188 reviews on there and an overall 9.5/10 rating - fantastic stuff!

Thanks so much for your help kitting me out for my trip Simply Piste, I am now feeling equipped and excited to travel!


Disclosure:  I received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

I'm in the right place at the right time, doing just what I should be doing.

Wow, I have just spent the most exhilarating couple of hours in a long time. 

What was I up to you might wonder - something exciting like bungee jumping or skydiving? or something more subdued but still uber-exciting like hot air ballooning or having a spa at Champneys?

No, something very different from all of those things. What I got up to was only 20 minutes from my home, it didn't cost me a penny, I was mostly accompanied by ladies in their 30-60's and it took place in a Church Hall.  Bet I am sucking you in now, aren't I?  Sounds glamorous, yes?  Well, no it wasn't glamorous but it was truly fabulous and I felt very privileged to join this group of well-organised men and women for a couple of hours this morning and if I can sneak out tomorrow and leave my husband with the kids for a bit I might just head over there again tomorrow.

Shoebox checking
Today I joined the team of volunteers over at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse in Colney Heath, I was there to help them check the boxes and make sure they were packed with super goodies for the children to open in the receiving country. I spoke to ladies who said their church had been involved with this since the program started over 20 years ago, many of them had been doing it for all those years and for others this was the first or second year.  There were people who had travelled with OCC on distribution trips and there was so much passion in that room we could have fuelled the central heating without any electricity.

Take a look at the pictures and see just how organised it all is -

There were about 8 stations for people to be checking the boxes to make sure the contents were appropriate and according to what customs allow to enter the country.  There was then a box wrapping table, craft kit making table, cellophaning table to ensure things like soap and toothbrushes stay hygienic and box taping and age/ sex sorting tables so the approved boxes could be placed into cartons for shipping.

I know many people have heard rumours and are concerned about religious material being inserted into the boxes and  I can categorically confirm that no religious material in placed in the boxes before they are sealed with the official Samaritans Purse tape. Once this tape goes on the box is not opened again until the child opens it in the receiving country.

My job today was to check the boxes and I really enjoyed this.  As I have made boxes myself for years and co-ordinated at the kid's school for the last few years I have a good knowledge of what can and cannot go in the boxes and of course, it seemed a real shame to have to take things like bubbles and chocolate out of the box as they cannot be shipped but I did love it that the warehouse had made sure they had loads of extra soaps, toothbrushes and paste, stationary, cuddly toys and loads more to ensure that all the children receive a really full and well-balanced box.

Even if I had never taken part before it would have been easy as Jo, the organiser for this warehouse made sure I knew what I was doing.  There were do's and dont's stuck to every table and such a wealth of knowledge in the room. If you have never helped out at a warehouse before I would urge you to give it a go.  All you need is a willing pair of hand and a couple of hours. There are over 150 temporary warehouses set up across the UK each year from the beginning of November. You just email the Regional Manager for local contact details.

Preliminary trip meeting
I suppose another reason today felt so special is that yesterday I travelled to the UK head office of Samaritans Purse to meet Ruth and Nik who I will travel to Belarus with. It is now just 12 days until we fly out there! I have to admit that I have been so nervous about this trip and even at times I have thought about bailing out but my wonderful solid husband has reminded me that I must go where God wants me. He never gives us a load too heavy to carry.  I have been fretting a little as normally OCC take a journalist with them and this time around it is little old me! ekk

I could not have been made any more welcome yesterday though and was referred to as 'Michelle, the blogger' on numerous occasions. I came away from the meeting yesterday knowing it was right and while it does feel scary I am equipped and my desire to serve the Lord and to do my best will serve me and OCC well. Through God all things are possible. It truly feels amazing to know you are in the right place at the right time, doing just what you should be doing.

Yesterday gave me such a thirst to find out more whilst I am away.  I think Ruth and Nik are going to be so fed up with me asking them questions and tapping into their knowledge.  Ruth has worked for OCC since the early 1990s, even before it became part of Samaritans Purse and Nik is based in Belarus and he told me a couple of short stories of the type of things he hears in his everyday work and my heart was really warmed.  He talked of a young man finding a wife through OCC - the lady came to receive a shoe box for her child and they formed a friendship and ended up getting married and now that child has a loving mother and father.

I particularly loved hearing the story of Nik being in a school and asking the children what they knew about England. He felt sure that they would all cite the same answers he has heard time and time again - the Queen, football and the Beatles.  But no, on this occasion they both surprised and touched him with the answer of the Queen, football and Operation Christmas Child.  I saw the way this touched this true gentleman and I was reminded that it takes a very special sort of person to work for an organisation such as Samaritans Purse and to reach out to those who need assistance.

Just imagine what a life-changing experience I am going to have travelling with these two awesome people to do such a worthwhile job.

Thanks for following my journey.  I'll keep on blogging and the intention is that I will share live from Belarus while I am out there, by SoundCloud, video and written posts. There are even to be two live webcasts which I'll be involved in and I'll share the confirmed times for those soon.

Don't forget it is not too late to make a shoebox online - visit Shoebox World today!

Tell me, have you made a shoebox up yet?

Reasons to be Cheerful - I'm off to Belarus... (Week 47)

As you read this I'll be over in Essex at the UK head office of Samaritans Purse, the charity behind the Operation Christmas Child initiative.  You have probably seen me blog about OCC over the last 3 or 4 years or maybe you have even taken part with your local school, toddler group or church. It is a lovely initiative that I really appreciate. Yes, of course, it is immensely important for us all to give towards life-saving food, water and vaccines and Samaritans purse are also involved with that kind of provision too but for me, I see no reason why we can not provide a little joy to some needy children at Christmas as well.

OCC makes me so cheerful today (and every day to be honest) -

*   Firstly because every shoebox that is sent abroad gives joy to a child who has little else. The giving of this simple gift is called faith in action. I get so cross when people keep citing that OCC is a bad thing, as it is a Christian initiative and one of the aims is to share the Gospel with the world. The Gospel is about the unconditional love of Christ and this is what happens when a box is handed over with no strings attached, that child feels worthy, happy and loved. Sharing the gospel does not mean that they are force-fed Christianity.

*   Secondly, my kid's school have put together 108 boxes to be sent to Mozambique and it really encourages me when a community pull together.

*   Thirdly, I travel in 13 days to Belarus with OCC to see first hand how the deliveries work and to blog about the places I visit and the children I meet.

*   Then lastly, I love that the shoeboxes present such an amazing opportunity to talk to my children about how other children are living in our world.  My children understand that they are really lucky and yes I get the questions about why Santa/ God allows poverty, war and injustice to happen and we have to have some really difficult and honest conversations but it is the right thing to do. In my opinion, my children should not go on believing that they are the centre of the world and can demand anything they desire.  We need to cultivate the responsible adults of the future after all.

Short and sweet this week. 

How are you all? I must apologise that I never made it to most of the linked up posts last week.  I have no idea where last week escaped to, all I feel like I do at the moment is chase myself and I never seem to be catching up right now!  I can't even promise that I'll come to visit you all this week as we are heading down to visit my Nan, she is still hanging on in there, 4 weeks after going into the hospice. Sadly I'm told she is now really depressed and fed up, I'm hoping that taking in a DVD of my kids that I have made will cheer her a little.

So over to you now, what is making you happy/ grateful this week?

Write your post, add in the blog hop code if you fancy and link up. Then go hopping around some blogs and leave some comment love and I'm sure others will do the same.

Review: Trespass Mens DEFIED Ski Jacket from M and M Direct

A short while back I reviewed some boots for my girls from M and M Direct and they were obviously pleased as they came back and asked me if I'd like to review anything else. I informed them I'm off to Belarus in December and that I did not have a suitable coat and maybe they could help with that and help they certainly did!

I am now the proud owner of a very smart Trespass mens ski jacket. You might wonder why I opted for a mans jacket, the reason are two-fold.  Firstly I am a larger lady and I often find that ladies sports type clothing only goes up to an 18 or 20,  I need a 22.  Then the second reason is that my husband can wear this coat when I return and it will get some good wear. Seems a shame for it to sit in my cupboard once I come back, it is hardly likely you will ever find me going skiing after all!

The coat that was sent to me has an RRP of £199.99 as it is a high performance coat but M and M Direct have it for sale at the super special price of £59.99.  I did a search on the internet and I could not find the same coat anywhere else for cheaper and of course M and M Direct's strap-line is 'Biggest Brands, Lowest Prices' and this sure does back that up.

The Technical Stuff

Trespass are a name I know and trust, as dh is a Cub Leader he has always had lots of outdoor clothing in our house and this is a regular name he buys. As I mentioned this coat is really top-of-the-range and if I am honest, an average girl like me is not even sure what all the technology used in this coat is about, but I'll share with you as I am sure you are more 'with it' than me.

Image Source

The waterproof reading is the height in millimetres this column would reach before starting to seep through. So, 15000mm is in fact 15 meters of water held back by the fabric

• Trespass technical performance rated 100 jacket
• Radium peak performance fabric incorporates tres-tex membrane technology and is Waterproof to 15000mm, Breathable to 8000mvp and Windproof too
• The fabric is supple and durable with functional coats and surface treatments that mean they repel water and work with your layering system to draw moisture away from the body
• All seams are taped to further improve wet weather protection
• Water repellent zips when closed will ensure and you and your pockets stay dry in even the worst weather
• Coldheat insulation is lightweight and has a soft lofted fibre layer to hold in your body heat
• Communications pocket is included inside the jacket especially for your mobile or 2 way radio, the warm environment prolongs mobile battery life (as cold weather drains it)
• Zipped underarm venting for when you go from outside to in but do not want to remove your coat
• Volume adjustable hood (which you can zip off). Just look at the picture of me, it sure covers up a lot and keeps you warm

• Numerous zipped pockets both inside and outside the coat and even in the arm, also includes a special pocket for your goggles if you need them
• Adjustable storm cuffs and snug cuffs inside to ensure the cold air cannot get in
• Utility D ring
• Detachable Ski skirt (or snow seal system depending what you call it) with loops/ poppers to attach to your pants

100% polyamide shell, 100% polyester lining and padding.

What do I think?

So far I have only worn this coat on the school run and to watch JJ play football on a chilly Saturday morning so it has not been put through a full test yet.  Once I return from Belarus I'll update this review and talk through how it worked in the real cold! I have to say that I have no reservations from what I have seen so far.

The things I really like about this coat are -

•  the magnetic flap which closes over the zip, so effective but really simple.
• That there are tons of pockets, I won't even need a bag in Belarus.
• The comfy fabric and how lightweight it is for the warmth it gives
• The reflective panels, these will give me a lot of peace of mind when dh is wearing it on his cycle

M and M Direct's service

This is the second time I have used M and M Direct and I will definitely keep them as a staple for the future.  They have such a great range of stuff for the kids, dh and me and at really excellent prices.  I have mentioned to a few friends and they all seemed to know about this online store and I have not heard one grumble about them. 

I love the fact that if you spend £30 or more you can get free UK standard delivery and I have found their deliveries to be quick and efficient. There is also a straight forward exchange or return policy and everything is crystal clear on thew website, no hidden surprises, which is good.

I'll leave you with a closer look at the coat and some of the features.  I am one happy lady, Thank you M and M Direct.

Disclosure: I received this coat free of charge for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.