8 Unusual Gifts for Fathers Day and Beautiful Hallmark Cards

If your Dad is anything like mine then he is mega difficult to buy for. My Dad is the most wonderful man but there is never anything he wants and I'm sure for some people he would be a dream come true as he just tells me 'no need to buy me anything Shelly' but I love to give gifts.

The only things I know my Dad likes are a bar of Cadbury chocolate, some nuts, theatre tickets or a meal out and I've bought all these things a hundred times. Add to that socks, personalised frames, photo books, mugs, slippers and the like and that is him done for birthdays, Christmas and Fathers Day.

But I like Fathers Day to be special, it is the time when I say thank-you for always being there for the last 43 years. Thanks for coming out in the middle of the night to pick me up, thanks for bailing me out with my debt when I was at Uni, thanks for decorating my house when I was pregnant and thanks for having my kids when I need time with my hubby so the least I can do is get him a loving card and fill it with heartfelt words.

Then talking of my hubby, there is another difficult one to buy for. Like me with my dad, my kids also adore their dad and he is a really ace father - taking them away or spending one on one time, playing monopoly when they are sad and taking them to Cubs. The things he does for them are numerous and they want to say thanks too.

Of course the classic way to say thank you is with a card and Hallmark have a lovely selection at Tesco. They will be available right up to the day but try and be a bit more prepared and you'll have a wider selection to choose from. Take a peek at the ones my girls have chosen. Miss M opted for the 'from your princess' card (£2) which is very apt and Miss E's is really classy and had a tri-fold to it, spelling out Dad (£3). I'm loving the Hallmark range at Tesco as there is great variety and you can see the cards are quality with beautiful coloured or patterned envelopes to match.

Creating a Memorable Mothers Day with Tesco

Mum and I in 2014 when we had a Mothers Day away together in London

My readers will know that I pride myself on being organised and ahead of the game but it appears that when it comes to gifts for special days like Mothers Day I am in the minority. Tesco revealed that more than half a million (1) time-strapped Brits will buy their Mother’s Day gift on the day itself, rushing to shopping aisles just over an hour before midday, at 10.53am on Mothering Sunday.

It saddens me a little to think of all those people probably heading to their mother's house for a nice Sunday roast (that Mum has cooked) and this is when they stop to think about getting her some flowers or chocolates to say thanks for all she has done for them. Of course, those thanks shouldn't just be on Mothers Day and it is only right to show your mum that you appreciate her any time of the year but it is great to have a special day dedicated to mothers everywhere.

Well, well Disappearing Tweets and a #TescoFail

What a funny old day it has been, I've found myself checking my phone on and off throughout the day as a number of like minded people have seen my recent tweet to Tesco's and decided they too feel that Tesco have gone a little bonkers!

This is the tweet I sent last night at 11.07pm after visiting their store at Tower Park, Poole -

What kind of irony is this @Tesco? Sweet-free checkouts, but it is OK to promote energy drinks??? pic.twitter.com/ncVcXwpjD5

— Michelle Twin Mum (@michelletwinmum) July 29, 2015

I'd heard earlier in the day that Tesco have decided to pull Ribena and Capri sun off their shelves as they are full of sugar and they want to help put a stop to childhood obesity.  OK, I am all for well-thought out initiatives that will go towards helping children make better choices. Education, workshops, promotional material, adverts and better labelling - all these things will help children make well-informed choices.

Will removing confectionery from the till areas and replacing it with sugar-free Red Bull energy drinks help my children to buy responsibly? No, I don't think it will. So that was why I tweeted Tesco last night because to be frank I'm outraged that my kids might now think that a sugar-free Red Bull is something acceptable and healthy for them to drink. Surely that is the message Tesco are sending?

10 Top tips for a stress free school morning

I often hear parents talk about how they pull their hair our before school each day and I have to confess that this is one area we do not suffer any problems with, so I thought it would be a good idea to share my tips for ensuring the morning goes without a hitch.

My children are now 7, 7 and 11 and until 18 months ago I was a work out-of-the-home Mum so we needed to leave home by about 7.30am and I had school breakfast club and nursery drops to do, so I do know the pressure of an early morning and multiple children.

Of course my life has changed now and I feel very blessed that we do not need to leave home until 8.25am and as the kids are older they are now more self-sufficient.  Boy did it use to be fun when I had two 18 month old twins to wake, feed, clean-up and dress as well as a 5 year old boy t shepherd and direct, all to leave home by 7.30am.

Back to school with Tesco (F&F uniform)

With the move to East Sussex this means a whole new uniform for each of my three children and of course that can be a costly business, I have to be honest and say I don't like to buy the cheapest uniform out there, I like to buy clothes that are value for money. Ones that I can afford but that will also stand the test of time and last the dozens of washes and tumbles they will get here in our house.

I've been lucky enough to receive some Tesco F&F school uniform for the last couple of years now and I've not had any issue with any of their items. JJ is still wearing now the winter coat that was sent to him last July and considering the warm coats only cost about £19 that is fantastic value.

This year I ordered £50 of uniform for JJ and for that amount we received -

• winter coat £19
• 2 pairs of quality school trousers £10
• 4 white polo shirts £5 for a pack of two
• 3 pairs of boxer shorts £2.50
• 5 pairs of grey socks £4
• pair of navy jogging bottoms £6

I didn't choose the value or cheapest items, you can get 2 packs of trousers for as little as £5.   I chose the ones I knew would last well. Here is JJ testing out his new uniform -

White polo shirts are always the thing I buy the most in any year as JJ (and the girls to to it) seem to get them filthy and they constantly arrive home with stains that I can not seem to remove. The 2 packs start at £2 for two and at JJ's size they are £5 for two. I like to go for the 'Buy one, give one' polo shirts and this means for each item I buy from the range Tesco give a full uniform to a child in Bangladesh, Kenya or Sri Lanka. Just another little way that we can help those less fortunate.

These polos are roomy, nice and long for tucking in and they button up really easily. I noticed they are double stitched too.

The trousers we received have adjustable waists to ensure they are comfy and are also Teflon coated to keep stains at bay, as mentioned before this is important with my kids. I didn't order any girls clothes this time but it is good to know that all the pleats in dresses and skirts are permanent and don't come out in the wash.

I'm sure you'll agree JJ looks great in his navy parker coat and he really loved the mock fur around the hood. Sadly the arms are a very snug fit and he finds it uncomfortable so we will need to change this for another coat. I think it is the trendy styling and with JJ being a larger kid it just does not suit him, in the same way skinny trousers do not either.

JJ loves the navy joggers as they are so comfy and have a cosy feel inside, he has even asked me to buy him some more for lounging around the house in.

The socks and boxer shorts are as you would expect, basic and comfy and perfect for back to school.

Delivery and returns

I placed my order online and choose the collect from store option, this meant I was able to get everything I wanted but no delivery cost was incurred and as I needed to go there anyway it was convenient. By ordering before 3pm I was able to collect my items the next day. If I had wanted my parcel to come direct to my door then it would have been free as orders are free at £50 and over or £3.95 for standard (2-5 days) or £5 for next day delivery. Tesco is also really convenient in that all returns are free too.

Save money

Of course being Tesco you can save money on your uniform purchases too by changing your clubcard vouchers into double with Clubcard Boast, so £5 becomes £10 to spend in store. Or you can use some of those vouchers that come through every month to gain double points or money off when you spend a certain amount. I receive loads of vouchers from Tesco, not sure if that is because I am a Tesco credit card customer.

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

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Trying out the Tesco Price Promise

When Tesco contacted me and said that they had a new Price Promise I basically asked them what the fuss was about. 'Tell me why this is different to what Sainsburys and Asda do?' said I.  So they invited me along to my local Tesco store to meet a couple of Price Promise Champions and what lovely ladies they were and super happy to help me understand why the new Tesco Price Promise is a really good deal. I'll share with you what I learnt -

So what is the Price Promise?

Basically if you could have done your weekly shop for cheaper at Sainsburys, Morrisons or Asda then Tesco will issue you a voucher for the amount different to be used in store on a future shop.  Or equally the promise applies for online shopping too and you will be emailed the result.

Where this differs to other supermarkets with other similar schemes is that the Tesco Price Promise covers practically everything - the big-brands, own label grocery produce and also fresh foods. It also includes household and health & beauty products. If products can't be compared it will be down to a difference in brand, size, flavour or quality.

How much do I need to spend? 

There is no minimum spend but for the Price Promise to be active you need to have a basket of at least ten different items and one of those has to be a comparable grocery product (comparable basically means that one of the other 3 big supermarkets - Sainsburys, Asda or Morrisons have to sell an equivalent product in terms of size, weight and volume).

How are Tesco's checking the prices?

The prices on the websites for Sainsburys and Asda are being checked on a daily basis and in store collections are happening twice a week for Morrisons. Tesco are ensuring their price information is the most up to date and reputable by using an in dependant agency to verify them.

How do I spend the voucher?
If Tesco calculate that your shopping could have been done cheaper elsewhere they will give you a voucher for the difference, up to £10 in value. Then next time you shop, either in-store or online you can use up to 10 of these in one transaction and receive the cash straight off your total amount.  You can also use them alongside other vouchers and special deals which is pretty good.

What about special offers?
Yep I'm pleased to report that in the main you will still receive the Price Promise even when there are special offers, you know the type - 2 for the price of 1, half price etc. The only exceptions that are not included are what they call category -wide deals like 5% off 6 bottles of wine and food meal deals.

How long does the voucher last?
This was the first question I asked as I get frustrated to find that my Sainsburys one run out before the 14 days are up but no worries with Tesco as I have a full 28 days to spend my voucher and cash-in.

How did my Tesco shop go?
All went smoothly, I shopped as per normal with no problems and then at the till I was pleased to find that my shopping was cheaper at Tesco and I received a small slip to confirm I had saved 35p today in comparison to shopping at one of the other big three supermarkets. I spent just over £70 in total and did a varied shop so it just proves that the Price Promise works. I was also impressed to receive a Helping Hand Coupon for £5 off my next £40 shop for the next week.

Here is what I managed to buy from tesco that day for the sum of £70.47 -

What else do I need to know?

• The price promise is not available in homeplus or Tesco express convenience stores
• You will still receive Clubcard points on your shopping in the same way you do now
• Price Promise vouchers can be used alongside any other vouchers and the result will be calculated before your vouchers are taken off
• You can read the full terms and conditions on the Tesco website

And that is it - nothing hidden!

I'm happy to say that I believe the Tesco Price Promise is a good deal!

Tesco paid £50 of my shop to allow me to undertake this review. They have not instructed me what to write and I remain honest.

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