Win A Copy of Reole's New CD & Recipes "Cook Music Cook Food"

Hybrid music producer Reole is cooking up a storm with new album! ‘What’s Cookin’ set for release on December 4th.

Funkmaster general Reole is following up his recent acclaimed album ‘Hear Come The Drums’ with an equally strong offering ‘What’s Cookin.’

The album is a warm homely feeling album that is honest and not over spiced.

The cooking music part is equally influenced by cooking food.

Reole suggests cooking up one of his fantastic recipes while blasting this brilliant record on full volume.

Reole started his musical life playing brass in Mardi Gras parades.

Later, once back in Scotland, he then set about the airwaves with Ritchie Ruftone on pirate radio and pioneered the introduction of illicit underground Broadcasting across Europe – from Scotland, Germany and beyond.

 A harmonious multiculturist, Reole is a huge American football fan and that energy and passion comes across in his music.

The number 13 has always been his address, is his lucky number and his albums all have 13 tracks.

Reole also runs Turntable Training Wax which demonstrates his dedication not only to the performance of music but to its preservation of vinyl for future generations.

‘What’s Cookin’ is sure to set ears twitching and tummy’s rumbling everywhere with its blend of instrumental funk, jazz and classic rock.

The CD jacket contains 7 recipes to cook along to the music.  They include:-

*Spicy Celery, Apple, Pear & Stilton Soup
*Cayenne Polo La Sopa Con Aquacate
*Mean Muffuletta
*Gris-gris Jerk Chicken
*Creole Slow Cooked Lamb And Sweet Potato With Minty Cabbage Pesto
*Jambalaya Fire
*Swamp Braised Lamb Neck, Asparagus, Peas And Creamed Loch Garlic

We really enjoyed the album and the jerk chicken and jambalaya are on our must cook list.

You can get hold of what Reole’s been cooking up on December 4th and I have one copy to give away.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget below and the usual terms and conditions apply.  UK entrants only.  The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Sunday 15th November 2015.

Further information is available at Reole Music.Com, on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.

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Have you entered my other competitions?  Just click HERE.

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10 Fab Faux Fur Coats & Jackets Under £100

I love this time of year, not least because it gives me a reason to wear as much faux fur as possible.

There really is no excuse for wearing the real thing any more is there?

And some of this year's faux fur coats and jackets are an absolute steal.  

I'm treating myself to the beauty from F&F.

Which one is your favourite?

New Look - £54.99

Matalan Yeti Faux Fur Coat - £45.00

Blue Faux Fur Coat - Very - £79

Phase Eight Katya Faux Fur Jacket - £99

Petite Faux Fur Coat - M&C0 - £89

Black Faux Fur Coat - Wallis - £80

Marks & Spencer Twiggy Coat - £99.00

White & Petrol Blue Faux Fur Jacket - Glamorous.com - £87.00

George at ASDA Hooded Faux Fur Coat - £40.00

F&F Monochrome Faux Fur Jacket - £39

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Win A £200 Voucher For Winter Wellies With Shoetique.co.uk [closed]

Now that the clocks have gone back, it is officially autumn and time to wrap up warm and get your wellies out for some brisk country walks.

Caitlin and Ieuan love splashing in muddy puddles and there is plenty of opportunity to do that near us as we are lucky enough to live close to some beautiful countryside and have some fabulous parks and places of interest on our doorstep.

You can read about some of them here.

If you'd like to splash out on brand new wellies for the entire family. Shoetique are running a great competition to win a £200 voucher.

You can take your pick from a range of Hunter and Joules wellies for men, women and kids alike.

We like these.

Joules Navy Ditsy - £40

Hunter Kids Original Boots Brit Navy - £49

Joules Kids Seafarer Wellies - £20

Shoetique are an award-winning company, having won Independent Footwear Retailer of the Year Award at this year's Drapers Footwear Awards and have over 30 years' experience in the footwear industry.

To win, all you have to do is to enter your email address and subscribe to their newsletter. You can enter here and terms and conditions are here.

A winner will be picked at random when the competition ends at 8 am on 31st October 2015.

The prize is a £200 Shoetique voucher and the prize is non-transferable.

To enter you must have a valid UK mailing address.

Good luck!

*collaborative post

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Win £50 Cash

Christmas is looming and we're all starting to save the pennies.

£50 cash could be yours

The kids are already writing their Christmas lists and the careful negotiating has begun.

"I don't really think you need to ask Santa for one of those - it's too old for you".

"Are you sure you would play with that?"

"I think that's for a child a little bit younger".

"If you ask Santa for this, I don't think you can ask for that as well".

If you've been disciplined, you've been squirrelling a little aside each week.

I read about a great idea which works well if you have internet banking and a related online savings account.

It works like this.

Each day go online and check your balance.

Then, if your balance is an odd amount, simply adjust it by rounding it up to the nearest £5 and move the extra to the savings account.

For example,  your balance is £127.99.

Then you'd move £2.99 over to your savings account so your balance is £125.00.

Or your balance is £158.27.

Then you'd move £3.27 over to your savings account so your balance is £155.00.

Sometimes you will move ridiculously low amounts - even under a £1 but stick with it.

I started at the beginning of May and have saved £250 so far and I do not have that many transactions leaving my current account.

It's an easy and relatively pain free way to say a Christmas fund - as long as you remember to check your balance.

Many of us can afford to save a little each day - even if we just give up our morning takeaway coffee.

I will certainly be starting to do this from 1st January now I have seen how quickly a small amount saved can grow.

Some of my lovely blogging friends and I are offering to help you add (or perhaps start) your Christmas pot with £50 cash and I recommend you check out their blogs too where you can get some additional entries towards the prize.

Rebecca at ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com
Lucy at The Parent Game
Mellissa at The Diary of Jewellery Lover
Lucy at It's A London Thing

Entry is via the Rafflecopter below. Terms & conditions apply.  Please allow 28 days for delivery. No automated entries. No bulk or third party entries. One entry per person. Giveaway ends midnight on 26/11/15. The winner's name will be published. Please note there is one prize of £50 cash across the 5 blogs participating.

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Have you entered my other competitions?  Just click HERE.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram. 

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The Apprentice 2015 - The Egos Have Landed

I have to say I have high hopes for this series, particularly since Nick Hewer's eyebrow raise has been replaced by Claude Littner's scathing brand of management training.

But, year upon year, the candidates seem to be more media-savvy and more desperate for a job in TV whilst demonstrating an ego which would make Kanye West look shy and retiring.

That ego is usually combined with the worst the British Education System has to offer, that is zero general knowledge, a complete absence of people skills and absolutely no street smarts.

The fact that they are actually there to sell their business plans seems to be forgotten.

Courtesy of BBC.co.uk

This, of course, is the joy of the programme.  We love to sit in our armchairs, tutting and muttering.

We criticize their lack of business acumen.

We practically combust with laughter at their arrogance.

We, of course, can spot a basic business error from 20 paces and become expert negotiators even if we would struggle to take a pair of socks back to Marks & Spencer.

And those quotes.  Oh, those quotes.

Here's a quick trip down memory lane - can you remember any of these judged by www.myvouchercodes.co.uk to be the top ten best / worst quotes from The Apprentice?

This list certainly contains some cringe-worthy reminders of old favourites such as Luisa Zissman and Katie Hopkins.

I'd also include this classic from the late Stuart Baggs (who sadly recently passed away) - "everything I touch turns to sold" and this, from this year's David Stevenson - "you've got age and beauty and those two go hand in hand all the time.  Sugar's got the age and I certainly am beautiful".

Currently there appears to be an unladylike spat going on between candidates Selina Waterman-Smith and Charleine Wain  which has, it is rumored, culminated in a 'scuffle' outside the boardroom.

This may be a little bit of PR to oil the wheels of a series which, so far, has been a little 'same old, same old' but, if true, shows just how desperate some candidates are to secure their 15 minutes of fame.

The sad truth, of course, as anyone who has worked in a corporate environment will tell you, is that personalities like these do indeed often rise to the top, by dint of ruthless ambition rather than concrete talent.

There are many David Brents in waiting it seems.

But, the prize here is to be Sir Alan's business partner and, one suspects, no amount of hot air, waffle and posturing will pull the wool over his eyes.

I can't wait for the legendary "interview" episode and I wonder who will replace Claude in the interviewing panel.

Whoever it is, I'll bet they won't be a soft touch and will bring the candidates back to earth - with a bump.

I'm also enjoying Jack Dee on the sister show "The Apprentice - You've Been Fired", although I think he could be a little more of the sardonic Jack we're all used to.

Roll on Wednesday at 9 pm!

See you all on Twitter!

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram. 

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My Sunday Photo - 25/10/2015

Caitlin & Ieuan sharing some sibling affection

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My Recommended Ways To Bond With Your Toddler

Bonding with my children is essential for me, as I'm sure it is for you too. I try to make sure I spend one-on-one time with them, as well as doing things with them together. Our bonding time can be anything from sitting down to do their homework to running around at the park.

A lot of newer parents can worry that they're not doing enough to bond with their kids. Once they start to explore and observe the world, you might wonder about the best ways to help them experience it. I'm here to tell you not to worry too much! Spending valuable time with your children isn't rocket science. If you're looking for some activities to help you bond with your toddler, try some of my favourites.

Music 

Although I'm very careful not to play it too loud, I love enjoying music with the kids. Sometimes we put something on and dance around, just for the fun of it. Music is a great way to connect with your children in lots of different ways. And it's especially good for toddlers to help them learn rhythm, language and other skills. There are so many ways to introduce music into your daily activities. You could sing some nursery rhymes when you get up in the morning or just have music on while you go about your day. Some basic musical instruments like drums and xylophones are fun too.

Johnathan Nightingale  

Swimming 

If you want to do something physical with your toddler, swimming is an excellent option. Unlike chasing them around the park, swimming can be quite relaxing, as well as fun. You can take them to your nearest pool on your own. However, if you want them to start learning to swim, swimming classes for toddlers can be a good option. They can start using the pool soon after they're born and can look amazingly at home in the water. If you think about it, they did spend 40 weeks swimming about! Getting into the pool with your toddler can be a fantastic way to bond with them.

Story Time 

I'm a big believer in doing lots of reading with your children, from as early an age as possible. There are so many benefits to reading to and with your kids. Even if they're not old enough to understand what you're doing, it can help them to engage with your voice. Story time doesn't have to be saved for just before bed. You can read with them at any time of the day, and it's a great excuse for a cuddle. You can also do funny voices and actions, turning the story into a more immersive experience. 

Bedtime Routine 

Bedtime is one of my favourite times to bond with my children - if they're cooperating, that is. Having a bath, getting into PJs and enjoying a story and a cuddle help them to wind down at the end of the day. There are no other distractions, and you can create a little bubble of just you and them.

You have lots of opportunities to bond with your toddler, but it's up to you to make them. Sometimes you have to put in some extra effort to keep your relationship strong.

You can find loads more tips and tricks for parenting by clicking HERE.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram. 

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