Neal’s Yard Remedies by Maya

My eldest son had his 9th birthday party last Saturday. He’d been asking for a spy party since last year and I was really not keen on the amount of potential work that this sounded like it would be!

However I found which sold missions to find out “who dunnit”!! As my son is deeply fascinated by Ancient Egypt at the moment, we went for Mission 2 where the kids had to find out who stole Tutankhamen’s ring!

I was sent all the materials online and by post and all I had to do was download invitations (template included in the package), make a map to show where all the clues were, get food sorted and somehow drum up enthusiasm and explain what to the kids what they had to do.

After making up spy names using the Names Generator, the kids were then given the maps and set off to find 10 clues which they answered using the agent manuals and audio links and which would lead them to find the key code to complete their mission!

To make things extra exciting at the end, after finding out the culprit, we had a phone call from Octagon congratulating the kids on the mission and wishing my son a “Happy Birthday!”

I’ll admit I was terrified when the first lot of 9 year olds started entering our house (you can also do this in a park or elsewhere!) but I got over it quite quickly. The party went really well and the kids absolutely LOVED it!

It went so well that I forgot to take any photos, so you have one of some of the materials I was sent instead. 😁

was started up by a mother who wanted a party idea which would challenge the kids, let them have fun and encourage team work, and this package certainly ticked all this boxes!

Definitely highly recommend it and will consider it for my other son in the future 🙌

*NOT an AD!

⭐️ Brand of the Decade ⭐️
What a start to 2025.

Winner: Neal’s Yard Remedies

“Neal’s Yard impressed everyone with its pioneering commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and wellness. Helmed by the brilliant, energetic and passionate Anabel Kindersley, the brand seamlessly blends heritage with contemporary values to set a gold standard for conscious consumerism. Its iconic blue bottles are endlessly distinctive and Anabel’s activism and fight for the protection of our dwindling bee population is an inspiration to us all.”

Country & Town House Magazine

Old Boars Hill - An Oxfordshire hamlet dating back to the 12th century when the land was simply a hill with view stretching across the county. But then settlers planted trees and fences and made it into what it is today, with views that are difficult to see!

We went on the Old Boars Circular Walk - a bit up and down which you definitely need your wellies for! It was an easy walk - 1hr regular pace, 2hrs with kids…. We got very wet and very muddy, after walking through 3 very boggy fields and jumping across a river after going down a different path to avoid a sticky muddy path 😂 (I’d rather be wet than covered in mud!) so remember your waterproofs or a change of clothing!

I did a fair!!!!!! Some lovely things for Christmas 🎄

The most terrible photos of Uckfield for you, sorry…

We came down for a 100th birthday lunch for my kids’ great grandmother and stayed at the Premier Inn Uckfield which was surprisingly comfortable with a lot of space. There were 5 of us so we had interconnected rooms, and the kids preferred the psychedelic purple lighting, of course 😂

The lunch was at Horsted Place Hotel, a beautiful property, gorgeous decor with some nice wines. Mixed reviews about the food 😬 The party was in the Garden Room which aptly meant that the room had access to a lawn where the kids were able to run around or lie in their prams for their afternoon naps.

We then made our way to Brighton… but that’s for another post ☺️.

Loving this hand polish when my hands get just that little too dry from the cold weather 🙌 🥶

Morning moisturiser and booster blending 💪❤️

Strewth! Need a bit of white tea facial mist to cool me down! Best kept in the fridge for an extra refreshing spray ☀️

Yes, that’s a tiny wasp (maybe bee?) sting that I just took out my son’s head… stuck some lavender oil on the spot where he got stung and then moments later, said wasp came out my son’s thick head of hair!!! I got it with a finished toilet roll with one end flattened and let it outside. I think it was trying to make a nest 😂🐝

Yeah, it wasn’t so funny at the time….

Gosh, finally posting! It’s been a busy old time.

Anyway, I thought I’d tell you you a quick story about my car key recently.

A couple of years ago I changed the battery in my car key for a fiver in an electrical shop in Teddington. He was a lovely chap and of course the price was very reasonable.

That time to change it came round again and I thought I’d try . They wanted to charge me just shy of £15 to fit a new battery or almost £19 for a lifetime guarantee, whatever that meant. Hahaha, no way.

I went to The Hardware Store in Barnes, London today and the gent said, yes he would sell me the battery but no, he wouldn’t fit it in case he broke the key but also that I should just have a look on You Tube to see how it’s done.

And that’s what I did. And I changed my own battery - it was so easy! And how much did it cost me? A grand old £2.25.

£2.25!!!!! - you are shocking.

Thank you so much to The Hardware Store - you guys are amazing!! 🤩

Just been refilling my hand soap…..