Relentlessly Purple

Colourful Week – My Sunday Photo

My Sunday Photos / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

It’s been a colourful week this week! We have been loving the sunshine. Hot weather always mean ice creams and slush puppies for us! The Mr took this week’s My Sunday photo’s as I headed into London for an event. He sent me this lovely colourful photo of the girls enjoying a slush puppy whilst shopping.

A Colourful Week

Colourful Week

They both look so colourful with their bright colours, Eva’s pink hair and slush puppies in hand! This has been an almost daily occurrence to help cool the girls down but still get them out and about.

He also spotted this beautiful purple flower in the pub garden. I love the detail the Mr managed to capture, there are lots of beautiful flowers like this in the pub garden but I never manage to capture the detail quite like this, although admittedly I only ever use my phone. Perhaps my camera would be better!

The Mr takes some lovely photo’s, thankfully as I forgot to take my camera to London! I know, awful blogger! 😂 I did, however, manage to catch a few pictures with my phone.

My Sunday Photo

I spotted this high up on a building near Soho Square and took a picture for the girls! I love walking through London and looking up, you always see something cool, from tall buildings, gorgeous architecture to street art. There is always something to discover and photograph.

Soho Square

Unfortunately, the ugly bin really spoils this shot but Soho Square was fairly busy so this was the best photo I managed to get. I love the green, purples and pinks bursting out around the black and white. I will definitely go back much earlier in th3e day next time and see if I can get a nicer, bin-less shot!

What have you been up to this week?

St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Gremlins And Pesky Guests

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Gremlins And Pesky Guests was kindly sent to Eva to read and review. This is the fourth book in the series, written by Karen McCombie, illustrated by Becka Moor & published by Stripes, an imprint of the Little Tiger Group. This hilarious series follows Dani and her entertaining adventures at St Grizzle’s.

St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Gremlins And Pesky Guests

A flood closes the village school so Dani’s fun & quirky headteacher Lulu invites the staff and pupils to join them at St Grizzle’s school. Dani & her friends can’t believe it, they bump into sneery Spencer and his annoying friends in the village enough as it is! Now, they will have to share lessons with them too, what could be worse?

It doesn’t take long for pupils to clash, there are constant pranks and even the teachers aren’t getting on! To top it all, St Grizzle’s school show rehearsals are underway and it’s turning into a disaster!

Eva’s Thoughts

The story is about Dani and her friends having to share St Grizzle’s School For Girls with the Twittering primary school children. The Twittering primary school children try to make the school more sensible. My favourite part is when they were at Twittering primary school for their school fair. It is a really funny book with lots of silly pranks!

Twittering primary school fair

St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Gremlins And Pesky Guests is available on Amazon for £5.99. You can also find it in Waterstones and WHSmith.

If you haven’t read any of the St Grizzles series before you can read our previous reviews here:

St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Goats And Random boys – Book Review, St Grizzles School For Girls, Ghosts And Runaway Grannies, and St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Geeks And Tag-Along Zombies.

We love this series and think it’s a great book for children aged 7-9 years like Eva, who really enjoys quirky, funny story lines.

Do you know someone who would love to read this too?

Relaxing With Olverum Bath Oil

Product Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

I’ve been relaxing with Olverum bath oil this week. Olverum Bath Oil is an effective way to relieve stress naturally and achieve a great night’s sleep. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to review a sample of this unique, highly concentrated, therapeutic bath oil.

Olverum contains 10 pure essential oils, carefully blended to work synergistically, giving you a relaxing bath oil. Winner of Tatler Beauty awards 2018 ‘Best Bath Oil’, Olverum great for easing aching or sore muscles. It’s also a perfect soothing antidote for a cold or flu with a gorgeously aromatic unisex scent. As my long-term readers will know, I suffer from chronic pain & muscle spasms and anything natural that may help, I’ll happily give a try!

Described as ‘bath nirvana’ by The Sunday Times Style Magazine it seemed an opportunity not to be missed. Olverum survived by word of mouth for many years, a product known in the UK only to a small number of passionate devotees. Beautifully re-packaged, yet retaining the same loved formulation used for over eight decades, Olverum recently relaunched under new British ownership.

Availability & Stockists

Olverum is available in various sizes and stocked at Liberty, Conran, Harvey Nichols and Fenwick. The 125ml bath oil is £29.00 which is enough for 25 baths. The 250ml is £53, enough for 50 baths. This bath oil is also available as a travel set for £19, enough for 9 baths.

Relaxing With Olverum Bath Oil

Having heard all the positive talk about Olverum I couldn’t wait to get the girls to bed and run myself a bath. The start of the Summer holidays has been pretty busy and I could definitely use some time relaxing in the bath. I ran a warm bath with 5ml of Olverum bath oil and the aroma instantly filled the room! It smells gorgeous and feels amazing on your skin. I relaxed for a full 15minutes, something I very rarely do. My skin flares up in the heat but the added oil seemed to really help and left my skin feeling soft and hydrated.

I’m looking forward to my next bath using Olverum bath oil, it really leaves you feeling relaxed and rested. If you are looking for something to help you relax or a treat to pamper yourself with I definitely recommend Olverum.

Have you heard of Olverum before?

Crochet Rainbow Unicorn Hoody – Complete!

Crochet / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Finally, the crochet rainbow unicorn hoody is complete! My second crocheted cardigan so far. They are both pastel rainbow colours but this one is a unicorn hoody with an added belt. I created these using Drops Paris cotton and it is lovely and soft.

This has taken way longer than I had hoped. This is due to the fact I had to restart twice, once for sizing issues and again to remove a colour. I was so relieved to finally finish the main body when I realised I had to learn how to FPHDC & BPHDC (front pass and back pass half double crochet, the purple stitches).

With the first cardigan I could not figure this out and went with a plain edge but Eva insisted I gave it a go. I finally managed it, pleased to have learnt some new stitches. I need to work on my tension still but I’m pleased with the result.

Eva decided she didn’t want an open cardigan or buttons! Instead, she wanted a belt. The pattern I used from Heart, Hook, Home didn’t have a belt so I made one and added loops to the hoody. I then made and added the horn, 2 ears & mane.

Crochet Rainbow Unicorn Hoody

Eva was extremely pleased with how her crochet rainbow unicorn hoody turned out. Hopefully, if I make another I can improve the horn and ears but Eva is happy enough! It feels awesome to say I’ve completed a few big projects this year including my purple granny square blanket and these two hoodies.

I’m now back on the hunt for new projects having completed this. I’ve already made 2 golden snitches & started off a scarf. I have a few cushions I want to make covers for too. Do you know of any cool patterns you think I should try?

What do you think of our crochet rainbow unicorn hoody?

A Beautiful Walk With Izzy – My Sunday Photo

Uncategorized / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

I went on a beautiful walk with Izzy this week along the river. We really enjoy these walks now the sun is shining and on this particular day the sky was bright blue with lots of fluffy clouds. I discovered ‘Super Vivid’ mode on my lovely purple camera and really pleased how these turned out without editing!

Beautiful Walk

We always start off in the same place by Thurrock Yacht club where we check out the view and boats. We’ve taken so many similar shots before but I’ve never quite managed to capture the colours like this.

Watching the boats is one of Izzy’s favourite things to do, we often watch them being worked on or pulled out/off the river using the ramp. Both girls are always so interested in what the guys there are up to.

We walked further than we normally do on this particular walk and it was lovely to see a few different angles!

Our last photo is my absolute favourite! I edited it on my phone a little but I just love everything about it. You’d never think I was sat in Grays of all places with this view!

I’m loving the sunshine and the chance to finally have beautiful walks like this with the girls. I’ve found a camera mode other than auto I love and can see a rather colourful summer being captured!

What do you think?

Little Tiger Party At Kidzania London

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

We attended the Little Tiger Party at Kidzania London on Saturday and it was fantastic! Having attended Little Tigers Birthday party last year we were really excited to be invited this year too. The girls love Little Tiger books & they couldn’t wait to find out about new books & meet the authors and illustrators. Surprisingly Izzy remembered last year’s Little Tiger Party, the books & activities we took part in. When I told her we had been invited she was so excited!

Little Tiger Party

The Little Tiger Party (#TigerPBParty) was held at Kidzania in London where they recently teamed up to create a Little Tiger Library. The library is within Kidzania, giving children a chance to discovers new authors and role play as a librarian too. We arrived a little after 9.30am and greeted by a lovely breakfast buffet. We soon moved into the Kidzania Theatre where several authors & illustrators were ready to tell us about their books.

Kidzania globe

Blue Monster Wants It All

First up was Jeanne Willis who Izzy mistook for the queen! Jeanne read her book ‘Blue Monster wants it all’ a fantastic story that leaves children with a positive message. Blue monster isn’t happy with anything and thinks he needs a new everything. Even as a baby he wanted everything new from a new pram to a new cuddly toy. I got so absorbed into the storyline that I accidentally forgot to get a picture of Jeanne Willis reading to us, oops!

Blue monster throws away anything old and demands a new replacement. He even get’s rid of all his old toys, family and even the sun! All in search of something newer, shinier & better only to find you can’t buy new friends and family. When Blue monster realises this he quickly repairs his old broken plane and flies back home to his old family! It’s so easy to get caught up with having to have everything new, especially for children these days. I love that there is a story like to help remind children of what is actually important! Such a lovely way to start the Little Tiger Party.

Octopants

Suzie Senior & Claire Powell talking about their new book - Octopants!

We then learnt the origin of the second book, Octopants written by Suzy Senior & illustrated by Claire Powell. Poor Octopus has no underpants and can’t find any, no matter how hard he tries! Luckily he eventually comes across a solution! This is a fun, colourful book for kids and both girls really enjoyed both the book & the presentation.

We learnt the Octopants song which was pretty funny! We helped to come up with some new pant ideas for the octopus, from chicken pants & dinosaur pants to unicorn pants. There were several amusing suggestions leaving Claire to figure out how to turn the idea into pants.

Look Out! It’s A Dragon!

Next up, Jonny Lambert author of ‘Only Lonely Panda’ came on to the stage. He told us about Saffy the dragon in his new book ‘Look out! It’s a dragon!’ and how he created her. Jonny uses a process called scratch & tickle where he adds paint to his image and scrapes & dabs it with various items until he is happy with it. When he created Saffy he then tore a piece of card to create her belly & finishing the process. This gives Saffy a lovely texture & depth throughout the book.

Jonny Lambert explaining the 'Scratch & tickle' process.

Jonny also showed us how to make a 3D cardboard dragon, this led to Izzy having a slight hissy fit. Izzy thought the dragon story was written because of her Cardboard box dragon. Of course, this meant she wanted to be a helper on stage! She was quite upset at not being chosen but she was very pleased to catch up later on with Jonny. She found him in the Little Tiger library helping children colour & cut out their own dragon & they sat drawing for a while!

Jonny Lambery & Izzy colouring & drawing together.

Saffy isn’t like the other dragons & wants to find a lovely new home. She comes across one and tries to make friends. Everyone is scared of Saffy though as dragons have quite a reputation though & they tell her to go away. When the other dragons come along and ruin their lovely home, Saffy rescues everyone and takes them to a lovely new home.

Cock-A-Doodle-Poo!

Cock-a-doodle-poo! book - Little Tiger Books

The last book, Cock-A-Doodle-Poo was read out by author Steve Smallman who had all of us giggling! Who knew there was so much poo on a farmyard or just how funny a book about poo can actually be!? Rooster is causing a lot of mess & havoc on the farmyard, especially for farmer Jill, but apparently, poo can even be life-saving!

Cock-a-doodle-poo! being read by author Steve Smallman at the #TigerPBParty

Kidzania London

After the party, we were kindly gifted tickets to explore Kidzania London, a huge indoor roleplay place for kids. There are so many jobs for children to try out, they earn Kidzo’s for each job.

Emergency Ambulance - Kidzania

Children can spend their well-earnt Kidzos on activities such as abseiling or riding around in various emergency vehicles or spend them in the final gift shop before leaving. You can even save your Kizos for your next trip and save up for something special!

Renault Formula E

Eva was happy to go off and try out a few jobs starting with changing a Renault Formula E wheel. Unfortunately I’m not too sure what else she learnt in the Renault garage, I did ask a member of staff and explained I was there as a blogger and hoped to write about it before we went in but as Izzy discovered at the same time I couldn’t go in with her, I didn’t get a chance to find anything out.

Surgery

Eva performing surgery - Kidzania

Eva really enjoyed performing surgery too & overall she really enjoyed Kidzania, other than the music being a little too loud for her liking. We will look into seeing if they hold quieter days so she can try out a few more activities. I think if we had known how big Kidzania was we would have organised a friend to pick us up so we could do a full day and try everything!

Water Aid science laboratory - Kidzania

Parents aren’t allowed in the activities & the doors are closed which is great for children’s independence but unfortunately, Izzy was put off immediately. She was eventually persuaded by the open water aid centre where she learnt about using clean water and how to make bubbles which she loved! Izzy is really interested in germs & washing her hands regularly so it’s not surprising she enjoyed this activity.

Lovabella Baby Centre

Izzy caring for Lovabella dolls in the baby centre - Kidzania

Thankfully we lost her again when she spotted the Lovabella baby centre! This was the only activity she was happy to do alone. She really enjoyed herself and was happy to go in alone which was a huge relief!

Lovabella Baby Centre - Kidzania

Izzy also considered surgery but seeing the dummy & apron she had to wear put her off, seeing Eva perform the surgery even more so. By next year I’m sure she will love it though and happuly go into each activity alone. I can see us investing in annual passes as a gift for the girls in the future. I imagine once they are used to the venue I will be able to happily sneak off to the parents garden and leave them to it!

Saffy the dragon signed by Jonny Lambet to Eva & Izzy

Overall we had a fantastic day at the Little Tiger Party and can’t thank Little Tiger & Kidzania enough for having us. To really top the day we came home with a signed copy of each book & one of Jonny’s Saffy artworks he used on stage to explain scratch & tickle, which we absolutely love! I love that the girls both told everyone to sign Izzy/Isobella as Issobella, it became a little joke, Izzy Issobella! An amusing memory for the girls to look back on. Little Tiger parties are the best, we really enjoy these events and hope to get invited to the next one too!

Contacting HMRC Shouldn’t Be A Struggle

Tips / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Contacting HMRC shouldn’t be a struggle whatever the reason for needing to contact them. I have had so many issues contacting HMRC over the years and find it so frustrating. Whenever I know I have to call HMRC for whatever reason, I have a panic attack. Often I have to ask for the Mr to talk for me as I just can’t cope by the time we finally get through.

I’ve blogged before about my struggles to claim ESA & PIP before, it is mentally draining from start to finish. It can be so difficult to get in touch with the correct HMRC department to start. Then trying to find out what is going on with claims or why payments are delayed can take hours of trying different numbers. I often struggled to get through to the correct department. It impacted my mental health terribly, contacting HMRC departments shouldn’t be such a struggle. It shouldn’t cause people to have breakdowns when they already need help.

Talk Tax is really helpful for finding the correct numbers along with lots of useful information to help with anything HMRC related. I wish I had found them sooner, they have so many useful guides available. From guides on benefit entitlements, tax returns, car tax costs and more, they have everything you need in one place. If only HMRC’s site was so well presented!

Everyone has to contact HMRC for one reason or another, council tax, child benefits, universal credit etc. It really shouldn’t be such a struggle & I hope Talk Tax will be helpful to my readers too! I see people day in, day out, tweeting how they’ve been on hold for ages just to find they have to call yet another department yet Talk Tax makes it clear which number you need for applying, complaints & more.

Have you struggled with contacting HMRC?

Personalised Stationery From Printkick

Blogging / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Buying Personalised stationery from Printkick for businesses or individuals is quick & easy. With an extensive range of products from Business notebooks, corporate pens & even printed sweets, Printkick has your branded needs covered. You can request a free, no obligation quote on all their products.

Printkick Goody Bag

The goody bag I received has a cute kitty design along with Printkick’s branding on one side and a cool pattern on the other! The bag itself is super soft & squishy and feels well made. Unfortunately, I can quickly see Izzy stealing this if she gets a chance.

Branded A5 Notebook

I love notebooks, I currently have 5 notebooks on my desk & I’m more than happy to add the lovely A5 leather red notebook with Printkick’s branding embossed on the front. I love that this notebook has a band to keep it shut & a page marker. It also has a pocket inside the back cover for any loose notes or pictures, a fab feature!

Branded Pen

The next item, a soft touch grey pen with Printkick’s branding on is another favourite for me. I love a nice pen that flows freely & this is perfect. It has a little weight to it which I quite like too.

3-in-1 Mousemat

I think the 3-in-1 mousemat, screen wipe & screen protector with the cat design which is also in the bag is a fab product. It’s soft on top with a good grip on the bottom.

W Cable 3-in-1

The Printkick W cable 3-in-1 is perfect for us. I use a Type C lead for my phone but the Mr still has a Micro USB so this fab little lead will make recharging on the go even easier. It will also mean carrying less bulk on days out as we only need the one cable instead of 2. It has a fast charge output of 2A and has a strong silicone flat cable that is non-tangle. The W Cable is compatible with all devices including Android phones, tablets, Windows phone, Go Pro, GPS & Apple items too.

Printed Speaker

On top of all these fab printed items, the goody bag also included a portable Bluetooth speaker with Printkick branding. You can either plug this handy little speaker in using the cable provided or connect via Bluetooth. There’s a backtrack & fast forward button & play/pause as well as the option to switch from Bluetooth to an MP3 connection. This Bluetooth speaker will read TF cards & also acts as a mic too!

Personalised Stationery

Most of my readers will no doubt know by now I love stationery! I have so much laying around yet I always want more. I was kindly sent a branded Printkick goody bag to review which includes a selection of high quality printed products. Printkick offer stationery, drinkware, branded bags and more. They have a fab range of giveaway items perfect for businesses or bloggers celebrating milestones too!

Ordering Personalised Stationery From Printkick

Contour Frost Ballpen — Credit: Printkick

I have a few giveaways coming up next month so I took a browse myself for personalised stationery I could include. I discovered gorgeous purple Contour Frost Ballpens & I decided to submit a quote request for 250 pens. I chose one colour with http://relentlesslypurple.com printed in the blog font, late one night. I received a quote the very next morning at a very reasonable price. I’ll be ordering some, hopefully in time for my giveaways next month. Compared to many sites I have looked at for a similar product, I know it’s a great deal for such quality.

Having sampled this goody bag myself, I can safely say Printkick will be my first choice when it comes to ordering branded products and personalised stationery. The quality speaks for itself and I would definitely recommend them to businesses and individuals alike.

Do you love personalised stationery too? What do you think of Printkick’s range of branded products?

12 Signs You May Have An Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

There are 12 signs you may have an anxiety disorder which has been highlighted in the infographic below. As an anxiety sufferer myself, I think it is important to be aware of the signs. Several times I have shared posts about my own anxiety as well as tips to help others here & think this information is highly important.

Anxiety disorder is a serious condition that should be treated immediately. When you see signs that you or your loved one is under this mental condition, you have to seek for professional help the soonest time possible. Not doing so may lead to a more serious situation or condition that may not be treatable or may already deteriorate your or your loved one’s quality of life completely. But before you finally decide to seek for a professional help, you have to understand that anxiousness is different from an anxiety disorder. To help you in assessing your condition, read on the 12 signs you may have an anxiety disorder.

12 Signs You May Have An Anxiety Disorder

If you relate to most or all of these symptoms, you can get help & you are not alone! There are approximately 3 million people with an anxiety disorder in the UK. Anxiety disorders are manageable with professional help. Anyone who relates to the signs above, I urge you to seek help.

Treatment Options

If you need help there are plenty of treatment options to manage an anxiety disorder, from therapy to medication. Talking about your symptoms with your GP can help work out the best options. Counselling or CBT may be extremely beneficial. I know how hard it is to live with anxiety day to day & I am on medication to help control both my anxiety & depression.

Having support & professional help can be life-changing for anyone with anxiety so please, check on your friends & family. If you feel you have an anxiety disorder let someone close know if you don’t feel ready to face a GP. By having a close friend or family member aware of your symptoms they may be able to accompany you to appointments.

Helplines

There are many different organisations available & helpful to anyone with an anxiety disorder. I have put together a small list of helplines & services for anyone relating to the signs in the infographic who feel they need help. Most of the sites offer a range of FAQs you may find helpful along with local service locators.

Anxiety UK

03444 775 775 (Monday–Friday 9.30am–5.30pm)
anxietyuk.org.uk

No Panic

helpline: 08449 67 48 48 (10am–10pm)
nopanic.org.uk

Mind

MindInfoline: 0300 123 3393

mind.org.uk

Anxiety Alliance

Helpline: 0845 296 7877 (10-10 daily)

anxietyalliance.org.uk

Do you relate to the 12 signs you may have an anxiety disorder? Please do reach out for professional help if an anxiety disorder is disrupting your life. Things can get better!

Newborn Baby Gifts From My Little Duckling

Gift Guide / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Newborn Baby gifts from My Little Duckling, a British clothing brand, are perfect. One of our friends recently had an adorable little boy & I was stuck for gift ideas but My Little Duckling has some super cute gift sets. My Little Duckling produces adorable, unique baby gifts & matching gift sets for babies to 4 years.

Baby Gifts

As a parent myself, I know how much it means to receive a unique baby gift, especially something that can be worn. The baby gifts from My Little Duckling come in 3 colour schemes with lovely, unique designs perfect for any newborn. I was sent a gift set for this review & I have to admit, I am a little bit in love! I wish I had known about My Little Duckling sooner, they have such a fab range.

Grey Clouds Newborn Giftset

The Grey Clouds baby gift set I received for this review is absolutely adorable!! This gorgeous newborn gift set includes matching pilot hat, bib & mittens with a pastel pearl grey & white cloud cotton print. Available in 0-6 months for £22.99 from My Little Duckling, this gift set is ideal.

I love this gift set & can’t wait to hand it over! The pattern is adorable & each item is made to a high standard, I regularly find poor stitching is a huge issue when I’ve bought baby gifts. This is something Karina, creator & designer of My Little Duckling noticed herself when her son was born.

There is definitely no stitching issues with these, they look and feel amazing. I’m looking forward to proudly handing these gorgeous baby gifts over, safe in the knowledge they are of excellent quality. Along with the quality, you can tell time was taken to get the overall designs right. With the bib having 2 poppers to keep it secure and the mittens having poppers to keep them together, what an amazing idea!

With a gorgeous range of unique gifts for baby showers, newborn gifts & Christening gifts amongst other special occasions, you’re bound to find the perfect gift.

A Colourful Week

My Sunday Photo

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St Grizzle’s School For Girls, Gremlins And Pesky Guests

Eva’s Thoughts

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Availability & Stockists

Relaxing With Olverum Bath Oil

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Crochet Rainbow Unicorn Hoody

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Beautiful Walk

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Little Tiger Party

Blue Monster Wants It All

Octopants

Look Out! It’s A Dragon!

Cock-A-Doodle-Poo!

Kidzania London

Renault Formula E

Surgery

Lovabella Baby Centre

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Have you struggled with contacting HMRC?

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Printkick Goody Bag

Branded A5 Notebook

Branded Pen

3-in-1 Mousemat

W Cable 3-in-1

Personalised Stationery

Ordering Personalised Stationery From Printkick

Do you love personalised stationery too? What do you think of Printkick’s range of branded products?

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12 Signs You May Have An Anxiety Disorder

Treatment Options

Helplines

Do you relate to the 12 signs you may have an anxiety disorder? Please do reach out for professional help if an anxiety disorder is disrupting your life. Things can get better!

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Baby Gifts

Grey Clouds Newborn Giftset

Have you ever found it hard to find high-quality newborn baby gifts? What do you think of My Little Ducklings range?

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