I’m a huge fan of DotComGiftShop (soon to be Rex London!) and I’m often found buying bits and pieces from the online company throughout the year.

I also make a point of bagging a huge haul when the company promotes its mega sales – one of which you can watch here or read about here – you’ll see they do some amazing deals (up to 80% off!) – it’s certainly not to be sniffed at.

But what I particularly love about the company is its unique designs, which I’m reliably informed are concocted by the in-house design team – what a fab job that must be!

We’re talking about products that you can’t get anywhere else, and I love that friends regularly ask me where I found some of the company’s pieces.

Amongst my favourite buys (which I’m often asked about) are these super cute milk bottles which the kids love to use. I have fond memories of drinking milk from similar bottles when I was at Junior school, so they bring back pleasant childhood memories.

Also on my ‘go-to’ products are these retro kitchen weighing scales which come in a range of colours and look just the business on my open shelf in the kitchen. They usually come out at the weekend for baking with the kids.

Folk Doves Collection

When Rex London asked if I’d like to trial some products from its Folk Doves Collection, I jumped at the chance. I’m a busy bee usually, so I chose products that would complement my hectic lifestyle – and let me get on with my everyday jobs without being distracted.

Here’s how a typical weekend day goes for me – with a little help of some products from the Folk Doves collection…

6.00am

The early bird catches the worm as they say, and I get up early to have some quiet time attending to the blog, social media and emails before the kids get up and start asking for breakfast!

I don’t eat at 6am, but I usually need a couple of cups of coffee to get me going first thing in the morning – who doesn’t?!

When the rest of the house starts to rouse I usually go back upstairs to shower, get dressed and ‘put my face on’ as I like to call it.

VIP usually does breakfast at the weekend and I’m usually treated to a nice fry-up or scrambled eggs on toast, coupled with a good old cuppa – my favourite drink.

9.30am

After breakfast – and usually only on a Saturday, we usually all club together to get through a few household chores.

I’m quite fussy when it comes to a tidy and clean house, and I do encourage the kids to put in 20 minutes of their time. They don’t get pocket money for doing this, but many hands make light work and we’re usually done in less than 20 minutes.

Jobs for the kids are varied and include putting out the recycling, watering the household plants, cleaning the rabbits’ room, vacuuming, tidying their rooms and helping unload the dishwasher/general tidying and putting away.

Once the 20 minutes are up, the kids will get their homework done and then they’ll have the rest of the day free to do as they please. Activities they usually get up to include playing on their iPad minis, watching YouTube or shows from Netflix, making YouTube videos or writing a book (Girlwrighter).

VIP and I will often carry on with the chores – washing, cleaning, ironing, gardening etc…before we crack on with the things we want to do (or have to do!)

11am

If we don’t have to be anywhere visiting friends or family or we’re good for food shopping, VIP will start his marking (he’s a teacher), while I’ll jump back on my MacBook to carry on with blog writing, promotion and social media engagement.

Otherwise, we’ll typically head into our local town to do some window shopping. VIP and I will always make sure we grab our travel mugs when heading out the door.  Being a travel nerd fan – this one is my fave.  

I also take my travel mug on my commute to London during the week; I’ve worked out that if I take my own coffee with me for five days of the week, I’ll save around £40 a month by not buying takeaway hot drinks, which is a significant saving!

Today though we don’t have to be anywhere, and it’s very refreshing not to have to rush. I’m planning on meeting friends later to go for a walk and I’m pleased to see that the sun is out, so I should be able to get my vitamin D.

While I’m on the topic of going out, I’ll usually grab my handbag which houses my ‘go-to’ essentials. I know some bloggers have published posts on ‘what’s in my handbag/’, which are always interesting to read, but instead I’ll show you what I always pack in my bag if I do go out.

In the picture below – from left to right:

• My travel make-up case from Rex London in case I’m out for longer than expected and my face needs a ‘top-up’
• A packet of tissues (a must when you have kids)
• My migraine tablets
• A power bank for my phone, which has saved me so many times!
• A pen (a journalist ALWAYS has a pen)
• Some chewing gum to combat coffee breath
• My business cards
• Headphones for music when I’m travelling
• A pair of sunnies.

12pm

It’s time for a chat with my accountability partner and good friend Nicky – and I always have my notepad with me when I’m on the phone to her – conversations can last anything between 30 minutes (super quick) to a marathon two-hour session!

But we’ve always got plenty of ideas to bounce off each other – apps or systems we’ve tried and what we’re planning on achieving in the coming week.

It’s great to get things down in writing as it makes it more ‘real’ if you know what I mean? And when my ‘to do’ list is staring at me on a daily basis, it really does make me sit up and pay attention – there’s nothing better than crossing things off!

1.30pm

It’s lunchtime and I’m in the kitchen putting together chicken wraps – one of the kids’ favourites and they’re easy to make. We usually throw in some tomatoes to ensure the kids are eating their veg, while I enjoy some rocket salad with my wraps too.

After lunch Girlwrighter wants to make edible slime (it’s all the rage now, don’t you know?), while I’m hankering after making ‘Molly’s cookies’ – see the recipe on this post!

We both love baking, but I tend to stick with cakes and cookies, while Girlwrighter is a bit more adventurous in her kitchen creations.

I love using my retro scales when we’re weighing ingredients – and they look good enough to display on my open shelves, where they live when they’re not being used.

3pm

My friends Ruth and Jo call for me and we head out on a one-and-a-half mile walk. The weekly walks are a highlight for me. I really enjoy getting to catch up with my friends while burning off those calories – I always feel quite smug when I kill two birds with one stone!

On our way home we all pop into Tesco and I pick up a bag of pic n mix for me and the kids for tonight. We refer to Saturday night as ‘Family Night’ in the Wright household. Again, it’s one of my highlights as we take time out to enjoy ourselves and group together to watch a family film.

When I get back from my walk I always make sure I drink a glass of water. One of my resolutions this year is to drink more water, so I’ll usually pour myself a glass BEFORE I head out the door, so that when I return home it’s sat on the side waiting for me – a great reminder to drink more!

5pm

It’s dinner time and VIP is in the kitchen creating some wonderful dish. He loves cooking and I love eating, so it’s a great partnership!

Again, VIP is much more creative when it comes to cooking than I am – and me and the kids are usually treated to some dish that we haven’t tried before on a regular basis. But it’s great to experiment isn’t it?

After we’ve watched a bit of Saturday night TV, we’ll get the popcorn on the go and choose a film ready for Family Night. Other goodies on the list for Family Night include sweets, a family game and playing with the rabbits.

9.30pm

Once the kids are in bed (they just about go to bed before we do!), I love to light a few candles, grab a blanket and settle down with a hot chocolate or cuppa to catch up on my favourite TV programmes or watch a film with VIP.

Like most other parents we don’t get out that much, so most weekends I’ll aim to create our own cosy atmosphere when the kids are in bed. It’s that little bit of ‘me time’  where we can unwind and enjoy each other’s company without having to tend to the kids.

11.50pm

It’s time for bed and I’ve had a fulfilling day. Saturdays are the highlight of my week; I love that no weekend is the same and I’ve usually got a few things to look forward to in the weeks ahead.

What I love most about the weekend though is relaxing and enjoying family time. We make an effort to go the extra mile to spend time together when we can.

For example, we’ll eat at the dining room table to sit and chat, rather than grab a seat at the kitchen peninsula (with no technology allowed!)

We’ll also try to find time for a family game – the ‘IT’ game or something just as crazy! If it’s raining and we’re forced to stay in then we usually have a few favourites we turn to.

Even when we’re just relaxing around the house (and all on our laptops, iPads or phones), we’ll all be in the same room – even if it is just to see who can get the strongest Wi-Fi signal!

What are the highlights of your weekend? 

*I am writing this post in collaboration with Rex London, who kindly provided me with products from its new collection. Regular followers of this blog will know that I only promote products and brands I use and love.

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