If you are like me you love receiving gifts and especially if they are ones that allow you to pamper yourself. I recently received a box of Natralus Australia skincare products to test out and share my thoughts with you my lovely readers.
My skin always gets so dry in autumn and winter so having a good quality moisturiser on hand is essential. The weather in the mountains during the colder months means my skin deals with harsh winds, cold temperatures, warm heating, and of course layers and layers of clothing too that don’t help with dry skin.
The wonderful smelling Hand & Body Lotion – Rose, Lilly Pilly & Berries
NATURAL DEODORANT – WILD ROSE This deodorant is so wonderful and makes me smell like a rose all day long. It is not a strong scent, in fact, it is more a subtle rose that makes you feel like you are on holiday or it is summer still. You can get natural deodorants in Cool Spice, Lemon Myrtle, Zesty Citrus, Citrus Spring, and Sea Berry.
NATRALUS NATURAL PAW PAW BALM This natural paw paw balm is so moisturising and stays on your lips for ages. It is thicker and really helps keeps my lips feeling good and also looking amazing. I think you will be super amazed at the quality of this paw paw balm and it will soon be a firm favourite for you too.
This is my favourite item and a must-havefor anyone… you seriously need to get yourself some Natrualus Natural Paw Paw Balm today!
All the amazing natural products from Natralus Australia
Natralus My Little One Gentle Cleanse Shampoo & Wash smells so good, so marshmallowy!
Natralus My Little One Rangecovers all stages of care for children, including lotions, cleansers, and shampoo/conditioners. The creams and washes are so gentle, moisturising and soothing for babies’ and kids’ skin.
We loved the My Little One Gentle Cleanse Shampoo & Wash, it was like a big bunch of crushed-up marshmallows, My Little One Comforting Touch Massage Oil helps protect bubs skin, you can also use the massage oil during pregnancy and post-pregnancy for your skin too.
The oil is “enriched with paw paw to help nourish and protect delicate skin, Rosehip oil to deeply moisture and help support your little one’s skin natural elasticity, Jojoba oil, is gentle and easily absorbed, helps to prevent dryness and leaves skin silky-smooth. Calendula, known for its calming and soothing properties.”
Thanks to Naturalus Australia for sending me such amazing products to try.
I loved them and will definitely recommend them to friends and family. If you are looking for some amazing natural products, make sure to check out Naturalus Australia.
I’m so excited and proud to announce that I am a Twinkl Ambassador….yep what great news. As a parent, I am passionate about kids’ education and anything that I can do to support my children I am doing. This is why I love the tools and resources that Twinkl offers to allow all children to thrive in their educational journey.
What is Twinkl?
Twinkl is a resource for teachers and parents. They have resources that support all levels from Kindy to High School that is aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
Twinkl is an online educational resource platform that provides a wide range of educational resources, activities, and lesson plans for children of all ages. It was founded in the UK in 2010, and since then, it has expanded to serve educators and parents around the world, including Australia.
Here is an overview of the foundation to year 2 level on Twinkl – So many resources available.
I am very proud and excited to be a Twinkl Abassador
Treasure words and Fake Words Phonics Game
Why Twinkl membership is a must
Here are some ways Twinkl can help parents support their children at school, as well as how it helps teachers and homeschooling parents:
Educational Resources: Twinkl offers a vast library of educational resources that align with the Australian Curriculum, from kindergarten to high school. Parents can access materials that cover a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, science, English, and social studies, to support their child’s learning at home.
Printable Worksheets: Twinkl provides printable worksheets that parents can use to help their child practice their skills at home. These worksheets cover a range of topics and are designed to be engaging and fun for children.
Interactive Activities: Twinkl offers a range of interactive activities that parents can use to engage their children in learning. These activities include games, quizzes, and puzzles that help children learn while having fun.
Lesson Plans: Twinkl has a variety of lesson plans for teachers that cover a range of topics and subjects. Parents who are homeschooling their children can also use these lesson plans to structure their child’s learning.
Homeschooling Resources: Twinkl offers a range of resources for parents who are homeschooling their children. These resources include lesson plans, worksheets, and activities that are designed specifically for homeschooling families.
Twinkl is a valuable resource for parents who want to support their child’s learning at school, as well as for teachers and homeschooling parents. With its extensive library of resources, printable worksheets, interactive activities, lesson plans, and homeschooling resources, Twinkl provides a comprehensive solution for parents who want to help their children succeed academically.
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I spent Wednesday and Friday this week trying to get Taylor Swift tickets. And yes I am one of many that never got the chance to get to purchase anything at all.
My girls were so excited that Tay Tay was coming to Australia. They were desperate to see her or just be at the concert in any capacity at all.
I knew that everyone would be wanting to go and the competition for tickets would be fierce but never thought it would be this bad that you wouldn’t even be let in for a chance to purchase by Ticketek.
I made sure I had all passwords, code for presale and credit card ready. I logged in early to be in the queue or so I thought and then spent hours and hours not getting through to get tickets.
The page kept on saying don’t refresh or leave the lounge. I heard that others just got on and instantly got tickets. Why can’t I get tickets? When will I be let in and when is it my turn to buy tickets? You would have thought after hours of waiting it would be my turn at some point. But no, my turn never came.
I do know that not everyone can get tickets to a concert. However, if you are on a system and it says that you be let in soon you should be after waiting for ages and ages.
I had many browsers open on different computers as well as on my mobile. Please forgive the breakfast bowl as I was fearful of leaving my desk in case I did get in to get tickets. Also doing work too at the same time.
I have since learned that the system is random and wasn’t letting the next person into the queue. I thought that this was frustrating and made me so angry. If it is indeed random then I can close my browser windows and just cross my fingers that I might be that lucky person to get tickets next.
A few times, I tried to just open new windows and close others as I have not progressed and nothing is happening. Still nothing. No progress. Still in the horrible wait with the line going across the screen brainwashing me to stay although my actions and the actions of the page are not changing. It was maddening. It was crazy and it all resulted in a very upset and stressed-out mummy.
How can you have a system that is completely random and then tell people to stay in the queue, have codes for presale and more to show that you will at some stage be let into the magical area to buy tickets.
I was magically let in at some stage on my mobile on Wednesday during the presale, however, there were no boxes to drop down to enter any info. No area to enter my presale code and therefore I couldn’t progress. If this was different I would have indeed purchased tickets and our outcome would be different. But this was not the case. I couldn’t see what to do and tapped every part of the screen and changed the view. Was it a different capability for mobile users compared to desktop?
FFS really I get to purchase and then cannot do anything! Of course, that happens.
Friday was no different, I thought I would try different browsers and open browsers at different times to see if I can indeed be one of the random lucky people getting tickets, but this was not to be. I was finally let in after 6 plus hours to find that I couldn’t purchase the 4 tickets I needed and even found that 3 tickets couldn’t be purchased. I looked at all the other days and of course, they were sold out and therefore we had missed all chances and opportunities to go at all.
In all my years purchasing concert tickets this has been the worst experience ever. Below are some recommendations:
You should have been able to be let in for the presale more easily to allow more people the chance.
If Taylor Swift had more concerts around Australia there would be more chance of getting a ticket. I know she added an extra show for Melbourne and Sydney but these are the only ones for the whole of the country. Three in total for Melbourne and four in Sydney. Everyone all over was purchasing tickets to these concerts. If for example there were concerts in Perth, Brisbane, South Australia or other places it would have allowed more people to go.
A better system for allowing people to get tickets is needed. If you have a presale ticket system with codes it should be on priority and next in line not a random thing that it is only down to the internet gods that you magically get tickets.
Not allow people to have more tickets to other concerts – give everyone a chance.
I did want to see if I can get the girls tickets to the concert for their birthday this year and of course for their Christmas present but it was not to be. I am wanting to create more experiences rather than buy stuff.
Maybe I can get tickets to another concert, however, I do hope that the way to purchase tickets for whatever concert it is isn’t like what the Ticketek experience was.
I think I am scarred by this experience to secure tickets and exhausted over the whole event. If I never see the blue line going back and forth on another webpage I will be very happy.
Yep, I know that some magically were lucky to get tickets super quick, but for the people like me that tried for hours on end to secure nothing I am sad to hear this. It shows that the ticketing system is flawed and really not fair. Especially for those that waited hours for both days for the chance to be let through the next screen to part with lots of money for tickets to this sought-after show.
I was happy to part with lots of money to get my tickets but one thing I think is unforgivable is how many tried and were never let in to purchase at all. I don’t get how it was never my turn or others’ turn either. How is this possible????
Ticket availability is ultimately determined by factors like venue capacity and artist preferences, so with the huge demand for the limited tickets for each concert and the number of people wanting said tickets, I don’t think I stood a chance at all to get any at all.
How did you find the experience of getting Taylor Swift tickets? Were you one of the lucky ones? Or are you like me and tried for hours and came up empty-handed?
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Lately, I realised that I haven’t laughed in a long long time, well I have had little chuckles and found things funny but not really had a big deep laugh. I figured this out when I was listening to a podcast and couldn’t stop laughing when they mispronounced a few words it just got sillier and sillier and yet I couldn’t stop laughing and was in tears nearly.
Work, life, kids, school, work, after-school activities, weekend activities, and more means that it is constantly go go go! When I do get a chance to relax I either fall in a heap and watch a show or go to bed for some long-anticipated sleep lately I’ve not been sleeping well so then getting horrible headaches…so then days of plodding along and not laughing or smiling that much continues on.
Laughing is not only good for your mental health but also for your physical health. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals that can help reduce stress, relieve pain, and boost your immune system.
Laughing can also help you relax and reduce tension in your muscles, which can help lower your blood pressure and improve circulation. Additionally, laughing can improve your mood and help you feel more positive and optimistic about life.
While laughing may not make you physically younger, it can certainly make you feel more youthful and energetic. Laughing can help you let go of stress and worries, allowing you to enjoy the present moment and connect with others.
So, if you haven’t been laughing or smiling much lately, it may be time to seek out some sources of humor and joy in your life. Whether it’s watching a funny movie, spending time with friends who make you laugh, or simply practicing laughter exercises, finding ways to laugh and smile more often can have a positive impact on your overall well-being.
Here are some tips on how to laugh more and incorporate more humor into your daily life:
Watch or read something funny: Whether it’s a comedy movie, sitcom, or humorous book, exposing yourself to funny content can help you find humor in everyday situations.
Spend time with funny people: Surround yourself with friends or family members who make you laugh and enjoy their company.
Try laughter yoga: Laughter yoga involves combining breathing exercises with playful, laughter-filled movements, which can help you laugh more and feel more energized. (I honestly had no idea that there was a thing called, Laughter yoga.)
Find humour in everyday situations: Try to find humour in everyday situations, such as a funny mistake or a humorous conversation with a stranger.
Take breaks to do things that make you happy: Engage in activities that bring you joy and laughter, such as playing games, listening to music, or spending time with pets.
Practice gratitude: Focusing on the positive aspects of your life and feeling grateful for what you have can help you cultivate a more positive outlook and a greater sense of joy.
Remember, laughter is contagious, so don’t be afraid to share your joy with others. Making someone else laugh can be just as rewarding as laughing yourself. By incorporating more humor into your life, you can improve your mental and physical well-being and enjoy a more fulfilling life.
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Why is it a good idea to take a technology break? Find out 5 reasons why taking a technology detox can help you feel better.
Selena Gomez‘s decision to take a break from social media for the sake of her mental health is a brave and wise choice. While social media has its benefits, such as staying connected with loved ones and discovering new ideas and information, it can also be a source of stress and negative emotions for teenagers, as it has the potential to amplify feelings of comparison, bullying, and isolation.
P!nk has recently shared that she has received hateful and horrible messages in the media over very old articles years ago. The focus should really be on her new album and all the hard work that went into it, however, the media are focused on rehashing things from when she was in her 20’s, just silly if you ask me. The issue here is that P!nk is honest in her interviews and tells it how it is – I find it interesting that if you have an honest opinion even if you say that you didn’t get on with someone and have since made up with that person that the news that these comments keep getting retold and beat up. Honestly, I think P!nk is amazing and love her raw honesty, passion and hard work. See the social media bashing is happening to us all!
I’m a lot older than Selena and I’m an avid user of social media. However, there are times that I look at some people’s images and accounts and get rather depressed. I am sad about how amazing their life looks; they look stunning in their designer outfits, they have an awesome home and have the perfect vacation overseas with their family. Oh how I would wish for that too. I like Selena have purposefully taken a break from being online, removing my phone from being close to me, not taking my phone with me when I am out or not looking at any of my accounts or sharing what I am up to for a while. What about you?
Teenagers and social media
Firstly, social media encourages teenagers to constantly compare themselves to others. This constant comparison can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and even depression. Teenagers are bombarded with images of “perfect” bodies, luxurious lifestyles, and seemingly flawless relationships, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and a distorted view of reality.
Secondly, social media can be a breeding ground for bullying. Anonymous accounts and online anonymity can make it easy for bullies to target their victims, causing serious emotional distress. Cyberbullying can have severe consequences, including depression, anxiety, and even suicide.
Lastly, social media can prevent teenagers from developing meaningful relationships in real-life situations. It’s essential for teenagers to have face-to-face interactions with their peers and to engage in activities that allow them to develop social skills, such as team sports, clubs, and volunteering. Social media can be a tempting substitute for real-life interactions, but it can never fully replace the importance of human connection.
My kids have had some issues with bullies online (It is so easy to be horrible to people when you are anonymous, right!). These bullies used fake accounts and created made-up things about the kids to share with their friend groups. All of this was disgusting and horrible and of course not true, however for teenagers or younger kids having this happen is a nightmare. I did try and tell my kids to just not look at the phone and ignore it. Or maybe just delete the app altogether. However, this response was met by the kids saying “my friends will think that we are ignoring them and more!” My response was that if these people are truly your friends ignoring them on the app is not the end of the world, then explaining in real life via a face-to-face will be what is needed.
When I grew up there were no mobile phones, no internet and no social media! The only way to connect was face to face and if you did have a disagreement you would just not play with this person for a while until you made up or it could be forever depending on the relationship or what had happened.
Social media has its benefits, it’s important for teenagers to be aware of the potential negative effects it can have on their mental health. Taking breaks from social media and engaging in real-life interactions can help teenagers develop meaningful relationships, improve their social skills, and prevent feelings of comparison, bullying, and isolation.
Being online constantly can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. On the one hand, it can provide social connection and support, especially for individuals who may feel isolated or marginalized. It can also serve as a platform for self-expression and creativity.
On the other hand, social media can also lead to negative consequences. Excessive social media use can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, especially if individuals compare themselves unfavourably to others on social media. The pressure to maintain a curated online presence can also be stressful and overwhelming, negatively impacting mental health, and not a real way of living and being. It would take a toll on anyone to have to keep up with the illusion of fantasy at all times.
Taking a break from social media, as Selena Gomez did, can be a helpful way to prioritize mental health and focus on oneself. It can provide an opportunity for individuals to disconnect from the constant barrage of information and comparison on social media, and instead focus on personal growth and well-being. I for one have felt that there has been a lot of bad news, so stepping away from the news sites, social media and tv reports for me has been helpful too.
Being online all the time is not good for you. A break is a good thing to have.
Taking a technology detox, or a break from technology, can offer several benefits:
Reduced stress and anxiety: Technology can be overwhelming and create feelings of stress and anxiety. Taking a break from technology can help you relax and unwind.
Improved sleep: Exposure to the blue light emitted by electronic devices can interfere with your sleep cycle. Taking a break from technology can help improve your sleep quality and quantity.
Increased productivity: Technology can be a major distraction, and taking a break can help you focus on important tasks and be more productive.
Improved mental health: Constant use of technology can lead to feelings of depression and isolation. Taking a break can help you connect with people in real life and improve your overall mental health.
More time for other activities: Technology can be time-consuming, and taking a break can free up time for other activities, such as exercise, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones.
Overall, a technology detox can help you recharge, refocus, and reconnect with yourself and others.
Have you taken a technology detox? Was it just on your social media? How did you feel after your break?
Yep and I understand the irony of me writing this for my online blog…even if you just take a break from your phone for the weekend, or just during the evenings, it will help you feel better.
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Valentine’s Day shouldn’t cost you the earth, showing your loved one how you feel shouldn’t mean you are in debt to the bank. Yep, some people go all out for the day, if you can afford to do so, why not, but if you can’t there are many ways to show your love and how much you appreciate your loved ones without spending lots of money.
Grab a pretty bunch of flowers for your special someone
My youngest asked what you give people on Valentine’s. I told him, cards, chocolates, and other gifts. My little boy doesn’t eat chocolate, so he thought the idea of giving chocolate was horrible! I mentioned maybe he can give his mates some of his favourite lollies for the day.
Bake some cookies or a yummy dessert to show you care.
Below are 25 ideas to get our special someone for Valentine’s Day:
Cook dinner for your special squeeze. Make your loved one’s favourite food and bake a cake for dessert.
Add love notes around the house – if your special someone takes lunch to work add some secret notes in their lunch.
Take your lover on a picnic – grab some fresh bread, cheese, meats, fruit, and drink of choice to enjoy at a picturesque picnic spot. If not a place with a view a nice park that allows you to have some time together is all that is needed.
Get the kids babysat by family or friends to allow you to have a date night.
Use last-minute deals to score a hotel getaway in your own city – a break and room service is always nice.
Create vouchers for your partner to use when they wish. The vouchers will be for things like time alone (so you take the kids), dinners, chores, cleaning the house, and anything that you think your loved one might want. Maybe it is for a massage every week… it is up to you. Time for exercise and more!
Fix things around the house that need doing (complete your honey-do list) or hire someone that can get it done quickly. Trust me finally having the items fixed after many years will be a great weight of everyone’s shoulders and be a WIN for you!
Change the sheets and tidy up the bedroom. It is so nice to get into bed with fresh sheets, you feel great and sleep better.
Book your lover into a course they have always wanted to do.
Book concert tickets for your special squeeze’s favourite artist (depending on who they are this might not be cheap or reasonable costs…. however, it is a great gift).
Allow your partner to sleep in. You get up and make sure that kids are cared for, and all is organised while your loved one gets more rest.
Make breakfast (maybe have it in bed).
Travel to a different café and have a long relaxing brunch.
Indulge in homemade high tea – scones, sandwiches, and desserts.
Take your special someone to a movie.
Go for a road trip, stay over at a hotel, and enjoy exploring new places.
Flowers always help make people happy, how about giving your special someone a nice bunch of flowers each week? Or a plant that will allow the flowers to keep on giving back year after year.
Purchase or give your special person a voucher to get a new outfit.
If your main squeeze likes to get their hair done, organise a day at the hairdressers on you.
Organise a massage for your special someone.
Create a signature cocktail to celebrate your special person, and enjoy the new drink creation over a BBQ in the garden.
Write a letter or poem about what your special someone means to you.
Create a fun and lovely card to show how much someone means to you
I hope this list gives you some good ideas for Valentine’s Day. Remember these can be given all year round not just on Valentine’s. Showing your love for your special someone shouldn’t be just for one day…you can shower love every day of the year, not just Valentine’s.
Ready in his safety harness and helmetGetting fitted for his safety gearEnjoying the climbing fun
I wanted to take Alex somewhere fun, somewhere different from the usual park.
But where?
Why not Treetops Adventure at Western Sydney. You don’t have to visit the Western Sydney location, this is the one we visited. The Western Sydney Treetops are within the Western Sydney Parklands.
In fact, Treetops Adventures are available in 8 different locations in NSW, also in Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
I looked online for a great spot to take my active six-year-old and settled on Treetops adventure. I magically booked one of the last times for their adventures that day and of course, high-tailed it down the mountain to get there on time. I was however about 15 minutes late, but I soon discovered that was okay. Thank goodness for that!
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He had the safety rope on the course to make sure he was safe even if he fell
We were in time for my little boy to join a group of other kids, he just needed to get his harness fitted and wait for the group to have their safety induction and their guide to tell them the rules of what to do and of course not do. If they needed help there were staff there with their harness on ready to climb to help out.
At first, my little boy was a bit shocked we didn’t end up at the park he thought we were going to…however, I did tell him we were off on an adventure to do something different.
See our YouTube video of our Treetops Adventure
Balancing to make sure he has the edge
Brave and keen to climb all the courses
Alex grew his confidence with the different courses.
One course had my six-year-old fall off the timber or logs that were there. He did have a harness and was also strapped on with the metal safety line, so no worry about falling. However, losing his footing was a bit scary and I had to talk him through how to get back on the logs.
I did get the attention of one of the staff there and they were on their way and then Alex managed to sort it all out himself.
These ones move and Alex took a bit longer making sure he put his foot on the next one correctly
The courses that had moving logs or missing parts where you would put your feet made my little boy a bit worried at first, he did get the hang of how to work the ones that were moving and then with the ones that had missing parts he favoured the area that had more timber for him to stand.
Getting across the course slowly but surely
He also was very focused on what he was doing and how he managed each course.
When Alex got to the Ziplines he was able to take off the zip fitting and put it on the metal line for the zip adventure himself. He got really good at it and even though he fiddled a bit sometimes getting it off the metal rope he yelled at me that he didn’t need help, he would say very loudly “I don’t need help!”
Was a bit worried about the gaps and the logs…at least they don’t move
Got the hang of the net
This was a great decision to take my little one to Treetops Adventure at Western Sydney, he loved it. In fact, he really didn’t want to leave.
Having heaps of fun climbing
I now really would like to take the twins to experience more Treetops Adventures throughout Sydney. For all kids to do a park together I would need to have courses for the bigger kids and many courses for the younger person too.
If you are looking at an activity for the holidays, weekend or any time climbing at TreeTops is something I would highly recommend. Not only is it great for kids as they are outdoors, it helps with their confidence and problem-solving abilities it is also fun and different from your standard park.
Alex had never climbed at Treetops before and was racing around and doing the courses multiple times, he seemed to be an expert after doing it many many times!
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I didn’t know what to get my in-laws for Christmas and left the present shopping till the last minute. Even if we did magically purchase the most amazing present, we would still need to post it to them, and there was no guarantee the present would not make it for Christmas.
I said to hubby why not give them a voucher or something local that they can use. Something that will not require postage and therefore allow us to get them a gift and not have to post anything.
One suggestion I discussed with Hubby was a possible gift box for HelloFresh (We loved our HelloFresh box and enjoyed the experience and wanted to share it with family). It would allow Hubby’s parents to have meals delivered, make their life easier, and test out the subscription box. There is no incentive to sign up we just wanted to enable Hubby’s parents to put their feet up for a bit, no shopping or thinking about what is for dinner.
Bad customer journey on the HelloFresh website
We decided to go ahead with the gift certificate for a week for our Christmas gift, we thought that this would be a good due to not being able to get a present there in time. I thought it would be easy and tried to do the process on the HelloFresh website.
I navigated to the gift card link all the way down the bottom left on the HelloFresh website. I clicked the amount I wanted to spend, and the number of people and then progressed to the next page. The next page had questions like I was signing up for a subscription box, my address, delivery at home or elsewhere, and more.
Why would HelloFresh be asking me this? I am not making this decision. It is a gift for someone else.
Me annoyed that the gift voucher hasn’t arrived
I would have thought that this would have been the process
You click on the gift card link.
You select the amount you wish to spend, how many people it is for, and then where it should be emailed, along with your message to your friend or family member.
Then the next page should take you to the payment page, you then pay for the gift card, and then you get an email saying that you have paid for a $110 gift card for 2 people for 5 meals, when the email will be delivered and the time, along with the email and name of the person/s that will be receiving this email with the gift card info. With this confirmation email, you should also get a copy in case the recipient for whatever reason never receives their email.
As the page kept on looking like it was going to sign me up instead of just purchasing the gift card, I rang HelloFresh customer service helpline. I was talked through the whole process by a nice lady who understood what I was trying to do. She kept on telling me that it was only for the gift card purchase and that it will not sign me up for a subscription. I really didn’t feel confident but followed her advice and filled out the next pages as she instructed. (She was right but I was holding my breathe thinking I might get an email for something I didn’t sign up to)
As you can see in the image below it says the address and phone number for delivery purposes. I am not the person getting the gift box my inlaws are. It also asks me where I would like my gift box delivered…..geez again I cannot make this decision and this question shouldn’t be on this page at all.
Confirmation email
I was told that I would get a confirmation email with a copy of the email that the giftee would get. I only got that I spent the money on the gift card and that the recipient would get an email on the date I selected. I selected 25th December 2022 for the delivery date and as mentioned above the email has not arrived to the people it should of.
Today is the 26th of December and still, my in-laws have not got the email alerting them to their gift box from HelloFresh.
Tips to improve the customer journey on the HelloFresh website
The whole process to order a gift card is too complicated and confusing from a customer’s perspective. (You might think I have no idea about customer journeys on websites, in fact, I have over 16 years of experience with content and improving sites).
The business (HelloFresh) needs to pretend they are the customer and follow the steps to purchase gift cards and other items. During this process, did everything make sense? Was there clear information and is it easy to find?
Once you have highlighted items to fix to make the process easier and more efficient for the customer these need to be fixed. For example, have a simplified gift card purchase process. Click on the link for gift cards, select the spend amount, who it is going to, and email address, and fill out your message to the recipient.
Then the next page is your payment page. This page should only have info for the person buying the gift only…no info about the delivery address or where the box should be left. This is information that needs to be asked when the recipient enters their details to claim the gift card for their HelloFresh box.
The final step in the process should be sending the person organising the gift a confirmation email. In this email it should have the following items: Congratulations on your purchase of xxx amount for your HelloFresh gift box, a breakdown of what you bought for whom, who it will be delivered to and what email address, what date and time you can expect your family/friend to get their gift card email, and also a copy of this email to send to your recipient if for whatever reason the person doesn’t get the email from HelloFresh (like in my case)
Moving the link from the bottom of the website to the top and making it more obvious to customers (this link needs to be higher up on the page – living on the top of the page real estate rather than where most people don’t look at all) that they can indeed get a gift box as a gift would I believe increase sales and take up for new subscriptions. Also making the buying process easier and less complicated would allow more sales as well.
Having a buying process that has few steps is ideal. Too many things to do, and pages that have questions that are not relevant will mean people don’t buy and do not come back. Having a 3-step process that is simple and quick is what is needed.
Oh and make sure you have your office hours listed on your site – if you say that they are listed there from your recorded message it needs to be on your website.
Also the contact us area isn’t user-friendly to message the HelloFresh team. It needs to be updated to allow customers to send a message about other issues rather than a subscription box or missing ingredient.
There is not a lot of info about meal box gifts. All the major players in the market seem to not have it available. Personally, this is a gap in the market…… Make it easy for people to spend their money and try your product. Easy really!
I am very upset and disappointed with this gift card experience. I organised and paid for it all on the 19th of December, and was told on the phone and on the website that the people receiving the gift will get the email when I nominated it to be sent. Nothing has arrived so far. I have spent $110 and no gift has been sent!
I rang the customer service line of HelloFresh on Christmas Day to see if they had recorded information about when they will be available so that I can sort this out. The recorded message said that they were closed (fine it is Christmas) and then told me that I can check out their hours of operation on their website. Then the call dropped instantly. Nice….. Geez. Not even an updated recorded holiday message saying:
“Happy Holidays from HelloFresh, we are closed from 23rd Dec and reopen on xxx day in Jan 2023. If you have any urgent enquires please call this number xxxxx”
I went back to the HelloFresh website to see if they had details of their opening hours for the holidays and there is no such information anywhere on their site. Zilch! Nada…. Nothing!!!!!
I have no idea when I can contact them about the missing gift card email and to top it off my inlaws think we haven’t given them anything now. Insert a very unhappy customer and affiliate partner of HelloFresh.
My recent posts about HelloFresh
I do really love what HelloFresh offers. We have had some great meals with them. However, as a lover of their product and service and also a person that has reviewed them as well, I am disappointed by the customer journey for their gift card purchase, how it looked like I was going to then subscribe to a meal box and not gift if to the people I really want to give it to, and then the BIG ANNOYING PART, the email for the gift card never got sent to my inlaws. Yep, we have checked many times and they have received nothing. Zip… Zilch! Nothing of nothing has arrived.
I hope that this post will help HelloFresh understand how to fix their website, what are the pain points for the customer and fix my issue with the gift box for my inlaws for Christmas.
As said I am not anti-HelloFresh, I love the products and what they do, I just think that some of the services have fallen flat and as a devotee and affiliate to their program I am rather upset about it all.
NOTE: I Finally made contact with HelloFresh via Facebook messenger (HelloFresh was quick to respond via messenger and to sort out this issue) and they are looking into why the gift box email never arrived. I do hope they can fix it today for my in-laws. I have been told that the email was indeed sent on December 24th, but we know for certain that there was nothing in their inbox from HelloFresh. The team at HelloFresh have sent the email again and if not received I will contact them again to let them know.
No email arrived…I messaged again and was told that I needed to send my email confirmation via messenger.
I explained I cannot do this and needed an email address. No email address was given. I then was asked if I filled out the form with the person’s email, and I said I did. I asked for it to be sent to my own email address, but still, no email showed up. I then asked for the email to be sent to my Hubby, no can do that as the person who organised it can only get the email. I then get asked if I have an account and more weird questions. I explain that I can send the email confirmation but they should already know that I have paid from their end.
I then get told that I have been sent a discount (Also the email for this discount was not labelled in a different way, it is for a subscription box only, so to actually make use of the discount I need to set up a subscription with HelloFresh) to send my in-laws that will be in place of my gift box that I have arranged. The discount was for $130 off a subscription and not a one-off gift box. I explained that I didn’t want this and that this is not what I ordered at all. I told the person on messenger that I wanted a gift box for my family and would appreciate the code so that we can access what we paid for.
I then get asked about how I ordered the gift box. Did I use the website? What email did I use? And more info I had already told them.
This still didn’t explain why I still wasn’t getting the email.
In the end, I was then told that I filled in the form wrong with my email, not the email that should get the gift code for the meal box (If this is the case, I should have gotten the email). I explained that their form online for purchase is confusing, I rang their help desk and was walked through the whole process and was told that I did it correctly. Also kept on saying that the confirmation email didn’t give any info other than the fact that I paid for it and that the people I nominated for the gift box will get an email for the date I selected.
As you might imagine I wasn’t happy and wanted to talk to someone that could just give me the code so that we can access what was paid for. I finally received the code in a text message via Facebook and have created my own email to the in-laws to allow them to finally get their Christmas gift.
I am pleased that I finally got the code that I needed to send to my in-laws for their Christmas present but rather annoyed and frustrated at the whole experience. This purchase experience was anything but easy or fun. It was rather painful and annoying, to say the least.
I have given this feedback to HelloFresh and I hope that this helps others and also the customer journey on the HelloFresh website.
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Note: This is a long story about me losing something important and thinking it was something else entirely, as well as my first thought that it was a criminal gang involved. I blame all the true crime podcasts I have been listening to (Morbid especially – I love it so it is not a negative about the show, just that I am now thinking there is crime everywhere!) The story has a few swear words in it and I was rather annoyed and upset about the situation.
Having fun at Darling Harbour
A while ago I took my little boy to the city for a day out. I drove into the city as the last time my little boy and I ventured out we took public transport everywhere, and this made him very tired. I thought why not make things easier by being able to just get in the car and drive home.
We had a good trip in and then I thought I was at the parking station that I had pre-paid for. I approached the car park and then soon realised that it was the wrong one due to the height of the garage, this was a place that my car cannot fit so I looked on Google and it appeared that the car park I needed was in fact around the corner.
I punched in the details into the GPS and then was on my way. I am sure that my GPS said that I had arrived at my destination and the car park was able to let me in for the height of my car and my credit card allowed me to enter (So I thought I was in the right place).
There was an office on the left, access to the car park was blocked off and two ladies approached me and said that it is valet parking and that they will park my car. I felt a little uncomfortable, but I do know with many car parks in Sydney that they have valet parking due to the difficult spaces available and to fit more cars in. My six-year-old and I got our things and got what we needed, handed the keys to the valet parker, and went on our city adventure.
As you might imagine my six-year-old was non-stop chatting to me and if that wasn’t happening, he was not listing to instructions and doing as he was told. I had to keep on negotiating and trying to listen to him and make sure we were on our way to our first stop in the city, lunch at Darling Harbour.
At Pontoon Bar at Darling Harbour having lunch – Cheese and Vegemite Pizza
I don’t know about you but when you have a kid who is super excited and madly chatting, as well as all the other things in your head you are not fully concentrating on everything. Sad but true.
We managed to make it to our booking for lunch 15 minutes earlier, we sat down and relaxed, ordered dinner, and had some drinks waiting for our food. I did think that my little person would eat his cheese and vegemite pizza, but he had a few slices and then announced it tasted like pasta. Oh well, no more pizza for him. My burger was yummy and filled me up for the remainder of the day and as you will soon find out I wasn’t hungry for the rest of the day.
Darling Harbour, Sydney.
After our food, we went off to the Darling Harbour playground to burn off some energy and to fill in time until we could go to our other activity. We then made our way to Dymocks to see Grug for Book week. Once arriving at the bookshop, I realised we were early, we busied ourselves looking at the books and my little boy was convincing me to buy many things in the shop that we really don’t need.
On the flying foxHaving fun on the HUGE Slippery Dip
Grug finally arrived and we met him, although I was the only one that got a picture with the famous star of his own books.
We left the bookshop and walked through the Strand Arcade, this is where my six-year-old decided he needed a necklace, as he saw some in a very expensive shop. He wasn’t understanding that purchasing these necklaces would mean spending thousands if not hundreds of dollars. To allow this suddenly necklace wanting child to get something that wouldn’t break the bank I took him to Paddy’s markets and he was thrilled at his new sparkly purchase.
The multi-coloured necklace that I got my little boy
My little boy was very tired by this stage, and I decided we should go to the car park, get the car and make our way home. I went to the address that I had on my email booking for my pre-paid parking.
We both arrived where I was sure I parked the car. The car was not there. The place was closed and in fact, looked a bit different, however, I was sure it was the place. It was the address on my ticket as I pre-paid for parking.
I asked a man where the people at the office were, and he said he didn’t know. I said I need to ask them where my car is, and he said just go and find it and then said some rude things and raced down the stairs.
I was in a HUGE panic that I couldn’t find my car… and yes I did think it was stolen
By this stage, I was rather worried, concerned, and getting rather outraged that I couldn’t find the car. I went down to the bottom car park area and our car was nowhere in sight.
I then went to the building to see if I can ask someone about the car park and why it was empty and to find out where my car might be.
My six-year-old and I finally got to where the security guards were and explained what had happened. I told them that I was sure I parked my car there and that I was worried about the fact that it is not there. They asked me some more questions, I explained that my car was parked by the staff in the car park. They said they don’t do that in this car park.
Geez this now made me think that it was criminals stealing cars, two women told me to give my keys as they park the car. Now I was feeling very stupid, upset, and annoyed. Have I given keys to people to just take my car?
FUCK! Maybe there is a gang of car thieves doing this all over Sydney? Oh, why oh why has this happened? How am I going to get home with a little kid on the train late at night? And I was going to take the train but decided to drive! At this point, I was kicking myself for taking the car.
I walked around screaming and yelling and then started to cry! I realised that my car was not there and I had no idea where it was…. I have really stuffed up and I was very upset about it all.
The security guards checked the security footage and claimed that I am not on it at all. I was so upset that I thought this was part of the conspiracy but on the off chance it was true maybe I parked somewhere else, but where??????
In the area, I parked there was a Wilson’s Car Park on every corner, and some I cannot park in due to the height of my car. My little boy and I went to a few with the security guard and no car. I called the police and was waiting for over two hours. My little boy was tired, hungry, and really wanted to go home, and I was feeling the same as well as very upset with myself.
I had to leave as they were closing the building. I told them I had to take him to get something to eat.
While at Circular Quay McDonalds I got a call from a policeman about a few things about the car. I told him that my little boy was hungry and over it all. Told him what he needed to know and where we were. He said he was going to go to another car park and do a check elsewhere and then give us a callback. He called back and asked if we were still at McDonald’s, I said yes and then his colleague said that they would come and get us and take us to hopefully find our car.
We met the police officers outside Macca’s and explained a bit more about the whole situation. One officer said that we needed to get into their police car to go and find our car. Since the police showed up my super tired and annoyed child was now talking a million miles an hour, was super fascinated by the policemen, and was so happy to have a ride in a police car. Geez, I felt bad that we had involved the police and that I had no idea where my car was. I still thought that there was a criminal gang working the Wilson car parks, taking keys to say they will park the car and then racing off with it… Like Ferris Bueller but not returning the car.
In my head, it was an organised gang of thieves that target all the car parks and then sell off the cars to make huge profits. I am a huge fan of true crime and love listening to podcasts that detail murder, crime, and mysteries. I for one was thinking that this incident with my car might be a crime mystery…Yes, I did.. and this is a reason to maybe take a break from my true crime to relax. Clearly, it is not that relaxing.
So now we are both in the back of a police car off to another parking station to see if my car is there. It wasn’t. We then all went to the one I was sure I parked at and talked to a few people and then the police said what the security guards said, that I am not on the video surveillance footage. We did a few tests and then found out that we are on it from the time I was looking for my car but not when I came in the morning to park my car.
While at the parking station I answered some more questions while my little boy was fascinated by all the equipment that the police wear on their body for a days/nights work. After answering questions about the fact that the valet parking was near a hotel and some more, then the kind officer answered all my little boys’ questions. He was still going non-stop as he thought the officers were way cool!
One officer said that he had called Wilsons to get a person to come around and take us to other parking stations. With the info about the fact that the valet parkers said about the hotel, the officer asked the Wilson’s employee if there was a car park near a hotel. He said yes, so we decided to go to that one first to see if my car is there.
I really hoped it was, although I felt like a real idiot about the whole situation. However, while searching for my car at another car park one of the officers said someone else is having a really bad day at a Wilsons Car Park, I asked how? He then mentioned that this poor person had their foot run over by a car! I honestly cannot imagine how horrible this would be and the pain it would cause, I was thankful that our feet were intact and not run over by any vehicle! However, my car was still at large and I had no idea where it was.
We arrived at the Wilson’s Car Park near the hotel and it looked familiar. I handed my ticket to the people at the desk and they said to me that my car was there. It was now after 8pm and we started our journey to get my car around 2.30 or 3pm, so it had been hours.
The officers wanted to make sure that my car was indeed in the car park and joined us in the lift to go to the next level to see if it was really my car. We arrived on the level and just out of the door of the lift I could instantly see my car.
It was here. I found the car!
It wasn’t a criminal gang stealing cars? It wasn’t dodgy that the people at the other place didn’t have me on the CCTV, I wasn’t there at all and in fact at another place entirely!
Yes, I did a stupid thing and blanked on where I left my car.
I swear although parts of the car park looked familiar I didn’t remember the place.
I thanked everyone for their help and said how upset I feel that I wasted their time on a car. I know that police have bigger things to sort out than a woman who lost her car. I was pleased that I had the time for my parking for hours later than I needed so the time that I left the car park was all paid for as part of my parking. (I normally add extra hours to my booking in case I want to stay longer, not thinking about losing my car and taking hours to find it).
My little boy and I were so happy to have found the car. We both got in and drove home. We got home after 10pm and I finally was hungry by this stage and had a little something to eat. As you might imagine my six-year-old fell asleep on the way home and I tucked him into bed while I enjoyed some quiet time eating and watching an episode of one of my shows on Netflix.
Part of this story has shown I need to slow down and take time to make sure I notice things. However, it is hard when you have a million things going on in your brain, a kid going ten to the dozen and making sure that you are thinking of what you are doing next to not be late for events and things.
One of the girls’ friends’ mum had a horrible car accident that same weekend and she said that she needed to slow down and not think about everything too. It is so hard to slow down when you are the person that does many things for everyone. It is hard to just stop for a bit. I do think it is needed but with the chaotic world we live in, I believe that time out when you can think and have some silence (alone time) is essential.
I will now also try to not listen to 100% true crime in my alone time as I see conspiracies everywhere now.
What about you? Have you had moments when things have happened and if you just slowed down and had the chance to take more time at that moment the incident wouldn’t have happened?
I think you already know my thoughts on having meals delivered.
I love it. Anything that makes my life easier is something I embrace and want to continue to do.
Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges & Mayo
The ingredients were fresh and the recipe cards were easy to follow, with only 4 steps in most of them.
The ingredients from EveryPlate
Below are my favourite things about meal kits
You don’t have to think about what is for dinner – you just need to cook it
You don’t need to leave the house to collect the items for your meals – they are delivered to your door, thanks EveryPlate.
Even for the extras, you can still get home delivery from Woolworths….yes you never have to leave the house if you don’t want to.
Now, all we need to do is to think about how to pack a chef, cleaner, and housekeeper in an EveryPlate box and I will be winning on all fronts.
A few things we were not happy about:
Some of the recipes were missing a few ingredients but I substituted them, and the meals still tasted great. I did think that the kids might have used an ingredient for another meal, but they assured me they hadn’t. Maybe it was packing haste at EveryPlate HQ that meant we were missing a few things from our box.
I was given a free code to get an EveryPlate meal box to review. I waited until the box arrived to then cancel my subscription. I thought it was successfully cancelled but I was billed for another week. I was then told that I had to cancel on Tuesday, not Wednesday.
The Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds
Although I paid for the experience, I did enjoy the meals. My extra box allowed me to make my very first risotto, I had always thought that this was a terribly complicated meal to create…in fact it was super easy to do.
Getting the salad ready
Another thing that I never really noticed before was how the two weeks of having the EveryPlate meal box made me more relaxed.
How you ask? I think it was not having to plan and think about all the meals for the weeks ahead, not having to shop and be in charge of it all.
It wasn’t my job to create the meals, it wasn’t my job to get all ingredients for the meals, and finally it was easy to just tell someone that there is a meal kit ready to go and to pick a recipe and cook something for the family – as it was family friendly the kids were able to help out more.
The Chorizo & Roast Veggies cooked a super simple and tasty meal.
Adding the salad the Chorizo & Roast Veggies – this was soooooooo yummy!
If you are thinking about simplifying your life and getting more time for yourself and the family then I would urge you to try an EveryPlatemeal box, if you do you will win at dinner.
What were my favourite meals from EveryPlate
It is so easy to get stuck in your ways. You get tired, and don’t have the time or energy to do anything different or complicated so an easy meal you have made a million times is what is served.
My favourites were:
Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies – This meal was so tasty and the sauce was tangy with the lemon.
Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli – I really loved this meal. It was so yummy and morish, and oh so simple to make. I will make this again, as it was a HUGE hit with all the family.
Try EveryPlate to break your monotony of everyday meals…yes you can win at dinner with EveryPlate.
My readers can get up to $115 on your first four boxes, with dinner from as little as $2.39 per plate. To get this deal clickhere
If you would love to give EveryPlate a go I have a great discount for you.
Try EveryPlate today and you’ll get up to $115 on your first four boxes, with dinner from as little as $2.39 per plate. Click hereto get this deal.
Here is my discount code: TWINS115 (The link should automatically have the discount code applied to it)
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Try Everyplate today and you’ll get up to $180 off, with dinner from as little as $4.44 per plate.Click hereto get this deal.
All set to make the Sticky Lemon Chicken with fries and stir-fried veggies
If you are like me and love others organising things for you then you will love EveryPlate.
As a busy and tired mum, I’m happy to hand the job of planning dinner to someone else. In fact, I would love to hand over the housework, cooking and everything else for a break, but just having not to shop, think or plan the dinners is a start.
Part of the enormous weight of dinners is planning and thinking of different things to cook. It is so freeing to finally be done with it. It is a weight off my shoulders and does make me feel lighter.
Having meals planned, with recipes and all the ingredients ready to go means that anyone can cook dinner. No excuses, it is super easy and allows for mum or the person who is the go-to cook to have a much-needed break.
So, what did I cook with my EveryPlate Meal Kit?
Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds
I do love a good stir fry with noodles, and it was nice to see that the kids enjoyed this meal too. One of my girls was keen to cook this recipe from EveryPlate and found the instructions easy to follow and was very happy with how the dinner turned out.
The Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds all cooked and ready to eat
Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli
This was one of my favourite recipes. It was so extremely YUMMY. It was also a very easy meal to make.
All you had to do is chop up all the vegetables, add the seasoning and bake in the oven for a while. Then chop up the Chorizo and add to the vegetables and cook in the oven until done.
Vegetables ready to cook
All cooked and ready to eat. The Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli was one of my favourites
The meal was topped off with garlic aioli and promptly eaten. Everybody said that they thoroughly enjoyed this meal and finished every crumb in their bowl.
We need to make this again as it was a hit and very easy to create so perfectly for a mid-week dinner when you are busy. It was so good and a meal I would never have made without my EveryPlate meal kit.
Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies
When I first read this recipe, I thought it would be super complicated. I also wondered with one lemon how would it be lemony, but I was wrong on both counts. It was easy to make and in fact super lemony.
The chicken was breast fillets and I ended up cooking them and cutting them up into smaller pieces. I added to the recipe by making chilli chips, I added chilli flakes to the chips. This was one of my favourite recipes from the EveryPlate meals, it was also a different way to do chicken from my usual chicken dinners.
So yummy and lemony is the Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies
I added chilli flakes to the chips
The chips were great with added chilli flakes and added the right amount of spice to the lemon chicken.
Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges
The kids loved the spice on the chicken, and they ate it in record time… I was so glad that it was a hit. The meal was tasty and again easy to create as it made dinner on a weeknight easy.
Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges was one meal that the kids loved
The salad with added extras from my fridge
I was missing a few ingredients for the salad, so I added bok choy and parsley. It ended up looking great with all the different colours and tasted great with all the other ingredients from the meal.
The meals were yummy, and easy, and helped a busy mummy make her life easier.
If you would love to give EveryPlate a go I have a great discount for you.
Try EveryPlate today and you’ll get up to $180 off, with dinner from as little as $4.44 per plate. Click here to get this deal. Clickhereto get this deal.
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I have never tried EveryPlate and was keen to give the meals a go. I was given a code test out a box. I navigated to the EveryPlate website and got busy picking out my weekly meals.
I thought I would give the meal box a good go and selected 4 meals for 4 people. I then wanted to change a few meals but some options from pork to beef and finally got the meals picked and organised. I was very keen to try my meals from EveryPlate.
One of the family-friendly meals that were on the original menu was mince with tomato bolognese sauce with penne pasta. I decided to change this as it was rather like the meals we cook on a regular basis. No point in having a meal box delivered with the same meals you always create; I wanted a change.
The box arrived early morning on Wednesday, and it was exciting to have a box of items that have been picked just for me and delivered to the house. No shopping, no having to drag kids with me to get what was needed. All items just arrived at my house, a brilliant part of the service in my book.
I got busy making sure that all the ingredients and items were put away, and ready to make my yummy meals from EveryPlate.
Try EveryPlate today and you’ll get up to $115 off your first four boxes, with dinner from as little as $2.39 per plate. Click here to get this deal.
Here is my discount code: TWINS115 (The link should automatically have the discount code applied to it)
It was very nice to have a break for a week. I didn’t go on holiday; I didn’t really have a break, but it felt like a mental rest to not have to think about what was for dinner as well as not shopping for all the items to go with the meals.
Until the job of deciding what to do for dinner is taken off my plate… see what I did there, a meal pun. I didn’t realise how much organising dinner every night weighed upon me.
Hubby preparing to make Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
It felt like a holiday to have all the decisions made for me (for dinners not everything in the world). You can let HelloFresh pick your meals or you change them to suit your needs.
Things that I loved about HelloFresh:
No shopping for ingredients
Gets delivered to your door
Super easy to follow recipes with portions so that there is no waste
Very fresh ingredients
Tasty meals with variety for the week
Recipes were easy to follow and create – simply match the recipe card to the right colour bag of ingredients.
Different meals that you normally would never cook
I liked the fact that all you have to do is match the colour codes for your ingredients and recipe.
The whole family got involved and cooked a HelloFresh meal each. It was great to see that the kids were excited to take part in what the family was eating for dinner each night.
One thing that I did really like was that the meals were easy to create. No complicated steps or things to do. However, there were some recipes that were quicker to make than others, but no matter the time the meal took to make, the steps were still easy.
Hubby making the creamy peppercorn sauce
A few things we noticed:
While Hubby was cooking the Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce he noticed that the sauce took longer to thicken up than the recipe said. The recipe said around 5 or so minutes but it took around 30 minutes to thicken up.
One of my girls was cooking the Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry and we realised that the way they wanted us to cook the rice didn’t work, so we ended up cooking it the normal way by boiling it in a saucepan.
We added what we thought was ample olive oil for the marinade mixture, but it needed a bit more as it was too dry.
These were not major issues, and the meal was still easy to create and tasted delicious.
Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry ready to eat
I have never made a Carbonara from scratch before. I always thought it would be complicated. HelloFresh showed me that it is in fact very simple to make.
It was nice to make a meal that I’ve never made before and allow me to have new cooking skills for next time.
At least I will have the HelloFresh recipe card to help me make Creamy Bacon Carbonara again.
Making the Carbonara sauce for the Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad
Our favourite meals were:
Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
Quick Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa
Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad
So if you are like us and think you could do with some time out making decisions on what to cook for dinner, then HelloFresh can help you.
I have a deal that gives my readers $130 off a HelloFresh meal kit
CODE: TWINSPLUSONE130 Offer: Get up to $130 off your first four boxes!
I don’t know if you are like me, but if you get annoyed or upset thinking about what to cook for dinner, well… You are not alone. (Get $130 off HelloFresh with my discount code…scroll down to the bottom of the post to learn more)
What to cook for dinner is the eternal question as a mother, and one that after a full day of working or if you are exhausted is hard to face.
It is so easy to resort to family favourites; spaghetti bolognese, a simple stir fry or maybe it is mac and cheese? Whatever your go-to dinner is, it can get super boring very quickly. Or maybe, you just try and encourage others to cook until you realise that no one is hungry. Or you resort to having breakfast for dinner.
Also, from the perspective of a mum that thinks about way too many things to keep the house and family going, it is nice to not think about what to cook. It is so nice to have a break about what to create for dinner, well other than actually cooking it and also getting all the ingredients from the supermarket.
I organised 5 meals for the week from HelloFresh and made sure to pick family-friendly recipes. I’m trying to encourage the kids to eat something different. Below I will detail what we cooked each day (Also check out the video above and see the timecodes for each recipe).
Day 1: Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
Getting ready to cook the Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
One of my girls cooked this meal and she did an amazing job. I did help her out with a few things; however, she did the majority on her own.
Cutting up the vegetables for the Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
The food was fresh, the recipe was easy to follow and my thirteen-year-old was able to create the meal with no issues.
It was a yummy and simple meal that was also quick to create and having a quick go-to dinner for a weeknight meal is a good thing in my book. You don’t want to be fussing for hours to cook a meal for the kids and yourself.
I added chilli flakes to hubby and my meal, and the kids had their meal chilli flake-free.
Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry ready to eat with peanuts and chilli flakes
Day 2: Quick Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa
Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa Ingredients and recipe card from HelloFresh
I don’t know about you, but I think nearly everyone loves a good taco. These tacos were more like a soft tortillas and were filled with tasty cooked Caribbean chicken and fresh pineapple and corn salsa. It was topped off with garlic aioli.
Cutting up the cooked pineapple
This meal was cooked by one of my girls who was excited to be cooking a meal with our HelloFresh box. It was nice to see the kids getting involved in cooking meals for the family and learning life skills.
The cooked chicken ready for the Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa
Adding the ingredients to the taco and getting ready to serve to everyone
The Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa were tasty and very yummy. In fact, it was a huge hit with everyone. This meal is one that we will definitely be making again.
Day 3: Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce ingredients from HelloFresh
Hubby wanted to have a go with the HelloFresh meals and cooked Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce. I thought he would like this as he is a big fan of spice and I also love a good peppercorn sauce.
Hubby found the recipe easy to do however the sauce took a little longer than stated on the recipe card.
Sweet potato mash for the Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
The chicken is all cooked and ready for the cream and peppercorn sauce
Making the cream and peppercorn sauce
Day 4: Kale and Beef Cottage Pie
This was a new take on the standard cottage pie, otherwise known as a shepherd’s pie. I for one have used Bok Choy in my own thrown-together home versions of a cottage pie but have never used kale before. It was a nice change to Bok Choy or Broccolini.
I normally add cheese on top of the mashed potato and use tasty or aged cheese, however in the HelloFresh box there was parmesan to use. In the HelloFresh recipe, it said to mix the shredded parmesan cheese in the mash mixture and add it to the top of the dish and then bake in the oven.
I’ve never added cheese to the mash before baking so this was a little different for me. I followed the instructions and of course, kept a little extra parmesan to sprinkle on top. I must admit that adding the cheese to the mash worked a treat and I will adopt this method next time I make a cottage or shepherd’s pie.
The flavours worked well with the sauce and added vegetables and were very tasty. The only extra item I added was some chilli flakes to make the meal for hubby and I spicier.
Kale and Beef Cottage Pie with added chilli flakes
Day 5: Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad
Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad ingredients from HelloFresh
I do love a good creamy bacon carbonara, however, I have never made a carbonara sauce from scratch until now. Creating a carbonara sauce I always thought was terribly complicated, but it really isn’t.
Onions and garlic ready for the carbonara
HelloFresh had simple instructions and made me a carbonara sauce expert….and all I have to do is keep my recipe card to do it all over again.
Bacon, onion and garlic cooking for the carbonara
Next post: Stay tuned for part 3 and learn about what we liked about HelloFresh and what our favourite meals were.
Giving HelloFresh a go is so easy. I can make it even cheaper and easier with $130 off your first four boxes!
See the below discount code:
CODE: TWINSPLUSONE130 Offer: Get up to $130 off your first four boxes! Click here to go to the deal
I’m a busy person, and that is not unique. I am a mother to 3 kids and work full time. I am sure that many of you are flat out and one thing that is always on your to-do list is dinner.
My big box of HelloFresh goodies – Keen to get started with my meals from HelloFresh
It is always nice to have things organised for you and the shopping and organisation to get dinner sorted is a time saver.
You can imagine my excitement to get my HelloFresh box filled with fresh food and everything I need to cook meals for the week. It is a pity that inside the box is not a chef and a housekeeper to help but I am happy with a simple meal box I can cook.
I was very excited to open my HelloFresh Meal Box – HelloFresh will make cooking easier.
One amazing thing that this box from HelloFresh does is I don’t have to go to the supermarket to get it all sorted, it is done for me. Winning already, don’t you think?
Finding out all the deals and information inside my HelloFresh Meal box
What did I get delivered by HelloFresh?
I picked a box with 5 meals for 4 people and made sure to select the option for family-friendly meals.
My box arrived early Sunday morning and we were keen to get stuck in and try out the meals that HelloFresh provided. I promptly opened the box and discovered some information from HelloFresh, recipe cards and of course, the fresh food was quickly added to the fridge.
All the ingredients in my HelloFresh meal box
Next post: Stay tuned for part 2 and learn about all the meals we cooked with HelloFresh
The kids and I cannot wait to get to cook with HelloFresh.
If you are wanting to give HelloFresh a go I have a great deal for you.
I love LEGO, my twin girls love LEGO and now my little boy loves LEGO.
We are also massive fans of Brickman. Who is also known as Ryan McNaught. Yes, his real name isn’t Brickman. And you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I also watch LEGO Masters. Okay, so now you know it is a natural progression to have gone to the Brickman exhibit at The Australian Museum.
One exciting part of being in the city is catching trains. My little boy and I caught a train to Museum and the exhibit was a short walk from the station.
Alexander at Museum Station
Museum Station
Paddle Pop advertisement at Museum Station
Speedo Advertisement at Museum Station
We exited via Liverpool Street – Museum Station
Ready to go to see the Jurassic World Brickman Exhibit at The Australian Museum
Arriving at the Australian Museum
The exhibit was a secret surprise for my little boy, actually, it was a fun weekend with Mummy in the city.
About Jurassic World by Brickman
Dates: The exhibition is open until 17 July.
Location: The Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW 1 William Street Sydney NSW 2010 If travelling by public transport get off at Museum Station, it is only a short walk to the Australian Museum.
Tickets: Tickets for a family of 4 are $95 and you can book your tickets at Ticketek
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm
The Jurassic World Brickman Exhibit features over 50 large-scale dinosaurs, props, scenes, and activities made from over 6 million LEGO® bricks. Plus, in a Sydney exclusive, the newest Jurassic World by Brickman® dinosaur will be unveiled. Weighing in at 400 kilograms, the Baryonyx is over 4.8 metres long and made up of 102,317 LEGO® bricks. Relive the magic of beloved stories and characters from the Jurassic World franchise, as you embark on a thrilling journey across the island – Isla Nublar.
Walk through the iconic gates of the park (all made out of LEGO) and experience the inner workings of the Jurassic Worldlab. Venture into the baby dinosaur enclosure, where a life-size Brachiosaurus weighing well over 1.8 tonnes awaits! Encounter incredible models of Triceratops, Velociraptors, T.rex, and many more.
There will be 2.5 million LEGO® bricks for you to show off your own building skills. Get hands-on with LEGO® brick paleontology, mystery mosaics, island-building, hybrid dinosaur creations, and much more.
Alex being cheeky touching the dinosaur
Run as fast you can! There is a HUGE dinosaur.
Run faster!
Alex is trying to run away… the dinosaur is still there
Running is not enough with this enormous LEGO dinosaur
More than two years and 10,000 build hours have gone into the creation of Jurassic World by Brickman®, making it the biggest exhibition the Brickman team has ever created. This is a not to be missed experience for kids and adults alike.
LEGO Jurassic Fossil
New Jurassic Film out soon
If you are a Jurassic World fan like I am you will be excited for the new Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainmentfilm Jurassic World: Dominion debuts in cinemas in June 2022.
Jurassic World Brickman exhibit at the Australian Muesum
We had a blast at the exhibition. The dinosaurs and the world that was created were amazing and all out of LEGO. It must have taken ages and been hard work to create the signs, doors, lights, and of course life-like dinosaur statues.
It was fantastic that kids were able to be hands-on and get totally involved by creating their own LEGO pieces as well. Alexander spent hours creating his version of a Pterodactyl as well as some interesting art that was meant to be a dinosaur footprint but ended up being an artwork.
Be prepared to stay for hours longer for your LEGO-obsessed child to play with all the LEGO.
Getting hands-on with LEGOSo much to create in the Jurassic World with LEGOAlexander added his art to the wallThe art and footprints on the wallAll the LEGOAlex is proud of his art creation in LEGOCreating his artwork
Would you like to meet Brickman? How about having breakfast with the man? I wish we could have done this as well… the exhibit was amazing. However, learning a few tips and techniques to make my LEGO creations more fabulous ( I can dream right?)
Ryan ‘the Brickman’ McNaught. Image from the Australian Museum website
You can join Brickman for conversation and a Masterclass with the only LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere- Ryan ‘the Brickman’ McNaught. Enjoy a light breakfast in Hintze Hall before gaining insights and tips in the Masterclass, as Ryan answers your questions and takes you through a range of fun activities. Explore Jurassic World by Brickman® and snap a selfie with the Brickman himself.
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Lately, I have felt frazzled. On edge, tired, annoyed, exhausted, overworked, too much to do, waiting for something to happen and then nothing does, upset, worried about money, worried full stop about everything, unable to do things I had planned, sad that I had to cancel plans that I was looking forward to and a lot of other things that I find I cannot name.
I think all these feelings have stemmed from the COVID Pandemic. As well lockdowns making sure that we are all stuck in a small house and the outcome means that there is no time for anything that I wish to do, or the space to do it, or the money to do it and when I might finally have time I am looking after kids and that means I cannot do my thing at all anyway, so I don’t bother. Yes, no time for me at all!
Sometimes I feel rather sad, miserable, and downright depressed. Sometimes I am feeling happy and upbeat, and then most of the time I am feeling downtrodden and ordinary.
I am getting up and doing what feels like five million jobs. I do a week’s work, and then do more work at night, to then have children argue with me about just helping around the house.
Normally I keep myself busy but for the last two years, I feel like I have been running a marathon non-stop and not getting a break.
Oh, what would I give for an all-expenses trip to a beach somewhere? On this beach, I would have a cocktail in my hand, and I would just be lying on the beach resting. Oh, there is that word, resting….
I have not had much of that lately. The good old downtime to rest. God knows when I have really rested. When I am resting, I am worrying about all the things that are yet to be done.
My weekends consist of being with kids and attempting to get a very messy house for the week ahead, and of course that comes with a tonne of clothes to wash, fold and ask that people put away, but they get added to the bedroom floor and then tossed around, thrown, and of course stomped on to then need washing again.
Geez…. Why can’t someone just do as I ask the first time!!!!!! Put the clothes away. Pick up the mess on the floor! C’mon you say, and all you get is yelling, moaning and doors being slammed in your face. So of course, you give up as all you wish to do is to rest and have a quiet house for a change, however that never happens.
Not sure if being frazzled is a medical term or a condition. Maybe it is a direct outcome of the COVID lockdowns and aftermath it has caused.
This is quite accurate.
You might have thought that it is all getting better in the world. Well, I thought so too. However, my car was recently stolen, driven terribly that it was practically falling apart and then set on fire. Yes, burnt everything down to the ground. If it hadn’t been for the weeks of non-stop rain the stupid horrible beasts and dickheads that took my car could have caused another bushfire. Yes, it was dumped and set on fire in the middle of the national park…. not smart but these are the idiots that steal cars so I guess they don’t think about that type of thing.
I bought the car before the four-month lockdown and have hardly driven it. It seems rather sad but also very ironic, that it is now gone. I did think that I caused the lockdown with my car purchase.
I am still very miserable about the loss of my car. I miss it. My car gave me independence, it allowed me to do whatever I wanted, and now it is gone. I have been fortunate to have good insurance so now I need to find a replacement. I just now need to do all the research I did the first time with my car that is no longer here anymore. Currently, I do have an idea of what I want but it is a bit out of reach now, and yes, another thing to be annoyed about!
Also, a new COVID variant making infections increase is not a good sign of what is to come. I do hope that we don’t have another lengthy lockdown. I could not handle work and home-schooling again. The only solution for this I believe is to lock things down again but personally, I don’t want that to happen either if we have too many more I wonder what the solution will be other than a lockdown?
Let’s just hope that we will still be able to travel in our state as the kids and I are really looking forward to visiting their Grandma and Grandad and also the beach. No offence to my in-laws but the kids, especially the youngest is hanging for the beach (they are excited to see their grandparents but the beach is the highlight at the moment) and I am right there with them. I think we need it after being cooped up not being able to travel.
My fix for feeling frazzled is a holiday (It would be nice to have a little holiday on my own as that would allow for less frazzle). A holiday where I can rest, not worry, just be and finally relax. However, this holiday is coming soon, it is still a while away yet and one that will be greatly welcomed.
I am sure I am not the only one feeling frazzled this year. Have you been feeling all mixed up lately? Is it a feeling of being frazzled and on edge? I feel like this year has just piled more terrible things on top of each other that you just shrug your shoulders and say, of course, yes it makes sense that would happen.
After I am done with work, I need to really focus on getting organised for Christmas. I have the gifts but need to wrap them and loads more to be all good to go for Christmas Day. I just want to be finally done for a bit and put my feet up for a bit longer than 5 minutes, I am sure you know what I mean.
So, as you can see 2021 has been a HUGE year, and I am sure you are in a similar situation. It would be nice to have a bit more luck in 2022 and for the car and holiday gods to smile on me in 2022.
I’ve now put my out of office on and I am officially on holiday! Let the relaxing begin.
Let me know how you are going? Have you been feeling frazzled too?
