Proud to Print with Bonusprint

Like most people today, I'm something of a guilty snapper. I spend ages trying to get a decent shot, longer still editing and adding filters, and then I stick it up on social media and all but forget about it. Because even though 75% of us say looking at printed photos makes us feel happy, it's all too rarely that we actually get around to printing some.

So when Bonusprint got in touch to ask if I'd like to be involved with the #proudtoprint campaign, I didn't waste any time in saying yes.

I am #proudtoprint - even when my photos aren't perfect. My favourite, most successful photos tend to find their way into frames on the mantelpiece, it's true, but I still want photographs for the fridge, the noticeboard, and scrapbooking projects. Plus, having lots of snaps of loved ones about the place makes our house feel so much more homely.

We were given £80 credit to spend on the site which, with the typical print costing just 12p, stretched a very long way! The first thing I ordered was a canvas print of Marianna and Anthony dressed in his white tie. Anthony has long wanted a big print of this photograph, so it was awesome to finally be able to make it happen.

All I had to do was upload a photo and choose the size I wanted; we went for 70 x 50cm (£44.99). I was so impressed with the quality of the canvas when it arrived - my order was split into two for timely delivery, so this was actually a few days later than the photo prints. Although we all love this shot, it was taken with a mid-range camera phone in far from the best lighting conditions. Looking at the canvas, you would never know it! It now has pride of place in Anthony's 'man cave'. 

Next, I ordered a big bundle of photographs. I loved how straightforward the process was. I just uploaded the photos, and the site determined which size print was best suited to the shot. You can choose between matte or glossy prints, along with some fancy options like polaroid style snaps. You can see below the range of sizes - the quality is really impressive, especially when you consider that most of these were taken with my phone camera, and the vintage holiday pic was scanned in from the original.

These are destined for a variety of purposes; some will be given to grandparents and other relatives who always complain that we just post photos online these days, and some are going to brighten up our own house. The rest are going to be used in some of our summer craft projects...

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#10. Framing

Choosing the photos, picking the frame, adding the finishing touches... Before you know it, an entire afternoon has been filled.

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#9. Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking deserves a whole post of its own, there is so much you can do with it. Here is a page of Marianna's baby scrapbook, an uncomplicated affair done with coloured markers and washi tape.

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#8. Jar Japers

Jars can be a great way to display photographs - or simply great fun. A full face photograph can be curved around in a jar and filled with water to make it look as though there is a head in your jar.

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#7. Snow Globes

Adding water and glitter to your photo in a jar is an incredibly easy way to make a snow globe. You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like - you could glue scene setters to the inside of the lid, for instance, and fix a photo to one side of the jar. I made a simple glitter shaker for Marianna which she had great fun with, for all those googly eyes creeped everyone else out! (Tip: laminate your photo first - you can just cover in clear sticky tape - to make it last longer.)

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#6. Hot Glue

From shells to buttons to jigsaw pieces to plastic flowers, hot glue is a quick and easy way to decorate photo frames. If you don't have a hot glue gun, you can use regular PVA; it just takes longer to dry.

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#5. Lollipop Stick Frames

Super simple - but super effective! You can glue your sticks together, or attach with double sided tape. To decorate, you can paint, use stickers, glue decorations on, or apply patterned washi tape. The possibilities are endless.

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#4. Cardboard

Cardboard mounts are one of the easiest ways to display photographs, and can be decorated any way you like. They're great for young children as they can't really get up to any mischief with them. I glued a photograph to a larger piece of cardboard, and let Marianna stick stickers wherever she liked. She had a great time, and I enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet...

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#3. Googly Eyes

Everything is more fun with googly eyes. Fact. You could even make a collection of little add ons - hats, glasses, mustaches, etc - and prove that you don't need an app to add a touch of humour to your photographs.

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#2. Jigsaws

These can be as elaborate or as simple as you like - I glued my photograph onto a cardboard backing and simply cut the whole into pieces. I then took turns with Marianna to solve the puzzle.

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#1. And the Rest

There are so many great photo crafts I haven't actually got around to yet - so check out the Pinterest board above I'm using for inspiration!

Why not order some prints of your own at Bonusprint? I'd love to see any crafts you make with them - and I'm sure Bonusprint would too!

The Wicked Uncle Challenge

About the #WickedUncleChallenge

wickeduncle.co.uk is the site for children's presents. Founded in 2007, they have a huge - and hugely cool - selection of presents, all of which can be sorted by age, gender, and interest. To make life even easier they offer gift wrapping, handwritten cards, and even an annual birthday reminder. No matter how strange a species children seem to you, there is no way you'll buy a sucky gift from Wicked Uncle.

To prove it, Wicked Uncle have been working with bloggers to challenge child free relatives to pick suitable presents. (If they do fail, Wicked Uncle offer store credit or exchange for returned items...)


Our challenger was Uncle Rhys, my younger brother. Rhys is in his mid-20s, gym obsessed, child free, and has a long history of doing all he can to get out of present shopping. Rhys gives me the money so I can buy gifts from him to our parents, and his girlfriend has to do the same for other family members.

I was really interested to see what he would come up with when he had no choice but to do it himself!


Rhys had to buy a present for Marianna, a little girl who is eighteen months old and extremely vocal in her displeasure.

Wicked Uncle gave us £40 store credit to spend, and after I handed the code over I waited for Rhys to place his order. And waited, and waited... In the end, I caught up with him at my mum's and nagged him until he got on with it. It only took him a few minutes, testament to how easy the website is to navigate, and even Rhys reported that it hadn't been anywhere near as painful as he was expecting.


I love that a thank you card and envelope is included, so children can show their appreciation.
A few days later, Marianna was super excited when a great big box arrived with her name on it. Anthony and I helped her open the box, and then to realise that funtastic though the air bags were, there was something even better to come! There were two gifts in the box, the first being:

Smartmax Start - £29.95
I'd never heard of Smartmax before, but the concept is brilliant. Magnetic construction pieces for children. The magnets are strong enough to hold, but weak enough for Marianna to be able to pull them apart herself. The parts are all designed with toddlers in mind; the balls are too big to choke on, and the plastic tubes are ultrasonically welded together. Marianna absolutely loved the set - and we've had great fun building with them too.

You can get lots and lots of add-on sets, so that might be a future idea for a certain Uncle Rhys. ;)

The second gift was really well thought out. Marianna loves 'fishies' but, no matter how many times nanny suggests it, I'm not about to sign up to cleaning out a fish bowl on a regular basis. Rhys struck a happy compromise with this fish bowl:

Fish Bowl - £8.95
It takes two batteries which create a magnetic field to drag the two little fish around. The bowl is only a mini one - you can see Marianna helpfully showing the scale with a Smartmax ball there as I tried to set it up - but the fish and their movements look impressively realistic. There are lots of little pieces so this is recommended for ages 8+. Or, of course, you can set it up and then let little ones just look at it. We put it on the mantelpiece and Marianna sat transfixed for ages, occasionally pointing at the bowl and yelling 'fishies!' Every day she has asked to have the fishies on for a bit, to see them swimming around.

I have to say that Rhys really came through on this challenge, and chose some amazing gifts. If Wicked Uncle can turn Rhys into a gift giving genius, it can help anyone!

Review: Messy Me Splashmat

We've been putting the Messy Me splashmat through its paces - here's our review!

About Messy Me

Messy Me is a lovely family owned business based in Farnham. Established in 2012, they pride themselves on creating stylish products for mess - or, more specifically, for containing mess! Your little terrors can be as much as they like on Messy Me oilcloth. It's all going to be easy wipe afterwards.

The product range has grown steadily and now includes lots of infant must haves, from highchair covers and cushions, to tunic bibs and aprons. Even better is the fact that they all come with free UK delivery.

About The Messy Mat

I didn't realise quite how messy a weaning baby can be until Marianna decided she wanted to start feeding herself. So, of course, the dining room is the one room in the downstairs of the house that has carpet. (It was like that when we moved in...) This meant that when I was asked which Messy Me product I would most like to review, it was a bit of a no-brainer.

The Messy Me splashmats are 90 x 120cms, made of hard wearing oilcloth with wipeable hems, and can even be machine washed at 30º C. In short, they couldn't be more perfect for sticking under a highchair during mealtimes. Priced at £24, the mats come in a star pattern in four different colours - classic navy, olive grey, dusty rose, and teal blue - or a really pretty vintage floral design.

Our Messy Me Experience

We went for the teal blue star design - the colour is gorgeous. The quality is great too; Messy Me sources their oilcloth from Denmark with the hemming and finishing done in the UK. It's a really good size, with plenty of material around the highchair at dinner time, and the material itself is sturdy yet supple. Marianna is happy to sit on it, even with bare legs, which says it all really!

I love that the mat is so easy to clean. For today's photos we set the mat up in our hallway which, technically, is all wipe clean but in practice is an exercise in sloshing mess from one bit of the floor to another. With the mat I can just pick up the whole lot and sort it out over the kitchen sink. Much easier.


Marianna had great fun mixing up some flour, icing sugar, and milk - and I had a great time just wiping it off and being done with the whole thing. :) I love that it's something we can use again and again, even as Marianna gets older. Right now we're using it for messy play and as a highchair mat, but it's a good size for using at a table for craft projects too.

To find out more - or to get your own mat - check out the Messy Me website.

Review: Order Blinds Online

Marianna's bedroom window looks out - and is looked upon - by lots of neighbours, so I've been meaning to get a net or something for it ever since we moved in. It's one of those thousands of things I hadn't got around to, for all I remembered why I wanted one every time I wandered in with bed hair and bleary eyes...

So, when Order Blinds Online contacted me to ask if I would like to review a set of made to measure blinds, I knew just the window to try them out on!

About Order Blinds

Order Blinds was founded in 2009, in Bottesford, Leiscestershire, and employs three awesome members of full time staff. (I know they're awesome because my experience with them has been first class!) They offer a free sample service, free UK delivery on orders over £99, and the website is super easy to navigate.

The range itself is huge, with all kinds of blinds from roller to venetian to skylight. We went for vertical blinds, and even here there are so many options, from waterproof to sloping. The colour choices are extensive too; I wanted baby pink, but Anthony successfully argued for baby blue to match her walls.

Marianna's bedroom.
Once you have settled on a design, the first thing you need to do is measure your window. You need to choose between 'blind size', which would make the blind cover the whole of the window including frame, or 'recess size' which fits inside the window frame. We went for the latter. I was a little nervous about measuring it, and kept checking the instructions which say to measure exactly as they'll make any necessary deductions themselves.

(This is completely true. The blinds fit perfectly when they arrived!)

With that out of the way, you can then fill in the online form with your preferences. For example, you can choose between white plastic or nickel link chain for the bottom of your blinds, which way the vanes are stacked, and whether you want the blinds to be controlled by a cord and chain, or a wand. If the blinds are destined for a young child's room, the wand is a must because a number of children have accidentally strangled themselves with blind cords. It's better to be safe than sorry.

The Finished Product

I placed my order on June 16th. It was dispatched on June 17th, and was with me on June 21st! I unpacked the box and spent about half hour inserting all the plastic hangers and weights, and attaching the link chain, then my dad did the actual DIY bit of installing them when he came around on Saturday morning. It took him about three minutes, if that, so I felt suitably embarrassed I hadn't just done it myself.


I'm so happy with the way they look - and they've already made a big difference to Marianna's daytime naps thanks to all that extra light being blocked. The quality of the blinds is great, and the order process was quick and hassle free.

To purchase your own made to measure blinds, check out the website - www.orderblinds.co.uk.

Review: Wingz Sleeves

I came across Wingz on Facebook  recently and wondered where they had been all my life. After mentioning them in my weekly overview post last Sunday, Wingz got in touch and asked me if I'd like to review a set. You can be sure I jumped at the chance!

The Wingz concept is so cool: they're arm covers that go under rather than over your outfit. I've always loved the layered look of sleeves under a dress or short sleeved top but, come the summer - or a tight fitting outfit - and they're not particularly practical. Wingz solves the problem of bulk, while also providing a new option for those looking for modest clothing, ways to make their existing wardrobe more versatile, or just a simple arm cover-up.

This video explains what Wingz are all about - check it out on the website too for further info.

After much umming and ahhing I went for the White Chiffon Flare Wingz (£14.99). The floaty style is perfect for summer! Wingz come in four different sizes: 0 (UK 6-10), 1 (12-16), 2 (18-22), 3 (24-28). I'm wearing a size 22 at the moment but went for the 4, on the basis that it's easier to put a few stitches in and make something smaller than it is to have something digging in under the bust. In the event, I needn't have worried as they're true to size, though the stretchiness means you can easily go up or down if you're on the borders like me.

They arrived in super quick time, so after confirming the review on Monday I found them waiting for me when I got in from work on Tuesday. I was really pleased with how little bulk they created - the band sits with your bra so it's really comfy. Anthony liked the way they looked but asked why I couldn't just wear a top with longer sleeves... Men. *sigh*

On Thursday I decided to try them out properly as I was going to Cwmbran High's prize evening in my role as deputy mayor. The dress I was planning on wearing is sleeveless, and I knew I'd feel self-conscious having my arms on display. Usually I'd wear a thin cardigan or a shrug, but it can get really hot and uncomfortable with the chain on over the top of them.


The Wingz were so much more comfortable to wear, and I felt a lot more confident having that bit of a sleeve. I'm already thinking about which pair to get next!

Take a look at the websiteand let me know which Wingz is your favourite. :)

Digital Inclusion for Bloggers

What is Digital Inclusion?

Digital Inclusion is an umbrella term for the ability to access and use information and communication technologies. This can be something as fundamental as ensuring people have the basic literacy skills to read a web page, or something as specific as using alt tags on your images so people using screen readers know what is in the picture.

What Does Digital Inclusion Mean for Bloggers?

When you consider that a third of small to medium businesses in the UK don't even have a website, and some 9% of the UK adult population (c. 5.9 million people) has never used the internet, bloggers are already doing their bit for inclusion. We're online, we're web literate, and, between us, we're churning out oceans of useful and / or entertaining content for people to access.

But, in truth, many of us could be doing more to make that content accessible - even after all the promo work that accompanies your average blog post!

Blogging for Web Accessibility

Web Accessibility, as Wikipedia helpfully tells us, "refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users have equal access to information and functionality."

Under UK law (Equality Act 2010) websites must be accessible to disabled users, and the general consensus is that this means hitting at least Level A of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Don't worry - so long as your HTML is correct, and you're not stuck in the '90s with autoplay music you can't switch off, or manically flashing images, you're at Level A.

Going further is well worth considering though. Because making your blog more accessible isn't just a nice thing to do, it will help you attract - and keep! - readers.

How Can I Make My Blog Accessible?

One of the easiest things you can do is check out how accessible your blog already is. WAVE, the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool, will give you a run down of the problems. The likelihood is that you will not be able to fix every single one, but just making a few small changes could make a big difference to people visiting your blog.


Here are 10 tips to get you started:

#10. You want good contrast between your text and its background; in other words, darker text on a light background, or lighter on a dark background. Whichever one you go for, some people will prefer the other way. If you're on Wordpress, you can get the accessibility plugin which will provide a toolbar to toggle between contrast and adjust font size. If you're not, don't worry too much as this can be done via the browser.

#9. Don't put text over a busy background, it will be difficult for everyone to read.

#8. Try to avoid underlining, italics ,and ALL CAPS where possible, and use bold instead. Highlighting keywords in bold has also been proven to increase reading comprehension, so it's a win-win.

#7. Research suggests that the actual font style isn't all that important, though sans serif fonts (e.g. calibi, arial, tahoma) generally come out slightly ahead on the readability scale. Just don't make your main body font too fancy - if you want to use something a bit different, save it for titles and headings. The recommended minimum font size is 12pts.

#6. Text is easiest to read when it is left aligned; centered text makes paragraph beginnings irregular, while justified text creates variable character spacing. Both can make your post more difficult to read.

#5. Major factors which impact on the readability of text are the character and line spacing. It's the same as handwriting - cramped, tightly packed writing is more difficult to read. The optimal range for line spacing, otherwise known as line height, is 1.3 to 1.7. (I'm using 1.4) Another thing you might consider is slightly increasing your character spacing, i.e. the distance between each of your letters.


#4. Images are wonderful, but not everyone will be able to see them. Alt tags are not just another place to put SEO keywords, they should explain what the image is. Sometimes you are going to want to present text in image format - infographics, for example - so use your alt tags to tell people what you're doing. If possible, have a text version. Similarly, try and include a transcript or summary of audio and video content. The latter can also benefit from closed captions.

#3. Links are an important part of any blog, but think about your anchor text. I'm so guilty of using 'click here' and the like, but really I should be using text which gives people some idea of where the link is about to take them.

#2. Another thing to consider is your 'target' attribute. If your page automatically opens in a new tab it can be disorientating. One solution might be to include 'opens in a new tab' in your anchor text or link title. If the link is internal, you could consider adding a 'skip link' to the top of the page, allowing people using screen readers or keyboard navigation to avoid your navigation bar and get straight to the main content. WebAIM has a guide to this, though it's something I still need to do! CSS positioning elements are slowly eliminating the need for skip links, but it depends on how your page is structured.

#1. If at all possible, avoid CAPTCHA in your comment section. If you do need it, check out some of these sweet alternatives.

Review: Karma Cola

I don't think it's over exaggerating to say that Anthony is addicted to coke - but at least it's the carbonated variety! He can easily get through two big bottles a day so we long ago switched from the usual names to Aldi's own for everyday consumption, but we still splurge a little on branded soft drinks at the weekend. Mostly because that's when I have a glass or two. ;)

It goes without saying that we were both psyched to be given the opportunity to review Karma Cola.

Karma Cola - #DrinkNoEvil

Based in New Zealand, the first batch of Karma Cola was bottled back in 2012 and has been available in the UK since 2015. They sum their approach up as:

LEAVE A BETTER TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH.

We believe what you drink should not only taste good, it should be good for the land, good for the people who grown the ingredients and as good for you as a fizzy drink can be.

Lofty aims for a soft drinks company, but Karma Cola really do put their money where their mouth is. As winner of the 2014 World's Fairest Trader award, they pump funding back into the communities they source their organic ingredients (all passed by The Soil Association) from, either directly or through ethical sourcing. In Sierra Leone, the home of Karma Cola's cola nuts, the people of Boma have been able to make improvements to local infrastructure, education and sanitation as a result of the 3p given from the sale of every bottle - some £50,000 between 2012 and 2015.

In addition to being better for your conscience, Karma Cola is better for your body. Their full list of ingredients is printed on the label of every bottle, and the absence of typical fizzy drink ingredients like phosphoric acid and high fructose corn syrup is really refreshing to see.

Karma Cola - Taste the Justice

Karma Cola comes in 330ml glass bottles with a screw cap which is a little thing, but... The label designs - in fact, all the graphic design associated with the brand - are really cool, so I was pleased I would be able to reuse the bottles before they made their way into the recycling. With the eco and cool credentials covered , it was time to move on to the taste test! First up was the flagship Karma Cola.


The cola was very sweet, and reminded me more of Pepsi than Coca Cola. For the diet conscious, it did fine on the calorie front; 141 to 140 in the same serving of Coca Cola. It was nice, but we both agreed it needed to be served chilled - and would probably have been better with ice to help dilute the sweetness a little. Our verdict: 4/5.


The lemonade was lovely, not too sweet - and not too sharp either. Calorie wise it performed well too, at 132kcal compared to c. 155kcal in a can of Ben Shaws Cloudy Lemonade. We gave this one 5/5.


I absolutely love the design on this bottle and, as Anthony doesn't like ginger ale, I got it all to myself. I didn't feel too guilty either; at 139kcal per bottle it's a little more calorific than say, Schweppes, but not by much. This one was just beautiful, really refreshing and, although we're scoring out of five, my verdict was 6/5!

Karma Cola - Check it Out!

Karma Cola is available from various ethical online stores, and on the shelves at Waitrose for £1.59 a bottle. Find out more about the brand at www.karmacola.co.uk.