The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone book review. Plus Competition to win a copy.

Good Afternoon readers,
As you know we are a family of bookworms and so was over  the moon to have a pre released copy of Abi Elphinstone's debut novel The Dreamsnatcher. 

In this wonderfully written book you embark on a adventure with Moll a Romany gypsy aged 12 after she awakes to find everything gone campsite and all,
Moll finds herself in the middle of the Deepwood forest were the Dreamsnatcher is waiting.He has took her dreams and now wants to take her life.(Eek sounds scary)

So Moll and her friends that include a wildcat named Gryff and a earthworm named Porridge embark on a magical adventure into the deep dark wood
.........

Why not checkout the awesome trailer Here.

Miss Molly said This was a fantastic read.I loved reading all about Moll and the adventure they went on.It was well scary right from the first page  I really hope there will be another book soon as i really really loved it.so i gave it a huge 10 out of 10 and a massive thumbs up.

For your chance to win a copy then click the link below Competition to win a copy of The Dreamsnatcher. 




Abi Elphinstone grew up in Scotland were she loved being a tomboy climbing trees and building dens,
Abi went on to study English at Bristol Uni then she flew over to Africa to work as a teacher (She also taught in Berkshire and London) 
Abi also runs her children's books blog Here.
Why not tweet Abi @moontrug using the hashtag #Dreamsnacher 
Abi also has also kindly done a  Q&A session recently please do click Here. to have a look.
And not forgetting Abi's website Here.

The Dreamsnatcher is available in paperback from the 26th of Feb.
To buy The DreamSnatcher click Here.
Printed by Simon & Schuster uk 




Thank you for taking the time to read my review,Please subscribe to keep up to date with my ramblings,Until then love and light to you all.
Love
Bella.xx

Work with me

I love working with PRs and advertisers, but only on stuff i know my readers will love. If something is amiss, I will say so!

To enquire about advertising space, sponsored posts and giveaways please email me reviewerbellasmyth@btinternet.com/Thesmythhouse@gmail.com and i will get right back to you.

Home Made Spotted Dick.

Good Afternoon Readers.


I do hope you are all well and keeping warm,
What a day all four seasons in one so i decided to make a yummy Spotted dick it is so easy to make and in less than 30 minutes to prepare.

 To make this yummy pudding you will need..

300g Plain flour

2TSP

Juice of one lemon or 15ml  jiffy

200ml milk

150g Suet

100g currants

75g Caster sugar

 So that is 75g caster sugar,
100g currants,
300g plain flour (sieved)
150g suet (i use a veg one)
juice of one lemon,
2tsp baking powder,
200ml whole milk.

So mix the dry ingredients with the milk until well mixed.

Add milk.

Mix dry to wet.

Grease basin with butter.

Level with a spoon.

 Then Grease a pudding basin and then spoon in the mix,Next cut some greaseproof paper to size remembering to fold in the middle so it can expand,Now place that on top  of the mix and seal the lid in place,If you don't have a basin like mine then use a clean tea towel and tie in place with string.
Now place the pudding basin in to a large saucepan and fill it 2/3rds of the way up then pop the lid on and simmer for 90 minutes.Making sure the pan don't dry out!

Don't forget the fold

Lid on.

All cooked and soo yummy.

 Once cooked leave to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with custard or if like me you like a crunchy out side pop it in the oven for 5/10 minutes,MM Yummy. 

Crunchy on the outside yet soft &fluffy inside.




And so there it is home made spotted dick pudding,
Thank you for taking the time to come and have a look,If you do make it please comeback and let me know what you think about it,Until then stay lucky,
Love and light to you all,
Love
Bella x

Philips Perfect Care Viva Iron.Review

Good Evening Readers,

I was over the moon to win a competition for the chance to review a brand spanking new Philips perfect care Viva steam generator iron RRP £260.00

Even Bib loves this one.

This is no run of the mill iron this is a super dooper iron its a light weight and is just one setting for ALL your clothes! (Wow sounds awesome don't it) 

Bib in action.

It has a easy to fill 1.7L water tank it is recommended that if you live in a hard water area then use distilled or demineralised water (Tesco do a ironing water for about 50p a bottle) you can iron for over a hour on just one tankful of water,

It also has a smart calc-clean system to make sure that it gets a regular descaling and clean.
it flashes and beeps when it needs to be done and if not done within a hour it will turn the steam off so the iron don't get broke.It comes with a cool looking tool called a smart Calc-Clean container that you put the iron plate on then you need to press the Calc-Clean button on the iron base for two seconds until you hear a short beep,It makes a funny sound as it pumps about it only takes about two minutes all the time sat on the container,Once its done you then wipe the plate and put it back on the base,CAUTION is needed as the container is VERY VERY hot so leave it for a while before tipping the water away then wash and dry for the next time,
Using the iron is amazing you need to keep  the button pressed for the steam,
The Optimal Temp technology enables you to iron all types of fabrics without adjusting the  iron temperature or steam.

And lastly  it has a energy saving ECO mode what is automatically activated when you switch it on,If you use the ECO mode (less steam)  you can save energy without compromising the results  of your ironing. (it can be turned off)

I just love the easy grip handle and its long cord and you can leave the iron face down on the ironing board and it leaves no burn marks if you accidentally leave it on a garment to long, Even the toughest of creases cant hide from this bad boy it glides through them like a hot knife would with butter.This is 100% the best iron there ever has been made, I hung a new set of curtains and used the iron to steam the creases out while they were hanging and the results were amazing,I really loved the way i could be ironing jeans one moment then ironing a silk top with no switching the temperature  this Optimal temp technology is awesome were has it  been all my life.(I hated ironing before this) Also if you leave the iron idle for more than 5 Min's it goes into standby to save energy,There is also a switch to turn it off and on at the base so you don't need to unplug it if you need to leave it a while.
Sadly i have ran out of things to iron now boo hoo so i shall have to put it away but wow i cant wait till next time i think ironing is my new hobby,

So to sum up the new Philips Perfect Care Viva iron i would give it 10 out of 10 it is amazing and makes light work of a boring chore you get a little smile knowing that you only need to go over it once and no having to turn it over to the other side as this one does both sides at once.There is nothing i don't like about this iron it is a must for any busy person you get your ironing done in less time and the results are brilliant first time round.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review,Till next time stay lucky.
Love Bella.


To visit Philips website click Here.
To visit their facebook page click Here.
To visit their pinterest  page Here.
To visit their instagram page Here.
To buy the Philips Perfect Care iron click Here.

**Philips Perfect Care Viva Iron model code GC7015/20 **

Work with me

I love working with PRs and advertisers, but only on stuff i know my readers will love. If something is amiss, I will say so!

To enquire about advertising space, sponsored posts and giveaways please email me reviewerbellasmyth@btinternet.com and i will get right back to you.

DARKMOUTH....... It’s about to get legendary Reviewed by Miss Molly aged 8

Good Afternoon Readers,




I was delighted to be sent a copy of Shane Hegarty's Darkmouth for the kids to read.

 The book that can’t wait to get its teeth into you

 Miss Molly could not wait to start reading all about a boy called Finn the last remaining legend hunter(But a rubbish one at that!)  in his badly fitting suit of armour 

 and a heavy hat carrying a thing called a Desiccator,(looks like a rifle).Finn's job is to keep Darkmouth free of various baddies like the scary Manticore with his lion body scorpion tail  and dragon wings (see i said they were scary),Flinn meets a girl named Emmie and together they embark on a adventure of a lifetime. Please check out the trailer for Darkmouth Here.

Miss Molly loved reading this wonderful book it was well written and fun to read,Miss Molly loved all the action and couldn't put the book down and she said she was only a little bit scared but she really could imagine being in Darkmouth and helping Flinn in his battle.she gave the book a huge 10 out of 10 and is super excited that Darkmouth is coming back in August 2015.



If you have not heard about Shane Hegarty he was the arts editor of The Irish Times but has turned to writing full time.He resides on the easy coast of Ireland  in a village not unlike Darkmouth.Only with no monsters lol.Why not follow him over on twitter Here.


You can buy a copy of Darkmouth from Amazon Here.
Darkmouth is published by HarperCollins publishers LTD,


Thank you for taking the time to read,Until next time.
Stay lucky.
Love Miss Molly and Bella. x 

Work with me

I love working with PRs and advertisers, but only on stuff i know my readers will love. If something is amiss, I will say so!

To enquire about advertising space, sponsored posts and giveaways please email me thesmythhouse@gmail.com and i will get right back to you.

Helping raise awareness of the Dettol Baby Blanket Donation

Good  Afternoon readers,
                                               I had recently heard about the Dettol baby blanket appeal through a friend so decided to look in to it,

The appeal aims to raise awareness of the dangers of bacteria 

on baby blankets ,

particularly during the cold and flu season 

Dettol is workig along side SPARKS

a children s charity and calling out to mums across the UK

to "keep the memories not the bacteria"

whilst at the same time highlighting the shortage of 

baby blankets available to baby's born to 

families in need  .

The Dettol Baby Blanket Donation 

is appealing to as many mums as possible to donate 

 baby blankets they have but no longer need,

also for every blanket collected , £1

will be donated by Dettol to Sparks 

to help improve children's health in the UK 

Please take a moment to view the short clip below.

I think it is a fantastic cause and i have already donated my old baby blankets if you would like to do so please CLICK HERE!

Laboratory tests commissioned by Dettol - on washed blankets donated by volunteer mums - show that baby 'blankies' carry a variety of bacteria even after a 40°C wash. In-fact, a third of the washed blankets harboured coliforms – a group of bacteria linked to faeces. The good news is that Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser kills 99.9% of bacteria even at temperatures as low as 30oC, so while you can safely wash away the bacteria, your memories will last forever!

Leading the campaign  Rachel has said 

"Many babies across the world will never get the chance to

experience the comfort of a warm, clean blanket .

That's the reason why I'm supporting this campaign,"

Once collected Dettol will then clean the blankets in

Dettol Anti-Bacterial Laundry Cleanser

This Cleanser kills 99.9% of bacteria

even on very low temperatures 

 before being distributed to family's in need

Each year less than £10 per child in the UK is spent on research into children’s health yet one in 30 babies is born with a condition that may affect them for life. As a leading children’s medical research charity, Sparks is dedicated to funding pioneering research that will change this for children and their families.Sparks’ projects find ways to diagnose, treat and prevent conditions in four key areas: pregnancy and birth, first months of life, infancy and early childhood and rare childhood diseases. Findings from Sparks’ research projects can make a lasting difference to the lives of children and families affected by serious illness or disability. Visit www.sparks.org.uk to find out more

Sparks’ registered charity (no.1003825 England & Wales; no. SCO39482 Scotland)£1.00 to be donated to Sparks for every blanket received up to 5,000 blankets.

Thank you for taking the time to read i do hope you will donate and help raise awareness around your area,Until next time take care Love Bella

Work with me

I love working with PRs and advertisers, but only on stuff i know my readers will love. If something is amiss, I will say so!

To enquire about advertising space, sponsored posts and giveaways please email me reviewerbellasmyth@btinternet.com or thesmythhouse@gmail.com and i will get right back to you.

Getting ready for Valentines day 2015 +Stage line Make Up Review.

Good Afternoon Readers,

I don't often go out on dates but this year is different and being 37 and single i need to make a effort to look good.

Stage Line's new range.

flawless make up every time when using Stage Line Professional Make up.

So i was delighted to get a chance to try out  Stage Line Professional new valentines lip collection,But before i get on to that let me tell you a little about Stage Line... 

STAGE LINE is composed by Make-up professionals for professional purposes  with active ingredients specialising in make-up for fashion, television and cinema. 

Also by Cosmetic Treatment (Professional Care) which main objective is to solve the problems that the make up artist or beautician can find before and after carrying out a make up. These products are commercialised by distributors and aesthetic business, hairdressing, beauty salons, make-up schools and professional make-up artists among others.

It also specialises in Make-up for theatre, body painting , carnival, Halloween and characterisation. Distributed in perfume shops,beauty salons, make-up schools and department stores.

I am sure you will agree that Stage Line sounds fantastic but as we all know its the results and staying power that is most important factor to looking good.(no lady likes having to reapply there lippy every 30 Min's)

Wowzers Stage Line Lippy is fantastic it glides on and  the staying power is second to none this lippy ain't going no were! Drinking,eating and even kissing was not a problem it stayed put!! No lippy marks left behind and the colour stayed put all night long, :)

Moving on to the Soft Liner wow why ain't all pencils this length!! It was easier to apply and move about, Once applied(outlined)  it makes your lips look plumper and fuller (how awesome is that no botox needed for kissable lips)

Lastly Stage Line Lip gloss i do not normally like using lip gloss as it smudges and in the wind my hair "sticks" to my mouth(I am sure you will know what i mean)
but this is unlike your normal Lip gloss yes its sticky to start with but give it a few seconds and the stickiness goes leaving fuller looking lips (pout perfect) and wind is no longer a problem,
So again top marks go to Stage Line Professional they really are worth paying the extra for.

So that is my make up sorted now the hard part what to wear!!


Three hours later i decide on a brand new cream skater skirt from Pinkclove 
and a new Crumpet cashmere jumper  and a pair of retro 1950s wedgies and to finish my Jacques Vert  cape and Jimmy Choo bracelet bag im all set ready to go.

Jacques Vert  cape

Jimmy Choo bracelet bag

I cant wait for my night out now it is going to be fun,I can not show you the end result  just yet else my date might see and that would spoil the surprise  

Crumpet cashere

I shall have to buy a iron oops

I hope you what ever you do for Valentines you have a fantastic time,So until then,
Love Bella x

• Quality, using only raw materials and manufacturing techniques of the first order.
• Safety, each product is subject to strict quality controls and dermatological tests.
• Environmentally friendly, using only recyclable bottling and packaging.

Stage Line Twitter PageHere.
Stage Line Website Here.
Pink Clove Facebook Page Here.
Crumpet Cashmere Website Here.
Jacques Vert Website (direct to cape)Here.

No to testing on animals 

Work with me

I love working with PRs and advertisers, but only on stuff i know my readers will love. If something is amiss, I will say so!

To enquire about advertising space, sponsored posts and giveaways please email me reviewerbellasmyth@btinternet.com or thesmythhouse@gmail.com and i will get right back to you.

Contact me using the email on the right.