Review – Page 6 – PixiePlanner

Practically Perfect Scents – A Magical Filled Review

If you follow me on Instagram you will know how much I love to support small shops, particularly ones from the UK. Prior to its opening last week, I was lucky enough to be sent some inspired wax melts to sample from Practically Perfect Scents. Today I am going to talk a little about what I recieved and what this lovely little store has to offer.

Practically Perfect scents store just opened this week and I am already in love with what they have to offer. Filled with bespoke Disney inspired wax melts and candles, the store has many of your favourite parks and resorts scents on offer from Mouse Waffles to Savannah View. Hand poured in the UK, your prefered scent can also be made to order in a reed diffuser or even a car fragrance.

Being Little Peter Pan’s Mum, of course it was only fitting that the lovely Natalie sent some Peter Pan inspired wax melts for Quinn and I to sample. Having no idea what was inside, the excitement was real for Quinn as he opened our package! He recognised right away from the beautiful smell of chocolate and mint, that the shapes inside of the bubble wrap were indeed wax melts.

First unwrapped were the Neverland and Hook wax melts. I must admit that I was very impressed with the simple attention to detail on each package and the lovely bow caught my eye straightaway. You all know that I’m a sucker for a bow! The smell that came from the Hook pack was just amazing, not like his usual Codfish scent! Black Cherry and Liquorice is the scent and we both loved it so much, we chose to burn this one first. Quite ironic that a Never Land loving family chooses Hook first right? I cant even describe how lovely our house smelt as the the wax was melting, I could compare it only to the smell of a cherry Airhead only much sweeter and pleasant. The Neverland inspired wax melt comes in a scent of dreamy lavender and vanilla and it smells just that, dreamy for sure.

The next two clam shell wax melts Quinn unwrapped were Pan, Lost Boys and also a small Wax Mouse Waffle Brittle Bag. Pan’s scent is Fresh Forest Pine, an absolutely perfect fragrance for Peters sense of adventure! Quinn thought that the Lost Boys melt smelt like chocolate ice-cream and he was very close, Chocolate Mint is the fragrance and it is just lovely. The Mouse Waffles scent of Hot Waffles with Syrup from the small brittle bag is absolutely incredible, just wow! As soon as it started to melt, I felt as if I wasn’t in my living room but standing in line at the Plaza ice-cream Parlour on Main Street! Whats also amazing is how it looked as it melted, so cute and sparkly I could have watched it all evening!

If you are missing the scents of the Walt Disney World Resort, head on over to Practically Perfect Scents and look for your favourite. I for one cant wait for the Christmas scents, I can smell the Grand Floridians Gingerbread House already!

Alannah x

An Evening At The Body Shop – Aberdeen Blogger Event

Last Friday I was invited along to The Body Shop, for an evening of pampering, shopping and to try out some new products with some fellow Bloggers. The Aberdeen branch hosted the after hours event, and gave us skin care and make-up consultations tailored to our needs and skin types. Fantastic hand massages were also on offer on the evening. This was the first local event I had attended as a new Blogger, and as I was quite nervous, I took my Mother in Law along for some much needed support. As it turns out, we had a wonderful night and everyone involved in bringing it together were just lovely! Today I’m going to write about our night, and what new skincare products I took home with me.

On arrival we were greeted with a goody bag (yay!), containing some lovely new products and samples. As soon as I saw the Fall for Pumpkin body butter I squealed with delight! I love everything pumpkin and as I imagined, this body butter is absolutely amazing! It smells like a dream and leaves your skin feeling really soft and nourished.

After we were offered some drinks (a Starbucks Teavana Green Tea for me!), we were given an introduction to the Body Shop by the lovely staff members, as well as a run down on some of the evenings products and pampering available to us. The Body Shop is forever against animal testing and have helped ban animal testing in the UK. The company held a petition, which on the day had reached 8 million signatures! The Body Shop are now heading towards the United Nations, where they are aiming toward ending animal testing for good. How amazing is that!

After a browse of the store and picking up all the things for our baskets, both my Mother in Law and I had our own make-up consultation with the lovely Megan. She spent quite some time finding the right shade, and showing us how to perfectly apply our foundation.

Last but certainly not least, we tried the new 100% Vegan body yoghurts. They come in a variety of scents, from banana to Mango, each one smelling devine! We then headed home with our new products and a cute little Moringa body gift set free with our purchases. Thanks for a great night Body Shop, I already can’t wait for the next event which will be focused on Christmas, yay!

Alannah x

Printkick Arts And Crafts Product Review

I was recently sent a wonderful package of arts and crafts products from Printkick to review. Of course I enabled some help from my Little Peter Pan who was delighted to assist and work on some arts and crafts during the summer holidays. Today I am going to talk a little about Printkick, what we were sent to review, and what we thought about each product.

Printkick are a small family business that started up in 2001, but have roots that date back to 1987. They primarily sell ceramics such as printed mugs to small businesses around the UK. With the launch of their new website, they have expanded their range to include kids arts and crafts products, which I’ll be reviewing today. Printkick have launched a new eco-friendly products range, which they are trying to grow to ensure that organisations are aware of their environmental impact and make better choices with their printed items. Their latest campaign with ADHD Foundation for neurodiversity won a lot of positive PR and accolades. You can read more here.

Quinn immediately chose the Wooden Glasses Painting Set and got to work on creating his master piece!

The glasses looked very appealing to children in the package, and had a great design. They were sturdy and big enough to be decorated, but not too big so that they would slide down his nose. The coloured pens that came with the glasses were great and enabled Quinn to create his own unique design. The glasses would appeal to a wide age range of children, and would be a perfect activity to bring whilst travelling on holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed this activity and Quinn said that on a scale from one to ten, he would give the product a ten for the fun he had.

The next product Quinn chose was the Colouring Magnetic Stickers, which came with four coloured pens.

I really liked the look of these as although they were magnets, they weren’t too heavy but the side that could be coloured felt like a paper but was much more durable. Although the stickers came with five colouring pens, it felt enough and the colours seemed appropriate for the circus theme. It took Quinn a while to perfect his colouring, so it was a perfect rainy day activity. Once the stickers were coloured, they were easily popped away from the page, leaving an adorable magnet to be proudly displayed on the fridge.

Next up was the Backpack With 5 Markers.

Although the design and size of the bag was marketed toward younger children, Quinn really enjoyed making his own mark. I mean who wouldn’t want to let their imagination run wild and colour a backpack! When I first felt the backpack, I didn’t know how well the pen was going to stay on. It in fact dried in quite fast and despite a few smudge marks he made whilst colouring, it looked really nice! This would be another great activity to take on holiday, and it would be perfect for passing the time on a long haul flight.

The one product that was sent for me, and I was very excited to try out was the Adult Drawing book.

I got sick so the book was a perfect distraction, and a great time to try my first colouring book since I was around Quinn’s age! The cute little set came with an intricate plant themed colouring book and twelve coloured pencils in a foldable holder, perfect for carrying around in your bag. I must say I found the colouring so relaxing and therapeutic and before I knew it, I had spent some time perfecting my work!

Last but certainly not least, Quinn opened up his own Colouring Set with Notepad.

The children’s set came with the coloured pencils just like the adults version and a variety of designs to colour, with some blank pages toward the back of the notebook for doodling. Quinn could have spent hours neatly colouring the pages and it was lovely to see him so relaxed whilst taking time out of the sunshine we have been fortunate to have this summer.

Thanks so much to Printkick for these wonderful products, we had so much creative fun! Which was your favourite arts and crafts? Id love to hear from you!

Alannah x

The Magic Of Rapunzel. Aberdeen Panto Review

What better way to celebrate Christmas in July than with an all singing, all dancing Pantomime. Oh no it isn’t! I hear you say. Oh yes it is!

I was invited along to review Joseph Purdy’s production of Rapunzel last night at the Tivoli Theatre. The summer Panto has toured the UK, before making its last four day stop here in Aberdeen. My Little Peter Pan was so excited, and of course couldn’t wait to dress in his Flynn Rider outfit for the occasion.

The show put its own twist to the classic fairytale, entertaining both adults and kids alike. The diversity in characters ranged from the funny Chester, who provided laughs a plenty and hillarious audience interaction, to the glamorous Queen Passionella with her show stealing outfits. Horabella executed wicked perfectly, along with some incredible vocals. Quinn’s favourite character of the evening, Britain’s got Talent’s winner George Sampson, danced his way to Rapunzel’s heart as Prince George. Ten years on from his Singing in the Rain routine, we were wowed again by his impeccable moves. The cast wore some outstanding outfits that were definitely a highlight for me.

New and old songs had us singing along, with maybe a little dance or two from my Little Peter Pan! The usual feel good, festive atmosphere and lots of local dialect was definitely present, showcasing that Pantomimes aren’t just for Christmas. Sixty two local children were cast and did an outstanding job, lighting up the stage with their talents. Never during the performance did the family filled audience get restless, which was testament to how well the cast did to engage and keep us wanting more.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed our evening, and I would highly recommend Rapunzel for the perfect summer holiday day out. Here at the Tivoli until this Sunday, you can purchase your tickets through Aberdeen Performing Arts at the Box Office.

Joseph Purdy Productions will also be back again in Aberdeen with the Uk tour of The Wizard of Oz on the 25th, 26th and 28th of October, and I for one can’t wait!

Thanks for reading and remember “True love will win the day”

Alannah x

Shop Small With The Most Magical Little Brands

As much as I love shopping the latest Disney merchandise for my Little Peter Pan and I, I also love to shop small. Smaller stores that you can find on Instagram, Facebook and Etsy, are so unique and often create custom products. This last trip to Walt Disney World, we were lucky to rep and support some of our favourite unique brands. Some local and not so local to us, but always made with love and magic. Here are some of the wonderful products we received and where you can find them.

If you follow my Instagram page, you will know how much I love and wear the wonderful Nickey Ears Co ears. I love representing Nickey Ears Co, as they truly are the most beautifully made floral ears and are the most comfortable to wear.

Nikki surprised us with these matching Peter Pan and Tinker Bell inspired ears, the Animator figures adding the perfect little touch. Quinn adores the Disney Animators Collection Little’s Micro Collectibles from the Disney Store Uk and was desperate to find the Peter Pan figure to match the others he already had. He was over the moon to unbox his pair and my pair also featured my favourite thing, a bow which had my name written across it too!

These amazing Tinker Bell inspired ears were probably my favourite to wear on the trip. I mean, how magical can one pair of ears get?! They remind me so much of another Tink inspired pair I already own and the wings are just beautiful. I wore them on my birthday, which also happened to be Peter Pan’s 65th anniversary blu-ray edition release date. Magic Kingdom were hosting a celebratory Peter Pan pre-parade and the ears received so many compliments that day.

Disney Vacation Club means so much to our little family and I was super excited to unbox these gorgeous inspired ears. The colour of the flowers are perfect and it was beyond wonderful to showcase Nikki’s talent and my Disney Vacation Club pride around the parks and resorts.

Last but not least, these Princess inspired rose gold ears are so pretty and could be paired with almost every outfit I brought with me on our Walt Disney World trip. I wore these the most as they are so simple, but yet stunning.

Nautical Nautilus Apparel are a new clothing brand that create the cutest tees. Their magical inspired designs include Never Land, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the Caribbean. I loved wearing my Wildflower tee Katy and Josh sent me for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. Alice loved it so much she asked to take a picture with me, before the Mad Hatter photobombed! My Rain or Shine tee was practically perfect for our Grand Floridian stay and I couldn’t recommend the comfort of Nautical Nautilus tees enough!

My Little Peter Pan reps for the super cute clothing brand, Cami and Chlo. Their magic inspired tees are available in both adult’s and kid’s sizes and are just precious. Home of the original It’s a Small’s World tee, Cami and Chlo have designs to suit the whole family. Quinn adores the Yo Ho Yo Ho a Disney Life for Me tee, just don’t tell Peter Pan!

Dreaming All Magic Pins is a small UK based brand, that create and ship Worldwide the most beautiful Disney inspired pins. I feel so lucky to rep for Naomi and her cute collection. Before we left for our trip, I received the first pin available to order, the rose gold Ariel Mermaid pin. She is a beauty and I was so happy to wear her along with my Ariel inspired outfit to the Bon Voyage breakfast at Trattoria Al Forno.

Do you have any favourite small shops? Feel free to share them with me, I would love to see your magically inspired apparel and products!

Alannah x

All the Bows all the Ears

For as long as i can remember, I have always worn hairbows in my hair. It all started as a way of keeping my hair out my face, so why not do that with something cute? My Mum used to collect hairbows for me and each one I treasured. My collection has grown over the years and now not only do I collect them, i also make ones for myself too. I am so proud of my bow collection and love choosing one out to wear each morning. If I could have a bow for each day of the year it still wouldn’t be enough!

When I visit Walt Disney World I love to wear Mickey ears and I am so happy that the Disney Parks collection is growing. They have so many pretty designs and I can’t wait to hopefully get my hands on the millennial pink ears next month, they will fit perfectly with so many of my Disney inspired outfits.

Last year the amazingly talented Nikki came into my life and changed things forever! I became brand rep for her gorgeous ears @nickeyearsco. She creates the most beautiful Disney inspired floral ears and they are honestly the most comfortable ears I have ever worn in my life. Each and every pair is unique and made with magic. Nikki also takes custom orders on her Etsy page NickeyEarsCo.

Here are some of the custom made ears Nikki has made for my recent trips.

Tinker Bell is my favourite character of course and these Tink ears are the perfect colour and even light up, so magical. This pair has received so many compliments when wearing them at Walt Disney World, even from Peter Pan and Tink herself!

I love the crown on these Ariel inspired ears, just beautiful. The little details she adds are so pretty and they worked in perfectly with my Ariel inspired outfits. The large crown doesn’t cause the ears to be heavy at all, they are still super lightweight.

My all time favourite ears that Nikki has made for me has to be these Never Land inspired ears. I have never seen ears like them and they are literally perfect for me! The detail in these ears are incredible and I love every little part from Mermaid Lagoon to Skull Rock. So much aspects of Peter Pan incorporated into one pair of ears, I love everything about them.

These Toy Story inspired ears are so fun and pretty. I love the arrangement of the flowers on the ears and the little Woody hat. These will be the perfect pair for the upcoming arrival of Toy Story Land over at Hollywood Studios.

For our Christmas trip, Nikki made these Gingerbread festive ears complete with little coloured lights. They were such a cute addition and I just loved wearing them during the Magic of Christmas at Walt Disney World.

@nickeyearsco also make Junior ears for the littlest Disney fans in your life. My Little Peter Pan was lucky enough to receive his own custom pair. Peter Pan inspired of course and he was beyond excited! He had always said that he wished he had a pair like mine and he wasn’t disappointed. The kids ears are again super lightweight, comfortable and I would thoroughly recommend them for your little ones.

You can see more of Nickey Ears Co designs here on Facebook, Instagram and on Etsy.

The lovely Ashley over at @earsfordaysoc sent me these truly beautiful Steamboat Willie Ears for our upcoming trip to Disney World next month. These ears are very well made and I absolutely love the puffball bow, such a cute design. So pretty and sparkly, right up my street with the oversized bow! They are surprisingly super lightweight and I can’t wear to wear them to the parks.

You can see more of Ears for Days OC here on Instagram and Etsy.

Another pair of ears i recently received for our trip next month, came from the lovely Kayle over at @espositoears. I fell in love with these ears as soon as I received them with their unique Cinderella design. The colour is so accurate and pretty, with a beautiful white bow and a little Cinderella on top to finish. They go perfectly with the Cinderella inspired outfit I have planned for Disney World.

You can see more of Esposito Ears designs here on Instagram and Etsy.

The inspirational Hollie over at @bowsofmagic knew how much I loved hair bows and sent me the most beautiful Tinker Bell bows I have ever seen! So sparkly, unique and filled with Pixie Dust! Perfectly made and so comfortable to wear. Hollie makes and sells beautiful Disney inspired bows to raise money for her “Bows for Brainbow” campaign. Brainbow is a charity based at Addenbrookes hospital who help rehabilitate children with brain tumours.

You can see more of Bows of Magic designs here on Instagram and Etsy.

I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to wear these beautiful handmade ears and bows at the parks. Next month can’t come soon enough! Follow my adventures and Disney inspired outfits over at @pixieplanner_.

Alannah x