The Hidden Harm in ‘Funny’ Christmas Jumpers

Welcome back 

Today’s post is a little different, but it’s about something I’m incredibly passionate about. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a strong advocate for eating disorder awareness and mental health. The reason for this is deeply personal — my eldest daughter has been suffering from Anorexia Nervosa for the last 21 years. Even after all that time, there still isn’t anywhere near enough awareness surrounding eating disorders, particularly anorexia. Considering it’s the biggest killer of all mental health conditions, that’s just not good enough.

Christmas can be a very difficult time for those suffering from or recovering from an eating disorder. Recently, I saw something that honestly left me stunned, especially in 2025. It was a Christmas jumper on the Next website. I love Next as a brand, and it’s one of my favourite places to shop for clothing, shoes, and homeware, so I was genuinely shocked to see this jumper being sold on their website.

This is the jumper in question:

I am absolutely appalled that this is on sale, not only in Next, a reputable clothing store, but at all, in 2025. Why do we need diet culture rammed down our throats any more than it already is? January is already a minefield of “new year, new you” messaging, but I haven’t seen anything like this before Christmas for quite some time, and certainly not from a brand like Next.

The wording on the jumper is outdated and dangerous. Young children seeing it and asking what it means could lead to unnecessary and potentially harmful conversations. I’ve spoken before about how we talk around children, saying things like “No thank you, I’m being good” when offered cake. Being good? As opposed to what, being bad for eating a piece of cake? Children absorb everything, and this kind of language can plant unhealthy ideas about food and self-worth, especially if they’re already predisposed to mental health struggles.

A slogan implying “eat whatever you want, because it’s Christmas” might sound light-hearted to some, but it’s equally damaging. Because the moment Christmas Day ends, the messaging flips, suddenly we’re told to lose weight, get “summer body ready,” and join slimming clubs. Diet culture goes into overdrive on Boxing Day, and every TV advert seems to be about dieting, “healthy” food ranges, or gym gear.

It’s not just Next, either. Marks & Spencer is just as bad with their food adverts. One minute, it’s all “indulge” and “treat yourself” and we all know the slogan, “It’s not just any Yule Log…” and then, come Boxing Day, it’s all about the M&S “healthy” range. I understand that diet culture is a multi-million-pound industry, but I wish these companies would take a moment to consider the impact this has on people who find this time of year incredibly difficult.

And to release jumpers with slogans like this in October, meaning they’ll be on display for months, just makes it worse.

If the CEO of Next had a child suffering from an eating disorder, would they still think this jumper was acceptable? I doubt it. I’m not saying people shouldn’t buy it or wear it,  that’s a personal choice. But please, think about how it might come across to others. And if you hear someone say it’s funny or harmless, try to gently educate them about the dangers of eating disorders.

I’m not trying to dampen anyone’s Christmas spirit, I absolutely love Christmas. But I also love my daughter, and watching your child suffer at the hands of anorexia is absolutely devastating. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and as long as I have breath in my body, I’ll never stop trying to raise awareness of eating disorders and the damage caused by careless messaging like this.

I hope my post today has come across as I wanted it to, not preachy or miserable, just a mum who's trying her best to educate and raise awareness of a condition that, when my daughter began suffering with, I had no idea what to do or where to turn, there wasn't any information out there for me to get advice. This is one of the reasons I do what I do, because if I can help one mum or dad, friend or other family member from feeling as desperate as I did, well, it's all been worth it. 

Thank you for reading, 

Zoë x

Celebrate Every Journey: Reflecting on 2024 with Kindness and Pride

 

Welcome back! 

I hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas, however you spent it. 

As we wind down after the festive season and start to look ahead to the New Year, it’s natural to reflect on the months gone by.

And as we approach the end of the year, we’ll no doubt keep seeing:

• Compilations of people's highlights from 2024, set to music.
• Lists of achievements and milestones reached.
• Goals smashed and bucket list dreams ticked off.
• Memes celebrating what a "great year" it’s been.

And you know what? That’s wonderful. If people have achieved their dreams, conquered their goals, and found happiness this year, let’s celebrate with them. That’s something to be proud of, and we should be happy for them.

But I also want to say this: if you simply woke up each day and made it through, no matter how hard it was, that’s an achievement too. For some, just getting through the day is a monumental goal—and you’ve done it. 

Be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.

This year marks 10 years since I lost one of my close friends to suicide. It’s a pain that never goes away. And this year, I almost lost another friend the same way. Thankfully, I didn’t—and I can’t express how grateful I am for that. These things, no matter how upsetting and awful, make us think and reflect, it's natural. 

So, as we reflect on 2024, let’s remember this:

• Everyone’s goals and achievements are personal to them.
• Sharing those moments is their way of celebrating, and that’s ok, they have every right to do that.
• But if you’ve battled through dark days, faced struggles, and kept going when it felt impossible, you’ve smashed it too.

If you’ve crossed off bucket list items or achieved big dreams, be proud of yourself and share those wins with the world, there's nothing wrong with championing yourself or your family shouting your achievements from the roof tops—you’ve earned it and have every right to be proud and your loved ones to be proud of you too. 

But if your biggest accomplishment was surviving, that’s just as worthy of celebration and you should feel proud too and your loved ones proud of you too, acheivments are just that, achievements, no matter in which form they come. 

So, if you have smashed 2024, ticked off bucket list items, got the promotion you wanted and worked hard for, or got your dream job, and you want to tell the world, tell them. Please don't feel you can't share because others may have not shared the same things as you. 

And, if you are proud that you're here, then don't feel bad for those who didn't make it, you made it and that's huge, celebrate your win. 

What I'm trying to say in my rambles, is:

No matter what your 2024 looked like, be proud of yourself. Keep being you. And most importantly, be kind—to yourself and to others. 

We never truly know what’s behind a smile or an “I’m fine.”

Thank you so much for reading, I hope this post can maybe help someone, if it helps you, that's amazing, and if you know someone you think it might help, please share it with them. 

Thank you for reading, 

I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2025

Happy New Year ♡

Zoë x

Transform Your Wellness Journey with Zen Ear Seeding

Welcome back, 

Today I have something a little different to share with you: an Ear Seeding Kit from  Zen Seeds. 

When Zen Seeds got in touch with me and asked if I would like to try one of their kits, I was intrigued because I hadn't ever heard of ear seeding before. Once I had read up about it on the Zen website, I thought it sounded such an interesting practice and wanted to share it with you as I thought it was something you might be interested in too. 

I will also have a discount code for you at the end of today's post so you can try out ear seeding too.  So keep an eye out for that. 

What Is Ear Seeding?

The following information is taken from the Zen Seed website:

Ear Seeding is also known as ear acupressure or ear reflexology. This holistic wellness practice involves placing small seeds or beads onto specific points on the ear.

​

The aim of ear seeding is to foster balance and harmony within the body, alleviating stress and targeting specific health concerns. Increasingly popular as a non-invasive, relaxing, and natural way to promote overall well-being, ear seeding is favoured for its potential to reduce tension, enhance relaxation, and contribute to a sense of inner balance and tranquillity.

​

Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the ear is viewed as a micro-representation of the entire body, likened to an inverted fetus. Modern clinical research supports its influence on neural pathways. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, health relies on the flow of Qi (energy) within the body. Qi travels along invisible pathways called meridians, which are present throughout the body, including the ears. By placing ear seeds on specific points along these meridian lines, it's believed blockages in Qi can be cleared, aiding a variety of health conditions.

​

Ear seeding not only unblocks energy meridians but also stimulates nerve connections between the ear and the central nervous system. Pressure applied to a particular point triggers a nerve impulse from the ear to the brain, which then sends healing messages to the affected organ or system. This stimulation prompts the brain to release pain-relieving endorphins into the bloodstream, offering quick relief from chronic pain and discomfort.

Some Of The Potential Benefits Of Ear Seeding Are:

Stress Reduction

Digestive Health

Addiction Support

Pain Management

Migraine

Menopause Symptoms

Back Pain

And much more

Zen Seeds Ear Seeding Kit - Silver 

The Zen Ear Seeding Kit comes in Silver or Gold, I have the Silver. Inside the kit is everything you need for around three or more treatments, the kit includes: 

• 20 x Silver Ear Seeds
• 1 x Silver Tweezers
• 1 x Acupuncture Point Probe
• 1 x Booklet
• 3 x Alcohol Wipes

Inside the kit, there is a booklet which has lots of helpful information including how to apply and remove the ear seeds and where to apply them depending on the problem you have plus lots more information on the placement of the seeds and how they work. The Zen Seeds website is also brilliant, it's easy to navigate and has some brilliant reviews on there and some really helpful information. 

The seeds themselves are tiny, I have the silver seeds and there are enough seeds in each kit to use for three treatments at least. The seeds come on a clear round plaster and are easy to peel off the packaging with the tweezers supplied in the kit, they adhere to clean, dry skin with ease and using the probe, are fairly easy to apply using the guide in the booklet to show where to place them on the ear. 

The ear seeds - silver

The tip of the acupressure probe

Once the seeds are all in place, it is recommended to massage each seed at least three times per day for five days. Should you want to try more treatments it is best to use your other ear and apply in the same way. 

It is NOT recommended to use the ear seeds during pregnancy as this can cause premature labour. 

                                                                         The ear seeds in place

Overall Thoughts:

I was really intrigued by the concept of ear seeding and the Zen Seeds Kit is a brilliant way of trying ear seeding for the first time. The website was so insightful and gave me all the information I needed to try ear seeding along with the booklet included in the kit. 

The ear seeding kit I received is great and has everything you need included, they are £24.99 for either a silver or gold kit. The seeds can be bought separately for £7.00 per pack,  meaning you don't need to buy a new kit if you want to continue using the ear seeds, you can also buy the other items included in the kit separately.  

If you would like to try ear seeding, you can buy the Zen Ear Seeding Kit from their website by clicking HERE and using the code ZOE10 will give you a 10% discount. 

I also have a video on Zen Seeds on my Instagram account, which you can find HERE if you'd also like to watch that. 

Have you tried ear seeding? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading

Zoë x

 

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I Have Some News: Unveiling My Latest Blog Series!

Hello, welcome back to those who are regular readers of my blog, and welcome if it's your first time reading my blog, it's lovely to have you here. 

Today I have some news, I am going to be writing a series "Accessible Adventures" all about accessibility within venues, tourist attractions and basically anywhere I visit.  I feel there is definitely a need for honest reviews surrounding accessibility, especially from those who require it. 

If you are new around here, or if you're not but aren't aware, I'll explain a little about me and why this series is important to me. 

A Bit About Me

I won't go into mass detail but just to give you a bit of background, I suffer from some extremely serious, incurable and life-changing medical conditions. These medical conditions affect both my physical and mental well-being and have a debilitating effect on me daily, because of this when I go out,  I rely on crutches and a wheelchair as mobility aids and I use several other adaptations and equipment to help me day to day. My wheelchair was specially designed for me by Wheelchair Services after being referred to them by my Neurologist and is a self-propelled type of wheelchair. While the wheelchair is a self-propelled wheelchair, the effects of my medical conditions, unfortunately, prevent me from being able to self-propel it, meaning I need the assistance of someone to push me, this is usually my youngest daughter or my partner.

When I visited Wheelchair Services, they explained that it is much easier for the person pushing the wheelchair to push a self-propelled wheelchair than it is to push one that isn't, it is something to do with the wheels being much bigger making it easier for the person pushing and more comfortable for the wheelchair user, I thought this was worth mentioning in case anyone reading is looking to get a wheelchair or someone you know is. 

Why The New Blog Series?

Since being disabled, I have noticed so much that the world isn't always as suitable for wheelchair users and other mobility aid users as it should be. This said I have been making notes when I have been attending anything from events and tourist attractions to going away for a weekend or on holiday and even disabled toilet facilities.

This is where my new blog series, "Accessible Adventures", was born, I decided that being a blogger, I could write about my experiences, and it would hopefully be useful for others.  I always search to find out what the accessibility is like at places I am going to visit, and sometimes I'll read good reviews, and then it's completely different when I visit, I had that recently at one of our family Christmas trips out, and that really spurred me on to start my series.

Any Requests Or Questions?

If there are any specific requests you have or questions, please feel free to either leave them below in the comments section, or email me at mammaful@gmail.com, my social media accounts are all @mammafulzo too if that's easier for you,  but please do let me know, I want to be as helpful as I possibly can. 

 Thank you for reading

Zoë x

Christmas in October: Kickstart Your Christmas Shopping with Must-Have Deals at the Argos Toy Sale

 

All the images in todays post apart from the one above are taken from the Argos website. 

Welcome back, 

Today I have a blog post about the Argos toy sale, there are some brilliant deals, some half price, some 25% or 30% and some other deals such as 2 for £15.00 amongst others, there really are some brilliant deals to be had. I thought I would share 10 toys that I saw with you today,  I could have shared so many more,  but I thought 10 would be enough, but you can check out all the deals on the toys yourself by clicking HERE.

Baby Annabel Doll - WAS £65.00 now £48.75  

My youngest daughter loved Baby Annabel when she was a little girl and she got so many years of fun with hers, she adored her. I thought this was a good saving of 25% off, especially when they are £65.00 full price.

If you would like to pick one up, you can get yours by clicking HERE.

Chad Valley Lights & Sound Construction Playset - WAS £40.00 now £26.50

I thought this was a good price, theres a third off and this would make a brilliant gift, it has lights and sounds and comes with a mat to protect your surfaces or floor too. 

If you would like one, you can pick one up by clicking HERE.

Chad Valley Stacking Ball Drop - WAS £10.00 now £5.00

This is a cute gift if you have a baby to buy for this Christmas or for any occasion and it's half price too which is a great deal. 

If you would like to purchase one, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Baby Born Walk In Dolls Shower - WAS £57.00 now £28.50

How cute is this? I love how the shower works and water comes out, you don't have to use a baby born dolly with this, any dolly that is hard bodied and can get wet would be suitable to play with this, and at half price it's a good time to buy.

If you would like to buy the Baby Born walk in shower, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Chad Valley Deluxe 5 Level Garage & Cars Set - WAS £60.00 now £30.00

This is another half price bargain and comes with 10 cars too, the lift is a working lift and theres a car wash, petrol pump, ramp, road and lots of other things that make this a great gift idea for any child who loves to play cars, and at half price it's a brilliant time to buy. 

If you have someone who'd love this, you can buy it by clicking HERE.

Chad Valley Discovery Ball & Giraffe - WAS £11.00 now £5.50

This cute little two pack of baby toys for babies aged 6 months and older is another half price deal, two toys for £5.50 I think is a good price and things like this can be split if you have two babies to buy gifts for. These type of toys are good to develop hand eye coordination and brain stimulation and keep little ones amused. 

If you would like to pick them up, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Bluey S7 Adventure School Exclusive Playset - WAS £60.00 now £30.00 

This Bluey toy is an Exclusive Pack and includes the transforming School Playset and the Brisbane Adventure Bus. Plus six figures, they are Bluey, Bingo, Chloe, Snickers, Coco and their teacher Calypso, plus you get some accessories and it opens out into 3 play areas. This is one of the half price offers and to be honest I was surprised at the original price, and think if this is on a wishlist of a child you buy gifts for, I'd get it whilst it's half price. 

If you want to pick the Bluey school adventure set up, you can do by clicking HERE.

Playmobil 71233 City Action Fire Engine WAS £30.00 now £20.00

My friends little one would love this, she loves trucks, buses anything like that, she reads my blog so I would imagine she'll be thrilled to see this! Theres a third off making a £10.00 discount, Playmobil is a little expensive in my humble opinion so to have that money off makes it a better price. The fire engine has working lights and sirens and the water pump on the roof works too, there are two figures with the set and some accessories too. I did notice there were some smaller sets that would go well with this in the two for £15.00 range too you can find those HERE and HERE, these were £10 and £11 each previously. 

You can pick the Playmobil fire engine up by clicking HERE.

Bluey Table Top Easel - WAS £15.00 now £7.50 

This is a great little gift idea and is half price too, the easel has clips on one side to use as an easel and on the other side is a chalk board, it includes crayons, chalk, stickers and colouring sheets which can be stored inside the easel, making it easy to take anywhere with you and it has a cute little carry handle too. 

Bluey seems to be quite popular at the moment, so this is a brilliant gift at a good price too, don't miss out! 

To pick one up, click HERE.

Playmobil 71251 Country Alpaca Walk - WAS £18.00 now £13.50

As soon as I saw this NEW Playmobil alpaca playset, I had to include it, how cute is it? This has 25% off but still not a bad saving. Alpacas are very popular and I know my eldest would have loved this, she adores alpacas and this set comes with 3 of them, plus 3 figures and some accessories. It's such a sweet little set and one I think would go down well with any child. 

If you have alpaca mad children to buy for like I have had for many years, you can buy this by clicking HERE.

So that's the 10 toys I chose from the Argos toy sale, I hope they have given you some inspiration for your christmas list, or any occasion you buy toys for. Like I said, there are some incredible deals, and I could have included so many more things, but I thought it best just to share these 10 and let you take a look too. Let me know if you pick anything up, and please share this post with anyone who you think would find it helpful. 

Happy shopping! and thank you for reading

Zoë x

Money Saving Meals - Cheaper Ways To Feed Children Over The Summer

Welcome back, 

If you read the blog post about my first ever blog series, (read it here) and thank you to all those that did, the response was fantastic, thank you! 

This is the first post of that new series and today I am sharing with you some restaurants, supermarket cafes and other places you can feed children over the school summer holidays. 

This will include where to go and what each place is offering, if there's a minimum spend and how long the offer is available, hopefully, this post will be helpful to some of my readers. 

The Best Deals

When doing my research for this post, I found that the deals on children's meals varied quite a lot from place to place, so I thought I'd share what I thought were the best deals, first. 

Local Deals

The first deal I have to share is something that will be dependent on your local area, but I have researched quite a few areas in the UK and it seems a lot of establishments are on board with this. 

If you are a Facebook user you will no doubt have a group or page for your local area, we have one for the village I live in, and lots of local cafes and tea rooms etc are offering free meals for children over the summer, parents can just go in and order the food and will not be charged, there's no minimum spend at the majority of the places close to me either which is great. So it's definitely worth checking your local pages or groups on Facebook. 

Asda Cafe's

Offer Ends - December 31st 2023

When doing my research for this post I found that Asda Cafe had the best deal for supermarket cafes and high street food places.

Their offer is available til the end of 2023, so not exclusive to the summer holidays and children under 16 can eat for £1.00 "all day every day" This includes either a hot meal or one of their "pick and mix" deals which includes a sandwich, drink and fruit. There is no minimum spend and after 3pm adults can choose a half price meal too, Asda also gives a piece of fruit free with every meal and Ellas Kitchen pouches are also free for babies under 18 months with any purchase.  

I thought this was a brilliant offer, the fact the offer is on all day every day and until the end of 2023 is excellent. 

Tesco Cafe

Offer Ends 1st September 2023

Children eat free at Tesco with any purchase of 60p or more by an adult, you do need a club card or the club card app to use this offer, but it only takes a couple of minutes to download and sign up for the app if you don't already have a club card. 

Ikea Food

Offer Ends - While Stocks Last

Children can have pasta and tomato sauce and a drink for 95p or one of the other children's meals for £1.50 after 11am daily. 

Ikea also offers a breakfast roll and hot drink for 95p daily from 9.30am to 11am for all customers. 

Minimum Spend Deals

Morrisons Cafe

Offer Ends - Ongoing

Under 16's can eat free when an adult spends £4.49 or more in their cafe, this offer is on all day every day and includes hot meals or a sandwich, snack and drink. 

Something else Morrisons are offering is, any child or adult who "asks for Ellen" at the Morrisons cafe at any time of the day before 13th August 2023 will receive two toasted crumpets with butter and jam completely free. 

Dunelm Pausa Cafe

Offer Ends - Ongoing

Children receive a mini main meal, two snacks and a drink when an adult spends £4.00 or more in the cafe, this offer is on all day every day. 

Marks & Spencer Cafe

Offer Ends - 1st September 2023

Children receive a free meal from the Munch Menu which includes a hot or cold main meal, snack and a drink when an adult spends £5.00 or more in the M&S cafe. 

Other Offers 

Travelodge

Offer Ends - 1st September 2023

If you have a Travelodge nearby, you can purchase one adult "all-you-can-eat" breakfast for £8.99 and two children under the age of 15 can also have breakfast completely free, you do not have to be staying at the Travelodge to get the offer which is brilliant. 

Premier Inn 

Offer Ends - 1st September 2023

Like the Travelodge offer, any adult paying £9.99 for the "all-you-can-eat" breakfast will receive two more breakfasts completely free for children under 16 and you do not have to be staying at the hotel. 

When doing my research, I did find other restaurants offering deals but I found the T&Cs a bit much and know I wouldn't have gone there when my girls were small, for example there were time restrictions, and adults had to spend a lot to get a small child's meal for one child in a certain age bracket, and I know these places still have to make a profit, but it was, in my opinion, expensive, so I decided to keep the minimum spend to £5.00 or under with the exception of the Travelodge and Premier Inn, but two children eat there rather than just 1 so I thought it balanced it out a bit. 

I hope this post will be helpful for my blog readers, please share it with your friends and family or anyone you think might find it helpful. If I find any more great meal deals, I will of course share them with you. 

Thank you for reading 

Zoë x 

Something I Havent Ever Done Before On My Blog

Welcome back.

Today I have some news for you, it's about something a bit different and something I haven't done before. I am going to have my very first blog series where I share tips and tricks or hacks, whatever you want to call them, for things to do and ways to save money during the school holidays. 

I am going to write these type of posts throughout the year for each school holiday period, each post will have a different infographic depending on the season, the summer ones will all have the above infographic as the blog post photograph so they stand out, and as I said, other seasons will have a different photograph. 

Why The New Series?

 

With the cost of living crisis and prices of absolutely everything going up a ridiculous amount, everyone is trying to save where they can.  I think almost everyone I know has been impacted by the cost of living crisis, some more than others and it's a horrible feeling to be struggling financially. I have had situations in my life where I have been rock bottom financially and it was horrendous, I think posts like these may have helped me had there been blogs around during those times. 

My friend once said to me that I should write a book of tips to save money, and things I did with my children when they were little as she always found them really useful when she had her children and  while it's a nice idea and very kind of her,  I think it's more than advertourous for me,  but I can write a blog post or two, so that's where the new series comes in. 

When my children were younger,  I was a single parent for a while, and for some of the years of that time I struggled massively financially, it was a horrendous time in my life and one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. And myself and Simon, my partner have struggled financially also, especially when I was medically retired from the NHS and we lost my wage. Simon has also been made redundant twice, and both times weeks before Christmas, not ideal at all. 

I am not proclaiming to be a money saving expert by any means, I'll leave that up to Martin Lewis, but I would like to be able to help people by sharing my tips, tricks or hacks I learnt over the years which saved us money,  I will also be doing my research too and sharing my findings with you. 

What Will The Posts Be About?

I will be writing a variety of posts, there will be ideas to keep children entertained during the school holidays, ideas that don't cost a lot of money, there will be places I find that have deals and discount codes, how to find the best deals, places to eat cheaply or free, and basically anything I can share with you that might help make the school summer holidays a little bit easier on your pocket. 

I hope you think this is a good idea and I hope my posts will be able to help, if they help just one person, it'll be worth the effort of writing them. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. 

Thanks for reading

Zoë x