Ever since Christmas I’ve been on a mission to lose weight. Who am I kidding? I’m always on a mission to lose weight! Anyway, I recently discovered that one of my favourite foods, the scrummy bagel, is available at less than 2% fat. That isn’t a low sugar count, mind you, so you still have to be careful.

The New York Bagel range has five flavours that sit at this low 2% threshold so you can have a tasty cinnamon and raisin bagel for breakfast without feeling utterly guilty. I went and got the wholemeal, the cinnamon and raisin and the plain bagels to see how they tasted and to try out some ideas.

The cinnamon and raisin New York bagels are divine. They are one of my favourites, especially when toasted with low-fat olive spread. That’s it. The wholemeal ones are, obviously, far better for you on a GI diet scale and are very nice when eaten with some cucumber and turkey breast as this will fit into most low GI diet plans easily.

I expected them to be a bit cardboardy if I am honest. Often the wholemeal variants of such tasty foods are a bit dry and tasty processed. I didn’t find this an issue with the New York dudes at all. Very nice. They also taste divine with soup.

The plain bagels are a special treat. They are made with processed flour, white flour, which is always more fattening and higher in sugar content than wholemeal. However, as an occasional treat they are divine, especially if you stick with a low fat topping.

The New York bagel Facebook site has plenty of recipe ideas for you and the cost of a pack of five is £1.35 – that works out to 27p a meal if you only have one. Great price and great taste. Winner.

There are few things I love more than the word “free” except, of course, when I get told my offspring can eat for free. That works as well. At the moment Crown Carveries are offering a kids eat free deal during the school half term. Brilliant.

• Click here to find your nearest Crown Carvery

In order to qualify for your kids eat free deal you need to go to the website following the link above and download and print the voucher. Then take the voucher to your nearest Crown Carvery and hand in the voucher when you order your food.

The offer is available all day Saturday 11th February until Saturday 18th February (it excludes the Sunday) and to qualify adults must buy full priced carvery meals. This seems like a pretty good excuse to treat the family to a nice evening out without breaking the bank.

I find that going out to dinner with my child can be a little cringe inducing, even with low priced meals it hurts when she takes four bites, declares herself full and refuses to eat anymore. Free makes me feel much better.

Last week I wrote a feature on funky things to do for free for Valentine’s Day and I got a lot of emails from people who loved the hairstyle idea in the piece. In fact, so many people responded to it that I thought I’d deviate from the Valentine’s Day drama and head for a feature that looks at some of the best hairdo sites on the web,

Of course, I didn’t just choose these sites because they had cool hairstyles for girls, I chose them based on their level of practicality and the expense involved in getting the equipment needed together. For almost every single hairstyle I have found here you can do it with a rat-tail comb, hairbands, a hairbrush, bobby pins and a spray bottle. Nothing more. Although hairspray never goes amiss… and this excludes accessories like ribbons etc. All easily achieved on a budget of under £10.

These reward kits for kids are a genius investment in my view, especially as they get older and increasingly stubborn about doing their chores. The children’s reward packs at Aldi are only £1.99 per pack and are a brilliantly cheap investment in their future good behaviour.

• Click here to get rewarded with Aldi

The children’s reward packs at Aldi come with a chart that’s smothered in pretty pictures and has stars and stickers that can be added as they do well in their chosen areas. I find that my daughter is responding really well to her reward chart and will definitely be nabbing some of these.

The other reason these are great as kids get older is that bad behaviour can see you removing a sticker too. We have a chart that has both a good and bad column so if she gets five good stars she gets a surprise, and five bad stars mean she loses a toy.

Thanks to robkd14 at HUKD!

This is a pretty topical deal as everything seems to be about Zumba at the moment. Everywhere I turn there’s a Zumba going on, even a tribe of them roaming the streets last Saturday while I was doing my shopping. This Zumba Home Fitness kit has been marked down from £49.99 to £39.99 in the Reader’s Digest sale.

• Click here to get dancing with Reader’s Digest

The Zumba Home Fitness kit is aimed at everyone from beginners to pros and included are six workouts including: Zumba basics, 20 minute express routine, cardio party, sculpt and tone, flat abs, and Zumba Live.

The entire Zumba Home Fitness pack comes with toning sticks too so you can add some extra weight to your wriggle as you boogie your way through those Latin rhythyms. The advantage of this kind of set, of course, is that you can wave your arms and your bum about without anybody else seeing you.

This is helpful if you are starting out and (like me) tend to be about four moves behind the instructor. The price is quite good for this kit that also has a Total Body Transformation Guide included. And if this doesn't do it for you, take a peek at the other deals they have. I am SO eyeballing that AB Circle Pro...

The Harvester has some ace deals going down this January so if you happen to live nearby one of these tasty spots, then you should really like them. The first is to get two selected meals from the takeaway menu for £10 and that includes a free salad. The second is a free Sundae.

• Click here to get eating with The Harvester

If you fancy a free ice cream sundae the Harvester Sundae Best deal is back. You get a delicious Cornish ice-cream dessert drizzled with raspberry, strawberry, Belgian chocolate, white chocolate or Devonshire toffee sauce for free. You only need to download a voucher, order a meal and you’re sorted.

The two selected meals from the takeaway menu for £10 is for around six different meals and this expires on 07 February, so hurry up and spoil yourself if you want to take advantage of this deal. So, there you have it. Tasty discounts (there are more on their site) for January that the whole family can enjoy.

For those of you who’ve not yet bought a Trunki, this set may be what you need. For £44.99 you get the Trunki six piece accessory set instead of the usual £99.99. As this is an expensive gadget at the best of times, this price is very reasonable for all these goodies.

• Click here to get travelling with Argos

The Trunki six piece pack includes Terrance the Trunki, a Trunki holster, a tote bag, a saddle bag, a sticker pack and a wrist purse. Trunki is, you probably already know, the world’s first ride-on suitcase and these extras make it even more fun.

The comfy saddle bags can hold things kids need as they sit and wait in long queues, the tote bag is for those other little extras, the sticker pack will keep them entertained for a while and I have no idea what a Trunki holster is.

I think that the kit is great if you have more than one child and only one Trunki already in hand. That way there are lots of carry extras, enough for two kids. Otherwise I don’t really see the point of so many bags and things, they would just get in the way.

Thanks to manya6020 at HUKD!

Fancy a free pack of Clipper Green Tea? Well then, this freebie should make you rather happy. All you have to do is recommend a friend to Clipper Teas and you get a free pack of green tea.

• Click here to get started on your freebie with Clipper Teas

The rules here are simple. To get your free pack of green tea you need to fill in a friend’s details and your own details and you get your packet. It looks like it is an entire box of 25 bags of pure green tea too, which is a bargain!

We love green tea here; it is so good for you and magical for coughs. I had a really bad cough a while ago and it kept me up for weeks until I discovered that cold green tea soothed the tickle enough for me to fall asleep. It’s brilliant.

The free packet of green tea is easy enough to get, the form very minimal and the whole thing very tasty. Yay!

Thanks to ettienem1001 at HUKD

Feeling the burn after Christmas and staring at the next few months with an empty wallet? Yeah. January can be really depressing with the cold and the money problems. Although this year it is apparently spring in January so that’s one thing sorted! In an attempt to reassess and redefine my relationship with money I drew up a list of 20 ways to save money this year. Here it is. Feel free to add your own ideas and comments at the end, the more the merrier!

Tesco Magazine is giving away 10,000 free pedometers as of Friday 06 January as a part of their One Heart Health campaign and it is a most excellent freebie to start off the year. What better way to get you out into the world, pounding the pavements and burning calories than with a free pedometer?

• Click here to get your free pedometer with Tesco magazine

There are only 10,000 of these free pedometers to be given away so get in there as fast as possible so you aren’t too late! The pedometer is a great way to get your New Year walking plan kick started so you can start taking more steps towards a healthy life and a healthy heart.

One of the main focuses of the campaign is being more active which is a simple change we can all fit into our busy lives and will make such a difference to our health and energy levels. Do anything from climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift to getting off the bus a stop early. Anything extra will help your body and your health and this free pedometer certainly won’t hurt!

Thanks to stu1e at HUKD!

The John Lewis pushchair in black has been reduced to clear from £275 to £135. This is a great price for a rather fancy looking pushchair that is both stylish and useful.

• Click here to push on over to John Lewis

The pushchair has everything you need to get travelling with your tot. The seat can be placed in a forward or rear facing position and has a three position adjustable calf support built in. The five-point safety harness has chest pads for extra comfort and baby safety.

The bumper bar is removable and the chassis is made from lightweight aluminium which makes it ideal for people who need to carry theirs regularly – either up and down stairs or in and out of the car. The pushchair is suitable from birth and also has a footmuff, raincover and shopping basket included.

Thanks to kitty4kits at HUKD!

I recently read an article in the Economist that talked about how recent research has shown that people value things they make far more than they do shop-bought tat. The research was fascinating. They cited the case of instant cake mixes. When these were first launched the sales were dismal. Why? Because people didn’t feel like the cakes gave them any value, that they hadn’t really earned anything by making them.

So, what did the cake mix companies do? They changed the recipe to “add an egg” and the cake mixes flew off the shelves. While the article goes into far more detail on the where’s and why’s of how we value things we do and make ourselves, I have just stolen one simple idea – don’t spend this year, save and make it yourself.

Here are some ideas that I’ve come up with, that I’ve gleaned from other smart and sassy parents, and that I’ve uncovered with judicious research.

This is a stonkingly good milk&more voucher that gets you two weeks of free milk to the value of £10! What more could we possibly want from a freebie, I ask you this? I mean, milk not only tastes scrummy but it is excellent for growing bones and teeth – just what your little ones need this cold winter.

• Click here to use the milk&more voucher online

So, how do you get to claim your free milk? You need to visit the website (just click the link above) and enter in your postcode and meet your milkman. Then you need to register your details and your regular payment method.

Once you’ve done all of that, browse the shop and place your orders. In your basket, enter the voucher code MILKPPC and click GO. Confirm your order and you’re done! It is that simple. Your £10 discount will be deducted from your first invoice. There are the usual terms and conditions, of course, but there is free delivery and you don’t need to book a delivery slot either. Nice.

The offer is only open to new milk&more customers and the closing date is 31 January 2012.

Swarovski is marking down a bunch of items from their usual prices to discounts ranging from 30-50% off. If you missed someone important this Christmas or want to treat yourself to something sweet this year, to celebrate 2012, then this is the sale for you.

• Click here to get discounts at Swarovski

There are some fantastic bargains on offer in the Swarovski online sale that are exclusive to the website and only available for a short time only. You can find a large assortment of selected products and range from fashion jewellery to charms to watches to sparkling home accessories.

The online sale started today in the UK and the categories that I can see on the site include accessories, charms, classics, fashionables, figurines, men’s jewellery, rings, specials, sunglasses and watches. Something for everyone really.

I am not a fan of Swarovski as I believe they are not fair trade and do not care for the people who supply them with these stones. However, if you are, then this is your sale.

Thanks to KazzyD at HUKD!

So, how was your Christmas Day? Was it stunning? I really hope so. It has been a really busy and interesting year so far and, with only a few days left until 2012, I wish you the loveliest week ever. Ok, that’s the nice bit done, now I am going to come over all mercenary again by talking about unwanted Christmas gifts.

While we all appreciate the sentiment behind our Christmas gifts, sometimes the giver just gets it completely wrong. This isn’t their fault really (unless they are an angry sibling who sent you coal on purpose) so we all smile and say thank you. But space is always at a premium at home and we don’t want a cupboard full of weird Christmas items taking up valuable storage.

So, here are some great ideas on how you can get rid of your unwanted Christmas gifts and clear out that dodgy cupboard.

You may think I’m being a tad mercenary here telling you to get yourself ready for the January sales when Christmas hasn’t even arrived yet. But, let me tell you, the sales are looking set to start on Christmas Day this year and if you aren’t ready and waiting, you could lose out on that awesome deal on that stunning coat you’ve been drooling over for months.

Now this is a tasty deal for anyone who is at a loss for Christmas gift ideas this year. Not only do you get a very nice 50% off these M&S Christmas hampers but you get someone a lovely gift that they will appreciate for ages.

• Click here to see the discounted Christmas at M&S

There are a few hampers included in this 50% discount and all of them are rather lovely. I must confess that I find the discounted price a little more reasonable than the original one, wow, M&S can be expensive!

The Christmas hampers on offer include: Festive Cheer, Weekend Retreat, Merry Christmas, Christmas Fayre, Sweets & Treats, Best of British, Christmas Delights, The Cold Selection and the White Wine and Smoked Salmon selection.

My personal favourites are the Festive Cheer and Christmas Fayre hampers. Down from £30 and £45 respectively, they now offer a lot of bang for your buck. Also, the adorable owl in the Sweets & Treats hamper is too cute to eat. So, nab one of these beauties for that one person who is impossible to buy for.

Thanks to Xeepo at HUKD!

The Ravel Kids Little Gems children’s jewellery set has been marked down from £19.99 to only £7.64 on Amazon this Christmas. This is a very big saving of £12.35 and it comes with their tasty free delivery.

• Click here to get some jewellery from Amazon

The Ravel Kids Little Gems set includes a watch, a necklace and a bracelet making this, in my view, a really good set for the money. The watch has a lovely pink strap and a little puppy dog image etched onto the surface. The white dial makes the watch easy to read with a hot pink printed face.

The watch is Quartz, the strap is PU and there are even paw prints on the face. The watch is accompanied by a puppy dog pendant set with a diamante crystal on a delicate chain. And the polished chrome bracelet features pink puppy and decorative PVC hearts and star charms.

The entire kit comes in a Little Gems presentation box that is prettily decorated with a butterfly shaped window. All of this is a steal at under £8 for the lot, including free delivery.

Thanks to sindy at HUKD!

There is a new website on the block called Pinktimeline.com and its all about helping people who are trying for a baby. The site gives out free information and advice as well as letting you build your own fundraising page so that people can help you to raise money for expensive fertility treatments, a nursery and more.

• Click here to visit Pinktimeline.com

The site is offering the first 100 couples who build a fundraising page a lovely £50 prize. If you happen to be trying for a baby and need help in paying for expensive treatments, this donation from First Response will certainly be a step in the right direction.

Pinktimeline.com lets friends and family help you to cope with the financial pressures around a baby. It doesn’t just have to be expensive fertility treatments that get fundraising support, it can also be to build a nursery or help get baby clothes and more.

The site is brand new and there are plenty of free features to get people up and running. And if you happen to want support from family and friends as you tackle the world of babies, why not start your page today and get the cool £50 kickstart. Remember it is only for the first 100 couples.

You can save up to £25 on last minute Christmas gifts with Pixum this week as they promote no less than four voucher codes. You can save anything from £2 to £25 using these codes and they may well save your bacon as the last run to the big day happens.

• Click here to get some discounts with Pixum

The order value will determine exactly how much money you get taken off. If you have any amount then you can use the voucher code XMAS11-UK2 to get £2 off the final price. If you have spent £50, then you use the code XMAS11-UK5 to get £5 off your final order.

To take £15 off use the code XMASUK-UK15 when you have spent a minimum of £100, and to take the £25 whopper off you need to spend £150 and use the code XMAS11-UK25. These voucher codes can shave some nice amounts off your Christmas orders this year and you can get some last minute Christmas gifts and cards at a discount.