This Beko WME7247 washing machine is currently a rather good price at Argos.

• Click HERE to spin on over to Argos

Saturdays have always been washing days in my house.

The deal is: come home from school on Friday afternoon, get changed, strip your beds and bung everything in the wash ready for Saturday morning.

It rarely happens without me having to ask at least three times, but washing always takes place on a Saturday (ironing on Sundays).

Decent washing machines, that do everything we need them to, can cost a FORTUNE and it's only when they blow up that you realise just how much of a godsend they are.

Now, if your washing machine is happily working away then lucky you. But if yours has just given up the ghost then this Beko 7kg capacity washing machine from Argos could just be your knight in shining washing powder!

It has an A+ energy rating, it has a quick 34 minute wash at 30C (I love those quick cycles!), a half load option (love that too) and also a hand wash programme.

It also features a variable spin setting and a child lock too, very handy for clever and inquisitve fingers!

The catalogue price for this Beko washing machine is £299.95 but add WASH50 at the checkout and £50 will be deducted, bringing it down to £258.90 and it has received RAVE reviews too.

It's only available for home delivery (currently seven days and will cost £8.95) and if you have an old dead machine Argos will take it away for you for an additional £7.50.

Thanks to amibees over at HUKD!

GLTC have some cracking children's toys lurking in the clearance section of their website just now.

• Click here to check out the GLTC clearance

This wooden country kitchen washing machine is a stylish but practical twist on the usual plastic varieties of toy kitchens and at £39.00 (down from £65.00) it's a pretty reasonable alternative.

The matching sink is the same price,which means both items can be yours for £78.00 instead of the usual £130.

The sink measures 53cmH x 43cmW x 36cmD and comes complete with a checked splashback and a useful, realistic storage cupboard beneath the sink.

If my lads are anything to go by, little boys love playing kitchens just as much as little girls do (and why shouldn't they?) but they also love wrecking things - so wooden versions definitely appeal to me - much sturdier and altogether less likely to be yanked apart and turned into a fort or a pirate ship!

These wooden kitchen toys are definitely at the higher end of the price scale than many of the plastic versions but at these clearance prices they could make a lovely  treat for a birthday boy or girl. Or if you're inclined to start your Christmas shopping early, it's worth picking these up  while they're at this price and putting them away. Who knows, they might even work as bribes for keeping little people on their best behaviour for the rest of the year!