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This is a featured post in conjunction with Iverson Tyres Ltd. 

As we walked through the car park at swimming last week my daughter saw a car for sale. A piece of paper displayed in the window and the words ‘Full MOT, service history’ This confused my daughter, ‘What’s a mot she asked’ saying it as one word rather than individual lessons. She looked confused and I began thinking about how to explain an MOT to an 8 year old.

I began to explain to her that an MOT is a health check for a vehicle, in the same way a person could go to the Dr for a check up to make sure everything is working correctly. There are multiple checks to be done and each one can give a better understanding of how the car is functioning and prevent any issues in the future.

In England when a car is over three years old it must have a yearly MOT check. MOT stands for Ministry of Transport test. Within the MOT there are dozens of different checks that are carried out and according to research published by What Car? Magazine in April 2014 the top five reasons a car failed an MOT are:

Screen wash not topped up. A very quick check that can be done before the car goes into the garage for the MOT.
The car was dirty or full of clutter.
A registration plate problem. If you have a personalised plate, make sure it follows DVLA rules.
Stickers on the windscreen blocking the driver’s view. Remember not to stick anything such as parking permits within the wiper area. 
Lit-up warning light on the dashboard.

There are over 21,000 authorised MOT centres and all can be recognised by the blue sign with three white triangle logo. Some centres such as Iverson Tyres Ltd offers customers a convenient way to MOT a vehicle, visit their website for further details of MOT in London. Some garages will allow an MOT to be booked online but others must be booked in person or over the phone. 

An authorised MOT centre will charge a fee for an MOT test, this can be anything up to the maximum fee for a car of £54.85. The MOT test itself takes under an hour however if any repair works need to be carried out then this will obviously slightly longer. Provided the car doesn’t need any repair work to be done, it may be possible to sit and wait whilst the MOT is carried out. 

An MOT is nothing to be feared and can be undertaken quite quick. Making sure the above five issues are taken care of before the MOT is carried out will also help speed up the process. All that really needs to be worried about it remembering to book the MOT test every year!

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This is a featured post in association with KAP Motors

There are many reasons why people choose to buy a second hand car. The main reason is usually cost as it is usually cheaper to purchase a second hand car than a brand new one. Not to mention the depreciation value is less on a second hand car also. The used car market is saturated with cars, with everything from cheap runaround cars to more luxury cars there really is something for everyone. However, with all the choice comes uncertainty especially when something seems too good to be true but there are certain tips to help clear the murky waters of second hand car buying.

Choose a reliable dealer

Many of the main car dealerships all have an approved used car section. These cars will be made to look and feel like new and will often come with extended warranties from the dealership. Whilst this way of purchasing a used car can often add peace of mind, it is often the more expensive way to purchase a second hand vehicle. 

Another alternative is looking at reliable independent dealers such as KAP Motors. KAP Motors offer used Ford cars in Brighton at the best local prices and have a wide selection to choose from. Using a trustworthy dealer can provide reassurance should anything happen post sale, which you would not get with a private seller. 

Background research

Once you have found a car you like do a little background research. You may wish to look at how long the car you are interested in has been on the market for. Maybe have a look at the same car at other dealers to see if the price compares. Reading independent guides can also help to give some understanding of how well the car performs over time and as a second hand model.

Test drive

Always test drive any car before purchasing. When doing so drive on a variety of roads and conditions to see how the car performs. The car may handle very differently on the motorway when compared to town driving and it is important to be aware of these before purchasing. Check the brakes by performing an emergency stop and try hill starts to see how well they perform also.

Tax

Finally, remember that the tax on a vehicle is not transferable so once you purchase the vehicle you will need to tax it straight away.



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The product mentioned in this post has been gifted for the purpose of review. All words are my own opinion and no other financial compensation has been received.


Micro Motorz are a new toy car collectable. The blind bag has three chambers, highlighted with a racing 3, 2, 1 and each contain a different item. The first chamber contains a tool to go with the car and the information leaflet. Chamber 2 has a tuning accessory and finally chamber 3 contains the Micro Motorz. 


Each Micro Motorz comes in a clear storage container. These can be stacked to neatly store your collection or build towers as Little Man likes to do. There are 20 cars to collect in the first series which includes six Nitro Chargerz, three regular Nitro Chargerz and three rare ones. Three regular Hot Rodz and three rare ones and finally the ultra-rare Monster Treadz.


The capsule can be adapted to to become a launcher for the Micro Motorz to launch them across the floor. At first attempt it was a little tricky to do this but once we had figured it out it is actually really straight forward. 


Micro Motorz are a lovely pocket money toy and great collectable. The girls and Little Man all play with them and have lots of fun. The cars themselves are well built and I even store one in my bag for when we are out and about to keep Little Man entertained. 

The girls have put together a short video of them unboxing 4 Micro Motorz, take and look and see which ones they get!



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When I had the email to confirm my London marathon place my Mum and I decided to make a weekend of it and have some fun with the children in London. The question is what to do with 3 children the day before I was due to run a marathon. A rather timely email from Little Tikes was the answer. A day out playing in the outdoors.

Given the recent weather I was a little apprehensive when I replied saying yes but we actually had a wonderful sunny day, and in fact could not have wished for better weather for playing outdoors. Little Man got stuck in straight away with all the water play, and surprised himself when water came tumbling from above.


His sisters kept trying to trick him to stand underneath as it was about to tip but he seemed to always dodge at the last second.


Water play was followed by warming up with cuddles before exploring more that Little Tikes had to offer.


I would have thought the girls would have each had a scooter and Little Man a trike but instead all three went for the Cosy Coupes! Little Man found a Monster truck one, which we could not get him out of!


We followed the Little Trikes trail around the beautiful gardens, the children all in their Cosy Coupes.


By the side of the lake the girls found face painting


They both sat patiently and loved the finish results!


Little Man didn't want his face paining so busied himself with the sand table whilst he waited for his sisters.


Time seemed to go very quickly and before we knew it it was lunch time. Little Man discovered that a plate fitted nicely on the back of his truck and so he stayed put for lunch. The best seat in the house! 


After lunch it was time for even more water play in a pirate boat themed water table, complete with pirates! 




 His sisters decided to make cakes, can you work out what they made?



We all had a wonderful day and were the last to leave. It was such a brilliant fun day that the girls were disappointed when I told them it was only for today. They kept asking to go back! I think it was the perfect way to spend the day before the marathon, thank you Little Tikes for inviting us to Bring back the outdoors!


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Travelling with children can be exciting, adventurous and fun.  It can also be stressful, hard work and a little bit daunting at times.  Especially when they come with so many things.  When I worked for a large company I had a company car and often there is little choice on which car you get.  As a business user sometimes this car can be the only car within the family, and so rightly it needs to double as the family car.  Our question to Kia was how well would their new Kia Opima Phev withstand the school holidays?

We began by loading the Kia Optima with all the bags we would need for 4 days holiday at the seaside with 3 children.  This may not seem like a lot but in the boot is:

- 2 scooters
- 1 pushchair
- 3 bags
- food for 4 days
- coats [for 5 people]
- dog bed
- all related items for the dog [but not the dog, he was in the main car]
- steriliser and bottles 
- charging cables for the Optima
- football

Looks were certainly deceiving with the boot space, I wondered as I saw it all piled up in the hall if we would get everything in the boot but we did with space left too! 


I have come to expect a Kia to be loaded with lots of extras, having now driven 4 different models, and the Kia Optima Phev certainly didn't disappoint.  Heated seats, Heated steering wheel, climate controls and everything within an easy reach central location.


Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 8 inch touch screen navigation system, wireless mobile charger and USB sockets.  The Kia Optima Phev had everything needed to keep the family entertained on the journey to the seaside.  In addition there was everything the business user would require, making it perfect for both business and personal use.


The Kia Optima Phev is Kia's first plug in hybrid model and whilst we have access to a charge station at home it can be charged by plugging in to the mains.  The Optima phev can be driven in either all electric or hybrid drive modes.  

We were keen to see just how far the Optima would go on pure electricity and soon discovered this was down to both the type of driving and the load within the car.  On average though it was around 33 miles.  I found this relatively impressive, particularly as for quite a few this would within the commute to work distance, at which point it could be recharged at work.  In the same way as a parent driving kids around to various school clubs this would be within the range of the total miles, using only electric could save money on fuel bills.  The Optima also recharges the battery as it is moving which means you can further reduce the number of miles on fuel.


Travelling with the children I needed to make sure they were both safe and comfortable.  The outer two seats have isofix points, and whilst I could fit comfortably in the middle seat between the two car seats I struggled to fit a third car seat on the back.  I could squeeze a third seat in but it would have suffered with buckle crunch and I felt this was unsafe.  However, I think it is worth noting that if I had three slim seats I am pretty certain that you could get three across, but it would depend on the sizing.


My eldest daughter therefore could sit at the front, the airbag was easy to locate to turn off should you require a car seat on the front.  There was even enough room in the foot well to fit J, our dog, we all travelled in comfort and no one was squashed.


Our destination was the Bay at Filey.  We love this development as it is a home from home.  Building works are almost complete, we only noticed them when we walked further up the site towards the beach, so I think dependant on where you stay you may or may not encounter work.  We had booked a 2 bedroom house, which had plenty of room for us all and J.


The Bay is built partly upon the former Butlins Filey site.  I like the charm from each of the bricked houses and the way the site is laid out.  There is an indoor swimming pool which guests can use, fitness and spa facilities, bike hire, Italian restaurant, pharmacy and a very family and dog friendly pub.  The beach is within walking distance, however we were at the furthest point of the site and so had a good 10-15 minute walk.  The path to the beach is not direct, as the site is higher than the beach so it has to wind gradually down to the beach otherwise it would be too steep to easily climb back up. 


The Kia Optima Phev was incredibly comfortable to travel in, and I was in the middle seat between the two car seats.  I will admit to falling asleep during the journey.  My husband used the in built Sat Nav to direct us straight to our destination and my eldest daughter was fascinated not only with the Sat Nav but also with the eco driving animations.  They told her if the car was using electric and she watched as the eco tree filled up.

We arrived at The Bay and decided to make the most of the takeaway pizza service on site, it had been a long journey and hot pizza seemed to be just what we needed.


We left the car outside our holiday house and walked over to the beach.  J was in his element running free, digging in the sand and of course chasing his ball.  The beach is lovely and flat and perfect for letting both kids and dogs have some fun.


After almost the entire day spent on the beach we headed back to The Bay for dinner.  We decided upon the Lord Nelson for dinner.  They welcome both children and dogs inside so it was perfect for us and it meant J didn't get left out.  The food was great too, plenty of choice and a great kids menu.  We all left with our stomachs full and feeling happy from our day at the seaside. 


Little Man enjoyed his day so much he had a wonderful nights sleep!


A final day out on the beach lay ahead.  Given the time of year it felt warm and we were up early to make the most of our final day.


We walked and played along the beach and before we knew it we were in Filey itself.  This of course called for Fish and Chips on the sea front.


We had kept an eye on the tide tables and knew we had plenty of time to make it back.  J was pleased because he could spend longer chasing his ball.  The girls were happy running around on the beach and generally enjoying themselves.  Little Man was just taking everything in.


The Kia Optima had been charged up using the household electric plug and was ready and waiting for us.



I love the look and feel of the Kia Optima Phev.  The aerodynamic shape helps with fuel efficiency but in my opinion it also gives it a a smart look.   Every angle has been designed carefully, and whilst it certainly has a business car feel to it it also functions incredibly well as a family car.





The Kia Optima Phev was perfect for our family holiday to the seaside.  It successfully carried all five of us in comfort and the dog too.  All out luggage fitted in the boot and with space left over.  Not only that but we travelled using hyrbid technology, reducing our overall travel costs.  Whilst I may not know all the inside specs, I can tell you that the family loved the Kia Optima Phev just as much as my husband loved driving it for work.  It is clearly a car that is versatile enough to be an executive company car during the day and an elegant family car at the weekend.

We loved our time using the Kia Optima Phev and loved creating some wonderful memories on our holiday!



The Kia Optima phev was on a loan basis and has been returned.  I paid for the holiday in full.  No compensation has been received for this post
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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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