For The Garden, Gadget Gifts, Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews, Leisure Gifts
Karrimor X-Lite Comfort Self Inflating Mattress and Gelert Quickpitch Tent.
Camping as a child I recall the fun our family had and I consider this a ‘rite of passage’ to growing up – every child must have at least one week camping with their family!
Personally I am all for bringing the kitchen sink literally. Why rough it when there are so many various camping accessories out there to make this activity as much fun as possible – and as comfortable.
Starting with the tent, our camping experience is easy peasy. We have a Gelert 4 man tent and this tent actually has the words – quickpitch on the label – this is so true for you will have this tent both up and down super quick – it basically pops up!
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
Puzzle Club Magazine.
Puzzle Club is a new magazine produced by the educational company Puzzler. The aim is to offer children at key stage 2 a fun way to learn.
The Puzzle Club magazine arrived with me a few weeks ago and it has been a big hit with my 9 yr old. She loves computer games and would spend all day playing her nintendo if I didn’t intervene! I was hoping that she would be interested in Puzzle Club and therefore reduce her ‘screen time’.
The magazine cover is bright and colourful – like a ‘fun’ magazine rather than an educational one. The cartoons which accompany the puzzles add interest and appeal and the various puzzles are age appropriate therefore building confidence as they can be completed without any help from myself.
My older daughter is undergoing preparation for the local ‘transfer’ test which will determine her post-primary education. I have noticed a lot of similarities between the puzzles in the Puzzle Club magazine and the tests my older daughter has to complete. The magazine is a fab way to encourage learning while having fun and this has always been deemed the best way for children to learn.
I am encouraging other mums to try Puzzle Club for their children as I will definitely be continuing to receive it. Subscriptions can be made through WHSmith and all good retailers. RRP £3.99 per magazine.
Visit www.puzzler.com for further information.
Gift Reviews, Teenage Gifts
Warren James Jewellery.
Warren James Jewellery.
Established in 1979 and now with 140 branches nationwide serving over 2 million customers each year Warren James Jewellery has a reputation for quality and excellence. I have just had a look online and am really loving the range of jewellery on clearance. With prices slashed to well below half price, this is the site I will be visiting to shop for Christmas gifts.
I have the Vienna Necklace and I adore the fact that it can be worn with almost any outfit in my wardrobe. The stone is grey and linear cut with a rhodium finish giving a really luxurious look. The finishing touch is added with Swarovski stones which sparkle and add to the elegance of the pedant.
I have worn this with a little black dress and also with jeans and a jumper and both looks are perfect with this necklace – it is a mix of modern and elegant. I have had lots of compliments when wearing it and it will remain a firm favourite within my jewellery collection.
Have a look online for similar necklaces and a variety of other jewellery including rings, bracelets and bangles. I have a few items picked out which I have added to my wish list and hope to be ‘surprised’ with in the near future!
Naomi Real Sterling Silver Cultured Freshwater Pearl ring £27, now £13.
Vienna Necklace with Swarovski Elements RRP £79, now £17.
For further information on Warren James Jewellery please visit:
www.warrenjames.co.uk
Health and Beauty
NasalGuard AllergieBlock
NasalGuard AllergieBlock is the latest innovation against hay fever and similar allergens that make so many of us miserable in the summer months.
I could never recall suffering from hay fever in the past so I did take some time to self-diagnose myself! The sneezing – wow, the sneezing – I scared the kids, it just seemed to go on and on. I counted 8 sneezes one after the other that any fully grown man would have been proud of. However, not very lady like for the likes of myself! My eyes would sting and they were blood shot to the point of people asking me if I had been crying!
So, diagnoses made I was then able to do something about it. I tried NasalGuard AllergieBlock and noticed a difference from the first use. I know many other remedies would have a similar result but I have proved none works quite as fast as NasalGuard. Speed is of essence with hay fever as the symptoms hit suddenly and very quickly progress into a full blown miserable experience. Just a tiny drop of NasalGuard on the upper lip and nostrils and you can say goodbye to hay fever in a flash.
NasalGuard has been ‘ clinically-proven, drug-free allergy prevention gel that blocks airborne allergens such as pollen, ragweed and dust entering the nose. It works by applying a small drop to the nostrils and upper lip, to create an invisible barrier that blocks all airborne allergens entering the nose and creating an allergic reaction such as runny noses or itchy eyes’ (NasalGuard)
It can be used by children and also pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
NasalGuard AllergieBlock can be easily purchased from Boots, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and Alliance. A bottle will last 150 applications and all this for the mere cost of £11.99
Gift Reviews, Health and Beauty, Teenage Gifts
EPI Hair Removal Roller.
Epi Hair removal Roller from Laurelle Beauty.
This is one gadget I couldn’t wait to try – it seemed almost too good to be true! The Epi Roller’s function is to remove facial hair and it claims to do this quickly and very simply with lasting results. Skin is left smooth and soft – an added bonus!
I have had this for the last 2 weeks and both my mum and myself have used it – (although recommended use by one person only)
The spring is rolled on the skin in an upwards motion and the hair is caught and removed – so simply but this actually works very well.
The hair is then easily removed simply by widening the spring and blowing on it. It can also be washed and cleaned with a disinfectant solution at intervals.
I found this works better if used quite swiftly but I can honestly say the result is smooth soft skin. My mum loved it and has now declared it as her own! She would have paid much more to have facial hair removed at a beauty salon and found the Epi Roller equally as good for a fraction of the cost.
The Epi Roller should be in every ladies hand bag, and this super little gadget is now on offer for the tiny price of £20!
Visit www.laurellebeauty.com for further information.
Gadget Gifts, Health and Beauty
Socialite Zero Electronic Cigarettes.
A few samples of Socialites Zero (electronic cigarettes) arrived on my doorstep for review a few weeks ago and I shipped them out to a few reliable friends who I know smoked but wished they didn’t! The feedback was impressive from all 3 friends/testers.
I myself am a non-smoker but I am all too aware of the grasp something can have on our bodies and how difficult it is to break a habit. Although my addiction is not with cigarettes, I have an addiction to chocolate and other junk foods! Breaking the habit is ‘key’ and this is where Socialites work so well.
‘.. vision is to create an electric cigarette that will satisfy a smoker enough for them never to light up a tobacco cigarette again, therefore to save a fortune and to limit the risk of bad health due to the 4000 chemicals and 60 known carcinogens’ in a Tobacco cigarette’ (Socialites)
The ritual of smoking need not be broken with an electronic cigarette thus greatly increasing the chances of quitting cigarette smoking completely.
My friends found it very easy to ‘switch’ to an electronic cigarette. The taste and smell was reported very similar and the satisfaction of having a ‘fag’ after a meal was just as intense with a Socialite electronic cigarette. This would imply that the habit of smoking was as important as the actual effect of the cigarette.
‘Socialites Zero offer five traditional tobacco flavours with four levels of strengths. We also offer an unlimited variety of novelty flavours known as Shisha’ (Socialites)
The aim was to have a similar electronic cigarette to the top 5 brands of cigarette smoked in the UK and Socialites achieved this! My friends found the taste incredibly similar to their usual brands.
I was really impressed with the feedback and have no doubt that Socialite Zero has had a major part in reducing the number of smokers in our country – think of the positive impact this will have on our already stretched Health Service!
Socialites can be purchased from the link below and there are a variety of options to choose from including a great value starter kit.
www.socialiteszero.com/electric-cigarette-starter-kits.html
Pampered Experiences, Pampered Foods
Giraffe – for great family food in London.
My sister traveled to London the month before we ventured over the water ourselves. This was perfect timing in my opinion as she was able to feedback her experiences and she would know what we would enjoy and what to recommend – or not!
Visiting a Giraffe restaurant was top on her list of what she recommended was an absolute ‘must’ to do.
Gadget Gifts, Gift Reviews, Health and Beauty, Homeware Reviews, Toy Reviews
‘Back to School’ Sept 2014
It is hard to believe the summer is half over! We have had a great time over the holidays although it has been very busy as well. The kids are almost set for going back to school and I am proud to say I do feel I am very well organised this year!
BioCare ‘NutriFruits’
My kids will be ‘fighting fit’ this September. I am determined to give them the best possible start and hope to avoid as many colds, flu and various ‘bugs’ as possible. Vitamin supplements are a must with so much recent research claiming we should have children on supplements and that it is increasingly difficult to obtain all the necessary nutrients from foods. I have tried several of these concoctions and have rested with one from BioCare.
BioCare’s super new product, NutriFruits, was voted highly commended in the Best New Product category by Health Food Business Magazine. I love that the technology uses freeze dried fruits and vegetables to deliver the nutrients – this ‘reads’ very well and my kids have no problem taking this solution.
Vitamins C, E Beta Carotene and Bilberry are important for a healthy immune system and these will help fight off the various bugs children so often pick up at school, especially coming into the winter.
NutriFruits are suitable for children over one year of age. RRP £23.65
For further information visit www.revital.co.uk
Post-It study aids from 3M
My eldest daughter has a tough few months ahead of her this September, she is taking the ‘Transfer Test’ and has been working very hard over the summer.
She is like her mum in that she believes organisation is the key to success and her favourite school bag essentials are her Post-It notes. The new range of study aids for ‘Back to School’ this year are excellent. Jenny has quite a selection of the various notes and she loves the new additions.
Post-It Index Study Flags are a ‘must’ when you have a load of paperwork you need to frequently refer to. They make it super quite to find a particular page and they stay put. The bright colours leave it easy to organise your work. These are great value for £2.99
The new lined notes are perfect for making longer and more detailed notes. The pages are neon so making it super quick to locate various pages and notes made. These notes stick to just about anything – I have seen Jenny stick these to water bottles and they stay on all day! Very keenly priced at £3.26
My favourite ‘must-have’ has got to be the Index Flags and Arrows very neatly combined in a ruler type format. This clips into a file or organiser and your Post-it sticky pointers are on hand any time you need them. I have been using this for the last few weeks and my daughter has insisted I buy her another one for her school work. A really fab product that will keep even the very un-organised students notes well referenced, neat and tidy. RRP £7.20
iLearn from Jumbo.
With the older kids back at school I have the perfect puzzle for younger pre-school children – the iLearn from Jumbo! This will keep your little ones entertained and its both fun and educational.
Aside from the fun factor, the iLearn will expertly prepare your children for school. Learning through play is by far the best way to learn as the skill is learned without any real effort or realization of any ‘work’ been done at all!
Essential skills including reading, counting and writing are all encompassed within this super game. Children learn not only about animals and their young but also where they live. The cards themselves are sturdy – my children have been playing this for a few weeks now and it has stood the test of time well. This is no surprise as Jumbo have proved time and time again that their games are high quality and made to last. An excellent game suitable for children from the ages of 2-4 yrs.
Available from Amazon and very reasonable at £8.99
But what about mum? What would I recommend for all the mums who have given their all to the kids over the summer? September is sometimes long awaited by mums as it is their time to reclaim some much needed ‘me time’.
I have a suggestion I rate as the best possible ‘me time’ you will ever have – New You Boot Camp! Wow, the reports I have heard from this camp are so amazing. My good friend had a week at one of these camps last year and she has reported it was a positive life-changing experience and the most fun she has ever had.
Read her review here and do honestly consider this as your ‘reward’ for surviving the summer!! I have the New You Boot Camp on my wish list and maybe before the end of 2014 I will have a report on this camp myself!
For The Garden, Gift Reviews, Leisure Gifts, Teenage Gifts
Croc RainFloe Boots.
Crocs Rainfloe Boots.
Our house is pretty laid back, I mean, we have hens pottering around the back yard so you can’t get more laid back than that. We try to grow our own fruit and vegetables and sometimes this does actually work out!
Living the outdoor life means a good pair of wellington boots is a ‘must’. Our families boots pile up at the back door and they vary in make, design and style, not to mention colour! However, I do have a firm favourite…
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Sheaffer Ball Point Pen – Sagaris.
I have always been a fan of Sheaffer pens, even when I was in college I carried my old favourite with me through every exam.
Sheaffer have been manufacturing top quality pens for many years and they keep getting better with new designs and styles being released and advertised for various occasions.
I was delighted to get my hands on the model pictured above, the Sagaris. I have the ball point version but it is also available in a fountain style and roller ball variety. I have been using the Sagaris every day since it has arrived and I am really delighted with it.
The pen arrived presented in an elegant gift box, which is a lovely touch if you are purchasing this as a present for someone special. These pens would be an ideal teacher’s gift as people who tend to write a lot will really appreciate using such a high quality and classy pen. The model I have is chrome coloured. This was an excellent colour choice as it looks very well and will not date like so many brightly coloured pens. The pen is a perfect weight, light and easy to hold, adding to the impression of quality and value for money.
Features
- Smooth twist action mechanism
- Chrome cap & barrel
- Chrome appointments
- Fitted with blue refill
- Limited 3 year warranty
I have to mention I have a ‘thing’ about ‘slippy’ pens! Some pens, after a time, slip through your grip and despite being ‘on a roll’ and writing a mass of notes I have to stop, re-position the pen and begin writing again. Your grip will not slip with this pen, it is simply the most comfortable pen to hold and work with ever! I can honestly highly recommend this pen and I will definitely buy some others in the range as I would like a few different colours and styles.
So, if you are looking for a gift or just for something impressive to whip from your bag next time you have to make a note, choose Sheaffer. You won’t be disappointed.
This pen retails at £30.00 and details of stockists can be found online.
For further information visit www.sheaffer.com