Homeware Reviews
Heaven fresh Mini-dehumidifier.
If you are one of those people who dread the winter and the associated mould and mildew issues that come with the cooler weather, this is what you need.
The Heaven fresh Mini-dehumidifier HF 625. This de-humidifier is light and easily carried around. It works silently, so a big bonus if using it indoors. This would be perfect for an attic, caravan, boat or room up to 14 sq metres in size. The water tank holds up to 500mls and a light will indicate when this is almost full, although the water tank is transparent so you can keep an eye on the level easily. If the water tank does fill, the machine will switch off automatically.
This machine, although small is indeed mighty. It has made a huge difference in our home already, and it’s only September! Ireland is so wet and cold, homes need massive amounts of insulation to combat mould and mildew. This Heaven Fresh Dehumidifier works very well to reduce and eliminate this problem. I used to have difficulty keeping the windows and wardrobes mildew free, but now all the moisture is collected from the air and everything is so much cleaner and dry. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has the same problems we had. It will save so much time and money both with less cleaning required and reducing the damage mould and mildew can cause in your home over the wet winter.
A very worthwhile purchase and well priced at £49.99.
Available from www.heavenfresh.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Catherine Green lavender bags.
If you are looking for a special gift under £10 look no further than a Lavender bag by Catherine Green.
Catherine is a textile artist who works from her studio in Yorkshire. Her work can be found at gallery exhibits around the UK. She has a brilliant way with paint, and each brush stroke is captured by the unique way she prints her work onto fabric. The lavender bags are printed with her original designs and filled with lavender from Yorkshire. The new range for Christmas has lavender, camomile, cloves, star anise and a cinnamon stick added and they smell beautiful. These can be hung around the home or even in a wardrobe to have your clothes smelling gorgeous. Beautiful to look at and filling your home with the sweet smell of lavender, one of these is simply not enough!
Catherines artwork is rather unique, with bright bold designs and colours. She sells direct from her studio and online so do have a look. You will find other artwork and accessories along with her beautiful lavender bags. RRP £10.
www.catherinegreen.co.uk
Gift Reviews
Paul Mitchell Gift sets and Stocking Fillers for Christmas 2013.
First we had ‘The Gift That Keeps on Giving’ now we have ‘The Gift that Keeps on Growing’!
I was totally surprised and amazed when I received a ‘Plant Me’ Tea Tree gift set by Paul Mitchell. The set contained some gorgeous smelling products, but I was interested in why it was called ‘Plant Me’. At first I thought it was one of those sets where the company pledge to plant trees with a percentage of the sales, but no, I was wrong.
The handmade paper used for the packaging is made from renewable resources and contains seeds! How exciting, each seed paper produces daisies when planted, I cannot wait to do this with the kids. What a wonderful and environmentally friendly idea, well done Paul Mitchell. Plant your packaging – I wish this was the start of a trend with companies and we would be putting a lot less litter in the bin!
The contents of the gift set included Lavender Mint Moisturising shampoo and conditioner, and a tea tree body bar. These products smell so fresh, what a delightful combination, Lavender, mint and tea tree. The smell is so good, every time I pass the bath-room, I nip in for another quick little sniff. Although the intended effect of this shampoo is to have strong hair with a great shine, I am convinced that if I use this on my children, their hair will never have little ‘visitors’ again!
The body bar smells just as good and can be used for cleansing and shaving. It also contains peppermint, which leaves skin feeling tingly and invigorated.
The set of 3 products, (and the seed paper!), would be a great gift for both women and men this Christmas. RRP £27.50
‘Stay Calm and Curl On’.
I have frizzy hair and have tried every ‘Fuzzy hair treatment’ on the market. Some work and some don’t, but there is a fine line between taming frizz and giving you the ‘greasy hair’ look. I used a serum for years and it worked well but left my hair so greasy, I had to wash it every day.
Paul Mitchells Frizz-Fighting hair care products have got it just right. My hair is soft and silky, with no frizz. The products do not turn frizzy hair into greasy hair while taming the frizz – try it, you will love it.
I use the range, including the shampoo. With frizzy hair it is important to start at the beginning, ie, using the correct shampoo, conditioner and other treatments. Paul Mitchell’s ‘Spring Loaded Frizz Fighting Shampoo’ is the first step to beautiful curly frizz free hair. Smelling like fresh flowers, this is just lovely. It is suitable for colour treated hair and I have also used it on my daughters’ hair, which would have similar qualities to mine.
This is followed with ‘Full Circle leave-in Treatment’. Super lightweight yet rich and creamy, this will give you those dreamy curls you always wanted. Hair is detangled, tamed and protected all in one. A must have product for super bouncy gorgeous curls.
The next step is the ‘Ultimate Wave Beachy Texture Cream-gel’. Wow, I love the beach and the way my hair looks after a day in salt spray and wind! Get this look at home with Paul Mitchell. This humidity-resistant gel is all you need for sexy tousled hair. The frizz stays away and you have touchable waves – not hard fixed hair. I couldn’t recommend these products more, and for Christmas 2013, they all come in a trendy gift bag ‘Stay Calm and Curl On’ RRP £35
If you are looking for ‘Stocking Fillers’ this Christmas, Paul Mitchell’s smaller sized products are just the right size and lovely as gifts. Pop into your nearest salon stockest and pick up little bottles of Finishing Spray, Treatment Oils and other goodies, all the perfect size and shape to slip in to a stocking.
The range is vast and there are products to suit all hair types and preferred scents.
Paul Mitchell is well known for his salon success and fabulous hair care products. His Christmas gift sets are on sale from selected salons.
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Kings Fine Foods ‘The Boudoir’
Kings Fine Foods produce the most utterly amazing hampers you will ever have the good fortune to receive. They contain the finest selection of foods and there are hampers to suit everyone. The selection of hampers vary from picnic basket to hat box style, and they also cater for varying budgets.
You can have your hamper personalised and choose exactly what food and drink you wish it to contain, making these one of the most luxurious and bespoke gifts I have had the pleasure of receiving.
I would urge you to visit this site before you begin your Christmas shopping this year. www.kingsfinefood.co.uk and treat a family member or friend to a fabulous gift.
I am particularly attracted to ‘The Boudoir’ – receiving this would certainly bring a smile to your face, and keep it there all day. The foods come presented in a hat box, tied with blue ribbon stamped with the Kings logo.
Inside you will find:
Ayala Rose Champagne
Amedei Tartufi Praline
Abahana Bath Oils
Abahana Fragrant Candle
Abahana Soap
2 Royal Scott Crystal Champagne glasses
Wow, what a gift. Perfect for adding a touch of romance to your Christmas. Trust me, there is no woman in the world who would not adore this hamper.
The toiletries are beautiful and of the finest quality. Gorgeous smelling oils and soap, with a stunning Abahana fragrant candle.
‘The Boudoir’ would be perfect for that weekend away without the kids which you have talked about but never got round to! Imagine soaking in a bath filled with steaming oil infused water, an Abahana candle glowing in the corner. You think life just couldn’t get better and then you take a sip of fine champagne from a crystal glass!
‘The Boudoir’ contains all you need to make this a reality!
Priced at £165, it is excellent value for money considering the contents and the absolutely beautiful packed hatbox.
Make Christmas that little bit extra special with a bespoke hamper from Kings fine foods. Free delivery on orders over £50.
www.kingsfinefoods.co.uk
Gift Reviews
Stickygram.
First we had Instagram, now we have Stickygram!
I love Instagram, taking photos, making them individual with the various effects and posting them for my friends to follow. It’s also a brilliant way to stay in touch with family you don’t get to see very often. Big plus, it’s free!
Stickygram is a company which enables us to use our own Instagram photos and turn them into a sheet of nine magnets. These are then shipped with free delivery. Each sheet costs under £10 and you can add additional sheets, still with no delivery charge.
I really enjoyed making my own magnets. It should have taken 5 minutes or less, but I spent half an hour choosing my photos and the effects. I would highly recommend giving it a go, it’s brilliant fun.
My magnets were a gift to my mum, and comprised of funny photos of our family. They now have pride of place on her fridge door!
They make a lovely personal gift, and would be great at Christmas. I plan to take photos of the kids wearing Santa hats, avail of Stickygram, and post the magnets to family overseas with their Christmas cards.
The magnets come on a sheet, which is easily separated into the nine individual pieces. They stick to any magnetic surface and look really great. They come with a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Available from https://stickygram.com/
Gift Reviews
U Star Novels.
I have purchased personalised books in the past and my children have received them at Christmas from Aunties, but personalised books for older children and adults?? Wow, visit the site. These are very cool. The books to choose from are not Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam, but some of the greatest books ever written.
Choose from Peter Pan, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, Emma, Treasure Island and much more. For specifically adults, there is Blood Lust, English Encounters, Dark Wolf, etc, to name but a few.
Ustarnovels.co.uk is the place to visit if you are having difficulty choosing a gift this Christmas.
Speaking from experience, children get a bit of a shock when they start secondary school and are given the likes of Emma, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights to read and understand. However, introduce children to books like this at an earlier age and they would look at it for two minutes and set it aside for one of their ‘Trendy’ books.
Ustarnovels.co.uk have solved this problem, you WILL have your ten year old girl reading Shakespeare and Henry James this Christmas! Have you guessed how? Put ‘Mummy’, ‘Daddy’ and other family and friends in the novel as the starring roles! This adds a very interesting twist to English literature when Uncle Mark and Auntie Pat fall in love only to be torn apart by circumstance. Or when their little sister falls down a rabbit hole and meets an array of strange animals called after her school friends.
I have always wanted to meet my ‘Mr Darcey’ and now I can. This takes reading to an entirely new place, somewhere where the story can mean something personal to every reader.
Have a look at the adult books, the content is somewhat… I can’t quiet put into words but I have ‘Fever in France’ on order! Read this short synopsis and you will be ordering it too:
‘When the daily grind causes our starring couple to drift apart, our hero plans to reinvigorate their relationship with a romantic and sensual weekend in the French Riviera. Rousing their passions amongst the breath-taking white sands of the Mediterranean, trouble strikes as our leading lady attracts the unwanted attention of a powerful local gangster. The couple becomes separated whilst in the mountains, leaving their destiny in jeopardy as our heroine is kidnapped and dragged away to a secret villa’, (Fever in France).
Who needs Christain and Anastasia when you can star as the attractive heroine and your husband (or not!) can play the James Bond figure that risks all to save you.
U Star Novels have a book for every occasion. Christmas, birthdays, Valentines Day, you decide on the book and let the tales begin. Enjoy.
www.ustarnovels .co.uk books available from £16.95.
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Paper Tree.
Papertree was established in 1998 by Ann-Marie Edmondson. The company supply the most beautiful paper flowers, petals, decorations and stationary for specific occasions. They have catered for individuals, events, weddings and huge promotions.
I found it amazing when I looked on the website and found they had made little miniature pear trees for a ‘Gucci’ promotion as I remember the advertisement. They were gorgeous. What an accomplishment to have! It gets better, they produced 300,000 paper rose petals for the film ‘Alexander’ and have had petals featured in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.
Wow, If I had my wedding to plan all over again, I would be choosing Paper Tree for my Stationary, flowers and centrepieces. They are simply beautiful and very cheap – I have a small selection and they are seriously underpriced!
I have to admit, I would also make sure my guests were aware that they came from Paper Tree, the company who made petals for a Harry Potter movie! Such an amazing achievement.
A bag of 200 paper rose petals costs £6.95, and if you were to use these to scatter on tables, one bag would be enough for 3-4 tables. Not expensive at all, and you will have the best quality petals made from eco-friendly saa paper which is a sustainable resource.
The colours of the paper tree flowers can co-ordinate with the petals. The flowers come in various sizes and colours. The small paper rose is 75p (stem length 18cms) and the medium, £2.75 (stem length 35 cms).
They are stunning and look exactly like a perfectly dried rose, beautiful on their own in a stem vase as a centrepiece.
For the up-coming Christmas season Paper Tree have a variety of bespoke decorations that will be sure to add a touch of ‘festive beauty’ to your home. The decorations can be personalised for just £1 extra, so very good value and excellent as a special gift.
I love the mini paper hearts. They are not very ‘mini’, as they measure 12x11cms. A beautiful heart with small red rosebuds and straw adding to the detail. Mine has a little note attached saying ‘Noel’ and a red heart, but names could be added. I will be buying these as teachers’ presents, and will have thank you personalised on each one. They would make a unique gift and good value for £7.50.
The mini paper mistletoe sprig is just as unique, beautifully decorated with ribbon and straw. Again, the tag can be personalised to make a perfect bespoke gift. Priced at £6.50, this would be beautiful above your door this Christmas.
Have a look at the website www.papertree.co.uk
The range of products is very impressive and with their eco-ethical policy, Paper Tree is a company I will be recommending to my friends.
Gift Reviews, Toy Reviews
DYLON fabric pens and paints.
DYLON is a brand that you could be forgiven for associating solely with changing the colour of a skirt or freshening up an old pair of jeans. However, there is a whole new range of exciting possibilities with the brand today.
My children and I had great fun with some of their new fabric painting products. We started off with a lovely set of paints, 6 25ml pots of bright colours, like red, blue, green, pink and purple.
We created fab designs on some plain white t- shirts using brushes, rollers and stamps. The paint was touch dry in one hour. In order for the designs to be permanent, we left them for 24 hours and then covered and ironed them. My daughter decided to be really creative by mixing the colours to make different ones!
We added the finishing touches with DYLON 3D pearl effect fabric paint, which looks amazingly like beads when applied.
This paint comes in a handy squeezy bottle, perfect for little fingers and for doing detailed work. The pearl effect was lovely when it dried on the fabric and stayed raised in a 3d effect.
To finish off, we created slogans and signed our creations with DYLON fabric painting fine nib pens, which come in a pack of 5. My kids had great fun thinking up slogans to emblazon across their shirts and writing them on in swirly lettering with these fab pens.
These products are a real treat to use, and would be perfect to entertain kids for hours on a rainy Saturday, or indeed for a fun birthday party. No goody bags needed as they can make their own!
The paints are priced at £2.61, the 3d bottles are £1.99 and the pens are £4.21.
Available from all good craft shops nationwide.
Toy Reviews
Leapfrog Scribble & Write.
A brilliant toy that tricked my son into thinking he was playing when he was actually learning! The Scribble & Write from Leapfrog teaches children how to write, it really is amazing.
My son is 4yrs old. He reaches for his Scribble & Write first thing every morning, and wouldn’t part with it. It comes in the car, to the shops and if we visit friends, he brings it along too. It is small enough to be easily portable, but big enough not to get lost or left behind anywhere!
It works by showing children upper and lower case letters and numbers and they trace the outline with a pen attached. It provides guidance on how to write the letters, for example, always start at the top. This is very important as children who learn incorrectly find it very difficult to change their habit at a later stage. Instant feedback is given so children can learn if incorrectly writing letters or numbers.
Children can also draw shapes and pictures, which is a lot of fun and offers variety from solely letters and numbers.
I would recommend this for every child from the age of 3 years, as it has definitely helped my son learn the correct writing technique in a fun way.
Available from most major retailers RRP £19.99
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Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Oxo Travel Mug.
For all those of you who are still searching for the perfect travel mug for your early morning cuppa, look no further than OXO’s 360 LiquiSeal Travel Mug.
This amazing mug has a unique all round opening which allows you to sip from any angle, without any spillages. This is true, I’ve put it to the test on my early morning school run and it has also been given the seal of approval by my busy farmer husband. It opens and closes with one handy click, great for when you’re in the car.
It is double wall insulated which helps keep your drink warmer for longer and boasts an easy to grip non slip handle, perfect when on the go. The mug is tapered in such a way that it will fit into a variety of cup holders, it slots perfectly into my car’s drink holder and also into the one in our tractor, so it is truly universal.
Being very conscious of chemicals present in most plastic everyday items, I was delighted to learn that the inner cup and lid are constructed from BPA free plastic.
This perfect travel mug holds 340mls of liquid, which is a large cup of coffee or tea. For more information, please visit www.oxouk.com and priced reasonably at just £15.00. It would make a great present for anyone as who doesn’t love a nice hot cuppa even though we don’t always have time to relax and enjoy it…