Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Launch + Win Prizes

Samsung will be launching their new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the 3rd August. It's the chance for you to get your hands on the new technology a day before the rest of the country.

A DJ will be playing and drinks will be on the house. PLUS there will be the chance to win great Samsung products!

Where? PC World, Tottenham Court Road, London
When? 17.00hrs - 21.00hrs 3rd August 2011.

Further information can be found on the event's Facebook page.

In the interests of full disclosure...I have been given this information as part of the Samsung Mob!ler program. The Mob!ler who directs the most traffic to the event page will win a Samsung TV (not that I think I stand a chance). My personal link to the page is http://on.fb.me/pgcGtJ.


If you do manage to attend I hope you have a fantastic time and please do let me know if you win anything!


I have been given this information as part of the Samsung Mob!ler program. The Mob!ler who directs the most traffic to the event page will win a Samsung TV. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post.

New Look Kenco

For the first time in over twenty years Kenco has undergone a makeover and has slimmed down for the summer.  The result is a slimmer jar that's reduced the amount of glass but not the amount of coffee.

From this....

.....to this!

So what does this mean? Well it means that you are still getting the same coffee but Kenco are saving 900 tonnes of glass a year.

With new look labels and an updated label I think the new jars look great.......and the coffee tastes just as good as ever!

The new look Kenco jars have hit the shelves this month and are available in 100g and 200g jars. For more information visit the Kenco website.

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Jackson Reece Wipes Giveaway Winner

A month ago we reviewed Jackson Reece wipes (if you missed it you can see it here) and now it's time to choose the winners of the Jackson Reece giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who took part in the giveaway and, of course, to Jackson Reece for providing Rhoda Reviews with the prizes.

The winners, as selected by random.org, are.........

nicole101 (@nikkiopia)

Angela (@daisyangel1)

stellakayford (@blogatwit)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Please drop me an email (see top left of blog) with your details so we can get your prizes sent out to you.

If you missed out on winning, you can find your nearest Jackson Reece stockist here.

Tippitoes Review and *Giveaway* - CLOSED

Liz and Sophie have been busy recently reviewing the Nikki Bug Activity Mat by Tippitoes. The Nikki Bug Activity Mat is a luxurious floor based play mat for babies (from birth). Here's what Liz had to say about it...

Nikki Bug Activity Mat - £42.99

"The Nikki Bug Activity Mat...aka, the lifesaver (at least for a few precious minutes)... Our eight-week-old daughter Sophie is certainly ‘peaking’ in the crying stakes at the moment and it was during one of these ‘episodes’ that I unpacked the new mat. (I feel I must state that I had already carried out the usual checks of hunger, nappy change, too hot, nappy change, too cold, nappy change, boredom, hunger etc etc, and so had come to accept it was just Sophie trying to tell me something I didn’t understand.) Children have an inbuilt need to be comforted in a certain way which must require you to use both hands and be in the standing/walking position; even if they have fallen asleep they seem to move as soon as you rest them on your leg thus leaving one hand free to do anything else. 

So, still rocking Sophie in one arm whilst moving up and down I never thought I’d be able to put the activity mat up with the other hand. How delighted I was that I could and this is certainly the mat’s first positive point. In fact, so simple was the assembly that even a baby-brained mother of two who had a maximum of four hours sleep was able to do it one-handed and in a matter of seconds. Bliss! Not only that but it stopped the crying (at least for a bit).

Activity mats are excellent but I usually feel they are too thin to give the baby support and comfort, but not this one. It is really well cushioned so it snuggles Sophie in and she has certainly been happy to relax and nearly fall asleep in it. The fabric is really soft too. The mobiles hang down at a great height which has encouraged Sophie to reach out and the bold colours are attractive. There is a mirror, squeaky star and the other toys rattle and they have held her attention for a considerable amount of time.

Sophie on her Nikki Bug Activity Mat

When Sophie isn’t in it, our two-year-old son, Jonny has taken a liking to it and, to be honest, if it keeps him entertained for a while I’m more than happy. In fact, it seems to be a toy for the whole family with daddy having been known to fall asleep using the head as a pillow on more than one occasion! Maybe I’ll get 

another two and leave them in one room whilst I have a cup of tea in another.

Sophie Playing & Daddy Sleeping....sorry I couldn't resist!

It may be a bit more bulky than other mats, but it’s worth it. It’s so easy to assemble and disassemble, and the bag makes it easily transportable. Best of all, when a little/lot of stray sick/poo/orange juice (the last one was daddy’s fault I hasten to add) lands/covers the mat you just bung it in the washing machine! Excellent."

It has the Sophie seal of approval!

Tippitoes have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win a Tippitoes Star Wrap...in fact there are TWO to give away.

Star Wrap £14.99

The Star Wrap is an award winning swaddling wrap that has a unique shape to ensure that your baby's legs stay in the wrap and they cannot kick themselves free. It is designed to prevent overheating and a harness can be easily fitted round it so there's no need to wake your baby putting them in their pram or car seat.

Fancy getting your hands on one of these? Well we have two to give away.

Compulsory Entry

To enter simply visit the Tippitoes website and select your favourite item. Then pop back here and leave a comment below telling us what it is!

Please remember to leave some form of contact details so we can contact you if you are a winner.

Bonus Entry (must complete above first)

Follow Tippitoes on Twitter @tippitoesuk and tweet "I've entered to win 1 of 2 @tippitoesuk star wraps on @rhodak09's blog http://goo.gl/n6Q7V". Then leave a SEPARATE comment below with your Twitter ID so we know you have tweeted.

There are a total of two entries available per person. The giveaway will close at midnight on Tuesday 23rd August 2011.

There are two Star Wraps to give away, one to each of two lucky winners. The winner will be selected from all eligible entries at random, using random.org. Every effort will be made to contact the winner but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at 23.59hrs on Tuesday 23rd August 2011.


You can purchase the Nikki Bug Activity Mat directly from Tippitoes with an RRP of £42.99. The Star Wrap is also available on their website with an RRP of £14.99. 

Tippitoes are also on Facebook, why not "like" them to keep up to date with all of their news and latest competitions.


A sample Nikki Bug Play Mat was received for the purposes of this review. Thank you to Tippitoes for providing the prizes for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own. 

Wall's Ice Cream

Another sunny summer's day has inspired me to write our review of some Wall's ice cream we were recently sent.

Since I don't eat dairy these days I had to rope in some members of family to help me with this review... not that it was particularly hard to find willing volunteers!

We were asked to review the new Carte d'Or Macadamia Night and the Cornetto Enigma. So, spoon in hand, we started with the Carte d'Or.

Macadamia Night is a combination of smooth macadamia flavoured ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Macadamia nuts are hidden within the vanilla ice cream and the whole thing is swirled with chocolate sauce and topped with dark and white chocolate stars. It sounds pretty amazing to me!

In fact it doesn't just sound amazing, it looks amazing! With little chocolate stars sprinkled across the top of the ice cream, it looks delicious. I was very jealous as everyone else tucked in.

Everyone enjoyed the flavours of the ice cream and felt they complemented each other well. They did however form a search party looking for the bit of macadamia nuts that were hidden in the vanilla ice cream. To be honest, I still don't think they found any. However that suited Jonathon as he doesn't like nuts but was  willing to give this ice cream a go. He actually really enjoyed it, and that's probably due to the lack of nuts!

All in all this ice cream was extremely popular. As ever with Carte d'Or the ice cream is great quality and is so beautifully presented you needn't be embarrassed delivering a carton of this ice cream to your dinner table.

And so, on to the Cornetto Enigma. The Enigma comes in three flavours, vanilla and chocolate, vanilla and raspberry and chocolate and caramel. We tried the chocolate and caramel.

So what's so special about the Cornetto Enigma? Well as the name suggests there's a secret...the chocolate ice cream is complemented by caramel sauce, but more than that, the caramel sauce runs through the core of the ice cream right down to the solid chocolate tip.

So what did the guys think of this ice cream? Well, quite simply, they loved it. The caramel sauce was a huge hit and everyone loved the combination of chocolate and caramel flavours.

These two ice creams are quite different, the Cornetto, for me, is the type of ice cream that you hand out at a BBQ or when you have friends in for a games night. The Carte d'Or is more suited to a sit down meal or an evening indulgence while curled up on the sofa with a good film. Both ice creams were very popular with the testers and we shall definitely be buying both again.

Both of these ice creams are available from all major supermarkets. Cornetto currently have a competition running on their Facebook page, why not pop over and have a look? You can also become a fan of Carte D'Or on Facebook.

Samples were received for the purpose of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

B_E_E Laundry Powder Giveaway Winner

It's Friday!! I hope you have all had a good week and that you have a great weekend. Thanks to all of you who entered to win some "I'll Do Your Dirty Work" laundry powder, and of course a big thank you to B_E_E for providing Rhoda Reviews with this prize.

The winner (as selected by random.org) of the I'll Do Your Dirty Work laundry powder is.......................

@maisietoo

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please drop me an email with your details so we can get your prize sent out to you.

If you missed out, you can purchase I'll Do Your Dirty Work (£10.94) and other B_E_E products from the Planet Health website.

Tyrrells Popcorn and Crisps

Tyrrells create handcooked English crisps in the Herefordshire countryside. We were recently lucky enough to be sent a selection of their English Crisps and Proper Popcorn to review.

It took a lot of effort but we did manage to share them with family and friends...though we did save a couple of bags just for ourselves. So what did we think about these snacks? Well you'll have to keep reading to find out.

We were sent three different flavours of crisps, Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper and English Summer Barbecue.

I know that this might be stating the obvious but the crisps were very crunchy! To me this is exactly how crisps should be so this was a great start. However I did find the crisps to be slightly greasy and when I mentioned this to my fellow tasters they did agree with me.

As for the flavours, well to be honest we weren't very keen on the English Summer Barbecue. For us we felt that they lacked in flavour. However we all loved the Lightly Sea Salted. It has to be said though that the Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper was a clear winner. You can see the cracked black pepper on the crisps and the flavour works really well - delicious.

And so we moved onto the popcorn. We were sent two flavours, Soured Cream and Jalapeno Chilli and Sweet and Salty. We were instantly intrigued by the Soured Cream and Jalapeno Chilli popcorn and so tucked in. Everyone agreed that the flavours worked really well, however we were split when it came to the texture of the popcorn. Some of our party felt it was a bit too soft, but for me it was perfect. Despite their reservations about the texture, the popcorn was wolfed down and everyone enjoyed it.

The Sweet and Salty popcorn was delicious and probably my favourite of the Tyrrells products we reviewed. I loved the combination of flavours and, despite our debate, the texture too. It's just as well I had others helping me or I'd have devoured this pack alone!

All in all we really enjoyed the Tyrrells products. I particularly like the packaging of their products, combining great colours with some fantastic black and white "olde world" images.

We will definitely buy the popcorn and the Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper crisps again, they were most definitely a hit!

For more information about Tyrrells, their products and to keep up to date with all of their competitions visit their website, follow them on Twitter (@Tyrrells) or like them on Facebook.

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Mixed Summer Hockey Tournament

In the past I have blogged about Rottenrow Hockey Club, if you missed that post you can find it here.

Rottenrow Hockey Club is a Glasgow based hockey team who welcome new players with any level of experience. It was created in 2009 by a group of graduates looking to create a social, fun atmosphere for playing hockey.

Rottenrow have won 2 successive promotions in the West District, both as champions! Scoring 130 league goals in their first season they are a successful club with great aspirations.

Mixed Summer Hockey Tournament

Rottenrow Mens Hockey Club are joining forces with Blue Sox Ladies Hockey Club to host a  mixed 6-a-side tournament.........and the best part is it's FREE!

Both teams are recruiting for the coming season (Sept - April) and would love to meet as many new people as possible.

Whether you have no hockey experience, or are just looking for a new club, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved and meet the teams! There will be a BBQ by the pitch-side, a bar and all round good banter!

So come along to Auchenhowie Hockey Pitch (Milngavie and Bearsden Sports Club, Auchenhowie Road, Milngavie, G62 6EJ) on Saturday 30th July, 10.30am - 3pm and join in!

Sponsorship

Rottenrow does not currently have any sponsorship, and is consequently funded by players and fund raising events. If you are a company interested in sponsoring such a successful team please drop an email to Calum Easton to receive the club's sponsorship pack.

For more information about Rottenrow Hockey Club visit their website or their Facebook page.

Laughter As Medicine - Philip Weeks

It's that time of the month again......our monthly feature from Philip Weeks.

Laughter as medicine…..not just good for your funny bone

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

                                                                                         – Proverbs 17:22

"Everyone has heard that ‘laughter is the best medicine’.  Research is showing that it may well be true.

In ancient Chinese medicine it is said that laughter smoothes out the knots in the chi, which means it reduces stress and makes you feel better.

We know that laughter makes us feel good, it helps us to relax and connect with others. However the medical benefits are only just becoming understood.  Although it certainly isn’t a new concept. 

In Ancient Greece the hospitals were built next to the amphitheatres to speed up the healing of the patients.

The French surgeon Henri de Mondeville (1260 - 1320), wrote:

“Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regimen of the patient’s life for joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him, and by having someone tell him jokes.”

Although I cannot help thinking that you would need an injection of humour after having surgery without anaesthetic!

Dating to at least ancient Greece, hospitals were built next to amphitheatres to help "cure" the patients.

Benefits of Laughter

Okay, it sounds pretty obvious that laughter relaxes us and makes us feel better about ourselves, and the world we live in.  A number of studies demonstrate that laughter decreases the levels of the hormones, epinephrine and cortisol.  These hormones become elevated when we feel stressed.  When they are at too high levels for an extended period of time it challenges the immune system and contributes to all kinds of degenerative diseases.

A healthy immune system is essential for good health, resistance to disease and infections.

One study demonstrated that simply by watching funny videos increased the level of the immune chemical Immunoglobulin A in the saliva. 

Immunoglobulin A protects the body from all kinds of respiratory infections, colds, asthma and bronchitis.

Other studies have shown laughter can:

• Reduce chronic pain
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Improve cardiac health

‘As a holistic practitioner I’ve seen thousands of patients with all kinds of serious and chronic disorders; I have experienced that those who have been able to keep a sense of humour through the difficulties of their illness are more likely to recover and with greater speed.’

You're having a laugh

Watching a film, getting together with friends, spend time around funny people, there are all sorts of ways to increase the likelihood of having a laugh.  Intriguingly even just faking a smile and a laugh also seems to work.  Laughter workshops were pioneered by Mumba’s Dr Kataria.  He termed it Laughter Yoga.  It is now an international movement exploring the benefits of laughter from depression to cancer."

For more information about Philip Weeks visit his website - www.philipweeks.org

Android vs RIM - Samsung Mob!ler Mission One

Last week I announced that I was lucky enough to be selected as a Samsung Mob!ler (if you missed that post you can find it here) which means that over the next 5 months I will be reviewing Samsung products and completing the missions as set by Samsung.

My first mission is to compare Android and RIM. So I've been sitting with my Father-in-Law's BlackBerry Curve and my Samsung Galaxy Pro (sent to me by Samsung) comparing and contrasting their features.

Samsung Galaxy Pro (Android) vs BlackBerry Curve (RIM)

What is Android? What is RIM?

I guess before I go marching in I should explain what Android and RIM actually are for those of you who are unsure. Basically they are operating systems for phones, kind of like you get Mac and Windows, or different Windows systems.

Android is an operating system that is owned by Google. It has been used by HTC phones since 2008 and is now being used by Samsung (hence my Samsung Galaxy Pro).

RIM (Research in Motion) is the operating system that is used by BlackBerry phones (hence the BlackBerry Curve).

Set Up

It seems that the logical place to start here is with the start up and set up of the phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Pro took minutes to set up, it really was incredibly easy. If you have a googlemail account then you can simply log in to your account and Android will import your emails, your contacts and even your phone numbers. It's very straight forward to use and I was up and running downloading apps in a matter of minutes.

The BlackBerry was set up by my Father-in-Law. He said it was easy to set up and to get his email set up too. However it took a bit longer than the Samsung, perhaps 15 minutes before it was fully up and running.


Downloading Apps

Once the phones were set up I decided to get stuck into downloading some Apps and customising the phones.

I started with the BlackBerry (RIM system) and set about searching for a Market Place or App Store or something similar so I could browse their apps and download some. After a good search it became apparent that there was no such function built in to the phone. In fact you have to go to the BlackBerry website and download "BlackBerry App World".

So I downloaded the App World and had a browse about. Instantly I was struck by how American/Canadian the apps are (RIM is Canadian). Looking through the news apps I couldn't find any that really pertained to the UK with the exception of a couple of newspapers. Looking for a weather app I encountered a similar problem.

So I had a google (as you do) and found that the App World doesn't contain a lot of the BlackBerry apps, sometimes you just have to go straight to the specific website to download. Now this might be fine and well if you know what you are looking for, but personally I like to browse and see what's on offer.

I then switched to the Samsing Galaxy Pro and wondered how Android would compare to RIM with their Marketplace. Well, first of all I found the "Market App" was already installed and on the homepage on the phone....so far I'm impressed.

I then click on Market and have a browse. I'm immediately struck by how much easier it is to navigate, how many more apps there appears to be, particularly ones that are relevant to the UK. Since I was only downloading free apps I didn't need to add any usernames or passwords to download, unlike the BlackBerry where I had to input my BlackBerry ID to proceed.

It's fair to say that Android wins for me in terms of finding and downloading apps. Their Market is much easier to use and there's less hassle involved getting to that Market in the first place.

Android Market Place

BlackBerry App World

Apps

So I decided the next way to compare the apps would be to download four apps onto each of the phones. I chose four that I know are popular worldwide - Facebook, Twitter, Kindle and YouTube.

Facebook and Twitter were easy to find in both Android and RIM app stores. The trouble came when I tried to find Kindle and YouTube.

The Galaxy Pro comes with YouTube preinstalled and I found and set up the Kindle with no problem whatsoever. The BlackBerry wasn't nearly so easy.

It seems that you can't get a YouTube app on BlackBerry which I was quite surprised at. Well, put it this way, I certainly couldn't find it.

So I moved on to the Kindle. It wasn't available on App World so I went straight to the Amazon website. Yes there is a Kindle app but if you are outwith the US you can't use it. Hmmm....not exactly helpful is it?

There's no doubt about it, Android wins again.

Incidentally RIM are clearly aware that they are lacking in the apps department. Their new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet actually runs Android apps although apparently there are no plans to do this with their phones in the immediate future.


User Interface

I can only compare Android and RIM in terms of the two phones I reviewed, so please keep that in mind as I continue.

I like phones that are easy and intuitive to use. Where you aren't searching for the right buttons or accidentally moving to the wrong screen all the time.

I found the BlackBerry was fairly easy to use once I'd played about with it for a while. However I didn't like the fact that you have to do it all with the QWERTY keyboard, there was no touch screen. This is probably down to the model of phone but it did influence my navigation of the RIM system. I don't know how many times I tried to press the screen and nothing happened!

By contrast, the Samsung has both a QWERTY keyboard and a touch screen. I found this much easier to use. For me, it was far more intuitive and made the navigation of the phone much easier.

Is it unfair to compare Android and RIM usability based on one example of each phone? Probably.


Features

The BlackBerry feels like it's a work phone. It doesn't feel fun or entertaining. The settings menus are boring text, the email is functional and the preloaded software is all very work orientated. That said the inclusion of Word, Excel and Powerpoint (which are preloaded on the Curve) are very useful, not just if you are using this as a work phone.

If you are looking for a smartphone that is functional, predominantly for work use or communication purposes (isn't that what a phone is for afterall) then there's certainly nothing wrong with the BlackBerry. Yes you can download apps (albeit from a slightly limited range), yes you can store your music on it, yes you can instant message, yes you can take photos...it is a nice piece of kit.

But then there's the Android phone in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Pro. The settings menus are just a bit brighter looking, the email is less texty looking and the preloaded software is a mixture of functional and fun.

I particularly like the Android for the social networking. At the top of the screen icons appear in conjunction with a notification if you get a tweet, a Facebook mention, a text or an email. It keeps you informed at all times, you can even use the "talk" app to instant message your contacts on Google Mail.

Android Settings Menu

RIM Settings Menu

My Conclusions

In my opinion the Android system is just a lot more user friendly. Perhaps this is because I have a googlemail account that I use daily and the Android system is designed to work with google, even backing up information on my googlemail account. Would I still be so impressed with the Android if I didn't have a google account? It's hard to say but it's very probable.

The Android phone can be used as a work phone like the BlackBerry but unlike the RIM system there's a bit more character to it. I think in essence that's what I prefer, a bit of character!

I have no doubt that if I was asked by family and friends which one they should go for I would say Android. In fact, I'll be trying to convert RIM users to the Android way of life.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! What do you prefer and why?

This post is a mission as part of the Samsung Mob!lers programme. Alhough I was sent a Samsung Galaxy Pro to complete this mission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not associated with Samsung or as a result of the phone I was sent.

How To Do Everything & Be Happy *Giveaway* - CLOSED

I picked up this book (well, e-book) not quite knowing what to expect. Would it be like many of the other self-help books I've read in my time and make me groan with cheesiness? The answer is no, this book is fantastic!

So often you pick up a "self-help" book and feel that the author writes as though they are superior to you, condescending and quite frankly just out to get your money. I'm pleased to say that Peter Jones is not one of those authors. Peter has a fantastic writing style that draws you in, engages with you and befriends you. I've never read a self-help book with such ease and enjoyment.

How To Do Everything and Be Happy is a book for people who have been ambling along through life and wondering why they are not altogether happy. Its contents are based on Peter Jones' (not the Dragon) experiences as he has worked towards a happy, more fulfilled life.

From the first page of this book I was hooked. I often pick up so-called self help books and struggle my way through to the end, but that wasn't the case this time. I was instantly intrigued by what lay ahead....how could I do everything AND be happy? Well Peter Jones has the answers.

Unlike other self-help books I've read this book is interactive. By this I mean that we are encouraged to put pen to paper as we work through the book. It has strategies that we can put in place to help us do everything and be happy, and the author encourages us to start putting those strategies in place as we read.

Peter Jones has us creating lists, booking appointments in our diaries (if you don't have a diary you will have by the end of this book!) and meeting friends to help keep our targets on track.

Here's an example for you...Boxing Day. For most people Boxing Day occurs once a year on 26th December. Once you've read this book you will have a Boxing Day once a month. Peter's Boxing Day is a day that you put in your diary in advance. When you wake up on Boxing Day you do what you want to do, not what you feel you should be doing. It's a day that's entirely your own to do as you please....sounds pretty great to me.

Or what about the Now List? Most people will have heard of a Bucket List, a Now List (short for Live Life Now List) is a list of things you'd like to experience before you die. Then there's your Wish List which contains all the things you want in  your life, or what you want your life to be.

I love the fact that the author helps us to create structure in our lives ... it's something I've always strived for but perhaps not always achieved.

This book has had me with tears in my eyes, but mostly with a smile on my face. I've laughed out loud at this book and genuinely loved every second of reading it.

I've given you a taster of how Peter Jones helps you to do everything and be happy.....if you want to know more you will have to read the book.

Peter Jones has kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win a signed paperback of How To Do Everything and Be Happy.....I'm very jealous.

Compulsory Entry

To be in with a chance of winning we just want you to leave a comment below telling us what would be top of your Now List (see above).

Don't forget to leave some form of contact details please.


Bonus Entry (must complete the above first)

For a bonus entry, follow Peter Jones on Twitter @doitallbehappy and tweet about this giveaway (including @rhodak09 in the tweet, the tweet button below is the easy way to do this). Then just leave a SEPARATE comment below with your Twitter ID so we know you have tweeted.

There are a total of 2 entries available per person. The giveaway will close at midnight on Wednesday 10th August 2011.

There is one signed copy of How To Do Everything and Be Happy in paperback to give away to one lucky winner. The winner will be selected from all eligible entries. Every effort will be made to contact the winner but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at 23.59hrs on Wednesday 10th August 2011.

If you'd like more information about this book, check out the website - it compliments the book perfectly and there's a blog on there you can subscribe to. You can also like How To Do Everything and Be Happy on Facebook.

How To Do Everything And Be Happy is available in paperback from the publisher, Amazon and all good bookshops with an RRP of £8.99. It is also available in e-book format for £2.20 (ish).

A sample copy was received for the purposes of this review. Thank you to Peter Jones for providing the prize for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art Giveaway Winners

I love the days when I get to select a winner for one of my giveaways....today is one of those days. I know how much I love winning a competition and it's nice to be able to make someone else feel that joy. In the past week I've had some lovely messages from people who have won prizes on my blog and I'm so glad that you are all pleased with them!

The response for this GOSH cosmetics giveaway has been great. Thank you all for taking the time to enter and for, once again, supporting my blog.

Right! On to selecting a winner. As always, I will use random.org to make the selection.

The winners, who will each receive one GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art, are.........

Sarah MSE Edwards

Debbie Gillespie (@jazza1)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please drop me an email (click the link or see top left of blog) with your contact details so we can get your prizes sent out.

Once again, thank you to GOSH Cosmetics for providing the great prize for this giveaway. If you weren't lucky enough to win you can purchase a GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art in Superdrug with an RRP of £5.99.

Deep Heat & Deep Relief

There are always aches and pains in our house.......it has to be said it's normally me. That said, Jonathon plays a lot of hockey so it's inevitable that he comes home a bit battered and bruised now and then. So when we were asked to review Deep Heat, well it sounded like an ideal product for us.

We were sent two products to review, Deep Heat and Deep Relief. I had used Deep Heat before....it was frequently used in our house when I was growing up, but I had never heard of Deep Relief, so what's the difference?

Well Deep Heat is a Heat Rub which provides fast, temporary relief from muscular aches and pains by warming the area. Deep Relief offers dual action relief through a combination of an anti-inflammatory and menthol. The result is to reduce swelling and relieve pain.

I have to admit that I've never really been a fan of the smell of Deep Heat, but there's no question that it helps to relieve muscle and joint aches and pains. It's always Jonathon's first port of call for a muscle strain or sprain....although as a result I have to sit at the opposite side of the room from him!

The Deep Relief has a slightly less overpowering smell (in my opinion). I had the perfect opportunity to use it the other day when I walked into a suitcase, badly bruising and swelling one of my toes (yes I'm pretty clumsy). I went straight for the Deep Relief and waited to see what happened. I have to say it did help the pain, but more noticeably the swelling seemed to slow once applied.

Both products target similar ailments, but have differences in how they do so. I'm glad we have them in our first aid kit....let's hope we don't need to use them again too soon though!

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Ultrasun Review & *Giveaway* - CLOSED

Since it's a lovely sunny day here today I feel it's an appropriate time to post my review of Ultrasun and to give you the chance to win some for yourself!

Ultrasun provides peace of mind for you and your family while you are out in the sun. Their products are gentle on the skin and are suitable for the whole family, from newborn babies to adults with sensitive skin.

We were lucky enough to be sent some of their products to review, their Ultrasun Ultra Sensitive 50+ sun cream, Ultrasun Aftersun Liposome Gel and the Ultrasun Ultralip 15. We've been using them over the past couple of weeks and they have been a pleasure to use (well as far as applying suncream can be a pleasure).

£19.00 for 100ml

Let's start with the 50+ suncream. It is free from perfume, emulsifiers and preservatives to reduce the risk of allergy and protects the skin from UVB rays (which cause sunburn) and UVA rays (which are responsible for long term skin damage and premature ageing).

The first thing I have to say about this product is that it is easy to apply and rubs in well. All too often you get high SPF products that are so thick they end up leaving you looking like a ghost. I didn't find this to be the case with Ultrasun, yes it takes time to rub in but when it does it's non greasy and blends in well.

The bottle itself is easy to use with a pump action, reducing the risk of mess.....especially when you are trying to apply to a small child. In fact it is non-staining too so you don't need to worry about getting it on their clothes.

What's more the suncream is water resistant so you don't have to keep reapplying it all day long....great if you are on holiday!

£16.00 for 150ml

I try very hard not to make it a habit of getting too much sun, but these things do happen so it's important to have a good aftersun to help to protect against cell damage.

I have used this a few times now as a result of overcast days where the sun is still out in force behind the clouds. This is a very nice aftersun that soothes and cools sunburn. What's more I've found that it really moisturises very well too and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy.

Again, the bottle uses a pump action so it's easy to use. The aftersun does have a very light perfume but it's certainly not overpowering...... in fact it makes me smile as it reminds me of holidays!

£5.00

The Ultralip is my favourite of the three products. It has an SPF of 15 and contains blackcurrant seed oil to moisturise and enrich. I've been applying it through the day and find it really moisturises my lips. It's great for popping in your bag and isn't perfumed so is a unisex product.

So far I've only used it in warm weather but Ultrasun claim that it works in all temperatures and helps to prevent and reduce inflammation and chapping at altitude...great if you are a skier.

This is a great range of products and although they are quite expensive they do last .... plus they are suitable for the whole family so you don't need a bundle of different products for each person.

Ultrasun have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win a 30SPF suncream and an aftersun. To enter just complete the compulsory entry below.

Compulsory Entry


Leave a comment below with the answer to this question (stuck? you can find the answer on the Ultrasun website).

In what year was Ultrasun founded?

Please remember to leave some form of contact details in your comment.

Bonus Entries (must complete the compulsory entry first)

There are two bonus entries available. Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each one.

1. leave a comment with the Ultrasun product you'd most like to try (full range here)
2. follow @ultrasunuk on twitter and tweet the following "I want to win @ultrasunuk goodies on @rhodak09's blog http://goo.gl/JDLlY" then leave a comment below with your Twitter ID telling me you've done so.

There are a total of three entries available per person. The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday 7th August 2011.

There is one set of Ultrasun SPF 30 suncream & aftersun to give away, to one  lucky winner. The winner will be selected from all eligible entries at random using random.org. Every effort will be made to contact the winners but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at midnight on Sunday 7th August 2011.

You can also find Ultrasun on Facebook...keep your eyes peeled for giveaways on there too.

Ultrasun products are available to purchase from their website, QVC, John Lewis, Waitrose and JoJo Maman Bebe.

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. Thanks to Ultrasun for providing the prize for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Samsung Mob!ler

I'm very excited to announce that I have been selected as a Samsung Mob!ler!

So what's this all about I hear you ask? Well I'm 1 of 30 Mob!lers in the UK who will be testing out and reviewing the latest mobile products from Samsung.

Over the next five months I shall be completing missions set by Samsung...and in turn you will get to find out what I think of their new products.

I'm extremely excited to have been selected and really can't wait to get stuck in to my first mission! So keep your eyes peeled for my Mob!lers posts...the first of which should be coming fairly soon.

P.S. a huge thank you to Lisa King for sending me the application form, she's an existing Samsung Mob!ler and you can follow her progress through the Mob!ler Missions here.

Mamascarf

The Mamascarf is an award winning breastfeeding scarf that allows you to feed your baby with discretion and also provides ample support, thus alleviating the need for a support pillow.

The Mamascarf can be worn as a scarf or can be carried in your handbag or changing bag until your little one needs a feed.  It even comes complete with a hidden pocket to hide your breastpad.

Liz was lucky enough to be sent a black Mamascarf to try out with Sophie. Here's what she had to say about it....

"You can tell this was created by a breast-feeding mother. What a neat invention that covers all aspects of feeding your baby whilst being able to escape the house. Some women are very happy to breast-feed in public and don’t mind who sees what. I, however, am not one of these women and usually look for the most private place I can find, which often seems to be the car in the furthest car-parking space. However, we’ve noticed that no matter where you park there always seems to be a white van pulls up not long after with a couple of guys eating bacon rolls! 

I do have a couple of tops designed for feeding in public but I just can’t seem to get them to work properly so it's never exactly as discreet as it should be. Then there's the fact that when in public there is often so much to see that your baby likes to mix feeding with having a good look around the room which doesn’t really lead to much discretion!

The Mamascarf offers the answer and people often don’t even notice you’re feeding. The material is large enough that you can move when required and still be discreet. This has been extremely valuable when trying to catch my two-year-old, Jonny, from running off in the park, whilst feeding Sophie. Although I should stress that the Mamascarf is not designed for carrying your baby.

The design allows you to see your baby and therefore position them accordingly and you don’t have to worry about them ‘popping off’ as you’re still covered. Plus since the material covers them, there is less distraction. Not only does the scarf cover Sophie but it also hides my not-so-flat stomach (partly due to pregnancy but also due to my love of all things chocolatey...).

The product is so light-weight and small when folded that it fits perfectly into the change bag or a coat pocket. Yet, you don’t feel as if your baby is about to fall out, offering that bit of support to save building arm muscles or finding a cushion (which is quite difficult in the middle of the park!). It is a breathable material too so on those hot summer days (yes we have had one or two) neither you or your baby overheat.

This is product is easy to use (although if you do struggle there is a step-by-step guide on the Mamascarf website), stylish and very practical. It has made a huge difference to taking my two children out and about. I only wish I’d had it for my first child. Highly recommended."

The Mamascarf is available in a variety of colours and is available to purchase directly from the Mamascarf website with an RRP of £17.99.

Amanda Ursell's Baby & Toddler Food Bible

Amanda Ursell is a qualified nutritionist with a post graduate diploma in dietetics. She is also an award winning journalist, television presenter and author. She has written various books on the topic of nutrition but her latest focusses upon the nutrition of babies and toddlers - the Baby and Toddler Food Bible.

Liz was sent a copy of her latest book to review. Here's what she had to say about it..

"I have to admit I’d never heard of Amanda Ursell before and so approached this book with a little uncertainty due to my usual use of Annabel Karmel recipe books and advice on weaning and nutrition. However, very quickly I found Amanda Ursell is by no means another Annabel, but rather approaches feeding from quite a different approach. This one book covers the first four years of your child's life, so you don’t necessarily need to have numerous cookbooks on your shelf. Rather than this just being a cookbook it covers many areas individually instead of a general blurb at the beginning. Out of just over 250 pages, 100 of them are devoted to nutrition and allergy information which is great as it really helps you to understand the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ rather than blindly following recipes. This allows you to make informative choices and be creative yourself, whilst providing a nutritionally balanced diet for your children and the rest of the family.

The introduction is extremely well-written and welcoming, with Amanda wanting to empower parents to make informed choices. I’m sure every parent has been given advice with the best of intentions from relatives and friends and often it’s very difficult to say ‘no’ especially when you’re in their house...even though you know you and your child will have to live with the consequences later on from tummy pains to sleepless nights. Also, on writing the book Amanda had two toddlers under three so was very aware of all the issues surrounding weaning, allergies mixed with hormones and sleep deprivation!

The following chapters concentrate on laying out, in a very approachable way, the hows, whys, needs and things to avoid in age-appropriate sections. She tackles fussy eaters, allergies and intolerances, organic food in the same way. One of my favourite chapters is entitled ‘When Shortcuts Are a Must’. In this chapter Amanda names brands and people, even giving website addresses, who she believes offer best practise in infant and toddler meals which certainly gives you the information to make informed choices at the supermarket.

Another area the book covers is nutrition for mums which I love! Amanda gives personal anecdotes which I can definitely relate to and, in a strange way, it’s comforting to know that a nutritionist feels the same way you do, and craves the same food after a bad night’s sleep – they are human too! She goes through vitamins and minerals with the same attention as those for toddlers, offering suggestions of foods that contain them. If anybody’s brain is as confused and strange as mine has been since becoming pregnant with our first child then having straight forward advice in a book which you can refer to is a must as I can’t seem to retain any information anymore.

The ‘recipes’ section is around 150 pages long and contains a lot of information. After each recipe there is a list of reasons why it is good for you and encompasses zero to four years. The recipes are very straight forward and don’t require a chef to source ingredients and put them together. Jonny, who is two, had great fun making pizza with homemade tomato sauce and ‘Apple and apricot crumble’ which the whole family enjoyed greatly (see images below). The back of the section lists convenience foods that are nutritionally fine and can make life a lot easier! If I had to say there was one thing I would change about the book it would be that I would have liked pictures with the recipes, although this is no big deal.

This is is very easy to read book that's very informative. It's very well-thought out and is a must-have on your bookshelf!"

To find out more information about Amanda Ursell visit her website. Her Baby & Toddler Food Bible book is available from all good book stores with an RRP of £11.99.

A sample copy was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Bambeano Baby Bean Seat

Our newborn special continues today with the review of the fantastic Bambeano Baby Bean Seat. The Bambeano is a baby seat designed specifically for use from birth to six months old. 

This innovative chair is designed to combine comfort and safety. It allows babies to sit fully supported in a semi-upright position so that they can take in the world around them. It comes complete with a harness to secure your little one in place and looks so incredibly comfortable I want one for myself!

Liz and Sophie have been reviewing this product and both of them have fallen in love with it. Here are Liz's thoughts....

Sophie with her Bambeano

"Wow! This product is truly amazing. At last, something lightweight, portable and most of all, looks comfortable for Sophie to sit in. When I first picked up the box I expected it to be heavy due to the size but instead it felt like it was full of helium balloons.

The problem I’ve always had with the ‘bouncy chairs’ you get is that they don’t seem to support the child’s lower back as the strap to hold them in is always too far away to give them that support (understandable as they have to cater for newborns to pretty big babies). Therefore, the baby always seem to end up curled in a little ball at the bottom with a rounded back. Plus, they either have one position or there is a big difference between positions from the child lying flat(ish) to sitting up.

The Bambeano seems to me to answer these problems. Whatever position we put Sophie in, the Bambeano moulds around her and supports that position, especially her lower back. As she grows, the seat grows with her. I don’t mind her falling asleep on it as she looks very comfortable. As the head is slightly raised it helps with wind and means Sophie can see the world around her. I love it and so does she, it will definitely be coming on holiday with us....no matter what we will make room in the car for it.

Sophie loving her Bambeano

The design is gorgeous and very cute for either a boy or a girl. It may sound vain but it looks a lot nicer than the bouncy chair too... lovely soft, high quality fabric which has that all-important machine washable sign!

Jonny loves the box!

Thank goodness it came in a big box as it meant Jonny (two) was not jealous of Sophie’s new seat as he had a toy to play with too!

We really are very impressed with this product. It is so good that it highlights the flaws in other products! Yes it costs £49.99 but I'd happily swap the bouncy chairs in our house for one of these, without a doubt."

The Bambeano is available in three colours, natural, pink and blue. It has an RRP of £49.99 and can be purchased directly from crazy4baby.co.uk.

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.