Own a Colour & Help Save A Child's Life

I received a press release about this today and really wanted to share it with you all. UNICEF and Dulux are joining forces to give everyone the chance to stake their claim on their favourite colour AND help to save a child's life in the process.

An average computer, smartphone or tablet can display 16.7 million colours! UNICEF and Dulux want to name all of these colours and raise money for a great cause.

How does this work? Well quite simply you pop over to www.ownacolour.com and select your colour. It could be a colour that holds sentimental value, looks best on you, is that of your favourite football team, anything! Once you've selected it you just need to give it a name and describe your colour in one word (you can also describe why you choose the colour if you want).

Once you've done that you'll be able to choose how much you want to donate to UNICEF - you can specify your own amount or select a suggested amount. You can then choose whether to pay by SMS or Card. I decided to pay by SMS. You just input your number and you will be sent a text, reply to that text to confirm your donation. EASY!

You can even choose to give a colour as a gift - a great idea.

To find out what your donation will do take a look at this video with Sir Roger Moore.



So what are you waiting for? Visit www.ownacolour.com now and choose your colour!

No reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post.

App For The Under 5s - Samsung Mobiler

Another day, another Samsung Mob!ler mission. Today I have been asked what app I would create specifically for the under-5s....quite a challenge!

Regular readers will know that Jonny is my friend's son. He is two and a half, for the past year he's liked using my phone for apps! I have a couple of apps that are downloaded for him, one is a range of flashcards of different categories, from colours to parts of the body, food and drink to clothes. His favourite though is transport. He looks through the flashcards (yes, he know how to shift from one photo to another) and says out loud the name of the item in the picture. It's a great wee app and it's something that I can do with him as it's low energy! The only thing is that it is American....and you can actually switch on an American voice to tell you what each item is. So the first thing I would do with an App is create it as a British app....with British images and British accents.

I also have a colouring app on my phone for him. He sits and selects the colour he wants and then presses on the item he wants to colour in. It's really very simple but he gets a lot of enjoyment from it.

So what app would I create for the under-5s? Well it would be colourful but simple. I think the app has to be easy for the child to understand, so I would have verbal instructions....after all what's the point in written instructions in a toddler's app? I would create a "identify the object" game, whereby the British voice would ask the child to identify, for example, a monkey from a variety of images on the screen. They would simply have to press on the monkey to answer the question. Make sense?

I'm getting a bit carried away now but I'd perhaps even add an "identify the noise" feature to the game, whereby an animal noise would be played and the child would have to identify the animal that makes that noise by selecting the correct image from a collection on the screen.

What do you think? Would talking in an app drive you crazy? Is this something your child would like? I know it's something Jonny would enjoy.....and it might get him to sit down for a while!

The post is a mission as part of the Samsung Mob!ler programme. Although I was sent a Samsung Galaxy Pro to complete this mission, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and are not associated with Samsung.

Mobile Video - Samsung Mobiler Mission

I'm a bit far behind in my Samsung Mob!ler missions so I hope to get some posted up over the next week...starting today!

Today's mission is "Mobile Video" - I have to shared with you my 5 favourite videos for watching on my Samsung Galaxy Pro.

I really do love YouTube.....one of the best inventions ever! Since I spend a lot of my time in bed I use youtube from my Samsung Galaxy Pro to play music, catch up with events or just to put a smile on my face.

So here are my current 5 favourite mobile videos....

I'm a football fan and I love watching Soccer Saturday. Jeff Stelling is brilliant and together the guys are hilarious. There are so many good videos out there of their "bloopers" and best bits so I've just chosen one .... the best bits from the 2010/2011 season. I could quite happily spend AGES watching these videos...especially of Chris Kamara, he's just hilarious!




I used to rally before I became ill, in fact I've been a navigator since I was 16. I love to get my dose of rallying videos....and to believe that one day I'll get back in the car again. Colin McRae has always been my hero so I enjoy watching footage of his rallying days.




I enjoy watching music videos on my phone, it's a great chance to listen to the latest songs for free or to catch up with old favourites. So I thought I'd share one of my favourite YouTube songs with you - Barenaked Ladies - Some Fantastic.




As a football fan, sometimes I just can't wait until Match of the Day to see the goals. Thankfully this season I don't have to wait as ESPN have introduced a FREE app showing all of the goals as they happen....a great mobile video creation. I don't have a video for this one, just a snapshot. If you want to get the app for yourself just head to the Android Market on your phone and have a search for "ESPN Goals".

The final way I use mobile video is to watch interviews of my favourite actors and sports people. I really have a lot of respect for Michael J Fox and the way he handles his illness. He's an inspiration to others and I personally find that watching his interviews and seeing his positive mental attitude inspires me.




So there you have it.....the types of videos I like to watch on my Samsung Galaxy Pro! To be honest I'm not sure what I'd do without my mobile video...it helps me pass the day!

The post is a mission as part of the Samsung Mob!ler programme. Although I was sent a Samsung Galaxy Pro to complete this mission, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and are not associated with Samsung.

Scarlet & Crimson Eye Spy Review & *Giveaway* - CLOSED

To make up for our absence over the past few weeks we have a fantastic giveaway for you today! We were recently sent an Eye Spy set from Scarlett & Crimson ... and have TWO to give away to Rhoda Reviews readers. More about that soon, but first what is the Eye Spy set?

Quite simply Eye Spy is everything you need for natural eyebrows! The kit contains three brow stencils, tweezers, a mirror, brow gel, eyeliner pencil and clear mascara. I was particularly keen to review this product as I'm totally useless with eyebrows. I do try but they never work out exactly as planned. 

So the other day I decided to put Eye Spy to the test. I selected my chosen brow shape, you can choose from slim arch, medium arch and high arch. I tried the slim arch. I then drew an outline using the eyeliner provided in the set. At first I found this a wee bit tricky, trying to keep the stencil still and drawing round it on my eyebrow but it got easier.

The next step was to tweeze away the hairs where the follicle sits outside the stencilled line. The tweezers provided in this kit may be small but they are great. I did find them slightly stiff to use at first, but I am very weak!! I actually found it easier to do this in front of a big mirror, but I guess if you're on the move the wee mirror provided would be very handy.

Having created my brow shape I just cleansed the pencil line and added a slick of brow gel to keep my new brows in shape. 

I was actually really impressed by how easy it was to do. I'm notoriously bad at makeup, beauty etc so I love it when I find a product that's easy to use for us novices too. 

The kit contains a final tip to finish off your look - apply the eyeliner above and below lash lines and gloss your lashes with the clear mascara.

I love the fact that this kit contains everything you need to create great, natural eyebrows. I love this set and can't recommend it highly enough....especially if you are somewhat useless at eyebrows like me. In fact I can't help but think how this wee kit could help to save you money (yes I'm all about the moneysaving). Instead of spending money getting your brows threaded, waxed or even just shaped at the beauticians, you could do it all yourself for the price of the kit!

So what is the price of the kit? Well it retails for £8 but ASOS currently have it for just £4.25 - an absolute bargain! This would make a great stocking filler for Christmas (oh dear it's September and I'm already talking Christmas), I'd be delighted to receive this wee kit.

Scarlett & Crimson have a great range of cosmetics, all at affordable prices. In fact if you pop over to Boots right now Scarlett & Crimson products are currently in their 3 for 2 Mix and Match promotion. Scarlett & Crimson products are also available from Superdrug and ASOS.

Ok, so now for the giveaway! Scarlett & Crimson have kindly supplied Rhoda Reviews with TWO Eye Spy sets to give away to our readers. To be in with a chance of winning just do ANY or ALL of the following.

• tell us why you would like to win this great prize in a comment below.
• follow this blog in GFC / Networked Blogs (see right hand side) and leave a comment saying you've done so.
• tweet about this giveaway "I've entered to win a fab Scarlett & Crimson Eye Spy set on @rhodak09's blog. You can too http://goo.gl/HuiBh"  then leave a comment below saying you've done so, along with your Twitter ID.

Please remember to leave a SEPARATE comment per entry, and of course to leave some form of contact details so we can contact you if you are a winner. 

• The competition will close at 23.59hrs on Wednesday 26th October 2011.
• This competition is open to the UK only, sorry.
• There are 2 sets to give away, 1 to each of 2 lucky winners.
• There are a total of 3 entries available per person
• Winners will be selected by random.org
• Winners will be given 1 week from the date of draw to claim their prize, if we haven't heard from the winner a new winner will be drawn.

Good luck! 

For more information about Scarlett & Crimson visit their website or like them on Facebook. 

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. Thank you to Scarlett & Crimson 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.

Weight Watchers Fruit Crumble Biscuits

Sorry we've been a bit quiet of late, still struggling away here. We do, however, have a review for you today of the new Fruit Crumble Biscuits from Weight Watchers!

We have reviewed Weight Watchers biscuits in the past and been very impressed with them (if you missed the review see here), so we were very excited to give their Fruit Crumble Biscuits a go.

The Fruit Crumble Biscuits come in two varieties, Apple, Blueberry and Raspberry and Apple, Apricot and Peach. We were lucky enough to be sent samples of both flavours to try.

Each biscuit comes individually wrapped, meaning they are perfect for popping in your handbag, lunchbox or even keeping in a drawer at work. I guess the most important detail though is what the actually taste like. Well I set Jonathon on the task. His immediate reaction was that they didn't taste like they were a Weight Watchers, or low calorie, food....they tasted great.

The biscuits have a crumbly base which is topped with jam and crunchy flakes. The combination of flavours really work very well and the biscuit is nice and fruity as well as sweet. It's a perfect mid-morning snack and with only 2 ProPoints per biscuit (max of 89 calories) you needn't feel guilty about tucking in.

Jonathon certainly loved these biscuits and we will certainly buy them again. They are so handy, very tasty and almost guilt-free...what's not to love?

For more information about Weight Watchers Fruit Crumble Biscuits visit the Weight Watchers website.

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.

Sleep - The Secret To A Good Night Sleep

It's time for our monthly Philip Weeks feature - September is about sleep. I for one struggle to get a decent sleep and will definitely be trying out some of these tips!

Sleep – the secret to a good nights sleep.

"For those who have had episodes of insomnia it can be frustrating, exhausting and undermining to your whole wellbeing.

Some studies have shown that sleep deprivation can be extremely damaging to your health, increasing the likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and deterioration in memory.  Sleep deprivation can also suppress the immune system making you more susceptible to viral infections.

Sleep is essential for the production of growth hormone which has many actions in the body;

• Supports healthy blood sugar levels
• Stimulates immune function
• Increases bone strength
• Helps reduce body fat
• Improves muscle fat ratio

The health promoting ‘growth hormone’ is excreted from your pituitary gland when you go into deep sleep.

To keep young, you need to have regularly deep and restful sleep.

There are some measures you can take which can make a difference to the quality and quantity of sleep you get.

Foods

Avoid the obvious caffeine and stimulants.  For some, any caffeine after midday interferes with the ability to sleep at night.

Avoid sugary foods at night, instead eat a high protein snack before sleeping such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds and nuts, which contain L-Tryptophan, an amino acid which is what we need to make the sleepy chemical – melatonin.

Wash away the insomnia

This is an ancient Indian method to encourage sleep.  Before going to sleep run your feet under cold water, and then thoroughly dry them before getting into bed.  The blood rushing to the feet seems to have a tranquilising effect.  Many people swear by this method, especially if you can’t sleep after travelling.

Make your sleep a routine

Go to bed and arise at the same time every day.  This helps your body know when to excrete melatonin as good sleep is dependent on routine.   When you awake in the morning, get out of bed straight away.  Although we are all tempted to hit the snooze button, catching an extra 10 minutes actually makes you feel more tired in the day.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most important measures to improve the quality of sleep.  A study conducted at Stanford University Medical School demonstrated that regular exercise has a very beneficial effect on the quality and quantity of sleep.  Although, it  was found that it can take up to 16 weeks for some people to notice the benefit.  Although, exercising in the evening can be too stimulating and be counterproductive.  If you have trouble with sleep, make it the morning instead.

Sleep in the dark

An incredibly important step is to sleep in a completely dark room.  Light when you are sleeping reduces the amount of melatonin your brain produces.  Melatonin not only enables you to have a deep and restful sleep, it has cancer protective effects too.  Some studies have shown that woman who sleep in a totally dark room, are less likely to get breast cancer.  This is why completely blind woman are half as likely to get the disease.

Make the bedroom a sanctuary

Don’t have a tv in the bedroom and have the least amount of electrical gadgetry in the bedroom as possible.  Don’t use your mobile as an alarm clock as electrical magnetic fields can interefere with the nervous system.  By not having the laptop and work stuff in the bedroom, our brain associated the bedroom with sleep and relaxation making it easier for us to wind down.

Herbal Remedies

There are many herbal medicines that can promote sleep.  However it is individual and you need to find which one works for you.  The herb ‘Passion Flower’, helps to reduce tension and increase relaxation.  ‘Valerian’, can be very helpful.  It increase blood flow to the brain, which with most people induces sleep, however for some it can make them more alert and awake, so try it a few nights running to see if it helps.

Lemon balm, easily grown in the garden, is very relaxing and good for those where excess thinking is preventing sleep.  Pour a cup of hot water onto 3 or 4 fresh or dried leaves.  Steep for 5 mins and sip before going to bed."

Philip Weeks is a Master Herbalist and Acupuncturist, seeing patients from all around the world in Hereford and Harley Street, London.

He can be contacted through www.philipweeks.co.uk.

No reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this blog post. Thank you to Philip Weeks for featuring on Rhoda Reviews.

Never Forget Giveaway Winners

Well the time has come to select the winners of the Never Forget voucher giveaway. I've loved reading all of your comments and finding out your favourite items from the Never Forget website - there's quite a range to choose from isn't there?

Before I announce the winners I just want to say a huge thank you to Ellie at Never Forget for providing such fantastic prizes! I'm very confident that the winners will have a ball spending their vouchers!

So without further ado, the winners (as selected by random.org) are....

First Prize (£25 voucher)

Clairew137

Second Prize (£15 voucher)

Joanne Kiely (@JoKiely)

Third Prize (£10 voucher)

Coppelia100 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Please drop me an email (see top left of blog) with your details so that Ellie can sort out your voucher for you.

If you didn't win don't forget to follow Never Forget on Twitter (@neverforgetcouk) and Facebook to keep up to date with all of their news and latest offers.

National Cupcake Week

This week is National Cupcake Week - what a great excuse to indulge in these pretty little treats. I'm a HUGE fan of cupcakes, in fact some might say I'm slightly obsessed with them..... I don't just love eating them, I love making them too (when I can).

So when I was asked to review some cupcake recipe books from New Holland Publishers, well I was quite simply filled with excitement! I'm waiting on the books arriving but I didn't want you missing out on joining in with National Cupcake Week so the lovely people at New Holland Publishers have given me three recipes from Sue McMahon to share with you.......and if you like the look of them be sure to keep reading to find out how you can get your hands on a copy of her book!

Pretty In Pink Cupcakes

These are for little girls!

Makes 12 mini cupcakes

For the cupcakes

125g (4½ oz) butter, softened
125g (4½ oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs
125g (4½ oz) self-raising flour
2 Tbsp milk
6 Tbsp strawberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 190ᵒC/375ᵒF (gas 5)
2. Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and milk to the       bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre. The standard size cakes will take about 12 to 15 minutes and the mini cakes will take 10 to 12 minutes. 
3. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the topping

4 Tbsp smooth strawberry jam
1 quantity of Swiss meringue buttercream (see below)
Pink food colouring
pink nonpareils (sprinkles)
Large piping bag with a star piping tube

Making Swiss meringue buttercream

4 medium egg whites
250g (9 oz) caster sugar
pinch of salt
250g (9 oz) unsalted butter, softened
Few drops of vanilla extract

1.  Place the egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and mix together well. Stir frequently while heating to prevent the egg whites from cooking. 
2. After about 5 to 10 minutes, when the mixture is warm and the sugar crystals have dissolved, remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk the meringue to full volume and until the mixture is cool.
3. Add the butter and vanilla extract to the meringue – the mixture will reduce in volume and will appear curdled. Continue to whisk until the butter emulsifies completely into the meringue and forms a smooth, light and fluffy texture. 
4. This buttercream is stable for 1 to 2 days at room temperature (no higher than 15ᵒC/59ᵒF), otherwise it may be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

For the Pretty in Pink topping

For the topping, beat the strawberry jam into the buttercream. Add a little pink colouring to give the buttercream a deeper pink colour. Fill the piping bag with the mixture and pip a swirl onto each cupcake. Scatter over the nonpareil.

Black Forest Cupcakes

These cupcakes are based on the classic cake originating in the Black Forest region in Germany.

Makes enough for 12 standard-size cupcakes

For the syrup

150ml (5 fl oz) water
60g (2 oz) caster sugar
3 Tbsp kirsch

For the Cupcakes

125g (4½ oz) butter softened
124g (4½ oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs
100g (3½ oz) self-raising flour
3 level Tbsp coca
6 level Tbsp black cherry conserve

1.  Preheat the oven to 190ᵒC/375ᵒF (gas 5)
2. Beat together the butter and sugar into a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and milk to the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre. The standard size cakes will take about 12 to 15 minutes and the mini cakes will take 10 to 12 minutes.
3.  Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

For the topping

284ml (10 fl oz) carton double cream
12 fresh cherries with stalks
1-2 Tbsp grated plain chocolate

12 holes bun tray lined with paper cases
Piping bag fitted with a large star piping tube.

1. To make the syrup, pour the water into a saucepan and add the sugar. Place the pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly until the mixture has reduced by about a half. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the kirsch.
2. Cut the top off each cupcake and reserve the tops for ‘lids’. Scoop out a small amount of the cake to create a small hollow in each. Brush the warm syrup into the hollows and spoon a little of the black cherry conserve into each hollow, then replace the lids on the cake. 
3. For the topping, whisk the cram until it forms soft peaks, then spoon it into the piping bag. Pipe a swirl of cream on top of each cupcake. Place a cherry on top and sprinkle with a little grated chocolate.

    Strawberry n Cream Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

125g (4½ oz) butter, softened
125g (4½ oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs
125g (4½ oz) self-raising flour
2 Tbsp milk
6 Tbsp strawberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 190ᵒC/375ᵒF (gas 5)
2. Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and milk to the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre. The standard size cakes will take about 12 to 15 minutes and the mini cakes will take 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the topping

284ml (10 fl oz) double cream
2 Tbsp icing sugar
6 medium strawberries

1. Cut the top off the cupcakes and spread the cut surface with jam, then replace the tops.
2. For the topping, pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar. Lightly whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, and then spoon onto the top of each cupcake. Finish by pressing half a strawberry on top. Keep the cakes chilled until ready for serving.

I have to say that personally I think these cupcakes look FANTASTIC! Plus they really don't sound too hard to do. I''ve not been able to give them a go yet so if you try them out please pop back and tell us how you got on.

      I mentioned earlier that you can get your hands on a copy of Cupcakes by Sue McMahon. New Holland Publishers have a competition on their Facebook page (ends Fri 16th September 2011 at 3pm) where you can win a copy. Simply answer an easy question to be in the draw. Good luck!!

      Thank you to New Holland Publishers for providing Rhoda Reviews with these recipes from Sue McMahon's book. 

Transformulas Hydration Gold Review and *Giveaway* - CLOSED

Not so long ago we held a giveaway in conjunction with Transformulas Professional White. The competition has now closed but you can still read the review here.

At the time we promised you another fab Transformulas giveaway.....well that time has come! Our prize this time is Transformulas Hydration Gold.

Transformulas Hydration Gold is a luxurious moisturising cream that uses 23 carat pure gold combined with age-defying Hyaluronan to bring an instant youthful glow to the skin. I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of this exclusive cream to try for myself.

RRP £39

It is no secret that gold is one of the most precious commodities in the world. Using a cream that contains gold has made me feel like some kind of princess or superstar! So what exactly does the gold do? Well the benefits of 23 carat gold powder combined with Hyaluronan, vitamins and minerals gives the skin a subtle, luxurious golden shimmer with an instant line filling illusion.

The cream is easy to apply and you can see a shimmer as you apply it. It's just the right level of shimmer though - don't worry you won't end up walking about twinkling like Christmas tinsel!

As for the effect this cream has on the skin, well it's soft and silky - a joy to apply. The only thing I'm not quite so keen on is the scent. It's not really strong, just a bit stronger than I am used to.

The cream should be used morning and evening on the face, neck and decollete. I've been doing this for some time now and it really does hydrate and soften the skin. It's designed to restore youthful firmness and luminosity while giving the skin a smooth silken texture and it does exactly that!

This really is a beautiful cream and if you are worried about losing your youthful glow then this should be your first port of call.

Transformulas have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to get their hands on a bottle of Hydration Gold....in fact there's two to give away - a really brilliant prize.

Compulsory Entry

To enter just answer this simple question.....the answer can be found on the Transformulas Facebook page or website.

What is Transformulas' tagline?

Post your answer along with some form of contact details (e.g twitter ID / email) in the comments section below.

Bonus Entries


There are three bonus entries available.

1. leave a comment below telling us your favourite Transformulas product on their website and/or why you think you could benefit from it. Leave a separate comment with your answer please.
2. Follow Transformulas on Twitter (@transformulas) then leave a separate comment below with your Twitter ID telling me you have done so.
3. Finally tweet about this giveaway including @rhodak09 in your tweet (the "tweet" button below is an easy way to do this) then leave a separate comment below with your Twitter ID telling me you have done so. 

There are a total of four entries available per person. The giveaway will close at 23.59hrs on Friday 7th October 2011.

There are two Transformulas Hydration Gold 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 Friday 7th October 2011. 

Transformulas Hydration Gold is available to purchase on the Transformulas website with an RRP of £39.


A sample was received for the purposes of this review. Thank you to Transformulas 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 my own.

Very Lazy Caramelised Red Onions

Sorry I've been a bit quiet of late, I'm still struggling quite a lot. However I've managed to gather the energy today to tell you about the Very Lazy Caramelised Red Onions we were recently sent.

Regular readers will remember that I reviewed the Very Lazy Caribbean Chicken back in April (see review here) so I was looking forward to trying their Caramelised Red Onions.

I absolutely love caramelised red onion but it does take a bit of effort to make so we rarely have it. I was really keen to give this Very Lazy product a go and see what it was like. We had it with warm goats cheese on bruschetta, I love the combination of goats cheese and caramelised red onion so this would be a great test for the jarred product.

So what did I think? Well it was nice. It didn't taste as fresh as I had hoped but then again it is a jarred product, what was I expecting? It went very well with the cheese, but to be honest I don't think I would eat it by itself - whereas with homemade caramelised red onions I tend to dig in when no-one's looking! That said it saves a lot of time and effort - it's something you can keep in the cupboard until it's needed.

Delia Smith has this product in her "How To Cheat At Cooking" book. It's so easy to use and what's more it's suitable for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs. If you are short of time and need some caramelised onions for a dish then I would recommend this, but to be honest I do prefer the homemade version.

Very Lazy Caramelised Red Onions are available to purchase online (£1.92) or from Booths, Budgens and the Co-Op.

For more information about Very Lazy and their products visit their website, follow them on Twitter (@VeryLazyFood) or like them on Facebook.

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.

Sea-Band Giveaway Winners

Thank you all for your entries into the Sea-Band giveaway...and of course to Sea-Band for providing the prizes for this giveaway.

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

Adult Bands

@kiki_725

@baldwinh1

Child Bands

@zoecampbellyork

Snow_Bunny @pandcands

CONGRATULATIONS!!

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

A Scottish Journey.....Samsung Mobiler Mission Four

I was recently presented with my fourth Samsung Mob!ler Mission of 2011....to create an album of photographs using the Samsung Galaxy Pro.

I contemplated various subjects I could photograph and decided to go with "A Scottish Journey". All of the photos in this album were taken using my Samsung Galaxy Pro and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with how they turned out - they look much better than they did on the phone screen.

So without further ado.......here's "A Scottish Journey".....

Another photo album by Smilebox

The post is a mission as part of the Samsung Mob!ler programme. Although I was sent a Samsung Galaxy Pro to complete this mission, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and are not associated with Samsung.

BornFree Gift Set *Giveaway* - CLOSED

I'm very excited today to be able to launch a new giveaway in conjunction with BornFree.

BornFree specialise in developing and manufacturing baby feeding products that combine the safest materials with the smartest innovations. Furthermore ALL BornFree products are 100% BPA free to give you further peace of mind.

The lovely people at BornFree are offering Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win one of their fabulous Plastic BornFree Gift Sets worth £19.99!

The gift set comprises of:

• 3 x 160ml plastic bottles with level 1 teats
• 1 x 260ml plastic bottle with level 1 teat
• 1 x trainer cup
• 2 x level 2 teats

I think you'll agree it would make a fantastic gift for a new mum or is a great value purchase if you're a new mum yourself, or expecting.

So what do you have to do to get your hands on this fantastic gift set? Well it's quite simple, just complete the compulsory entry below.

Compulsory Entry

Visit the BornFree website and answer the following question. ActiveFlow allows babies to control their own flow of milk, but what is the name of the BornFree system it uses?  Leave a comment below with your answer and a form of contact details, eg Twitter ID etc.

Bonus Entries 

(you must complete the compulsory entry above first)

1. Follow BornFree on Twitter (@BabyBornFreeUK) and tweet about this giveaway. Then leave a SEPARATE comment below telling me you have done so, along with your Twitter ID.

2. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs (see right hand side) and leave a SEPARATE comment letting me know you have done so.

There are a total of 3 entries available per person. Please remember to leave some form of contact details so we can contact you if you are a winner. This giveaway is open to the UK only.

There is one BornFree Gift Set 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 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 Friday 30th  September 2011.

If you can't wait to get your hands on this gift set you can purchase it directly from the online BornFree shop, RRP £19.99. BornFree products are also widely available from John Lewis, Boots, Mothercare, JoJo Maman Bebe, Amazon and Babies R Us.

You can also join BornFree on Facebook to join in their chats and to keep up to date with all of their latest news and competitions. Why not check out their blog too at www.bornfreemumanddad.co.uk?

Thank you to BornFree 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.