Tweet #VoSing To Help The NSPCC

As a lot of you know I love Twitter. Yes I am a Twitter Addict! I love how easy it is to keep in touch with people, chat to companies and support charities. If you're on Twitter I have some great news for you.....if you aren't on Twitter then why not?!

Vosene, the family hair care range, are celebrating the launch of their new shampoo and conditioner range by hosting VoSing Live on 3rd July with Duncan James.

What's it all about? Well Vosene are giving you the chance to tweet Duncan James and have him sing your tweet back to you! For more information check out their website.

That in itself is pretty cool but I'm particularly keen on this next bit. From now until 3rd July 2012 Vosene will donate £2 to NSPCC for every tweet they get from their followers that includes the tag #VoSing! They are hoping to raise £10 000 for this special charity. It's so easy for you to join in and help them reach their target, just follow @VoseneUK on Twitter and tweet them including #VoSing in your tweet...simple!

So not only could you have Duncan James singing to you on the 3rd July but you could be helping raise money for a worthy cause. If you're on Twitter this is a great way to give back - remember one tweet = £2!

For more information about Vosene and VoSing visit www.vosene.co.uk.

Nettles...the medicine with a sting in its tail.

Sorry for the delay....here's June's guest post from master herbalist and acupuncturist Philip Weeks.

Most of us remember having a run in with nettles when we children.  But stinging nettles are full of amazing constituents that are beneficial for our health. 

Used in herbal medicine for thousands of years.  All parts of the nettles have a history of being used for medicine, the root, leaves and even the fruits/seeds.

The common European nettle (Urtica Dioca) is the one that we will find on any walk in the park.  Worldwide there are some 100 different species.

The leaves contain all kinds of powerful flavanoids and antioxidants.

Stinging nettles have a gentle diuretic action, they promote the body’s ability to excrete excess water through the kidneys.

They contain all kinds immune modulating properties; some of the actions are related to some of the strong antioxidants present in the leaves.  We now know that the leaves contain chemicals, which when ingested have a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory action.  It makes sense as it has been used in herbal medicine for all kinds of rheumatic pains and arthritis. 

Stinging nettle leaves have been used internally as well as topically to treat arthritis.  One trial showed that a daily extract of the leaf reduced the need for nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by 50% in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Sterols, which are present in the extract of nettle root has been shown to be useful in BPH (enlarged prostate).  In two double blind trials it was shown to be more effective than a placebo.

Nettles are able to reduce histamine levels in the body.  This natural anti-histamine can help with symptoms such as:

Allergic Rhinitis

Asthma

Hayfever

A nutritional superfood

Nettles are extremely nutritious; contain high amounts of iron, silica, potassium and vitamin A.  However it also contains concentrated amounts of easily absorbable calcium.  Which means that it is really useful as a source of calcium for those on non-dairy diets.  The iron in nettles makes it a really useful for women during pregnancy as a way of supplementing iron levels which doesn’t cause constipation like orthodox medicine can.

There are all kinds of different ways to take nettles.  Probably the easiest is in tea, this is very useful way to access most of its medicinal wonders.

Nettle soup is easy to make, as long as you use gloves to pick it.  You cook it like spinach, and the sting in nettles is rendered harmless when it is cooked.

Philip Weeks is an expert on natural medicine, herbs and nutrition.  He is a master herbalist and acupuncturist.

Ben & Holly's Little Castle Magical Playset

Liz and Jonny were recently sent a new product from Golden Bear to review - Ben and Holly's Little Castle Magical Playset. The playset is from the award-winning program Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and is aimed at both boys and girls between the ages of 3 - 5 years old. 

I have to say when the box arrived I thought it looked pretty cool! The magical castle opens up to reveal 6 rooms which have various play features that are activated by Holly's magic wand. I have to say I was tempted to open it up myself and have a wee nosey....but I didn't I sent it over to Jonny, here's what Liz has to say about it.

I have to admit that, although I have reservations about this product, my three-year-old son loves it. Sunday morning is ‘treat morning’ where Jonny is allowed to eat toast for breakfast, on the settee, whilst watching ‘Milkshake’, and ‘Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom’ is one of his favourite programmes. So, when the review arrived he couldn’t wait to open it. Jonny’s one-year-old sister obviously entered into the excitement and, as age ranges don’t really seem to mean much to one-year-olds, Sophie was pulling at the box just as much.

Then my heart sank. The sheer number of fiddly stickers to try and stick on was ridiculous and impossible to do with two excited children beside me. One, the kitchen sink, was a nightmare. Even though we’ve had it a week I’ve still not finished putting the stickers on.

Jonny & Grandad

The actual tower is well constructed and it was brilliant to open the box and find I didn’t have to get the screwdriver out. There are six levels to the castle, plus the courtyard, and this certainly keeps Jonny entertained as there is lots for the characters to do. One of this product’s real positives is the fact the characters can fit into bed, sitting down on chairs and at the table etc. Another positive is definitely that the castle folds away neatly with everything inside it, and doesn’t open too easily. Jonny loves the magic spells and hasn’t tired of using the magic wand to fill up the bath, light the fire, and other amazing things!

Although the manufacturer has obviously aimed this product at the 3+ age range, surely ours is not the only household that has one child over and one child under, and surely the manufacturer must also realise that trying to get a three-year-old to understand that the pieces must be kept away from an unrelenting one-year-old is impossible to do. As a result, Jonny plays with the toy on the dining room table but, with the best will in the world, pieces end up on the floor and Sophie is very quick to pick them up and attempt to devour the characters. I have to admit that I didn’t even produce the spell jars as they were just too small and a perfect choking hazard.

the characters are really quite small

I’m not too impressed with the quality of the pieces. Within half an hour the queen’s legs had become detached from the rest of her body and not long after one of the wings broke off.

I have to say I think the manufacturer has taken the ‘Little’ part of ‘Little Kingdom’ too literally and it would be a much better product if it was 50% bigger and the figures were more sturdy. If this was the case, maybe the staircases would also be sturdier and wouldn’t keep falling off.

Overall I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting something a bit bigger and more sturdy. We have recently reviewed some ‘Bob the Builder’ sets and they are so much better. I certainly would only recommend it if it was on a deal. However, Jonny wouldn’t agree as he adores it and has played with it everyday.

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.

LittleLife Doodle Daysack

With the summer holidays just around the corner are you heading off on holiday somewhere? If so, have you given any thought as to how you are going to keep the kids entertained on the journey? Well today we have an idea for you - the new LittleLife Doodle Daysack.

The Doodle Daysack is a gorgeous 6 litre rucksack that comes complete with its own doodle pad and space for colouring pencils.

Jonny was sent one of these super cool rucksacks to test out. Here's what Liz had to say....

Totally and completely gorgeous! If anyone bought this as a present for a child they would deserve a huge thank you card. The Doodle Daysack is a top quality product which is practical and very stylish for all those kids out there. Three-year-old Jonny’s daysack arrived at the best time possible. He was about to go to a different city to stay with his grandparents for the weekend and hadn’t really wanted to be without mum and dad. We’ve done the whole ‘you’re a big boy now’ routine so when the daysack arrived we presented the ‘big boy’ present which had been sent especially for him to go on holiday to grandma and grandad’s (it’s only when you have children yourself you realise quite what liars your parents were). Well – by whatever methods fair or foul – it worked, and from then on Jonny went on about his new holiday bag, helped to pack it and went happily on holiday leaving us with only one smaller child to look after. Thank you!

Jonny looking forward to his holidays!

As soon as you open up the parcel you can see the quality. It is, basically, a mini rucksack which is made from durable material. Although you can’t bung it in the washing machine it is hand-washable (which is the same as most adult rucksacks) which is a must for anything to do with children (although someone should definitely invent children washing machines). The main compartment holds three litres which is perfect for a few clothes. The front compartment holds the drawing pad and there are two small side compartments also – one to hold four pencils and the other which is big enough to hold a small sack. In addition, the ‘piping’ is reflective so the little one’s safety has been taken into consideration too!

Someone has obviously thought about this product. The shoulder straps are padded and a chest strap means the bag will (hopefully) stay on Jonny rather than ending up on a pavement when he couldn’t be bothered to carry it anymore. The rein attachment point is an excellent addition. We live on a busy main road so he always wears a wrist strap when we’re walking with the buggy. The strap is just a little too constricting and Jonny doesn’t particularly like wearing it. Now we just attach it to the rein attachment and everyone is much happier. I can keep both kids safe and Jonny feels like he’s not a dog on a leash. The padded handle at the top of the bag means storing it on a peg at home or nursery is easy and it is easy to grab onto them at times of need...

The bag is grey and red – perfect as it will do for either sex and will last them quite a long time when their colour ‘fads’ change. 

Sophie has her eye on it too!

The ‘doodle pad’ is very sweet and it makes Jonny feel quite important. Its forty pages isn’t going to last a long time but it is novel and anything that keeps kids entertained is worth it in my book. Replacement pads are retailed at £1.99 which isn’t too bad as the quality of paper is good. Alternatively the compartment is just right to fit in a couple of books. 

I have to say I LOVE this product. It costs £20 so is a little on the expensive side for a present but if you want to treat someone then go for it. It really is a perfect size – big enough to be useful, but small enough so Jonny can wear it without tipping over backwards (however amusing that can be). Whoever has designed this deserves an award as they have obviously spent time working out what is fun, practical and, most of all, approved of by parents. Truly gorgeous!

The LittleLife Doodle Daysack is available to purchase directly from Cotswold Outdoor and retails at £20. Perfect for trips this summer.

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.

Bob the Builder - Let's Go To Work Playsets

I have to admit I was quite jealous when two of the new Bob the Builder - Let's Go To Work Playsets from Character arrived the other day. Why? Because they are exactly the kind of thing I would have loved as a child. However I was a nice "auntie" and passed them on to Jonny as agreed......I don't doubt that I will play with them when I'm next at his house though!

Jonny was kindly sent two fantastic sets, the Building Site and the Supplier's Yard. Both of these toys are aimed at children between 3-5 years old and allow them to get down to some DIY, whether it be collecting concrete in the wheelbarrow or building materials from the suppliers yard.

Here's what Liz had to say about these new products......

We love these products! Bob the Builder is such a classic and isn’t about to go out of fashion soon. They were also a lifesaver as Jonny (our three-year-old son) had just jammed his finger in the car door and through the tears we were able to use a little bribery to ‘aid’ the ‘situation’. We received the ‘Building Site’ and ‘Supplier’s Yard’ playsets to review and, quite honestly, this is one of the best review products we have received for 3+ toys.

One of the greatest reasons to buy the products is that they are already constructed. When we first had children I used to quite like building flat pack toys before realizing that it is far too time consuming and the toys never fit particularly well together anyway (or maybe that’s just my terrible children’s DIY skills). Mind you, that leads me on to probably one of the only criticisms of the product – it took about as long to take them out the packets! Both were attached to the box with tiny screws that my husband dropped on the floor immediately. Thus began a race to find one of them as Sophie (just one-year-old and going through the ‘eating-everything-in-sight’ phase) entered the competition. We won the competition and therefore I am able to write the review rather than spend the night at the local hospital.

Jonny has played for literally hours with these two sets (although I feel one set wouldn’t have provided even half the entertainment). The construction is of high quality and the pieces are sturdy and well thought-out. The building site includes a ‘Bob’ figurine, cement mixer, wheelbarrow, jackhammer, barrier, skip, pavement slabs and a few other pieces. The Suppliers Yard includes a ‘Carlie’ figurine, storage shelf, wood piece, pipes, cement bags, traffic cones, forklift, pallet, spade, jackhammer and drum. Therefore, there are lots of pieces to keep little hands busy (although some very small pieces mean we have to keep it away from Sophie).

The sets are very well thought-out; for example, the pavement can be dug up to find the services underneath. Digging and laying the pavement is good for motor skills too. The Suppliers Yard teaches Jonny about collecting and tidying up equipment and supplies, and the forklift fits perfectly into the pallet and can carry objects on top.

As with so many of these products it is obvious to us and Jonny that these are part of a much bigger set. Although Bob is included, there are no vehicles so we are now in the position that we don’t have spare money to spend but would really like to add more pieces (and vehicles and road) to make the sets big enough to create a whole world. However, Christmas and Birthdays will certainly be an opportunity to buy at least one.

One downside is the construction of the characters on two fronts. They aren’t particularly stable and Jonny got quite frustrated he couldn’t make them stand up easily. Also, they can’t hold anything in their hands – it would have been nice if they could actually hold the jackhammer for example.

Even with a couple of downsides I would still whole-heartedly recommend these products. The quality is excellent and we have found one of the other sets on a deal. Jonny has a really rubbish car set so we’re going to see if we can send that to the bin in exchange… Bribery is the key to good parenting :-)

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.

Father's Day with Prezzybox

I actually just got a fright when I realised that Father's Day is a week on Sunday (17th June 2012). What with the Jubilee it appears that the media and shops have forgotten until now...at least that's my excuse! It's probably about time that I put some thought into what to buy Dad.

If you're in a similar situation perhaps this post will help you. I was sent a couple of gifts from Prezzybox recently to review and enlisted the help of my husband and my father-in-law to review them.

The 6-in-1 Utili-Key Multi-Tool is currently in the Prezzybox sale, with 25% off making it £7.46. It's a great wee multi-tool that can attach to your keyring and provide you with all the tools you might need.

As you can see it's the shape and size of a key. Amazingly it contains 6 tools and weighs just 14g. It features a serrated knife blade, a flat knife blade, both a philips and a flat screwdriver, a mini "jewellers" screwdriver and a bottle opener.

Hubby has been carrying it about on his keys for the past couple of weeks and it has been useful on a number of occasions. He needed to tighten the screw on his glasses the other day and instead of searching high and low for a mini screwdriver he just picked up his keys and used the multi-tool. Likewise I had a parcel to open and I'm useless at that these days due to my pain and lack of strength, the multi-tool made light work of it though.

I'm all for presents that are functional and this definitely fits the bill. It's really handy and it comes with a lifetime warranty. This definitely get the thumbs up from us.

The next gift we checked out was 20Q (version 3). This is also in the sale, with 30% off making it £6.97.

"What is it?" I hear you ask. Well this wee gadget can read your mind! You think of anything at all and it will ask you 20 questions to which you respond yes, no, sometimes or unknown using the buttons below the screen. It will use your answers and tell you what you are thinking of.

My father-in-law is quite into his gadgets so he gave this a go....what better way to review a father's day present than with a father? Once he defeated the packaging he started playing the game.

I have to say we were quite disappointed. We tried BBQ, badger (that was my choice, I don't know why) and birdhouse and it didn't get any of them. Eventually though it did get orange. Of course it's highly possible that we just weren't answering the questions properly, what's that saying about technology only being as good as the people operating it....that may well apply here.

Still, we had a lot of fun with it and in the end everyone had a go! It's definitely a novelty present, but if that's what you're after then it will provide you with some fun.

Both of these products are available to buy from the Prezzybox website. For more Father's Day idea check out their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

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.

Livia from Hotter Shoes

The sun is shining today! I'm particularly excited by this as it means I can wear my new Hotter Sandals. I've long wondered about the comfort of Hotter shoes - they are the only shoes that my Mum wears due to her specific shoe requirements (you can read more about that here). I've been checking out her shoes for years wondering if they really are as comfy as they look - well now I can tell you that they are! In fact perhaps even more comfy!

I was sent a pair of the gorgeous Livia gladiator sandals in tan to test out.  I have had a couple of pairs of gladiator sandals over the past couple of years and these ones blow the others right out of the water. They look fantastic and are great with everything, skirts, dresses, shorts, jeans, cropped trousers.... they can pull of a casual look or work well for smart casual.

One of my favourite features of these shoes is the velcro ankle strap. It means they are easy to put on and you have an adjustable strap to secure the shoes to your feet meaning you get the perfect fit. The unlined leather makes the shoes feel sturdy and yet light and airy - exactly what I want in a pair of sandals.

Now, how do they feel? They are the most comfortable sandals I have ever worn, bar none. The shoes are beautifully cushioned underfoot, they feel a bit like walking on air. Cheesey? Perhaps, but absolutely true. So often I find that within an hour of wearing new sandals I need to break out the plasters to protect my feet from blisters but I've had no such problem with the Livia.

I'm completely in love with these sandals, there's not one thing I don't like about them, the quality is superb. In fact I'm contemplating treating myself to a pair of the black Livia too. Now I just need the sun to shine all summer so I can wear them every day!

Livia are available in three colours, black, tan and white, and in an extra wide fitting. They are available to purchase online from the Hotter website for £65. For more information on Hotter and to keep up with all of their latest news like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@hottershoes).

A sample pair 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.

Minnie Mouse My First Puzzle

Hope you are all having a good Bank Holiday. It's actually a really lovely day here but what do you do on bank holidays when the weather isn't so good? How do you entertain the kids? Jigsaws is our answer! We love doing jigsaws and it's a great activity that folk young and old alike can join in with.

There are some brands of jigsaw that I love and one of them is Ravensburger. The quality of their jigsaws is always fantastic and we have had many of their puzzles over the years. Now though Ravensburger have brought something new to the table - jigsaws for children under 3!

Jonny and Sophie were sent the first in this range, Minnie Mouse My First Puzzle Set, to test out. Let's see how they got on...over to Liz.

Ravensburger conjures up the image of a fantastic brand which offers a quality product. I’m so pleased they have entered the market of jigsaws for young children. We were sent the very girly pink box with four jigsaws inside. Two are pictures of Minnie Mouse and two are of Daisy Duck. They have between two and four pieces which is perfect for very young children. The pictures themselves are everything you would expect from Disney; colourful, bright, and very appealing to children and grown-ups.

One of the best qualities of Ravensburger puzzles are the thickness of the pieces (even thicker than the normal puzzles in this instance) so they are easy for little hands to pick up and the jigsaws fit together well, rather than some other jigsaws that seem to come apart too easily. They are 16.5 x 11.5cm which is perfect. Although I love the giant jigsaws it’s lovely to have some smaller ones too.

Although Sophie is just over a year old and the puzzles are aimed at ‘eighteen months plus’ she still loves trying to put them together and with some (or lots) of help she does manage. This is so good for developing her co-ordination, concentration and patience skills and she will learn to put them together by herself. Sophie’s three-year-old brother adores ‘helping’ her and loves the pictures and the pinkness, although that may be another story for another day.

My only criticism would be the size of the box compared to the size of the product. If they fill a tenth of the space I would be surprised. Surely there is some environmental law that should prohibit this.

Altogether, great quality product that would be lovely as a present. 

Ravensburger have three more designs to be launched later in the year, "On The Farm", "Travel Far" and "On Safari", a nice wee range for wee people!

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.