It's a familiar story, Thing One ate all the cereal, The Dude is starving (very loudly) and can't find his shoes and Thing Two is nose deep in a book.  You can't send them to school hungry, The last of the bread is now butties for lunch and they can hardly eat a yogurt en route to school, unless you want a manky spoon in your pocket on the way home.  Or can they?

Petits Filous are now available in pouches! Hoorah! (No really, this is a hoorah moment!)

Review: Water Wipes

One thing as Mum's that we're painfully aware of from within the very seconds of giving birth is just how delicately precious our babies skin is, there's a reason why the old saying goes 'Soft as a baby's bottom' babies have soft skin, they're supposed to.

However, these beautiful little dollops of wonder produce some rather less delicate dollops.  We all know that we're supposed to use cotton wool and water in the first few days and for as long as possible after, water is naturally one of the best things for their skin, perhaps one of the most appropriate things to use too.  If you've ever tried to wipe up meconium with cotton wool and water at 3am in the morning, you'll absolutely understand why so many parents quickly switch to wipes.

Babymoov Ambassador: Muslin Blanket Review

Available from Babymoov

Sometimes it's the simple things that are most useful.  When pregnant with my first, back in 2003, I hadn't the foggiest idea about what muslin cloths were used for.  Now I have my fourth baby, they're on my list of must haves!  It wasn't until last year that I even became aware of that they came in various sizes too.

Babymoov sell muslins in packs of three, in a variety of quirky prints.  In each pack you get one large 80cmx80cm and two medium 60 x 60 all neatly rolled up in a gift-worthy display box.  

The beauty of muslins is that they're incredibly versatile and multi purpose.  Just some of the uses:

Letterbox Cake Review - Baker Days

Life is better with cake, in fact everything is better with cake.  It's one of those facts of the universe.  So, imagine my delight when presented with the chance to review a Letterbox Cake from Baker Days!

Review: Scratch Sleeves

Little Moomin has Eczema. Awful Eczema.  All over her gorgeous face.  Three courses of Hydrocortisone cream and three different moisturisers (one of which made her howl) later and we're in the  midst of yet another flare up.

During the day I can distract her or at worse put socks on her hands.  Yes, socks.  She makes impressively short work of removing 'scratch mits' within mere seconds.  Night is a whole new ball game, aptly called 'baby scratches her face off'.  She can now remove socks from her hands within seconds too and despite them being cotton they're still textured and ever so mildly abrasive.

Some retailers sell sleepsuits with nifty fold over cuffs that become mits yet it would appear that once your baby outgrows size 3-6 months you'd have more luck acquiring rocking horse shit.

Then there's the conundrum of not always needing a sleepsuit with sleeping bags dependent on temperature due to overheating risks.

Then I found Scratch Sleeves.

I don't get much time to type at the moment so the review is through videos.  Bare in mind I'm not a 'v-blogger', It's one handed using my phone and I'm sleep deprived.

First impressions...




Part 2



Since the videos were made we've been using the Scratch Sleeves for around a month or so.  Poor Moomin's eczema is worse than ever at the moment so they've been a god send at night

There's no getting around the fact that they're expensive... more so when, in my opinion, one pair simply isn't enough.  If needed for day and night I'd suggest a minimum of 3-4 pairs. It's not even a 'want', once you've tried them you'll quickly realise they fall very much into the 'need' category if you have a baby/child with eczema.  Then there's the fact they're sized so you'll then have to purchase in the next size up when they grow as too small will be restrictive and uncomfortable yet too big and they'll be able to slip their hands out, so it really is important you buy the exact size you currently need.  It's a shame they can't engineer a comfortable adjustment yet the obvious button or press stud options would probably be uncomfortable for baby.  I'd also like to see these available on prescription as I genuinely believe they're that essential!  No matter how much she rubs her face (and believe me she rubs a lot) I can sleep knowing she's not drawing blood or clawing strips from her face as opposed to putting matchsticks in my eyes to keep them open so I can constantly retrieve/return mittens/socks to her hands throughout the night because all it takes is one scratch and there's blood.

Even more impressive is the fact she genuinely doesn't seem to mind wearing them!

I'm sold on them.  Unfortunately we only have the one pair so we save them for nights and she's growing quick so as soon as the purse strings allow we'll be buying at least two more (whilst starting to save for two more to make four) as she's getting quicker and quicker and removing socks from her hands which she needs to wear during the day.

It was only when I forgot they were in the wash pile and had to resort to socks one night that I fully realised how much we'd come to rely on them! What a crap night's sleep that was!

Obviously they won't cure eczema but anything that makes it more bearable is worth it's weight in gold.  It's heartbreaking seeing your baby in so much discomfort.  I can't stop her rubbing but with these I can at least minimise the damage she can do to herself!

You can purchase these direct from www.scratchsleeves.co.uk  or via Amazon.


***I purchased these myself and felt compelled to review them.  All opinions expressed are genuine and my own.

Review: Monkey Mama Teething/Fiddle Necklace

www.tiarasandprozac.co.uk

I've spent a lot of time nursing.  In total I've nursed for over 7 years.  A lot of baby items I find superfluous and terribly gimmicky and thus refuse to be lured in by their ridiculous beguile.  Other items are just absolutely necessary.  Then there's those items that you never knew you needed until in a sleep deprived frivolous mania you buy one and then wonder why on earth you'd never bought one sooner.

If you're a breastfeeder chances are you've been scratched, pinched and poked by the talons of your vicious spawn mid feed as their wandering paws 'explore' your landscape leading to you exploring the depths of your blue vocabulary.  It's not that they're gits per se... They know not what they do. Honest.   They're just curious little beasts. They're also easily distracted and without something to focus on can become fussy at the best resulting in stretchio-nippleo syndrome (yes, I did just absolutely invent that term) as they attempt to pull away and look at something whilst still in the process of nursing.  Ouch. Sods.

With Thing Two I bought a 'nursing necklace' which was basically a long necklace of lurid plastic beads.  It was supposed to enchant her. It was supposed to entertain her. It was supposed to stop her gouging into tits with itty baby claws .  Yet the only thing it achieved was making me look like a prat.   Even The Dude wouldn't entertain it unless he wasn't feeding and he could wear it.  Much more fun to grab a fistful of my flesh and pinch whilst feeding.  But hey,  it's okay, he stared adoringly into my eyes as he did it.

The only thing that occasionally engaged their hands was a muslin placed between their grappling fist and my ginormo boob of doom.  If the muslin remotely attempted to impart an iota of modesty to us it was ripped off with an angry growl through a suckling mouth full of boob. What can I say?  My kids are proud of feeding and like to show it.

With Moomin being our last ever baby I'm on a mission to try the things I've been curious about.  I've been drawn to the beautiful simplicity of wooden fiddle necklaces for a while.  They're beautiful and wearable. They're understated and tactile.  They don't scream out baby or functional. Then I found the teething necklaces.   Thing Two was rather partial to teething on the leather strap of my Mother's handbag; strange child.  It still bares the teeth marks.   As I'm a babywearer it would be handy to have something always  at hand for Moomin to chomp on with the added bonus of being able to fiddle with it instead of yanking my hair. I bought mine from the lovely Monkey Mama Necklaces.

As soon as it arrived I put it on. It has an adjustable cord so can be worn as a long pendant when nursing for baby to fiddle with or to chomp on when sat on my knee. Worn shorter she can access it when in the sling.  Without a baby it simply looks like a funky necklace.

What can I say?  She loved it.  As soon as her hands began to stray and grab fist fulls of my flesh I'd dangle the pendant near them and she'd grasp it.  She's since fallen asleep several times clutching it tight.  It was invaluable at entertaining her at the recent influx of school performances keeping her occupied in my arms and on my knee as she fiddled and gummed it.  She evidently finds something satisfying and comforting about the tactile nature of the wood and the beads.

The only problem I face now is that as I wear it daily I find myself wanting a selection of them in different styles and colours! 

I highly recommend them regardless of wether you breastfed or babywear as all babies have curious hands and pesky gums. 

You can buy one from Monkey Mama Necklaces.  She makes a variety of fiddle necklaces and teething necklaces varying from natural to subtle to fun and colourful.

***Disclaimer: I received neither payment nor gift for this review.  I bought the necklace myself and was impressed enough to share.  All views and images are my own.

Please note these are not a toy.  These should be worn by an adult and babies and toddlers should be supervised at all times.

www.tiarasandprozac.co.uk

Portable North Pole: Review and promo code

We're officially on single digit countdown to Christmas now, the tree is up and the living room looks like the exploded contents of a drag queens handbag.  Wrapping is 85% done and present shopping is 99% done, just down to that nail biting game of 'will the last few presents be delivered in time'  I dutifully made cheats fudge for the school fair and made white clay tree decorations, twice, with The Dude and Thing Two.

Then they reminded me with the inevitable question 'Where's our videos from Santa?' that I'd yet to do this years Portable North Pole videos! Whoops!  With nosy spawn that appear allergic to going to bed and a boob junkie Moomin it's hard to get the time to discreetly do such things this year, unless I use my Android phone that is!

Every year I utilise the free PNP personalised video service to make videos for each of The Spawn, much to their delight.  I like to keep their real names etc off the blog so I'll show you the PNP example video:




Each year I've watched The Spawn's faces light up with awe,

With the classic option you get 3 minutes of video featuring two photo's you've uploaded and personalised information such as being addressed by name, their age, what they do etc.

This is a great option if you only have one child, however, if like us you have a small army of spawn we have to let them watch their videos in secret individually so that they don't get suspicious with the same story line repeated!

For just £2.99 you can upgrade to a premium video:

 

With the premium option you get a choice of 3 different scenes, 5 photo uploads and five minutes of video.

Another amusing feature is the ability to create a free video for an adult in your life, The Spawn are always ridiculously amused at watching Santa tell The Husband to listen to his Wife more and warning him about his temper!

However, it gets even better as PNP also have personalised phone calls, something we'd not experienced before until PNP kindly asked us to review.  Can you imagine being a child and getting a personal phone call from Santa?  I sent the first call to Thing One, at 10 years old logic tells him Santa doesn't exist yet he's still just young enough to suspend suspicion because he essentially wants to believe.  It's pretty hard to dispute his existence when you get a personal call from the man himself, via a North Pole Reception Elf of course.  Like the videos these are quick and easy to set up and generally the call will be made 4-14 minutes after you request it.  You get a 1 minute call and a choice of 3 storylines.  These are priced at £2.99 for one call or £3.99 for three calls.

Thing Two was off school today poorly so Santa gave her a call, her smile was priceless!  Awesome behaviour is so much more official when praise comes from the big man himself.

I'll put my hands up and say I am guilty of using the 'threat' of telling Santa if they're being repeatedly vile so it's especially handy that now they know he can call them back.

With the videos you get to choose something the child could improve on.  We tell The Dude to be on nice to Thing One and it falls on deaf ears yet Santa requests it and poor Thing One is now being full body tackled with violently enthusiastic cuddles and kisses (in-between the head buts and shouting at him)

You also get to select whether the child is on the nice list or naughty list.  I'll be the first to admit The Spawn can be absolute cretins yet even diabolical me can't quite bring myself to put them on the naughty list. I just can't bring myself to do it.  However this year there is also a nifty compromise of the nearly nice list which offers positive encouragement and belief in a child's ability to improve without chastisement or disappointment.

Now down to the nitty gritty...

Pros:

* Very user friendly interface making it quick and easy to do.
* Free app available for your phone.
* Offers both free and premium packages.
* The videos are funny and charming.
* The multiple opportunities to personalise it make it magical for children
* If you like to big up the creepy idea that Big ol' judgmental Mr C is 'watching' and see's everything, mentioning things like performances and birthdays with picture evidence is brilliant.
* Santa successfully manages to come across benign and endearing.  Realistic without being creepy.
* On the premium videos, you can enter their siblings names so when their book is retrieved from the shelf you see their siblings books next to them! It's small attention to detail like this that really does nurture the magic
* Calls can be sent to landlines or mobiles, handy if you're out or to provide some magic in your absence.  Santa can call them at grandparents or the child minders etc!

Cons:

* If you have more than one child the free option may not be for you.
* Not all names will be spoken and will only appear written.  I won't lie, Thing Two always looks a disappointed when she's referred to as 'My friend' or some other endearment as there is no included pronunciation of her name yet Thing One & The Dude are always addressed by name.  This is both on the videos and the calls.  She sees her name printed on 'her book' yet he never says it to her.
* You have to pay extra to be able to download and save your videos, even if you've paid for premium ones.
* Santa sounds a bit like Pooh Bear...

One more thing, If you have more then one child yet want a premium video or multiple calls it may feel like an expensive do.  We all know the scenario, it's like downloading a free app and being able to do something cool yet every time you want to do something even cooler it asks you for money. More money and money again.  Urgh.

There is however, in my opinion, a reasonable solution in the instance of PNP.  For just £7.99 you get the 'Unlimited Holiday Pass' providing access to unlimited premium videos (including a Christmas Eve one from the sleigh!) and unlimited calls (including an update on Christmas Eve and from the sleigh)


This means all The Spawn get their own calls and videos that are personalised and different to each other.  If you only have one child in your life it's an affordable way to fully experience everything PNP has to offer throughout the build up to Christmas with only one payment.  Especially with the calls encourages spontaneity to inflict magic on your kids.

With four children a lot of festive activities are simply out of our budget, even a Christmas Eve hamper for four is expensive when you need four of everything, yet with this they all get a bit of magic and childhood memories.  The window of belief is so small in years, I love to make the most of it whilst they're young enough to believe.  We're not the most festive of parents but this entails minimum effort yet the result has a big impact.

The lovely people of PNP have given me a discount code to share with you, enter the promo code BLG20BKP to get 20% off all digital purchases (excluding in app purchases)


***Disclaimer: PNP have provided me with an Unlimited Holiday Pass for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

Review: Step2 Little Bakers Kitchen from Activity Toys Direct

If there is one toy very child should have access to at some point, it's a kitchen.  Children love to role-play, to emulate grownups they see around them.  What we see as chores they see as fun.  I still remember my yellow small plastic kitchen from my childhood in the 80's.

I'll admit my personal taste leans more towards the wooden style toy kitchens yet there's no denying the look of glee the Step2 Little Bakers Kitchen  brought to Thing Two's and The Dude's face.

It's rare to get a toy the'll both play with yet Thing Two at the grand old age of 8 and The Dude (4.5 yrs) both happily flocked to it and were utterly ensconced in play for quite some time.  We have had two kitchens in the past, the first a small plastic one which valiantly survived Things One & Two yet fell at the brutal reign of The Dude.  Thing Two briefly had wooden separates which looked darling yet lasted mere months before hinges broke doors hung off and parts chipped.




Pros:

* The design is robust, chunky and very child-friendly which feels and looks incredibly durable.

* At 104.5cm tall, it's tall enough for smaller children to be able to play standing up making it much more realistic than smaller ones where they have to sit/kneel.

* Perfect for small hands, everything is easy to grip with no metal hinges to trap wee fingers.

* As well as coming with accessories there's plenty of space to store your own too.

* Although compact it manages to incorporate most things a child would expect to find in a kitchen such as oven, hob, sink, fridge and microwave which is pretty impressive.

* The 'buns' come apart so children can pretend to decorate them.

* The dolls high chair seat is a unique addition to the usual play kitchen design which Thing Two really likes.

* There's enough accessories to be able to play straight away.

* It was relatively quick and easy to put together meaning The Husband didn't tantrum whilst putting it together.

* The recycling tub makes great storage for play food.

* All kids love a toy phone so it's always good to see one included

Cons:

* Although some young girls will be attracted to the 'girliness' of it, I am somewhat opposed to the unnecessary feminising of toys.  Thankfully The Dude couldn't give a hoot about colour but I know some little boys may be unwilling to engage with it.  I also think it gender stereotypes; that kitchens are for girls. Colour shouldn't matter, yet this seems purposefully aimed at girls.

* The Spawn love the two sounds the hob makes yet for the RRP I think a 'pink' from the microwave, a timer sound on the oven and a tap sound would turn this great toy into an amazing one.

* One of the most popular kitchen related play items for children is a kettle, something not included with the accessories.



All in all we're impressed with the Step2 Little Bakers Kitchen.  It's compact yet not small, robust and comes with some nice accessories.  The proof of the pudding is that a week later it's still being played with and due to the design and build I have no doubt it will still be in tip top condition for when Moomin is old enough to play.

Weight: 13.2kg

Dimensions: H 105.4 x W 71.1 x L 35.6 cm

Extra Information

Step2 Little Baker's Kitchen

• Kitchen has a realistic electronic stove top “burner”
• Oven, microwave and refrigerator enhance children’s play and provide valuable storage of playtime accessories
• Upscale, granite-look counter top
• Pull-out fruit or vegetable “basket”
• Decorative plate rack and storage shelf
• Sink with faucet
• Attached doll seat for added play (doll not included)
• Includes 30-piece accessory set

***The lovely people at Activity Toys Direct provided us with this item for reviewing purposes.  All opinions are my own.

Matalan Back to School review

It's that time of the year again, The Summer Holidays, also known as bankrupt time as more often than not our delightful little cretins are in need of new uniform, P.E kits and school shoes.  The very thought of this mammoth shopping task makes my purse positively weep in utter despair.

The lovely people at Matalan chose us to review their back to school range for The Spawn providing us, for the purpose of a review, a voucher for a selection of their school wear range.

When looking for schoolwear there are several important elements we look for:

1.  Quality.

The Spawn spend longer in their school uniform then they do in their own civilian clothes so it's an absolute must that the items we buy are of a decent quality.

2. Value

Whether you have one child or several, we all want value for money.  I for one resent being dictated to what my children should wear, so if they must wear a uniform I refuse to spend more than absolutely necessary on it.

3. Durability

Be it painting or skidding in the playground, kids will be kids.  Their uniforms need to be able to withstand this.  Their uniforms take a lot of abuse and a lot of washing thus it's important they don't stain, rip or shrink too easily.

4.  Comfort

As previously mention, our children spend a large proportion of their week in their school uniform thus it's vital that the uniform is comfortable and adjustable.

First up, we received some lovely items for Thing Two.  Thing Two will be starting year 3 in September.

Look at the cute flower shaped button detail!

Thing Two loves trousers.  They're comfortable, warm and practical especially with Autumn and Winter just round the corner.  Whenever possible I look for jersey stretch fabrics for her uniform as she finds them comfortable and they wash and wear well.  They enable her to learn and play without feeling restricted.

This pair are an incredibly purse friendly £5, they're soft, stretchy and a decent length.  As with all the Matalan back to school range they're machine washable and if you're lucky enough to have one you can bung them in the tumble drier too so perfect for parents as well as children.

The pockets have cute button details too!

Whilst she's still young, I'll admit I'm a sucker for a pinafore.  As I'm an ironless slattern it's important to find a retailer that offer styles without pleats.  This particular pinafore fits the bill perfectly.  It's a decent length on her, has a slight girly 'flare' for twirling and gentle elastic at the back for a perfect fit.  It even has the added quirk of pockets, who doesn't love a dress with pockets?!  An added bonus is the Teflon fabric protection which should help it last until she dares to grow again.  Priced at £6-8 it's competitively prices and makes a quality yet affordable addition to her uniform.

The bow is adorable, we love it.

Variety is the spice of life or so they say, so to complete her uniform we added a skirt to the mix.  In the past we've found many of the skirts for her age range to be ridiculously short, not a problem with this one.  Once again I opted for jersey both for comfort and the lack of fierce pleats that need an iron.  It's soft to the touch and as it's stretchy it provides an excellent fit.  Both Thing Two and I were charmed by the cute bow.  I'm especially impressed with the shape, many skirts are either too tailored or else offer a shape that I personally feel is unsuitable for the age group.  Once again the price is unarguably good at £3-£5.

One of my bug bears about the mandatory uniform is the P.E kit, they have to have both an outdoor and an indoor one despite the weather often putting the kibosh on outdoor P.E in winter, it's just more expense.  However, since it's mandatory it's always nice to find comfortable and affordable items.  These jogger bottoms come in a pack of two, personally we don't need two but my ever fashion unconscious Thing Two is delighted to keep the grey pair at home as they're so comfortable! The Plimsols are cheap as chips so it's hard to argue about buying them when they're this price.

All in all i'm impressed with the staple girls pieces. The quality,, styling and price all surpassed my expectations.  Thing Two turns 8 in September and these items are all size 8-9yrs and fit as i'd expect with room for growth too.

The Preschooler will no longer be The Preschooler soon as in September at the tender age of 4y5m he'll be in full time reception class.  Uniform isn't a new thing to him as he also wore it at the school preschool.

Despite being 4, he's a dinky little fellow so it's necessary to find trousers in size 3-4.  Thankfully this is not a problem at Matalan.  Better still, they're elasticated waist allowing them to be 'pull on' perfect for his age range.  The key to uniform at this age is comfort and ease.  It's vital that they can dress/undress themselves so fiddle-free pull on trousers are a must.  We received this terrific two pack which are competitively priced at £7.  If you have a little boy you'll know how messy they get, so it's always wise to have more clothes than you think you'll need.  Impressively for the price, they're also Teflon coated!

Although our school do have logo uniform, it's thankfully not mandatory which enable skint families like us to shop around and get cheaper alternatives.   This red sweater is only £3, that means we can get two from Matalan for less than one of the schools own.  Judging by the state they come home in from a hard of gluing, painting and playing, it's nice to be able to afford several spares whilst the washing machine is kept occupoied.  The colour is lovely and vibrant with plenty of growing room and the sweater passes the cuddle test as it's so soft and squishy!

This just leaves Thing One.  Thing One will be starting his final year of primary school, year 6, in September.

Trousers are often a nightmare to buy for Thing One.  He's very tall for his age with a slim waist yet large bum.  Anything none adjustable is just not an option.  No problem at Matalan, the waists are adjustable using the familiar button and elastic system that is pretty universal.  We chose the cargo style trousers as they offer a slightly more individual and boyish style then the usual formal ones which are so widely available.  At the risk of sounding old, they're just funkier!  The fit was perfect for him, usually trousers are either too tight across the bum, too gaping across the waist or too short yet these were ideal for Thing One.  They come complete with Teflon coating and i'm drawn to the attention to detail such as the handy velcro on the pockets to fasten them.

Thing One is not only going to be a Prefect when he starts back at school, he's also Head Boy.  The Prefects are identifiable by their black sweaters (everyone else has to wear red) and red polo shirts.  The polo shirts are great value for money, a great fit and lovely and thick 100% cotton.  The buttons are easy to fasten and unfasten without the stiffness we've had from other brands.  

One of the main issues we have with Thing One is shoes.  He literally walks through them.  We gave up buying Clarks etc for him as they simply didn't last and we couldn't keep up, cost wise, with replacing them.  However, we are adamant on leather shoes.  These leather shoes from Matalan are an amazing £16 a pair, he's a size 4 now so we were especially impressed at the price.  They have a older boy styling whilst still managing to keep the velcro fastening without looking babyish, Thing One is a tad lazy so prefers velcro over laces.  I'm impressed with the chunky sole and grip, an absolute necessity in this wet and wild weather.

Having been buying uniform for the past six years from various retailers I can honestly say I'm impressed with Matalan.  I'd always blithely assumed they would be more expensive yet I can happily say, they're not.  The prices are extremely competitive, the quality is plain to the eye and touch, the sizing is accurate and the styling is spot on.  As a mum with three school age children I'll definitely be returning as and when more uniform is required.

As an aside, we've already established that I'm a slattern without an iron (though in my defence, items were creased in the pictures as they'd come straight out of the delivery packaging!) but i'm also unsurprisingly lazy.  I refuse to fork out the money, time and effort on name tags when I can use a laundry pen on the labels.  It may sound strange to mention but the labels are actually really decent quality.  Many cheaper brands we've had the ink immediately blurs and there isn't enough room to write despite them clearly having a gap for name and class.  However, the same pen on Matalan labels, is clear with no ink run and the labels are actually large enough to write on!  Hoorah!

*** For the purpose of review I was provided with a voucher to purchase uniform from www.matalan.co.uk

Becky and Lolo Scroll Tree Wall Stickers Review

Recently The Husband started the task of rearranging The Spawn's bedrooms.  At the age of four and with Moomin due in two months it's time for The Preschooler to move out of my room/bed to make room for his new sister.  Now logistics would dictate that it would make sense for The Preschooler (age 4) and Thing One (nearly 10) to share a room seeing as they're both with penis' and for Thing Two to stay in the box room seeing as she is a girl.  However, seeing as Thing One and The Preschooler can't even sit on the same sofa without inciting war we've decided on the less logistical yet temporarily sanity preserving option of having Thing Two and The Preschooler share, for now.  This meant the incredibly pink box room needed a makeover as did the very aged and tatty Thomas the Tank Engine blue room.

The box room was easy.  Thing One wanted black and red, we compromised on red and light grey.  Granted he still has pink carpet and a pink blind until funds enable otherwise.  The other room needed to be bright, cheerful yet somewhat neutral.  The Preschooler has no aversion to the girlier things in life yet we wanted some balance.  What we now have is:

A very nice (yet somewhat boring) yellow wall.

The Husband doesn't 'do' wall paper and seeing as neither of us are remotely artistic it felt a little lack lustre.  With perfect timing the lovely people at Becky + Lolo offered us the chance to review the delightful Scroll Tree Wall Stickers.  Talk about creative intervention!

I'll admit we remained skeptical at first.  Although we've had no past experience with large wall decals we have used smaller ones in the past with mixed results.  The yellow room had previously been blue with the odd Thomas the tank engine wall sticker dotted here and there.  They'd survived seven years and only come off when taken off.  However, the pink box room had some fairy wall stickarounds which fell off within an hour of being applied.  A replacement set were equally useless and tremendously disappointing.

The Scroll Tree Wall Stickers arrive incredibly well packaged in a durable poster tube.

Once opened you essentially have two large sheets of wall stickers, each individually numbered.  There's 80 stickers in all and the finished tree is 162.5cm (W) x 147.3 (H) so terrific value for money for a striking feature to a room.

There's a small piece of card that depicts the finished application and a number by number application guide to applying it.

At first it may seem somewhat overwhelming at the sheer amount of stickers yet you soon get into a rhythm. It's easy yet a little time consuming, although one person would find it perfectly do-able things go a lot quicker and smoother if you have two people.  The Husband was chief applier, he'd call out which number stickers he needed and i'd locate them for him. Team work at it's best and better still, no threat of divorce unlike other endeavors we've attempted in the past all in the name of 'for The Spawn'

On the packaging the decal is pictured on one wall.  Due to the shape of the room we didn't have a bare wall big enough so we decided to work it within a corner, this is testament to the versatility of the product.  You can think outside the box a little and it still looks great.  If anything it gave it a slight 3D quality and made the most of the room we have.  This is a large product so I highly recommend you measure the wall area you're thinking of placing it before you start to ensure it will fit.  I'd also recommend you set aside an hour or so when you know you won't be rushed or interrupted!

Pro's:

* The stickers are strong and look/feel durable.
* Incredibly easy to apply.  They go on smoothly and stay on.
* Easily transforms a room with minimal effort
* Although they stay on, should you decide to remove them, they're easy to remove.
* If re/moved they leave no residue and no damage to the surface.
* No curling up at the edges and minimal wrinkling when applying the larger branches.
* Lovely and vibrant.
* All items are easily repositionable so no bigee if you don't get it perfect first time.
* Each sticker is opaque which makes them much more vibrant than many of the transparent backed ones you see in the shops and means they look fantastic regardless of the colour of the wall you're putting them on.
* Not just for walls, these stickers can also be applied on furnature and windows.
* Waterproof and wipe clean, so stand up to grubby spawn!


Cons:

* The instructions are tiny.  The Husband found it frustrating and time consuming having to try and read the tiny numbers.
* Some of the stickers were a little difficult to remove from the backing paper which could be a little frustrating at times.
* You have to be careful with the petals when removing them.  Likewise the squirrel, he was our only causality as his tail ripped on removal from the paper, however, once on the wall you genuinely can't tell!
* Would have been a little easier if the stickers were arranged in number order on the backing sheets.


We were genuinely impressed with the quality and finished product and Thing Two and The Preschooler are delighted!  It's personalised the room for them and makes it feel unique and quirky.

Like what you see?  You too can transform a room with this lovely wall decal from Becky + Lolo.  It's currently retailing there at a special price of £30.00.

* Disclaimer: For the purpose of review Becky + Lolo provided us with the Scroll Tree Wall Stickers.  However, all opinions and experiences expressed in the review are our own and genuine.

Toys R Us Toyologist: Lego City Cargo Heliplane Review

The wonderful people at Toys R Us sent us, as part of their Toyologist programme, the Lego City Cargo Heliplane to review.

Now I'll be honest, we're not technically a Lego family. I know, we're strange. We've just never had the Lego hysteria.

Yet play and a good challenge? Now we're talking.

Upon arrival The Spawn were all unexpectedly excited it and couldn't wait to have a go!

If you're anything like us and can't leave something until it's finished it's best to set aside a good few hours, a large clear space and if your children are on the younger end of the recommended age spectrum (5-12yrs) ensure you're available to help!

Pros:

* The project is split into three parts each separated into their own clearly numbered bags. This helps break the project up into manageable chunks so as not to appear too overwhelming. It also means if you have a younger child with a shorter attention span you can do it across several sessions without losing pieces yet still having something completed at each stage.

* The instructions are clear and concise in the form of diagrams making it easy for both my seven and nine year old to follow independently.

* The project starts off small to encourage concentration and to produce the feel good factor of completion building up to the larger more intense part of the project.

* Promotes fine motor skills, even our four year old enjoyed putting the people together.

* Helps them tune their problem solving skills. It's inevitable that the odd bit will go on wrong and it ensures they have to retrace their steps and self correct.

* Encourages concentration and instills a sense of achievement at completion

* Is great for both individual quiet play yet can also be done as part of a team.  Great family activity!

* At the end of it they have something engaging to play with aiding imaginative play.

Cons:

* It is fiddly in parts which can lead to frustration.

* Even with an adult applying pressure firmly to connect the pieces once completed the items do come apart. This can be disheartening for the child who spent ages constructing it and then wants to 'play' with it.

* Despite the above, if they do go wrong and need to prise two pieces apart. ... good luck!  I can guarantee if will be your job to separate the pieces!

All in all this is a fab addition to a lego enthusiasts collection yet also makes a cracking stand alone set. As an adult you'll find it hard to step away and not 'help' too much! There's something addictive about Lego and seeing it all come together.

Perfect rainy day activity and would make a lovely gift.

The majority of this was constructed by Thing Two our patient and methodical seven year old.  She seemed to thoroughly enjoy sinking her teeth into the project and it kept her busy for most of the afternoon.  Our not so patient nine year old didn't really have the concentration needed to see it through.

Just a tip. ... make sure you have something to entertain the younger children. The Preschooler was very enthusiastic about wanting to 'help' in his own unique lego stealing and destructive way. It was just too tempting for him!

*** I received this item from Toys R Us as part of the Toyologist team to review.  All opinions are my own.

Review: Step2 Real Projects Workshop

We were recently sent, by the lovely people at Activity Toys Direct, the Step2 Real Projects Workshop to review as part of their Play Ambassador programme that we're lucky enough to be a part of.

This particular item especially appealed to us as two out of three of The Spawn are especially canny builders.  Upon arrival The Husband looked dubiously at the large box, envisioning turning the air blue with profanities whilst he tirelessly pieced it together, thankfully his fears were unfounded.  Like most Step2 items, this is parent friendly to put together, nothing at all fiddly about it.  It even satisfied that curious male inability to look at the instructions, it was that simple.

Once assembled it looks appealing with it's chunky rounded design it appears sturdy and it can withstand the somewhat brutal playful enthusiasm of an imaginative preschooler.

The included tools are of a commendable quality and inspire play both alongside and away from the workshop.  We've had toy tool sets in the past and they've proved a disappointment with screwdriver handles falling off and the drill bits refusing to stay in the drill which incite frustration rather than play.  These tools however, are a much better quality and build and I can see them having some serious longevity.  We keep spying The Toddler 'fixing' things like the door... his brother and the cats.....

We've had a workshop in the past for Thing One, it was an overpriced flimsy plastic thing with far too many small pieces.  It was poorly made, overwhelming, uninspiring and was never used.

Companies often forget that less can be so much more, simplicity is incredibly more appealing as it leaves breathing room for creativity to breed.  It's not too big, it's tactile yet not fiddly, it's strong yet not too heavy and is visually appealing.

This workshop has hit the nail on the head, it's chunky design and accessories are a huge win.  It even comes with some 'fake' wood made out of a stiff foamy texture, they are various shapes and slot and piece together, sometimes with the aid of the nice bright chunky screws to become a multitude of creations.  These are much more tangible for little hands than thin plastic bits and have the added bonus of being suitable for playing with in the bath too!  We especially love the little 'vice' and the preschooler is drawn to using the drill on the screws. It even comes with it's own 'blue prints' of things that can be made that gives it a quirky 'grown up' feel for that more complete role playing experience.

The only con to this product for me personally is that The Preschooler loves to pull out the orange storage tray and I struggle to replace it.  This is obviously my failing and not the items seeing as Thing Two easily replaces it just before I get to that throwing it out the window in a grown up tantrum point.

The main worry we have with 'bigger toys' is that there's a huge hit or miss situation.  There's rarely a grey area, it's either a massive hit or a total doozy that gathers dust and reminds you every time you see it taking up room in your house that you wasted money.  I'm happy to say that at the Party of Five (soon to be six!) have declared this a hit.  We highly recommend it for the little builders in your life.

As always we also recommend Activity Toys Direct, they're competitively priced, trust me I've done some googling on the matter!  Yet regardless of exceedingly good prices, they're a decent friendly company, good customer service is priceless.

Activity Toys Direct Play Ambassador: Step2 Creative Projects Table

We are one of the incredibly lucky blogger families to be a 2013/14 Play Ambassador for Activity Toys Direct and for our first review they kindly sent us a

Step2 Creative Projects Table which they describe as:

"The very popular Step 2 Creative Projects Table is a 'one-person' or a 'two-person' desk. A clever re-positioning of the top storage shelve transforms this desk to allow either one, or two desk positions. Has lots of storage facilities and comes complete with two 11" stools."

The timing of this item was perfect as The Toddler
had been ill for several days and really wasn't quite himself yet when a lovely gentleman turned up at our house with a box larger than The Toddler himself, he smiled for the first time in far too long and immediately requested that The Husband construct it whilst he positioned himself on the sofa to issue orders and helpful 'directions'.

The Husband isn't renowned for having a large portion of patience and anything remotely flat pack is his arch Nemesis yet this item comes in relatively few parts and proved quick and easy to construct, just the way things should be.

The Step2 Creative Projects Table has an ingenious design that make it suitable for both one child and two with a mere adjustment (it slides!) of the central raised canopy shelf.  In one position it appears central to the desk allowing a child either side yet slide it to the edge and you have a perfect desk for one which can then be pushed up against a wall to save room should you desire.

Despite having access to a multitude of art materials, The Toddler has remained for the most part somewhat ambivalent towards drawing and colouring so we were curious to see how he'd react to this.  He has had an easel for quite some time that for the most part is neglected.

Since the Step2 Creative Projects Table arrived he has used it, every single day.  Without fail.  It's an inviting design and size to draw his attention with enough storage and access to his craft items to hold his attention.  No more fumbling under the sofa for lost and discarded pencils and lidless felt tips whilst emptying entire book boxes for the elusive colouring books.  Everything is neatly stored and immediately at hand.  He's drawn, coloured, painted, cut, created and even eaten his dinner at this table.  It appears to have a magnetic pull to him.

The Toddler is 3.5 years of age, yet Thing Two (Age 7) also immediately went for it as has been found seated there every night.  Thing Two is incredibly creative and loves nothing better than arts and crafts so is somewhat enthusiastic about having a workstation in the family room to do this in now instead of going to her own room or the cold kitchen!  Most surprisingly is Thing One (Age 9) who isn't naturally inclined towards the arts has been found seated at the table colouring in ! This item, despite being marketed at the younger end would appear to hold great appeal to all ages.....

and species.

The item is easy to put together, sturdy, and inviting.  The only negative to this product would be it's size, at  H=81cm, W=99cm, D=67cm it takes up a significant amount of, especially if you want it to be accessible and utilised by two children at once needing it to be in a floating position.  Because of this, it may not be suitable for everyones home, I know we'll be rejigging furniture after Xmas so that it can be positioned a little less obviously.

If you have room for this in your home, do consider investing in one, encouraging childrens creativity is priceless and providing a stimulating and easily accessible area for this can go a long way into turning a five minute attention span into a twenty five minute one and for me personally, having somewhere to stash all the paraphernalia associated with creativity that doesn't need my help to reach is a huge plus.

For those that want the details:

Step2 Creative Projects Table

• Age 3 +
• Features a large table surface with moulded in storage tray which accomodates large removable storage cups for art supplies.
• Will accommodate up to two children
• Has a lower heavy-duty support rod for stability
• Includes two 11 inch high stools
• Minimal adult assembly required
• Comes with a 12 month guarantee
• Packaging dimensions: H=68cm, W=108cm, D=23cm
• Please note accessories not included

***Activity Toys Direct provided us with this item as part of the Play Ambassador scheme, however, all opinions and experiences are undoubtedly my own.

Hotel Chocolat Review

The lovely people at Hotel Chocolat very kindly sent me one of their Christmas Goody Bags, from their current christmas range, to review.  Seeing as chocolate comprises of all five of my five a day, I was more then up for the job at hand.

Hotel Chocolat has a special place in my heart as I was first introduced to it by an incredibly lovely friend who sent me a slab when I had a miscarriage in 2009.

The first thing that strikes you is the packaging.  It's simple yet undeniably elegant.  It exudes luxury and the window at the front displaying the contents proves that visibly this is a top-end, high quality product.

The minimalist packaging theme continues inside the gift bag, which works incredibly well to showcase the products as they simply don't need fussy and busy packaging, the chocolates speak for themselves visually. It's just effortlessly classy. What's not to love?  I can't imagine anyone who'd not be terribly grateful and indecently excited to unwrap this on Christmas morning unless of course you were buying for someone with a chocolate allergy, or a Labrador.  Just looking at it is enough to make you salivate, to the eye these are the Anne Summers of the Chocolate world, insofar as to say a sou-chant naughty, deliciously nice and you can't wait to strip them naked from their scanty wrappings.  It even contains a few tarts!

So what's in this particular little bag of eden?

"Our most exciting chocolate goodies specially selected for Christmas – bagged and bowed and ready for you to unwrap, including a 50% Cookie & Caramel Wreath, 6 Christmas Mess Chocolates, 6 Treacle Tart Chocolates and a trio of milk chocolate Santas"

Needless to say I had a terribly difficult time deciding what to eat first yet finally settled on a Christmas Mess

chocolate.  This was definitely one of my better decisions in life and was rewarded by an indulgent taste explosion.  They describe these as:

"Fabulously fruity cranberry ganache and strawberry mousse with meringue sprinkles"

and they're not 'arf wrong either.  Visually they look almost too good to eat, the contrasting textures provide a stimulating experience to bite and the flavour is decadent without being sickly.  These were without a doubt my favourate.

Next into the chocolate hole of doom went the Treacle Tarts:

"A marriage of molasses and runny caramel crowned with a crunchy shortbread biscuit"

Don't be deceived by the external milky chocolate. Inside you'll find a rich, sticky and incredibly sweet filling that almost drools out of it's place finished with a satisfying crunch of the shortbread on top.  I'll hold my hands up, I'm not known for being a caramel fan yet even I could appreciate the deliciousness of these, though they're not something I'd personally choose again.  The Husband, however, devoured them.

Moving on I next, all in the line of duty, was the Festive Chocolate Wreath:

"Inspired by one of the absolute classic flavour combinations of mellow 50% cocoa milk chocolate working in perfect harmony with nibbly cookies and hand cut florentines that beautifully balance the sweetness of the chocolate. Perfect for slicing and sharing with family and friends"

Oh my...how does one possibly embark upon eating this?  Well, in all honesty, quite ruthlessly! Snap and devour.  I feel it's only fair that I highlight the mistake in their escription.  This is not and never will be perfect for sharing.  They absolutely lied.  If you shared this you should have your sanity investigated.  This is categorically one of those things you should never share, ever.  

This is a dense, full on solid chocolate experience.  Do not be misguided by the size, even the most devout and expert chocolate eaters will struggle devouring this in one sitting or even two.  

That just leaves us with the trio of chocolate santas.  Unfortunately I can't comment personally on these as I have three spawn so each of them claimed one yet judging by the audible 'mmmmm nom nom nom' and their chocolate coated mouths I think we can safely say these were a hit.

So with just a mere ten days until Christmas, why not treat someone special in your lie to one of these Christmas Goodybags,  There is really something for everyone inside and it takes chocolate gifts to a level of it's own.  This is serious indulgence and the variety provides an ideal yet festive introduction to a Hotel Chocolat virgin yet would equally prove to be a welcome addition to any Hotel Chocolat enthusiast in your life.  

The Christmas Goody Bag retails at £18 and you can purchase either in shop or online.

 ***I was sent a Christmas Goody Bag by Hotel Chocolat for the purpose of this review yet all opinions and experiences expressed are entirely my own.

Review: Smencils

We have very kindly been sent a starter pack of Fruit Shoot Smencils from Learning Resources to try out on The Party Of Five.
Smencils are the worlds only scented, yes scented, pencils with this particular release being based around popular Robinsons Fruit Shoot flavours including apple, orange, blackcurrant & apple, summer fruits and tropical.
Sounding good so far? Well, also bare in mind that they are made from 100% recycled newspaper! Fun, funky and Eco friendly.
At pocket money prices they're affordable for kids to buy themselves and would also prove popular in party bags.
I was hoping to covet them for a while but all three of The Spawn quite literally pounced on them as soon as I received them foiling my plans to sniff them at my leisure.
Thankfully arguments were averted due to there being enough to in round as Thing One and Thing Two instantly disappeared off to their rooms to write with them, repeatedly inhaling the scents en route with audible 'mmm's!!!'
Each pencil comes in It's own plastic tube to keep the scent nice and strong and has the added bonus of making then harder to lose! They were also pre sharpened so ready to use without faff. Even The Toddler has his eyes on then and managed to 'borrow' Thing Ones.
All in all Smencils were a hit here, encouraging the children to write even more then they already do! The only downside being that they wished their writing and drawings smelled too! (And colours that match the scents would prove popular here too)
If you'd like to try Smencils, hop on over and enter their Facebook competition! Be quick though as the closing date is Friday 7th September 2012.
Disclaimer: all opinions expressed are my own and that of my children. This is a genuine review and I received no payment in doing it.

Review: Toot Toot with John Crane

We were lucky enough to be sent a Tidlo recorder courtesy of John Crane.

When it first arrived Thing One and Thing Two were at school so it was The Toddler who first pounced on it, and indeed pounce is the right word.

First impressions?

It's fabulously bright, really eye catching it looks fun.  The colour alone instantly piqued The Toddlers attention and made him want to investigate.

It feels well made and substantial neither too heavy nor too light.

The tone is as pleasant as a recorder played by children can get (though as with most noisy things it does grate on the nerves when it's been tortured played for ten minutes solid)

When Thing One and Thing Two arrived home they instantly noticed the new addition however wrestling it off of The Toddler without him screeching 'Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!!!!!' proved to be somewhat of a challenge.

I'll admit that the allure wasn't limited to The Sprogs as I caught The Husband having a sneaky play and I may have possibly borrowed it purely to show The Toddler that you can change the sound, honest.  It was educational purposes only.  Whaa?

The Family of Five adore music and musical instruments have always been a massive hit with The Sprogs so this is a very welcome addition.  The only problem we have now is the whole sharing thing..... I may go and hide in the bath and let them work it out amongst themselves, ear plugs anyone?

I can imagine it will be one of those toys that The Husband temporarily hides from time to time......