The Review Studio

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Colman’s Mustard and Mint Sauce and Marmite

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Home, Home & Garden, Lunchbox Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Remember the Hellmann’s Turkey advert from the 1980s? “Don’t save it for the summer” was the slogan they used to encourage us to eat mayonnaise with Christmas dinner and since then, it’s been a staple in households all over the country along with other favourites such as Colman’s Mint Sauce (great for roast lamb) and Colman’s English Mustard. In fact, I think my first ever taste of mustard was at the Christmas dinner table when I was little, and not ready for the taste that was adorned on my roast at my insistence!

Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise isn’t just for salads. Made with just egg, oil and a dash of vinegar, it’s a time old recipe that is the basis of lots of recipes. With such simple beginnings, it can be used on most meals but at Christmas time, it’s particularly useful with cold meats, especially on Boxing Day. Turkey sandwiches are one of my yuletide memories and they’re usually made with piles of carved turkey and lots and lots of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. There’s something about the mixture of the two textures and the cool mayonnaise flavour that make the two go together so well.

If you’re not into mayonnaise, then Colman’s have the taste alternative. Colman’s Mint Sauce and Colman’s Mustard have been in our pantries for decades since the company started in Norwich in 1814. Colman’s Mint Sauce, grown in Norfolk, uses the meat tenderising enzymes found in mint to compliment lamb. Using the sauce cold and eating with a hot lamb joint, the mint brings out the lamb flavour. It’s also particularly good with roast potatoes and adds a completely different angle to home cooked meals.

Colman’s Mustard (English) is a completely different taste. This mustard isn’t as hot as you might think, but still has that peppery taste to it that works so well with beef. You can put this straight on your plate and eat it as an accompaniment to beef, but I have discovered that it works brilliantly if put over your beef joint before going into an air fryer. As the meat cooks in the super hot air, it heats the mustard allowing it to break down the outer fat of the joint and seeping in flavour. I tried it in my air fryer and it created this lovely crust to the outside of the cut, which was super easy and protected the outside from scorching. I also use mustard in my salad dressings, adding a certain hotness to summer lunches which you can’t get anywhere else.

See the Hellmann’s Turkey Sandwich recipe online too: https://www.hellmanns.com/us/en/r/what-shes-having-sandwich.html/255443

Lastly, we would not talking about condiments if we didn’t mention Marmite. Available all over the world now, it is particularly special at Christmas for ex-pats who crave the special taste. If you’ve ever lived abroad or go on holiday where many Brits congregate, you’ll know that Marmite is on all the supermarket shelves. The phrase ‘Love It Or Hate It’ is now part of the English vernacular and recognised as a polarity due to Marmite‘s unique taste. If you’ve never tried it before (and I suggest you do at least give it a go once!) then I can only describe it as a slightly tangy version of beef gravy, only much thicker and spreadable. It goes nicely on toast as most of us will remember from our childhoods, but there are ample recipes available on the Marmite website. There’s a particularly good recipe for Marmite, Ham & Camembert Festive Toasties; perfect for after Christmas dinner or on Boxing Day when you have plenty of leftovers and not many ideas!

Colman’s Mustard (170g) £2.15: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/colmans-original-english-mustard/007650-3584-3585

Colman’s Mint Sauce (165g) £1.80: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/colmans-mint-sauce/738308-589437-589438

Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise £3.00: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/hellmanns-squeezy-real-mayonnaise/393918-55355-55356

Marmite (250g) £3.35: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/marmite-yeast-extract-spread/007834-3717-3718

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn for National Cinema Day

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Home, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

3 September is National Cinema day in Britain this year. It’s the day when we are all invited to visit the cinema and support the film industry, but this year it’s particularly important as the SAG union strikes are affecting all films made in the US, and most which are scheduled to be made around the world – including the UK.

Joe & Seph’s are big supporters of the movie industry, which is not surprising for a gourmet popcorn company! Joe & Seph’s don’t make just one kind of popcorn though, and it’s not your usual butter coated Saturday Morning Pictures popcorn either!

To celebrate National Cinema Day, and to give you some ideas of their gourmet flavours to try when you get to the cinema, Joe & Seph’s have worked with some big names to get exclusive flavours out there for you. We were sent the flavours; James Bond Dry Martini (popped, not stirred), Dungeon’s & Dragons Chilli Chocolate Caramel (Sweet & Fiery) and Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel Asteroids (almost definitely not asteroids, but popcorn!). If those flavours don’t get your mouth watering as you wander into your local cinemas, I don’t know what will!

You’ll notice that each of the flavours is based around a film franchise, which is not surprising given how well popcorn and movies go together. I love both sweet and savoury popcorns, especially if they’re well cooked and the popcorn is soft which it always is with Joe & Seph’s. Starting with the James Bond Dry Martini flavour, it’s more savoury which is what you would expect, but the flavour doesn’t develop until you’ve let it melt in your mouth a little bit. It’s not as overpowering as an actual Martini either, so if you like the taste but not the alcohol, this is very edible! Be warned though, especially if you’re on medication because the flavouring is 5% real gin and vodka! You can also taste the lemon a little bit and the caramel balances the flavour out nicely.

The Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery is for chilli lovers. Based on the idea of Dungeons & Dragons, the fiery comes from red chilli pepper flavouring, and the sweetness is from caramel and Belgian chocolate. The chocolate isn’t just ordinary chocolate though, Joe & Seph’s only use the best quality Belgian chocolate in any of their popcorn recipes, so you’ll find that this is extra smooth, creamy chocolate and compliments the chilli taste. You’ll love the juxtaposition of the two flavours together, and taking a big handful is not an option unless you’re a really, really big fan of chilli so I would go easy on these until you find your level! It’s a fabulous combination and one that you don’t normally find with popcorn so well worth trying it out.

Lastly, there’s an old favourite. Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel. Anyone who loves either chocolate or popcorn will love this flavour, and it’s great for children too. The soft texture of the caramel comes through first, then the chocolate flavour then the sweetness from the caramel. It’s a more subtle flavour than the Sweet & Fiery or Dry Martini but it’s just as enjoyable, if not more so. This Belgian Chocolate & Caramel flavour is also great for adding to ice cream or desserts, and if you’ve never tried Joe & Seph’s before (where have you been?) then I can tell you that the popcorn is robust enough to withstand ice cream sundaes, lashings of whipped cream or even custard without going soggy.

I hope you manage to support the British film industry on 3 September and if you never go to the cinema, this is the one day you’ll not regret making an effort for. Joe & Seph’s are with you all the way, and there’s a flavour for everyone – so see you at the flicks!

Available online from £4 each: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/popcorn/smooth-caramel-belgian-chocolate-popcorn?product=6_std

Emily’s Algarve Escape by DCR Bond – book

Birthday Gifts, Books, Christmas, Gifts for Her, Summer, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Emily is rich. Well her husband Mark is, working for an investment bank and Emily is very happy spending his money. That is, until something happens and Mark has to admit that their lifestyle has to change and Emily isn’t going to like it.

The story picks up their move to The Algarve, with frequent visits from their son Alex and several unintended adventures along the way. We see how both Mark and Emily have to adjust as well as how their social lives, bank balances, family dynamics and even Mark’s tennis game changes over time, and all because of a tiny tax problem Mark didn’t foresee.

With little hints about how the economy in the UK has been affected in the last 2 years (remember all the Prime Minister changes last year?) this light hearted holiday read really takes you out of rainy Britain and into the heart of The Algarve and the ex-pat community. Although it might be described as ‘chick lit’, the characters are well defined, the storyline flows and there’s a lovely style about it which makes each of the characters likeable; even Mark!

Throughout the novel there are some merry moments and thankfully, for a holiday read, there are no maudlin or heavy plots which get you down. Towards the end there are some great plot twists which are hinted at very subtly earlier in the book, but not obvious until the end. I found myself liking all of the characters, based on Emily and her family and friends, and the story was fun to watch unfold. If you live in London, especially in any of the Chelsea squares or work in City finance, you’ll recognise some of the characters and especially some of the tax legalities! You may well have friends or acquaintances who are in the same position as Emily and Mark and can empathise with. How will it end though? And I bet you didn’t think it would end in that way, did you?

Emily’s Algarve Escape is just that – the escape from Britain’s dreary summer this year and an adventure to sunnier climes with Emily and Mark making the mistakes for you along the way.

Vortx 6L Colour Air Fryer by Tower

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have wanted to try an air fryer for ages, having heard a lot about them and seen on Instagram what they can do. Why would I want an air fryer though when I have a perfectly good electric fan assisted oven? Without trying one, I wasn’t going to find out if this would be an easier and perhaps cheaper way of cooking, so when the Tower 6 Litre Vortx Air Fryer arrived, I wasted no time checking it out!

The website gives a lot of information about air fryers in general and how they work, but I was pleased to see that the Vortx technology in this Tower air fryer is even better at circulating the air and heating it up, making it quicker than an oven by up to 30%. This variety is also 6 litres, which is a generous size to be able to cook a family meal or large volume baking, thereby saving energy as well as time.

As air fryers work by cooking the food with air at high temperatures which is circulated quickly around the food, there is no need for any fat as you have to do with electric or gas ovens. The air convection mechanism uses a lot less energy too, and this Vortx Air Fryer uses 70% less energy for cooking than oven, which with the price of energy is also a bonus.

The machine itself is pretty big; bigger than a bread maker or about as big as a mixer. However, compared to a built-in oven, it’s much smaller and obviously mobile, so taking it away to university would be ideal. I like the fact that it stays on the worktop like a microwave would so all the panels and buttons are at eye level and the drawer can be opened with one hand if needed. It’s not so heavy that you need two hand, and I also like that you don’t need oven gloves to take the drawer out. Much safer with little children around and anyone with a disability and unable to bend down or lift out heavy grills will find this much easier. In fact, the Tower Vortx Air Fryer is designed in a way in which elderly or anyone with a disability can adapt how they use it to be able to lift the drawer and carry food.

The front panel is touch controlled, which lights up when you switch it on with the control panel button, but don’t forget to switch it on at the wall first! It’s easy to set the temperature from 80 Centigrade up to 200 Centigrade. You can also choose some of the pre-sets for easier cooking such as fries, steak and cake.

Once I had worked out the controls panel, it was time to start testing the Vortx Air Fryer! I started with some simple oven chips. As you don’t need any oil, I just piled a layer into the basket and used the pre-set controls for cooking them. After the 15 minutes cooking time, the Vortx Air Fryer emits a sound and you take the drawer out, emptying the fries onto a plate. There’s very little clearing up to do because there’s no oil involved, and the chips are crisp on the outside and still fluffy on the inside!

Once I had mastered fries, it was onto cooking more of a meal! I cooked a piece of beef, being careful to work out the cooking time with regards to the weight. Like any new appliance, it takes a while to get used to the cooking times and how evenly it cooks so I checked on the meat a few times by opening the drawer. The beef was nicely cooked on the outside, along with the layer of mustard I had smothered on top to give it some extra flavour! You can see in the photo how it looked as soon as I took it out of the air fryer and put it on a plate – medium rare, and that was in 20 minutes of cooking.

The Tower Vortx 6l Air Fryer can also be used for cooking vegetables, baking, roasting and even dehydrating such as these pieces of apple which I put on at 80 Centigrade (the lowest temperature possible) for 20 minutes. Most of the moisture was taken out, without any burning and just the flavour of the apple left behind. This will be lovely as part of a salad later in the week and puts to use the windfall apples from the garden this time of year!

Healthier than a microwave and more versatile than an oven, the Tower Vortx Air Fryer is brilliant for going to university and not having to worry about ovens and hot grills.

Available from £79.99 in 6 colours at:

https://www.towerhousewares.co.uk/air-fryers/vortx-6l-colour-air-fryer-midnight-blue-t17127mnb

Due Vittorie Oro Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Gift Box

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, secret santa, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Christmas is a time to get out the best of the best, or if you prefer, gift the best to your loved ones. Due Vittorie’s award winning Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna comes in a beautiful gift box this Christmas, ready to send to someone who loves their food as much as Due Vittorie… or will you keep this for yourself over the festive season?

Made with 80% cooked grape must and 20% wine vinegar, this is the best selling premium brand of balsamic vinegar in the whole of Italy. It’s made in the famous Modena, giving it the branded name and contains no other preservatives or additives, just the authentic Italian Modena balsamic vinegar taste. It can be added to salads, on cheese or as part of a dessert – the Italian chefs have no end of uses for it so with a bit of imagination, you’ll discover it’s not just for dipping bread into! The balsamic vinegar spends time in oak barrels to transfer the tannins, and give it a heartier, full bodied taste.

The 250ml bottle is not only beautiful but will last a whole year before you buy your next instalment! I loved trying this with bread and on salads as it’s got a slightly sweet taste and is thicker than usual shop bought balsamic. I can see why it’s one of the best selling as it’s so flavoursome. I would rather use this alone on salads rather than mixing it up to make a dressing, and it’s to die for on its own with bread or on pizza. Even the design of the bottle makes it easy to hold when you’re cooking or dressing a dish and it looks fabulous on the shelf!

Anyone who is interested in food, or specifically authentic Italian food will love this as a gift. If your loved ones prefer ‘practical’ gifts which they can use, the Due Vittorie Oro Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Gift Box is an excellent choice and at £20.00 it’s an affordable luxury – and one that will last meal after meal.

Available online for £20.00 at: https://www.artisanoliveoilcompany.co.uk/products/due-vittorie-oro-balsamic-vinegar-of-modena-gift-box-250ml?_pos=16&_sid=ccfb02aa2&_ss=r

Belledorm Cocoonzzz Silk Pillow Cases

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Gifts for Her, Home, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sustainable, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We often ask for gifts at Christmas which we wouldn’t normally buy for ourselves, but an even better gifts is one which we hadn’t even thought of!

Silk pillow cases are one such present. I’d never really thought about buying them for myself, thinking that they were not what they cracked up to be or a bit cliché. Given the chance to review them though, I was pleasantly surprised. I was sent two pillow cases, one in Ivory and one in Powder Pink. Each pillow case measures 52cms by 76cms (housewife size) and is made with 100% pure mulberry silk.

Opening the delivery, I found each individual pillow case was housed in a beautiful presentation box with ‘Cocoonzzz The Secret In Silk’ elegantly detailed on the box. If you’re buying Cocoonzzz pillow cases as a gift, this is the perfect way to present them as it’s not obvious that they’re silk pillow cases at first, but they do look classy and the word ‘silk’ is very intriguing! The pillow cases inside are wrapped in paper and sealed, so when you open them, the soft fabric falls out into your lap and you immediately feel the quality.

As for putting them on the bed and sleeping with them… they’re really easy to put onto the pillows as you can imagine because the pillows just glide in so easily! When you sleep on them at night, they’re lovely and cool and stay reasonably cool all night. Just like the claims on the website, they prevent creases forming in your face and your hair doesn’t go static or lose it’s shine because the silk keeps the moisture in your skin and hair, not soaking it away like cotton fabric does. It takes 20 minutes to get used to the frictionless surface though and stopping your head falling off the pillow! I would suggest only having your top pillow as the Cocoonzzz Silk Pillow Case whilst you get used to the texture then increasing your accessories.

The pillow cases are washable by hand only, as you would imagine with silk, and only ironed on a low heat. Each case is 100% real mulberry silk and reduces the likelihood of allergic reactions.

I’d never tried real silk pillows before but these are revolutionary! They do indeed prevent the moisture from leaving your skin, and they make bedtime even more luxurious and look fantastic on the bed!

Available in various colours for £108 each (but on sale at £54 at the moment) from Belledorm at:

https://www.belledorm.co.uk/product/cocoonzzz-silk-pillowcase

The Best of British Beer Ice box

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, camping, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Him

Disclaimer: we received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

It’s been a wet summer but today the sun made an appearance which was great timing as we had friends round to watch the football. After the match we enjoyed a few craft beers in the sun, which were kept nice and cold in the Best of British Beer Ice box.

Best Of British Beer was founded back in 2011 by husband and wife team Will and Gill Sherwin with the intention to make it easy for drinkers to enjoy that ‘hard to find’ beer. Like all good food and drink companies the story began at home with their shed becoming the storeroom and their dining room table their packing bench. The company has grown over the years with over 50 million bottles and cans of beer sold to date!

Their latest idea to help you enjoy a summer beer is the creation of innovative packaging for their craft beers – slightly oversized, the box leaves room for ice to be added providing the perfect solution to an alfresco beer.

Unlike normal cardboard beer packaging the Ice box is made from water resistant cardboard, meaning it doesn’t go soggy when filled with ice and removes the need to lug a bulky cool box with you to keep your beer cold. All you need to do is pop out the cardboard top, fill with ice and it will keep your beer at the perfect temperature. At the end of the night simply pour away the water, flatten the box and you’re ready for the next party.

The reusable cardboard box is made from sturdy eco friendly materials and is also perfect for festivals when you might have to carry your gear quite a way or is also great for a trip to the beach.

Available directly from Best of British Beer it comes complete with six craft beers (or lager if you prefer).

Why not grab a box ready for the bank holiday!

RRP £26.50 and refills are £19.50

Oxygenetix Oxygenating Blemish Control SPF25

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Gifts for Her, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a way to moisturise and at the same time a way of conditioning skin so that you don’t get blemishes, then Oxygenetix have a product which might be of help.

The Oxygenetix Blemish Control Moisturiser works as a foundation to create a smooth canvas of your skin whilst using Salicylic Acid to clear the skin. As a product it has skin care benefits as well as making you look great and reducing the need for multiple products.

Most make-up products block the skin from ‘breathing’ but not allowing oxygen to the skin surface, upset the pH of the skin and can cause pores to be blocked when either too much make-up is used or is used frequently. Oxygenetix products all contain Ceravitae™ which promotes collagen production. The aloe vera base also helps to calm, soothe and cool the skin and is the friend of those with sensitive skin. Oxygenetix Blemish Control Moisturiser also has an SPF of 25 UVA/UVB to protect against the sun and prevent skin damage.

How well does it work? The Oxygenetix Blemish Control Moisturiser is cool to the touch and glides on your skin beautifully. It’s very rich so takes a little while to absorb into your skin but once it does, it leave a lovely base for either a moisturiser to go on top, or for your make-up to be applied. I found that the moisturising effect lasted all day, and my make-up didn’t slide off after a few hours. It left my skin very dewy and soft, which is a relief when I don’t get time to reapply my skincare throughout the day.

Oxygenetix Blemish Control Foundation is available from £90 at:

https://www.dermacaredirect.co.uk/oxygenetix-blemish-control-moisturiser.html

Just Spices Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, secret santa

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Advent calendars are getting more and more exciting these days. No longer do we have the calendars of youth with just an illustration behind a window, or a little snowman shaped chocolate. Instead, every major retailer and even department store has something on offer.

Just Spices have launched their 2023 Advent Calendar again, with the full 24 days to look forward to. If you’re not familiar with their products, Just Spices produce a range of seasonings, toppings and mixes to liven up any mealtime. It’s not just spices though, it’s a mix of spices and salts which add both flavour and nutrients to your dishes.

The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar is bursting with samples from their range. There’s pizza topping, curry seasoning, Texas BBQ mix to add to chicken or beef, and a whole host of other products which are for both sweet and savoury dishes. Each sachet is enough for one meal, which you can save for after Christmas. For door number 24, there’s a full sized spice mix which can be added to your store cupboard.

The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar differs from other manufacturers because they actually supply 24 days’ worth of gifts – most high end retailers opt for just 12 days now. The cardboard calendar is easy to post or transport and recycle too, and the sachets last for ages. You don’t have to use them on the day you receive them! The full size mix will last you for weeks too, but you’ll probably find it handy to use over the Christmas festivities anyway. I love the range of seasonings available, often for dishes which I would never normally think of adding extra flavour to, like avocado on toast, and the variety of sachets means I get to try the whole product line without having to buy them individually, which can end up pricy and take up a lot of room at home.

The Just Spices Advent Calendar would be great for older teenagers who are learning to cook or who are away at university and could benefit from some extra flavour to their meals, or for those who love cooking and perhaps don’t have the room for a full spice cupboard. Adults will love this calendar due to it not being completely reliant on chocolate, sugar or alcohol and actually something they can, and will, use throughout the rest of the year.

Edifier G5BT CAT Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I’ve come to expect great sound from Edifier and the G5BT gaming headphones from their Hecate brand do not let me down. Listening to music is a pleasure, with deep bass and a full immersive sound from the 43mm Hi-Res titanium drivers. The headphones are really well built and comfortable to wear, the ear cups are softly padded with memory foam as is the adjustable headband to give all day comfort. They also include a cute set of cat ears – an extra feature that you’re going to love – but don’t worry if cat ears aren’t your thing they are attached with magnets so can easily be removed!

Being targeted squarely at gamers, there is a dedicated gaming mode that adjusts the sound profile and gives a low latency connection. If you’re using a 3.5mm jack connection and your device is compatible, then you’ll also benefit from the certified Hi-Res sound.

It isn’t just about the sounds that you can hear, it is important that your friends can hear you. The headphones come with a boom mounted microphone that can be hidden away when not needed and a great dual mic noise cancelling system.

The final gaming touch is a full RGB system with 8 different lighting options which light up not only the earcups but the magnetically attachable ears too, personally I’m not a fan of the lighting but then again I’m not a teenage gamer! If like me you prefer not to use it, it is easy to turn off and best of all, the headphones remember the setting when you next turn them on.

The battery life is excellent, a 2 hour charge can give 20 hours of use – and up to 36 hours without the lighting but if connected with the 3.5mm jack then they’ll work fine without any charge at all. Connection is either by Bluetooth 5.0 or a 3.5mm jack allowing connection to a wide range of devices. I’ve been using bluetooth and have not had a single problem. Controls are pretty simple with easy to find buttons on the back of each ear cup covering all the normal features such as volume, track skip, answer a call etc.

The headphones come with a charging cable, 3.5mm jack cable and a hard carry case which is great for keeping the headphones in when travelling.

With great sound-quality and comfortable to wear these would make the perfect gift for any gamer young or old.

RRP £129.99 available from Amazon

PLAYin CHOC Christmas Collection

Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Plastic free, Toys, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Organic Chocolate and Surprise Toy!

Decision making time is here when it comes to Christmas presents! It’s always difficult to find toys and treats for children which are more sustainable, have less additives and preservatives and are hopefully healthier than some items in the shops.

PLAYin CHOC are the modern alternative to Kinder Surprises. They’re boxes of individually wrapped chocolates with a pop-out, make your own toy made of cardboard, and an information card with facts. Aimed at children aged 3+, they provide a treat as well as an educational toy which they put together themselves.

The PLAYin CHOC chocolate is organic, dairy free, nut free, gluten free and the toys and packaging are all plastic free. The chocolate is sweetened with coconut sugar (coconut is not a nut but actually a fruit) and the creaminess of the chocolate comes from creamed coconut. There’s only cacao solids and vanilla pods which make up the rest of the ingredients of the chocolates.

We were sent a selection box of 6 PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc boxes in a collection for Christmas. Each box contains two chocolates of 10grams each, individually wrapped in compostable film. The toy is a 3D puzzle which pops out from the cardboard pressing and is assembled with little hands, and all the toys are on a Christmas theme. There’s also a fact card with each box which relates to the puzzle your child has made, giving them that extra entertainment.

These are lovely presents for Christmas – either on the Christmas table to keep children entertained, in the car on long trips or even in crackers. As they’re all compostable and recyclable as well, they fulfil the environmental check list too. These PLAYin CHOC boxes would be great as stocking fillers too, in the knowledge that each box doesn’t contain that much chocolate that it will spoil Christmas lunch, nor will children get hyperactive because there aren’t any additives involved. Christmas morning, making toy puzzles out of cardboard cut outs is much more preferable to the sirens and bells of other toys and games!

Is the chocolate any good? Well, I’ve tried PLAYin CHOC before and even tested the difference between them other High Street chocolates. There is no coconut taste, but PLAYin CHOC is slightly less sweet than other brands, probably because there is no added sugar, just coconut sugar. There’s still the creamy texture of chocolate, and of course, the cocoa makes sure that you still get your chocolate hit!

Gift sets will be available for £13.50 for 6 at: https://playinchoc.com/collections

Sistema’s Ocean Bound Plastic Lunchbox Range

camping, Children, Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Watch any news programme, documentary or read social media about the changes in climate this summer, especially in Europe, and you’ll know that we are heading for self-destruction. Plastic in the ocean is one of the reasons that ocean life is being destroyed and affecting the temperatures, and there’s a lot of plastic out there.

New Zealand company Sistema makes food storage containers from recycled ocean bound plastic. That means that 35% of the plastic used in their products would have been sent to the oceans but are instead recycled and made into new. They’re also BPA free so have less of the nasty chemicals that can leach into food and be harmful when ingested.

We were sent two products to test as part of our Back to School coverage; the Bento Cube to Go (dark blue) and Ribbon Lunch To Go (turquoise). Each of the cute boxes comes with compartments inside which make them easier to use. The Bento Cube has one long (half) compartment and one quarter compartment which sit on top of compartments in the Cube of the same size, making 4 different areas. They are completely removeable so you can make the areas bigger if you don’t need to separate them. There’s also a small screw-lid pot which holds 150ml. The Ribbon Lunch To Go box similarly has compartments but this time the box is separated in two, with the smaller compartment housing another box which is divided into two, therefore making 3 compartments in all. There’s also another 150ml pot which is removeable and can be used for dressings, yoghurt or housing something that might affect the other contents.

All of the pieces for each set are dishwasher safe and the pots can be microwaved up to 100 degrees centigrade. These are a great size to go into a backpack for back to school, especially for older children who need something more generic and might be heating things up in the microwave. Adults will love these too with all the different removable compartments so you can adjust what you’re lunching on – leftovers one day and sandwiches the next. They’re built to last too so you can guarantee they’re still useable by the end of the school year as well as durable!

Available at Amazon, Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and other retailers from £5.62.

https://www.sistemaplastics.com/uk/1-1l-ribbon-lunch-with-mini-bite-recycled

https://www.sistemaplastics.com/uk/1-25l-bento-cube-with-yogurt-pot-recycled

Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Earbuds

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Edifier have a huge range of headphone and earbuds available for all budgets, so this Christmas you’re bound to find a pair that are a suitable gift, or perfect for yourself!

The Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Earbuds are among the cheaper headphones (RRP £69.99) but still have all the features you’re looking for. The in-ear buds are Bluetooth and able to pair with phones, laptops or gaming computers. They’re especially good for gaming (or watching TV) because of the low latency connection between sound source and ears.

That’s not the only feature the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Earbuds have. Students will love these for studying or listening to lectures because they have active noise cancellation and environmental noise cancellation. If you’re not used to headphones which cancel out surrounding noise, then it comes a quite a shock when you can’t hear the traffic outside or the TV in another room. The sturdy earbuds are dust and splash proof, so work excellently in the gym or out for a run.

The earbuds come in a presentation box (as seen in the photo) where the charging cable, instructions and different sized spare earpieces are stored. The actual Edifier earbuds are in their own carry case which is where the charging happens. Each earbud ‘click’s into place by magnets in the case and you charge them using the USB cable provided. 10 minutes of charging gives an hour of play on the headphones, and a full charge gives 24 hours of play with the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) switched off, or 16 hours with ANC turned on. Long enough for a long haul flight or train journey from one end of the country to the other!

Connecting the headphones is easy. There’s a QR code on the back of the packaging or in the Instructions that allows you to download the Connect App to your device, or on my laptop they just connected when taken out the carry case and my laptop Bluetooth mode was switched to “Discover Mode”. The earbuds have a really useful feature whereby they can tell if you are taking them out, they automatically pause what they’re playing, the start again when you put them back in your ears.

Buying the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Earbuds won’t break the bank and you don’t need any extras with them such as a case or spare sets of ear pieces. The different size ear pieces make it easy to adapt them to any size ear whether for children or adults. The carry case fits nicely into a pocket so the only problem I would see with these earbuds is if you lose one!

The sound quality is excellent, so it’s surprising that they cost as little as they do, plus they’re on sale at the moment on Amazon for £49.99. As with all Edifier headphones, they’re not just a one trick pony whereby they deliver sound, but they have extra features that make them more comfortable, less frustrating and easily adaptable.

Available online for £69.99 (£49.99 at Amazon on sale):

Teeter Rocker

Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Children need lots of stimulation and the best way to do this is through play. Rockers are great for children as they encourage children to be active and they also help their balance and movement, especially when they discover that they can rock it by themselves. We’ve had our fair share of rocking toys over the years and the Teeter Rocker has to be the most unusual of them all. Created by the Fat Brain Toy Co the Teeter Rocker is a solid plastic toy and is suitable for children aged 3 to 10 years, with a maximum weight of 50kg. It is nice and solid and measures approximately 28 inches x 11.5 inches with a depth of 7.5inches. The thing that is different with this rocker is it has suckers on the bottom so when you play with it on a hard surface, like a wooden floor or patio, the suction from the suckers grips and releases as the child moves, creating a fun popping sound which our mini reviewers loved. The base is rounded meaning you can move it many different ways – forwards and backwards, side to side and even spin round on it too.

The toy has really captured our mini reviewers attention and they keep going back to it. Whilst it has been wet they have played with it indoors, it pops really well on our tiled kitchen floor and when it stopped raining they have taken it outside to play with on the patio and grass. Our 3 year old is small enough to sit in it and enjoys being gently rocked but is also learning that by moving his body he can rock it himself, it’s great to see his face light up when he spins round in it. Our 7 year old is more adventurous and has been trying keeping his balance whilst standing on it.

I have loved hearing the children playing with it this week, there’s been lots of shrieks and giggles as they discover new ways to play with it and it has been great seeing them play together with it and seeing who can do the most daring trick with it! It’s incredibly sturdy and is a great toy for helping their development and it is already a firm favourite with them.

RRP: £29.99

Stockists include: Happy Puzzle Company, Amazon and Smyths

Audio Pro A10 MKII Wireless Multiroom Speaker

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Tech

We received the speaker as a review sample but all words and opinions are our own.

Music is important to me, I enjoy sitting down in an evening and listening to a playlist through the stereo in our living room. Most of the time though, I’m listening to music whilst doing other things, working in the office or cooking and eating in the kitchen. In these rooms I’m limited to how to listen, I can wear headphones or just listen to music through the speaker on my phone but it just isn’t the same as listening on a proper sound system. This is where a wireless speaker comes in. The Audio Pro A10 MKII is a high quality speaker that connects to my network and allows me to stream music from anywhere in the house. It is part of the Audio Pro Multiroom system so can be combined and grouped with extra devices to play music across the house. It supports AirPlay2 and Google Cast along with Audio Pro Multiroom.

With a sophisticated dark grey cloth finish and metal controls (also available in light grey) the Scandinavian design fits discreetly in any room of the house and standing 193mm high and 140mm across it isn’t too large to get in the way. It feels high quality and weighs 1.5kg.

Setup of the speaker is easy with an app though although once it’s connected the speaker can be used on its own. There are three ways to connect, a direct connection over wifi is the main one but it’s easy to connect a phone using Bluetooth 5.0 or other music sources through a 3.5mm jack. On the rear of the speaker is a threaded socket allowing the speaker to be wall or ceiling mounted.

I mainly use Spotify for my music and once setup the speaker simply appears in the list of devices. For radio I’m a BBC fan so use their iPlayer app so I can use casting to send the radio onto the speaker. For all its good looks the sound quality is obviously the most important feature of any speaker and the A10 does not disappoint. It easily fills a room with music without a hint of distortion and though you’re never going to shake the foundations with a small speaker it is certainly good enough for me and I’d be happy listening to this anytime.

I mostly use my phone to control the music but there are a number of buttons on the top panel allowing you to play/pause, change the source or volume and four presets. I liked how these work, just start playing a Spotify playlist then hold the button. The playlist can be recalled at any time with just a press of the button. The only obvious missing feature is a skip button but it isn’t a major omission.

Using the app gives access to a few more features including a sleep timer, alarm clock and adjustment of the bass and treble.

Overall, I love the Audio Pro A10 MKII speaker, it is easy to link to my phone and has wonderful sound quality and would be a great addition to any home.

RRP £220 available from Audio Pro

Papersmith Calypso Notebook and Primo Pen

Birthday Gifts, Books, Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re like me and relish the thought of a new notebook to start journaling, making to do lists or sorting out your life, then Papersmiths is a brand you’ll love. If you’re returning to school or university, the colour options of both notepad and combination pen work as a lovely gift too.

Papersmiths’ A5 Notebooks are soft covered and come in 9 different colours. Unlike other notebooks, each one has numbered pages, going up to 236 pages in all and the page numbers are coloured as you progress through the book. We were sent a ruled-page version but you can also have plain pages or 5mm dot grid, depending on what you want to use it for. The notepad is bound with a thick 15mm spine and has a double contents page at the front for ease of making notes.

The cover is British made, in the Lake District and the inner pages are made especially for fountain pen ink, although you can use any pen or pencil and it’s bound together in Buckinghamshire, England by a 4^thgeneration binder.

The accompanying ball point pen you can see in the photos is also part of the Papersmith range. The Primo Pen, which is new to the available stock, is aluminium made for hardiness as well as being light to hold and has brass accents. I especially liked that this ballpoint writes really finely, much finer than mass produced ballpoint pens and doesn’t leave heavy ink blobs on the page when you put the nib down to write. There’s a nice flow to your writing when the ink is constant and easy. It may be pricy for a pen, but you can buy refills from the Papersmith website so that your pen can keep going for a lifetime! If however you prefer a different thickness of line, you can swap out the refills from ballpoint to gel and change the style of ink to suit your needs. They’re available in 6 colours to match or compliment your notebook.

Papersmiths also have a range of stationery accessories available, such as pen clips, notebook bands, diaries and desk planners as well as the refills mentioned above. You can also ask for the notebooks to be personalised before it’s sent out, and gift wrapped too!

I shall be using my new Calypso notebook for journaling ideas and using the page numbers to create a content at the front for future reference. Colour coding my notebooks in the future won’t be difficult with the ample amount of colours available on the Papersmith website, and for anyone using the notebooks for school or university, you will find it easy to use these beautiful notebooks.

Notebook (Calypso) available for £22.00:

https://www.papersmiths.co.uk/collections/papersmiths-notebooks/products/calypso-teal-notebook

Primo Pen (Peacock) available for £14.00:

Primo Pen – Peacock Green

EcoFlow River 2 Portable Power Station

camping, Days Out, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Summer, Tech

Disclaimer: we received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We just can’t get away from tech these days, whether it’s a trip to the beach or camping in the Lake District. It seems we can’t do without our gadgets.

We can all pretty much manage for a day without a charger but if we’re away for longer, then we’re going to need power. Now, a small battery pack will charge a phone but what about bigger devices that require a mains supply?

The River 2 from EcoFlow is a really compact portable power station, the smallest in the EcoFlow range, with a 256Wh capacity and 300W output. The size of a shoe box, it only weighs 3.5kg so is really easy to include when packing for a weekend away or trip in the car.

It is well built, with a flat top so it is easy to pack when travelling. The handle is mounted on the rear of the device which helpfully leaves room for any cables coming out of the back.

Included in the box are two charging leads, a mains charging lead (no adapter required) which takes only an hour to fully recharge the battery, and a car adapter that plugs into the solar connector on the back. Optionally it can be changed through the USB-C connector or for a truly portable option a solar panel can be connected too.

We enjoy going away in our motorhome and much prefer the more remote sites, often with no mains hookup. The sites are peaceful and quiet, but we do sometimes miss a main supply. We do a lot of cycling when we’re away and depending on how far we have ridden my e-bike will need charging, but up until now I have had no way to charge the bike with only a 12v supply. The battery on my bike is 250Ah so using the fully charged River 2 to charge the bike means I can do more cycling when we are on sites with no mains power. I’ve used it to charge my bike a couple of times and founds it only changed up to 90%, I’m not sure why but to be honest 90% is certainly good enough and means I can get another couple of days cycling in when we are away.

A while ago we bought an electric cool box which is great for keeping food and drinks cool when going out with the family. The only problem is whilst I can plug it in when driving, once we’re there we just have to hope it stays cool, with the EcoFlow River 2 I can now leave it plugged in (when set on low (20w) you get 7 hours of use) meaning the drinks are still cold when we get back to the car after a day out.

The EcoFlow River 2 can also be used as a UPS, it has a 30ms switchover so most devices will not notice a power cut and whilst it might not run a PC for too long, it will at least give you time to save your work before shutting down.

I’m going on Scout camp in a few weeks and the EcoFlow River 2 is definitely coming with me, lighting is usually a mixture of small headtorches and large gas lamps but it will be much easier to use a 240v LED flood light. If it works well, I might look at getting the optional solar panel for a daytime recharge whilst we are on camp.

It’s a great device once you know its limits. You’ll not be able to run anything that draws more power such as a cooking device, heater or kettle but for all your tech and low powered devices it’s great. There is a good selection of outputs too, in addition to the 240v socket there are 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C and a 12v “cigarette lighter” too.

I’m really impressed with the EcoFlow River 2, although it is the smallest model in the range, it has a real quality feel and doesn’t lack features. It is controllable with the mobile app using bluetooth or wifi, can be charged in 4 different ways and by using Lithium Iron Phosphate technology, the battery can be discharged 3000 times and should provide years of use.

RRP £269 available here

TOMY Megasketcher

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Toys

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We’re half way through the school holidays and the weather has been absolutely dreadful, with a lot more rainy days than dry ones, meaning we’ve had to spend more time indoors than I would have liked. Luckily our mini reviewers enjoy drawing, so they have been busy creating plenty of masterpieces with the Megasketcher from TOMY.

The Megasketcher measures 35cm x 45cm and has a handle at the top, allowing it to be easily carried around by children. It can be used on a desk, the floor or on their knee allowing them to draw wherever they prefer to be. The great thing about it is you don’t need pens or paper so there’s none of the mess or waste that art sessions in our house normally bring!

With a magnetic pencil (attached to the board with a cord so no chance of losing it) and four shape stampers, the only thing they need is a bit of imagination! They can draw or write on the board and the shapes are great for adding extra detail to the pictures. Once they have finished, simply move the orange knob up to magically erase the picture and then they are ready to start again.

As well as being great fun and encouraging creativity, it has really helped our mini reviewers learn how to hold a pen properly and has helped their hand-eye co ordination.

Megasketcher has been the best in the field of magnetic drawing boards for almost 30 years, I remember having one as a child and it’s just as fascinating using one now as it was all those years ago! I’m not sure who is having the most fun with it – me or them!!

RRP: £18.99

Suitable for ages 3+

Available from Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Very, Littlewoods, John Lewis and Independent Toy Retailers

Readly Subscription

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, Books, camping, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It’s holiday time again and we’re off in the motorhome. We love our road trips but living in such a compact space does have its challenges, the most difficult perhaps – clutter! It is so easy to take too much stuff and with limited space you end up constantly moving it from the table to the bed and back again!

We both love reading and before any trip stock up on a few magazines. I like tech and model making but might pick something different just for a change. My wife likes food and gardening magazines, but it does mean that wherever you try to sit there is a magazine in the way!

This time I’m going to avoid this problem entirely by not taking any magazines with me, but I won’t miss out because I have a Readly subscription that allows me to pick from a massive number of different magazines and read them on my tablet or phone.

There is a huge choice, my usual favourites are there but there are also titles that I might not normally choose and they’re all available for one monthly price.

Sometimes we struggle for internet (we do choose so out of the way places to camp) but that’s not a problem either, we can download magazines to the tablet and read them later. Once we’re done, delete the files and start again.

I wasn’t too sure how I’d take to reading on a screen, but I found it to be brilliant, the pages are rendered in a very high quality and if I needed larger text the page zooms easily. I was just as impressed with the app on my phone! Whilst the screen is not a big as my tablet, many magazines use an “Article View” that re-formats each article for better reading on a mobile device. All the content remains the same, but it is presented in a more natural scrolling experience.

With over 7000 titles available it could be easy to get lost, but each publication is categorised and once you find a magazine you like you can add it to your favourites. Not only are the current editions available but many magazines have back issues too, one of the magazines I occasionally dip into is The Magpi, looking at that the back issues are available back to August 2018 which will keep me going for a while!

At £9.99 per month, a Readly subscription isn’t much more than some magazines and allows you to read as many as you like without worrying if you’re going to enjoy them or not, just move on and download another!

There is currently an offer on the website where you can try it for a month free of charge – perfect for summer holiday reading!

Kikkerland Wooden Pinball Game

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Learning, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

With Christmas approaching, we’re all looking for the perfect gift for the perfect occasion. Have you thought about the stocking fillers yet though? What about Secret Santa?

Kikkerland have masses of items available for Christmas this year including these Wooden Pinball Games. Each hand-held game works in the same way as the traditional pinball machines, with 5 ball bearings, a spring shooter and points to be made. Children will love being able to pull back the spring and count up the points they earn, or if they don’t have the dexterity yet, they can wobble the game so that the balls end up in the right goals. It’s great for children under 7 to get their fine motor skills honed and allow them to learn about physics, gravity and keep them occupied. This would be great for the car or on plane journeys as it’s small (only 13.7cm by 9cm) and very hardy because it’s made of plywood with a plastic front.

They’re not just for children either. What about buying one as a Secret Santa? Or for a teenager with the obligatory notes of money attached to it? They’re easy to post as well so will fit into an envelope and be sent off overseas as a parcel.

It’s pretty addictive too! Trying to get all the silver ball bearings into the goals is really difficult without tipping the game one way or the other, and once they are in, you have to kept it dead still so that they don’t roll out again!

There are 3 games to collect; owl, bear and frog, each with a different pattern of goals and distractors. Can your household get maximum points scored in each of the games – and keep them that way?

Acailable from £13 online at: https://kikkerlandeu.com/products/wooden-pinball?_pos=1&_sid=57f627a94&_ss=r

Zero Ready-Read Water Filter Jug

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Home, Home & Garden

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Zero Water have a new water filter jug available which not only filters out all of the dissolved solids in your tap water, but this filter is both a pourable jug and has a dispensing spigot.

What’s a spigot? It’s that attachment you find on office water coolers where you lift the lever and dispense the water straight into your cup or water bottle. Makes life much easier with little ones around!

The Zero Ready-Read Water Filter holds 2.8 litres in all, which is 12 cups and the pack comes with a filter included and a handy TSD meter. The TSD meter reads. The Total Dissolved Solids in parts per million, giving you an indication of how un-pure your tap water really is. The Zero Ready-Read filters out a guaranteed 100% of the dissolved solids in your water. The meter allows you to test your water before and after filtration to see the difference, and it’s also handy to see when your Zero filter cartridge needs changing – as soon as there is a reading above ‘zero’ on the meter, you need to change the cartridge!

The cartridge has 5 stages of filtration. Fine sediments are taken out at the top of the cartridge, then suspended solids. Organic contaminants are then filtered out, which helps prevent bacteria from forming. Inorganic compounds, metals and non-metals are then removed and lastly the ultra-fine sediments are taken out to leave pure water. If you’re doing the dissolved solids test with the TSD meter, you’ll learn quickly what the difference is between your tap water and the Zero filtered water if you just taste before and after. There’s a marked difference between the two and it takes a while to get used to the taste difference.

The other differences are on your kettle and when making tea or coffee. The kettle doesn’t fur up with limescale anywhere near as quickly, if at all, when you live an extremely hard water area like I do. Tea tastes different because you haven’t got the added minerals and it leaves no film on top when you make the tea. Coffee also filters really quickly because you’re not adding any other minerals to the coffee filtering through and again, it leaves a different taste.

The Zero cartridges aren’t small, so if you’re thinking of buying one of these I would make sure you have room for not just the filter (which can fit in the door of most fridges) but also have room for the spare cartridges. You can buy the spare cartridges through the Zero Water website and other online retailers, and the website has a subscription service as the filters last on average a month at a time, depending on how much you use the filters. Test with the TSD meter before you replace them though and then you’ll get the maximum value from your subscription.

I’ve tried other filters in the past, and the Zero Water filters are the only ones which remove ALL of the dissolved solids from the water and have the capacity to filter out larger volumes of water, like the Zero Ready-Read Water Filter can.

Available online from £44.99 at:

ZeroWater 12 Cup / 2.8L Ready-Read™ Jug

Floozie Stuffed Cookies

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Gluten Free, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I have a very sweet tooth and I’m especially partial to cookies so was really pleased to discover that the Covent Garden based, vegan cookie brand Floozie now offer a mail order service – meaning more people outside of London can enjoy their delicious cookies.

Founded back in 2020 by pastry chef Kimberly Lin, Floozie cookies are available in eight different flavours, Cinnamon Crunch, Celebration Cookie, Blackforest, Chocolate Chunk, Pecan Pie, Peanut Butter & Jam, Triple Chocolate and a Seasonal Special so there is something to suit every taste. The Peanut Butter & Jam and Blackforest cookies are also gluten free.

A box of 6 cookies costs £17.50 and they are nicely packaged in a pink box with two sliding drawers, each containing 3 individually wrapped cookies. Opening the drawers and discovering the cookies made me feel like I had received a really special treat and because of this I think they make great gifts for a friend or loved one.

Inside the box is a handy card showing all the flavours and it was quite difficult choosing which one to try first! The cookies are a good size, about 3 inches across, and are large enough to share – although they are so good you may not want to!!

Each cookie was fresh, flavoursome and incredibly moreish and after sampling them all the Triple Chocolate was my favourite, with a soft gooey chocolately middle the cookie was incredibly moreish. The pink Celebration cookie with homemade raspberry jam came a very close 2^nd being soft and tangy with just the right amount of jam and the sprinkles added a satisfying crunch.

When ordering online you can customise the mix of flavours in your box but if like me you find it hard to choose the cookies are available in larger boxes of 12, 18 and 24 cookies. Orders placed Monday to Friday are shipped within 48hrs and orders placed after 5pm on Friday and Saturday or Sunday are shipped within two working days.

If you are wanting to send a birthday, anniversary, or general ‘thinking of you’ gift through the post, I can highly recommend a box of Floozie Cookies. They are guaranteed to bring a smile to the recipient’s face, and I will certainly be ordering more both as a treat for myself and as gifts in the future.

Higgidy Snacking and Picnic Food

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We did intend to bring you lots of products to showcase an amazing summer, picnics outside and BBQ season, but given the weather, we’re sitting indoors comfort eating instead!

Despite the weather, Higgidy have a massive range of foods for sharing, snacking, picnics and to cater for vegan and vegetarian friends. Their handy sharing sizes and snacking mini quiches make them ideal for any time of year, not just summer, and can be for lunch or dinner too. We were sent a selection of items to try out, including;

Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche
Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan Rolls
Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins
Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins
Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices

Quite the variety! The snacks we were sent were vegetarian, not vegan, with the exception of the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche. I had tried one or two of the Higgidy foods before but never any of this variety, so picnic I did… albeit indoors!

All of the foods can be eaten straight from the box cold, or heated up. I preferred to have them heated but it depends how you like the eat them. As part of a packed lunch, they’re perfect because they’re already prepared, there’s nothing that needs adding to them and you can eat a selection at a time or a whole quiche for instance. The sharing boxes are designed to pack easily for picnics or taking out with children. The boxes are also great for hands to dip into and share!

I loved the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche with its light fluffy texture and ultra thin crust. I warmed it in the oven and it’s very easy to eat just with a fork. The Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices are like little pockets where you can’t taste either the feta or the vegetables but they are there, and combined create a lovely ensemble. The Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins and Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins were each delicious when warmed in the oven, with my favourite being the Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins. They’re really filling but very soft, especially when warmed and each of them has a lovely flavour of Cheddar Cheese to them. The Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan roles were a hit in my house because of their lovely spicy flavour to them, but all vegan so there’s some healthy veg in there too!

Higgidy have ample more food on their website and selected supermarkets store a whole range of their sharing nibbles and snacks, including Waitrose and Ocado:

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/search?&searchTerm=higgidy

Weleda Arnica

beauty, cruelty-free, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Sport, Vegan

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I have been fan of natural beauty brand Weleda for years and their Skin Food is one of my favourite beauty products as it has a multitude of uses. Weleda harness the vitality of nature and all their products work in harmony with your body’s own restorative abilities, so it’s no surprise to discover that they have a range containing Arnica – a herbal remedy for bruises, aches and pains which is prized for its ability to ease muscle tension and aid recovery from over-exertion.

With a number of long walks and bike rides planned over the summer, it was the perfect opportunity to try them for myself and once I started using them I was left wondering how I have managed to overlook the Arnica range, when I have been purchasing Weleda products for years?

There are few things in life more relaxing than a long hot bath, especially after a long bike ride or walk when my legs are aching. The Weleda Arnica Muscle Soak (£16.25) was a welcome addition to my post exercise bath and the wonderful blend of arnica, flowers, birch leaves and rosemary and lavender essential oils helped not only my muscles to relax but my mind too. I came out of the bath feeling relaxed and using it before bed definitely helps me sleep better.

As a keen cyclist I couldn’t wait to use the massage oil (£18.95) on my aching legs after a gruelling 50 mile ride. After a hot bath it was just the thing to soothe all my aches and pains away. The pump dispenser made it easy to dispense just the right amount of oil and I found I only needed a small amount to massage my weary legs. It glides onto skin nicely and as soon as I applied it, I could feel the warming and soothing ingredients getting to work. My skin felt nourished and it helped my tired muscles relax. The lavender fragrance isn’t overpowering, just nice and calming.

The Weleda Sport Arnica Energising Shower Gel (£8.25) is perfect to pop in your gym bag for a refreshing post exercise shower. With an invigorating organic rosemary and lavender scent it revitalises both body and mind, whilst the arnica gets to work on tired muscles. It’s also one of the very few sports shower gels available that is also 100% certified natural.

When I’m cycling, I always end up with bruises on my legs where the pedals have caught them so the Arnica Cooling Gel (£8.95) has come in very handy. The tube is small enough to fit in my bike bag giving instant relief to my legs.

It’s important to relax and unwind after any sporting activity and these are just the products you need to aid recovery. Available from Weleda here

Clean Co Gin Alternative

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Not everybody likes to drink at Christmas, and some people can’t. There’s always the gift giving ritual which some employers especially don’t sanction having alcohol around. Thankfully, there are more companies on the market nowadays who product non or low alcohol drinks like Clean Co. Clean Co produce a range of Alternative Spirits including whisky, rum and a selection of gins. We were sent this bottle of Clean G Gin Alternative spirit to test out for the Christmas market. Was it up to the gin spirit?

Clean Co’s Gin Alternative, in this fetching Art Deco style bottle, holds 70cl of zero sugar, non-alcoholic gin. That means it’s made with a juniper source by a process which brings out the flavour more, and distilled into the Clean Go version of a London Dry Gin. It even has the botanical flavours of a gin, just without the alcohol. It has a slightly cloudy look to it, which is part of the botanical method which gives it the distinct flavour. There’s no sweeteners involved, absolutely no sugar and the distilling producing only 0.5% ABV which is a trace of alcohol. It’s also vegan, lactose free and Gluten Free. You’ll also find just 14 calories per 50ml (single shot) serving.

As for the taste… this Alternative Gin is not meant to be consumed neat, so adding your favourite mixer will enhance the flavour as well as make it your own. There really isn’t much difference between the Clean Co Alternative Gin and the standard, alcohol gin you buy in the shops. It has a bitter taste, but not so much sugar flavour to it, and mixes well with a tonic and decorations such as lemon or lime. The bottle arrived with a handy set of cocktail recipe cards which you can keep along side your Clean Co bottle for when you want to mix it up in the future.

Clean Co Alternative Gin is not only great for Christmas time, especially when you’re busy with everything else and need a clear head, but it makes a great gift for those who are doing Dry January and still want to feel like they’re drinking, but not cheating!

Available from £16.00 at: https://clean.co/collections/shop/products/cleang-non-alcoholic