Birthday Gifts – Page 11 – The Review Studio

Immature Garden – Home Grown Microgreens

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, Home, Subscription Boxes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

What a great gift! The team at Immature Garden sent us one of their Large Microgreen Growing Kits to show us how indoor planting of microgreens is not only easy, but a great present for anyone. We had no idea what was in the kit when it arrived, so what you’re seeing is a succession of photos as we unpacked what was inside. Read on to see how it works…

Anita and Arnold founded Immature Garden in 2019 when they couldn’t find a sustainable, easy way to grow microgreens at home. Fast forward to today and they do indeed have a lovely business growing microgreens, selling the kit and everything that goes with it. What are microgreens though? Vegetables which you would normally go and buy in the shops at maturity are just as nutritious, if not more, when they are seedlings and before the vegetables or fruits start to grow. You see microgreens on lots of restaurant dishes and if you are serious about increasing your ‘5 a day’ to increase your nutrition intake, microgreens are the way to go. They’re also excellent for growing indoors and during the colder months where you can just cut them down and use them as you need them.

We were sent the Large Microgreen Grow Kit which has more than enough of everything for you to be able to grow microgreens for yourself. Within the box, there are 3 coconut shell and 6 packets of coco soil. Hidden within the box (and this is great for kids as you have to pull the box apart to find what’s hidden at the bottom!) contains three different types of microgreen seeds; radish, kale and clover. The box comes with instructions or there is a video online but if you’re a gardener or have grown microgreens before, you’ll know how easy it is to put together.

The soil provided is just the right amount for each of the coconut bowls. Empty one packet into a bowl, keeping the plastic bag to one side. Fish out one of the packets of seeds – a whole packet covers the soil of one bowl as long as you spread the seeds out evenly and this is important to stop them from becoming mouldy. Water them sparingly just so that the soil and seeds are wet. Using the plastic bag the soil came in, enclose the bowls and seal up the bag so that there is enough heat generated for the seeds to germinate. Once they have started to sprout, you can take them out of the bag and keep them indoors until they grow to a reasonable height. The seeds will keep growing unless you cut them and use them, but with the multiple packs you can keep the Immature Garden going for several months – and order more seeds from the website too.

This is a fabulous gift for anyone who is interested in either cooking or gardening, and families with children will love it too as they learn about growing seeds as well as being hands-on. I recommend starting the kit outdoors so that the soil doesn’t go everywhere, which is what I did, then you can move the bowls in the bags indoors. The kit can be started any time of year not just in summer so as a gift it would be great for Christmas, and in the winter is when we need more nutritious food that can’t be found in shops as easily. It’s also great fun watching them grow and make beautiful centre pieces for dining tables and decoration on shelves!

Check back to see my photos as the kale, clover and radishes sprout and grow – I can’t wait!

Large kit £33.80: https://www.immaturegarden.co.uk/product-page/Large-Microgreen-Grow-Kit

Starter kit: £17.75: https://www.immaturegarden.co.uk/product-page/Starter-Microgreen-Grow-Kit

UPDATE: We have some germinated seeds already! Don’t they look fab!

New Edifier W830NB headphones Over-ear Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Tech

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

Edifier are increasingly a big name in speaker and headphones and the new Edifier W830NB .are no exception. This over-ear, over-head headphones are an improvement to the already fantastic value for money Edifier models headphones out there. We were sent a pair to try out this week, and of course report back to you!

These Edifier W830NB come in three colours; gray, sandwhite and these black ones. The headphones are noise-cancelling which means you can’t hear much outside of what you are listening to, but you can turn on ambient sound. There’s also a nifty ability to turn on High Noise Cancellation too using the buttons on the earpiece. This feature is great for children as the button is annotated with a voice so they know which setting they’re on without having to take the headphones off and look for a light. Makes life much easier if you’re snuggled up with the headphones set just right and you don’t want to move!

There are lots of technical terms with these Edifier W830NB headphones so I’ll try and keep them easy to understand. The ear pieces are high quality speakers for better sound, there’s an 18% increase in the noise cancellation on these headphones compared to previous models and the focus of the sound is different to give a more all-round cinema like quality to the audio. In addition, there’s also technology on the ambient sound which allows human voices to be heard where other outside noises are filtered out. The headphones are also easily foldable for travel or even carrying in a handbag or on the commute thanks to the swivel ear pieces.

It’s super easy to connect the headphones through Bluetooth. I connected to my laptop by just pressing the Bluetooth button on the headset until the blue light came on, then opening my laptop Bluetooth settings and the headphones were immediately found. This added the Edifier W830NB to my library of Bluetooth products so that whenever I turn the headphones on again, the laptop finds them and connects. Not all laptops or devices work the same way though, and if they can’t connect to your headphones, check that your device is Bluetooth V5.4 compatible, which is the latest technology and what these Edifier W830NB are built with.

The Edifier W830NB headphones use a USB-C port on the earpiece to charge. There’s a staggering 94 hours play time on a full charge but we haven’t had a chance to test them for that long yet! 94 hours is the play time with ambient noise cancellation off; with ANC on it’s still a massive 54 hours. Charging time isn’t long either, with a part charge of 15 minutes giving you 10 hours listening time. The USB-C cable acts as a wired cable so that if you do run out of charge, you can switch to wired if necessary.

The usual high-quality, easy functioning of Edifier makes these Edifier W830NB headphones suitable for the whole family without being over priced and over complicated. Excellent sound quality and lightweight enough to carry anywhere too!

Usually £79.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-W830NB-Headphones-Cancelling-Multipoint-Black/dp/B0D2VH915C?th=1

Cocoba Chocolates

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers

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

Chocolate aficionados will know that supermarket chocolate is not what it used to be. Thankfully, there are lots of new chocolate companies out there who are killing it in the market with those who appreciate good chocolate. Cocoba Chocolate is one of those companies, starting as a pop-up hot chocolate drinking shop in Brent Cross, London. Founder Darren comes from Australia and arrived in Blighty to find that he couldn’t find the same quality hot chocolate he was used to growing up. So he made his own. From hot chocolate, the business grew and now includes bars, boxes of chocolates, truffles and a whole range of gifts. We were sent some bars of Cocoba Intense 70% Dark Chocolate, Cocoba Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Buttons and Cocoba Cocoa Dusted Salted Toffee Truffles.

I started with the Salted Caramel Chocolate Buttons (you’ve got to start somewhere, right?) as they’re so easy to open and pop into your mouth. It only takes one button to give you that chocolate hit and they’re relatively small so I had these as mini-snacks after lunch or with a cup of coffee. They’re very smooth milk chocolate but with a hint of the salted caramel to them which makes them extra sweet and a bit crunchy. To add a different dimension, keep them in the fridge and then let them melt in your mouth after a hot drink to feel the texture as well as savour the flavour.

The mini bars of chocolate (33 grams) are 70% dark chocolate, hence they’re called Intense 70% Dark, and they are certainly intense! There’s no flavour to them other than the dark chocolate and very few ingredients either, just cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter and natural vanilla flavouring. I love dark chocolate anyway and these are perfect because the size means they’re a light snack, fit into a lunch box or are beautiful after dinner, but 70% dark chocolate isn’t so rich that it’s difficult to eat.

Finally, the Cocoba Cocoa Dusted Salted Toffee Truffles were my favourite! Truffles are a big hit with me anyway but I didn’t know that these were going to be such dark, smooth chocolate and have the extra texture of the salted toffee. You can taste both the salt in them and the small pieces of toffee that get into your teeth – but don’t worry, they’re not toffee enough to take out your fillings! You can really taste the soft cream in these and the cocoa coating is left on your hands when you pick them up. They’re great for after dinner or for sharing and make magical gifts as well.

I’m never one to refuse chocolate but when it’s good quality chocolate like this? What is there not to like?

Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Bag £4.95: https://www.cocobachocolate.com/products/salted-caramel-milk-chocolate-buttons?_pos=3&_sid=954c85107&_ss=r

Cocoa Dusted Salted Toffee Truffles £7.95: https://www.cocobachocolate.com/products/cocoba-cocoa-dusted-salted-toffee-truffles?_pos=1&_sid=94397d296&_ss=r

Intense Dark Chocolate Mini Bar 70% £2.50: https://www.cocobachocolate.com/products/intense-71-dark-chocolate-mini-bar?_pos=1&_psq=intense-dark&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Kitchen Therapy- book by Charlotte Hastings

Birthday Gifts, Books, Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Home

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

There are self help books, cookery books and creativity ideas but Kitchen Therapy combines all of them to bring to you a new way of cooking – the way of conscious cooking.

Charlotte Hastings has a background in anthropology, has been head of Drama at a school for children with autism, ADHD and dyslexia and is a psychodynamic therapist. Until recently, these would all have looked like completely unrelated careers with no link to mental health and well-being but the premise of the book is that good health and good mental health come from looking after yourself from the food you eat and the way you prepare it.

The book starts with Kitchen Therapy. This is the practice of using good food, preparing it and even growing it in a way in which is more nutritious and works on your health from the inside out. Science have long believed that it’s not good enough to just eat your greens and have 3 meals a day, but the practice of growing food is good for your mental health, the process of gathering ingredients and preparing a meal is good for your soul. The creativity it brings to your life is just as nourishing as the food, which if you look at the spectrum of the foods available to us today, is the broadest and healthiest it has ever been, if you just look for it.

The book is not for the casual reader but more someone who is engrossed in either food or self-help or both. There are ‘Time to Reflect’ sessions which Hastings asks thoughtful questions about lifestyle and food. The book continues with a section of recipes called The Cards which again goes into depth about foods such as chocolate and tea and then different foodstuffs and meals.

The book is quite long and takes some time to get through with the amount of new information and references it makes. There is a ton of new material in there which if you are not familiar with a more holistic lifestyle will take a long while to get used to. It’s best read in total and then used as a reference book as the concepts make the recipes cards and some of the food choices more understandable. It’s totally different to a cookbook though, and it’s not self-help but it is hugely explanatory and life changing for anyone who isn’t used to the connection of food and their quality of life, as well as health.

Available from £14.99 online: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Therapy-Charlotte-Hastings/dp/1911383906/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11YY8DZA5VN0N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZUdca1dSTAyIE7g_2G3abtb5_qCi1N6A-6RBalhfgho.ZjdloNmqTB0WsRV-n3rFmBjr_L7Q0TqpzqlKe1xtfsE&dib_tag=se&keywords=kitchen+therapy+charlotte+hastings&qid=1720190646&sprefix=kitchen+thereapy%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1

Weleda Arnica Shower Gel, Cooling Gel, Massage Oil and Muscle Soak

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Sport, Summer

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

My journey in running started about 7 months ago where I had never previously even thought about running before. With the help of a coach I was running the 5 km local Park Run, albeit mostly walking, and the learning began.

Weleda’s Arnica products were created for sports enthusiasts, especially runners who need that quick recovery before another jaunt outdoors or on the treadmill. Arnica is well known as a natural anti-inflammatory and is great for bruised, helping tissue recover quickly thanks to over 150 pharmaceutically active compounds. We were sent the Arnica Muscle Soak, Sport Energising Shower Gel, Arnica Cooling Gen and Arnica Massage Oil. I was on a mission after my Saturday Park Run to try them all!

The Arnica Soothing Gel can be applied both before and after exercise. I usually use as spray before a run to help my calves which are the problem area that get the most sore so by using Weleda’s Arnica Cooling Gel before the run, my muscles were well prepped. The gel has a lovely herbal smell, and you don’t need a lot as it absorbs into the skin easily. Unlike other gels, it doesn’t tingle or make any sensations, it just absorbs over time and helps refresh muscles.

Post run, the Weleda Energising Sports Gel certainly lives up to its name with a zesty, invigorating fragrance that can’t be missed! Although it’s a gentle cleanser, it’s the scent that will bring you round and the rousing injection of energy it gives you as you shower. You could even use this in the bath if you wanted to, but post workout or post run it certainly wakes you up and leaves a bright fragrance on the skin too.

If showers aren’t for you, or if you’re in need of some extra care post-run, the Weleda Arnica Muscle Soak is a bath milk with added refreshment. With a similar fruity fragrance to the Soothing Gel (but not zesty like the Sports Gel), the Arnica Muscle Soak is aimed at recovery and relaxation. The mind is also calmed with the fragrance and provides an overall mind and body wind-down. This is a lovely scent, and comes in a stylish glass bottle which is better for the environment but could also be a great gift.

Finally, the Weleda Massage Oil is for serious recovery or the hardcore athlete. The massage oil is incredibly rich and yes, it’s a real oil! The herbaceous smell has more of an arnica twist to it than any of the other products and requires thorough massage, not just a light touch. The aroma is lovely though and very relaxing, and the result of the massage oil being worked into tired muscles really is relaxing. Just sitting here as I type with the oil rubbed into my tired arms is making me drift off to sleep with the fragrance as well as the arnica working into my body. Of all the products, I think this one has had the biggest effect, but working together all of the Weleda products create a sense of calm.

Each of them, in different ways help with the recovery from sports and workouts and are only a fraction of the much wider Weleda product range and even more in the Weleda Arnica range.

If you’re looking for a gift for someone who is running or starting their exercise journey, the Weleda Arnica range is perfect and such a luxury after a long session. We were sent the products in a beautiful orange vanity bag which fits the Weleda Arnica range nicely. Pure luxury as well as a very useful essential for runners.

The Arnica range can be bought online here: https://www.weleda.co.uk/natural-ingredients/lead-plants/arnica

Helly Hansen Walking Gear

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, National Walking Month, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Winter, Women

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

Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health and fitness, it’s an excellent form of exercise that anyone can do and walking regularly offers a lot of health benefits – both physical and mental. Walking briskly is a great cardio workout, helping to lower blood pressure and regular brisk walking can also burn around 300-400 calories an hour which is a great way to help you lose those unwanted pounds. Walking also helps strengthen bones and muscles and being outdoors will top up your vitamin D levels – a vitamin a lot of people in the UK are deficient in. On top of all this walking also releases endorphins in your body, creating a general feeling of wellbeing which also helps boost your mood. If I’m feeling stressed I go for a brisk walk on the fells and it never fails to make me feel better!

You don’t have to walk for hours either – a brisk 10 minute walk contributes to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. Try going for a walk at lunchtime, either alone or with colleagues, it’s a great way to clear your head and get some fresh air and you’ll soon feel the benefits.

Obviously going for a walk is free but once you start walking regularly it is worth investing in some walking gear to keep you warm and dry. We’ve been trying out some Helly Hansen gear over the last couple of weeks and with the mix of weather we have been having recently we’ve been able to really put them to the test!

A good pair of boots are a must if you are going to do a lot of walking and if you intend to walk regularly on rocky and uneven ground then a full height boot offers more ankle protection than a shoe. Another advantage is the higher fronts keep your feet drier when walking through wet grass or boggy ground! I walk hundreds of miles a year so need a pair that not only support my feet but keep them warm and dry no matter what the terrain. The Helly Hansen Roamfree HELLY TECH® Hiking Boots have the HH Max-Comfort insole, an outsole built with maximum grip and traction and are waterproof and breathable too so tick all the boxes on my ideal boot list!

On my first walk I quickly decided that they are a great pair of boots – the sole feels very strong and has the right balance of flex and rigidity, helping me feel equally confident on both rough ground and wet grass. The boots have plenty of padding around the ankle and comfortable on long walks. The HELLY TECH® Waterproof technology, combined with HH Quick Dry and HH Max-Vent makes them waterproof while ensuring maximum breathability, keeping my feet happy no matter what the weather and ground conditions are.

These are boots that are made to last and I’m looking forward to covering thousands of miles in them over the coming years.

RRP £150 available in sizes 6.5 to 12.5

If you’re planning on going for longer walks, then a rucksack is a must to carry essentials which in my case is usually food and a waterproof coat! The Generator Backpack is a 20 litre rucksack which is available in a choice of two colours – deep canyon (a dark orange colour) and black and it is the perfect size for a day hike. The rucksack has one main compartment, handily split into 2 sections, the thinner pocket is intended for a water bladder but it’s also the perfect size for a couple of sit mats. The bladder hanger loop is a great place to fasten my keys to so I don’t need to hunt for them in the bottom of the bag when I get back to the car! I especially like the small front pocket which has a soft fabric lining which is ideal for protecting cameras and phones. The main section is plenty large enough for waterproofs, maps and a lunchbox and if you need more space there is an expandable stuff pocket on the front which is great for stuffing a jumper in when you get too warm. All the zips have large zip pulls making them easy to open, even when wearing gloves.

The back panel, shoulder straps and waist belt are covered with 3D air mesh for comfort and ventilation when walking. The belt helps to stop any sideways movement and transfers some of the weight from my shoulders which makes a big difference on longer walks. The belt also has two small zipped pockets which are perfect for keeping money for an ice cream as well as some sweets and tissues.

The addition of some clever features like the reflective webbing attachment for a bike light and a sternum whistle means this rucksack is ideal for both walking and cycling.

RRP £100

I always carry a lightweight down jacket when I’m hiking as whilst it might be lovely and sunny when you set off it’s surprising just how cold it gets when you reach the top of a mountain. The Verglas Hooded Down Hybrid is an ideal coat for hiking as it can be worn as an outer layer but it’s also thin enough to wear under a waterproof jacket. It’s great when you’re hiking as it squashes up nice and small inside it’s own pocket meaning it doesn’t take up much space in your rucksack.

The coat is made of down, PrimaLoft® insulation and a 20D Nano ripstop fabric and has large panels of breathable softshell throughout. The combination of these materials gives a super cosy and breathable insulated jacket that keeps you nice and warm when you’re walking. The jacket is water-resistant and made with certified bluesign® materials.

The cut and fit are good, it is a nice length and the adjustable elastic cords in the hem help give a perfect fit. It has a decent sized hood and once it is fully zipped up stays in place, even in windy weather. The jacket isn’t too bulky and you’ll be nice and snug whether you’re walking the dog, climbing a mountain or sitting by a campfire on a chilly night.

Available in a choice of four colours this jacket will keep you warm and cosy on all your adventures.

RRP £200 but currently on sale at £140

Now the sun has finally made an appearance I like to walk in shorts, in addition to being more breathable and quicker to dry than trousers, shorts don’t restrict movement quite the same as trousers do so you can confidently scramble up boulders, climb over stiles and walk for miles in them.

The Women’s Tech Trail Shorts are available in four different colours in sizes XS to XL and are made with a 4 way stretch fabric which makes them really comfortable to wear. The wide elastic waistband is easy to pull over my hips and they have an interior drawcord so you can tighten the waistband. There is a zipped back pocket which, whilst not large enough for a phone is useful for keeping your keys or a tissue in. The shorts are very light and loose fitting and the fabric is breathable, moisture wicking and has UPF30+ sun protection meaning they are great for walking in hot weather. If you’re going abroad this summer then you need to make sure you pack a couple of pairs in your suitcase as they’re really lightweight and dry really quickly.

RRP £50

Whilst we’ve not seen a lot of sun yet this summer it is important to wear a hat when walking as it will help shade you from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The Roam hat is a broad brim hat that can be worn in two different ways, with a wide brim, or you can fasten the sides up using the two poppers on either side of the hat. The hat has a handy removeable cord which is useful for keeping the hat on your head in windy weather or it can be used to attach it to your rucksack so it doesn’t get lost when you’re not wearing it.

The hat is made of a quick dry polyester fabric and it’s as it’s been wet quite a few times over the last few weeks I can confirm it does dry quickly! The hat provides great protection from the sun, keeps the rain off your glasses when it’s raining and is lightweight, comfortable to wear and holds up extremely well to being folded and crushed inside a rucksack.

Available in Navy and Aluminium the hat has a RRP of £40

A decent pair of socks are essential to keep your feet comfortable and free from blisters when you’re out walking. It’s definitely worth investing in some proper hiking socks rather than just wearing any old pair of socks as hiking socks are designed to increase ventilation, wick moisture and offer support to your feet in all the right places. The Unisex Hiking Quarter Socks are made of 44% polyamide 37% polypropylene 17% merino Wool and 2% elastane and are incredibly comfortable to wear, providing a snug fit and feeling very supportive on my feet. The cushioning underfoot gives excellent shock absorption, especially on rocky ground and even when walking in warm weather my feet didn’t feel hot or sweaty.

I’ve worn these quite a few times now and on longer walks these are my “go to” socks as they are so comfortable to wear and I haven’t had a single blister when wearing them – even on 15 mile walks!

RRP £20

With these basics you’ll have everything you need for a summer of adventuring so lace up those boots, grab your rucksack and make the most of the light evenings – happy hiking!!

Who the Hell Are You? Book by Ant Austen

Birthday Gifts, Books, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Mental Health Awareness, Summer

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

Self development books rarely teach you something new nowadays nor are they well written but I couldn’t put down the new book from Ant Austen – Who The Hell Are You?

The premise of the book is to find out who you are, which let’s face it, most self-help books are about anyway. The way Austen approaches the subject is more engaging than most books though and that’s what’s kept me hooked. At this point in my life, I have read an awful lot of books and am looking for a new direction so the idea of finding out “Who The Hell Are You?” is both exhausting and poignant. Austen talks from personal experience where he ran a removal business in the UK, was working weekend and every hour he could in order to fulfil the Hard work = success mantra but having no idea what success looked like to him, or what he was sacrificing. It’s a familiar story to many of us nowadays.

The book looks at several aspects of human psychology to both explain how we work, and to go through some exercises to find out what we want. To me, one of the lightbulb moments was when he was explaining about the Law of Attraction in a different way to how it’s been presented to me before and it suddenly made sense. The idea that when you feel good, you’re starting to work with The Law of Attraction. This cemented in me the need to be positive all the time (gratitude) and create good emotions all the time in order to be in the right place. The second principle that hit home was that the Law of Attraction works on like attracting like. So, if you’re in a good place, feeling good, then you are going to attract good people and good things, which translates into things you like. It sounds simple but if you’re not understanding one aspect of the laws, the rest won’t work in the same way so you won’t get what you’re craving.

The rest of the book works on your frame of mind, your habits, and then onto your structure of how you are going to improve life. It’s a book which you need to read several times (it even says that in the beginning) so that you pick up different aspects as you learn each new theory. There wasn’t much of the book that was new to me, but it was written and presented in a way in which I suddenly grasped the meaning and was able to tie together the different laws and how they work so that it builds up a better picture for me and where I want to go. I’ll be reading the book several times over the summer to keep solidifying the ideas. I hope there’s a second book soon!

Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/ant.austen

https://www.instagram.com/ant.austen

@antausten

http://linkedin.com/in/ant-austen-03640142

Free Workbook:

https://offers.bethelimitlessyou.com/free-chapter

Available from £11.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Hell-Are-You-Understand/dp/B0CWRXQHJH

Home Fragrance

Birthday Gifts, Fragrance, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts, Winter, Women

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

Candles are a great way to create a cosy atmosphere in your home and having them dotted around your home means you can quickly mask unwanted odours or create a cosy ambience. A strategically placed candle in the kitchen will quickly remove the lingering scent of a homemade curry whilst one in the hall creates a welcoming feel when you walk into the house.

Lavender is well known for helping you relax so the Woodwick Lavender Spa candle is perfect in a bedroom or bathroom and lighting it before bed can really help you sleep better. The Ellipse candle not only looks very stylish but the large surface area of the candle allows for a fully melted wax pool, which helps produce a more consistent fragrance for you to enjoy. The exclusive, patented handcrafted wooden wick, Pluswick®Innovation, is easy to light and once lit creates the sound of a crackling fire, which helps create a cosy feel wherever you place it. I found it only took a few minutes for the fragrance to fill the room, creating a relaxing feel in my bedroom which really helps me switch off before bed. The lavender scent is delightful and not too overpowering and after a couple of days I found I was sleeping much better.

The candle weighs 453g and whilst there isn’t a burn time given it’s such a big candle, I know it will last me a good while.

RRP £34.99

The Yankee Candle Pink Cherry & Vanilla Signature Large Jar Candle strikes the perfect balance between floral and fruity notes, creating an inviting ambiance that’s never overpowering. Housed in a large glass jar with a glass lid, as the candle flickers it quickly fills my living room with the fresh fruity scent. I was very impressed with the level of fragrance produced by this candle and I found it lingered long after the candle was blown out With two wicks this candle has a burn time of 60-90 hours which should easily last me through to autumn.

Once you’ve melted all of the wax, you can easily peel off the label (which doesn’t leave an annoying sticky residue) and reuse the large glass jar.

RRP £29.99

So whether you’re looking to reduce stress, improve sleep or simply unwind candles can play a role in enhancing your overall wellbeing – so go ahead and light those scented candles – you’ll be benefitting both your space and your wellbeing!

To view more of their range or to find out more about Woodwick and Yankee candles head over to their websites.

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Great Taste Trio

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers, Summer

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

As if you need a reason to celebrate chocolate, there is an important day in the calendar – 7 July, which is World Chocolate Day! To mark the occasion, Wickedly Welsh, the British chocolate makers, have sent us the Great Taste Trio of three different flavoured chocolates to try. We’ve never said no to chocolate in this office and today wasn’t the day we were going to start!

The trio are three flavours; Orange Marmalade, Dark Chocolate & Welsh Sea Salt and Mint Crunch. Two of the flavours has won the Great Taste awards (Mint Crunch in 2017 and Welsh Sea Salt in 2021) with Orange Marmalade being inspired by an award winning recipe. Each bar is handmade in Wales, and handmade is not something we associate with chocolate in this country so this is a rare treat.

The Orange Marmalade flavour is set in dark chocolate with a half and half mixture of tangy and sweet, much like the jar of marmalade you remember growing up. It also has a little Cointreau but you can hardly taste it, it’s just the aftertaste on your tongue that you might notice the slightly orange flavour. The dark chocolate is smooth and rich and brings out the orange flavour. With the Dark Chocolate &Welsh Chocolate Sea Salt, the minerals of the sea salt are apparent as soon as the dark chocolate starts melting and you can feel the crystals dissolve. The juxtaposition of the salt and dark chocolate work really well together, reminding me of the sea at night when you can hear and smell it but you can’t see it. If you like dark chocolate, then this flavour is a great addition to your taste buds!

Finally, my favourite is the Wickedly Welsh Mint Crunch. Again, this is dark chocolate, swirled with peppermint and meant as an after-dinner chocolate or to cleanse the palate. It reminds me of an Aero bar but with more peppermint and a richer flavour because the chocolate has a higher cocoa content and less sugar. It’s particularly good when added to cooking. Have you tried making your own croissants at home from the ready-made packets and adding some chocolate before you roll them? Instant chocolate croissant, and the Mint Crunch chocolate bar adds not just the novel flavour to the chocolate filled pastry, but extra texture too. I think Mint Crunch is my favourite!

Wickedly Welsh have a whole host of different flavours of chocolate on their website and are adding new products all the time, but the Great Taste Trio is a fabulous place to start.

Available online for £14.97 at: https://www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk/collections/best-selling-products/products/your-great-taste-trio

AA Road Guides and Walking Guides

Birthday Gifts, Books, camping, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Summer

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

As summer is finally here and the school holidays are less than a month away, we’re all looking for the last few pieces to plan that holiday. AA have long been the favourite and most trusted of all the road companies and their extensive bookshop isn’t apparent until you delve into what’s available online. We were sent a selection to look at for this summer including their new Walking Guides of Great Britain, the AA Big Road Atlas of Britain, the spiral bound Road Atlas of Britain and the Traveller’s Atlas of France for 2025.

The AA Big Road Atlas of Britain is a staple in most cars. This lightweight but comprehensive atlas covers the whole of the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly and the whole of Ireland. The majority of the map is on a scale of 3 miles to 1 inch with Ireland having a scale of 16 miles to 1 inch. There are 68 close-up town, city and port plans to work from and a very handy distance and journey times chart on the inside back cover. If you’re into camping, then there are 300 AA-inspected caravan and camping sites also included. It’s very handy but if like me you love maps, it’s really interesting too!

The AA 2025 Road Atlas spiral-bound is the same map with the same scale of 3 miles to 1 inch and 16 miles in Ireland to 1 inch but this includes over 100 city, town and port plans. There’s slightly more about the ports in Northern France but it also includes the same index of camping sites details of traffic signs. I have images of small children memorising these traffic signs in the back of the car on very long journeys! I really like the directory of restricted junctions all over the country that would be invaluable in planning a journey. That’s not something you get on Google! The spiral bound atlas makes it easier to turn pages if you’re travelling long distances, but it is heavier than the AA Big Road Atlas.

We were also sent the AA Traveller’s Atlas of France. Now I haven’t driven in France for a long time and even then it wasn’t a distance that needed a map, but if you’re travelling to France this summer then this map is a must. It has recently been updated and unlike the British Atlas it has varying scales on the map to accommodate the small roads of big towns and cities and the vast roads of the French countryside. It includes the whole of France and Corsica but the scaling changes when you get to a whole map of Europe with major roads. It’s invaluable when driving through countries where you’re crossing lots of border and this map also includes Iceland, if you’re travelling there too! There is an extensive index in the back of French places and where to find them in the maps.

Lastly, we had a lovely collection of AA Walking maps of Great Britain. These are fold-out Ordinance Survey-style maps which can fit into any backpack or suitcase to go off exploring with. One side of the plan is a huge map which takes up the inside of a car but if you’re outside walking, they are great for planning routes and sitting on the grass so that everyone can see where you’re planning to go. The other side is an index of roads within certain town and city centres included in the map, so there’s no excuse for getting lost when you stop walking and start pub finding!

The AA selection of maps is available online and throughout the year. They’re great for gifts but also for every day working out how to get about, or whilst you’re on holiday and don’t necessarily have the phone signal you’d be expecting.

Walking Guides are available from the AA shop on Amazon for £14.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/theAA/Bookshop/page/71AD8493-1145-44D5-BE1F-4C5AB5D2DFD2

AA Big Road Atlas Britain is available from £10.95 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Atlas-Britain-2025-Paperback/dp/0749583940/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ZVQ9I8D0RQBK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sCcaOW4uKsDFVWZTNNe5S4s8UBykPrHEat34r_eK3Ni0QpwhpevbJUlBRSeeFKV39hkIyzo0T_-mLWbTkiZJbXeXr3d4r8YVuaEKoLa5jjvN_ETbvxhaUxq4GDgJRUMA3ECptya2ILGhRyaTew6haJF_jhXFpR4GCGELzydQ-9Tx-Qo2AL3XxYWidSRKWbY3vdUuSwvP4dAyibxAX3i4DxhDat_49GOcOdB_r-pcNTQ.WVxVi2i7174b6dHz8OKrGvRvVMmQ3EVST-Z0yWb34IM&dib_tag=se&keywords=aa+big+road+atlas+britain+2025&qid=1718612225&sprefix=AA+big+road+a%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-3

LipQ Liquorice Balm

beauty, Birthday Gifts, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, health, Home, Plastic free, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

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

July is Plastic Free month and the beauty industry is notorious for creating products with plastic packaging, and sometimes products which contain plastic too. LipQ have created this beautiful Liquorice Balm which comes in its own tin and doesn’t have a scrap of plastic in sight. Never heard of Liquorice Balm? Well, that’s because this novel idea is borne from a need to prevent cold sores. Liquorice in highly concentrated quantities, as included in the LipQ Liquorice Balm, has been proven to protect lips from cold sore outbreaks by weakening the virus that causes them.

LipQ Liquorice Balm contains glycyrrhizic acid to fight cold sores. Even if you’ve not been prone to them though, the balm works for everyone, combining a sweet almond and beeswax oil with avocado and sunflower seed oils and the liquorice root extract gives the balm it’s distinct scent. It’s not too overpowering though so you can detect it but even if you don’t like liquorice to eat, it’s not too strong. The balm is lovely and cooling though, and it keeps the moisture in on your lips whilst giving a shine and it really isn’t that greasy either. There’s not the sticky marks left on drinking glasses like with other balms but it does work to give you hydrated lips. The handy tine of 30 grams lasts ages too, and is much easier to carry around than other brands.

It doesn’t matter if you suffer from cold sores or not, the LipQ Lquorice Balm is a plastic-free beauty alternative for all summer long.

Available online from £9.95 at: https://www.skinshop.co.uk/lipq/liquorice-balm

Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash from Clarol

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, health, Stocking Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

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

Some smart person somewhere in Russia discovered that birch is a great detoxifier and exfoliator for skin and can help prevent acne. Clarol have used this information to bring out a new exfoliating wash that works in 4 different ways to clean, exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin. We were sent some to try this week, and I must say, the scent alone is enough to brighten your skin!

Birch bark is known to detoxify the skin but uses natural ingredients instead of salicylic acid and methyl salicylate so your skin won’t dry out. We don’t use birch bark anywhere near enough but the botulin in it reduces inflammation and Lupeol and Erythrodiol help produce the proteins needed to speed up the healing process. If you’ve had long term acne like me, then you’ll know that healing is part of a long process.

Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash also contains MicroSilver, which has long been known for its antibacterial features. Brilliant for acne, it doesn’t irritate the skin either so you won’t ‘make it worse before it gets better’ like some over the counter products. The exfoliating aspect of the wash takes away dead skin and helps clear pores allowing extracts of Bladderwrack and White Nettle to calm skin and Coffee Seed opens pores, which should help the extraction of oils and bacteria too. There’s tiny amounts of pumice stone and rice bran in there too, to add to the exfoliation.

This gentle exfoliator lathers up on wet skin and when massaged in, takes away a lot of the surface grease and dead skin. You don’t need much of it to create the lather, and after 2-3 minutes, rinse with water (I like to use warm water) and your skin is cleared plus not as dry as with other brands of exfoliant washes. It’s also paraben free, vegan and perfume free too.

Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash from Clarol is a lovely gentle wash, perfect for summer and especially for skin that suffers from acne and especially lots of make-up and not enough time to clear it!

Available from £12.95 at: https://www.skinshop.co.uk/clarol/clarol-silver-birch-exfoliating-face-wash

Sonic Spa Pro from Sonic Dental

beauty, Birthday Gifts, eco friendly, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home, Jewellery, Sport, Sustainable, Tech

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

Not many of us have dentures anymore but plenty of people, including myself have retainers after orthodontic work or mouth guards to prevent teeth grinding at night. Don’t forget the sports mouth guards too and each of them cost a bomb as they have to be specially made. All of these dental appliances need cleaning and despite best efforts, an electric toothbrush doesn’t always get them clean.

I wear a mouth guard at night to protect my teeth from grinding. The appliance, shown in these photos, is made of a type of tough plastic and has to be custom made. It costs over £140 so you want to make them last as long as possible. The Sonic Spa Pro is designed for dentures and dental appliances to be able to get them clean where brushing alone can’t. I was sent a Sonic Spa Pro to test and as my mouth guard hasn’t been sonically cleaned before, I was so keen to get the stubborn limescale marks off of it without using harmful products.

The Sonic Spa Pro is not a very big appliance and certainly not complicated to use. The white ‘dome’ actually looks a bit like a big tooth! The box comes with the power cord and some cleaning tablets which dissolve in the water. There’s nothing else needed. Inside the sonic machine, there is a tank which you fill with water, drop in the cleaning tablet and then the dental appliance and then close the lid. The handy instructions on the top give you a quick reference of how to use it as you’re unlikely to keep instruction manuals for something you don’t usually use very often. The button on the top is held down for 2 seconds to give a 3 minute sonic clean, or hold it down a second time for a 5 minute clean. It’s that simple!

You can walk away from the Sonic Spa Pro and leave it working. There’s a tiny ringing sounds that emits from it, presumably the sonic waves doing their magic, then once it’s finished you can open and see what kind of clean you’ve attained! The Sonic Spa Pro also cleans jewellery and some stationery items like brass nail nibs (great if you’re an artist or calligrapher) and small metal items. The Sonic Spa Pro uses UV as well as sonic to clean so there are actually lots of items which could be cleaned. The included tablets are for dental appliances only though, and they are designed to leave a minty taste to your appliances whilst also killing 99.9% of odours and bacteria.

Once the appliance has been cleaned, fish it out of the water and either dry it or let it dry. In my case, once I had dried the mouth guard I could see it needed another clean so this time I did a deep clean. We live in an extremely hard water area so the calcium build up is enormous and because the appliance is custom made, the nooks and crannies of teeth make it impossible to get clean with just an electric toothbrush.

When I removed it for the second time and dried off the mouth guard, I could see that a lot of the calcium deposits were less caked on. There were still traces there, like little grains of sand in some of the deeper pockets but it was a lot less. This was the first time I had properly sonic cleaned it though so I thought it might take a few tries. You can see in the before and after photos that there is an improvement though!

Next time I clean using the Sonic Spa Pro I’ll make sure to use warmer water and let the appliance soak a bit longer after the deep clean to allow for the cleaning tablet to work deeper. I haven’t had a chance to try the Sonic Spa Pro on any other jewellery or household items, but now that I’ve seen an improvement, I’m seriously looking at what I have around the house that needs some sonic treatment…

Currently available for £69.95 at: https://uk.sonicdental.co/products/the-sonic-spa?shpxid=80ecc2ff-7d1e-4e8d-a4e5-4e69c2a06f3c

Edifier MS50A Speaker

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

The MS50A is a high quality smart speaker from Edifier with both Bluetooth 5. and Wi-Fi connection. As soon as I took it out of the box, I was impressed with both the quality and design of the speaker. At over 2kg it feels solid, the wooden case gives it a luxurious feel and it will look at home in most living rooms. The speakers are covered with a black fabric with a metallic accent and all the controls are on the top of the unit.

Primarily this speaker is intended to be used with streaming connections, connected to Alexa and then Spotify, Tidal, Apple Airplay and other sources directly rather than through your phone. That said, the built-in Bluetooth allows direct connections if needed and switching source is as simple as a press of the touch controls. One thing that is not provided is a 3.5mm jack for a line in, not always necessary but an option that I like to see included.

As I’ve come to expect from Edifier, the speaker sounds really good. The 25W 4” main driver handles the bass and mid tones with a 15W tweeter handling the higher frequencies. Music is full bodied and sounds rich with no distortion even with the volume cranked up.

Of course with a single speaker you’re not going to get stereo sound but using the app multiple devices can be setup into a left and right speaker pair. Alternatively, if you have more devices then groups can be created giving a multi-room sound system.

The speaker features Smart Touch Control and to control the volume you simply move your fingertips clockwise/ anti clockwise on top of the circle on the top of the speaker, switch songs by touching the previous/next icons, pause/play music by the lower icon, mute/turn off the speaker by a short/long-press on the middle button. The white and blue LED indicators on the top of the speaker indicate the signal connection of Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth 5.0 systems

Overall, I am really impressed with the Edifier MS50A, it is a great speaker in both sound and looks and at £110.49 it’s not going to break the bank.

Available from Amazon here

Read some of our other Edifier speaker reviews

Edifier MP230 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Edifier MP100 Plus Bluetooth Speaker

Cinnabon’s Chocobons Made with Oreo

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him

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

Father’s Day doesn’t typically warrant flowers and chocolates but the new tradition of delivered cakes is certainly something we can get behind! Cinnabon, the famous cinnamon flavoured cake company have a new range of chocolate cinnamon buns, called Chocobons, available for home delivery and have the added yumminess of Oreo cookies as a topping too. We were sent a generous box of the cakes to try at home, just in time for Father’s Day!

The enormous Chocobon cakes were delivered by courier along with the Oreo toppings; extra vanilla frosting, Oreo sprinkles and lashings of chocolate sauce. The instructions say that Chocobons are best tried warmed in either the oven or a microwave. We warmed them up for 30 seconds in the air fryer though and they were just as good! The frosting melts a little bit more and the soft dough warms nicely. You can add the extra frosting before or after heating, depending on how gooey you like them!

We added the chocolate sauce and sprinkles after they were heated in the air fryer. The cakes keep their shape really well as well as the frosting staying on top, but this depends on how much extra frosting you want to add! Biting into them, they are enormous, messy, rich and sugary and more like a birthday cake in size and taste. You can taste the chocolate of the Oreos running through the whirls, the lightness of the dough in each of the layers and the frosting on top has a distinct vanilla flavour. The Chocobons are a great alternative to a large family cake where everyone has a cake of their own which they can decorate themselves. I was surprised at how big the cakes were, so I would probably save these for special occasions or share one with someone else. The idea of adding more toppings makes them more flexible, with those who have a really sweet tooth able to add more or if you don’t want a sugar overload, you can hold off and just enjoy the swirl.

The instructions on the box say not to refrigerate the cakes, and they have a shelf life of around 3 days, which is the same for the dip and extra frosting. The whole kit comes with an extra packet of Oreos which are a nice treat if you feel like being creative with the toppings included and more!

Chocobons from Cinnabon for Father’s Day make a treat for Dad into a treat for the whole family, and you all get to be creative with the added Oreo toppings too!

Available for £15.29 (excluding delivery):

NEW! Chocobon Made with OREO Classic

Leonor Greyl Haircare Products

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

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

With Father’s Day fast approaching, we will be sharing some great gift ideas with you to help you find the perfect gift for your Dad or Father figure. French haircare brand Leonor Greyl have a great selection of haircare products and the special men in your life won’t have a hair out of place once they’ve used them!

The Gentle Volumizing Shampoo is made with 96% natural ingredients and as the name suggests will improve volume – great for those Dad’s whose hair is starting to thin. The gentle action of real lavender honey combined with rose extracts mean it is gentle enough to be used daily and it leaves hair soft and shiny. The shampoo lathers easily, creating a creamy foam which removes dirt and grime from hair, leaving it feeling lovely and clean.

RRP £24.60

The Lait Lavant A La Banane shampoois made with 97% natural ingredients and is very gentle on hair. The shampoo lathers well and the vegetal proteins and banana sap extract help improve softness and shine on fine and oily hair. This shampoo smells lovely and as it removes odour and perspiration is great for sporty Dads.

RRP £26.95

Made with 90% natural ingredients the Alcohol-free styling gel is just what Dad needs for styling his hair. The alcohol free formula with hibiscus extracts is suitable for all hair types and provides support at the roots of thin and limp hair. Use it to create an all-over slicked-back look, or simply for controlling stray hairs or a pesky cowlick. It won’t dry out the hair, and with a firm hold that doesn’t flake, it’ll keep Dad’s hair looking fab all day.

RRP £ 18

The Baume Bois de Rose is a matte finish modelling and sculpting balm which is made with 93% natural ingredients. The styling balm can be applied to either dry or damp hair and the non greasy formula also hydrates and protects hair. It’s great for smoothing fly away hair and a little goes a long way. It holds hair in place all day without leaving it feeling sticky and it smells amazing – I will definitely be borrowing this one – don’t tell Dad!!

RRP £45.07

iWalk Portable Phone Charger for iPhone

Birthday Gifts, camping, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Mobile Phone, Summer

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

Most people are off to some kind of outdoor event this summer whether it be a concert, festival, picnic or even camping so if you’re taking your phone, you’d be prudent to take some extra battery charge for your phone too. The iWalk Portable Phone Charger for iPhone (Android also available) holds 4800mAh of charge for your phone, and all in this tiny little charge bank you can take anywhere!

Available in white, pink or black, the iWalk Portable Phone Charger takes around 90 minutes to charge but gives more than 100% of charge to an iPhone. So if your phone is down to 0%, the iWalk Charger will charge it up to 100% with a little charge left over to charge again, or hand to another friend to charge instead! (This is from me testing the charger, not official statistics from the manufacturer.) This particular iWalk is USB-C so fits newer iPhones and nowadays there are multiple other devices which aren’t phones but still have USB-C connections which can also charge from the iWalk. It’s handy to have around so I keep it in my handbag so that I can charge my phone if it goes low.

As the iWalk Portable Charger is so small (it measures approximately 3 inches long or 7.5 centimetres) it is roughly the width of your phone so you can still either type or talk on our phone as it’s charging at the same time. The compact size also makes it easy to pack away or even put in your hand luggage so that you never run out of charge. It is charged with a USB-C cable which comes with the packaging and as it doesn’t take long to charge, you can add it to your laptop as you work or even use an adapter and plug it into the wall. The two items together are so compact you can take them anywhere and the extra charge they provide will be invaluable if you lose charge.

The iWalk Portable Phone Charger also differs to other chargers because there’s a handy display on the front. When you press the button on the side, the front display shows you how much charge the device holds as a percentage. As it charges, the number goes up until it’s 100%, which doesn’t take as long as you think. The charger is lightweight but also really robust so you can keep it charging whilst moving around, even if you’re doing sports or on bumpy transport.

I really like having the iWalk Portable Charger on hand and knowing that it will reliably keep charge and then transfer it to my phone whenever I need it, and it’s especially handy as it charges as you use your phone. Not all the portable chargers can do that. Makes a great gift for a teen or for someone going travelling too.

Available from £29.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/iWALK-Portable-Charger-Charging-Compatible/dp/B0CFL1Z99Y?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Softly Mens Alpaca Scarf

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, eco friendly, Fashion, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, National Walking Month, Winter

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

Ordinarily a scarf isn’t something I would consider as a Father’s Day gift as June is supposed to be lovely and warm and sunny! Not this year though, it’s still quite chilly so we’re having to wrap up on our evening walks so I know my husband would really appreciate a lovely warm scarf to keep him cosy when he’s out walking!

The Softly Softly Mens Alpaca Scarf is made from 100% premium alpaca fleece from Peru and is lovely and soft against your skin. Alpaca wool is stronger, softer, more eco-friendly, and offers 85% greater wicking capability than merino wool so it is a great choice for outdoor activities, especially hiking, as it’s also breathable and wind-resistant too.

The scarf is nice and long which makes it ideal for wearing different ways, it can be easily wrapped twice around your neck, tied overhand or worn in the Parisian knot style the choice is yours.

Available in a fantastic selection of colours – black, oatmeal, sapphire blue, scarlet, dark blue, dark green and mulberry this scarf is not only a stylish accessory but practical too and will keep Dad’s neck warm and cozy on colder days for years to come.

Size 150cm x 30cm

RRP £45 but currently on sale for £18

Read our Softly Softly Alpaca wool socks review here

Prezzee Gift Card

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

Sometimes it can be hard to decide on a Father’s Day gift, do you get them a voucher and if so where for? Prezzee digital gift cards are a great idea as the recipient has the choice of over 190 retail outlets so there is bound to be one they will love.

The gift card comes via email and when you click the button to open your gift it takes you to the Prezzee website where a parcel opens revealing your gift. To redeem you simply enter the pin number from the email and you can then swap your Prezzee gift card one from the many retailers on the Prezzee website. There are so many different brands to choose from including high street stores, sports brands, restaurants, supermarkets, garden centre vouchers, theatre tokens and hotels so there is bound to be something they will love. The Prezzee card is available from as little as £5 and up to £500 so you can treat your Dad, no matter what your budget.

After swapping your gift card you instantly receive an email with your electronic gift card which can be saved in an electronic wallet to spend at a later date. I chose a National Gardens digital gift card for my Father in Law, which arrived in less than a minute, so I was really impressed with the speed of delivery.

I was really impressed with the whole process and will certainly be buying more Prezee cards as gifts as it means I no longer need to spend ages deciding what to buy and the recipient will enjoy choosing something special to treat themselves to!

Tozo – OpenReal Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, National Walking Month, Tech

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

When I’m out and about, commuting or working in the garden I really enjoy listening to music and audiobooks. I own a few different types or headphones and it depends on what activity I am doing as to which pair I decide to wear. When I’m walking or commuting on my bike, I use a pair of bone conducting headphones as they allow me to stay aware of my surroundings but the one downside is that the audio quality isn’t as good, so I tend to listen to spoken word rather than music when I am wearing them.

The Open Ear Design of the Tozo OpenReal headphones get round this problem by using a pair of high quality speakers positioned over your ear. The design allows me to hear what is going on around me without compromising on sound quality.

Talking of sound, it is generated from a pair of 16.2mm drivers and they give a great sound quality, reproducing a full range of frequencies with no distortion. The accompanying app allows access to a graphic equaliser to further tune the sound to your preference. With the speakers sitting over the ear there is very little contact with your skin and so none of the sweaty feeling that can come when wearing other headphones for longer periods.

I found the headphones easy to setup and operate and controlling the headphones is simple, there are two physical buttons on the right side and a single touchpad for quick music control or answering a phone call. Connection uses Bluetooth 5.3 for reduced power consumption and better sound quality. There is a brief user guide included in the box but I managed to get them up and running without reading it!

The battery life is good, the manufacturer claims 16 hours of listening from a 1.5 hour charge with a couple of hours from a quick 10 minute top-up, I haven’t timed this but they will certainly last me for a few days before they need charging.

I’m really impressed with these headphones, they are perfect for commuting and with Father’s Day coming up they would also make a great gift for active Dad’s.

RRP £59.99 available from Amazon

Maxine Laceby Absolute Collagen

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Fitness, Gifts for Her, health, Subscription Boxes, Summer, Women

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

Collagen is an absolute must for our body’s wellbeing and is used in so many ways. Most read about nowadays is how collagen is needed for hair and skin as a building block to repair and maintain.

Maxine Laceby created the Absolute Collagen to make collagen easy to integrate into your everyday life and improve the quality of your skin and hair and has been the number 1 selling collagen supplement since 2017. Absolute Collagen is made from marine collagen (basically fish!) and blended into a supplement which also contains Vitamin C as an antioxidant. The collagen is absorbed into the body and the dermal layers of skin to promote your own cells to create more collagen and enrich hair and nails.

The Absolute Collagen pack we were sent includes 14 sachets of collagen in a lovely presentation box which also has a day record included so that you can check off once you’ve had your sachet for the day! This proves invaluable if you have a busy life and I found it easy to keep it near the kettle and use it as a diary. Each sachet can be torn open and consumed straight away but I found that although the texture is easy (it looks and feels like honey) it’s actually a bit too fish-like to eat straight from the pack. Instead, I read the instructions and realised you can add it to boiling water and create a hot drink from it, which also dilutes the taste. If you are used to hot water and honey, this is no different just a slightly different taste! I used it as a substitute to a cup of tea (or coffee) in the afternoon and obviously it helps with hydration if you have a water-based drink too.

Having never taken a collagen supplement before, it was interesting to see the difference. This was only 14 days’ worth of collagen but on the website it explains that some people see or feel a difference in just a few weeks whilst others see improvement over a longer period. I guess it depends on what your diet and lifestyle is like already. The website also details the changes expected after 12 weeks so 2 weeks isn’t long to test it but here goes…

I can’t say that I noticed anything different in my hair after just 2 weeks but my skin was different. The fine lines around my eyes (you know, only the ones you know about!) were reduced and plumper. It was like taking me back 3-4 years and slowing the aging process that had been catching up with me. I could feel that my skin was more hydrated and softer without too much of an effort on skincare or any change to my routine. I think over time this would be a greater change and perhaps hold back the drying out of my skin once winter arrives and the heating does its thing! I did notice that my nails had changed… I always paint my nails so I couldn’t see the condition underneath but I did realise that my nail varnish stayed on a lot longer than usual and didn’t chip. I’m presuming the nails underneath were in a better condition and more hydrated therefore kept a better hold on the varnish for longer?

Although 2 weeks isn’t long to test a beauty product, the start looks promising and my skin and nails especially are definitely not worse. The challenge will come when the 14^th sachet runs out and I see if my skin goes back to its old ways!

Available from £27.99 at: https://www.absolutecollagen.com/products/marine-liquid-collagen-drink-for-women

Thorntons Chocolate Pearls

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Stocking Fillers

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

Chocolate isn’t just for Easter, or Christmas but all year round the family can enjoy these Thorntons Chocolate Pearls – or would you give them to Dad for Father’s Day?

These new offerings from Thorntons are boxes of delicious individually wrapped chocolates (in the shape of a pearl) in two distinct flavours –Brownie Deluxe and Salted Caramel Sensation. Each box contains 167 grams of chocolates, which is about 18 chocolates per box. The chocolate is the same world-famous Thorntons chocolate you’re used to, with a rich smoothness to the milk chocolate but with new fillings to keep you happy!

Starting with the Salted Caramel Sensation Pearls, this flavour is relatively new given the history of chocolate but it’s everywhere now. More of a flavour for grown-ups, children will actually appreciate this variety because it’s not overpowering nor too different. The shell is made of milk chocolate with the salted caramel soft centre easy to enjoy. There’s only a hint of the salt in there, but mostly the pleasure comes from the caramel which is very rich, but not so rich that you couldn’t eat just one pearl at a time. Thorntons have really got the balance right between the size of the bite and the richness of the chocolate and filling.

The second flavour we were sent was Thorntons Brownie Deluxe. These are the same pearls with a milk chocolate shell then the filling is rich chocolate with tiny biscuit bits to make it a Brownie. The filling is not the same chocolate as the shell; it’s softer and more like a chocolate cake piece, as the name suggests. There’s not too much biscuit in it, which is something I hate in chocolates, it is more of a rich chocolate fondant and a tiny amount of small bits of biscuit. It add texture but without taking away from the chocolate indulgence!

These Thorntons Pearls could be shared by the whole family, but if Dad is a chocolate fiend, he’ll love these sophisticated chocolate flavours and will be able to drown in as much or as little of the lovely chocolatey tastes Thorntons is famous for.

Available in supermarkets or online for £5.28:

Brownie Pearls: https://www.thorntons.com/uk/en/p/pearls-brownie-deluxe/77233281

Salted Caramel Pearls: https://www.thorntons.com/uk/en/p/thorntons-pearls-salted-caramel-sensation/77226875

Sauce Shop Hot Sauce Challenge

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Summer

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

Hot sauce challenges have been around for a while and bringing them home can be a great bit of family or party fun. The Sauce Shop’s Hot Sauce Challenge Set is a great way to have fun even for those who are new to heat! The 5 sauces are varied and tasty – with a few of them winning Great Taste awards in 2023.

Hot sauces can bring many flavour profiles to any meal, adding a great deal of depth and complexity to a variety of foods. From Sweet and fruity to Smoky and tangy – there is a hot sauce for everyone, even if you don’t call yourself a hot head!

This set is a fantastic gift for a group of spice adventurers (like the group we got together), spice lovers, or even those new to spicy food – but be warned that some of the bottles get HOT!

The presentation of this set is great as a gift – it is minimal but striking. It gives a clear view of all the bottles you get with a great symbol and colour scale showing you what you’re in for with the heat. There are great descriptions of each sauce on the back of the box with information about the sauce, its ingredients, and it gives you a recipe for “Ultimate Easy Wings” that you can use for the challenge!

For the Challenge itself, we gathered 4 relative spice adventurers, some fried chicken and chips, and the Sauce Shop Hot Sauce Challenge box! So, let’s talk about how we found each sauce:

Original Hot Sauce – Heat 1

A tangy and vinegary sauce that gave a slow and low lingering heat. This sauce is a jalapeno sauce which makes it a great starting point for the challenge.

Sriracha Chilli Sauce – Heat 2

A great balanced sauce with sweet notes, if you like sriracha normally this a great time and is a little more ketchupy in consistency – which we loved! This is also a jalapeno based sauce so non-spice heads can still take part.

Buffalo Hot Sauce – Heat 3

The classic “wing” sauce – it is sharp, tangy but a little creamy. This jalapeno based sauce is a great mid level sauce – a hit of spice with a nice low burn.

Habanero Hot Sauce – Heat 4

This was our groups favourite sauce – hot, sweet and tangy with a great burst of mid-heat that lingers in a great way. The mangos in this make it a fun and good entry into trying sweeter style hot sauces.

Habanero Ketchup – Heat 5

So you like ketchup? Well this is the same thing but replace tomatoes with habanero peppers! Rich and spicy! A good way to end the challenge and a real heat that will challenge those that dare try this!

We had a fantastic night with this challenge, discussing the sauces, giggling when one of us got hit a bit harder than they expected, and tasting these great sauces while doing it. I will add that the last two sauces can get hot for those not used to spice so, if that is you, challenge yourself to get the buffalo sauce and have a glass of milk nearby ready!

If you are looking for a good gift for those who like spice, a fun friend or family party night, or want to challenge that friend or family member that keeps saying they love spicy food – this is a perfect gift to grab! The sauces are tasty and there is plenty of it so you can keep using them after the challenge.

Available from £19.99 at: https://www.sauceshop.co/products/hot-sauce-challenge-set

Just Spices Gin Making Kit

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

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

Let’s BeGin!

For an extra different novelty gift this Father’s Day, Just Spices have this fabulous Gin Making Kit available, complete with a set of their famous different spices. If you’ve never made gin from scratch before, then read on to hear how it’s done plus how Just Spices have created this exciting kit that can be used again and again.

To make gin, you need a base alcohol. Vodka is best to start with as it’s tasteless and colourless. There isn’t any vodka included in this kit so you’ll have to buy a bottle which is at least 350ml in size, to accommodate the size of the provided bottles and the amount of spices included. The kit does have 2 glass bottles with cork stoppers, a funnel and sieve for adding the vodka and the botanicals and then tons of spices, botanicals and lovely things to make the gin taste as you wish!

The process is easy – add vodka to a bottle then add a measured amount of juniper to your bottle using the funnel. Close with the cork and shake vigorously – this is what releases the flavour into the vodka and make it gin. Add the botanicals (it’s all in the instructions) Then the gin then has to rest for any period of time (days, weeks etc) and the longer it rests the more of the botanical flavour seeps into the alcohol, thus allowing you to control the type of gin flavouring you like, plus how strong you like it. Careful though! The gin will be nearly 95% proof and too potent to drink so you need to dilute it with water before drinking or adding to a cocktail!

All the detailed instructions are in the enclosed booklet. There’s also a history of gin (originating from Holland) and a history on the different types of gin plus a rundown of the botanicals. They’re all included in the kit and are some of the expected ones like juniper and rosemary but then there are some more interesting ones like lemongrass and rose petals. You can mix up the botanicals so that you use different ones at the same time or one after the other but it’s best to stay with simple ideas and build up your knowledge as well as your pallet. There’s lots of recipes for making different flavours of gin then there’s recipes for cocktails using your new gin too!

I’ve never tried to make gin before but this is a really simple, all in one way of making it. All you need to do is add a bottle of vodka and you have the perfect gift for Father’s Day plus a new hobby which he can try. The personalisation of the gin labels and a kit which can be used again and again makes it all the more enjoyable as each bottle of homemade gin will last ages – unless your Dad likes testing the cocktails just as much!

Available from £45.99 at:

https://www.justspices.co.uk/gin-making-kit.html

Softly Softly Alpaca Socks

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, National Walking Month, Stocking Fillers, Winter, Women

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

May is National Walking month and the perfect opportunity to try out some great new walking gear like these alpaca socks from Softly Softly.

Softly Softly Alpaca socks are made from luxurious and sustainable alpaca fibre which not only feels lovely and soft on your feet but keeps them toasty warm in winter and cool in summer. Alpaca wool is stronger, softer, more eco-friendly, and offers 85% greater wicking capability than merino wool and being hypoallergenic means alpaca socks are a great choice for outdoor activities, especially hiking.

We walk hundreds of miles each year and socks are a lot more important than you might think when you’re out hiking as they are crucial for keeping your feet comfortable and blister free. I have been trying out the Ultimate Alpaca socks and the Luxury Alpaca Boot Socks over the last couple of weeks and I have to say I am really impressed, they are lovely and soft and incredibly comfortable to wear. The socks are quite thick so perfect for wearing in boots and the cushioned sole helps protect your feet on longer walks, trail runs and tougher terrains.

The socks are an excellent fit, sitting nicely on my foot and they don’t slip down when walking, the ribbed cuff is comfortable and not too tight around my leg and they are plenty long enough to tuck leggings or trousers into.

When I wear them on long walks my feet don’t seem to get as hot and sweaty as they do in cheaper socks and they have kept my feet cool on the one hot day we’ve had so far this month and lovely and warm on the cooler days! They can be machine washed on a wool cycle and after washing several times they have kept their shape and feel just as comfortable and luxurious as the first time I wore them.

Available in extra small, small, medium and large they will fit feet between sizes 1 to 12.

Whilst they are not the cheapest socks around they really are worth splurging on as you can’t put a price on comfortable feet. Whether you’re exploring the local countryside, conquering mountains or simply walking the dog make sure you have a pair of Softly Softly alpaca socks on your feet this summer!

RRP £25