Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
It’s the same every year – what do we buy the men in our lives? Male grooming is big business and beards are very much in fashion so the Wahl Aqua Blade 10 in 1 Multigroomer will make a great Christmas gift for all those men who like taking pride in their appearance.
Wahl are well known for their hair clippers and this small re-chargeable trimmer has 4 interchangeable heads and 16 guide combs allowing you to trim, shave, edge clip and detail. It can be used for haircuts, beard trimming, shaving, body grooming and it even has a head for removing unwanted ear and nose hair.
It’s quite compact and feels comfortable in the hand due to the sides of the trimmer having ribbed rubber, allowing for a good grip when using it wet. This is Wahl’s closest trimmer shave at just 0.2mm and the extreme precision ground T-blade keeps beard lines sharper for longer. The finished cut is excellent as the blades are sharp meaning they don’t tug or pull when cutting. My son was very impressed with it and found it was excellent for trimming his beard and around his ears as it is less cumbersome than his own clippers.
The trimmer has an impressive run time of 180 minutes meaning you won’t need to charge it if you’re away for the week. The LED battery indicator tells you when the battery is running low and the quick charge feature is very useful if you forget to charge your trimmer, giving 3 minutes of cordless use from a 1-minute charge.
The storage pouch keeps everything together nicely, there’s lots of bits in this set so it’s good to have a pouch to keep it in as it will prevent losing bits in the bottom of the drawer or the bathroom cabinet.
This is a great set for anyone who likes to do their own hair at home or those who like to keep hair tidy in between visits to the barbers. Easy to use and with a long charge this set would make the perfect gift for any man in your life this Christmas.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
There are a host of different skincare brands and products on the market, all aimed at different ailments or even have different objectives that we find irresistible to choose. Cetaphil are the sensitive skin experts, specialising in moisturisers for face and body plus cleansers which are all aimed at sensitive skin and the ailments around it.
We were sent a batch of different products including; Cetaphil Gently Clear Clarifying Blemish Cream Cleanser, Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Blemish Moisturiser, Cetaphil Pro Tinted Moisturiser Day Cream SPF30, Cetaphil Moisturising Night Cream for Redness Prone Skin and Cetaphil Gentle Clear Triple-Acton Blemish Serum. If that’s not a full medicine cupboard full of skincare, then I don’t know what is!
The Cetaphil Gently Clear Clarifying Blemish Cream Cleanser is just what it says it is – cleans the skin gently especially after make up and when you’ve been out in polluted air. It’s cool and easy to use with white tea and aloe vera to keep pores clean but not dry them out. Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Blemish Moisturiser contains Salicylic Acid to reduce the size and appearance of pores whilst still keeping the skin fresh and moisturised. It also contains prebiotics which help keep the bacteria on the skin in balance which is important for overall health. Cetaphil Pro Tinted Moisturiser Day Cream SPF30 is probably my favourite because it’s made for sensitive skin so is ever-so-light and absorbs beautifully. The SPF 30 is a big help with day to day wear so you don’t have to think about going out in the British summer and wearing sunscreen on your face because you know that Cetaphil has the sun protection covered for you. The tinted nature of the moisturiser covers like a foundation, giving you a flawless complexion.
Cetaphil Moisturising Night Cream for Redness Prone Skin is more of a specialist product, again designed for sensitive skin but skin which is already prone to redness due to allergies, acne or general dryness. As a night cream, it’s slightly richer and takes a little while to absorb in, but also cools and calms skin thanks to the vitamin E, B3 and Pro-vitamin B5. It’s cool and gentle which can sooth any skin type regardless of whether you are prone to redness or not. Finally, the Cetaphil Gentle Clear Triple-Acton Blemish Serum is another friend to sensitive skin especially skin which suffers from breakouts. The serum reduces post-acne scaring and sooths skin, helping it heal whilst also preventing breakouts with the added Prebiotics, PHA, BHA and succinic Acid.
In combination or as individual products, Cetaphil has you covered for all of your sensitive skin problems. Find out more here:
Disclaimer: We received these boots free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I am a keen walker so a decent pair of walking boots is an absolute must for me, my boots have covered many miles and are starting to look a little tired, so I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to try a pair of Helly HansenMontragon HELLY TECH® Waterproof Hiking Boots which are the perfect choice for my autumn adventures.
I have a few Helly Hansen items, and I have always found them to be very comfortable and hardwearing so couldn’t wait to try the new boots which have been specifically designed for backpacking and longer hikes. Autumn isn’t my season of choice for backpacking, but with plenty of hikes planned over a mix of terrains I am looking forward to putting the boots to the test.
So a little bit about the boots – they are part of the Verglas collection which uses technical materials that are thoughtfully combined with versatile and durable design solutions to create quality outdoor pieces that can be enjoyed for years of adventures. Featuring a combination of HH® Arch-Brace TPU plates – one located between the outsole and midsole and the other positioned just underneath the arch of the foot – the Montragon HT is lightweight yet still offers lots of protection to your foot. The hybrid of TPU plates creates just the right amount of stiffness, enabling you to carry heavier packs and step over ledges or rocks without impacting the performance of the boot. The boot’s taller construction provides added ankle protection and stability, while the specifically engineered eyestay offers additional support. I’m very conscious of our impact on the environment so I was pleased to discover that more than 70% off the upper is made from recycled materials.
To keep your feet dry they have HH Quick Dry and HH Seam-Shield technologies which will keep your feet comfortable no matter what the weather and ground conditions are.
When you get a new pair of boots it is important to wear them in a little first, otherwise if you go on a long walk straight away you will invariable end up with blisters and sore feet. The best way to wear them in is to wear them in the house for a couple of days and do a few short walks in them before attempting a proper hike, doing this means I know they are comfortable, and won’t end up with blisters and sore feet on my first hike in them.
So the all important question is what are the boots like to wear? As soon as I put them on they felt very comfortable, the padded collar around the ankle offers plenty of ankle support and the HH Max-Comfort Insole is firm, even after walking all day my feet felt nice and comfortable on the last few miles. The boots have really good grip on the sole and my feet felt secure when scrambling down wet hillsides and I didn’t slip once, even when it was very wet. One of our favourite walks follows a stone path which turns into a mini stream when the weather is bad and as we’ve had more wet walks that dry ones I’ve really been able to see just how well the HellyTech® WATERPROOF performs in bad weather – I’m pleased to say that despite the dreadful weather my feet have stayed bone dry – probably the only bit of me that has!
I am really impressed with the boots, they are comfortable, supportive and look good too. Whether you are a keen walker or someone who just needs a sturdy pair of boots to walk the dog these boots are perfect for both rugged terrain and country walks.
If you want to treat your feet this Christmas then I can highly recommend these boots they are so comfortable to wear and your feet will certainly thank you for wearing them!
RRP £200 available in sizes 3.5 to 8 – available here
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
If you are looking for a fun game to play after Christmas lunch that the whole family will enjoy then look no further than Top It from Cheatwell Games. This fast thinking game is great to play with family and friends either individually or in teams. It is recommended for ages 10+ but we played it with an 8 year old and he was able to come up with plenty of answers – but it does depend on the child.
Inside the box are
75 double sided Top It Topics Cards
60 Top It Cones
18 Letter Discs
Sand timer
Score Pad
Pencil
The game is really easy to set up, there are 60 coloured cones, 10 of each colour so the players/team decide on a colour and take their cones. You then place 9 of the letter discs on the table in 3 rows of 3 and place the topic cards next to the letter cards. The top card is turned over, followed by the timer and then the fun begins! Everyone shouts out an answer that fits the topic and begins with one of the 9 letters on the table. As they shout out their answer they place a cone on that letter, if there is already a cone they “Top It” which means they place theirs on top and at the end of the 60 seconds the person who owns the top cone on each of the letters wins the points – scoring is easy if there are 3 cones they win 3 points or 6 cones wins 6 points etc.
There are also bonus points to be had if you get 3 of your coloured cones in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) adding a strategic angle to the game as getting correct answers in a row can really boost your points and earn you more points than being the top of a stack of cones.
We found the game can get quite loud and competitive as the cones stack up, especially when my family were playing! We thought it was better played as a team game as everyone can join in, both young and old. There is a good mix of topics and it was quite surprising hearing some of the answers – I’m not sure I fancy either chocolate or potatoes as a pizza topping!
Top It is a great game for the festive season particularly for groups of friends and family and whether brought as a gift for Christmas or just as an addition to your festive games’ cupboard Top It will provide lots of fun and laughter.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Marshall are at it again with their state-of-the art, high end speakers and headphones, this time with the Minor iii wireless, Bluetooth earbuds.
With 25 hours of wireless playtime, these are the classy headphones you would expect from Marshall and I was VERY excited to be testing them. I don’t usually use wireless earbuds but having tested the Marshall speaker a few months ago, I knew what the quality would be like for these headphones and how I would likely learn to use them.
The first aspect you notice for the headphones are how sturdy they are and how famously Marshall they look. With the snakeskin-esque charging case and raised ‘Marshall’ white lettering, it’s instantly recognisable as the iconic brand. The case opens and closes with robustness, revealing the headphones inside. The charging case is powered with a USB C charging lead which comes with the set. You don’t need anything else to begin using them and thankfully, there was a little bit of charge in the headphones when I took them out the box to set them up!
Inside the box packaging there is a Quick Start Guide which gives you an easy reference of how to set them up. There’s no downloading of any apps or software and no need to use any website. Instead, connect them to your device (in this case it was my Apple MacBook Pro) by turning on the Bluetooth and opening the Apple Settings. To make the headphones discoverable, you just press and hold the button underneath the case, with the headphones still in it. There’s a tiny LED light on the front of the case just above the Marshall logo. When it flashes blue, you know that the headphones are pairing with your device. That’s all you need to do for them to work and link to your device!
The headphones snap into the charging case magnetically so you don’t have to make sure the connections are in the right place for charging. Lifting them out, there’s R/L on them and that’s pretty much all you need. As soon as I take them out of the casing, Music (the jukebox app on my Apple laptop) opens and recognised that I have switched on the headphones. It’s only when I put the second headphone in my ear that I can use the touch controls to start playing music directly from the laptop. One tap to play or pause, or receive or end a call… two taps to skip forward or reject a call… three taps to skip backwards. Now, I found this quite difficult to master for several reasons. When you tap, you are assuming where the stem of the earbud is (and the same tapping applies on both earbuds so you can use either hand) and therefore miss quite often. So when I wanted to tap twice, I would often miss and therefore only hit the stem once, thereby only pausing the music and not skip forward. I would suggest practicing with music before you use the Minor iiis for calls – otherwise you run the risk of accepting a call with just one tap rather than rejecting with two taps!
The quality of the Marshall Minor iii headphones is excellent, as you would expect. I was able to pick up the background static on older songs originally recorded onto LPs. The balance between both headphones is also true to the original recordings and there’s a formidable bass there too. From another person’s perspective, when you have the headphones in you can hardly hear the sound. These headphones are great for commuting or for when you don’t want someone else to know what you’re listening to! I also liked that they don’t vibrate when they’re in your ears. That’s important to protect your ears, and your balance and shows a high quality of workmanship on headphones that don’t have loose working parts. Rattling will get annoying very quickly, and end up damaging the structure of your ears.
The only gripe I have with them is that you can’t change the volume through just the headphones. You have to go back to the device to change how loud they are which makes it slightly annoying when you are either out and about and have to fix your phone, or when you need to keep going back to a laptop and changing the volume. It’s the same with other settings like the balance of sound, bass or treble. There is no control for them either on the headphones or on a device so you take these headphones as they come.
The price of £119.99 is very reasonable for the quality of these headphones. They’re not extortionately expensive and can be used for either music or phone calls so they’re versatile, and both for work and home. The ease of setting them up makes them all the more appealing compared to cheaper brands, and I love that they’re so sturdy and in the charging case they can be put in any pocket, handbag or hand luggage. Strong enough casing and manufacturing that they won’t get squashed easily, although I wouldn’t try it, they are probably stamp proof too!
The Marshall Minor iii is the next generation of high quality headphones, with superb sound, easy usability and flexibility for a long time to come.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Christmas is the time of year when we not only give and receive board games, but old games are brought out, new plays are established and memories are made in families. The cold days where children can’t play outside as much and dark weekend evenings when Nan and Grandad come round for dinner also help foster the fun at family time. Along with all the old favourites, Cheatwell have the Host Your Own Family Quiz Night board game – a variation on the typical ‘pub quiz’ type games but in the form of a board game.
For ages 8+ years and at least 2 players, the question cards are divided so that there is one multiple choice question for younger children and one challenging question for older adults and children to answer. The questions aren’t related either, so the topics are also aimed at the different audiences. The topic include People, Science and Nature, History, Movies, TV, Geography and Pot Luck. Each player rolls the die to move along the board and lands on a square with a question topic. The aim is to get to the end of the board and answer as many questions as possible first to be the winner.
The game takes longer with fewer people taking part but you find that there are a lot of discussions with younger children when it comes to answering their questions. Some of the questions, especially about TV are Britain-centred so if there is anyone in your family who didn’t grow up here or isn’t familiar with some aspects of British life, then they are going to be at a disadvantage. Maybe that’s a good thing in some families! It is great fun though and I thought the questions were really well pitched for children and adults alike.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
There are so many self-help books around, it’s difficult to work out one that fits you, or that fits where you want to be going. Realise Your Power by Alan Lucas is a self-help book which is aimed at teenage or student audiences to unleash where your power is and where you are going.
With lots of practical exercises, the book uses the SYSO system – Sort Your Self Out. There are 7 chapters detailing how to make changes in your life, including how to Manage Your Mind, Take Charge of Your Emotions and finally how to Raise Your Vibration. If you’ve ever read The Secret, or any of the books about changing your vibration in order to increase your self awareness and get to where you want to go, then this book is in the same vein. It’s a very easy to read version with the relevant information broken down into exercises and short chapters to make them easy to understand and easy to digest.
As most teenagers and young adults will be new to this type of thinking, the book plays into making the information easily digestible. If you’re an old hand at self-help and psychology then you’ll either find this an enjoyable read that’s not so taxing or it may seem quite simplistic. However, there are nuggets of information that are well communicated so if you struggle with any of the aspects of Realising Your Power then some of these chapters might nudge you to a better understanding. The chapters cover the whole range of the empowerment spectrum and nothing is left out, not even the notes at the end giving you direction of where to go next in life.
The book is written by author Alan Lucas who is a psychologist and motivational speaker, having worked for companies such as Nike and Adidas. This is his second book, his first being You Don’t Need Therapy which similarly is about psychology and is aimed at teenagers and young people. He is also a qualified NLP Master Coach, Hypnotherapist, CBT Therapist and Strategic Intervention Therapist.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I had heard of Host Your Own Race Night from friends who have played it before and explained what a fun idea it was and how it worked, so when I was given the opportunity to test it, it seemed like the perfect Saturday night in with the family!
Host Your Own Race Night is a board game based on betting on horse races. Instead of having to go to a race meeting, the game is hosted at home with the use of 2 DVDs of 32 races. As a team, you choose which race you want to play, then you are given a Race Form Guide to study the form of each horse and then you place your bets using the race cards provided. At the end of the race, check the results and the winner collects their winnings in the form of (albeit fake!) ‘cash’! At the end of the game, the person with the highest amount of cash wins!
The races are hosted on a dry-wipe board and the pen is included so you can use the board and the race cards over and over. I would have a rag or something similar handy so that you can clean the board between races easily. You might not have a DVD player any longer so hunt one down before you invite others to come over and play, but some laptops with CD/DVD drives can still play them.
The game instructions are easy to understand and it’s a game for the whole family from teenagers up to grandparents. Kids will love the fake money too! The game is set for more than 2 players and I would say that this is great for about 6 players ideally. It is a betting game though, and you probably shouldn’t encourage smaller children to play so the starting age of 14+ years makes sense. You can play just a couple of races or all the 32 races and make a night of it, plus the races are reasonably short so you can stop and start the game for interruptions. This would be a good game for New Year’s Eve for instance, where you might not want to watch TV but you do want to switch it on and off for different celebrations etc.
It’s great fun, and some family members get really involved in it whilst others are more passive and play for the game rather than the amount of winnings. It’s how much you bet on each horse in each game that makes the game different each time. You don’t need to be a horse racing expert to know how to play or be able to enjoy it, but horse race followers will love it!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts an opinions are our own.
The days are getting shorter, the nights are darker and the spookiest day of the year is just around the corner. Our little withes and ghouls have been getting into the Halloween spirit with some spooktacular Halloween crafts and have been having plenty of fun with these new BloPens sets from John Adams Toys.
BloPens are really clever as they turn a felt tipped pen into spray paint – simply take the top off, put the nib into the clear plastic tube and put the coloured end back on. By blowing through the top the colour sprays out and you can create different effects by blowing harder and softer. Once you have finished your picture you can use the pens to add extra details and wording.
The Harry Potter Set (RRP £15) and the Scooby Doo set (RRP £13.38) are both perfect for creating spooky Halloween masterpieces, both sets contain 8 coloured BloPens and 6 cardboard stencils which you can use to create colourful effects on the paper. I would advise popping out the bits of the stencils before you give them to a younger child as little fingers might end up tearing some of the pieces which will spoil the pictures.
Our mini reviewers found them easy to use and before long were creating some spectacular works of art by mixing the colours to create a selection of spooktacular and magical pictures. They have really enjoyed using the BloPens and unlike a lot of crafts it’s a pretty mess free activity so there’s hardly any tiding up needed – definitely my sort of craft! The stencils can be reused so the little monsters will be able to create plenty more spooky pictures in the lead up to Halloween.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
We are all aware of the effects of hyaluronic Acid on our skin to give us glowing, tightened and hydrated appearance so the Dermatologically recommended brand Cetaphil is a lovely choice as a Christmas gift this year.
We were sent both the Daily Hydrating Moisturiser and Hydrating Night Cream this week. Both fight the 5 signs of skin sensitivity, don’t clog pores and are either fragrance free or have no added fragrances.
The Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Moisturiser for sensitive skin boasts long lasting hydration that fights dryness, irritation, roughness and a weakened skin barrier. It works for 24 hours, but can be added throughout the day. The handy 88ml size is great for handbags and as it’s under 100ml, it can be taken on a flight as hand luggage to keep skin hydrated and keep away the effects of jetlag and flight dehydration. The cream itself is cool and fresh, absorbs easily and isn’t heavy at all.
Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream is a heavier cream, designed to be absorbed into the skin during the night when the body repairs skin the most. This 50ml tub protects skin from dryness for over 24 hours, so working in combination with the Daily Hydrating Moisturiser, it will enhance the effects of each other. This cream is for normal to very dry skin, hence the richness. It’s still luxurious though, and you can feel the moisturiser seeping into your skin, and your fingers, as you apply it.
The combination of both the Daily Hydrating Moisturiser and Hydrating Night Cream give a lovely combination of daywear and nightwear creams that work together to give 24 hours of skincare. They’re so gentle on the skin as well that it’s hard not to keep them handy to just top up throughout the day to give you that silky feeling. As we go into winter, this is a lovely gift for Christmas to anyone who appreciates the change in seasons but not the changes to their skin.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Treat yourself or your teen to one of the Paulmann Malena lights from their interior lighting range this Christmas. Their selection of luminaires add a style to your room which is not like anything you can buy from a certain Swedish home store, giving a unique flair that’s timeless too.
We were sent the Malena USB wall mounted light from Paulmann to review. Available in black and this matt white, it goes with any décor. Measuring 35 centimetres high and 22 centimetres wide, the light comes with fittings to attach it to the wall, but even without attachment, the light can sit on a side table quite easily thanks to the tray shelf underneath. There’s a USB C port too, which allows you to cleverly charge your phone on the tray shelf, but you can easily charge anything else there or use the shelf for medicines, water etc.
The unit plugs into the wall with a 1.2 metre cable rather than being wired in, and it should be noted that the plug is a European style so you will need a converter plug as well – never, ever plug this type of electrical plug into a UK socket. The light doesn’t come with a bulb either, but you can buy these on the Paulmann website when you purchase the light. The Malena isn’t dimmable either, it’s an on/off switch to put the light on.
The brackets are included for installation but the instructions are not that easy to follow. This is an item for a European market so there are no language instructions at all, they’re all in illustrations. You will need to have a screwdriver and simple tools available if you are going to fix it to the wall. Without fixing it, it does sit against a wall but it’s not secure and the back of light unit looks unsightly if you turn it.
We were sent a GU10 Warm White 3.5 watt light bulb from Paulmann that fixes into the Malena light easily with a twist. Once plugged in, all you have to do is press the switch on the body of the light, and swivel the head to position it where you want. It’s ideal for reading or as a direct light in the middle of the night, right next to the bed.
The Malena is a great space saving device, with ample uses and the USB C is an added extra to its usefulness. This is a great gift to a family member who loves reading in bed, or who needs a permanent reading chair light that’s easy to access and perhaps wants to charge a phone at the same time. I personally think it’s great for a guest bedroom where you want to save space but make sure guests feel comfortable and not have to keep looking for somewhere to charge their phone or a light that won’t disturb anyone in the house. In fact, the Malena light is a great practical gift for anyone.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I love receiving a beautifully wrapped gift, especially one that has been wrapped in a creative way with lots of ribbons and extra decorations. It also pains me to rip the paper so I always take care unwrapping it and have been known to reuse the paper and ribbons if they are especially nice!
I always put a lot of thought into my gift wrapping, the right gift wrap depends on a number of things including the recipient’s taste as well as the occasion the gift is for. I am also very conscious of waste, most gift wrap can’t be recycled as it has a plastic coating, foil or glitter on it, so I am always on the lookout for more sustainable options that still have the WOW factor with them.
I was therefore really pleased to be given the opportunity to work with Curlicue who make beautiful eco-friendly sustainable gift wrap and accessories. All Curlicue products are plastic-free, vegan and made in the UK and the fun designs are created by independent artists and illustrators.
The company was founded by Hema Stewart who was frustrated by the lack of eco friendly gift wrapping products available and set about creating her own. It took 3 years to create affordable wrapping paper made from 100% recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks that could be recycled with household recycling and Curlicue was launched in 2019. All the products are made in the UK, meaning they have a lower carbon footprint and the company support British businesses by sourcing all partner products from UK manufacturers.
Now the children are back at school there’s lots of party invites arriving and I have been enjoying matching the Curlicue wrapping paper to the birthday boys and girls.
The Dino-roars wrapping paper is perfect for dinosaur fans young and old. Featuring a selection of dinosaurs on a dark background the paper was too nice to throw away after my son unwrapped his presents, so I’ve been cutting the dinosaurs out to use on cards and for crafts with my children!
Stars At Dusk is suitable for any occasion and can be teamed with the Stars at Dawn print for co-ordinating presents. Add a golden ribbon for the WOW factor.
Sporting Legends is perfect for any sport fan and features a selection of sports including cycling, weightlifting, volleyball, golf and dance.
Unicorns are popular with the girls at the minute so they loved the Sprinkles of Magic paper with the cute pink and purple maned unicorns.
Each sheet is 70cm x 50cm and folds satisfyingly around your gift, the reverse side of the paper is marked with squares to help when cutting the paper and as the paper is nice and strong it cuts easily without tearing.
With matching gift tags Curlicue paper offers a sustainable option without sacrificing style or quality. There are plenty of fun prints for every occasion, giving you the opportunity to make an eco-friendly swap without breaking the bank.
Available in packs of 3 or 5 sheets: 3 sheets – £6.75 (£2.25 per sheet) 5 sheets – £9.75 (£1.95 per sheet)
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The Rubik’s Phantom is a mind-boggling, challenging puzzle related to the famous 80s Rubik’s Cube that many of us grew up with. This one is different though because it has a major difference. You can’t see the colours on the stickers unless you heat them up with the warmth of your hand. Without the warmth of your touch, all the sides are black!
Once you solve the first puzzle (ie getting into the intricate packaging) then the Cube itself looks harmful enough. It has the same black squares all the way around until you put light pressure on each one to reveal the colour. Quickly you realise that you can’t just sit and hold your finger over one sticker at a time, so you have to find ways of warming up the whole face of the Cube at the same time in order to reveal the different colours. The photo shows what the Cube looked like before touch, then after. This however, was only after I worked out how to hold the Rubik’s Cube in my hand long enough to get the full colour through.
The sides are in 6 colours (white, green, orange, blue, red and yellow) and each sticker seems to have a different ‘warm up’ time to it. Some of the stickers kept their colour for longer too, whilst others seemed to fade quickly. The trick is to get as many of the sides warmed up (and it took a good 30 seconds to get a true colour to come through) then work on solving the puzzle with one hand at least constantly on one face to keep from going cold.
The Rubik’s Phantom is one of the more challenging hand puzzles available with a 5/6 scoring for difficulty. The added pressure of remembering which colour each tile is or indeed remembering to keep the faces warm, adds to players’ cognitive memory, as well as using fine motor skills and general problem solving skills – vital if you’re to work out how to get the tiles warm enough! Incidentally, the heat sensitive faces need a temperature of 26C (79F) or above to change colour. How long it will take to complete the puzzle in anyone’s guess.
Disclaimer: We received this game free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
We love going away in our caravan, it’s a great way to relax and it also gives us the perfect opportunity to get the children away from electronic devices for a few hours each evening when we get out a board game to play. Space is tight in the caravan so travel games like the Catch Phrase card game from Ginger Fox are great as they don’t take up much room.
Based on the popular TV show the game is very easy to play and doesn’t need a large table so it’s great to play in the caravan. You place the buzzer card and the blue edged Catch Phrase cards in the middle of the table and the oldest player turns the top card over. Once you think you know the Catch Phrase you put your hand on the buzzer card and shout out the answer. You can then turn the card over to check the answer – if you are correct you score 100 points but an incorrect answer means you are frozen out for that round. If no one guesses the Catch Phrase another card is turned over. After 6 cards have been played the Bonus Catch Phrase round (silver edged cards) is played and the player with the least points hosts the round. This round is played in the same way, but a correct answer now wins you 200 points and the opportunity to guess the bonus Catch Phrase. If you have internet access this is done by scanning the QR code on the card and tapping the screen to remove a random square to reveal a section of the picture. If they are correct, they win 500 points but an incorrect answer means you go back to the main Catch Phrase cards.
If you don’t have internet access then a Bonus Catch Phrase card is placed in the cardboard sleeve with the cover card on the top. The cover card is moved to the next line on the cardboard sleeve, revealing a small section of the card.
The winner is the player with the most points.
Being a rather competitive family the buzzer card tended to be hit rather than having hand placed gently on it but this added to the fun and it’s a good job we have a sturdy table in the caravan!
We all enjoyed playing Catch Phrase, it’s a fast paced game and great fun for all ages and kept us entertained all evening. At £12.99 it is the perfect stocking filler and will be great fun to play on Christmas day with the family.
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 different card game to play this Christmas or to give as a gift, Taco vs Burrito ticks all those boxes. A game for 2-4 players, it can be played by any age (although it’s recommended from age 7 years upwards), this strategy game is for all the family. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to play and each round is only about 15 minutes long.
Invented by 7 year old Alex, the game has causes a storm with its whacky but fun cards. The game has won numerous awards including Best Family Fun Tilillywig Award, Winner of Hot Diggity Award 2021, and winner of National Parenting Product Award 2021. There’s been over 500,000 units sold worldwide already and 17,500+ 5-star awards from users. All from the imagination of a small boy whose parents started a Kickstarter appeal for funding for him, to make his dreams come true.
How to play: each player is given either a Taco or a Burrito (hence the name) as a basis of the game. Using the 5 cards dealt to you, each player either adds a weird ingredient card from their hand (such as fresh brains or chocolate covered shrimp) or an action card. The aim of the game is to build up a disgusting meal with ingredients cards that have different point values, then use the action cards to either increase the points value of your meal, or smash the value of your opponent’s meal. There’s also the Hot Sauce Card which doubles the value or your meal or that of other players when you play it against them.
As the game progresses, there’s other action cards such as the Tummy Ache card, No Bueno card (to stop the action of another player at any time), or the Health Inspector. If you get the Health Inspector card, you have to play it immediately in the game, sending all the ingredients cards in your meal to the discarded pile on the table, never to be used again. That is unless, you have the Trash Panda card, which allows you to take any of the cards from the discarded pile and add it back to your hand.
The different variation of action cards to use against the ingredients cards are what make the game fun for everyone. The cards are colourful and easy to read and for little ones, it helps develop their reading skills as well as taking turns in play. The different type of action cards take a little while to get used to so I would have an adult sit and play until they all get hang of the game rules. It’s great fun though, and everyone understood how to play with each consecutive game, so this is perfect for Christmas time board games!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Younger children tend to have a short attention span so finding games that are simple enough for them to join in, don’t take forever to play and are interesting enough for older children to join in with can be tricky. BrainBox games tick all these boxes and with a huge selection of themes you can pick a version to suit your family’s interests. The games are all memory and observation card games which not only test your eye for detail but are full of interesting facts too and every time I play, I discover a new fact so it’s great for your general knowledge too!
The game is easy to play, there are 54 cards, a 10 second sand timer and a dice and the players take in in turns to draw a card and study it for 10 seconds. Once the timer runs out you roll the dice and the card is passed to the next player who asks the corresponding numbered question from the back of the card. If you get it right, you keep the card but if you get it wrong it goes back into the BrainBox. After ten minutes (or however long you want to play for) the player who has the most cards wins.
As well as memory skills the Brainbox Animals game also helps with observation as there are questions about which way the animals are facing or how many animals there are. It also helps children with their reading, our 8 year old mini reviewer hates sitting down with a book but will happily read the questions on the cards all night discovering interesting information about the animals like where they live, what they eat, how big they are and how long they live.
This is a great game to play with children and with so many themes it is easy to choose a topic that they are interested in. My children have already asked for Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and Nature and I quite fancy the World History and Around the World UK versions. Playing for ten minutes every night will really broaden their knowledge and get those facts stored in their brains in a fun way.
Disclaimer: We received this game free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Whenever we go away, whether it’s by car, train or plane, I always make sure I have a couple of travel games in my bag to help pass the time. Tension from Cheatwell Games, the top ten naming game is one of our favourite board games so were really pleased to try out the travel version this summer.
The box is very cleverly designed, storing all the cards, timer and counters and also doubling up as the score board with little buttons to pop whenever a correct answer is shouted out.
The cards are double sided, orange questions on one size and blue on the other. The orange questions tend to be easier so when we have been playing with younger children we use these but if you are playing with older children or adults you can choose either. The cards cover a huge variety of topics such as Fictional Doctors, Power Tools, Pub Names Featuring Animals and Things You Can Hang On A Wall so it is a great game to play when you have a mix of ages.
The game is easy to play, you split into two teams and the first team select the top card and place it into the card dispenser, making sure that all the poppers are raised. The topic is read out, the timer turned and the other team shout out as many correct answers as they can within the time. It sounds easy but the twist is you need to come up with the same ten answers on the card to gain points. Among the correct answers you will also get plenty of hilarious answers which adds to the fun of the game! When a correct answer is given the popper is pushed down to keep score. Tokens are awarded based on the number of correct answers (yellow =1, red =5 and blue =10). Play then swaps to the other team and continues until all tokens are used.
This is a great game to play and a fantastic addition to our travel game collection. It is now in my travel bag ready for our next trip.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
Now the schools are back I’m suddenly inundated by birthday party invitations, fabulous for my children but a headache for me as I have to come up with inexpensive gifts for the birthday boy/girl.
When Tomy sent me their Active Snap game my problem was solved, costing a very reasonable £5.99, this fantastic card game is a twist on the classic and much-loved game of Snap and is suitable for both boys and girls.
Like the traditional version, players take turns playing the cards and when they match, the person who puts their hand on the cards and shouts “SNAP” first wins all the cards. Active Snap is even more exciting as when you win a round, everyone else must do the activity that is illustrated on the card. With star jumps, touching your toes, sit-ups and dancing as well as many more lively activities the game is great fun to play (and watch).
Active Snap gets everyone moving and with Christmas coming up will be great game to play at family parties – everyone can play from toddlers to Granny and it might even help burn off a few calories after Christmas lunch too!!
RRP: £5.99
Suitable for ages: 4+ years
Available from Independent toy shops, Amazon, WH Smith, Hamley’s, Tesco
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
There is so much choice on the markets for phones nowadays, and with choice comes complicated tech words, specifications and all sorts of apps which just adds to the confusion.
The IMO Q2 Pro Smartphone is an Android model, with all the features you’d want on a modern phone but without the pricetag, or the complications. For as little as £34.99 and available at High Street shops, it saves so much money compared to the bigger players on the phone market without the worry of breaking it or losing it.
As for the specifications, it has what you would want to keep a phone safe. There’s facial recognition to unlock it, so you don’t have to worry about passwords or pin codes. The phone is a standard 16GB of memory which is enough to hold the random photos we all take as well as video but also has an extra Micro SD slot so that you can add 32GB of memory if you need to. I personally find it easier to have a remote hard disk that backs up all your photos and videos so that there isn’t the worry but depending on what you need the phone for, you might prefer just using the memory on the phone.
Speaking of photos, there’s a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera (for taking selfies) which isn’t the most powerful phone camera on the market but it is a good quality to be able to take photos to upload to social media. As with all apps too, you can add filters to whichever social media you are uploading to, even if the photo isn’t perfect when you take it.
One of the universal problems with smartphones is the life of the battery when on full charge. The IMO Q2 Pro Smartphone has a battery life of approximately 15 days when on standby and not being used. I found that I didn’t have to charge it for several days with light use and taking some photos, which is much better than most smartphones. The speed when connecting to the internet was excellent too. The IMO Q2 Pro Smartphone is 4G, which is the standard frequency in the UK. The new 5G is rolling out now but doesn’t cover the majority of the country yet and if you have a phone that is only 5G, it won’t convert to 4G when there’s no 5G frequency. The most common frequency is 4G still.
The phone also connects to Wifi and Bluetooth for downloading information or if you want to connect another device (such as a speaker) to play any of the MP3s stored on the phone.
Usability wise, it’s very easy to navigate with just 3 simple buttons and a simple Android 11 userface. It only measures just over 12 centimetres long and 6 centimetres wide so it can fit in your pocket or a handbag, or even in the glove compartment of the car. It’s great for taking on holiday and using with a spare SIM card in case it gets lost or you don’t want to use your expensive phone on adventure days out.
Lastly, this phone is great as a first phone for children that isn’t complicated or expensive if it gets lost or broken or for older people who aren’t familiar with smartphones. It’s easy to use so it doesn’t need much explanation. The long battery life means you can charge it less frequently and it’s still usable.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Christmas is always a difficult time to buy gifts for some people. There’s the Grandparents who say, “I don’t need anything,” and the distant relative you don’t really know, plus the need to update everyone in the family on how big the kids are getting. Nowadays, there are some brilliant customisable options for personal gifts which can keep everyone happy.
MyPicture.co.uk is a website designed to allow you to upload photos and create custom-made gifts for the home. There’s everything available from canvas prints, photo cushions, framed prints, photo blankets and some specially designed items like this city map poster. We were sent the instructions on how to create this city map poster of London (where our reviewer lives and grew up) to show how easy it is to create as a Christmas present.
From the www.mypicture.co.uk website, click the dropdown for Photo Gifts and you can start the new City Map Poster process to customise your city or town to your own taste. You can search for a city area using a postcode or name and the diagram instantly updates to show you how it will look. It also allows you to add a marker (for instance if you wanted to mark a place where you met), add some text or co-ordinates and change the type of font. To make it extra special, it can arrive pre-framed and with the right accessories to be able to hang it straight on the wall!
There’s the choice of whether you have it portrait or landscape and different types of frame (black, white, silver, walnut, oak or without a frame at all) and the whole canvas is delivered to your door.
The whole process is completed online with the image updating in real time as you make your choices. I thought I knew what I would want when I started creating it, but as the live updates showed, I changed my mind and was able to adapt it to what I wanted. There’s a choice of sizes too which was handy to be able to choose which wall space I wanted to fit it in.
Once the frame arrived, tightly packed and in perfect condition, it was ready to be hung without any DIY needed to it. The enclosed fixtures (which are part of the design request and at a small added cost) are specifically for this type of print so they take the right weight. The sizes are a nice variety of 30cm x 40cm, 40cm x 60cm and 60cm x 80cm. The chunky frames are nice and sturdy too and as the print is already mounted in the frame, there’s no fiddling around with trying to fit it and get the grips on the back to move.
The result when it turned up really exceeded my expectations! The London city map poster was crisp under the Perspex covering and the black frame really added to the look. It’s a brilliant gift as well. I chose London for the city map poster because I was born and live here but you could choose a town or a co-ordinate of where you met your partner, or where you got married. The possibilities are endless!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Clean Co are the specialists in creating non-alcoholic spirits, starting with their famous Clean Gin and Clean Rhubarb Gin. Now, they have ventured into other spirits including this Clean Co Rum – a spiced spirit which is also non-alcoholic but with the Caribbean flavour of rum.
Clean Co Rum Alternative has won the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) bronze award in 2021 for its vanilla on the palate and pineapple and raisin on the tastebuds. It’s certainly a welcome alternative to the other non-alcoholic spirits that don’t have much depth, taste or mix very well with other drinks to make cocktails.
Clean Co Rum Alternative has a dry, vanilla taste with smokey fruitiness that’s. typical of rum. There’s a slight sugar taste in there too which gives it the fuller flavour of a spirit and it’s delicious with a cola drink or mixed into a cocktail thanks to the added Jamaican spices. You can also try it with ginger ale and lime to give a different skew on its tropical flavours.
The good news is that Clean Co Rum Alternative is also vegan, has no sugar at all and is only 12 calories per 50ml serving. It has less than 0.5% ABV which classifies as non-alcoholic and is lactose free too.
This is a great gift for anyone who is into spirits but doesn’t necessarily like rum yet, so that they can try it and supplement cocktails at home with an authentic rum flavour. Rum lovers, especially those doing Dry January, will love having the rum flavours and none of the alcohol to feel guilty over!
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I’m sure I am not the only one who finds applying eyeliner tricky – I struggle to apply it evenly and invariably end up poking myself in the eye in the process! Over the years I have tried lots of different eyeliners and now favour the pencil style ones like these from Annabelle Minerals which I find are much easier to apply.
They recently sent me a selection of Eyeliner Pencils and Jumbo Eye Pencils in the most gorgeous shades of purple, the pencils are extremely gentle to the delicate eye area and incredibly easy to use, the creamy texture glides onto your eyelid and lash line without dragging the delicate skin. The intensity of the colours is fantastic, they are very rich and vibrant and highly pigmented.
I especially like the Jumbo Eye Pencils as they can be used as eyeshadow, eyeliner and primer and I have been using all three shades – Catmint, Fuchsia and Midnight – to create both day and night looks. Fuchsia is a gorgeous deep purple which is the perfect colour for anyone who’s looking to make a change from traditional black or brown but doesn’t want anything too bright just yet.
I don’t have the steadiest of hands, but the eyeliner pencils are nice and soft and I found it easy to apply to my lash line, adding a little flick at the corner of my eyes to lift them and make them stand out more.
After applying for the first time I went to work and put the eye pencils in my makeup bag, fully expecting to have to reapply at some point during the day. I was therefore quite surprised when I found I didn’t need to as the colour lasted on my upper eyelid for the whole day. As well as being easy to apply the eye pencils were easy to remove too, a wipe with eye make up remover and the colour was gone.
Annabelle Minerals products are based on only 4 ingredients and are 100% organic. Their products are suitable for every skin type as well as vegetarians and vegans.
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Christmas has come early at The Review Studio as we’ve been trying a selection of fabulous APHRODITE gift sets that will make fantastic presents or Secret Santa gifts for loved ones this Christmas.
APHRODITE are a Greek skincare company who were founded back in the 90’s by George Zacharioudakis. George’s Greek heritage meant he was already aware of the benefits of olive oil for skincare and used this knowledge to cultivate an exceptional grade of organic extra virgin olive oil on his home island of Crete which he then used to create APHRODITE products.
When I looked at the APHRODITE website I discovered they have a fantastic selection of gift sets, so I guarantee you won’t have any problems finding the perfect gift for everyone this Christmas – these are a few of my favourites.
Happy Feet Gift Set €13.20 Containing a Sage & Lavender deodorant foot cream, Olive oil soap with lavender and a pumice stone this set contains everything you need to pamper your feet. After washing my feet with the soap and then leaving them to soak for 5 minutes I used the pumice stone to remove dry skin. The foot cream smells divine and it was a lovely relaxing self-care ritual rubbing it into my feet each night.
Donkey Milk Collection Hand & Foot Pamper Set €9.90 – Containing 30ml tubes of hand cream and foot cream this set is perfect as a stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. The hand and foot cream are lovely and hydrating and will keep hands and feet soft over the cold winter months. The handy sized tubes are perfect for travelling too.
Anti-age Face Care Treats €16.50 This set contains Day Cream, Night Cream and Face Scrub and is the perfect introduction to APHRODITE skincare. Specially formulated for mature skin types they offer round-the-clock hydration while fighting early signs of ageing such as fine lines and sagging skin. The creams absorb easily without needing to rub and the face scrub gently exfoliates leaving skin clean and refreshed.
Olive Oil & Donkey Milk Soaps €4.95 I am trying to be more sustainable and have switched liquid soap for a bar of soap so was pleased to see APHRODITE have some lovely soap gift sets. The Olive Oil & Donkey Milk soaps lather nicely creating a creamy foam that washes dirt and grime away leaving hands beautifully soft and gently fragranced.
So, if you have a friend or family member who loves beauty products, have a Secret Santa gift to buy or need a few thank you gifts for teachers then have a look at the APHRODITE website – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Keeping children occupied with quiet toys often resorts to screen time. It’s not easy to carry around a bag full of toys as well as snacks, change of clothes and any other emergency items you might need, but instead of resorting to your phone, there are other options. Hey Doodle have a range of reusable and educational toys which are lightweight and easy to use, including these Hey Doodle A4 colouring mats.
Included in the tube of this ‘Into The Wild’ scene is a silicone mat, pre-printed with animals of the alphabet with the letters in traceable format. There’s also three colouring pens to be used with the toy, where children can trace the letters and then colour in the animals next to it. After it has been coloured in, you can wipe clean the mat and start again.
This is a great toy for going on holiday and especially for long journeys. There’s enough to do on the A4 sized mat that will take the average 3-5 year old enough time that they don’t get bored, and if they make a mistake, you can just rub it out and start again. Over time, you can see how well their colouring and letter skills improve if you take a photo of it each time they finish.
The mat is not only for learning about animals, the alphabet and colouring. Whether blank or drawn on, you can ask questions about the animals, ask children to point to specific letters or work on the mat together to create some bonding time too. This ‘Into The Wild’ mat is one of a series of topics including Dinosaurs and Aussie Animals which can also be purchased as a bundle for £39.99. If you’re more stationary, there’s also a range of bigger mats which are great for indoor play, but these A4 sized mats, which come in a tube to make them easier to carry with the pens, are fabulous for stockings. They can also be posted easily because of their very light weight.
If you’re conscious about the environment too, the Hey Doodle set of toys are completely re-usable so that not just one child but all the kids can make use of it again and again – no need to repeat buy colouring books or keep printing from the internet! It saves paper and cleaning the mats is super easy with just a household damp cloth. If you want to leave them overnight to soak in a sink of water, it also makes for a fun experiment with little ones the next morning to see how the water has eaten away the colours!
Hey Doodle have some lovely ideas for gifts, especially for Christmas and the A4 Silicone mats are brilliant for children aged 3+, and adults too!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The go-to present for my family to buy me each Christmas is the novelty slipper. I wear slippers throughout the autumn and winter and probably a long way into summer too so they get good wear but they don’t normally last that long.
Anna Elshafei, the founder of Shaffay is a similar slipper lover. A former London lawyer, Anna changed careers mid-life when she wanted to create an elegant luxury slipper that women could wear all year round, were comfortable and stylish too. Now based in Canterbury, Anna has worked with her designers to create a range of Signature slippers in different colours to appeal to all slipper wearers with names such as Cairo, Paris, Shanghai and London. Although Anna was brought up in London (hence the name) she also lived in Shanghai with her husband. So the names of the slippers are born out of Anna’s love of cities and it was a pair of London Shaffay luxury slippers that were sent to us to try.
If you’re buying Shaffay as a luxurious gift for someone this Christmas, then you won’t be disappointed. The box opens to each shoe being individually wrapped, and there’s a shoe bag to keep them clean – or perhaps it’s to prevent losing one? The slippers come in UK sizes 4-9 and each of the 4 designs has a different colour upper as well as insole. These house shoes have grey upper leather with comfy furry insides and are more or less backless so you don’t need to horn your foot into them. Easily slipped on, they’re hands free but provide support to the whole foot. In order for them not to fall off, Anna and designer Jess realised that the front of the slipper had to come up high on the foot. There’s a small wedge in the heel too, which gives a bit more overall support and I found it made it easier to transition from soft carpeted floor to a tiled floor without changing my posture to correct the friction difference.
As for the design, this has been carefully thought about. Luxury slippers don’t create themselves so there’s a lot of research been taken in order to get the Shaffay slippers just right. Firstly, you’ll notice the memory foam inner sole. This is to create a comfier walk but it also provides a little more insulation. On top of the inner sole is a contrasting insole, also in lamb leather. The sole is made of rubber to give a genuine grip and is non-slip. You’ll notice the difference when you walk on a tiled or stone floor because the grip is much stronger than other slippers.
Comfort wise, they’re very snug, warm with the pile lining and the toe is squared off to give it a contemporary look but also hugs your toes more. I love that they’re leather (this is not a gift for a vegetarian or vegan!) but then most outdoor shoes, especially hard-wearing shoes are leather and the alternative material, plastic, is far more harmful to the environment and doesn’t last as long. I know it’s not fashionable but I’m a fan of leather shoes and slippers. I have only just started wearing these so I have no idea how long they are going to last, I hope it’s longer than the 6-8 months most of my slippers last but the indications are that they will thanks to the materials used, the design and how well they’re made.
We need to talk about the price too. £95 is a lot of money for a pair of slippers. My slippers usually cost around £10-£15 for the novelty range and as I said, last about one cold season. So at £95 a pair, that means these slippers would have to last around 6-10 years for them to be cost effective. It’s not unusual for a pair of leather shoes, worn outdoors all the time and in all weather would last 5+ years. I know I have well made leather shoes and boots that are over 10 years old and need little maintenance and that’s with commuting in all terrains. Shaffay the company has not been in operation that long for us to be able to ask them, but I will say that there is no reason why someone who loves slippers wouldn’t make these last.
But then there’s people who have bad circulation who would benefit from having much warmer shoes. Those who are older or disabled and can’t put on slippers easily so the design of the Shaffay London slipper makes it easier to put on without bending down. The memory foam sole is also more comfortable for them and the design won’t fall off your feet, thereby not causing a trip hazard. The rubber soles are a better grip than most slippers too, reducing the risk of slipping on a hard floor, or worse, falling up the stairs when climbing. So although they are expensive, for some people, these could be the slippers that make life much easier, and safer for a very long time.
Aside from the practicalities, they’re most certainly a luxury to anyone who is hard to buy for and one that will be appreciated!