Category: Children

Boux Avenue PJs In A Bag For Christmas

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Stocking Fillers, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Every year, I buy a new pair of pyjamas for myself for Christmas. Sometimes I’m on holiday with the family, and sometimes we stay at home, but it’s a lovely tradition to be able to choose what I want to wear for Christmas Eve and what will last me the rest of the year.

Boux Avenue sell lots of lingerie, nightwear and accessories and this year they’ve produced the PJs In A Bag Christmas Sets. They sent us this Christmas Candy Pink Stripe Christmas Shortie In A Bag set for us to try. If you’re wondering what a ‘shortie’ is, then it’s a pyjama set that has shorts for the bottoms instead of trousers. In this set, the top is a short sleeved, button-up top with a collar too. If you’re wondering about the bag issue, then look no further than the photos! As these are Christmas Gift Sets, they all come in a presentation bag which is easily posted or wrapped up as a gift and look fabulous when opened on Christmas Day!

This limited edition 2025 design is a matching set in candy pink, complete with pink Christmas trees, candy canes, soldiers, wreaths and a festive pink car with Christmas Tree on top! Don’t forget the bright pink stripes too, set off with pink buttons. It’s made of 100% polyester to give the slightly flannelled effect but it also contains 30% recycled fibres. It’s washable at 40 degrees centigrade. The shorts are elasticated waist but with a draw-string too for extra comfy, and the cut for both top and shorts is a comfort fit. The bag is also in the polyester material, which you can use to store the pyjamas or as part of the gift set which makes for a lovely stocking filler as well.

They’re a comfortable fit and useful for when the heating is on high at Christmas or even in the summer when it’s hotter (yes, I wear Christmas pyjamas all year round!) I like that they are shorts in this set, but there are other sets which are full pyjamas and in different designs. There’s a softness to them that makes them easy to sleep in. They come in sizes UK6 to UK18 and delivery is free when you spend over £60, but there is a sale on at the moment. Even better, they come in a beautiful presentation box too!

Available online from £35.00 at: https://www.bouxavenue.com/pyjamas/striped-christmas-pyjama-shorties-in-a-bag/211783_20PC.html

Orchard Toys Advent Colouring and Activity Book

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Winter

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

Judging by my inbox and Instagram feed, it seems September is the crucial time to start thinking about Advent calendars. If you’re on the lookout for an alternative to the traditional chocolate version for younger children, the Orchard Toys Advent Colouring and Activity Book is a lovely choice – and it has the added bonus of keeping little ones happily occupied in the run-up to Christmas.

From the 1st of December right through to Christmas Eve, children can enjoy a daily festive activity including a word search full of Christmas treats, pictures to colour, and even a recipe for no-bake Christmas puddings. The activities are varied and perfect for getting little ones into the mood for Christmas.

Little ones always love stickers and there’s plenty in this book, each completed page earns a number sticker and there’s also a pull-out Christmas scene at the back of the book, ready to be decorated with special stickers as the days tick by. By Christmas Eve, children will have created a festive picture which can be kept in the book or pinned on the wall.

Another nice touch is the letter to Santa, if a photo of it is sent to Orchard Toys by the 18th of December, Santa will reply!

The activities are designed to fit easily into busy December days. A puzzle or quick game is perfect in the morning before school, while the colouring pages make a lovely wind-down activity later in the day when there’s more time.

So, if you’d like an advent calendar that offers more than just a daily dose of sugar, this one is perfect and at £4 it’s cheap enough to buy one for each child making the countdown to Christmas just that little bit more magical.

#orchardtoys #countdowntochristmas #advent #stickers #Christmas #learningthroughplay #children #bookadvent #Christmasactivities #educational #learning #learningmadefun #homeschool

Tor’s Story Rainbow Balls, Puppets & Sorting Cups

Baby, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Learning, Plastic free, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

This was a real treat for a toy gift to review! Tor’s Story is an online shop that sells wooden toys specifically for toddlers and babies, with an eye for imagination play and Montessori. The labour of love for Sam, Mum to Tor, she loved wooden toys growing up but found that there weren’t so many around when she was a Mum, especially affordable wooden toys.  With her son Tor to test them, Sam went about creating toys that use imagination and develop skills of babies and toddlers who used them. Sam sent us the Rainbow Balls and Puppets Sorting Cups to try out.

The kit comes with 7 puppets (people) and their colour co-ordinated cups plus 7 balls with corresponding colours. There’s also a sorting bowl, wooden spoon, wooden tongs and they all live in a wooden tray box. The versatility of the pieces means that children can play with them for months on end, using the pieces in different ways as their development increases. All of the paints used are non-toxic and the shapes are designed for little hands, with no sharp edges or small parts.

There is the sorting aspect of putting the balls and the puppets into the same coloured cups, or exploring the different shapes with their mouths. The ability to throw or roll the balls comes first, then being able to pick them up with the spoon or tongs and eventually place them in the bowl with the tongs.  Building towers with the cups or hiding the balls within the cups or under the bowl also increases their imagination play, and older children can use the puppets to make up stories.

As an adult, there is something very exciting about unpacking a toy that has so much imagination potential. The very basic shapes and colours but multiple combinations that can be used with the set means that children can play endlessly with them and be safe, but also expand what they learn from them.  This is an amazing toy around children because they find ways of using the toy that you wouldn’t imagine, even making the wooden box into a house where the ‘family’ of puppets can live with the cups serving as beds, or the tongs and spoon to be used as cooking utensils where the puppets and balls are food and placed into the wooden tray.

An excellent adventure in toys with lots of imagination play and the ability for several children to play at the same time, including across different ages. Even adults will find it fun!

Available from £27.50 at: https://torsstory.com/products/rainbow-balls-puppets-sorting-cups

Bedsure Wearable Blanket Hoodie

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Cosy up this Christmas in Bedsure’s wearable blanket hoodie – a perfectly snug cross between a hoodie and an oversized dressing gown, it makes a brilliant Christmas present for anyone.  

We were sent this lovely light blue blanket hoodie to test out, which turned out just in time for the weather to turn! The oversized jumper fits over your head easily and has two giant pockets and a fluffy hood.  If you’re looking to save a bit on the heating this winter, this is a great alternative. The shorter hoodie-style means you can wear it around the house without it getting in the way, and especially good for driving in. The sleeves have elasticated cuffs for typing or cooking and I like how the hood comes up round your ears even when it’s not up, so it acts as a scarf. 

The Bedsure Wearable Blanket Hoodie is easily transportable because it’s vacuum packed and boxed for arrival. I not only loved this garment for the fluffiness of the material and how warm it keeps you, but for anyone who struggles with being cold all the time, or for the elderly who need to keep a constant temperature, it’s really wearable and an adorable colour. It’s available in other colours including pink, grey, red and black, but because it’s shorter, it’s easier to move around in and doesn’t weigh too much for every day wear.

It’s a great gift at Christmas, even as a stocking filler or Secret Santa!

Available from 26.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C1NQ7GT4?th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=masca0d-21&linkId=677774e6d39e553b3cc200292e969239&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_t

Squashies Flavoured Cheesecake Slices

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The English Cheesecake Company have once again come up with a brilliant idea for a flavour of cheesecake. The Squashies Flavoured Cheesecake slices are based on the Swizzels brand of sweets. The popular English Cheesecake Company crumbly cheesecake base is topped with two layers, like the original Swizzels sweet, with a zesty top layer much like the sweet. There’s a drizzle of white chocolate on top too, which adds to the fruity layer of cheesecake underneath. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I tucked into the Squashies Flavoured Cheesecake slice this afternoon. There’s the explosive sweetness of the Swizzels Drumstick but also the creaminess of the cheesecake underneath. It is unmistakably the work of The English Cheesecake Company, and if you’ve tried their other flavours, including the Biscoff Cheesecake, then you’ll love this flavour too. I ate it as a mid-afternoon snack with clotted cream, but it makes a great dessert. You could have it as an alternative to the traditional Christmas offerings?

Squashies Flavoured Cheesecake Slices are exclusive to Sainsburys and available now for £3.75: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/english-cheesecake-company-swizzels-original-raspberry-milk-flavour-squashies-drumstick-180g

The Popcorn Shed Vegan Advent Calendar 2025

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Buying advent calendars for vegans is a tough gig but The Popcorn Shed have come up with a gourmet popcorn gift that everyone will love! With 24 windows and 6 flavours, the Popcorn Shed Vegan Advent Calendar is great for children, teenagers or popcorn-living adults as well!

The flavours included are: Butterscotch, Choc ‘n’ Roll (cocoa infused caramel popcorn), Cherry Pie, Gingerbread, Christmas Pudding and Chocolate Orange.  Behind each of the windows there’s a joke as well, which children will love to use at school in the run-up to Christmas.  I liked the seasonal Chocolate Orange flavour and the Gingerbread, which were enough to give me a ‘sweet hit’ rather than full on packets which I would have to eat within a day or else it goes soft.  You can tell that this is gourmet popcorn though from the way that it has been popped, with no sharp kernels or uncooked pieces. It’s delicious!

The Popcorn Shed, so called because founder Laura was banished to the outside kitchen house to experiment with flavours, was born in 2016 with her cousin Sam. They now have over 30 flavours, with gifts sold online, on Amazon and different specialty retailers.  

A Christmas twist to a different snack that’s a great alternative to chocolate or treats, and one that adults will love as much as children!

Retails online at www.popcornshed.com for £25.00.

The Popcorn Shed Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar 2025

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Popcorn never used to be associated with Christmas, but since lockdown, the whole gourmet popcorn industry seems to have exploded. The Popcorn Shed have several advent calendars this year, including this gourmet popcorn with 12 different flavours across 24 windows.

Flavours include classics like Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and White Chocolate but also some quirky flavours like Birthday Cake (vanilla cake caramel popcorn with sprinkles) and Cinnamon Roll. There’s a few seasonal flavours like Pop ‘n’ Choc (Chocolate Caramel flavour) and Pumpkin Spice too. All of the popcorn flavours in this advent calendar are vegetarian.

This is probably a gift more for teenagers and adults but there’s no reason why children who like popcorn couldn’t try this for advent.  The flavours might be a bit unusual for children but they’re only small packets, so one a day won’t hurt after dinner or before school. The fact that this is gourmet popcorn should tell you that this is the more refined popcorn that you won’t find in the cinema! My favourite flavour? The Red Velvet  – red cocoa caramel popcorn with white chocolate flavour.

The Popcorn Shed advent calendars are available soon on their website www.popcornshed.com priced at £25.00.

iWalk Sparkly Portable Charger

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mobile Phone, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Tech

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

As far as Christmas gifts go, anything that is useful is good with me.  The iWalk Sparkly Portable Charger is a USB-C charger with the added appeal of being sparkly, and in the case of the model sent to me to review, it’s purple too!

Suitable for newer iPhones as well as lots of other models and gadgets, the iWalk is easy to charge and easy to use. Inside the box, the charger has a cable which hooks up to your PC via a USB-C so that you can charge it whilst you’re working. It holds 500mAh of charge, which is about 2.5 battery life charges for my iPhone 16 if you start with the iWalk fully charged. It’s also able to be used with the iPhone 15 and SAMSUNG S24/23+, Google Pixel 3, AirPods, iPads and some other phone and tablet models too.

With its sparkly purple colouring, it looks like a piece of make-up rather than a boring techie object and can fit in even the smallest of handbags. I particularly like having it because you can put it in your bag and forget about it, plus you can plug it into your phone and still be using your phone (or tablet!) at the same time. Not many charging banks are easy to use like that, but the iWalk is designed to be used on the go. It even comes with its own pouch for keeping in your luggage or handbag!

This is a great gift for a teenager or a stocking filler for your loved one. It’s a bit more expensive than some chargers, but it makes up for it by being quicker on charging (42% in 30 minutes for an iPhone 16) and the super handy size that can fit anywhere!

Available for £29.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/iWALK-Upgraded-Portable-Connector-Compatible/dp/B0F38C9888?th=1

PLAYinCHOC

Children, chocolate, Christmas, eco friendly, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gluten Free, Plastic free, secret santa, snacks, Stocking Fillers, Vegan

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

It can be hard to find delicious tasting chocolate that is suitable for people with different dietary needs so PLAYinCHOC is such a great find as it is vegan, organic, dairy free, nut free, and gluten free.

The PLAYinCHOC Christmas collection includes all six of the fun ToyChoc boxes and inside every box are two individually wrapped 10g organic chocolates, a festive 3D puzzle to build and a fun fact card to read. The 3D puzzles are all Christmassy – a snowman,  cheeky elf,  friendly ginger-bread figure, Christmas tree, reindeer and of course Father Christmas. Simply pop out the sturdy cardboard pieces and slot them together. The leftover pieces can also be used as stencils which are perfect for keeping little hands busy over the holidays.

The chocolate is smooth and creamy and is made from just three simple organic ingredients – cacao, vanilla and coconut. It also has a third less sugar than other leading brands and importantly, it tastes delicious – no bitter aftertaste, just pure chocolate deliciousness. Our mini-reviewers happily nibbled while tackling their puzzles, awarding it a resounding thumbs-up.

With its award-winning credentials – from a Great Taste Award in 2022 to Gold at the Free From Food Awards – this is a lovely stocking filler or table gift for both children and adults.

RRP £15

Casdon Dyson Cordless Vacuum & Dyson Styling Set

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved the idea of making a ‘grown up’ object miniature and still be able to use it.  The Dyson hairstyling set and Dyson Cordless Vacuum do just that – shrink down the real-life size to something manageable to a toddler.  Both sets actually work too, with the hairdryer from the styling set blowing air and the cordless vacuum really does have working suction!

The Dyson Styling Set contains a hairdryer, diffuser attachment, straightening nozzle, brush and comb. It’s based on the (very expensive) version of the Dyson supersonic that’s a favourite of Millennials. Each of the attachments actually work, so the brush can be used to brush a child’s hair, the diffuser and nozzle attach to the hair dryer and both can be used to ‘dry’ hair, although the air current is very weak. They are absolute miniatures of the real thing, just half the size for little hands to be able to use them! There’s even sound effects and panel lights to make it more realistic.

The Dyson Cordless Vacuum is again a miniature replica of the real thing. It comes with the main vacuum body, long nozzle attachment, and an interchangeable carpet vacuum head.  Just like the real-life thing! The whole vacuum measures 68cms in height, but it’s very lightweight for a toddler to be able to pick it up and use it. The body of the vacuum, where the dust would usually be collected, is filled with tiny coloured particles which children can take out and vacuum up again. 

With both kits, there is a great deal of learning for small children, which not only includes role play and imagination play, but the dexterity of using the brush and diffuser tools, adding and removing the vacuum heads and pressing all the buttons. There’s the science behind the air currents too, and cause and effect. They’re brilliant for keeping children amused, and we won’t mention how it encourages them to help out around the house too!

Dyson Styling set available from £40.00 at: https://www.casdon.com/product/dyson-supersonic-corrale-styling-set/

Dyson Codless Vacuum available from £25.00 at: https://www.casdon.com/product/dyson-cordless-vacuum/

The Snowman Christmas Paper and Gift Bags

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Bring some timeless nostalgia to Christmas this year with The Snowman Christmas wrapping paper and gift bags!

The wrapping paper features James, the boy from the animated film, alongside The Snowman in various poses. The 4 gift wrap sheets are all the same and measure 50cms by 70cms approximately, with 4 matching gift tags.  The tags, which show James and The Snowman mid-flight, are folded in a way in which it looks like they’re suspended in air, so as you stick them to your gift, they’re lifted from the paper!

Danilo have a whole host of other wrapping paper and gift bag designs for Christmas, as well as more The Snowman merchandise including lots of greetings cards and more designs of gift bags too. 

Snowman paper and tags, £7.99: https://danilo.com/products/the-snowman-christmas-8-sheets-8-tags-gift-wrap?_pos=31&_sid=4240cc117&_ss=r

Snowman gift bags, £9.50 for 3: https://danilo.com/products/snowman-christmas-gift-bags?_pos=30&_sid=4240cc117&_ss=r

The Moon Tarot Cross Stitch Kit

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you are looking for a cracking gift for the creative person in your life or a relaxing new hobby for yourself, a cross stitch kit from Innocent Bones is a great place to start.  Modern, stylish designs combine craft with art for both beginners and more experienced sewers, offering a mindful and rewarding experience that creates an artwork you can display in your home.  There are several collections available including Folklore, Mystical and Gothic, and each collection includes a rich choice of design options enabling you to tailor the choice of kit to the personality of the recipient or even to build up a whole collection over time.

I have been enjoying creating The Moon from the Tarot collection in my free time over the past few weeks.  It’s a really simple and effective design with a modern feel to it, and I absolutely love the colour choices.  The thing about cross stitch that particularly appeals to me is that you don’t need to come to it with any particular skills or even a lot of free time.  It’s something you can just pick up and put down but it’s also a very rewarding process.  I always find that taking some time out of my busy day to sew a few lines centres me and brings a wonderful sense of calm.

Each kit contains a guide to basic cross stitching, a printed design chart to follow, cross stitch and backing fabric cut to size, and a generous amount of high-quality embroidery floss that is more than enough to complete the design.  The kit also includes all the necessary equipment for the complete beginner, including a 5 inch wooden embroidery hoop, a pair of embroidery scissors, a packet of needle threaders and the perfect size needle.  It all comes packaged in an attractive eco-friendly box that is tailor-made for gifting to someone you love.

I would give Innocent Bones’ cross stitch kits a solid five stars and would recommend them to anyone.  These high quality kits are an inspired gift idea – creative but not complicated, great value for money and you get to create something beautiful!

Available for £18.00 at: https://innocentbones.com/products/tarot-moon-cross-stitch

Build Your Own Marble Labyrinth Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I’ve been really looking forward to this advent calendar! As children, we loved making our own toys so this Marble Run from Build Your Own Kits.  The kit arrives in flat form, with 24 days’ worth of instructions under advent windows which children can open and use piece-by-piece to build their own marble run. The kit is made entirely of engineered cardboard and there’s no gluing, sharp objects or tools needed.  If you want to, you can build the whole kit in one go without opening the windows by using the instructions which are also included. In the interest of doing a review, that’s what I opted for, and had great fun in doing so!

The enforced cardboard pieces are easily popped out but for little fingers, there is a cardboard too.  The instructions are without words, so even smaller children can read them, but I would suggest that the age 8+ years on the box is about right, as it took me a few turns of the paper to be able to work out how some of the pieces go together.  The instructions say that it’s 3.5/5 in difficulty and I would agree. Some of the parts fit together with ease, and there are steps which are repeated so once you get the hang of it, you can just go on and do the next part.  It’s incredibly rewarding though, even if it is a bit fiddly at times. It took me about 90 minutes to put it all together non-stop on my own and that was with scratching my head for a few minutes on one part!

The Marble Run builds up in stages with square structures on levers and balances. It’s a fabulous way to learn about physics practically as you have to get the pieces fitting together correctly for the whole kit to balance and fit together. The levers at each side move the trays inside the box, which is on a frame and therefore allows the users to adjust the level of the trays to move the marble around the course.

From the start, it’s very easy to understand the instructions. Even without words, you can work out how to put the pieces together because the instructions show you which sheets of cut-outs you need, plus they pieces are numbered. Where there are multiple pieces that fit together, they are colour coded too, so you can hold up the model against the instructions and see how they fit together.  Once you have all the trays and the frame made up, the instructions tell you how to put it together, and include a box for the marbles as well! It was actually quite easy to put the frame and trays together, and once I did, it was obvious how it all worked.  The game is quite tricky because the marbles get stuck in the holes. The object of the game is to get the marble from start to finish without getting stuck, and although it’s difficult at first, it becomes compulsive to try and get the knack. There’s also some different templates to use once the game is finished so that everyone can play and no one gets bored with the same route.

The whole game is really robust, so there’s no chance of breaking it unless you use real force. I think this is a great advent calendar for older children or for parents to sit down with younger children every night and assemble together. It’s great for dexterity too – I know my grandfather would have loved this as an advent calendar because it’s such a brain teaser, plus the game at the end is a challenge for children and adults alike, especially in winter. Great way of getting children off of screens too!

I absolutely loved doing this kit, and would happily give the advent calendar as a gift or try out some of the other kits on the Build Your Own Kits website: www.buildyourownkits.com The Marble Run Advent Calendar kit is available from late September for £24.99.

Danilo Elvis, Dr Who and Disney for Christmas

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Danilo are synonymous with calendars and Christmas is the perfect time to give your loved ones a themed calendar they will love. The team at Danilo sent us three which are for all the family; Elvis, Dr Who and Disney!  Each of the calendars are marketed differently for a range of ages, so if you see something you like here, search on the www.Danilo.com website and see if there’s one in a different format. They’re great stocking fillers and some of them are on sale right now!

The Disney Calendar is a family calendar for up to 5 people. Each page has a Disney cartoon theme from Dumbo to Aladdin and Lilo & Stitch.  It also comes with a page of fabulous stickers for denoting the school holidays, parents’ evening and the school play, right down to character stickers and phrases. These are great for adding to the calendars but also great for keeping the children entertained in the kitchen when you’re trying to cook or concentrate.  It’s lovely and colourful too so you can’t miss it on the wall!

Elvis fans will adore this special edition Elvis calendar in the form of an LP. It opens up from what looks like a retro LP cover to reveal the calendar which has a photo of Elvis on every month and the calendar days underneath. It even notes Elvis’ birthday on 8 January!  The photos are from his Promised Land album, released in 1975, which is the theme of the calendar. The photos are all portraits and glossy with retro details of some of them being in black and white but all of them high quality. It shows Elvis at his best, if you’re wondering about what he looks like from his final years.

Finally, the Dr Who Collector’s Edition of the BBC programme is a Dr Who fan’s dream!  It comes in a presentation envelope and opens up to reveal 12 frame-ready prints. This isn’t a calendar for making plans on, it’s a monthly collector’s calendar where you can remove the poster-like prints and save them to frame, but there is the monthly dates across the top of each page.  The posters are all themed on details around Dr Who rather than the doctors or cast themselves. They remind me of artistic album covers which would look good on a wall anywhere, so it’s great to have a calendar which you can keep for longer than a year.

Disney Calendar £10.99: https://danilo.com/products/disney-classics-2026-family-organiser-calendar-with-stickers-and-pocket

Elvis £11.99: https://danilo.com/products/elvis-2026-collectors-edition-record-sleeve-calendar

Dr Who: £14.99: https://danilo.com/products/doctor-who-classic-2026-a3-deluxe-calendar?_pos=13&_sid=05f909d1b&_ss=r

Casdon DeLonghi Barista Coffee Machine

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Treat your little ones this Christmas to the same kind of pick-me-up as your coffee brings you with this replica, miniature sized coffee machine! Unlike the play pretend toys of our youth, this details coffee machine toy has everything that the grown-up version has including; two thermo coffee cups (for cappucino and americano), a milk jug (for frothing), portafilter and even a chalk board for writing up the menu and prices. It even has realistic sound effects! Even the dials go round, and the lever for the coffee beans works.

All the pieces fit nicely into the back of the machine and it requires 2x AAA batteries which are not included. It looks so unbelievably realistic though, it’s a real treat to be able to play with it!  It’s designed for children aged 3 and above, but if you don’t have a coffee machine at home (we don’t) then it’s difficult for a child to work out how to make the coffee and what the different parts are for. It’s great for older children to show them how to role play with it though, and if they see you make coffee at home on a similar machine, they even know the different types of coffee that can be made!  

We loved how detailed the machine is, and the addition of the noises and how all the parts fit together at the back as well as interact with the machine added to the fun.  If you combine it with a tea set or play picnic it adds to the realism. Setting up a coffee shop at home is a real treat for children too, complete with money and finger sandwiches, there’s endless hours of play here.

Available online for £25 at: 

delonghi barista coffee machine

Warmies Keyrings

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Women

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

Sometimes it’s the little things that bring a smile to my face and my pink bunny Warmies® Keyring has been doing just that since it hopped onto my keys. Cute, cheerful, and surprisingly practical, it never fails to make me smile – and it also means I can find my keys a lot easier in the depths of my bag!

At just 3 inches tall, this mini bunny has a soft, squidgy body and the sweetest little ears that are impossible not to stroke. Like its bigger Warmies® friends it’s scented with lavender, so whenever I’m feeling stressed, a quick sniff is all it takes to help me relax. One thing to be aware of though, especially if you’re already a fan of Warmies® is unlike the larger toys these keyrings aren’t designed to go in the microwave.

The bunny is just one of a whole family of Warmies® Keyrings. With 11 different characters to collect – including an irresistibly sweet pink elephant, whichever character you choose, you’ll end up with a pocket-sized companion that brightens even the most ordinary of days.

At £8.99, they’re affordable and perfectly suited to those small-gift occasions: think stocking fillers, Secret Santa, or simply a treat for a friend. They’re lovely for children too, with the gentle scent making them especially soothing.

Technics AZ40M2 Earbud Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mobile Phone, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Tech

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

These days, headphones are not only getting smaller, but these essentials of everyday life are being produced in better and better quality. The Technics AZ40M2 earbuds are headphones with Multipoint (meaning the headphones can be switched between use on different devices such as your laptop, phone etc) and Bluetooth with noise cancelling thanks to the earbud design.

The drivers are 6mm for ultimate comfort. The carry case is exceptionally small too, which makes them ideal for commuting or at the gym, and the short charging cord (USB-C) means the headphones can be charged at your desk, or whilst you’re travelling. The red light pulses on and off when the box is charging, green when the headphones are fully charged. There are 3 additional ear bud sizes available with the packaging, which, by the way is completely plastic free.  The earbuds have about 5.5 hours of play on full charge if you’re using noise cancelling, or 18 hours without. You can charge just one headphone at a time if you still want to listen to music though, which I thought was a really good tip! 15 minutes of quick charge will give you 60 minutes of listening. I haven’t yet been able to check though, how long it takes to fully charge them from completely dead, but I’m told it’s around 3 hours.

The headphones come in 3 different colours; silver, black and these ones are rose gold, which matches most brands of phones too. You can have noise cancelling as a complete block-out, or Attention Mode to focus on speech. Natural Ambient Mode allows you to select how much background sound to hear.  The touch controls on the earbuds include one tap for play, two taps on the left for volume down, two taps on the right for skip a track and so on… there’s a menu in the ‘Let’s get Started’ guide which comes in the box.

 The instructions also explain how to pair the earbuds with your phone using Bluetooth. Just put the earphones in your ears, press the control pad for 5-8 seconds and you’ll hear music playing. Your device with Bluetooth will be able to pick up that the earbuds are available. It literally took 3 seconds! I would recommend downloading the Technics app for your phone though, as it gives more flexibility in the different controls you have, especially if you don’t want to learn what the tapping sequences do when wearing them.

The sound quality is excellent and very sharp. I didn’t find that the Bluetooth dropped out at all, and I used the app for the controls at first so that I didn’t have to keep looking for the paper instructions. I like my music quite loud, and I like to be able to adjust the bass etc. It doesn’t take long to learn the app and the headphones adjust quickly.

These are brilliant headphones for a stocking filler or a Christmas gift to yourself!

Available for £99.99 at: https://www.technics.com/uk/products/headphones/eah-az40m2.html

Prezzee Personalised Digital eGift Card

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Probably the easiest, and most personalised gift you will ever be able to send, Prezzee is a digital gift card which can be sent with a video message which you can record yourself.  With a price range of £5-£500, the Prezzee gift card can be converted into vouchers for over 200 stores including Apple, Argos, John Lewis, Dunelm or even for restaurant vouchers such as Cote, Five Guys or Pizza Express.

Using the Prezzee website at www.pressee.uk, after you create an account, click on the Buy Now button. You then choose whether you’re treating yourself or sending the card to someone else, the amount of money to add to the card and the design of your eGift card. This can include a Gif or a recorded video. Yes, you can record your own video on your phone and have it attached to the Prezzee eGift card when it’s sent, to make your present more memorable. Add the recipient’s details and whether you want to send it via email or SMS and click through to the preview and payment.

When your recipient opens the email or SMS, there is a link to the Prezzee website where they can open the eGift card and convert it to any of the stores affiliated with Prezzee. I chose Marks & Spencer, which takes you to a page where you can redeem your card and print out a pdf of the gift card to use either online or instore.

For Christmas, you can choose a festive greeting card and distance isn’t a problem with Prezzee when you’re just an email away from sending someone you love the perfect, personalised gift.

Create an account at: https://www.prezzee.uk/

Levitex Anywhere Travel Pillow

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home, Summer, travel

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

For the traveller, taking some home comforts with you on your journey is the perfect remedy to long distance flights or uncomfortable car rides. Levitex, the sleep posture experts, have a travel sized pillow in their customary design which can be taken on a plane as hand luggage or packed away.

Measuring approximately 30cms by 35cms when inflated, the pillow comes in 4 sizes (S-XL) and the website details how you work out what size is needed depending on your height and your sleeping position. The Levitex Anywhere Travel Pillow also differs from other pillows because it is completely compressible and can deflate into a roll, secured with the enclosed strap so that you can take it with you in a rucksack or hand luggage.

To inflate the pillow to the correct pressure, you use the valve to allow air in to maximum size. Then, by literally punching the pillow with your fist to a depth of about 1cm, allow some of the air to escape then close up the valve. The firmness of the foam in the pillow give your head and neck the support needed to compose a good sleep posture to be able to sleep anywhere, and as it’s individualised to you in both pillow size and the firmness of the inflation, you can adapt it subtly to give you an even better sleep. 

No more carrying bulky neck pillows at the airport and having nowhere to store them!  Levitex Anywhere Travel Pillow is also great for keeping in the car on long journeys or for children needing a pillow to travel. It also comes in a drawstring bag to protect it but allows you to keep it packed in between journeys.

Available online from £65 at: https://levitex.co.uk/products/anywhere-travel-pillow

Brainbox Games

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Learning, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Toys

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

We’re two weeks into the school holidays, and so far the weather’s been, well… uncooperative. Grey skies and drizzle have meant we’ve been spending more time indoors than we’d like, which in turn means the board games have come out in earnest. Finding a game that holds the attention of little ones and keeps older children (and to be honest, adults too) entertained can be a bit of a challenge so we were really pleased when BrainBox sent us a couple of their games to play – Maths, The World and the pocket-sized Space version and I’m pleased to report that they’ve all gone down a treat – even the Maths!!

With a RRP of £13.99 RRP, these games are a brilliant blend of fun and learning – just don’t tell the children about the learning part! They’re simple to learn, engaging enough to keep everyone involved, and with a wide range of themes you can easily find one that matches your family’s interests.

Each BrainBox game includes 55 colourful cards, a ten-second sand timer, and an eight-sided dice. Players take turns drawing a card and studying it for ten seconds before rolling the dice to determine which question they’ll be asked from the back of the card. Get it right, you keep the card; get it wrong, it goes back into the box. After ten minutes – or longer if you want – the player with the most cards is declared the winner.

It’s not just memory that’s tested. The World edition, for example, covers 55 different countries, with questions not just about geography, but colours, objects, and flags and it’s easy to tailor the challenge to the age of the child. Even reluctant readers get swept up, our eight-year-old, who usually avoids books, especially in the holidays, happily reads the questions aloud, thrilled to uncover quirky facts about animals, landmarks, and places he’d never heard of.

The Maths game is a great confidence booster for children who might find numbers a bit daunting. It sneaks in numeracy practice without it feeling like homework, and our mini reviewers were so busy playing, they didn’t even realise they were learning.

The pocket-sized version (RRP £6.99), like the Space edition we’ve been playing, is perfect for holidays. With 25 cards and 150 questions, plus 25 conversation starters, it’s just the right size to slip into a bag or backpack. Ideal for long journeys, by car, train, or plane, it’s bound to keep little hands and minds busy while you navigate the motorway or airport.

So, if you’re looking for something to keep your children entertained, thinking, and maybe even a little bit wiser over the summer holidays, BrainBox games are a fantastic choice. Even just a quick ten-minute play before bed or in the car on a day out can help build knowledge, encourage curiosity, and with any luck, ease the back-to-school transition come September.

Who knew a little cardboard box could hold so much fun – and so many facts?

Age group 8+

Available from Amazon and all good toyshops

SEA LIFE Aquarium London

Birthday Gifts, Children, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for children, Summer

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

When it comes to summer holidays, the weather is always better the week before children break up from school, making it difficult to book things to do! The SEA LIFE Aquarium London is the safest bet yet for planning as it’s completely indoors and therefore weatherproof!

Located on the South Bank, in the old County Hall building and next to The London Eye (giant ferris wheel) there is plenty to do in the area.  Book tickets to SEA LIFE Aquarium online and you can reserve your entrance time and plan your day ahead, including transport.

The SEA LIFE Aquarium starts with the Atlantic section. There are more than 10 sections throughout the aquarium including Antarctica and Rainforests, acting as a tour around the world via aquatic life.  The aquarium follows a path where you meet fish and sea creatures in different tanks with informative digital displays that tell you the fish contained within the tank as well as information about their habitat and how endangered they are. There are all sorts of fish, star fish, lobsters and other animals to look at which the children found fascinating and there was certainly something for everybody. You can read as much or as little about the species as you like, or just watch them swim around. Photos are also possible.

As you travel round more tanks, you come to the main attraction of the underwater exhibition – a huge tank containing sharks, turtles and stingray!  There are ample windows around the tank and seating points for small children as well as adults to be able to sit and watch, or in the case of most children, to sit and point at the animals. The sharks are seriously impressive due to their size and their elegance but the turtles are huge, and look just like Crush in Finding Nemo! The stingray and turtles swim around and come up to the glass to ‘greet’ onlookers which makes for some fabulous photos. Some of the sharks swim too, but there are a couple of basking sharks at the bottom of the tank which you can see up close.

Walking around the rest of the exhibitions, there’s an area with Ben Fogel talking about the habitats of the rainforest, an area of rockpools where you can touch shark eggs and star fish and learn about their lifecycles from a member of staff. We loved hearing about how the turtles in the main display were rescued from a turtle farm and brought to London and got to see a real turtle shell, its skeleton and be able to touch it.

The displays are interspersed with different types of interactions, professional photos, a virtual reality lab and activities for children of all ages. We saw babies being carried forward facing so that they could look into the tanks and toddlers being able to watch the motion of the fish for what must have seemed like hours to them!

For both adults and children, the best display has to be the penguins. A large pool with an equally large area of hardstanding behind big glass walls houses the penguin colony who were entertaining and inquisitive. They didn’t seem to mind the number of people watching them and seemed genuinely nosy and came face-to-face with the public with no fear. We watched for ages as they did dove into the pool, swam for fun, swam for hunting and then hopped out of the water onto the ground. There’s ice being churned out all the time to keep them cool and the viewing window (a globe above ground where children can stand and watch them) was especially good fun. The children loved the antics of the penguins and how close they could get to them and we loved watching them. I could sit there for hours! 

Before finishing, you go through a sea of jellyfish too, which were magical and fascinated the smaller children with their illuminous properties. The SEA LIFE Aquarium finished with a huge gift shop selling all sorts of soft toys, mugs and keyrings as well as more for the grown-ups. You can purchase the photos at this stage too before walking out to South Bank where you are right next to the London Eye and Shrek’s Adventure.

It took us about 2 hours to walk round the whole exhibition with stopping to see the fish in each display, taking photos and roughly reading the information boards. By the end of the day, we were buzzing from all the sights and sounds of the aquarium and being able to see animals and fish we would never usually get to see in London. It’s a fabulous day out!

Tickets available online at: https://www.visitsealife.com/london/

BBox Insulating Flip Top Bottle

advent calendar, Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, hiking, National Walking Month, REUSABLE, Sport, Summer

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The insulating Flip Top Bottle from BBox is one of those items you don’t know you need until you start using it. The 690ml bottle (shown here in spearmint colour but is also available in varieties of blue, green and pink) appeals to both adults and children thanks to the colours as well as the easy of use and volume.  It has stainless steel inners with a similar stainless steel straw and a flip top spout so that it doesn’t spill. There’s a bendy carry handle too which makes it easy to fix to a backpack or carry by hand and not get broken.

I found this really easy to use. It’s easy to fil up with the screw lid coming off to reveal the stainless steel. Your water doesn’t have to touch any plastic.  I am particularly passionate about not using plastic bottles because of the damage they do to the environment, but few people know what damage plastic does to our bodies, so stainless steel is the best option.  I like the fact that the BBox Insulating Flip Top Bottle can keep drinks cold as well as hot, so it has use during both the summer and the winter. 

It’s great for take out on trips, and the robust design means it can be taken to football games, put in the car (the insulating layers means it won’t get hot quick) or in a backpack for lunchtime.  The huge capacity means though, that you can stay hydrated all day on just one fill up. It can take drinks from temperatures as low as -20C right up to 120C. Tell me who wouldn’t want to use a versatile insulating bottle with those credentials?

Available from £28.99 at: https://uk.bbox.com/products/690ml-insulated-flip-top-bottle-spearmint?_pos=3&_sid=55527eae2&_ss=r

My Little Sudocrem Aloe Vera

beauty, camping, Children, Family Life, health, Stocking Fillers, Summer, travel, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Sooth summer with Sudocrem’s Aloe Vera skin cream.  In the long line of My Little Sudocrem range, the ever popular Sudocrem comes with the cooling effects of Aloe Vera this summer, in the same handy-sized pot that you find all the My Little Sudocrem characters.

Sudocrem is great for dry skin, relieving itches, as a barrier cream especially when in nature, and calms redness and irritations such as rashes and eczema.  The aloe vera has added soothing properties, often used on sunburn and to help heal inflamed, burnt skin. Many people associate the smell of aloe vera with summer and holiday time, which is no wonder given its healing properties.

The My Little Sudocrem Aloe Vera is the same rich Sudocrem but with the added aloe vera you have a fresh and slightly fruity fragrance too.  I loved using this on my knees and elbows when working from home (it’s a bit rich for hands and if you use it on the face, make sure you really rub it in). It’s also great for holidays because it’s only 22 grams so it’s well under the airport limit.  I found that the Sudocrem Aloe Vera left my skin soft and hydrated with the lovely fragrance of aloe vera that lasted all day.

Available from £2.99 at:

https://www.boots.com/mam-easy-start-bottle-set-small—pink-10340965?srsltid=AfmBOor5K-mPy6VkdIxGr4QX0_rN_4BxTTQVjK_HaDeS0m5Q2xHSjXqF

Edifier ES20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

As far as Christmas presents go, you can’t go wrong with a Bluetooth speaker. Edifier have this new 6 watt, Bluetooth v5.4 portable speaker which almost fits in your hand. It has a 43mm driver with neodymium magnets and a 55mm bass radiator.

Enough of the tech talk though – what’s it like to use?  It’s 9.4cm x 9cm x5cm and has a USB-C charging port which comes with the relevant cable.  The controls on the top are on/off, + & – and a light feature. There’s a display of how much battery there is and it illuminates when the speaker is switched on. There’s also a microphone function light which you can see lights up when the microphone is on. The light surrounds the speaker on both sides and pressing it several times changes the light colours or to a solid white. Great for when you’re camping and need to leave a light on to find your way back or to carry with you and see where you’ve left it!

To set up, just switch on the ES20 speaker so that you hear the chime noise, then look in your Bluetooth settings on your phone or device. The ES20 speaker should be there, and you can connect immediately! The speaker actually has multipoint pairing on v5.4 which means you can connect more than one speaker at a time to your one device. There’s about 15 hours of playtime on the speaker too, although I haven’t managed to test that yet as I’ve been playing it for hours on a full charge and it hasn’t given any indication of running out of steam!

You can use the controls on the speaker or there’s the EDIFIER ConneX app which allows you to change settings as well as simple tasks like volume. For the festival goers, it’s also waterproof and dustproof and comes with a handy strap handle to carry it with. 

Like most Edifier products, this is a great Christmas gift or handy for yourself when you’re camping, in the garden or for a teenager’s bedroom.

Available from £49.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-Portable-Bluetooth-Waterproof-Dustproof/dp/B0F8HYJB3F?th=1

Warmies Yellow Flower Pot

Children, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Home & Garden, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Toys, Valentine's Day Gifts, Winter, Women

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

At first glance this adorable Warmies Yellow Flower Pot looks like a cheerful soft toy, but this little beauty has a soothing secret! Filled with natural grains and gently scented with real French lavender, it’s designed to help you relax, unwind and even drift off to sleep. Simply pop it in the microwave -for 60 seconds if your microwave is 600–800W, or just 45 seconds for 850–1000W and the comforting warmth releases the most calming lavender scent. Perfect for those nights when you need a bit of help winding down.

And here’s a clever twist for summer: it’s just as effective cooled! Pop it in the freezer for a little while and it becomes a refreshing cold compress, ideal for warm evenings, little bumps, or even giving a spot of relief from menopausal hot flushes.

I’ve been using mine instead of a traditional heat pad, and it’s worked wonders for cramps and aches. The little ones have totally fallen for it too, cuddling up it at bedtime, and it’s really helped them settle quicker and sleep more soundly.

There are three gorgeous colours to choose from, yellow, blue, and orange and the bright, happy flowers look fantastic on a shelf. Plus, no watering required!

Whether you’re after a sweet bedtime soother or a cute, cooling cuddle buddy for the warmer months, this lovely little flower pot is a total summer must-have.

RRP £24.99