Disclaimer: We received this toy free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
It’s almost November and with a large family to buy for I’ve already made a start on my Christmas shopping. I’m trying very hard to be more sustainable so I was really pleased to discover Modimi which are an eco-conscious modular toy system made from durable recycled plastic.
With six cute animals to choose from – Ellie the Elephant, Dexter the Dog, Paco the Pony, Ginny the Giraffe, Donny the Dinosaur and Dash the Dinosaur the toys are made from 100% recycled plastic and are packaged in a cardboard box with none of those annoying plastic ties that parents hate.
The heads are all a similar size and the legs are the same height meaning they can easily be interchanged to create new creatures. I especially liked the feet which squeak when you press down on them, bringing delighted squeals and giggles from our mini reviewers as we walked them across the wooden floor.
Modimi toys are designed to grow with your child so babies will enjoy the textures, colours and squeaks and older children will begin learning the animals, colours and shapes. Toddlers will have the most fun as once they work out how to pull the animals apart they can begin creating new creatures to play with.
I especially like how the joints are articulated, meaning you can turn the heads and bodies, allowing children to bring the animals to life when playing with them. The pieces snap together easily and our mini reviewers soon got the hang of pulling them apart and putting them back together. Each body part is brightly coloured and the textured raised shapes and crinkly fabric ears and manes are great for sensory play.
I’m really impressed with Modimi toys, they are not only great fun they are educational too, helping with fine motor skills, dexterity and encouraging role play and they will make great gifts for babies and toddlers this Christmas.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
One of the more brilliant ideas for discovering new foods, flavours or in this case teas is to ask for an advent calendar before Christmas. Bird & Blend Tea have created 24 days of different tea flavours for you to try, which circumnavigates having to spend money on a box of teabags you might not like. This is becoming an increasingly clever way of trying new products without having to spend the time choosing something new, and is often much cheaper too.
Celebrating Christmas and perhaps helping you buy the gift for the person who has everything (including excellent taste in tea!) the Bird & Blend Tea Advent Calendar also acts as a tasting menu. Not really designed for children, although older teenagers who love tea will probably appreciate this, it’s decorated in yellow and blue with two teabags behind each of the 24 windows. The size of the calendar is bigger than the usual chocolate calendars, so taller than A4 and about letterbox side in width. As you’d imagine with teabags though, it’s pretty light and can be posted easily and not get ruined in the post.
Inside there’s instructions on how to read the teabags. Each bag has a key of how much caffeine they contain, how many minutes they should be brewed for and whether you should add milk. If you’re a real tea expert, it will also tell you the correct temperature to brew at, as apparently some need more heat and therefore 80 degrees centigrade is needed. Within the doors, there’s even a scoreboard for the top 5 blends you enjoy so you know what to buy later.
When you open the windows, there are two identically flavoured teabags behind them. They’re not individually wrapped and each of them are plastic free so they’re compostable too. Some of the flavours include Chocolate Digestive, Treacle Sponge, Apple Strudel, Banana Bread Chai and of course, the Great British Cuppa! My personal favourite (although I do appreciate a good British Cuppa) was Gingerbread Chai. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into this selection with the mix of winter, Christmas and classic flavours. I don’t think any of the flavours are repeated and some of them I’ve never seen before.
Whether you’re just a big fan of tea, or looking for something different to try during the winter, the Bird & Blend Tea Advent Calendar is a great choice and sure to make anyone smile this Christmas!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Whilst it looks like an ordinary soft toy this cuddly giraffe from Warmies isn’t just for children. Scented with lavender, which is well known for helping you relax and drift off to sleep, the soft toy can be warmed in the microwave which helps the beautiful fragrance intensify. The warm giraffe is then lovely and snuggly, just like a warm hug and is lovely to cuddle up to.
It is really easy to heat , place it in the microwave and turn it on, for microwaves 600 to 800W heat for 45 seconds and 850 to 1000W it needs 30 seconds.
I have been using it instead of a heat pad and found it perfect for soothing cramps and muscle pain. Our mini reviewers have been snuggling up to it at bedtime which has really helped settle then down at night and they have definitely been falling asleep much faster.
Popping a Warmies soft toy in the microwave before bed has now become one of our favourite bed time rituals, guaranteeing us all a good nights sleep.
Available from Well Pharmacy there is also a Cockapoo and the super cute Warm Hugs penguins which would make great Christmas gifts. If you are looking for gifts for older relatives then it might be worth considering the fully heatable bottle, fully heatable eye mask or the fully heatable slippers which are all available from the Well Pharmacy website.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Calling all Disney lovers! This years’ advent calendar for Disney characters is also a game and puzzle.
Instead of the usual chocolate advent calendar, this Disney toy is a game where you collect 16 Disney characters to build up a board game to play on Christmas Day. The object of the game is get all the toys under the tree, playing in teams to move around the board.
There are 24 windows and a surprise behind each one. The Disney characters are from past movies such as Frozen and Toy Story (Ariel, Woody, Elsa, Anna) and old favourites (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Donald) from the Disney Mickey and Friends as well as Disney Princess. There’s an added Snap game made from the windows doors, which can keep the children occupied whilst they collect all the parts throughout December.
Inside the advent calendar box you’ll find the puzzle game board, 4 dice, 4 card stands, the perforated snap card game and the game rules as well as the characters hidden behind the windows. The set is aimed at children aged 4 and over because there are small parts and accommodates 2 to 4 players.
It makes a refreshing change to not have oodles of chocolate in a month that’s already heavy on the treats, and building up the game creates anticipation although I think the younger children will get frustrated at not being able to play the game from December 1! However, with each figure that’s revealed, and the windows that create the snap game, it adds to children’s imagination to be creating games with the pieces as they accumulate. Each of the pieces really look like the movie characters and even if you’re not a big Disney fan, you’ll still recognise who they are. The game is easy to play, so even if you’ve got loads of board games this Christmas, you’ll love the simplicity of this on Christmas Day and not having to get your head around it. The children will appreciate not just the Disney aspect but how playable the game is.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Do you know a Star Wars fan? Whether they’re a fan of the recent films or a die-hard fan then they’ll love the Original Stormtrooper “Brewing up a Storm -Trooper” gift set from Well Pharmacy. Containing an exclusive Stormtrooper dishwasher safe mug along with a 100ml Shower Wash it is a great choice for a stocking filler or Secret Santa gift.
Well Pharmacy are the third largest pharmacy chain in the UK and have a great selection of Christmas gifts available. If you aren’t able to get to one of their branches then you can buy online with postage starting at £3.95. These are some of our favourites that will make great stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts.
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I don’t leave the house without putting lipstick on so was very pleased to receive a selection of Sheer Shine lipsticks in the most gorgeous shades of nude, pinks and red from Annabelle Minerals.
Available in six shades, these lipsticks are a lovely creamy consistency which glides nicely onto your lips, enhancing as well as nurturing them. The colours are lovely and last well but the main benefit to me is how moisturised my lips now feel. Enriched with a blend of natural butters, oils, waxes, and vitamin E they have the moisturising qualities of a lip balm but in a lipstick formula – a winning combination which not only makes your lips look good, keeps them lovely and soft and hydrated too.
The shape of the lipstick enables a precise application, and it was easy to adjust the intensity of colour from a subtle wash to an intense full lip. We all know the packaging of lipsticks is important and these are available in a chic golden magnetic case, with a snug fitting lid and there is also a refill option too which is a great sustainable option.
The colours available are –
APRICOT – a fresh peachy nude shade that complements both warm and cool beauty types. A very versatile everyday colour that will suit most people.
BROWN FIG – a gorgeous pink caramel colour that can easily be glammed up if you are going out straight after work.
COCONUT – a warm brown hue, great if you have a tan.
DRAGON FRUIT – this fuchsia pink lipstick teamed with smoky eyes is a winning combination for Christmas party glamour.
GUAVA – a powdery pink shade that will suit all complexions.
STRAWBERRY – a stunning red lipstick that will add a touch of drama to any outfit.
As a user of more expensive lipsticks, I can honestly say that these lipsticks could easily rival any of my normal brands so are a great choice if you are looking to save a little money but aren’t prepared to compromise on quality. The choice of shades is great and they keep your lips lovely and moisturised which is very important now we are heading into the winter months.
From daytime to evening glamour, Annabelle Minerals have a great selection of makeup and skincare products that would make amazing gifts this Christmas, so whatever your budget you will easily find the perfect gift.
RRP £11.90 and the refill is £9.90 – available here
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Christmas is a time when the whole family gets together and sitting down to play a board game after lunch is now a favourite family tradition. Music games are great to play when you have a mix of ages and Spot the Intro from Cheatwell Games is bound to get everyone reminiscing about the music of their youth and all those long forgotten top ten hits that we all know and love.
The game features music from the last six decades with the aim being to guess songs from a 10 second intro and be the first to reach the finish. There are 480 double sided cards in the box giving you 960 tracks to play and we found it quite addictive so it will certainly keep everyone occupied over the Christmas period. Unlike older music quiz games that used a CD or DVD to play the music, this game has QR codes on the cards to scan with your phone, taking you to a Spot the Intro page where you can play the songs via Amazon, Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
After listening to the intro, the team have to name the song correctly to get one point with an additional point given for naming the artist. With any correct answer there is a bonus question with another point available for a correct answer. Once the questions have been answered the team then moves their counter by the number of correct answers.
The game is great fun although it’s a bit fiddly scanning the codes so that’s definitely a job for the teenagers rather than Granny!
Spot The Intro is a great game for music lovers and works really well as a team game, especially with mixed ages. It’s a great game to play with family and friends and with Christmas round the corner, it would make a great gift that also doubles up as the afternoon or evening’s entertainment.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Christmas is coming and it’s time to start thinking what to buy my teenage son. He spends a couple of hours each day on the bus going to and from college and often listens to music so a new pair of earbuds like the Edifier W320TN earbuds will be the perfect gift for him this year.
Rather than the usual white, these earbuds are in an attractive gloss grey colour, although they’re also available in ivory. Supplied in a smart gift box they come packaged with the usual instruction manual and a USB-C charging cable. They connect effortlessly using the latest Bluetooth 5.3 and are Hi-Res certified.
Many earbuds are supplied with a range of different size silicone ear pieces to ensure a good fit, instead Edifier have designed these to fit without the fiddly silicone sleeves and I don’t know how they’ve done it but it’s almost as if they were custom made. They’re lightweight too so I could wear these for hours without any issues and the battery life wouldn’t stop me either, the earbuds are good for up to 5.5 hours playback and then there is another 22 hours charge in the case!
The earbuds also have an AI Multimodal Adaptive System which combines multiple sounds and algorithms to ensure that users have the strongest noise cancellation, the best sound quality and the clearest calls.
You can just connect them to your phone and start listening to music but it’s well worth installing the Edifier app where lots of settings can be altered. As well as adjusting the equaliser settings and turning on the Hi-Res audio pretty much everything else can be changed, including the touch sensitive controls which are activated by pinching the bottom of the earbud’s stem enabling you to answer and hang up calls, control music playback, switch modes etc.
One feature I especially like is the “wearing detection” feature that turns off the music if you take out an earbud and re-starts when you put it back in – meaning you can have a quick chat and then go back to your music where you left off. I’m also impressed with the active noise cancellation – perfect for those noisy bus journeys and they’re IP 54 rated so won’t get damaged whilst waiting for the bus in the rain!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’re popping into Aldi this Christmas to get all the party food, Christmas day meal and all the trimmings plus general festivities, then have a look at the Lacura beauty range by Aldi. Every year they have something lovely and this year is no exception. We were given the West Hollywood Eye Make-Up set and Brightening Concealer to try our as part of their extensive range. Are you feeling in the festive mood yet?
The West Hollywood Eye Make Up set is 16 shades of the gorgeous Natural Radiance range, with 8 of the shades a matt colour and finish and 8 highlighting shades to compliment them. You don’t have to use the complimentary shade with each block, and you can mix and match them (I have already!) and create a whole new look but there’s enough range there to give you a whole host of choice. From the base neutral colours which would suit various skin tones to more vibrant and sparkly golds and metallics, this pallet isn’t just for Christmas but for all year, and all day too. There’s a lovely Espresso dark charcoal colour which is great for smokey eyes, and teaming it up with either a shiny top colour like Glam or Auburn would give you great ‘party eyes’ or something more subtle like the shade Toasted would make it more of a day wear colour. Whichever shades you like to use, there is plenty of choice and it glides on beautifully with little effort and doesn’t go sticky or rub off easily.
The Lacura Brightening Concealer, which is in the palest shade Lacura produce (yes, I am that pale!) is a rich concealer that needs a minimal amount to blend in. You can see from this test patch on my hand that the colour is deep and you don’t need much to give all the coverage. Depending on what you need to cover (such as under eyes, or maybe a scar) you only need the tiniest amount as it goes so far so quickly. If you do use too much though, it has a tendency to be a tiny bit chalky so start small and build up layers if you need to. I don’t think you would need to though as it gives great coverage and don’t forget it’s just a concealer, not a foundation that give all over coverage.
The West Hollywood Eye Set and Brightening Concealer aren’t on the Aldi website yet so they won’t be in stores for a while, but when they are, get them asap! The Lacura range often sells out early!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Calling all of you who need a Secret Santa this year… or who are struggling to find that little gift for Mum or Gran! The Kind Edit Co. have this beautiful Luxury Garden Glove Set and Hand Cream in a gift set, which any garden enthusiast will both love and need.
The set includes a pair of green and pink gardening gloves with elastic fit and finger grips and 125ml hand cream of bergamot, ylang-ylang, lily and sandalwood. The hand cream formula is 95% natural, hence the Kind Edit Co endorsement. You can either put the hand cream on before the gloves when you work in the garden, or apply the cream after working in the garden although you could use it at any time. The hand cream has a lovely floral aroma which is not lost on the fact that this is part of a gardening set!
I like the gloves especially because they’re very heavy duty but made of cotton, so they’re not waterproof but they are softer on the skin. They’re hand wash, which is easier when you’re working outdoors and can just leave them to soak. The hand cream is nice and rich and has a lovely fragrance so if you do put it on under your gardening gloves, it leaves them smelling so sweet!
This is a great gift for the price of £4.99 for anyone who enjoys gardening, and I especially like it as a Secret Santa gift for someone at work.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
This lovely gift set is aimed at girls but with the ten different colours, including pinks and red, it could be a lovely gift for anyone!
Chit Chat’s Nail Varnish Colour Wheel is also vegan, which is not something you find very often in beauty products especially nail varnishes. There are 10 colours (including pink and red but also blue, green and yellow) which are 3.5ml in size each. In the centre of the wheel there’s 12 different glitter colours to add to your nail colour. Whether you use the corresponding glitter and varnish colours or do something outlandish and mix up the complimentary colours, the combinations of glitter gems and nail varnish are endless, and so much fun!
The gift set doesn’t say what age range it’s aimed at, but I would guess children aged 6-10 years old, and not much younger due to the smaller parts. The wacky colours are great to experiment with but also teach children fine motor skills with the application of the brush and then the tiny gems which go over the nail varnish and stock to the surface. To make them really secure, you can use a top coat nail varnish over the top, although that isn’t provided with this set.
Even if you don’t have children in the house, this is a great kit for the colours and nail art, especially as the varnish pots are a smaller size and you can take them on holiday with you. The quality of the varnish is good too. This kit is great as a bonding exercise with an adult and child.
Disclaimer: we received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Have you started shopping for Christmas yet? These STABILO pens and pencils make great stocking fillers or why not add a colouring book to make a lovely gift for an artistic friend or relative?
With STABILO’S instantly recognisable striped pattern on the pens the metallic STABILO Pen 68 is perfect for creating masterpieces. With a firm tip the pens make crisp, smooth lines, and move effortlessly over the paper. The metallic colours are striking, and the pens are perfect for writing, doodling or colouring and look amazing on black card.
RRP from £14.33
Children will love the STABILO Trio DECO metallic pens, with 8 sparkling colours they liven up any picture. The colours are bold and strong with a metallic shine and are great for art projects or colouring.
The pens have an ergonomic triangular grip making them easy to hold in little hands.
RRP from £9.37
The STABILO aqua colour pencils are lovely to use and the colours are bright and vibrant. Soft with a rich pigmentation the pencils glide smoothly across the paper and when blended with a wet brush give an incredible wash effect. They are the perfect introduction to watercolours as they are much easier to use than paint and ideal for detailed work.
The pencils are the same colour as the barrel making it easy to find the one you need, and I also found they sharpen nicely too.
RRP from £6.71
These STABILO pens and pencils would make a lovely Christmas gift for any budding artist – both young and old.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
You can’t go wrong with a fragrance gift and lots of women will be thrilled to discover a Gucci perfume gift set under the tree on Christmas morning, especially if it is the gorgeous Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci. The floral fruity women’s fragrance was launched back in 2012 and is inspired by the House’s renowned Flora pattern. With fruity top notes of pear and red berries, middle notes of gardenia and frangipani and base notes of patchouli this perfume is light and feminine and perfect for everyday wear.
The Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia gift set is packaged in a stylish cream and black box, nestled inside the gift box are two bottles of perfume, a 50ml and a very handy travel sized 5ml bottle. The hexagonal glass bottles with black bows look very striking and will look good on any dressing table or bathroom shelf. The lids of both bottles fit snugly so they won’t come off in your handbag and both bottles give a good strong spray.
The perfume is very much like the bottle, chic and stylish and perfect for anything from work, a day out shopping with the girls or a date. It is a very versatile fragrance and I feel it could be worn by anyone, young, old and by both dress and heels or trainers and jeans type of girl!
I found the perfume lasts really well, I first sprayed it in the morning before work and could still smell a hint of the fragrance by the end of the day. If you are out all day and want to refresh the fragrance the handy 5ml handbag sized bottle is perfect to pop in your bag for top ups.
You can always tell if a perfume works well on your skin by the number of people asking what perfume you are wearing and since I started wearing this perfume, I have lost count of the number of people asking me what the fragrance is.
I love floral and fruity fragrances, so Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is a real winner for me. From the very first spray I loved it, the fruits and floral notes work so well together creating a beautiful fragrance that is perfect for all ages.
Currently costing £82.99 the 50ml perfume gift set is available from Perfume Direct and would make a lovely gift for any woman this Christmas.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
As thoughts turn to Christmas I’ve been looking out for Christmas themed books to keep our mini reviewers occupied in the lead up to Christmas. We are big fans of Orchard Toys as they make fun educational games so when I saw the Countdown to Christmas Activity Book, I knew it would be perfect for the little ones this year.
With 25 fun activities including pictures to colour, wordsearches and recipes the idea is you do one activity a day from the 1st December meaning the children will have lots of fun counting down the days to Christmas. Once each activity is completed there is a number sticker to add to the page and a sticker to add to the pull out advent scene at the back of the book.
There is also a letter to Santa and if you submit a photo of it to Orchard Toys by the 18th December you are guaranteed a response.
This is a really fun book and a great way to countdown to Christmas with little ones. I would definitely recommend it and will enjoy doing the activities with our little ones this December.
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
There has been talk in this office this week of our annual Secret Santa and with a limit of £15 the Royale Garden Luxury Pamper Keepsake Tin Gift Set from Baylis & Harding fits the bill perfectly.
It is one of a number of gifts from the Royale Garden range that contain products scented with a beautiful Rose, Poppy & Vanilla fragrance. The products are beautifully packaged in a keepsake tin and all the products are all individually wrapped in tissue paper, making it feel like an extra special gift.
Inside the tin are
Soap 50g
Body Wash 50ml
Body Butter 50ml
Hand & Nail Cream 50ml
Body polisher
The soap and body wash lather up well and if you layer up the products it helps the beautiful fragrance linger on your skin all day. The body butter is nice and rich, melting into my skin leaving it lovely and soft and fragranced. The hand cream was a delight to use, it was just the right consistency, not too thick where you need to rub your hands a number of times to help it absorb and not too thin where it runs through your fingers. It left my hands feeling soft and smooth without any greasiness. The 50ml tube is perfect for keeping in my handbag too.
As well as being a great Secret Santa gift it is perfect as a stocking filler or a thank you gift for teachers.
Disclaimer: We received this product as a review sample but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Friday night is music night, a chance to sit down and listen to a favourite album or just a random mix of new music on Spotify. This week, I had the opportunity to try out a new speaker – the Addon C5A from Swedish brand Audio Pro.
The Addon C5A is a network connected speaker with Amazon’s Alexa built in. The setup was pretty simple, connect the speaker to power then download the Audio Pro app and follow the instructions,I soon had it connected to my Spotify account and started listening to my playlists.
The sound quality was really impressive, far better than a standard smart speaker can manage. I actually switched between the C5A and my Echo Dot (which to be fair is a fraction of the price) and the difference was amazing. Each instrument was much clearer and more defined and it was a real pleasure to listen to.
We use Amazon’s Alexa a lot in our house, an Echo Dot sits in most rooms and we find them really useful for setting timers, checking the weather and controlling other smart devices. We also use them for playing music and listening to the radio but whilst convenient, the sound isn’t what you’d call high quality, so having the quality of the Addon C5A, together with the functionality of the smart speaker is fantastic and has been appreciated by my whole family who have played a real mix of music this week – we’ve discovered rock,pop, heavy metal and classical music all sound so much better through the C5A!
In addition to the network connectivity you can also connect via Bluetooth (v4), line in on the rear and aux in via a 3.5mm jack on the top of the speaker. A subwoofer connection is provided for those wanting a fuller sound. If you’d rather not use wifi, there is an ethernet connection on the back of the speaker too.
Styling is discrete and modern, a simple panel on the top of the speaker gives access to the main functions along with four presets and a volume control. The microphone for smart functionality is also on the top. At 250mm wide and 150mm high it sits easily on a bookcase and comes in three colours, black grey and white.
Setup is performed in the app but there is little need for it after that. Extra functions that are available are timers, treble and bass control etc. It is also possible to group multiple speakers into stereo pairs or into groups that enable music to be played around the whole house.
Overall, I am really impressed with the Addon C5A it is a premium speaker in both sound and looks. Whilst it’s not the cheapest, with a list price is £170, it’s certainly a worthy investment if you like quality sound and build.
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 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 product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I especially love the build up with all the traditional festivities like going to the pantomime, decorating the tree and counting down the days with an Advent calendar. In the last few years ‘grown up’ calendars have really taken off, offering a wide selection of daily treats to enjoy in the run up to Christmas. Beauty Advent calendars are especially popular and you often find that the combined value of the products inside is usually far greater than the price of the calendar making them excellent value for money.
The Luxury 24 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar from Baylis & Harding is one of the more reasonably priced calendars, the stylish purple calendar is tied with a co-ordinating ribbon and looks more expensive than the £45 price tag. Behind the 24 numbered doors are a fantastic selection of bath and body products in two of Baylis & Harding’s popular fragrances – Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit and Jojoba, Vanilla and Almond Oil. The box is sturdy and sits nicely on a mantlepiece or dressing table and I was really pleased to discover that the inside of the calendar is made from cardboard rather than plastic so it wins points for being eco-friendly too.
So on to the contents of the calendar – there are 30ml bottles of Bath Milk, Bath Bubbles, Crème Bath Bubbles, Shower Gel, Hand Cream, Body Wash, Foot Lotion, Body Lotion, Body Butter, Shower Crème as well a 25g bar of soap and 25g boxes of Foot Soak Crystals and Bath Soak Crystals. I am really pleased with the selection of products in the calendar as they are all products that I use regularly and I will enjoy having plenty of pampering nights in the lead up to Christmas. With 24 products they will last me well into the new year and the travel sized bottles will be great to pop in my washbag when we are staying with family over the Christmas period.
Overall I think this is a great Advent calendar, it’s full of products that I will use and will brighten up the dull and dark December days and if you’re quick it’s currently on offer at Ocado for £30.
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.
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 item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Everyone knows European chocolate is the best there is. It’s the ingredients, the way it’s made and a centuries old history that elevates it above all else out there. The Maxtris Chocolate Advent Calendar from Sacla is Italy’s finest confectionary, all bundled up in Christmas in the form of 24 drawers each filled with chocolate.
The A4 sized boxed chocolates are extremely pretty, with doors that open up to reveal the 24 windows for each day of advent. Behind each drawer there is a chocolate from a range that includes Extra Dark 70%, Milk, Pistachio and Noisette. Each of the chocolates are reminiscent of another brand of round, individually wrapped European chocolates, with a coating of chocolate around a filling of softer fondant chocolate which melts at a lower temperature. After having tried several of the chocolates for this review (yes, I know it’s not Advent yet but I am testing them after all!) I can confidently confirm that these chocolates are actually much nicer. Maxitris chocolates don’t have the processed taste to them, they feel more natural and have the sweetness of the chocolate coming through instead of the added sugar that other brands have. They taste more authentic.
The advent calendar itself is gorgeous. The bright red packaging, which is very sturdy and suitable for posting, is well made and recyclable. The little drawers behind the doors are individually numbered save for a few which you can work out as you hunt for numbers. There’s cartoons of Santa, elves and a reindeer plus a shiny gold metallic finish to each of the illustrations. Once you get to drawer 24, Christmas Eve, there isn’t an extra special prize unfortunately, but if you felt like it, you could always add something yourself as the drawers aren’t fixed and can be opened and closed without ruining them.
This is a lovely calendar for adults or children. Children will like the bright colours and discovering what’s inside each drawer whereas adults will appreciate the exquisite chocolates. The whole calendar can be re-purposed as well, either adding something different or extra to the drawers, or keep the whole calendar for next year when you put something different in it, even if it’s not chocolate or sweets. It’s not gender specific nor does it have any year assigned to it so this could be used again and again!
A perfect gift for chocolate lovers, anyone who loves Christmas or anything to do with Italy. Looks very pretty on the mantel piece too!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
I know we’re still in September but we’re already thinking about the countdown to Christmas and the traditional way to do that is with an Advent calendar. Retailers have really upped their game when it comes to advent calendars, these days you can buy Advent calendars containing a plethora of treats including toys, beauty products, alcohol and my favourite of all – food!
Flapjacks are one of my favourite treats so the Flapjackery advent calendar box is top of my Advent Calendar list this year – as well as counting down the days to Christmas it gives me the perfect excuse to indulge in a piece of delicious flapjack every day.
Flapjackery’s luxurious and decadent Advent Calendar Box contains 24 individually wrapped delicious gluten free flapjacks so you will discover a new flavour every day. There’s Chrismassy flapjacks, chocolate topped flapjacks as well as some more unusual versions and is a great way to sample a selection of Flapjackery flapjacks. The flapjacks in the Advent Calendar box aren’t numbered but for an additional £13 you can have velvet or jute numbered pouches to put your flapjacks in which makes it feel more like a traditional advent calendar.
I’m looking forward to trying the Mince Pie Flapjack and the Dark Chocolate Orange Flapjack whilst my husband likes the sound of the Creamy Hazelnut Chocolate Flapjack with Caramel drizzle and the Florentine Flapjack.
The other flavours are Golden Caramel Flapjack, Caramel Latte Flapjack, Chocolate Fudge Flapjack, Granola Flapjack, Clotted Cream Fudge Flapjack, Ginger & Dark Chocolate Flapjack, Millionaires Flapjack, Christmas Millionaires Flapjack, with white choc drizzle, Salted Caramel Fudge Flapjack, Traditional Flapjack, Raspberry Millionaire’s Flapjack, Rocky Road Flapjack, Burnt Caramel & Sea Salt Flapjack, Mint Fudge Flapjack, Milk Chocolate Orange Flapjack, Rum & Raisin flapjack, Peanut Butter Fudge, Billionaires Flapjack, Christmas Orange Flapjack and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel.
The flapjacks are handmade in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor using only British oats, locally-sourced West Country ingredients, fair-trade brown sugar and real butter.
The advent calendar box can be ordered for delivery from the middle of October and unless an earlier date is specified will be dispatched the week commencing November 1 so will be with you in plenty of time for the start of Advent. The flapjacks are packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes and have a shelf life of three months – although I would be very surprised if there were any left by Christmas!
The Review Studio 