Family Life – The Review Studio

Women’s Verglas Down Vest from Helly Hansen

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for Her, hiking, National Walking Month, Sport, Winter, 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.

Sleeveless jacket, gilet, padded vest; whatever you call them from wherever you are, the sleeveless jacket is back in fashion. Versatile for both casual and sportswear, the Verglas Down Vest from Helly Hansen is made with a waterproof, toughened fabric that doesn’t tear easily. It also squashes down to almost anything so can be in the side shelf of the car, in a backpack or even condensed down into a pocket.

Speaking of pockets, there’s two zippable pockets on the chest which is great for dog walking or as an addition to sportswear because they’re incredibly deep. There’s enough room for a phone and keys in each pocket and still ample left for anything else. I wear a size 16 and this is a size XL which does up easily on the zip from top to bottom. It keeps you nice and snug too with the down filling evenly quilted throughout. The high neck is also useful in winter but you can of course wear it without being done up to the top so you have more freedom. The waist is toggled so you can draw in if it’s too big for you and need to reshape it or if it’s really cold and need the protection.

This gilet isn’t just for casual though, it can be a base layer with skiing or under winter sports gear. It only comes in black at the moment which is probably the mos versatile colour and doesn’t show up any marks. There’s also a zipped inner pocket on the chest and some deeper inner pockets too so if you’re skiing, they’re super useful.

As winter comes in, and autumn becomes cooler this is a great vest to use with layers, out running or even for commuting and around the house. I think I’m going to enjoy the freedom it gives with not having to wear a coat all the time, especially with all those pockets!

Women’s Verglas Down Vest, £180 https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/w-verglas-down-vest-20-63384?color=290002

Tower Cavaletto Mirage Kettle and 2 Slice Toaster

Christmas, Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, kitchen appliances, 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.

The Tower Cavaletto Mirage Edition a very elegantly designed matching kettle and toaster set. If you are modernising your kitchen appliances, then this kettle and toaster should be very serious contenders!

The Mirage Cavaletto Set by Tower came in matt black. Very upmarket looking and would match most modern kitchens styled in white or grey. They both felt very light weight and a little flimsy, surprising for Tower, but once in situ, this wouldn’t be a problem.

To the actual test – does the kettle fill easily, heat water and pour adequately? The answer is yes. Fill from the spout or lid and the actual spout is nicely shaped so there’s no splashes or random water dripping out. The kettle does have some nice features. A clear capacity indicator that’s easy to read. Below this is a small digital display near the base where you can set the heat temperature, from 40 to 100 degrees, in increments of 5. This is also the on/off and was a little fiddly to use and would take a little getting used to. It also shows you the current temperature as it heats up and after it has boiled. Very useful if you walk away for a few minutes. If you are a herbal tea or matcha drinker you can get water at exactly right for these brews at around 80 degrees, with no more guessing. Additionally, coffee should be brewed at about 90 degrees, so this kettle lets you choose the right temperature per beverage, with a little research! It also has a keep warm feature for those of us who may need a second cup.

The only downside I found was that the kettle is very wide at the base and narrow at the top, a design feature that means that the minimum amount of water they tell you can boil is 0.8L. This seems wasteful. However, on the box it states that it can boil 1 cup of water in 45 seconds. So I tried and it can without the minimum water cut off kicking in. I’m not sure therefore whether the minimum is 0.8L?

Overall though I found this to be a very good kettle and I liked the digital readout/display.

Now to the toaster. Confession time – I love toasted things. I bought crumpets, toasting waffles, rye bread, mini pancakes and pitta breads to test. The toaster itself looks quite high tech. It has a digital readout and control panel, countdown timer and options for white bread, bagels, G/F, muffins and waffles! It also can defrost frozen breads, reheat items and has variable ‘browning’ levels from 1 (light) to 6(very toasted) on the control panel. The panel is at one side of the toaster and illuminates when in use. I found you had to keep the panel to ne side, which was a little awkward to read, as the electric cable was too short to have the panel front facing and towards you.

I toasted a waffle, some wholemeal bread (using the white bread option), pancakes, multi grain crumpets and frozen pitta breads. Like all toasters it took a little time to get the hang of how much it toasted and what level to set. Hands up – I burnt a piece of bread and the first crumpet was a bit too soggy. But it really didn’t take long to have a feel for how to set the browning levels and what function to use for say pittas and crumpets, which weren’t an identified option. And it coped really well with the frozen pittas. My current toaster tends to dry them out if I put them in frozen. The Tower Cavaletto toasted them perfectly.

Finally, a toaster that properly toasts. And a kettle that can heat water at the correct temperature for different drinks. In conclusion I would highly recommend this toaster if you like all things toasty like me. The kettle, only if you drink anything other than builder’s tea/coffee.

Lily O’Briens Chocolate Luxury Collection

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, 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.

Lily O’Brien’s is an Irish chocolate company. You wouldn’t think that most of the ingredients are locally sourced but Mary Ann O’Brien, who started the company in the 1990s, wants to keep it as local and indigenous to Ireland as possible.

The Chocolate Luxury Collection box is a firm favourite of chocolate lovers and available all year round, but especially at Christmas. The box contains the flavours Zesty Lemon, Crispy Biscuit Crunch, Dart & White Duet, Gianduja, Truffle Decadence, Coffee &Almond Biscotti, Rapturous Raspberry, Sea Salted Caramel and Caramelised Biscuit Bliss.

As a family, we can all enjoy this box because it has such a range of flavours but they’re also child friendly. The Sea Salt Caramel flavour is a particular favourite of mine because of the flavour, but I also like the Zesty Lemon, which has the texture of the little lemon meringue pieces on top, which pop in your mouth as you eat them! You can taste the quality of the chocolate as you eat them, they’re very more-ish and easy to eat, but not too rich that you can’t enjoy more than a few at a time. You may find that you are fighting with other family members over them though…

Available for £12.50: https://lilyobriens.co.uk/luxury-collection-270g

Lily O Briens Chocolate Christmas Desserts Collection

Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, 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.

We love having some chocolates after Christmas lunch, sitting in the living room and watching TV. It’s amazing how much chocolate you can eat even though you’ve had the biggest meal of the year…

Lily O’Brien’s bring you chocolate by the box year round, and especially at Christmas you can sample their festive range. The Lily O’Brien’s Christmas Dessert Collection contains 8 different dessert flavours in their selection which includes dark, milk and white chocolate. The flavours included are; Key Lime Pie, Lemon Posset, Hazelnut Torte, Black Forest, Orange & Cranberry Panettone, Festive Carrot Cake, Spiced Latte and Creme Brûlée.

Each flavour is subtle, with an added texture such as dried cranberries on top, or a soft flavoured centre. The Lemon Posset has crunchy meringue pieces on top whereas the creme brûlée has caramelised sugar on top, to mimic the crunch when you dive into a full sized dessert creme brûlée with the back of your spoon.

The little cup-like chocolates are easy to eat, and there’s several of each variety in the box. These are great as presents or to add to a hamper, but I think the Lily O’Brien’s Christmas Dessert Collection is best saved for Christmas Day with the family. Which one is your favourite?

Available from £15 at: https://lilyobriens.co.uk/gifts

Women’s LIFA Merino Midweight Crew Base Layer from Helly Hansen

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, hiking, Mother's Day, National Walking Month, Sport, Winter, 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.

I am loving these base layers from Helly Hansen now that it’s colder in the mornings! I work from home most of the time, so a run or going to the gym in the early hours is imperative and it’s much colder at 7am than it is by lunchtime, even in September. The Helly Hansen base layers are designed for extreme temperatures, but thanks to the merino wool in these tops, they’re super soft to wear at home too, especially in the cold.

The 40 year history of LIFA Merino Base layers at Helly Hansen have a unique construction of 2 layers which include a 100% merino wool exterior layer, to wick away the moisture as well as keep you warm. The LIFA Stay Warm Technology layer which is closest to the skin was designed by Helly Hansen and keeps you more comfortable.

These are a size XL and they fit me at a size 16. I like how they’re long sleeved as well as high neck to wear under ski suits or jackets but you can just as easily wear them to pilates or yoga, although they’re likely to keep you a bit too warm unless your yoga studio is particularly frosty! They’re so unbelievably soft though that you can wear them round the house and doing the school run. Despite being made of merino wool, they’re super thin though, so a jacket on top or even a jumper if you’re especially cold will help keep you warmer still.

Available in a range of colours, the are in Opal Green and Hot Pink.

Women’s LIFA Merino Midweight Crew Base Layer, £90 – https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/w-lifa-merino-midweight-crew-49378?color=634565

Women’s LIFA Merino Knitevo 3/4 Trousers from Helly Hansen

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, hiking, National Walking Month, Sport, Winter, 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.

For winter sports, Helly Hansen has it all, including bright blue, 3/4 length activity trousers for winter sports such as skiing, hiking and outdoor pursuits.

These are in size XL, which is suitable for size 16, or 35” waist. A length of 3/4 means that there’s enough stretch that they come down to just above the ankle, so you can wear them with winter socks, or they fit under a ski suit easily. The colour design means you can team it with almost any other blue or black and wear these trousers around the house or for running errands.

The LIFA Merino Knitevo 3/4 Trousers are made of merino wool outer shell to help wick away moisture but to also give a softness of fabric, and keep you warm. There’s an elasticated waist and no buttons or fastenings. There are panels on the back of the legs for managing sweat (great when you’re in the car too) and there are ribbed ankles which help keep the shape long term, especially as the material is really elasticated all over. These are lightweight trousers, but not the lightest on the market so you can wear them on their own or with a ski suit on top. They’re mega comfy though and I love this blue colour for the winter!

Women’s LIFA Merino Knitevo, £110 https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/w-lifa-merino-knitevo-3-4-pant-49511?color=290002

Lily O’Briens Chocolate Elf Berry Bites

Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, 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.

Here’s a lovely festive chocolate gift from Lily O’Briens. These Chocolate Elf Berry Bites are gorgeous, individually wrapped chocolates have a berry filling, with the texture of cheesecake pieces. Each bite is both chocolatey and refreshing and reminds me of Christmas with the berry flavouring.

These would be great as after dinner chocolates, sitting on the dining table or whilst watching TV after dinner. At £5 each though for the festive looking 8 chocolate bites, they could be excellent stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts. I’m not sure how you would wrap the box though, the triangular shape makes it impossible to wrap paper round it!

Available from £5 at: https://lilyobriens.co.uk/gifts

The Large Honey Jar Gift Box from Black Bee Honey

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, Summer, 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.

I love honey. Honey has had a bad reputation in the past few years with the scandal that so many brands are using sugar syrup instead of honey, and the real honey has become really expensive with climate change making honey harvesting more unpredictable. I am delighted to say that the British honey from Black Bee Honey is homegrown, available to buy in plenty and isn’t as expensive as you might think. Black Bee Honey sent us this completely unexpected gift box of honey.

The gift box contains 4 jars of honey which weigh 227 grams each, so yes, this is a heavy gift box! The honey is sourced from the 4 seasons of the year, which explains why each jar is a different colour and a different texture. For example, spring is light cream colour, and is harvested when rapeseed, hawthorn and plum blossom are in bloom in Somerset, Yorkshire and Northamptonshire. The honey is soft and opaque so suits being used in baking to add sweetness. The summer honey, even though it’s harvested just a few months later, is transparent and resembles more like what we think of as honey. It’s sourced from all over the country in the summer so could come from any source of blossoms and flowers.

I use honey for so many meals and dishes. I make salad dressings from it, use it as a substitute for sugar and even use it for medicinal purposes. I only ever buy British honey because I have ridiculously bad hay fever and I can’t take over the counter medicine without falling asleep at the drop of a hat. So I take British honey every morning in some form, even if it’s just a teaspoonful and it gets rid of 80% of my hay fever symptoms, but can be taken as often as needed throughout the day. With this in mind, I love having honey around and I know my honey flavours! The idea of having seasonal honey is unbelievably useful to someone with hay fever who needs to have the antihistamine properties available throughout the year, depending on what causes the allergy.

As for the taste of the honey – well, it’s real honey! Each jar has a slightly different taste to it above the sweetness, whether it be a slightly more floral, or a delicate blossom flavour. I love this gift as a great idea for anyone who loves honey, or who cooks, has a family of honey lovers or likes using British homegrown products.

Available for £32.95 at: https://www.blackbeehoney.com/collections/the-honey-shop/products/the-4-seasons-large-honey-jar-gift-box

Lonely Planet – A Kid’s Guide to Japan – book

Birthday Gifts, Books, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Learning, 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.

You don’t have to visit a place to be interested in a Lonely Planet Guide, and the Kid’s Guide to Japan is no exception. The culture in Japan is so unique, it’s worth just buying the book for children to pique their interest, but if you have Japan on your bucket list and are thinking of going, you’ll want to take a peek at this book and get some ideas. It’s not just for children!

The book is full of photos on every page, with stories, history, facts and information such as transport, art (including animé and Hello Kitty), food and geography. There’s a section on Tokyo, and details on cultural references like Geishas, snow monkeys, origami and sumo. At the back of the book, there’s some ‘What’s the Difference?’ Puzzles for children to complete, using photos relevant to Japan.

The whole book is bright and colourful with lots of photos on each page and just as much to read. I would say that this book is aimed at children aged 7-10 years old as there’s a lot of topics to get into and a lot of interesting facts. It would take a while for a child to read the whole book, but if they’re interested in Japan, it’s something they could read over and over and learn all the facts. I learned a lot!

The Lonely Planet Kid’s Guide series also includes books on New York City, London, Paris, Rome and Italy.

Available from £10.95 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lonely-Planet-Kids-Guide-Japan/dp/1837587736

Bennett Opies Christmas Food Gifts

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for teachers, snacks

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 Christmas rolls in and you wonder what to buy, Bennett Opies have the perfect gift for food lovers. There’s a huge range of preserved fruits, pickles, cocktail items and ingredients available, there’s almost too much to choose from! We were sent a big box of goodies to sample before Christmas, and trust me, it took a while!

Firstly, there’s the fruits; Opies preserved Peaches in 12 year old brandy, Black Cherries in Kirsch and Baby Pears in Amaretto. The alcohol in the preserving syrup makes these extra special for Christmas and something that brings back memories. The peaches are my favourite, with ice cream added for the sweetness overload. The pears are not something I would usually buy but with the stems still on them, they are particularly pretty for Christmas. The Kirsch soaked cherries can be added to cakes, desserts or fruit salads and add both colour and flavour which again are quintessentially Christmas.

The Cornichons & Onions, Pickled Walnuts and Mini Gherkins are great accomplices to a buffet, or to use on the table on Boxing Day with cold meats or even if you do fish and chips. The Capers and Green Peppercorns are equally great for adding as ingredients (I like adding them to pizza!). The Ginger in syrup, Sliced Lemons and Cocktail Cherries are great for cocktails, and I use them in baking too. Try making a ginger cake with real ginger pieces, or a lemon drizzle cake with lemon slices on top. A fruitcake isn’t the same without a proper cocktail cherry either, and Opies have some great additions to your Christmas. Try some of the range before Christmas, or add them to a hamper as a gift for teachers, neighbours and friends.

All available at: https://www.bennettopie.com/ and with 10% now for new customers.

HungerHub – The Kitchen in a Bucket

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

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

We really enjoy the outdoor life and so when I heard about HungerHub – The Kitchen in a bucket, I was very intrigued.

The brain behind HungerHub is fisherman Stewart, who, like us, knows all too well the chaos that comes with outdoor cooking. There’s always an endless list of things to pack, and by the time you’ve got the cool box, stove, pans, plates, mugs and cutlery packed into different bags, there’s a very good chance something will be left behind.

So after years of buying outdoor cooking gear that was either expensive and disappointing or cheap and, well, even more disappointing, Stewart decided enough was enough. He wanted one grab-and-go solution that would let him cook a proper breakfast by the river, complete with bacon, eggs, toast and decent coffee. So, rather than simply moaning about it, he built the HungerHub. Everything comes neatly packed into one sturdy 17 litre container which is easy to carry and contains pretty much everything you need to cook a meal, apart from the gas bottles and food.

All we needed, then, was somewhere to put it through its paces. With a promising forecast for the weekend, we loaded the car with our camping gear, headed to a local campsite, pitched the tent and got straight down to the important business of cooking.

The HungerHub really does contain pretty much everything you need, and then a little bit more. Two side trays hook securely onto the main body of the bucket, creating sturdy metal shelves for the two gas stoves. Heat deflectors sit on the shelves beneath the stoves, helping to protect the surface while you cook.

The stoves connect to standard camping gas canisters – Campingaz, GoGas and similar brands are all compatible. Once everything is connected, the built-in click igniters make lighting the stoves quick and straightforward, which is particularly handy when you’re hungry and have already started thinking about breakfast.

The set has been very well thought out and includes cups, plates, cutlery, frying pans, a kettle, two stoves, salt and pepper grinders, a chopping board and a selection of cooking utensils. Most of it is surprisingly decent quality too. The cutlery is metal, the stoves have piezo ignition and the plates are sturdy melamine rather than the sort of flimsy plastic that bends if you look at it too aggressively.

There is one weak link, though, and unfortunately it’s the cups. They are very basic plastic ones and, for us, they let the rest of the kit down. I’ve already swapped mine for a couple of decent metal cups because, quite frankly, I’m not prepared to let my morning tea acquire the unmistakable flavour of plastic.

The bucket itself is sturdy enough to double up as a handy little tabletop once the stoves are set up, while the chopping board sits neatly inside the lid. And despite the fact that the bucket is packed surprisingly full, there’s room inside the kettle to stash a few tea bags, a bag for rubbish or other small essentials.

We cooked a delicious thai green curry with noodles in the frying pan, enjoyed numerous brews as well as a proper cooked breakfast. Having two stoves makes preparing a meal much easier, as you can have one pan cooking away while the kettle boils or something else is bubbling on the second burner. The whole setup is very impressive considering it packs neatly into one bucket, and we were surprised by just how much we could cook with it. From breakfast through to dinner and endless cups of tea in between, the HungerHub proved itself to be a very useful bit of camping kit.

As well as using this for camping I can actually see this becoming a permanent resident in the boot of my car. That way, wherever I end up, I’ll always have the means to stop, fire up the stove and brew a decent cup of tea.

RRP £199

Yale Linus Smart Lock 2

Christmas, Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, 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.

Everything is controlled from your phone nowadays and the Yale Linus Smart Lock 2 is no exception. Using a smart lock on your door and the app on your phone, you can open your door remotely, give permission for someone else to open the door or open the door with your phone still in your pocket.

I have to advise at this stage though, that the Linus Smart Lock only works with lift-to-lock doors and those with at least 3mm of the barrel protruding. It means it works on newer doors only and probably on US/European newer doors especially, so check whether it’s compatible with your door before you buy it. The link at the foot of this page gives some good background as to how the Linus Lock is installed and should give you an idea if it will work with your door or not.

The premise of the Linus Lock is that you fit it to your existing door lock and your phone can unlock it using the Yale app. This means you need to install the Linus Smart Lock on both the inside and the outside of the door and connect it to your wifi, then register it with an app on your phone where there are various options of how to unlock the door. To install the Linus Lock, you don’t need a professional and the whole kit includes everything needed including the batteries.

The mounting plate has to be installed first. It isn’t stuck to the door lock but a mounting plate is placed over the lock face and tightened to stay in place. Once the lock has batteries placed inside, you need to put the key in the lock and make sure that it can turn freely. The lock then fits over the mounting plate and key and is tightened again. It should turn the key easily when you manually turn the lock.

Once physically set up, you need to register the lock and add it to the Yale Home app on your phone. The Linus Lock is compatible with Samsung phones and you can register it using the QR codes.

As long as you have the correct type of lock, and the key turns in the lock properly, the Yale Linus Smart Lock 2 works brilliantly. For hands-free access, the lock can detect your phone in your pocket and unlock the door automatically. If you have an Air BnB property and need to give access without being there, or give access for a limited time, then this solution really works. For anyone who needs carers, this is also an excellent way of granting access and in combination with the Yale Smart Doorbell, you can see whoever is coming into your house, and being able to grant them access when needed.

Available from £103.99: https://yalehome.co.uk/yale-linus-l2-lite-smart-lock/

Yale Smart Video Doorbell

Christmas, Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, 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.

You hear a lot about these gadgets. So I was quite pleased to be able to try one out. Hands up though – I’m a bit old school. I love my old fashioned mechanical, battery powered chiming doorbell that you can hear from the bottom of my garden. Do I really need to come into the 21^st century with a video one? Find out later!

Opening the box it is pretty obvious what everything is. The doorbell itself is quite large and heavier than I thought. It would definitely need a sturdy fix at the front of the house to hold it in place.

The doorbell comes with a welcome leaflet (which tells you to download the app for instructions!), a charging cable, mounting options, a packet of screws and another packet with a little hook in.

After downloading the Yale Home app I was told to charge the camera first. After a couple of minutes it was flashing a green light which I took to be fully charged.

The app had instructions on installing a new device. Quite straightforward as it used QR codes to identify what I had and the serial number. Then it was just a case of following the online instructions and choosing names for both my house and the video doorbell. I’m assuming this is if you had several doorbells or another Yale device that uses the Home app.

It could also be the case that you could connect to another person’s doorbell, for example, at an elderly parents house? This could be useful so you could help them with callers at the door. After set up there is an option to share by email the device info with someone else.

I had to allow permissions on my phone, connect it to my home wifi and decide whether I wanted full screen notifications when the doorbell was rung. I had no idea whether I wanted full screen or not, so a bit of help as I went along would have been useful. I opted for yes – wasn’t sure how I would know someone was at the door otherwise? I was also glad to see that the app did give me the legal bits about filming etc. But, living in a terrace house near the road, I can’t see how I could avoid occasionally filming someone coming down my neighbour’s path.

I was then ready to receive callers, or so I thought. First I had to decide how I fixed the doorbell to my front porch. This is where it became a little apparent that it may have been designed with modern or American houses in mind. As the doorbell was large and heavy, my options were stick it on or fix it with screws. My house was built in 1929 and I have a upvc glass front door, surrounded by brick. It didn’t really fit anywhere comfortably. If I drilled into the brickwork, it wouldn’t cover the front step clearly. I fiddled around with it and opted for sticking it to the doorframe. It was a tenuous fit but hoped it would stay up.

Another thought occurred to me – how do I remove it to charge the doorbell? It was fixed pretty securely so can’t be tampered with. Then it became apparent what the other packet was for – a little release hook which wasn’t obvious. On the plus side, you do get a notification on the Yale Home app if the device is tampered with – as we found out when trying to release it from it’s fixing.

So, you’re asking, did it work? On first trying it I could hear the caller, when I answered it, but they couldn’t hear me. The app had microphone permissions and my phone volume was turned up. It took me about 20 minutes of googling and fiddling with the app, until by chance, I turned the doorbell volume from level 5 to level 10 (max). Then I was heard.

Was the film capture useful? Possibly – it was quite grainy and dark, but my door is under a porch. This photo was taken in the early evening on a very sunny day – so it would be worse in the winter months. But you can see who is there.

The app also records the footage and all activity for you. Once I’d spent a little time with it, I managed to enable the detect motion option and ensure the settings matched the activity expected at my front door. I don’t have any other relevant gadgets, but the Yale Video doorbell works with Amazon’s Alexa and other devices. And there are subscription options if you want to store the footage etc.

However, it totally relies on having your phone on you, looking at it so you know the doorbell has been rung and having the volume on your notifications on (which I don’t). Inside the house there is no ring or chime, it’s just a camera connected to your phone. You can buy a ‘chime’ to add to the doorbell, so it rings inside the house, but at a cost. I would have thought this would be useful and should be included as standard. You have no idea if you can hear it everywhere inside until you buy it.

However – I do think there is a market for this. If you are glued to your phone and check every little ‘ping’ it could be useful and fun – there is something to be said for video calling from your house. If you are in a block of flats with a communal door, this could be useful on your flat door in case someone wanders in and you want to check it’s a valid caller. If you have elderly relatives, you could answer the door for them, screening who is allowed into the house especially in the case of scammers.

If you’re a Yale household with more gadgets in the range, the app might make more sense and have more appeal as a ‘complete’ range of technology. In our house, it will take more time to get used to it.

Available from £139.99: https://yalehome.co.uk/smart-video-doorbell-grouped/

Yale doorbell, video doorbell, smart doorbell, smart video doorbell,

#YaleDoorbell #VideoDoorbell #SmartDoorbell #SmartVideoDoorbell

Tile Wireless Phone Charger

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, 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.

This pretty tile is more than just for decoration, and it’s not a coaster either! The Tile Wireless Zip Charger from www.thinking.gifts uses a USB-C cable to connect to either your laptop, a plug or any compatible device (which could even be your car if it has a USB-C plug). If you place your phon over the centre of the tile, the light changes to red and charging starts. It even works through a phone cover, depending on the material. Once fully charged, the red light turns blue.

The Tile Wireless Phone Charger works with Apple iPhones, Samsung and many major phone brands, and also works with Apple Airpods. The Tile is really light weight, and uses a normal USB-C cable so if you’re packing for work or for travel, you don’t need that many cables. It’s really lightweight too, and is only 12cms by 9cm in size.

This is a brilliant Secret Santa gift or a Stocking filler for teenagers or anyone who spends a lot of time on a laptop and needing to charge a phone on the go. It looks so pretty too!

Available from £14.99 at: https://www.thinkinggifts.com/products/zip-charger-wireless-phone-charger?option_values=6717a072ed44ba45f5ca297b

Napiers

beauty, Birthday Gifts, camping, Family Life, Gifts for Her, hiking, National Walking Month, secret santa, Summer

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

Summer is made for getting outside, whether that means hiking over hills, cycling along country lanes or spending weekends under canvas. After a few hours of walking, hauling kit around and generally expecting my legs to perform as though I’m still 21, though, a bit of recovery is definitely required. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been putting a selection of products from Scottish herbalists Napiers through their paces.

Napiers has been around since Duncan Napier founded the brand back in 1860. Scotland’s oldest herbal apothecary combines traditional herbal remedies with natural skincare and wellbeing products, all with that unmistakable old-school apothecary feel. There’s plenty to choose from, whether you’re looking for something to soothe tired muscles, deal with summer bites or simply give your bathroom shelf a bit of herbal sophistication.

The company still operates from Bristo Place in Edinburgh, where it all began, and Duncan’s great-granddaughter, Lynda Napier, continues the family legacy with her husband Eric. Hstorian, Eric has even written a biography of Duncan Napier’s life and work, so this is very much a family business with some serious history behind it.

The heritage doesn’t stop with the ingredients. Napiers’ packaging is very traditional, with dark glass bottles and classic apothecary-style labels that give the products a rather lovely old-world feel.

The Napiers Magnesium Body Gel (RRP £19.99) is just what you need after a long day cycling or walking. The gel contains high-strength magnesium (500mg per 5ml), aloe vera, lavender and vitamin E and the lightweight, non-greasy gel is designed to be massaged into tired muscles. I found spending a few minutes massaging it into my tired legs in the evening made a real difference to my tired legs. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave my legs feeling sticky, while the gentle herbal fragrance is very relaxing.

There are plenty of things I love about camping, but midges definitely aren’t one of them! Fortunately, Napiers also sent me their Bugbuster Outdoor Body Spray (RRP £9.99) and I made sure that was in my bag on our recent camping trip to Brecon Beacons.

The water-based herbal spray combines citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and Highland bog myrtle and the fresh botanical scent is a lot nicer than the harsh chemical aroma of many traditional insect repellents. It’s quick and easy to apply, a few sprays before heading out for an evening around the campsite or setting off on an evening walk was enough to keep the evening bugs at bay. The bottle is small enough to slip into a pocket or rucksack, so it’s always close at hand when the insects start making an appearance.

Of course, even the best outdoor preparation doesn’t guarantee an entirely bite-free adventure and when I received a bite from a horsefly, the Napiers Bite Ease Post Bite Comfort Serum (RRP £12.99) proved its worth. Made with calendula flower extract alongside tea tree, lavender and peppermint essential oils, it is designed to soothe skin after an insect bite. The 50ml bottle fits nicely in my rucksack pocket and is a very useful addition to our walking and camping kit. It will definitely be coming on our annual Scout camp, which, being beside a river, always attracts plenty of hungry bugs!!

Our summers involve plenty of walking, so the Napiers Foot Recovery Skin Cream (RRP £19.99) has had plenty of opportunity to prove itself this year. My feet always need plenty of attention after spending a day in walking boots, and this rich cream was a real treat for them. Coconut and jojoba oils are combined with cooling chickweed, comfrey and calendula, alongside lavender, peppermint and rose geranium and the foot cream smells lovely and fresh and herbal, while the rich texture feels particularly comforting after covering many miles. I’ve been applying a generous layer in the evening before popping a pair of cotton socks on and then leaving it to soak in overnight. When I wake up my feet are lovely and soft ready for another day of walking over the hills and dales.

These four products are all you need to care for your skin when you’re spending lots of time outdoors, The Magnesium Body Gel takes care of tired muscles, Bugbuster helps tackle the flying brigade, Bite Ease deals with the aftermath and Foot Recovery gives hardworking feet some much-needed TLC. What I particularly like is that they don’t feel like products designed to be hidden away in a bathroom cabinet. They’re practical enough for a rucksack, but with the botanical ingredients, beautiful fragrances and traditional apothecary feel, they bring a touch of beauty-editor luxury to outdoor life. Because spending time in nature is one thing, but there’s no reason you can’t come back from the hills smelling fabulous and feeling considerably less battered.

Sous Chef Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, 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.

Described as a rich, complex flavour, the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from Sous Chef is a must have for a kitchen. To either use it yourself or give as a gift, it is a luxury that once tried, you can’t do without.

Made from grapes which are aged for 12 years, the balsamic vinegar has a thick consistency which is used predominantly in Italian cooking. This is pricy at £23.99 a bottle, but once you use it in cooking, you miss the quality when you try other brands. I use balsamic vinegar a lot – on cheese, pasta, with bread and pizza and as part of a salad dressing. Italians use balsamic vinegar in everything, which is something we could all learn from!

The Sous Chef Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has a rich, sticky flavour to it, with the oak tones coming through thanks to the way it is aged in barrels. The quality of this balsamic vinegar can be tested by using it on its own with bread or a burrata and being able to savour the quality. I tried this on a burrata and in pasta to give a rich edge to it, and it works brilliantly. You’ll find yourself looking for dishes to cook just so that you can use the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Available from £23.99: https://www.souschef.co.uk/products/sous-chef-balsamic-vinegar-of-modena-igp

Two Farmers Lightly Salted Crisp Drum

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, snacks, 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.

For lovers of crisps, you can’t beat a drum, literally, of crisps this Christmas! Two Farmers, the Herefordshire based farmers, use local potatoes to create these local, lovely and sharp crisps in a 500 grams tin. It opens like a paint pot, with the lip having to be prised open (I used the back of a spoon) but it can be sealed up again when not in use. That’s handy, because 500 grams of crisps is a lot! It’s the equivalent to more than 4 of the big bags of potato chips you get in the supermarket, but this isn’t a brand that you would find in the supermarket, nor the format that you’re used to.

The Two Farmers Herefordshire Crisps which we were sent from Sous Chef are lightly salted and ooze a cleaner flavour than other crisps. These are prefect for sharing, thanks to the size of the tin, plus they can be used with dips, thanks to their light flavouring. The tin also means that they don’t get crushed in transit, so I found that the crisps were bigger and there was less ‘dust’ at the bottom of the tin. They stay nice and fresh too thanks to the metal container and resealable lid.

These are great for watching TV on Christmas Day, and after the festive season, you can clean out the tin and use it for storing Christmas decorations!

Available from £15.00: https://www.souschef.co.uk/products/two-farmers-lightly-salted-potato-crisps-in-sharing-tin

Casdon Ice Cream Parlour Playset

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Gifts for children, Summer, Toys

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

When the weather outside is hot and the words “I’m bored” have already been uttered approximately 47 times before lunchtime, finding ways to keep children entertained during a heatwave can feel like a full-time job. Luckily, Casdon came to our rescue with their Ice Cream Parlour Playset, bringing a little bit of ice cream shop magic into the playroom.

The colourful set gives children everything they need to open their very own frozen dessert empire and crucially during a heatwave, there is absolutely no need for actual ice cream. It’s all the fun just without the sticky fingers, melted ice cream and children bouncing off the walls after consuming way too much sugar.

The playset lets children take on the role of ice cream shop owner, serving up their imaginary creations to family and friends. They can scoop, stack and decorate their pretend treats, taking orders and generally behaving as though they have just secured the franchise for the world’s most successful ice cream chain. And it’s not just generic pretend ice cream either. The set includes some familiar Wall’s favourites, including dark chocolate and white chocolate Magnums, plus Solero, Twister and Calippo lollies. They look remarkably like the real thing, but these will never melt! There are even some clever little details that make them extra realistic – the Calippo can be pushed up as though you’re eating it, while the tops come off the Magnums and Soleros, making it look as though someone has already taken a bite.

We think the Casdon Ice Cream Parlour Playset is a lovely way to keep little ones entertained, it encourages imaginative play, gives children the chance to create their own games and, importantly, provides something they can enjoy away from a screen. We love the little details that make the ice creams feel so realistic, and there’s plenty here to keep children coming back to their imaginary ice cream shop again and again. It’s also a great one for playing together, whether that’s taking turns being the customer, serving up increasingly ridiculous ice cream combinations or simply sitting back while your child proudly announces today’s specials. And while you might eventually find yourself ordering your seventh Calippo of the afternoon and wondering where your imaginary money has gone, at least nobody is covered in melted ice cream!

RRP £30

GRUBBY Plant-Based Meal Kits

Family Life, Food & Drink, Home, Subscription Boxes, Summer, 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.

There are loads of meal box ideas out on the market now, many of which are aggressively advertised. I’ve tried a few of them but I don’t have a subscription myself, so I was happy to try out Grubby. As a plant-based meal box, it is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans and can be used by anyone. We were sent a selection of 3 meals, each for 2 people. The meals were; Risi E Bisi with Crispy Tempeh Lardons & Basil, Fiery Jerk Tempeh Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Roasted Radish, Tenderstem, Orange and Avocado Poke Bowl with Spicy Mayo.

The hot weather meant it was a perfect time to prepare and cook vegan food!

The box came with each meal wrapped in a different, labelled brown bag, complete with recipe cards for each meal. The meals contain all the main ingredients plus the dressings and wet ingredients like vegetable stock, mayonnaise and paprika. The only items you need are standard staples such as vegetable oil. Unfortunately, one of my portions was damaged in transit, but I had spare in the kitchen cupboard. It explains why the recipe cards aren’t very clean in the photos though!

The recipe cards are easy enough to follow. I did find that their estimation of how long it takes to prepare and then cook each meal was underestimated. There was plenty of food there though for each of the meals, even though they were suppose to be for just 2 people, I actually found I was able to make 3 or even 4 portions out of the ingredients given, and still had spare veggies left over for the rest of the week.

Each of the recipes was yummy though! They may be vegan, but there’s a lot of taste there thanks to the expert addition of tamari, siracha sauce and other flavours. Even if you’re not vegetarian, you can make the meals and add your own protein, they really are that flavoursome though, that they can be a whole meal on their own. I think my favourite was the poke bowl, which was so easy to arrange and contained a whole range of flavours.

https://grubby.co.uk

BabyBjörn Pocket Pouch for Baby Carrier

Baby, Family Life, hiking, travel

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

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since having children, it’s that you can never have too many hands. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to discover where to buy the extra pair, so anything that makes life even a little bit easier gets a very big thumbs up from me.

BabyBjörn has been making life with little ones that bit easier since 1961 and is probably best known for its brilliant baby carriers. The Pocket Pouch for baby carriers was launched in Autumn 2024 and it’s such a simple idea but solves the age old parenting niggle – where do you put your essentials when you’re not going far and don’t want to carry a big baby bag?

The BabyBjörn Pocket Pouch is designed to fit all BabyBjörn baby carriers and is the perfect place to keep those little essentials you need close at hand. It has two handy straps on the back with press-stud fastenings, making it quick and easy to clip onto the baby carrier belt and remove when you need to.

It’s also small enough to pop straight into your baby bag, so you can keep everything together and simply grab the pouch, clip it onto the carrier and off you go. No more transferring all those little essentials from one bag to another every time you head out. One less thing to remember, which when you’ve got a baby, is always a win!

The pouch is surprisingly spacious inside and easily fits a phone, keys, tissues and snacks. The zip is easy to open and close, which is particularly useful when you’re trying to retrieve something one-handed while holding a baby. It’s made to sit nicely on the waist stap of the baby carrier so everything stays neatly tucked away but, importantly, still within easy reach. And when you’re out with a baby, having the thing you need exactly when you need it can feel like a minor parenting miracle.

BabyBjörn has also thought carefully about the fabric. The pouch is made using the safe fabrics developed by BabyBjörn, with the company developing most of its own textiles in-house. This means they can keep a close eye on quality and make sure the fabrics have the properties needed for products designed to be used around little ones.

The pouch is easy to clean too, it can be machine washed at 40°C on a gentle cycle and dries quickly. Just don’t put it in the tumble dryer or iron it.

Small yet incredibly practical, the BabyBjörn Pocket Pouch is one of those accessories that makes you wonder how you ever managed without it.

The Pocket Pouch is available in four neutral colours, Light Beige, Grey, Light Grey and Black and has a RRP of £19.90.

GNAW Handcrafted Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

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.

Chocolate has always been a popular treat, and gift, but nowadays it’s taken on a life of it’s own with the new phenomenon of handcrafted chocolate. Combine that with the new novelty flavours and higher quality ingredients which are available, and you have a completely new genre of food connoisseur, similar to wine or coffee experts. GNAW Handcrafted Chocolate sent us a box of chocolates to review, and by box, I don’t mean your supermarket box for Granny on a Sunday, but a box that can be delivered through your door and contains 6 slabs of chocolates, each of them weighing 80 grams and of all different flavours, we couldn’t resist!

The GNAW chocolates arrived in a letterbox sized box and contained 6 bars; Dark Chocolate 70%, Dark Chocolate with Raspberry, Milk Chocolate New York Cheesecake, Milk Chocolate Honeycomb & Caramel, Milk Chocolate Popcorn & Peanuts and Milk Chocolate Lemon Drizzle. The bars are wrapped in paper labels with a ‘foil’ inside cover in an old-fashioned style, but all the packaging is actually recyclable. The chocolates don’t contain any palm oil and the packaging tells you if they are single origin ingredients too, which in the case of the Lemon Drizzle, the single origin is Colombia.

You might be thinking that these are unusual flavours for a chocolate? Well, they are! They represent a small selection of all the flavours that are available online in their shop; https://www.gnawchocolate.co.uk/collections/milk-chocolate-bars which has a lot more dessert-inspired flavours as well as everyday milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars. They are especially good if you like something slightly different to just chocolate, or if like me, you skip dessert and instead have a piece of chocolate instead.

How do they taste? Well, of course, I had to taste a piece of every chocolate bar we were sent, purely for research purposes… the dark chocolates are 70% so they are darker in colour and taste but still sweet enough to eat as a snack. The added raspberry is a treat because it sweetens the dark chocolate a little bit. The milk chocolate bars are a little less traditional but all have a theme of being slightly sweeter than the chocolate itself. The Lemon Drizzle has a hint of lemon but the added texture of tiny biscuit pieces. New York Cheesecake also has subtle biscuit pieces but you can taste the cheesecake filling as the flavour develops. Honeycomb & Caramel reminds me of a famous triangular brand of chocolate, so it’s a more familiar taste but I love having the chewy texture in a chocolate bar. Finally, the Popcorn & Peanut is a strange combination which is more about the consistency than the taste, until it evolves after a few moments.

I think my favourite chocolate was the Dark Chocolate Raspberry because of the juxtaposition of sweet raspberry and the dark chocolate. I don’t think there are any that I wouldn’t buy again, but I am very tempted by the other flavours on their website too!

Available online at: https://www.gnawchocolate.co.uk/collections/chocolate-bars

Sunday Roast at The Crown, Blackheath by Shepherd Neame

alcoholic drinks, ARTICLE, Days Out, Family Life, Food & Drink, Restaurant

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.

Shepherd Neame, the Kent based brewers owned by a local family, have launched some new dining experiences throughout their establishments in Kent and London. We visited The Crown, in Blackheath to sample their Sunday Roast as part of their new dining experiences.

The Crown is situated on the heath of Blackheath’s triangle, sitting at the top of the hill and overlooking the church. Parking is in the side roads of the triangle or there is parking on the hill itself, with the train station a short walk away and the buses stop nearby. There is frequently a circus or entertainment of some sort on Blackheath too.

The pub is recognisable from the large seating area at the front which is frequently full! Food is served every day, and on this particular sunny Sunday, there was seating outside, downstairs in the large bar area and a very picturesque dining area upstairs. The Sunday menu is presented at the tables but the dessert menu is inscribed on chalk boards above your head, so pudding is never very far from your mind as you eat! We opted for the Stuffed Pork Belly Roast, and the Sirloin Steak Roast. The Crown also does the Shepherd Neame Sunday Roast Sharing Experience, which has enough on a sharing platter for two to be able to enjoy, complete with a table side carving.

You can see from the photos that the Shepherd Neame Sunday Roasts provide ample traditions; generous portions of meat, plenty of roasted vegetables and of course, some smashing roast potatoes! These potatoes were cooked in dripping, with a salt coating to give that extra kick. There is also, of course, lashings of gravy too. We washed down our roasts with a Shepherd Neame Spitfire lager too – they’re most popular lager and one that was being enjoyed throughout the pub.

As for the desserts… there was a selection of locally inspired desserts including Apple, Pear and Pecan Crumble, Morello Cherry Frangipane and there’s a new one on me – Folkestone Pudding. Also known as Kent Tart, it’s a layered tart with a chocolate crust, cream base and chocolate layer on top. It’s similar to a cheesecake but with a rich cream filling that’s similar to custard. It’s the first time I had tried it and it was DELICIOUS! We also had the Warm Chocolate Fondant, which is seen here served with ice cream and crumbles.

I can’t recommend the Shepherd Neame Roasts enough, especially for a lovely Sunday afternoon during the summer. The pork belly was cooked perfectly with a soft, buttery layer of fat and a beautiful stuffing. There was ample beef as well, cooked as requested and tender to the cut. We loved the roast potatoes cooked with a nice thick crust. We did manage to eat all of it, including the desserts but it was all we could manage for the rest of the day!

The Crown Blackheath: https://www.crownblackheath.co.uk/

Shepherd Neame Dining Experiences: https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/pubs/food/shepherd-neame-dining-experience

JLab JBuds Mini Wireless Ear Buds

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, 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.

“The smallest fit ever” is what the packaging on the JLab Mini JBuds claims and we’d have to agree! Even the casing is smaller on these diddy earbuds, which are perfect for children or those with smaller ears. The ear buds are 30% smaller but the case is 50% smaller than other ear buds, which also makes them easier to carry, especially in pockets. They’re so small in fact, that at just 3.3 grams each and a total of 18.5 grams for the case, they make an ideal keyring or can be worn as a charm on your phone.

The JBud ear buds pack a punch though with a 6mm dynamic driver speaker for audio and an output of 103 ± 3dB. The battery life is around 20 hours when fully charged, which is impressive amount of play time with such small headphones. It takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to charge depending on how you charge the case, which is a USB-C port and comes with the C to C cable. The ear buds connect to Bluetooth 5.3 (the most recent version) and have approximately 30 foot range.

These are especially great for children because of their size and they also connect really easily to devices when in ‘find’ mode. There’s not very many settings on them either, and the 4.5cm length case is easy to handle and keep on children in their pockets, rather than having to hand them to someone else or carry a bag with them. They’re a great price too, either as a gift or as a stocking filler and they’re currently on sale at £29.99 on the JLab website below!

JLab JBuds Mini Wireless Ear Buds for £39.99 at: https://www.jlab.com/en-gb/products/jbuds-mini-true-wireless-earbuds-teal

Pip Organic Fizz

Children, Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, 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.

Pip Organic are a London based, organic drink and snack company who have just brought out the Pip Organic Fizz range of drinks for children. Well, not only children as adults will love these drinks to! We were sent some of each of the two flavours; Apple Fizz and Apple Cherry Fizz.

What makes the Pip Organic Fizz drinks different? Pip Organic pride themselves on making drinks and snacks that have minimal ingredients, and produce food which they themselves would give to their own children. Founders Patrick and Karen discovered organic juice bars whilst travelling together, not long after they met, and began juicing in Borough Market, London as they built their business. Nowadays, they are on a mission to make better food and drink accessible to everyone.

The 250ml cans come in packs of 4 and we put them straight in the fridge when they arrived so that we could enjoy them on those very hot heatwave days! The Apple Fizz is apple juice but carbonated to give the fizzy texture of a soft drink. It doesn’t have any added sugar is it has a slight sourness about it that’s akin to a home grown apple that comes straight off the tree. It’s also organic, so there’s the potential for the Apple Fizz drinks to be slightly different in taste from one can to another over time. It’s remarkably refreshing, and doesn’t leave a coating on your teeth (there’s no synthetic sweeteners either) and counts towards your 5-a-day.

The Apple Cherry Fizz is similarly refreshing and is slightly sweeter because of the addition of cherry juice. It’s also organic and counts as one in your 5-a-day quota. These drinks are aimed at children, but adults can enjoy them just as much, and over the summer they can be used in cocktails or as mixers as well, so the whole family can enjoy them and makes them easy to add to the shopping cart. Pip Organic Fizz is available in Marks and Spencer and now Waitrose too!

Pip Organic Apple Cherry Fizz 250ml

TrueStart Ground Coffee Cafetière & Coffee Gift Set

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

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.

There are some sacred things in this life, and the first cup of coffee in the morning is probably high up on most people’s wish list! What better gift to buy a caffeine lover than a whole set of coffee and a cafetière too, all in this pretty presentation box, ready to wrap and hand over.

TrueStart have a range of coffees available by both strength (strong, smooth, decaf, half cafe) and type (instant, coffee bags, ground, beans etc). They also have a starter packs, gifts packs and accessories, so a natural progression at Christmas time is to have a Coffee Starter Pack. You can create your own starter pack too, which is what we were sent when we received this cafetière (in grey but blue is available too) and two coffees. I chose the TrueStart Super Blend coffee with a strength of 8, and the TrueStart Energising Colombian ground coffee with a strength of 7. I can’t stress how cute it is to have the box arrive with the handle of the cafetière as the handle to the gift box, making it easier to carry!

The glass cafetière has 1 litre capacity, which is enough for 8 cups of coffee and has a stainless steel finish. It needs to be hand washed because the glass is delicate, so not suitable for the dishwasher nor the oven. It’s a lovely, classic design which comes in both grey and dark blue so suits many kitchens. I have a pet peeve with cafetières that they’re either too small and you can’t get enough cups out of them, or they’re too big and therefore just functional and don’t look pretty enough for modern kitchens. This one looks lovely though, and would sit nicely on any worktop.

We tried both coffees (multiple times!) in our house. We chose stronger coffees with more aromatic tastes so the Super Blend and Energising Colombian were perfect for us. They both had a strong, bold taste which lasted throughout the whole cup of coffee, and because you can make up to 8 cups in one cafetière, we were able to drink a second cup quite quickly afterwards and each cup kept it’s integrity. Delicious!

If your’e not used to a cafetière, this is a great starter pack, and they’re really easy to use and keep clean. In fact, I would say it’s the most fun way of making coffee, and you can alter the strength of the coffee easily depending on how much you add to the jug. I loved the coffee, which is carefully selected and curated by the TrueStart coffee company since 2015 who take coffee very seriously. It’s a great size for a gift as well, or for students going off to university and needing the whole kit that’s the right size for their room. The ability to choose which coffee you want also makes it perfect for gifting and I will be looking at these as gifts at Christmas too!

Available from £30.00 at:

https://www.truestartcoffee.com/products/ground-coffee-starter-pack