Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Anyone looking for chocolate gifts will love the PLAYin CHOC organic chocolate range. Made from Peruvian Cacao it has no dairy, no gluten, no nuts and is totally vegan. The business was started by Maya back in 2016 when she wanted to create dairy-free chocolate using the simplest ingredients; cacao, coconut and vanilla. Maya also wanted to promote awareness about the planet’s biodiversity and offer an ethical alternative, so all of the PLAYin CHOC products are plastic free.
Beyond how award winning this chocolate is (It has won the Great Taste Award in 2022 for both their dark and milk chocolates, among other accolades), the range is something to behold in terms of fun. Just a quick look at their website and you can see the chocolate gift boxes available, all of which include their winning chocolate, but also have models which children can build based on the theme of the gift box. There’s Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals, Dinosaurs, Rabbits and a Christmas box. There’s some lovely 12 and 24 day advent calendars available at Christmas time too!
For the adults, PLAYin CHOC also have 60gram tablets of 6 pieces of chocolate. We were sent the Peruvian Cacao Milk Chocolate and Peruvian Cacao Dark Chocolate to try. Each chocolate is wrapped in compostable material (it looks like plastic but it’s not) so you can store them easily or even add them to a lunchbox for a quick chocolate treat.
My favourite was the Dark Chocolates. You can really taste the cacao in them, and there’s a strong flavour from the coconut as well. I really enjoyed the fact that there were no added extras to the chocolate, it’s a chocolate lover’s worse nightmare to be deterred from the real chocolate by additives, preservatives and unnecessary flavourings. The dark chocolate has a stronger chocolate flavour,, but the milk chocolate is milder if you’re not a big fan of dark.
If you’ve never tried PLAYin CHOC, have a look at their website for chocolate for both chocolate for the kids, as well as yourself!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Mother’s Day is soon upon us and treating Mum is always high on our priority list. There may be plenty of items available out there but finding the right one, which is good quality and timeless, can take time.
Gatwards of Hitchin have a range of jewellery items available for Mother’s Day, and beyond, which are perfect choices. On offer are necklaces, pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings, silver photo frames and keyrings. Don’t worry about jewellery being too expensive as there’s a variety of prices from the £25 Silver Crossover Ring to the beautiful £49 Ti Sento CZ Stud Claw Set Earrings. If you really want to push the boat out though, there are several high-ticket items such as the 18ct Yellow Gold Memoire Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Bridal Eternity Ring for £1050.00 or Platinum Skye Round Cut Diamond Eternity Ring for a cool £3935.00!
Gatwards have sent us this gorgeous Silver Sterling Heart Locket Pendant to review for Mother’s Day. At £28 it’s very affordable but the design makes it versatile and easy to wear. Lockets have long been a way of mourning a loss, or keeping someone close to you with the position of the locket always being close to the heart.
The Gatwards Silver Sterling Locket is a plain heart locket, made in Sterling Sliver with a hinged mechanism that allows you to open the locket and add not just a photo but anything from a lock of hair or even put in a special note to Mum. The locket is smooth on both sides with minimal decoration so you could also have it engraved or embellished. It’s very delicate without being breakable and I actually found it easy to open and close again. Small children will love giving this to Mummy with its tactile face and the hinge that opens to reveal the surprise inside!
The locket arrives in a beautiful presentation box and with a gift wrap bag from Gatwards and gold wrapping paper. There isn’t a chain included, but this can be bought separately.
The Silver Sterling Heart Locket is such an all-round piece of jewellery which can be worn with almost any style and will last forever, and at £28.00 it makes the perfect gift for Mother’s Day from anyone in the family.
Small Silver Sterling Heart Necklace available for £28.00:
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Edifier are known for their high quality speakers, I already own a couple of their products and like them so was pleased to be asked to try the MP100 bluetooth speaker which Edifier suggests is a “great outdoor companion”.
With a rugged waterproof construction the MP100 is ideal for use outside. It is covered in a dust proof fabric and has an IPX7 rating which means the speaker can be 1 metre underwater for 30 minutes without getting damaged – so there isn’t the same urgency to put it somewhere dry when it starts raining – as often happens in this country!
It is available in a choice of three colours, Forest Green, Lake Green and Black and has a single button to control calls. There is a large loop which can be used to hang the speaker up and I found it to be quite easy to hold whilst wearing gloves. It isn’t a small device, it has a 95mm diameter and is 50mm thick, and with a weight of 185g it weighs around the same as a mobile phone. On the bottom of the speaker is a circular rubber base which helps keep the speaker from sliding around on whatever surface it is put on. The USB-C charging port, which is covered with a small rubber flap, is on the bottom half of the speaker along with the control buttons.
Setting up the speaker is easy, turn it on by pressing the power button for a few seconds, until the blue light comes on, then search for Edifier MP100 Plus in the Bluetooth settings of your device. The speaker makes an audible sound when connected and then you can use it to listen to music/audio from your device.
Built around a 5W 43mm full-range speaker the sound is great and with a claimed battery life of 9 hours is good for a whole day in the great outdoors. Now, I have to say that I’m no fan of people who play music whilst out hiking – I much prefer the peace and quiet – but for other outdoor activities, like camping or a day at the beach, it would be great. I spend a lot of time in the garden and enjoy listening to music or podcasts whilst I’m working and in the past have worried about damaging my speaker – with the Edifier MP100 Plus I no longer need to worry, I just hang it up, relax and enjoy!
Should you wish to use it for calls it has a built-in microphone and I found the sound was very clear, with noise suppression to remove unwanted background noise.
So whether you are camping, caravanning, relaxing in the garden or hitting the beach this summer make sure you have the Edifier MP100 Plus in your bag.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Innoteck are the kitchen pros with all sorts of appliances such as air fryers, coffee makers, sandwich makers and kettles. Along with their appliance range they also have small kitchen items like bamboo chopping boards, baking trays and even photo frames. We were sent the Innoteck 1.7 litre electric kettle as a Mother’s Day gift to review to see how we liked it. We did!
The kettle comes in 4 different colours – green, white, grey and the version we were sent is black and each colour has a corresponding toaster too. The outside of the kettle is textured which makes the black body more interesting and far more stylish than the old-fashioned plastic kettles that used to adorn the worktops of kitchen but added no aesthetic.
The Innoteck Kitchen Pro stands apart from other kettles, not just because of its stylish, timeless design but because because it’s BPA-free and therefore not toxic. The main body of the inside of the kettle is made of metal with stainless steel accents and for anyone who is following the plight of plastics in the ocean, you’ll know that it’s not only the fish and wildlife who are suffering from ingesting plastic but also the human effect of eating small plastic particles when they enter the food chain. Heating water to high temperatures with plastic kettles is one of the ways microscopic plastic particles end up in our bodies.
With that information, you can see why more and more appliance makers are turning to stainless steel machines, as well as making them more recyclable.
The Innoteck Kitchen Pro kettle takes hardly any time to boil, at less than 2 minutes for a full kettle. The instructions ask that you don’t put less than 0.5 litres of water in to protect the element but the kettle can take 1.7 litres of water in all. It’s also got a circular base, which makes it easier for people like me who are left handed and need to move the kettle around to get to. The electric lead is around 50cm long too, and conveniently the element has an overheating guard if you don’t manage to fill the kettle with enough water before you switch it on and will switch it off without sufficient water.
This is a nice gift for anyone and will be used for a very long time on a daily basis in most households. Mum, or Gran, will love it for Mother’s Day.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’re unable to eat chocolate due to being lactose intolerant, have an allergy to nuts or are vegan, you used to struggle to find chocolate on the High Street. Nowadays, there are a lot more options available to you though including NOMO chocolate. No More Missing Out? That’s their slogan. Does their chocolate live up to it though?
We were sent a selection of different flavoured chocolate Easter Eggs and Easter character chocolates. Although not necessarily aimed at children, anyone can enjoy them but we are also treated to an Egg & Lolly character egg for very young children. All of the chocolate are vegan and free from egg, nut, dairy and gluten.
The adult Easter egg flavours included Cookie Dough, Orange Crunch and Caramelised biscuit. Each Egg weighs 160 grams and has an extra Bunny included in the egg. The chocolate is listed as ‘an alternative to milk chocolate’ which is slightly darker than conventional milk chocolate but not bitter like dark chocolate is. We particularly enjoyed the Orange Crunch chocolate which had a distinct flavour of orange with a slight texture to it which added an interest to the confectionary. The Cookie Dough flavour is similarly textured and very sweet whilst the caramelised biscuit is as grown-up as it sounds with crunchy biscuit pieces and the sweetness of the caramel. The added bunnies (a character chocolate, each one weighing 30 grams) are similar milk chocolate substitutes but just as tasty!
The Egg & Lolly character Easter Eggs are also vegan and free from egg, nut, dairy and gluten. The 92 grams cute little eggs are perfect for younger children who won’t know the difference between milk chocolate and these free from eggs. Inside the egg there’s a chocolate lolly to enjoy, as well as some fun activities for children to do over the Easter holidays.
You can also buy the NOMO Easter Bunny separately. At 30 grams, the chocolate bunnies are also vegan, dairy free, gluten free etc and are filled with flavoured truffle in either Orange Crunch or Cookie Dough like the Easter Eggs.
Dairy free, Gluten free and egg free chocolate has come a long way in the last few years, and for anyone who needs a ‘free from’ diet, NOMO Chocolate Easter Eggs and Bunnies are so similar to the real thing, you won’t know the difference!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I love sushi, but I have never made it at home before. I’ve eaten it as take-away lunch at work, at a restaurant for dinner and I’m a fan of the raw fish too but I’ve never thought of making it for myself.
The team at Kelly Loves asked if we’d like to sample their Sushi Atelier kit for our Mother’s Day Gift Guide and even added some extra treats for me to be able to start my sushi journey. Well, when the kit arrived, I was in for a treat! The box contains a double bento box (for keeping the sushi fresh when out and about), sushi rice, wasabi, picked ginger, a bamboo sushi mat, spicy mayonnaise, a packet of 7 nori seaweed sheets, sushi vinegar and fried onions. There wasn’t much missing from the kit apart from the fresh ingredients of course!
The kit includes a postcard with a QR code to access lots of recipes of Japanese and Korean food, including different sushi rolls you can make. Using the code and a bit of knowledge of sushi, I started with the rice which thankfully has instructions on the side. It isn’t as simple as just boiling up the rice; you also have to add the sushi vinegar to flavour once the rice has been cooked and cooled. I also used the spicy mayonnaise to affix the fried onion but you can fix the onion by wetting the seaweed first too. The mayonnaise added more flavour but was very messy to use.
The instructions tell you how to cut the nori seaweed sheets in half and fill them with the rice and fillings (I chose smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado) and then roll them using the roll mat. You will need a sharp pair of scissors to cut the seaweed and a very sharp knife to cut the sushi once it’s rolled, which meant I had to sharpen my knives several times otherwise it tears through the seaweed and leave the roll in a heap!
Once the sushi is cut, you can arrange it any way you like and add the pickled ginger, wasabi and we were also sent soy sauce to dress the sushi with. When it came to serving, if you’ve never had wasabi before, it would be worth trying the tiniest (and I mean tiniest!) amount as it’s extremely hot. If you’re used to sushi with wasabi though, it’s great added with the pickled ginger, which is a generous amount in the jar provided with the pack.
Nothing beats freshly made sushi which is completely different to most shop bought varieties. I made up only half of the rice in the pack, which is just as well because as you can see from the photos, this was only half of what was available, and with the other ingredients only half being used, there is plenty left for another meal. I think this amount could feed 4 people, depending on what fillings you use.
The sushi tasted AMAZING and now that I know how to make it and how easy it is, I will be making it more often, topping up the items in the box with what I need and perfecting my rolling technique! Everything from the rice to the fried onion is of high quality and has the authentic sushi taste, all of which adds to the overall effect.
As a gift, this is a super great idea for anyone and especially any foodies, and as for Mother’s Day, it will make a fabulous present for Mum, especially if you make it for her!
Kelly Loves also has some other sushi products online including a ramune carbonated drink, which is much like lemonade. They also have spare ingredients online like the fried onion, pickled ginger and sushi vinegar. There’s also roasted sesame seeds, cabbage kimchi (delicious!) and a variety of different soy sauces online if you want to add to the gift to Mum on Mothering Sunday.
I loved this kit, not just for the quality of the ingredients but because it was all there and so easy to use but resulted in a delicious meal which my Mum really enjoyed. Despite it being the first time I made the sushi and it being a bit of a mess (see photos!) I loved making it and Mum actually commented that it was like the sushi you eat in a restaurant, which was a nice compliment. I can highly recommend Kelly Loves sushi kits for Mother’s Day gifts, and to start a love of homemade sushi for all the family!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
It’s Spring time again, and that means it’s finally warm enough to have all the furniture turned upside down, the kitchen cupboards cleared out and everything spring cleaned. It’s a never ending task to keep the house clean, especially if you have children or pets at home and some of the tasks seem to fall through the net unless you make a special effort.
Take descaling the kettle for one. How often do you actually do it? In my area, which is extremely hard water, it feels like I should do it once a week and that’s with a water filter! The kettle furs up so quickly, and it’s not like you can pop it in the dishwasher to get clean. It’s not just the kettle though, the hard water affects glasses and mugs, the iron, the pipework in the house and even my stainless steel sink.
Oust Descaler can descale, well, almost anything. Starting with the kettle, the treatment sachets can descale irons, coffee machines and even showerheads. There are instructions on each of the packets on how to descale each item until all of the limescale is gone and all you need is some boiling water and a bit of time, which in most cases is no more than 6-8 minutes. I started by descaling my kettle. The instructions stage you need to boil half a kettle of water first, then leave it to cool down for 10 minutes and adding one of the Oust sachets. There’s no scrubbing to do and no hard work involved, you just leave the solution for 6 minutes to do its job, or 8 minutes if the limescale is particularly bad.
After the kettle was descaled, I emptied the contents (which were still hot) into the stainless steel sink and let Oust do its magic again. This time it took a little longer (about 10 minutes) but without and scrubbing again, and I did a bit more work on the kettle by standing it upside down in the filled sink to get to the limescale around the top of the spout. It worked a treat!
Out All Purpose Descaler comes in a bottle or as I was sent, three sachets. One box of 3 sachets costs around £1.65.
Dylon Colour Catcher Sheets are another product you hope you won’t need to use, but usually do. Colour Catcher Sheets are for laundry loads where one of the (usually bright) coloured clothes is new, or hasn’t had the colour set right before you wash it. This can be particularly bad with new pairs of jeans where the indigo isn’t washed out yet, and yes, it colours everything else in the wash, especially a hot wash.
If you have a new item of clothing, or something like a new pair of jeans which you know are probably going to run, just pop one of the colour catcher sheets in with the load of laundry, as if they are an extra piece of clothing. Much like the Oust Descaler, you don’t have to do anything, just let the washing machine do its job and clean the clothes as normal. The Colour Catcher works on any temperature of washing, so you can use it with everyday items, towels, clothes or even bedding.
Once the load is finished, you can see the Colour Catcher, if it’s needed, has absorbed the coloured dye of the garment. If you didn’t need the Colour Catcher, then the sheet stays white but sometimes picks up subtle colour runs from other garments. It’s a life saver!
Dylon Colour Catcher Sheets (24) available for £2.40 at:
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I’m a lover of afternoon tea. I also love Indian food, so when they mentioned Indian afternoon tea, there was no way I wasn’t going to try it!
Colonel Saab, located at the Holborn Old Town Hall at 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1 was only opened in October 2021 but is already winning awards. Just walking through the door, you can see all the accolades, including the Forbes top 40 Indian restaurants in London.
Inside, the 134 covers restaurant is situated over the ground floor and a cut-o mezzanine floor. As soon as you pass the bar, it’s the giant multitude of rose glass Indian chandeliers which leave you fascinated with the décor. Photos of owner Roop Partap Choudhary’s family, antique paintings and at the back, a photo each of his parents, Colonel Choudhary and his wife, Binny Choudhary. The restaurant is named after Colonel Choudhary and is a love letter to their relationship since their marriage more than 40 years ago.
We were there to review the Indian Afternoon Tea, a specialty of Colonel Saab which takes a bit of explaining as India isn’t known for their own Afternoon Teas. Firstly, Champagne was brought out to each of us before the tea arrived. You don’t have to have the typical English Breakfast Tea to accompany your meal, so I tried the Massala Chai tea whilst my guest had a latte coffee. Massala Chai is a special blended tea, with milk, which has spices such as cinnamon and a touch of sugar to give a full bodied, slightly sweet tea that challenges the usual English Breakfast. I ordered a second pot of Massala tea in the end as it was so delicious!
The beautiful afternoon tea cage was brought over to our table with the familiar three tiers, but with an Indian twist. The first tier of sandwiches were cucumber and yoghurt, and dhokla fingers. If you’re not familiar with dhokla, it is an Indian cake-like fermented batter that is savoury but flavoured through the middle. The middle layer had the familiar scones with cream and jam, but their added Indian twist here was a vegetable samosa!
The final layer at the top were the cakes! Carrot cake, Lemon Meringue, two different flavours of macaron and a chocolate truffle each. If, like us, you were particularly full by this time, you can always ask for the cakes to be boxed for you to take away. However, they are so delicious, it’s easier to just have another cup of tea and work your way through them!
With the delicious afternoon tea finished, I was given a tour of Colonel Saab to show where the idea came from and the facilities beyond just the restaurant floor. The bar, on the ground floor, is available at any time and doesn’t need booking. Around the corner are the family photos of Roop Partap Choudhary [the founder] and love letters between his parents. Behind the front door, there are the private dining rooms, which were beyond magnificent! One large room, or a divider makes them two smaller rooms, the area is dominated by a huge canopied fireplace. You can’t miss the enormous mobile bar though – which although made by Aspreys of London, belonged to Colonel Choudhary and travelled around with him whilst on campaign. It is stunning, and still looks as if it could serve drinks today.
Going upstairs, there’s more tables, all of which have different styles. At the far end of the mezzanine there is a quiet ‘nook’ area of a canopied table for four. A perfect hideaway and position to watch the restaurant downstairs!
I was also told to walk downstairs to the bathrooms as this is one of the most ‘Instagramable’ areas of the restaurant. Dark red walls festooned with family photos and even more of the beautiful rose glass chandeliers. The bathroom itself was also very beautiful with carefully designed soft furnishings and retro sinks.
Don’t forget the two portraits of Binny and Colonel Choudhary in the main restaurant, with so many decorative plates around them, and the 6th centuries old painting between them that is an Indian traditional and takes literally years to paint.
By the time we had finished, we had been there nearly two hours and didn’t want to leave. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the friendliness of the staff, all of whom said hello to us whilst we were there made this a hidden treasure. Just outside of Covent Garden but not quite in theatre land, it’s easier to get to than you think and as well as the fantastic food, it’s fascinating to visit.
Afternoon tea is £25 per person or £48 for two. Champagne afternoon tea starts at £41 per person.
Disclaimer – We received this book free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The spirit world and the physical world are closer than you think. Many people don’t ‘believe’ in Spirit (Spirit in this context meaning the all-encompassing concept of life after life) and dismiss the healing powers of Spirit without even giving it a second thought. Others though, not only know about the powers of Spirit, but live a life guided by the other world.
Author Wendy Sheffield has not spent her whole lifetime working with Spirit. Her spiritual journey started with a dream 12 years ago and since then she has been working as a medium to communicate on behalf of loved ones who have passed over to the Spirit World, and likewise send back messages from those who wish to teach us.
Her second book, Pure Spirit, was communicated to her as both the title and the short chapters that make up the book. The passages, which are scribed in italics, are direct messages from Spirit with the aim of teaching each of us something new about ourselves, or our world. The passages are introduced by Wendy too, with a short summary of what the passage is about or who it is for, and sometimes how she came to communicate the subject.
Each passage is only a page or so long so they’re not heavy reading. The vocabulary isn’t difficult to comprehend and each chapter is direct and to the point. For example, the chapter titled Reflection In the Water is about using your reflection in the water to see what others see, and explaining that what others see, might not be apparent to you until much later.
Each of the 27 chapters has something to communicate, and some of the subjects (such as death and Fear of the Unknown) are heavy subjects, but handled delicately. Wendy writes with soft prose as well as we an understanding, and hopefully as a reader you will pick up on her concern as well as the philosophy she is conveying.
It wouldn’t matter if you are Spiritualist, merely interested in mediumship and the Spirit World or even if you are a complete non-believer, there is something in this book for everyone. Not all of the chapters are about the Spirit World or mediumship but you will learn a lot about the Spiritualist movement and teachings by reading the book cover-to-cover. For anyone needing any kind of guidance or support, such as in grieving or loss, Pure Spirit is a good place to start without getting too involved and hemmed in with technicalities. The book lends itself, with short chapters, to being able to be picked up and put down easily, whilst being absorbed in short sprints.
Wendy Sheffield clearly loves what she does and has found her clear life path, a spiritual path, and enjoys communicating from the Spirit World to our own.
Whether it’s a new hair style, a New Years’ Resolution for haircare or if you feel like a change, your hair styling is something very personal to you. For 2023, I am trying more hair styles, colours and drying methods to see what suits me, so the Eco Professional Hair Styling Gel, made with olive oil was on my radar to try!
Olive oil has long been used as a beauty product, and the Eco Hair Styling Gel is made with 100% olive oil. The oil acts as a way of keeping in the moisture and keeping hair soft, as well as working on the scalp to keep it hydrated. The effect of the olive oil overall is to keep hair slick and sheen and easily managed, especially as it’s so light weight.
The gel can be used on wet or dry hair, and hair of all lengths. Obviously if it’s used on wet hair it keeps in more of the moisture, and on dry hair you can style better. Both methods should give good hold.
I tried the Eco Hair Styling Gel on both wet and dry hair. With my hair roughly dried but not long out of the shower, it was difficult to assume how much gel to use without it looking ‘crunchy’ so I used it sparingly at first, with the texture of the gel coating locks of hair. My hair is naturally curly so it was easier to work it through long strands. When it came to drying, I let my hair dry naturally and found that I should probably have used a bit more gel than I did so that the curls had more definition, but with trial and error, I managed to get an even, defined curl throughout.
When I used Eco Hair Styling Gel on dry hair, there was more of a ‘wet look’ and it made it easy to pull my hair back into a tight bun or pony tail. My preference though, is to use the gel for defining curls, and anyone who has curly hair knows how difficult that is!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
Like many others I started cutting my husband and son’s hair during lockdown, my first attempts weren’t great and it’s a good job they weren’t leaving the house but after watching a few YouTube videos and with three heads to practise on I quickly improved. With the cost of living crisis my barbering skills are being called on again so I was really pleased to receive the Wahl Peaky Blinders Clippers & Beard Trimmer Gift Set.
Wahl are known for their hair clippers and this is a great set containing everything you need to keep control of your hair and beard. Male grooming is big business now and with beards very much back in fashion along with shorter hair styles, cutting your hair at home makes more sense than ever before.
The mains voltage clipper is very solidly built and not being limited by battery power will run as long as you need it to and as is always ready to use. The clipper has a long power lead and includes a thumb operated fade blade to get that modern crisp look. There is a choice of 12 attachment combs offering cutting lengths between 0.8mm and 25mm with left and right tapers so whether you want a close cut or something a little longer you can achieve it with this set.
The clippers are extremely comfortable to hold and give a nice clean cut without pulling or tugging the hair. They move through hair nicely and don’t get clogged up and are very easy to use either by yourself or on someone else’s hair.
They can be used for cutting hair, trimming sideburns and beards and for trimming around the ears and neckline.
The battery powered trimmer is handy for smaller areas, my son found it particularly useful when trimming his beard and around his ears where the main clipper was a little cumbersome.
The set even includes a cape in the set to protect clothes whilst your hair is being cut. When not in use you can store everything away neatly in the stylish grey bag.
Also in the set are the following items to give you the full barbers shop experience at home
Scissors
Barber Comb
Fade Brush
Barber Cape
Blade Oil and Cleaning Brush
Storage Bag
Style Guide
This is a great set for anyone looking to purchase clippers for the first time or as a replacement set. It has everything you need to maintain the sleekest look in town – just like the Peaky Blinders!
RRP £100 but currently on offer for £50 on the Wahl website
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Since our last review of the FootActive Plantar Fasciitis and Orthotic Insoles last month, we’ve had notification that lots of you are reading what we had to say so the lovely people at FootActive have sent us another version for us to try, the Orthotic Insole.
Built for sports enthusiasts, the Orthotic Insole is super supportive for all sorts of sports like running, walking and team games. If you read our previous review, you’ll know that I lift weights and I also have very flat feet. This makes lifting quite difficult because my knees turn inwards and my feet roll, making it painful on my feet and knees and the balance of the overhead weights is off centre. Over time, it can make my feet in particular really painful.
The FootActive Orthotic Insoles are specially for sports, so this was my chance to prove how they work! The insoles are different to the Plantar Fasciitis variety because they are slightly more pliable, with more of a grip to the surface, perfectly suited to high impact sports. The insole shape is still there though with the moulding around the heel and arch of the foot but I did notice that the arch support isn’t as high with these sports ones.
The top layer is also moisture-wicking, meaning that when your feet get hot and sweaty during sports, the material makes it easier for your feet to breath. The heel also has extra cushioning with shock-absorbing gel on the heels, and on the front of the foot too. Overall, there are several designs built in which make them more sport-friendly. However, there’s no reason why you couldn’t wear them all day if you need to.
When it comes to sports, I used them to walk to the gym (about 7 minute walk) then for the weight lifting. It wasn’t that difficult to get used to the shape, I actually found them easier to walk and lift in than the Plantar Fasciitis insoles and that was probably to do with the gel which cushioned my feet more. The insoles also instantly correct your posture which was noticeable, although my knees and shoes weren’t used to the new positioning so they put up a bit of a fight, but I’m assured by my trainer that this is only temporary! Hopefully in time it will improve my overall posture and not just with lifting weights.
I think I actually prefer these Orthotic Insoles because they’re more mailable and fit more snugly as well and fitting into my every day Converse shoes or Sketchers trainers. They could potentially make any shoe more comfortable though, we’ll just have to see how my flat feet cope!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The Linking, Thinking Picture Game!
Link Logo, the board game from Tomy, can best be described as a mixture of the TV quizzes Only Connect and Catchphrase. Borne from the game LOGO, Link Logo uses pictures to create a game with trivia questions which can be played by the whole family. Based at ages 12+, it can be played in two teams or with just two players.
The teams sit opposite each other with the flip chart in the middle. Each team can see the other team’s questions (they are different questions for each side) and for the group of logos, or pictures, you have to guess the link. Underneath, there are the answers to the other team’s pictures, followed by questions to ask about their selection, and of course, the answers! Each team uses the pegs to score.
To give you an idea about the type of questions, (but to not give away the game!) you can see on the front that there are 6 pictures; a penguin, lion, planet, the solar system, a bus and an outdoor picnic. The question asks you to find the link and to name each product. If you’re stuck already, then the answer is that they are all chocolate bars! The other team then asks questions about the pictures, such as, “Which one of these relates to a Batman villain?” Once you have worked out the link, or had to be told, you can usually get the answer to the trivia questions pretty easily. Some of the answers are real ‘kick me’ ones, where you instantly realise you should have known the answer as soon as you find it out!
There are a total of 60 booklet sheets in the game, so it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours to play depending on how much time you chat in between the rounds. It’s the type of game that when you’ve played it once, you will probably remember the answers for a while so you can’t keep playing it over and over with the same people. Likewise, if one person has played it, then they’ll be at an advantage everyone else. Maybe if that’s you, you can work out how to compare the game and keep score instead of take part.
It’s easy enough to understand and follow along as it’s just about reading the text on the booklet binder and then keeping score using the score pegs. Most of the questions could be answered by teenagers but we did find that there were a few which were more based on older generations, or were a bit advanced such as some which related to American logos and items.
It’s a lovely gentle game for the family to play together, and. The photos make it easy to follow. It often creates great conversation between the teams, and each other too.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Aches and pains are an everyday part of life, but don’t have to last long when you have a masseuse at the touch of a button. The Wahl Cordless Mini Massage Gun has been on my list of items to try, so when the team offered to send me one to review, I was eager to see if it stood up to my expectations!
The gun itself is only about 15cm long (hence it’s a mini massager) and approximately 10cm high. Charged with a type C USB cable, there are no batteries involved and the cable is a standard computer lead which comes with the kit but can also be found with other appliances. It can be charged from a USB port on a computer, or on a wall charger.
The gun and attachments come in a handy zip-up case which fits neatly into a gym bag or a drawer at home and contains all 4 attachments as well as the USB lead. Starting with the gun, it only has one on/off button to operate, which is triggered by holding down the button for just a second. The digital display on the front tells you the intensity of the movement (1 being lowest, 6 the highest) and the amount of battery left. I found that it took up to 4 hours to charge the battery in full but it can take longer. The instructions suggest you charge the gun every 3 months if it hasn’t been used.
The gun is already fitted with the Flat Head attachment, whilst the Round Head, Bullet Head and Spinal Head are contained in the case. Each attachment pops in and out, there’s no threading to worry about but they are fitted quite snugly so you have to use some effort to change them sometimes.
The instructions don’t give an indication of which attachment to use on any particular part of the body, just techniques for the shoulders, neck, back etc. I found that it was best to start the massage gun on the lowest level and use the round attachment first on the hands, thighs and upper arms until you get used to the sensation. It’s quite powerful, even at a low level which is exactly what you’re looking for in a massage gun but does take a while to get used to! I found that the Round Head was good for working the back of my neck. The gun isn’t very heavy so you can hold it in one place for a long period of time. The attachment is really quite effective though, with the headache I had at the time easing. If you had a person massaging with the same intensity for any length of time, there wouldn’t be as much power, and they would probably get tired very quickly. The fact that you can change the intensity of the motion too means that you can tailor the massage to your needs.
The other attachments were great for other areas too. The Bullet Head works well on certain reflexology points on the feet, giving a precise massage to pressure points. The Flat Head also helps with digestion when you massage the abdomen in circular motions. It’s very difficult to try the Spinal Head on yourself, but the wishbone shape works on the muscles either side of the spine (never use directly on the spine) to relax the back muscles. With some ingenuity, you can find the right attachment and the right intensity for any part of the body which needs restoring, which is part of the fun of a massage gun!
The Wahl Mini Massage Gun runs for approximately 20 minutes on a timer or 200 minutes in all on a single charge. If you need more help, or indeed inspiration, Wahl have a tutorial on their website to give you more ideas.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Families are always looking for more wholesome ways to connect and have fun, so Tomy’s board game Triggle is a gem for the winter months. Based on 2-4 players (but you could play in teams) it is aimed at 8 years and upwards and has a remarkably simple objective; to create triangles.
The starting board consists of pegs arranged in a geometric pattern. Each player chooses one of the colours of pegs (there are 21 pegs for each player) and the elastic bands are divided out between everyone playing. Taking it in turns, each player add one rubber band to the board, suspending it between any two posts in any direction. The only ‘rules’ are that the line created by the band must be straight, and it must stretch across 4 post only and touching at least one other rubber band.
Once a player creates a triangle with their rubber band, they can claim it as their own by placing their coloured peg inside it. A triangle consists of only one single space.
The game ends whenever there are no spaces left on the board to claim, or one of the players uses up all their pegs. An alternative to the full game is for each player to have a set amount of rubber bands (for instance, 10 or 20) and the players play until there are no more bands left. Whoever has the most pegs placed on the board is the winner.
This is a remarkably easy game to follow and learn the rules for, and can keep the whole family entertained. We found that playing with just two, and especially two adults or older children was exceptionally easy and allowed for conversation throughout. There was no need to remember where you were in the game, so it was easy to talk, or walk away and come back after dinner if you needed to. It also doesn’t last for hours and hours where you feel compelled to complete the game. It also didn’t require point scoring or writing anything down as you can just count up the number of pegs visible, and there’s no need for remembering characters or complicated rules!
If you are in a group who don’t speak English or have limited vocabulary, this is a great mind teaser puzzle, and if you lose the rubber bands, they can easily be replaced. Instead of using the pegs, you can use any other type of counter from another game, so there’s longevity too. I found that after a while, some of the younger children (under 12 years old or so) were able to make up new games of their own, or liked making patterns in the board after the game had finished, so there was endless entertainment to be had over the school holidays.
Triggle isn’t really a game you grow out of and can be picked up by anyone. It’s definitely a “thumbs up” from us as a family game.
January is not only Dry January, but the beginning of the year is a time to try new things and for many of us, to become healthier! Jamu Wild Water have these 100% Natural and Zero Sugar waters to tempt you into the healthier side of living in 2023, and sent us some of them the try.
The waters come in 250ml sized cans in three flavours; Natural Sparkling Raspberry, Natural Sparkling Blood Orange and Natural Sparkling Lemon. As the name suggests, they don’t contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners and each have added Vitamin C and zinc. Not only are they made with natural fruit flavours but with nourishing botanicals and are gently fizzed so you can attempt almost anyone with their texture or taste!
The Natural Sparkling Raspberry flavour is slightly sweet from the raspberry and elderberry fruits, with the root flavouring of the Marshmallow Root Extract coming through. It’s probiotic too, giving your gut a better nutrient from the probiotic root it contains.
The Natural Sparkling Blood Orange flavour contains chicory root for probiotic health, and the flavour comes from the sweet blood orange and Echinacea, which has immune boosting properties.
Lastly, my favourite is the refreshing Natural Sparkling Lemon with the invigorating citrus flavour from lemons, and added nettle and dandelion extracts, the combination of which is used traditionally to relieve inflammation, boost immunity and aid digestive health.
Suitable for the whole family, they will be particularly useful in flu season and when the kids don’t want to drink just water. The 100% recyclable cans means that Jamu Wild Water can be taken out on car journeys, picnics or even to school. Can’t wait until after Dry January to find out what else it can be mixed with too!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Back to work this week after the Christmas break and many of us are having to haul laptops into hotdesking offices. The STM Goods Myth Laptop Bag has a clever design and material features which make it stand head and shoulders above other backpacks and lends itself ideally to laptop carrying.
For starters, the handles are designed with a cooling mesh which sits comfortable on your shoulders and allows air to pass through, saving your skin from heating up when there’s a heavy load inside the bag. On the back, there’s also the Pass-port Passthrough, a new design which allows you to slip the backpack onto the handles of a suitcase or hand luggage trolley so that you can transport both with one hand. It saves having the backpack handle clasped onto the suitcase and falling off due to not being balanced.
Inside, there’s completely new technology to support your laptop. Instead of just a pocket, there’s a whole compartment which has cushion technology to save your laptop (or tablet) from impact when setting it down on the floor or from being bashed about on transport. You’ll also find tons of other pockets and compartments inside, specially designed for your AirPods, or for wired headphones to be clipped inside and kept safe. The ample pockets are big enough for phones, tablets, notebooks and even pens and are all hidden away inside to make it more difficult for anyone to pickpocket you, as well as being cushioned from impact.
On the front of the backpack, there are more pockets too. If you’re travelling, the front pocket is ample size for passports and travel documents plus a smaller pocket at the top for loose change. Although the STM Myth Laptop Bag is for transporting laptops to and from work, this backpack actually works really well for travelling by plane because of its size (it’s suitable as hand luggage) and the ‘bump’ technology keeps gadgets safe when on transport. However, it also has the durability needed when travelling a lot. Having been completely redesigned, the team at STM have thought about everything. As we don’t use money as much now and rely on our phones to store our credit card details, it means we can carry around less precious items but need to keep phones and laptops safe. The zips on the STM Myth are big enough to accommodate a lock if you need to, and there’s room inside to hide a Tile or Apple AirTag.
The more I look at the bag, the more I find uses for it! I took this away on holiday where I only had a limited amount of hand luggage and found that I could fit most travel items in it easily, and more importantly, they were safe and protected and didn’t get crushed in transit. Even my headphones were safe from being squashed!
The little details in the STM Myth Laptop Bag make it excellent for travelling, working or even as a gift. The zips are protected with a cover to prevent rain and dirt entering, there’s an integrated CableReady system which allows you to charge your laptop or tablet whilst it’s still in the bag and a durable top handle so that you can carry it in one hand, or pick it up easily from the floor or overhead locker. It weighs less than 1kg when empty too, so with most hand luggage being a maximum of 7kg, you still have plenty of room for the laptop, phone and even a snack!
But finally, what does STM stand for? Smarter Than Most… the Australian company who think of everything!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
After the excess of food and drink consumed over the Christmas period, Dry January provides the perfect opportunity to reset your body and mind. Dry January is the month when many people abstain from alcohol and as well as saving money it also has plenty of health benefits too, including improved sleep, weight loss and cutting out alcohol can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol too.
Lots of people associate orange juice as a breakfast staple but it can now be enjoyed “on-the-go” thanks to a growing number of iSqueeze machines in retail establishments, enabling you to grab a fresh juice whilst out and about. You will find machines in supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, gyms, and even hospitals.
The easy to operate self-service machines squeeze the fruit in seconds before bottling it, letting you enjoy fresh orange juice with no nasties, preservatives or sweeteners. The juice is packed full of flavour with plenty of zesty pulp and is very refreshing to drink.
The juice is available in a variety of sizes and each iSqueeze 250ml bottle (priced between £1.50 – £2.50) contains 3 oranges, 330ml (priced between £2 – £2.80) bottle – 5 oranges, 500ml (priced between £3 – £4.00) bottle – 8 oranges and the 1 litre bottle (priced between £4.25 – £6.00) contains an impressive 15 oranges.
As well as orange juice iSqueeze also have machines that will squeeze pomegranates and grapefruits too, with the technology to extend to further fruits including apples, so keep your eyes peeled!
All fruit is sustainably sourced, meaning zero waste, and the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic which can easily be recycled. The juice is squeezed whilst you wait and is packed full of immune boosting ingredients and is high in vitamin C, folate, as well as potassium.
You will find iSqueeze machines in a growing number of places around the UK, we have one in our local Booths and you can also find them in Sainsburys, Coop, Nisa, Costcutter, Spar, Centre Parcs and plenty of other locations too.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
My New Year’s Resolution is to cook more from scratch, rather than relying on ready made sauces. I love curries but have never really tried making my own, so I was really pleased to be able to try a subscription box from Spice Kitchen Each box contains a selection of spices along with a handy recipe guide with plenty of tasty recipes to get you started. Using the spices with the suggested ingredients means you know exactly what is going into your dish and that all the ingredients are healthy and suitable for the whole family.
The subscription boxes are available as a 3 month or 6 month subscription which are posted monthly or quarterly – you choose the timings. The spices are different in each box
3 month subscription – India, Around the World, Middle Eastern & African Spice Collecion
6 month subscription – The same as the 3 month followed by Chilli, Moroccan and Flavoured Sea Salts
The spices are packaged in resealable plastic bags which are clearly labelled so that you know which spice is which. Each box contains enough spices to make over 100 meals so you can try plenty of different recipes with each box. Once you have tried the ones in the recipe guide have a look at the Spice Kitchen website where you will find plenty more.
I flicked through the recipe book and was spoilt for choice, all the dishes sounded lovely however after a lot of deliberation we settled on Chicken Biryani, one of our favourite takeaway meals. We had all the ingredients so were able to try it out straight away. The instructions are really simple and easy to follow and I was really impressed just how easy it was to create a delicious curry.
We served the Chicken Biryani with Naan bread and rice and the whole family loved it, it was flavoursome and had just the right kick to it.
Next we tried the Punjabi Chickpeas, again we had all the ingredients in and my son made this for us. He said it was really easy to make and there were 4 clean plates at the end of the meal, so this speaks for itself!
Now I know how easy it is to make curries from scratch I know this is one New Year’s Resolution that I won’t be breaking! The subscription boxes are a way to bring authentic Indian cooking into the home and would make a great gift for any keen cook or foodie this year.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’ve received a new smartphone for Christmas, or take a lot of photos on your camera you’ll know that the smudge factor is real when it comes to the camera lens. I hate it when I take what I think is the perfect photo, only to find that when I view it, there is that misty blur on all the photos because the lens isn’t clean. It’s the price we pay for handling our phones all day, but there are ways of reducing the smudges.
LensPen Smarty Cleaner for Smartphones is a tiny yet useful gadget for cleaning your camera lens on smartphones. Suitable for all makes of camera phone, the pen is only 4cms long and can fit in your pocket, or in the bottom of your handbag without even noticing it’s there! The cap screws loose to reveal the head of the pen which is a carbon cleaner. There’s no detergent or alcohol involved, just a pad which is small enough to fit through any camera phone casing and erases away all the grime.
I tried this on my iPhone, especially as I frequently get blurry smudges and I can’t clean them away easily with just a tissue or corner of my shirt. The LensPen is small enough to fit, comfortable to use and with minimal effort, it dissolved away the greasy fingerprint on my camera lens. To prove it works, I used it on the front of my camera phone on the touchscreen. The pen does indeed eradicate fingerprints anywhere!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’ve ever been on a low carb, Keto or Atkins diet (there are many names for the high protein/fat lifestyle!) then you’ll know how difficult it is to find commercially available products. No Guilt Bakes is the brain child of Taeya and Maya, friends who have lost 40kg between them in weight after following the Keto diet whereby sugar isn’t consumed at all, and the rest of your diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. That means… no cake! Well, it did, until No Guilt Bakes found a way of making cakes and treats with almond flour and other sugar-free, low carb ingredients.
The team at No Guilt Bakes sent us two cakes to try over Christmas; the Christmas Keto Fruit Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Keto Cake Loaf. The Christmas Keto Fruit Cake isn’t available after Christmas, but there are more cakes and treats being released for holidays and special occasions throughout the year, so keep an eye on the website if you’re interested. Each cake is approximately 350gram loaf and arrives by post as quickly as possible after delivery. The idea is to hit that sweet craving before you can reach for the biscuits and as the company professes, have No Guilt!
Both the Christmas Keto Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Loaves arrived neatly packed in cardboard trays and sealed for freshness in plastic. You can either freeze them for 2 months, or if you open them straight away, they have at least 4 days’ shelf life. They are best kept in the fridge, even before being opened to keep their freshness.
What were they like to eat? Both cakes are surprisingly rich in flavour, with additions such as cinnamon, dried blueberries and both are made with almond flour. If you’ve never tried almond flour before, its’ taste isn’t much different to wheat flour, other than it is slightly richer and heavier, but not sticky. It holds flavours very well when you mix it in a cake batter for instance, and works particularly well with butter. The Fruit Cake and Ginger Cake really didn’t taste any different to your bakery-bought cakes we see everyday. I would say that the No Guilt Bakes Keto Fruit Cake is lighter than the usual fruit cake though, so for everyone who finds Christmas to be a sticky mess, this cake is probably preferable. The Caramel & Ginger cake is likewise just as moist and not heavy at all, plus you can really taste the ginger in it. Neither cake is lacking in sweetness though, hence you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test!
I am constantly looking for Keto sweets to try and No Guilt Bakes is new to me, so thanks to Taeya and Maya, I will be looking to see what else I can order!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
By a certain age, or maybe it’s a certain level of fitness, yoga becomes less of a puzzle and more of a necessity. The company Liforme pride themselves on doing things differently to support and encourage the practice of yoga, and do so with their conscientious products. Their ethos to ‘Live for More’ by positively engaging communities is evident on their website, along with some delicious products any yoga fan will adore!
Amongst the products available was this Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat which was sent to us to try out. It’s bright pink, printed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic design of a rainbow mandala and alignment markings which can be described as guides for your feet and hands. This mat is a serious bit of kit for serious yoga people and you can tell just by looking at it. There’s much more science, and thought, behind it than you realise though, as I discovered.
The Liforme Yoga Mat is made with a real natural rubber base (so that it doesn’t slide all over the place) and the top layer is made of eco-polyurethane. In all, the mat is 4.2mm thick but it feels thinner than that. It’s not chunky or clunky at all. The top eco-polyurethane layer is designed to be more grippy than other mats, so that you can practice without worrying about sliding all over the place, and the design is printed with durable yet eco-friendly ink. The same goes for all the designs of the yoga mats available on the Liforme website. The mat weighs in at a hefty 2.5kg though so if you’re used to your yoga mat being light-as-air, this is going to be quite a shock! The weight comes from the quality of the material though.
The dimensions of the mat come in at 185cm long and 68cm wide. That’s 73 inches long and 27 inches wide in old money.
As for the usability, the mat comes with a free carry case, which is needed when you have a rolled-up mat of this size and weight and need to transport it to several lessons a week. The real test is in a yoga class, which is where any yoga equipment needs to prove itself. The bright pink façade is very pleasing especially as you know in a dimly lit room and when you might need to wander around a bit, you can never lose it! The surface is nicely grippy. Grippy enough for a Downward Dog and to not face plant yourself. Liforme call this GripForMe technology and it allows you to use your full body weight in poses and not move an inch. Not even a millimetre for that matter, as I discovered when I was able to more pressure into some of the poses than I usually would. So in some ways, you could say that the Liforme Yoga Mat made me better at yoga as a result!
Liforme as a company have recently been awarded B Corp status. The B Corp status proves that Liforme has high standards of social and environmental impact as their core belief as a company and a quick look at their website proves that their high quality and non-toxic materials are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsibility. The mats bio-degrade in 1-5 years (depending on conditions) and believe that they have the world’s most planet-friendly yoga mat.
Truly a treat, the Liforme Yoga Mats aren’t cheap but they are suited to the serious yoga practitioner or fitness expert and look simply gorgeous. The unique design and alignment cues make this yoga mat stand out from all the rest, and a perfect gift too.
Available for £140 (but currently on sale for £105) at:
Disclaimer – We received this toothbrush for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Did you know that 90% of gum disease and cavities are caused by incorrect brushing? In fact only 1 in 10 people actually brush their teeth correctly (that’s pretty worrying isn’t it!).
Luckily the OCLEAN X Pro Elite is also one of the smartest brushes on the market with a fantastic battery life of up to 35 days and Qi Quick Charge technology enabling it to fully charge in just 3.5 hours!
The X Pro Elite certainly knows its stuff when it comes to oral hygiene and it can help you improve your brushing technique via the Oclean app! The app connects to the X Pro Elite via Bluetooth and gives you derailed analysis of your toothbrushing technique.
Using an ingenious AI algorithm, the X Pro Elite analyses the way you brush your teeth and recommends how you can improve your technique, using a dental model on its 0.96-inch touch screen display which enables you to develop good brushing habits with its 4 modes and 32 intensities for clean mode.
To ensure its users get the deepest clean possible, the X Pro Elite’s motor spins at the speed of sound, delivering a maximum of 42,000 rpm that helps you reach and defeat difficult plaque and stain build ups with ease.
OCLEAN’s new self-developed WhisperClean™ technology also means that the toothbrush emits just 45dB when operating at maximum power: a drastic decrease compared to it’s more pricey big name competitor’s (55-65 dB).
The Xpro Elite also benefits from a wall-mounted holder which was easy to attach to my bathroom wall and it helps to keep it dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.
The OCLEAN X Pro Elite is available to purchase online for RRP £74
Disclaimer- We received the Chicco Balance Bike for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Riding a bike is something everyone should be encouraged to do as it not only keeps us fit but it’s also a more eco friendly mode of transport which is a great benefit for our planet.
Learning to ride a bike can be quite daunting for children, when I was learning I had a set of stabilisers which gave me some confidence to ride.
Bikes have really come on in leaps and bounds since I was a child and balance bikes seem a popular choice amongst parents.
A balance bike is a two wheeled bike which helps children develop the necessary balance on two wheels. Acting as a comfortable stepping stone to a real pedalled bicycle.
The child uses their feet to propel themselves instead of pedals which gives them a greater sense of balance whilst riding.
With Christmas fast approaching I can see the Chicco Balance Bike being well received by any lucky recipient.
This super stylish balance bike not only looks awesome in it’s 3 available colours (Green Rocket, Pink Arrow and Red Bullet) it feels very robust and safe!
Suitable for ages 2-5 years the Chicco Balance Bike will give your little one the confidence to take up bike riding.
With grippy adjustable handle bars, a soft non-slip saddle and anti-puncture wheels the Chicco Balance Bike will develop your child to switch to their first real bicycle without any difficulties or fear.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’re looking for an electric toothbrush, you will be astounded at both the range available and the price of them! Oclean have launched a reasonably priced toothbrush at less than £25 which is both rechargeable by USB and sonic. They sent us one this week to try out.
The Oclean Flow toothbrush has everything you would expect but at that surprising price. It has Sonic Technology, so that’s sonic speed to the brush oscillation which is 38,000 strokes per minute. It has 5 easy to use brush modes (Morning, Night, Standard, Whitening and General) with a 2-minute smart timer. Flicking through each of the modes is just at the touch of the one on/off button so there isn’t anything complicated to learn or read up about in order to get your routine. You can even do two of the modes back-to-back if you want to go the extra mile.
The toothbrush comes with one brush head which is made of DuPont bristles. I liked the bright orange bristles, which make it much easier to see in the dark mornings! They also act as an indicator to let you know when the brush head needs replacing.
Charging is easy with the USB Type-C lead which comes with the toothbrush. The Type-C port is at the base of the toothbrush which is accessible from a lid which flips open. You know when there is 10% or less charge left in the toothbrush because the round button flashes red to indicate it needs charging. One single charge can last up to 25 weeks though with morning and evening brushing.
When using it, the instructions give you a warning that it may make your gums tingle if you haven’t used an electric toothbrush before, but as I usually do, it wasn’t a problem for me. I liked the firmness of the bristles and how easy it is to use especially with just one control button and nothing too complicated for late at night or early in the morning. The same goes with the 2-minute timer so you don’t have to think much. My teeth were left clean and fresh afterwards, as you would expect!
It is surprising that this brush is so cheap and that it’s aimed at adults and teenagers because it’s rather sophisticated for what it can do, but easy to use. I think most children would be able to use it easily, and the white look and packaging makes it universal for everyone. Perhaps good for taking on holiday, especially with such a long charge amount and the ability to charge from a USB outlet? It’s a fabulous present for anyone and looks like it’s a lot more expensive than it is!
The Review Studio 