Father’s Day – Page 6 – The Review Studio

Enertor Socks and Insoles

Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Him, health, Sport

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

Walking is such a good form of exercise, not only is it free but it is also good for wellbeing too. May is National Walking Month so we’ve been going for a walk every day and it’s been a great opportunity to try out some new gear.

Decent socks are crucial if you want to keep your feet comfortable and blister free when out walking, they provide a buffer between your foot and shoe, preventing rubbing and chafing. It’s worth buying a pair of dedicated walking or running socks rather than just grabbing a pair out of the drawer as they have been specially designed to increase ventilation, wick moisture and offer support to your feet in all the right places.

The Energy Run socks from Enertor contain advanced Nilit® Innergy energy return fibre, EnergyKnit™ band and NanoGLIDE® anti-blister technology. The socks are made in Italy and are really comfortable to wear. They fit nice and snugly and the double layer of fabric around the ankle helps to prevent rubbing and blisters. I have worn them for a 10 mile walk and they were comfortable and not too hot in my shoes.

The socks cost £13.99 and are available in small, medium, large and extra large (size 2.5 to 15) so you will easily find a pair to fit your feet.

Enetor also sent me a pair of their Shock Absorbing Insoles which I have tried in both my walking shoes and fell running shoes. The insoles have shock absorbing PX1® technology which Enetor claim has up to 89% more shock absorption than their competitors. This helps to spread the load on your feet helping to reduce the impact on your feet, knees and hips.

I hadn’t tried an insole before but now I have been using them for a couple of weeks I am finding them very comfortable. I soon got used to them after starting with shorter walks and runs and I find them especially good for fell running where my foot gets thrown about on the uneven ground. They really do help cushion the feet and whilst I am only a casual fell runner, my times have started to improve which I have put down to the insoles – they are used and recommended by Usain Bolt so watch out for me sprinting on the fells!!!

£39.99 available in sizes 3-14

Both products are available from the Enertor website here

Kikkerland Seed Sprouters

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Spring

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

Now Spring has arrived I have been spending more time in the garden. I have been planning some new flower beds and I also want to try growing some vegetables so the Terracotta Seed Sprouter from Kikkerland is going to be very useful this spring as it is just what I need to help seeds to germinate before I plant them in the garden.

Consisting of three terracotta seed sprout plates they are really easy to use, you simply fill a glass with water and then sit the plate on top so the bottom of the plate is partly submerged in the water. You can then put your seed or seeds on the top of the plate and leave it to germinate.

The roots grow in the water and when they are ready you simply transfer the seedlings into soil.

The small hole sporter has multiple 2mm holes which is perfect for sprouting small seeds like vegetable seeds. I’ve been growing radish seeds which germinate in around 10 days, and I’m looking forward to some tasty salads in the next few weeks.

The medium hole sprouter has 11mm holes for larger seeds like hazelnuts, acorns, beans and citrus seeds and the large one can be used for succulents, avocado, cacti, sweet potato, tulip, hyacinth and mango.

Watching the seeds sprout and seeing the roots and green shoots appear is also a fun and educational experience for children. Growing seeds teaches them all about nature and it is fascinating seeing the seeds grow day by day.

RRP £21 from Kikkerland

iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank for iPhone 12/13/14

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Mobile Phone, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Available for Apple iPhones 12 and up, without a case.

Adding extra battery life to your iPhone is a must if you can’t be near a charging socket anywhere. Festival season in particular is a difficult time for charging phones, so any extra help for your iPhone battery is needed!

The iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank is specifically designed for iPhones 12 and up, which have magnetic casings which allow wireless battery charging. The iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank is designed to attach itself via its magnet to the back of your iPhone and add to the battery life. The front of the battery pack shows the percentage charge remaining, so you know how much you have available to charge your phone, and a finger ring at the back to make holding the phone easier and for the removal of the battery pack.

Each full charge of the iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank gives approximately 1 full charge of your iPhone, but this can vary depending on the health of your battery and which model iPhone you have. I found that it gave roughly 1 full charge for my iPhone 12, which in addition to the 24 hours+ charge I have when I plug the phone into the wall, it gave me an extra day that I wouldn’t normally have!

To use the iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank, you need to remove any extra cases on top of the iPhone then attach to the back by the built-in magnets. The battery pack with automatically start charging when you press the power button, which is located on the side. The LED display will show you the amount of charge on the battery pack and the front of the phone shows that it’s being charged. You can remove the battery pack easily and charge it up again using the provided USB cable, which doesn’t take long. You can use the LED display on the front again to see when it’s been fully charged.

It’s slimline, less than 1 inch thick and fits onto the back of your iPhone easily. The finger ring makes removing the battery easier but also works as a handle when using the phone, and as a rest for propping the phone up to read from it or to video hands-free.

As Apple iPhones move towards having magnetic cases, more chargers like the iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank will become available and be handy for charging all appliances, not just iPhones. I also love that it’s available in 5 different colours too (black, white, white, red and mint green) to match your phone casing! It also has an intelligent temperature control so that it doesn’t overheat whilst charging or whilst you’re using it, which is also a safety feature.

The iWALK Magnetic Wireless Power Bank is not just a handy charging gizmo for your iPhone, but an investment for all of your future Apple products which will need magnetic charging sooner than you think.

iWALK Portable Charger for iPhone

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mobile Phone, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Any iPhone user will know that their phone battery doesn’t last long at the best of times, but the more you use it and the older the phone, the quicker the battery runs out. That’s not great if you’re on holiday, out at a festival or running around after the kids and you can’t put your phone on charge. iWALK have the solution in a very handy, small and portable battery pack which plugs into your phone and charges, even whilst you’re still using it!

The iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank comes in a range of colours (we were sent the colour pink to review) and is accompanied by a USB cable so that you can charge it from any computer or socket with a USB attachment. The Portable Charger is diminutive in size at approximately 3 inches long and just over 2 inches high, it can fit into pockets, handbags and purses or even be kept attached to your phone. The USB cable is approximately 1 metre long so you can attach to your other devices, or if in travel, to the nearest USB socket. The charging plug is protected with an attached cover, so you can just snap it back and charge straight away, then put the power bank away again without damaging the charger.

The iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank delivers a full battery charge quickly (it depends on your phone battery and how much charge you already have as to how long it takes to fully charge) and can also be used on other Apple appliances which have Lightening plugs such as iPads and Apple Watch. I found that the iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank took a little over an hour to charge my phone fully, but that was when I already had about 18% charge to it. There’s a handy LED display on the front giving you an idea of how much charge the Power Bank has left.

The biggest plus of having the iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank to hand is that it’s so compact and easy to carry around, lightweight and fast too. I didn’t notice it when I went out for the day and knew I would use up all the battery on my phone, and with the charger plugged in, I was still able to use my iPhone as normal. The different colours available will match your phone case colour.

Please note, the iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank is only available for iPhones 6 – 14, including most X models.

I’m more than happy with this iWALK Portable Charger Power Bank which is a company I’d never seen before, but they have a range of products available for iphones, some of which we are reviewing later!

Available in various colours from £31.99:

Edifier W820NB Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Being a bit behind with the times, I don’t own any Bluetooth headphones. I’m still on the wired earphones which came with my iPod, even though I know I could use wireless headphones on any of my gadgets! Edifier sent us the W820NB Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones from their extensive range for us to try this week, and so far, I’m impressed!

The first thing you notice about the headphones is the noise cancelling. I put them on around the house and the ambient noise from the road outside and the planes overhead was eliminated – they really are noise reducing, even without anything playing on them!

The controls on the headphone are on/off switch, volume up/down and a Bluetooth button. With such simple controls, it was very easy to set them up to sync with my laptop, so much so that I didn’t actually need to read the instructions. All I had to do was turn on the headphones and press the Bluetooth button until the light flashed. My laptop found the headphones within a few seconds of being set to ‘discoverable’ so it didn’t take much effort at all. I was able to play anything from my music online, streaming or YouTube onto them.

The sound quality is excellent. With the headphones also being noise reducing, it was a surprise to hear how good they were with stereo sound and I couldn’t fault them. I had to use a combination of the laptop sound as well as the headphone volume buttons to get the volume as high as I wanted it, but that’s only a matter of practice. The range was also excellent with there being no disconnection on the Bluetooth wherever I was in the house which made a difference. The headphones are nice and lightweight as well so can be taken on holiday (they’re perfect for flights or working out) and have a titanium diaphragm for longevity.

To skip to the next song or ahead in a podcast for instance, you hit the volume button up/down and hold, the Power button is for pausing. The headphones can also be used for taking calls by Bluetooth although I haven’t tested this yet. Using the Multi-function button (with the Bluetooth symbol next to it) you can change between noise cancelling, gaming mode and use it for Bluetooth pairing.

My only gripe with the headphones are that they don’t come with a bag or pouch of some kind so that you can transport them easily or put them in an overhead locker on a flight. There is a cable which comes with them for charging, but you won’t need to charge them very much as there’s a 49 hour playtime on each charge. The cable is a USB connection so will charge from most sockets if not your computer.

The more I play with these Edifier headphones the more I like them, and am surprised by how good they are. I have found several times when I can walk around the house with them connected via Bluetooth and still listen to my laptop, tune into a radio station or eventually be on a call and not lose any of the quality I’m used to with more expensive, wired headphones.

https://www.edifier.com/product-w820nb.html

Currently on sale at Amazon for £69.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-W820NB-Hybrid-Cancelling-Headphones-Black/dp/B09FF244QP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2T9TA5A4TJKYB&keywords=w820nb&qid=1681726589&sprefix=w820nb%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-3&th=1

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate for Father’s Day

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Chocolate Lovers listen up… there’s a new chocolate in town (the Welsh town of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire) where the team at Wickedly Welsh have created a fabulous chocolate hamper for Father’s Day, which you wont’ be able to resist!

You can be the biggest chocolate lover in the world and still find some joy in this hamper. The starring role goes to the varied chocolate flavours which is what Wickedly Welsh are famous for. Boasting three large slabs of chocolate, two whisky bite sized chocolates and two love spoons, there’s plenty here to keep Dad happy, and saves you putting together a gift hamper of your own!

Starting with the chocolate slabs, the three flavours are Moreish Milk Chocolate, Coffee & Biscuit and Welsh Sea Salt & Caramel, each of about 90grams in weight. If your Dad is Welsh, then he’ll love the Milk Chocolate slab with the Welsh Dragon design, but all of the slabs are one piece, not squares. We suspect this is so that Dad doesn’t have to share them with anyone else! We loved all flavours, but the Sea Salt & Caramel was a particular favourite. The sea salt is actually Halen Mon Sea Salt, a locally sourced ingredient to make it a Welsh taste sensation.

Also in the hamper are two Milk & Dark Love Spoons. Welsh Love Spoons are a symbol of love, and these 40 gram bars are no exception. If you don’t want to tuck into a large slab of chocolate, or want to take a snack with you, these Love Spoons are a brilliant choice.

Lastly, the pack also contains two of Wickedly Welsh’s most popular individual chocolates in a cute presentation box. If you’re new to Welsh chocolate or the way Wickedly Welsh present their wares, you’ll do worse than try these first. They’re stunning, and so moreish I bet you, or Dad, won’t be able to stop at just these two. They’re great tasters for the rest of the range that’s available online, and not just on Father’s Day.

The quality of the chocolate is superb with the ingredients sourced locally and all are 100% natural. Whether or yourself or as a gift for someone else, Wickedly Welsh chocolate is an excellent gift choice.

Available from £24.99

James Martin Kitchen Collection by Wahl

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

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

Whenever anyone asks me what I’d like for my birthday or Christmas I always struggle to come up with anything. I’m not one for trinkets or jewellery and unlike a lot of people I know I am actually quite happy with something practical like kitchenware. I really enjoy cooking so it is nice to be treated to better versions of the small kitchen appliances that I use regularly. Wahl recently sent me a selection of kitchen appliances from their James Martin range which look super cool in my kitchen and are a welcome upgrade to my existing kitchen gadgets. My food processer is at least 20 years old and well past its prime and my hand mixer is even older so it was really exciting to discover both of these products in the parcel from Wahl.

The 300W electric hand mixer is a substantial and reasonably heavy little mixer. It comes complete with stainless steel beaters, dough hooks and a whisk which all came in useful when I was making lunch on Easter Sunday. The beaters were used for the batter for Yorkshire puddings and for making chocolate brownies, the dough hooks for hot cross buns and the whisk for the whipped cream.

The mixer is a good weight, not too heavy to use, but just heavy enough that it feels solid in your hands. It has a rubberised handle which makes it comfortable to hold and is a huge improvement on my old mixer. The mixer has 5 speeds plus a turbo boost and is a fantastic little gadget. It has a button to press for the quick release of the beaters which saves you getting your hands covered in cake mix, you can just eject them into the washing up bowl or they can go in the dishwasher.

RRP £32.99

I wouldn’t be without a food processor, mine is a real work horse making light of chopping, grating, liquidising and making vast quantities of pastry. With a houseful at Easter the James Martin Compact Processor with Spiralizer Attachment really came into its own and I’ve spent the last few days slicing, mixing and juicing to create a range of culinary treats that went down a storm with my family. Delicious soups, buckets of coleslaw, healthy smoothies, even crushed ice for drinks, this little workhouse was the star of the show making mundane tasks like chopping vegetables and grating cheese a breeze. The spiralizer was an added bonus and any vegetable that went near it was spiralized by my son!! This was an innovative way to encourage him to eat more vegetables!!

The set includes a processor bowl with stainless steel blade, a disc for slicing and grating as well as a spiralizer attachment and a 1.5L blender with filler cap and easy to clean removable blades. The blender is a good size and perfect for making smoothies and liquidising home made soup. The parts are all dishwasher safe which is a huge plus.

The food processor is nice and sturdy and sits nicely on my worktop, it has suckers on the bottom which help it stay firmly in place when in use . I use mine a lot so I keep it on top of the worktop but it will easily fit in a cupboard.

It has a powerful 500 watt motor with two speeds and a pulse setting and the compact size means it is doesn’t get in the way when it is sat on the worktop not being used.

RRP £74.99

The James Martin by Wahl Grind and Chop is such a handy little gadget and I don’t know how I have managed to overlook this piece of kitchen equipment. It’s one of those products that once you start using one you don’t know how you managed without it – especially good with a houseful of guests!

Stylish and powerful it has a 70g capacity and is perfect for grinding coffee beans and making curry paste with a simple press of the lid. With a 200W motor it makes short work of smaller jobs – instead of throwing away bread that is past its best, I use this to make breadcrumbs which I can pop in the freezer for my next recipe.

Use the grinder for dry ingredients and the chopper for wet or oily ones, no need to worry about working out which cup is which as they are both marked up. It comes with a handy recipe book with spice mixes to grind and accompanying recipes. The Spicy Tandoori mix was a favourite with my family.

There is no fiddling with this gadget as the blades are fixed in the cups and all you need to do is sit it on the base, pop the top on and press it down to start chopping. I like how easy it is to use – it can be operated with just one hand. Once you’ve finished chopping you simply lift the top off and use your ingredients.

The Grind and Chop machine looks very smart on the worktop, the brushed stainless finish being very on trend right now. To carry out basic chopping and grinding with no fuss you really can’t beat this gadget.

RRP £36.99

Whan you have a houseful of guests extra cooking facilities are a big boost and the James Martin Healthy Table Top Grill has been invaluable to help feed all the hungry mouths. With a variable temperature control and ridged and flat cooking areas it sits nicely on the work surface and has been used most of all for bacon butties at various times of the day as well as grilling chicken and meats for sandwiches and buffets.

It has a good sized cooking area and can easily cook enough food for a family in one go. It has a drip tray for excess oil and non-stick removable grill plates and it makes cooking easy and healthy.

Cleaning up afterwards was effortless thanks to there being less burnt-on grease on the non stick plates and the fact that the grill plate can be removed so it can be washed in hot soapy water by hand.

I can see this being an incredibly useful gadget and it will be great to take away in the caravan this summer so we can cook healthy meals outdoors.

RRP £59.99

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Ultimate Night In Gift Box

Birthday Gifts, Children, Easter, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Lunchbox Fillers, Mother's Day

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Whenever I buy Joe & Seph’s Popcorn, my friend Lisa always asks me, “Have you got any more of that posh popcorn?” so when we were offered the Joe & Seph’s Ultimate Night In Gift Box, I knew we had to review it!

The box is priced at £12.50 with three different flavours of popcorn; Salted Caramel, Caramel & Belgian Chocolate Popcorn and the slightly different Milk Chocolate Popcorn Bites. The Bites are different because they are cups of chocolate with a piece of popcorn set in them. These were particularly nice because the chocolate and popcorn worked together well, and we had them in the fridge as little snacks to eat throughout the day! The chocolate was particularly good quality too which made them more of a treat.

The Salted Caramel and Caramel & Belgium Chocolate Popcorn were for us to enjoy after dinner on a Friday. Both of the flavours are favourites of mine so I was keen to try them. The Salted Caramel is not as ‘salted’ as you might think, but more caramel. I love Joe & Seph’s popcorn because it’s not sticky at all, and the Salted Caramel flavour is no exception. You can pick it up and hold the popcorn without it melting in your hand or feeling sticky which makes it much easier to handle as well as easier to share. The quality of the popcorn itself is much better than your cinema popcorn because there are minimal kernels and unbaked pieces of corn. In fact, there’s no un-popped corn pieces at the bottom of the bag, so all you get is proper, fluffy popcorn!

The Caramel & Belgium Chocolate Popcorn was my favourite of all the flavours. Layered in a light coat of chocolate, you can taste the Belgium chocolate straight away, and the second flavour is the delicate caramel. The see-through grab bags are easy to share, but just as easily pour into a bowl due to the shape of the bag.

The Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Ultimate Night In Gift Box arrives in a presentation box to your doorstep, after being handmade and packed in London, but the boxes can be sent to anywhere in the country. Ordering on the website, you can also add a 60 character message, which makes it a great gift for anyone who loves popcorn, chocolate or snacks in general. I think this Ultimate Night In Gift Box works as either a Girls’ night in with some Prosecco, a movie and a bit of gossip, or as a gift for a teenager’s birthday, along with the Amazon gift card they all crave!

Joe & Seph’s Ultimate Night In Gift Box costs £12.50: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/gifts/gift-box-ultimate-night-in

Swizzels Sweet Shop Favourites and Chocolate Love Heart

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and whilst we all want to find the perfect gift there’s no need to spend a fortune to show you care and these fantastic gifts from Swizzels are a fantastic inexpensive way to treat Mum.

What’s better to say I love you than a huge chocolate Love Heart? This giant Love Heart looks just like the traditional love heart sweet, just a lot bigger and made of 100% milk chocolate. With ‘FOR YOU’ surrounded by the iconic heart we all know and love it makes a lovely gift for Mum.

RRP £2.49 available here or at Home Bargains

The iconic Sweet Shop Favourites Gift Box includes a selection of some of the UK’s most well-loved sweets: Refreshers, Drumstick, Love Hearts, Parma Violets, Double Lollies and Fizzers. As soon as you open the box the familiar scent of ‘childhood’ brings back so many happy memories and the hardest part is choosing which one to have first! My favourite is the Refreshers bar – what is yours?

Currently £2.50 from Asda

Edifier MP100 Plus Bluetooth Speaker

Birthday Gifts, camping, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, Sport, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts

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.

Alfa Romeo Red Eau de Toilette

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

Whilst an Alfa Romeo car may be way out of your price range you can buy your loved one a taste of Alfa Romeo style with a bottle of Alfa Romeo fragrance from Agence de Parfumerie

This fragrance is packaged in a bright red box emblazoned with the Alfa Romeo logo. The deep red bottle is chunky and modern and with the chrome lid is a stylish addition to any bathroom or bedroom.

When my husband tried the fragrance the first thing I noticed was the freshness, with top notes of pink pepper, pineapple and citrus they sharpen the senses without being overpowering. With fruity middle notes and base notes of amber and tonka bean the fragrance settles down to be a more earthy scent which is very pleasant and appeals to all ages – my 21 year old son liked it just as much as my husband does.

It doesn’t have a heavy scent so is perfect both as a day or evening fragrance and it lasts well – a couple of spays will last all day.

With a RRP of £19.95 for the 100ml bottle it’s also very reasonably priced and the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day.

Available at Superdrug Sephora Debenhams Beauty Base and Aromorfia

Swizzels Milk Chocolate Love Heart

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

This giant Swizzels milk chocolate Love Heart will be a favourite with both young and old this Valentine’s Day. It is styled as a traditional love heart sweet, just bigger and made of 100% milk chocolate. With ‘FOR YOU’ surrounded by the iconic heart we all know and love it makes a lovely gift for a friend or loved one.

Created with the aim of encouraging people to share the love this Valentine’s Day it costs only £2.49 from Home Bargains and the Swizells website so why not share the love and treat a few friends and loved ones this year?

To coincide with Valentine’s Day, Swizzels have also launched a #BeYourOwnValentine competition giving people the chance to win the Valentine’s Day of their dreams- why not take a look and enter here .

Flapjackery

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

Are you looking for something a little different as a Valentine’s treat or simply to show someone special you are thinking of them? If they have a sweet tooth and love flapjacks then Flapjackery is the place to go!

Founded in 2015 by Carol Myott and Sally Jenkin, the pair who share a passion for home cooking met selling cakes at a Devon farmers’ market. They started baking in their own kitchens but as the company grew, they needed to move to bigger premises to keep up with the demand for their flapjacks. Like all businesses they were badly affected by covid as their normal outlets, farmers markets and events stopped so they decided to start selling their delicious flapjacks online.

We’re big fans of Flapjackery so were really pleased to be asked to sample one of their Valentine’s gift boxes containing five flavours of flapjack – Chocolate Orange, Millionaire’s, Raspberry & White Chocolate, Rocky Road and Clotted Cream.

Nicely packaged in a carboard box, which fits easily through a letterbox, each flapjack is individually wrapped to keep it fresh. They also have long “eat by” dates, my box was dated the 5th April but they are so yummy they only lasted a couple of days! As my box had a Valentine’s theme the Millionaire’s flapjack was decorated with a white chocolate heart which is a lovely touch. They all looked delicious and the hardest part was deciding which one to try first!

Each flapjack was fresh, flavoursome and incredibly moreish and after sampling them all the raspberry and white chocolate was my favourite, sandwiched with juicy raspberries the flapjack is nice and moist and fruity. The white chocolate complements the sharper raspberry taste and mixed with the buttery flapjack makes a delicious treat.

They currently have a selection of Valentine’s gift boxes available and there is also an option to create your own. Choose from either a box of 8 or 12 flapjacks or a message plaque box containing a giant millionaire’s flapjack with 4 of 8 flapjacks. The boxes can be gift wrapped and a free personalised message added to make your gift a little more special.

You really are spoilt for choice when selecting a giftbox, there are 24 flavours to choose from ranging from a traditional flapjack to more unusual flavours like rocky road, honeycomb or florentine. Have a look at the full range here.

With a box of three flapjacks costing £12 they really are the perfect Valentine’s treat!

Royal British Legion Champs de Fleurs (Rosé) Champagne

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts, Women

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

The Royal British Legion are the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with 180,000 members, 110,000 volunteers and a network of partners and charities. In 2021 they celebrated their 100^th birthday and to mark the occasion they partnered with Eminent Wines and launched a trio of champagnes, the RBL100 range, which includes these three champagnes.

Reveille (Brut) – A name inspired by the music which follows The Last Post and Two Minute Silence at Remembrance services. £45.00

Champs de Fleurs (Rosé) – translates from French to ‘fields of flowers’, in reference to the fields of poppies that flourished on the Western Front following the First World War, which lead to the red poppy becoming a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

Centurion (Blanc de Blanc) – A name, quite simply, in reference to 100 years of the Royal British Legion.

They kindly sent us a bottle of the Champs de Fleurs (Rosé) champagne to try which has a lovely illustration of poppies on the label and I think it would make a lovely Valentine’s gift. The champagne is pink in colour and fizzed up nicely in my tall flute and there were plenty of bubbles which popped satisfyingly on my tongue. When I tasted the champagne it has a crisp, clean flavour and the lively delicate bubbles leave your tongue tingling.

This February The Royal British Legion are suggesting you celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Poppy instead of a Rose which I think is a lovely idea, not only do you get a lovely bottle of champagne you are helping to support The Royal British Legion with 10% of the bottle price going to the charity.

I am sure your Valentine would be thrilled to receive a bottle on Valentine’s Day and if you are lucky they might even share it with you!

Available from Eminent Wines

Roberts Dorset Gift Boxes

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and whilst there are plenty of gifts available for women it can prove a little more difficult finding the perfect gift for the special man in your life. In my experience alcohol and food always go down a treat and if your husband/boyfriend loves snacking – especially on pork crackling, nuts and cider then Roberts Dorset is the place to go!

With products suitable for those following a Keto or Vegan lifestyle they have a fantastic selection of gift boxes that can be customised to suit the recipient.

Robert’s Dorset began back in 2011 in the family kitchen, initially selling their products at their local Dorset markets. They quickly discovered that their snacks were incredibly popular and worked hard to create new flavours, now supplying their tasty snacks all over the country.

I have always liked pork crackling but never realised there was a choice of flavour beyond “pork”. I was therefore intrigued to discover that Roberts Dorset produce a variety of flavours – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Extreme Naga Chilli, BBQ, Salt & Pepper, Sage & Onion and Garlic and have enjoyed sampling them all.

These delicious savoury bites are incredibly moreish and I haven’t been able to stop myself dipping into the pots for my crackling fix. The crackling is crunchy and crisp with the slightly pork fat taste, that I remember so well from Friday nights at the local pub!

As well as the crackling the Scrumptious Combination gift box also included a couple of tubs of peanuts (sea salt and sweet chilli) along with a couple of cans of St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA.

I enjoyed all the flavours but be warned the Naga Chilli flavour is incredibly hot and not for the faint hearted. I would say that all the flavours are suitable snacks to have alongside drinks as a change to the more traditional crisps and peanuts. The tubs are recyclable but have a good fitting lid which makes them very useful if kept. Eaten in conjunction with the excellent St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA’s they make a perfect Valentine’s treat.

So soon after the indulgence of Christmas some might wonder about the healthiness of pork crackling but as they are gluten free, high in protein and MSG free, surely they can count as a health food!?

The many different options that Roberts Dorset offer mean that there is something for everyone. They make a superb gift idea – something that little bit different and a nice change from the standard box of chocolate or smellies.

Take a look at the fantastic selection of Gift boxes here, prices start at £17.50

Cranes Cranberry & Blood Orange Liqueur

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Winter

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

Love is in the air at The Review Studio this week and we are currently surrounded by a fantastic selection of Valentine’s products and looking forward to sharing our favourites over the next few days.

One present that always goes down is alcohol and this delicious Cranberry and Blood Orange Liqueur from Cranes will make a lovely gift for the special person in your life.

This striking red liqueur has been created by the founders of Cranes – twin brothers Ben & Dan along with one of the UK’s top mixologists. Made from Wisconsin cranberries and infused with blood orange juice and orange rind, this double award-winning liqueur is sweet with underlying, but not overpowering, sourness – imagine a ‘sour’ candy sweets but add a 17% alcoholic kick!

The bottle comes with minimal cardboard packaging and the distinctive square glass bottle is nice and chunky and is the type that look good on a drinks trolley.

The liqueur can be drunk neat, on the rocks or why not add some Prosecco to make a delicious Cranbellini cocktail.

Talking of cocktails there are a couple of ideas on the box to try

Cosmopolitan (Cranes Liqueur, Cranberry juice, Vodka and lime)

Lemon Berry (Cranes liqueur, Limoncello and Sicilian lemonade)

Shaddock’s G&T (Cranes liqueur, Gin, Tonic water and Pink Grapefruit Juice)

Cranes Spritz (Cranes liqueur, Soda water, Prosecco)

It a sweet, fruity liqueur but there is a hint of sharpness, and like any liqueur is best drunk slowly so you can savour every sip. It also goes well in cocktails and having tried all the ones above (well someone has to!!) we decided that the Cranes Spritz was our favourite, it’s a light and refreshing cocktail and the accompaniment toa Valentine’s Afternoon Tea.

It makes an ideal Valentine’s Day gift or why not buy a bottle and make some delicious cocktails to accompany a romantic night in.

RRP 50cl £19.99 from Cranes

Other Cranes drinks we have reviewed are

Cranes Cider

Cranes Cranberry Gin

Cranes Cider Gift Sets

Afternoon Tea at Colonel Saab, Holborn Town Hall, London WC1

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegetarian, Women

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 6^th 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.

https://colonelsaab.co.uk

Holborn Town Hall, 193-197 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD

020 8016 6800

reservations@colonelsaab.co.uk

Edifier MF200 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Birthday Gifts, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, Tech

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

We live in a world where most people use electronic devices for entertainment and a good quality set of speakers can really enhance the experience. Edifier is a well-known audio brand that produce a wide range of speakers and are known for their high-quality audio and sleek designs. They recently sent me the MF200 portable speaker, and I was really impressed with both the build quality and sound.

At 490 grams it isn’t heavy, but it is well built and the solid aluminium construction gives a luxury feel to the speaker. It is a simple device and comes with a USB-C input / charging cable and a handy cloth bag for taking it out and about.

At one end of the speaker is a USB-C connection, used for both charging and as an input source and a 3.5mm socket for the AUX input. On the other end is the power switch which doubles as an input selector. There are three options for connecting to the speaker, Bluetooth 5.0, the 3.5mm AUX socket and the USB-C connection for smartphones and PCs. (Edifier does say that it is PC only, but I’ve had no problems connecting my Android phone).

On the front panel are three discreet touch / push controls to adjust the volume, skip tracks or pause playback.

Once connected the sound quality is excellent, producing a rich sound with no distortion, even at full volume and the soft rubber feet efficiently prevent vibrations moving through to the furniture. Internally there are two 4w 36mm full-range drivers and whilst they’re not going to shake the foundations, they’re great as a portable speaker.

This speaker is not just for connecting to your smartphone, it makes a great option for anybody who’s fed up with sub-par sounds from their laptop, just connect and play!

If using the speakers wirelessly, you should get up to 10 hours of use from the built-in 2200mAh high-capacity lithium battery.

I’m really pleased with this speaker, it has a quality feel that is matched by the clear sound of its speakers and its distinctive triangular design looks great wherever I take it.

RRP £69.99

Vistaprint

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Valentine’s Day is only a month away and you may (or may not!) have started thinking of gift ideas. Whilst the traditional gifts of chocolates, flowers or fragrance are always well received I always think a personalised gift means a lot more as the recipient will appreciate the thought that has gone into creating it.

Vistaprint have a huge range of products on their website that would make superb Valentine’s gifts including photo books, canvas prints, mugs, cushions and my favourite – a fleece blanket to snuggle up with rather than turning the heating on!

The website is really easy to navigate with all the personalised gifts on one webpage. Each gift has clear images and the prices are clearly shown. Once you have selected your gift it is really easy to create your masterpiece. Simply choose the photos you love and Vistaprint will turn them into personalised artwork and gifts that you and your family can enjoy for years to come.

I created a photobook which was really easy to do – there is a choice of 8 different sizes and once you have decided you are ready to start creating your photobook. I found it very easy to add photos and once I had selected them I just clicked the upload button and the photos were quickly uploaded. I was amazed how fast this process was, the last time I created a photobook I remember this stage taking ages so this was a definite improvement. Once the photos are uploaded you can use Vistaprint’s “Smart Selection” which removes any duplicates, blurry or out of focus pictures so you only have the best pictures in your album.

Once you are happy with your design it is then straightforward to finalise the order, just choose either standard or premium glossy paper and you are ready to go. Vistaprint have a range of delivery options including free economy delivery on orders over £40.

Ordering was very easy, once the order had been placed I received a confirmation email with estimated delivery dates and a second email once my products had been despatched. I actually received my gifts before the estimated delivery date which was quite impressive.

Now that it has arrived I am thrilled with my photobook, it looks very professional and I know my husband will love it. I will certainly use Vistaprint again as after seeing the quality of the photo book I am really interested in trying some of the other photo products that they do. With such a wide choice I just need to decide which ones!

Photobooks start at £7.49 and there is currently 40% off so get those Valentine’s gifts ordered soon!

Wahl Peaky Blinders Clipper & Beard Trimmer Gift Set

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, health

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

Cranes Cider

Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Summer, Vegan

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

It’s the first week of Dry January and I’m sure I’m not the only one looking forward to having a break from alcohol (and hangovers) after a few weeks of over indulgence!

I enjoy a glass of cider, so I’ve swapped my normal brand for low alcohol cider from Cranes Cider. It’s got the fresh, crisp flavour you would expect from a quality British Cider but with only 0.5% alcohol content is a much healthier choice.

When you pour it into a glass you get the same apple aroma as you would from a traditional cider, and I was pleased to discover that it has the same crisp freshness in the mouth that I am used to. This is every bit as good as traditional cider and one I will continue to drink once Dry January is over. At only 0.5% ALC it is ideal for those who can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol and is suitable for those who follow a vegan or gluten free diet too.

RRP £22.50 for 9 x 500ml bottles and is available from Cranes

Wahl Mini Massage Gun

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Sport, Tech

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.

The Wahl Mini Massage Gun is available from £71.99 at: https://www.wahl.co.uk/product/cordless-mini-massager-gun/

STM Goods Myth Laptop Bag

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Mobile Phone, Tech

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!

Available on Amazon for £61.73: https://www.amazon.co.uk/STM-Goods-Backpack-Featuring-Pass-Through/dp/B07HY5BPGF/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=66649414279&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgvLDn9n3-wIVhweLCh3Pagt3EAAYASAAEgLS1fD_BwE&hvadid=335528403538&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1006948&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1753826711841176724&hvtargid=kwd-613724609670&hydadcr=19799_1751391&keywords=stm+myth&qid=1670972400&sr=8-1

Spice Kitchen Subscription Box

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Subscription Boxes, Vegetarian

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.

LensPen Smarty Smartphone Camera Cleaner

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Mobile Phone, Stocking Fillers, Tech

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!

Available online from $5.99 at: https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/lenspen-smarty-smartphone-cleaner-black-ln-smarty/