Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Dobble by Asmodee is one of our favourite travel games and travels everywhere with us. The handy tin is small enough to fit in my bag and has entertained our mini reviewers in many different locations over the years including trains, restaurants, hotel rooms, and campsites. When I heard that Dobble had launched a Scouts version I was quite excited as my whole family are involved in Scouting, so this version has a special significance for us.
Available directly from the Scout Store (where all profits are returned to the Scouts) this new version uses symbols associated with Scouting – you’ll find hiking boots, canoes, rucksacks, tents and many more outdoor adventure symbols on the game cards in Dobble Scouts.
With 5 different games to play this game will keep everyone entertained, both young as old as the good thing about this game is everyone is on a level. There’s always a matching symbol on any two cards but with 8 symbols on a card in different sizes and orientation it is more challenging than you would think and sometimes you will find yourself staring at your card for ages and still not see it!
A game doesn’t take long to play, around 5-10 minutes, but it is such good fun that you’ll find that everyone wants to play it over and over again. It’s a great game for 2 but equally as fun in a larger group.
In the words of the Scout motto – “Be Prepared” and put this in the pocket of your rucksack when you go off on an adventure – it’s great to play with friends old and new around a campfire in the evening once you’ve finished adventuring!
As well as the game the new Dobble Scouts collection will also include hoodies, badges and keyrings in the famous Scout colours and will make great gifts for Scouts young and oldCubs,
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
We are keen walkers and most weekends you will find us out on the local fells or on top of hill somewhere. It is so important to keep hydrated when walking so I was really pleased to receive a Contigo Jackson Chill AUTOPOP™ Vacuum-Insulated Water Bottle. It arrived just in time for our holiday and was a very welcome addition when we were climbing hills on a couple of particularly hot days.
When it comes to water bottles, I have very high standards – I need a bottle with a top that is easy to open and close and most importantly doesn’t leak. I look for bottles that are easy to clean, without too many nooks and crannies that can prove difficult to clean properly. I also need it to keep my water cold, so a bottle with an opening that is wide enough to get a few ice cubes in is a winner.
So how does the Jackson Chill AUTOPOP™ Vacuum-Insulated Water Bottle fare?
Well, incredibly well – not only does it look stylish this bottle is very practical too, the 590ml double walled vacuum bottle has a mouth wide enough for ice cubes and keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours. A great feature of this bottle is that you are able to open it one-handed so I don’t need to stop to have a drink and it has a decent sized spout that flows nicely. It is really comfortable to drink from and there was no metallic taste to the water.
Over the last couple of weeks the bottle has been stuffed into rucksacks, slid into pockets, slotted into my bike bottle holder and carried in a shopping bag and despite being flung around hasn’t leaked once. It has a very secure fitting lid which protects the spout from dirt and a button lock which, assuming you remember to click it in place, means it won’t open in your bag, thus avoiding accidental spills.
The feature I like most about this bottle is the secure fitting lid, I have had my fair share of leaky bottles over the years and believe me there is nothing worse than reaching into a rucksack and discovering your bottle has leaked!
I am really impressed with this bottle, not only does it look great, it’s easy to fill, nice to drink out of and is a good size. Reuseable bottles are so much better for the environment than single use plastic ones and if you buy a decent one like this Contigo one you will be using it for many years. This bottle is now an essential part of my walking gear and I have been recommending it to all my walking friends.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
During the summer, when we are more likely to be working out or going for a run, or perhaps you’re on the beach and need to carry very little with you in hand luggage, ear phones can be a life saver. Nowadays, earphones are state-of-the art and not only come in this ‘ear bud’ form, but are Bluetooth. Connecting to your phone or laptop wirelessly, they don’t have wires so you can hide your phone in a pocket and carry on with your day.
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro come in a charging case so you don’t lose them easily. Their full charge time is 24 hours, so enough for a holiday or long journey but just 10 minutes of charge gives you an hour listening time. The ear-tips are also anti bacterial, so you can share them if you wish, or even if you drop them on the car floor, they’ll still be safe to put back in. The box contains the NeoBuds and case, spare sets of ear tips, charging cable and case and written instructions.
The NeoBuds uses LDAC technology which is an auditory technology which allows high quality streaming over Bluetooth. Before purchasing these Edifier NeoBuds, make sure your phone or laptop supports this technology. LDAC is considered to be the premier audio coding available at the moment, so the NeoBuds are making use of the best technology available, and it shows in the quality of the audio! There’s Ambient Sound technology too, so you can still hear certain sounds around you when the music is playing – great for when you’re in town and weaving in and out of traffic.
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro also have crossover technology for balanced sound thanks to the Knowles Balanced Armature drive. No matter what audio you’re listening to, the NeoBuds balance out the sound making it a better listening experience all round. You can also use the NeoBuds for phone calls, thanks to the three microphone noise cancellation technology. It also has low latency with game mode, so you can hear exactly what’s happening on screen as it happens and without a time delay.
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro contain all the technology, and more that you need for everyday use of headphones. There’s no problem with how they perform and the sound quality is excellent. It took me a while to figure out how they fit into my ears and get used to the sensation as I don’t normally have ear buds but it doesn’t take long. I was impressed with how high quality the sound is because it automatically balances out the levels with each song. Audio books are richer too; you can hear the bass of the reader’s voice much easier and phone calls are as clear as you’d expect them to be and I didn’t experience any drop-off in calls with Bluetooth.
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro are practical, easy to use and easy to store. They’re so versatile across all the different sound appliances that you don’t need another pair, and they store away in their case so you don’t have to worry about carrying heavy overhead headphones that might break. Not just for summer, the NeoBuds Pro are for all year and all uses!
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Getting children into a good bedtime routine can take a good while, so anything that helps achieve this is very welcome. A night light can be a big help, they are great when babies are small, as the gentle light is enough for night feeds and it eliminates the need to turn on the main light when checking on your child. They are also good for children who are afraid of the dark. There are lots of different night lights available now, making it easy to find one that will suit the decoration of your child’s nursery.
We have a couple of mini reviewers who aren’t the best at going to bed, so in the quest for a good nights sleep, we have been putting a couple of Pabobo Angelcare nightlights to the test, in the hope that they will help them get to sleep a little bit quicker!
The Pabobo Lumicolour Bear Night Light is a cute bear shaped night light that can also change colour. The night light has 3 different modes to choose from
Colour detection – in this mode it scans and matches the colour of the touched object.
White light – 2 different intensities enabling you to reassure or read a story.
Rainbow – the bear changes colour every 10 seconds with the option to freeze it on your favourite colour.
I was quite intrigued to see how the colour detection mode worked and found it quite fascinating watching it change colour as it is placed on different objects! This is quite a quirky product and was a big hit with our mini reviewer who loved putting him on different coloured stacking cups to get him to change colour. The light is a soothing glow rather than a bright light and is just what you need at bedtime. It can be left on all night or there is a handy timer which will turn the light off after 45 minutes by which time your child will hopefully be asleep!
The nightlight is rechargeable and comes with a micro USB port which is really handy as it means it can be taken away with you on holiday or trips to grandparents, enabling your child’s bedtime routine is kept the same when they are away from home.
Once fully charged the battery can power the light for up to 1 month if used on the 45 minute timer or for 24 hours continuous use.
The bear doesn’t come with a USB power adapter but most families have plenty of these around the house so this isn’t really a problem.
RRP £35
The Angelcare Pabobo Underwater Effects Projector projects waves and fish onto the wall and ceiling whilst playing soft lullaby music or white noise to help lull your baby into a deep sleep. It does require 3AA batteries which aren’t included.
It has three light intensities to choose from and will automatically turn off after 25 minutes or 15 minutes if the sound is on.
The light display is calming to watch and certainly captured our mini reviewers attention. There are also couple of lullabies to play as well as the sound of waves, white noise and a heart beat to help relax your child ready for bed. The projections and sounds don’t have to be played together, you can choose just projections, just sound or both together, so choose which variation suits your child the best.
As well as being a calming influence at bedtime, the projector is a great sensory toy, the lights and sounds create those all important links in your baby’s brain helping support their development and learning. I do feel that it has helped achieve a much better level of calmness at bedtime and provides our mini reviewer with something enjoyable and comforting every night.
It’s compact enough to take on holiday or when staying with friends and family so you can keep the same routine when away from home. Another useful feature is the fabric part of the projector can be removed for washing – I’ve not needed to wash it yet but it’s good to know that when it gets grubby I can easily remove and wash it.
RRP £45
If you are stuggling to get your children to settle at night then I would definitely recommend trying a night light, these have been a welcome addition to our mini reviewers bedtime routine and definitely help them to settle better every night.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Walkers, hikers, runners, athletes and casual sock fans are discovering Darn Tough socks… but if you’re any of the above you probably know something about the Vermont, USA based company already.
Darn Tough socks are made from merino wool to be, well, darn tough. Their main selling point apart from being so hard wearing is that they are seam free so don’t rub and wear away over time, and if you’re a walker, that’s a big problem. They have additional features which make them so durable too. The shin areas typically have extra cushioning for wearing under boots (if they’re longer socks) thanks to the way the socks are woven. There’s added measures to prevent boot bite too. The extended toe box allows for wear and tear inside boots and shoes with a flex zone over the front of the foot so that you can rest assured that there isn’t the wear there from laced up shoes.
The heels are particularly well engineered to allow for lots of walking. Some of the snow socks (of which there are lot more new styles) have added weight to them for extra durability. There’s some new running socks this coming season which are shorter but allow for the same durability, but with the added bonus of being so pretty as well! If you look at the catalogue online, you’ll see that there’s a massive range of socks for men, women and children, but also a complete kaleidoscope of patterns. This hiking/trekking pair of women’s socks have a bear design on them! There’s plenty of other socks to choose from, not only for different activities but in different colours and even landscape designs on them. It makes them much easier to pair up after washing too!
The bonus of all Darn Tough socks is that no matter how they wear out, there is a lifetime guarantee on each pair that means they will replace your socks, no questions asked, whenever a hole appears or they wear down. What better promise of quality is that?
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
We’ve been munching our way through a lot of chocolate this week in preparation for World Chocolate Day on the 7th July. As well as traditional chocolate we have been sampling some plant based brands as being Vegan or following a dairy free or gluten free diet no longer means you need to miss out on delicious chocolate treats.
Happi Choc was founded by Gavin, Lee & Rosie who spotted a gap in the market for top quality, healthier and FUN plant based treats that they were happy to share with their children and enjoy themselves. Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands the chocolate is sustainably sourced with the cacao bought directly from a Columbian family owned business and co-operative called Luker. The company are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices. (We recently tried FATSO chocolate which is sourced from the same Columbian business)
The Happi chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk and comes in a range of delicious flavours – Plain Milk, White Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Orange, Cacao Nibs Crunch & White Raspberry.
Happi chocolate is the very first oat milk chocolate I have tried and I have to say I’m really impressed, the chocolate is smooth and creamy and there is definitely no compromise on taste and with less sugar it’s better for my waistline too!
My favourite was the Cacao Nib Crunch, the rich flavour combined with the crunchy cacao nibs is simply irresistible and a chocolate lovers dream. For white chocolate lovers the White Raspberry bar is one to try, with plenty of freeze dried raspberries giving it a fruity boost this one is incredibly moreish!
The packaging is also recyclable with a cardboard box and a home compostable plastic inner. They also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so another good reason to try it.
Happi is available in 40g and 80g bars from Selfridges, Ocado, Amazon and local independent retailers.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
We’re on the last few weeks of the summer term and on the countdown to summer holidays. Travelling with children can be incredibly stressful so if you can keep then entertained it makes the journey a lot more pleasant for everyone! In the run up to the summer holidays I am always on the lookout for compact games that I can pop in my bag to keep the children entertained, whether they are on a plane, car, hotel room or caravan.
We were recently sent The Genius Star from The Happy Puzzle Company which can be played solo or as a 2 player game. The game is great fun and will not only keep them occupied whilst travelling it is also fun to team up to play together as a family in the evenings.
Inside the box are two plastic star shaped grids, two sets of 11 multi-coloured wooden shapes, two sets of seven blocker pieces (triangles) and seven dice (a mixture of six and eight sided). The game is very easy to play, simply roll all the dice and place a blocker piece into the triangle matching the seven numbers that appear on the dice, then race your opponent to fill every other space on the grid using the 11 shapes. There is also an added twist with the ‘Golden Star’ which allows you to score a double win by solving the puzzle with the ‘Golden Star’ Apparently only 57.4% of the puzzles have a solution that includes the ‘Golden Star’ so this adds to the challenge!
The game is good for STEM learning using skills including problem solving, critical thinking and logic skills to complete the puzzle.
Each game is reasonably quick but with 165,888 possible combinations you do sometimes play a round that takes a little longer to complete, especially if you try to use the ‘Golden Star’ but that just adds to the fun. With so many different combinations this is a game that will keep children (and adults) entertained these holidays.
The Genius Star is suitable for ages 8 to adult and has an RRP of £19.99
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
This retro style portable speaker from Edifier is probably the easiest I’ve ever set up a speaker. With crystal-clear sound, it’s a brilliant addition to your household or as a gift to someone you love.
The Edifier MP230 Portable Bluetooth Speaker has a battery charge of up to 10 hours with a wooden casing and grill cover to give it a retro 50s/60s portable look. The operating keys on the front are piano-style for on/off, Bluetooth, play/pause and two volume buttons. Speaking of Bluetooth, it was incredibly easy to set up. All I had to do was turn on the speak with the button on the front, use the Bluetooth settings on my laptop, which found it immediately and press Connect. As soon as I played a track on my laptop, it came through the Edifier speaker; no need for any instructions or clicking buttons, adding settings etc, it was easy as pie!
The quality of the sound through the speaker is excellent. There are two 48mm driver units, which create stereo sound and an output power of 20W RMS. Along with Bluetooth, the input modes are AUX, USB-C port and even a TF Card. The size of the speaker also lends itself to being taken on car trips, or even packed in luggage. Measuring 16.4cm × 8.43cm × 10.8cm it can even fit in hand luggage, and weighs just 0.85kilorams (that’s just 1.9lbs!)
The Edifier MP230 Speaker can be charged with the USB port and doesn’t take long for a full charge, so can be connected to a laptop or a wall charging point. As it’s so portable, it can be taken with you anywhere, or left on the shelf in a room. The size would suggest it could go outside easily, which would be great for picnics but I don’t think the wood casing nor the grill would survive getting even slightly damp, and definitely not one for the beach! Set up in a baby’s nursery to play white noise or as background whilst in the garden, the Edifier MP230 would be really useful.
I can’t help but think it would be a great present too. The stylish look to it appeals to anyone who likes design or for grandparents who want something that fits in with their pre-IKEA furniture and is small enough to be discreet on a book shelf. Teenagers will love this though, as it doesn’t take up much room and you don’t even need to be in the room for it to connect to Bluetooth. It’s a brilliant addition to any household as well as being a perfect stereo sound for you online music!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The past 12 months has been a royal whirl with the late Queen’s Lying in State, Funeral and now the Coronation of King Charles in May. Hellen Jay Rhind has written a children’s book about the day King Charles III was crowned and what the different parts of the ceremony mean.
The 30 page book is aimed at children aged 6 to 12. Starting with the details of Prince Charles (as he was when he was born) and how the late Queen was crowned in 1953 at Westminster Abbey, the story tells the Royal Family up until 6 May 2023 when the King is crowned. The day is explained with illustrations on one side and details on the opposite page. However, the drawings are not accurate to the members of the Royal Family, nor are the illustrations that of Westminster Abbey nor Buckingham Palace, but they are fairy palaces which will appeal to young children.
The book goes into detail about the types of carriages that were used, the Household Cavalry, the ceremony route and the types of jewels used as symbolic gestures. At the very back, there are photographs of the state crowns, The Royal Robes, The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and The Sovereign’s Orb, making them easy for children to identify.
This is a great bedtime book, or a book for children interested in royalty, kings and queens and princess castles! The book takes about 15 minutes to read and would act as a prompt for children to ask more questions about the monarchy and what happened at the Coronation in May. It’s also a nice keepsake for the Coronation for anyone who was there on the day or wants to remember it!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Father’s Day will soon be here, and you may (or may not!) have started thinking of a gift for your Dad. Beer and chocolate always go down well but sometimes it’s nice to find a gift that means a little more and photo gifts are great as anyone receiving one is bound to appreciate the thought that has gone into creating it.
myFUJIFILM have a fantastic selection of products on their website that would make a superb Father’s Day gift including #photobooks, mugs, water bottles and #prints. The website is simple to use with a page dedicated to Father’s Day gift ideas. Each gift has plenty of images so you can get an idea of what the finished product will look like, and prices and delivery times are clearly indicated. Once you have selected your gift it is easy to create your masterpiece, simply choose the photos you love and myFUJIFILM will transform them into a personalised gift that you and your family can enjoy for years to come.
I created a photobook which was very easy to do – there are plenty of different options on the size, shape and look of your book, you can choose rectangular or square, hard or soft cover, matt or gloss paper and there are different size options too. Everything about the book can be edited, there is the option to add backgrounds, change the layout and add text to personalise your photobook.
I found it very easy to add photos and once the photos are uploaded you can either use the “Auto Fill” option to add the photos to your book in one go or add them manually. The “Auto Fill” is much quicker and you can still alter the layout but it does make it harder if you wanted to group certain photos together on one page.
Once you are happy with your design it is time to place your order, the process is nice and easy and you can add multiple copies of the same gift which will be great at Christmas. Once the order had been placed I received a confirmation email and a second email once my products had been dispatched, which also including tracking information.
myFUJIFILM have gifts for all budgets so take a look at their website where you will be able create a gift of precious memories, use the code LOVEDAD40 to get 40% off all personalised gifts.
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Some men are notoriously difficult to buy presents for, a lot of my family are farmers and with no time for hobbies and days out this tends to rule out a lot of traditional Father’s Day gifts. The one present I know will go down well is a tractor and whilst I can’t stretch to a real one, a Britains tractor from Tomy is definitely the next best thing. Britains 1:32 die-cast replica models are incredibly well made and I haven’t met a farmer yet who doesn’t have at least a couple on the shelf.
Farmers tend to prefer a particular brand of tractor and in my family it’s New Holland, the T7.300 LWB Blue Power tractor is a favourite, it is designed for high power yet is still compact sized. It has a power output of 280hp which can be boosted up to a maximum of 300hp so it certainly packs a powerful punch. The new flagship model from Britains captures every detail of this impressive machine, we have the removeable Horizon Ultra cab which allows you see the intricate details of the interior, big soft feel tread tyres along with a working steering wheel and detailed die cast body. The front wheels turn easily and pivot up and down so they can be driven over uneven ground and it has a front A frame hitch and rear tow hitch, which is compatible with other 1:32 scale models so you can attach whatever trailer or implement you need.
Currently priced at £34.45 on Amazon I know plenty of farmers who would love to receive one of these on Father’s Day!
For younger farmers the John Deere Kids 36 piece giant floor puzzle is a great activity to do with Dad on Father’s Day. Measuring 3’ x 2’ this jigsaw features a fantastic countryside scene and the large pieces are nice and sturdy and easy for little hands to pick up without bending or tearing. The pieces slot together nicely and the picture is bright and vibrant. Our mini reviewer loved this jigsaw completing it three times in a row before I dragged them away to have tea!
As well as being great fun to do jigsaws are a great way to develop hand eye coordination and fine motor skills and conversation too, our mini reviewer talked nonstop about what each character was going to do on the farm!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I have been using a pair of headphones from Edifier for a few weeks now and I’m really happy with their performance.
The Edifier W820NB Plus headphones are a pair of lightweight (221g) bluetooth headphones with USB-C charging and connection. Made completely of plastic they are available in a range of 5 colours (Blue, Grey, Green, Ivory and Black) and are lightweight and very comfortable to wear. I have worn them for several hours at a time without any discomfort or sweaty ears! The headband and ear cups are soft and the headphones are adjustable so will fit pretty much any size head. The build quality is good and whilst lightweight, they have a quality feel to them.
Most of my listening is done whilst working in the garden so noise cancellation is important to me, I was mowing the grass the other evening and was really impressed with how well they coped, my podcasts were easy to listen to and whilst I could still hear the petrol mower it wasn’t a problem at all. If you want to know the figures, Edifier’s website claims “upgraded noise cancellation with ANC depth of up to -43dB”.
I’m no audiophile but I can tell you that the sound quality through the 40mm drivers was very good, I couldn’t fault it. The frequency range is listed as 20Hz – 40kHz which is way more than my ears would hear! If you choose to install the accompanying app then you can select some different equaliser settings, but it isn’t something I would make use of so just left the settings at default. The headphones are Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified for those who have a Hi-Res device and a special game mode can be selected with a couple of presses of a button which offers a latency as low as 0.08s.
Controlling the headphones is done with the usual combination of single and double taps of the various controls. I’m never good at remembering all the different options but the basic controls are easy to use although the buttons could be a little bigger and more spaced out for me.
Answering a phone call is a single tap of the main button as is ending the call and noise cancellation can be turned off with a single tap too.
So far I haven’t had to charge the headphones, Edifier suggest they have a battery life of between 33 and 49 hours depending on how much the noise cancellation is used and a 10 minute charge should give 7 hours of use. More than enough capacity for me.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I love gardening, especially this time of year when all the plants start to really take off, it’s a joy to be outside and the wildlife is taking over our gardens. I plant a lot of seeds, take cuttings and every year promise myself to do something different to encourage nature in the garden.
Johnsons Lawn Seed are helping with that goal. They don’t just sell grass seed for lawns, but seed mixes too. We were sent some Celebration Wildflower tins to try for this summer, which incidentally coincides with #NoMowMay; the month where we are encouraged to not mow the lawn and let the wildflowers, weeds and therefore nature take over. It increases diversity and encourages the ecosystem to flourish.
Johnsons Lawn Seed Celebration Wildflower tins are 100% wildflowers which cover up to 15 square metres, which is about the size of a large room. The prepare the area to be sown, a bed of soil needs to be weed free (to decrease competition) and raked finely to give a medium-fine seedbed. Seeds should be sown from April to the end of June, then rake over them slightly and water in to ensure the birds don’t get them! Wildflowers don’t need to be deep in the ground to be able to grow well. The wildflowers should start to bloom from mid-June onwards until the first frosts of the autumn (mid October) as long as you keep them watered, especially at the germination phase.
The tins, which are the same type of pull-cans as supermarket beans, contain 17 different seed types including California Poppy, Cornflower, Cosmos, Painted Daisy and Pot Marigold. Each of the different wildflowers grow to different heights and at different times so over the course of a summer you get a tumbling array of different flowers, scents and foliage. With each tin, the 15 square metres of soil space will probably provide a few wildflower bouquets over time as well, but the variety of different seeds will attract all sorts of butterflies, bees and even moths to the garden over the course of the season. Children will love to help plant these as well as watch them grow as they are quick to geminate and wildflowers by their nature are able to grow in all sorts of soil and spaces. If you don’t have a soil bed anywhere, a pot or window sill will also accommodate the blossoms if you keep them well watered.
The Celebration Wildflower seeds we planted this week haven’t germinated yet and it will be a few more months before they do, and we are looking forward to seeing what comes up, and what wildlife is attracted into the garden.
Available from £7.99 at most garden centres. See details at Johnsons seeds here: johnsonslawnseed.com
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
Whilst the Coronation is still fresh in our minds it’s the perfect time to introduce a new game from Drumond Park. Best of The Royals is part of the popular LOGO brand and the theme of this version of the game is the Royal family, who are probably the most well-known family in the world.
With 200+ Royal-themed questions it is not only a fun and entertaining game for all the family it is also a history lesson too!
Played with 2 teams (age 12+) rather than a traditional playing board, the players race to complete a royal themed jigsaw puzzle. Setting up the game is very simple, all you do is take the cards and jigsaw pieces out of the box, place the cards in the middle of the table and give each team their 22 jigsaw pieces.
Game play is nice and easy, the team with the youngest player starts first and the oldest player from the other team becomes Question Master. He takes the top card and asks the question or shows the picture to the other team (whilst hiding the answers from his own team as they might be able to win a bonus jigsaw piece if the other team answer incorrectly). If the team get the answer right, they select a corner piece and place it on the table, if they are wrong the other team have the opportunity to answer and win an extra piece. Play continues with the same team answering the remaining three questions on the card before play is passed to the other team. One jigsaw piece is awarded for every correct answer and the winner is the first team to finish the jigsaw with the large centre piece.
This is a great game to play at family parties, the questions are varied with the classic LOGO picture, theme and pot luck question cards. The questions cover the present day and life during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II and we learnt quite a lot when playing. I do wonder how many times we can play it without remembering the answers but with 200+ cards and different players I don’t think it will be too much of a problem just yet.
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.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
With the Coronation only a week away have you given any thought to buying any Coronation memorabilia? The Swizzels Love Hearts Coronation gift box makes a lovely keepsake and once the sweets are eaten the box can be kept as a souvenir of the day – something to show the grandchildren in years to come! With the official Coronation logo on the top and a strong magnetic fastener the box is the perfect size to be used as a trinket box.
Inside the box is a commemorative coin along with 5 mini packs of Love Hearts, each with a blue heart and coronation themed wording, either Charles, King, congrats or an image of a crown. The gifts are nestled in patriotic red, white and blue packaging.
I think these are a great little gift and will be very well received by children and adults alike.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Continuing with the celebrations around the King’s Coronation, LINDOR have released and excellent Limited Edition Coronation Milk Chocolate Box, fit for a king!
The 200 gram box of pure milk chocolate LINDOR truffle chocolates are found in a Union Jack box, perfect for sharing whilst watching the ceremony, or to adorn your table at your Coronation street party.
LINDOR have been making chocolate since 1845 and pride themselves on making any moment a LINDOR moment. Each chocolate is a shell of finest pure milk chocolate, encapsulating a similar chocolate truffle which upon reaching room temperature, melts ever-so-slightly to create a rich filling. Alternatively, you can keep the LINDOR truffle chocolates in the fridge and create a whole new experience when biting into them! If you’re partial to a LINDOR truffle, then try one of their other flavours including new LINDOR Blood Orange, LINDOR Strawberries & Cream or LINDOR Salted Caramel, all priced at £6.00 for 200 grams and available in shops or online.
I’ve always been a fan of good quality chocolate so trying these LINDOR Limited Edition Coronation truffle chocolates wasn’t a chore. Sure, they are the same milk chocolate truffles you can buy in the shops but they aren’t branded for the Coronation like these ones are! If you’re looking for more to share with your loved ones for the Coronation, then LINDOR also have the Lindt LINDOR Pick & Mix tin with a Union Jack design which is also available online or in shops. At £25.00 for the tin, it contains flavours such as Pistachio, Stracciatella and Raspberry & Cream.
The Lindt LINDOR Limited Edition Coronation Milk Chocolate box is available for a limited time from the end of April for £6.00 from Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, Tesco and www.lindt.co.uk.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
First with the Platinum Jubilee and now the Coronation, there have been lots of Union Jack products around to help us celebrate. For the Coronation this year, Ryman have a whole range of items to both help celebrate and commemorative items to remember this year. We were sent some lovely Coronation decorations and souvenirs to review from the team!
For the big street party, there’s the fabric bunting (£1.99). At 3.6 metres long, it’s enough to tie between two lampposts or adorn to the front of the house. As it’s fabric, it will be more durable in the British weather should you choose to keep it outside for longer than just the Coronation day, and can also go in the wash afterwards for you to use again.
The Union Jack 3 tier Cupcake Stand (£2.99) arrives flat packed but fits together easily. It’s made from cardboard but you can use it again and again for either cupcakes or it would suit sandwiches and scones too if you are going for the full afternoon tea. The Union Jack design makes it very photogenic for the Coronation Street Party, standing 34cm high and 39cm wide. After using it, you can easily dissemble it and pack away for another day.
We were also sent a 1000 piece Charles III jigsaw and water bottle. The Charles III jigsaw (£19.99) depicts His Majesty The King over his lifetime from boy to King, and some of the events of his life such as becoming the Prince of Wales in 1969 and his military uniforms. 1000 pieces is a family sized jigsaw, suitable for adults as well as teenagers, and makes for a fabulous pastime during the long weekend. Don’t forget that there are 3 Bank Holidays in May alone this year so you’ll have plenty of time to play with it!
The final item was the Coronation Water Bottle (£13.99). The 500ml bottle has the official Coronation crest on the front, and you have the option of personalising it for up to 20 characters, just below the logo, or you can leave it blank. The screw top bottle can be kept cold in the fridge although it can’t go in the dishwasher and is hand wash only. It’s a really useful keepsake of the Coronation as well as a lovely present for someone.
The whole Ryman range of Coronation items is available online, with a mixture of decorations, mementoes and lovely items for the street parties like Union Jack paper plates and straws. Most of the items are reusable and environmentally friendly too!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The brand new Sea Animals Collection from PLAYin CHOC is here in time for the Coronation weekend! The sustainable and ethically sourced chocolate is accompanied by a cut out toy of a sea animal along with an information card to educate children about the world around them. If you remember Kinder Surprise as a child, then this is the modern, environmentally friendly version for the 21st century.
PLAYin CHOC was created by Mum Maya back in 2016 in her kitchen at home where she wanted to make simple chocolate for her family which was just cacoa, coconut and vanilla. Crucially, it was also dairy free chocolate, hence there’s no milk or cream involved in the process, just coconut products.
With the help of her two children as ‘chief testers’, Maya perfected the Peruvian, fairly traded organic chocolate and created the PLAYin CHOC brand. Their mission is to create healthy chocolate treats without plastic, and to promote environmentally sensitive topics. Among other projects PLAYin CHOC have featured are Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals and even a whole dinosaur set! At Christmas and Easter they produce Advent Calendars and gift boxes and this year PLAYin CHOC have produced the Sea Animals Collection.
We were sent these three boxes to indulge ourselves. Opening the boxes, we found an orca, seahorse and swordfish. You can’t tell what’s in the box until you open it so it’s a great surprise for children. The box contains two pieces of chocolate (in recyclable plastic), a cut out of each animal which children can put together to create a toy and an information card about the animal, some facts and their personalities. There are 18 different animals to collect in all and the toys, which are made out of durable cardboard, can be used again and again, along with the cube boxes the chocolate and toys come in!
Although the chocolate is coconut based and vegan, it doesn’t taste very different to everyday chocolate so the kids won’t notice the change. It is 100% plant based though so it will appeal to everybody – these make great gifts in children’s party bags or to keep them quiet on car journeys and whilst travelling.
With so many toys to choose from, healthier vegan chocolate and fair trade, what is there not to like about the PLAYin CHOC range, especially for the Coronation?
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Most of us have never seen a Coronation in the UK so this year is special. Joe & Seph have launched a range of limited edition popcorns to commemorate the Coronation in a few weeks, and we’ve been reviewing them to find out what they’re like!
The two flavours which were sent to us are Bakewell Tart and Salted Caramel. Bakewell Tart, the very British dessert cake made from almond and jam is a British classic, notably from Derbyshire originally. As a lover of popcorn as well as desserts, this was an easy win for me to try and I wasn’t disappointed! The popcorn has a slight almond flavour to it, very similar to the Bakewell Tart which also has the slightly sweet, nutty flavour of almonds but without the marzipan power. I’m not a fan of marzipan so this was a fair test of how well the popcorn would favour. There’s also the sweet cherry jam flavour to the coating too, which blends in well as a delicious dessert-like taste.
The second flavour is Salted Caramel. Probably one of the most popular flavours for cakes and desserts these days, this flavour translates well into popcorn. It’s slightly sticky, and the caramel flavour comes through first, followed by the savoury sea salt. This flavour appeals to those who prefer the sweeter tasting popcorn, and this would work really well with salted caramel ice cream or in place of a dessert.
Both flavours are iconic, and popcorn has come a long way from the cinema-type of buckets we had growing up. If you’re a fan of popcorn or know anything about the Joe & Seph then these are lovely flavours to add to your store cupboard, and I think you’ll be impressed with how likeable they are, as well as different to the normal High Street shelf flavours. As ever, they are very addictive though, so stock up on these flavours whilst they’re still available!
The handmade popcorn is gluten free, has no artificial colours or preservatives and is suitable for vegetarians. Popped in London artisan kitchens, the Joe & Seph’s team have toiled to create the best popcorn they possibly can. Check out their website and social media to find out more about the flavours available, and the snacks they have which can be found in a range of stores or online.
These two flavours of popcorn are great snacks or after dinner instead of a dessert. They would be PERFECT for around the Coronation party table though, it’s just a shame that they are limited edition!
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.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
Easter treats don’t need to be made of chocolate and the Toomies Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs from Tomy will make an eggcellent gift and delight younger children this Easter.
The five brightly coloured eggs (blue, green, pink, purple & orange) sit in a plastic incubator and to hatch the eggs you simply take the lid off the incubator and press the yellow button to make the eggs spin, the faster you press the quicker it goes until it pops and the shells go flying. Inside the eggs you will find 5 cute dinosaurs – Stegosaurus, T-rex, Triceratops, Pterandon and Raptor which rattle when you shake them, adding to the excitement.
There is so much to learn with this toy, the plastic eggs are bright, vibrant and bold and are a great way for children to learn their colours as well as helping with logic and fine motor skills. Our mini reviewers loved watching the eggs spin and hatch and we also spent time learning the names of the dinosaurs. The eggs are also perfect for Easter egg hunts – our mini reviewers enjoyed hiding them all over the house!
The Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs are a nice Easter themed gift which will provide hours of entertainment this Easter and for many years to come.
Suitable for children aged 12 months to 4 years
RRP £14.99 available from Amazon,Argos, The Entertainer, John Lewis, Next Online, The Range, Selfridges, Toymaster, Tesco, The Works and other independent toy shops
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!
Disclaimer: we received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Our mini reviewers had an early Easter treat this week when we received the Easter Celebration Set from Sylvanian Families. Presented in a beautiful Easter themed pastel coloured box the set includes two bunnies called Serena & Romeo Marguerite who are both dressed in beautiful Easter outfits complete with matching marguerite brooches and Easter bonnets. The set also includes a selection of Easter accessories, eggs and sweets so the bunnies can have a festive Easter egg hunt.
Serena is wearing a beautiful yellow and green dress and pink hat and Romeo is wearing a purple suit with a matching hat. The clothes are well made and can easily be removed and our mini reviewers, who already have a collection of Sylvanian family figures, loved swapping the outfits around with their other figures. They also enjoyed having an Easter egg hunt with the bunnies, one would go out of the room whilst the other put the sweets in the three mini Easter eggs and then come back in and look for them.
As a parent, the thing I love about Sylvanian Families is that the toys encourage children to use their imagination and it is lovely watching and hearing the escapades the figures get up to!! I used to love collecting and playing with my Sylvanian Family figures (which I still have ) and it is lovely to see my children enjoying them too.
Our mini reviewers loved this set and gave it a huge thumbs up! It is a great addition to their ever growing Sylvanian families collection and will provide hours of entertainment for them over the Easter holidays.
Aimed at children aged 3 and above this set would make a lovely Easter gift. It is available from the Sylvanian Familes website here
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!
The Review Studio 