Category: Gifts for Him

Nanogen Hair Thickening Shampoo and Conditioners

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home, Women

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

Take a few moments to think about how 2024 could be different for you. Small steps, rather than grand gestures or resolutions that won’t last are the key to improving your health, your self-esteem or wellbeing.  One way of taking a small step to make yourself feel better in 2024 is switching to more targeted products in your beauty care.  Nanogen shampoos and conditioners help thicken your hair (for both men and women) over time.  We were sent a lovely selection to try over the Christmas holidays, taking us into 2024 with luscious, healthy looking hair!

The range at Nanogen includes Shampoo for Women, Shampoo Luxe for Women, Hair Thickening Conditioner for Everyone, Shampoo for Men and Shampoo and Half-Conditioner for Men. If that sounds like a lot to choose from, don’t worry, they’re all explained on the Nanogen Shampoo & Conditioner page: https://www.nanogen.com/collections/shampoo-conditioner

Starting with the Nanogen Shampoo for Women, the 240ml tube of shampoo goes a long way with just a small 5 pence-piece sized portion which washed my shoulder-length hair perfectly. The shampoo feels luxurious and not only cleans beautifully but has a silky texture, which no doubt helps the thickening process.  After using the Shampoo for Women, I went straight to the Conditioner for Everyone to finish the nourishing process. The Conditioner for Everyone is universal, meaning anyone can use it and even children will probably find it easy to use because it’s so soft, it takes away tangles without you even knowing it. It’s very lightweight, so as well as its moisturising properties, it washes out easily and doesn’t make your hair really heavy. If you need to, you can add products afterwards but I just let my hair dry naturally.

The Shampoo Luxe for Women is super, super hydrating and probably good for when your hair is in need of some TLC long term before using the other Nanogen products as part of your daily routine. It feels amazing because it’s so rich, and again, you don’t need very much of it to make your hair feel soft. Its intensity is comforting because you know that as soon as you let the conditioner work its magic, then your hair will be softer once it dries. Over time, I found that after a few washes and letting it dry naturally, my curls were more defined and my hair smoother, as well as being less flat. I’m looking forward to seeing how my hair looks after a few months of using the Nanogen products!

Nanogen aren’t just for women, but there’s the Shampoo for Men and Shampoo and Half-Conditioner for men too. Both products work to thicken men’s hair, which obviously can be thinning for different reasons to women but men can still use Nanogen to thicken their hair as well as have a bit of luxury. Unlike other hair thickening products aimed at men, Nanogen doesn’t have a chemical fragrance and you can feel that the Shampoo and Half-Conditioner isn’t abrasive but instead, more nourishing.  The men’s products also make excellent gifts!

Taking 2024 by the horns, Nanogen shampoos and conditioners for thickening hair are a lovely treat to help improve the condition of your hair, make it fuller and allow you to enjoy healthy hair again.

Available from £7.95 at: https://www.nanogen.com/collections/shampoo-conditioner with 20% off your first order if you subscribe.

Haier Premium Collection – Wine Cooler Bucket and Wine Accessories set

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Home & Garden, kitchen appliances, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

I’ve used many corkscrews over the years to open bottles of wine. Cheap ones (which have been known to break before we’ve even got the cork out of the bottle), more expensive ones and my trusty Swiss Army knife, with a very basic corkscrew which has saved us on many occasions! Ultimately though, what is important is being able to open a bottle easily so you can enjoy a nice glass of wine without bits of cork floating around in it.

I’ve no need for my Swiss Army knife this Christmas though – our house has gone high tech on the wine front with an electric wine bottle opener from Haier.

The rechargeable corkscrew is nicely packaged as part of a gift set, making it a great present for any wine lover. The black accessories are stylish and modern and inside the box is everything you need to enjoy a glass of wine at home.

Inside the box are the following wine accesories

USB Rechargeable Bottle Opener, this is a dream to use, simply hold the corkscrew over the bottle, press the button and hey presto the cork is removed. It will remove both natural and synthetic corks with ease and open 30 bottles from just one charge making it perfect for parties.

Tulip Wine Aerator Pourer – allows the wine to quickly obtain oxygen for a better tasting experience.

Foil Cutter – makes easy work of that tricky task, meaning you can get the bottle opened all the sooner.

I don’t always finish a bottle in one sitting so I’ll make great use of the vacuum pump and reuseable bottle stoppers. They fit snugly and even when I turned the bottles upside down there was no leakage.  

Less high tech but just as useful is the Haier Wine cooler bucket. Just pop it in the freezer for an hour and it will keep the bottle perfectly chilled. Made of rustproof stainless steel there is plenty of room for ice and it can even be popped in the dishwasher.

As a wine lover myself, I know these items will make a lovely gifts and will come in very useful over the Christmas period!  

There’s also 25% off the Christmas gifts if you use the code XMASGIFT25 (until 25 December)

6 in 1 Rechargeable Wine Accessories Set £34.99

Wine Cooler Bucket £20.99

Harry Potter Waffle Maker

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, kitchen appliances

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

With Christmas only a week away, if you are still struggling for ideas here is a last minute offering that is perfect for Harry Potter fans both young and old.

The Harry Potter Waffle maker is a handy little gadget that enables you to make waffles imprinted with Harry Potter’s famous lightning scar and glasses, adding a touch of fun to a standard waffle.

The waffle maker is incredibly easy to use, I found the instructions straightforward and it was really handy having a recipe for delicious Belgian waffles, meaning I didn’t need to search for a recipe and could try it out straight away. The waffle maker makes one large, round, fluffy waffle which is the perfect size for a tasty breakfast or snack. You can make the batter as you need it but as I have two teenage sons who are always hungry, I find it handy to keep a jug of batter in the fridge so they can make waffles whenever they like.

Mess is a bit of an occupational hazard when making waffles and it did take a few attempts before we got the right amount of batter in the waffle maker – too much and it erupted everywhere and too little and it was a little on the thin side but once we got the hang of it the waffles were delicious. The waffle maker may be a little gimmicky but you can’t fault the waffles, it makes nice thick, tasty waffles that are crunchy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside and a delicious breakfast treat.

Now onto the boring bits – the waffle maker was easy to clean, the non stick plates had very little batter left on them and what little was there was easy to remove with a damp cloth once the plates had cooled down. 

Overall we are really impressed with this waffle maker, it got a big thumbs up from my sons and we all agreed it would make a lovely gift this Christmas.

RRP £29.99 available from Amazon

Soda Stream Terra Machine

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, kitchen appliances

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

Ordinarily in December I buy lots of fizzy drinks to enjoy over the festive period. This year I’ve been trying to reduce my use of single use plastics, so the SodaStream Terra is a very welcome addition to our kitchen, drastically reducing the amount of plastic in our recycling bin each week!

With a chic and minimalist design the black SodaStream Terra is stylish and will look at home on any kitchen worktop. The machine uses an internal CO2 cannister to add fizz to plain tap water, making carbonated water which you can enjoy on its own or add a flavoured syrup to make a refreshing drink.

It is really easy to set up, simply slot the CO2 cylinder in the back of the machine and you are ready to go. It doesn’t need electric so it can be placed anywhere in the kitchen and there are no wires to get in the way or look unsightly. When you want to use it you slot a SodaStream bottle full of tap water into the machine. It’s better to chill the water in the fridge first as cold water holds the carbonation much better and I find it better to have 2 bottles on the go so I always have chilled water available. The bottle snaps in easily and all you need to do is press the button on the top a couple of times, depending on the level of carbonation you require. Once you’ve made the fizzy water you can either drink it as it is, add a flavoured syrup or add the fizzy water to standard cordials to liven them up which is a great way to get children (and adults) to drink more water.

There are branded syrups available allowing you to make your own Pepsi, Pepsi Max and 7Up at the press of a button which is great for parties when it can be hard to gauge how many drinks you are going to need, it also eliminates the problem of where to store all the plastic bottles.  

Normally once a 2l bottle is opened it needs drinking the same day, otherwise it soon goes flat but with SodaStream each drink is made fresh and you can even control the fizz, making your drink lightly sparkling to super fizzy.

Each C02 cylinder holds enough gas to make 60 litres of sparkling drinks and refills are available from supermarkets and the Sodastream website.

The gas cylinders are of course recyclable and once sent back, or exchanged at a supermarket they are inspected and reused again minimising waste. To encourage you to return the cylinders there is a discount when you buy a new cylinder.

If you’re still looking for Christmas gift inspiration then a SodaStream is a great idea and makes a fantastic gift for anyone who enjoys fizzy drinks or sparking water.

RRP £109.99

Puma Golf Double Canopy Umbrella

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Fashion, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Sport, Stocking Fillers, Winter

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

Ideal Christmas gifts rarely exist but Puma’s double canopy golf umbrella is very close!  Not only is it a staple for any golfer, beginner or advanced, but golf umbrellas are excellent for everyday use, or just keeping handy in the car. Families love them too for days out when more than just one person needs covering or as a brilliant sunshield in the summer.

The Puma double canopy golf umbrella is heavy duty for even the toughest of weather out on the course, and the double canopy not only acts to keep you dry but adds extra structure so that it doesn’t turn inside out. If you’re using this for sports, it also makes the umbrella more durable with extra layers so it won’t fall apart after a few winters.  The handle has a foam moulded hand grip to make it easier to hold for long periods and it’s also sturdier compared to everyday umbrellas. It’s opened by a push button at the handle too – much easier when it’s starting to rain!

The Puma double canopy golf umbrella has minimal branding and is available in black with bright white features and made of 100% polyester. Its suitable for golf players or any outdoor sport or spectating and even comes with a chic cover for storage.  I’m keeping this one in the car for when I’m caught in a downpour and don’t want to leave!

Available from £44.99 at:

Puma Golf Double Canopy Umbrella

Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5

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

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

Haier are well known for their large kitchen appliances but did you know they now have a range of small appliances? This new range consists of 7 small appliances – a kettle, air fryer, blender, hand blender, compact food processor, toaster and a multi functional hot drink maker. They recently sent me their new air fryer and much to the delight of my family I have been creating some mouthwatering culinary masterpieces that they have all enjoyed.

Air fryers have certainly taken the world by storm, revolutionising the way we cook and saving both time and money in the process.  As a busy working Mum anything that saves me time is a real winner, so with 9 different functions – air fry, bake, roast, grill, defrost, reheat, slow cook and a yogurt and dried fruits option I was keen to see just what the new Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5 was capable of.

The air fryer measures approximately 30cm wide, 35cm high and a depth (including handle) of 435cm). The oven has a removable basket to put your food in and a touch screen display to set your temperature and cooking time. The crisper basket inside the drawer allows air to circulate around the food ensuring even cooking and it also allows excess fat and oils to drain away. There’s even an integrated window and LED light to allow you to check on your food meaning you don’t need to open it up when cooking and using this air fryer also helps save up to 70% energy, 50% time and 90% calories.

The air fryer comes with a selection of accessories, a rack that allows you to add an extra layer of food, a shallow tin and a deep tin, these all fit nicely in the basket when not in use. The air fryer has a range of temperature between 40° and 200° meaning you can cook a wide variety of foods using the slow cooking, baking or even the yogurt setting.  

Whilst the air fryer can be used in many ways, I decided to start with something simple – chips. After peeling some potatoes and cutting them into chunky chips I mixed them in a tiny bit of oil before placing them in the basket. It recommends shaking the basket a couple of times during cooking to help crisp them up and after 18 minutes I had the best home made chips I’ve ever made. The chips were a beautiful golden colour with nice crispy edges and were instantly devoured by my family! The whole process was so quick and easy and after only a day I was beginning to wonder why I hadn’t bought one before!

I love croissants and even if I had time I couldn’t justify warming up the oven for a couple of croissants so I’m loving the air fryer, pre-baked croissants and Danish pastries are warmed in just a four minutes and are a great start to my day. My sons are loving that they can cook sausages and bacon for breakfast, I’m pleased too as my kitchen is a lot cleaner as like most teenage boys they don’t see the fat splatters on the cooker! When you cook fattier food in the basket the grease drains through the basket so as well as being a lot less messy it’s much a healthier way of cooking too.

It’s great for making quick toasties or cooking fishfingers for a late night snack and we have also found a new love of herb and onion roast potatoes, they are so easy to make and taste amazing. The air fryer is so easy to use and my teens love it as they can now cook a quick snack when they get in and as it turns itself off automatically I don’t need to worry about the electric bill when they’ve forgotten to turn it off!

Cleaning the airfryer is simple, the non-stick baskets and accessories can all go in the dishwasher making it perfect for busy families.

The Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5 is undoubtedly an incredibly versatile addition to any kitchen, the range of functions make it an excellent choice for busy households. It won’t replace my oven, but it is a very welcome addition to my kitchen, cutting down the number of times I use the oven and ultimately saving me money. All too often kitchen gadgets get used a few times before collecting dust on the worktop but I can guarantee that won’t happen with this – it’s one gadget that has certainly earned its place on our worktop!

RRP £229.99

Available from

Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Tech

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

I’ve just found my new favourite headphones! I’ve been testing a pair of Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones and I’m in love. I’m a regular headphone user, listening to a range of music plus podcasts and radio programmes and from the moment I put them on I couldn’t help but notice the quality of these headphones. I can tell that they’ve been made by a company that knows the music industry and what is expected from a pair of premium headphones. At 334g they’re not lightweight but I have found them to be very comfortable even when worn for several hours at a time. The pressure of the ear cups is firm but not overly so giving a secure feeling and the padding on the cups and headband is just right.

Most importantly though the sound quality of these headphones is simply outstanding. As soon as I put them on the 50mm drivers delivered high-fidelity sound across a range of music genres. Ordinarily I’m the sort of person that doesn’t tend to play with settings – I generally just put the headphones on and listen to music and if I wasn’t reviewing this pair I wouldn’t have felt the need to play with the settings at all as the sound quality was so good, in fact I would go as far as saying it was excellent, my music was very clear and spoken words on podcasts sounded like I was in the same room.

I have reassessed my position about settings though after using the Shureplus Play app. It offers loads of options for improving and adjusting the sound depending on what I’m listening to. There are the usual pre-set equaliser settings but also full manual control with the option to save my own presets. There is what Shure call a Spatialiser – this technology adjusts the depth of the sound, making the sound stage wider with different effects depending on what I’m listening to. Music, cinema and podcast options are available and I was amazed at the difference. The Snapdragon Sound Technology which is incorporated into these second generation of AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, really gives an outstanding audio experience and no matter what genre of music I listened to the sound was crisp and crystal clear with absolutely no distortion.

Noise cancellation is available using microphones inside and outside the ear cup and is something I use when working in the garden. The level is adjustable and includes a “Max Aware” level so I don’t lose contact with my surroundings. There is even an “Environment Mode” where external sound is mixed with the music allowing conversations whilst listening, I was very impressed.

I generally connect using Bluetooth but all options are covered with analogue and USB-C cables included as is a smart hard case providing useful protection when travelling.

These new headphones have 50% more battery life than the first generation giving up to 45 hours of runtime, so you don’t need to worry about running out of charge on a weekend away. When they do need charging the quick charge feature gives an impressive 5 hour boost with only 15 minutes of charge. 

Supported codecs include aptX, aptX HD, aptX-Adaptive, LDAC, SBC and AAC. The USB connection supports high resolution sound up to 32-bit/384 kHz.

At £349 these are in the higher end price bracket for headphones but they stand head and shoulders above all the headphones that I’ve used in the past so I really do feel they are worth the extra expense. They are such high quality and durable and I know they’ll continue to perform for many years to come.

With Christmas coming up they would make a fantastic gift for a loved one or why not treat yourself – it is Christmas after all!!

Pact Coffee Christmas Selection Box

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, coffee, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Subscription Boxes

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

The Pact Coffee Christmas Selection Box opens to reveal the words, “Christmas Just Got Better” and for anyone who loves coffee, that is certainly true!  The Pact Christmas Selection Box contains 4 freshly roasted flavours of coffee all for the festive season; Nyangoma, San Carlos, Kiri and Christmas Blend Filter, all of which are roasted in Surrey and delivered to your door within a few days!

Pact Coffee produce specialty grade (the very best) coffee which is delivered to your door as either a gift, or as a subscription. You can look through the online catalogues of coffee to choose which you would like delivered or have a subscription box where different varieties are delivered to your door. You get to choose whether you want beans or ground, regular or decaf and the type of plan which suits you best including how regularly they are delivered.

We were sent a Christmas Selection Box of 4 coffees to try as part of the Christmas product range for 2023. After choosing our ground or whole bean options, it wasn’t long before the coffee aromas were wafting through our door and filling the kitchen!  Honestly, opening the box when they arrived, there was a wall of coffee smell that hit me and I realised what was inside. Gorgeous, freshly roasted ground coffee all ready for the cafetiere. 

Much like wine is described with fruity undertones and comparisons to oak aging, these Pact Coffees have tasting notes on the front of each pack Kiri boasts, “Turkish delight and blackcurrant’ whist Christmas Blend describes itself as, ‘Hints of Christmas pudding.’ Each of the coffees has their own personality thanks to where and how they’re grown in origins such as Kenya, El Salvador and in the case of the Christmas Blend, how it’s put together by the clever experts at Pact.  Pact choose their coffees carefully and make sure they’re of the highest quality as well as having more than 82+ points in coffee scoring. Not only are they great flavoured coffees and the best possible quality, but each one warms you with their differences and yes, remind you of Christmas!

In addition, Pact coffees come in recycled coffee pouches and can be further recycled. Pact are a B Corp Certified Company which means they act in both a sustainable and ethical way with their suppliers in overseas countries. They include brewing tips on each of the pouches too so that you can get the most out of each coffee you try at home. The labels also give you background to where each coffee is grown and the date the coffee is roasted and packed too so you know that your coffee is tip-top fresh!

Take drinking coffee to a new level with the Christmas Selection Pact choice of different blends, origins and tastes which allow you to really savour the Christmas spirit, and take you into the New Year with some new coffee favourites!

Available at Pact from £19.95: https://www.pactcoffee.com/christmas/christmas-filter-selection-box-2023

Ticket to Ride Legacy : Legends of the West

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him

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

You can’t beat a good board game to keep the family entertained at Christmas – if you haven’t played the popular Ticket to Ride game yet then it’s definitely one to get this Christmas. The original game was published in 2004 and played on a board depicting a railway map of the United States and southern Canada but the game proved so popular there are now many different versions featuring different countries and areas. The newest launch by Days of Wonder is Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West which takes players back to 19th century North America – the time when cities were growing at a fantastic rate and a boom time for the railways.

In this version of the game players are 19th century pioneers and embark on twelve journeys across North America. Beginning on the East Coast, players work their way across to the West, meeting challenges along the way. Like the original Ticket to Ride game you need to complete your tickets but managing your own North American railway company comes with many challenges and you’ll need to think strategically to beat your opponents. As the game progresses you open frontier boxes that unlock new rules, content and many more surprises. Ordinarily I would tell you more about the game but as this is a legacy game I really can’t reveal anymore as it would spoil the game, but what I can say is you won’t be disappointed!

What I can say is the game is fairly easy to play – when you read the rules for the first time it does sound complicated but don’t let this put you off as once you start playing it does start to make sense and you’ll find you’ll quickly get the hang of the game. My family love a good strategy game so Ticket to Ride Legends of the West is a great choice for us as the game requires planning, thinking ahead and strategic blocking and it’s certainly brought out the competitive streak in my family! We’re part way through the game and we’re enjoying playing it together each evening, it’s also been a great way to get everyone together and off the electronic gadgets!!

With an RRP of £99.99 it’s not a cheap game but it will give you hours of entertainment and if you shop around you may be able to find an offer.

Suitable for ages 10+

2-5 players

Available from Amazon and all good retailers

Thorntons Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, chocolate, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

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

These days advent calendars have lots of different goodies hiding behind the windows, including beauty products, alcohol and toys, but I much prefer the traditional ones that contain chocolate – after all what other time of the year can you get away with chocolate for breakfast!! 

Whilst Thorntons have closed all their high street shops, you can still get their delicious chocolates in supermarkets and online and I was delighted to receive The Best of Thorntons Advent calendar which contains 24 yummy chocolates from the Continental and Classic range as well as a couple of the new Thorntons Pearls.

This really is a sophisticated advent calendar for grown up kids – the snow scene design is very festive and there is a delicious chocolate to enjoy each day. As the selection of chocolates are from 3 different ranges there is a great mix of mouth-watering flavours in milk, dark and white chocolate and with 12 different chocolates in the calendar you can look forward to a second one appearing again later on in the month.

So on to the chocolates – my favourite has to be the Triple Chocolate, bite into it and your mouth is filled with the taste of smooth, quality chocolate. The Orange Velvet Pearl is a real taste sensation, a decadent orange chocolate ganache coated in smooth milk chocolate. 

Though more expensive than the average supermarket calendar you simply can’t go wrong with this Thorntons advent calendar, weighing in at 258g, you’re getting plenty of chocolate for your money.

If you have a chocoholic in your household, I would recommend you treat them to this advent calendar, or just treat yourself – it is Christmas after all!

RRP: £15.33

Available from: Lidl, Sainsbury and Thortons.com

Hive & Keeper Honey

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, Home, Plastic free, Subscription Boxes

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

There are some gifts which are perfect to give to anyone. Hive & Keeper produce the most exquisite gifts suitable for everyone this Christmas and we were sent a special sample of their famous giftbox of honey to try out.  You’ll soon see why honey is the perfect gift for anyone, especially anyone who is difficult to buy for!

Hive & Keeper was started by Emily soon after she discovered bee keeping.  It wasn’t until Emily owned bees of her own that she found out that the honey we buy in shops does not stand up to any of the honey produced naturally by beekeepers by a long way.  In fact, Emily thinks that honey in shops tastes nothing like what she and her colleagues were producing in the natural world. Working with other crafts people with natural, British products (leather, wool, wood, antler and other natural materials) that Emily discovered a whole new world of sustainability and natural beauty in craft.

Hive & Honey’s website sells a range of natural product gifts but the main focus for Emily is the honey. She sources different honey from many suppliers around the country, giving the honey different tastes. Did you know the taste comes from the different flowers and plants bees pollinate? So the heathers on the Scottish borders produce a very different honey than somewhere else in the UK such as farmland in Surrey. Each of the keepers are featured on the Hive & Keeper website so you can see exactly where the honey is from. The jars are each labelled with the name of the keeper and given a reference such as, “good on toast” so that you know best how to enjoy each variety!

Gift wise, Hive & Honey have individual jars, gift boxes and subscriptions where households can order 1 or 2 jars to be delivered every 3, 6 or 12 months. We were sent the Big Breakfast Honey Gift Set which contains 3 different honeys, all suitable for breakfast (toast, porridge and tea). The gift arrives in a lovely cardboard (recyclable!) giftbox with straw as packaging and the three jars nestled inside. There are cards for each of the honeys giving information about the keepers. My jars came from Matthew in Staffordshire, Eduard in Berkshire/Buckinghamshire and Howard in the Forest of Dean.

As for the honeys, they each have a different shade and aren’t clear like supermarket honeys. This is an indication that they aren’t over filtered and contain some of the (harmless) impurities in all natural honeys and haven’t been treated. Don’t be surprised if you open a jar and there’s a swirl of different colours in there, it’s just where the honey has settled. To reap the full benefit of each honey, open the jar and smell the aroma. Mix the honey and then taste a small amount, paying attention to the different notes like you would a wine.  If you’re unsure about how you want to use it, and there are thousands of ways, then have a look at the jar and see if it’s good for cereal or porridge, in tea or on toast or even experiment yourself to find out how it goes in baking and as a glaze when cooking.

I am a huge honey lover anyway. Being able to try these British honeys without having to worry about air miles or sustainability is not only a weight off my shoulders but it’s a real treat to try authentic honey, straight from the hive.  I think Hive & Keeper honey is a fabulous gift for any food lovers, families or anyone who you can’t buy gifts for easily. The Hive & Keeper honey opens up a whole new culinary world that you never thought was out there. Turns out, the bees are out there in the British countryside and they were making excellent gifts for us all along.

Available online for £28.95 at:https://www.hiveandkeeper.com/collections/gift-boxed-honeys/products/the-big-breakfast-honey-gift-set

Joe & Seph’s Christmas Popcorn and Festive Chocolates 

Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

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

Christmas is the time for over indulging, and if you’ve been following us this year with our Joe & Seph’s Popcorn features, then you’ll love what they have sent us to try from their Festive range.  This week we had turn up;

Small Star Salted Caramel Gift Box
Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Truffles
Yule Log Flavoured Popcorn
Festive Popcorn Slab

Quite the Christmas Collection! 

Joe & Seph’s are known for their popcorn snacks, and these Christmas additions are no exception. We tried out all of them, but started with the Festive Popcorn Slab.  This could be a stocking filler or a Secret Santa but is ideal for sharing as you break off pieces to devour, probably in front of the TV!  At 115 grams it’s a good size for a family and includes salted caramel flavoured popcorn covered in milk and white chocolate. You can see the salted caramel on the popcorn and the chocolate drizzles are indulgent and smooth, just like Joe & Seph’s other premium chocolate products!

The Joe & Seph’s Yule Log flavoured gourmet popcorn combines their famous, high quality chocolate with cream cheese frosting to give the yule log flavour we are all familiar with. The coating is rich and chocolatey with a lovely sweetness to it. It’s great for sharing in the grab bag and as ever, Joe & Seph’s popcorn has no kernels left at the bottom to throw away nor does it have any misshapen pieces which nobody can eat!

Onto the Salted Caramel Truffles. The tube contains 100 grams of sweets (roughly 10 in all) which are soft salted caramel in the middle with Joe & Seph’s award winning chocolate coating.  They’re like lava cakes, with their melting inners which you only discover when you bite into the shell. Or do you melt them in your mouth until you can taste the caramel? I don’t have the patience for that, so I just crunch them until the sweet caramel taste oozes through my teeth. The milk chocolate outer is sprinkled with cocoa powder to give it more decadence and now you have another Christmas treat to share.

Finally, we have my favourite of the bunch.  Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel Popcorn in a star gift box. With 32 grams of fun here, the gift box is brilliant for Secret Santa in the office or for adding to a stocking.  The popcorn is their classic, award winning salted caramel flavour.  Smooth caramel meets a pinch of salt with each popcorn bite and the resulting taste is music to the taste buds! These won’t last long though, so if you know you are going to be looking for more, try the bigger 105 gram size!

Popcorn lovers will adore the Joe & Seph’s range this Christmas, but even if you’re not a popcorn-fiend, you’ll find something in their Christmas collection you’ll enjoy: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/christmas

All items available online at the link above and varying prices. Some items are currently available in the Black Friday sale.

Edifier W820NB Plus Noise Cancelling Headphones

Children, Christmas, Family Life, 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.

Imagine it’s Christmas in the year 2000. The Millennium Bug is behind us, but the iPod still hasn’t been invented yet (that was in 2001) and the iPhone is just a pipe dream, not on the market until 2007.  Most of us still have that stereo stack in our houses, you know the one with a turntable, double cassettes and a CD player with two big speakers attached which you probably designed the layout of your living room around when you furnished it.  Somewhere on that massive stereo stack is a headphone jack. Headphones you had to plug in, which would have cost a lot extra on top of that stereo stack and then you had to buy a convertor jack as well so that they could play on any of your devices. Don’t get me started on using headphones on a Walkman!

Nowadays all our music is on our phone. You might want to hear music over your computer too, and the choice of music isn’t just what you have downloaded but there are streaming services like YouTube, replay TV apps and pretty much anything else you want to find on the internet. All that content, and now, you don’t need to plug in any headphones because like the Edifier W820NB Plus, they are all Bluetooth.

The Edifier W820NB Plus headphones connect seamlessly with any device which is Bluetooth enabled. There’s no need to download anything, especially no apps or programmes which need configuring and you don’t even need to plug them into your computer to pair them let alone connect them in any way. The Bluetooth search option on your computer (or phone or any device really) automatically ‘sees’ the headphones, asks you if you want to connect then you can listen straight away. The only time you need to plug in your Edifier headphones is when they need charging, and the total charge time for the Edifier W820NB Plus headphones is 49 hours, so you won’t need to do that very often!

Unlike in Y2K, the Edifier W820NB Plus headphones have added features. These are noise cancelling headphones, which if you’ve never tried them before means that you can’t hear much of the ‘outside world’ when you have them on.  As the music is playing, other noises are drowned out so that all you can hear is the music. Even when there isn’t music playing, there is the noise cancelling effect so that other noises are voided. Traffic, for instance is lessened even without anything playing on the headphones which makes for more peaceful travel, whether you’re a passenger in a car or on a flight and want to block out the white noise.  Perfect for sleeping!

You have the option too of Ambient Sound. This allows for some outside noises to be heard, usually voices, so that you’re not completely isolated. This is great for when you’re at work or working from home and have to be aware of people trying to communicate with you not through the PC or sound system. It prevents you being easily startled and keeps you slightly more in the world than if you had noise cancelling switched on.

The Edifier W820NB Plus also work great whilst travelling because of the Zero Pressure Patent Earcups. The ultra-comfy earpads are made of memory foam and create zero pressure on your ears to make them more comfortable.  When travelling on a plane, this is super handy because the changes in pressure in the cabin don’t affect the fit of the headphones if you’re wearing them for long periods of time. 

All of the controls for the headphones are on the right ear piece. There’s the on/off switch and a volume up and down. You can hold down the volume keys to switch back and forth between tracks too. The ‘M’ button you can see in the photo is for connecting to Bluetooth and turning on and off the ambient sound and noise cancelling features.  With each change in feature, a woman’s voice tells you what’s happening (“ambient sound ON”) with the exception of skipping tracks that would only interrupt what you were listening to anyway.

The Edifier range is known for their quality and ease of use and the Edifier W820NB Plus is no exception. They’re great for work, travel or for the kids and the long battery life and 7 hours of play from 10 minutes of charge is the Christmas icing on the cake.

Available from £79.99 (but currently on sale at £55.99):

Grangers Down Care Kit and Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield

Children, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for Him, Home, Stocking Fillers, Uncategorized

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

It’s officially winter, and that’s probably not the best time of year for me take up running but that’s what I’ve done.  With some new (and very expensive) running shoes, I’ve gone on Park Run a couple of times. Each time it was pouring with rain, which isn’t helpful when you don’t know the course yet.

Cherry Blossom have the Ultimate Protection in the form of the Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield.  This spray not only shields trainers from rain but from stains too, which is helpful when you find you’re running through muddy fields as well as a muddy woodland.  I was sent some to try along with the Down Care Kit.

The 200ml Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield spray can be used on all materials including canvas, synthetic materials, leather, suede and nubuck.  It’s best to spray your trainers before you wear them if they’re brand new, otherwise the Cherry Blossom Sneaker Cleaner Kit is ideal for cleaning up your shoes before applying the spray. After shaking the can, spray onto the trainers from roughly 10-15 centimetres away (4-5 inches) and allow to dry. You can apply another layer after an hour or so, depending on how worn your trainers are and how porous they have become. It’s best to leave the spray to dry on the trainers for at least a few hours, but I left them in a warm place overnight before I used them.

The spray left the shoes slightly shiny but well protected. Even the laces were waterproofed! With the two layers of protector spray on them it was time to test the shoes whilst out running.  I think the two layers helped because I was running through some long, very wet and frosty grass at places and found that the trainers not only stayed dry but the dew collected on the uppers and didn’t affect my feet underneath. My socks stayed toasty dry! This has spurred me on to try the Cherry Blossom on other trainers and shoes like the garden shoes I use for pottering around, and my Sketchers.

The Grangers Down Care Kit is a powerful cleaning agent for your down insulated clothing, namely duvet coats and puffer jackets. I have a Regata jacket that I wear obsessively throughout the winter but I’m loathed to wash it because I hate how it loses its fluffiness. The Down Care Kit contains the Wash & Repel solution and 3 dryer balls to help dry your garments quicker, and to get more air into the down so that it doesn’t go flat after washing. To use, you just add 2 capfuls (100ml) of the Wash & Repel solution to the washing machine drawer where you normally put detergent. For each additional garment, add another capful but I washed just my coat on one load to give it room to spin properly.  If you’re tumble drying, add the dryer balls on a low heat to get the air circulating more. You might need to redistribute the down as it dries so that you don’t end up with all sorts of lumps and bumps. I let my coat dry outside on a clear day so that it gets some natural air to it too and make sure that all the moisture is out.

Once dry and you’re able to wear it, your garment is not only clean but is protected against rain as well. It’s not completely waterproof (depending on the material of your garment and how it’s made) but it is water repellent. It doesn’t soak in the rain as much and it’s quicker to dry if you do get wet.

 The Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield and Grangers Wash & Repel Kit are handy kits for anyone who is the outdoor type, or a stocking filler for anyone who takes part in outdoor sport. They also help make clothes and trainers last longer!

Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield available from £7.45 at:

Sneaker Shield

Grangers Was & Repel Kit from £17 at:https://grangers.co.uk/products/down-care-kit

Edifier WH500

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Tech

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

If you’re looking for gift ideas this Christmas you should consider these headphones from Edifier. The WH500 on-ear headphones are a lightweight set of bluetooth headphones in a choice of three colours – light blue, black and white. They’re a compact design with earcups that sit on the ear rather than over, but are quite comfortable and can be worn for long periods. With a foldable design they’re great for travel and as they have a 40 hour battery life you don’t need to worry about running out of charge on a weekend away. When they do need charging (with the included USB-C cable) a 10 minute charge gives an impressive 6 hour boost!

Controls are mounted on the right ear and give access to the most common functions allowing track skip, play / pause, call controls and volume to be adjusted. An extra button allows switching between music mode and game mode – that’s not something I’m too bothered about but I’m told by my teenage son that it reduces the latency which is important for gaming.

Although it isn’t necessary to use the headphones, installing the Edifier Connect app allows other features to be accessed. The prompt volume can be adjusted, a sleep timer set and the headphones can also be reset. Also available is a graphic equaliser and a way to limit the maximum volume – perfect for concerned parents.

The most important feature of course is the sound quality and I was really impressed with the performance of the 30mm drivers, I did try different equaliser settings but preferred the standard setting. Whilst the headphones do not feature active noise cancellation, the cups are well insulated meaning that when I am wearing them I can’t hear background noise.

These are a great pair of lightweight headphones and would be a good buy at the RRP of £40 but I noticed these are currently on a Black Friday offer at Amazon for just £20, making them a real bargain.

Bonne Maman Advent Calendar 

advent calendar, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home

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

Bonne Maman are known for their exquisite jams and spreads and more recently for thoughtful gifts too. This limited edition advent calendar contains all you need for a festive December where all 24 windows have a delicious treat inside!

This year, Santa’s elves have created a calendar of Santa’s workshop, complete with Christmas trees surrounded by helpers who are making jams and spread and transporting them to households worldwide. Behind the windows you’ll find not just jams but savoury spreads and even 6 varieties of tea bags. The jams and spreads are more than just what you’d find on the Bonne Maman shelf in the supermarket as some of them aren’t available in the UK so don’t be surprised by what the elves have made! Some of the specialties include Apricot & Banana Spread, Fig with Cardamon, Mara des Bois Strawberry and even Quince With Chunks for the savoury lovers.  The teabags are also specialities too including Morning Blend, Quiet Moment and Christmas Blend.  Behind window 24 for Christmas Eve, there’s a special surprise too…

The Bonne Maman Advent Calendar is available to ship to the UK only.  It arrived in a massive box too, probably to accommodate the size of the two leaves that open out to make the whole Santa’s Workshop landscape.  The windows hide a glass 30 gram jar of each of the jams and preserves, so you have the excellent quality of Bonne Maman which is kept fresh and safe from perishing. The glass adds to the weight of the calendar but is worth it for the mixture of jams and spreads inside. You’ll never get bored of the different flavours!

Speaking of flavours, I have never seen such a mix of fruits.  There’s not just the usual strawberry and raspberry jams (although they are included!) but delicacies such as fig, nectarine and peach, all of which are mixed with different spices to give whole new flavours.  If you only occasionally eat toast or scones but appreciate good jam and don’t want to open a whole jar each time, this is a brilliant gift. It’s also good for food connoisseurs who love trying new flavours or cooking with different jams. For example, the Apricot & Lavender spread would be scrumptious on a gammon joint to bring out the flavours.  Chestnut and orange would also be perfect for Christmas Day lunch or a Sunday Roast to add to the stuffing or as a side to the Yorkshire Puddings.

Once you’ve indulged in all the spreads, don’t forget the teas. I think there’s a reason each of the herbal teas are based around calming, soothing flavours at Christmas time, so make sure you make full use of them!

Available from £33.00: https://www.bonnemaman.co.uk/advent

LoveRaw Advent Calendar 

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

LoveRaw have produced their first ever vegan advent calendar for 2023 on the back of their meteoric rise to chocolate heaven since 2013. LoveRaw have sent us one of their new advent calendars to review and the back story of how the LoveRaw team came about.

Back in 2013, Rini and Manar had what they called a ‘crazy idea’ to create vegan chocolate, but for it to also not taste vegan at all. This included using unconventional products (for the time) and trying to get the attention of lots of buyers. Along the past 10+ years, they have rejected Dragon’s Den offers, developed tons more products and probably become sick of the sight of chocolate to come to this point where they are able to sell vegan chocolate to the masses.

LoveRaw’s chocolate is made with no palm oil and no artificial ingredients. All of the base ingredients are plant based (such as chickpea protein concentrate) and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. In fact, they say that it’s suitable for everyone, including ‘Unvegans’ who aren’t vegan at all but happy to eat something that has been produced in the vegan way.  Their chocolate contains sugar, but beyond that there are no other ingredients which you might want to. Stay away from. There’s a whole list of ingredients on the back that you’ll recognise.

The LoveRaw Advent Calendar is. The usual 24 windows we are familiar with hide medallions of LoveRaw vegan chocolate behind a foil covering which keeps them fresh as well as increasing the anticipation as you open them! LoveRaw isn’t aimed specifically at children, but the chocolate pieces are decorated with Christmas themes, just like the ones we had as children.  The pieces are only about the size of a 2 pence coin (3.3grams per piece) so there isn’t an indulgent amount that will spoil dinner but still gives you the chocolate hit. 

What was the chocolate like? I took it upon myself to try several pieces and I can confidently say that it does indeed taste like chocolate! The advent calendar is milk chocolate flavoured (we know there is no actual milk in it though) but the flavour is slightly more of a darker chocolate flavour, but not at all bitter. I think because there is added sugar, the LoveRaw chocolate tastes sweeter. There is no bitter aftertaste with it though, like some vegan chocolates have.

Whether for an adult or children, the LoveRaw advent calendar ticks all the boxes and no one will notice the difference between vegan and ‘unvegan’!

RRP £6.99

The LOGO Board Game – 2nd edition

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Games, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

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

My family love playing board games and Santa always leaves a new one under the tree for us to play once we’ve eaten Christmas lunch. We’ve always enjoyed playing LOGO so I was really pleased to find out there is a 2nd edition of the popular board game from Drumond Park. The new version from is just like the original but comes with a set of 396 new question cards. The game is for 2-6 players and can also be played in teams, making it a great game to play at Christmas with all the family.  

The game is simple to set up, each player or team chooses a coloured cone and places it on the Go! space on the board. When playing for the first time it is important to shuffle the cards and once you have placed them in the box you are ready to go.  There are three types of question cards, each with four questions; Picture Cards that have pictures relating to questions on the cards, Theme Cards that have questions relating to a common theme and Pot Luck which have random/ general knowledge questions. Players move around the board by answering questions that are the same colour as the place you are on the board. A correct answer allows you to move to the next space of the same colour and you continue answering the questions on the card until you either get one wrong or have answered them all.

Players take it in turns to be the question master which helps keep everyone involved and the winner is the first player/team to reach the winning zone where you need to answer two questions correctly or a get a red question correct.

There are a good variety of questions and as it is all logos and brands it puts everyone on a pretty equal footing. It’s a great game for families to play together and will keep everyone entertained over the Christmas period.

RRP: £32.99

Suitable for ages: 12yrs+

Stockists include: Independent toy shops and Smyths, Amazon, Argos

Haier I-Master Series 5 Toaster 2 Slice

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Home & Garden, kitchen appliances

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

Haier are well known for their large kitchen appliances and have just entered the small appliance market with a new range consisting of 7 small appliances – a kettle, air fryer, blender, hand blender, compact food processor, toaster and  multi functional hot drink maker. We have been trying out a couple of them and I have to say I am really impressed!

Our previous toaster gave up the ghost recently after 25 years and I picked up a cheap one to tide us over, so I was really pleased to receive the Haier I-Master Series 5 Toaster 2 Slice toaster which with 21 different functions is  definitely in my mind the “Rolls Royce” of toasters!

The stylish black toaster looks unassuming at first glance however this black box has the ability to transform the humble slice of bread into a toasty delight. My pet hate is toasters with thin slots that can’t take a fruit teacake or even worse ruins them when they get stuck to the side, meaning you have to prise them out so I was very pleased to discover that this toaster has extra wide slots to accommodate everything from chunky slices of bread, bagels, baguettes and the all important fruit teacake.

This high tech toaster also has a one-sided function, which as the name implies allows you to toast just one side which is ideal for bagels. When I tried it my sesame seed bagel was lovely and crispy on the cut side but still soft and chewy on the other side.

I’ve been using the toaster for a week or so now and it has already proved its worth. I’m able to toast fruit teacakes perfectly without setting off the smoke alarm and they pop up nicely with no need to prise them out. The most important point of all is they are toasted nice and evenly and I no longer get the burnt bits where it caught the element.

There’s no dials on this toaster, instead you press the plus or minus sign depending on how well you want your item to be toasted. There are additional buttons for small slices, one sided toast, cancel and a favourite button allowing you to customise your favourite toasting method. The toaster also has a high-lift function so you can lift your toast out of the slot to check its progress without having to cancel the process and start again.

Cleaning the crumbs out is easy too, thanks to the removable crumb tray which pops out nice and smoothly. Another excellent feature is the handy lid which stops dust falling into the toaster and makes it look nice and tidy on the worksurface – why has no one thought of this before???

Whilst it’s not the cheapest toaster around everything about this toaster has impressed me – it not only has toasted perfectly every time, it has fitted every type of bread, bun and crumpet that I have thrown into it and the controls are simple to use. It looks very stylish and another measure of how good it is, is that the smoke alarm no longer goes off every breakfast time!!

It really is worth spending that little bit more on a quality toaster and, based on my experiences so far, the Haier toaster is up there with the best!

Matching the kettle it makes a perfect gift for any occasion, especially at Christmas when we have the time to enjoy a more leisurely breakfast .

RRP £119.99 but currently on offer at £79.99

Haier I-Master Series 5 Kettle

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Home & Garden

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

Haier are well known for their large kitchen appliances and have just entered the small appliance market with a new range consisting of 7 small appliances – a kettle, air fryer, blender, hand blender, compact food processor, toaster and a multi functional hot drink maker. We have been trying out a couple of them and I have to say I am really impressed!

A kettle is one of those essential kitchen appliances that is used multiple times a day, whether for making hot drinks, food prep, sterilising or just heating water for other uses. Whilst their primary purpose is to boil water, many kettles have additional features, varying in size, speed as well as the type of lid.

This new Series 5 1.7 litre kettle from Haier is by the far the best kettle I have ever used, the stainless steel kettle not only looks incredibly stylish, it has a host of extra features too. With 7 temperature settings ranging from 40-100°C you can heat water to the perfect temperature, so whether you are making tea, coffee, fruit teas or warming baby bottles it is easy to have water at the correct temperature. With 3000W of power it boils quicky but if you only need a small amount of water it has a minimum boil capacity of 250 ml of water which saves up to 40% energy. There is also a “keep warm” function which will keep the water at the same temperature for up to 30 minutes which is perfect for topping up the teapot or when cooking.  

The kettle is filled by removing the lid, making it very easy to fill directly from a tap and the maximum fill level is clearly marked on the inside of the kettle.

Despite having lots of extra features, the kettle is simple to use, simply press the power button on the wipe clean base followed by the plus button to set the required temperature. It beeps to let you know it has started and then beeps three times when the water is at the correct temperature, the temperature lights illuminate as the water heats up so you can easily see how long is left before you reach the required temperature.

The kettle sits comfortably on the 360° base and most importantly pours nicely with no dribbles.

Overall, this is a very high quality kettle in a classy design and is perfect for all styles of kitchens. It makes a perfect gift for any occasion, but even more so at Christmas when we all need a peaceful moment with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

RRP £119.99 but currently on offer at £99.99

Tower VL35 Plus Cordless 3 in 1 Vacuum Cleaner

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Home & Garden

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

Traditionally falling on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping season in America with huge discounts available on a wide range of goods. It’s now a big thing in the UK and pretty much all the emails pinging into my inbox at the minute have some sort of Black Friday deal. I love a bargain so I’m making a list of the best offers so that I will be able to make a good start on my Christmas shopping.

Tower Housewares have a number of small appliances in their Black Friday deals, which are running from the 13th to 27th November. The British company was founded in 1912 and has been producing kitchenware for over 100 years. Cordless vacuums are now very popular and one of their Black Friday deals is 20% off the VL35 Cordless 3-in-1 Pole Vacuum.

The vacuum is very easy to assemble and comes partly charged so you can use it straight from the box. It weighs 2.5kg and is very easy to manoeuvre, pivoting at the bottom of the pole which helps it to glide easily over the floor, sucking up everything in its path. I was really impressed with how well it cleaned my floors; we have a mixture of carpet, tiles and vinyl flooring and it coped equally well on all surfaces. I was also really impressed with the handle which goes flat to the floor allowing me to clean under drawers and beds with the LED lights illuminating the way to ensure all the bits have been picked up. I love the versatility of the vacuum as it can also be used without the pole and operated hand held, which is brilliant for the stairs and cleaning the car. Whether I am using it in stick or handheld mode it is very powerful, pulling up dirt and crumbs from the floors with ease. In stick mode, it glides across the floor and is extremely easy to manoeuvre around furniture. The ultra-efficient motorised anti-tangle floor head has an all-floor brush bar & extra thick bristles, which continuously comb the brush, thereby preventing hair build-up.

It is easy to charge the battery, it can be done by removing it and charging it on its own, or keeping the battery in the vacuum and charging it that way. It has a battery indicator so you know when it needs recharging and a full charge, which gives up to 35 minutes run time, takes four hours.

The vacuum is bagless with a transparent tank to collect the dirt, this is very easy to remove and empty.

The two speed cyclonic suction provides consistent airflow which sucks up dirt and it also has an anti-allergy HEPA filter removing 99.95% of fine particles from 0.3 microns, making it ideal for allergy sufferers.

Smartly designed, this cordless vacuum not only cleans incredibly well but as it can made into a handheld cleaner it is incredibly versatile. It comes with a crevice nozzle and 2 in 1 brush so you can get into the corners as well as cleaning upholstery.

There are loads of things I love about this vacuum, the main one being how easy it is to store, small enough to tuck away in the hall cupboard or if you are lacking in storage space just un-click the handle and it will fit under the sink.

RRP  £99.99  – Black Friday price £79.99

Perfect Cellar Wine Tasting Box

alcoholic drinks, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Subscription Boxes, 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.

We’re half way through November and I have started to think about all the food and drink required for the Christmas period as well all the Christmas presents I need to buy. With a big family this is quite a task, so I was really pleased to receive a wine tasting kit from Perfect Cellar as this not only offers me the opportunity to try some new wines it will also makes a fantastic gift for all the wine lovers in my family.

Perfect Cellar were founded in 2020 by Moez Seraly and are the UK’s fastest growing, home delivery wine retailer.  Working with Master Sommelier Christopher Delalone they aim to introduce their customers to great quality wine in the comfort of their homes, at an affordable price – what’s not to like!!

Whilst I am not a wine expert, I do love a glass of wine and like most people tend to stick to a couple of favourites. The TastingBOX really appeals to me as it offers the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and not only try some new wines but also find out a little more about the flavours, the wine and the food it should be paired with.

Available in two different sizes – three or six servings – each box contains three different Michelin Star level wines from bottles retailing between £20 and £35. You can enjoy each of the three alone or if you want to share, the box of six has two of each wine. To make the boxes letterbox friendly the wine is packaged in strong foil pouches inside small carboard boxes – very much like the packaging of the wine boxes you can buy in a supermarket.  There is also a card showing pictures of the bottles of wine along with a little more information about each wine. The card has a QR code linking to detailed tasting notes and background on the wines. There is also an invitation to join Perfect Cellar’s live tasting experiences with a Master Sommelier using an Amazon Alexa, allowing you to learn more about the wine from the comfort of your armchair. The tastings are held in the last week of the each month and if you are not able to attend you will be able to access a recording. There is an email invitation each month so you won’t forget to join!

Of course if you do enjoy the wines you can of course purchase them directly from the Perfect Cellar website.

With a 1 month, 3 month or 6 month option this is a gift that keeps giving and will be enjoyed long after the Christmas decorations have been put back in the attic.

RRP from £26 (3 servings) & £42 (6 servings) available here

Critically Endangered Socks – Elephant Speckle

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Fashion, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

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

Who would have thought that socks could save wildlife? Critically Endangered Socks have made it their mission to do just that, and your tootsies could be the reason that an elephant survives in the future; but how?

The profit from the Critically Endangered Socks is donated to charities such as WWF who benefit from 10% of direct sales.  The socks are embroidered with some of the animals the charities save including pandas, cheetahs, orangutans and tigers plus these stylish elephant socks in gorgeous pink. All of the socks on sale are 85% GOTS certified organic cotton and include 5% Spandex (to make them last longer!) plus 10% Polyester for hard wearing. The little elephant on this pair aren’t over the top, just giving you a glimpse of the animals at the ankle. 

The socks themselves are super soft! The elephant pink tie-die are very unique and go well with snazzy trainers. They’re certainly a statement piece and I was able to wear these with my trainers to the gym because of how stretchy they are and the high content of cotton makes them fabulous for working out.  

For Christmas this year, there are also baby socks, pyjamas, jumpers, baby rompers and muslins available online. Critically Endangered Socks make excellent presents for the person who has everything as well as animal lovers who want to know they are doing something for the greater good, and who doesn’t always need socks?

Available from £12.00 at:

Elephant Speckle

Dog Keychain from Kikkerland

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Pets, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

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

Dog lovers, this one is for you!

The Kikkerland dog keychain is exactly what it says it is – a keyring that’s in the shape of a dog!  No more losing your keys on the long dog walks across the fields or into the woods, this sturdy keychain can hold all of your keys and more.

Made of zinc alloy, it’s durable, doesn’t rust and won’t bend out of shape and is lightweight too. The screw closure ensures that all your keys are safe and the hollow outline of the dog face means you’ll be able to add more keyrings or keys to the chain. The unique shape also means you’ll be able to put your hand in your pocket and find your dog keyring easily. At just £9 it’s great for Secret Santa or as a gift which can be posted as it’s flat and so light.

This is a great Secret Santa for dog lovers or collectors of keyrings, looks stylish and like all Kikkerland products, will last for ages!

Available from £9.00 at:

Dog Keychain

Donnerberg Back Massager

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home, Mother's Day, Tech

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

Christmas is a time to ask for that gift you would never buy for yourself, or to surprise someone with a present that they weren’t expecting but similarly love!  For me, the Donnerberg Back Massager falls into both categories as I’d seen them around but not ever thought of buying one. Likewise, it is something which I wouldn’t think of giving as a gift.

Read on to see why the Donnesberg Back Massager is perfect for both categories…

The Donnesberg Back Massager sits on the back of a chair so that the user sits with the massager behind them. It’s mains powers so there’s no need to charge it or change batteries and there are four settings; Shiatsu Massage, Massage Intensity (3 levels), Infrared head (2 levels) and Tapping/Percussion.  That might sound like a lot of functions but playing with the different functions is part of the fun!

Donnerberg Back Massager Review, Shiatsu massager,
Donnerberg Back Massager Review, shiatsu massager,

I started by plugging in the massager, which is easy with the UK plug that’s included. That’s all you need to do to get it working!  Starting with the Shiatsu Massage, the plates on the machine work extremely hard, giving a deep massage into the different areas of your lower back. There are 10 massage heads in all which work in different directions and patterns to give you a deeper, firmer massage in certain places as well as the infrared heat which helps you relax, but also aids healing.  The intensity can be increased with the function buttons, and the infrared heat can be increased too.

The second setting to try out is the Tapping/Percussion. This is a lighter, rainfall-like rhythm which helps relieve tension in the back muscles but with a different pattern. The Tapping/Percussion setting can be used with the infrared heat too, to give a deeper healing. Try using a combination of the tapping/percussion and Shiatsu massage settings to help with your specific ailments and eventually, you’ll work out a session that’s most beneficial to you!  There’s a timer on each of the settings too so you don’t spend too long in one place.

The first time I tried out the Donnerberg Percussion Massager I did all the settings and all the intensities going on for more than 20 minutes. This turned out to be a mistake because the next day my muscles were sore and I had bruises! Instead, it’s better to find a medium intensity for your back and work up to the higher intensities over time.  You don’t notice how strong the massager is at the time of working it, and it’s usual to find that it’s a bit of a weird sensation at first, until you get used to how deep it can be.

Over a week, the massage became more relaxing as your muscles get used to the sensation and start to relax over time.  I haven’t needed to increase the intensity to the maximum level yet but as times goes on there is that option.  Interestingly, there are other areas you can use the Donnerberg Massager on. Whilst watching TV, I put it on the floor and rested my feet on it. It’s a very weird feeling at first but once your feet start to relax, and your calf muscles start to melt away, it’s very nice having the vibrations trace through your feet and legs!  After a run, this was especially useful as it distracted from the pain but then as the day went on, all the blood rushed to my calves and feet to bring the oxygen.

The Donnerberg Massager can be used on other areas of the body too. Placing your thighs or calves directly onto the massager face and putting it on a low intensity also helps with relaxing muscles and getting rid of aches and pains.  The massager has a low noise output too, so you can still watch TV with it running in the background.

The only downside I can see is from having the cable to the mains adaptor. The lead is a few metres long so you can move it around whichever room you’re in but it means you can’t use it outside in the summer easily, and might not be able to use it in every room in the house. Still, it’s great to use whilst sitting up and you can probably use it whilst lying in bed too.

The Donnerberg Percussion Massager is a fabulous toy for anyone who has everything, or if your loved one needs to relax!  It’s perfect however for anyone who runs, works out with weights or has a busy life where they need muscle relaxation but probably don’t have the time for a massage. Sit with the Donnerberg massager whilst watching TV and soon the aches and pains will melt away, no matter how active you’ve been!

Available online for £130.00 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Donnerberg-Percussion-Massager-Shoulders-Feet-RM099/dp/B07MM1GBR3?maas=maas_adg_24031058CD9482C941442D86EFC447DF_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas