Category: Gifts for teachers

 Easymark Bookmark

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Do you read a lot? Or pick up a book to read and then put it down without marking the page? How about returning to chapters to re-read them? With any of these scenarios, the Easymark Bookmark can help you.  The Thinking Gifts page marker sits on the corner of a page unnoticed as you continue to read, but allows you to return to that page later, thanks to the design of the bookmark corner. This design is of a cactus, but Thinking Gifts have lots of designs to choose form, and you can purchase multiple Easymarks for lots of different reading books, or if you want to mark lots of different pages within a book. They’re easily transportable too, and if you leave them in a book and put them back on the bookshelf, they stay exactly where they are but don’t take up too much space or damage the spine of a book.

At only £3.99 they’re a great stocking filler or Secret Santa plus you can stock up on them and make up a gift from a range of items, especially if it’s for a book lover who would want a set of books and something like the Easymark Bookmark to finish it off. There are some lovely other designs for all ages too.

Available for £3.99 at: https://www.thinkinggifts.com/products/easymark-bookmark?option_values=6998825782e9b570bdbce5e0 

Flexilight Classic Book Light

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

This is a brilliant gift for anyone who reads, and not just book lovers. The Flexilight is a bookmark and book light in one, allowing you to read anywhere thanks to the built-in light at the top of the page marker. 

The Flexilight Bookmark is ultra slim to be a bookmark, but the neck can be tilted towards the pages so that you can angle the light at the top to be able to read whatever size book you are looking at.  The LED light has 8 lumens of bright light and comes with the 2 batteries needed, but you can change the batteries in the future if you need to.

This is a great Secret Santa gift , especially as it’s only £8.99 at the moment, and it’s great for children who like to read in the back of the car, or under the bed covers at night.  Imagine having this in a sofa cushion den under a blanket and being able to read in secret? This is a great stocking filler, and any age can use it!

Available from £8.99 at: https://www.thinkinggifts.com/products/flexilight-original-book-light?option_values=6674d2bac7b00e129da33980

Penmark Ruler Bookmark

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The Penmark Ruler Bookmark caught my eye because it’s multifunctional.  Not only is it a pen, but it’s thin enough that it can be a bookmark too. Additionally, the decoration on it is that of a 10cm or 4 inch ruler. Not only that, but the Penmark comes with two refills and already comes with an ink cartridge. 

I know I would use this in the office when I’m running about and trying to find a pen for my notebook – this fits into the pages nicely and won’t get lost.  If you’re in an industry where you need a ruler too, this is an exceptionally good gift. It’s brilliant for a stocking filler or Secret Santa, or just for putting in your handbag because it’s so light and easy to carry around. 

Available for £4.99 at: https://www.thinkinggifts.com/products/penmark-pen-bookmark?option_values=6877767922f3c885a0ca472b

Plusheez Phone Holder

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Toys

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have the perfect P|usheez gift for you!  This ocean-inspired clown fish is not only a desk toy, but it is designed to prop up your phone too.  Whether you’re charging your phone, on a call or trying to read something, the Plusheez Phone Holder can prop up your phone either vertically or horizontally.

I kept the Plusheez on my desk at home, so that I could take a call on my mobile and have it facing me and the microphone could pick up my voice whilst I was on my laptop. It works just as well with video calling too, so that you’re hands free. The fact that Plusheez is a soft toy is also great for phones because it doesn’t mark or damage them in anyway with grippers or anything that secures phones in place like a tripod does. If you’re like me and need to have something on the desk to distract your hands when you’re on a long, boring call, the Plusheez toys are great for that too, and they don’t make a noise when you drop them or play with them!

The Plusheez are really great toys that have a use, anyone can use them. Fabulous Secret Santa or stocking filler gifts too.

Available from £10.99 at: https://www.thinkinggifts.com/products/plusheez?option_values=66790eb201bc075225ebaaed

Two Farmers Lightly Salted Crisp Drum

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

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

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

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

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

GNAW Handcrafted Chocolate

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

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

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

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

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

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

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

JLab JBuds Mini Wireless Ear Buds

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

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

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

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

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

JLab Pop Party Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Summer, Tech

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Here’s a great gift for the teenagers or when you’re travelling – a portable Bluetooth speaker that lights up and connect to other JLab speakers to create a wall of sound!

Imagine being out on a picnic, or camping, and having a team of these JLab Pop Party Bluetooth speakers all playing the same music at the same time from the same device. Each of the speakers lights up so that not only can you find them easily amongst all your stuff, but as night falls, you can see each other in the glow or red, green and blue lights.  They each have 8 hours of power in them; enough for a whole day outside or a night time party.  The JLab Pop Party Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speakers are only £24.99, and make excellent birthday gifts, stocking fillers or gifts for children and teenagers.

With 5 watts power and a 2 year warranty, the speaker is only 7.55 inches tall and has a 2 inch driver and 2 inch woofer. It has various mounting options and a detachable magnetic loop, which you can hold in one hand or mount on a bicycle handle or in the backseat of a car. It has IP55 waterproofing so you can take it outside (it’s rain protective, not water protective so you can’t submerge it!) It’s lightweight so you can carry it in hand luggage or just over your wrist.

Charging is with a C to C cable in the USB-C port and takes around 3 hours to fully charge. Syncing is with Bluetooth 5.3. There’s approximately 30 foot range of connectivity. You get the most out of t he RGB lights if you use the JLab App to control the frequency, pattern and create the light show from it.

This is the first time I’ve seen these ‘Pop Party’ speakers and ever got to use them. They’re really useful for just taking out for the day and for children to play with in the garden or for teenagers to take out with them.  The sound quality is excellent and connection to my phone was super easy one I turned on the speaker and it was ‘findable’.  The JLab Pop Part Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speaker is ultra-easy to get along with and use, making it a perfect gift for anyone!

JLab Pop Party UltraPortable Bluetooth Speaker for £24.99 at: https://www.jlab.com/en-gb/products/pop-party-ultra-portable-bluetooth-speaker-black?srsltid=AfmBOoqK6kuF00xfCjWpXLHOKF0Unr3Tr9WJdnI1K9qK1ksBeALP11zW

TrueStart Ground Coffee Cafetière & Coffee Gift Set

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

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

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

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

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

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

Available from £30.00 at:

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

Trapiche Pure Malbec

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Women

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

If your dad enjoys a glass of red wine, a good bottle is guaranteed to go down well on Father’s Day. Better still, for those last minute shoppers, Trapiche Pure Malbec is readily available from the Co-op so you can pick a bottle up on your way to see him!!

Produced by Argentina’s most awarded winery, this Fairtrade-certified Malbec is packed with juicy fruit flavours and is wonderfully smooth and easy to drink. At just £10 a bottle, it’s also excellent value for money, proving that you don’t have to spend a fortune to give a special gift.

The Trapiche vineyards are in Mendoza, one of Argentina’s most famous wine regions which are  nestled at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The winery was founded by Argentine politician and businessman Tiburcio Benega back in 1883 and over the years the business has grown to be one of Argentina’s leading wine producers. The vineyards are planted higher up in the mountains, where the cooler air helps keep the grapes fresh and balanced, despite the intense Argentinian sunshine.

The “Pure” in the name refers to the fact that this is an unoaked Malbec. Rather than being aged in oak barrels, the wine is made in stainless steel and concrete tanks. While I’m no wine expert, I find this style lets the fruit do the talking, bringing out the cassis, blueberry and plum flavours without the vanilla or smoky notes that oak can sometimes add.

The rich purple wine is smooth and easy to drink and it goes really well with both steak and cheese.

By choosing Fairtrade wine, you are supporting farmers and ensuring that they have access to fairer working conditions. Fairtrade also makes sure that producers receive a fairer price for their grapes and provides extra funding that can be invested back into workers and local communities. It also supports growers in adopting more sustainable farming methods and promotes fair treatment and opportunities for everyone working in the vineyards.

Available from the Co op

MINISO Clear Nail Polish

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Fashion, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, secret santa, Summer, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Looking for some summer pick-me-ups?  MINISO have a raft of different beauty options on their website which act as brilliant one-time gifts for yourself, or others, to make you smile this summer. The best part is that they don’t cost the Earth either!  MINISO sent us their Golden Cap Clear Nail Varnish to try out for summer and I’ve been testing it nearly every day this week…

The Golden Cap Clear Nail Varnish can be used as either a top coat, or a clear varnish on bare nails.  I opted to use it as a top coat, to seal in the colour I was applying plus giving my nails a shiny finish.  You can see in the photo the difference the Golden Cap Clear Nail Varnish gives when applied over an existing varnished nail.  As the varnish is oil-based, it’s hard wearing and dries fairly quickly.  It leaves an even coat over each nail and isn’t too thick that it is slow to dry, or creates and uncomfortable layer on the top that seeps into the surrounding nail bed and eventually peels off. 

The Golden Cap Clear Nail Varnish is a steal at just £1.49, and as you look through the other items online you’ll see even more bargains. It’s a great stocking filler gift, or if you start collecting items now for the Christmas Calendar, no one is not going to want a clear nail varnish at Christmas!

Available online from £1.49 at: https://minisoshop.co.uk/health-and-beauty

Yankee Candle Serenity Stone and Spa Inspired Gift Set

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Yankee Candles have long been the standard for candles at home, or as gifts especially with their beautifully presented Signature range.  If you’ve ever been into a Yankee Candle shop, then you’ll know that there are not only a huge range of scents available, but different sizes as well.  Yankee Candle sent us this Signature edition of their scent Serenity Stone and a gift box of three tealight candles.  Who wouldn’t want to give, or receive candles like these?

The Serenity Stone Yankee Candle is seen here in the large jar version, but other sizes are available. Large Jar means it’s a glass jar with lid, which is not only better for transporting but the glass lid allows you to extinguish the flame easily by just placing the lid on top and removing the source or oxygen. There are two wicks to light too; meaning it burns more evenly with a 65-80 hour, soy wax burn life. It’s quite heavy too at over half a kilo (567 grams to be precise) so I wouldn’t recommend sending this in the post!

The second set sent to us was the spa-inspired tealight set of candles with the scents Slow Bloom, Lavender Bliss and Serenity Stone. Each of the candles have their own distinct fragrance and undertone; the Lavender Bliss for instance is a Floral fragrance whereas Slow Bloom is a Woody fragrance.  You don’t burn all three of these fragranced candles at once, more like one after the other to create a long term ambience.  The Gift set is called Spa-Inspired for a reason, and these candles would be perfect for a relaxing bath or in a room where you want some more peace. With the burn time on each of these candles being around 7-10 hours, that’s a lot of baths, or a full day of candle time!

If you’re looking for a gift too, these are all perfect to send. The Serenity Stone Large Jar may be heavy, but it’s no lightweight in the gifting arena. The gift set is much smaller but great for posting or giving as an individual present or to add to a hamper of bigger treats.

Serenity Stone available in Large Jar size for £29.99 at:

https://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/yankee-candle/candles/shop-by-type/signature-large-jar-candles/serenity-stone-candle/SAP_2672619E.html

CUKTECH 15 Power Bank Air

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Tech, travel

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I love a gadget, and this power bank is perfect for a Father’s Day gift!  

The CUKTECH 15 Power Bank Air holds enough power to recharge your iPhone 17 by 1.6 times or a Samsung S25 Ultra about 2.2 times over. That’s only for phones, it can power laptops too with 65W Fast Charging, which is enough to power a Mac Book Air from zero to 48%. 

The slim design is deceptively heavy though! It’s enough to carry all that power but is about the size of a phone just fatter. It does mean that it fits into a pocket or hand luggage, and it would comfortably fit into a handbag too but it comes with a cosy bag to keep it in, along with the USB-C cable. The front of the power bank has a display which tells you the percentage charge already on the power bank, plus how long it will take to charge  fully or how much charge it has left through each of the ports. Speaking of which, you can charge to and from the CUKTECH 15 with a Type-C2, Type-C2 and USB-A1 ports. The screen goes dark when not in use but the button at the side lights it up again so you can see the stats as it charges. The three different ports mean you can power up to three appliances all at once too.

You can charge up the CUKTECH with the provided cable. To change the direction of charge, click the side button twice and the display changes. Keep clicking and it allows you to change the display and setting so that the screen stays on and it shows you which port is being used to charge in or out of the power bank, and how long it takes to charge and the percentage. You can even change the display to be upside down so that you use it on the go or if it’s in a pocket!

At around £50, it’s not a bad price for a power bank on the market, as there are a lot out there which aren’t as compact or as useful, and having the ability to charge 3 appliances at once is definitely a benefit.  The cable is a bit short though, especially if you have the charger in your pocket and you’re trying to walk and text at the same time, and you would have to source other cables for the other ports if your appliance didn’t already come with one, but they can all be poppled in the supplied bag so that you can carry them with you.  Although it’s heavy too, it’s not any heavier than other power banks, and that’s because of the nature of the battery it contains.

The CUKTECH 15 Power Bank is a really useful gift and a great surprise for Father’s Day as something that is actually helpful to everyday life. 

Available from £49.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FNQK3VHZ?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP&social_share=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP

Tessan PD20W Universal Power Adaptor

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Stocking Fillers, Tech

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

For the Dads who travel for work, or just those Dads who are always prepared, the Tessan PD20W is a travel adapter for almost everywhere in the world, allowing him to plug in to a socket and use any appliance he’s taken with him.

The small, palm sized adaptor has 3 plugs to fix into a wall socket throughout the world; the sockets included are for the USA or Japan, Australia and the UK, meaning you can use it in Britain too if you have sockets or cables from elsewhere in the world. The front of the adaptor has 4 sockets in total. The first one is the AC socket which is commonly used in the US. Underneath, you have the USB-A, USB-C2 and USB-C1 sockets for cables. This is usually for charging phones and small appliances such as cameras and tablets. The three different sizes means it works on most modern appliances so there’s no need to bring anything else when you’re abroad.

The small, lightweight design has retractable plugs which pack away nicely, and can be turned out when ready to use. They are designed so that when one plug is being used, no others can be utilised so as not to interfere with the supply. They’re a bit clunky and all open in different ways but once you work out that one them slides, one of them flips and other one has to be prised out, you get the gist of it!

Charging is fairly quick on the Tessan PD20W Power adapter, given that it’s not a charger just an adapter. I could plug in my phone and it gives about 10% charge in 30 minutes, but that isn’t what the adapter is for. It’s mainly for being about use foreign sockets and plug in USB plugs but if you do need to charge a phone or appliance, you can charge overnight.

The Tessan PD20W is small enough that it can be packed away in your luggage or hand luggage and used anywhere abroad. For going on holiday or for the Dads in your life, it’s a nifty gadget that will be used again and again but will benefit everyone. 

Currently available for £17.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0C1NRTR81/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=b0b68efcc7ecaa3dbd3e6bcea53d4618&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1770721697&sr=1-2-e0fa1fdd-d857-4087-adda-5bd576b25987&aref=pJEjmdvY48&ref_=sbx_s_sparkle_sbtcd_asin_1_title&pd_rd_w=E5nIF&content-id=amzn1.sym.7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f%3Aamzn1.sym.7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f&pf_rd_p=7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f&pf_rd_r=MTEFXKDHG0PHPCRVZ25S&pd_rd_wg=TbzsW&pd_rd_r=9ab1dc17-2e36-4d8a-b08f-50f8737b3f5c&th=1

Moderato Alcohol-Free French Wine

Christmas, Days Out, Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, Summer

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The French (wine) Revolution is here!  Moderato wines are all alcohol-free but are still French beauties with Cuvee, Colombard white wine and the Gros Manseng Merlot. We were sent a bottle of each to try this summer and to sample how good alcohol free wine can be.

We started with the La Cuvée, a light sparkling wine with a slightly acidic taste from the Merlot grapes. It has less than 0.5% of alcohol (they have to give it a slight alcohol rating due to the way it’s fermented) but it doesn’t have the alcohol taste to it. Instead, it’s an effervescent glass which is excellent for summer. I would drink this with a main meal or on its own. It also has fewer calories than wine, so if you’re not drinking it for the low alcohol, it’s perfect for a low calorie diet!

The Colombard is a traditional-tasting white, with citrus flavours and the sharpness that can only be found with white wines. This is also <0.5% alcohol and 7x fewer calories than other white wines and has the white wine fragrance to it too. I would drink this on its own, after work or in the garden in the summer.

The Gros Manseng Merlot is rosé with a softer fruity flavour compared to its Merlot cousin.  It’s definitely a summer drink with lots of energy and a beautiful red fruit uplift.  This is great with food or on its own but lives in summer thanks to the fruity nature of the wine. It doesn’t taste alcohol free either which is a brilliant achievement, even if it is made by the French experts!

All three of the wines are part of a larger range by Moderato to have alcohol free (or sans alcool in French, as the bottles proclaim) that add to your summer without needing alcohol. Delicious!

Gros Manseng £14: https://le-moderato.com/en/products/alcohol-free-rose-revolutionary-cuvee-merlot-gros-manseng-1

Colombard £14: https://le-moderato.com/en/products/alcohol-free-white-wine-colombard-revolutionary-cuvee

La Cuvée £14.50: https://le-moderato.com/en/products/the-sparkling-revolutionary-cuvee-blanc-de-noir-without-alcohol

Cuvée Révolutionnaire

Sponge Cake Cards & The Legends Brownie Box from Sponge

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Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Cakes for all occasions! Sponge send cakes that are, “Brilliant cake. Bold flavour. A little bit cheeky” and we couldn’t agree more. Why send just a card when a piece of cake and a card will make them feel more special? If you’re anything like me, Father’s Day is an especially difficult day to buy for so Sponge make it easier!

Sponge.co.uk have a selection of cake pieces, whole cakes, brownies and cupcakes that can be delivered to your recipient’s door. All cakes come with a card which in some cases, are a little bit cheeky! You can customize each card to suit the receiver. We were sent The Legends Brownies box and a Sponge Cake Card which are both brilliant for Father’s Day. If you order before 2pm, it can be delivered the next day.

The Sponge Cake Cards are literally cards with pockets that house 2 slices of cake which you can choose from a range including chocolate, carrot, white chocolate & raspberry, Red Velvet and several of the same cakes but in vegan or gluten free versions. You also get to choose the design of the card and if you want to, you can upload a video too which can be viewed online. The card can be personalised with any greeting and then you can choose up to 2 extras, including items like tea bags, face mask, balloons or even a candle.  

Once you’ve made your choices, you can choose to have the Sponge Cake Card delivered or you can even pick up from their warehouse in Holt, Norfolk.  The same process works whether you’re sending a Cake Card or any of the other cakes and items which the company stocks.

As for the cakes…. The Sponge Cake Card came with a chocolate and a Victoria slice, both of which were obviously freshly made and not processed or frozen. They were light and fluffy with ample amounts of buttercream filling and a light topping, but not enough to make a sticky mess in the cellophane!  The brownies were obviously very densely made, with 8 pieces in total and all of them delicious. I haven’t worked my way through all of them yet, but there are 4 flavours in all and again, they were freshly made.

An interesting idea of having cake delivered as well as a card, Sponge.co.uk execute it very well and make it easy to send any type of celebration to a loved one.

Sponge Cake Cards from £9.99: https://www.sponge.co.uk/cake-card

The Legends Brownie Box from £18.99: https://www.sponge.co.uk/cakes/brownies/the-legends-brownie-box

Devonia Plant Fertilizer Sticks

Birthday Gifts, Children, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Spring, Summer

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

This is a gardening hack for all gardeners, whether you’ve been gardening for years or if you’re a beginner! Devonia’s fertilizer spikes and sticks are nutrient dense sticks which feed plants at the roots over time, releasing food and providing magnesium and iron too.  Easy to use, the sticks are just popped into the ground or pot next to the plant.

The nutrients are pre-measured so using the directions on the back of the packs, work out how many sticks are needed for the size of pot. There are a variety of sticks to choose from too, including the tomatoes & vegetables, Boarders & bedding plants and even for individual plants like olive trees, lavender and orchids. You have to push them below soil level and on the opposite side of the pot to the plant but after that, just water them and see the plant thrive. They last all season long from spring to autumn but I would recommend changing them out for the next spring to get the full benefit of them.

These are great gifts for gardeners too, or anyone who is growing plants indoors. I’ve used them for my indoor plants and a few seedlings which are just starting to grow now. 

Available online from £6.49: https://devonialondon.co.uk/product/flower-bed-border-bedding-plant-food-sticks/

Sentia Spirits Alcohol Free – GABA Red

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

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

There are more and more non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ on the market these days and a new one that I’ve come across is the Sentia Spirits GABA Red. GABA Red works on the body’s gaba receptors, mimicking how alcohol affects us but without the side effects. It has zero alcohol content, so it can be used in mocktails or as a mixer without the trigger of having even a trace of alcohol. It’s also vegan friendly, thanks to the organically sourced products.

You can use it just as you would a botanical spirit – straight, in a glass of ice, or as a mixer. It works well with lemonade or a sparkling drink or to make a new cocktail.  Neat, it has an herbal taste to it. I personally found it a bit strong on its own, not because it had the ‘alcohol’ taste to it but because the essences of herbal flavours such as magnolia bark and hawthorn berry are not every day tastes to us.  

As an alternative to alcohol, it’s just as versatile and you can mix it and drink as much of it as you like. I wouldn’t suggest children try it though, it’s more of an acquired, grown-up taste, but it still gives you that ‘hit’ as if it’s a refreshing alcoholic drink.  It’s more expensive than other drinks though and probably more like an alcoholic spirit in price, which is the only downside.

Available from £32 at: https://sentiaspirits.com/products/sentia-red

Steenbergs Loose Leaf Organic English Breakfast and Organic Double Mint Tea 

Birthday Gifts, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Tea is one of the most important ‘meals’ of the day in our house, with the morning pot of tea (yes, we use a pot) to replace breakfast.  Lately, I’ve been using loose tea for the first pot of the morning to be able to strengthen the flavour and to reduce the plastic waste that can be found in some commercial teabags.  Steenbergs sent us some Organic English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea and Organic Double Mint Tea.

The Steenbergs Organic English Breakfast looks different. I compared it to the loose leaf tea from the supermarket and the Steenbergs leaves are chunkier, whereas the supermarket brands were like dust. This makes a difference to how they are brewed in the teapot because the leaves swell when absorbing water. With finer grains of tea, they swell but the flavour isn’t as full, and you get those particles of tea that collect at the bottom of your cup like a sediment. Steenbergs sent us a tea filter egg to use too, which is great if you’re only making one cup and also prevents some of the sediment.  The flavour of the tea is full-bodied, and you don’t need much to make one cup in a pot. I used 1½ teaspoons of tea to make a pot and brewed for only about 3 minutes, which was enough. You can taste the ‘tea’ without there being a scum on top from additives and preservatives. 

We also tried to Steenbergs Organic Double Mint Tea. Brewed in the same way in a pot, these leaves are just as substantial and there’s the lovely aroma from the box as you open them! As the afternoon goes on, I like to switch to herbal teas to reduce my caffeine.  Mint tea is great for digestion both in the afternoons and after dinner. I found that I didn’t need as much of the Double Mint Tea per pot as I did of the English Breakfast; one teaspoon was enough as it’s really quite potent! The tea is fresh and strong but not acidic and brews nicely, filling the room with the mint scent.

Both are ideal for at home and either a pot of tea or a cup made individually, and make great gifts for tea lovers too!

Available from £3.45 at: https://steenbergs.co.uk

MINISO Nail Polish

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Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Treat yourself to some glamorous nail care this spring with the new range of nail varnishes from MINISO. With a range that’s being updated in the coming months, we were sent two colours to try; Shiny Pink and Starlight Gold. Both were from the Golden Cap range, which you can see in the photo is part of their packaging branding too!

These oil-based nail varnishes (or nail polish to give them their American titles) are a steal at just £3.99 for the bottles at 11ml. They’re full size, but not anywhere as expensive as some of the other nail varnishes on the market.  I am wearing the Shiny Pink colour in this photo and it’s only 2 layers (I did have a clear base layer on underneath these layers though.) The colours both glide on with ease, the oil base makes it easy for them to fill out to the corners and gives a shiny finish. As with most oil based varnishes, they take longer to dry but they are very stable and harder to chip when they are fully dry. I would recommend waiting 30 minutes between each layer of colour to allow the varnish to dry properly and last longer.

Each of the colours is deep and builds up to a lovely finish. Shiny Pink is a hint away from red towards pink so you’d be mistaken for thinking it was a primary colour, but there’s a splattering of glitter in the colour which gives it a reflection. The Starlight Gold colour is just as vibrant and works up to a deep colour too. As the name suggests, there’s tiny starlight flecks of gold in the colour too, reflecting back in a disco theme.  This colour is more for the weekend or going out, whereas I felt comfortable wearing the Shiny Pink all week, but there’s no reason why you can’t paint your nails gold for work too!

Available soon from £3.99 here:

https://minisoshop.co.uk/beauty/nail-care

French Soaps Mother’s Day Gift Set

beauty, Birthday Gifts, cruelty-free, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, health, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re struggling for a Mother’s Day Gift, or want to supplement something bigger, French Soaps have a genius gift for you to give on Mother’s Day.  From their range of soaps on their website, they’ve created a Mother’s Day Gift Set which contains 6 vegan soaps, and arrives in a magnetic box with a denim washbag.

Contained in the soap set are fragrances;

  • Tilleul (Linden blossom)
  • Honeysuckle
  • Verbena leaf
  • Cotton Flower
  • Lily of the Valley
  • Aloe Vera

Each soap is made using traditional French soap making techniques and enriched with plant oils and shea butter. They lather up beautifully and can be used every day, but I like to use these in the guest bathroom, or for the bath where the scent can be appreciated. There’s also a washbag that can be used for the soaps or separately, which is surprisingly large and can carry a lot, including all the soaps.

Each of the soaps has a distinctive aroma with the usual ‘soap’ fragrance to them. They’re actually quite pungent so you can smell them as you open the box! They are beautifully wrapped individually with some wrapped in paper, muslin and in presentation boxes. They’re imprinted with the name of Savon de Marseille name and the flavour of the soap so that you can distinguish them. They’re very handy in the magnetic box so that they don’t get damaged in transit which also make them a perfect gift, even if you are splitting up the set and giving the soaps out to different people.

This is a brilliant gift set, or a way of sampling a range of soaps for yourself to see what you like.  There’s a lot of thought gone into designing these soaps as well as making them and giving them the creative edge which you don’t find in the High Street brands, making them more unique than just any beauty of health gift set you can buy everywhere.  They’re a lasting gift too, probably lasting until Christmas when you can buy the French Soaps’ next gift set!

Available from £25 at: https://www.frenchsoaps.co.uk/products/mothers-day-soap-gift-set-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com

MANTA Healthy Hair Brush 

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Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

It’s time for hairbrushes to get a glow up! The MANTA Healthy Hair Brush uses FLEXGUARD technology to create a hairbrush that sits in the palm of your hand and has a heat resistance of up to 80 degrees centigrade (175 Fahrenheit).  The bristles are super gentle on hair and scalp, even flyaway hair and create shine when the hair is brushed from scalp to ends. It’s anti static and can be used on wet or dry hair. As the bristles are far apart, they don’t snag as they pull through fine hair, and if the ends are dry, you don’t rip away and break strands of hair as you brush. The MANTA Hair Brush can be used on all types of hair including hair extensions.

The MANTA sits in your hand comfortably by I found it easier to use on myself if I hold it from the handle and work my way through the length of my hair, starting at the scalp. Although this is a hair brush, it actually works perfectly as a scalp massager, taking the tension out of the scalp as you massage the brush through your hair. Taking the MANTA from the front of your scalp to the back of your neck and then to the ends of your hair, you’re also transferring the good oils to the rest of the hair and conditioning the cuticles as you do so.  It feels absolutely amazing! As the bristles aren’t really close together, it gives a good massage as well as not damaging the hair too much. I loved using it after washing my hair to distribute the styling products without disturbing my natural curls. It’s great for putting your hair back into a messy pony tail too once your hair is dry. 

This is a great investment for yourself or as a gift for someone else. It’s perfect for taking on holiday though with the travel pouch it comes with and the hand-held size that means it can even fit into your hand luggage!

Available from £30 at: https://www.boots.com/manta-original-healthy-hair-and-scalp-brush-pink-10345639

Dr PawPaw Your Gorgeous Skin SPF Day Cream and Lip Balm

beauty, Birthday Gifts, eco friendly, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, health, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Award-winning Dr PawPaw have sent us their SPF Day Cream and Lip Balm to test before the summer holidays start in earnest, and based on the lovely fruity scents when opening the products, we couldn’t wait to get started!

Dr PawPaw is a British based company started in 2013 with most of the products made here too. Originally, the products were for soothing owners Pauline and Johnny Paterson’s young daughter’s eczema, but their following soon grew and they branched out into other products.  The company pride themselves on using eco-friendly materials, which are recycled and biodegradable when possible.  

The Dr PawPaw SPF Lip Balm and Day Cream are both vegan and cruelty-free, like all their products. The Lip Balm, which has added SPF 30, is targeted at keeping lips soft but also has the Dr PawPaw healing properties. It’s a very light application which can be used in the sun, or every day especially if you’re not wearing make-up. I like to use it at night to condition my lips as a I sleep. As you don’t need very much, it absorbs easily and has a lovely pawpaw taste to it which lingers when you put it on. It lasts enough of the night too so that your lips are still conditioned when you wake up.

The Dr PawPaw SPF 50 Day Cream is equally as fruity scented and a rich day cream, but it actually blends in very easily. My skin wasn’t oily with this day cream, but there was some light refraction to leave my skin looking like it had a glow. It contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E for enriching the skin and the SPF 50 really helps when the sun comes out! This 45ml tube would be great for taking on holiday.  I can’t wait for the day when the sun is out and I get to test out the SPF on both of these Dr PawPaw products!

Dr PawPaw SPF Lip Balm £4.95: https://www.drpawpaw.com/products/lip-balm-spf

Dr PawPaw SPF 50 Day Cream £18.00: https://www.drpawpaw.com/products/spf-50-pa-day-cream?selling_plan=7776010475&variant=43817267855595

Airy Home Reed Diffuser 

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We all struggle for Valentines gifts especially if we want something that’s not mushy! Airy Fragrances were born in Japan, based on the Japanese art of Kōdō where fragrance is not a function, but a feeling. The company was started by two Japanese women in 2024 who realised that the Japanese way of scenting the home was not the same as in Europe, and so the Airy home reeds were developed.

We were sent the Airy Elegant Harmony Home Reed Diffuser to try out in White Tea scent. A beautiful presentation box arrived with a bottle of scent, five reeds and the round, glass bulb. Setting up the diffuser is easy with the lid of the bulb vase easily detached and then replaced before the reeds are inserted. The circle of the round glass represents the concept of ensō, symbolising harmony, impermanence and quiet beauty. The Elegant Harmony scent is very soft, floral, and a touch musky. I can detect the slight vanilla scent as well which is what carries most in the home. 

Although expensive, the Airy Home Reed Diffusers make a great gift and last 2-4 months each. The fragrances can be bought separately so you can replace them without having to replace the bulb vase as well. They’re also alcohol free. The website is set up to send the diffusers as gifts so you can send them straight onto the recipient.

Unlike other diffusers, the Airy Home Reed Diffuser is much lighter in fragrance and feels like there’s equally less heavy ingredients.  They make great gifts because they’re so beautiful and have a range of different scents which can be purchased online, and no doubt more scents will follow. They’re a beautiful fragrance for the house and the scent carries really quickly, making it a gift which will last.

Available from £43 at: https://www.airyfragrances.com/products/elegant-harmony-whitetea-reed-diffuser

Neve’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balms

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Tucked away in North Oxfordshire, Neve’s Bees is a charming family run business, named after founder Julie’s daughter, Neve. Following a spot of experimentation with “lotions and potions,” – blending beeswax with pure, natural plant oils and butters, they soon realised they could create an entire range of skincare products using only genuinely natural ingredients – ones that felt far better on the skin than anything they’d bought before. And so, Neve’s Bees was born. Today, they offer a wonderful selection of natural products, including ten different lip balms, available individually for £6.50 or as a trio for £18. Whether you prefer something floral, zingy, minty or simply plain and gentle, there’s a balm to suit every taste. Each one is blended with 100% natural ingredients -organic wherever possible – bringing together nature and a touch of science to create a beautifully rich, premium product. All of the balms are made with natural beeswax from Neve’s Bees own bees along with organic apricot kernel, organic jojoba and coconut oils, plus natural vitamin E for extra nourishment. The lip balms are in little slide tins which are small enough to slip into a coat pocket or handbag to keep lips moisturised when out and about.

I always seem to get chapped lips in winter and much prefer natural lip balms as they seem to soothe my lips much better. Using them both morning and night has become second nature, so I was quite excited when the parcel of Neve’s Bees lip balms arrived  and I could tell from the minute I opened the first tin that these lip balms are much better quality than an off the shelf lip balm. They smell lovely and have a silky smooth texture which glides easily onto lips, The balm is quite solid in the tin but quickly warms up with the warmth of a finger and once on your lips it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky and it leaves my dry lips feeling soft and hydrated.

I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors this week, so I’ve been able to really put these lip balms to the test.  My ideal lip balm is one that pampers and nourishes lips, keeping them soft and hydrated no matter what the conditions are and these lip balms definitely ticked all these boxes. Whether I’ve been out walking, cycling or when I was battling Storm Claudia, a quick application of this lip balm has helped to keep my lips protected and prevent them from drying out and I’m confident they’ll continue to keep my lips hydrated as the cold weather settles in.

The three balms I have been trying out are  –

Honey Vanilla – this is Neve’s Bees least fragranced lip balm and has just a hint of vanilla to soothe lips and allows the natural honey take centre stage.

Rosey is my favourite of the three balms, it is made from thousands of crushed rose petals and  scented with Rose Otto and Rose Geranium. It is rich in vitamins A and E and it’s really helped soothe my dry lips.

Buttermint is inspired by the classic sweets and contains a blend of vanilla and peppermint. This lip balm is great for the men in your life who need to protect their lips but don’t want a flowery or feminine fragrance. This nourishing lip balm is full of goodness and is ideal for restoring softness and moisture.

These Neve’s Bees lip balms make brilliant little gifts and are just the thing for popping into a Christmas stocking, adding to a Secret Santa bundle, or slipping into a card along with a money gift.

Neve’s Bees also donate 10% of their profits to wildlife causes, helping to restore precious wildflower meadows and providing vital habitat for bees and other pollinators so when you buy their products you’re also making a difference to the natural world.

The lip balms are available from the Neve’s Bees website here