Spring – The Review Studio

Woodwick Linen Large Hourglass Candle

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Fragrance, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, secret santa, Spring, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts, Winter, Women

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

Scented candles are an easy way to create a cosy and relaxing ambiance in your home and I find lighting one in the evening really helps me unwind after a busy day at work. I have lots of candles around my house and I love to change the scent to match the seasons. Fresh scents like linen are perfect for Spring so I was really pleased to receive a Woodwick Linen Large Hourglass Candle which not only looks stylish but smells fantastic too – just like freshly washed linen blowing in the breeze.

The candle has Woodwick’s exclusive, patented wooden wick, Pluswick®Innovation which creates the sound of a crackling fire which helps create a cosy ambience when the candle is lit. The wicks are handcrafted and produce a generous wax pool which helps release the beautiful fragrance into the room. Our lounge is very high and sometimes it takes a while for the fragrance to permeate around the room but I found that once lit it didn’t take long for the sublime fragrance to diffuse around the room. The linen fragrance is nice and fresh and is perfect anywhere in the house, creating a welcoming feel in your hall or a tranquil oasis of calm in a bedroom or bathroom. The fragrance is lovely and not too overpowering and it fragranced my room beautifully, lasting long after the flame had been blown out.

The candle weighs 610g and whilst there isn’t a burn time given it’s such a big candle I know it will last a good while. The scent is nice and consistent and so far the candle has burned nice and evenly. It is advised to burn the candle for 3-4 hours at a time and trim the wick to 1/8” before each use.

The candle is in a tall, solid glass jar and looks very elegant, the simple design will suit any style of décor and not look out of place whether it’s in the hallway, lounge, bedroom or bathroom.

Woodwick candles are beautiful to look at, smell absolutely gorgeous and as they have such a great selection of fragrances they make perfect gifts for any occasion whether that’s a wedding, housewarming, birthday, Christmas or why not just treat yourself ??

To view more of their range, or find out more about Woodwick candles head over to the Woodwick website.

RRP £32.99

Clean G Rhubarb Flavoured Non-Alcoholic Gin

Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Gin and tonics are becoming more sophisticated these days, especially with home-grown gin from the British Isles. Not only is Clean G a non-alcoholic gin though, but it has the botanical flavours you’d expect of a rhubarb gin, plus none of the sugar. Oh, and it’s vegan too!

Clean G Rhubarb won 95 points in the IWSC Awards 2021 and is becoming a favourite amongst those who love gin, rhubarb gin and particularly people who are not drinking alcohol. Think post-lockdown, where everyone is trying to give up alcohol, save money and still work from home. There’s no harm in a 2pm G&T if it’s made with Clean G non-alcoholic gin but it still feels like you’re celebrating or winding down because of the flavour.

Let’s talk about the flavour. It’s a take on a London Dry Gin, so it has the flavour of rhubarb by with a dryness that makes it more like a grown-up drink. Added perfectly to a tonic (we were sent a set of Fever Tree tonics to try it with!) you can still add lemon or any of your favourite garnishes and the flavour of a gin and tonic is still there. The texture of a London Dry Gin is also there, with the tangy aftertaste of the rhubarb to remind you that it’s still got spirit, if not any sugar or alcohol.

There’s no reason why you couldn’t use Clean G Rhubarb in cocktails as well. The Clean G website has some fantastic cocktail recipes based on well known bar cocktails at: https://clean.co/blogs/clean-cocktails?spirit=clean_g_rhubarb We particularly like the Clean Applepolitan which includes apple, cranberry and lots of ice along with the Clean G Rhubarb of course!

Available in supermarkets and online for £16 at:

Clean G Rhubarb

Clearspring Japanese Condiments

Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Home, Spring, Summer

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

Clearspring produce authentic Japanese fine foods and have recently added five new condiments to its offering: Organic Shichimi, Organic Irigoma Whole Sesame and Black Sesame, and Organic Gomashio Whole Sesame and Black Sesame flavour. Of course, we were eager to try them ourselves so the team sent over a batch of them, including some gluten free Soba noodles and Brown Rice noodles to make a proper meal of it!

The box of treats also included some recipe cards, so I had a go at making Zaru Soba with cold dipping broth. Using the Buckwheat Soba Noodles, Clearspring Organic Irigoma Sesame Seeds, Shichimi Togarashi Seven Spices and Clearspring Sushi Nori and Clearspring Organic Instant Noodle Broth Tsuyu (both not shown) I got to making the quick lunchtime recipe. All it took was boiling the noodles as instructed on the pack, diluting the noodle broth and adding the sesame seeds and the sushi nori with some radish and spring onion. Literally just 10 minutes and you have a lunch, or snack, which you can add to chicken, beef or any other main dish. The noodles themselves were a lovely meal though and I’d happily have them as a snack too.

The different types of sesame seeds can be used for sushi, rice, noodles, salads or tofu. All of the condiments featured here are staples in Japanese kitchens, so why haven’t we seen them before? Clearspring are bringing us these new flavours, and textures, to your cooking to make a difference to every day meals or helping you try something new – have you ever made your own sushi before?

One example is Shichimi, or Seven Spices. Containing chilli, citrus notes and complex umami rich flavours of nori and sesame, it’s quintessentially Japanese but also flavoursome enough that you can use it anywhere. This was a great addition to the Soba noodles I made, but actually, it goes well with meats too and I found it to be a lovely addition to salads. It’s ready made with all the mix of flavours so you can add it straight from the bottle with no thinking. Like all the Clearspring ingredients, it’s organic too.

You’ll also find similar uses for the different types of sesame seeds which were included in the pack sent to us; Gomashio and Irigoma in both toasted black and whole sesame seeds. These are traditionally used in noodles and some are used in sushi and tofu too but mixed with sea salt, they give a different flavour to any dish. Try mixing it in rice to give a different blend, or adding to sushi too. The noodles are a great cupboard stash for you to go to whenever you need a quick meal, and the Clearspring condiments are your secret power to be able to add an extra flavour element to not only Japanese meals, but to any meals you make.

Which Clearspring flavour are you going to experiment with this spring?

Available online from £3.99 at: https://www.clearspring.co.uk/collections/condiments

Hay-Band for Hay Fever suffers

camping, Children, Family Life, health, Home, REUSABLE, Spring, Summer, Theatre

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

I wish I could tell you that I tried out the Hay-Band in some tropical climate, in the middle of summer when all the pollen is in the air and the humidity is a scorcher, but alas, it’s only March here in England and the pollen is only just getting started! However, I am a hay fever sufferer and it does start around this time of year for me, probably with tree pollen from the blossoms.

I am not good with medications; antihistamines make me drowsy even if they’re the non-drowsy type, so I have to reply on lots of other methods to keep the pollen out, including air purifiers indoors and washing my hair daily to keep levels low. Hay-Band works on non-medical principals – the acupressure points from Chinese Medicine. The pressure point is called LI-11 and is on either arm, and works to alleviate allergy symptoms.

The Hay-Band is an elastic double band with a plastic pressure button in the middle. The acupressure point is at the end of the elbow crease when you bend your arm, so it’s at this point you need to slide the band onto your arm and position the button in the right place. There’s a really clear video on the Hay-Band website here: https://hay-band.co.uk

You can wear the band discreetly at all times, and it can be preventative or used when symptoms start. There are no side effects, so you can use it all times, even in bed at night but it is not advised to be used when pregnant. If the symptoms aren’t waning, then you can make little adjustments to where the button lays on your arm to hopefully help. The Hay-Band can be re-worn over and over and is washable too – it won’t affect the button position if you put it through the washing machine!

I found that putting the band on was a bit tight as I have quiet muscly arms and the band is only available in one colour and one size so far (15cm – 40cm circumference). Once it sits on your arm, you hardly notice it’s there but I think once the button hits the right place when your allergies are flaring, you suddenly feel it. It would be perfect for children or people who have to work without having to take drowsy medication and of course, as soon as you take it off the effect will stop working so if you don’t get on with it, there’s no harm done.

I can’t wait to use it when summer is finally here, and in conjunction with other non-medical methods it should work perfectly especially when out and about or needing to work. Just pay attention to the tan lines it may create if you wear it on holiday…

Available online for £13.09 at: https://hay-band.co.uk/buy

Tower Aquajetplus Carpet Washer

Family Life, Home, Home & Garden, kitchen appliances, Spring, Tech

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

With spring here, most of us are thinking about the Spring Cleaning jobs we have to do, especially as its warm enough to open the windows and get some air into the house! This year I really need to concentrate on getting a proper clean done before the really hot weather when it’s so humid so I was delighted to be able to review the Tower Aquajetplus Carpet Washer.

The Tower Aquajetplus Carpet Washer is a mid-range cleaner which means it isn’t the heavy duty, really expensive carpet cleaner you typically hire for a weekend. Instead, this is a cleaner which can clean a whole carpet or just spot clean heavy use areas and then be put away until you need to use it again 6 months later. This is reflected in the cost, which is usually £119.99 but is on offer at the moment for £79.99.

The carpet washer comes mostly assembled with just the handle to put together with the 3 screws included. You’ll need to read the instructions and have a screwdriver handy to attach it but it literally takes a minute to assemble. The rest of the carpet washer comprises of the body (mostly assembled) and a detachable water tank and dirty water reservoir. They fit together with a click so again, it doesn’t take long. There’s a 5 metre cable to the washer which makes it easier to move around a room and probably fits most UK room sizes.

Using the detergent provided, I filled up the clean water tank with warm tap water. The tank clips back into the midsection and once you make sure the dirty water reservoir is properly attached (I didn’t and water went everywhere!) then you’re good to go. Make sure you dry vacuum the whole area first with your usual vacuum cleaner to get rid of large particles. You can decide whether you want to do a whole room or just the busy areas as it does leave the carpet wet for at least a day. If you have small children around or pets it might be best to do a few rooms and then go away for a weekend without people walking on it and let it dry. Alternatively, you can do smaller areas in the summer when everyone is at work and the heat of the day will dry it quicker.

There is definitely a knack to how you use the washer, and it took me a while and a bit of YouTube to find out how to do it. The Tower Aquajetplus Carpet Washer washes as you push it away from you and then vacuums up the water as you pull it towards you. You have to compress the trigger on the handle as you push it away to deploy the water and detergent otherwise it doesn’t work. It is the backward motion of the washer that vacuums up the dirty water otherwise the water sits in the carpet and takes ages to dry. It takes a few tries on each stretch of carpet to clean and then vacuum the water for the washing to be really effective. Think of it like mowing a lawn – long straight lines at a slow, even speed but instead of just going over the line once, you have to drag the washer backwards over the same line several times.

It took a while for me to get used to the noise too. It is incredibly loud so I would suggest doing the cleaning when the neighbours aren’t home and especially when no one else in the house is on a call or asleep! Ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones were a must for me. The washer isn’t particularly heavy so you don’t need to be super fit or have a lot of strength to use it. The clean water tank isn’t that big (maybe 1 litre?) so that brings the weight down but I found that I had to fill it up several times just for my small landing carpet. As you clean, you can see the dirty water being sucked up into the reservoir so you know it’s working, and it becomes a challenge to see the state of the water at the end! To remove the reservoir, just unclip using the blue bar and remove the plug at the back. Be warned though, if you pick it up at the wrong angle, the water runs out through the inlet and not through the plug!

How did it work? Well after I went over the carpet a few times with an empty water tank and just vacuumed up most of the water, I found that it had cleaned the carpet plus it wasn’t soaked as I imagined. It took about 36 hours to dry, so not the next day but the day after it was dry enough to see that there was a difference in the colour of the carpet as well as the stains.

Tower Aquajetplus Carpet Washer

Pros:

Much cheaper than the hire carpet cleaners and lighter to lift
Easy to store as it’s the same size as a vacuum cleaner
Gives a very good clean of carpets and doesn’t take long to dry afterwards
Great for spot cleaning or heavy use areas and whole rooms if you have time

Cons:

Very noisy!
It takes a while to work out the knack of how to clean in one direction and vacuum in the other
Works better on smaller areas
Fiddly to get the clean water tank and dirty water reservoir lined up without water going everywhere.

Available from £79.99 at:

https://www.towerhousewares.co.uk/carpet-washers/tcw5-aquajetplus-carpet-washer

Honey Bun Jamaican Easter Bun

Easter, Family Life, Food & Drink, Spring

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

Widen your Easter horizons with the Jamaican Easter Bun from Honey Bun. Never heard of it? It’s a traditional bread from Jamaica, made of flour and enriched with spices and fruits such as raisins, papaya fruit, honeydew melon and pineapple. It’s very similar to a hot cross bun but a bit denser, plus it has different fruit is a bit sweeter. There’s a trace of rum too, but you can’t taste alcohol in the mixture. The Honey Bun Jamaican Spiced Bun is authentically Jamaican too, made in Jamaica to a traditional recipe.

Glazed with honey to give an extra sweetness, it can be eaten on its own, with butter or jam or even toasted. As a traditional Jamaican dish that is imported through Wanis, the UK’s largest world food wholesaler, the size of this bread is enormous as the photos show! It weighs in at 28 oz or 795 grams so it will feed the whole family on Easter Sunday morning or can keep you going for a week! I preferred this with some thick butter, but you can eat the slices on their own because of the flavours. Traditionally, it is eaten at Easter with cheese though. If it does start to go a bit stale, make a bread and butter pudding from it. The rich fruits will bring out the flavour of the dish and you can add cinnamon or spices to the batter to help marinate the flavours as it cooks.

The Honey Bun Jamaican Easter Bun makes a nice change from a hot cross bun, even though they’re related, and uses a mixture of Caribbean spices and candied fruit to give Easter a more tropical feel. It’s delicious too, with so many versatile ways of eating it. Will you try it with some cheese this year though?

Available from £4.65 at: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/277551240

She Grows Veg Valentines Gifts

Birthday Gifts, Children, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Spring, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Probably not your first thought for the typical Valentines present, but let me explain She Grows Veg to you and it will start to make sense!

She Grows Veg is an online seed company with a very modern, yet traditional twist. They sell seeds online, but they are heirloom seeds. That means the seeds are cultivated from rare varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and trees and are typically not found in your usual garden centres. This means that the varieties often have different looks, taste different and grow differently to what you might be used to. It’s an expanding industry where so many people are now getting into gardening especially growing their own food since lockdown.

She Grows Veg sell singular packets of seeds, but they also sell gift bags, like the two that were sent to us; Chilli Trio and Tomato Lover’s Bundle (£22.50). If you or your other half are gardeners, you’ll know that this is an excellent selection of seeds for someone who loves growing, especially growing and eating!

The Chilli Trio contains 3 different chilli seeds; Biquinho Red, Chocolate Habanero and Machu Pichu. On the back of each pack are the growing instructions and key facts, along with a QR code to find out more on a You Tube video. You can see from the photos on the packets what you’re getting, and helpfully, the instructions on the back tell you what kind of flavour each chilli is and how to use it. The Biquinho Red chillis are from Brazil and take a little longer to geminate but are worth it. I’ve never grown chillis before but the instructions say to start sowing in January or February indoors, so these are perfect as Valentines gifts.

The Tomato Lover’s Bundle contain 5 packets of tomatoes, none of which I’ve ever seen before. There are three hanging varieties; Crazy Cherry (a sweet green tomato), Red Currant (small, early ripening and very sweet) and Hanging Prince (plum shaped and unusually last for months if stored correctly). The other two tomatoes are Black Beauty and Green Doctors, but of which are favourites of Lucy and Kate at She Grows Veg. Each of the gift bundles comes with a gift bag to keep your seeds safe but can also be used to store larger seeds later in the year.

These are lovely gifts for Valentines and if you harvest the fruit right, they produce can go on for weeks in the summer. The fact that these seeds are heirloom and not easy to find anywhere else if at all, makes them all the more special as a gift.

Chilli Trio (£13): https://shegrowsveg.com/product/chilli-trio-with-gift-bag/Tomato Lover’s Bundle (£22.50): https://shegrowsveg.com/product/tomato-lovers-bundle/

Quenched Drinks

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

This year I have decided to take part in Dry January and whilst we’re only a few days in I’m enjoying discovering lots of great new drinks like these delicious sodas from Quenched. New to the market and bursting with flavour, Quenched sodas are available in three lightly sparkling flavours, Lime & Soda, Orange & Soda and Blackcurrant & Soda.

All three are bursting with flavour and are more on the side of sparkling than fizzy, which allows the flavour to develop nicely in your mouth. The sodas all taste incredibly natural, the lime and orange ones are incredibly zingy and the blackcurrant one has a pleasant sharpness. My favourite of the three was the lime, it tasted so fruity and natural, whilst also being nice and refreshing.

All three drinks are 100% natural and have no additives, preservatives or artificial sweeteners and with less than 69 calories per 330ml can, they are a great choice if you have overindulged over the festive period and are now on a New Year diet!

I’m really impressed with these drinks and will definitely be buying them again. Once Dry January is over I think they will be the perfect accompaniment to gin!

A pack of 12 costs £14.99 and if you can’t decide which flavour to go for there is a multipack containing all three flavours. Available from Amazon or Quenched Drinks here.

Sinzero Low Alcohol Chile Wine

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Him, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

No one misses out this Father’s Day with the Sinzero range of low and no alcohol wine. The range includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chardonnay, a Rosé and a Sparkling Brut white wine which have only recently been launched in the UK. Whether you’re drinking alcohol or not, each of the Chilean bottles tastes of summer and you won’t notice the difference having low alcohol makes compared to what you find on the supermarket shelves. Each variety has a maximum of 0.5% alcohol.

Starting with the Sinzero Chardonnay, which is both vegan and alcohol free, the unmistakeable sharpness of Chardonnay is still there, with a slightly fresher, fruiter scent and after taste. This makes a great accompaniment to food especially white meat and fish and doesn’t have the acidic flavour you’re used to with some Chardonnays, probably because it’s from Chile. I’m reliably informed it only has 20 calories per glass too!

The Sinzero Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon tastes of vanilla but has a fragrance of strawberries, redcurrants and summer berries. I loved this one on its own, not with food but it goes particularly well with lighter meals like Italian pasta, it is a lovely lunchtime wine. The Sinzero Chliean Cabernet Sauvignon is also award winning, with 96 points and a gold medal in the IWSC.

Sinzero Chilean Rosé is a great wine for BBQs and works swimmingly with pasta, cheese and lighter dishes. I can also be drunk on its own and is also vegan and less than 25 calories per glass. It’s crisp, floral and fruity, just like a rosé should be!

Finally, there’s the Sinzero Chilean Sparkling Brut. We saved this for a family birthday as everyone could drink it, regardless of age or what medication they were on! The sparkling, crisp wine goes with anything or can be drunk on its own as the celebratory drink it is meant to be. Like all the other Chilean wines, it is light and fruity plus has less than 0.5% alcohol. Perhaps a good sparkling for family celebrations, especially as it’s got a slightly sweeter taste?

I didn’t know non-alcohol and low alcohol wines could be so tasty, let alone light and refreshing like the Sinzero line. I’m looking forward to seeing what other varieties they bring out in the future!

All Sinzero products are available via DryDrinker.com;

Sinzero Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from £11.25 p/ bottle

Sinzero Chilean Chardonnay from £11.25 p/bottle

Sinzero Chilean Sparkling White Wine from £13.76 p/bottle

Sinzero Chilean Rosé from £11.99 p/bottle

Johnsons Lawn Seed Celebration Wildflower Tins

Children, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

I love gardening, especially this time of year when all the plants start to really take off, it’s a joy to be outside and the wildlife is taking over our gardens. I plant a lot of seeds, take cuttings and every year promise myself to do something different to encourage nature in the garden.

Johnsons Lawn Seed are helping with that goal. They don’t just sell grass seed for lawns, but seed mixes too. We were sent some Celebration Wildflower tins to try for this summer, which incidentally coincides with #NoMowMay; the month where we are encouraged to not mow the lawn and let the wildflowers, weeds and therefore nature take over. It increases diversity and encourages the ecosystem to flourish.

Johnsons Lawn Seed Celebration Wildflower tins are 100% wildflowers which cover up to 15 square metres, which is about the size of a large room. The prepare the area to be sown, a bed of soil needs to be weed free (to decrease competition) and raked finely to give a medium-fine seedbed. Seeds should be sown from April to the end of June, then rake over them slightly and water in to ensure the birds don’t get them! Wildflowers don’t need to be deep in the ground to be able to grow well. The wildflowers should start to bloom from mid-June onwards until the first frosts of the autumn (mid October) as long as you keep them watered, especially at the germination phase.

The tins, which are the same type of pull-cans as supermarket beans, contain 17 different seed types including California Poppy, Cornflower, Cosmos, Painted Daisy and Pot Marigold. Each of the different wildflowers grow to different heights and at different times so over the course of a summer you get a tumbling array of different flowers, scents and foliage. With each tin, the 15 square metres of soil space will probably provide a few wildflower bouquets over time as well, but the variety of different seeds will attract all sorts of butterflies, bees and even moths to the garden over the course of the season. Children will love to help plant these as well as watch them grow as they are quick to geminate and wildflowers by their nature are able to grow in all sorts of soil and spaces. If you don’t have a soil bed anywhere, a pot or window sill will also accommodate the blossoms if you keep them well watered.

The Celebration Wildflower seeds we planted this week haven’t germinated yet and it will be a few more months before they do, and we are looking forward to seeing what comes up, and what wildlife is attracted into the garden.

Available from £7.99 at most garden centres. See details at Johnsons seeds here: johnsonslawnseed.com

Kikkerland Seed Sprouters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RRP £21 from Kikkerland

Tyrrells

coronation, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Crisps are the staple savoury snack for buffets, parties and family get togethers. With Coronation parties being planned up and down the country you can guarantee that the nation will be chomping on crisps throughout the festivities. Crunchy and packed full of flavour they go with pretty much everything from sandwiches, cheese or even a pint.

I’m in charge of the buffet for The Review Studio Coronation party so was really pleased to receive a couple of bags of Tyrrells crisps, the regal sounding Coronation Chicken and the Tomato & Chilli Chutney flavour.

The Coronation Chicken crisps have been relaunched as a limited edition to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III. Packaged in celebratory packaging featuring plenty of colourful Union Jack flags, the crisps are made with the finest potatoes and hand cooked & spun for exquisite taste. Combining roast chicken with a subtle curry kick these crisps are nice and crunchy and incredibly moreish! I’m not always a huge fan of spicy crisps as I find that they can be a little strong but the bite of the curry was perfect and really complemented the roast chicken flavour without being overpowering.

With a RRP of £2.75 the 150g bags are currently available in Booths, Waitrose, Tesco, Asda and WHSmith Travel and will be available at BP from 2nd May.

The brand new Tomato & Chilli Chutney flavour crisps have a warm chilli flavour with a hint of smokiness. These crisps are packed full of flavour with a perfect crunch and are the perfect addition to any picnic or Coronation party this summer.

The 150g bags have a RRP of £2.75 and are currently available from Asda and Waitrose and look out for them in Tesco from 21^st March.

Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn Easter Selection Box

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

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

Whilst enjoying the Joe & Seph’s Easter Selection Box this week, my family turned to me and said, “When you write this up, can you describe this as ‘yummy’?” If that’s not an endorsement of their gourmet popcorn, I don’t know what is!

Joe & Seph’s have one 82 Great Taste Awards (and counting) for their range of gourmet popcorn over the past 13 years. Their snacks are made with the finest ingredients, under the supervision of Joe in their London kitchens. Their brand reaches past just popcorn too, with a Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road bar, popcorn bars and vegan chocolate caramel sauce, among other items. Winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise has helped Joe & Seph’s gain notoriety for their brand but mostly are known for their ‘yummy’ snacks!

We were sent an Easter Selection Box to try this week. A replacement for anyone who doesn’t want a chocolate Easter egg, and for adults who might want to share Easter offerings, the popcorn comes in a posted presentation box. There are two packets of three varieties of Joe & Seph’s popcorn; Trio of Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate & Hazelnut, and Gingerbread. The Trio of Chocolate is actually pieces of popcorn covered in white chocolate, milk chocolate and cookies & cream.

Opening the gold printed presentation box, which is an ideal size to wrap as a gift, you can see the Easter selection presented in the see-through box. It could also be broken up into smaller gifts as there are two of each variety, each individually wrapped. It’s a lovely present for anyone who doesn’t like chocolate Easter eggs!

Joe & Seph’s popcorn is healthier than cinema popcorn as it’s air-popped and coated in butter, like the American version, whereas here in the UK we are used to oil and sugar popcorn. Using 100% natural ingredients and a range of flavours to coat the popcorn, including both sweet and savoury seasonings.

It wasn’t just my family who were excited when the Joe & Seph’s Easter Selection Box arrived this week. Having tried some of the popcorn a few weeks ago for the first time, it was a real treat to be trying another set of flavours. I look forward to seeing what other popcorn-inspired snacks they have in the future, but in the meantime, this Easter Selection Box will keep us in TV snacks for a long while, and in turn, keep everyone happy.

Available for £14.99 at: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/gifts/easter-gourmet-popcorn-selection-box

Aoura London Secret Envy Body Mist

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Fragrance, Gifts for Her, Mother's Day, Spring, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Women

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

Spring is a time for new beginnings so is the perfect excuse to try a new fragrance! Aoura London recently sent me a bottle of their Secret Envy body mist which is a wonderfully fresh and smells like a luxury perfume but doesn’t come with the hefty price tag. With fruity top notes of sweet pear and bergamot, heart notes of lily of the valley and vetiver and base notes of patchouli, dry woods, and vanilla this body mist is light and feminine and perfect for everyday wear.

As well as giving a delicate fragrance to your body, body mists help hydrate it too and I was pleased to find that the spray on the bottle is nice and strong, making it easy to spray on my body. The smell is lovely and fresh and gently fades through the day, becoming a delicate hint on the body. Obviously, it doesn’t last as long as an expensive perfume but the bottle isn’t heavy so you can easily keep it in your bag or desk for top ups during the day.

I am so pleased with this body mist, it is perfect as an everyday fragrance and I have had lots of compliments since I started wearing it. There are three other fragrances in the range – Ruby Kiss, Sweet Dreams and Forever Love and I have just spotted that they are currently on offer at Superdrug so it’s the perfect excuse to treat myself to a couple more!!

RRP £9.99 but currently on offer at £5.99

Crayola Colours of Kindness

Birthday Gifts, Children, Easter, Family Life, Gifts for children, Learning, Spring, Stocking Fillers, Toys

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

With Easter coming up I have been thinking about how to keep my children occupied in the school holidays. They really enjoy drawing and colouring so they will love these new Colours of Kindness products from Crayola.

The Colours of Kindness range are designed to inspire kindness, creativity and memories – each one has inspirational words on the barrel, perfect for the little personalities who are holding them.

The coloured pencils come in a box of 12 and the words of kindness are written in gold on the side of the pencil, the words include “Hello Sunshine” and “A Warm Hug” and are great for any budding artist. The pencils are excellent quality, and they colour in very evenly, the leads seem nice and strong so perfect for heavier handed children.

The washable markers have a fine tip and the ink flows beautifully, without being too wet, so they don’t bleed when colouring. There are 10 markers in the set in a lovely selection of spring colours, Crayola always have such lovely names for their colours and I love the green “Granny Smith Apple” and the purple “Wisteria”

The special edition 24 pack of crayons contains a fantastic array of colours which are perfect for any budding artist. Crayola always have lots of fantastic colours and there is a lovely selection of oranges, purples, pinks, greens and blues in this box.

The Colours of Kindness Colouring book is packed full of inspiring words and pictures to colour. I especially liked how the book has perforations so you can easily remove the picture, either to colour or to display once the picture is finished.

I really love the positive messages on these products, my eldest’s new favourite colour is powder blue with “sky’s the limit” whilst the youngest who loves purple is drawn to orchid with the “nurture nature” message

Colouring in is always a fantastic rainy day activity and Crayola have made it even better by embossing these wonderful and positive messages on the side of the pens, pencils and crayons. The children are loving them and they are the perfect way to keep them occupied in the Easter holidays

Sylvanian Families Easter Celebration Set

Birthday Gifts, Children, Easter, Gifts for children, Spring, Toys

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

Our mini reviewers had an early Easter treat this week when we received the Easter Celebration Set from Sylvanian Families. Presented in a beautiful Easter themed pastel coloured box the set includes two bunnies called Serena & Romeo Marguerite who are both dressed in beautiful Easter outfits complete with matching marguerite brooches and Easter bonnets. The set also includes a selection of Easter accessories, eggs and sweets so the bunnies can have a festive Easter egg hunt.

Serena is wearing a beautiful yellow and green dress and pink hat and Romeo is wearing a purple suit with a matching hat. The clothes are well made and can easily be removed and our mini reviewers, who already have a collection of Sylvanian family figures, loved swapping the outfits around with their other figures. They also enjoyed having an Easter egg hunt with the bunnies, one would go out of the room whilst the other put the sweets in the three mini Easter eggs and then come back in and look for them.

As a parent, the thing I love about Sylvanian Families is that the toys encourage children to use their imagination and it is lovely watching and hearing the escapades the figures get up to!! I used to love collecting and playing with my Sylvanian Family figures (which I still have ) and it is lovely to see my children enjoying them too.

Our mini reviewers loved this set and gave it a huge thumbs up! It is a great addition to their ever growing Sylvanian families collection and will provide hours of entertainment for them over the Easter holidays.

Aimed at children aged 3 and above this set would make a lovely Easter gift. It is available from the Sylvanian Familes website here

RRP £21.99

Oust Descaler and Dylon Colour Catcher

Family Life, Home & Garden, Spring

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

It’s Spring time again, and that means it’s finally warm enough to have all the furniture turned upside down, the kitchen cupboards cleared out and everything spring cleaned. It’s a never ending task to keep the house clean, especially if you have children or pets at home and some of the tasks seem to fall through the net unless you make a special effort.

Take descaling the kettle for one. How often do you actually do it? In my area, which is extremely hard water, it feels like I should do it once a week and that’s with a water filter! The kettle furs up so quickly, and it’s not like you can pop it in the dishwasher to get clean. It’s not just the kettle though, the hard water affects glasses and mugs, the iron, the pipework in the house and even my stainless steel sink.

Oust Descaler can descale, well, almost anything. Starting with the kettle, the treatment sachets can descale irons, coffee machines and even showerheads. There are instructions on each of the packets on how to descale each item until all of the limescale is gone and all you need is some boiling water and a bit of time, which in most cases is no more than 6-8 minutes. I started by descaling my kettle. The instructions stage you need to boil half a kettle of water first, then leave it to cool down for 10 minutes and adding one of the Oust sachets. There’s no scrubbing to do and no hard work involved, you just leave the solution for 6 minutes to do its job, or 8 minutes if the limescale is particularly bad.

After the kettle was descaled, I emptied the contents (which were still hot) into the stainless steel sink and let Oust do its magic again. This time it took a little longer (about 10 minutes) but without and scrubbing again, and I did a bit more work on the kettle by standing it upside down in the filled sink to get to the limescale around the top of the spout. It worked a treat!

Out All Purpose Descaler comes in a bottle or as I was sent, three sachets. One box of 3 sachets costs around £1.65.

Dylon Colour Catcher Sheets are another product you hope you won’t need to use, but usually do. Colour Catcher Sheets are for laundry loads where one of the (usually bright) coloured clothes is new, or hasn’t had the colour set right before you wash it. This can be particularly bad with new pairs of jeans where the indigo isn’t washed out yet, and yes, it colours everything else in the wash, especially a hot wash.

If you have a new item of clothing, or something like a new pair of jeans which you know are probably going to run, just pop one of the colour catcher sheets in with the load of laundry, as if they are an extra piece of clothing. Much like the Oust Descaler, you don’t have to do anything, just let the washing machine do its job and clean the clothes as normal. The Colour Catcher works on any temperature of washing, so you can use it with everyday items, towels, clothes or even bedding.

Once the load is finished, you can see the Colour Catcher, if it’s needed, has absorbed the coloured dye of the garment. If you didn’t need the Colour Catcher, then the sheet stays white but sometimes picks up subtle colour runs from other garments. It’s a life saver!

Dylon Colour Catcher Sheets (24) available for £2.40 at:

https://www.wilko.com/new-dylon-colour-catcher-sheets-24-pack/p/0532867

Oust All Purpose Descaler:

https://www.oustdescalers.co.uk

BiGDUG BiG340 Shelving Unit

Birthday Gifts, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Spring, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

It might still be winter, but my garage is in dire need of a spring clean! I always seem to have more stuff than places to put it and can’t seem to stop piling things on top of each other. My workbench is hidden under a pile of tools, paint pots are stacked on the floor and I’ve come to the decision that I really need to sort out some shelving for the garage.

BiGDUG are an online company who specialise in storage solutions, supplying to individuals and businesses since 2004 so when they asked if we would like to review their BiG340 shelving it was just the motivation I needed to finally get my garage tidied and return it to some semblance of order.

At 1980mm high and 1220 x 455mm wide the red and grey shelving unit offers plenty of storage space and I decided that it was the perfect place to keep all my paint pots.

The shelving arrived in three packages and all the parts were well protected, it weighs quite a lot, especially the shelves, and the frame is really quite sturdy being made of 1.8mm steel on the uprights and 2mm for the shelf beams.

Assembly is really simple, it all slots together nicely needing just a tap from the rubber mallet (supplied) to lock the shelves into the single piece uprights. The 5, 15mm thick chipboard shelves just slot on and can be adjusted in 38mm height increments. Mine took less than 30 minutes to assemble!

Before loading it up though, there was one important job to do, I drilled a few holes into my garage wall and secured the rack with screws and washers. There are plenty of holes in the uprights to choose mounting positions from. With each unit able to store up to 340kg it will certainly hold a lot of paint cans.

I’m really pleased with the racking and with the paint all sorted, I just need to tackle the rest of the garage now!

The current cost of this set is £99.99 (normally £131) and with loads of different storage options available you can easily fit out your garage or shed with BiGDUG. It is available on their website here

Water Babies Waterproof Onesie

Autumn, Baby, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Spring, Summer, Winter

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review. All words and opinions are our own.

Winter is truly upon us, and the weather is getting more grey and wet as the month goes on.

Young children love rainy days, but us parents not so much as it often means we need to pack extra clothes, coats, and shoes to change into after a downpour for our children to get changed into.

Well, not anymore, thanks to @waterbabies!

Water Babies are a household name thanks to their wonderful swimming programme for babies and toddlers.

Their waterproof onesies are a #musthave for any parent with young children as they not only look stylish with the coloured cuffs, but it also looks super fun with the cartoon whale pattern.

Whether you have been caught in a rainstorm or a fun afternoon of puddle jumping, this onesie is brilliant at keeping your little one warm and dry with its large hood, cuffed sleeves, waterproof outer and fleece inner.

It’s available in 3 sizes. Small 6-12m, Medium 1-2yrs, Large 2-3yrs, and comes in two stunning colours Navy Bubba and White Bubba.

Treat the little one in your life to this beautiful waterproof onesie this Christmas.

Available to buy from https://shop.waterbabies.co.uk/products/new-waterproof-onesie

RRP £26

Maaree Sisterhoodie

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Sport, Spring, Summer, Winter, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review. All words and opinions are our own.

Do you struggle to find the perfect Christmas gift for the fashion lover in your life?

The Maaree Sisterhoodie is the perfect choice for fashionistas everywhere!

This gorgeous hooded sweatshirt has so many awesome features, including a zipped sports watch viewer, an oversized zip puller, and cuffed thumb loops!

The sisterhoodies’ soft and thermal polyamide blend provides a fitted aesthetic without being restrictive, which is perfect for daily use and can even be worn in the gym, on a hike, or just for leisure

This is a must-have for any wardrobe and will soon become a firm favourite!

Style wise, it is slim fitting and very flattering. It can be worn with jeans, sweats, or even leggings and looks stunning.

The Sisterhoodie comes in a very eye-catching raspberry colour and is available in sizes XS to XXL.

It retails for £79 and is a worthy investment for your wardrobe!

Available to buy from https://www.maaree.com/products/sisterhoodie