Pikachu Pokemon Flat Brass Ornaments

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

I bet you’ve never seen Pikachu ornaments for the Christmas tree before, let alone these gorgeous brass decorations! The Pokemon people have brought out these fabulous flat brass silhouettes of Pikachu to adorn your Christmas tree for years to come. There’s six in a pack and two different designs, already ribboned and ready to go straight on your tree. 

These are high quality ornaments which will last much longer than just one year thanks to being metal made and sturdy at that. The brass is highly polished so they catch the light, and especially work with the Christmas tree lights shining through them, like in the photo above. The metallic gold colour works with any colour scheme but even if you’re not a Pokemon or Pikachu fan, they are subtle enough to sit on any tree.

As gifts for children who love their Pokemon, these are brilliant in the run up to Christmas or for children who have their own tree to decorate at home. They’re pricy, but teenagers with an interest in Pokemon will love them!  They will last for years too thanks to their outline structure in brass. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of the characters, they’re still beautiful at Christmas time.

Available from £24.99 at:

https://www.pokemoncenter.com/en-gb/product/710-95567/pikachu-pokemon-winter-wonders-flat-brass-ornaments-6-pack

Puma Golf Double Canopy Umbrella

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

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

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

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

Available from £44.99 at:

Buff Knitted Neckwarmer

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

It’s incredibly cold at the moment, but that doesn’t stop us getting out on the fells and going for a brisk walk, we just need to wrap up warmer and my Buff Evo Dahlia neck warmer has been invaluable this weekend. I always think a Buff is an essential piece of outdoor gear as they are so versatile, I not only use mine as a neck warmer, but it can be a hat and balaclava too and is just what you need to keep you warm on a chilly day.

The cotton knitted neck warmer is so comfortable to wear, it’s a good length, so there’s plenty of fabric to bunch around your neck or pull over your face to protect you from the elements and it’s lovely and warm too. It was bitterly cold up on the top of the fells and I have been very glad of it this weekend, the wind was icy and with my hood up and my mouth covered, I could enjoy the walk despite the cold weather .

The neck warmer is 28cm long with enough material to bunch up on my neck, or it can be pulled up over my ears to keep them warm. It is easy to pull over my head and is made in a single tube so there are no seams to irritate. Once you warm up you can just slip it in a pocket.

It’s the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys walking, cycling or even walking the dog and is available in 8 different colours.

RRP £28.95

Altruist Christmas Box

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

The cold weather always plays havoc with my skin, so I was really pleased to receive a lovely selection of skincare products from Altruist. The Christmas Box contains four fantastic products, chosen to offer round the year skincare and the products are beautifully packed in red shredded paper, making them look very festive.

Altruist products have been developed by consultant dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr Andrew Birnie and whilst they are suitable for all skin types, they are especially suitable for sensitive skin.

Inside the box are the following products

• Altruist SPF 30 Face Fluid – 50ml
• Altruist Moisturising Fluid – 50ml
• Altruist Primer SPF 50 – 30ml
• Altruist Moisturising Body Lotion – 200ml

It can take a month to see improvements in your skin when you change your skincare routine and I’m pleased to say I am now seeing positive results – my skin feels more hydrated and now has a radiance that definitely wasn’t there before.  

The Moisturising Fluid contains 0.5% Hyaluronic Acid and is enriched with glycerin, urea and shea butter to enhance the skin’s natural moisturising factors. It can be used as a both a day and night cream offering plenty of hydration for my dry, sensitive skin.  The cream soaked into my skin without needing to rub too much and it felt instantly hydrating.

I always use a face cream with SPF protection no matter what time of year as even a sunny day in the winter or a cloudy day in the summer can have very damaging UVA & UVB rays. I spend a lot of time outdoors, so it is very important for my skincare products to have a SPF rating so was pleased to find that both the Face Fluid and the Primer are SPF rated. The SPF30 Face Fluid is nice and light and is easily applied on top of the Moisturising Fluid. Once applied it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky like some SPF creams tend to be and is perfect for everyday protection.  

The SPF50 Primer is a light cream which is applied before foundation, as well as offering protection from UVA and UVB rays. It absorbs into my skin nicely, creating a soft, hydrated canvas for my makeup which now seems to last for longer. 

The moisturising body lotion is a lovely rich consistency and is nice and easy to apply. The skin on my arms and legs is quite dry and this body lotion is very moisturising and smoothing and I have noticed that after using it morning and night for a month a persistent patch of dry skin on the back of my arm has cleared up too.

I am really pleased with the Altruist products, my skin is looking much better and is no longer dry and problematic.  The Christmas Gift Set is a lovely set and is bound to be well received by anyone finding it underneath the Christmas Tree this year.

Altruist also donate 40p for every box sold, to charities that support children with albinism so when buying the giftset you are also helping a good cause.

Edurino Coding Skills Starter Kit

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

Edurino create playful learning apps on phones and tablets for children aged 4-8 years old. There’s a variety of different apps, each guided by a cartoon character and cover subjects of learning such as numbers & shapes, word games, plants & wildlife and creativity & design.  This Edurino game is for Early Coding Skills – games which stimulate children’s ability to solve puzzles and non-verbal reasoning.  

The Early Coding Skills set from Edurino is guided by the character Luca and uses the Luca figuring and Edurino pen which are included in the starter kit.  You need your own phone or tablet to download the app (there’s a QR code in the instructions to make it easier) and an adult’s email address for the login.  Once the app is downloaded, you put the figurine on the screen so that it reads which starter pack you’re working from, then after entering the login details, you create the character of your child to take part in the story, including their name.

The Edurino Early Coding world takes you on a journey to discover what the Chaos Bugs have done to mess up the factory and along the map, your child solves the puzzles to further the characters along the journey. Some of the puzzles are recognition of shapes and cartoon faces, creating blocks to the right shape in order to fix the wall and simple pattern recognition.  The games are all aimed at children aged 4-8 so they’re not super hard, but if your child gets stuck and can’t ask you for help, they can click on Luca onscreen and ask for help. The Edurino Pen is designed to teach children how to hold a pencil properly (there’s even a tutorial onscreen as part of the app) and uses the pen in different ways to challenge their thinking, but also get them used to using the pen, which works on any touchscreen.

Depending on the age and skill of your child, this game could be finished relatively quickly, or you can replay each of the levels to give them more practice. The levels have different skills which are needed to complete them, and build up to a set of skills needed for coding. Even if your child isn’t interested in coding, the games are straightforward and stimulating that they can sit and complete them without much help.  If you do need to help, it’s pretty easy to work out what you have to do, and the verbal instructions are really easy to follow.

It did take a while to set up though and you need to be connected to the internet. I couldn’t find a way of playing without creating an account either, so you have to be prepared to give your email address over and be able to verify it so if you’re using this to go on holiday or drive somewhere, make sure you set it up first for children otherwise it will become very frustrating!  There’s also places where it directs you to the parent site which is in German, so be prepared to have to re-type to the UK/US version to be able to read in English.

It’s a great way of teaching children the basics of coding and how to problem solve with non-verbal reasoning. The Edurino app is easy to follow for children and safe too with the parental controls which requires the user to be able to read.  It’s quite pricy at £44.95 but that includes the price of the Edurino Pen and the figurine too, which children can place over the pen and play with at another time. Even better, they learn a lot too!

https://www.edurino.co.uk

Available from £44.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edurino-Ergonomic-Educational-Recognition-Handwriting/dp/B0CH3TVJD4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=144HGANAAPZV3&keywords=arduino+starter+kit&qid=1701535184&sprefix=edurino+starter+kit%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Ava May Fairtrade Wax Melts

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

Ava May of Mayfair have just released the first ever Fairtrade wax melts to the UK market, made from products cultivated in Sri Lanka and the result of 2 years’ work to produce some beautiful home fragrances.  Wax melts vary from candles because although they are made of ‘wax’ like candles, they don’t have a wick and are instead melted over a flame in a special wax burner.  The aroma from the wax melts fills the room and slowly melts away but has the advantage of lasting longer than a candle.

We were sent a box of 7 of Ava May’s most popular wax melts to try:

  • Lavender, Geranium & Chamomile
  • Bergamot, Coconut & Tonka
  • Rose Water & White Musk
  • Saffron, Pepper & Oud
  • Damask Rose, Cedar & Oud
  • Pear, Patchouli & Orange Blossom
  • Neroli, Eucalyptus & Musk

Each of the waxes lasts for about 8 hours and can be re-melted in that time so if you don’t get a continuous run of 8 hours, the wax solidifies and can be melted later. There’s no cleaning up after a candle either, but it is recommended that you clean out the wax burner after each fragrance so that you don’t get cross-contamination.

All of the ingredients of the Ava May wax melts are 100% natural, and certified Fairtrade meaning there is a fair deal for all the producers who supply from around the world. The Ava May products are cruelty-free and vegan too with one of the main ingredients being coconut oil with added pure essential oils to create the different scents.

The fragrances are all designed to help relax you and take you to another place at the end of the day, especially in winter when we all need a bit of help. The sensory impact of scents such as Damask Rose and Lavender & Chamomile help with relaxation when the evenings are long. My favourite (and I haven’t had a chance to sample them all yet) is the Rose Water & White Musk scent for its fresh melodies and reminder of clean laundry.  The wax melts take just a few seconds to start releasing the fragrances and filling the room and they linger on for longer than the 8 hours melt time.

Ava May of Mayfair Wax Melts are an elegant way of adding comfort to your home, or being able to gift to someone the ability to relax at home.

Available online in various gift forms from: https://avamayaromas.com/wax-melts/

Joe & Seph’s Christmas Popcorn and Festive Chocolates 

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

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

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

Quite the Christmas Collection! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grangers Down Care Kit and Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield available from £7.45 at:

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

Edifier WH500

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

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

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

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

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

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

AOURA Body Mist Giftset

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

If you are looking for reasonably priced Christmas Stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts then the Aoura Body Mist giftset is perfect, costing a very reasonable £13 it can either be given as one gift or split up for stocking fillers.

The set contains four fragrances, Paradise Bliss, Pretty Woman, Midnight Passion and Love Rush which are packaged in pretty jewel coloured 60ml octagonal bottles.

Love Rush in the deep pink bottle is a fruity and spicy scent which is perfect for day and night. It has hints of vanilla and aims to remind you of what falling in love feels like again! With notes of bergamot, blackcurrant and pear it is a fragrance designed to capture the excitement of life. It’s light and easy to wear and is a great everyday fragrance.

Pretty Woman comes in a light pink bottle and is a lighter fragrance scented with bergamot and pear. When you spray it, you initially smell the delicate rose fragrance which is followed by sweet vanilla notes with a hint of musk and patchouli. This is my favourite of the four and I receive lots of compliments when I wear it.

Midnight Passion in the purple bottle is a heavier fragrance and one I would wear in the evening when going out. The floral fragrance has top notes of bitter orange and anise, middle notes of rose and almond and base notes of tonka bean, creamy vanilla, and sandalwood.

Paradise Bliss comes in a beautiful turquoise bottle and reminds me of the sea and walks on the beach. The enticing mixture of heliotrope, orange blossom and mango combined with the closing notes of hazelnut, wood and creamy coconut milk is sweet and fresh and a lovely fragrance to wear during the day.

The pump spray is nice and powerful giving a good spray from just one pump. Obviously, the mist isn’t as strong as perfume, so it does need topping up during the day which isn’t a problem as the 60ml bottles fits nicely in my handbag.

This is a lovely giftset and anyone receiving it on Christmas Day is going to be delighted with it.  

Available at Boots ( included in the 3 for 2 Christmas offer) and Amazon

Mr Kipling Best Ever All Butter Mince Pies

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

Over the years, Mr Kipling has become not only a household name but synonymous with Christmas. Most of our Christmas favourite foods are now table staples including mince pies and this year is no exception.  The Signature K Collection from Mr Kipling have these fabulous ‘Best Ever’ mince pies in shops now and we couldn’t wait to try them!

Unlike other mince pies, Mr Kipling’s Best Ever range have only 4 in a box. The Signature K Collection mince pies also vary in aesthetics and taste too which makes them stand out from the rest and dare I say it, look homemade!  The pastry is deliciously crumbly, due to the amount of butter in the ingredients. Even before you can eat it and you’re taking it out of the foil, there’s a certain amount of ‘crumbing’, just to remind you how mince pies are meant to taste and how rich and indulgent this Mr Kipling variety is going to be! The pastry is light and delicious and holds together beautifully!

The filling is made of vine fruit mincemeat with added apple and spices. The mincemeat is infused with cider and brandy to give a richer taste, but you really can’t taste the alcohol at all, so these are suitable for children too.  The pie is topped with a delicate pastry snowflake and lightly dusted for that festive look which will shine on the Christmas Lunch table.  The mixture of the fruits, in combination with the powdery pastry and light icing sugar decoration make these Mr Kipling Mince Pies irresistible, and perfect for Christmas.

Available from £3.00 at: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/315076278?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+New*MPX_PMAX_All_OT_All+Products_Online+Budget_1009392**315076278*&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA04arBhAkEiwAuNOsIn7SWyeQApgw58ndmdy1NmMEwqvuYTFZ6-cqTRDKrGimWHxSnnXlORoC9ZwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The LOGO Board Game – 2nd edition

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

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

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

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

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

RRP: £32.99

Suitable for ages: 12yrs+

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

Critically Endangered Socks – Elephant Speckle

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

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

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

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

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

Available from £12.00 at:

Dog Keychain from Kikkerland

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

Dog lovers, this one is for you!

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

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

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

Available from £9.00 at:

PUMA x Modibodi Active Period Underwear

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

The revolution in period products started a few years ago when we saw more and more period items in the shops that gave women and girls more flexible options. One of the newer inventions are the period pants – the ability to wear underwear without having to worry about sanitary pads to protect clothes. Modibodi came up with period pants designed specifically for sport, and along with PUMA, they’ve brought out a new range of Active Period Underwear.

The PUMA x Modibodi Period and Leak-Proof Underwear we were sent (called Active Cheeky Briefs!) are already graded 2/4 for absorbency which is around 10ml or the equivalent of 2 tampons.  That’s quite a lot for just a pair of pants!  They’re made of recyclable material and are machine washable and I especially like that shape because they’re not big and bulky but have a slimmer fit to them, which is exactly what I want from a brief.  The material used is stretchy and silky too, so you won’t get a VPL.  The waist is elasticated and there were no problems overall with the fit.

When using them, I didn’t find any leakage. All the new reusable sanitary pads and knickers seem to be extra absorbent compared to the disposable towels and tampons of old.  When at the gym, I forgot that I was wearing these and even out for a run there was no problem with movement or stretching and no chafing either!  They’re very versatile, so it got me thinking that these PUMA x Modibodi pants would be great for travelling on long journeys where you weren’t sure about facilities and didn’t want to be uncomfortable. I can imagine wearing them on planes and trains to feel more secure.  

These are a brilliant idea and I feel like they’re a lifestyle change, away from the need to carry so much with you for each period but are so discreet you don’t need to worry about them. If you’re hesitant, wear them with a sanitary pad first to prevent leaks, and eventually you’ll see how much more absorbent they are, especially with all the different designs Modibodi are coming up with!

Available online from £15 (in the sale) at Modibodi

Kikkerland Make Your Own Tea Kit

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

For the tea lover who has everything, they will always need more tea! Kikkerland have this gorgeous Make Your Own Tea Kit tin which has everything you need to brew your own. 

Whether you’re a loose tea lover who wants to make your own blend or simply take loose tea with you out and about, or if you love making whole new blends of herbal teas, perhaps from your own dried flowers and fruits from the garden, this is for you. The tin contains a bamboo tea spoon, 5 reusable teabags, 2 mesh envelopes and a booklet on how to make and blend tea.

The mesh envelopes are for collecting your herbs, flowers or berries from the garden and helping them dry so that you can make your infusion later.  The mesh bags are sewn on three sides to make it easier to collect and store natural items easily and allow the air to dry them naturally. Each of the teabags is drawstring and can be washed in a normal washing machine cycle after use. The bags have ample room for brewing tea, and not just herbal teas but loose tea works well too. There’s a lovely bamboo spoon which allows you to dolly-up the mixture into each bag, or even stir the infusion once the teabag is in your cup. The handy green tin also doubles up as an air-tight container to keep your teabags in once you’ve made them up but not yet used them!

The Kikkerland Make Your Own Tea Kit is a lovely kit for Secret Santa or a friend who loves making their own tea. Teenagers who are learning to make their own infusions will love the practicality of this make-your-own craft kit.

Available online for £13.00 at: https://kikkerlandeu.com/products/make-your-own-tea-kit?_pos=1&_sid=b07c6d0a5&_ss=r

Kingsland Drinks Wine Selection

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

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice bottle of wine with their Christmas dinner, or cosied up in front of a roaring fire? We certainly do so were delighted to receive a selection of wines chosen by the experts at Kingsland Drinks, which as well as being lovely gifts are the perfect accompaniment to Christmas lunch.

Rosé fans will love the Tourmaline 2022 rosé from esteemed producers, Barton & Guestier. The wine is in a gorgeous tall bottle with a glass stopper and the dry wine has floral, citrus, pear, peach and red berry notes. Best served chilled, the delicious fruity wine is dry and crisp and great with food or  drunk whist curled up in front of a fire with loved ones. With a beautiful pink hue this French wine is hard to beat.  

ABV 12.5% RRP £26.99 available from Waitrose (currently £18.99)

The South Australian Sauvignon Blanc from The Hidden Sea is perfect for Christmas lunch, we enjoyed this zingy citrussy wine with chicken, but it will go just as well with turkey and if you are having a seafood starter even better as it pairs nicely with seafood. This is a delightful fresh wine and is very smooth and palatable and also works really well as a spritzer with ice and sparkling water. Another bonus is for every bottle purchased The Hidden Sea will remove the equivalent of 10 x 500ml plastic bottles from the sea and recycle them, so perfect for those who want to do their bit for the environment.

ABV 12% RRP £8 Suitable for vegans, available from Sainsbury’s and Asda

Champagne might be out of your budget this Christmas, so a bottle of Prince Alexandre Crémant de Loire is purse friendly. Made in France in the exact same method as Champagne, this sparkling wine is a subtle blend of  Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc and boasts a fresh elegant aroma of citrus and white stone fruit with hints of biscuity notes. When I poured it into a tall flute there was a multitude of bubbles that jumped and fizzed and popped satisfyingly on my tongue, served chilled it is perfect for a festive toast.

ABV 12.5% RRP £14.49, Waitrose

These wines should appeal to pretty much all palates and I’m off to Waitrose to stock up whilst the Christmas offers are available!!

Articulate

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

Christmas is a time when families and friends get together and as the festive season approaches it’s the perfect time to invest in a couple of new board games to play with your nearest and dearest.

Articulate the “fast talking description game” from Drumond Park is a great game to play as whilst it can be played with 4 people it is much more fun played in teams. It’s really easy to get the hang of too so is perfect when playing with family members with a mix of ages.

The circular board unfolds to reveal coloured sections named with the following categories – people, world, objects, actions, nature and random. Players are split into teams and it depends on the number of players as to how many describers and guessers there are. The game begins by placing the counters on the start segment and the first team then have 30 seconds to describe the object listed on the card to the rest of their team, if they shout a correct answer, they keep picking cards and describing words from the same category until the timer runs out. Once their turn is over they move their counter forward by the number of correct words.

Sounds straightforward – it is but once you get started there are a few extra twists to add more excitement to the game. If you land on a white CONTROL segment play does not pass to the next team, instead the same team pick the next card and the describer/s describe the item marked with the spade icon to all the players, there is no time limit for this and play passes to the team who shouts out the correct answer first. The other curveball in the game is the orange and red segments which extend into the centre of the board. When a counter lands on one of these the team spins the spinner to try and win bonus places or the opportunity to move an opponent back a few places.

It’s a very fast paced game and as you are racing against the clock you’ll find your voice getting louder and using your hands to try and describe the words on the cards, much to the delight of the rest of the players. Some of the categories are much harder to describe than others so if you are playing with children younger than the 12+ recommended age you may need to look at a few cards to pick one they can describe easily. With 500 cards, each with a word for all six categories you’ll be able to play it every day over the festive period without using the same words!

This is a fantastic game and will be a great addition to any Christmas festivities this year.

RRP: £32.99 but currently £17.99 at Amazon

Suitable for ages: 12yrs+

Stockists include: Independent toy shops, Amazon, Smyths, Argos, ASDA, WH Smiths, Hamleys, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and The Works Stores

Danilo Calendars

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

Now Halloween is over thoughts are turning to Christmas and buying gifts. Calendars make great stocking fillers and Secret Santa gifts and here are a few of our favourites from Danilo, Europe’s number one publisher of licensed calendars, that are bound to be well received on Christmas morning.

Despite all the electronic options available I still like a paper calendar in the kitchen as it’s easy for the whole family to see at a glance what’s going on – whether that’s birthdays, appointments,  holidays or reminders for insurance and MOT’s. There are lots of different wall calendars available but I especially like a calendar that has columns for each family member as it makes it easy to see at a glance who is doing what.

The Great British Bake Off 2024 Official Family Organiser has 5 columns to keep all the family organised along with a seasonal recipe to try each month. It also has over 200 stickers which are perfect for highlighting important dates such as birthdays, school holidays, dentist and doctors appointments helping them stand out on the calendar.

As you would expect from Danilo it is very good quality and the images of the cakes and pastries all look absolutely delicious. There is a handy pouch at the back of the calendar to store the stickers, receipts and all those important bits of paper that you accumulate as a family.

RRP £9.99

Perfect for the home or the office these Harry Potter calendars make great stocking fillers or even Secret Santa gifts.

The Harry Potter Desk Postcard Desk Calendar is spiral bound and has the dates down the right-hand side alongside a colourful graphical image from the eight Harry Potter films. The calendar is designed to be flipped over and each image is actually a postcard that can be removed along the perforated edge and kept or posted to a friend.

RRP £6.99

The Harry Potter Desk Block Calendar is a page-a-day calendar designed to sit on a desk. It has a hard cover and has a separate page for each day featuring fun quotes, trivia and images of characters from all the Harry Potter films including Harry, Ron and Hermione along with others. It can laid flat on a desk or use the cover to stand it up.  

RRP  £10.99

Flip a Zoo Mushmillows

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

When I was a child my auntie made me a Topsy Turvy Doll which was my absolute favourite toy and went everywhere with me. One head had a smiley face and flowery summer dress and when you flipped the skirt there was an identical head but this time the doll was in a nightgown, so it was like having two different dolls in one.

FlipaZoo™ are the same idea but instead of dolls they are animals, ours is the cat and dog but there are plenty of other combinations including giraffe/elephant, shark/dolphin, polar bear/ husky and unicorn. The 38cm cuddly toy has gorgeous big eyes and magically transforms from one animal to another and is suitable for children aged 1 year upwards. It’s really easy to switch from one animal to another and our mini reviewers soon got the hang of it! Simply fold the body part of the animal over the head to reveal a different animal.

The toys are lovely and soft and once the ear tag had been cut off was quickly grabbed for cuddles with our mini reviewer.  As well as being a lovely toy FlipaZoo™ doubles up as a pillow for nap time and I can see this being invaluable when travelling with children as something familiar that they associate with nap time will help them sleep when they have a change to their normal routine.

The toy has been a great hit with our mini reviewers and for me the standout feature is the softness, it is so soft and tactile which makes it extremely cuddly.  The stuffing is just the right balance between firmness and squishiness and it bounced back into shape after being sat on and used as a pillow! Looking at the stitching, it is very well-made and I didn’t spot any small holes in the seams that little fingers can poke in, so it should last a very long time. Whilst I haven’t washed it yet it is good to know that it can be washed when the need arises.

If you are searching for inspiration for gifts for little ones then a FlipaZoo™ toy comes highly recommended by our mini reviewers and will make a wonderful gift for little ones this Christmas which will be loved and cherished for years to come.

RRP £22.99 available from The Entertainer

NOMO Christmas Chocolates

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

NOMO (No More Missing Out) have brought out a lovely range of Christmas chocolates for 2023, aimed at anyone who is allergic to the main allergens (dairy, gluten, egg and nuts) or lives a plant based life. We were sent some of the selection to review, and frankly, it’s the best part of our job when we have to force ourselves to eat chocolate!

The selection of NOMO Sharing Boxes contain 140 grams of chocolates, each individually wrapped and there’s about 12 chocolates in each box.  There are three flavours of the sharing boxes; Choc Orange Crunch, Caramel and Mint. All of the sharing boxes are vegan chocolate, plant based and free from eggs, dairy nuts and gluten so are suitable for the whole family.

If you’re familiar with the ‘big brand’ chocolates then you’ll recognise what type of confectionary these flavours are based on. The Caramel flavour is milk chocolate with a soft caramel filling. They’re arranged as two squares for each of the sweets, so you can take your time over eating them and the chocolate is surprisingly thick.  The Choc Orange Crunch isn’t a fondant filling but more of an enriched chocolate filling with piece of – you guessed it – crunchy flavoured orange pieces.  The last box is the Mint flavour which was my favourite. Again, there was generous chocolate but also a lot of the mint fondant filling which was soft at room temperature and reminded me of another famous brand.

We were also sent the NOMO Reindeers in Choc Fudge and Cookie Dough flavours. These individually wrapped chocolates weigh 33 grams and 30 grams respectively and are also vegan and free from eggs, nuts, gluten and dairy. They’re perfect for adding to children’s stockings or for Christmas parties where you don’t know if the kids are all able to tolerate conventional milk chocolate.  The Cookie Dough flavour is soft with slightly crunchy pieces covered in NOMO milk chocolate.  The child in me insisted on eating the reindeer ears first but there’s no obligation! The Choc Fudge flavour was my favourite though as it was rich, deep fudge that was slightly gooey and very indulgent. It’s a real chocolate lover’s treat.

The sharing boxes are an excellent idea no matter what time of year and are just the right portion size to be eaten after dinner over the Christmas period. They’re also great for school lunchboxes or for anyone who’s never tried plant-based chocolates before.  For those of us who are always scrambling for last minute gifts for the neighbours, these NOMO sharing boxes mean you don’t have to worry about offending anyone with an allergy by giving them something they can’t enjoy!  The NOMO Reindeers are a great pick-me-up for the supermarket too, or to enjoy on car journeys throughout the festive period.

NOMO are continuing to make great fun chocolate that’s appealing to everyone and more importantly, more accessible. There is indeed No Missing Out anymore when it comes to chocolate.

Modimi Paco the Pony Toy

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

It’s almost November and with a large family to buy for I’ve already made a start on my Christmas shopping. I’m trying very hard to be more sustainable so I was really pleased to discover Modimi which are an eco-conscious modular toy system made from durable recycled plastic.

With six cute animals to choose from – Ellie the Elephant, Dexter the Dog, Paco the Pony, Ginny the Giraffe, Donny the Dinosaur and Dash the Dinosaur the toys are made from 100% recycled plastic and are packaged in a cardboard box with none of those annoying plastic ties that parents hate.

The heads are all a similar size and the legs are the same height meaning they can easily be interchanged to create new creatures. I especially liked the feet which squeak when you press down on them, bringing delighted squeals and giggles from our mini reviewers as we walked them across the wooden floor.

Modimi toys are designed to grow with your child so babies will enjoy the textures, colours and squeaks and older children will begin learning the animals, colours and shapes. Toddlers will have the most fun as once they work out how to pull the animals apart they can begin creating new creatures to play with.

I especially like how the joints are articulated, meaning you can turn the heads and bodies, allowing children to bring the animals to life when playing with them. The pieces snap together easily and our mini reviewers soon got the hang of pulling them apart and putting them back together. Each body part is brightly coloured and the textured raised shapes and crinkly fabric ears and manes are great for sensory play.

I’m really impressed with Modimi toys, they are not only great fun they are educational too, helping with fine motor skills, dexterity and encouraging role play and they will make great gifts for babies and toddlers this Christmas.

RRP: from £9.99 and available from Tesco

Suitable for ages: 10m – 3years

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Bites – Chocolate Orange

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

Just in time for Christmas, Joe & Seph have launched their delicious Chocolate Orange Popcorn Bites. That’s right, not just popcorn, not just chocolate but Chocolate Orange flavoured chocolate!

If you’ve never had Popcorn Bites from Joe & Seph’s before, I’ll try and explain what they are. Perfectly popped pieced of popcorn are encased in cups of rich chocolate. They look like popcorn pieces set in thimbles of chocolate and turned out to create each little bite which you can pop into your mouth easily.  The popcorn and chocolate melt at different rates so as you chew, you get a hit of chocolate, then the texture of popcorn and then the richness of the chocolate again.

Joe & Seph’s are famous for their gourmet popcorn with over 80 flavours and more being added all the time. The popcorn is cooked to the highest standard with no ‘crunchy bits’ at the bottom of the bag and no unpopped kernels.  The milk chocolate meets the same exacting qualities as the popcorn, with it’s melt-in-the-mouth smoothness and no fake sugary taste. You can taste both the chocolate and the orange in each Popcorn Bite, and the popcorn itself is velvety caramel, but not too sweet.

The Popcorn Bite grab bag is 63 grams, vegetarian friendly and gluten free. There’s no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives either. It’s the perfect size for sharing or an afternoon snack and a great treat for children to share after school. You can see that it’s great for the cinema, or would be perfect as a stocking filler too!

Available at £3.50: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/gifts/chocolate-orange-popcorn-bites

Warmies Giraffe

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

Whilst it looks like an ordinary soft toy this cuddly giraffe from Warmies isn’t just for children. Scented with lavender, which is well known for helping you relax and drift off to sleep, the soft toy can be warmed in the microwave which helps the beautiful fragrance intensify. The warm giraffe is then lovely and snuggly, just like a warm hug and is lovely to cuddle up to.   

It is really easy to heat , place it in the microwave and turn it on, for microwaves 600 to 800W heat for 45 seconds and 850 to 1000W it needs 30 seconds.

I have been using it instead of a heat pad and found it perfect for soothing cramps and muscle pain. Our mini reviewers have been snuggling up to it at bedtime which has really helped settle then down at night and they have definitely been falling asleep much faster.

Popping a Warmies soft toy in the microwave before bed has now become one of our favourite bed time rituals, guaranteeing us all a good nights sleep.

Available from Well Pharmacy there is also a Cockapoo and the super cute Warm Hugs penguins which would make great Christmas gifts. If you are looking for gifts for older relatives then it might be worth considering the fully heatable bottle, fully heatable eye mask or the fully heatable slippers which are all available from the Well Pharmacy website.

RRP £14.99 and currently on offer for £13.49 here

Retreev SMART Tags

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

I have thankfully never lost luggage on a flight. I’ve had most of my luggage damaged and even ended up with an empty holdall because the airline company ripped a hole in the side and everything fell out, but so far, not lost anything.  It’s one of my fears though; going on holiday and not being able to relax because I have nothing to wear but also that my belongings aren’t personal any longer and could be anywhere in the world. Maybe, never to be seen again?

There are a lot of items on the market for tracking down your luggage, but most of then are very expensive and difficult to set up. The Retreev SMART Tag is a credit card sized tag which you affix to your luggage in case your bags get lost. On the back there is a QR code and it has a chip inside too for any of the airlines who can read them.  If your bag is lost, anyone can scan he QR code or chip to register it as lost and you receive a message via text and email to say it’s been found.  Retreev SMART Tag is recognised by 3000 airports and 400 airlines and is available in multiple languages.

To set it up, tap or scan the card which you are going to attach to your luggage. Complete all your contact details online and activate your tag. There’s no subscription fee, your card is covered for life.  If your bag is found, the finder either taps the card or scans the QR code to bring up the ‘found’ form. They fill in the details of where your bag is and how to retrieve it and you as the owner receive a text and email with the finder’s details. There’s no need for them to know your personal information and the tag doesn’t display anything to show that the bag belongs to you.

We were sent a Union Jack and a Lion tag, but there are many to find online at the www.retreev.com website. They have solid metal tags to them too so that it’s difficult to break them off of your luggage and the plastic cards are made of 100% recyclable packaging. Not only are there no subscription fees, but they have a lifetime guarantee and there’s no batteries to have to replace!

Setting up the cards was easy. I just scanned the QR code and filled in a simple form with my name, email and mobile number. The form is set up to be accessible from anywhere in the world so it doesn’t matter where you call home.  Retreev send you a login and you activate the card on a dashboard. That’s it! Adding the second tag was easy because you just scan the QR code again and open your account to activate it.

So far I’ve not had any lost luggage to be able to test how it works, but from what I can see it’s a really good idea and keeps your identity safe too. Here’s hoping I won’t ever need to use it but if I do lose any luggage, I’ll be much happier knowing I have the Retreev SMART Tags on them!

Available online from £14.99 at: