Category: Summer

GlassesShop Prescription Glasses and Sunglasses

beauty, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home, Sport, Summer

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

We finally have some sun!  If you’re scrabbling to find your sunglasses though and don’t want to pay the earth and then find them (they’re in the glove compartment of your car by the way!) then GlassesShop have a one-stop shop for all your looking needs.

GlassesShop have cheap prescription glasses and sunglasses to order online and have delivered to your door, even in the UK.  Choose from a range of frames which can cost as little as $19.95 (currently less than £16) on their website and the process is easy – you go through and choose the frame, then the use of glasses and finally enter your prescription. In the UK you have to provide a prescription by a UK registered optician so you also need to upload the prescription to the website.

We chose two sets of glasses,  the multicoloured Vogt ($29.95) for everyday prescription glasses, and Road ($29.95) for sunglasses, but without prescription lenses. There is an additional cost for the lenses you require, but the process online takes you through everything and gives you a total at the end. If you’re paying by credit card, then the card will automatically convert the price to British Sterling, or you can Google the amount to find that day’s accurate rate. It literally took just a few days for them to be delivered by courier and each pair arrived in their own glasses case. 

The frames are very sturdy, with the multicoloured Vogt frames we ordered as prescription reading glasses being a nice fit and not too heavy.  The frames are just as described on the website.  The Road sunglasses weren’t prescription but again are well made with the lenses being a slight blue tint. The arms are pliable so that you can fit them under a hat or sportswear and super lightweight for running, which is what I use them for!  You can get prescription sunglasses too, which the website explains and there’s even an option of the colour of tint you want in sunglasses – orange, grey, blue or pink.

It’s super easy to order online, and if like me you get a free eye prescription for working on screens all day, you can just take your prescription from the optician and send it to GlassesShop. They may seem cheap for glasses, but in a world where frames and extortionate and the lenses require a second mortgage, GlassesShop have a solution for everyday glasses wearers that won’t break the bank! You can also get your first pair free using the code FIRSTFREE (frame & 1.50 index lenses)

Visit GlassesShop to see the range and even try some frames at home.

Helly Hansen Walking Gear

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, National Walking Month, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Winter, Women

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

Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health and fitness, it’s an excellent form of exercise that anyone can do and walking regularly offers a lot of health benefits – both physical and mental. Walking briskly is a great cardio workout, helping to lower blood pressure and regular brisk walking can also burn around 300-400 calories an hour which is a great way to help you lose those unwanted pounds. Walking also helps strengthen bones and muscles and being outdoors will top up your vitamin D levels – a vitamin a lot of people in the UK are deficient in. On top of all this walking also releases endorphins in your body, creating a general feeling of wellbeing which also helps boost your mood. If I’m feeling stressed I go for a brisk walk on the fells and it never fails to make me feel better!  

You don’t have to walk for hours either – a brisk 10 minute walk contributes to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. Try going for a walk at lunchtime, either alone or with colleagues, it’s a great way to clear your head and get some fresh air and you’ll soon feel the benefits.  

Obviously going for a walk is free but once you start walking regularly it is worth investing in some walking gear to keep you warm and dry. We’ve been trying out some Helly Hansen gear over the last couple of weeks and with the mix of weather we have been having recently we’ve been able to really put them to the test!  

A good pair of boots are a must if you are going to do a lot of walking and if you intend to walk regularly on rocky and uneven ground then a full height boot offers more ankle protection than a shoe. Another advantage is the higher fronts keep your feet drier when walking through wet grass or boggy ground!  I walk hundreds of miles a year so need a pair that not only support my feet but keep them warm and dry no matter what the terrain. The Helly Hansen Roamfree HELLY TECH® Hiking Boots have the HH Max-Comfort insole, an outsole built with maximum grip and traction and are waterproof and breathable too so tick all the boxes on my ideal boot list!  

On my first walk I quickly decided that they are a great pair of boots – the sole feels very strong and has the right balance of flex and rigidity, helping me feel equally confident on both rough ground and wet grass. The boots have plenty of padding around the ankle and comfortable on long walks. The HELLY TECH® Waterproof technology, combined with HH Quick Dry and HH Max-Vent makes them waterproof while ensuring maximum breathability, keeping my feet happy no matter what the weather and ground conditions are.

These are boots that are made to last and I’m looking forward to covering thousands of miles in them over the coming years.

RRP £150 available in sizes 6.5 to 12.5

If you’re planning on going for longer walks, then a rucksack is a must to carry essentials which in my case is usually food and a waterproof coat! The Generator Backpack is a 20 litre rucksack which is available in a choice of two colours – deep canyon (a dark orange colour) and black and it is the perfect size for a day hike. The rucksack has one main compartment, handily split into 2 sections, the thinner pocket is intended for a water bladder but it’s also the perfect size for a couple of sit mats. The bladder hanger loop is a great place to fasten my keys to so I don’t need to hunt for them in the bottom of the bag when I get back to the car! I especially like the small front pocket which has a soft fabric lining which is ideal for protecting cameras and phones. The main section is plenty large enough for waterproofs, maps and a lunchbox and if you need more space there is an expandable stuff pocket on the front which is great for stuffing a jumper in when you get too warm. All the zips have large zip pulls making them easy to open, even when wearing gloves.

The back panel, shoulder straps and waist belt are covered with 3D air mesh for comfort and ventilation when walking. The belt helps to stop any sideways movement and transfers some of the weight from my shoulders which makes a big difference on longer walks. The belt also has two small zipped pockets which are perfect for keeping money for an ice cream as well as some sweets and tissues. 

The addition of some clever features like the reflective webbing attachment for a bike light and a sternum whistle means this rucksack is ideal for both walking and cycling.

RRP £100

I always carry a lightweight down jacket when I’m hiking as whilst it might be lovely and sunny when you set off it’s surprising just how cold it gets when you reach the top of a mountain. The Verglas Hooded Down Hybrid is an ideal coat for hiking as it can be worn as an outer layer but it’s also thin enough to wear under a waterproof jacket. It’s great when you’re hiking as it squashes up nice and small inside it’s own pocket meaning it doesn’t take up much space in your rucksack.  

The coat is made of down, PrimaLoft® insulation and a 20D Nano ripstop fabric and has large panels of breathable softshell throughout. The combination of these materials gives a super cosy and breathable insulated jacket that keeps you nice and warm when you’re walking. The jacket is water-resistant and made with certified bluesign® materials.

The cut and fit are good, it is a nice length and the adjustable elastic cords in the hem help give a perfect fit. It has a decent sized hood and once it is fully zipped up stays in place, even in windy weather. The jacket isn’t too bulky and you’ll be nice and snug whether you’re walking the dog, climbing a mountain or sitting by a campfire on a chilly night.

Available in a choice of four colours this jacket will keep you warm and cosy on all your adventures.

RRP £200 but currently on sale at £140

Now the sun has finally made an appearance I like to walk in shorts, in addition to being more breathable and quicker to dry than trousers, shorts don’t restrict movement quite the same as trousers do so you can confidently scramble up boulders, climb over stiles and walk for miles in them.

The Women’s Tech Trail Shorts are available in four different colours in sizes XS to XL and are made with a 4 way stretch fabric which makes them really comfortable to wear. The wide elastic waistband is easy to pull over my hips and they have an interior drawcord so you can tighten the waistband. There is a zipped back pocket which, whilst not large enough for a phone is useful for keeping your keys or a tissue in.  The shorts are very light and loose fitting and the fabric is breathable, moisture wicking and has UPF30+ sun protection meaning they are great for walking in hot weather. If you’re going abroad this summer then you need to make sure you pack a couple of pairs in your suitcase as they’re really lightweight and dry really quickly.

RRP £50

Whilst we’ve not seen a lot of sun yet this summer it is important to wear a hat when walking as it will help shade you from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The Roam hat is a broad brim hat that can be worn in two different ways, with a wide brim, or you can fasten the sides up using the two poppers on either side of the hat. The hat has a handy removeable cord which is useful for keeping the hat on your head in windy weather or it can be used to attach it to your rucksack so it doesn’t get lost when you’re not wearing it.

The hat is made of a quick dry polyester fabric and it’s as it’s been wet quite a few times over the last few weeks I can confirm it does dry quickly!  The hat provides great protection from the sun, keeps the rain off your glasses when it’s raining and is lightweight, comfortable to wear and holds up extremely well to being folded and crushed inside a rucksack.

Available in Navy and Aluminium the hat has a RRP of £40

A decent pair of socks are essential to keep your feet comfortable and free from blisters when you’re out walking. It’s definitely worth investing in some proper hiking socks rather than just wearing any old pair of socks as hiking socks are designed to increase ventilation, wick moisture and offer support to your feet in all the right places. The Unisex Hiking Quarter Socks are made of 44% polyamide 37% polypropylene 17% merino Wool and 2% elastane and are incredibly comfortable to wear, providing a snug fit and feeling very supportive on my feet. The cushioning underfoot gives excellent shock absorption, especially on rocky ground and even when walking in warm weather my feet didn’t feel hot or sweaty.

I’ve worn these quite a few times now and on longer walks these are my “go to” socks as they are so comfortable to wear and I haven’t had a single blister when wearing them – even on 15 mile walks!

RRP £20

With these basics you’ll have everything you need for a summer of adventuring so lace up those boots, grab your rucksack and make the most of the light evenings – happy hiking!!

Marty’s Virgin Bloody Marys

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Who needs lessons in cocktail making when you can buy the cocktail mixers ready-made nowadays, and enjoy your cocktail without any of the mess!

Marty’s Virgin Bloody Mary is a pre-mixed Bloody Mary cocktail but without the alcohol. If you’re a fan of just the tomato juice, apple juice and apple cider vinegar summer drink then pop this in the fridge and drink away. Hugely hydrating, Marty’s Virgin Bloody Mary has no additives, is vegan and only contains natural sugars. You can of course, add your favourite alcohol to it to make up your own cocktail (conventional Bloody Marys have vodka but you can add anything you like to this!) or you can use it to create a completely new cocktail by adding other ingredients.  The high tomato content in this 750ml bottle can also be added to cooking – Bolognese sauces will never be the same!

Marty’s Mild Virgin Bloody Mary comes in a 750ml bottle but we were also sent the spicy version in 250ml. This had more of a kick to it and I would recommend the spicy version for cocktails where the alcohol balances out the spices. Both drinks are sold alcohol free though, so you can really taste the rich tomato flavours coming through in them, the spices that add the summer flavour and best of all, there’s no pulp from the tomato that you have to wade through in order to get to the flavour!  It is best to shake up the bottle first though as the natural juice does settle.

Best of all, Marty’s has won the Great Taste award in 2023 and A in the Aurora International Taste Challenge. Whenever a food wins such prestigious awards, I always like to find new ways of using it, so my lasagne is going to taste amazing this week, and I have ideas for a new salad dressing too!

MILD Virgin Bloody Mary currently on Sale for £20.99 for 3 at: https://drinkmartys.com/shop-uk/p/martys-virgin-bloody-mary-mild-3-pack

SPICY Virgin Bloody Mary currently on sale for £16.99 for 6 at: https://drinkmartys.com/shop-uk/p/martys-virgin-bloody-mary-6pack

Who the Hell Are You? Book by Ant Austen

Birthday Gifts, Books, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Mental Health Awareness, Summer

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

Self development books rarely teach you something new nowadays nor are they well written but I couldn’t put down the new book from Ant Austen – Who The Hell Are You?

The premise of the book is to find out who you are, which let’s face it, most self-help books are about anyway. The way Austen approaches the subject is more engaging than most books though and that’s what’s kept me hooked. At this point in my life, I have read an awful lot of books and am looking for a new direction so the idea of finding out “Who The Hell Are You?” is both exhausting and poignant.  Austen talks from personal experience where he ran a removal business in the UK, was working weekend and every hour he could in order to fulfil the Hard work = success mantra but having no idea what success looked like to him, or what he was sacrificing. It’s a familiar story to many of us nowadays.

The book looks at several aspects of human psychology to both explain how we work, and to go through some exercises to find out what we want. To me, one of the lightbulb moments was when he was explaining about the Law of Attraction in a different way to how it’s been presented to me before and it suddenly made sense. The idea that when you feel good, you’re starting to work with The Law of Attraction. This cemented in me the need to be positive all the time (gratitude) and create good emotions all the time in order to be in the right place. The second principle that hit home was that the Law of Attraction works on like attracting like. So, if you’re in a good place, feeling good, then you are going to attract good people and good things, which translates into things you like.  It sounds simple but if you’re not understanding one aspect of the laws, the rest won’t work in the same way so you won’t get what you’re craving.  

The rest of the book works on your frame of mind, your habits, and then onto your structure of how you are going to improve life. It’s a book which you need to read several times (it even says that in the beginning) so that you pick up different aspects as you learn each new theory. There wasn’t much of the book that was new to me, but it was written and presented in a way in which I suddenly grasped the meaning and was able to tie together the different laws and how they work so that it builds up a better picture for me and where I want to go. I’ll be reading the book several times over the summer to keep solidifying the ideas. I hope there’s a second book soon!

Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/ant.austen

https://www.instagram.com/ant.austen

@antausten

http://linkedin.com/in/ant-austen-03640142

Free Workbook:

https://offers.bethelimitlessyou.com/free-chapter

Available from £11.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Hell-Are-You-Understand/dp/B0CWRXQHJH

Swan ProSteam Foldable Garment Steamer

Family Life, Fashion, Home, Home & Garden, Hotel, Summer

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

As summer approaches, most of us are thinking of going on holiday and with the weather we’ve had until recently, I think we’d all like some sun now! The Swan ProSteam Foldable Garment Steamer is something I’ve been looking to try for a long time, but not had the motivation of a holiday to try it!

Rather than ironing everything whilst you’re staying in a hotel or rental villa, steaming clothes has become the new life hack. Shops use steamers to keep clothes fresh in shops and take out creases so it’s no wonder that steaming clothes has become a good alternative.  The Swan ProSteam is a foldable steamer, specifically for travelling and being able to de-crease clothes whilst on the go. We were sent one to try this week.

The ProSteam is actually very lightweight and not very big. It stands about 30 centimetres tall and the ‘face’ folds in to make it more compact. It comes with its own measuring jug as the water tank can only take 150ml of water.  It’s very easy to set up. It has a delicates brush affixed already so you just need to unfold it, add the water up to the Max mark on the tank and plug in. The light on the top shows when it’s ready which is only about 30 seconds.

I tried a test on this pillow case that I was going to iron.  Holding the brush close to the fabric and always keeping the ProSteam vertical, I just led the appliance down the length of the pillow case and let the steam do its work. After going over the same area twice, I stated to see a difference so a third and forth time proved that some of the creases were falling out with the more steam that was applied.  You can see in the photo where I had been using the ProSteam and where I still needed to work. Looks like it decreases beautifully!

The Swan Prosteam did run out of water pretty quickly so you will need to keep topping it up and if you’re in a hard water area like I am, it’s better to use filtered water. However, if you are using it in a hotel, then hotels nearly always have drinking, filtered or desalinated water in their bathroom taps so it’s less likely that you will get limescale on the ProSteam.  You don’t need to take the measuring jug with you either as you can fill up the tank from the tap as long as you’re careful not to get water on the electrics.  

The Swan ProSteam Garmant Steamer works a treat on the creases and saves having to take an iron with you or trying to set up an iron in a small hotel room. All you need is some hanging space and the steamer takes the same amount of time to steam an item as it does to iron it, but using less space and the ProSteam actually heats up quicker. 

This is a must for going on holiday especially if you’re not sure what amenities you’ll have or are travelling. Don’t forget to take an adapter plug though!

Available for £29.99 at: https://shop.swan-brand.co.uk/products/swan-foldable-garment-steamer?_pos=1&_sid=a176b9bf1&_ss=r

Home Fragrance

Birthday Gifts, Fragrance, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts, Winter, Women

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

Candles are a great way to create a cosy atmosphere in your home and having them dotted around your home means you can quickly mask unwanted odours or create a cosy ambience. A strategically placed candle in the kitchen will quickly remove the lingering scent of a homemade curry whilst one in the hall creates a welcoming feel when you walk into the house.

Lavender is well known for helping you relax so the Woodwick Lavender Spa candle is perfect in a bedroom or bathroom and lighting it before bed can really help you sleep better. The Ellipse candle not only looks very stylish but the large surface area of the candle allows for a fully melted wax pool, which helps produce a more consistent fragrance for you to enjoy. The exclusive, patented handcrafted wooden wick, Pluswick®Innovation, is easy to light and once lit creates the sound of a crackling fire, which helps create a cosy feel wherever you place it. I found it only took a few minutes for the fragrance to fill the room, creating a relaxing feel in my bedroom which really helps me switch off before bed. The lavender scent is delightful and not too overpowering and after a couple of days I found I was sleeping much better.  

The candle weighs 453g and whilst there isn’t a burn time given it’s such a big candle, I know it will last me a good while.

RRP £34.99

The Yankee Candle Pink Cherry & Vanilla Signature Large Jar Candle strikes the perfect balance between floral and fruity notes, creating an inviting ambiance that’s never overpowering. Housed in a large glass jar with a glass lid, as the candle flickers it quickly fills my living room with the fresh fruity scent. I was very impressed with the level of fragrance produced by this candle and I found it lingered long after the candle was blown out With two wicks this candle has a burn time of 60-90 hours which should easily last me through to autumn.

Once you’ve melted all of the wax, you can easily peel off the label (which doesn’t leave an annoying sticky residue) and reuse the large glass jar.  

RRP £29.99

So whether you’re looking to reduce stress, improve sleep or simply unwind candles can play a role in enhancing your overall wellbeing – so go ahead and light those scented candles – you’ll be benefitting both your space and your wellbeing!

To view more of their range or to find out more about Woodwick and Yankee candles head over to their websites.

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Great Taste Trio

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers, Summer

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

As if you need a reason to celebrate chocolate, there is an important day in the calendar – 7 July, which is World Chocolate Day! To mark the occasion, Wickedly Welsh, the British chocolate makers, have sent us the Great Taste Trio of three different flavoured chocolates to try.  We’ve never said no to chocolate in this office and today wasn’t the day we were going to start!

The trio are three flavours; Orange Marmalade, Dark Chocolate & Welsh Sea Salt and Mint Crunch.  Two of the flavours has won the Great Taste awards (Mint Crunch in 2017 and Welsh Sea Salt in 2021) with Orange Marmalade being inspired by an award winning recipe.  Each bar is handmade in Wales, and handmade is not something we associate with chocolate in this country so this is a rare treat. 

The Orange Marmalade flavour is set in dark chocolate with a half and half mixture of tangy and sweet, much like the jar of marmalade you remember growing up. It also has a little Cointreau but you can hardly taste it, it’s just the aftertaste on your tongue that you might notice the slightly orange flavour.  The dark chocolate is smooth and rich and brings out the orange flavour.  With the Dark Chocolate &Welsh Chocolate Sea Salt, the minerals of the sea salt are apparent as soon as the dark chocolate starts melting and you can feel the crystals dissolve. The juxtaposition of the salt and dark chocolate work really well together, reminding me of the sea at night when you can hear and smell it but you can’t see it. If you like dark chocolate, then this flavour is a great addition to your taste buds!

Finally, my favourite is the Wickedly Welsh Mint Crunch. Again, this is dark chocolate, swirled with peppermint and meant as an after-dinner chocolate or to cleanse the palate. It reminds me of an Aero bar but with more peppermint and a richer flavour because the chocolate has a higher cocoa content and less sugar. It’s particularly good when added to cooking. Have you tried making your own croissants at home from the ready-made packets and adding some chocolate before you roll them?  Instant chocolate croissant, and the Mint Crunch chocolate bar adds not just the novel flavour to the chocolate filled pastry, but extra texture too.  I think Mint Crunch is my favourite!

Wickedly Welsh have a whole host of different flavours of chocolate on their website and are adding new products all the time, but the Great Taste Trio is a fabulous place to start.

Available online for £14.97 at: https://www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk/collections/best-selling-products/products/your-great-taste-trio

Ginsters BBQ Pulled Pork Slice

camping, Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, snacks, Summer

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

The 3rd week of June is National Picnic week so if you are looking for some tasty treats to pop in your picnic basket this weekend then the new BBQ Pulled Pork Slices from Ginsters really need to be on your shopping list!

With a recipe crafted by expert chefs, the BBQ Pulled Pork Slice is made from 100% British Pork, cooked in a smoky BBQ sauce and encased in golden puff pastry which has a delicious crunchy applewood smoked crumb topping.

The BBQ Pulled Pork slices are incredibly tasty, the meat is lovely and moist, and the flavours work really well together, bringing the delicious taste of a BBQ to summer picnics.  

As well as being a great picnic food they are also delicious warm, they can be warmed in the oven or pop them in an air fryer for really crispy pastry and then serve with a tasty salad for a lovely summer lunch.

With a RRP of £1.95 the Limited-Edition BBQ Pulled Pork Slice is available at Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and ASDA whilst stocks last.

AA Road Guides and Walking Guides

Birthday Gifts, Books, camping, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Summer

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

As summer is finally here and the school holidays are less than a month away, we’re all looking for the last few pieces to plan that holiday. AA have long been the favourite and most trusted of all the road companies and their extensive bookshop isn’t apparent until you delve into what’s available online. We were sent a selection to look at for this summer including their new Walking Guides of Great Britain, the AA Big Road Atlas of Britain, the spiral bound Road Atlas of Britain and the Traveller’s Atlas of France for 2025.

The AA Big Road Atlas of Britain is a staple in most cars. This lightweight but comprehensive atlas covers the whole of the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly and the whole of Ireland. The majority of the map is on a scale of 3 miles to 1 inch with Ireland having a scale of 16 miles to 1 inch. There are 68 close-up town, city and port plans to work from and a very handy distance and journey times chart on the inside back cover. If you’re into camping, then there are 300 AA-inspected caravan and camping sites also included. It’s very handy but if like me you love maps, it’s really interesting too!

The AA 2025 Road Atlas spiral-bound is the same map with the same scale of 3 miles to 1 inch and 16 miles in Ireland to 1 inch but this includes over 100 city, town and port plans. There’s slightly more about the ports in Northern France but it also includes the same index of camping sites details of traffic signs.  I have images of small children memorising these traffic signs in the back of the car on very long journeys! I really like the directory of restricted junctions all over the country that would be invaluable in planning a journey. That’s not something you get on Google! The spiral bound atlas makes it easier to turn pages if you’re travelling long distances, but it is heavier than the AA Big Road Atlas.

We were also sent the AA Traveller’s Atlas of France. Now I haven’t driven in France for a long time and even then it wasn’t a distance that needed a map, but if you’re travelling to France this summer then this map is a must.  It has recently been updated and unlike the British Atlas it has varying scales on the map to accommodate the small roads of big towns and cities and the vast roads of the French countryside. It includes the whole of France and Corsica but the scaling changes when you get to a whole map of Europe with major roads. It’s invaluable when driving through countries where you’re crossing lots of border and this map also includes Iceland, if you’re travelling there too! There is an extensive index in the back of French places and where to find them in the maps.

Lastly, we had a lovely collection of AA Walking maps of Great Britain. These are fold-out Ordinance Survey-style maps which can fit into any backpack or suitcase to go off exploring with.  One side of the plan is a huge map which takes up the inside of a car but if you’re outside walking, they are great for planning routes and sitting on the grass so that everyone can see where you’re planning to go. The other side is an index of roads within certain town and city centres included in the map, so there’s no excuse for getting lost when you stop walking and start pub finding!

The AA selection of maps is available online and throughout the year. They’re great for gifts but also for every day working out how to get about, or whilst you’re on holiday and don’t necessarily have the phone signal you’d be expecting.

Walking Guides are available from the AA shop on Amazon for £14.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/theAA/Bookshop/page/71AD8493-1145-44D5-BE1F-4C5AB5D2DFD2

AA Big Road Atlas Britain is available from £10.95 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Atlas-Britain-2025-Paperback/dp/0749583940/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ZVQ9I8D0RQBK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sCcaOW4uKsDFVWZTNNe5S4s8UBykPrHEat34r_eK3Ni0QpwhpevbJUlBRSeeFKV39hkIyzo0T_-mLWbTkiZJbXeXr3d4r8YVuaEKoLa5jjvN_ETbvxhaUxq4GDgJRUMA3ECptya2ILGhRyaTew6haJF_jhXFpR4GCGELzydQ-9Tx-Qo2AL3XxYWidSRKWbY3vdUuSwvP4dAyibxAX3i4DxhDat_49GOcOdB_r-pcNTQ.WVxVi2i7174b6dHz8OKrGvRvVMmQ3EVST-Z0yWb34IM&dib_tag=se&keywords=aa+big+road+atlas+britain+2025&qid=1718612225&sprefix=AA+big+road+a%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-3

LipQ Liquorice Balm

beauty, Birthday Gifts, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, health, Home, Plastic free, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

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

July is Plastic Free month and the beauty industry is notorious for creating products with plastic packaging, and sometimes products which contain plastic too.  LipQ have created this beautiful Liquorice Balm which comes in its own tin and doesn’t have a scrap of plastic in sight.  Never heard of Liquorice Balm? Well, that’s because this novel idea is borne from a need to prevent cold sores.  Liquorice in highly concentrated quantities, as included in the LipQ Liquorice Balm, has been proven to protect lips from cold sore outbreaks by weakening the virus that causes them.

LipQ Liquorice Balm contains glycyrrhizic acid to fight cold sores. Even if you’ve not been prone to them though, the balm works for everyone, combining a sweet almond and beeswax oil with avocado and sunflower seed oils and the liquorice root extract gives the balm it’s distinct scent. It’s not too overpowering though so you can detect it but even if you don’t like liquorice to eat, it’s not too strong.  The balm is lovely and cooling though, and it keeps the moisture in on your lips whilst giving a shine and it really isn’t that greasy either. There’s not the sticky marks left on drinking glasses like with other balms but it does work to give you hydrated lips. The handy tine of 30 grams lasts ages too, and is much easier to carry around than other brands.

It doesn’t matter if you suffer from cold sores or not, the LipQ Lquorice Balm is a plastic-free beauty alternative for all summer long.

Available online from £9.95 at: https://www.skinshop.co.uk/lipq/liquorice-balm

iWalk Portable Phone Charger for iPhone

Birthday Gifts, camping, Days Out, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Mobile Phone, Summer

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

Most people are off to some kind of outdoor event this summer whether it be a concert, festival, picnic or even camping so if you’re taking your phone, you’d be prudent to take some extra battery charge for your phone too. The iWalk Portable Phone Charger for iPhone (Android also available) holds 4800mAh of charge for your phone, and all in this tiny little charge bank you can take anywhere!

Available in white, pink or black, the iWalk Portable Phone Charger takes around 90 minutes to charge but gives more than 100% of charge to an iPhone. So if your phone is down to 0%, the iWalk Charger will charge it up to 100% with a little charge left over to charge again, or hand to another friend to charge instead! (This is from me testing the charger, not official statistics from the manufacturer.) This particular iWalk is USB-C so fits newer iPhones and nowadays there are multiple other devices which aren’t phones but still have USB-C connections which can also charge from the iWalk. It’s handy to have around so I keep it in my handbag so that I can charge my phone if it goes low.

As the iWalk Portable Charger is so small (it measures approximately 3 inches long or 7.5 centimetres) it is roughly the width of your phone so you can still either type or talk on our phone as it’s charging at the same time. The compact size also makes it easy to pack away or even put in your hand luggage so that you never run out of charge. It is charged with a USB-C cable which comes with the packaging and as it doesn’t take long to charge, you can add it to your laptop as you work or even use an adapter and plug it into the wall. The two items together are so compact you can take them anywhere and the extra charge they provide will be invaluable if you lose charge.

The iWalk Portable Phone Charger also differs to other chargers because there’s a handy display on the front. When you press the button on the side, the front display shows you how much charge the device holds as a percentage.  As it charges, the number goes up until it’s 100%, which doesn’t take as long as you think. The charger is lightweight but also really robust so you can keep it charging whilst moving around, even if you’re doing sports or on bumpy transport. 

I really like having the iWalk Portable Charger on hand and knowing that it will reliably keep charge and then transfer it to my phone whenever I need it, and it’s especially handy as it charges as you use your phone. Not all the portable chargers can do that. Makes a great gift for a teen or for someone going travelling too.

Available from £29.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/iWALK-Portable-Charger-Charging-Compatible/dp/B0CFL1Z99Y?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Maxine Laceby Absolute Collagen

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Fitness, Gifts for Her, health, Subscription Boxes, Summer, Women

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

Collagen is an absolute must for our body’s wellbeing and is used in so many ways. Most read about nowadays is how collagen is needed for hair and skin as a building block to repair and maintain.

Maxine Laceby created the Absolute Collagen to make collagen easy to integrate into your everyday life and improve the quality of your skin and hair and has been the number 1 selling collagen supplement since 2017.  Absolute Collagen is made from marine collagen (basically fish!) and blended into a supplement which also contains Vitamin C as an antioxidant. The collagen is absorbed into the body and the dermal layers of skin to promote your own cells to create more collagen and enrich hair and nails.

The Absolute Collagen pack we were sent includes 14 sachets of collagen in a lovely presentation box which also has a day record included so that you can check off once you’ve had your sachet for the day! This proves invaluable if you have a busy life and I found it easy to keep it near the kettle and use it as a diary.  Each sachet can be torn open and consumed straight away but I found that although the texture is easy (it looks and feels like honey) it’s actually a bit too fish-like to eat straight from the pack. Instead, I read the instructions and realised you can add it to boiling water and create a hot drink from it, which also dilutes the taste. If you are used to hot water and honey, this is no different just a slightly different taste! I used it as a substitute to a cup of tea (or coffee) in the afternoon and obviously it helps with hydration if you have a water-based drink too.

Having never taken a collagen supplement before, it was interesting to see the difference. This was only 14 days’ worth of collagen but on the website it explains that some people see or feel a difference in just a few weeks whilst others see improvement over a longer period. I guess it depends on what your diet and lifestyle is like already. The website also details the changes expected after 12 weeks so 2 weeks isn’t long to test it but here goes…

I can’t say that I noticed anything different in my hair after just 2 weeks but my skin was different. The fine lines around my eyes (you know, only the ones you know about!) were reduced and plumper. It was like taking me back 3-4 years and slowing the aging process that had been catching up with me.  I could feel that my skin was more hydrated and softer without too much of an effort on skincare or any change to my routine.  I think over time this would be a greater change and perhaps hold back the drying out of my skin once winter arrives and the heating does its thing!  I did notice that my nails had changed… I always paint my nails so I couldn’t see the condition underneath but I did realise that my nail varnish stayed on a lot longer than usual and didn’t chip. I’m presuming the nails underneath were in a better condition and more hydrated therefore kept a better hold on the varnish for longer?

Although 2 weeks isn’t long to test a beauty product, the start looks promising and my skin and nails especially are definitely not worse.  The challenge will come when the 14th sachet runs out and I see if my skin goes back to its old ways!

Available from £27.99 at: https://www.absolutecollagen.com/products/marine-liquid-collagen-drink-for-women

Sauce Shop Hot Sauce Challenge

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Summer

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

Hot sauce challenges have been around for a while and bringing them home can be a great bit of family or party fun. The Sauce Shop’s Hot Sauce Challenge Set is a great way to have fun even for those who are new to heat! The 5 sauces are varied and tasty – with a few of them winning Great Taste awards in 2023.

Hot sauces can bring many flavour profiles to any meal, adding a great deal of depth and complexity to a variety of foods. From Sweet and fruity to Smoky and tangy – there is a hot sauce for everyone, even if you don’t call yourself a hot head!

This set is a fantastic gift for a group of spice adventurers (like the group we got together), spice lovers, or even those new to spicy food – but be warned that some of the bottles get HOT!

The presentation of this set is great as a gift – it is minimal but striking. It gives a clear view of all the bottles you get with a great symbol and colour scale showing you what you’re in for with the heat. There are great descriptions of each sauce on the back of the box with information about the sauce, its ingredients, and it gives you a recipe for “Ultimate Easy Wings” that you can use for the challenge!

For the Challenge itself, we gathered 4 relative spice adventurers, some fried chicken and chips, and the Sauce Shop Hot Sauce Challenge box! So, let’s talk about how we found each sauce:

Original Hot Sauce – Heat 1

A tangy and vinegary sauce that gave a slow and low lingering heat. This sauce is a jalapeno sauce which makes it a great starting point for the challenge.

Sriracha Chilli Sauce – Heat 2

A great balanced sauce with sweet notes, if you like sriracha normally this a great time and is a little more ketchupy in consistency – which we loved! This is also a jalapeno based sauce so non-spice heads can still take part.

Buffalo Hot Sauce – Heat 3

The classic “wing” sauce – it is sharp, tangy but a little creamy. This jalapeno based sauce is a great mid level sauce – a hit of spice with a nice low burn.

Habanero Hot Sauce – Heat 4

This was our groups favourite sauce – hot, sweet and tangy with a great burst of mid-heat that lingers in a great way. The mangos in this make it a fun and good entry into trying sweeter style hot sauces.

Habanero Ketchup – Heat 5

So you like ketchup? Well this is the same thing but replace tomatoes with habanero peppers! Rich and spicy! A good way to end the challenge and a real heat that will challenge those that dare try this!

We had a fantastic night with this challenge, discussing the sauces, giggling when one of us got hit a bit harder than they expected, and tasting these great sauces while doing it. I will add that the last two sauces can get hot for those not used to spice so, if that is you, challenge yourself to get the buffalo sauce and have a glass of milk nearby ready!

If you are looking for a good gift for those who like spice, a fun friend or family party night, or want to challenge that friend or family member that keeps saying they love spicy food – this is a perfect gift to grab! The sauces are tasty and there is plenty of it so you can keep using them after the challenge.

Available from £19.99 at: https://www.sauceshop.co/products/hot-sauce-challenge-set

Just Spices Gin Making Kit

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Summer

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

Let’s BeGin!

For an extra different novelty gift this Father’s Day, Just Spices have this fabulous Gin Making Kit available, complete with a set of their famous different spices.  If you’ve never made gin from scratch before, then read on to hear how it’s done plus how Just Spices have created this exciting kit that can be used again and again.

To make gin, you need a base alcohol. Vodka is best to start with as it’s tasteless and colourless. There isn’t any vodka included in this kit so you’ll have to buy a bottle which is at least 350ml in size, to accommodate the size of the provided bottles and the amount of spices included. The kit does have 2 glass bottles with cork stoppers, a funnel and sieve for adding the vodka and the botanicals and then tons of spices, botanicals and lovely things to make the gin taste as you wish!

The process is easy – add vodka to a bottle then add a measured amount of juniper to your bottle using the funnel.  Close with the cork and shake vigorously – this is what releases the flavour into the vodka and make it gin.  Add the botanicals (it’s all in the instructions) Then the gin then has to rest for any period of time (days, weeks etc) and the longer it rests the more of the botanical flavour seeps into the alcohol, thus allowing you to control the type of gin flavouring you like, plus how strong you like it.  Careful though! The gin will be nearly 95% proof and too potent to drink so you need to dilute it with water before drinking or adding to a cocktail!

All the detailed instructions are in the enclosed booklet. There’s also a history of gin (originating from Holland) and a history on the different types of gin plus a rundown of the botanicals.  They’re all included in the kit and are some of the expected ones like juniper and rosemary but then there are some more interesting ones like lemongrass and rose petals.  You can mix up the botanicals so that you use different ones at the same time or one after the other but it’s best to stay with simple ideas and build up your knowledge as well as your pallet.  There’s lots of recipes for making different flavours of gin then there’s recipes for cocktails using your new gin too!

I’ve never tried to make gin before but this is a really simple, all in one way of making it. All you need to do is add a bottle of vodka and you have the perfect gift for Father’s Day plus a new hobby which he can try. The personalisation of the gin labels and a kit which can be used again and again makes it all the more enjoyable as each bottle of homemade gin will last ages – unless your Dad likes testing the cocktails just as much!

Available from £45.99 at:

https://www.justspices.co.uk/gin-making-kit.html

Omnilux Mini Skin Corrector

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Fashion, Gifts for Her, health, REUSABLE, Summer, Tech, Women

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

What I’m about to show you is a new gadget that is revolutionary in skincare.  You might have heard of infrared LED light being used to correct flaws on facial skin, but the Omnilux Mini Skin Corrector takes it to a new level with the ease and versatility of this new product.

At first, I wondered where the actual Skin Corrector was. In this tiny box, a round, malleable disk with a tiny 2-pin charge point was in a box all on its own, with a USB 2-pin charger and a box of hydrocolloid Skin Corrector patches. I struggled to see where the actual appliance was but if you watch the video online (link below), you not only see how the device works but what it can do.

The Omnilux Mini Skin Corrector is a portable, very lightweight device which emits near infrared LED light onto your skin.  It doesn’t need a lead, it charges from a USB port using the lead provided then once the charge light goes green, it’s ready to use. By placing one of the Skin Corrector patches over the 6 LED lights on the back, it attaches to your skin to emit healing light to work on the layers of your skin.  You don’t plug it in, you don’t need to sit still with it. The light does its thing and all you have to do is sit with it on!

You only need between 3 and 5 treatments a week, with each treatment lasting 10 minutes. The lights work on the layers of your skin to boost collagen and reduce fine lines, inflammation, redness and pigmentation. The red wavelength (633nm) reduces inflammation, pigmentation, and redness and helps prompt cellular repair and circulation for a more vibrant complexion. The near-infrared wavelength works on the deeper layers of your skin to help produce new collagen and elastin products to help lump and firm the skin.

It’s completely painless and has no side-effects and gets to work straight away. I sat with it on in a targeted area under my eyes whilst I was typing or watching TV. It’s very slightly warm from the LED lights but that’s it, you don’t even notice it. The Omnilux Hydrocolloid Patches keep the device adhered to the skin so that you can move around easily (no one wants to sit there holding it!) but they also feed the skin with the infused Vitamin C and azelaic acid. Once the 10 minute session is up, it turns itself off so you don’t even have to worry about how long you’re using it for.

The Omnilux Mini Skin Corrector is 100% natural, using the power of light waves to generate collagen in the skin. Safe to use, it’s been cleared for use by the FDA (in the USA) and is brilliantly portable and able to be used by all skin types.  I particularly like how small and lightweight it is so that it can even go on holiday with you or you can wear it without having to worry about the weight on your skin, which no doubt would damage the elasticity over time.

How did it work? Well, I’ve been trying it for a few weeks now and I can see plumper skin! There’s a luminosity to my skin that I wasn’t expecting and I really enjoyed being able to sit and have this painless, intervention free method to help me feel like I’m doing something productive with my skin care. Once I took the device off, there was a little redness from the adhesive, but I’m aware that it was also penetrating products into my skin. The area felt slightly warm, like I had been sleeping on that side of my face and turned over but underneath you could see the skin was plumper.  Using it several times a week, you can see a slight difference after just 4 or 5 sessions and you feel a difference when you touch your face. It can be used under eyes, for pigmentation and for fine lines, so I have been moving it around and getting my mini-facials in whenever I’m sitting indoors. It’s genius!

More Hydrocolloid Patches can be bought on the Omnilux website as they’re one time use only, but the Omnilux Mini Skin Corrector works a treat, and feels like a real treat on the skin too. I can’t wait until the winter months when I can brighten my skin even without a holiday!

Available from £96.80: https://omniluxled.com/products/skin-corrector

Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask 2-In-1

beauty, Birthday Gifts, cruelty-free, Gifts for Her, health, Home, Mother's Day, Summer, Women

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

As summer is here, there’s always a need for a more enhanced beauty regime and what better way to brighten up your skin than with a face mask.  Face mask that also exfoliate, like the Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask have the added benefit of allowing your skin products to absorb into the skin better, which also helps with summer make-up. I tested the Kora Organics Face Mask this week, knowing that I haven’t used a face mask in the winter and my skin needed some serious brightening!

Kora Organics was started by Miranda Kerr in 2009 under the belief that healthy skin is beautiful skin. Miranda and her team wanted to make a brand which was organic, cruelty-free and natural to detoxify and nourish your skin.  The Turmeric in Kora’s Brightening Mask has anti-inflammatory properties and also reduces pigmentation of the skin, which is often found in older women. There are other natural ingredients too, including aspen-barn and peppermint for their antibacterial properties, and papaya enzymes which clear pores.  There’s finely crushed amethyst creates the glow and the positivity of this popular crystal.

To use, it’s a gentle cream which is spread over the face, avoiding the eye areas. It’s best to massage into damp skin, so I used this in the bath and let myself soak for 15 minutes, but you can let it work in just 5 minutes. To remove, you can wash away but I liked the idea of the extra exfoliation of massaging away with finger tips or a damp cloth.

The smell of the turmeric is very powerful so if you’re not a fan of spices, you are in for a shock! The turmeric left a slight tingling on my skin but it was nothing like the sensation of a hot curry or burning so it soon went away. I assumed it was the ingredients which were working to clear away the dullness of my skin.  It’s very refreshing and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin while you let it sit and work.  I rather enjoyed the feeling of the exfoliating taking away the winter and allowing the summer to hit my skin, and it wasn’t drying at all so my usual face products glided on and absorbed beautifully.  I could feel that my skin was cleaner, clearer and it looked brighter and after just one application of 15 minutes, there were tiny improvements to some of the discolouration of my face through age.  Added bonus!

I’m very happy to continue using the Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask throughout the summer and seeing the long lasting effects of the Kora organic products.

Available from £47.00 for 100ml at: 

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/kora-organics-turmeric-brightening-and-exfoliating-mask-30ml/12701160.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw48-vBhBbEiwAzqrZVKTWjR4EKEAZUWw19OVmUJXpiAEJ-MU7pEZr39D21ibWX0WRyGIQAhoCukcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Fabsil Universal Protector

camping, Family Life, Father's Day, Home, Home & Garden, National Walking Month, Sport, Summer

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

Fabsil are well known for their outdoor care products, and the Universal Protector is perfect for tents, marquees and gazebos. Did you know it can also be used on outdoor furniture too, such as parasols, and materials such as suede, leather and sheepskin.  The possibilities are endless!

We tried the 400ml aerosol spray on furniture covers that are a couple of years old now. The 400ml size was easy to use liberally on the covers which extends to a large table, two sofas and several chairs. It’s important to get the covers clean first though, so after a wet winter, it takes some effort to clean the covers and then water proof them! 

An alternative use for the Fabsil Universal Protector is on shoes and outerwear.  For smarter shoes, Fabsil Universal Protector works wonders because it’s clear and doesn’t change the colour of suede or leather, it just dries naturally. If you have a new pair of shoes and don’t want them to get splash stains or to penetrate too much water, Universal Protector really helps. It doesn’t make shoes waterproof as such, but they are splash proof and prevent water seeping in and staining or changing the texture.

Fabsil Universal Protector is one of those products you buy for one use but then end up using it on everything. Best keep one spare in the shoe cupboard for your next pair of favourite boots!

Available from £9.25 at: https://www.fabsil.com/products/universal-protector

Fieldtrip 10oz Field Cup Set

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, National Walking Month, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts

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

May is National Walking month and we’re trying to go for a walk every day, some days it’s just a quick walk after work but at the weekends we are heading further afield and enjoying longer walks in the beautiful countryside.

On our longer walks we always carry a flask of tea or coffee, in winter it’s just what you need to warm you up and there’s nothing better than sitting in the middle of nowhere enjoying a breathtaking view with a brew in your hand.

In the past we’ve just taken a couple of plastic mugs but the arrival of the Field Trip 10oz Field Cup set has certainly upped our game. The double walled stainless steel cups are available in stacks of 4 or 5 and come in a very practical 6oz waxed cotton bag which is hand finished with a stainless steel cord slider.

The insulation is just right for a quick hot drink or even a more leisurely coffee  and most importantly they are really comfortable to hold, unlike the old fashioned metal cups that burnt your hands and lips – most hikers have had at least one bad experience with that style of cup! At 10oz the cup is a good size and is the equivalent to a normal mug that you use at home.

The metal doesn’t hold onto flavours so it can be used for any drink without the flavours being tainted and can also be used as a handy bowl for soup or porridge when camping. The cups are solid, durable, well-made, and a pleasure to drink out of and as they can be stacked in the purpose made bag, they don’t take up much space making them easy to throw in the rucksack or car so we can enjoy a nice brew when we’re out on our adventures.  

We generally only take 2 cups with us so we have found the waxed cotton bag is a great place to store biscuits to enjoy with our brew!

At £59.95 for the 4 cup stack and £67.95 for the 5 cup stack they’re certainly not the cheapest set of cups around but they are made to last and I guarantee you’ll be using these cups for many years to come.

Edifier Comfo Run Bluetooth Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Sport, Summer

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

Another brilliant gift idea for Father’s Day is the Edifier Comfo Run Bluetooth headset.  Wireless so that they just connect to your phone, these sports headphones are great for running or cardio work because of the design of the earbuds and how they attach.  They’re open ear so they don’t have to sit inside your ear but because of their special sports design, they don’t fall off when running either!

Just 15 minute of charge (using the cable provided) gives 5 hours of listening time, and as they’re sports headphones, they also double up as a pedometer too. The can be used for gaming or work with the in-built double microphone and are dust and splash proof – perfect for taking on holiday and working out, being by the pool or listening to a podcast.

Unlike headphones for music and some gaming machines, the Edifer Comfo Run headphones are very lightweight. They’re great for running, but a they’re not inside your ear canal, they also work for cycling because they allow you to hear what’s going on around you too. The sound quality is really good and the controls (+,- and on/off) are easy to use when you’re trying to run, cycle or keep up with another sport. Like all Edifier headphones, they connect really easily to the Bluetooth on your phone using the ‘Search’ on your phone or device. 

The design makes them slightly different to get used to because the ring goes behind your head, then each ear piece is over your ear with the headphone speaker sitting outside your ear canal. If you’re not used to this and instead have over the head or earbuds but they’re designed that way so that they don’t fall off!  Anyone who doesn’t like something in their ear especially for prolonged amounts of time will prefer these because they sit outside the ear. However, the charging point is on the headpiece which doesn’t always stay in place if you move the headphones around, so charging them on moving transport can be tricky.

You don’t want too many bells and whistles with sports headphones, just easy to use, don’t slide off and they quality is really good. There’s not much to adjust on these, either technically or physically so not much can go wrong, and hopefully thanks to the design, they won’t fall off easily so you won’t lost them either!

Available from £79.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-Comfo-Run-Conduction-Headphones-Black/dp/B0CRYF3Y5K

Swizzels Sweet Shop Favourites for Father’s Day

Birthday Gifts, Children, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Halloween, Lunchbox Fillers, secret santa, snacks, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Vegan

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

Think back to the sweets you had when you were young. Were Refreshers among them? What about Drumsticks and Love Hearts?  Swizzels Sweets have a treat for Dads this Father’s Day with a bumper selection perfect for Dad; or Grandad to keep him occupied during the weekend. We were sent a huge assortment of Swizzels sweets to test before the big Father’s Day onslaught of chocolate, sweets and treats so we hope you get some inspiration from these for your Dad!

First up is the big box of Swizzels Sweet Shop Favourites. At 650 grams net it’s a pot pourri of favourites including Parma Violets, Refreshers, Double Lollies, Fizzers, Fruity Pops and Love Hearts. There’s also Drumsticks and Drumstick Squashies which are the same flavour but the Squashies are obviously softer on the teeth! Each of the sweets are as you remember them as a child and in this enormous round box, you can share them out within the family too.  They’re great for dipping into when you need to get a sugar rush or to give out after dinner. Dad will love them for the memories too.

Also in the review package were variety packs with a packet of another favourite – Swizzels Luscious Lollies.  There’s 16 lollies in this 176 gram pack which include Drumsticks, Fruity Pops and Double Lollies. Yes, there are some repeats here from the box of Sweet Shop Favourites but they are delicious and you probably don’t want to be taking a whole box out with you when you picnic or go on days out so 16 in a pack is ideal. All the lollies featured in this pack are also vegan and free from artificial colours.

There’s two more similar packs of sweets with the Swizzels Curious Chews at 171 grams and Swizzels Scrumptious Sweets at 173 grams.  The Curious Chews contain Drumsticks (again), Refreshers, and then Sour Refreshers, Puds (sticky toffee pudding flavour) and Fudg-eee Fudge Chews. None of those are recognisable to me so I’m guessing they’re new in the last few decades. They are indeed very chewy! I would stick to one at a time for these if you have anywhere near loose fillings but they are very addictive and the Fudg-eee and Puds really do taste as they’re supposed to.  The Scrumptious Sweets are some of our familiar Swizzels favourites including Drumsticks, Refreshers and Fizzers which again, are universally liked.

Finally, we have the Love Hearts! Everyone knew these sweets growing up so it’s only right that Dad gets them on Father’s Day too. The messages are slightly changed from the less-politically correct ones we might have had but the sentiments are the same. Love Hearts are vegan and free from Artificial Colours and this pack weighing 127 grams has approximately 12 little packs of sweets included, each with love messages on each sweet.

If you’re looking for a fun treat for Dad for Father’s Day, Swizzels Sweets are definitely going to be a favourite for any sweet tooth Dad!

Available from Ocado and other supermarkets: https://www.ocado.com/products/swizzels-sweet-shop-favourites-tub-456465011?ds_rl=1291426&ds_rl=1290929&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw0YGyBhByEiwAQmBEWjC2y6gjspdSz9BGgxRlILm2GTFhSTK2j7tZBBr6UK68eS0CDAGBNhoCUosQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Just Spice BBQ Seasoning

Food & Drink, Home, Summer

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

It is finally BBQ. Well, for the fire lovers amongst us who love to fire up the BBQ but even if you can’t BBQ this weekend, Just Spice have a new BBQ flavouring which can be used on any foods, not just those outdoors!

The New BBQ Allrounder is a smoky barbeque seasoning which can be used on almost anything including meat, fish or vegetables.  You don’t have to BBQ the food for the flavour to come out. Instead, spread it liberally on meats and fish to cook them in the oven or grill, and the same with vegetables such as peppers and onions.  Why not try adding BBQ Allrounder to mashed potatoes?  You could add them to boiled potatoes too or jackets with lashings of cheese if you’re cooking indoors and for outdoor BBQing, adding butter and BBQ Allrounder to sweetcorn will have it popping with taste with the mix of flavours.

You could also try it in the air fryer.  The dry BBQ Allrounder seasoning works really well with vegetables that might have some moisture to them already like tomatoes or squash.  I tried it on avocado though, with seasoning on top of the avocado on toast to give it more of a deep, smoky flavour.

As another seasoning in the Just Spice flavour rack, there are endless items of food you can add BBQ Allrounder to, and you don’t have to get the BBQ out in order to do it!  BBQ Allrounder is found on the herbs and spices section of the supermarkets, or you can buy from the Just Spice extensive range online.

Available at Waitrose from £4.00 https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/just-spices-bbq-seasoning/624786-824829-824830

Kalme Day Defence Cream SPF25

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Gifts for Her, health, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Women

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

No matter what the weather this summer, a good SPF face cream is needed and it’s true that even dull, overcast weather can damage the skin.

Kalme Day Defence Cream SPF25 is the down to earth daily face cream for all seasons, but best of all, the richness and smoothness of Kalme keeps your skin hydrated and feeling soft too.  The added bonus of SPF25 means you don’t have to put on daily sunscreen too when you’re walking around, which is a bonus in saving time and money.

During the summer months when you’re on the beach, by the pool or out playing sports and walking, the sun isn’t your only enemy. All the elements work together to evaporate moisture away from your face.  Walkers and sports men and women find it especially hard to wear a SPF cream to protect their skin without it sliding off. Kalme Day Defence Cream SPF25 is exceptionally rich and takes a while to rub in so you know it’s not going anywhere in any weather! I really liked how thick it was so that I only had to use a small amount most days, but when I needed a denser layer, it was easy to apply and blend in.  It’s great for night time too to give a deeper moisturising level and as it’s a daily face cream, you can use it anywhere including your hands.

There are more expensive day creams out there especially with SPF25 but for a deep, moisturising cream, Kalme Day Defence Cream SPF25 gives all the Department Store protection without the need for the price tag!

Available from £23.95 at:

https://www.skinshop.co.uk/kalme/kalme-day-defence-cream-spf-25

Peptide Dry Shampoo, Scalp Foam and Hair Mask from Hair Gain

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Gifts for Her, health, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian, Women

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

We all need a bit of help with our hair sometimes.  I love the ritual of hair masks, conditioners and then using products to fix my hair once it’s washed and styled.  Hair Gain sent us the Peptide Puff Dry Shampoo, Hair Gain Hair Mask, Hair Gain Scalp Foam and a lovely Hair Gain Comb to try out!

Starting with the Peptide Puff Dry Shampoo, it’s not an aerosol and isn’t like a mousse so it’s easier to use and will last longer too.  The dry shampoo is more of a powder, administered by a soft pad which prevents the powder from going everywhere and also helps direct it to the roots.  I was particularly happy to find that it doesn’t leave a white residue on your hair, nor does it leave a residue on your clothes. Instead, it’s clear and just takes the edge off of the oil in your hair. You can use as much or as little of it as you like so that it takes off more of the greasy shine but you get used to how much you need to use with time.

The Hair Gain Scalp Foam is a fairly new concept for women but men have been using enhancers for years. The foam is absorbed into the scalp and helps grow fuller, thicker hair. It reduces hair breakages from the roots and strengthens hair over time to prevent long term breakages.  This is a product you need to keep using and it’s probably best to use after you’ve washed your hair but before you completely style it. The formula makes your hair fuller anyway so it makes hair styling easier if you like big curls or lots of volume.  Over time, this should have more of an effect so I would go with using it every wash until it’s used up and then you’ll see how good it is!

The Hair Gain Hair Mask is probably my favourite.  It’s a luscious treatment to nourish your hair and is intently hydrating. You only need to use it in your hair for 10 minutes whilst hair is towel dry and then wash out, and once or twice a week is enough. Again, over time this works even better but with just one application you will find that it starts to work on making hair softer and fuller. In combination with the Hair Gain Scalp Foam, it creates thicker locks and less breakages.  It’s also a vegan formula but it does contain alcohol, sulphates and parabens.

The Hair Gain Comb was a nice treat to send to us along with the hair care products! I love a chunky comb so this is great for any hair type whilst you’re in the shower and trying to get the product through your hair as well as smoothing down the cuticles, especially if your hair is long and thick. It looks like plastic but it’s actually made from materials which are 100% biodegradable.

The Hair Gain product package creates an all-round treatment for your hair, from dry shampoo through to hair mask as well as the handy comb!  I’m looking forward over time to seeing the long term results on my hair and how it’s changed in thickness and strength too.

Peptide Puff Dry Shampoo for £15.00: https://www.hairgainnow.com/products/dry-shampoo

Hair Gain Scalp Foam for £25.00 (on sale): https://www.hairgainnow.com/products/hair-gain-scalp-foam?pr_prod_strat=jac&pr_rec_id=4203a01fe&pr_rec_pid=7706678526122&pr_ref_pid=7903145492650&pr_seq=uniform

Hair Gain Hair Mask £25.60 (on sale): https://www.hairgainnow.com/products/hair-gain-hair-mask?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=4203a01fe&pr_rec_pid=6598552125610&pr_ref_pid=7903145492650&pr_seq=uniform

Hair Gain Hair Comb £11.95: https://www.hairgainnow.com/products/hair-gain-wide-tooth-comb?pr_prod_strat=jac&pr_rec_id=4203a01fe&pr_rec_pid=6851814752426&pr_ref_pid=7903145492650&pr_seq=uniform

Clean G Rhubarb Non Alcoholic Gin

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

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

On a sunny afternoon there’s nothing better than sitting in the garden with a good book and a refreshing G&T but the downside is the hangover that one too many glasses bring!  Fortunately, there are some excellent non alcoholic gins available and we have been enjoying this Clean G Rhubarb from Clean Co which has all the deliciousness of a rhubarb gin but doesn’t leave you with a groggy head the next day.  

If you’re not familiar with the brand Clean Co they were founded back in 2019 by Spencer Matthews and they create premium non-alcoholic spirits which taste just like the alcoholic versions. Their drinks are in lovely art-deco style bottles that would look stylish on any drinks trolley and unless you read the label you would be forgiven for thinking they are regular spirits.  

Distilled in copper pot gin stills the Clean G Rhubarb non-alcoholic fruity gin is infused with an array of fruit and botanical flavours, creating a well-balanced, complex spirit that has the beautiful taste and fresh dryness that you expect from a premium gin. I mixed it with an unflavoured light tonic to get the full flavour, adding the recommended wedge of lemon and found it to be a really refreshing drink. I was really impressed with the taste and it was so like a traditional rhubarb gin that my friends were amazed when I told them it was actually non-alcoholic!

With less than 0.5% ABV, no sugar or additional sweeteners and only 14 calories per 50ml serving it’s the perfect choice when you want something special that isn’t alcoholic. A party taste without the hangover – what’s not to like!

A 70cl bottle costs £16 and is available from Clean Co and supermarkets.

TermaBurn Post-Sun Aloe Wrap

beauty, Days Out, Family Life, health, Home, Summer

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

If you’ve ever had sunburn you know what it feels like to have burning skin and your underlying fear of what comes next once the skin dries out. It inevitably isn’t pleasant and isn’t healthy either.

If you find yourself burned this year, especially whilst on holiday, TermaBurn Post-Sun Aloe Wrap combines the healing properties of aloe vera with a revolutionary wrap format which makes it easy and much quicker to apply than aloe vera gel.  The 100% organic aloe is combined with Vitamin E, and Green Tea for anti-inflammation to create a moist web which when placed over the sun burnt skin can help healing. It can also prevent further burning as the aloe and ingredients take away the damaging heat and also leave your skin moist to prevent peeling too.

The whole roll is 52 inches (1.32 metres) which you can cut to any size. So if the burn is on your face, across your back or chest or even on your hands, you have plenty TermaBurn to use liberally to cool your skin. It can be worn under clothes and doesn’t leave a residue and doesn’t need to be refrigerated first. 

Even if you’re not going on holiday, many people find TermaBurn great for grazes and household burns, itches and allergies and generally keeping cool in the summer especially for children and the elderly.  There are no drugs involved so you can use as much as you need and keep it on your skin for as long as needed. Rashes and insect bites are often soothed as well, especially if you put any ointments on underneath and let the TermaBurn do the cooling and sealing on top. 

Whoever came up with this brilliant idea has obviously had some serious sunburn in the past, but hopefully it won’t be as serious anymore with TermaBurn around.

Available from £19.95 at: https://termaburn.co.uk/products/termaburn-aloe-wrap