Home About Me My Faith Contact Me Work with Me PR Mummy from the Heart

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Review & Giveaway: Swingball All Surface

Congratulations to Dolly Daydreamer (@d_daydreams) you are the lucky winner.  Please DM or email me your name and address details.  Many thanks, Mich x

So what do you think when I say Swingball to
you?  Personally it took me right back to being in my back garden in the early 80's when I was about 10 years old.  It was definitely something that was part of my upbringing, banging that ball round as fast as I could to see if I could bash my little brother with it! I now see that was probably not the idea of it though...

A couple of years back JJ was given a Junior Swingball (the same but smaller) and I admit that I thought it was a rubbish present, it stayed in the garden and when my Mum got a dog he took a liking to it and bit the ball up so it never really got used properly but what I know now was that we did not give it a chance, I made a judgement call before we even gave it a fair shot.

So a few months ago when I was helping at our Church's youth group and they got out a full size Swingball, it was really interesting to watch all these 12 - 16 year olds playing with such zeal, they had so much fun and then I had a game too and I had fun and you know what it was so energetic.  Exercise in the form of fun - perfect!  So when I got an email asking if I would like to review a full size Swingball set I jumped at the chance and I was right to do so, the kids all loved it.

As my kids are still fairly young I constructed the swingball minus one of the lengths so it is a short version, I love the fact that it is versatile to be able to do this. It meant that both my 4 year olds could
play and even though the bats were big for them they were able to hold them and gently bash the ball around.

JJ and I played a more ferocious game and really had some fun.  Next time we meet friends for a picnic day at the park I will definitely take this along so we can all have some fun together, you could even have tournaments like you might in snooker.  The winner stays on and plays the next person....  well until they are too tired!  JJ was in his element batting a ball at high speed towards his Mum!

Take a look at the all surface swingball we were sent HERE, you can watch a video to see how it works in practice if you are not sure.  The Swingball game is produced by Mookie Toys, who are a classic brand with a heritage stretching back more than 30 years and Swingball is officially one of the top ten best-selling toys of the last 10 years.  What they say about Swingball: The fully portable game is perfect for outdoor events, holiday fun and picnics. With its unique lid and base construction, all the game components can be stored inside and the integral handle makes it easy to pick up and play... anywhere!  It’s fun, interactive and great for all age-groups and genders.

It is true, it really is very portable, setting the swingball up was easy and quick and I was able to pack it all away again too, something that companies often boast about but is practically impossible to do. Not so with Swingball the promises they make seem honest.  We used some old rubble to fill our base to make it sturdy but they advocate water or sand. It just shows that all sorts work.

If you are interested to buy a Swingball for your family they are available from all good toy retailers or you can purchase from Amazon for the great price of £22.99 currently.  The RRP is £29.99 which I think is good value for a game that will last years.  However if you don't have any spare pennies at the moment you can enter my giveaway to win an All Surface Swingball just like the one we have.

How to Enter
  • Mandatory:  Follow my review blog by any means that suits you - Google friends connect, subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe by email. All the gadgets are in the right side-bar. Leave me a comment to say you have done so and a way of contacting you if you are the lucky winner.
  • Extra entry - Tweet 'I am in to #win a Swingball set from @MookieToys in @MichelleTwinMum's #giveaway http://bit.ly/qgr4uW'
Terms and Conditions
  • The winner will be chosen at random
  • Open to UK residents only
  • Giveaway closes at 12 noon on Friday 9th September 2011
  • The winner will be contacted within 3 working days of the competition closing
  • The winner needs to contact me within a week of my announcing the winner or I will draw again
  • The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative
  • The Swingball set will be sent direct from Mookie Toys
Good Luck!


This is a review and giveaway post, I was provided with a Swingball set to review.  I was not instructed what to write, my opinions are my own and I remain honest.

Sunday 21 August 2011

Review: Vosene Afterswim Hair and Body Wash

Have I told you before that I really love the Vosene kids range?  I am sure I have and yes they did sponsor me to go to CyberMummy which I was really thrilled about but I can not be bought and hence my review here of their afterswim hair and body wash is honest.

So let me tell you what I like about this product, which retails for about £2.49 for 200ml at Sainsburys.  First up is the fact it is in a tube, extremely handy for a very clumsy 7 year old when he is washing after his swimming lessons. Next is the gorgeous melon smell, which JJ likes too - I think it is fine for a boy or girl and in fact I have used the product too so it is just as suitable for adults as for kids.

The last thing I really like is the fact that it does not actually lather up that much.  This may seem a bit strange as normally I like a good lather from my shampoo but again with a 7 year old boy cleaning himself after his swimming the last thing I need is a ton of bubbles going in his eyes.

Let me share with you some of the product information that Vosene publish about this product -
  • Especially developed for young, sensitive skin, washes chlorine, salt and other impurities clean away
  • No tears formulation
  • Unique Aromaguard™ technology which works with the other ingredients to actively neutralise the smell of chlorine and replace it with the gentle fruity scent of melon
  • Free from soap, SLS, SLES and parabens
  • Dermatologically tested and paediatrician approved
All in all a great product which is value for money.  I would recommend it and we will continue to use it in this house for after swimming.

Family Rating:   5/5

This is a review post: I was sent a tube of Vosene afterswim hair and body wash for the purposes of this review.