Perfect Personalised Christmas Gifts from ASDA Photo

I love giving personalised gifts for presents to my family. Sometimes you're just not too sure what to get someone as it feels as if they already have everything but who doesn't love photos of their nearest and dearest?

I've used ASDA Photo quite a few times over the years on both gifted projects and ones I've paid for as I know their quality and trust their products. Here, I have rounded up some of the items that I have made as there is such a great variety available nowadays. I hope this helps you to choose something suitable for someone you love. 

ASDA Photo Cushion - £26.00

I've made a few cushions over the years and the ASDA one is by far the best. Miss M just created one for herself this year and it isn't what I'd have chosen but it suits her personality and makes her smile, so that is what is important. I wasn't sure how well it would turn out as she used lower quality photos than ASDA recommends but actually it is fine. See below -

The images are not anywhere near as crisp as Miss E's cushion below, as I used much higher quality ones when I made that cushion. Miss E has had this cushion for over 3 years now and it is still in perfect condition, despite her sleeping with it each night. She really loves it and the suede martial is so soft to the touch. The size is 25" x 14.5"  and the cover is removable for washing at 30 degrees.

Review: Ravensburger The Snowman & Snowdog 100 pc Puzzle

If you have ever owned a Ravensburger puzzle before you will know how great the quality of their puzzles is. These are not flimsy puzzles that only last one season, these are the kind that you can keep for a few years whilst your child is still enjoying them and then pass them on to a friend or charity shop and they are still in great condition.

It's not just the puzzle though, the box is sturdy too and this is important to me as there is nothing more frustrating than losing pieces as the corners of the box have collapsed!

The Snowman & Snowdog puzzle is fabulous and I think it would appeal to any puzzler. The 100 piece puzzle has XXL pieces to make it more fun for a younger child and they recommend it for children aged 6 years plus.  My twin girls are 8 and one of them in particular loves puzzles and also all things snow, chilly and arctic, so this puzzle will go down a treat when she opens it on Christmas morning.

The Snowman and The Snowdog is a charming film sequel to the Christmas classic The Snowman. Premiered on Channel 4 on the 30th anniversary of the original film n 2012, the sequel brought together The Snowman and his new Snowdog, who has mismatched socks for ears and a satsuma for a nose. I'll have to show my girls the film, as I do not believe they've seen it.

I asked my 12 year old son JJ to make the puzzle up for me and give me his opinion. He said it is a great puzzle, loads of bright colours and not too complex, despite there being a fair amount of white there was enough lines and other colours in there to make it really manageable for a 6 year old child. He also commented on the linen-finished print which gives a nice matt finish and ensures there is no glare even when the winter sun is shining bright. He said the pieces are easy to slot together too.

The finished puzzle measures - 49 x 36 cm and is available for £6.99 on Amazon and I think this is a really good price for a gift that will give hours of enjoyment. I am very happy to recommend this Ravenburger puzzle.

Disclosure: We received this puzzle for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Club Chic Girls - Review

My 7 year old twin girls are very lucky as they get a number of great things to review. The latest item they have received has only just launched and both girls love their Club Chic doll.

With five to collect there is something for everyone. We were lucky enough to receive the whole set but I asked the girls which one each they would like to keep and we will pass the other three to friends of theirs, as it is always good to share!

Based in Bear Valley Hills, the Club Chic girls are totes the trendiest, coolest bears around! Each Club Chic doll has their own individual style and comes complete with personalised fabric outfits and a super-styling hand bag that your little one can use too! It explans on the box who each girl is and what their style/ personality says about them.

These are who my girls choose -

Miss M - Candy, as she would love to have pink hair like her and she is really into fashion, which apparently Miss M tells me Candy is too. her name also sounds American which is something Miss M would love.

Miss E - Pippa, truth be told Miss E did not strongly identify with any of them, I suspect this is because she is still figuring out who she is as an individual. She liked Violet as she is arty but she didn't like her Goth look so she opted for Pippa in the end as she wears glasses like Miss E does and she blogs like Mummy,

The dolls retail for £16.99 and you can pick them up from most good toy retailers like Smyths Toys. So what do you get for your money? Take a look and see -

I found the dolls a bit odd as they have such big heads and small bodies and I had wondered if they would stand up unassisted but they do and my girls think the big head, big eyes look is cute and I suppose they are what matters. The actual doll itself seems well made and all the parts move, the hair is the same as any doll like this and the painted face is well done. I really liked the fact that the dolls have a childs body and there is no emphasis towards perky boobs and slim hips!

The dress on Crystal is literally just a piece of fabric with a velcro fastening, so not much to it but it fits the theme and looks good on her. The purse that comes with it is very cute and again velcro fastens and my daughters will enjoy using these for their pocket money.

I think these make a nice Christmas present idea and my girls are certainly happy with their dolls.

If you like what you see you can check out more of Vivid Toys brands on their website, it is always good to find a British brand.

Disclosure: We were sent these dolls free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Furby Boom

I remember when Furby's were first launched back in 1998 and not having any children then they were hardly on my radar and then when they were released last year again I didn't hear a peep from the kids about wanting one. But his year it has been a different story, I suspect that might be down to them currently being given as Happy Meal toys from McDonalds.

I had my suspicion that the kids might enjoy one but I had no idea quite how much the Furby would be loved. I agreed to review one thinking it would be a nice gift for Miss E at Christmas and that JJ could test it out and have a play prior to then. Stupidly I left it on the side in the kitchen on the day it arrived earlier this week and as soon as the kids arrived home they spotted it.

Family Toy to be shared
Miss M was the first to start shouting about it and whopping for joy that she had always wanted one. I expected JJ to look at it and dismiss it instantly as the one we received is pink and purple but no, he also started to shout about how gorgeous it was and he loved it and could he have the first go please. Then Miss E got a look in and she cuddled it tight and told JJ it was hers. As they had all found it I told them it was a toy to share and like a real pet they would have to take turns.

Set up
I handed the Furby to JJ to set up and read about as at 10 years he is good at that sort of thing and has more patience than I do. He straight away asked me for 4 AA batteries to power the Furby and luckily I had some, I'm waiting to see how long they last, I do hope it does not drain them too quickly. I'm used to practically everything being rechargeable nowadays. You need a tiny Phillips screwdriver to be able to access the bottom to put the batteries in but I found a metal skewer worked OK!

The Furby does not come with any kind of instruction manual which I found frustrating but luckily the kids were happy to go with the exploratory method of learning. JJ instantly downloaded the free Furby Boom app on his iPad and started to play. He had to hold the Furby 10 cm's away from the iPad and partner them and then teach the Furby it's name - bee-boo in case you are interested.

Interaction
The Furby Boom is all about the interaction. It starts by talking Furbish (a nonsense language of its own) and the more you interact with it the more it speaks English. It really is very cute if you can get past the constant stream of chatter. I do like it when the Furby refers to itself by its name and he tells you he is happy etc.

I do have to admit I was pleased when JJ found out that if you pull his tail for 10 seconds or more he tells you how tired he is getting and then starts to snore and goes to sleep.  The girls like it when Bee-boo dances and gets all excited.  The more you interact with your Furby the more you shape its personality and it becomes more and more fun the kids tell me.

Furby Boom free app
As I mentioned you can download a free app to play with your Furby Boom. This is available for both apple and android products. We had tom take a couple of trys to be able to scan the Furby successfully when we needed to but it got there each time in the end and we are only talking a matter of a couple of minutes.

You can check the health of your Furby when you scan it and make up medicine if it is poorly and it will soon tell you if you are doing something it does not like. if you are looking after your Furby well you get rewarded with eggs which you can hatch into Furblings and then look after them too. You can get up to 50 eggs in total and end up with a whole Furby Boom City.

I love it that you can pay with Furby without the app, it is still a great interactive toy and that is mostly how Miss M and Miss E will use it but JJ being that bit older loves the extra element that the app brings.

Conclusion
The Furby Boom is sold as being suitable for children of 6 years and older but with a little help I'm sure younger children would enjoy it too. The best price I could find at the moment is at Smyths toys where it s £49.99.

My kids really love their Furby and if they had received it for Christmas I know they would have been supper happy. It is so silly in what it says the things it can do that it really plays to a child's sense of fun. I'm happy to recommend this as a good buy.

Take a look for yourself at the Furby Boom and see what my kids are so excited about -




How cute is this? Hasbro sent us a Pannell family picture of us as Furby's -

Disclosure: We received the Furby Boom free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Hotel Chocolat Jingles and Mingles Bag

I have heard so much about Hotel Chocolat over the last few years but I've not actually tried any of their products until now. They look really nice but the price tag had put me off somewhat.

I was pleased to be offered the chance to review something from their Christmas range and I choose to try out the Mingles and Jingles bag.  This is 35 individually wrapped chocolates all presented in a cloth drawstring bag. The chocolates are milk (40% cocoa), white and milk caramel chocolate and come in very cute bell, angel and penguin shapes.

This is how it looks on the Hotel Chocolat website and I think the bag looks as if it has a silky quality to it. Unfortunately it does not it is just sort of a cream natural cotton feeling fabric.

This bag of 35 chocolates retails at £21, which at first glance feels quite expensive to me but when you break it down to a price per chocolate it is only 60p each and that feels OK for a premium product which is individually wrapped. I gave some out whilst I was at work the other day and my colleagues enjoyed them, especially the white chocolate bell, they really are exquisite. The milk chocolate penguin is good too but not as special as I might have hoped and the milk caramel chocolate is not to my taste.

You can see from my picture that the chocolates gets a bit beaten up by being in the bag with all the others. When you unwrap the individual chocolates they have little scraps and marks on them which takes away the quality feel and is a shame.

I did like the fact that there is a 100% satisfaction guarantee in every box of chocolates and I have to be honest and say that if I had spent £21.00 on these chocolates I might have been asking to use that as I want perfect condition chocolates for that money not beaten up ones, even if they do taste quite good.

I was very pleased with how quickly the chocolates arrived and the box they came in was attractive and the bag was well cushioned with packaging. There are a range of delivery options, the cheapest of which is standard 3-5 day delivery for £3.95 for one item. The last day to order for standard UK delivery is 18th December but you can order right up until 11am on 24th December if you are wiling to pay for the shuttle delivery service. There is also a free click and collect service if you are local to any of the stores.

Hotel Chocolate have a tasting club (which I think, was how I first heard of them, from friends who were enjoying lots of new taste sensations) and you can become a member and sign up to receive parcels of different chocolates to try, this is something that does some very interesting to me.

Disclosure: I received these chocolates for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Sylvanian Families Campervan from The Entertainer

You know how some review opportunities make you more excited than others?  Well this was one of the ones that got me all fired up.  One of my little twinnies is forever on at me to let her have some Sylvanian families stuff, she has been nagging me for about three years now. Every time she spots them in a shop (mostly our local Entertainer branch) she tells me about how cute the little animal figures are and that she wants some for her birthday, Christmas or any other reason she thinks she might get away with.

I have to be honest and say that I have avoided buying them for the last few years as I did buy one small set when she was about 2 years old . There was a baby, cot/playpen type thing, little chair, drawers and some accessories - it must have been a set for a nursery room thinking about it.  It was very cute, there is no denying that but within a week all the bits had been lost, I have no idea where.  I keep a tidy house but they were never to be seen again. As they are not the cheapest toys on the market I have been avoiding them since.

I think I can now say that at age 5 Miss E is big enough to be trusted with all the little bits and pieces again.  A couple of weeks ago we received the Sylvanian Families campervan and chocolate Labrador family for her to play with and she has been so happy.  Completely delighted and enthralled with the play set, it has genuinely provided hours of play and the little brown doggies have made friends with her dolls and the campervan goes to visit her dolls house and they all have tea together.  I do love a toy that can be added to other things and the play experience extended.  The beauty of small imaginations - play is limitless.

What surprised me most is that my other twin Miss M has also been playing with the set, she is normally very easily bored and does not really 'play' much despite my best efforts but I think because the figures we have are labrador dogs that has been enough to engage her and she has named one of them Archie, which is the name of Nanny H's labrador.

I have often wondered if the figures would stand up to being played with.  I see they are covered in a soft kind of felt-like fur and I assumed that when you scratched them it would come away but I was wrong.  The figurines seem really durable, the limbs can move, the clothes can come on and off and they do seem sturdy, which is great as a set of 4 like we received is £16.00 at the Entertainer.

The campervan retails for £39.99 and comes with lots of little extras so you can have fun playing.  I do always think it is a shame though that the Sylvanian Families playsets do not ever seem to include a figure/ character to play with.  You have to buy those separately. That would be my only negative about these products.

I was really pleased with how easy the figures and the campervan were to remove from the packaging, some toys nowadays seemed to be literally screwed into the box but not so with these. The campervan was also easy to set up and required no adult intervention, my 9 year old did it by himself.

It is suggested that Sylvanian families toys are suitable for children aged 4 - 12 years. But I have to say that they are a toy I'm happy to join in and play with and yes I am a tad older than 12. I think the issue I may have now in the future, is to curb my desire to buy more cute little animals and I have just spotted there is a canal boat and tree house! oh dear.

I snapped a few pictures of the campervan set up for play, take a peek -

We are happy to recommend the Sylvanian Families campervan and Chocolate Labrador Family and give them a 5/5 for play value.

Disclosure:  We received the toys free of charge for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Guinness World Records Book 2013

At the end of August, just before we took a three hour car journey the postman arrived to deliver an exclusive preview copy of the Guinness World Records 2013 book.  Well I wish I had my camera then, as JJ's face was a treat - he was so excited.  More than anyone should be about a book!

In the summer we attended a Guinness World Records and Thomson event at Whipsande Zoo and JJ attempted to break a world record for the most hats worn at one time.  Sadly during his official adjudicated attempt the hats all fell off his head and we had tears but he still had a great time and we know that he smashed the record, it just was not recorded.

Attendance at this event really increased JJ's interest in Guinness World Records and when he learnt they would send him the book to review he really was jumping for joy. I have to say that the book proved to be an excellent travelling companion for our three hour journey to Norfolk. That day JJ was happy to regale me with astonishing facts and kept trying to show me the glossy pictures but that proved a tad difficult as I was the driver.

Let me share with you some of the facts I learnt during this car journey -

1. Hong Kong is the city with the most skyscrapers. They have an estimated combined height of 205 miles.  Who'd have known?
2. Richard Lecce from the USA has the most video games - 8,068 different titles at the last official count in 2011.
3. Medusa, the python is the longest living snake, she is 25ft 2inches long - ekk!
4. The world heaviest twins had a combined birth weight of 27lb 12oz - mine had a combined birth weight of 11lb 12oz, bit of a difference! lol
5. A man from Argentina has the most pierced face with 280 of them.  Can you even imagine?

All very useful I'm sure you'll agree?  the funny thing is that I have found myself sharing these facts with friends and family in the last few weeks.  Guinness World Records really do get under your skin it seems.

I'd happily recommend the 2013 Guinness World Records book as a great Christmas present for your child or a niece/ nephew.  I think the book is equally suitable for a girl or boy and will probably be most enjoyed by a child aged seven years plus, so they can ably read the book themselves and be big enough to hold it (it is pretty big and heavy). The book is hardback and the pages are glossy and very high quality. All the facts are presented in a visually pleasing way and really engage kids.  This year there is a free download app for your iPhone or iPad which allows you to view some of the pictures in the book in 3D.  It really is a nice extra and quite amazing, you have to see it to believe it.

The Guinness World records 2013 book has hardly been put own since JJ received it.  I even noticed the other day that it was going to school with him most days.  Apparently a few of them read it at break time. It is certainly pretty common to walk in his room and find him on his bed like this -

Do you think this makes him a nerd?  A very nice nerd though surely?

The Guinness World Records 2013 book has an RRP of £20 but I notice it is currently just £9 on Amazon and that is a complete bargain!

Disclosure:  We received this book free of charge for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Recommended Children's Books for Christmas

Not too long until Christmas is upon us and if you are anything like me then some of your Christmas shopping will be done in bookshops.  I just love to browse through books, each year I take it upon myself to help the children I buy presents for improve their love for books.  I bought one of my nephews a book recently and he commented this would be his fourth book.  How sad is that?  My kids have dozens and dozens of books each and we visit charity shops and the library frequently so we can keep rotating and keep our reading fresh. I suppose my love of reading has translated into a love for them too - result!

I was recently sent 3 books to review and share with you.  Here is what we thought!

Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag. RRP £9.99 in hardback

This one suited my girls age group (they are 4) with me reading to them but equally JJ could easily have read it to himself at age 8. It is a wonderful book to read at bedtime and I was able to read to all 3 children with them  all equally being interested and engaged. The book contains fourteen wondrous stories and each one is described as a magic bean: written to capture a child's imagination. The collection of classic stories are retold in a modern manner by some of today's best children's story tellers including Jacqueline Wilson, Phillip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo, Anne Fine, and many more.

My girls particularly liked the tale of Rapunzel told by Jacqueline Wilson and I was super pleased to see Aesop's Fables included.  I have such fond memories of being read these simple but brilliant tales by my Mum when I was young. I would happily recommend this book for both boys and girls.



History Keepers: The Storm Begins by Damien Dibben. RRP £12.99 in hardback

JJ who is 8 read this but let me tell you a secret....  so did I and I am considerably older than 8! lol I am assuming this book is aimed at pre-teens/ teenagers but at a mature 8 JJ was fine reading it and really got into the fast-moving story.  In this book (the first of many I hope) young hero Jake Djones travels through time to save his parents – and history itself.  The way that true life historical events are woven into the story is extremely clever. I felt like I was being taken on a  rollercoaster ride through this book and it kept me turning the pages avidly. I believe this book will appeal to both boys and girls and should feature on every older child's Christmas list.  It is superb and I can't wait for the next book in the series...

Sapphire Battersea by Jacqueline Wilson.  RRP £12.99 in hardback

This is the second book in a trilogy, with the acclaimed Hetty Feather being the first. As JJ is a real boys boy I passed this book to my friends 10 year old daughter, H and asked for her comments. 'I loved it' was the first thing she said to me when I saw her the other day.  She told me that she read it in 2 days over a weekend as it was fantastic.  She had not read Hetty Feather prior to this book but she said it did not matter as she was able to understand everything in the book and she would, be using her pocket money next week to buy Hatty Feather. 

Her mum tells me that Sapphire Battersea is well written and very pre-teen/ early teenage years friendly. There is a sad part when a key character dies (I won't spoil it and say who) so you need to be aware that it is not really aimed at younger children. Also your child needs to be aware that there will be a third book out in a year or so which will reveal the ending to the story.....  so they need to be patient and wait for it!

Another recommendation, I am now reliably informed that JJ would have loved it too and whilst my assumption was that it is a girls book, apparently that is not so.

All three books are available at good booksellers such as Waterstones and WH Smiths and can also be purchased online from Random House.


Disclosure:  I received these books free of charge to review.  I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Marley and Me, The Puppy Years

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours ironing, something which is OK but not the most interesting thing I can think of doing.  To make it more bearable I normally watch something good on TV, so when my kids asked if we could put Marley and Me, The Puppy Years DVD on I happily said yes.  A nice family, easy viewing movie was just what I needed.

The film did not dissapoint.  I had enjoyed the original Marley and Me movie and whilst this film did not actually fit in with the story line from the original film it was in the same vein and had the same beautiful labradors. We are a family with a penchant for Labs and I think this certainly helped us to enjoy this film. it is what it is, very easy viewing, a lot of fun and nothing too taxing. Marley talks this time and you get an insight into what the animals are thinking, just a bit of fun.

This storyline sees Marley as a young puppy in Vancover, looked after by his dogsitter Bodi Grogan, played by Travis Turner (Supernatural, Fairly Legal), who is staying with his grandfather Fred.   Bodi has always wanted a dog of his own and during the summer, to prove to his mum that he is ready for the responsibility, he enters Marley in the "Ultimate Puppy Championship," along with the neighbour’s Labrador puppies Fuchsia and Moose.  

After weeks of mayhem, training and hard work, Marley and his team the “Ragga Rascals” are ready for the competition. They come up against strong competitors when they face the other puppy teams; a group of pugs, a gang of Australian cattle dogs and the intimidating trio of miniature Doberman pinschers. I'll let you watch the movie to find out the ending but needless to say as a family certificate U it is  good one! Here is a quick clip to give you a taster.

Marley and Me, the Puppy Years was relaeased on 14th November 2011 and I believe it will make a great Christmas gift. The RRP for the DVD is £14.99 but it is available on Amazon right now from £9.00. It is also available as a Blu-ray for RRP £19.99. Both DVD an Blu-ray have additional features.


Disclosure:  I was provided with this DVD for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Discover the Extreme World Encyclopedia

I count myself as lucky that I have an 8 year old boy who likes to read, extra lucky that he loves to read all types of material.  When I saw the new encyclopedia from the Discovery Channel and Miles Kelly was up for review, I just knew that JJ would adore it but actually my expectations were smashed, this is a really fantastic book for people of all ages, not just kids. In fact the other night dh sat there and looked through it for a good hour and deemed that it would be useful to him in his capacity as a Cub Leader.

The book is just slightly larger than A4 in size, is hard-backed and has good quality glossy pages.  It has been built to last. 

It is absolutely packed with snippets of information.  There are six distinct sections to the book - Active Earth, Awesome Animals, Incredible Science, Ultimate Machines, Super Humans and History Revealed. Each of these six reference areas are then broken into smaller chunks with an easy to find index.  For example within the Active Earth section you could choose to learn about space, deep-sea, freaky weather, volcano's and much more - there is a great diversity to the book.

Each double page spread focuses on a different area and the photos and graphics are phenomenal, the information is presented in a fun way with different text types, slants and all in a snippet format, so there is no great long lengths of reading necessary.  I am pretty sure JJ will view this book as fun reading rather than educational when I give it to him as part of his Christmas presents.  Win:win for me a s parent, something he wants to read but that actually teaches him something as well.

Some snippets from inside the book -

• At its top speed, the F22 Raptor could fly from New York City to Miami in less than 40 minutes.
• In 2010, a quake in Chile was so powerful that it literally moved the entire city of Concepcion 10 ft to the west.
• The Suzuki Hayabusa can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds.
• One medieval remedy for the plague was to drink a glass of your own urine twice a day.
• Ants can lift up to 50 times more than their own body weight.
• In parts of the Antarctic, the Sun remains below the horizon for 105 days during winter, leaving the land in near total darkness.
• The language of Silbo, from the Canary Islands, uses penetrating whistles that can be heard over long distances.
• Arica in the Chilean Atacama Desert experienced less than 0.03 in of rain during one 59-year period.
• Kingda Ka rollercoaster’s 418 ft drop is the biggest in the world.
• Greedy Romans sometimes made themselves sick in order to be able to eat more.

Discover the Extreme World retails for £17.99 and is available in all good book shops such as WH Smiths and Waterstones but actually I found a super bargain on Amazon with it selling new copies for £9.17, including free postage.  How can you possibly go wrong at that price? I would highly recommend this as a Christmas gift for your Key stage 2 child.

Disclosure:  This is a review post, I received the book free of charge for the purposes of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.