Review: Oral-B Pro 2500 Electric Toothbrush

In June JJ (my near 14 year old toothbrush hating son) was sent the Oral-B PRO 2500 electric toothbrush to try out and review. He's been wanting one for quite some time but in honesty due to the cost I hadn't done anything about it as I'm quite happy with a traditional old style toothbrush.

However having done a bit of research I now see that I was in the wrong and ideally my whole family should be using an electric toothbrush. A number of studies were pulled together and reviewed by the British research publication, The Cochrane Library and they found there was an 11% reduction in plaque at one to three months of use, and a 21% reduction in plaque when assessed after three months of use. So these are strong findings for making the switch to an electric toothbrush.

In short JJ has been loving using his new electric toothbrush and I've been loving the fact that he is remembering to brush his teeth more and that each session is lasting longer and is therefore more through and will ensure better dental health for him long term.

Have a watch our our video review to see the Oral-B PRO 2500 in action and hear what JJ thinks of it.



Many thanks to Pure Smiles dental practise based in Fulham for sending this toothbrush through to JJ. Pure Smiles offer a variety of services such as teeth whitening, dermal fillers, smoking cessation programs and sleep therapy. Why not check them out if you are local to them and I'd certainly be reassured by all the excellent customer reviews they display on their website drawn from Facebook, MyReputaion.com and Google.

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

JJ Trials Code Kingdoms

About three weeks ago JJ was given access to the website Code Kingdoms to try out their hands-on coding course for kids (recommended for ages 8 - 14+). I have to confess that I know nothing really about coding and even less about Minecraft itself, so when I was asked if this was something that might be of interest, I sent JJ the link and asked him to take a look and let me know. After a look round the Code Kingdoms site and learning that he would get his own Minecraft server to make modifications on, he was sold on the idea. Take a quick peek at the promotional video and see for yourself a glimpse into what Code Kingdoms provides and why JJ was interested -



However there has proved to be one small problem.... and it is NOT with Code Kingdoms I hasten to add, but with my son. What's the problem? Well JJ LOVES to play Minecraft and not just loves it but absolutely adores and from what I understand he is very good at it.  In fact he holds a Guinness World record for doing something or the other in Minecraft and here lies the problem. He is far more interesting in playing than coding,

So he spent some time checking out the instructional videos on Code Kingdoms and doing a bit of coding but he is already used to using a programme called Scratch at school where you use coloured visual blocks of code to drag and drop and he found Code Kingdoms similar at it's most basic level (but there are three more levels), so to be totally honest with you he didn't use it too much more.

Over Easter I sat JJ down and asked him to give me a tour of Code Kingdoms and explain to me what it was all about. I can edit some HTML in my blog so how different can this be I wondered? Well, the answer is very different. The language JJ was using was all new to me - 'methods', 'for loops', 'coding blocks' and 'boolean' to start with and I can honestly say that if it was not for the superb videos provided by Code Kingdoms I'd still have no idea as JJ really didn't have the patience to explain it all to me.

It is a different world that our kids are growing up in and Code Kingdoms are passionate to help youngsters grow up to be equipped for the digital future by making computing more engaging and accessible, particularly for girls who are underrepresented in these areas of work currently.

CK Code Editor -
First off you have the CK code editor (shown above), which is specially designed for Code Kingdoms and for use by kids interested in learning Java. It is intuitive to use and has an easy drag and drop editor for you to start with but the editing screen is clever as you can start by using coloured blocks of code with pictures and as you become more competent you can move through three stages until you are just editing raw java code. This is one of the things that makes Code Kingdoms unique, as most coding programmes just operate in either drag and drop or text based coding and that means young coders can feel a disconnect as they move from one to the other but not so with Code Kingdoms.

Here is what Code Kingdoms say about why they use Java code -

We strongly believe in learning with real code. Young coders are often taught pseudo-code, which they often master very quickly. The problem is though that it doesn't prepare them enough for the jump to a real programming language and text-based code, so a lot of coders stop there. 

We want to make real code more accessible. Our projects, video content and code editor expose learners to chunks of real code and computing concepts from the very beginning. Even our draggable chunks contain a real language (like Java and JavaScript) with correct syntax to ensure the code compiles for them. 

Just being exposed to code isn't going to make them an expert, but this early familiarisation of real concepts does help to make for a much smoother transition to real code.

To get started -
You need a computer with Minecraft installed and an active Minecraft account for use with Code Kingdoms and wonderfully there is no need to download anything as everything for Code Kingdoms is cloud based and can be accessed via your internet browser (Chrome is recommended). Having had a look at the editor myself I'd say you need to know a bit about how Minecraft works and some of the commonly used technology as many of the blocks of code made no sense to me as I do not know what 'Equip Full Armour Set' means.

Peace of mind for Parents -
The first thing to assure you is that the server that your child is provided with access to from Code Kingdoms is able to be played with friends but JJ tells me it is a whitelist server, which means your child can only add friends whose Minecraft name they know. It is not accessible by the public and thus remains safe.

Also you'll receive emails from Code Kingdoms giving you an update on the progression your child has made through the sequence of tutorials and learning outcomes. As this has been developed by teachers and programmers (with child input) it is linked to the curriculum for 8 - 14 years and logically builds on your child's learning each time they log-on and play.

Video Courses -
Right now there are six different video courses in Code Kingdoms. The idea is that your child watches the video and learns how to write the code/ make the modifications to the server and then they go ahead and actually do it in the editor and when you press run it will be live on your server on your Minecraft account. JJ said it was really good that it runs straight away as it is important not to have any lag. He was disappointed though that the gameplay you do once you have created and saved your mods does not seem to save. He played online with a friend the other day for about 90 minutes and they built quite a lot in their world and next time he went back it wasn't there and he was super unhappy about that.

Code Kingdoms advertise that there is 20+ weeks of videos available but JJ felt it wouldn't take him anywhere near this long to go through them all but I did explain to him that perhaps he has more tech access than many kids and also he is super clever in this area and finds it all very easy. He also felt that the videos were aimed at a younger age than him (he is 12) but as I mentioned before I'm not sure if he had just shut down to the idea of coding when he realised that the server was not as changeable as he hoped (he wanted to be able to purchase plug-ins for it to make it just how he wants it) and really what he wanted to be doing was playing Minecraft rather than learning code.

What support is there?
Tons is the simple answer. Any question that you or your child has, you can click on the support button and send it off and a team of trained teachers and programmers will respond.

What does it cost?
There is no contract for Code Kingdoms and it is £14.99 per month on a rolling basis. I love the fact that you can try it out and see how your child gets on with it as there is a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.  Once you have tried it out and know that your child likes it and is gaining valuable coding experience then it might be worth taking out the value 6 month membership, which is £49.99 as a one-off payment.

Will we use it again?
Well JJ says he won't as it doesn't hold his interest but it has certainly peeked mine and I'm pretty sure that one of my 8 year old twin girls would be interested in it, so I'll be having a session with her later this week to introduce her to Code Kingdoms and see if an 8 year old can master it alone or if she'll need my input.


Disclosure: JJ received complimentary access to Code Kingdoms for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Back to School with Maped Helix

Well here we are just a week into the school holidays and all bar a pencil case the kids are completely ready for back to school. Uniform purchased and size checked, everything labelled and shoes worn in.

JJ was super excited last week when a delivery arrived for him from Maped Helix with the stationary he needs to start Secondary school in September. Starting in year 7 is a special time and the equipment he needs for school is quite different to the years gone by, we've purchased a french dictionary and a gum shield to name just a couple of things.

Maped Helix have also sorted JJ out with an Oxford maths set and he is very excited to start doing the kind of maths that requires compasses, set squares and a protractor. He left Primary school with amazing results in maths and apparently his SAT results translate to a D grade in GCSE if he had taken it aged 11 years, that was all I got aged 15! He doesn't get his maths smarts from me, that is for sure!

I've known the name Helix for as long as I've been alive and even had my own Oxford maths set when I was young so I'm glad JJ is starting school with equipment I know will last him a long time and is reliable. Little features like the safety screw sharpener and compass will give me peace of mind too. JJ also received some very nice Helix Oxford colouring pencils in a tin and the prices are super reasonable as well, I found these for as little as £3.99 when I searched online.

The Maped part of the Maped Helix name I am not so familiar with, so I was interested to read that Maped is the world leading supplier of school supplies and they offer a comprehensive range of writing instruments and education equipment with exceptional design, quality and innovation. JJ also received a few of their items as part of his gift package from Maped Helix.

He received the 0.7mm fluid roller free writer pen with erasable ink, perfect for if he makes a mistake, 3 x 0.4mm graph pens in beautiful bright colours for precision art work and an easy loading mechanical pencil with easily replaceable leads. I think he is all set now.

Maped Helix products are available from all good stationers and many of the big supermarkets. When you go to buy your back to school stationary, why don't you take a look at their excellent range - there is so much to choose from.

Many thanks Maped Helix, JJ is a happy lad now.

Disclosure: We received this stationary in order to undertake this honest review. I have not been instructed what to write.

Back to school with BHS

We are literally round the corner from being back at school now and it has been an amazing summer but it is time for the kids to get back into routine I can see that. The summer holiday is gone is such a flash that it is important to really embrace and enjoy it and I think we have done that with some wonderful holidays, family days out and even just some downtime alone and with friends.

I’ve mentioned before that I am super organised with uniform and I generally like to have it all long before now. I had thought I was sorted but then BHS contacted me and asked if we would like to trial some of their uniform. I’ve not bought BHS school uniform for the kids before and I’m not really sure why as I like BHS as a shop and have some of their clothes myself.

Generous Fit

The thing that appealed to me about BHS uniform is that they have a generous fit as well as the standard fit. My 10 year old son is very tall for his age and a bit more rounded in the middle than the average child and we struggle to find trousers to suit him. The current trend of slim or skinny cut trousers does nothing for him and generally he likes an elasticated waist for comfort. That was fine when he was younger but hardly anywhere makes trousers for 13 year old boys (about the size he wears) with elasticated waists and I understand why as most are fashion conscious by that point and don’t want to be wearing them.

Senior boys school trousers

This is where BHS have come up trumps for us. Their generous cut trousers are bigger in width but not in length and this means an age 12 trousers fits JJ perfectly. The waits has a secret stretch panel at the side hidden into the pocket and this means they can move and stretch with him. We have already tried them out and JJ is calling them his smart trousers as he has worn them to help out at Daddy’s work for a day or two in the summer.

The trousers are a thick material and at first feel a bit stiff but after a wash they are fine and I think they will last a good amount of time due to the quality of the 65% polyester and 35% acrylic fabric. I also like the fact they can be machine washed and tumble dried without the need for any ironing, this makes my life much easier.

Other good features of the trousers are well secured hems so I don’t have to keep re-hemming trousers that fall apart (I’ve had that before!), large front and back pockets and a Teflon coating to help repel stains and keep the trousers looking smart. They are available in black and charcoal (which is a very dark grey).

Senior boys school shirts

We also requested some generous fit white shirts as JJ is going into year 6 he has decided he would like to look smarter and wear a tie sometimes and of course cotton polo shirts don’t really work with a tie. As I was ordering near the end of the summer I had trouble getting the size I wanted for JJ but looking on the website I see they are now back in stock. We received a pack of two long sleeved white shirts in generous fit, age 14 and they really do look enormous, far too big for JJ. So we will take these to our local store and swap them for some smaller ones.

In regards to the shirts themselves they look nice quality, that fabric used is 65% polyester and 35% cotton which is probably a higher polyester content than I would ideally like. I know this makes them better for washing and tumbling and less need for ironing but as JJ is heading into puberty years I suspect he would be better in a shirt with a higher cotton content to keep him cool and with minimal sweat. This two pack of non-iron stain release shirts is £12 and each has a reinforced collar, so the tie will look smart with them, a front breast pocket and long button cuff sleeves. There are also a variety of other senior boys shirts available and prices start from £9 for a two pack, they come in white or pale blue.

Boys winter coat

The last thing we received for JJ was a winter coat. We did in fact buy JJ’s last coat from BHS and it lasted the season really well and for a boy who batters his coat and really puts it through the mill I was super pleased. The coat we received this time is grey with a green lining and it looks really stylish.

JJ was laughing at me when I made him try it on as it was one of the only beautiful days we have had in the last two weeks, this week I can fully believe that he will be wearing this to school every day soon as the cooler weather is arriving. You can buy a basic winter coat from BHS from £18 for an older boy and I think this is a great price, it was just this basic one we bought last year.

This year’s coat that we have received starts at £28 for age 8 upwards and goes up to £32 for a 15/16 years. It features panel stitching, contrast lime panels and reflective trims. Two front pockets with snap flaps and two chest zip pockets will keep valuables safe. Contrast lime polar fleece lining is used throughout and JJ loves that it feels so snug. There is also has a snap closed chin guard and rib storm cuffs and velcro tabs on the sleeves keep arms warm and dry for when the cold winds and snow comes. Again the coat is machine washable which is a necessity with my messy boy.

Overall we are very pleased with the uniform we have received from BHS and I would happily shop there again for both the kids and I. If you need generous fit uniform this is the place to visit as it is still stylish but also practical for your child’s size.

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

Review - Temple Run (Run for your life) Multiple-ending books

JJ is a mega book worm, he adores reading and this is brilliant as otherwise he would want to sit at his screen all day. When I heard that Egmont were publishing some Temple Run multiple-ending fiction books I hoped he might like these and agreed for him to review them.

We received the first book in the series, which is available as of today, 7th August 2014. Temple Run - Run for your life - Jungle Trek is a 152 page paperback, which retails for £5.99 but I have seen it available on Amazon for £3.55, which is a super bargain. You can see it is aimed at a child by the large spaced writing.

Based on the very popular computer game, this book places you on a plane with Guy Dangerous and Scarlett Fox when it crashes. You need to make choices as you move through the book to determine how you will survive. The choices you make change the story and this means a different story every time. Your decisions will effect the outcome and if the story goes badly - which it often will - you can just start all over again.

JJ did like reading this and I have seen him pick it up a number of times but he said he preferred a classic book where there is just one ending as he wants to get into the plot. It seems like this book might be good to encourage kids who are not big readers to read a bit more as it is quite light and you can read through it fairly quickly.

JJ is nearly 11 years old but is a bit of a softie at times and he felt he could not read this book at bedtime as some of the plot lines like brain eating monkeys and snake pits worried him a bit, because of this I would not let his younger sisters read it. From the parts I've looked at though I think this book would be enjoyed by an older girl as much as a boy, particularly if they like adventure.

As well as this multi-ending book another has also been published today called Doom Lagoon and there will be another two to follow in November 2014.

We were also sent a couple of activity books, which are the shape and size of an iPad. These are approximately 50 pages of puzzles, quizzes, word searches, doodling, stickers, challenges and other word games. Retailing at £6.99 each I think they are good value for money and would make a fabulous gift for a youngster who is off to travel for a long journey and needs something fun to entertain them. The pages are a good thick quality paper and there is excellent variety in the books.

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

JJ Reviews Minecraft Figures - Steve with Diamond Armour and Animal Mob 6 Pack

JJ was super excited to receive some Minecraft action figures last week.  Take a peek at his video review to see what he thought -



Disclosure: We were sent these 2 packs of Minecraft figures free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Lego storage solutions from Store

My son JJ was sent the new Lego movie lunchbox and drinks bottle set to review. This meant that I was the best Mum in the world (well, for at least a week) as all his school friends thought it was super cool.

The box has an easy to detach lid (but one that does stay on well in his bag) and it measures 6.5cm high x 16cm long x 14cm wide, which is a little bigger than some he has had before. It is in fact a good enough size that you don’t need to use it inside a lunchbag or such as it can take everything you need – a sandwich, yoghurt tube, packet of crisps etc. I must say this has been through the dishwasher loads of times in the last couple of weeks and there is no sign of fading of the printed lid and bottle, which is a good surprise.

JJ particularly likes the drinks bottle as it has a Lego stud for the lid and he thought this was a great. Also at the bottom it has a detachable piece in contrasting colour plastic and I had wondered what on earth it was for, thinking it was a bit bizarre but JJ knew as soon as he saw it that it was a cup for his drink – brilliant! The bottle holds 350mls of liquid. The limited edition Lego movie lunchbox and bottle set retails for £14.00 and it would make a super gift for someone.

Store also sell other Lego lunchboxes and sets, such as Lego Chima and Lego friends.

As well as the lunchbox Lego sets, the Store website have a great range of Lego storage containers and for my Lego mad JJ they are a hit. We were sent the the giant 8 stud Lego brick container in red to review. This is a really sturdy box in durable plastic, JJ was able to stand on the box and it stayed firm. The lid lifts off easily too. The red brick is glossy and looks super stylish and you can choose form a range of colours.

JJ already had some smaller one stud Lego containers and also a Lego head and the great thing is that all of these can stack together. I’m sure we will be getting many more in the months to come as he is trying to get organised and sort all his Lego out. 

The giant Lego storage brick retails for £22.95 and measures (externally) 18cm high x 50cm wide x 25cm deep and internal  11cm high x 48cm wide x 22.5cm deep. I do feel it is a shame that the capacity inside is so much less than you might think it would be, this is because they are stackable and you have to allow for the studs underneath to sit into it.

Here is JJ happily adding the giant Lego storage brick into his collection and having a play.

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

Review Snugg iPad 2 Cover

JJ has been a happy little lad this week as he received a nice new red PU leather case for his iPad 2 to review. He's had his iPad for a couple of years now and bought a case at the same time as purchasing it and to be honest, it is beyond battered now. This case from The Snugg seems much better quality and he is really impressed with the beautiful bright red colour that he choose.

Pros of this case

• Available in 14 colours and a beautiful quality leather
• Soft nubuck lining to help ensure your iPad remains scratch-free
• The sleep/ wake function is included in the cover. I've not seen this before and is super clever that it turns on when you open it!
• You can stand it up in two ways, so it can either be a prop for typing or stand higher for watching TV or such and it is very sturdy when  standing too
• Elasticated hand strap so you can safely carry your iPad with you
• You slip your iPad in and a tough velcro grip holds it in place and keeps it secure
• It has a lifetime guarantee in regards to any production failures
• Available for all models of iPad
• Free delivery on items of £25 or more
• If you change your mind, you can access a full refund and the returns process is simple

Cons

I'm hard pushed to find any to be honest but at £34.99 it is not a cheap purchase but then again it is not a cheap product and I do believe you get what you pay for, so I think this will prove to be value for money.

I'll happily look on The Snugg website again in the future when I need a new case for any of our iPad, tablets or phones as they seem to have a good variety of products to suit all pockets and needs.

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

Review of Wild Science Weird Slime Workshop

What is it with boys and their love of all things slimy and frankly a bit yuck?  JJ loves it all - gruesome tales, gory jokes and disgusting toys, so when he was sent through the Wild Science Weird Slime set he was over the moon.

Even more exciting was the fact that you have to be over 10 years of age to play with this set and it requires you to wear gloves, a mask and big goggles – real life danger (well in his eyes it was and this meant it was a great fun toy). Thankfully of course whilst you do need to exercise some caution whilst using some of the ingredients in the set it is not actually too dangerous.

Under my watchful eye JJ and I set about trying out some of the science experiments with the Wild Science Weird Slime set. First up we had to make the Alginate stock solution and then the Calcium Chloride bath, these were both simple but you do need time. JJ was dismayed to see he had to wait at least 20 minutes after making the first solution so that it goes all gloopy and is the basis of the slime.

Once the two solutions are made the real fun can start. We made mock fish eggs, slimy worms and pretend leeches with the two coloured food dyes that were included. JJ thought it was amazing to be able to crush the fish eggs between his fingers and watch them give-way under the pressure of his fingers and the slime ooze out. He was having such fun he wanted to go and see his Dad at work and show him the products, I assured him a 40 year old man might not be quite as impressed as a 10 year old boy! lol

It does take a little skill to make a large egg or to be able to get a nice long worm/ snake but I was impressed to see that there is plenty of gloopy slime solution and you keep on using it time and time again as long as you keep it in an airtight container.

It is worth mentioning that once you make the little products – fish eggs/ worms etc if you want to keep them you need to provide your own small airtight container as otherwise they will just shrivel up in the fresh air. JJ was not impressed to come to the kitchen the next morning and find his pride and joy were no longer plump and slimy any more!

The Wild Science Weird Slime set retails for £12.99 and you can purchase it from Interplay Toys. Both JJ and I think it is a nice toy for a child of 10 years or more, it is engaging and also helps them to learn about science and the different reactions you get when you mix chemicals.

Also, it is National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW) from 14th - 23rd March 2014. It is a ten-day national programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages. Do take a look at the website and see which events are on in your area, it is a great way to get your youngsters engaged with these important areas of study and enjoyment.

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

Review: Minecraft Beginner's Handbook and 2014 Annual

This post could also be titled the day Egmont made JJ whoop for joy! Last Saturday JJ was not in a great mood, he was not sure why but he just was not that cheerful, so I presented to him a couple of gifts and boy did they work.

JJ is 10 years old and absolutely crazy about Minecraft, he has been playing for near on two years now and he would class himself as an expert.  He plays alone and online with friends, they have dedicated servers they play on and he would happily spend hours building virtual worlds and mining and farming to save his life and avoid the monsters!

Minecraft Beginner's Handbook

This A5 hardback book is 80 pages long and packed with information for any new Minecraft player.  JJ tells me they are called Minecraftians but the book tends to refer to players as Minecrafters - who knows, I don't. I have to say I did not find the cover very inspiring but it fits wit the look of Minecraft and JJ instantly recognised it, which I suppose is the important thing.  He has been the absolute envy of loads of his mates at school when he showed them this book.

Despite JJ having played for a couple of years now he tells me there are still a few things in the book that he could learn (such as red and yellow sheep can be bread to make orange sheep - well who knew!) and even if there was not anything he loves having the book anyway. He spend a good few hours in the first day reading his handbook and devouring every word.

It retails at £7.99 which I think is a fair price and a 10 year old can pretty easily save enough pocket money to buy that for themselves.

As you can see the quality of the book is high and the information is accurate. JJ loved that there is loads of input from Minecraft creator Notch and lead game developer Jeb.

I'd say this handbook is a great little tool for parents wanting to learn a bit more about how Minecraft works.

Minecraft Annual 2014

The annual is in traditional format, like the Beano and many others, at A4 size. Again it is a hard-backed and high quality book with 66 pages. There is a range of information covered like step-by-step exciting builds and projects. There are also fun parts which are Minecraft themed but do not require your child to go on their computer or such, things like quizzes, mazes and crafting items.

The annual also retails for £7.99.  Both books are released on 10th October 2013 and are available for pre-order on Amazon.

Then in December another book will also be released - The Redstone Handbook.

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

Review - Ozbozz Clone Wars Light up Scooter

When we were asked to review the Ozbozz scooter JJ did a whoop for delight when he saw it.  He loves scooters and I love them too, for they have taught my big gangly boy how to balance and using them has bought on his gross motor skills and co-ordination no end.

The scooter is a fabulous choice if you are short on storage space as it folds up so compact, the smallest folding scooter I have seen yet. Even the handlebars fold in. It was also superb for school as JJ could ride it there and then I could fold it super small for carrying back home again.

The Clone Wars styled Ozbozz scooter retails for £29.99 and I believe it is worth every penny.  However, I have discovered it is on special at Toys R Us at the moment for just £24.99! JJ is not  a small lad and it holds his weight perfectly and the handlebar is height adjustable for tall kids like him.  The lights are cool and work well, you need to provide 4 AA batteries though and it provides a sturdy ride.  Here is JJ taking it for a spin!  Watch out for his reason at the end as to why he likes the scooter, lol.  I am such a proud Mum, a boy of so many descriptive words.




Disclaimer:  This is a review post, we were provided with the scooter free of charge to review as part of the Rainbow Awards. All opinions are my own and I remain honest.

Review: Earth Friendly Kids Range

A while back my girls tried out a selection of products from the Earth Friendly Baby range and they received big thumbs up in our house, so when we were offered some products from the range for older children JJ immediately said yes, it’s my turn now!

Earth Friendly Kids pride themselves on having a range of products that are mild, gentle and PH balanced.  The products contain certified organic ingredients  and they are not tested on animals.  In fact using these products is pretty worry free for me as a parent, as the products are also free from artificial colourings, synthetic fragrances and sodium lauryl/laureth.

The range includes shampoo, bubble bath (which foams up really well), hand wash, wipes and body lotion. We received 2 products in the Zingy Citrus variety which is really uplifting and energising and one in the minty lavender which is strangely moreish. I can’t seem to keep myself from sniffing this but JJ really likes the citrus one best.  For the first time, my 7 year old boy actually wants to wash his hands and that is a winner with me.

I found that whilst the products are not the cheapest on the market, they are good value for money as a little goes a long way and with no over dried skin or worries about nasty’s being contained in the product I am happy to pay the price of £4.08 for 250ml of shampoo, bubble bath or hand wash.  The wipes are £2.54 for 60 and the body lotion (which is very creamy and soaks into the skin well) is £5.10 for 250ml.

In short we give the Earth Friendly Kids range a thumbs up as the products actually work very well, which pleases me and they smell divine and have fun superhero characters on the front which entices JJ to use them.

This is a review post. I was sent 3 products from this range free of charge for the purposes of this review.   I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review of Bubble Bum Inflatable Car Booster Seat

When I received an email to tell me that there was a booster seat for the car that inflates and can be packaged away easily for carrying about, I thought yes what a marvellous idea.  How amazing, especially if you are travelling on a plane and can not take much with you.  I think it can cost about £3 per day to hire one along with your car.  So if you can buy an inflatable seat to keep forever for £29.99 then this has to be a winner!

and it might be for some people, those people I mention above that travel on a plane, or use loads of different cars for their child to receive lifts in but actually I am not one of those people.  We have one car and I want JJ to be as comfortable and safe as he can be on his seat and sadly the Bubble Bum booster seat was not the answer for us.  JJ is 7 but he is a strapping lad, dressed in clothes for a 9 year old so he was just too big for the seat I felt.  He loves it and told me it was 'well cool' and that he was 'totally comfy' but I am the Mummy and therefore out rank him! 

Look at these pics, does he look as if he is well positioned on the right size seat?

You can't even see it under him, right?

The other side, all looks well here!

Luckily because JJ is tall the seat belt sits over his shoulder in roughly the right place but I tried my girls on this seat, they are nearly 4 years old and very tall and they were too small (in my opinion) for the seat despite it stating that it is suitable from 4 years upwards.

I am pretty sure the bubble bum would do its job if we were in an accident (and it has passed all the relevant safety checks).  You might not realise but the logic of a booster seat is not to raise the height of the child (that is a comfort thing with the seatbelt) the safety aspect is that the boaster seats guides the lap belt over the lap and not the stomach area.  So in this regard the bubble bum is very good as it has two guides either side of the seat to ensure the lap belt goes across in the right place.  I found these to be fiddly though and a touch annoying.  I want to undo the seat belt and have my 7 year old jump out, not have to then fiddle with taking the lap belt out of a guide as he is pinned to the seat!

I will tell you what I was extremely impressed with and that was the professionalism of the company, Cheeky Rascals who offered me the Bubble Bum booster seat to review. I went back to them with my concerns about the size of the seat and the fiddly guides and they took time to reassure me that many people view these as benefits.  Here is what they had to say -

The girth of the seat is perfectly sufficient for the age group that BubbleBum is designed for. With no hard edges, it simply doesn’t need to be as wide as more traditional boosters to be comfortable. In fact, it can be seen as an upside  as it means that the BubbleBum can be fitted where other booster seats cannot – for example in the middle of two other child carseats, or as three BubbleBum boosters across the back seat of a smaller car, where you would normally only be able to fit two seats. Although legally you are allowed to let a child travel without a booster or child restraint in the middle of the back seat if there is no room for the extra booster, the child will obviously be much safer if they are seated on a child restraint such as the BubbleBum rather than just with an adult seatbelt.

The guides for the seatbelt are a very important safety feature of the BubbleBum and they set it apart from other boosters in making it much safer. They do take longer to undo, but are safer because of it. The idea of a booster seat is that it guides the seatbelt across the child’s lap and not across their stomach, so that in the event of an accident, it is the pelvic bones rather than soft tissue that absorb the impact of a crash (head and abdominal injuries being the 2 most common injuries following an accident). Traditional booster seats, although easier to undo, do not necessarily position the seatbelt correctly across the child’s lap and the force of the accident may cause the lap restraint to ride up against the child’s abdomen, potentially subjecting them to nasty internal injuries.  The guides for the lapbelt on the BubbleBum are carefully positioned so that the lap belt is always held in the correct place against the child’s pelvis, even if there is an accident. Interestingly, and relating to your previous point, the reduced girth also helps with this correct positioning.

An American lady – the carseatlady – has some very interesting facts and figures on this as well as a review of the BubbleBum (she was given one  to review – she has nothing to do with either BubbleBum or Cheeky Rascals).

I have to say as well that I do seem to be in the minority with my grumbles as  I did a google search on reviews for  the Bubble Bum and nearly everything I found came back very good. You can check out 24 reviews on Amazon here.

Ease of portability for travel                  5/5
Weight of product                                5/5
Height boosting ability                          2/5
Size of seat                                          3/5
Value for money                                  4/5
Look/ Style                                         4/5

This is  a review post.  I received this car seat free of charge to trial and review.  I was not instructed what to write, these are my honest opinions.