Getting Autumn Cosy with Femme Luxe

{This is a collaborative review post}

The weather has definitely made a turn towards the colder climes and the trees are now starting to change colour, so we know Autumn has arrived. With the change of weather comes a desire to stay home and be cosy, especially for one of my twins, Miss E. She got a nice new double bed about a month ago and I can hardly get her off it, or even out of it now. Her bedroom really is her sanctuary.

Femme Luxe gave Miss E the chance to choose some new clothes that she can be snug in this Autumn. They have a wide selection of loungewear, joggers and hoodies to choose from and practically every colour of the rainbow. I think she made a great selection of items and the colours all tone so well together. 

Finding Freedom with Modibodi Period Pants

{This is a review post, we received these pants in exchange for an honest review}

As someone who has seriously suffered with her periods over the last decade, I really wish I had known about Modibodi. It is a brand designed by mum Kristy, offering period, pee and sweatproof underwear - knickers, bras, camis, active leggings and swimwear. 

I introduced my teenage girls to their period pants about a year ago and it was interesting to see the response I got. The one with the heavier periods was on board from the start and excited to see if the knickers could stop us from having to change her sheets frequently and the other one just looked at them and declared them old people, ugly granny pants! She's now having a change of heart when she saw how well they are working for her twin and she asked me to get some knickers for her too. So now I have two converts in the house!

Thankfully my periods seem to have gone away, thanks to my second TCRE operation in January this year so I had assumed I had no need for Modibodi pants anymore, but actually, I'm now seeing a pelvic health specialist about those little 'opps' moments and realising that I probably ought to get myself some Modibodi pants to try out too. It will be far more comfortable than having to wear pads all the time. 

Sustainable Agenda

Talking of pads, who realised that it takes 500 - 800 years for a pad to biodegrade. I had no idea it was quite as bad as that, so moving to a reuable product like Modibodi pants can really make a big difference as each woman will use around 11,000 single-use sanitary products in her life and if you're a heavy bleeder like I was then it would be far more. Modibodi is serious about sustainability and making a difference.

Review: Dinner at Mill Arms, Dunbridge, Romsey, Hampshire

When we stayed at Michelmersh Manor Farm near Romsey recently we wanted to try some local fayre one night and when I started to look for pubs that were close by, the first two that came up were the Bear & Ragged Staff and The Goat. They both looked really nice but they also looked pretty pricey and the menus appeared quite limited. As we were going to be eating with our twin 13-year-old daughters we wanted to make sure there were some comfort food type dishes or crowd-pleasers like pasta/ pizza on the menu. We, therefore, choose to dine at the Mill Arms, Dunbridge.

It turned out to be a good choice as we all enjoyed our meals and we paid £53.00 for a main course and soft drink for each of us, so that was good value. That worked out to just £13.25 each.

From the direction we arrived at the pub, we entered through a side door from the front car park, where there are just a few spaces but then there is a large car park to the rear as well. The pub/ restaurant was not very busy at all and I took this to be because the Covid restrictions had only just lifted and people were still being cautious. On that note, we felt very happy with the precautions put in place.

Teen Spring Looks with Femme Luxe

{This is a paid collaboration with Femme Luxe}

Thank goodness the weather is starting to improve.  We all need some good news and things to help us feel a bit more positive this year, so the easing of lockdown and the sun are definitely positives. My twin girls ordered some new clothes from Femme Luxe ready for this warmer weather and are looking forward to being able to get out more and wearing them.

They both opted for a shacket (a cross of a shirt and a jacket) as they are the perfect item for layering. In the warmer weather, they can be worn open over a long or crop top as a jacket and in the colder weather, they are still thin enough to be worn under a thick coat. Femme Luxe has a range of shackets. in checks and plain colours, as well as regular length, longline or even a hoodie version.

The girls went for the oversized button front shackets, Miss E chose the lilac colourway and Miss M wanted the sage colour. These are currently £21.99, although there is a 15% sitewide discount at the moment, which takes the price down to £18.69 which is great. They are styled with breast pockets, slant pockets at each side and metal buttons down the front. As you'd expect with fast fashion you do get some hanging threads etc, but I think the quality is commensurate with the price and we've found that our items from Femme Luxe wash up fine. 

The Ion8 Leakproof Water Bottle I didn't know I needed!

Every parent is fully aware it is back to school time and we've all been getting our kids kitted out with all the things they lost or had stolen before term finished back in March. If my twin teens had their way they would have everything new, every time a new terms starts but, of course, that would be super expensive and not very eco either, so I put my foot down and with some things that are still in good condition they have to make do.

This new term has been an expensive one as they had both grown out of their blazers, one needed new school skirts and the other shoes. Add on PE kit, some stationery, calculators and face masks and I'm a few hundred pounds down. I was therefore super pleased when Ion8 offered to send me a couple of water bottles for the girls, as they didn't really need any but I knew they'd like them.

Naughty mummy that I am though, I haven't given the girls the bottles as theirs were fine and I have fallen in love with the pastel-coloured leakproof water bottles that were sent to us. So I now have one for taking out in my handbag and when I'm walking and one beside my bed for in the night when I need a drink.

I've often seen Ion8 bottles and they've always looked stylish and we already have a Friends of the Earth steel water bottle so I know they are good quality and last well too. I genuinely had no idea I'd like these ones sent to us so much. Looking on the website they are sold as a child's bottle, but I really like them for me and here are 9 reasons why

1. At 350ml they are the perfect size to carry with you, without being too heavy or cumbersome. 
2. There is a lock to keep the kid closed and make them leakproof
3. You can open the lid with one hand and it is super easy
4. The opaque bottle with white lid looks so stylish
5. Easy to drink out of, as there is a vented smooth liquid flow
6. Made from BPA free, phthalate-free, non-toxic TRITAN
7. It's just the right width for my cup holder in my car
8. It's odour resist
9. It can be used for hot or cold liquids (-10 c to 96c)

I think you can tell I'm a bit taken with my new Ion8 bottles and I've been using them every day since they arrived with us. They retail for £11.99 and for a sturdy bottle that will last a long time I think that is OK. I was able to find various Ion8 bottle of this size and shape on Amazon with prices from as low as £8.99, so have a good shop around. 

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

Beautiful Leather Gifts for Fathers Day from Trendhim

Fathers Day is just a week away and if you haven't got organised yet, then I have the perfect gift idea for you. How about a beautiful leather wallet, cardholder, belt or bag for the dad in your life?

Both my dad and my husband are getting one each from Trendhim, a Swedish men's accessory site that was new to me until a couple of weeks ago, but I'll happily use it again as the site was super clear and easy to use, the delivery was excellent (quick and tracked) and the actual products I received were really good quality, nice soft leather, that I'm proud to give as a gift.

I was also pleased to see that the wallet and cardholder that I ordered both arrived packaged in smart black boxes with tissue paper and they look like really premium products.

For my dad I ordered the Luca black leather wallet at £35. It is a simple wallet with an elastic closure that has space for notes, credit cards and your ID. He never puts coins in his wallet, so it is nice to get him one that doesn't have a pocket for that, as it just takes up unnecessary space. 

We opted for the black colour, but this wallet is also available in dark brown and tan. It has a lovely pebble grain finish and I am impressed with the soft leather. It's also really reassuring that it provides complete protection from RFID skimming. 

Femme Luxe - Perfect Clothes for Relaxing during Lockdown

{This is a collaborative post}

I had a call from the girls form tutor at school today to ask how they were and if they were finding this lockdown time difficult? I had to be honest and say no, they were loving being off and just acting as if they had the longest summer holiday ever!

Of course, it helps immensely that we live in a gated community with 220 acres, so they can go swimming in the lake, climbing on the low ropes course or cycling through the woods. Also, being twins, they always have a playmate and that is great. As young teenagers though, neither of my girls want to be outside and being busy all the time.

The one thing they really do miss is their friends, so chatting via zoom, Instagram or FaceTime are essentials for them and I often come into my lounge or bedroom to find them lounging about and talking very loudly.

One of the things I've found a bit tricky since lockdown is that the girls both seem to have had a growth spurt and whereas we'd normally pop along to the high street and pick up some clothes, we can't do that right now, so online shopping has been a lifesaver. We've ordered from a couple of the high street stores that we know well and I'll be honest, I've been really disappointed with their delivery times and choice of courier.

Photo Gifts from Funky Pigeon for Fathers Day and Beyond...

Fathers Day is fast approaching (21st June, in case you were wondering) and I always like to be a bit organised for these kinds of events so when Funky Pigeon got in touch to see if I'd like to try out a few personalised items, I was very happy to say yes. My Dad is the kind of man who wants nothing for any occasion such as his birthday or Fathers Day, but he does love his family, so anything with photos is a massive hit with him.

I have to admit that I didn't realise Funky Pigeon did anything more than cards, so it was good to look through their gifting range and they have a great variety of items, including alcohol, which goes down a treat with most people.

Let me share with you what I chose -

Full Photo Upload Socks - £14.99

These socks are great fun and I showed them to my husband and son and they both agreed they love the feel of them. They are totally seamless and I was worried that as they are 100% polyester that they may lead to sweating but, Funky Pigeon has that covered as they are infused with antibacterial agents and are sweat-wicking.

You can choose any full photo you like or there are other socks with smaller repetitive photos on them and they come in two sizes 4-7 and 8-11. We just love them! I think my Dad will crack up when he sees his dog on his socks!

Review - Azul Board Game: Great Fun for all the Family

{This is a collaborative post & as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, 

any affiliate links will be marked with #ad)

During this Coronavirus lockdown, we have been so lucky to have a new game to play. I was first introduced to the board game, Azul (#ad) in February when I played it with a few friends and I was hooked from the start. It seems to retail for around £32 - £35 but I came across a brand new copy on eBay for £12 so I was very chuffed with that. Read on for our Azul review -

Azul is suitable for 2 - 4 players and adapts well to whichever number of players we've tried it with. I think 2 player is probably my favourite though as the gameplay is quicker and feels more exhilarating. It says it is suitable for ages 8 plus, but our friends have it too and they play with their 6 and 8-year-old daughters, so the concept is quite easy to grasp, but they may just need a little help with the scoring.

The box contains:
100 Resin Tiles
4 Player boards
9 Factory displays
4 Scoring markers
1 Starting player resin tile
1 Linen bag
1 Rulebook

The aim of Azul is to score the most points by placing various coloured tiles onto your game board, over a number of rounds. It sounds simple but there is actually a little more to it than that, the skill is in deciding which tile/s to pick up each turn and where to put them to gain the advantage against your opponent/s.

Set-up is super easy and the instructions are clear and give all the details you need. My 12-year-old twins had it mastered after one game and have played it dozens of times since. My 16-year-old has also joined them a few times to play and he plays a more cunning and devious game, as he likes to strategise and project where others might want to go. It is certainly more challenging when he is playing.

The quality of the board and tiles is really good. They are sturdy and feel like they will last a very long time. You get a large bag with the tiles, to hide them whilst you deal them out at the beginning of each round and that it is a bit flimsy and has already lost one of its strings in the first week. I really can't moan though, given the £12 price tag I paid.

Azul has only been on the board game market since 2017 and in 2018 it won the Spiel des Jahres award, making ti the board game of the year, a highly coveted accolade in the board gaming world. This seal of approval means that board gamers the world over agree with me and find it a fabulous fun game for all ages. That engages but is easy to learn and play.

Gameplay takes about 30-40 minutes and again that makes it very easy to play, or you may get hooked like us and still be playing 3 or 4 games down the line. There is also a more freestyle version of the game on the back of the game boards, but we haven't tried that as yet.

As I just had a look on Amazon I was pretty excited to see there are two newer versions of Azul as well - Azul Stained Glass and Azul Summer Pavilion, so I know what I might be buying if this lockdown goes on for too long!

(#ad) Azul is currently for sale on Amazon for £37.36

If you want a good instructional video on how to play Azul, rather than reading the instruction booklet, have a watch of this one, it is clear, concise and very accurate.



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Pink Parcel Monthly Box to Cheer You Up!

{This is a collaborative post}

Talking about female health has been a taboo for too long, but regular readers will know that I aim to change that. Everything that goes on with the female body is natural and we can't help having periods, or excessive bleeding, or maybe even catching an STD but we can normalise these things and make sure we get the help we need. I've already had one TCRE for my menorrhagia and will have another next month.  I've never had the need to go for an STD test as I've been with my husband for such a long time, but it might be different for you and I'd encourage you to book for a full STD test panel if you know that it might be a different scenario for you.

I'm very keen to help my young daughters to be open about their female and even genital health, and back in November,  they received a Bettybox each. This is a box aimed at young girls who have started their periods and need a little pick-me-up at 'that' time of the month, as well as their practical sanitary protection, needs too. You can read our review of it over on Mummy from the Heart but in short, we all loved the concept and the girls felt really special. At 10 years old they are both still a little young to actually need the Bettybox as yet but I have promised them I will get them a box each to celebrate when the time comes. Not because we'll need the towels (because we have so many of those now) but because you get a fabulous range of goodies in every box, that is worth so much more than the £12.99 price tag.

I liked the Bettybox so much that I then ordered myself one and after finding a code online the box cost me just over a tenner and I was able to choose sanitary protection that suits my needs. As before, I loved this box and all the wonderful items that came with it but what was best was the free voucher inside to get myself a Pink Parcel. The older sister of the Bettybox and a monthly subscription box designed for ladies like me, Pink Parcel is also £12.99 a month (or it will work out a bit cheaper if you sign up for 6 or 12 months).

Then as well as the freebie box, I also received one for me to try out and review, so now I have duplicates of everything and you know what? I can never have too much sanitary protection and I have twins, so my girls will be super pleased to receive some of the goodies as a little pressie each in the new year.

With the Pink Parcel, you can personalise your box to choose the sanitary protection that suits you. The box can be just tampons, just towels or a mix of the two and the items are always big, well-known brands like Always, Tampax and Lil-lets. I choose to have Lil-lets super heavy flow tampons and I received 21 of these, as well as 6 towels for night-time extra protection and 7 tiny knicker liners (that I'd never use in a million years as my flow is far too heavy). I think this is a good amount to receive each month.

As you can see you get a pretty cotton bag 'for now' and this had some tampons and your panty liners in it. Then a box 'for later' and this has loads more tampons in it and a 'for bedtime' box with bigger towels.

However, the really exciting bit is the 'for you' box and here is what I received in the December 2017 Pink Parcel 'for you' box -

I was very pleased with all the health and beauty treats that I received in my parcel. There are well-known brand names and good size products. I received -

• English Laundry Signature Purse Spray (£16)
• Maggie Anne Nail Polish - in Metallic Silver or Gold (I got one of each! - £10.50 for 11ml)
• POM Secret Santa Snowflake Earrings (£8.00)
• The Beauty Crop 3 Amigos Eye Shadow Trio (£8.00)
• So Susan Mesmer Eyes Liquid Eye-liner (£18.99)
• Sanatio Naturalis Sweet Orange Aromatherapy Oil (£15.00 for 10ml)
  
• Fudge Kitchen Orange Caramel Fudge Square
• Whittards Earl Grey teabag (Just one!)

I make this just under £80 worth of goodies, so I think you can say that is a pretty awesome bundle for just £12.99 or in my case this month totally for free!

I worked out that the sanitary protection is about £3's worth, so that means I had effectively paid £9.99 for the £80 'for you' box of products and I think this is great value. Having looked at many reviews and past packages online it looks as if the quality of the items sent is always as good as the ones I received and as such I can imagine I'll be treating myself to these boxes again!

Disclosure: Thanks so much Pink Parcel for sending me out a box to review, I've really enjoyed it. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Dobble Card Game - Fabulous Fun for All the Family

Back in 2013 we were sent the card game Dobble to review. I said yes to reviewing it as I thought it would be good to take on holiday with us and I was right. In fact over the last four years Dobble has been so many places with us, it is our game of choice when waiting in restaurants for our meal to arrive, we've played it on the plane going to Spain and it has been out with all number of friends who've been here to play.

Dobble is such a simple game, but not so simple it is boring. I really love it as it levels the playing field and the youngest kids can beat the adults in the family, which is such a good feeling for them. It takes just a couple of minutes to explain and in no time at all my 5 year old twins had picked up what they needed to do. The first time we played it was JJ (age 9) and my husband and I sat with one of the twins each but they really didn't need us once they knew what to do. So the next game it was straight on to the 5 of us playing together as frankly the girls could easily cope with it. Here we are playing out in the fresh air back in 2013 -

Dobble is 55 quality cards in a 10cm tin and on each card are 8 different symbols of differing sizes. There are 50 different symbols in total and every single card has one matching symbol.  All you have to do is be the first to spot and name out loud your matching symbol and it sounds so easy but there are sometimes I am sat there scratching my head - I just can't see for looking!

There are 5 different suggested games that you can play and we took a good 30 minutes the first time just playing the simplest game, which is pretty much like a glorified snap game. Over the last few years we've played the other games but truth be told we always go back to the original game and enjoy it immensely. I have even started to use Dobble in my coaching sessions were I go into a local school and met a young lad who needs a champion. He really loves it when he beats me!

Every one of us in the family commented that we love Dobble and the best thing is it is small enough to stay in my handbag and whenever we are in need of something to occupy us it is there and ready. Back in 2013 I awarded Dobble 9/10 and the only reason being is that I thought the cards could be a little thicker and thus more durable. However I am now willing to change that to a 10/10 as we have played the game a lot over the last 5 years and they are still as good as when they were sent to us!

You can play Dobble with 2-8 players and a game takes about 15 minutes.

Overall score: 10/10 

Dobble retails for £12.99 but I have spotted it on Amazon for £9.99 including postage.

Boom Blast Stix - What A Fun Game!

We've been playing a new game at our house and I can tell you one thing, it has been keeping us on the edge of our seats. The first time the stix ever went boom I screamed so loud my neighbour told me she heard me!

I love the fun and simplicity of Boom Blast Stix. My son described it as a modern take on Buckeroo and I suppose it is, a little! The game play is simple and as such any age can probably play, although the manufacturers recommend it for upwards of 6 years.

You receive the large tub. 32 springs and an instruction booklet and that's it. All you have to do is take turns to lock the spring and then add it to the pile. The red lid of the storage tub is used as the base to stack on and you can either use this alone so the game is closer to the table or floor and is slightly less explosive or you can use the red lid on top of the storage tub and then when the stix go boom they literally go everywhere. We were playing in our dining room and I had to get the kids to crawl round and collect up all the springs.

The springs are pretty easy to lock together and my kids had no problem doing it, I suspect it is this aspect that means there is a 6+ years recommendation on the game. It felt as if different springs had different tensions, so you could never know when they were going to pop open and explode the pile everywhere.

You have to have strong nerves with this game, as it is a waiting game of suspense. You can't be of a nervous disposition to play this game as it is startling when it goes boom! Watch this short clip to see Miss E building up the stix and waiting for the inevitable boom!



I'm really looking forward to taking this game into school in the coming weeks as I know the boy that I coach will love playing this with me. It only takes around 5 minutes to play and it is high intensity with lots of laughter resulting, so it will be just perfect as a session starter when he is having a low day.

You can buy Boom Blast Stix from Character Online for £14.99. It is a good sturdy tub and springs and I think it ill last a long time and provide a lot of fun.

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

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.

Review: Gel-a-Peel Accessory Kits - Pearly Pastels and Glow In The Dark

This weekend my 9 year old twin girls have been having some crafting fun with a couple of Gel-a-Peel accessory kits. Gel-a-Peel isn't something we have used before and nor heard of to be honest but as soon as I showed the girls the packages they knew it would be something they would enjoy.

One of my twins is far more crafty than the other and she was really looking forward to the act of making the silicon jewellery. The other one is a real fashionista and the part she was really looking forward to was wearing the jewellery and making sure of the cute shapes and charms.

Each accessory kit of Gel-a-Peel has an RRP of £14.99 and for this price you get 3 different coloured tubes of gel, 5 different shaped tips for applying your gel, 16 different design templates, a clear application board, cleaning and spreading tools and one set of hardware to make some hanging pierced earrings. We received the Pearly Pastel and Glow In The Dark its but there is also Neon and Sparkle accessory kits.

There are many more different kits too, large deluxe ones with beads included or a full design station which retails for around £29.99. You can also buy small starter sets for £4.99 with just one tube of gel and all the bits you need to get started. This is probably a good idea for a new user to see if they enjoy this craft. I was really pleased to see that you can buy replacement tubes of gel for just £2.99 each.

Using our Gel-a-Peel for the fist time
The instructions that come with the kit are very good and easy to use. First up you have to remove the protective cap on the tube and add the tip that you wish to use. You can choose the template design you want and place the clear application board over it. It is best to use masking tape to keep both in one place on the table so the design comes out perfect.

The gel tubes are very easy to use and the gel flows well, not too much and you don't need excess effort, which is very good for kids. You do need to make sure that you use a good amount of gel to give a thick and even coverage or it can break and be too fragile once dry. Once you finish with one colour you can move onto the next and get your design completed.

As well as making bracelets, cuffs, bookmarks, necklets and rings using the templates you can also use the gel tray, which has gems, flowers, letters, number, emojis etc on them. With these you just apply the gel into the cavity, use the little grey tool to make sure there are no air bubbles and the mould is full of the gel and then use the pink squeegee to go over the top and flatten the back. These small charms can then either be attached to a piece of Gel-a-Peel jewellery by using a bit of the gel as the glue or stuck onto anything else you fancy using a hot glue gun. In our house they have gone onto jewellery boxes, roller boots, pencil cases and buttons!

Once you have finished your design session, you do need to take the application caps off the tubes and clear out any excess gel left in them. I used the grey tool provided to do that and it wasn't difficult. I was also pleased that not much gel was lost doing this. Pop the protective cap back in and the lid and the gels will stay fresh for the next session.

The design templates tell you how long you need to leave the item to dry before you can use it. Simple designs with just one line of Gel-a-Peel are around an hour and the more complex bracelets and cuffs with multiple lines and layers of Gel-a-Peel can be around 5 hours. We left ours overnight.

You then carefully need to peel them off the clear application sheet once dry and you can then enjoy and wear them.  One of Miss E's bracelets broke as she took it off the sheet as she had left the gel a little thin in one place. This is easily fixed by putting some new gel over where it has snapped and waiting for it to dry.

What did we think?
Thanks a lot Gel-a-Peel, my girls had a lot of fun and they were both talking about getting more for their birthday. At nearly 10 years old they found this easy to do without me having to be involved. I think the older the child the easier they will find it and the more time and care they will take. Younger ones could do it, with supervision but it is recommend for 8+  years.

Why not have a watch of this video where you can see the Gel-a-Peel being used and see for yourself just how simple it is.



Disclosure: We received two Gel-a-Peel sets free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest. 

Review: Puressentiel Anti-Lice Treatment and Repellent

I hate head-lice. I'm sure no parent likes them but they have been the bane of my life for about the last four months. Thank the Lord that the kids seem free of them right now, but before Christmas I was spending so much on treatment and all different brands and I'm not sure if the products were not effective or if I had missed just one nit sack or such but basically I just couldn't get them out of one of my daughters hair and seeing as it is waist length, it was one major pain in the bum!

When I saw that the respected French brand Puressentiel had launched an anti-lice treatment and preventative spray, I immediately asked to sample and review the products and I'm pleased to tel you that I like what I see.

Anti-lice treatment -
I actually tried this on myself as whilst I could not find any evidence of a live head louse I have been itching for months and keep getting bumps around my hairline, so I was convinced I must have them and as this product is all natural I decided there really is no harm in my trying.

Unlike some products it had quite a pleasant smell and you can really detect the lavender, which is quite pleasant as it does not straight-away scream head lice like the smell of tea tree oil does. The four essential oils in the product also are soothing to the head and help to alleviate the itching, which was what I needed too.

The 100ml bottle only did one application as my hair is about 4 or 5 inches longer than my shoulders. So the cost of one treatment is £8.66 if you buy it from Amazon which was the best price I found (RRP £12.99). It therefore isn't the cheapest solution on the market but since research is showing that head-lice are mutating and surviving many different chemical insecticide treatments now, it is good to find one that the lice are unable to develop a resistance to and that doesn't have all the nasty side effects of silicone based products.

The solution comes in a bottle like you might get for hair dye and this means it is easy to apply and you don't get too messy. It is an oil based product so is oily on your hands but washes out well with any shampoo. It contains plant oils of coconut, calophyllum, jojoba, sunflower, sweet almond, castor, which act mechanically by obstructing the respiratory openings of the lice, larvae and nits. The lice are unable to develop resistance due to the asphyxiation mechanism.

I really like the fact that the product works in just 10 minutes and left my hair very soft after washing it out. The comb that is included in the pack is probably the best included one I've ever seen. It has fine grooves in each steel tooth, much like a nitty gritty comb and was very effective at combing my hair out.

Puressentiel products contain no dyes, preservatives or synthetic perfumes and are kind to the environment too.

For the record, I didn't actually have head lice and I actually now think maybe I had a sensitivity to a silicon based product that I used about a month ago when I was treating my girls. the redness and flaky, itchy scalp match the description for silicon sensitivity/allergy.

Preventative Spray -
This 75ml aerosol spray has a strong lavender smell and contains Citriodiol® from 100% natural origin (derived from lemon eucalyptus essential oil) whose repellent action has proved itself to be as effective as most synthetic chemicals.

It has been proven to work for 24 hours to repel lice and stop infestations and that makes it perfect for spraying before school. My daughter with shorter hair needs about 6 sprays and the one with waist-length hair about 12 sprays and the smell is quite strong, so it is good to do with a window open or even in the garden!

This handy spray cleanses the scalp and soothes itching using lavender floral water and lavandin, without leaving the hair or scalp feeling greasy or damaged. The spray retails for RRP £9.99 and I didn't manage to find it any cheaper than that.

It has 0% Neurotoxic repellents, is 100% natural in origin (No chemical agent - No silicone - No dimethicone - Preservative-free), is propellant gas-free and synthetic perfume-free.

Both products are suitable for children aged 3 years plus and they are available from Boots, Day Lewis, Lloyds pharmacy, Amazon and selected pharmacies nationwide.

Conclusion -
I am really happy with the Puressentiel products that I have tried out and I'd happily use the anti-lice treatment again and we will keep on using the preventive spray and see how it goes. Lets pray that is the lice infections over for at least 2017 for my family!


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

You have to see Sing Movie #SingMovie

My girls doing karaoke to the Sing soundtrack on Saturday night before we saw the movie on Sunday

Don't let your fear stop you doing what you love!

This is probably my favourite line from the movie and to be honest spending £37 for the five of us to see it will be well worth every penny if my kids take this sentiment with them into adulthood. I think we often miss out on things we would enjoy and even love as we allow ourselves to be held back by a fear or the unknown. We all need to embrace the unknown sometimes and remember 'what is the worst that can happen?' The worst case scenario is never really that bad, is it?

You don't expect to come out of a family movie with a big life statement like that but that is what I love about films aimed at all the family nowadays. They have the innocent story line, the fun characters, the amazing graphics but also the humour and depth to reach the adult audience too.

SING is a fabulous movie, with a rating of U and a run time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. If you like watching things like The Voice, Britain's Got Talent and the X Factor then you'll love this movie. The singing talent in it is amazing, who knew that Reese Witherspoon could sing like that? And I had no idea who the American singer Tori Kelly was before watching this but now both my girls and I are mesmerised by her stunning voice.

I think my favourite character had to be the very dapper koala Buster Moon as I have a not-so-secret crush on Matthew McConaughey who voices him and whilst I might not be able to see Matthew in the film, that beautiful southern lilt is so unique to him and makes my heart melt.

There is something in the film for everyone, our whole family went to see it and my 13 year old son said he was surprised how funny it was and 'so much better than I expected Mum, a bit like Shrek as it has loads of adult funny bits in it'.

SING is certainly one of those films that we will be watching again when it comes out on DVD, it is sure to become a classic family movie like Toy Story, Happy Feet or Madagascar.

SING has gained a 70% fresh tomato score on Rotten Tomatoes and all the critics seem to agree that Illuminate Pictures (the film animators behind Despicable Me, Minions, The Lorax and Secret Life of Pets to name just a few) have again made a fabulous tale

Have a look at the trailer yourself and see if this film might be for your family. I'm sure it will!

Have fun, Mich x

Oh and just in case you are interested here are my couple of loons having fun with Taylor Swifts 'Shake it Off'.



Disclosure: We wee sent a karaoke pack for us to enjoy as a family to celebrate the release of SING at the cinema.

Review: Magic Dip Design Art Centre

Miss E was super pleased to receive the Magic Dip Design Art Centre from character. It retails for £29.99 and is available from most good toy stores and online at places like Amazon. The best price I found it for was at John Lewis where it is currently £24.99.

We've made a video with Miss E using the design art centre and talking about how she enjoys it and if she finds it easy, have a watch -



Here are the pros and cons that we found -

Pro's -

• It was easy enough for a 9 year old to set up and use alone (whilst under my beady eye)
• The marbled items look fabulous if you use a light hand to dip them
• You get unique items every time
• You can dip and marble most anything you fancy - candles, ceramic, silicon, plastics, wood, paper, card, glass and textiles
• It dries quickly and the spay sets the paint
• Once you have dipped your item, you can clear the water really easily to mix fresh paints and dip something else
• Any messes are easily cleared up with simple nail polish remover
• it is great fun and keeps the kids happy

Points to think about -

• Don't forget to protect your work area (we use an old oil cloth on the table) and use an apron (we forgot!)
• Make sure the water is room temp, it makes the world of difference
• You have to be quick, once the paint is on the water it is starting to set already
• Dip paper or card based products quickly as too much time in the water and they start to soak it up
• Only one glove supplied and ours was ruined after one session
• The paint contains irritants, is toxic to aquatic life and is highly flammable, so it needed to be used carefully and under supervision. We found our dining room was quite smelly after a while and I had to open the window and finish our session.

In all we think the Magic Dip Design Art Centre is great and would make a super Christmas present for a young boy or girl who likes to craft. Due to the ingredients of the paints the child needs to be 8+ years and work under supervision in a well ventilated room.

You can also buy a starter kit with 4 paints, glossy spray, glitter, gems and a few things to dip for just £10, as well as replacement paints, which are £5 for 5 colours and I think that is reasonable.

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.

Challenged to Kit Miss E Out for £50 with Get The Label

Both my twin 9 year old girls were set the challenge by Get The Label to kit themselves out with an outfit (footwear, tops/bottom or dress and a jacket/jumper) for £50. I mentioned in my other post that I thought they were having a laugh, you might be able to kit out a baby or toddler in a full outfit for £50 but surely not a girl who wears age 11/12 clothes with adult sized feet?

I'm happy to put my hands up in the air and say I was wrong, you really can and I think Miss E's outfit is so funky. I love her sense of style, she knows exactly what she likes and is not at all swayed by her very opinionated twin sister or anyone else.

Miss E is not as confident on the web as her sister so we started to browse the Get The Label site together and I steered her into the clearance section and footwear at first as I thought that might be the most expensive part of the outfit. Well in Miss E's case I was certainly right as she fell straight in love with a pair of limited edition Swizzels Love hearts sweets Kickers boots. She is a girl after my own heart, I remember owning my very first pair of kickers when I was 17 years old and I had paid for them myself and they cost so much money. Well no need to spend a ton of money nowadays as these ones only cost £23.99, that's far less than I spent back in 1990.

Here is what Miss E choose in all -

• Kickers junior girls kick lite hi boots £23.99 (should retail at £64.99)
• French connection juniors girls safety pin dress £15.68 (should retail at £34.99)
• Adidas women's collegiate jumper £9.49 (not known, as no longer on the website but I think £29.99)

The total for her three items came to £49.16 and I think she did a great job of buying three items that she can wear together but also style with totally different outfits too. Miss M already has her eye on the Adidas jumper to borrow!

If Miss E had bought these elsewhere without any discount from Get The Label the cost for the three items would have been £129.97, so we made a saving of £80.81 and just imagine what we can do with that amount instead!

Thank you Get The Label for a fun challenge, we will happily shop with you again as we found your service, delivery and clothes to be really great.

Why don't you have a look what her twin sister, Miss M chose too.

If you fancy winning an outfit for your child for £50.00 and 4 tickets to Gulliver's World you can enter over HERE.

Disclosure: We received the clothes free of charge for the purpose of this post but I was not 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.

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.