The Family Panel Reviews Guide

Tefal Sensorielle Range

2011-11-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

You may not know it, but 20somethingmum is also better known as Lazy Girl Cooks, and so she was excited to try out Tefal's new Sensorielle frying pan from its wider range of pots and pans. So, did it help our resident reluctant chef in the kitchen?

Considering I've never been the world's (or the South East's ) best cook, I do seem to buy an alarming number of pots, pans and other cookery related items.

However, I've always struggled, since buying my first pan set at 17, to find the right pots and pans to do the job. Or to make it not quite so easy for me to burn things.

There was the set that was meant to be oven safe, which, when cooking a pilaf in the oven melted the handles. There was also the really quite costly set which used to heat up so badly, the handles had to be gripped with oven gloves, which promptly caught light.

Hence my relationship with cookware has never been great!

Tefal are the range most people, from young to old, will recognise the name of. I've always assumed that, due to their name, the brand would be pretty pricey.

I tried a Sensorielle Frying Pan, costing between £20-£30 depending on the size you require.

All the Sensorielle range have an Intensium Non-Stick coating, which they say means you can cook without oil- and in these times of healthy living advice is obviously something which will attract buyers.

I was quite dubious whether it would be possible to cook without a tiny amount of oil, but it was- I tried cooking sausages, eggs and a piece of salmon to see whether I could beat the no-oil necessary guarantee and I failed. Even my ability to cook things to the point of charcoal did nothing to diminish the pans reluctance to allow any foodstuffs to stick.

Hence, the pan was incredibly easy to keep clean, requiring the lightest of wipes with washing up liquid and a sponge to look as good as new.

The other handy thing about this and the rest of the range is the unique to Tefal Thermo Spot, which directs the cook when the pan has reached the optimum frying temperature, so the guess work is gone.

Not only that, but these pans can be safely placed up to 180 degrees in the oven, and have a cooper infused anti warp base, which distributes the temperature evenly.

I cannot fault this pan, and its well worth the price- I'm seriously considering buying the rest of the range for my kitchen, as it makes even the most novice of cook into a competent chef!

Banish the kitchen blues and buy the Tefal Sensorielle range as your Christmas gift to yourself!

The full range is available to buy online from Amazon

Rastamouse Talking Plush Toy and DVD

2011-11-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

If one show on CBeebies has got the nation talking (and tuning in regardless of being a parent!) its lovable crime fighter Rastamouse. Not since Roland Rat has a rodent made such an impression. So, it was a mad dash when the Tot Testers got to try out two items from the Rastamouse show, a DVD and a talking plush toy.

I may be a near on 30 Mum of two, but if there is one show on CBeebies which I don't mind secretly tuning into with the Tots, its Rastamouse. The combination of great music, Reggie Yates' so cool and laid back voice over for the character, and of course the message to kids to be good and help out makes it one of the best kids TV shows I've seen in quite some time.

Rastamouse seems to be the antidote to the "loud and brash hyperactive" brand of kids TV. Da Easy Crew, Rastamouse's band and crime fighting agent friends manage to solve crime and "make a bad thing good" without the need of prat falls, and presenters or characters who seem to have downed copious amounts of fizzy pop and sweeties before turning up to film.

Even the naughtier characters, such as Bag o' Tea, are lovable, and as a household we're well and truly hooked.

The DVD comes with the whole first series, which we have now permanently in residence in the DVD player. All the characters are there, and every episode features the lovable characters of Mouseland getting into scrapes.

We've loved the show since it was a one off episode of Jackanory Junior, and love the tongue in cheek names of the characters.

The plush talking Rastamouse has had to be cuddled on rota, as he's become very popular indeed. I hope that the company will release the rest of the main characters from the show as well, as these would prove just as popular.

Rastamouse says all the phrases you'd expect (and which my tow both love to say!) in his distinctive voice, as well as including music from the show. Usually these sorts of toys drive me mad after a while, but you can't help but smile when you hear the toy. It's easy for little fingers to work out as its a simple tummy press to activate.

If you haven't yet seen Rastamouse, you must, its one of the best I've seen since becoming a parent, and just right to curl up on the sofa and watch. With the children, of course!

Both the DVD "The Crucial Plan and Other Adventures" and the talking plush toy are available from Amazon and other good retailers, priced £8.49 for the DVD and £12.99 for the plush toy.

Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven

2011-11-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

Christmas is coming, and its time to look to what is available to keep your kids smiling on Christmas day and beyond. First up is a product from Disney, the Magic Rise Oven.

Big Tot is a fan of all things girly, pink and princess related, so the Disney Magic Rise Oven ticks all those boxes. It also peaked her interest as, now she is at school, she is encouraged to act like a big girl and do some light baking as one of their curriculum activities.

From a parent's view, if you're not too keen on allowing your eager child loose in the kitchen with a hot stove, this makes a great make believe alternative, and also encourages imaginative play.

The Magic Rise Oven comes with a raft of accessories included, which is a good start as there are no separate extra cost items needed, which seems to be a new way of making money within the toy community. It was very simple to set up, and to use, and Big Tot didn't require much help to work it out herself.

The magic wand element was welcomed by Big Tot, as she loved the make believe of a wave of a wand making the "cake" rise. However, the cake will rise with or without the wand, so obviously if you have a child prone to losing bits and bobs this isn't an issue.

The noises are imaginative, and really re-enforce the magical element. They certainly made Little Tot laugh, and Big Tot loved the idea of being a fairy able to create cakes with a magic wand sound effect.

I would say the downsides are that there are only two pretend cakes with the set, and these are quite fiddly to re-flatten. It also doesn't take long for each cake to rise, so the boredom factor is quite high. I also had to remind Big Tot not to be heavy handed with it, as its quite lightweight and I could foresee with too much force that the door may pop off.

However, Big Tot enjoyed playing with it, and loved to dress up in one of her Princess outfits and play bakeries.

For £30, its quite expensive, and I would have liked to see a few more cakes to play with for that price.

The Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven is available from Amazon amongst other retailers.

Jumbo Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory Game

2011-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Big Tot loves cartoons, and has been trying out the Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory game, from Jumbo, so, was it as popular as the TV show?

As any parent will agree, games can be great sources for sneaky education- and this game falls into that category easily. Whilst The Tot Testers had fun with the spinning character, they also worked on their memory skills.

The game is easy to assemble, taking under 3 minutes to put together. We had a similar game which had Peppa Pig as the spinner, but that was quite irritating as the pig often fell over, so this was a welcome change. It does require batteries which aren't included.

Not only does the game improve a child's memory, it also promotes number skills, as the child has to make sure they have all 5 cards from a set to win. Problem solving is also included, as the child has to work out which cards go with which to form the set, they chose which character they want to collect at the start, and 5 cards will be associated with the specific character, for example, if playing as Fireman Sam, they will need to find his engine and other Fireman Sam character items.

The toy has the added bonus of having the voices of Fireman Sam and Norman, which Big Tot immediately recognised, and for the age its aimed at, both of the Tots found it exciting. Little Tot had to be helped, at 3 that's no surprise and I found it quite enjoyable helping him to remember what cards he needed and where they were.

Big Tot, however, worked it out pretty quickly, but this didn't stop her really enjoying the game, so boredom factor was low.

This is a great fun game for younger children, and at under £10 its a great pocket money toy.

The Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory Game is priced at £9.74, at Amazon.

Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine

2011-09-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

Gadget Dad has been indulging two of his passions in his latest review- cooking and tech! He's been testing the Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine, so what did he think?

Gordon Ramsay, like many other celeb chef now has not just an ever growing range of books, but now also puts his name to cooking appliances as well. I have to admit that at first this put me off- I once owned a set of very nice looking Pots and Pans which an equally popular chef put his name to, which were impractical as they burnt your hand everytime you used the handle.

However, he Gordon Ramsay Tagine is much safer, featuring a cool touch base and removable pot, and I'm happy to say I've remained burn free!

Its quite deceptive in size- whilst you do need to strip down a chicken if you want to cook it in the appliance, it does still hold sufficient liquid and food stuffs to make a stew or Goulash to feed two adults and two young children.

Its a very practical device for the coming months, as the handy heat switch can be set to a keep warm setting which automatically cuts out after the temperature gauge tells it its hot enough. I happily left this on whilst I went out to collect the Tots. If you have more time, the high setting allows you to sear meat and add the other ingredients afterwards- its literally a one pot wonder where there's no need to use lots of pots and frying pans and limits the washing up- certainly an added bonus!

If you are a busy parent, or perhaps on a tight budget, this is the ideal appliance. I used it to make a stew from leftover roast dinner chicken, chucked in an onion chopped in 4 and a couple of carrots, and left it over night. By dinnertime, the veg had gone soft and the stock from the chicken was fabulous.

If you want to feed a bigger family, I would suggest a larger version, as this is more suited to 2 people (we have two children who eat bird sized portions!).

I liked that it could also be used as tableware with the large Tagine lid- this is also came in handy when shoving a bit extra food in as the flat glass lid did restrict portion amounts.

Overall, a very good item which will be a godsend over the cold winter months.

The Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine is available from Argos at £37.99

I Don't Know How She Does It, By Alison Pearson

2011-09-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

20somethingmum finally has time to herself now both the Tots are at school, and she's indulged her favourite past time of reading with I Don't Know How She Does It, now a major new film starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

I love books, and, personally, if a book is being made into a film, I always like to read the book as the author intended before settling down to watch the Hollywood version.

In Alison Pearson's novel, the main character, Kate is a busy, time starved Mum of two, who is trying to juggle both a successful city career with being a good parent, loving wife and close friend.

Inevitably, and with a car crash like inevitability, we see her fail to manage all those labels, and the consequences of it on Kate and those she is closest to.

I loved this book, I have to say it straight out, I could not put this down, I even sat in my kitchen cooking Sunday Lunch whilst trying to read the book! Whilst I don't have a successful London career, I could relate to the character as if I was reading about a real life actual person. We all find it hard these days to make time for all the things that matter, and often I find myself awake at 3am, making lists in my head of things I simply must find time for, just like Kate.

You also find yourself mentally willing Kate to make that much needed call to her family, or to her friend Jill, and curse as yet again she forgets too. I also started to assess the effect my attitude towards my own children- we have all at some point fobbed them off with a cartoon to get that important piece of work or 5 minute cup of coffee in the middle of a busty day. With Pearson's book and her clever writing skill, we are able to see directly the confusion this causes to a young child if done regularly.

AT times the book is achingly poignant, and at others jaw achingly funny-especially the character of Candy- this book has everything and is a must read for busy Mum's everywhere.

I now look forward to the film- although, as an aside I do worry at the effect switching the action to the US from London will have and have to comment that when I read the character of Kate I imagined Kate Winslet in the role instead. However, I'm sure with Pearson's input, and the amazing story already in the book the film will be great.

Wewillbuyyourcar.com

2011-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Unless you happen to be a member of the Top Gear team, it can be hard to sell your car when you need to sell one and upgrade, or just simply because you are a bit strapped for cash. Online company wewillbuyyourcar.com can help.

Whether you're thinking "I need to sell my car London" or further afield, We Will Buy Your Car will offer a competitive price whatever the make or model.

Its very simple to use, just click on the sell my car button on the homepage, enter your cars details, such as registration, model and make, and of course where you are, and the website will get back to you straight away with a price.

If the price fits what you had in mind, the money can be deposited in your account within 10 minutes, via secure Bank of Scotland transaction.

Better still, you don't have to deliver the car as its picked up from you at a mutually convenient time.

Why pay for expensive adverts and valet costs, cut out the waiting time and tyre kickers, and check out wewillbuyyourcar.com!

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Fancydressball.co.uk

2011-08-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Even though its the summer holidays, its always good to plan ahead for the ever popular Fancy dress party. With that in mind, the Family Panel have been checking out costume website Fancy Dress Ball to see what they have to offer.

Costume parties used to mean buying some old sheets or clothes from the local charity shop and using whatever "skills" in sewing you possessed to come up with something which most people would be baffled to name! Or it meant paying vast sums to hire slightly sweaty smelling costumes from the hire shop.

However times have changed and, just like most things, costumes are now available online and for a fraction of the prices we used to be forced to pay.

One such company is Fancy Dress Ball, who have an amazing and varied selection of outfits, wigs and accessories for all the family and all occasions.

Whether you are looking for a Halloween costumes of devils, gruesome beings or something less conventional, or perhaps for inspiration if you have a last minute costume to organise for a party, you can find it here.

Another popular costume choice, for parties or hen dos is sexy fancy dress- you can be as daring as you like and impress perspective partners with naughty costumes of sexy sailors and less than angelic angels from brands such as Eye Candy California Costumes and Leg Avenue.

Or, if you don't want to bare all (and who can blame you!) there is a vast selection of era costumes from the 60s, 70s and 80s fancy dress sections. These include everything from mini dresses, hippie chick wear and mullet wigs, not to mention fingerless gloves Madonna would have been proud of! Whether you remember the fashions of the times or not, the costumes are detailed and can be seen in sharp and clear images online.

Kids and adults are catered for, and prices are not going to scare you- wigs are priced from 7.99 and whole costumes for ladies start at £15.95, men's are from £22.99 and kids from £9.99.

You can pay securely online, or pick what you want and phone the local rate number. Costumes are then delivered to you at home. It really couldn't be easier.

So, next time you need a costume, check out Fancy Dress Ball.

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Jungle Junction Wheel Around Fun Set

2011-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

A while back, you may remember the Tot Tester's got to watch a brand new Disney show called Jungle Junction. Since then, the programme has grown in popularity and now, as with most kids TV shows, there is now a tie-in selection of toys. We previewed the Wheel Around Fun Set to see what the Tot's thought....

Jungle Junction is one of many modern educational programmes shown across the Disney Channels available. It follows then that this toy should have some sort of educational purpose to it.

As with other playset based toys, its bright and inviting, encouraging children to grab the toys. I was surprised that it's not suitable for under 3's as it's definitely a programme and toy style I'd pitch towards 2 and up.

However, as its based on a road set up, there are small parts, which I don't really think the toy particularly needed. Perhaps if this toy is redesigned at any point, making the signposts chunkier maybe a design consideration.

That said, it does encourage imaginative play, whether the children know the characters well or not. The three character toys represented (who, I'm reliably informed by Big Tot, are Ellyvan, Bungo and Zooter) are chunky and friendly looking little things, and are a break from the traditional car shapes usually associated with road sets.

Sadly, this didn't impress the Tots for long, as its quite small, and they already have a traditional car play mat. From a parent's point of view, when a toy is costing between £9.99 and £20 depending on where you buy, its pretty dull. It doesn't make any noises, its pretty boring for the age its aimed at in a time when there are more impressive toys becoming available at almost the same price. It also doesn't bode well that within 5 minutes, one of the sign posts was easily snapped in half.

You really do expect better from something associated with Disney, and something which looked quite promising.

Definitely a could do better here, in my view as its aimed at the wrong age group, and could have had sounds added.

The Jungle Junction Wheel Around Fun Set is made by Flair and is available from Amazon (cheapest price online).

Spartoo.co.uk

2011-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers are a fashion conscious pair, and like any parent knows, feet, however tiny, need a good quality shoe that wont wear out in a few days. We've been trying out Spartoo.co.uk, so, what did we think?

Just like any other children, the Tots seem to need new shoes every month as they grow faster and faster. It can be hard to balance finding good quality shoes, using the best materials, with affordability. There is also the added problem as a child becomes more vocal in what they like or don't like in agreeing on a style for all occasions.

Spartoo, an online only retailer stocks footwear for the whole family, and is well stocked with various styles, sizes and brands both well known or otherwise, from Ugg to Converse and everything in between.

The site is simple to navigate, and splits into categories depending on what kind of footwear you need. Inventive tags include "skate", "relax" and "rock"- quite different to the usual tired descriptions and obviously a clever use of marketing as it certainly sticks in the mind.

The footwear available is competitively priced, with a pair of Converse starting as low as £26, they offer free delivery and returns, and most shoes available come with handy customer reviews.

We let the Tots hand pick their choice of footwear to try out. Big Tot decided on a pair of on-trend Gladiator sandals, made by Hello Kitty.

The sandals proved just as popular on Big Tot's feet as they did when she spotted them on screen- I had to fend off queries from other Mum's at the playschool door whose eager daughters wanted a pair too!

They are made from soft leather, and being metallic and miniature versions of what you'd expect most women to be buying from the High street, Big Tot was very pleased at how fashionable she was! She has worn them for long walks and has had no discomfort at all- and she'd be the first to complain!

At £35, they may seem a little pricey for a pair of sandals, but considering they are a character shoe, which usually last for a very limited time indeed, these are worth the expense and will see your child through summer. They are a good all-rounder, as they aren't too flashy for everyday, but just sparkly enough for parties too.

The Hello Kitty logo is also discreet too. Big Tot is impressed and have to say I am too.

We also tried out a pair of classic Converse All Stars for Little Tot.

Trainers are a must for children like Little Tot who are constantly active, so it can be an expensive item. With the Spartoo trainers, we found a well known brand in Converse, but at under £30, its not going to hit your budget too much. The trainers were a good all rounder, and as they are canvas can be washed in the washing machine on a cool wash, coming up like new no matter how much mud they were caked in!

The site is great, and is a one stop must for all the families footwear. Its impossible not to find something for whatever occasion or budget, and its quick and easy to use, with clear images which can be rotated to see all sides.

A Family Panel Thumbs Up.

New Style Bikes and Trikes for all ages

2011-06-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers have been trying out a new styles of go cart, the Ezy Roller Ultimate Riding Machine, and a twist on the classic toddler trike, the Scuttlebug. So, when the suns been shining and they've been able to go for a ride, what did they think?

Little Tot is now a much more independent child, and whilst he was happy last year to be pushed on his traditional trike, this year he wants to go it alone. At close to 3, a parent wants to encourage this sudden independence, but at the same time may worry about accidents.

We tried a Scuttlebug- whilst this is a traditional trike, in that it has 3 sturdy wheels, which support movement, and a large seat to sit on, the design has that little bit of wow factor to a child.

Its lightweight- so lightweight that Little Tot could move it with ease whether he was riding it or picking it up to move it! However its not so lightweight that it tips over when used on grass or an uneven surface.

There are no peddles to get in the way- I recall my trike had these and I never used them, they got in the way and I'd bump my ankles!

The design, in our case of a ladybird, made it eye catching, and when stood next to a traditional trike it really stands out. The colours are vibrant and Little Tot certainly loved the bug design. The wheels are soft too- so Little Tot could play indoors on the Scuttlebug without damaging the carpet- and its so quiet too- no squeaks or grinding noises!

From a parents view, its possibly the easiest toy or bike I've ever had the pleasure of putting together. As any parent knows, a new toy is wanted the minute its removed from the box, and with the Scuttlebug it took under a minute from box to being used. It folds flat too in 3 simple clicks, so can be transported on car journeys without taking up lots of room.

The Scuttlebug by Mookie is available in a variety of styles, and can be purchased for a purse friendly £24.99 from Amazon

Next up, Big Tot tried out an Ezy Roller Ultimate Riding Machine.

The Ezy Roller is, at first glance, a go cart, and looks quite small. When I first saw it put together, which took slightly longer than the Scuttlebug, I thought it was quite an expensive item which would be played with for perhaps two summers before both Tots grew too big for it. However, Gadget Dad showed me that the product can be extended- and according to the instructions included, can fit from age 4 to 14! Not many out door ride on toys can boost that longevity!

Its quite hard to describe it- its got the low to the ground seat of a go cart, however, there are no pedals. The child propels themselves forward using leg movements to the left or right. This took Big Tot a while to work out and caused a bit of frustration, so perhaps the "age 4" tag is slightly ambitious.

It does, when the technique is mastered, go quite fast, something that Big Tot loved (but which may make a parent worried!) and I would recommend the use of knee pads and a helmet with this toy.

Its rust free, so if looked after should last for many summers. Its also lightweight and silent due to the lack of batteries or chains, so maintenance is also at a minimum.

Overall, a good toy, with potential once the Tots are a little more co-ordinated.

The Ezy Roller is available from Amazon priced between £79.99-£109

My Mini Baby Born Doll and Farm

2011-05-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

In another Half Term special, Big Tot has been trying out a new doll from the vast Baby Born range, a mini Baby Born. So, has she got doll fatigue or was it instant love?

Big Tot is a girls girl- she has umpteen dolls, all of whom have names, accessories and all of whom she looks after in her own little way (although leaving them in her rucksack possibly isn't the best idea!)

We gave her the Mini Baby Born and Farm set a week ago, and weren't sure what she'd make of something so small. Its 4 year old hand sized, so not your typical dolly, and obviously it doesn't fit with her clothes, bed and pram which all her other dolls fit.

The redeeming feature for Big Tot was the accessories which came with it. The doll is a farmer, wearing miniature welly boots, hat and outfit (in pink, what else?) which you can remove, and has a set of two soft rabbits, a hay bales, some moulded carrots, a rake and a fence, as well as a miniature wheelbarrow.

Big Tot really liked the tiny rabbits- but these were so small they could easily be swallowed, so we had to hide these upstairs away from Little Tot. We also found that the plush on the back of the rabbits came off very easily- which left them looking a bit raggedy and bald after a few days.

The doll is cute- and Big Tot enjoyed that her size meant she could take her to playschool and leave her in her rucksack, as we usually have the "to big to take" conversation in respect of her other dolls.

Big Tot has now lost (in her bedroom) most of the smaller accessories, except the wheelbarrow which has been pinched by Little Tot!

It's reasonably priced at under £10 (Amazon), but you do need to consider the small parts in the box before buying.

Tinga Tinga Tales on DVD

2011-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's half term, but it seems that the sun has decided to hide (probably until all the children are back at school!). The Tot Testers have been watching Tinga Tinga Tales on DVD- so did it reign in the rain related boredom?

Both the Tot Testers love Tinga Tinga Tales on CBeebies- yes, its a bright cartoon as is usual with children's TV, but its based on African Folklore, something that I certainly was never taught at school.

The programmes are on two DVDs, with 5 episodes per disc, and the episodes are just long enough to grab the attention, but not too long so as the children get bored.

Each one centres around a group of cheeky monkeys who narrate and tell the children how animals came to look like or do the things which they are known for, such as how Elephants ended up with a trunk, or why Hyenas howl at the moon.

The voices are spot on, engaging even the hardest to sit still with their vibrant voices (they have accents but not so you cant gage whats going on in the dialogue, and I'm pleased they didn't use an English voice or I don't think it would have worked at all), and the animation is superb, using a vast mix of colour and pattern to bring the stories to life.

We have waited ages for these to come out on DVD, and now they are finally here, its lovely to all watch the beautiful drawing and the funny way in which even the most perilous part of the tale is relayed.

A must have for parents who prefer their cartoons with an educational twist!

The Tinga Tinga Tales "How Elephant Got His Trunk" and "Why Lions Roar" DVDS are available to buy at Amazon (currently on special at 2 for £9).

Mamas And Papas Online

2011-05-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Little Tot is no longer as Little as his name suggests, and its time to go from cot to bed. It can be hard for both parents and child a like to make the change- not to mention expensive! We tried out Mamas and Papas website to see what was available for our growing Tot Tester.

Little Tot had the misfortune of being a second child, so when he moved from being a guest in our bedroom to a room of his own, he inherited his elder sister's bedroom scheme. She, being more vocal was able to ask for what style she wanted, but Little Tot had to make do with animals and Winnie the Pooh.

So, now he's close to 3 and giving up his cot, we let him chose what he wanted for his room. We let him sit with us to view the range available at all round baby, toddler and parent stockists Mamas and Papas, and he was very pleased to join in!

The images on site make it easy for even the youngest of consumers to see what's available to buy, and when we received Little Tots choice of a Barnaby Button Quilt and Pillowcase set (currently £32.40, reduced from £72) we weren't disappointed as it looked just like the picture on screen. The colours and sharp so give a good representation of the product you receive, with no nasty surprises, and the handy zoom feature really shows the item in clear photographic form.

I liked how the item was shown in a room set up- not just designed to show what else was in the range, but also handy to show how the item goes with the kind of cotbed and room decor, so great for ideas!

The Barnaby Button set we received was superb quality, very soft and ready to set up on the bed. It would make an excellent gift for a child, and, being neutral, could be suitable for boy or girl. The teddy design is simple and classic, rather than garish like some characters on children's bedding. Its also machine washable, which any parent will know is a must.

As for the rest of the room, Mamas and Papas have it all, and then some.

We loved that the site was set into different categories, such as Maternity Wear, Nursery Furniture and Car Seats for ease of use, and there are helpful suggestions on what you may think of purchasing to go with what you've already picked. The quality shines through, and there are prices to suit most budgets.

If you are looking to update, stock up for an impending birth or just want a gift, then Mamas and Papas is the site for you.

Seriously Good Cooking Sauce

2011-05-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

The Family Panel love a good bolognese for dinner- what can be simpler to feed the brood than some mince, an onion and a cooking sauce? But what cooking sauce to try? They've been trying out Seriously Good's Italian sauce to see how it compares to their usual brand.

The Seriously Good Italian sauce- specially produced for Comic Relief from a Gordon Ramsay recipe, is just as user friendly as other sauces available. Just as good for stirring into pasta, or as we used it as a sauce for bolognese, its a rich sauce, with a great amount of flavour packed in.

I always find that some sauces can taste synthetic, and you are left wondering if they have any natural ingredients at all. They can also sometimes be disconcertingly sweet- with many containing artificial sweeteners, which I find baffling in a savoury sauce.

Not so with the Seriously Good sauce- it boasted Red wine flavour and it delivered it, without being too pungent to give to the Tot Testers. It could also boast an authentic taste, with Balsamic vinegar (not something I'd ever thought to add) and two types of tomato. Whilst I did add some garlic, as its my personal must in a bolognese, the overall taste of the sauce when poured on mince, onion and mushroom was a rich, flavourful sauce, which smelt as good as it tasted and left us all wanting seconds.

The website offers handy recipes for using with your sauce, and reassures about whats contained within the jar. It also explains why they got involved with Comic Relief and how the range of sauces is helping to fund the charities projects.

A great sauce which is a good all rounder for adults and kids alike, it was certainly loved by this family!

Available from all major supermarkets

Online Advice from Bounty*

2011-05-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

20somethingmum is often asked to recommend a good all round baby, pregnancy and toddler advice site. Her answer- Bounty.com.

Bounty, the pregnancy, baby and toddler advice service, is more commonly known for the great and handy Bounty Packs we ladies receive during and after pregnancy. However, they have an online website which you can join for free too.

The site itself is a one stop bookmark from the very start of trying for a baby- their Ovulation Calendar is simple to use and gives a guide to the times when you are most likely to conceive purely from inputting the required dates it asks for, including when it guesses Ovulation is at its strongest. It can save you money by simply referring to this guide instead of buying all sorts of Ovulation monitors and the like just by going online!

When you do conceive, it can be exciting, but also a time for worry, when you're hormone levels are racing. If you like many women are too embarrassed to ask personal questions of your new midwife, you'll find answers to all sorts on the friendly forums, from other expectant Mum's and Mum's who are doing ti all again so may have experienced what you are worried about.

If you can't wait to find out an estimate of when you may give birth, there's no need to wait until your scan, with Bounty's Pregnancy Calculator and Due Date estimator. Both will give you facts and figures as well as detailed drawings of what your growing bump looks like on the inside, and what stages and changes you can expect in each trimester.

Everything you need to know, plus advice and tips from pregnancy to toddler and beyond is available at the free to use and easy to navigate site. Its friendly and doesn't talk down to the reader, ad its advice you can trust from experts, with the added extra of being able to chat to real life Mum's and hear what lies ahead.

I thoroughly recommend the site, and use it myself as a great insight into child rearing. Check it yourself if you want a place that's friendly, knowledgeable and overflowing with topics for help!

href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=721">Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1722">Image: Louisa Stokes / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Flowers from Interflora

2011-05-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Like any man, Flowers can be a daunting prospect for Gadget Dad. But we set him a challenge to see how easy it was to buy roses for 20somethingmum from Interflora. How did he get on? Has he been let off forgetting Mothers Day? Let's find out.....

As a bloke, I'm not what you'd call knowledgeable about flowers- I know that you put them in a pot and, if you're lucky they grow.

The actual buying, let alone picking, wrapping and sending of flowers- well, I thought that would be a complete male no no.

Then, 20somethingmum was asked to have a look at Interflora's website, and, such was its ease of use, she believed even I could order a bunch and find sending flowers online simple to do.

The first thing I had to do was see what was available to be sent from one of Interflora's florists in London, (or whichever county you happen to be in) and I was surprised just how many bouquets were available- there's everything imaginable, and at different prices too.

So, its not just a case of picking a flower-not easy if you don't know your lily from your lilac- but Interflora have some great suggestions depending on what the flowers are for.

You can also chose by your budget, from the smallest to the biggest amount of spend, plus you can see exactly what you are purchasing via the very handy images, and can trust that the quality will be great as Interflora are such a well known established brand.

Delivery is simple, and can be arranged for the same day as you order, as long as you do so before 3pm Monday to Saturday.

Its such a simple site to use, well, even a novice flower purchaser like myself has no excuse not to chose something that someone as fussy as 20somethingmum will love!

I can recommend Interflora for all your flower needs, whether you have no idea what to send or know what bloom they'll love, Interflora is a must bookmark.

Tinga Tinga Tales Up, Down and All Around Monkey

2011-04-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Little Tot is a mischievous boy, always up to high jinx, so its no surprise that his favorite TV character's are the naughty monkey's from CBeebies Tinga Tinga Tales. He's been trying out one of the new interactive toys from the series, so what did he think?

Little Tot, being two and a half, has only recently made it clear what his likes and dislikes are and Television is no different. So, he was very pleased to find one of his current top 3 characters waiting for him to try out.

That pleasure doubled the minute we switched on the toy itself- and even better from a parents perspective, the batteries came included with the toy, so its simply a case of removing it from the box and switiching it on in the back.

Another definite thumbs up in its favour, the box was easy to take the toy from- some can require half an hours hard work with the scissors (and a degree of care not to cause yourslef or the toy damage), leaving a child increasingly close to tantrum, but it was held in by about 3 tags which snipped off with ease.

The toy, the Red monkey from the show, is just as delightfully colourful as on the show itself, and instantly recognisable- some TV to toy incarnations can leave the child scratching their head to place what show it's from. The colours are vibrant and inviting, and the smiley face is jolly too.

The toy itself is plush and super soft, and Little Tot had fun cuddling the toy in bed at night- we did try and use the handy hookable hands and tail to attach it to his bed, but such was Little Tot's love of hugging the soft toy, it didn't stay hooked for long.

The hands and tail are very easy to attach, just hook over a door handle, head board of chair, and it does stay rather well- but not so well that little hands can't remove it with ease.

The best aspect, as mentioned, is when you turn it on. It has quite a number of phrases direct from the TV show, and I for one find it quite sweet that Little Tot has now picked up "Jambo" from the toy! It also senses what way up it is, and tells you off if its left upside down too long, or if you have left it in the same position it'll ask you to pick it up, asking if you're going to "just leave me hanging around" all day!

Little Tot found this chatter hilarious, and it certainly encouraged interaction, as he answered the toy back and chatted quite happily to it, whatever the response.

A great all round toy which will please both girls and boys, the Interactive Up, Down and All Around Monkey comes highly recommended by us at The Family Panel.

You can buy the toy from most retailers, such as Argos for around £24.99

Guest Review: Shloer Summer Fruit Punch

2011-04-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

We've given our resident Queen of Clean Mellow Mummy a day off from scrubbing the house to get her views on Shloer Summer Fruit Punch. So, did it quench her thirst in this unseasonably hot weather?

In this summery weather, I'm tempted to open a bottle of wine, beer far too often for my own health so I was really pleased to hear that Shloer have launched a new limited edition flavour for the spring and summer months – Shloer Summer Fruit Punch sounds like just the kind of drink you can enjoy with the family without feeling guilty about alcohol, and without having to worry about who's driving home.

Shloer Summer Fruit Punch, I'm pretty sure, is marketing itself this summer as the alcohol-free equivalent to a glass of summery Pimms. It has the same colour and the same scent as the popular British classic – Shloer even recommends that the Summer Fruit Punch version of this sparking grape juice drink is best served 'dressed to impress' with all the traditional trimmings such as mint leaves, slices of orange, cucumber and fresh strawberries, served in a jug over ice. I can picture the scene at a hot family BBQ or Royal Wedding street party already... summery!

I have to say that I was really disappointed with the flavour of the Shloer Summer Fruit Punch. To me it tasted of very little, and what flavour it had seemed too savoury, a bit like the dregs in the bottom of the Pimms jug that have soaked up too much cucumber juice! There are other soft drinks that I would much rather be drinking this summer if I were to be avoiding alcohol, or looking for a drink that I could offer children and adults alike. I was also a little suspicious of the ingredients which, other than White Grape Juice, seemed to be rather unspecific about the natural flavourings that contributed to the 'fruit' or 'punch' elements of the product's name.

In fact, I'd much rather be drinking the other great flavours of Shloer such as White or Red Grape, Apple & White Grape, White Grape with Raspberry and Cranberry or White Grape and Elderflower (which I think sounds incredibly summery). In general I really rate Shloer because it is free from artificial colours, sweeteners and flavourings and yet, because it is sparkling, it feels like a really special drink.

If you're looking for inspiration of what to serve at your big family gatherings over the Bank Holiday season that head over to the Shloer Facebook page (www.facebook.com/shloer) where you can find a whole host of summery recipes in their Sunday Cookbook app. All of the recipes are contributed by Facebook fans which offer a wide range of ideas for simple foods to share. If you contribute your own recipes, you even stand a chance of winning great prizes such as cookery tuition from an expert chef! You can even win £100 of Lakeland vouchers if you vote for your favourite recipes.

Thomas Goes Pop! on DVD

2011-04-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers have been watching kids TV favourite Thomas in his latest DVD release "Thomas Goes Pop!". So, did it tame the Half Term tantrums?

The DVD is, as you'd expect, crammed with all the same well loved characters as we are now used to, and contains 50 minutes in 4 episodes of the show not yet shown on TV.

As an added bonus, we are treated to commentary between episodes from Live action host Driver Perkins, who explains what's going on with the trains, as well as dressing up as a clown and getting a cream pie in the face- something the Tot's found highly funny.

Whilst the Tots love the stories of Thomas and the misadventures he and his friends often find themselves at the centre of, the timeless way it teaches kids life lessons such as the importance of friendship, doing as you're told and cooperation, will please parents. Its simple, old fashioned fun, although I do miss the original way it was filmed, which has now been replaced with CGI.

While those of us who watched Thomas in our own childhood will recognise the same old messages being rehashed into new stories, and may find it a bit repetitive, if your children are like the Tots the DVD will be a constant friend of the DVD player for some time, its a fir favourite in our house already!

Something I'd recommend as a departure from louder, brighter, new cartoons, its a gentle reminder of the old days of kids TV! Keep it for rainy days!

Preview: Lisa Jewell The Making of Us SPOILER ALERT

2011-04-23T06:26:00.001-07:00

20somethingmum is a fan of chick lit, so was looking forward to reading the newest novel by Lisa Jewell, "The Making of Us". So, was it a must read?

The Making of Us is a new book by Lisa Jewell, and introduces us to a set of brand new characters. The idea behind the story- of the consequences of having children via a sperm donor, is original and very well thought out. There's no schmaltz to the story, I think some other authors would have directed the book that way.

The characters are all linked via one man, Daniel, who lies in a Hospice with secrets of his own, and nearing death wishes to find out what became of the children whom he fathered but never got to meet.

We then find out ourselves what the children, now adults, are all doing, and find that all of them have something missing from their lives that they can't quite understand.

Firstly, we meet Lydia, who was brought up by her Father after her Mother's death, with no idea that her Father was indeed another man. Lydia is removed from society, and despite her wealth, she isn't truly happy and has no idea why she feels that way. That is until a mystery person sends her details about "Donor 32" and the Donor registry for those who wish to find out if they have half siblings.

This leads us to Dean, your typical estate boy, who is trying to avoid grieving for his dead girlfriend and can't face up to his responsibilities as a Father to his own newborn daughter. He wants to know who his Dad is, and one drunken night signs up for the registry.

Lastly we find cool 18 year old Robyn, the self assured confident girl that other girls want to be, who knows the circumstances of her birth yet has no interest in her donor father, until she meets man of her dreams, who she thinks may be her brother.....

The story flows so well, its one of the most believable book I have read since David Nicholl's One Day- you end up rooting for the characters, hoping that, in meeting each other and answering the questions they have they can finally be happy together.

I think Lisa must really have researched the positives and negatives of searching out siblings (and of course biological parents) via the Registry, and how it would impact on someone finding out that the people they believed to be their parents and the circumstances of their births may be different to what they thought. At times the raw emotion, especially in the last half of the book with Lydia travelling back to Wales with Dean, is so believable I found myself having to put the book down and have a good dab at my eyes with a tissue!

The only negative was the sub story of Lydia's personal trainer and later lodger (and lover) Bendiks, who you think you know what's going to happen but then Lisa takes the "happy ending" way out of closing that storyline, perhaps to spare the reader, and the character, of anymore emotional sadness.

A great summer read, full of all the best of chick lit- emotion, happiness, fun and likeable characters- I would love a sequel to find out what happens to the siblings and to Maggie, Daniel's friend who helped get them together in the first place.

I urge you to read it as you wont be disappointed. I certainly wasn't, nearly staying up all night as I was so lost in the story!

(Want more Lisa Jewell news, and to find out when her new books are released, you can now Like Lisa's official page at Facebook)

Guest Review: Simply Vital Silver Care Antibacterial Toothbrush

2011-04-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

In her second guest review of today, its personal hygiene that Mellow Mummy is testing, in the form of the Simply Vital Silver Care Antibacterial Toothbrush

The idea of a silver-plated toothbrush sounds very decadent, doesn't it? In fact, there is a very sensible reason why you might want a silver-plated toothbrush (and it is not just the luxury!). Silver is a very effective antibacterial agent so could lead to a healthier mouth.

Studies from the Universities of Rome and Milan show that your toothbrush head is susceptible to very high levels of bacterial contamination due to it coming in contact with all the nasties to been found inside your mouth. Using a toothbrush with a silver-plated head can, they tell us, reduce the bacteria left on your toothbrush head after use due to the natural and continual antibacterial properties of silver.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the Silver Care toothbrush is that, rather disappointingly, it isn't a bright and sparkly solid silver toothbrush! Only the back of the head (i.e. the bit that holds the bristles together in place) is plated with silver. Even so, it is quite striking to have that flash of silver glinting at you in the mirror as you brush your teeth.

The toothbrush itself is a relatively standard one. Nicely shaped and not too fancy. The grip around the centre of the brush is just right for me – prevents slippage but doesn't feel like it interferes with my own movements.

The bristles as well are nothing to write home about. I used a medium Silver Care toothbrush and actually found it a very firm brush compared to the brands I'm used to.

The most interesting thing about the Silver Care antibacterial toothbrush is that it has removable heads. To start with I thought that this was going to mean that the Silver Care toothbrush was a great idea for sharing – that my husband and I would be able to swap toothbrush heads but use the same handle (I thought it might be handy when going on holiday). However, the heads are actually quite stiff to replace so I don't think it is intended to be an every day activity. Each head comes with a small plastic container in which to store it and keep it clean. You can also buy replacement heads so that you don't have to replace the whole toothbrush.

On the whole, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Silver Care toothbrush but at least the germ-reducing effect of the silver leaves me with peace of mind knowing that my toothbrush is far more hygenic than most people's!

You can find out more about the Silver Care toothbrush range at www.simplyvital.com

Miffy Toys and Nursery Goods Online

2011-04-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

When choosing what theme to go with in a child's nursery or bedroom, it can be hard to pick something which will grow with them and not need changing within a few years. Miffy, the classic Bunny rabbitt known world wide, has a website which makes choosing nursery and baby goods and gifts simple.

The website, found at miffyshop.co.uk, is just as bright and inviting as the well known children's story books hich the character is famous from. Its easy to navigate depending on what item you are looking for, and better yet there are exclusives not available anywhere else.

If like me you thought Miffy was simply available in book form, then you're wrong- there is literally something for everyone, both kids and collectors.

With items which would make a great affordable gift for a new born, such as the super soft tag blanket we tried, to soft bunnies, prices are available to suit all budgets.

We particularly liked the Porcelain section, which has all sorts from christening keepsakes to plates and cups for everyday use, it'll be hard not to fall in love with the cute crockery yourself!

We also liked the Just In section, with up to the minute must haves for collectors many of which aren't available for months in shops nationwide.

Better still, you can either buy online, or via their free phone number, and delivery is swift.

If you are looking for a classic, cute nursery or toy theme, then the Official Miffy shop is the place to find everything you need.

GUEST REVIEW: Elias Superwipes

2011-04-20T05:20:00.000-07:00

Mellow Mummy, are super clean Queen, has been trying Elias Superwipes, so what did she think?

A small packet of stain-removal wipes seems like a great idea for a busy parent to have in the changing bag to mop up food stains from messy babies and toddlers, or to save a much-loved item of clothing after an accident with a sup of coffee or a glass of wine. Elias super wipes are stain removal 'first aid' and they come in a small pack of 5 wipes for around £2.49.

I first had opportunity to use the wipes on an unfortunate pet stain on a much-loved pair of curtains. I wiped the nearly-dry stain with one wipe and it got to work quickly. After a few short minutes, most of the stain had gone. I did put the curtains in the wash afterwards to get rid of the last of the stain.

I've found them effective on food stains, so long as you get to them quickly and don't let the stain fully dry. I like the fact that Elias super-wipes aren't intended as a pre-treatment and that they really can shift a stain without the need for a wash to do the hard work.

I didn't like the packaging though – it was poorly worded and sounded patronising and also featured at least one spelling mistake which really put me off.

Mamas and Papas Maternity Bras*

2011-04-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy brings many changes to a woman's body, before and after the birth. There's not just the bump and ways of covering it up whilst keeping comfy yet stylish.

Maternity can also bring changes to a woman's breast size, with many woman increasing by two, or more sizes during pregnancy. Its important with all these changes to keep an eye on your size, keep the breasts supported, and most regular bras just can't do this whilst keeping you comfortable.

With this in mind, well known baby brand, Mamas and Papas, offer a great range of maternity bras, to cope with all manner of needs.

The bras are available in all types and to fit sizes from a 34 B up to a generous F, and the site itself offers a easy to follow video "how to" measuring guide, making it easy to get the right size in the comfort of your own home.

Available in many gorgeous fabrics and colours, including sumptuous satin and lace, and fun spotted designs, the bras include matching briefs*, so there's no need to lose your love of matching sets and still feel alluring- just with the added presence of your growing beautiful bump!

There are plenty of bras to keep you supported during pregnancy which are designed to grow with your bump too. Specially designed to provide maximum support minus the uncomfortable presence of underwiring, which can dig in to the skin during pregnancy as your shape changes.

Softness is achieved by using Bamboo Fabric, proven to be extra soft and quick drying, an attention to detail which Mums to be will love and which isn't often the case with normal non maternity bras.

For after the birth, the range includes equally pretty nursing bras which make breast feeding a breeze, thanks to their clever cups which can be unclipped for fast and easy feeding day and night. These also continue to support the breasts during the changes caused by breastfeeding to provide comfort whilst still being made from superior fabrics.

With bras starting at a reasonable £15, and briefs at £8, you can view the entire range on site and have it delivered to your home, leaving you with more time to relax and get the nursery ready! There are often great deals on site, including buy one get one free offers, as well as 3 for 2 on certain bras and briefs, so there are bargains to be had!

The site itself is full of great buy at home clothing and nursery essentials, all at great prices, and the opportunity to read previous customers reviews of all the items on site, giving you peace of mind before making your purchase.

So, don't suffer with digging in underwire, visit the site and banish the bra blues now!

*Briefs sold separately

Images courtesy of Mamas and Papas

Get In Shape Without the Diet With K and Co Shapewear

2011-03-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

As any Mum knows, shifting the pounds to wear this seasons must have body-con dresses can be hard, if not impossible. So, what can you do if you want to fit those slinky dresses and skinny jeans, but can't afford something as drastic as surgery? K and Co have some great suggestions at their website....

Its close to summer, we all wish we could have the body we used to own prior to the children, and want to wear tight fitting snug jeans but don't want a muffin top to spoil the line of our outifit. So, other than drastic dieting and expensive gym membership- and who has time with the demands of motherhood- there are certain underwear items which every women should own for just those situations!

Yes, sensible, old fashioned undies are in, and now the girdles are Grannies used to own have been brought bang up to date with new advances in material and stretch fabrics. And its not all flesh coloured underwear which whilst sucks in all those bits we'd rather hide, is often best hidden away from the eyes of our other halfs, K and Co offer beautiful designs and slinky fabrics, including satin and lace, which will not leave you red faced to be seen in!

K and Co is the online shop of products from well known catalogue firms Kays, Empire Stores and Great Universal, and its easy to find your way around their website. Even if you have five minutes to spare, everything you may wish to buy for any occassion, from undies to outterwear, as well as accessories is at the site, with lots of styles to choose from.

The Shapewear range is huge, and caters for whatever problem areas you may have, providing underwear which gives the wearer a flattering silhouette, or just the best kind of underwear to banish unsightly visible lines under tighter fabrics.

Prices start at a reasonable £10, with the option of weekly payment in installments* and sizes range from size 6 up to 32. From classic underwired bodysuits to newer slimming leggings, there are styles to suit every need, and a rainbow of pretty to functional colours too.

The images used are clear and the descriptions make it easy to choose the right shapewear for your specific needs, be that tummy control to full body uplifts, which will help out online shopping novices who may fret about buying something they haven't tried on first.

They even have ratings from previous customers, so you buy with the knowledge of what other consumers thought before.

With items from companies such as Maidenform, Playtex, Ultimo and Trinny and Susannah, the site provides a one stop online shop for everything from corsettry, to bodysuits, and underwear to provide that slinky shape you thought was impossible!

A must bookmark for all those with wobbly bits, K and Co make achieving the shapes we want under our clothes as simple as point and click!

The full range of Shapewear can be found at the K and Co website

*Subject to status
Images courtesy of the K and Co website

"This is a Guest post"

GUEST POST: Pampered Toes

2011-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Any Mum or Mum to be knows how much our previously well looked after feet take a bashing. With limited totsy attention time, it can be a nightmare when sandal season rolls around. Our regular guest reviewer and busy working Mum Mellow Mummy has been trying out JML's Pampered Toes. So, what did she think?

I was sceptical about the claims that the JML Pampered Toes packaging made – could a pair of wibbly wobbly gel toe inserts really relax my toes and relieve my aching feet to offer me a level of relaxation I could only otherwise experience at a spa?

I have been quite genuinely surprised. The concept it simple but the effects are great. You place the gel inserts carefully over each toe and then sit down and chill out for 10 – 15 minutes! Maybe its the fact that you have to sit down and zone out that adds to the level of relaxation?

When I first saw the bright blue gel Pampered Toes product (which JML describe as being made from cool flexible gel), I had assumed that you must need to chill them in the fridge or freezer and that it was the cooling effect that helped to ease tired, achy feet. I was wrong. I think the cooling effect is limited – it simply is the sensation of the wobbly gel against your skin.

When I wore the Pampered Toes on my feet, it felt of.... nothing at all. I can only describe the feeling as being a bit like putting your hand into a bowl of water that is at exactly body temperature – you know something is there but you simply can't feel it. I had expected my toes to feel a little stretched and uncomfortable while I was wearing them, but they didn't. I've read the sensation of wearing Pampered Toes described as like 'walking on air' and I'd tend to agree – your toes are stretched to just the right extent to stretch out the stress from your feet, but not so much as to strain them further.

After a hard day at work, as I wind down before bed, the Pampered Toes have helped with that little extra bit of chill-out and leave my feet feeling refreshed from a day in hot sweaty shoes. It feels good. The effect is not life-changing and not, I would argue, anywhere near as relaxing as a professional footspa or massage.

My only complaint about the JML Pampered Toes is that they could do with a cover of some sort. I've found that the gel attracts dirt and dust (and that my toddler likes to grab them and pretend that they're telephones!) and so as well as washing them after use (as they recommend), I have to wash them before use too.

Pampered Toes cost around £9.99 and come in both blue and pink gels. http://www.jmldirect.com/Pampered-Toes-PP0010/

Brabantia: Rotary Washing Lines Made Simple

2011-03-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

20SomethingMum has been Guest Blogging for the people at Brabantia, and got to try out one of their Rotary Washing Lines too, so here's what she thought. You can see this review over at the Brabantia Life blog

Clothes – there’s no escaping the fact that we all need to wear them! That means washing is an inevitable part of a Mum’s everyday life. If, like me, you have two (or more) independently minded tots who enjoy changing their outfit 3 times a day, or worse can put on a beautifully laundered item and five minutes later have soiled it again, you’ll know that laundry is not always easy.

If you have a smaller sized garden, it isn’t always possible to have a long washing line, or if you have no garden at all, but have a balcony, it’s not an option at all. I’m also always concerned at the possibility of one of my tots getting caught in a washing line whilst playing in the garden, not to mention their tendency to hide in longer washing and pull it off the line.

The problem is, if you are stuck and have to put washing on the radiators indoors, it causes a damp smell which is unpleasant. Or chances are you are forced to use a tumble drier, which although quick, due to the rise in energy bills it’s not very purse, or environmentally friendly.

I may be in the minority, but I love the smell of washing when it’s been hung outside to dry, and I may be strange but I think the first sign of the cold and grey winter being over is the sight of billowing sheets and towels on the line in the garden! It’s strangely satisfying knowing that you can hang it out to dry and hopefully the worst of the creases will fall out too!

So, if like me you have lots of washing to get dry, yet lack the space to hang it in the garden, or simply don’t like the washing lines getting in the way, Brabantia have the solution.

The Rotary washing line may seem outdated and less than stylish, but Brabantia have banished the wonky poles, day glow plastic and loose lines of old, replacing them with space saving wall mounted lines (great for those with tiny gardens as they can be folded away) and stylish, compact chrome rotary lines which can be folded away and covered when not in use.

They’ve considered the negative aspects of the old style rotary lines, and so rather than metal which rusted and became unsightly after one winter, the Brabantia version comes with a rust free guarantee and with chrome accessories.

I also like how sturdy they are despite being light weight – anyone who remembers the lean of the old style ones of our childhood will be pleased that safety is now considered paramount! Easy to install, the upright full size rotary line we tried came with a solid plate, which holds the pole in place with minimum fuss, and when placed deep in the ground, or concreted in, there’s no sign of wobble no matter how much the wind blows around it, or how much washing you load on to dry.

I loved that it could be lowered to the height you needed to peg on the washing, which means no sore arms from over reaching for the highest part, and then its simply raised with minimum effort required. No matter how much washing was pegged on, the lever was easy to pull to push the pole upwards and meant the lines pulled tightly, stopping longer items from dragging on the ground.

I managed to easily fit a whole 11kg wash load on the compact rotary line we tried. In fact I was quite surprised at how much fitted, I thought I may struggle to find the space, however I fitted more on than I used to peg on my long line. Better yet, because the rotary line is in one place, it doesn’t take up the whole length of the garden.

I love that Brabantia have reinvented something which is labour and space saving, bringing it bang up-to-date and providing a stylish solution to laundry – especially now that neither Tot can pull my washing off the line!

A great item whether you need a fold away wall mounted version or can have the full size line, deceptively efficient and safe to use.

You can find the full range of Brbantia products at their website

Mothers Day with Interflora

2011-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day is close- on the 3rd April- so its time for The Family Panel to suggest their tips for the perfect gift. This year, we've been looking at Interflora.

Interflora are a well known company, but until recently I thought they sold flowers and arranged them for you, then delievered them too- a one stop shop for fancy flora and fauna with little effort other than picking the required blooms.

However, whilst Interflora are still doing just that, they now sell other gifts too, which they package and deliver for you in the same way.

We tried their Gourmet Delights Hamper, one of a host of different sized, and priced hampers. The Gourmet Delights Hamper contains, as the name suggests gourmet treats to suit all tastes, as well as a good bottle of white wine too to wash them down with.

The hamper came very well presented, and an added bonus was the hamper came be re-used for picnics! Stuffed with jams, savoury biscuits, heavenly fudge, and lip smackingly tasty chocolate, the hamper was well received by everyone in our household. I loved the share factor of it, as there was something which everyone could enjoy (the Tots particuarly indulged pinching the little box of chocolate truffles).

At £34.99, although that may sound alot, this includes delivery, and with it so full of foods and a bottle of decent wine, its comparitive with alternative Mothers Day gifts such as perfume and, of course, flowers.

The site really is an easy to use aladdins cave of different gift ideas, not just for Mothers Day but for all occasions. The prices are competitive and for the lack of effort- just point and click to order and then type the address into the checkout- they really are worth the money.

I will definitely use Interflora again- and my Granny will be pleased I'm sure that she might just get something different to flowers for once!

THEATRE SPECIAL: Dirty Dancing

2011-03-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

The Family Panel have handed the reigns to Teen Niece and her Mum and sent them off to London to watch DIRTY DANCING at the Aldwych Theatre. So, what did our guest reviewers think?

The special performance was just one of hundreds of special events for International Womens Day, as this year marks their centenary.

Starring X Factor runner up and former Dancing on Ice entrant Ray Quinn as Billy, the story works well when transferred from film to stage.

Johnny Wright, playing the Swayze role of Johnny has big shoes to fill, as Swayze is so well known and regarded for the role, but he pulled it off with ease. Quinn was the biggest surprise as we found he was much better on stage than on TV, and almost stole the show entirely.

With the same great music and amazing dance routines, it was certainly an enjoyable and captivating watch, and it is no surprise that the show has broken box office records. It found it easy to get the right mood as set in the film, and quite literally left us both wanting to dance in the aisles.

Sadly no one else felt the same, which lessened the general atmosphere, but we made do with bopping in our seats! Perhaps if I was to point out one negative its that maybe the audience should be encouraged to really join in, as I've been to other shows which did and it really adds a special and memorable something to the experience.

A good all round show that didn't disappoint, and one I'd be happy to see again, perhaps with more audience participation though!

A Family Panel Thumbs Up!

Tickets are available from http://www.dirtydancinglondon.com/

Maclaren Beginnings Range

2011-03-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

20somethingmum and Little Tot have been trying some of Maclaren's Beginning bath range, in Hand Santizer, Bath and Shower Elixir and Delicate soap. So what did our sensitive skinned pair think?

Maclaren, of course, is a brand well known for their stylish buggies, I myself had a Maclaren buggy as a child. More recently, they have branched out into their Beginning range of bath and body creams specifically for Mum and Baby (or in our case Toddler).

First we tried out the Delicate Soap for Babies. It looks like your average bar of soap, has no smell and no colour, so that does make you confident that its kind to delicate young skin, which of course we all strive to keep as soft as possible.

It's made with 100% Organic ingredients, and promises to be non-drying.

We certainly found that, despite its softness and kindness to Little Tot's skin, he had o signs of adverse skin irritation, it was hardy enough to remove some ill advised body art achieved with a biro! I didn't need to scrub at the pen or grime either, it lathered well, and left his skin soft and blemish free.

Next I tried a product aimed at us Mums, Beginning Bath and Shower Elixir.

It comes in a handy pump action bottle, and smells lovely and fruity, I really liked the scent, and it didn't interfere with my perfume afterwards. Again, it left me soft of skin, and it lathered well, whether used in the shower or bath. Again, it is made with organic ingredients and is skin kind. I found it very soothing to my tired and often dried out skin, a great find which I will be stocking and recommending to all my Mummy friends!

Likewise the Hand Santizer with Lavender. In a handy and buggy bag friendly size and with a flip top which opens with ease (even if you are opening it akwardly with dirty hands), it isn't too wet and doesn't just slip straight through your fingers before you get a chance to wash the hands with it, which I have found previously with other brands.

Again, it smells really fresh but doesn't "knock you out" with too much lavender smell, again a hazard of some hand cleaning products which over indulge in lavender scent to mask the cleaning ingredients. It also works to remove all traces of grime and dries quickly without leaving hands stinging or sticky. Its really easy to have it in your bag and use on your or the children's hands, I found it easy to rub it from my hands to theirs and clean up quickly with no fuss. With some hand santizers I often want to wash my hands with "proper" soap and water afterwards before touching foods, but the Beginning santizer didn't have that chemical after taste.

A great feature of all three is that the packaging, although simple, doesn't look cheap and cheerful- I would definitely use them when putting together a gift basket of goodies for a new mum and be confident that I was passing on some really great products to them.

The Maclaren Beginning range in full is available from the Maclaren website, including ready made Gift sets.

*20SomethingMum is sponsored by Maclaren for Cybermummy 2011 as a "Maclaren Mum, and has been paid for this review."

Junior Brain Trainer, Maths Edition

2011-02-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

We've enlisted the help of the Family Panel's older child contingent for our latest review, Junior Brain Trainer Maths Edition for DS, by Avanquest. So, did it satisfy the keen gamers?

Games consoles can be the plague of parents everywhere- plug one in, or even switch on one of the portable versions, like the DS, and chances are the kids will forget their homework until the morning before school starts!

Now, Avanquest have produced games which not only keep the kids appetite for game play satisfied, they are sneakily educational too, so a happy medium can be achieved.

The Junior Brain Trainer, Maths edition we tried is aimed at kids over 7, and was enthusiastically received by the tweens who tried it.

Just like normal games, the Maths Edition game has strategy game play, and is sold to the child as an adventure, where every part they manage to work out will lead to the next level. Of course, they have to work out maths puzzles suited to their age range, helping build confidence in maths without the boredom of sitting and working out puzzles in a text book.

I like how it keys into the new age of games and consoles being all important to children as soon as they are old enough to work the buttons on the keypad. That they are learning basic maths skills in a colourful and fun way is why I would be happy to allow my children to use a console when they are older.

The tweens who tried it seemed to really enjoy it, taking time to work out each maths problem carefully, and it was encouraging to see one tween who isn't so confident and usually tries to get out of any maths homework or tuition happily playing this.

Its also great to build not just maths skills but reading and problem solving skills too, again in a fun way.

With 3 levels of difficulty, and the challenge within the levels to find different parts to complete each difficulty level, it's a game which grows with the child- once they complete and are confident in one level of difficulty, they can continue to improve by upping the difficulty level. Its also designed to compliment the child's school based education, with puzzles to suit the key stages.

At under £20, this is well worth investing in to improve not just a child's basic maths skills, but that of us adults too- it certainly helped my rather dusty and never that great numeracy knowledge too.

A great game, well thought out- there are others in the range too.

Available from Amazon

Buffalo Dualie IPod Dock

2011-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Gadget Dad has had a little help with our latest review from one of our teen testers, who has tried out a Dualie 500gb IPod/IPhone dock from Buffalo.

IPod and its phone version, the IPhone are possibly the most popular gadget of the last ten years. I love the idea of music on the go, but, obviously, when at home you may just want to play those tracks that little bit louder.

There's also the added problem of storing your music- which means plugging in your hard drive every time you want to change your track list. Personally, I've always been put off by the worry of losing my tracks, ad still prefer the security of a CD!

The Dualie, by Buffalo, is hailed as not just the perfect, compact dock for your pod or phone, but also charges the device too. It syncs to your PC, and better still, it comes with 500GB of storage for your music, all in the one stylishly built place.

Its very lightweight, and doesn't take up much space in the room. It's also small enough to be portable, so you can move it from room to room without having to buy several of them.

The Dualie is easy to set up, and comes with not only a mains power cable, but both a USB lead and Firewire cable, so whichever way you prefer to connect it to a computer is covered. It also has special Pod and Phone connectors, which some docks will require and have to be bought from the Apple store included, which saves time, money and effort.

To set up, its basically a 5 minute job- plug it in, connect to your PC to place your tracks on the hard drive, and then place your device in the dock. It does come with an instruction sheet, but really its hardly needed. You do have to load a software disc the first time its used, but again, that's really easy to use and guides you through the set up itself. It's Mac formatted, but can be re-formatted for use with Windows.

Once its all loaded and ready to go, the stylish base has a blue arc-shaped light to the front, which flashes when its transferring data, and just glows when its charging or switched on, which makes a novice with a borrowed IPod like myself know when I'm doing the right thing!

Due to the USB connector, you can play your music from your device through the media player on your PC or laptop, so if you find the IPod isn't loud enough for you, and you don't want to wear the headphones, you can crank up the music through the PC instead and share your tracks.

The hard drive itself is small and fits into a pocket easily- so if you wanted to get tracks from another PC, say at work, its light enough not to be a hassle.

The dock is reassuringly good quality and weighs a little more than the hard drive, holds the device securely without a wobble, and has a non-slip base, so can be placed on any surface without the worry of it falling off. It also automatically "syncs" the device to the base unit and charges immediately, recognising whats been placed in it without you having to make any selections.

The 500GB of storage is obviously a bonus feature, and larger than some similar dock/ hard drive combinations. It means whatever amount of storage your device has, this can hold around 100,000 tracks in one place. (Worked out for single tracks at 5MB each).

The great thing about the Dualie is its stylish enough to fit into most homes or offices, and was liked by our teen and myself, so it has universal appeal.

Price wise at £89.93 (Amazon) its quite expensive. However, for what it does and its ease of use, for the die hard who loves music and worries about losing their music if kept on their PC, its a safe bet for keeping your pricey music tracks safe from PC nasties whilst allowing the owner to charge their device in one place.

Despicable Me on DVD

2011-02-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

Its film time again, and this time the Family Panel have been sitting down to watch Despicable Me. Was it one for everyone to enjoy, or more for the kids.....

I was first lucky enough to get a preview of some of the film at last years Cybermummy conference, and have to say, even the ten minute clip I was indulged with made me laugh. So I was more than happy to watch the whole film now its available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Boasting an impressive cast, including Steve Carrell, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews, and with a sound track by coolness itself Pharrell Williams of NERD fame, it quickly captured the attention of Big Tot.

This is the first film which Big Tot has sat through, without complaint or worse, getting up half way through to play with her toys. She literally sat from start to finish, laughing at the obvious humour, and was a massive fan of the little yellow alien helpers too.

The film is excellent for kids and adults alike- there is the more obvious silly slap stick humour that 3 year old Big Tot appreciated, but there is also less obvious to a child visual gags too.

There is also the storyline which, unusually, sees you rooting for the original bad guy character, Gru. A super villain who has never really lived up to the title, we learn through flashback that he became a villain due to an inferiority complex caused by his Mother's lack of interest- now that's something kids wont get, but made myself and Gadget Dad laugh out loud.

Little Tot was harder to interest, due to his age, but even he was engaged by the little yellow alien helpers- who despite not having an understandable dialogue get their message across through funny misadventure and very well created facial expressions.

You also have the cute element covered in the endearing shape of 3 orphans that Gru adopts purely as part of his latest villainous plans, but whom he finds change his life by filling it with love.

In parts very well observed, and quite bittersweet, and at others so funny that Big Tot rolled off the sofa (really) this is film that covers all the cinematic bases and I would happily recommend for families. Something for everyone, with the ever popular CGI in use and great characters (as well as recognisable from the off voice artists) and a funky for a kids film soundtrack, Despicable Me is one for Half term without doubt.

A must see!

UKMUMSTV: Valentines Chocolate Challenge

2011-02-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

In a new role as reviewer for UKMUMS TV 20Somethingmum's first challenge wasn't very hard! She's been tasked with trying out three well known brands of chocolate to see which is best. However, knowing her love for chocolate of any kind, she has roped in Gadget Dad, not a sweet fan, to see what he thought.

A box of chocolate- every man must have, at some point, bought a box for his significant other for Valentines Day. Its less hassle than underwear, less "I forgot so picked these up at the garage" than flowers, and most women love them.

However, do you go for a trusty old favourite, or a modern variation of the theme?

First up, we tried a box I remember my Dad buying for my Mum in the 80s! Dairy Box, launched by Nestle in 1936 is possibly one of the most instantly recognisable boxes on the market, and is readily available in supermarkets (and garages!). Containing a good hefty selection of soft centres, silky truffles, and nutty crunchiness, as well white, milk and dark chocolate, there is something for everyone.

This is definitely a box for Mums, and I can now see why it was my Dad's choice- purely because once the Tot Testers had got their greedy mitts in the box, there was still a number of very nice chocolates left for me!

I liked the truffle centres more than the rest, but I did find that eating more than 3 of them at once induced a bit of sweetie sickliness in the mouth. They are very sweet, which is an acquired taste, but over all not too bad.

Priced at £3.99 for 200g, its a budget buy which will stop you being in the dog house, but may not impress your other half that much!

Next up is another classic from the chocolate archives, revived by popular demand and relaunched, Black Magic, again by Nestle.

Now, I am a fan of dark chocolate, but had no previous taste experience of Black Magic. The box, which hasn't changed over the years, is simple, thin, and looks a little dated- the type face used on it conjures up the 70s to me for some reason!

However, its not about the box, but the chocolates inside. And yum, they really are the silkiest of smooth and crisp dark chocolate. The combination of crunch and soft centre is welcome too, and cuts through the bitter edge of the chocolate itself. I can certainly see why people demanded they be made again!

I do think these wont be to everyone tastes- Gadget Dad was not impressed, and even the Tot Testers declined to try anymore after half a soft centre each. Dark chocolate is an acquired taste, so its better to check whether the intended recipient actually likes dark chocolate before buying these. For those who do, these are the perfect alternative to fluffy milk chocolate.

At £3.00 for the box, for less chocolates than in the Dairy Box, its not quite as economical as some choices, but I did prefer these to the Dairy Box on taste.

A more modern version of the classic "box" of chocolates is Green and Blacks Chocolate bar selection.

These are great all rounders, with different flavours, and something everyone will enjoy. If you're not sure what kind of chocolate your other half likes, then these are the choice for you. Not only is there the safety in a variety of flavours, dark and milk chocolate, and chocolates which taste absolutely divine, the cute tiny bars are well presented and give just enough to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. Its a more stylish option than just buying a large bar of chocolate.

The box contains 12 mini bars, in 6 different flavours, including dark chocolate with cherry, which was superb, and ginger and milk chocolate (a particular winner with Gadget Dad). We all really enjoyed these bars.

These are the most expensive though, at £4.22 for 180g, but overall, these were the Family Panel's favourites.

Now there's no excuse not to buy a chocolate gift for Valentines Day!

All prices Tesco Online

Ocado- Weekly Shopping Delivered to Your Door

2011-02-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

20somethingmum is a recent convert to online grocery shopping. After a particularly awful few weeks of snow before Christmas, shopping in the supermarket seemed to be a bad idea. Ocado, hearing of her being a devotee, asked the Family Panel to try out their newest range. What did they think, and how did it compare to their usual shopping provider?

I had heard of, or rather seen, Ocado, their brightly coloured vans seem to pop up at least one a day. Previously I always assumed they delivered another companies produce, and thought they'd be quite expensive too.

On browsing their equally brightly covered website, which was easy to navigate, Ocado not only have their own range, but its both extensive and competitively priced too.

The range covers frozen, fresh and cupboard essentials, plus more than a few notable luxuries too. Th Tot Testers loved munching the giant cookies we were sent, and when we could fight them to hand over a crumb we could see why they were met with positive silence of eating pleasure!

Basically, if you can think of a food stuff, Ocado have it in their range, including world foods like Houmous (gorgeous!) pastas and sauces (just as tasty as the major brands and many under a pound), breads (a firm fave with the Tots) and good old fashioned British fayre.

The fruit and veg came in generous bags, and the quality was excellent- no sneakily hidden bad apples, or pears, here.

Packaging wise, its no frills. The labelling tells you what you need to know, and that's it, no fancy designs, just good clear labelling, and a good number of the packets were recyclable too.

The sizes of all the items we were sent to try were generous, and the cupboard items lasted a good number of weeks.

Another popular item was the sour cream dip, yummy with crisps, and as for the Chorizo sausage, something I'd not tried before was a welcome discovery.

Ocado don't just stop there though. After you've picked your shop online, they pack it. Sounds like all the other supermarkets. However, Ocado drivers deliver your shop, in bags colour coded depending on what they contain, and the driver will put away your shop for you. You direct them to the kitchen, and off they go, carefully unpacking the shop, and skillfully putting it away. Our driver was cheerful, and polite, no surly growls here.

So, price. Obviously, with shopping going up price is important. On site, Ocado have a range of items for £1, £2 and £3, special offers on named brands they stock, and their individual range is very well priced. A 400g block of cheddar costs £2.99 at Ocado, in comparison with Tesco who sell theirs for £3.85. Tesco's 200g pot of Houmous will set you back 95p, whereas Ocado's is 15p cheaper at 80p. As for a 2.5kg bag of humble potatoes, again these are cheaper at Ocado, costing £1.29 in comparison to Tesco who charge £1.67.

With 1 kg bags of pasta at a £1, and fresh baked bread for £1.29, added to the bonus of not having to go in store to buy, and the option of your shopping unpacked at no extra charge, Ocado is a site well worth considering next time you do your weekly shop.

I would be more than happy to shop there again, I was very impressed with the service and products we received.

Valentines Day Gifts

2011-02-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

Its a mere 10 days (yes chaps!) until the most romantic day of the year is here once again. Yes, that's right, it's Valentines Day, so we've had a look at find-me-a-gift.co.uk to see what they recommend......

Valentines Day can be tricky to get right, especially for the guys. Do they go with a big padded card, something sparkly, or that old standard of flowers and chocolates? Well, Find-me-a-gift.co.uk has some great traditional and some alternatives on their site this year.

First up is something for accessories lovers everywhere. The Heart Shaped Umbrella (£18.99) is a great bit of practical fun, which wont end up in the bin after the 14th. We love the shape of this brolly, it'll certainly get the lady in your life noticed with its gorgeous hot pink colour. You'll hope for showers for longer!

For something with a personal touch, we recommend the Message In A Bottle (£19.90). Aimed at being a gift for men, you can have a very personal note rolled up inside the bottle, which is presented in a treasure chest gift box in miniature. It would be great for those girls who want to take advantage of Valentine's and ask him to marry you! In a similar style and again for the boys, the Secret Message Arrow, which is also slightly cheaper at £14.99. It comes with 5 scrolls to again write your own message to your loved one- and with 5 notes you can get what you want to say right!

Something for those wanting to firmly push the boat out whilst staying away from packed restaurants, why not check out the Cupids Cushion (£29.99). These may look like ordinary fluffy cute cushions, but hidden inside is an LED light. Just tap the white pillow and it glows red! Tap again and it turns off. Simple but fun!

Finally, for those of you whose partner loves their home comforts, what about a Love Rug Sleeved Blanket, (19.99). I tried one of these out for myself (when I could wrestle it from the smitten Big Tot!) and it is seductively comfy on cold evenings. The sleeves allow you to change channels, type at the laptop (as I am currently doing!) and is soft and cosy enough to nod off in. Its also machine washable with no sign of bobbles in the fleece after a 40 degree wash. Its long enough to completely cover your feet (I'm 5 foot 8 and there was spare material at the bottom) and so warm I turned the heating down.

If you order before 9am, the company provides next day delivery, and takes all major credit cards too.

So, ditch the wrong sized undies, the chocolates (if your loved one is still on their post Christmas diet) and the flowers which last days, and give them something that they'll remember and will use again.

And remember, Family Panel readers can grab 10% off EVERYTHING at the site until the 24th February, so what are you waiting for? Just enter FP10.

GUEST REVIEW Gadget Glamour iPhone Skins

2011-01-31T06:29:00.000-08:00

Its time for a Guest Review, and this time we're handing over to Victoria, who is usually found over at the fantastic Glowstars blog. She tried iPhone skins from Gadget Glamour, so what did she think?

I'm a big fan of the iPhone and I couldn't imagine going back to another phone but let's face it, their cases are a million different kinds of boring. All I want is a cheap, simple customisation option that offers a little bit of protection for when I inevitably drop the thing.

Gadget Glamour have just launched a custom-designed range of iPhone, iPad and netbook skins in the UK and they sent me one to see what I thought.

There are some great designs on their site and the skins seemed like a great way of giving your gadget some individuality.

The skins come in two separate pieces, one each for the front and back of the device. Application should be as simple as removing the skin from the backing and placing on the desired surface. Unfortunately I couldn't get the skin entirely flat on my phone and there was some bubbling. It's also disappointing that the skin falls well short of the long ends of the iPhone. Placing the skin on the front of the phone is a similar process except the skin has a further film to remove once affixed.

Over all I wasn't particularly impressed with the Gadget Glamour Skins. They were a lot trickier to apply than you would expect them to be and this was particularly true of the front skin which doesn't even come with a screen protector. I decided to apply the skin over my existing protector but it lifted it off during the application letting dust in underneath. Aside from protection from scratches underneath the skin, the skins offer nothing in the way of protection for the phone and if I dropped it (which is likely; the matt finish is incredibly smooth letting the phone slip easily from your hands) there would be nothing to break its fall.

The price (starting at £10 for an iPhone skin) is another gripe; for much less you can get a protective hard or silicone case on eBay and they're at least interchangeable.

Sorry Gadget Glamour, I'm just not a fan.

Debbie Rush Bulge Buster Work Out DVD

2011-01-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

Its the early part of 2011, and the time when most woman look to lose those extra pounds from Christmas. 20SomethingMum is no exception, and has been trying out the Debbie Rush Bulge Buster Workout DVD.

Debbie Rush wasn't someone who I immediately recognised, but she plays Annie Windass is Coronation Street, and has dropped from a size 16 to an 8. After a quick 'net search to familiarise myself with her, I found quite a few "before and after" photos, and have to say Debbie has obviously put in a lot of time and effort to achieve her enviable figure.

The DVD is your typical workout DVD- a familiar face plus a trained expert take on different levels of workout depending on your fitness and ability, which you can either tackle in one go, or do bit by bit.

The workout takes the style of circuit training, all in all there are 7 to chose from, and the promise that they are no nonsense is no joke! Devised by a International Rugby Expert, you can really imagine the England squad doing some of these at their training ground!

They do stretch you- my fitness level is probably average for a Mum of two pre-schoolers, and I felt bits of me working (especially my thighs) that have probably not been touched in years. I also felt the effects the day after too. I would definitely say I felt more effects than my Wii Fit or Sports Resort induce.

The DVD also comes with a Healthy Eating suggestion plan, which I found interesting, as previous DVDs I had tried didn't have these, and obviously its not just exercise but the combination of the two which helps shift weight and tone up those problem bits.

I enjoyed the DVD, as I really felt it working, but would say that Alan Titerell, expert trainer was slightly boring- lacking a bit of the usual pazzaz of other experts, and more like a drill Sergent. There wasn't much in-put from Debbie either, or interaction between her and Alan, which doesn't detract from the workout but left the DVD feeling a bit lonely- I prefer when people in DVDs actually join in and interact as then you feel like you're at a meeting rather than in your back bedroom!

Overall, the workouts are a good length, you'll certainly need to use the cool down at the end, but may end up feeling a bit like a school PE lesson!

The Debbie Rush Bulge Buster DVD is available from Amazon, Priced £12.99

Johnsons Sleep Challenge

2011-01-17T02:14:00.000-08:00

Little Tot is your typical hyperactive 2 year old, and sleep isn't one of his favourite past times- gets in the way he feels of being a mile a minute boy! Obviously 20somethingmum isn't so keen to stay up all night with him, so we've been trying Johnsons Bedtime range as part of their Sleep Challenge. So, how did we get on?

Little Tot has never been great at sleeping through- we have tried black out blinds, different bedding, heating at all different temperatures. We even tried moving his room around to see if it made a difference.

However, no matter what, he was still, at close to two and a half years old, waking at least once or twice a night. Broken sleep of course was not just an issue for him, as of course he would often be grumpy by 4pm. It also upset my sleep pattern and health too.

So when Johnsons asked us to try their Bedtime range and take their sleep challenge, it was another thing to try out short of him sleeping in the shed at the bottom of the garden!

The range has Bath, lotion and wash, as well as oil and cream, all of which contain their patented and researched NaturalCalm formula of relaxing aromas, said to be better as a mixture than just lavender alone.

We tried the Bath, wash and lotion.

The first big difference we saw was in the bath- another of Little Tots pet hates is being clean, he is your archetypal soap dodger, or would be if we let him get away with it.

He has, for about a year now, kicked and screamed and no amount of hugs or bath toys would change his mind. However, we plonked him in the suds, and soaped him with the wash, and, after a few attempts over the course of a week, he calmed down considerably, playing with his bath toys, although he still hates his hair being washed! So far so good.

With the change in weather and the need to have the radiators on indoors, his skin, which dries out, has been quite rough and needing moisture. The lotion, which its suggested is used not just as a rub it in cream, but in conjunction with some simple massage, smells lovely- not too flowery which puts me off using some creams on my boy, and rubbed in without a greasy mess remaining on the skin.

We have used this after his bath since just before Christmas, and have noticed a change in the driest areas of skin, such as his knees and elbows.

However, does it aid sleep?

I would personally give it a 8 out of 10. Yes, he has improved, and now 4 or 5 nights out of 7 he sleeps from 6pm to 7am. But he still has a few nights of his usual awake in the night behaviour. Its certainly an improvement though, as previously he was up every night, and we have just swapped from cot to bed too, which is obviously going to be a trying time for a parent and child regardless of what bath products one is using!

If you would like to take the Baby Sleep Challenge, and have considered sleeping in the shed too, I would say it was well worth a try! Whether it works for you and your child, it certainly leaves their skin in great condition, and its affordable too.

Johnsons Bedtime range is available from all major supermarkets.

Bold 2 in 1 with Lenor

2011-01-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

Well, after our Christmas break, 20somethingmum has had lots of laundry to see to! She's been trying Bold 2 in 1 with Lenor to see how it copes with our families grime.

I am very bad at sticking to one brand and have practically used the same washing powder for the last ten years- its not let me down too often, and its kind to my skin too. Trying a new powder has been interesting, and its had to cope with not just a busy Christmas full of rich food (and the stains they create on fabrics both party and everyday) but with the whole Family Panel suffering with flu!

The Bold definitely smells nicer than my usual brand- the jasmine is very obvious on opening the box, but pleasantly so, and not over powering like some scented products. It promises to last up to 12 hours and whilst it does wear off it is there, faintly but not enough to clash with my perfume.

Economy wise, it takes a small amount to wash a whole 11kg if its everyday soils its dealing with, which it manages on the first wash. With a light coloured duvet cover which was used during Big Tot's flu virus and so had acquired spots of Calpol and Cough syrup, which can need an extra wash to shift was removed first time with no stains left behind.

Grease left on a shirt of Gadget Dad's from a splash of cooking oil, which would usually have resulted in the shirt hitting the bin was also no match for the Bold 2 in 1. It came off first time, and again the scent that was left was lovely- especially now the weather means drying indoors.

Skin kind wise, I had a mild irritation from it the first few times I used it, but this has relaxed now- which I would put down to my skin reacting to a change in brand after so long!

I have been pleasantly surprised by the Bold. Its leaves clothing and bedding, and especially towels, soft, scented and is great on the pocket too- we've had our box nearly a month and its still going strong at just under half full!

I for one will be switching.

Bold 2 in 1 with Lenor is available in other fragrances, and can be purchased from all major Supermarkets.

Stocking Fillers for all the Family!

2010-11-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Its fast approaching Christmas, the food is all booked, and your about to dust off the tree for another year. But, after buying all those must haves we've already reviewed this year, theres a little bit of money left in the pot. And taking out those Stockings means you need something to put in them! So heres a few ideas for great value stocking fillers...

KIDS

They have it all already, the big toys, the little toys, electronic and otherwise. So what do you buy for the stocking?

Well if you're kids like CBeebies, then the CBeebies Song Time CD is just right!

Packed with all the well known songs and theme tunes from all the best loved of CBeebies programming, its two CDs packed with 50, yes thats right 50 songs!

Designed to keep them singing for literally ours, the CBeebies Song Time CD had both the Tot Testers happily dancing, singing and jumping around all afternoon. There's something for everybody on the discs, and its hard even for us adults not to join in with the tunes we are used to hearing on the TV.

From a parents perspective, this may get a bit irritating after a while, after all they are kids TV songs, but just seeing the pleasure on Big Tots face was enough for me to put up with it!

The CBeebies Song Time CD is available from Play.com for £8.95 (thats just 17p per track!) and can be bought on CD or downloaded.

MUMS

Mums, they are a busy breed, right, and especially at Christmas time. It can be cold out as they run here and there, making the preparations and picking up the kids, the shopping and doing all the other things us Mums do!

So, why not treat them to a set of Naughty But Nice Re-Usable Handwarmers.

These eye-catching hand warmers come in cupcake shapes, and they look good enough to eat!

They are also very simple to use- just squeeze the concealed metal disc hidden within until they click, and the gel will go solid as they heat up. So its easy to have warm toasty mits in a matter of minutes! They are small enough to fit inside your gloves too.

They can be re-used too, just by adding them to boiled water covered in a cloth.

They are a great alternative way of pampering Mum instead of the usual bath salts!

The Naughty But Nice Cupcake Handwarmers are available from www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk, priced £5.99

DADS

The Dane-Elec USB flash drive is a tiny gift which packs in 2GB of memory, and is great for Dads who like to move their work from home to work PC or laptop.

These aren't just your average USB Flash drives though, in a plastic black casing, oh no.

The Dane-Elec is available in all manner of funky designs with added extras, such as the SkateDrive (priced at £15-20 from all major retailers)

The Skatedrive as the name suggests looks like a miniature skate board, and comes with added extras such as videos and wallpapers. They are also available in pearlescent white, Hello Kitty or plain standard black.

The Dane-Elec USB Flash drive comes with 5 year warranty too, so you can trust that your important data can be moved safely, and quickly too.

More Toys for Christmas!

2010-11-19T02:01:00.000-08:00

The Tot Testers have been trying out some more of what retailers think will be the top sellers this Christmas, but do they stand up to our Tots?

Firstly we have playsets from WOW! toys.

The Wow playsets are available in all types, from rescue sets which feature chunky Ambulances, to Aeroplanes, and farm sets, these brightly coloured and highly detailed sets are just right for children who may be too young for Lego playsets.

I like that they encourage imaginative play, as the child can put them together as one set or mix a few together to creature a world of their own, and they require the child to make the noises for them.

They are just the right size for for a toddler to play with without supervision, it doesn't need batteries, so the toys don't end up being redundant in the toy box when they stop working, and they are durable too- ours were played with with Little Tots usual heavy handedness, but they remained in one piece with no damage at all!

Its very similar to Playmobil, but is more suited to a child of Little Tots age as there aren't any small parts. Its also a bit cheaper too!

You can buy WOW Toys from Argos for under £20

Next is FurReal Snuggimals .

The FurReal franchise features cuddly toy animals of all shapes and sizes, from handheld Snuggimals which we tested to full sized dogs and cats. The FurReal pets make noise or move.

I like the idea of these, as with two young children actually owning a pet is something I think they aren't ready for- proved by their Gerbils who are now looked after solely by me as they lost interest in them as they couldn't play with them. Having a pet is something parents with a small home or no garden, or a child with allergies just can't accommodate so these are the logical alternative.

The Snuggimals are handheld, and come with batteries already in them. They are very sweet looking- we had a rabbit and a guinea pig (I think that's what it was!) and they are just the right size for stroking (with none of the mess!).

When the animal is petted, its tail wiggles. This was great for a few times, but the Tots sadly got bored quite quickly and moved on to noisier toys. Big Tot preferred it when we switched hers off too, as she liked to absent-mindedly stroke it while sitting eating her lunch, but Little Tot had very little interest.

The problem is that the toy costs £7.99, (Argos) which is quite expensive for something so small and so basic, and something which the Tots found a bit boring after a day! Its a good stocking filler, but I'd scout out a cheaper price!

Lastly we have the Chatimal.

There is always a toy which comes out of nowhere, but which suddenly is everywhere and all the children want it. Last year was Zhu Zhu Hamsters, a few years back it was Buzz Lightyear, this years toy is sure to be the Chatimal.

These furry little creatures, available in a Hamster or a Meerkat, are quite quirky to look at- you can tell that they are going to be loved by kids but will drive you mad by Boxing Day.

The Chatimal, as its name suggests, talks. You simply press the button and record a short message, or say your name (not rude words as Gadget Dad suggested. At least not round the children) and it repeats it every 6 seconds. Loudly.

It moves its mouth and will repeat what you've said in a high or low pitched voice, or in a funny way, it chooses how, and then you can touch his paw and record something else.

I think this is a toy which has the novelty factor, the Meerkat version certainly ties in well with the sudden love of all things simples in the UK, so they are bound to sell tons of them. However, like any novelty toy, such as Billy Bass from a few years ago, they will end up appearing at a Boot Fair near you in time, and it'll be the toy you pick and say "I remember them, they were so annoying".

However at £14.99 (Find Me a Gift) it is a harmless piece of fun, the kids will love recording into it, adults will hate it but then love it when they too can do as Gadget Dad thought of and record it saying something naughty, but a great toy which will keep the kids amused for hours on Christmas morning!

Disney's Fish Hooks

2010-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

As a fan of animation, Big Tot has been watching a new show from Disney in the form of Fish Hooks. Its about to air on the Disney Channel, but we had a sneak peek!

Say Disney and you can be assured that what you are getting is ground breaking, great fun and suitable pretty much for the whole family, and Fish Hooks was no exception.

Big Tot has been steadily tiring of her former favourites and we've been trying to find some new shows which she will enjoy whilst not annoying us parents after two minutes!

Fish Hooks tells the tale of 3 Fish friends, all of them at the tween age range. They are voiced by some pretty well known people, including Kyle Massey (formerly of Thats so Raven and Cory in the House), and Chelsea Staub (Bratz: The Movie and Jonas LA), and they live in fishtanks in a pet shop.

It relates to the children because the fish don't just swim around their tank- like real people they have to go to school, and face the normal trials we all face- wanting a girl friend, envy of the sportsman at school, not being the cool kids and get through these with the help of their friends.

The show also has a cast of equally recognisable guest voices too, of characters who pop up now and again, including John Di Maggio (credits include Futurama, Kim:Possible and Madagascar) as Jocktopus (possibly the funniest way of portraying a stereotypical sportsman whose skills at football far outweigh their personality!) and Jerry Stiller (Father of Ben and star of King of Queens amongst others).

The episodes we got to watch where brilliant, they kind of borrow from Spongebob in the use of live action and animation mixed together. There was the added brilliance pf jokes which may have gone over the heads of the kids as they were in the background of the main story, but definitely provided a chuckle to the adults watching.

Gadget Dad summed it up when he proclaimed it "in your face", as this definitely draws in both the kids and adults- Gadget Dad I have to point out had popped in with a cuppa for me and ended up drawn in to sit on the sofa until the end!

It is definitely one of the funniest kids shows I have had the pleasure of watching for a long time!

I really hope this does well and perhaps Disney is persuaded to make a full length movie from it- we'd be at the front of the queue for that!

Fish Hooks airs on Saturdays, on the Disney Channel at 9.25am.

You can find out more at http://www.disney.co.uk/fish-hooks

Until then, you can meet Bea, played by Chelsea Staub:

Disney Princess Tube Town Castle

2010-11-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Like most little girls, Big Tot likes to play at Princesses, and has been trying out the Tube Town Princess Castle by Disney. So, did our little Princess give it a thumbs up or was it off with Disney's head? Lets find out!

The first surprising element to the Tube Town Castle is the weight when in the box. I obviously knew it would be quite big as it has to fit a child in, but its a great size, and easily fitted both the Tots inside.

Its big and pink too, which immediately made Big Tot happy- if it looks girlie then she loves it! But most things have a few days of number 1 in the toy chest (or in the case of this next to it!) and then Big Tot moves on to something else.

In the case of the Castle, from her perspective, I think she'd live in it. In fact we've had a few tantrums as she has wanted to sleep in the castle in the living room rather than in bed! So from her viewpoint its a big thumbs up.

She couldn't wait to tell her playschool friends that she owns a Castle- I had to explain to a few Mums that no, we hadn't bought a Country pad! In the end I had to take a photo, and now, well I think there will be a few more girls with these after Christmas thanks to Big Tots constant chat about it!

From the parents perspective, it looks like it will be difficult to inflate- we had a blow up couch in the summer which took forever with a foot pump! But thats the clever part about the castle.

Once out the box and unfolded, you simply attach the special pump, and in under a minute its ready to use.

Yes, you did read that right- under a minute! So no arduous foot pump work needed, only for the child to decide, after an hour of effort that they'll go play with something else!

It also means that if you have only a small amount of living space and have to practise a "play with one toy at a time" policy, then this is ideal, as it folds up really flat and deflates easily too. It can be moved about with ease- you expect it to be heavy as it is when its deflated in the box, but when blown up its weighty enough to not be moveable for a child but not so much for an adult. The combination of 90% polyester and 10% PVC ensure that it is strong, and can obviously be repaired with a puncture kit should the worst happen in the same way as an air bed or paddling pool.

It can used both indoors or out, and comes with pegs for keeping it in the ground like a tent!

It comes in at £80, which is more expensive than standard playhouses, but considering its suitable for indoors and out, can be inflated and deflated quickly, and its Disney, I think its quite reasonable, and I think Big Tot would agree!

GUEST REVIEW Ecover Cleaning products

2010-11-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

We can hear the sound of cleaning going on, so it must be time for Mellow Mummy's latest household cleaner review! Over to you Emma!

Regular Family Panel readers will know that I like to use environmentally friendly cleaning products but that I am not impressed with their cleaning power so tend to have to supplement with stain removers or additives for the types of wash that a baby or toddler generates. I've been reviewing Ecover's new laundry range which claims to have an improved cleaning formula.

As someone who uses Ecover products but had abandoned their laundry products for lack of performance I was interested to find out whether the new formula detergents performed any better to their predecessors. Ecover laundry products are made from plant and mineral-based products which are much kinder to the environment than traditional laundry detergents. Ecover's Bio and Non-Bio washing powders have a new formula which is designed to work better at lower temperatures.

Once I had remembered how to use powdered detergent (ehehe) I was actually quite surprised at how happy I was with the cleanliness of my clothes (more correctly, my toddler's clothes) and by the fragrance of the clothes after washing at 30 degrees. The powder has been reformulated at a higher concentrate so I was surprised at how small the box needed to be and how little I needed to use (a 750g wash claims to do 10 washes) – Ecover say that this to lead to a 25% saving over their old formula. I am happy enough with my wash that I would consider moving back to Ecover from my normal liquitabs even though the price of Ecover washing powder in my local supermarket is comparable to the price of liquitabs (which are always a lot more expensive than the same brand of powder). I haven't experienced any clumping of the powder or any residue on my clothes which is what originally put me off powdered detergent.

I wasn't as impressed by the non-bio laundry liquid which I found to lack the same level of cleaning power as the powder. When you pour the liquid into the machine it seems to have a really great, invigorating smell (that claims to be lavender) but the clothes and nappies that I washed with it didn't come out smelling strongly. In fact, given that I don't use softener in a nappy wash, the smell of the nappies afterwards really wasn't that pleasant. The liquid detergent was reformulated last year but this year has been rebranded in a slighty sexier packaging.

Ecover's fabric softeners have always been a hit with me. They have been relaunched in bottles the same size as their competitors to allow you to more easily compare prices. At my local supermarket all the fabric softeners work out at pretty much the same price per litre so if I can buy one which smells great, performs well AND leaves a smaller dent on the environment then I can't see any reason not to buy it.

Christmas Gifts for Gadget Loving Dads

2010-11-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

It can be hard to find the right gift for Dads, so here at the Family Panel we have been reviewing some great Tech gifts which might just fit the bill. So put down the socks and slippers, and why not consider these gems?

First up we have two new discs from Nero for any Dads who love to edit their own home movies and pictures.
The Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Premium HD and the Nero Video Premium HD are both available for under £100 (at Play.com).

These are both simple to use, and allow even someone like 20somethingmum with her limited experience to create impressive slideshows of images straight from your hardrive.

Both the editions use Blu-Ray enhancements, allowing you to achieve HD quality movies with a few clicks of the mouse. You can use the Video Premium to edit your own footage and add music and text to the films, as well as other effects, which is great if you like to send your video to family members, or if you are a fan of uploading to Youtube. You can also use them to back up your image and video files which is great if you have a habit of opening the odd virus and don't want to lose all your family photo and video!

The discs are both very easy and fast to install to your PC, and have an impressive and comprehensive amount of modules available. Its all set out in a way that makes it ridiculously simple to find what you are looking for, without too many fussy menus which the beginner could easily get lost with!

The only slight snag we experienced was when we tried to write footage to disc- it took a few attempts, as Nero didn't seem to like our standard (and not very old) re-writer. We tried a few different discs, and the best result was with a good quality, not so cheap disc, otherwise we found with cheaper discs the footage wasn't as sharp on the disc as on the PC, but this could also be due to them HD quality needing a compatible disc.

We think this would be a great gift for Dads as they can take pictures and film and then create masterpieces, whether you save them on your Hard drive or write to disc (just make sure its a decent disc!).

Next up is the Nikon Coolpix S1100PJ camera with Projector.

Nikon have been releasing ever improving Coolpix or a number of years, and always use the latest tech available to make them not just easy to use but long lasting too.

The latest Coolpix is stylish, sleek and very light weight, but it s got a whole lot going on in a very small camera!

The camera has a large screen on the reverse to make capturing pictures of moving images easy, and is touch screen too, which you can use to write or draw onto the image. Rather than having lots of fiddly buttons to press, the Nikon has a mere 4. The camera is able to self retouch and has an impressive 5 x optical zoom lens.

It has auto stabilisers, again making it a case of point and click without the photos being blurry if taking action shots, and the camera itself is very clear, with 14.1 megapixels making all the little detail show through.

Its not just a camera for still photography either. As is now becoming common place for top of the range cameras it also has the ability to film, with the Nikon you can film in HD in very clear footage which can then be uploaded to the PC.

If you like to set up images yourself and b in them it comes with a remote control to make that simple, and has full auto mode too.

The most impressive feature though of the Coolpix is the Projector, which enhances brightness. It works in a variety of locations, and projects much further than standard projector equipment. It also has 4x anti blur and impressive portrait mode.

We loved this camera for indoor and outdoor use, and found it was especially good in the park when we wanted to take steady stills of the Tot Testers on the swings.

Its available for £93.00 from Play.com.

Lastly for Dads who like to relax with a bit of TV, we tried the TVonics Recordable Freeview+HD box.

The TVonics Freeview HD recorder is very well designed, and quite space age looking too, rather than being the identikit square metal box we've all become accustomed to seeing in the living room, it dips at the front and looks great with todays modern TVs.

Its HD compatible to 1080p, so the picture is superb. You can also pause, rewind and record live TV, so there is no excuse for Dad to take his turn at childcare!

It comes with all the freeview channels already built in as well as their HD versions (where available), and has the ability to record a whole series without having to chose the programmes individually.

The available memory built in to save programmes is massive- 500 GB so you'll be hard pressed to fill it up and run out of space! It also makes it easy to plan what you want to record as it has an 8 day TV guide for all channels.

Its both simple to use and set up, and can be connected to your Dolby surround sound system via a cable.

Its clever too- it remembers what programmes you have already scheduled and will make suggestions of similar programmes you may enjoy too. And it has parental control built in and hidden to make sure the kids watch what you think is suitable!

You can also connect via Ethernet cable to allow you to vote via the Red button service, and has a HDMI switch to connect to other HDMI equipment,

Priced at £249.99 (TVonics Store), its a one of payment compared to buying Sky with a recordable box or Virgin in the same way via subscription.

A very simple to use product which makes it easy to record programmes for a later date.

GUEST REVIEW Boggle Flash

2010-11-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Its time for a Guest Review, this time from Beth who blogs at My Good Life. She's been trying out Boggle Flash on her family and Guide Unit too, so what did they think?

Boggle Flash is an innovative new twist on one of my favourite childhood games, Boggle. Instead of the small cubes in a dome you get five electronic tiles with ‘Smart Link Technology’ which enables them to recognise words being made.Simply slide the tiles around to make words with the letters shown on the tiles and beat the clock. Boggle Flash is suitable for ages 8+ and 2-4 players.

I tested Boggle Flash out on my friends and family along with my Guide Unit in order to give it a thorough going over.

When I received Boggle Flash I was impressed with the packaging as it contained all the information you need in order to purchase a game and with the clear front of the box you can really see what you are getting. Although, one criticism of the packaging is that the box is bigger than I feel is necessary.

Boggle Flash proved a huge success with everyone who had a go at it. We enjoyed competing against the clock although frustration set in when we failed to reach the maximum scores.

The really clever bit about Boggle Flash is that it keeps score for you so you can truly concentrate on finding the words within the letters.

We all loved Boggle Flash and cannot find any significant flaws with the game play.
Boggle Flash is highly recommended by everyone here.

Boggle Flash can be purchased from Amazon for £14.99

Christmas Toys for All Girls and Boys!

2010-11-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers are getting excited, its Christmas in a mere 50 days and so they've been having a great time as Toyologists trying out some of this years must have toys, courtesy of Toys R Us! What are their top tips for Christmas?

GIRLS

Top of Big Tots must haves this season is the Annabell Tween doll. The doll is the grown up version of the classic Annabell baby doll, beloved by girls for many years.

The new doll, available in different types depending on the child, is a larger size than the baby doll, but thankfully not as heavy as the original.

Unlike the original baby doll, this doll doesn't make a noise, or move of its own will (making it to a parent slightly less creepy), and not to scale- people aren't going to confuse this doll with a real sized child. It does have long hair and well made outfits which can be removed.

As usual, other items can be purchased separately, and as yet there are no added extras- one thing that put me off the Baby Annabell was the extras available which made the doll as expensive in the longterm as having a newborn in the house.

At 42cm, she's just right for hugging, and Big Tot liked to brush the hair and change her clothes- which in essence teaches the child how to dress and undress themself if they aren't already confident enough to do this.

At £24.99, I think its a better option for those with less of a budget to buy toys at Christmas, as its at least £30 cheaper than Baby Annabell.

Next up is old favourite Barbie, with the Fashion Fairytale Transforming Doll.

Released along with other dolls and accessories to tie in with the latest movie release, the doll is not your average Barbie.

Unlike regular Barbies, you are unable to remove her clothes and swap with newer items as they appear on the shelf, or with clothes you already have, which to me was one of the things I loved about Barbie as a child. With this doll, you simply pull part of the dress down and spin it round to create a second pink outfit.

Its a bit fiddly for Big Tot, and she got quite frustrated with it, as she prefers to be quite independent. It does however capture the child's interest as it lights up at the front on the more garish dress, and with a press of a button the front, it plays music (a box is hidden beneath the skirt). The music box element does make the doll heavier than classic Barbie dolls, less able to be posed too.

I would probably say this is more of a collectors piece than a doll for everyday play, due to the weight and being unable to dress her up at will with other clothing. At £16.49 she is quite expensive too.

I wouldn't recommend this for a child of Big Tots age (3 1/2) or as a first Barbie doll, I think its one for the shelf of collectors.

Bratz dolls, the alternative to Barbie for the Noughties in the same way as Sindy was back in the 80s, are now ten years old, and have released a collection of 10 new dolls to join the original clan.

The new dolls are just as sassy and fashionable as their original friends, with interchangeable outfits, faces full of make up, and hair ready to be played with. They are priced at £9.97 each, and are ideal stocking fillers at that price.

The one thing which puts me off the Bratz doll in general is the feet. Unlike Barbie or Sindy dolls who have different shoes, with Bratz the whole foot comes off to change from heels to boots or trainers, and these are just right for being lost or vaccummed up, which then leaves the doll minus feet. That's exactly what happened with this doll, and whilst it obviously is a feature so as the skinny jeans the dolls wear can be taken off and not mean the shoes are plastic and tiny, it is a feature which I'm not a fan of- with Barbie's and Sindy's if you have choking concerns then you hide the shoes with no problem to the doll, with Bratz its more obvious to the child that the dolls shoes are missing.

We tried the Chloe Celebration Party Doll, £19.97, which came with two separate outfits, so this range of the dolls are also quite expensive, and not all parents will appreciate the look of the doll either.

However, Big Tot did find this doll more user friendly than the Barbie doll, and enjoyed mixing and matching the outfits. She especially liked that the doll had a funky hat and bag, as she's quite into dressing up with my old hats and handbags herself.

However, looks wise, I prefer the Barbie's lack of make up and sassy look, so would recommend buying for slightly older girls if the gift will be given to a child of a friend.

We also tried to move away from dolls for a moment to try out the Animagic New Born Puppy Scamp £9.97.

The cute puppy dog is just the right size for hugs with our Big Tot (and Little Tot was quite the fan too) and it makes a great compromise if you're not keen on actual pet ownership! Its very furry, soft and cuddly, and comes with a bottle for the child to "feed" it. So in that respect it is kind of on a par with a Baby doll but in dog form.

When the bottle is placed in the dogs mouth it barks and yaps. So the boredom factor isn't great as it does do no more than that, and its quite frustrating to play with as the bottle really has to be pressed in quite hard for it to make the noise- meaning more than a few tantrums. I even had some trouble making it make noise on occasion.

As a cuddly toy its quite expensive, but if you can get it to bark, then this does make it more worthy of the price tag. Just not, tech-wise, very well made.

BOYS

Little Tot loves everything that means he can make sounds like a car, digger or train, so we had fun testing out the Tonka Chuck Deluxe Stunt Set (£34.99).

The chunky and easy to use stunt track, which can be slotted together practically however the child wants, was very easy to get to grips with. Whilst Little Tot didn't quite have the idea of stunts for the truck to pull off as the manufacturer intended, he had enormous fun with it.

What I liked about Chuck was that he doesn't just work on the stunt track part, he can taken off and used anywhere, which considering this is quite an expensive set is an added bonus. Due to the chunkiness of the set and car, I think this would be fun to use outdoors too. He did have a tumble down the stairs too- possibly the stunt action we showed Little Tot the car could perform may have sparked the "lets see how I can make it do a stunt", but the truck survived with no more than a slight scratch!

It does require batteries which aren't included, so worth bearing this in mind.

A bright, colourful and fun item which little boys (and their Dads) will love.

Or for boys who enjoy putting things together, we tried the Trio Crazy Creatures, £9.97

I personally remember using something very similar at school, and having a great time making all sorts with them, we actually used to use them for maths lessons!

Little Tot is a fan of Lego, so this was met with some looks of concern. That was until I showed him how they click together to make any stuff you like, and then he was more than happy clicking the blocks together to make towers, and, er, towers actually!

There are some great bits and pieces, like eyes, legs and scales to make monsters, but really it can used to make whatever the child wants. Its very easy to use too, and no adult help is required. The chunky bits and pieces are just right for little hands which lack co-ordination. And the under ten pounds price tag is certainly welcome too. Another great stocking filler.

We also tried Tomy Mr Colour Maker, £19.99.

As you'd expect from Tomy, the toy is chunky and colourful, whilst educational, and the idea is that the paint pot teaches the child their colours.

It has 50 sayings from the 3 colour pots it comes with, which are the primary colours. The child "dips" the paint brush in one of these little pots (in very robust child friendly plastic) and holds it over the main Mr Colour Maker pot, and it tells them all about the colour, whilst lighting up in an array of colours.

To say Little Tot liked this toy was an understatement. He is at the repeat everything he hears stage, so had fun copying the toy, and we found he needed no help at all to play with the toy once we fitted the batteries (again, not included). We've also found that he has been pointing out colours to us when out and about, so its definitely served its primary purpose in teaching colours to our Tot.

Considering the amount of phrases and the fact our child loved it, I think its well worth the price tag. It appeals in my mind to the child because it looks so jolly, and the attention to detail in the toy is great too, even the smaller paint pots have differing faces.

A great fun but educational toy.

Prices are from Toys R Us.

ADVERTISING FEATURE: What Would You do With £40,000?

2010-11-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine if you could win a years salary (£40,000) to spend on fabulous fashion. What would you buy? 20somethingmum scours the best of internet fashion outlets and gives her top tips for spending this wonderful Paypal prize!

Paypal are giving one lucky winner the chance to Win £40 000 to spend on anything they like for their and their families wardrobes. Thats an amazingly simple to enter competition which could change your life! Being clothes mad, the first thing I would do is kit out my whole famiilies wardrobes to bring them bang up to date!

With party season around the corner, you could be on-trend within weeks, as you shop for bargains from the comfort of your living room and have your clothes, shoes and accessories delivered to the door- no lugging heavy shopping home in the winter, and no pre-Christmas crowds to make your way through!

You could try something from high end High Street favourite Zara, such as one of their on trend and stunning Strapless Studio Tutu dresses which will make you the must see at any Christmas party. The ruched ballerina style skirt, as well as cleavage boosting strapless neckline, and the very now bow to the front make this a popular fashion item for party loving girls.

Or for Guys there are great style must haves with Topman,. What better gift for your man this Christmas than a warm winter coat by Lens Designer Collection, available exclusively on online? From classics such as the Carolyn Massey Parker, with added button details, to new trends like the Ute Ploier Drop Nylon jacket in black, there is something for the fussiest of guys to keep them warm and stylish.

For Ladies who prefer a more classic style, then Karen Millen is for you, selling a large selection of well designed old favourites in a variety of gorgeous fabrics. With winter knocking at out doors and the nights drawing in, its nice to wrap warm with a comfy knit such as the Military Knit dress- just add a scarf for cosyness guaranteed.

The kids are catered for too, as Next have just as wide a range for all the family and the home as in their High Street stores. We love their amazing attention to detail, and the quirky yet cute outfits, such as the Check Dress with net skirt and t-shirt, which is available from the tiniest at age 3 to the teens aged 16. Boys can chose from sporty Tipped Band polo shirts, available in a variety of colourways, and aged again from 3 to 16 years.

To finish off, no outfit is complete without the must have beauty buys from Asos, which boosts an impressive 850 brands on their site, so you'll be spoilt for choice! To get a real glam pop star look, why not try some of the Dainty Doll collection by Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts, which come in lush packaging, guaranteed to not just make you pretty but your dressing table too!

So, want to know how you could win this amazing prize? Its simple!

Just buy anything and pay as usual using Paypal, and the more times you make a purchase using Paypal, the more chances you have to be picked in their weekly prize draw. Click to Find out more, or you can find full terms and conditions at https://www.paypal-marketing.co.uk/win/terms/

So, what are you waiting for? Enter now for your chance to win!

And then keep your fingers crossed for a stylish new year!

Sponsored Post

Nokia N97 Mini

2010-11-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Gadget Dad has put away his tiny ancient phone to try out the Nokia N97 Mini Smart Phone. So, did it get the thumbs up or down from our tech loving Dad?

Nokia is universally known for being up to date in terms of phones, my first phones which featured SMS, Bluetooth or Internet capabilities were all Nokia Handsets, so I expected to be blown away by this Mini smart phone.

The set up of the handset was pretty simple as I just needed to place my usual Sim card in the slot. I've found that the back fascias of some phones can be quite hard to slide off, but this was very simple, and I didn't have to call in 20somethingmum (or her long talons!) to prise this one open.

The battery took a charge in an hour from flat, and I found that it was simple to work my way around the menu. The handset is touchscreen, with good sized icons, and clear instructions on screen show you how simple functions, like how to unlock the phone, or what to press for menu popping up when you touched the screen or the buttons to the edge of the bottom of the phone.

What was good for me was the added qwerty keyboard, which slid out from the side of the handset- which explained why it was thicker than some smart phones. As a guy, I have less agile fingers than 20somethingmum, who finds on screen keyboards a pleasure to use. I, however have been put off using her mobile due to the lack of actual keys available, preferring to stick to my ancient handset due to this. I find with on screen keyboards which tend to have small boxes to touch, I often end up hitting more than one letter or number at a time, so sending a text is impossible.

The slide out keyboard is a great option for anti-screenboard phone users, and whilst it does make the phone a little bulkier, well, to me that's worth the added side size to be able to use the full compliment of features available.

Bluetooth is still an ever present Nokia favourite and as ever is really easy to find and use. It meant that I could "acquire" music for ringtones from 20somethingmum's mobile.

The reason I wanted to test out music on the phone is to see whether the phones speakers could produce a good clear sound with actual songs rather than just with the factory installed real tones available. I found that it could. It was very clear, not too distorted on bassier numbers either, and worked well with headphones as a handy MP3 player for on the move.

The in built camera and video functions are excellent, again both are simple to use, and provide very clear digital quality picture and film, with simple point and click actions which even the most novice of phone users would find simple with rewarding results everytime.

The Java enabled features of the phone mean that using websites which some phones can't handle, such as Youtube, are no problem for the N97, and its easy to find a range of apps through the OVI store to suit everyone's needs, although its worth bearing in mind that these will cost extra.

However, basic net functions, such as email, are included and the Home screen is easy to customise with upto five lines of your favourite features available in the "speed dial" equivalent of software! I could access Facebook in either mobile or standard versions, and am promised the same was true with Twitter (not something I use but a certain Mum is very keen!).

Looks wise, its not a phone you'd be embarrassed to use in public! Its very stylish, which, being a Nokia is really something us long term Nokia users would expect anyway.

However, the only sticking point is the price. Its scary. That's all I can honesty say, as a Dad I don't think I could justify buying this handset myself as I don't use a mobile for business, more for pleasure. At £290+ (Amazon) its very, very expensive considering you have to pay to download apps on top whenever you fancy something new to play with on the phone. If, however, you are someone who runs a business where mobiles are your life source, then yes, this mobile is for you and worth the expense as a travelling PA in phone form.

But for humble phone users like me, I think its a little pricey.

A very impressive phone with a rather big price tag, I have enjoyed trying it out purely for its ease of use, great sound capabilities, excellent camera and the added keyboard.

Tilda Basmati Rice Range

2010-10-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

Being a food loving household, The Family Panel have been trying out the Basmati range from Tilda to celebrate Diwali.

As a busy Mum I am a big lover of rice. There's nothing easier to cook the a pan of rice, a few herbs and a handful of left over chicken to make a good, quick meal. Its also a relatively cheap store cupboard item too, and I particularly like the newer "Microwaveable serving" varieties that have been steadily arriving on supermarket shelves.

Tilda are a name traditionally at the centre of cook at home Indian cuisine, and their Basmati rice is the only 100% Pure Basmati certified rice on the market today. It costs as little as 30p per portion, which considering its quality is cheap and cheerful!

We tried the Plain in both the stove cook variety and the microwave option. Both were very easy to cook with, even a novice Rice cook in the form of Gadget Dad had no problem trying the stove variety out, and managed in under 20 minutes to produce fluffy, separated grains of yummy rice.

The Microwave option, ready in two minutes, is the ideal meal option for students and cooking novices, as its impossible to go wrong with it. You simply pull it from the cupboard, tear a small hole in the top, and 2 minutes later you have hot, fluffy rice.

The microwave version also comes in a variety of flavours, including tasty Pilau, which tastes as authentic as in an Indian restaurant, Mushroom, Lime and Coriander,and Butternut Squash, which we also got to try out.

I wasn't so keen on that variety, but that's more to do with the fact I'm not a great fan of Butternut squash itself! However I have tried the Pilau previously and found it goes very well with home made curries to create a satisfying meal.

Tilda also cater for Brown Rice fans too, with just as simple and tasty Whole Grain rice varieties, again suitable for stove or microwave cooking.

I found with all the varieties, I was able to pan fry them once cooked and this had no effect on the final taste, as with some shops own brands I've found the rice can sometimes get quite dried out and hard, and spoil the overall taste. The Tilda rice soaked up the flavours already in the pan and stayed sticky, rather than dry.

Whatever your cooking skills level, the Tilda Basmati Rice range can cater to all, and is a great larder staple for a reasonable price.

Tilda is available in all major supermarkets and most independent stores.

GUEST REVIEW Ariel Stain Remover

2010-10-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Our resident cleaning product reviewer (her words, not mine!) Mellow Mummy has very kindly been firing up her washing machine to review Ariel Stain Remover. So, did it stand up to the dreaded dribble of baby food?

I have become a bit of a stain remover connoisseur through no choice of my own. I have a daughter who, somehow, manages to get food stains on every single item of clothes. Even her vests (which are normally underneath the other clothes, right?). I am also somebody who tends to try and use more eco-friendly options when possible but since becoming a mum, I have honestly found that the eco-friendly brands of washing detergent just can't cope with the types of stains that babies and toddlers produce to I look to use an additional stain remover when possible.

I have recently tried out the Ariel Stain Remover which is relatively new to the market. I struggle to understand why a regular user of Ariel washing detergents needs to add an additional stain remover - surely that's an admission that the detergent isn't as good at removing stains as it should be? Anyway...the Ariel Stain Remover comes in 5 different forms (two of them with added whiteners). I tried the traditional powder that you add to your wash but it also comes in spray and gel forms.

I added one dose of the Ariel stain remover to my normal white washes that contain my daughter's food-covered vests and yes, just as their website claims, I did notice the difference in just one wash! There is no doubt that the stains came out much better using this product. Even vests that I had thought about throwing away were much improved (although in one or two cases, the old stain wasn't totally shifted).

Buying an additional stain remover such as Ariel's is in expensive thing if you intend to use it in every wash but as an occasional addition to your wash, I think it presents good value for money, especially if it prevents you from throwing away clothes that would otherwise be ruined.

Ariel Sain Remover is available from most supermarkets.

Half Term Indoor Play Ideas

2010-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Its half term week for UK kids, and as is usually the case, the weather is miserable! As resident Toyologists, The Tot Testers have been trying out some toys for indoor play days. And 20somethingmum rates them on mess and fuss factor!

First up is the Crayola Colour Wonder Magic Light Brush (£15.99, Toys R Us).

Crayola has long been famous for craft items, especially their range of chunky crayons, and wash proof pens, making Mum's lives just that bit easier!

The first thing I thought when I saw this was - no, mess, paint!!!! Having just redecorated sections of the house with new cream paint, I had visions of rainbow strips and scribbles everywhere in five minutes. But fear not.

The product uses Clear paint, and much like the Aquadoodle, the Crayola uses lights to add colours to the child's masterpieces when the clear paint is brushed across its special paper.

It comes complete with 6 clear paint pots and a 30 page sketch pad, as well as a brush to "paint" with. The brush requires batteries (not included with the toy) to work, and uses fibre optic bristles to make the painting colourful.

Whilst it says mess free, well, yes and no. The brush requires washing after each use, which isn't ideal to a parent for fuss factor considerations, and also can be quite annoying to an impatient child keen to draw, and to mix the colours, which you can't do. It also takes a while (according to the box ten seconds, but in fact more that 30 seconds) for the Fibre optic bristles to "guess" which colour the brush is being placed in, which again can caused a few hissy tantrums!

I do think its slightly expensive too, and after the first use, the Tots were too busy moaning at the constant bristle washing and time factor, and went back to their crayons and books!

In theory a good idea, not so great in practice in younger children who lack the ability to wait!

Next up, we tried the Moon Sand Sweet Delight Shake Maker set (£14.99, Toys R Us)

Now, here is something I really thought I'd hate. I honestly thought that my walls, carpets and anything in the vicinity would be covered, and forever more would be crusted with it.

Well, in the end you had to prise me away from playing (in a supervising role, obviously) with it too!

Firstly, the box doubles as part of the toy, the thought that has gone in to the product is great. Its like they played with dough products and then tried to make them so as they aren't every parents worst nightmare (I think my bedroom carpet from childhood still bears the scars of dough based play now), and then assessed how that could also be fun for children of most ages.

There are so many bits and pieces to go with the Moon Sand itself that the Tot Testers were spoilt for choice with what to play with or make first. Its also fuss free, as the dough moulds really easily and even the most uncoordinated can press the soft sand into the chunky, easy to wipe clean moulds with ease.

Its lovely and colourful, and smells quite pleasant too, which surprised me as I expected it to be chemically. Little Tot enjoyed the process of making Milkshakes to give to us all, he's quite a chef in the making! And I think Big Tot liked it so much she'd have gladly played with it in her sleep.

The best part is the fact you can play with it again and again, as the sand, when you can finally get the Tots to put it away for dinnertime, just simply crushes back up ready to reuse. If any is inevitably spilt on carpets, thats no problem either, as it vacuums straight up.

We all love this toy, and cannot recommend it more highly, its a similar price to the Crayola but much more fun and fuss free.

Moving away from Craft Toys, we also tried the Crazy Chefs Game (£6.99, Toys R Us)

Another game which matches fun with hidden doses of education, this Orchard Toys game is quite good fun for a child to play with an adult. T

The rules are simple, and the boards, of which there are 5, as well as the pieces of board representing food stuffs are all wipe clean (a god send as any parent will tell you).

Big Tot enjoyed the game, matching up the pictures on her boards with the items on the smaller squares, getting quite excited at knowing what the pictures were, and learning, in directly, what type of food goes in which meal.

It boosts a child's linguistic and communicative skills whilst being a great game. Which bearing in mind the cheap price of under £10 is impressive.

One thing I would say on a more negative note is that there are a number of smaller pieces representing the food, as well as a board and plastic pointer and if they happen to go amiss or are damaged (by a happy to chew anything at eye level Little Tot), it does make the game ready for the bin, so definitely a toy to be careful with to avoid this happening.

Other than that, perhaps a great toy for a stocking filler or as a gift for a child's birthday party?

Tomy Aquadoodle Desk

2010-10-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

In the latest of our Toyologist series, Big Tot has been putting her artistic skills to the test with the Aquadoodle Desk.

As Toyologists, we had already tried out the regular Aquadoodle mat with pen, and had found that the Tots both enjoyed the novelty of drawing without a proper pen or pencil.

The Aquadoodle Desk takes the original idea a stage further, and makes not just a tidy alternative to messy and upholstery damaging crayons and felt pens, but a handy portable desk which is just the right size for young children to draw at.

Again, the "pen" is filled with a small amount of cold water- and a little goes a long way- but this time rather than a mat to place on the table or floor, you have a lightweight wooden desk, with removable top and double sided drawing board.

I think this is probably the best aspect of this toy other than the lack of mess it creates. With the standard mat, once an over keen Little Tot had scribbled all over the mat, it would then need to hang over the chair before it dried out and could reused. Which meant tantrums caused by impatience from Big Tot, it meant the need to break out the crayons as usual!

With the desk, although the drawing space is smaller than the mat, and it doesn't make a noise like the mat we tried previously, it is simple to lift the desk top off, flip it round and while one side dries the other can be drawn on without the need for fuss.

The removable nature of the desk top also means that should the child prefer to draw away from the desk, they can do this easily too. Its not too heavy either, and Big Tot managed to easily remove the top herself.

It looks well designed, and we found that Big Tot loved having her own little desk, as at present we are teaching her the beginnings of writing her own name, and she could do that without Little Tot distracting her or pinching her paper from the table!

Priced at a reasonable £29.99, when you consider its a piece of handy furniture, plus a hassle free drawing tool, I think if I was considering which of the two products to purchase, I'd go for the desk.

A great for those with budding artists who like to keep the drawings on the paper, and not on the walls!

You can purchase the Aquadoodle Desk at Toys R Us.

SPECIAL FEATURE:Stuck for Gifts? Christmas Gifts for the Hard to Please

2010-10-16T02:50:00.000-07:00

The Family Panel aren't just the Tots, 20somethingmum and Gadget Dad- we have a big extended family too. So buying gifts for Christmas can be a mindfield. Some are easy to buy for, but some, like Teen Niece and Middle Sister are just that little bit more hard to provide for. We've been looking at some more online sites to see what we can find..

Teens

Teen Niece is 15. She likes things a little bit different, isn't massively fashion conscientious and has a love of quirky items you cant buy on the High Street. That could prove expensive, but not with Temporary:Secretary.

Temporary:Secretary is an online only boutique, in their words selling cute, quirky, vintage and kitsch handmade jewellery.

When you see some of the designs on offer, it'll be no surprise that they've already been featured in every fashion spread from Heat magazine, to Mizz, to The Telegraph online, and have graced such trend setters as Fearne Cotton and Peaches Geldof.

If you love the off beat style of Lady Ga Ga (and what teen girl doesn't), you can provide a toned down version of her Teapot love- Temporary:Secretary stocks gold link chains which have a mini china teapot on the end!

There are also some amazing rings too, these aren't just a classic cocktail or costume jewellery piece of identikit high street bling. No, there are amazing flower nests which are eye catching, mini cream cakes (yes really) and camera rings for those with paparazzi aspirations, yet they are not too bulky as to be uncomfortable and are really surprisingly inexpensive.

Love hair slides? Well there are a range from the sublime to the ridiculous on site too, all at affordable prices starting at £2.

And for the young at heart, why not wear the Mum's favourite slogan on a gorgeous necklace- with a Keep Calm and Carry on Logo dangling from it! I personally love this and have been giving more than a few hints at Gadget Dad for Christmas!

You name the type or style you're looking for, and it'll be found here, I am in love with this site and only wish it had existed in my more "style care free" days as a teen myself!

You can see the entire range, and read the Temporary:Secretary blog at http://www.temporary-secretary.com

The Person Who Has Everything

What do you buy for someone who has no need for slippers, not a lover of chocs, and tells you they don't really want anything? You buy a gift that they wont forget in a hurry!

The Designer Toilet Roll Company sells just that sort of present, and wont fail to provide a gift which will become the talking point of Christmas Day for years afterwards!

The company themselves, started by Natasha Meredith in 2009, explain that they wanted to provide a way of putting an impressive finishing touch to bathrooms and cloakrooms, as buying 2ply toilet tissue doesn't need to mean boring standard colours!

For me, this is something that unless you really are very style concious will be a great fun buy, and the Toilet roll really did give Gadget Dad a giggle when it arrived. One friend said they thought they'd feel bad for using it in the loo!

The site sells the tissue in packs of 3, for £8.95, and stocks Simon Cowell's favourite black rolls as well as heavily patterned rolls and a variety of colours not available in the supermarket. They also stock kitchen rolls, luxury hand towels and care products, as well room fragrances and gift vouchers too.

For the person who you literally cannot think what to buy for, this is a quirky gift indeed!

You can view the entire range (in case you don't believe me) at http://www.thedesignertoiletrollcompany.co.uk

TOYOLOGIST: Silvercross Ranger Doll Pram

2010-10-16T01:34:00.000-07:00

Big Tot has been trying out a miniature version of a Silvercross pram, available exclusively at Toys R Us. So, did it impress our Doll Mad Tot?

Since receiving a Baby Annabel doll, our eldest Tot has become like a mini Mummy, taking the doll everywhere with her, including putting it into Little Tots own buggy and trying to push it around. Not a great idea as being that the doll is small and the buggy is made for a toddler to sit in and not to push, disaster was sure to follow.

Luckily, as part of the Tot's continuing (and popular) status as Toyolgists, Big Tot was sent a dolls sized pram to try out- the Silvercross Ranger Doll Pram (in duck egg blue).

On first look, when put together (no don't worry, the only construction the pram requires is the hood to be slotted on, and the shopping basket to be placed on the bottom) its a very impressive, yet perfectly scaled version of your everday pram.

It is suitable for dolls of varying sizes up to 50cm, and comes with an adjustable handle height (between 60-74cm) to ensure its easy to use whatever the height of the child, and so it can grow with them too if its a long term investment purchase.

Included with the pram is a replica Buggy Bag, in a thick material its easy to mistake it for a proper buggy bag, and its roomy enough for anything the child wishes to take with their doll.

Its very well made, with easy to slot on hood and cosy toes, yet its not too weighty as to make it a trial to use for tots such as Big Tot. The wheels are good and chunky, really this is a product that I'm sure Silvercross put as much care and attention to detail into as they do with their full sized prams. It also folds flat for ease of storage (thats if your child will let you get near it long enough!).

One thing though- the handle has the same grip material as standard buggies and prams, and after Little Tot decided that this was obviously (to him) not a pram but a car, he managed to be a little heavy handed with it and the gripper did split- however a small amount of superglue later and you'd never know. Considering its not a major part of the pram which doesn't effect its functionality or safety, just its looks, its not a major issue, just one to bear in mind if your children can be a little heavy handed.

At £34.99, its not quite as expensive as I expected- to be fair, when I saw the Silvercross stamp plus the quality, I was sure it would be over £100! When purchased from Toys R Us, it can be delivered for under £5.

A great gift for little girls which has quality written all over it, its made a little (Big) Tot very happy!

TOYOLOGIST: LEGO Duplo Zoo Set

2010-10-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our intrepid Tot Testers have plonked on their Toyologist caps to review the LEGO Duplo Big City Zoo. Here's what they thought.

LEGO has been a popular toy in our home ever since Big Tot received a bucket of Duplo for her second birthday. It gets played with at Playschool too, and Little Tot finds it good to, well, pretend its a car actually!

The LEGO Duplo Big City Zoo was met by a ridiculous levels of excitement- levels not seen in our house unless the words "park", "sweets," or, in Big Tots case, "Carousel" are mentioned.

Little Tot is becoming more aware of animals, as he's been watching "Its Our Planet", so the chance to tell us all, over and over, what animals were what was great for him. He also loved that his LEGO cars from an existing set all fit with this set, so he was able to click the animals in for a ride.

Big Tot was much more at home attending to the business of setting up homes for the "'nanimals" and set about fitting all the bits and pieces together with study progress, but with ease.

The great thing about the Duplo version of LEGO is that its great for younger kids to learn slowly how to use the Lego to create things with. And when they are ready to move up to the regular Lego, it can all move with them, and they can build around the Duplo with it.

This has not been away in the box since it arrived, both the Tots genuinely like it, and the really great thing, for us to watch at least, is that they can happily, without fights or fuss, play with it together, which is noce to see and makes a change from a toy being very much for one or the other of them.

A great toy, at £59.99, quite expensive but would make a great "main gift" or joint gift for Christmas.

ADVERTISING FEATURE: Go Direct To Tesco for Great Toys!

2010-10-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Tesco is a brand everyone knows for their handy supermarkets selling food for all budgets. But, did you know its also an online store too? Tesco Direct sells an amazing amount of items for all the family, so the Family Panel have been having a look! No trolley Required!

Say Tesco and you immediately think value for money, and trusted brand. And that seems to carry across to their online franchise, Tesco Direct. We took a look at their wide toy range in the run up to Christmas.

At present, Tesco Direct has a great Half Price sale on selected items across the whole range- after all, what's the point of waiting until the January sales, when you can make pre-Christmas savings!

There's a brilliant selection which covers all the best known brands, such as Fisher Price, Disney and Mattell, and ranges from well loved characters, such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Peppa Pig. Its also easy to find what you're looking for, with toys split into handy sections depending on the type of toy, as well as special "shops" for toys from Toy Story 3, Lego and seasonal party items, as well as a Clearance section which is available all year round offering impressive discounts.

The entire age range of baby to preschooler is available in their Fisher Price section, and its great to see two such trusted and well regarded brands teaming up. Again, its easy to navigate the range, as its split into age, type and whether it is a character toy based on a TV children's favorite, or just a Fisher Price educational toy.

And of course, buying at Tesco Direct means you'll make even more savings- you can use your Clubcard to earn points and make savings at a later date with your points! Each item tells you exactly how many points you'll receive in return for your purchase right on the page next tot he price.

One toy in the Fisher Price range which would make a great gift is the Fisher Price Friendly First Bouncer. At £29.99, its a great value option to give as a gift- and will earn Clubcard holders 58 points too. The bouncer comes complete with multi coloured toys attached to stimulate co-ordination and amuse the child, while the soft vibrations soothe and calm.

Rated 9/10 by previous purchasers, its a great way to keep newborns happy, and safely strapped in, making it easier to get on with household chores.

A great feature of the site is the impartial reviews given by consumers who have already bought a product from Tesco Direct. The products are all rated out of ten, and there is the option of reading indepth buyer feedback too, so you can trust that the product that you buy is as brilliant a buy as you expect it will be!

Or if you want an Outdoor Toy, well, Tesco Direct have a wide range of these available too.

Such as their range Kids Bikes to suit all ages and budgets, with prices starting at £35 for a Boys Balance Bike, and priced upto £189 for a 24" Girls Barracuda Lynx bike. What better present to buy for Christmas than a bike?

Again, there is a wide range of styles, brands and character bikes available, with free delivery on all items over £50, and again, customer reviews, and indepth advice on who the bike is suitable for all make the experience of shopping online for such a memorable and important item simple, cheap, and hassle free.

If you're not looking for bikes, there are also tree houses, pools, trampolines swings and football nets, from the smallest outdoor toy to the largest, Tesco Direct are sure to have what you're looking for, all on one handy, easy to use site!

And delivery across the site couldn't be simpler.

Either you can pay to have the item delivered, which varies depending on if you are happy to wait for standard delivery, or whether you'd like it delivered next day as a priority.

Or, you can use the Click & Collect service, which is free. You just pick it up instore at your convenience.*

Spend over £50 and your item is delivered for free!

So, whatever you're looking for, look at Tesco Direct, for savings, ease of use and more!

*Collection from 300 stores nationwide