The Life of the Twenty Something Mum's Review Page

In the Night Garden Pick a Picture Storyteller

2009-12-13T02:03:00.000-08:00

After a visit from the children's Aunty Jodie (currently in the Top 5 of favourites after spoiling them rotten), we now have another toy from the vast In the Night Garden range.

Called the Pick a Picture Storyteller, the usual ITNG suspects are here, with a possible 25 stories available. There are 3 wheels on the unit, which can be turned to reveal a different character from the popular show. A big round button is then pressed, and Derek Jacobi, who narrates the programme, tells a story based on one of the adventures seen on TV.

Its a big lump of plastic, with right colourful illustrations, and a good clear sound. It takes regular AA batteries, which shockingly enough are included, and mercifully also has an on/off switch.

As usual, the amount of packaging is ridiculous for a toy that is quite small in size, and it took 5 minutes of fiddling before we could rescue it and hand it to, a by now distraught that she would never hold it, Chrissy.

Its aimed at the pre-school market, and neither of my toddlers had much trouble making it work as required.

At 19.99 (purchased from The Entertainer toyshop), it's quite over priced- yes it does tell a very short snatch of story, but there's no moving images, which I think would have improved the boredom factor of the toy.

I think wait to the sales for this one.

Monsoon Girls Party Wear

2009-12-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Chrissy has been sent a selection of Monsoons party wear in time for Christmas.

Monsoon is a high end High Street brand, linked with Accessorize stores, and sells clothes for both Mum's and kids. I've often passed the window display in my local store and wished I could dress my daughter in some of the dresses they display- but know that she will destroy them within five minutes at playgroup!

The attention to detail in the items we were sent is excellent, with fully lined dresses in beautiful colours and fabrics. My favourite of the selection was a purple polka dot chiffon dress, with a sequin detail to the neck. The dress would look lovely on any little girl especially for a party, or a wedding.

Monsoon and their designers do not scrimp on detail just because the dresses are smaller, with embroidery, tiny silver buttons and corsages as well as the best fabrics available- no standard cotton or polyester here!

The dresses have hidden zips and lovely ribbon tie details too.

The range also includes comfy yet girly Gilets in fur and velvet, and woolen and silk shrugs. It means that a parent can invest in one dress and then a few matching accessories for a capsule wardrobe effect. Chrissy loved the purple Furry gilet we were sent, and I feel this could be worn as a way of keeping shoulders warm over a party dress without having to wear a big coat and spoiling a look, or with a long sleeved top and jeans to funk up an everyday outfit.

The style of dress is classic, rather than being miniature adult clothes that some High Street chains are guilty of churning out, the dresses are the sort one could expect to see Suri Cruise wearing!

The sizes are generous- whereas Chrissy can wear anything between an age 2 and a age 5 in other High Street stores, in Monsoon, age 2-3 means just that.

The quality does come at a price, with shoes upwards of £20, and dresses and tops between £25 and £60. Shrugs are a more reasonable £20. However, these are not just for wearing to get muddy in the garden-if you are going to a party over Christmas, or have a christening or other special occasion to attend, then a one off amount to have a dress for any occasion in the wardrobe is worth the expense.

Mobile LED Nightlight

2009-12-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

Chrissy has been trying out an LED portable nightlight, from The Torchshop.

The light, in the shape of a dog (others are available in the range), is easy to use for both parent and child. It simply requires pushing down on the top of the "dog" to light up. It gives off a soothing glow, making it perfect for children who may be scared of the dark, without having the over brightness of a standard torch.

The nightlight is battery operated, requiring normal AA batteries (which can be purchased cheaply from most supermarkets), and can last for a minimum of 120 hours. It has a low power consumption,due to it using the latest LED technology, using just 0.1 watts, which obviously helps to make the batteries last longer. It generates no heat either, making it safe for children's bedrooms without fear of nasty burns to little fingers.

The character is cute as a button, and wouldn't look out of place in a child's room due to the cartoonish features. Chrissy loved having this on her bedside cabinet, and quickly learnt to tap it to make it work.

The great thing about this nightlight is the portability of it- when I was a child, a nightlight had to be plugged in so was static to one place. However, this has the dual feature of being a great light for in the bedroom, and its light enough to work as a torch for older children making a trip to the bathroom in the dark at night.

Available from the website at £9.99, its cheaper than other torch nightlights available, and the company offers free UK delivery, which is a bound to attract savvy buyers.

A great affordable stocking filler.

20 Something Mum's Baby Pampering Guide

2009-12-11T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here at Mummy Reviews, we don't just think it's us Mum's who like a pamper, but our little ones too, so here's a guide to the best baby products available.

The Old Favorite

Johnson's is a longstanding British brand- it's likely that when we were babies our parents used it on us too. I tried out their range of Baby Soft wash, lotion and cream on Edward's 1 year old skin.

Johnson's is a quality brand, but affordable. And with the age of the brand, it's instantly recognisable on the shelf.

Edward loved the bubbles that the wash created when poured in the bath, and it needed only a small amount to create a good amount, and with it being a wash for both body and hair as well it means one less bottle to buy and clutter the bathroom with. I feel this double use, and the small amount needed ensures value for money.

The lotion and cream both have a satisfying smell, although I did find the lotion slightly runny and oily. However, both left Edward's skin soft to touch with no irritation, and again only a small amount was required to cover his body from top to toe.

The product that I liked most from the selection we tried was the Baby Oil gel. I used this on my own skin after a shower, and it left my skin moisturised without leaving me over oily, it's easy to use in the squeezy bottle it comes in, and it doesn't slip through the fingers like non-gel oil.

All in all, Johnson's is a brand to be reckoned with-it's a trusted worldwide brand with staying power.

The New Pamper Products

We also tried Lush's bath ballistics, created especially for children.

Chrissy loved watching her bath bomb fizz away, it turned the bath pink, and she loved the shape-it looks like a cherubs face smiling until it disappears in the water. Like Lush's adult products, they are made with natural skin friendly ingredients, and can be purchased online. They left the bath, and Chrissy, smelling lovely, without the chemically smell some bath products can produce.

They have the most ingenious names for their bath products too- one is called the Ickle Baby Devil and the other The Ickle Baby Angel. They promise to have a calming effect to soothe your child off to sleep- and it worked, as Chrissy went straight off to sleep with no fuss.

Priced at £1.35 each, they are technically not as good value for money as their Johnsons big bottle counterpart, however, for novelty value and keeping the not so happy to have a bath amused they are worth every penny!

The Supermarket Savers

Next up are he new breed of supermarket offerings.

Supermarkets now have a great own brand selection on the market, and some are a fraction of theprice of the more well known established brands. The packaging may not be as pretty as Lush's, and the names aren't as trusted, but with some costing under a pound, its value not to be sniffed at.

Firstly, Asda are just launching a new Eco range in store.

The range includes nappies from newborn to toddler, all made with recycled materials and biodegradable, these are just as reliable as the major brands. Edward, who is a very active 1 year old who loves rolling around the floor and climbing up anything high enough experienced no side leaks, and they went through a whole night with ease. The fit is excellent. with no nasty red grab marks. They are competitively priced too- at £5.68, which is slightly more expensive than the Tesco and Sainsburys equivalent. However, I would pay the £1 extra as these were much more reliable than the nappies from these supermarkets.

There are also wipes, (£1.96 per packet of 72 wipes) again made from biodegradable cotton. They are fragrance free to avoid irritating even the most sensitive of babies skins, and contain organic Aloe Vera and Chamomile. These were just right for bottom emergencies- not too wet and not to fiddly to remove from the packaging either.

The bath products in the range come in simple packaging, in keeping with the "eco" theme, yet wouldn't look out of place on the bathroom shelf.

They include baby lotion, shampoo, bath wash, and baby oil. All of them contain natural ingredients, including Chamomile and Witch Hazel, and all have been dermatologically tested, as well as being hypoallergenic, to make them safe to use for delicate skin. I used the shampoo on Chrissy, as it promises to be kind to the eyes. My daughter truly hates having her hair rinsed due to the shampoo going in her eyes, and although she moaned, her eyes were free of the tell tale redness that can be left by some shops own brands. The baby lotion was applied to Edward and due to the lack of perfume it didn't leave a smell, but the cream itself was easily absorbed, without the oiliness of the Johnson's version.

The best part about these products is the price- at just 98p for generous sized bottles, I can see these flying off the shelves. The value for money is excellent, and for those of us who care for the environment Asda cannot be beaten.

Next up is Waitrose, and their Baby Bottom Butter.

Waitrose is known as a more upmarket brand, but have recently branched out into a more reasonably priced no frills range. I was quite surprised to learn that they also have their own baby range, form which the Bottom butter is a part of.

It was one of the companies best sellers last year, and not because of the effect it had on babies.

It became popular with Mums too, who noticed that after rubbing it on their own skins, the thick and gorgeously creamy balm left their skin feeling soft, well, as a babies bottom too! And at £2.49, its a fraction of the price of high end moisturiser. However it is more expensive then some of the other supermarkets own brands, but it is worth the extra.

Edward had experienced some teething related bottom rash, and the first thing that strikes you when you open the pot is that it really does resemble butter. It has a soft smell of Chamomile (which seems to be the most popular baby product), and includes olive oil to nourish the skin. However it is easily absorbed, and not oily as you'd expect it to be.

The packaging is classy, yet simple, and has a screw top lid (anyone who saw the results of my daughter opening a tub of Sudocrem will know why I think this is a good thing), it left my sons bottom blemish free without having to place a thick layer on over night.

So, whether you chose online novelty items, or the trusted old school brands, there's plenty to chose from whatever your budget.

John Crane Chunky Farmyard Puzzle

2009-12-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

This time, it's the turn of the John Crane Chunky Farmyard puzzle, which can be purchased at Kidsrooms.co.uk.

The puzzle is aimed at age 1 and over. It has seven chunky puzzle pieces, on a farm background.

It is very well painted, in bright colours, with pleasing smiley faced expressions,and will be sure to catch the eye of the child it is bought for.

The pieces are chunky, at 1 and a half centimeters thick, and so should be hardwearing- which you would expect with it being aimed at a toddler who may still be chewing everything that comes within their reach!

The toy is marketed to promote hand eye co-ordination, and the chunkiness certainly aids this as it makes it easy for little hands to hold

They also stand up, making imaginative play easy, so as well as being used as a puzzle, Chrissy had fun standing them in a row, and teaching her younger brother the noises they make.

The pieces slot into their designated slots with ease-Edward found it easy from the off, and he is a very young 1 and 3 months.

The puzzle is priced at a reasonable and purse friendly £13.99, making it a great toy for Christmas without straining the finances!

A good toy in the classic toy category-a good chunky puzzle that will never go out of fashion!

3 Broadband-UPDATE

2009-12-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

As you know, here at 20 Something Mum, I like to be fair, honest and not pander to brands simply due to a freebie.

So many of you will have read my blog about the service I received from the 3 company.

Well, I am pleased to update that I this evening received a call from one of their staff from Customer Feedback.

He was very unhappy that I had been so poorly treated, and couldn't apologise enough.

I am very happy to say that their customer service department is going to be informed of the problems I experienced and that staff will be dealt with.

I have been compensated as a way of apologising for the poor service I had received as well.

So, all in all, a good result, and hopefully good for other customers too in the future.

Dorma Boudoir Cushion

2009-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

I have been asked by Rachel to give my views on Dormas website and she has sent me one of their range of boudoir cushions too.

Now, I may be an unusual breed for a woman, but I have never been one for spending lots of money on bedding and cushions for my bedroom. To me, a bed is for sleeping in, and the idea of lots of little cushions and throws on the bed which will inevitably end up chucked on the floor at bedtime, and gather dust during the day seems a bit pointless to me.

The most expensive bedding I ever bought was some "satin" sheets and duvet cover as they were in a very deep purple shade-but these are now shoved at the back of the airing cupboard because they were the most annoying things to sleep in ever-ice cold and slippery in winter and boiling hot and sticky in the summer.

I had never heard of Dorma in my life-my bedding when I do buy it is usually bought from the supermarket.

I had a look at their website at www.dorma.co.uk, and shockingly, I now want to redecorate my bedroom!

The site is very easy to maneouver around, with bold headers depending on what department you are looking for. They have recently branched out into bathroom and dining room accessories too.

The bedlinen is the sort I can imagine in a very posh hotel- the photos used on the site are bright and can be magnified by passing the mouse over the main picture.

The site also makes it easier to see what comes in a certain range, by having links to matching cushions and throws in the range on each page-sort of the serving suggestion of bedlinen!

There is a great range to choose from-my favourites were the Genoa (on the left) and the Keira sets.

The towels in the bathrooms collection look like I wish my towels did-fluffy, soft and whiter than white, the sort that would make you want to have 4 baths a day just to wrap in their softness!

The thing that is not suprising is the price. A duvet cover starts at £65, and the small cushion I received is £30 itself. Slightly out of my price range, which is a shame as I have really started to see what the bedroom fuss is a bout with some of the gorgeous ranges and bed dressing in the pictures!

It might be an idea, in the same way as I suggested for Kidsroom.co.uk to sell a cheaper range, for those of us currently feeling the pinch.

The quality of the cushion I was sent is great, Chrissy has run off with it and refused to sleep without it last night! It is soft and just the right size to cuddle. The pillowcase (from the Belvoir collection) is simple, and feels good quality, thick and will last a good few washes too.

Thanks Dorma, although out of my price range, I'd love to pinch some of your design ideas, and for finally making me understand the need for small cushions They make my daughter sleep through!

3 Broadband Internet.

2009-11-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog should really read, "3 Broadband, Buy It At Your Peril..."

Now, any of you who follow my blogs or Tweets will know I've been quiet recently, not quite writing as much as usual or commenting on as many Tweets or blogs as usual.

That's because I made the silly mistake of changing Broadband provider, thinking I would get a better deal.

I was with BT. But I had seen my bills go up and up, and no improvement in service at all. At one point after I had decided to go to paper billing, and cancelled my Direct Debit, they decided to help themselves to £113 out of the account anyway. And before you say "yes but it takes a while to filter through to stop them" I had paid two bills at the post office before this one. I then had to fax them over proof that they had stolen my cash before they believed I'd paid the bill. It got so out of hand that at one point they tried to say I hadn't paid any bills between March and September. It had to do apparently with us moving house and they had got us mixed up with the previous phone line user at the house we moved to. So I was not happy.

I shopped around, and at Carphone Warehouse told the Salesperson that I was looking for something with a definite rate of Internet connection, that was reliable, and cheaper.

I was told, well, 3 are good. I was offered 5GB of Downloading for £15 a month. I was told though that on the first month I may only get 4 of my 5 GB as it was a first month thing they did.

BAH! They lied!!!!!

I took my little Dongle (why do they call them that? What a daft name) home, and plugged it in. It took a while to load, there is no software and it's meant to auto Install after plugging into a USB port. But I had to try all mine and switch the computer off 3times before it did this.

However, when the thing finally popped up, the connection was fast, just as fast as my BT Broadband had been. I was very happy.

Until a week later it cut off, saying I'd used my allowance.

Now, remember when the Salesperson said it would cut off after 4GB due to the first month thingy (that was never explained).I didn't think I could've used that amount in a week, so had a look at MY 3, a page 3 customers can access even if their net is out of money.

And I was right-I had used a mere 29Mb of my 5Gb allowance.

So, off I went with Ed the Ex (he is much more technically minded then me, and scarier when talking to Salespeople who blag as he read a book called "Know Your Rights" a few years back, and does indeed now know all his rights as a consumer), back to Carphone Warehouse.

The same Salesperson just basically told me it wasn't her problem, and waked off to speak to someone else. I was livid. I had been mis-sold the dongle as an easy option, and now they had their commission it seemed like they couldn't care less.

Well, Ed had a word with a different person, who couldn't have helped more. He put us in touch in the store with a 3 Rep by phone.

Now, this is where the weak link in 3's operation is-their Customer Service Operatives on the phone.

The first one I talked to told me I was obviously wrong and had used my allowance up. I kept reiterating that I had checked my usage and hadn't. I asked to speak to someone else, and then passed the phone to Ed.

In the end it took speaking to SEVEN different people before they admitted that I hadn't had anywhere near my full allowance.I said at this stage I wanted to cancel my contract.

I was begged not to, and as a goodwill, given my first month for free, and was offered a 15Gb allowance (usually £20 a month) for my £15 a month original price.

Happy, I agreed.

I should've told them to get lost frankly.

I got sent a new dongle via the post. All was well, my allowance was OK, I was happily using it.

Then it went off again after a fortnight.

Now, again, I had to phone them-at my own cost and on a premium rate line. 3 customers with a 3 phone get free calls, but the rest of us don't have a free number to call. I had emailed them through the My 3 site, but got no reply.

Again, they were useless, rude and made my blood boil. They even refused to allow me to speak to a manager. They have no concept of the old adage the customer is always right.

I was told I had to wait until the end of the month for my new allowance, even though when I'd previously been offered this goodwill gesture I was told that the new amount would already be loaded. I again told them I'd had enough and wanted to cancel, as I felt that anytime something went wrong I would be forced to pay to be spoken to like dirt.

I was told I couldn't cancel.

This I later found out was a lie.

I was told I could top up by £10 and be given 1Gb of allowance to get me through, so I did.

At this point I saw no other option-I had just been lucky enough to be listed in the Top 100 blogs, and wanted to keep my place, so knew I needed to do something to keep me online-my local library only gives you a half hour and there's no guarantee of a computer being free.

So I paid my £10, and checked my mail.

And it went off again after 2 hours.

I couldn't be bothered to phone again that evening, so left it until the morning. I had been misinformed about how much a £10 top up gives a customer-they charge 10p a Mb, so it worked out at just under 500Mb.

So, for a week, I had no net connection at all. At one point I had to send a 150+ email to a PR via my tiny buttoned Samsung phone as a deadline was nearing. Not easy I can tell you.

So, after £50 worth of call, £20 of phone credit to check my emails, and a wasted £10 net top-up that was under what I'd been told it was for, I waited for my new allowance to start.

On the day it was meant to begin, I turned on my computer and guess what-no net. Again.

So again, I had to phone their useless expensive phoneline and speak to useless staff. Who blamed me.

Even though I had it in writing that it started on the 21st (as they'd sent me a paper contract to prove that it didn't start immediately as I'd been told on the phone) I was told it was a typing error, and it started on the 22nd.

I said that I was appalled and wanted to make a complaint-I had had enough.

I was told I couldn't, that I should've cancelled within 14 days, that being up until the Sunday before. When I'd phoned and tried to cancel and was told I couldn't.

All in all, I would avoid 3 like the plague. The connection is great, fast and reliable whne you have an allowance.

But their staff are appalling- they are rude, uncommunicative and they sorry to be blunt, lie through their teeth to stop you leaving the company. I now have to wait until the end of my contract or pay the whole contract length amount to leave, simply because they lied to me when I tried to cancel.

I have never experienced such appalling customer service (or lack of it) in all my years as a consumer.

I will be sending a link to this blog to their Head Office.

Do YOU have a Top Christmas Tip?

2009-11-23T10:56:00.000-08:00

*This is a sponsored post!

Anna from cohn&wolfe has asked me to pass this info on to my Blog readers, so if you think you can contribute, feel free to drop her an email at the address below!

John Lewis is asking parent bloggers to share their ‘Rules for a Perfect Family Christmas’ – in short, traditions that make your family Christmas special. I’m sure you’ve already seen some ‘rules’ floating around the parent blogosphere – ranging from compulsory brussel sprouts to December Sherry drinking!

As a result, we’re taking a ‘last call’ for Christmas Rules and here’s how it works:
· Post as many rules as you want on any of the following ‘categories’: 1) children; 2) the Christmas meal; 3) the in-laws; 4) entertainment; and 5) decorations – be as creative as you want!
· John Lewis will then compile the rules and post them to the John Lewis website in December, recognising everyone’s contributions and giving you a first look at the rules and traditions inspired by you and other parents
· You must include your post to your blog by tomorrow Tuesday 24th November and email it to anna.loftin@cohnwolfe.com
· And, the first 10 bloggers to email us with their post will be rewarded with a £25 John Lewis voucher as a token of our appreciation

We hope this is something you’ll find fun and exciting to do alongside your fellow parent bloggers.

Thanks again and happy holidays!

Anna Loftin; anna.loftin@cohnwolfe.com
(on behalf of John Lewis)

LEAPFROG Tag Juniour

2009-11-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

In the second of the products kindly sent to me by Leapfrog, Chrissy has been trying a Tag Juniour Reader.

The concept of the Tag is to develop the child's skills, and to help them learn to read in a fun way.

Just like the My Pal Scout, that Edward tried, The Tag Juniour can be set to include the child's name via the same Leapfrog Connect programme (again that is available to download free from the Leapfrog site) we originally used for Edward's toy.

The website makes things incredibly simple. Once you have downloaded the software, in an easy step by step format even the most Technophobe of parent could work out, you simply tell it what product you have, and the options are in bold letters on the first page. There's even a handy help page that sorts out any problems or questions you may have.

The first thing we did was to look to personalise the Tag (that Chrissy has nicknamed Taggy) to say her name.

Unfortunately, Chrissy's name wasn't listed, but there is an option to email your child's name, to be added to the next update on site.We chose a nickname instead. This was then, at the click of a mouse, uploaded to the toy.

Next step was to look for the programmes to correspond to the 3 books we had also been sent. It was so easy, in a couple of clicks and in no longer than it would take to boil a kettle, we were ready to go.

The books themselves are hardy. We have a teething boy so enamored with chewing and biting we have taken to nicknaming him Jaws, and sadly, some of Chrissy's books have suffered as a result. But not so the books from Leapfrog.

They are very colourful, with big text making it easy to read, and beautiful illustrations too, particularly in the title"Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?"

Chrissy's immediate favourite has been the "Back Yardigans Opposites". We have seen this show a few times on Nick Jnr, when it's on Freeview in the mornings. The characters are very cartoony, and neon bright and smiley-just what my daughter loves!

But the real feature lies when the Tag is placed at different points on the book, from front cover to last page.

Unlike some Reader toys I've seen previously, the wand, pen or in this case Tag (who looks a little like a snowman!) had to be placed on designated squares or patches. But with the Tag we received, Chrissy could happily place it on any area of the page, and different facts would be relayed to her, as well as reading the actual text of the book. If, for example, she placed it on a picture of an animal, it would then tell us what noise the animal makes, where it comes from, and what it likes.

Chrissy was amazed when I sat with her, and showed her what it was and what it did. She liked that she could control how loud it was-it has a handy button on the side to turn the device up or down. It also tickled her that, when switching it on, it said "Hello Cheeky Monkey" to her in a giggly voice.

Something else that surprised me was the sites ability to remember to use an English accent-I thought I would have had to reset this per toy, but not so. You just sign in with your email address and password, and it remembers basics like this.

She can be a bit clumsy, she is only 2 years and 8 months despite her height, but after a few attempts, she has the hang of it. It only takes a small touch of the sensor, and it doesn't need to be held on the text or picture until it finishes its speech, which is handy as Chrissy put it down fleetingly before moving it elsewhere.

She has found it enjoyable, and as there are so many titles in theseries, as well as more promised in the future, I can see this becoming a favourite. And it will grow with her-you set the attainment level at different developmental stages.

All in all, we have been impressed with the product-it's ease of use for parent and child, it's high boredom threshold, and the fact it is something that can be updated regularly. I don't think Chrissy will replace this at the moment with sitting on my lap with a book, but I do think as she gains independence it will be something she looks to for a story. Which will be great for me as I can read a book myself without having one of hers chucked on my lap!

Well done once again Leapfrog, you have definitely got a longterm customer here!

LeapFrog My Pal Scout.

2009-11-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

With thanks to Nia from Leap Frog Toys, Edward has been sent one of their newest toys, My Pal Scout.

Now, Edward is quite hard to please when it comes to toys, he usually has a quick look, then crawls off (usually in search of food the greedy child!).

The bear came whilst he had his nap, and Chrissy got first look at it. She liked it, as it made noise and she generally likes anything that's cuddly.

When Edward finally woke up, and was handed the bear, his face literally lit up. He has had it for three days now, and it goes where he goes, and if Chrissy tries to pinch it she gets baby shouted at so much she drops it!

But it gets better than just a quiet(ish) house.

How often have you bought a toy for it to be relegated to the toy box after a few days due to boredom?

Well, Leap Frog have obviously thought about ways to combat this.

My Pal Scout and its girly equivalent come with a USB cable to plug into your computer. There's no fiddling about with disks (that would get lost in our house). You simply plug the bear in, go to the leap frog site and download the software.

When that's done, the most ingenious element of the toy becomes apparent. Not only is there a library of over 300 songs, from nursery rhyme favourites to soothing lullaby's to chose from to download to the bear, but you can further improve it's likability by selecting your childs favourite foods, colours and animals for the bear to repeat.

But theres more.

Something which I absolutely love is that the website has a database of kids names and nicknames, meaning the bear can refer to your child by name. So now, when the bear say Hi, it says it to Edward, which makes him smile no end. It also means that Chrissy knows the bear is Edward's and not hers. If your childs name or nickname isn't listed, then you can email the company and they will add it to the list!

The website is regularly updated with new songs and activities, and also includes a handy feature to check on your child's developement, and tips on activities you can do together with your child to complement those included in the bear.

The accent can also be changed on the bear via the website, so our bear, when first brought out the box , spoke in an American accent, and now, since updating him, speaks with a lovely English accent instead.

Another great factor is the lullaby setting. With a push of one of the paws, you can set the bear to play 2, 5 or 10 minutes of soothing music. Since having the bear, Edward has gone off to sleep with no noise at all listening to the songs, and when he woke up at 2am, I switched it back on and once again he went straight off. It also tells him its time for "goodnight Edward".

The bear is just as easy for Edward to operate as it was to download the settings. The paws feature chunky embroidered symbols- a musical note, a ball, a cloud and stars for lullaby setting, and an on/off switch.

Which brings me onto another great thing- you switch it off if it gets too annoying!

To say I am impressed with this bear is an understatement. It's got the likability factor with the children, is none to fiddly or complicated to set up, and can be updated to lower the possibility of boredom. If this toy doesn't win awards from the media I will be shocked.

It's a great all round educational toy which I'm sure will become a firm favourite in this household.

And here's Edward playing with it!

I would highly recommend this bear to all parents of pre-schoolers, as a great long lasting toy.

Do YOUR Kids Know Where Food Comes From?

2009-11-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

Err, what ever happened to Old MacDonald had farm?

Now I think today's youngsters think it's more a case of Mr Tesco had some chickens.....

I was watching a show recently which included primary aged children being asked various questions-a sort of "out of the mouths of babes" comedy exercise. One of the questions was "Where do chickens come from?"

Standard answer of these primary aged darlings?

Tesco.

Only one of the 7 or 8 little'uns they asked answered that they come from a farm.

Which is why I'm happy to support a campaign being run to educate children on where food really comes from, and maybe even to get them growing their own (just like I did as a youngster).

McCain are running a UK wide "roadshow" tied in with a handy website, with tips and info specifically for children, their teachers and parents too.

They conducted a survey which, just like the TV programme I watched, revealed the shocking stats that-

1 in 10 children aged 7-11 thought chickens lay potatoes

1 in 5 had no idea that potatoes are grown in the ground

1 in 5 also had no clue that chips are made from potatoes!

So, I asked why McCain had decided to take on the responsibility of educating kids-a publicity stunt surely?

But, no, the Double Decker bus, that has already visited 130 primary schools in the UK, and intends to visit even more in its 5th tour, has no branding whatsoever, and no mention of the McCain name.

Nick Vermont, CEO of McCain Foods Ltd in the UK says "The Potato Story was developed as a vehicle to help contribute towards teaching children about food provenance. As part of the overall 'It's all good' campaign, we're committed to working hard to ensure that 'The Potato Story' is, and remains, both relevant to the curriculum and useful for teachers to educate children, whilst also making it a fun and interactive experience for kids"

The tour and website has the full support of top child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson, who says that a lack of food understanding and a misunderstanding of what constitutes "healthy food" may have a serious impact on the longterm eating habits of children. He continues that knowing where food comes from can help to promote healthy eating habits from an early age.

As parents and consumers as a whole we are inundated with information on healthy living and its importance (the most high profile being the Government's "Change for Life" campaign), so a website from a trusted family brand name which includes helpful resources for free is always going to be well supported. And if it can appeal to children in an easy to understand way, then I think all parents will be happy to have a click on the site itself.

For more information, or to visit the site, go to http://www.thepotatostory.co.uk

Special thanks to Kim who sent Chrissy a lovely gardening kit, crayons and colouring book based around the campaign!

COMPETITION! Next Generation Children's Comp!

2009-11-04T03:55:00.000-08:00

The lovely people at Next and i-Level PR have asked me to let my lovely readers know about a great competition they are running for kids.

The competition is running via Facebook at www.facebook.com/nextonline and here's the details-

So if you think you're child could be the next Kate Moss, just pop on over and enter!

Alongside the Children’s Competition they'll also be running an event for the Make a Wish foundation. They will be inviting children aged 0-16 to draw a picture showing “their wish” and upload a photo of the picture to the Make a Wish event on our Facebook page. A panel of judges at Next will choose the top fifty designs and the entrants responsible for the top designs will then be asked to submit their original drawings and join in all the fun of the competition final at Woburn Abbey on 21st December, when an overall winner will be selected. This design will be manufactured by Next, with sales benefiting the Make-a-wish Foundation.

Good luck!

Special thanks goes to Next and i-level

Kidsrooms.co.uk

2009-10-28T00:48:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by the people at Rainbow PR to have a look at new website kidsrooms.co.uk a dedicated, UK based website for childrens furniture.

They make the promise of furniture to last a lifetime, which obviously attracts the consumer immediately. In fact I'd say that that struck me more than the company name. I would say they could improve this aspect, as at present the company name at the top is logo-less and kind of puts me in mind of a standard Blogspot header.

The pictures used on the site grab the attention-smiling kids in the process of imaginative play with the items that can be purchased. The icon images of the items on sale are clear-a picture of the item on a white background-which is standard practice (Argos, Amazon and Ikea all adopt the same method of display).

I did find the prices a little excessive- a simple table and chair set would set you back £87 pounds plus postage (although free delivery is offered on purchases over £200), whereas a similar item on Ikea.com is £35.

I like the fact they make it clear from the starter page that they do not allow Royal Mail to handle deliveries-at the moment, this is obviously a concern to the Internet shopper with Christmas fast approaching-and I'm sure that this will win them customers.

They do have a small clearance section, but even then prices are still a little on the high side- a lamp costing £21 springs to mind.

I think the fundamental problem with children's furniture is that, although the company promises that the item will last a lifetime, your child's taste in it does not. And paying what is quite simply a ridiculous amount of money for it is not going to happen in most cases in the current climate. For example, I don't know anyone who would be willing to pay £1,140 for a bed, (the cheapest one on the site is £230), when an adult double bed can be bought for as little as £200.

I also think as an unestablished brand make, they are not going to win customers over charging such a great deal of money for the less long lasting (not due to wear and tear but due to child feeling towards them) items such as rugs and lamps (Rugs start at £37, lampshades at £14.50 for a basic ceiling pendant) will also not win over the parent.

It is in essence unfortunate that the prices will put most parents off and lead them to compare with Ikea, who are known as a cheaper brand, who don;t skimp on quality.

I might suggest a Value range on the site, of basic items at under £100 for furniture items and under £20 for basics like bedding and lampshades might be a way of drawing a customer fan base.

Overall, I'd give the website a 5/10

IN REVIEW-Simple Human Shampoo Dispenser-UPDATED!!

2009-10-18T10:39:00.001-07:00

I was asked by Rose to check out one of Simple Humans Stainless Steel soap dispensers.

Now, can I just start off by saying that this may be the most pointless gadget in the existence of the universe! It does look funky and attractive, but sort of put me in mind of the sort of thing you find in a nicer restaurants loo!

It can be screwed into the wall, or glued using the gel and sticky pads provided. It is also as you'd expect for something that will spend the majority of its time getting soaking wet, stainless and rust proof. It can hold a large bottle of shampoo too, and it comes with a handy hook to hang...well its quite a small hook so probably a flannel is about all.

I decided to glue mine to the wall, as you who regularly read my blogs know, I move house at a rate of once a year so didn't want to have to replace the (albeit awful) expensive tiles my landlady put up. I also wanted to briing my funky gadget thing with no real purpose in life with me when I move again.

Or I did.

I wouldn't recommend gluing it. Ever.

I filled the dispenser with a brand spankers new bottle of Pantene, costing me 3.69. Its my one luxury that I buy a decent brand of shampoo instead of shops own pants, as my hair is a pain in the bum and it only likes Pantene.

I then got up the next morning to find the dispenser in the bath, minus lid, and all the shampoo down the plughole. Not good at all.

So if I were the marketing people I would consider chucking the idea of the glue and sticky pads and tell the consumer to screw the thing to the wall.

I do see it as something that could have a longer term use If our latest media obsession with packaging continues, it would be easy to give the consumer the opportunity to buy a recyclable small packet of shampoo to refill the dispenser with. It's kind of like the coffee company that has asked customers to but a small packet and refill the glass jar from their old purchase.

However, as I say, it would need to sort out the falling off the wall with the use of glue issue first.

********

Update!

The lovely Rose has contacted me after seeing the post originally, and so concerned are the company re the glue not working issue I had, they are looking into it. I would like to point out that noone else has experienced the same thing, so maybe its my dodgy shiny tiles!

They were also nice enough to offer a replacement bottle of shampoo, and anything else that may have been broken when it fell, as they were so disappointed in what happened!

Now theres customer service for you, so 10/10 to Rose and Simple Human for after care services.

IN REVIEW-Tolo Safari Friends Lion

2009-10-18T10:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the lovely Helen at Aspen PR, Chrissy and Edward have been sent a Tolo Safari Friends Lion to test out.

Well, Chrissy was most impressed with the lion, animals being one of her new favourite things to learn about. She immediately pinched it and took complete ownership over her younger brother.

The lion is chunky brightly coloured plastic, and looks very sturdy, as if it will endure even the hardest of knocks in playtime. The head, legs and tail all move with a twisting sound, so the child can see a cause and effect link between the movement. Its very cute and smiley looking, I was very impressed with the aesthetics and think it would definitely jump out at you on a shelf in the toy section.

Chrissy literally played with this making growling sounds for an hour, and then promptly refused to go to bed without it. High praise indeed!

When Edward finally got a turn today, he immediately stuck it in his mouth for a good chew. The lion took it well and emerged unscathed. After sucking on it for a good ten minutes, he then held it for another ten minutes, making the head turn, which he found highly amusing. The lion is chunky enough for little one year old hands to hold with no trouble at all, and the moveable bits are not so tight as to be a problem either.

All in all, this is something I would definitely buy as a set with the other safari range, as its good value for money. There's not many toys that can cross over with both of my toddlers and not bore one or the other. Chrissy has decided he's her new favourite (over longterm position holder Upsy Daisy no less), and with the smiley face on the lion I can see why.

Well done Tolo, ten out of ten.

IN REVIEW-MacLaren "Beginnings"

2009-10-18T10:37:00.002-07:00

Yep, it's review time again, and this time it's the turn of MacLarens Beginnings Protecting Nappy Change Balm.

Firstly the tube is not over fussy-it has the name of the product, the range its from and whats in it. No fluffy duck pictures or daft promises here. I like the fact that at first glance you may be forgiven for thinking its an adult moisturiser. One thing I don't like in traditional nappy creams, like Sudocrem, is the tub it comes in. Mainly due to the incident where Chrissy removed the non-child safe lid and covered herself, head to foot in the stuff, which took an hour in the bath to remove.

The product itself contains a blend of Organic lavender, German Chamomile, Shea butter and Aloe. Shea butter seems to be something we're seeing in products more and more often-even good old Andrex now has a loo roll with it, so 10 out of 10 for using the latest now item. As for the the Chamomile we're told its of the German variety, so must read up on whether theirs is better in some way to the stuff we have in Blighty! I'm pleased that it uses organic products, as obviously any nasty chemicals in non organic could cause rashes.

Reading the back, the company has had the cream dermatologically tested for its suitability for sensitive skin.

With the ingredients it contains you would think it would smell lovely, but its not the case-it smells quite industrial. Its not as thick as other similar products, which made me wonder on first use whether it would work as claimed-after all, a thick layer of Sudocrem usually clears up any spots almost overnight.

However, the cream did clear up some teething related spots on Edwards bottom, and left it soft and smooth. Chrissy seemed to like it lots too, as where it wasn't as thick it didn't take forever to rub in a layer.

It did as promised, not irritate my children's sensitive skin, and Chrissy can be quite susceptible to skin irritation. It didn't upset my skin either, which is a miracle as at the moment I have very bad eczema on my hands from using cleaning products on the carpet.

The Product costs 7.52, which is quite expensive in today's climate, when Sudocrem costs little over a pound. I would expect it to smell a little nicer given the price, and would probably plump for a cheaper shops on brand when weighing up the options. I think this is the sort of item that you would be given as a gift in a pack from someone after having a baby.

All in all, a product that does exactly what it promises, but is let down on price.

It's Disney...But Not as We Know It.

2009-10-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

Once again, due to my membership of the wonderful British Mummy Bloggers (http://www.BritishMummyBloggers.ning.com), myself and a few others had an opportunity to preview a new Disney show for 2-5 year olds.

Called "Jungle Junction" it's a computer generated show with animals, who for some strange reason no longer have legs but wheels, and who are designed to teach your pre-schooler about manners, road safety and other Edu-lite topics using road signs. (no? me neither).

I received a preview DVD on Monday, and stuck it on in the playroom for Chrissy to have a look at.

The theme tune came on and she did her usual "dance about cos it's music" funky two year old moves. Hmm, I thought, maybe she'll have this as a new favourite instead of the now tiresome In the Night Garden.

Or maybe not.

She practically waited until she had watched no more than 2 minutes of the show, and walked out in two year old disgust.

I could honestly see why. (Yes, for my research I had to sit through the rest on my own).

Disney evokes a certain image, a certain class, or it does in my view.
You expect a cartoon to be head and shoulders above the CBeebies TV shows, and expect it to be enjoyable for the whole family to watch.

I grew up on Disney classics, this being in the days before dedicated, near on 24 hour kids TV, and I remember the joy of rainy days watching Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book and all the others. Then as you got older you watched live action Disney like Freaky Friday (which I will still happily watch now).

To be honest, when I saw Jungle Junction, I was saddened.

If it hadn't have had the big Disney logo on the DVD, I would never have guessed it came from them. I would've probably thought it was a new show for Milkshake, where I think a lot of the shows are CBeebies rejects (sorry to insult anyone who prefers it).

I don't have Playhouse Disney as a channel, so the only time I've sen shows from the new Disney Stable has been early mornings on TMF, like "Dora the Explorer" or "Go Diego, Go".

I thought the colours were vivid, and that was OK, but the voices were less than endearing, and the whole thing smacked of a cheap copy of Toy Story.

I also thought the tie in between the sign posts teaching little lessons and the animals on wheels had been hastily thought up and was very gimmicky.

I also thought it was slightly "in-yer-face" for my two year old. This is the girl who will happily watch Waybuloo and all the others, but screams and cries when Big and Small come on, purely, I feel, because of Lenny Henry's high pitched shoutiness in it.

So all in all, its not something I can see Chrissy wanting to watch, and neither is it something I would want to be forced to watch with her.

Its a shame, as on the research visit, the website that will accompany the programme has some great ideas for motivating little ones-or at least it did once we had our educated expert mum's say.

IN REVIEW: CAREX

2009-10-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

IN REVIEW: CAREX

Yes, its review time, and this time its the turn of Carex and a selection of their hand wash products.

The people at Carex are also starting a great initiative to get more children washing their hands on a regular basis, by making it fun and easy. Now, when I was at school, we were constantly being sent out to wash our hands, but apparently not all schools have continued this trend today, mainly due to allergies and the worry of getting told off if a child uses the wrong soap. This now means that 50% of kids no longer wash their hands after using the loo.

The product for adults I liked the most was Moisture Plus, which contains milk protein.

I suffer from quite sensitive skin, and some soaps and hand washes can cause my skin to break out in a rash, but this is a lovely hand wash which did nothing but leave my hands smooth as Edward's baby bottom! It has the added bonus of containing anti-bacterial agents, so its not just great for leaving care worn hands super smooth, but also protects against germs-and with what us parents regularly have to put our poor hands in that's always going to be a plus!

The second product I loved was Splash Gel. It comes in a handy nappy bag sized bottle, with a pump action lid, meaning there's no need to mess about with unscrewing bottles whilst trying to avoid being covered in chocolate or worse. But the real star attraction of the product is it doesn't require water to foam or clean.

Yes that's right, you just place a tiny amount in your little treasures hands, rub it round, and hey presto-clean mitts! No mess, no fuss.

It smells lovely, and to encourage your child to embrace being clean it has a lovely little cartoon character, which amused Chrissy lots.

We were also sent a CD of nursery rhymes, however these had been re-jigged to include lyrics to encourage kids that wash time is fun. I think its a great idea that the company is sending packs out to nurseries and Infant schools, as although it took Chrissy a while to get used to the changes in her favorite songs, she soon got used to it and now its not such a battle to get her to wash her hands after messy play. I was shocked at how many kids admitted to not washing their hands after using the loo, and these were the kids who actually told the truth!

The only product we didn't like was the Bacteria Protect hand wash, which contains silver. Now as I've said, I suffer from sensitive skin, and unfortunately this did make my skin sting, maybe because of all the anti bacterial agents in contains. So this I would give a wide berth if like me your skins a bit picky about what it lets you use on it. It also didn't smell quite as nice as the moisture plus hand wash.

All in all I would recommend the products I have mentioned here, especially the Splash Gel, for making a Mum's life that touch easier!

You can find a copy of their Hands Up for Hygiene campaign at- www.carex.co.uk/HandsUpForHygiene

In review- WATERWIPES

2009-10-18T10:31:00.001-07:00

In review- WATERWIPES

Owing to being a member of the excellent British Mummy Bloggers site (I recommend joining up at www.britishmummybloggers.ning.com), I often get asked if the madhouse would like to try new products. And being the thrifty cheapskate I am, its win win for me!

The latest product I was lucky enough to try was Water Wipes by DermaH2O. The wipes are made from 99.9% purified water as well as 0.1% grapefruit seed extract, and promise to be the purest wipes ever. (although the patent is, at the time of this blog post, still pending).

Now, having not one, but two nappy wearing children in the house we go through two packets of wipes at least per week. And we don't just use them for the kids bottoms-they literally get used top to toe on the kids, to clean up spills on the table/floor/walls and also, if I'm being lazy I often scrape my make up off with them. Both kids have sensitive skin, which they've inherited from me (sorry kids), so finding a brand of wipe that doesn't leave them red has been a challenge. (for example, a leading supermarkets offering left Chrissy with a red and spotty bot, and as any parent knows, a child with nappy rash is a miserable child). I have been amazed on using certain wipes to clean my make up off how they can sting the skin.

So the product- The packaging is quite no frills- it does have a flip top plastic dispenser lid, but it can get a bit fiddly to get the wipe out if you have a major nappy explosion!, I would probably recommend removing the inner plastic sheet to make life easier for one hand on baby and one hand in wipes box Mums and Dads.
I don't think that they would immediately jump out at you on the shelf, as its just plain white with a blue text, and they would be competing with more established brands. I like that the packaging is recyclable, as obviously we are all being told off by Central Government, about our need to save the planet, so I think this is great (as I've not come across another brand with recyclable packaging, at least they haven't had it on the front of the packet!).

The wipes are also bio-degradable, another plus for the ecologically minded amongst us.

The wipes themselves look just like any other wipe, and are soft as you'd expect. I thought the great thing was that they were slightly larger than Johnson's or Simple wipes, as sometimes you need something the size of a man size tissue! It also means you need to use less wipes as a whole which is a plus for those of us who go through loads a week.

They also don't have that synthetic smell that I associate with most wipes, which in some can be overpowering, and also were the right side of damp- I have had wipes in the past that by the bottom of the packet have to be nearly wrung out!

On the bottom test, they pass with honours-not a hint of red was spotted on either cheek in the week I used them, and on the make up test they didn't make my eyes water with the sting that usually follows.

They weren't so good at removing pen from walls, but then I would associate that being due to the lack of chemicals in them, which can only be a way of proving their worth as "purest wipe available" (and you can always use a cheap toothpaste for pen on wall removal).

The company promises that once opened the pack will stay fresh for 3 months, something other leading brands cannot promise (how many of you have gone to use wipes in the nappy bag and found the top 3 have dried out?)

The one thing that would put me off from buying them if they were a new product I'd noticed in the supermarket is the price I was quoted for them when they go on sale-£4.49 for 72 wipes. I do think this would put those on a lower budget off, as for one packet of wipes that is not cheap at all, even Johnson's is on the market for £2.56 in my local supermarket, and one can buy at least 4 packets of an own brand wipe for the same price.

Its a shame as they really are a great product, and lessen the guilt of not using the old fashioned cotton wall and water method we are moaned at by health visitors for not using.

I would recommend the product highly, but would ask the company to reconsider on the price, as in these economically challenged times I think they may struggle to gain a consumer fan base.

You can get more info on the product at www.dermaH20.com.

If you'd like me to recommend any products,please drop me a line. I'm also a reviewer for the excellent website Great Toy Guide (www.greattoyguide.co.uk).