Category / Review

by jo

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns 45

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is older than me – just. It’s a book I’m more than familiar with, what with H owning at least three copies of it since birth. Did you know that in 2014 The Very Hungry Caterpillar turned 45?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar needs no introduction – Eric Carle’s favourite has been an essential book in a child’s collection for such a long time now – 45 years to be precise. I grew up with it, and now H is too. Did you know that last year a copy of the book was sold every 150 seconds on average in the UK?

Turning 45 is a big deal. You get nice things made which commemorate that birthday – and The Very Hungry Caterpillar is no exception! We were sent a selection of goodies. Being sensible I passed a few on to Karen for the boys next door, and kept the ones I knew H would love.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

We got a lot of play with The Very Hungry Caterpillar Strawberry Shaped Chalkers – a.k.a. outdoor chalks. We had a funny old summer this year with a bit of rain, and I was pleased to see that the chalk didn’t wash out straight away – in fact, on walls where H had drawn the chalk stayed for a good couple of weeks which makes these chalks really good value. They do wash off, they just have much more staying power! They have a rrp of £9.99 and are available at John Lewis.

Any crafty creative type will enjoy playing with The Very Hungry Caterpillar Stamper Set – with a rrp of £9.95 and available at John Lewis, there are six stamps from the book, with coloured ink pads. H has enjoyed playing with them and creating pictures!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Bubble Bath was a favourite too – it comes with a rrp of £3.50, and available from Waitrose and Fenwicks. H has delicate skin and this was ideal for her – nice and gentle and no reactions to it. My only complaint? She loved it so much we used it up super fast as she kept insisting on having baths!  There’s also a handwash (rrp £3.50) which encouraged her to wash her hands rather a lot!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar toothbrush was a good size for H – she’s at that in-between stage where she has gaps in her teeth and is moving up into bigger sizes, but does still have a small mouth. The brush was bright and colourful and yet another incentive to get her teeth cleaned – she loves a good toothbrush! It has a rrp of £3.50 and is available from Waitrose and Fenwicks.

I thought our days of having plates with sections for food would be over, but The Very Hungry Caterpillar Melamine divided plate is brilliant – perfect for H when she doesn’t want her rice and vegetables all mixed up, and it’s dishwasher-friendly too – top shelf only, mind! We use it almost every night and while she likes to consider herself grown up, it’s the kind of plate which is very useful even for older kids. I’ve also noticed she’s started to get fussy about food – something she never really was. Having it sectioned at times seems to make it more appealing for her. It has a rrp of £7.95 and is available at John Lewis.

We were also sent a drinks bottle which is a good size and comes with the new(er) twister tops that I’ve noticed bottles seem to have. I also noticed that it didn’t leak very much at all. It comes with a rrp of £7.99 and is available from Amazon.

We passed on the following to Jacob and Oscar next door, and from what I’ve heard they’ve had a lot of fun! The Very Hungry Caterpillar Numbers Peel and Stick Wall Art is something I’d have loved to try because they’re re-peelable wall stickers, but H’s walls are pretty full at the moment, so we gave them to a good home. Having the numbers and fruit is a nice idea – it will help a child learn to count as well (exactly like the book does). Lovely! It has a rrp of £8.00 and is available from John Lewis and Amazon.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pull Out Pop Up Book is a smaller version of the book, but with enough to it a young child who may like to wreck a book has things to pull and put their fingers through. I liked it and wished we had one for when H was a baby, as our pop-up book got a bit destroyed when she was at that stage. It has a rrp of £5.99 and is available at Amazon and all good gift shops worldwide. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cloth Book is a baby essential – the story is there and it’s in a gentle cloth book, ideal for babies who want colours and a book they can hold comfortably – I loved it! It comes with a rrp of £10.99 and is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.

We received all these Very Hungry Caterpillar goodies for the purpose of review – thank you!

by jo

Big City Explorer by Maggie Li

Occasionally we’re sent books which are absolutely perfect with H’s development and interests. Big City Explorer is one of those. Maggie Li who illustrates it is also the Art Director of one of our favourite magazines, Okido!

big city explorer

Big City Explorer is a different kind of book. A journey around the world, visiting 28 different cities.

Each double page is dedicated to a city around the world and is beautifully illustrated. Being the global traveller H is, she has an interest in the world, especially due to her dual nationality. She has found facts about cities we’ve stopped by and enjoyed learning about them (including that Singapore isn’t just a city, it’s actually a small country). There’s information like currency, language and population as well as lots of pictures, interesting buildings and places.

Facts are broken down into a readable style which makes learning interesting, plus the illustrations are lovely and clear. For Christmas we’ve bought H the wonderful Maps book by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski and this is a great accompaniment.

big city explorer

What makes this book really unique is the compass. It needs to be removed from the front cover, then on most pages you’re told which direction to point it in for the next page – for example, from Sydney to Tokyo ‘set your compass to north’ – simple enough directions to help a child learn directions. At the end of the book is a Super City Match Up game, where you can identify buildings that you’ll have come across throughout the book as well.

On the contents page of Big City Explorer everything is colour coded into continents as well which helps with learning where cities are in the world. Maggie Li’s illustrations capture the spirit of each city, and H has enjoyed learning about different places around the world.

If your child has an interest in cities of the world, this would make a fabulous present. If your child loves Okido magazine, you definitely need this book! Big City Explorer is published by Pavilion Books, and retails for £11.99.

We were sent Big City Explorer by Maggie Li for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own. The jpeg at the end links to Amazon via an affiliate link.

by jo

Chessington in the Rain

Chessington World of Adventures is just 30 minutes up the road for us, and is somewhere we’ve never been – that was until we bought a Merlin Pass, which started today. Of course, it was pouring down for most of the day, and while the whole park isn’t open until March, we did wonder if it was possible to still have fun, so here’s my review of Chessington in the rain!

Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington in the rain is probably not the first thing on someone’s mind when thinking of something to do on a rainy day. We would have gone the following day except H has a party – and really, we were curious what was there. It’s all well and good looking at maps online but you only really get a feel for a place once you’re there. As Premium Merlin Pass holders we could do lots of things at no extra cost, though actually to be fair there’s only a few hours in the day you can do it anyway, so most things were achieved!

chessington in the rain

We spent the bulk of our sheltered time in two places – the All-You-Can-Eat buffet (which came in at £20 with our Merlin discounts) and the SeaLife area which looks small, but packs a lot into the space – and which we enjoyed very much. Add to that a discount in the shop afterwards and I can see how we’ll end up making our money back on our passes once the season gets into full swing.

3- jellyfish

SeaLife – deceptively small, and plenty inside, including jellyfish, which I love watching. The stingrays got pretty close too, and H got to put her hand in the water to have a shrimp tickle her hand which she started off nervous about, and found it quite fun in the end.

sealife tickly shrimp

We wandered around the grounds – most shops were open, and the remnants of the Christmas displays were still out – Christmas songs over the speakers, which I know will change in a day or two when it will just be Zoo Days. The monkey area at Amazu (which also had the most gorgeous of capybara’s) also has the treetop walk, which H slipped over in – Shaun kept her company up there, but with it being wet the slide was closed, so they didn’t stay there too long.

There were reindeer although we missed the meet and greet, and donut stands which couldn’t keep up with the demand (always a good excuse to tell a cold and tired five year old when she’s desperate for some), as well as a Gruffalo show at the Africa Stage which lasted for around 25 minutes.

gruffalo chessington in the rain

We arrived around midday and stayed until closing at 3pm – it was nice to get a feel of the place, and actually, Chessington in the rain is absolutely fine – there really is plenty under cover to do. There was a lot more we could have done as well, we’ll be back to do that as soon as we can!

Chessington’s website is here

by Karen

Nonabox – October

I was very excited to receive my Nonabox October delivery and see what new surprises it had in store for me! I forgot to mention that my September Nonabox also contained a cute activity for you and your child to do. Last month were adorable animal book marks and this month was a very cool monster mask!

Nonabox

Inside this months Nonabox:

Aden + Anais – Swaddle. This giant muslin was a surprise to me. I wasn’t impressed when I first received it thinking the size was impractical but now I love it! It has a multitude of uses and weirdly dries much faster than O’s other muslins… great job for my super sickie baby!

Water Wipes – Travel Pack. Though pricier than your highstreet brands these wipes are a must for babies with sensitive skin. They smell a little ‘clinical’ for my liking but there is no denying they do an awesome job on baby’s delicate skin.

NUK – Bottle. I have to admit to not knowing much about NUK so it was great to receive one of their bottles. I am a mega Winnie the Pooh fan so was very impressed with the cute design on the bottle.

Hampton Brands – Bennett’s Baby Bum Creme. Always handy to have and I’m always keen to try different brands. This one smells nice, a little goes a long way and it spreads nicely.

Chillipeeps – Teats. This 3 in 1 teat set can be used on the likes of water bottles and formula cartons and is a brilliant idea. I’m genuinely delighted I’ve discovered this brand.

Cheeky Rascals – Belly Belt. I am so gutted I am no longer pregnant as this belt would have gone a long way to extending my pregnancy wardrobe. Definitely something to mention to newly pregnant friends.

Aden + Ana

I worked out the approximate value of the box to be around £34. However I am, generally, pleased with the selection of the products. It’s a shame about the belly belt as I would have loved the opportunity to use this but all other products are highly appropriate. Nonabox is £24.95 a month, including delivery.

I was sent a selection of products for the purpose of review – all opinions are my own and honest.

by Karen

Nonabox – September

Nonabox is a company that I’ve only recently discovered. For £24.95 a month, including delivery, the company will send you a monthly box with products tailored to you and your bump/ child. Anyone that knows me well knows how much I love surprise gifts and trying new things out. As a result I was very excited when Nonabox sent me some boxes to show me what they were all about!

Nonabox

Now firstly I have to apologise for my Nonabox reviews being super, super late. A newborn and severe internet issues do not make a good combination! On the plus side I’ve had bags of time to receive and enjoy these lovely products!

I was very excited to receive my first Nonabox. The presentation box is gorgeous and makes you want to dive inside.

Here’s what I received:

Snooze Baby – Sweet Dreaming Natural Brown. This is a furry comfort toy with labels attached for babies to explore. O seems to really enjoy the soft material and is curious about the labels. I love this gift idea and think it would make a wonderful present, especially for a baby shower.

Paper Shaker – Postcard. Included was a mock up birth announcement card and money off should you decide to purchase. This was OK, was nice to see the options out there but not something I would personally pursue.

MAM – Feeding Spoons.  These may be simple but I loved these. These spoons made for the perfect travel companion as they come with travel lids.

Green People – Toothpaste. I was a bit sceptical about this certified organic toothpaste as it contained no Flouride! However after putting it to the test and doing some sneaky research I was pretty impressed. Little man loved it too!

Ella’s Kitchen – Blueberry and Pear Baby Brekkie/ Carrots, Peas and Pears.  I’m a massive fan of Ella’s kitchen and was great to receive these to try. I’ve put these aside for O but unfortunately Little Man has already nabbed the Baby Brekkie for himself!

Shea Mooti – Mama’s everything body balm. This was very luxurious and I love that Nonabox thinks of mums too! This product smells like you’re in a luxury spa and feels great… especially on my neglected mummy skin!

Nonabox contents

I worked out the approximate value of the box to be £33. I really liked the fact that baby, toddler and I are all thought of with the contents of the box. Looking forward to next month!

I was sent a selection of products for the purpose of review – all opinions are my own and honest.

by jo

Aladdin at the Secombe Theatre, Sutton

I love panto season, and for a long time now I’ve been desperate to take H to one. She has been to productions at school, but I fear those are watered down versions suitable for younger audiences – all fine, but we need proper pantomimes in our lives! Polka Dot Pantomimes have brought their production of Aladdin to the Secombe Theatre in Sutton, and today we went to see it.

Aladdin at the Secombe Theatre

Aladdin is a good safe pantomime to produce. The story works well and the more audience participation you can work into it the better. H had been excited all week, wondering how the genie would get out of the lamp – and it didn’t disappoint.

We made our way to the Secombe Theatre, our biggest local theatre in the Borough of Sutton, which has been under threat of closure (as has the Charles Cryer Theatre in Carshalton) – and what struck me was how the theatre *should* have had more people in there – where are people going? Why aren’t people making the trip? Especially when it’s an excellent production at a really reasonable price. Don’t get me wrong, the theatre wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t full either.

Aladdin was loads of fun. I’m a fairly harsh critic when it comes to pantomimes – being from York I spent almost every December in my childhood (and teenage, and later years) going to the York Panto – a long-term production by Berwick Kaler. You need a good dame and villain, slapstick, lots of audience participation, the old catchphrases and of course topically re-worded songs from current pop hits even indie snobs like me will have heard of as well as the obligatory singsong at the end. Aladdin had all these – and the cast did a marvellous job! Berwick Kaler has been on the BBC this week talking about the hard work behind a panto dame, and I’d agree – they carry the show.

Aladdin Secombe

H didn’t take long to warm up, once she got her head around shouting at the stage a lot (or booing) she was in her element. Behind us was Rosie and Boo who were having a brilliant time as well. Big brownie points go to Aladdin and Princess Jasmine singing ‘Love is an Open Door’ from Frozen, which H was beaming through – no lyric changes needed. In the second half the flying carpet sequence was nice and simple but had her captivated.

The baddie was a GREAT baddie – he played the part perfectly. There was the obligatory water fight (water pistols squirting us, the audience – hilarious!), plenty of ‘IT’S BEHIND YOU!’s and just everything that makes a proper old school panto feel right. Oh and of course, asking the audience for their opinion and having several under tens tell you exactly what you should do, just for the cast to completely ignore it and do the opposite (well, it wouldn’t be a panto if you didn’t)!

aladdin magic wand

The humour worked on both levels – not too confusing for the kids, plenty of gags about Sutton, Cheam and Morden, and plenty of laughs for five year olds too. Merch-wise, programmes were £2.50 and the sparkly light options were £4 each – not too bad at all, and H loves hers!

Widow Twankey was excellent – as were Wishy Washy and the Genie. In fact, everyone was great. I have no complaints, and found it was a fine production. The final word goes to H though – “it was AMAZING!!”

I just hope the Secombe Theatre stays open so that productions like this can continue for future generations to enjoy.

Polka Dot Pantomimes have many productions up and down the country – check them out!

We were provided with free tickets for this performance. All opinions are my own. OH yes they are.

by Karen

CoziDry

I was at a tumble time session when I happened to get talking to a lady who worked with a company called CoziDry. CoziDry is a company that was set up by mum Emily Godson. Having had much experience of baby dribble, she wanted to come up with a product that was not only effective at absorbing the dribble but was kind to baby’s skin. CoziDry bibs have been midwife approved and washes up to 300 times at 90 degrees.

CoziDry bibs

My eldest son was a notoriously sicky baby, as a result I wasn’t holding out much hope for my youngest. Unfortunately my suspicions have been proven correct and every day is a bit of a fashion parade! I have tried a lot of different bibs in my time as a mum and have to admit I was dubious about CoziDry and its absorbing properties. The main reason for this is the bib feels so thin! However I was encouraged, by the company, to squeeze water onto the bib to demonstrate that the back stayed dry. I thought I’d give it a try and I have to say I was very impressed. Not only did the bib hold a surprising amount of liquid, it also dried fairly quickly. I found it to be even more effective with sick and dribble.

The reason these bibs are so fabulously absorbent? CoziDry bibs are eucalyptus based and made with a material called Tencel. Tencel is soft, which makes it ideal for sensitive skin. It is also super absorbent, 50% more so than cotton, making it a brilliant material for bibs!

 CoziDry 4CoziDry by Sealz

I love these bibs, the only two sticking points for me are the lack of designs and colours available and the price. Anyone that knows me well will know I love a bit of colour on a baby. Admittedly newborns would be my exception to the rule as, lets face it, as babies get older the stains get more colourful. As a result I like to make the most of putting them in white whilst I can! However, it would be nice to see a few more colours available rather than just the pink or blue seals. With regards to the price, there is not getting away from the fact that the bibs are pricey, at least to me anyway! However, it is important to bear in mind that the more expensive than average price would be down to the superior materials used, which is the reason for the CoziDry bibs super effectiveness.

How did I find them? Great! When we go out I normally have to pack a good few bibs. The super absorbancy of the CoziDry bibs meant that I only really needed to bring these two so my poor changing bag was able to zip a little easier! The designs are also easy to coordinate with Os ridiculously vast wardrobe (it always bothers me that my children own more clothes than I do!).

This is a lovely quality product that anyone would be delighted to receive as a gift. The two bibs tested can be found for £16.50.

I was sent a selection of products for the purpose of review – all opinions are my own and honest.

 

by jo

Comfortchew from Cheeky Chompers

Cheeky Chompers designed the award-winning Neckerchew which you may have seen on Dragon’s Den. They have a new creation, the Comfortchew; read on to find out what we think.

What is a Comfortchew? A soft, soothing, stimulating blankie which has all the essentials together – a comforter, a teether, tags and the softness of a teddy – all things which babies love. It also has a loop which can be fastened to baby’s wrist, cot, car seat or buggy – handy as I know H often threw things onto the floor and I often wished I had a way of fastening things to the buggy when we were out.

I also love that there are two designs – and both are unisex – none of this blue for boys and pink for girls thing is going on here. There are also two Neckerchew (a dribble bib and chewy teether combined in one) designs available which co-ordinate with these.

comfortchew

Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning, Julie and Amy who founded Cheeky Chompers appeared on Dragon’s Den – but didn’t secure investment. Fortunately us parents saw sense in what they made, and they’ve since smashed sales targets!

I love the functionality of the Comfortchew – the teether is a brilliant idea, as we only really used the refrigerated hippo style ones with H, and had nothing we could take out with us. I would have definitely used this, had it been around.

So how much does a Comfortchew cost? It isn’t cheap with a rrp of £17.95, but considering what I’d pay for the separate parts, it doesn’t seem an unreasonable amount. The Comfortchew is machine washable at 40 degrees, BPA and phthalates free, and 100% safe to chew on – and it’s made in the UK too. When I buy something for a newborn, I like to make sure there’s plenty of use for it – while clothes are great they have such a short time they can be used – and I would say this would last a good couple of years thanks to the different uses it has.

Julie and Amy answered some questions about their business, as we wondered when you can consider it a business and not a hobby. Fortunately they knew they wanted Cheeky Chompers to be a business and saw the gap in the market. When they showcased the bib at The Baby Show and got some brilliant feedback, they realised they had something worth pursuing.

As far as anyone who might try to copy what Cheeky Chompers are doing, the products are unique and the first of their kind so it would be noticeable. The idea has been patented, so should help deter any imitations. They also want to develop a strong brand identity so that parents can trust and come back, knowing what they’re getting – they’re not going to be chasing after copycats so it takes over their lives!

Advice to mums thinking about going into business, and getting the work-life balance is a struggle, especially when you’re running your own business. Most of the time they conduct their business when the kids are in bed!  Also, don’t feel guilty when you’re taking time away from the kids to work. Having office space helps too, as you’re doing business things when you’re in the office. They both spend three days in the office which gets much more done. Also, having family members and friends who don’t mind babysitting is key, so that you can focus on your work!

You can buy the Comfortchew direct from the Cheeky Chompers website over here

We were sent the Comfortchew for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own. 

by jo

I’m Reviewing a Samsung Galaxy S5!

Yep, you heard me. I’m reviewing a Samsung Galaxy S5, courtesy of Three. I’ve been extremely excited about it, and indeed walking around with two phones has been quite interesting. It has been a week now and I’d normally leave it longer before writing about something, but there are a few reasons why a short-term review is needed.

1. I am planning on leaving my network and switching to Three as soon as my contract allows (I thought it was December, it seems to be January).
2. I am a Samsung Galaxy Mini S3 user, so I’m already familiar with the phone and like it.
3. I take a LOT of photos on my phone, the S5 has a much better camera on it, so the chance to try it out was a no-brainer.
4. I am an Apple user – so does the phone remain compatible with my MacBook Pro and so on?

From Samsung Galaxy G5 test

I’m not normally one for filters – I’ll try them out but often find they’ve a novelty value. Not so for the Galaxy S5 – they have a fabulous one, Selective Focus which will blur out the background of your picture and focus on something (which has to be 50cm from you) towards the front. There’s also a Dual Camera option which uses both cameras at once – my head on a postage stamp, the only time that will ever happen.

I like my Macro photography and couldn’t find where to switch for good close-ups, so zoomed in instead to see what the quality would be like – and I was staggered – it’s brilliant and up there with photos I’ve taken on my good camera, possibly even better.

From Samsung Galaxy G5 test

Writing this up and then not showing you what I’ve taken which is share-worthy so far would be daft, wouldn’t it? With the Galaxy S5 being an Android phone I’ve uploaded it to Picasa, and you can find a selection here.

So far a week in and I’m really impressed. I’m finding Three as a network much more reliable than my current one, and having a chance to try a phone I’d go for on a network I want to use is proving to be a really positive experience. I haven’t tried connecting via Kies yet.

Oh, and if you want to see my pictures on Instagram, I’m the only fool who has tagged them #samsunggalaxyg5 because I didn’t spot what my fat fingers were doing. Well done me – this is why Swype would be a good thing on the phone – I can spot my mistakes better. @mumfriendlyjo is my username on Instagram anyway.

The biggest downside? It’s only on loan. I may become too attached to it. Read more about the S5 handset here.

by jo

My Songs – A Spotify app for Children

My Songs is a new Spotify app from USM Junior which has carefully selected songs for children sorted into playlists.

My Songs app

My Songs can be found on Spotify here – there are several genres playlisted, including pop – which is where H’s latest direction seems to be heading.

Casting my mind back to the summer holidays in Australia, we would be driving around listening to Triple J, and they’re so less conservative than us Brits – you would occasionally get songs with bad words – and now H can read and takes in so much more, she asks questions about the lyrics. Some lady was talking about how her boy did bad things which she picked up on right at the end, and asked us questions. PHEW we thought, as the song finished, only for James’s ‘Laid’ to be the next song… uuh.  “This bed is on fire with passionate love, The neighbours complain about the noises above, But she only comes when she’s on top” – we changed channel.

This made us wish there was a radio station for children, but that had music which was tolerable for us parents too – a sort of pop music for everyone channel rather than songs about steamy love stuff. (and there’s only so many times you can listen to the Frozen soundtrack before you ban it for a few hours, for the sake of your own sanity)

This is where the My Songs app comes in handy. Much as I love that I’ve passed my love of musicals on to H, I do need a break from them. These days you can stream Spotify on your phone, and even my phone plugs into our new car stereo – so when the radio lets you down there is another alternative, and it isn’t annoying!

We’ve been looking at the Pop playlists, and pretty much everything on there is a track H likes – I know I can leave her with the music running and not have to vet the songs, making sure there’s nothing too dodgy (a bit like you can with musicals!).

USM Junior

On the launch of the My Songs App Karen Meekings USM’s Creative, Media and Digital Executive comments-

“We are delighted to be launching the first UK based music discovery app for children and their parents, available exclusively on Spotify. The animated App is easy to use and offers the best in children’s music with perfect playlists for every occasion from popular TV themes for the under 5’s through to current party hits for older children. Whatever their age the app offers a fun experience in a secure environment–it’s music fun for cool kids”

USM Junior also has its own YouTube channel called My USM Jr which already has over 2,000 subscribers and over 3 Million video views.

I like that the hard work has been done for you so you know what you’re playing is safe for young ears – and would highly recommend My Songs – give it a try!

We were sent a CD from USM Junior who are the people behind this app. All opinions are our own.