24/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Moshi Monsters – The Movie

Today H was treated to a film of her choice (last Christmas it was Tinkerbell). She opted for Moshi Monsters The Movie as I suspected she would. Here’s our thoughts…

Moshi Monsters The Movie was witten about on here earlier this year, and we’ve been looking forward to seeing it since. For H it was everything she wanted. The film contains mild peril which wasn’t Finding-Nemo-style scary, but I’d pre-warned H in case it was. For the 80 or so minutes the film ran she had a big happy smile on her face and plenty of questions to ask at the end.

If your child likes Moshi Monsters, chances are they’ll love the film. It’s certified a U so a fairly safe bet.

The plot. There’s a Moshling Egg which Buster Bumblechops has in his possession (as he is Monstro City’s biggest Moshling collector), which goes on display at his house. However, the evil Dr Strangeglove steals it, and it’s up to Katsuma and Poppet to get it back, accompanied by some of the other Moshi Monsters.

Of course, it being a kids movie there’s a happy ending, yet another egg is discovered so there’s a chance of a sequel, maybe? Who can say, it has only been on release for a few days…

There’s plenty of songs in there, and there seemed to be several happy kids in the cinema too.

Our post-film thoughts. I got it, followed it and was able to explain to H where she was confused. The main thing she was stuck on was why the baddies were left at the end, and what happened to them. Shaun was confused by the whole plot, though may have fallen asleep at some point (most expensive sleep he’s had since Tinkerbell, I think…). H thought it was brilliant and loved that Poppet and Luvli both featured (her two favourites) and asked several times why Poppet was sad (this was Mr Snoodle related). Shaun felt there were too many characters involved, which I’d disagree with, so I think a basic knowledge of the monsters is needed.

If your child loves the Moshi Monsters, then Moshi Monsters The Movie is definitely for them – in all good cinemas now!

Official website We booked our tickets on the Vue website, where we were given a special code for an exclusive Vue Moshling which can be redeemed at the official Moshi Monsters site. We’ve also discovered an iPad App we hadn’t come across before which we’ll be having a look at over Christmas…

23/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Sing and Play – Jingle Bells App

P2 Games have released a new title just in time for Christmas from their Sing and Play range. This time it’s Jingle Bells, and if you’ve tried their Wheels on the Bus app which we reviewed earlier this year, you’ll know what to expect. It’s a really bright colourful play along game which teaches your child how to play it really simply on a keyboard.

The Jingle Bells app is available now at the App Store, and follows the familiar pattern all P2 games have – sections to complete and sticker rewards which you can place on a themed picture. This is still very much up H’s street so she got on with it straight away, and was playing Jingle Bells fairly quickly too.

Each note is highlighted on the keyboard, so the child just needs to press it. I think H still has a bit of time before she’ll work out what she’s playing as the tune, but she’s getting there and enjoys it.

The sections within the game are :
Jigsaw puzzles – Based on 4 different seasonal songs – ‘Jingle Bells, ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’. Once completed, children will watch in wonder as the pictures come to life, allowing them to play with everything they can see.

Playable keyboard – Let’s make music! Children can learn and practice the Jingle Bells song, as well as have fun with the freeplay activity on the keyboard, experimenting with different funny silly sounds!

Colouring activity – Get creative with different brushes and tools! Use them to colour and decorate a Christmas scene, each based on a different Christmas classic.

Animated sticker soundboard – Children can earn stickers throughout game-play as rewards, which then unlock in this sticker activity.

The Sing and Play Jingle Bells app is available now in the App Store for just £1.49 – if you’re looking for a last minute present and can’t face going out in the awful weather right now, this is a good choice. This game is targeted at under 5’s.

We received a code to review this app, all opinions are our own. The link is an affiliate one.

23/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Woolly and Tig App

The popular Cbeebies show Woolly and Tig has an app available now! We’ve been trying it out for a few weeks now, so read on to find out what we think.

Woolly and Tig App

Woolly and Tig are on Cbeebies, and each show is based around normal activities your child may experience – there’s a list of the episodes here so you get an idea. Tig is a three year old girl, and Woolly is her toy spider. The game is based around Woolly with the intention of making everyday activities fun.

At the start of the game there are various things you need to get Woolly to do, from rolling over to cuddling, as well as some counting. This is achieved by doing the correct finger movements, and there’s plenty of prompts.

After that there’s the various options within the Woolly and Tig app, which can be accessed in two ways – via the parental section where you can schedule them, or just as a free play option.

The options are : Getting dressed, brush my teeth, wash my face, fun in the rain, fun in the sun, fun in the snow.

They’re all simple straightforward sections where you can earn a medal. Within the parental section you can set up the scheduler so it helps remind your child to do something, so a morning play might involve cleaning teeth until they’re squeaky clean (this amuses H) and getting dressed.

I feel H is at the higher age range for this app, and she did enjoy playing it a lot; the target age is from 3-6 year olds. It’s also worth pointing out it worked fine on the iPad Mini, and mostly worked on our first generation iPad too.

The Woolly and Tig app is available now for £2.99 at the App Store. Woolly and Tig is on Cbeebies at 10.50 and 2.50 at the moment, check your TV guide for up to date times (as it’s possible this is a Christmas schedule)

We were reimbursed the cost of the Woolly and Tig app for the purpose of review and sent a lovely goody bag – thank you! The link is an affiliate one.

03/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Light Switch Timer by Switched On Products

We don’t get away very often, but when we do I’ve often felt our house is a little exposed and it looks obvious we’re away. A light switch timer is always an easy option when you want to make your house look like there’s someone at home.

Light switch timers are one of those things I’ve looked at and felt like they’re really complicated – fitting things onto a light and with us renting, would it be the kind of thing we’d buy and have to leave in a house? This timer from Switched On Products is great and it’s so simple to set up as well – providing you have the correct kind of light switch. It won’t work with dimmer switches or any you need to twist – just the ones you press. The main point is, it needs no wiring to work – which for us is a huge selling point. It took around a minute to set up. Oh, and it works with all kinds of bulbs too – as a lot of the more complicated timers don’t work with energy-saving ones.

To get the light switch timer in place you need to loosen the back of your switch unit to allow it to fit behind (there are full instructions that come with the unit – you need to remember to switch off the power supply of course!). Make sure the rollers on the back are correctly aligned so they can activate your switch, then add the batteries and set the timer! If you need to switch on your light outside of the timer, you can press the on and off buttons. The battery part is easily removed if you’d rather just use your switch.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? And it is. I left the programming to Shaun who found it really straightforward. I jumped the first time the light switch timer worked – the noise of the rollers flicking the switch is quite a noisy one, but that’s not a problem! It’s a really simple solution – and is something which is about to be accredited by the police – as far as reviews and recommendations go, that has to be the best for a product like this!

That isn’t all – I have a special discount code which is valid at the Light Switch Timer site until the 15th December – there is a special online launch price of £27.99 online, and if you buy two you can save an additional 10% using the code Lights-on .

Actually, it’s probably best explained with this little YouTube video we made :

We received the Light Switch Timer for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own and honest.

28/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

PNP – Portable North Pole Video Message

Portable North Pole Video messages are back – the chance to get a personalised video from Santa! Well what are you waiting for?

Portable North Pole video messages are brilliant! We’ve been provided with a promo code to try out the premium video as well as receive a personalised phone call from Santa, which isn’t working just yet but should be soon. You can also download the PNP App to view your video, again not yet available, hopefully soon.

H loved her Portable North Pole video – Santa said “hello H!” and her face lit up, we got a sort of gasp and she started to wave – and yet again Santa knew EVERYTHING she’d done and had the photos to prove it.. These of course are the things I’ve set up while she was distracted, watching tv – which were straightforward, quick and editable.

I was quite pleased to see you can edit the options, for example, the four names which are shown on books are in the area where other children have been good. I amended those to her friends names from school rather than Shaun and I and her cousins as it was a better fit on the video.

On completion we got an additional Portable North Pole video which has Santa delivering his presents on Christmas Eve. The video is marked that way in your account but not when you’re viewing it. Fortunately it was vague enough that it just looked like he was checking where we live rather than saying he was on his way – a big parent fail from me there!

Ultimately, it didn’t matter, H found it magical and was delighted Santa knew so much about her and had a little book which told them what she’d done. I’d recommend ordering it in the evening and showing your child the following day. You can add a few photos of key moments from the year, and get photos from your Facebook albums which was handy. I selected five photos in total, two from holidays, one family, one of H and one of a picture she drew which came at no extra cost.

The Portable North Pole video was available immediately and we’ve already watched it a few times. If you want to start that Christmas feeling early, I’d recommend PNP – it’s a big hit in this house! We haven’t ordered the video on DVD, which comes at an additional cost, and are happy to stream it.

We’ll report back once the phone call is available, that should be interesting..
Head on over to PNP – Portable North Pole to order yours!

If you place an order and fancy a 20% discount on any of the digital products in the PNP Store, using the code BLG20BKP will work – it’s valid until the 1st January 2014.

The premium Christmas Video costs £2.99

We were provided with a promo code to try out the Portable North Pole video message service – all opinions are our own.

23/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

Portable North Pole – the Santa Sprint App

Portable North Pole is back for 2013 – and this year there’s also an app – Santa Sprint. We were given a code to give it a go.

Santa Sprint is a new game from the people behind Portable North Pole. I think we’re right on the borderline for this game and it’s something H will really enjoy very soon, but she isn’t quite there.

You need to complete each level by collecting all the various objects (and additional extras) then make your way to the stairs to progress to the next. There are several levels you can play, within each group. I’ve been playing in the library so far. This has been simple enough, but of course there are obstacles on the way – and this is where H got upset unfortunately! (she’s quite sensitive)

She was a bit upset about the ‘flame’ type characters which drain your energy levels (the area at the top where there’s a heart), which made her burst into tears! So I’ve taken it over and am finding it fun – and a break from Plants vs Zombies 2.

Santa Sprint is straightforward enough – and once you clear a floor you get a special treat from Santa (we’ve had a story which H enjoyed).

This part left me confused – H is only four, so having a Santa treat at the end isn’t something she’d benefit from if I’m playing the game. Maybe when she’s six or seven? Will she still believe in Santa then? (I hope so!)

At the end of each level, if you have enough coins you can update your clothes, magic, heat, agility and you have an option to buy double points.

You have three options for a Second Chance, and if you want any more then you guessed it – you have to buy them.

I found higher levels there was sometimes a delay in loading, but I put that down to my iPad Mini rather than the game – I have no other devices I can try it on, as it isn’t compatible with our first generation iPad.

Santa Sprint is fun, probably not one for younger kids, and has in-app purchases which I’ve switched off.
You can buy it now at the App Store for £1.99.

We were sent a code to review Santa Sprint, all opinions are our own.

18/11/201323/06/2015 by jo

Christmas Gift Ideas – Dick Bruna’s Christmas Book

Dick Bruna’s Christmas book has been republished as a golden anniversary edition by Simon and Schuster. We received a copy to review and love it – read on for more!

Dick Bruna’s Christmas book was first published in 1963 and is a classic Bruna book – he being the creator of Miffy, having his distinctive style of drawing.

Right now the book is perfect for us – H is learning about the nativity at school, and this book tells the story in an uncomplicated way. As she isn’t reading properly yet I read it to her, and she now understands a little better what it’s all about. They’re doing a school Christmas service soon and she’s quite enjoyed knowing what happened when Jesus was born. I’d say this book is ideal for youngsters in explaining the story and why Christmas exists.

A cute little addition is a bookmark in the shape of an angel – as unlike other Bruna books this is a long one so may need bookmarking. It’s also worth noting, this is the first edition by Simon & Schuster who announced they’d be re-translating the Miffy books for a big relaunch next year – the text in here is the english translation from 1995.

I asked H what she liked the best about the book – she says the best thing was finding out Jesus’ mummy and daddy’s name, aw! For me, we’ve sat and really gone into the story, and I’m still not able to answer her why Jesus was given myrrh! It’s nice to sit and read the story together, we’re not religious and haven’t really done much along these lines, so it’s helping me too.

Dick Bruna’s Christmas book is available now with a rrp of £10. It’s currently £5.75 at Amazon, so worth getting while it’s at that price!

We were sent a copy of the book for review, all opinions are our own. This post contains an affiliate link.

17/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

Movie Night – Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map

After a busy weekend we decided to have a movie night on tonight – mainly as we hadn’t had one for a while, and also as we had two films to watch – one of them being the new Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map film.

Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map is the same old Scooby Doo we’ve all grown up with, but as a puppet movie – think along the lines of the Muppets, that kind of puppetry. ‘The Mystery Map’ has the gang eating pizza (Scooby snacks are mentioned) to find the frankly quite terrifying (for a 4 year old) Phantom Parrot who has a map for Pirate Gnarlybeard’s treasure which they try to locate, and where that then leads. The ending is absolutely suitable for a four year old, and helped convince H it wasn’t that scary – it was just the getting to that point which was!

It keeps in spirit with the original Scooby Doo we all know and love, and is good for someone of H’s age as an introduction to the show. Unfortunately H was a little scared by some parts but we made it through – the whole feature is 45 minutes, so not too long. My thinking was that the first time we watched ‘Monsters Inc’ she was scared, but once you know it’s a much easier viewing a second time, so this is something we’ll revisit I’m sure.

Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map has a little break in the middle for a dance which was welcome relief for H, and of course as is the case with all Scooby Doo adventures, they’d have got away with it ‘if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!’

So in summary, it was fun. H liked it (and did laugh at several parts of the feature) – the DVD has a certificate U but does warn of mild threat and scary scenes – so we knew it was there. Fortunately it isn’t the kind of thing nightmares are made of, and for us it was nice to see what looks like a tribute to The Muppets in a Scooby Doo style.

Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map is available now in all good stores and of course Amazon.

Afterwards we had home-made pizza and watched Alice in Wonderland – see, we’ve been reading the Emma Chichester Clark books that Harper-Collins Kids have published, a review of those are to follow very soon…

We were sent The Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own, post contains an affiliate link.

07/11/201306/01/2015 by jo

When A Duck Poos On Your Head

We were walking through the park, coming home from H’s swimming lesson. It’s a short walk from home and it’s also a great short cut from the new leisure centre. We got to the main road, where we were all saying our goodbyes, when suddenly six ducks flew over our head, quacking loudly. We all looked up to admire them, when all of a sudden H burst into tears.

One of the bloody ducks had only gone and pooed on her head. Seriously!

Poor H! She didn’t have a clue what was going on (as let’s face it, you don’t really know unless there’s someone there to tell you) and fortunately I had some wipes with me in the swimming bag, so I was able to do a very basic clean up. Oh god, it STANK. It was horrid.

I let her know that actually, that happening meant she was VERY lucky. Being four and of a very sensible nature, H responded “what’s lucky about a duck doing a poo on your head?” and that’s a fair point.

So I put it out to my Facebook friends, what on earth do you do? We came up with two fantastic ideas, so thank you to Lianna and Jacques. Firstly, Shaun found two 20p pieces and put them in H’s reading book for school. She felt pretty lucky getting some money in there, and it was duly placed in her money box. (she did want to take it into school to show everyone, but was dissuaded)

I printed a duck picture onto some paper and got a workmate to write a letter saying ‘sorry’. Then I just had to get home from work on time and post the letter through the door as I left for pickup – all easy. H got home first and found the ‘piece of paper’ – managed to read what the duck had said and thinks it’s the best thing ever.

Me? I think it’s great she’s no longer angry at ducks!

Swimming night is hairwash night, and we’ve been using Johnson’s Baby Easy Rinse No Tears Shampoo – see, it may be for baby but when you’re four and you want a bit more control then the pump is great for doing it all yourself. Oh, it’s also good when you’re getting over the fear of showers. We’ve been using it a lot, and the no tears formula means she can’t pretend it hurts when it gets into her eyes. It also smells quite pleasant afterwards too, which is an enormous improvement on duck poo!

As an added distraction, we were also sent a limited edition Matey Bath Book – being a child of the seventies I still have my original Matey badge collection somewhere (I seem to remember them being of whales?) and now H bathes in the stuff. The book has a little more than previous bath books we’ve owned, and I’m finding good with her learning to read too – a clear font she can work out the words with. Add to that each page has something each character does with bubbles, so she has to re-enact each rhyme, of course.

It’s like the duck never pooed on her head really. I think we’ll keep it that way…

We were sent the book and shampoo for the purpose of review and fabulous from distraction relating to duck poo. All opinions are our own and honest.

24/10/201306/01/2015 by jo

Love Your Gums – Gummy All Your Loving

I signed up for the Oral-B Love Your Gums Challenge at BritMums, and was sent a full size tube of new Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection toothpaste to try.

Quite frankly, saying love your gums is something I should do more. My teeth are awful. They’re a mess. The back teeth have had gradually receding gums for as long as I can remember. Every time I’ve been to the dentist they’ve expressed concern but put it down to my age. My gums need some love and attention.

I’m great at getting H to the dentist, lesser so myself.

Every tooth of mine has something that has happened to it. The capped one at the front? Some random man punched me in a nightclub and knocked half of my tooth off. I spent more getting that tooth fixed than I ever got in compensation. The one which I avoid eating with at the back? Part of it fell out when I was pregnant with H, when my teeth were weaker. Throughout my teens and early twenties I would get a mouthful of ulcers and no toothpaste would make them go. I even resorted to salt toothpaste at one point. Horrid.

So Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection toothpaste claims to help your gums – hence this being a part of the Love Your Gums campaign. I have nothing to lose except my teeth. Sad but true. Bad gums = losing teeth in a nutshell. It’s pretty simple then, isn’t it?

On my lower left hand back teeth my gums are so sensitive that when I last went to the dentist they couldn’t touch it – they could see the teeth were fine but my gums were receding. I was told to concentrate on the tooth area so I decided to start here. My gums had a kind of hard border along them which I gently brushed using the toothpaste, and I really think that after a month it has made a difference. The lump is less hard, and best of all I’m using this toothpaste direct on the sensitive area with NO PAIN.

I was so impressed with this I headed straight to Superdrug and have stocked up on more tubes of Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection toothpaste as they’re on offer at the moment – if something works then it’s daft not to.

I want to come back to this in a few more months and report back, as I feel like I could make some progress with my mouth. I’m going to go back to the dentist after I’ve used this toothpaste for three months. Do you love your gums? If you’re in a similar position to me I’d really recommend trying this toothpaste out – it’s available in all good stores.

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge sponsored by Oral-B, promoting healthy gums – something especially important for pregnant women. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com

I was provided with a tube of the toothpaste, all opinions are my own and honest. (and if you’re quick they may still be on offer at Superdrug too)

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the things we do, the things we like

Category / Review

Moshi Monsters – The Movie

Today H was treated to a film of her choice (last Christmas it was Tinkerbell). She opted for Moshi Monsters The Movie as I suspected she would. Here’s our thoughts…

Sing and Play – Jingle Bells App

Woolly and Tig App

The popular Cbeebies show Woolly and Tig has an app available now! We’ve been trying it out for a few weeks now, so read on to find out what we think.

Light Switch Timer by Switched On Products

We don’t get away very often, but when we do I’ve often felt our house is a little exposed and it looks obvious we’re away. A light switch timer is always an easy option when you want to make your house look like there’s someone at home.

PNP – Portable North Pole Video Message

Portable North Pole Video messages are back – the chance to get a personalised video from Santa! Well what are you waiting for?

Portable North Pole – the Santa Sprint App

Portable North Pole is back for 2013 – and this year there’s also an app – Santa Sprint. We were given a code to give it a go.

Christmas Gift Ideas – Dick Bruna’s Christmas Book

Dick Bruna’s Christmas book has been republished as a golden anniversary edition by Simon and Schuster. We received a copy to review and love it – read on for more!

Movie Night – Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map

After a busy weekend we decided to have a movie night on tonight – mainly as we hadn’t had one for a while, and also as we had two films to watch – one of them being the new Scooby Doo Adventures – The Mystery Map film.

When A Duck Poos On Your Head

Love Your Gums – Gummy All Your Loving

I signed up for the Oral-B Love Your Gums Challenge at BritMums, and was sent a full size tube of new Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection toothpaste to try.