13/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

We Love Books – Wagtail Town – Lulu and the Treasure Hunt by Emma Chichester Clark

We were sent a copy of ‘Lulu and the Treasure Hunt’ from the Wagtail Town series by Emma Chichester Clark to review, and it has gone down really well with H.

Her first impression was what won her over – the first page is a map of Wagtail Town and given H loves those parts of her Topsy and Tim books, we were given detailed information (by H) of what was in every building – like ‘Mount Fuji Sausage House’ (we’ve no idea either!).

I’m definitely more of a dog person than cats, and enjoyed reading the story – Lulu is taking part in the New Tricks School treasure hunt, and has promised to look after little Bonnie who can’t run very fast. What will Lulu choose to do when she’s faced with staying with Bonnie or finding a clue?

There’s a good lesson to be learnt here – and I’ve found this book to be perfect for H’s age (3.5 years). We’ve been collecting more of the author’s ‘Blue Kangaroo’ series and yet again there’s lovely illustrations.

Wagtail Town – Lulu and the Treasure Hunt by Emma Chichester Clark is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in paperback, priced at £6.99. It is also available in eBook formats.

We were sent a copy of this book to review, all opinions are our own.

13/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Dentyl Active Mouthwash – a Review

I’ve been using Dentyl Active Mouthwash for years now – since I first spotted it on the shelves in the supermarket however long ago that was. It has always appealed to me, mainly as I don’t have many teeth (small mouth!), and the ones I do have are packed together – so I have to regularly floss and make sure they’re looked after.

Dentyl Active has always appealed as you shake the bottle, pour a small cupful and swish it in your mouth – and voila! It does remove some of the yucky stuff in your mouth and around your teeth. I’ve always felt so clean in my mouth afterwards and for quite some time afterwards too.

Dentyl have recently brought out a new variant – Active Enamel Restore. Which does what it says – now whether it’s working is another matter as that kind of thing takes time, but the key things it does are important:

– helps to strengthen tooth enamel by replacing lost minerals
– helps protect enamel against acid erosion
– helps enamel become more resistant to acid attack

Now, back in my day we never used mouthwash, but statistics these days are shocking – young children being admitted to hospital for tooth decay is on the rise let alone adults. Enamel erosion is on the increase thanks to our eating and drinking habits these days, which is where this comes in – Dentyl Active is suitable for children aged 7 and up – as there’s no alcohol in the mouthwash (which generally can’t be used until age 12).

Dentyl Active Enamel Restore also has the ability to lift and absorb 99.9% of oral bacteria according to 2008 US independent laboratory trials, as well as debris like food particles, bacteria and plaque from the mouth.

What else do you need to know about Dentyl Active?

– It’s alcohol-free
– it contains double the fluoride of several other mouthwash brands
– helps fight plaque bacteria
– helps maintain healthy gums
– tastes great and doesn’t sting
– provides long lasting fresh breath
– lifts and absorbs 99.9% of oral bacteria and debris in the mouth

Also, I have sensitive teeth – and have found using Dentyl Active I don’t get a reaction – which is why we’ve used it for so long.

In summary, I’d buy it, it works for me, and I’d recommend it to you!

We were sent a bottle of Dentyl Active for the purpose of review, all opinions are ours.

10/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Bio Oil – A Review

If you’re pregnant and you’ve a group of friends who’ve had babies, chances are you will have had Bio Oil recommended to you – this happened to me while pregnant, and indeed afterwards for any skin ailments you might have. BUT don’t assume Bio Oil is just for mummies, Bio Oil is for everyone – you too blokes (don’t worry it doesn’t smell of flowers and girly things) you can use it as well.

It’s really light and easy to apply, and I’ve found I never get too much when I’m using it. I have a really bad eczema/dry skin rash on my legs which never seems to clear, though Bio Oil does stop it feeling itchy, and definitely helps it feel much better.

Bio-Oil has been clinically proven to help with:

Scars: Improves appearance of new and old scars whether from surgery, accidents, burns, insect bites, scratches and chickenpox

Stretch Marks: Helps prevent formation of stretch marks during pregnancy and periods of rapid weight gain or loss and helps to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks

Uneven Skin Tone: Helps improve appearance of uneven skin tone caused by hormonal fluctuations, skin lighteners or excessive sun exposure

Ageing Skin: Helps smooth and tone ageing, sagging and wrinkled skin on both the face and body

Dehydrated Skin: Helps replenish the skin’s natural oils, stripped away by factors such as extreme weather, water with high chemical content, frequent bathing and the drying effects of central heating and air-con. Try massaging into dry patches such as nail cuticles, dry elbows and heels for targeted relief.

You can even apply Bio Oil to the face!

Alongside exclusive ingredient PurCellin Oil™ (which dramatically lowers the viscosity (stickiness and density) of the formulation to create a “dry” oil which is non-greasy), Bio-Oil’s Key ingredients include:

Vitamin A – helps improve the skin’s elasticity, texture and tone
Vitamin E – The most widely used antioxidant in skincare products today, Vitamin E increases the moisture content of the epidermis, thereby making the skin softer, smoother and more supple. Vitamin E also assists in the maintenance of healthy-looking skin
Calendula Oil – Calendula Officinalis, more commonly referred to as marigold, has been used for centuries as a natural antioxidant and has the ability to clarify and stimulates the growth of new skin cells
Lavender Oil – Lavender oil is widely known for calming and soothing benefits
Rosemary Oil – Rosemary oil helps to invigorate and it has a mild antiseptic capabilities and thus eases congestion, puffiness and swelling of the skin
Chamomile Oil – Chamomile has a calming and soothing effect and is particularly beneficial for sensitive skin

Bio-Oil is preservative-free and is not tested on animals and is available from all good supermarkets priced 60ml rsp £8.95, 125ml rsp £14.95, 200ml rsp £19.95

Follow Bio Oil on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/biooiluk

We were sent some Bio Oil for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own.

09/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Bags We Love – Mia Tui

There’s a new bag from the lovely world of Mia Tui, and mine arrived this morning!

It’s their smallest bag at 23x23cm, the Lottie and is a good size for essentials particularly if you’ve moved away from carrying nappies and wipes around (also – you don’t have to be a parent to have a Mia Tui bag – it’s one that everyone will love). The bag fits my Mia Tui purse, my phone, keys (and there’s a handy key hook) and there’s still space for more – there’s a zip across the top, plus a zip pocket at the front – and both inner and outer are waterproof. I’m going to get some tiny reusable shopping bags and I think I’ll probably have everything I need. It’s also a great price at £15 – the strap is a fabric one, so different to the other bags. It’s made from ultra-soft faux leather too.

There’s currently an offer at Mia Tui for Lottie bags – head over to their Facebook Page for a fabulous discount code. There’s also some fine-looking bags for men being launched soon (I’m very tempted to get Shaun one) – so keep an eye out! Mia Tui will also be at The Baby Show in London in a few weeks, so make sure you pop by.

06/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Dining Out at Zizzi

Sunday we were in central London and had every intention of going to Pizza Express – though we hadn’t taken into account that the Victoria Station one had been knocked down, so did a quick rethink as we didn’t want to walk too far, H was tired too.

Fortunately we found Zizzi – I’ve never eaten there before so it was a new experience for us all. We were shown to our seats quickly and served straight away – H was presented with her menu and some colouring pencils so she got straight to work doing her colouring in. I checked the iPad and they offer free Wifi via The Cloud, so was able to find a 25% off our food deal at Zizzi Deals (valid until the 13th February) – I liked we were able to do this, as we rarely plan ahead so would never have known had it not been for the free internet – and I love a good deal.

Zizzi Menu

Their menu had a good choice, especially the vegetarian options. They also had a low-calorie section (a smaller wholemeal pizza with a generous salad which came in around 14 points) and I quite liked how there were large oils on the tables – chilli oil too – my favourite!

Shaun ordered a pizza with potato on it (which looked really yummy), and H ordered a cheese and tomato one from the Bambini menu (starter, pizza or pasta and a dessert). Shaun and I had diet coke to drink and H had a juice. We ordered some dough sticks for starters.

The food came quickly and we didn’t have to wait too long – considering the restaurant was quite full we were impressed with this.

We skipped on dessert, though helped H with her two scoops of strawberry ice cream which was delicious.

After the discount, our food came in at £30 which is comparable to Pizza Express – possibly cheaper which again impressed us as we often go to the former as we know roughly what it will cost us.

Even better, with my low-calorie option I felt full for the rest of the afternoon. We’ll definitely go back!

04/02/201316/10/2014 by jo

Hotel Transylvania at the National Geographic Store in London

Yesterday we went to the National Geographic store opposite Harrods to watch ‘Hotel Transyvania’, which was released on DVD and BluRay today (4th Feb).

On arrival, we were given an activity book – and each table had some pens and scissors to make a monster mask – had we been more creative (it was early, we needed coffee) I think we’d have done better than this – the mask came with the activity book. There wasn’t a huge amount for H as she can’t read, though we were able to adapt the games (spot the letter instead of a word search), so all was not lost!

H was so excited – she got to meet Mavis, Dracula’s 118 year old daughter

as well as Johnnystein, the monster who may well not be (you’ll have to watch the film to find out more – enter the giveaway!)

After that we all settled down in the back of the store, the kids on pebble shaped cushions, to watch the movie – which comes in at around an hour and a half. H is 3.5 and I’d read there were mildly scary bits (when Dracula gets angry) – but watching her reaction she was absolutely fine with it which was good to see!

The film has a simple plot – it’s Mavis’s coming of age – she’s 118, and Count Dracula needs to learn to let go and let her discover life (so she thinks). However, Dracula has other plans. There are a few funny moments for us adults, and watching the kids there were plenty for them – and funnily enough the loud fart (complete with green gas) got the loudest laugh from them. I’d say it’s a long film, though H was pretty good at sitting through it on her own without any fears – and she enjoyed it, which is what it’s all about!

She really enjoyed the film and loved meeting Mavis and Johnnystein – and we got lucky and won a DVD copy in the raffle too, so now she can watch it whenever she fancies!

Hotel Transylvania is out today on DVD and BluRay, thank you to the PR company for organising the event!

04/02/201306/01/2015 by jo

We Love Books – This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

H got ‘I Want My Hat Back’ by Jon Klassen last Christmas, and while she’s still a bit too young to get what happened and how the bear got his hat back (despite it being fairly blatant!), this time it really does spell it out!

Jon Klassen books

A small fish has stolen a hat from a big fish. The small fish brags about it, saying how the big fish probably won’t even notice. However, as with ‘I Want My Hat Back’, there’s no happy ending to be had – well, apart from for the big fish and his nice full tummy (probably).

I love these books! What I love the most is how they work on two levels – in the first book the bear says “I would not eat a rabbit. Don’t ask me any more questions.” (when he has quite obviously eaten the rabbit), and our 3-year-old doesn’t get that message at all – just that the bear has his hat back. This time we’re dealing with fish, and the big fish doesn’t say anything – so there’s a lot more describing what’s happened for this one! (and no gore, obviously – it’s a kids book)

The books are wonderfully illustrated by Jon Klassen and involve minimal words – there’s plenty to get your imagination going. If you haven’t come across either book, here’s the trailer for ‘I Want My Hat Back‘

and here’s the one for ‘This is Not My Hat‘

See? Lovely! Both are published by Walker Books and are available to buy now! We read both books to H – she’s almost 3.5 now, and was having them read to her at 2.5 if you had any concerns. The books aren’t obvious with what happened, and she still doesn’t realise what has actually happened to the hat-thieves.

31/01/201316/10/2014 by jo

Protecting your iPad – a Review

So, two weeks ago I bought myself an iPad Mini. We already have an iPad which was given to us by one of my very excellent friends, and we use it a lot – but as time progresses I’m finding Apple is moving so quickly that things are going out of date way too fast; horribly so. We had some games which wouldn’t load and some which crashed and actually, reviewing iPad Apps means you need something to try them on, so that’s how I justified the expense, but there was a problem.

I got it home and gazed at this new object of beauty – BUT – it needs a good protective cover. Something which if I take it out and about will protect it. My bag is a bit like a tardis, I find all kinds of things in there I don’t expect to – so I can’t guarantee anything is completely safe in there.

A day later, and I was approached by Mobile Fun to see if I’d like to try an iPad case out – talk about perfect timing! So I went with the SD Tabletwear as it looks like the kind of thing which would suit, doesn’t look too bulky and still does what I need it to. Oh, and there’s a little ledge where you can prop up the iPad too.

Being an organised company, they’ve even done a YouTube video which if you’re like me and don’t bother reading instructions, is pretty handy – so watch on…

So, what do I think? I really like it, it’s been in my bag several times and there’s been no issues. My iPad Mini is well protected and stays put, and there’s even a little hole where the lens is so you can keep taking photos – important if you’re like me and have to take photos of everything, ever. The hole was in the right place and so far I’ve not had any photos with a border, which is good! I used it to when we went into London last Wednesday for the Henry Hugglemonster drawing morning and got some great photos really quickly.

There’s also one other feature I really like – the iPad comes on when you open the case, and switches off when you close it. Just a teeny tiny little thing there, but I like it. Even better, it isn’t a bank-breaking price, coming in at £19.95.

I was sent a protective case for review, all opinions are my own.

30/01/201306/01/2015 by jo

We Love Books – The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson

Oh boy. The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson makes me want to cry. It’s good – but it’s a proper lump in the throat kind of book. H loves it – she doesn’t quite get it yet, so it’s currently a magical book where she’ll try to spot the butterfly hairslide on each page, and where a little boy ‘isn’t very nice’.

The book starts with a child who makes paper dolls with her mother. The paper dolls have adventures with the child and a happy time – but then something bad happens. But, as with all good memories, they don’t go away, even if they don’t exist in a physical form any more, and are passed on through the years.

That’s the bit that gets me. Every time. As a parent who will one day have to explain about my dad dying before H was born, I think this is a good book to explain if something isn’t there any more the good memories are – which is why this gets me every time. On a simpler level, a child losing a loved toy would also get it at this level.

We borrowed this book from the library, and I suspect we’ll be owning our own copy very soon. I had no idea a book, especially one for children, could make me well up like this. Highly recommended!

The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson is also illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, published by MacMillan Books, ISBN 0-230-74108-9

28/01/201326/03/2018 by jo

App Time – The Wheels On The Bus app

I am currently sitting down on the laptop, a lazy Saturday sort of moment, with H sat next to me on the iPad. She’s playing this game, and is playing ‘The Wheels On The Bus’ app on the keyboard on this section of the game. She’s absolutely hooked – really focused and playing along – for the first time ever. She’s doing it correctly, and isn’t getting frustrated.

Wheels on the Bus Main Screen

A bit of background – a while back we reviewed the ‘Four Little Speckled Frogs’ activity box on here – and the same people – Music For Kids have now made available the Wheels on the Bus app for the iPad with P2 Games – and it sits perfectly alongside the game. It’s all about teaching children about music – I don’t want to confidently declare she’ll be playing it on her own in a week, but she has recognition of the notes that make up the song – and being very sticker motivated, is delighted when she earns one as well. There’s something different about this game and I haven’t yet worked out what – it could be the slower tempo of the song, which allows her to play at a similar tempo, it could be it’s really nice and clear to join in with maybe. I know she loves earning stickers as each sticker does something, makes a noise, plays a song even.

Wheels on the Bus Play Along

There are several sections to the Wheels on the Bus app – you can paint some pictures (which she always enjoys), you can do the stickers, you can play the tunes (and make up your own with several different tones – our favourite was the last one – green maybe? It makes all kinds of great noises!) and you can put together jigsaws.

In fact, what I like about this game is that she’s learning – it’s one that I’ve been able to sit alongside her and help, but she’s got her head around quite quickly and done on her own.

Wheels on the Bus Sticker Scene

That’s why we’re loving this game – she’s got a real sense of pride when she’s played a tune she recognises – and I think that’s a fantastic achievement!

The Wheels on the Bus app comes from P2 Games Limited and is available on the App Store now and costs only £1.49.

We received a code to review, all opinions are our own

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