Category: Reviews

1. Philips ADR 810 Dash Cam Review

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 22nd Aug 2017

   We might consider ourselves to be a tech savvy family but reviewing gadgets doesn't usually fall in our remit however with so much focus on dash cam's in the news lately, we jumped at the chance to flex our review skills and take a look at the Philips ADR 810 Dash Cam. 

   We were told the usual sales spiel in that the Philips ADR 810 Dash Cam offers peace of mind when you need it most and with automatic recording means there’s no need to spend ages setting it up each time, simply switch it on and drive. In case of a collision, the Dash Cam automatically saves the recording to secure your evidence and prevent it being overridden.

   So what did we think?

   

   Setting it up

   There isn't much in the box so thought it would be nice and easy to set up but we hit an intiial hurdle when we realised that you need an SD card to do the recording on and the dash cam doesn't come with one. It is worth noting that it is a micro SD card that you need, so worth making sure you have one before trying to set up.

   Once we got past this little blip, the setup was actually very quick, although you don't get a full set of instructions just a handy little guide but even I could work it out. To be honest, the set up takes less than a minute but worth noting that the Philips ADR810 Dash Cam doesn’t have its own internal battery which means it needs to be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket on the car to give it some power.

   It comes with super sticky pads so that you can attach it securely and as the Dash Cam is super lightweight at only 83 grams, with dimensions of 106.7 x 50.0 x 32.5mm, you don't worry about it falling off as can happen with some of the plastic sucker attachments. 

   Functions

   The Philips ADR 810 dash cam features smart automatic functions, excellent video performance with perfect night view and a 156° wide angle lens.

   • In the case of a collision, an emergency (and handy) recording is automatically saved to secure the evidence and prevent overwriting
   • A clever fatigue index will produce a visual and audible warning message when the driver should take a rest (unless you don't like being told what to do by a machine)
   • Instant replay function can help to clarify responsibility on the spot with date/time stamped proof
   • The ADR 810 captures details day and night with optimised night view
   • A 156° wide angle lens captures more of the road with this wide angle lens 

   

   The power cable is REALLY long which is a good thing if your cigarette lighter socket isn't at the front of your car but the wire does need keeping under control (a bit like my kids!!)

   The children have been fascinated by the Dash Cam, although my eldest said that I will have to watch my own speed now as it is being recorded (I am not entirely sure what she is implying) but the youngest has become convinced that we are going to catch "bad guys" doing "bad stuff" on our Dash Cam and become heros! So everyone is a clearly a fan, even if they don't understand the tech side of it. 

   The Pro's

   • Lightweight small & compact
   • Not easy for thieves and other motorists to see, unlike some other cameras
   • Driver fatigue warning that alerts the driver if their tiredness is affecting the quality of their driving.
   • Easy to navigate menus

   The Con's

   • The sticky pads are extremely sticky which is great for keeping its position in the car but not ideal if you want to change it into a different vehicle. A suction mount would be a good option in addition to the sticky pads.
   • You need to purchase a seperate micro SD card before you can start recording. 

   So if the only real downsides relate to sticky pads, we think this is a pretty impressive piece of kit for £139.99.

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2. LOL SURPRISE Dolls "unboxing" & #giveaway

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 23rd Jun 2017

   If, like me, you live in a world where baby dolls are treated the same as real babies and your children watch endless videos on Youtube of toys being unwrapped then we have something for you! 

   LOL Surprise Dolls are the ultimate unboxing toys with 7 layers to get through. There is a cute little printed zip design on each layer, which, once you have pulled it open reveals stickers and blind bags inside. The "let me out of here" blind bags contain everything you need for your LOL Surprise Doll such as dresses, shoes, accessories and a drinks bottle for each character. 

   

    

   We have had great fun trying to find out which of the dolls cry, spit, tinkle or change colour. There are 45 in Series 1, so there are lots to collect but you just have to keep your fingers crossed that you don't get a duplicate as each ball really is a surprise!

   So if you want to join the LOL excitement with the ultimate unboxing experience that offers a different surprise with each layer, we are thrilled to have one of the LOL Surprise! Dolls to giveaway. Just enter below and good luck!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Terms & Conditions

   The Prize: LOL Surprise - Series 1
   The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
   By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
   There is no monetary equivalent.
   Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
   If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
   End Date 08/07/2017 at 12am

    

    

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3. Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise Review & Competition

   Posted on 12:00am Wednesday 21st Jun 2017

   Many years ago my eldest daughter had a number of Lalaloopsy dolls and whilst I always thought that they were super cute, my youngest daughter never showed much interest. So when the time came, I gave her collection of dolls away to a charity shop. Typically just months later my youngest daughter becomes obsessed with baby dolls and suddenly I am kicking myself for giving her sisters away. Since then and on a fairly daily basis, my daughter asks for a potty for her "babies" so when we were given the chance to review the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise, we leapt at the chance. 

   

   Lalaloopsy dolls are not your conventional "baby dolls", they have a  very distinctive look about them and the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise is no different.

   Obviously you have to wrestle with all the ties and packaging whilst having a small child bouncing up and down next to you while you attempt to remove everything from the box but once it is open, the set includes:

   • Lalaloopsy Baby wearing a cute little bib and a pretty nappy.
   • Potty,
   • Bowl with spoon
   • 3 pots of magic food. wearing a cute little bib and a pretty nappy. 

   

   My daughter played with the doll by itself for some time before asking about the "potty surprises" and so we set about trying to feed the doll with the food. (Think magic sand and you won't be far wrong).

   

   So in theory you pop the spoon with some food on it into her mouth and turn the dial on the back of the baby to one of the four positions.Then you need to turn the belly button to the right and hold it there for a few seconds. (this is the tough bit and my daughter couldn't do this by herself). You then need to sit the baby on the potty and gently rock her forwards and backwards a few times, which techinically triggers the poop release and out comes the potty surprise. 

   

   In all honesty, we haven't managed to consistently achieve some of the shapes above but that doesn't mean we haven't laughed everytime the baby has pooped out a random shape into the potty.

   At £29.99, the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise is not only well priced but well made too. Aside from this, my daughter adores her and gets excited to play with her every single day. We are therefore just as excited to give you the chance to win one and all you need to do is enter below!

   Good luck

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

   The Prize: Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise Doll £29.99
   The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
   By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
   There is no monetary equivalent.
   Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
   If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
   End Date 30/06/2017 at 12am

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4. How to deal with Asthma in the changing weather temperatures

   Posted on 6:17pm Monday 27th Mar 2017

   Asthma can be hard work at any time of the year for sufferers but the changing weather of late can make it all the more difficult. We have had some really cold snaps and the cold, dry air can be painful on the lungs and make doing the simplest task outside more arduous. Aside from the cold, dry air is the other big problem for asthma sufferers at this time of year as is the high number of respiratory and sinus infections that hang around.  Nearly every child in my daughters school has a cold at the moment, meaning avoiding those bugs can be hard work. 

   Most asthma sufferers, are eligible for a flu shot and this is another good measure to reduce the risk of getting those cold and flu bugs.  It also helps that if you do get the flu, the conditions won’t be quite as severe as they would be without the jab.

    

   Combatting the cold

   It would be nice to say don’t go out in the cold during winter but this doesn’t always solve all the problems.  However, when you are outside, try to avoid opening your mouth.  This is because when you open your mouth, the cold air is sucked straight into your lungs and causes the asthma to flare up.  If you are going to be chatting while outside, wear a scarf or a muffler over your nose and mouth to reduce the impact of the cold.

   How to manage your asthma on warmer days

   The weather has been beautiful in the UK for the past few days but with increased temperatures there is also an increased risk of having an asthma attack for the 1 in 11 people in the UK who have asthma. There is a theory that warm weather can increase the amount of pollutants and mould in the air - both of which can trigger asthma symptoms

   It is great to encourage children to play in the fresh air, if a child wants to play outside, it is good to let them but try to plan any outdoor activities for earlier in the day when the air quality tends to be better.

   Have an asthma plan

   All asthma sufferers should have a plan to deal with an asthma attack and for children, this plan should be discussed with teachers and child-minders.  It involves knowing what to do if there is an attack, what medication is needed and at what point help must be sought.  Medication should also be taken any time before you go outside to help the change in air temperature – around 30 minutes beforehand is ideal if possible.

   Conclusion

   The cold, damp weather, thunderstorms, really hot weather and a sudden change in temperature can trigger symptoms for some people so while we welcome the sunshine at the moment, we need to ensure that it is not triggering asthma symptoms for the little one.

   In the meantime, we are continuing to show our support for Asthma UK which has been an invaluable resource to us and we are planning on trying to organise an Big Asthma Bake Sale for World Asthma Day on the 2nd May 2017. So, anyone for cake??

   

   
   

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