Category: Reviews

1. Hatton Country World : Water Wars Review

   Posted on 10:07pm Wednesday 17th Aug 2016

   We are big fans of Hatton Country World and this Summer sees the launch of their brand NEW activity, Waterwars; and what is more exciting is that Hatton Adventure World is the only place that you can play this in the whole of the West Midlands. So on a very sunny August day we decided to go and check it out!

   

   Based in Hatton, Warwick, Hatton Adventure Park has something for all ages but I really think this summer that they have worked extremely hard to target the 8-13 year olds. We have always struggled to find days out that appeal to the differing ages of our girls, so having a range of activities at Hatton meant that everyone was kept happy! The little ones didn't want to get wet so didn't try Water Wars but the older girls LOVED it and it was a perfect way for them to cool down on a VERY hot summers day. Take a look at the video to see what we mean!

    

   You can take part in the timed battles throughout the day (but make sure you check the timetable to avoid disappointment) and you and other combatants will be armed with water pistols and with only a few obstacles to hide behind you’ll have to do plenty of running to avoid trouble! We took towels with us but given how warm it was, the girls soon dried off although if you went on an overcast day you may want to take a change of clothes.

   Although Hatton Adventure World is always busy we have never found that we are stuck in long queues waiting for our turn, which is just as well when the children want to have a go on EVERYTHING.

   In addition to the Water Wars, the packed programme for up to 13's includes:

   • Laser Combat
   • Orienteering
   • Survival Skills
   • Assault Course
   • Superslide

   So while the big kids were enjoying their adventures, it gave us time to let the little ones do what they wanted to do and that included everything from petting and feeding the animals to the Zoobee puppet show and tractor ride, all of which is included in the entry cost. The only additional thing we had to pay for was a Pony ride at £2.50 per child.

   

    

     

   

   The outdoor fairground rides for the younger children were a big hit (I can't tell you how many times they went on the teacups) and the sandpit is a lovely way for them to enjoy some sensory play but Hatton really do have every area covered, so if the weather isn't as glorious as we found, they have a fantastic indoor play area too.

   We were gifted our entrance tickets but we know that a day out with the family can be costly so we would recommend taking a picnic as there are lots of places to sit and eat but our top tip is:

   BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AND SAVE

   Save 25% when booking 7 days in advance

   Save 17.5% when booking 4 days in advance

   Save 7.5% when booking 1 day in advance

   We have been to Hatton every year for as long as I can remember and the range of activities and adventures grows every year. Come rain or shine, there really is something for every age ...... including lovely ice creams for the Mums! The Water Wars will be at Hatton until the 4th September, so grab the family and enjoy a fun filled day out while the sun is still shining.

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2. Firmoo Glasses Review

   Posted on 5:50pm Sunday 22nd May 2016

   As I have worn glasses for as long as I can remember, so when Firmoo contacted me to ask if I’d review a pair of their glasses, I have to admit that I jumped at the chance. I had recently bought a pair of glasses that were not my usual style and I have felt uncomfortable in them ever since. I have blogged about my bad eyesight before (and the awful glasses I have worn over the years), so I am always excited to get new glasses especially when they are stuck on the front of my face pretty much 24/7.

   The website automatically defaults to US Dollars and when you convert to GBP I have to admit my surprise to see glasses at £25.00. I have spent hundreds of pounds on my glasses and lenses over the years, so was intrigued to see how the quality would compare. The website has daily recommendations on frames but the selection process is really easy to navigate with well-thought out search filters which allow you to narrow your choices based on frame type, material, color, shape, size, and price. 

   The one thing to remember is that if you are ordering prescription glasses, you do need an up to date prescription and another word of advice is to ensure that you keep your prescription in a safe place. You know, the kind of safe place that you can remember where it is. This *obviously* did not happen to me. You will also need to know your PD, your PD stands for Pupillary Distance, which is the distance between your pupils in millimeters, Your PD is very important for accurately fitting your lenses to achieve vision acuity. Unfortunately not all optometrists write this on your prescription (as I suspect they want you to purchase in store, rather than buy online) but the good news is that you can actually measure this yourself.

   Stand in front of a mirror, place a millimeter ruler on the bridge of your nose (a childs one will do, or a tape measure). Keep the rule "0" measurement is exactly in line with the center of your left pupil. Oh and make sure that you hold the ruler straight (and remember that you should have done your eyebrows if you are going to take a close up photo)

   

   I chose some frames that I knew would suit my face shape and simply entered my prescription and my pupilary distance measurement and checked out. There are lots of lens options, which increase the price (as you would imagine) but the checkout process is quick and simple.

   So I waited and was pleasantly surprised to find the glasses arrive within 7 days. (That is quicker than my local opticians!)

   

   The glasses come in a stylish case, with lens cloth and I couldn't wait to open them. 

   

   The glasses felt really lightweight, especially in comparison to some frames I have had but equally for the price of the frames, I wasn't expecting them to be extra sturdy. I have been wearing them for a week now and have struggled to find anything I don't like about them.

   For the benefit of a balanced review, I would say:

   The Pros:

   • Good online selection
   • It really didn’t take long to find a pair that I thought would be suitable and the ordering process was really easy.
   • Option to make your lenses thinner (which is good when you could be mistaken for wearing milk bottles like me)
   • Lightweight
   • Fast Delivery

   The Cons:

   • You may need to go into an opticians to get them altered or adjusted slightly. (I didn't but can see how some people should be aware of this)
   • Taking your own measurements for pupilary distance isn't the easiest thing to do so having someone to help you might be better than using a mirror like I did.

   

   For me, I am delighted with these new frames, I am really pleased with how they look and feel on my face (they make me look intelligent over a glass of wine which is always a bonus) and when my Mum asked me to go with her to buy some new glasses, I told her that she needs to check out the selection on Firmoo first. So if I am prepared to recommend them to my Mum, I am more than happy to recommend them to you!

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3. Tommee Tippee Complete Starter Kit Review

   Posted on 4:23pm Wednesday 27th Apr 2016

   We are big breastfeeding advocates but let's be honest, we all just advocate making sure our babies are happy, healthy and well fed regardless of who is feeding them (bottles are always nice bonding time for Dad's too), so our baby blogger has been putting the Tommee Tippee Complete Starter Kit through its paces for the past 6 months. We did an unboxing video on Youtube a little while ago, so you can see everything that is in the kit. Have a little look below;

    

   After 6 months of intensive use,  our baby blogger wanted to share her honest thoughts and opinions on the kit, so I shall therefore hand you over to Lynette .....

   I had always intended to bottle feed my daughter. I did with my son, and always felt quite confident that I would with my daughter.  It was important for me to choose a good steriliser, as I knew that it would be used a great deal. Possibly up to 4/5 times a day. I had an Avent one with my son, but after a few months it wasn't performing as well as it was previously. This may have been through over use as my son fed a lot. 

   We decided upon the Tommee Tippee starter kit steriliser. Not only did it come with the steriliser, it also came with a variety amount of sized bottles and other items that really did give us everything we needed to get "started". The set includes:

   • Electric Steam Steriliser
   • Travel Steriliser
   • Electric Bottle and Food Warmer
   • 3 x 150ml Closer to Nature Easi-Vent Bottles with Slow Flow Teats
   • 5 x 260ml Closer to Nature Easi-Vent Bottles with Slow Flow Teats
   • 2 x Medium Flow Teats – 3-6m
   • 2 x Fast Flow Teats – 6m+
   • 4 x Milk Storage Lids
   • 6 x Milk Powder Dispensers – 0m+
   • 2 x Insulated Bottle Bags
   • 1 x Bottle and Teat Brush

   On first inspection the steriliser was nice and big, with room to fit 6 bottles. Plus extra space to fit the lids and dummies should need be. The design, although large on first appearance, is oval shaped and slim fitting on a work surface. I chose the white design, however the black design was lovely. 

   I found the steriliser is easy to use. It is clearly evident where the bottles, teats and kids need to go. There is ample room around the tears and lids for dummies. 

   As a result of  my daughter having to spend time in SCBU, I also had to use the steriliser to sterilise my breast pump.  There was lots of room here to fit all of the attachments from the pump, as well as any containers for storing milk. 

   The time for the steriliser to complete a cycle is about 15 minutes, a little longer my previous steriliser, however, the bottles come out feeling fresh and clean, although very hot, so do be careful.

   My only down point to the steriliser is that sometimes when it is put on, it will switch itself off after a couple of minutes. I have still not discovered why? I thought this may be a fault with just mine, however friends of mine who have the same one have also had the same problem.So, you need to check once you have put it on after about 5 minutes. That it is still running, otherwise you may come to making up a feed and the bottles have not been sterilised.  

   Without gushing too much over a practical piece of equipment, in my honest opinion it is the best one I have tried, it is stylish and doesn't look out of place in my kitchen. I loved all the accessories that came with it. We are off on holiday in a few weeks and I will be taking the travel steriliser with me. The bottles, even after 6 months are still in excellent condition and look as good as new. The only thing that have been changed are the teats, and that is due to the need for faster flowing ones and not as a result of wear and tear.

   If you are looking for a steriliser that is stylish and dependable then this is the one for you, it is available from all major retailers for around £99.99, although it is worth shopping around for the best deals. The health advice is that you can stop sterilising after 6 months but I intend to carry on using mine for the foreseeable future. If you are looking for more Tommee Tippee videos, take a little look at our Perfect Prep video that we did a few years ago.

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4. Their Nibs : For her nibs! Review

   Posted on 9:30pm Monday 4th Apr 2016

   The love of shopping in our house has continued to increase as both of my girls get older but their individual styles are coming out more and more, whereas I appear to have less and less influence. My eldest is now "too cool" for pretty dressses and fairy prints but my youngest adores pink and sparkly and those things considered traditionally girly. That is why we have fallen a little bit in love with the brand, Their Nibs. 

   Their Nibs design beautifully crafted children’s fashion with bespoke prints, luxury finishings and unique attention to design details. You can get lost in their delightfully English website while you browse around the nightwear, vintage-style girls dresses and bohemian homeware and it was difficult to choose just one piece.

    

   We are big fans of the "PJ Saturday", so the Fairy Print Pyjamas were the perfect choice for my very own little fairy and we have consequently had numerous debates over her actually wearing them out of the house.

   I wanted to give a fair review of the fabric and how they washed, but that became a challenge as the 4 year old loved them so much, that she didn't want me to actually wash them! Thankfully I managed to get her into some other clothing (as I really did need to leave the house) and got the pyjamas into the washing machine. They washed beautifully and barely needed ironing (although I still debate over whether I should iron PJ's) and they were soon being worn at every opportunity again.

   

   I love the "skinny" leg styling of the pyjamas as this is a style that is a favourite in our house and it suits her slim waist as many pyjamas swamp her and she ends up only wearing the top. 

   The pyjamas are £20.00 and for the quality and beautiful design that you get, I think that it is reasonably priced. When ordering online you can choose 'Send as Gift' for gorgeous gift wrapping and it is little touches like this that make you want to buy from this established brand. Spring 2016 see Their Nibs expand their collection with new Homeware and Ladies Nightwear lines and with existing celebrity fans of their clothing ranges, we are quite sure that we need to be buying a new bedset before the celebrities start buying them all!!

   Their Nibs provide you with beautifully crafted alternatives to children’s high street fashion with bespoke prints, luxury finishings and unique attention to design details. What is not to love?

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