Category: Reviews

1. St Andrews Day : Buyahipflask.com Review

   Posted on 10:30pm Thursday 27th Nov 2014

   You may know that on November 30th the world celebrates St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. There will undoubtedly be parties galore in Scotland, events around the world and maybe a few wee drams to warm the cockles, given the cold November we are having.

   As I am now married to a Scotsman, this holiday is somehow now more prevalent in our calendar and he is very proud of his heritage. According to Scotland.org "Saint Andrew (who is believed to have later preached around the shores of the Black Sea), was an agile and hardy Galilean fisherman whose name means Strong and who also had good social skills. He brought the first foreigners to meet Jesus and shamed a large crowd of people into sharing their food with the people beside them. Today we might describe him as the Patron Saint of Social Networking!"

   It was through the power of social networking that I came across Buyahipflask.com. I have to admit that I *may* have historically thought that a hipflask was more suited to the older generation but after seeing a fellow blogger at an event with an uber cool hipflask, I suspected I should re-evaluate my opinon.

   Given the chance to review a hipflask, I spent ages browsing round the site and whilst I was tempted by a very cool one for myself, I knew that really I should get one for my very own Scotsman. I know it sounds ridiculous but I love that Buyahipflask are based in Scotland and even more so that their hipflasks are made in the UK.

   

   I chose the 6oz Tartan Round Flask  which retails at a very affordable £27.00 and you get the chance to personalise many of the flasks too. There are so many to choose from that it becomes a little mind boggling but I loved the stylish simplicity of this flask, whilst being a little different to the standard hip flask shape.

   

   All their hip flasks are made from 100% Pewter, which keeps its shine with minimal effort, perfect for me who has minimal time to polish the silverware. (word of warning don't put it next to an emery board in your handbag, as this *may* scuff your shiny flask ..... just a small suggestion). On the subject of my handbag, did I also mention that it fits perfectly in a handbag for a cheeky tipple on a night out?

   

   So what is our verdict?

   What we love:

   • The extensive range of designs
   • The quality
   • The fact they are made in the UK
   • The ease of the site.

    

   What we don't like:

   • That the Scotsman has a hipflask in MY handbag .... I may just fill it with Pinot Grigio instead!
   • !

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2. Tommee Tippee Sangenic Nappy Disposal Review

   Posted on 3:55pm Monday 3rd Nov 2014

   There are a few things that you suddenly find yourself talking about when you become a parent and toilet habits are one of them! So when Tommee Tippee offered our baby blogger the chance to try their new nappy disposal unit, we thought we would give it a try .... here's what she thought.
   
   Nappies; not the most glamorous of topics, but the subject of changing our little ones bum's is one that often comes up in our household and I expect others too! I'd never thought about a way of disposing nappies other than chucking them straight into the bin outside. However, when I was given the opportunity to review the Tommee Tippee Sangenic Nappy Disposal system, it was quite timely as nipping outside to the bin a few times a day in the winter months isn't quite so appealing, and with another baby due in December, it's only going to be a more frequent activity! 
   
   The new coloured design of the Sangenic tub comes in blue and pink so I chose the blue one in order to match my son's bedroom, and I'm very pleased to say it actually goes really well, for a nappy bin it probably couldn't be more stylish. This pleases me for starters!

   
   
   

    

   key features

   • Twists & wraps each nappy to lock in odour
   • Antibacterial film kills 99% of germs on contact and offers unbeatable odour protection
   • 100 times more effective at odour protection than nappy sacks+
   • Comes with one pre-loaded film cassette
   • Holds up to 28 nappies at one time*
   • All Sangenic Disposal systems now work with a one-size-fits-all type of cassette.

   It's simple to use, you just pop your nappies or nappy sacks into the top, spin it and the nappy disappears into the main tub. Can I smell anything after? Pleased to report no smell  ....... yippee! However when it comes to emptying the bin there is nothing to completely protect the senses so unfortunately this bin doesn't actually work miracles, but its good enough to mean that only one trip to the outside bin is needed per day or so. 

   I think this bin is useful but will really come in handy when I've got two little bums to change. Tommee Tippee advise that on average, each cassette will last approximately 3-4 weeks (tested using size 3 nappies (5-9kg) using 3 nappies per day). So anything that makes life a little easier on a day to day basis is always a winner, and it gets an extra star for being surprisingly very good looking! Well done Tommee Tippee!

   The new pink & blue nappy disposal system from Sangenic are part of an exclusive promotion at Mothercare and are usually £31.00 but currently on offer at £15.50! Go grab one while you can!

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3. Hatton Country Park : Pumpkin Week

   Posted on 9:31pm Thursday 30th Oct 2014

   Halloween happens to be one of my favourite holidays.

   Hatton Country Park in Warwick also happens to be one of our favourite places to go with the children (we had the toddlers birthday here last year).

   So Halloween at Hatton sounded a little bit like our ideal day out. It didn't disappoint.

   

   The whole park was decorated, not just by a few simple decorations but all the staff were dressed up, there were pumpkins everywhere and there was no escaping Halloween.

   

   The little one was more interested in the goats than the ghouls but at least she wasn't scared (by either of them).

   

   During Pumpkin Week at Hatton, every child gets the chance to take home their own pumpkin ....... you just have to find one in the Pumpkin Patch!

   

   So the search began ......

   

   The tween became a little obsessed with finding the "perfect pumpkin".

   

   This went on for some time .....

   

   And as for the pumpkin ...... well the tween is fairly sure she picked the best of the patch!! Although it is Daddy's job to carve it (I will keep you posted on that one!)

   

   There is still time to get your pumpkin and enjoy some fun with the family at Hatton this half term, you have until the 2nd November to enjoy the festivities! What are you waiting for??

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4. Afterschoolchefs Challenge : Let's build a waffle house

   Posted on 9:31pm Tuesday 30th Sep 2014

   I am going to pick up the (chicken) pieces and build a waffle house .....

   

   Okay, okay, it might not have the same ring to it as Ed Sheerans version but he does say "if things go wrong we can knock it down" and we love a chance to knock stuff down. However the Man on the Lilypad really loves a challenge and when he heard that we were going to take part in the #AfterSchoolChefs challenge, he was ready with the fish fingers and waffles.

   We are huge fans of making mealtimes fun, especially on a Monday evening when we have the madness of the school run, then swimming lessons, which means that dinner time is later than usual. Getting back into the routine has taken some getting used to, so we need something healthy but quick and easy too and Birds Eye give us both. Unfortunately for me, the Man on the Lilypad wanted to help the girls create something amazing this week, so I left them to it.

   Ed Sheeran says ....

   "I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind" and while I was out of sight, they built a waffle house complete with fish finger roof, chicken dipper trees, and petit pois grass.

   

   "I'm out of touch, I'm out of sauce, I'll pick you up and swallow you right down

   And out of all these things I've done I will love you batter (or breaded) now.

    

   This post is an entry for #Afterschoolchefs Challenge, sponsored by Birds Eye. Learn more on the Birds Eye Facebook Page

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