This product comes with one refillable water pen, and a reversible drawing mat (orange on one side and green on the other). The mat then sits on a faux wooden foam desk, which you assemble yourself.
I think the mat on its own is great. It is suitable for18 months plus, so both Dolly and Betty have enjoyed playing with it. You can draw pictures with the water pen, and once you have drawn on one side you can flip it over and draw on the other side, whilst you are waiting for the first picture to dry and start over again. It creates no mess, because it is just water, so you can let your child lose on it pretty much anywhere. I think that it will be ideal for long car journeys or whilst staying at other peoples houses, eliminating the risk of your child drawing on their walls with felt tips.
However, although I like the mat, I really do not like the desk that comes with it. I think that it is a total waste of time, space and money. I just do not see the point in it, when you can just place the mat on your lap or at a proper table or on the floor. I think the desk also looks cheap.
If you could just buy the mat without the desk, I think it would be a much more appealing product, and also it would slash the price of £29.99 quite considerably.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Say it with Celebrations - personalised chooclate
Yesterday I got a lovely little surprise package in the post - it was box of chocolates from Celebrations. Just receiving chocolate in the post is in itself pretty exciting for a chocolate fiend such as myself, but when I opened the box there was the added surprise of seeing my blog logo and a photo of Betty and Dolly (taken from my blog), and a personalised message which read 'We wanted to tell you how much we love reading Flower Fairies and Fairy Cakes by sending some yummy Celebrations to enjoy!' Talk about making a girl smile!
They also stated that my readers can order these personalised chocolates and get 2 for 1 if the order is placed before 25th October. If you are interested in surprising someone with these personalised chocolates go to: www.sayitwithcelebrations.co.uk/?promo and enter the promo code: FAIRY.
Thank you Celebrations!
They also stated that my readers can order these personalised chocolates and get 2 for 1 if the order is placed before 25th October. If you are interested in surprising someone with these personalised chocolates go to: www.sayitwithcelebrations.co.uk/?promo and enter the promo code: FAIRY.
Thank you Celebrations!
Friday, 24 September 2010
Toys R Us: Disney Princess Go Glow Light
I am not just saying this, but this product is just what Betty always wanted! I had to confiscate Betty's Peppa Pig torch at bedtime because she kept forgetting to turn the blimin thing off before she went to sleep, thus costing us a fortune in batteries.
Like most children, Betty loves torches, and so when this Go Glow Light arrived from Toys R Us, it seemed like the perfect solution. The torch sits on the rechargeable base and acts as a night-light, giving off a soft glow. When taken off the base, the torch acts as a, well, torch, but without the whole costly inconvenience of batteries running out, because as soon as the torch is placed back on the base it begins recharging.
If I were to be really picky, I personally would have preferred the picture design on the product to be a bit quirkier and more tasteful (perhaps moons and colouful stars, or clouds and rainbows), but that is just my opinion and Betty does not agree, because she is a little girl, and loves all things princesses and fairies. So I will shut up.
This is a night-light and a battery-less torch all in one - and it is a genius idea.
Like most children, Betty loves torches, and so when this Go Glow Light arrived from Toys R Us, it seemed like the perfect solution. The torch sits on the rechargeable base and acts as a night-light, giving off a soft glow. When taken off the base, the torch acts as a, well, torch, but without the whole costly inconvenience of batteries running out, because as soon as the torch is placed back on the base it begins recharging.
If I were to be really picky, I personally would have preferred the picture design on the product to be a bit quirkier and more tasteful (perhaps moons and colouful stars, or clouds and rainbows), but that is just my opinion and Betty does not agree, because she is a little girl, and loves all things princesses and fairies. So I will shut up.
This is a night-light and a battery-less torch all in one - and it is a genius idea.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Toys R Us: Moon Dough Playful Puppies
We have always been all about the Play Doh in this house - it is probably Betty's all time favourite thing to play with. So I was genuinely intrigued to see what she would make of this new Moon Dough - I wasn't sure if she would reject it in disgust or whether she would welcome something slightly different - like me.
This particular set was the playful puppies one - it comes with a kennel which produces puppies, and also a couple of moulds for making bones etc. My initial concerns were that Betty actively does not like dogs and so I was unsure if this would marr her enjoyment. However, Dolly absolutely LOVES dogs and so the play session went something like this:
Betty, Dolly and I are at the kitchen table. I produce the Moon Dough box. Betty inspects it and says: 'What's this mummy?' Dolly says: 'Da'. So far so good. 'It's a bit like Play Doh, but different, and you can make dogs out of it' I say. Betty looks intrigued, if a little sceptical. Dolly excitedly says 'da' at the mention of dogs. We all have a little squidge with the Moon Dough and Betty laughs and says it feels funny. It feels very light, and it isn't as sticky/messy as Play Doh - which for me is always a bonus (although it is a little crumbly). We then produce a dog using the kennel. At which point Dolly is thoroughly delighted, and under close supervision I let her play with it. Betty continues to squidge around with the remaining dough and is really rather taken by it. She then makes a few more dogs and gives them to Dolly (the dogs don't last long under Dolly's care). I think the Moon Dough people should make a toadstool that pops out fairies - Betty would then be their best friend forever and ever.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Betty is given the choice of playing with Play Doh or Moon Dough... I suspect she may opt for the Moon Dough.
This particular set was the playful puppies one - it comes with a kennel which produces puppies, and also a couple of moulds for making bones etc. My initial concerns were that Betty actively does not like dogs and so I was unsure if this would marr her enjoyment. However, Dolly absolutely LOVES dogs and so the play session went something like this:
Betty, Dolly and I are at the kitchen table. I produce the Moon Dough box. Betty inspects it and says: 'What's this mummy?' Dolly says: 'Da'. So far so good. 'It's a bit like Play Doh, but different, and you can make dogs out of it' I say. Betty looks intrigued, if a little sceptical. Dolly excitedly says 'da' at the mention of dogs. We all have a little squidge with the Moon Dough and Betty laughs and says it feels funny. It feels very light, and it isn't as sticky/messy as Play Doh - which for me is always a bonus (although it is a little crumbly). We then produce a dog using the kennel. At which point Dolly is thoroughly delighted, and under close supervision I let her play with it. Betty continues to squidge around with the remaining dough and is really rather taken by it. She then makes a few more dogs and gives them to Dolly (the dogs don't last long under Dolly's care). I think the Moon Dough people should make a toadstool that pops out fairies - Betty would then be their best friend forever and ever.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Betty is given the choice of playing with Play Doh or Moon Dough... I suspect she may opt for the Moon Dough.
Toys R Us: TRIO building blocks by Fisher-Price
In one of our Toys R Us boxes we were sent Trio building blocks by Fisher-Price. I have never seen this before but was pretty excited about introducing it to Betty, who loves all things Lego, Mechano, Megabloks etc.
I cunningly chose to unleash this toy onto my girls during a visit to my grandmother's house this afternoon - her house is full of breakable expensive china stuff, which obviously the kids want to bash against walls etc, and so I thought this would be a perfect distraction to at least give me a chance to sit down and drink my tea.
Anyway, my plan worked, and thanks to this new toy, I was not only able to sit down and drink my tea, but I actually managed to have a conversation with my grandmother, and not break out in a sweat every 4 seconds.
The set comes with a manual showing you pictures of things that you can make: robots, helicopters, cars, and various other things, some of which I couldn't identify. With the pieces included and a bit of imagination you could probably pretty much make anything (although probably not a pretty fairy, unfortunately for Betty).
So Betty asked if I would help her make a helicopter. She found all the pieces we needed and I set to work. It took me three attempts of putting together and then pulling apart various pieces before we finally cracked it. I certainly welcomed the challenge, and I know Tom will too when I show him the new toy later. I am not sure how easy a three year old would find trying to make what is in the manual, but is certainly keeps adults on their toes. I guess for a child, the manual can help inspire a creation, which is exactly what a picture of an impressive building did for Betty. After the whole helicopter thing, she then set to work, and spent two hours (TWO HOURS!) making her own constructions, one of which is pictured below.
There are some interesting pieces in this set which sets it apart from other construction toys, and so it was a welcome change from our usual lego and mechano. I asked Betty what she thought of this toy and she said: 'It is very lovely, and very good fun'. And the fact that she played with it for two hours non-stop is in itself a good endorsement. The only thing I would say against it is that sometimes the pieces are really quite hard to pull apart, but other than that it was a success.
Meanwhile Dolly loved playing with the car (that comes in the set, and that comes apart so that you can design your own car) and the little man that sits in the car. She also liked getting in and out of the box.
I cunningly chose to unleash this toy onto my girls during a visit to my grandmother's house this afternoon - her house is full of breakable expensive china stuff, which obviously the kids want to bash against walls etc, and so I thought this would be a perfect distraction to at least give me a chance to sit down and drink my tea.
Anyway, my plan worked, and thanks to this new toy, I was not only able to sit down and drink my tea, but I actually managed to have a conversation with my grandmother, and not break out in a sweat every 4 seconds.
The set comes with a manual showing you pictures of things that you can make: robots, helicopters, cars, and various other things, some of which I couldn't identify. With the pieces included and a bit of imagination you could probably pretty much make anything (although probably not a pretty fairy, unfortunately for Betty).
So Betty asked if I would help her make a helicopter. She found all the pieces we needed and I set to work. It took me three attempts of putting together and then pulling apart various pieces before we finally cracked it. I certainly welcomed the challenge, and I know Tom will too when I show him the new toy later. I am not sure how easy a three year old would find trying to make what is in the manual, but is certainly keeps adults on their toes. I guess for a child, the manual can help inspire a creation, which is exactly what a picture of an impressive building did for Betty. After the whole helicopter thing, she then set to work, and spent two hours (TWO HOURS!) making her own constructions, one of which is pictured below.
There are some interesting pieces in this set which sets it apart from other construction toys, and so it was a welcome change from our usual lego and mechano. I asked Betty what she thought of this toy and she said: 'It is very lovely, and very good fun'. And the fact that she played with it for two hours non-stop is in itself a good endorsement. The only thing I would say against it is that sometimes the pieces are really quite hard to pull apart, but other than that it was a success.
Meanwhile Dolly loved playing with the car (that comes in the set, and that comes apart so that you can design your own car) and the little man that sits in the car. She also liked getting in and out of the box.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Toys R Us: Megabloks
Our first parcel arrived on the morning that we were leaving for our holiday in Pembrokeshire. We were frantically running around, throwing stuff into the car, pacifying a bored Dolly with cheese, and arguing about whether we needed to take the pushchair (Tom couldn't fit it into the car).
Despite the mayhem, I still had to open up the big cardboard box in the hallway and have a look inside. Dolly and Betty were safely out of the way and strapped into their carseats ready for the off. If they had witnessed the box-opening it would have delayed our departure probably by another three hours.
On top lay a bag of Megabloks in pretty colours; pink, purple, pale blue and white. Absolutely perfect I thought, for our holiday - something new to keep the kids entertained whilst we holidayed in wet Wales yet again (this time in a cottage rather than a tent I hasten to add). I threw it to Tom and told him to squeeze it in somewhere. He looked daggers at me.
I was just about to delve further into the box when I heard three Buttons either yelling, squawking or barking at me to hurry up so that we could be on our way. I did however spy some Moon Dough, a Peppa Pig game and a night light/torch before I scarpered out of the house, almost forgetting my handbag.
So I produced the new Megabloks set for my children during the first day of our holiday. I wasn't sure they would be that impressed, as we have always had Megabloks (of the red, blue, green and yellow variety) in the house, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They fought like chickens over the new toy (though they are fighting over pretty much everything at the moment) and seemingly loved the new girlie colours. I thought the novelty of pink and purple may wear off but it hasn't. Dolly is now 16 months and is so so into building towers at the moment and gives herself a clap every time she slots a new piece into place. Betty waits in the wings and when she thinks Dolly has had enough (of her own) claps she promptly comes along and bashes it to the ground.
(Betty's dinosaur)
I personally was a little disappointed that there weren't more different shaped blocks in this set -there is one pointy roof-shaped piece but that is it. I was hoping for some interesting shapes, to set it apart from the set we bought about four years ago. That said, the girls do love it and have been playing with it ALL week - in fact it has been a bit of a life saver. As I said before it is not a new concept to them, so it must be the new colours that have enticed them.
I am now looking forward to unleashing the other items in the big cardboard box onto my kids, when we return from our hols...
Despite the mayhem, I still had to open up the big cardboard box in the hallway and have a look inside. Dolly and Betty were safely out of the way and strapped into their carseats ready for the off. If they had witnessed the box-opening it would have delayed our departure probably by another three hours.
On top lay a bag of Megabloks in pretty colours; pink, purple, pale blue and white. Absolutely perfect I thought, for our holiday - something new to keep the kids entertained whilst we holidayed in wet Wales yet again (this time in a cottage rather than a tent I hasten to add). I threw it to Tom and told him to squeeze it in somewhere. He looked daggers at me.
I was just about to delve further into the box when I heard three Buttons either yelling, squawking or barking at me to hurry up so that we could be on our way. I did however spy some Moon Dough, a Peppa Pig game and a night light/torch before I scarpered out of the house, almost forgetting my handbag.
So I produced the new Megabloks set for my children during the first day of our holiday. I wasn't sure they would be that impressed, as we have always had Megabloks (of the red, blue, green and yellow variety) in the house, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They fought like chickens over the new toy (though they are fighting over pretty much everything at the moment) and seemingly loved the new girlie colours. I thought the novelty of pink and purple may wear off but it hasn't. Dolly is now 16 months and is so so into building towers at the moment and gives herself a clap every time she slots a new piece into place. Betty waits in the wings and when she thinks Dolly has had enough (of her own) claps she promptly comes along and bashes it to the ground.
(Betty's dinosaur)
I personally was a little disappointed that there weren't more different shaped blocks in this set -there is one pointy roof-shaped piece but that is it. I was hoping for some interesting shapes, to set it apart from the set we bought about four years ago. That said, the girls do love it and have been playing with it ALL week - in fact it has been a bit of a life saver. As I said before it is not a new concept to them, so it must be the new colours that have enticed them.
I am now looking forward to unleashing the other items in the big cardboard box onto my kids, when we return from our hols...
Friday, 10 September 2010
Becoming a Toyologist...
Toys R Us have selected a number of mums from across the UK to increase brand awareness via the internet through a new programme called “Toys R Us Toyologist”. Toyologists are work from home mums, full time mums, full time lawyers and others, all active on social media sites.
I will be hosting a tea party where the kids/parents get to keep the toys they like (in exchange for this I will ask for a small donation to a childlren's charity), and I also intend to donate a number of the toys to the local pre-school, and other places to be decided. I will collect all the feedback and comments from everyone involved and then write about it here.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
VoucherCodes.co.uk and Mothercare
VoucherCodes.co.uk is a money saving website which lists all the best discount and voucher codes to help save you money. To celebrate recently adding a new voucher code to their website offering parents 10% off all orders over £120 (including sale items) at Mothercare, VoucherCodes.co.uk have very kindly sent me a complimentary Mothercare voucher worth £50.
Whilst packing for our recent camping trip, Tom and I realised that we had to leave certain things behind as they just would not fit in the car. I casually said to Tom: 'The pushchair can stay at home, what possible use would we have for it while camping anyway?'
A day into our camping, I quickly realised that having a pushchair would be very useful indeed, and so clutching my voucher for Mothercare I went into their mega superstore in Swansea and found a cheap and cheerful umbrella type pushchair for just £19.99. Having always had a Quinny for my babies, I have secretly hankered after this type of simple pushchair ever since Betty was a baby. I don't know why, but I just have.
After a quick demo on how to fold and unfold my new purchase, we were off, galivanting around Swansea with our new bright yellow mode of transport. I loved the fact that it was yellow, and I loved the pushchair full stop. It was oringinally intended for Dolly, but we found Betty was desperate to be part of the whole excitment too. I pushed Betty in it (who is almost four) along the entire length of Rhossili Bay beach (which is about 2 miles long) to some rockpools she insisted on going to. That pushchair has seriously done some mileage and has served both children. In fact they would fight over who was going to use it and who was going to be carried by daddy - in the past, daddy was always the preferred option. It was even suitable to be used as a seat for Dolly whilst she ate her dinner, al fresco. I feel like this pushchair has been on some real camping adventures with us. (I have attached a photo taken during one of its outings).
But it doesn't stop there. There was a fear that when we returned from our trip the pushchair would get shoved into a corner of the shed, But oh no! - the ever faithful yellow stroller was out and about in our home town just this morning, and at the moment is very much the preferred option over our other rather more expensive other option.
While I was in the Mothercare megastore, with the remaining £30 I managed to get a plastic golf set, some bean bags, 8 bottles of ready mixed paint in vibrant colours (I am now Betty's best friend forever more), and a Cupcake stroller for Dolly.
Thank you VoucherCodes.co.uk and Mothercare - I have two happy children!
Whilst packing for our recent camping trip, Tom and I realised that we had to leave certain things behind as they just would not fit in the car. I casually said to Tom: 'The pushchair can stay at home, what possible use would we have for it while camping anyway?'
A day into our camping, I quickly realised that having a pushchair would be very useful indeed, and so clutching my voucher for Mothercare I went into their mega superstore in Swansea and found a cheap and cheerful umbrella type pushchair for just £19.99. Having always had a Quinny for my babies, I have secretly hankered after this type of simple pushchair ever since Betty was a baby. I don't know why, but I just have.
After a quick demo on how to fold and unfold my new purchase, we were off, galivanting around Swansea with our new bright yellow mode of transport. I loved the fact that it was yellow, and I loved the pushchair full stop. It was oringinally intended for Dolly, but we found Betty was desperate to be part of the whole excitment too. I pushed Betty in it (who is almost four) along the entire length of Rhossili Bay beach (which is about 2 miles long) to some rockpools she insisted on going to. That pushchair has seriously done some mileage and has served both children. In fact they would fight over who was going to use it and who was going to be carried by daddy - in the past, daddy was always the preferred option. It was even suitable to be used as a seat for Dolly whilst she ate her dinner, al fresco. I feel like this pushchair has been on some real camping adventures with us. (I have attached a photo taken during one of its outings).
But it doesn't stop there. There was a fear that when we returned from our trip the pushchair would get shoved into a corner of the shed, But oh no! - the ever faithful yellow stroller was out and about in our home town just this morning, and at the moment is very much the preferred option over our other rather more expensive other option.
While I was in the Mothercare megastore, with the remaining £30 I managed to get a plastic golf set, some bean bags, 8 bottles of ready mixed paint in vibrant colours (I am now Betty's best friend forever more), and a Cupcake stroller for Dolly.
Thank you VoucherCodes.co.uk and Mothercare - I have two happy children!
Daisy Explores and Jack Nano range from Clarks
Over the last three years or so (since Betty got her first pair of shoes) I have become very familiar with Clarks. I even wrote a post all those years ago called 'In your Clarks, get set, go!' which spoke about our very first encounter with Clarks.
Both Betty and Dolly have always had all their shoes from Clarks (apart from the odd pair of Crocs here and there) and I have always trusted them 100%. They have an excellent fitting service and are always there to offer reassurance if you are unsure if shoes have been outgrown etc. Correctly fitting shoes are so so important to growing feet, and so you can always rely on Clarks.
They have just brought out a fun new range of Daisy Explores and Jack Nano aimed at 3-8 year olds, so Betty and I hot-footed it to our local shop and I let Betty pick a pair out. We are now at that slightly frustrating age where she has an opinion on such things and we don't always agree, but this time her choice was really rather good, and she looked as proud as can be when she marched out of the shop in her new purchase. (A very different story to 3 years ago).
What follows is more in-depth information from Clarks on their new range...
Clarks ingenuity and skill at footwear design and construction has allowed them to incorporate some extra added fun without compromising on fit, comfort or durability. This has resulted in the creation of the Daisy Explores and Jack Nano ranges for Autumn/Winter 2010.
The new Clarks Daisy Explores and Jack Nano shoe ranges, aimed at three to eight year olds, combine proven foot health benefits with the latest fashion trends and added extras ensuring your children’s feet are kept healthy which will contribute to their well being, confidence and happiness.
When it comes to finding the right shoes for your child, you can trust Clarks. Over the last 180 years we’ve learnt a lot about little feet. It’s helped us create an exceptional range of shoes which, in the safe hands of our specially-trained fitters, guarantee the best possible fit for every step of your child’s development.
Shoes for growing feet need to be flexible enough to let their movements develop, but sturdy enough to protect them as they become more active, as at pre-school age they will also be getting to grips with running and walking.
At the age of four, your child will develop a heel to toe walking style and their movements will be smoother although changing speed or direction will still be difficult. The most important aspect when buying shoes is to have growing room within the shoe so they don’t restrict development.
At this development stage, you need to be looking for shoes that have highly flexible fore-parts, shaped and stable back-parts, additional padding to cushion active feet, made from breathable materials such as leather and fully adjustable fastenings.
The Daisy Explores & Jack Nano ranges combine all of these qualities at a range of prices , with the added benefit of a friendly Clarks trained fitter in your local stockist to ensure your child gets the best fit. With lots of fashionable styles to choose from, view and order online at www.clarks.co.uk/kids.
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