31 May 2021

Father's Day: Gift Ideas for the Dad in Your Life

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The months have been creeping by at an alarming rate and with Father's Day in the UK fast approaching, it's a good idea to be prepared for Sunday 20th June. I've selected a small range of gifts which I think any Dad would love. There's definitely something to suit everyone's taste and style. Read on to see what I have picked for my gift guide. 

TrendHim Lance Navy Backpack
Since the world has opened up again we've resumed our family trips and days out which means we normally need a good quality backpack to carry all our snacks, water bottles and the usual bits an bobs. The husband doesn't really have a decent backpack so this beaut from TrendHim (RRP £59) will be a great gift from the kids. With a classic mountaineering look and feel, this handsome navy backpack is perfect for day-to-day essentials as well as trips out. The main compartment clips securely shut and is colourfully lined for a discrete burst of colour. Features include a padded laptop pocket to keep it safe and protect from knocks, two zipped front pockets help organise and allow quick access and adjustable padded shoulder straps give a comfortable fit. Excellent for business Dad and fun weekend Dad.

Box of Hugs
Can't be there this Father’s Day to give your brilliant dad a big hug? Well, why not send him a big hug in the post with a Box of Hugs, full of thoughtful treats, to let him know you are thinking of him. You can include a personalised message with your Father's Day gift to make it even more special, and for every Father’s Day card bought with a Box of Hugs, a 50p donation will be made to The Brain Tumour Charity. How fabulous is that! Three mums, and also sisters, launched Box of Hugs London after going through bereavements and illnesses, including their own mother’s battle with a brain tumour. During these times the sisters realised finding a unique and thoughtful gift idea, that wasn’t flowers, was tricky. This was the inspiration behind launching Box of Hugs London. Prices range from as little as £21 and there really is something to suit everyone. Even if there's not a particular box that catches your eye you can build you own. I particularly love the So Glad You Are Mine Hug In A Box Father's Day box but they're all so nice and top quality. Highly recommend. 

Mary - Botanical Blend
Gin is all the rage these days so it's always nice to find a different one on the market. Meet Mary, the vegan low calorie gin who is sugar and carb free. It's also low alcohol so can be enjoyed at any time throughout the week, especially now that the nicer weather is coming in. This botanical blend has hints of basil, thyme and sage and tastes absolutely amazing. Excellent gift to give any dad this Father's Day and one I'm sure he'll thank you for. 

Conifox Father's Day
If you have young children then why not treat Dad to a wee day out at Conifox Adventure Park. On Sunday 20th June all Dad's get free entry with a paying child, so why not take Dad along and have fun on the bouncy pillow or the go karts or football golf! Spending some quality time together is always a winner. Remember to book your tickets online to secure your space. 

This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own. 


12 May 2021

Home Learning Must Haves from Learning Resources

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I'm so glad the schools are now back to full time education and the kids have a more settled routine but that doesn't mean the fun of home learning has to stop. I personally found all the school work overwhelming but home learning doesn't have to be all paperwork and no fun. Learning Resources have a range of lovely home learning must haves which will make discovering new facts and interesting topics a joy to share with your child. Luckily for my two Learning Resources sent Logan one of their GeoSafari Motorised Display Solar System and Harlow received the awesome GeoSafari Jr. Talking Wildlife Camera. As you can imagine the kids were thrilled and we've had lots of fun them with.

The Motorised Solar System is great for anyone learning about planets or who are totally into Space. It's super quick and easy to put together, and Logan now has his proudly displayed in his bedroom. Contained in each box is a central tower with LED light, 8 planet orbs on rods with identifying planetary symbols, Sun sphere and a Northern Hemisphere star dome. You'll need 4 AA batteries for the central tower before you start building up the planets, and once that's done you can check each planet for their special symbol and reference it in the table guide (in the instructions booklet) to correctly place your planets around the Sun. It's really easy to do and won't take you long at all. Once all the planets are in place you can turn on the motor/lamp at the base of the tower and watch the model move and glow. 

Logan really loved watching the planets circle around the Sun plus it acts as a great sensory light at night. The Northern Hemisphere star dome can be swapped with the top of the Sun so you can see all of the star constellations, another great sensory addition for at night and good educational talking point. Details on the planets and stars can be found within the instructions booklet. It also has extras such as Solar System Fun Facts, Planet Riddles and Solar System Basics. A great booklet to keep hold of for future use.

The GeoSafari Motorised Display Solar System is aimed at ages 8-12 years and costs £36.00. It's a great addition to home learning and definitely makes things more interesting and fun. Not only does it have the planets but getting to turn the lights out at night and see a stellar star show on your bedroom ceiling is pretty cool and something to remember. Logan really does love his solar system, it would make a great birthday gift for sure. 


Next up is Harlow's GeoSafari Jr. Talking Wildlife Camera and what a fab piece of kit it is! This toy camera comes with 130 built-in high-resolution wildlife images that guarantee a successful wildlife viewing experience every time. It features over 30 animals from all around the world and includes 2 modes of play that feature over 120 facts and 120 quiz questions narrated by Animal Planet’s Crikey It’s the Irwins co-star, Robert Irwin. This camera was designed with extra-large dual eyepieces and easy-grip handles for a steady viewing experience that little hands will find easy to use. It's a good sturdy camera measuring at approx. 19cm L x 22cm W x 13cm H and the Tripod measures approx. 15cm L x 15cm H x 20cm H. You'll need 3x AAA batteries to get it going. 


Harlow absolutely loves this camera and the fact that it talks to you. The controls and buttons were easy for her to pick up and use and she had great fun trying out the quiz and answering the questions. When using the camera in view mode you can explore the world's wildlife with Robert Irwin as your guide. There are 5 regions to choose from and more than 30 different animals to learn about. Harlow particularly liked African and knew straight away to look into the camera's double eyepiece to spot the animals in the wild and hear the facts about them. 


In Quiz Mode, Robert will challenge your wildlife knowledge. You have to look through the camera eyepiece to select which animals to be quizzed on then choose your answer by pressing either 1,2 or 3 buttons located on the back of the camera. When trying True or False questions you press 1 for True and 2 for False. Multiple choice questions are 1,2 or 3 to answer. If you're first guess in incorrect just try again. Harlow picked everything up so quickly and was working the camera herself within 5 minutes. I was amazed at how long it kept her busy for and it's now a toy she goes back to again and again.


As well as watching awesome animals in view mode you can also use the camera in pretend play mode. Simply remove the camera from the tripod and turn the lens to see out of the viewfinder. Great if the kids want to take it out and about in the car or on a walk. A point to note is that the audio and images will not work when the camera is detached from the tripod but pretend play is still lots of fun!


The GeoSafari Jr. Talking Wildlife Camera is aimed at ages 4-8 years but it's great fun for everyone, even Harlow's big brother was trying to get in on the action. Retailing at £60 this wildlife camera is a great piece of learning kit and I 100% highly recommend for budding wildlife and camera enthusiasts. I so wish there was technology around like this when I was younger, I would have loved it!

As you can see from my lovely photos both Logan and Harlow are super impressed with their new home learning goodies and I'm happy to say they've played with them again and again. It's something for us all to talk about and engage as a family and the kids are thrilled. Why not pop over to Learning Resources UK and see all of the wonderful resources they have to offer!

These products have been gifted for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. 

10 May 2021

Review: Cutetitos Unicornitos Wave 2 Assortment

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Cutetitos are cute cuddly pets wrapped in a super soft burrito blanket just waiting to be unwrapped and discovered. Harlow has collected a few over the years however there's some new fabulous friends on the block - Cutetitos Unicornitos Wave 2 Assortment! These beauties have just launched and Harlow has been lucky enough to get her hands on 3 adorable stuffed unicorns to review. 

So basically Cutetitos are now more magical than ever, in brand new limited edition Unicornitos! There's 8 all new styles of Unicornitos in beautiful prints to collect and they come with a cool rainbow burrito wrap. Harlow of course thought this was amazing as she loves rainbows and unicorns. Her room is unicorn decorated after all.

Cutetitos Unicornitos are adorable, super-soft stuffed unicorns wrapped and hidden in a rainbow burrito blanket ready to be unrolled and loved. You can discover your Cutetito's personality (mild, medium, hot, or super spicy) by checking out its "hot spot" - a chili pepper shaped icon you can find on its hip. Harlow's 3 Unicornitos were all Mild and she was very happy with that. A pet collector card is included with additional information about your new pet including its name, birthday and "hot spot" spice-o-meter rating.

Harlow was super excited to discover which Unicornitos she had so got right into unwrapping them super quick. She was lucky to receive Shineito and 2 Purplito unicorns. She loved this as it means she thinks she has twins, bless. They really are super super soft and so is their burrito wrap. There's 8 different styles to collect and range from Common to Ultra Rare. We didn't find an Ultra Rare one this time but Harlow's desperate to the next time she gets one. 

These Cutetitos would make great little gifts and incentives for kids if they deserve a nice treat. Aimed at ages 5-7 years their RRP is £7.99 which I think is reasonable for a quality soft toy with blanket. You can purchase direct from Smyths Toys but they are also available in ToyMaster and all good independent toy stores. Harlow really loves these and 100% wants more so it's a big thumbs up from us!

These products have been gifted for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. 


 

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