Back to school ALREADY!?!? STABILO Review!

So it's nearly the start of the summer holidays for the schools and for a parent who's rarely ready for anything, it's nice to think that at least stationary can be dealt with before my son goes back! I know it's a terrible thought, but the quicker I do the shopping now, the less I will have to think about nearer to school starting.   By then all the shops have sold out of the good stuff and you can never find what you're after!

What is it?

The Stabilo SMARTball

This is an ergonomic black ballpoint pen (0.5), you can see on the pack the image of a hand with the "R", this indeed means right handed, there is ALSO a version for us lefties of course! No handism here! It's really comfy to hold and if you flip it around it's a decent touchscreen stylus too! So the techie kids will love this too! 

My son is writing with this at the moment and he says it's very comfortable and "not heavy" which I guess is also a good point too..I noticed straight away that his writing was more controlled, I think the pens he's written with before just slip around his fingers.. this is pretty good though..

The SMARTball RRP's at £12.00.

The Stabilo EASYoriginal

This is a very funky looking pen indeed, which all adds to the comfort and control when writing with it, again 0.5 ballpoint, blue this time as it can be erased by the usual high street pen erasers. You also get 3 refills, which is great as you don't want to keep spending out on new pens..

My son also uses the right version of this pen and says "I don't really like the blue one, I like black better", I'm sure this only refers to the colour, he can write with this just as good as the one above. Personally I like black too, just looks a little neater. Very comfy though, a little gutted I didn't get a lefty one of these!

The EASYoriginal RRP's at £6.99.

Stabilo - Multi-talented Pencils!

No, I'm afraid these won't get up and do a little dance, OR do the washing up, what they can do is provide kids with the means of doing their pictures in wax crayon OR water colour! It says 3 in 1, I think the third is that it feels like a chunky colouring pencil. 

My son hasn't yet done a master-piece so I can't show you, but I will say I tested these and the colours (whether crayon or watercolour) are pretty bright and thick. Because of the size too you can colour large areas quickly. The colour doesn't disperse as much as you think it would, so you can still get the full colour.

A great set of colouring "pencils" for the budding artist, also saves space with the multi uses, however I am concerned how to sharpen them..I'm thinking penknife? WITHOUT the kids around!

The Multi-talent pencils RRP at £8.45.

Stabilo EASYgraph

This is also an ergonomic pencil, which also comes in Right and Left. Also very comfortable too and perfect for small hands as it's chunkier than the normal sized pencils. As you can see the grooves go all the way up the pencil so you don't need to worry about loosing them as you sharpen it. 

All these Stabilo products have my vote, year one's to year six, they'll be useful and help your little one write and be as artistic as they can be. These come in packs of two for £2.99.

Check out the Stabilo website for more products, information and to buy. 

Vita Coco Kids!

What is it?

This is a new kids range from the people who brought you the healthy coconut water VITA COCO. As it's a kids range the packaging includes a few cheeky animals, for these first two flavours a cheeky Monkey and Troublesome Toucan have been added to the packaging.

To also appeal to the younger folk, popping flavours such as 'Mango and Pineapple' and 'Apple and Blackcurrant' have been created. These are definitely healthier than the usual kid drinks out there, there's less sugar and masses of Potassium, (helps the heart and nervous system and is found in a lot of green veg!) so they've got to be good.. haven't they??

What the boy thought

Personally I've never really tried 'shop bought' coconut water I've only ever had the water from inside a fresh coconut, freshly smashed off the coconut shy, which is really nice; with the added flavour though, I was unsure what to expect.

I have recently tried the plain version of Vita Coco and must admit it is a little odd tasting and surprisingly not very coconutty.. I did a little homework and it seems Vita Coco get their coconut water from the young green coconuts which are mostly entirely coco water inside, whereas the brown coconuts have alot of "meat" (the white coconut bit) in them and therefore not alot of water. So, (I digress) the plain version was quite bland and obviously an acquired taste. I was therefore a little dubious about these kids versions..

The Verdict

My son has not really had coconut water at all, and if I'm completely honest he wasn't initially that enamored with these drinks, however he did ask the following night if we had anymore so I gave him another, I then asked him again if he liked them and he said "they're OK, I didn't like them earlier, but now they're OK". Just goes to show, these are an acquired taste which could grow on you.

So give them a try, they're available now in all the leading superstores. These are in the stores for approx £2.99 for a pack of four, which is pretty good for healthy drinks. 

Go ahead and visit the Vita Coco website for more information, games and to see the rest of the Vita Coco range! 

grippy - Get to Grips with all yer Knick knacks! Gadget Review

What is it?

Another great gadget from the boffins of 'thumbsUp!' 

So, have you ever had to use the toll booth and had your cash ready by putting it on the seat and as you slam on the brakes for the crazy idiot of a driver in front, your change goes everywhere and you spend the following 5 minutes struggling to pick up your 4 x 50p's while 5 cars behind you honk as you're taking for than 30 seconds!?! Grrr.. well.. this gadget should help you out.. 

What I thought

So this Grippy gadget eliminates all of the above, at the start of your journey, you can pop yer change on the Grippy and it will (due to amazing stickiness!) stay put!

It's also very good for keeping your mobile phone in one place, instead of it falling on the floor and swimming about among the sea of fast food containers and empty drinks bottles!...No need to worry about taking sharp turns either, the sticky pad clings to pretty much anything you put on it! 

The only thing I have bad to say about this is that because it is quite sticky it does attract the dust, however it IS also waterproof and is wipe clean(able). 

The Verdict

For the busy business 'person' (I'm not sexist!) or the busy family, this gadget will keep your knick-knacks in one place. Very handy indeed! Its just a tad bigger than the iPhone 5 but can easily hold the phone sideways as well as other (aforementioned) knick-knacks.

For more information and pictures, these are available at Red5.co.uk. The "grippy" RRP's at £7.95.

Cussons Mum & Me Baby Bath TO COMFORT SNUFFLES Review!

No-one likes it when their little one is ill, especially when your little one is suffering with a blocked or runny nose. Moaning all the time and generally not happy.

What is it? 

Cussons have developed something which should help your bundle be a little happier, and also smell really nice!

It's a baby bath, which has added menthol (which is actually quite strong!), one sniff of the bottle and my nose was clear! Why isn't there anything like this on the market for adults?

What the lil Miss thought?

So although the lil Miss wasn't ill, she's nearly always a bit bunged up.. She didn't mind the smell at all and was happily splashing about as she normally would, Daddy's always careful not to get soap in her eyes so no worries there either! 

I'm usually worried about using different bath stuffs so really look out for changes in skin, spots or rashes etc, absolutely none here to worry about.

The Verdict!

On the whole, a pretty good experience, when you first use the stuff the scent of mint and other menthol notes will hit you like a ton of bricks, however it soon subsides and it's pretty good! The smell also stays a while when she's dry too, gives her that nice "just bathed" wiff. lovely, and will definitely use again! especially when my baby's ill! 

300ML Bottle of Baby Bath to Comfort Snuffles RRP approx. £3.49 and is available in all superstores. 

Do also check out my previous Cussons review of the Little Explorers Range!

The Fun Cone Review - No More Summer Sticky Fingers!!!!

What is it?

Its a cup, designed to stop sticky fingers in the Summer when your kiddies are eating their lollies or Ice cream cones!

What a fantastic idea! I don't know abut you but I've always hated the fact that kids are so messy when eating their ice creams and lollies; does me head in.. Well now I and so many other clean freak mums and dads don't need to worry, this handy gadget which can be used for either frosty delights works brilliantly catching any wet mess that previously would run over hands and clothes.


What the boy thought?

Well, after making our purchase, it would have been rude not to try it out! We got both a lolly and a cone and tried both.

Unfortunately I couldn't get a good review from my boy..he was too busy saying how nice his ice cream was! He did however exclaim after he was finished (with an ice cream moustache) "I haven't got yucky hands!!", "Thank goodness for that!" I replied!

The Verdict!

The cone fit great, nice and snug, you still need to make sure the holder is upright otherwise it will tip out; With a cone you'd normally keep it upright anyway..

The lolly fit snugly in the hole provided and as per standard procedures when eating a lolly you can hold this horizontally with no fear of it falling out. The only thing that leaves for both types of cold treats is the drippage.. with the Ice cream, I would recommend downing the juices once the rest of the cone has been devoured! With the lolly, it IS possible to eat some of the lolly and also slurp up some of the drippage, however you run the risk of getting a cold nose! (although that adds to the fun of eating a lolly!)

Another BRILLIANT fact is that with almost every lolly I've personally eaten, there's always the added stress of the last bite...that last little bit that hangs on the stick for dear life, then at the last second, falls to the floor and dissipates in seconds!!! not even a chance of a "5 second rule".. TRAGIC... but not with these! any remnant simply falls into the cup.. brilliant.. simply brilliant..

The Fun Cone comes in a choice of 4 different colours and RRP's at £4.99. It's available NOW from Happy Mummy Ltd via Amazon.co.uk. Feel free to use my search at the side to buy! 

Cuppies - The Alternative Sippy Cups! - Review

What is it?

It's a kiddie cup, with a difference!

From the company which gave you "Sophie the Giraffe" comes the "Cuppie", it's the alternative sippie cup to get your kids to drink up! It puts the fun into using a cup instead of a bottle or bottle with straw hybid.

The "cuppie" is designed with a cute little animal which is built into the bottom of the cup. It comes in four different colours with four different animals, they are: Piglet (red), Frog (green), Penguin (blue) and the Rabbit below. The idea is that your child knows there is an animal at the bottom and then drinks all their cup to see the animal appear as they drink, great fun!

What we thought..

Well, I was in two minds about this. Number 1 it's great for helping the transition from bottle to cup, number 2 so many kids are dehydrated and need to drink more, this helps with that too.. However, if you have a very excited child (like we do!) you could turn around to see your little one, drinking and looking inside the cup but not "really" drinking and ending up with half the cup over his top.

The thing is, the Rabbit comes up quite high in the cup, therefore to hide it you'd have to put quite a bit of liquid in there, which may be too heavy for little hands. I'd also be a little wary about little hands either getting their fingers hurt on the critter (the rabbits ears are quite pointy!) or breaking a piece of the critter, as they're not very bendy.

I think it may be a good idea for the animal at the bottom to be made of a softer rubber material.

Parental Guidance Necessary, in our case!

The Final Verdict!

A fantastic idea to get the kids drinking, but I think it could be made a little safer.

The Cuppie can be purchased for £7.99 (plus £2.50 postage) from the 1Two website here: http://www.1two.co.uk/p/category/1311044930-Cuppies/

Cussons Mum & Me 'Little Explorers' Range!

What?!

To make bath time easier on the parents and more fun for the kids, Cussons have created a new range:

Mum & Me - Little Explorers

Super Soft Squidgy Soap

The soap is just fantastic!! It's so strange! It's like that Moon Dough stuff, it comes out like shaving foam but you can make models with it! Oh, it also cleans well and has a nice flowery scent. 

Little Explorer - Squidge

Funky Fizz Bath Crackles

These Crackles are also pretty cool, as soon as they hit the water they begin to crackle wildly! like you're in a bath of rice crispies! although, my Son immediately piped up "they sound like popping candy!"  

They don't last very long though, but useful to distract your child, e.g. My Son does not like having his ears washed!

Little Explorer - Fizz

Mega Mild Bubbly Bath

 

This is also brilliant, with a really nice smell too, really fruity. My Son loves bubbles and making funny hairstyles, and getting daddy in the face with a 'bubble pie'! The bubbles bubble up really quickly and the lastablility is not bad. they started to disappear when we went overboard with the soap.

Little Explorer - Blip

Happy Splashy Hair & Body Wash

Unfortunately I didn't get to review this product so here's a little about it. 

Kind to the eyes and easy to rinse, also contains moisturisers for the skin. Helps to leave hair smooth and de-tangled.

Little Explorer - Splash

For more info on the above and the 'Little Explorers' go to http://www.mumandme.com/little-explorers

The Verdict and more fun:

All of the above were pretty good, definitely good fun and on the whole bathing my Son was definitely easier than the usual fiasco. By far the best product was the Squidgy soap, soo much fun! See below!

Daddy made a raygun!:                   My Son made a boat!:

Daddy made a ball which my Son corrected "it's not a ball! It's a SNOWBALL":

Mummy was told to come and have a look and she made a little man!:

Price:

Considering how much fun these provide at bath time, these prices are bang on! 

Super Soft Squidgy Soap - RRP at £2.49

Funky Fizz Bath Crackles - RRP at £1.00

Mega Mild Bubbly Bath - RRP at £2.49

Happy Splashy Hair & Body Wash - RRP at £2.49

Weetabix & The Three Bears!

What?!

We all know the story of what happened when Goldilocks met the three bears, it didn't end that great for baby bear..this story is different...

Once upon a time there were three bears, Daddy bear, Mummy bear and Baby bear (we also have a baby baby bear too but she's not in this story) they all loved Weetabix!

Daddy bear, who'd grown up on Weetabix, now couldn't get enough of the new Weetabix Baked with Golden syrup!

Mummy who is bit of a weird one doesn't like milk on her cereal so eats Weetabix Mini's DRY! mental! But she's happy..

Baby bear either takes after Mummy, or is just a copycat, as he doesn't like milk with his Weetabix either! And he likes the plain Weetabix with some yummy jam spread on top!

NOW TO BRING YOU BACK TO REALITY!!

Weetabix seems to have been around since the year dot and it just keeps on giving! Always bringing out something new! However, this doesn't mean that people can't enjoy the basics too! as I said above, my Son, Baby bear enjoys his plain weetabix with a little jam spread on top!

The Taste!

I love the Weetabix Baked with Golden Syrup and freezing cold milk! I like the fact I don't need to add anything to them to sweeten them up! Lurrrrlvely!

My Wife loves to munch on the Chocolate Crispy Mini Weetabix, without milk, while busying herself on her laptop. "They're just easier to eat that way".  Very chocolatey, you feel like your having a treat rather than just a breakfast.

My Son loves that the dry Weetabix are nice and crunchy! he'll make a mess, then EAT the mess!

The above just confirms how versatile Weetabix can be, there really is something for everyone and if you don't like any of them, there's always a way to tweak the flavours by adding fruit, yoghurt, nuts and more.  

It's a wholesome and energy giving breakfast which no family should be without!

How much??!

The Plain Weetabix 24 pack RRP - £2.39

The Weetabix Baked with Golden Syrup RRP - £2.69

Weetabix Chocolate Minis RRP - £2.29

Please go to the Weetabix website for more information and some brilliant idea's on customising these healthy breckies! http://www.weetabix.co.uk/

CRACKER DRINKS CO: The Little Cracker's - Blackcurrant & Cherry / Pear & Vanilla Juice Drinks

What?

Two new flavoured juices specifically aimed at kids! "100% Natural, pure fruit juice with a splash of water...and no added sugar..."

Packaging:

Includes the traditional black and creme packaging from Cracker. To make the packaging more fun for kids, Cracker have introduced the Fruit Heads! They are a group of health and fun loving fruit flavoured buddies;

Vicky Vanilla, Peter Pear, Billy Blackcurrant & Cheeky Cherry.

Each have their own personalities and you can view the website below for more info.

Taste:

Pear & Vanilla - My Son's response to his first taste was, 'I can taste pear..but it tastes funny..' I don't think he was very impressed. I tried a carton to myself and thought it was OK. I think the reason it was a little strange is because my son is used to having proper Juice with his breakfast. Although these are 'Proper' juice, they are watered down and I believe it may have just a little too much water in there, you lose the natural-ness of the flavours and ends up tasting a little like a weak mix-up drink.

The 'pear'ing of these two flavours was surprising too, I'm not sure if they work.

Blackcurrant and Cherry - This one was much nicer with a strong smell and taste of cherry. My Son really loved this one. The flavours went together well, although I think the cherry took over a little. Again, I think there was a little too much water.

The Verdict:

These were both nice in their own ways. I preferred the Blackcurrant and Cherry as the Pear one is an acquired taste. Would be perfect in a lunchbox, helping your children get one of their five a day. I just wish these weren't so watered down so the fuller flavour would come out.

How much?:

A pack of 3 retails at £1.49. Please visit http://www.littlecrackerdrinks.com/ for more info. 

NEW TRACKER Bar! White Chocolate Chip!

What?

A twist on the old OLD classic! Tracker have been going for 25 years now! 

I remember having a Tracker in MY packed lunch! I also remember raiding the biscuit jar for these tasty gooey snacks! Now they've gone all out and created a creamy white chocolate version!

The look!

I hadn't had one of the for quite some time, but I believe the Tracker may have shrunk a little! I know I've grown but really, 8cm's?! Other than the size, it looks YUMMY!! 

A quick note about the packaging, the white chocolate chunks kind of look like peices of cheese..a little odd..!

The taste!

Now, being honest, I've not had a tracker since being a kid and I thought this would just turn out to be another one of those products which as a kid tastes fantastic! then as time goes by, rules change and additives etc are taken out and the product totally loses it's flavour.. e.g. Refreshers... totally bugs me!! ANYWAY..

This is NOT one of those products! As above, I used to get VERY greedy with these bars and this White Choc Chip version has just as much taste if not MORE than the Milk Choc Chip! From the satisfying squidge as you bite down on the peanuts and gooey topping to the crunch of the wheaty oatiness of the bottom layer, this bar really is good!

What the boy thought...

With my above delicate tasting in mind, I gave this bar to my son and he gobbled this down in what seemed like seconds! "do you like it"? "yeah, it's very good"! With my suspicions confirmed, I will definitely be stocking up on these for when he starts school in September. I know I moaned earlier about the size of the bar, but it's actually a perfect size for a sweet treat for a 5 year old.

How much??

The Tracker 6 pack comes in at £1.99 a box and the Single bar's are 50p each, pretty good really, compared to some of the other snack bars on the market.. For more info and activities go to www.tracker-bar.co.uk.

ERE' TRACKER!, HOW ABOUT AN EXTRA LARGE VERSION FOR THE BIG BOYS!?!
TRACKER XL, COMING SPRING 2014!!:

Please check out my other reviews!