Kids Bee Happy Sand Art - Review

I have to admit it, I have crafty kids, I don't know if this is entirely my doing or not but any opportunity to A) make a mess or B) create something wonderful and they are there!

When I was given the opportunity to review some of the Kids Bee Happy Sand Art I was over the moon! The girls have been trying new things, the Moshi Monster Hamma Beads where a roaring success and I crossed my fingers this would be too.

Being slightly neurotic with OCD about mess, yeah I know I have a cat, dog and 3 kids and its always a mess but hey i dream of an immaculate home! I was a little worried about hoovering up sand from every nook and cranny of my tiny kitchen but i have to admit there was barely a mess at all much to the girls disappointment . 

Being able to peel off small sections as you go gives even the youngest of children the skill not to randomly sprinkle sand on every surface in view and makes for a very lovely and precise finish. Even Emma who has some special needs found the kits easy peasy and having such a beautiful finished picture really made her day.

My girls LOVED making these and their little smiling faces prove just that..

 Emma age 7 with her finished Snowman picture.

Zoe aged 4 with her wild Alien picture.

With the wide range of coloured sand provided you can really make some special and unique pictures as you can see from Zoe's finished picture. The larger sticky areas once peeled off really allowed for her to go with her imagination and create this multicoloured landscape.

They loved the little plastic wallets that you can slip your finished art work into to keep them in tip top condition. They grace the playroom walls and its regularly a point of conversation, especially " Muuummm when can we do these again?" That alone says it all about these wonderful kits.

If you would like to try them yourself you can find a massive range here at http://sandartcrafts.co.uk

My girls give them a massive thumbs up and thats OK with me!

L x

Psychologies Magazine - A Review

                                     

I had never come across Psychologies magazine before i was approached to review the new look copy. Sure I had seen it on the shelves before but i had never gave it much thought.

Mainly because i had no idea of the content but it just never screamed at me from the shelf, well i tell ya, if like me you have been passing it by, you are missing out.

It is crammed full of news, reviews, books, film, art, ideas ... the list is almost endless! It isn't stuffed full of adverts like many popular magazines, which to me is a massive selling point, there is nothing worse than flicking through half a magazine before you actually find something suitable to actually read.

As i have never read an issue before it had a face lift its hard to say what in fact they have fixed but in my opinion they have struck a home run. Its informative, it reads great, the interviews are relevant, even to me and i aint no fashion mag reader, give me a cup of tea and a craft mag any day! 

Its one of those that you take to your comfy chair, with a brew and a cheeky biscuit when no one is looking and simply loose yourself for an hour, taking in all the beautiful photography and gripping stories, there is even recipes nestled away near the back!

If you want to try a copy for yourself they are currently offering a fab deal for 3 issues for £3, yeah 3 for £3!!! Especially at £3.90 a copy this is one of those deals where you would be mad not to!

You can find it here 3 for £3 offer available at www.kelseyshop.co.uk/psy/c101

I hope, like me you will never pass by a copy of Psychologies mag again! * Adds to shopping list*

L xx

Save the Blow Dry - Review

Have you every had your hair done, or spent hrs hunched over the bathroom sink attempting to pull off some extravagant hair do before a big night out only to realise, after you are finally happy with your creation and you've lost 3 hrs of your life and you are now officially running late, that you need to shower! Yeah i hear you all scream in sheer panic! Well fear not, there is a new item on the market that claims to save you from yourself, Save the Blow Dry.

When i was asked to review this i have to admit i was a little excited, i have short hair and with 3 young children finding the time to style or straighten my hair each day is a real pain in the proverbial so this was something secretly i had been praying to the ethos for.

I shower (well if you can call it a shower when you have a line of small voices on the other side of the bathroom door asking where this is, can i eat this, can the dog go out... you get the jist!) So as a mother I'm fairly time strapped.

But honestly, with this i can style my hair at 5am (yeah we have a puppy, its like having a baby all over again!) then shower at 8 when everyone is up and i know i won't end up with crazy mum hair.

Its a beautifully soft micro weave inner that sucks away any moisture inside the cap allowing for frizz free locks and its an epic pink colour with a vintage flower design protective outer, granted with not much hair and a tiny head it did feel a little on the large side for me but for all you girls with long luscious locks there is plenty of space to tuck it all away and to top it all off it lived up to expectations. It didn't ruin or flatten my hair and it kept it super dry and just as it was when i put it on.

I can see this really taking hold in bathrooms all over the world, i mean who has the time these days to waste in front of the mirror, girls there's a world out there to take over, put down the straighteners and don the Save the Blow Dry!

And not just here to make you look fabulous, Save the Blow Dry support Khandle Light, a charity supporting communities in India, providing safe drinking water, each Save the Blow Dry sold through their website directly funds two weeks, yes TWO WEEKS worth of safe drinking water for a family.

Whats not to love?

You can find more about Save the Blow Dry here http://savetheblowdry.com

Or about Khandle Light here http://www.khandel-light.co.uk

Until next time..

L x

Reasons My Kid is Crying Competition and Review

If you haven't heard of Greg Pembroke's blog, Reason's my Son is Crying you are missing out, it is seriously laugh a minute and as a parent you can relate with the images as you are probably witnessing one as you scroll through his blog page.
And now the good people at Boxtree have turned this internet phenomemom into a hardback book, so everyone can have a good old chortle into their tea on a rainy afternoon while the mini people are having a nap/terrorising the dog/planning an escape route/crying because its a Sunday!

Here's a little more about it...

REASONS MY KID IS CRYING
Greg Pembroke Published by Boxtree on 10 Oct 2013;
£9.99 hardback
THE BOOK OF THE MOST POPULAR TUMBLR PAGE, REASONS MY SON IS CRYING.
It all started when busy father Greg Pembroke posted a few pictures online of his three- year-old son, mid-tantrum, alongside the reason his son was crying:
He had broken his bit of cheese in half. 

Within a week the blog had featured on countless news, radio and television websites around the world, including The Daily Mail, Buzzfeed,
ABC News, Yahoo, MSN, The Huffington Post, USA Today, Good Morning America and The Today Show.
This book collects together photos sent to Greg from parents across the globe, documenting the many, completely logical reasons why small children cry. (‘I let him play on the grass’ . . . ‘We told him the pig says “oink”’ . . . ‘The neighbour’s dog isn’t outside’).
Together, they are both a fond portrait of the universal, baffling logic of toddlers – and a reminder for burned- out parents everywhere that they are not alone.

Greg Pembroke lives in Rochester, New York with his wife and two young sons. He divides his time between working as a radio advertising copywriter, and looking after his sons at home.

http://reasonsmysoniscrying.tumblr.com/ 

As a coffee table book it seriously is laugh a minute, all the images are large and bright and you cant help but chuckle along on each page for the weird reasons that toddlers suddenly have a melt down.
I suspect that many if not all of you will relate to at least one reason per page, i know i did! However don't expect any details about the people who submitted the images or about Greg himself, apart from a few lines on the inner page, however i suspect that's the whole point.
The book has clear 'chapters' under headings like ' Domestic Bliss' and Sibling Rivalry' to categorise the images into easily found areas if you just have to show you friend/mother/neighbour the funniest thing you ever did see!
All in all its a delightful book that's a real eye opener to those that have long since forgotten what its like to share your home with a toddler or those who are yet to reach those delightful years.

Now you have the chance to WIN this book with our very own 'Reason's My Kid is Crying' Comp! 
Simply follow and RT this comp on twitter any time today sat 16th nov 2013. You will then be placed into a draw to win this book and a xmas book bundle. Ends 9pm tonight, Winner announced Sunday
good luck guys!!

Star Paws Sticker Book Series - A Review

Brand new titles in the amazing STAR PAWS sticker book series!

STAR PAWS is back, and it’s better than ever! This brilliantly funny, silly and utterly addictive sticker book series is taking the world by storm! Perfect for all ages, all animal lovers, and anyone with a sense of humour! STAR PAWS is packed with over 250 stickers and more daft jokes than you can count, for dressing your animals up ready for fashion shows, medieval battles, festive fun or even a mission to the moon!

Get ready for work everyone! It’s time to pick some exciting careers and dress up a whole host of animals in STAR PAWS: AMAZING JOBS. There are plenty of outfits to choose from, including doctor, gardener, spaceman, film director, dentist, pop star and wrestler – you’ll be completely spoilt for choice!

ISBN 9781447241461

 £3.99 | PB | Age 3+

Step into a medieval world of chivalry, heraldry, dramatic battles and revolting peasants with STAR PAWS: KNIGHTS. Meet and dress the dashing Sir Arthur Sixpence and join the Knights of the Hound Table as they joust and feast and attend Knight School! Design shields for the brave, apply pustules to the poor and enjoy dressing up dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits in some truly amazing medieval outfits!      

ISBN 9781447236924

£3.99 PB Age 3+

 Enjoy the complete retail experience, animal dress-up style, in the fabulous STAR PAWS: SHOPPING! Choose hats in Bears Accessories, help out in the changing rooms, become a stylist, a beautician, or simply shop until you drop! There’s so much to try on and so much to buy – everything from smelly perfumes and crazy fingernails to nice new pants.

ISBN 9781447241478                                                                                                                                                       

£3.99 | PB | Age 3+           

There are presents to wrap, feasts to prepare, snowballs to throw, halls to ‘deck’ and Christmas jumpers galore!

Help spread some Christmas cheer with bells, bows, snow-white beards and jazzy winter knitwear. And look out for the mistletoe...!

The PUURFECT Christmas gift for anyone and everyone!

ISBN 9781447236917

£3.99 | PB | Age 3+    

I had never heard of Star Paws before I was asked to review it and i have a sticker book addict in Emma. She usually goes for the really expensive ones by Osborne from Waterstones and she simply adores them, well i say adores as she has defiantly found a new love in these gorgeous sticker books.

They are fun and easy to do for all ages, my youngest is 4 and had THE best time with her Amazing Jobs book and even our eldest at 9 with the Shopping book really enjoyed it.

They are fun and educational all at the same time whilst allowing the child to use its own imagination to create something that sparks interest in them and we all know how hard that is right now with TV and computers dominating their life.

The images are delightful and if you are a bit of an animal lover like myself, you will spend as much time just admiring the pictures inside ;) .

They are of excellent quality and well worth the £3.99 retail price and i think these will be taking the place of our regular Osborne sticker book as they get the thumbs up from me as well as all three of my daughters!

We have squirrelled away the Knights book for a family member for Christmas, I know he is going to be delighted with it! But ssshhhh don't tell the kids or I'll have a riot on my hands!

I'm seriously looking forward to getting my hands on the Pirate and Super Hero's ones!!      

L xx