Foraging for fruit with Robinsons Fruit Shoot

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Robinsons Fruit Shoot has long been a favourite of my children’s for picnics, days out and treats so we were pleased to take Fruit Shoot up on their foraging challenge which incorporated foraging to find our own fruit and then inventing our own new Fruit Shoot flavour.

Armed with a hamper of goodies to get us going we started by looking through the ‘Food for Free’ book to get an idea of what to look for along with reading the hints and tips list created by expert Fergus Drennan to ensure we followed safety and a guide to common things that can be at this time of year.

We headed outside and the children were happy to spot some apple trees and wild blackberries. Unfortunately most of the blackberries were yet to ripen but we did manage to get a couple which we took home to wash and eat. I let the children enjoy them and apparently they were very juicy and delicious! We are going to try some of the apples cooked in a tart to see what they are like but the children loved the idea that we had picked our own fruit and could actually eat it. We also want to collect some more blackberries once they have ripened to try and make some mini ice lollies with the moulds from our hamper.

Obviously we needed some refreshment after all that foraging so Robinsons Fruit Shoot in Summer Fruits flavour proved a popular choice and was the perfect refreshment for a day outdoors.

With our foraging trip over and feeling greatly inspired by our findings it was time to head home to invent our own Fruit Shoot flavour.

The children sat quietly engrossed in their new Fruit Shoot designs, I was really impressed with their finished pictures. The 9yr old Miss M came up with an Apple & Strawberry flavour and 6yr old Mister B fancied Blueberry & Orange.

I think they did really well and loved exploring what fruit can be found outdoors. It just goes to show that fruit can be fun and a little imagination can go a long way. We thoroughly enjoyed our Fruit Shoot adventure and look forward to enjoying a lot more foraging trips in the future!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Snackeez 2 in 1 Snack and Drink Cup – Review

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Fiona Martin

Snackeez is a revolutionary new idea from Character combining both a drinks bottle and a snack pot in one. Great for people on the move and something I know my children would adore, not just for the fun aspect, but for convenience, ease of only having one container and it comes with a straw – always a bonus!

The drink has a simple, brightly coloured design, each cup combining two colours. Incorporated into the top is a lid which opens up to the snack pot and also a straw which reaches down to the lower part of the container where the drink is stored. There is a soft easy to grip band around the centre making the cup easy to hold.

My daughter absolutely loves the Snackeez and finds it brilliant to use when she goes to sport lessons, or playing in the garden as she has her snack with her alongside her drink. Grapes are a good healthy snack that we often use and you get fit a generous portion inside the pot. For a treat on a Saturday night she enjoys some popcorn in the snack pot along with a fizzy drink. The cup is versatile and quite large, ensuring both a decent size drink and snack can be put in it.

The Snackeez has been a big hit with us and one that both my children enjoy using. It’s really handy and useful as you have less to carry and it makes snack time fun. We’ve found it easy to wash out, all the parts separate easily and equally simple to slot back together. Our’s has been well used so far and will be great for summertime, why not try one for yourself?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Horlicks Review & Giveaway

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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Horlicks is a drink I remember fondly from childhood, as a warming drink on a cold winters day, or a drink before bedtime to give me a good nights sleep. They now produce a ‘Light Chocolate’ version with 55% less fat than the original recipe, meaning less calories per cup – perfect!

A mug of Horlicks Traditional is packed with 14 key nutrients including Vitamin B6 which contributes to the normal functioning of both the nervous and immune system and can reduce tiredness and fatigue. It is also low fat and a source of protein.

As well as the powedered drink, Horlicks have released some vintage inspired goodies to store your Horlicks in and drink it out of. I love the old fashioned style tins and they make a great accessory for the kitchen.

I’ve been having a nightly cup of Horlicks over the last week or so when the evenings have been chilly and have to say the taste really surprised me. It seemed nicer than I remember from years ago and definitely a drink I’ll include in my bedtime routine over the winter months. It’s frothy and creamy yet so simple to mix up with hot water, well worth a try!

If you fancy trying the Light range of Horlicks along with the memorabilia shown above, then just enter my giveaway below to win a bundle of goodies:

Horlicks

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Cravendale Milk Drinkers Challenge

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Cravendale is a milk that my kids love. They notice a distinctive difference between Cravendale and supermarket branded milk and find it a little sweeter and more pleasant to drink. Now I’m going to have to be honest and admit I’ve never been a fan of milk myself but am pleased my children are growing up drinking it as their main drink to help give them a balanced diet.

My children drink milk anytime of the day, either that or water, and particularly at dinner time they like a glass of milk to wash their evening meal down. Also at supper time they love a glass of milk before bed and a straw just makes their milk that bit more fun as a mound of bubbles burst out of the glass sending them into fits of giggles as to who can produce the most bubbles!

Milk is a staple in this household for the children, whether it be milk on their cereal or drinks during the day, we sure get through a few pints. I just hope they don’t grow out of their Cravendale addiciton, not only are they getting a healthy boost but they thoroughly enjoy it and always have fun drinking it!

This post is an entry for BritMums #MilkDrinkersMilk Linky Challenge, sponsored by Cravendale

BRITA back to school hydration challenge – Results and Giveaway

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Fiona Martin

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Following on from my post last week about the Brita back to school hydration challenge, Miss M has now successfully used her Brita Fill & Go bottle for a whole week at school so I’m keen to share with you how she got on. #BetterWithBRITA

Some of the facts Brita found out about children and how much water they drink are:

Almost thee quarters of parents (73%) do not know how much their children drink whilst at school

Two thirds (66%) do not know the recommended daily intake of fluid for children

So 7yr old Miss M went to school armed with her new bottle, it can be used with or without the internal straw, but she prefered without and just liked to tip it up. Each day after school I asked her to show me how much water was left in the bottle and how many times she had filled it up.

The bottle holds 600ml and it’s recommended that your child drinks two of these during the school day which I do think is a lot. I was surprised to hear that Miss M had filled her bottle two times every day last week and each day she only came back with about an inch of water in the bottle which I think is excellent – she must have been drinking at least a litre of water during the school day which even she said is much more than she usually does.

The stickers on the side of the bottle definitely helped and she was motivated by them and wanted to drink the amount of water as per the guide on the stickers. I think talking about it with her each day also helped as it kept her focused on how much she drunk and she was eager to show me her bottle at the end of each day.

I think the Brita Fill & Go with stickers has really motivated my daughter to think about how much she is drinking and also drink more than usual. It’s a great idea to get children motivated into keeping themselves hydrated.

For more information about the Brita Fill & Go check out their page HERE.

I have one Brita Fill & go bottle including stickers to give away to one lucky reader. Just fill in the Gleam form below:

Brita

We received a Brita Fill & Go bottle in order to join in with this challenge

Chill Factor Slushy Maker – Review

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Chill Factor Slushy Maker is your own home made slush drink created in minutes! The new Tutti Frutti range consists of bright summery colours such as orange, pink, purple and this vibrant blue colour.

The slushy maker cup consists of various components, an outer layer, an inner layer which freezes, a couple of rings which hold them together at the top and a lid. There is also a straw which doubles up as a spoon – this proved to be very popular with Miss M and is the perfect accessory to go with the cup.

So how does it work?

The cup needs to be put in the freezer, preferably overnight, or at least until the insides are frozen solid. The other key thing is to ensure the drink you wish to use is cold, therefore I tend to put a cup of juice in the fridge the night before I know my daughter wants a drink to ensure it’s ready to use when we require it.

When you have both a frozen cup and cold drink ready to go, simply pour the drink into the cup as high as the brim, screw on the lid and SQUEEZE!! It really does only take a minute or two of squeezing before your juice has turned magically into slush. Take a look at my quick video below:

We found the slushy maker really easy to use, easy to wash, and could be ready again to use the following day. The slush drinks are perfect for fans of this kind of drink and you can use virtually any drink you want from squash, fresh juice and even milky drinks. Milky drinks do tend to take a bit longer to turn into slush so do make sure your drink is ultra cold before you start.

My daughter absolutely loves these slushy drinks, they are the perfect treat for her and she has one several times a week. She loves making them herself and likes to use her favourite Summer Fruits squash most of the time. They are great for summer drinks and also an inexpensive way of turning a drink into slush whenever you feel like one!