Glam Goo Deluxe Slime – Review

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Fiona Martin

With one of the top toy trends at the moment being slime related, the Glam Goo Deluxe Slime set was sure to get a positive first impression from my daughter so I was keen for her to try it out and give me her views. The set comes boxed featuring a good sized glitter plastic handbag with sections inside to store all of your fantastic slime creations in.

The set contains:

Glitter storage handbag
Double finger storage ring
Pot of Glam Goo (clear slime)
3 pots of mixed glitter – Cloud Crunch, Daydreams, and Unicorn Tears
2 colours – Electric Blue and Pinky Promise
1 scent – Violet Vibe
1 mixing spoon

So essentially you have a large pot of clear slime and you are free to make any creation you wish with it using the glitters, colours and scent although there are some suggestions of combinations to follow on the included instruction sheet,

The three glitters are all really pretty and themed with different shaped pieces and shiny colour combinations. There are two pots of iridescent powder colours and some lilac scent to add a fragrance to your glitter.

As you can imagine my 11yr old was super eager to get started and began by giving the entire pot of slime a good knead to soften and stretch which she thoroughly enjoyed and found very therapeutic.

It was then time to get creative with the Glam Goo and add the glitters, scent and powder colours to make various different combinations which you can store in the ten compartments of the glitter storage handbag. Miss M really enjoyed this part and came up with an array of pink, blue & lilac slimes with different glitter combinations in each one.

There really are numerous possibilities and you can change and add to them later on. Miss M found that some her colours were quite pale at first so when she got them out to play with the next time she added more colour pigment or some extra glitter to make them more vibrant.

I think the storage case is a brilliant idea and something my daughter really loved. It enables you to store the slime safely and the sections mean that your different combinations don’t get mixed up. You can even store some slime in the heart compartment on the front of the Glam Goo bag.

One thing my daughter loved was how the slime settled and spread out evenly in the sections when it was left alone and she found it pleasant to pick up and play with again at anytime. It’s non sticky, very stretchy and has a great texture that you can pull, break, roll and stick back together again.

The ultimate fun of the Glam Goo Deluxe set though has to be how portable your slime is. You can carry it around in its fun storage case with over the shoulder strap and play with it at your leisure anywhere you go.

This set is an absolute winner with my daughter, she loves everything about it, from making the slime, playing with the slime and carrying it around with her. Glam Goo Deluxe set has our seal of approval and I think that it’s non sticky texture and secure storage make it a great gift for girls!

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

Autumn Crafts with Baker Ross

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Fiona Martin

Autumn crafts are so lovely with the pretty colours and really get the kids thinking about trees and leaves and encourages their desire to start collecting Autumnal items. They’ve really enjoyed making some Autumn inspired kits from Baker Ross to use and hang up around the house.

wp_20161103_10_59_51_pro The children got stuck in straightaway, they love crafts and they love the ease and effectiveness of the Baker Ross kits. They always look so impressive when finished and we love hanging them up around the house to enjoy.

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Both children enjoyed colouring in the bookmarks while Miss M did the cross stitch for them both. Meanwhile Mister B got creative with some Autumn themed foam stickers. He made a wonderful picture which we have up on our kitchen wall and he loves telling people what each of the animals are doing in it. autumn-baker-ross-2 My favourite has to be these Autumn leaves, in bright Autumnal colours. The children loved creating these using coloured sand to pour onto sticky templates. You simply peel off the section of leaf that you wish to colour in and then pour the sand on. It really is that simple and the result is a stunning, brightly coloured leaf. I was keen to show these off so have tied the ribbons along a length of cord and have it hanging across my back doors to my garden and it always gets admired at by visitors.
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Again the Baker Ross crafts have been a success and we look forward to showing you more in the future. These kits are really worthwhile and keep the kids occupied. Seeing them happy with what they produce is great and they make some lovely themed decorations for our house throughout the year.

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

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Easy Nails Nail Spa – Review

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Easy Nails Nail Spa from Character toys is every young girls dream, a gadget that paints your nails while you sit back and relax! I have to say 7 yr old Miss M’s eyes lit up when she saw this and she couldn’t wait to get started and try it out.

The Nail Spa is aimed at ages 5+ and comes as one main unit. The only separate parts are the brush heads, of which you get three. They simply push in and out for easy removal to wash or if you want to use a different colour varnish. Two nail polishes are also included in this set, a pink and a purple which sit inside the adjustable holder when in use. Being adjustable means you can use any bottle of polish you have a home although what I did like about the ones included is that they are water based and peel off, which I actually prefer for my 7 yr old at the moment.

The Nail Spa does require 3 AA batteries which simply fit underneath. It’s then time for the fun to begin. You have four buttons, two pink and two purple which control the brush head. Each colour does the same thing, but they have put one of each on either side so that you don’t have to reach over. By pressing the pink button the brush moves down and dips into the nail varnish, then pressing the purple button the brush moves over and hovers just above the nail. This is then your chance to move your finger to into place, which does take a bit of practice, so that when you press the button again, it paints your nail.

Miss M got quite engrossed in what she was doing and enjoyed positioning her nails and pressing the buttons to paint them. The adjustable base where you put your finger does move side to side and up and down so it is fairly flexible to fit different shapes and sizes of fingers. Once Miss M had painted each nail she could then choose to add glitter or gems that were included in the set. She opted for a lot of glitter on her middle fingers!

Miss M has loved the Nail Spa and spent much time painting and decorating her nails. She couldn’t wait to show her friends and I think that is where the value in this product comes. Young girls making over their nails with their friends, having nail parties and trying different designs on their nails. I can see this coming out every time a friend comes over!

We’ve been pleased with the Nail Spa and I do think Miss M being 7 is the perfect age for it as she can operate and use it alone, and is the right age to have fun experimenting without getting too messy. Remember the polish just peels off so any mess on the side of the fingers will just peel off when dry and can be removed from nails whenever you want without needed a remover.

A great idea for something a bit different for birthdays and Christmas presents that young girls will love!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the Nail Spa in order to write the review.

Beados Glitter Quick Dry Design Studio – Review

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Beados Glitter Quick Dry Design Studio from Character has been a huge hit with Miss M. With lots of coloured and glittery beads that magically join together when sprayed with water, the designs are simple to make and effective when finished.

Suitable for ages 4+, although they would probably require assistance at that age, Miss M who is just 7 sat and did this craft set unaided and independently, meaning she was thrilled at the results knowing it was all her own work.

The set consists of a fan which requires 2 AA batteries, 2 boards to make the designs on, some design templates, various packs of coloured beads, a divided dish to use to hold the beads, a tool to pick the beads up, a water spray bottle and some stands to help display your finished work.

You can either copy the designs from the template or for younger children you can put the template underneath the board so you can follow the design by putting the correct coloured beads on top. The tweezer like tool helps you to pick up a bead and place it in the correct place on the board. I really liked the glittery beads and think they really enhanced the finished designs.

Once you have completed the design, you use the spray bottle to gently spray a layer of water across the whole design and then place it under the fan to try. Miss M loved following through with this process as she could complete it herself from start to finish.

The beads adhered together well once they were wet. We did find that if too much water was used it was a good idea to turn the design over once partially dry to let the other side dry fully rather than sit in water on the tray.

With plenty of concentration, the Beados really kept Miss M occupied and is a fun craft that’s a little bit different from the things Miss M normally does which helped maintain her interest. It made her feel very grown up using the fan herself and showing me her finishing projects.

The designs looked really good once dry and can be used for many things. There are a few various stands included, one to stand a design upright, another with a sucker to put on a window and another one with a sucker that you could stick anywhere. There are also some little attachments that you can adhere to a design with little water and they have a hole in which you can thread some string or ribbon through and use as a keyring or attach to a bag.

Beados has been a big hit here for Miss M who loved working with the beads and was really pleased with the finished pieces. This would be great for any art and craft fan, and you can purchase additional bead sets to make further designs after and the fan can be used again and again. Why not take a look at Beados next time you are looking for a gift?

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

Back to School with Sainsbury’s Arts and Crafts

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Fiona Martin

With the summer holidays underway and two children to keep entertained, I’m also on the look out for things to do, whether it be days out, trips to the local park, or activities to keep the children occupied at home. When Sainsbury’s offered to send us a selection of their Back to School stationary range including lots of art and craft goodies, I knew that would the perfect way to entertain my two when we are stuck at home or when it’s raining.

With a selection of coloured card, tissue paper, wiggly eyes, glitters, sequins, glue, stickers and pens, they couldn’t wait to get started.

Miss M decided to create a picture inspired by our holiday with a beach scene at night with a dark sky and stars. She also added a lighthouse and a little googly eyed person.

Mister B decided to recreate the huge blue and purple jellyfish that we saw lying on the beach. He drew a blue outline and stuck on some googly eyes. Then I helped him add some sparkly purple glitter to make it shine and then he drew some wiggly jellyfish legs!

Miss M then got really creative and wanted to draw one her favourite activities – rock climbing!! She’s only had a go on the man made indoor rock climbing places but would love to one day take part in some outdoor rock climbing. She cut out a purple tissue paper rock and stuck it to the paper. She then created a sparkly purple sun in the corner of the paper. She then drew three little rock climbers, one each side of the cliff and one on top with all bundles of ropes. She gave each person a shiny coloured star sticker for their hard work and to say well done for their excellent rock climbing!

A bundle of craft materials is a great way to get the children to be creative and also to get them sitting down concentrating just like they have to when they go back to school. They also really enjoy it and love showing everyone their finished pieces of art.

With the new school term starting in just a few weeks, there are lots of things to thing about from uniform, stationery to getting your child focussed and ready for the new academic year.

Being organised in the mornings is a great way to start the day and keep things calm and smooth running. Sainsbury’s have put together a Back to School list of 9 igenious ways to streamline the kids mornings routine – why not check it out?

We were sent some Sainsburys craft goodies and voucher in return for this post.

Lightbulb Baubles – Crafty Christmas Decorations

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Fiona Martin

When Lightbulbs Direct suggested using old lightbulbs and recycling them into Christmas decorations, I knew someone who’d be up for the challenge. My daughter Miss M loves her arts and crafts as is always keen to make something, forever looking for items in the recycling bin to glue together. I hadn’t thought of using old lightbulbs before, but I found her a couple of and she set to work.

We used some craft bits already at home and started by putting each bulb in a white square of tissue paper and gathering it at the top of the bulb. We wrapped some Christmas ribbon around the top and made a loop to use to hang our baubles.

Miss M then took one of the lightbulbs and used her purple glitter glue tube to make swirls all around it. The other bulb she covered in glue and sprinkled coloured glitter on to make it all sparkly. We let them dry before hanging them on our Christmas tree. Although simple in design they looked really effective amongst the other tree decorations and with the lights on the tree shining behind the baubles, the glitter shines and glistens away.

I think these our lightbulb decorations look great, a perfect addition to our tree. Unfortunately the glitter didn’t show up as well in the pictures as it does in real life but hopefully you’ll get an idea of the effect. Miss M loves seeing her home crafted baubles hanging up and loves telling people she made them. I’m really proud of 5yr old Miss M’s efforts and we are keen to decorate some more lightbulbs in the future – a great way of recycling your old lightbulbs and having crafty fun too!!

Why not try making some new lightbulb baubles with the children, a great activity to keep them occupied at the start of the Christmas holidays!

This post is a competition entry for LightBulbs Direct ‘Light Bulbles’ Xmas Crafting Competition

Potato & Carrot stamping – crafty fun!!

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Fiona Martin

Fancy getting crafty with your little ones, hate the mess and clearing up – well that’s me and I tend to avoid too many messy activities with my two. They do plenty on the two and half days they spend at nursery each week so they I don’t feel that they are missing out in any way. But with the Make Time to Play campaign to encourage us to play more with our children I thought I’d step out of my comfort zone and set up an exciting messy activity for Miss M to do at home.

I decided to try potato stamping. Miss M was thrilled when I told her what we were going to be doing and couldn’t wait to get started. It’s actually very simple and the only materials required are potatoes and some paint!!

Not only can you make pictures, but you can create greetings cards, wrapping paper or many other ingenious ideas such as a rocket out of a kitchen roll tube with stars stamped up the side…

Please watch our video of how to do potato stamping with Miss M: