Scotch Pop Up Tape – Perfect for wrapping presents

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Fiona Martin

Scotch Pop Up Tape has become my new best friend this year whilst wrapping my Christmas presents. Simple strips of sticky tape in an easy to use dispenser that easily sits across on the back of your hand via an elastic strap.

I found the strips easy to use and it definitely allowed me to wrap a lot faster. Normally I’m looking around for my tape dispenser on the floor, having moved it out the way as I’m cutting paper for the next present, but this is always on the back of my hand, so always there ready to use.

With short strips there was no tangling of the tape and presents got wrapped at super speed and with ease. Definitley a help that I needed with the amount I had to wrap!

Why not give Scotch pop up tape a try?

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

2 for £10 Gift Ideas from The Works

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Fiona Martin

With Christmas looming, and many a day spent searching for presents that don’t cost a fortune, then look no further than The Works. They have a fabulous selection of low cost gifts available, with any 2 costing just £10! With something for everyone, children and adults, I’ve been taking a look at what’s on offer.

For adults there is a variety of things such as cookbooks, and a variety of dvd and book sets. I’m really pleased with the Crochet dvd and book set as it’s a craft I’m keen to learn after trying it out earlier this year, and this will be perfect to learn from with simple, clear instructions. This would make a lovely gift for a beginner to the world of crochet.

For boys, how about this fun Dinosaur Operation game. My little boy loves dinosaurs and has been eyeing up operation style games for a while. The dinosaur has obviously been eating things that he shouldn’t and has various tools as well as bones inside his body that need extracting as part of the game. This would be a fun game for the family to play on Christmas day and a bargain at just £5 when bought as part of the 2 for £10 gift range.

This Build Your Own Rocket set looks like fun for boys and has a little booklet as well as a rocket parachute to make. The booklet contains lots of ideas for rocket based ideas and experiments to make using simple things like a balloon etc I think there are plenty of ideas in here to keep boys occupied over the Christmas period and into the New Year!

One I think my daughter will love is a Crystal growing kit. She’s loves science and experiments so I think this is a great mix of the two and something she can watch grow over a period of time. With six crystals to grow I’m sure we’ll have windowsill full before long and they can be kept after as decorative pieces.

Yarn craft is a fun set for girls and my daughter does love anything needlework related. This set allows you to make 12 fun activities using wool including pom poms, decorative wool hearts, hair for sock puppets and more. The box also includes some googly eyes to use in some of your making projects.

I think the range of gift ideas from The Works this Christmas has a great variety and are an absolute bargain at just £5 each when bought as part of their 2 for £10 gift range. There really is something for all the family, so I’d definitely recommend checking them out either in store or online where you can get them delivered in time for Christmas.

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

ijustloveit.co.uk Online Gift Store – Review

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Fiona Martin

I Just Love It is a wonderful online gift store, with a wide variety of gifts, many of them personalised giving them added meaning to the recipient. They also have things that are a little bit different from the high street, meaning you can find something unique and special for birthday’s, anniversaries and Christmas etc.

I chose a selection of gifts, all for me to try out and I have to say I haven’t been disappointed!

I should save the best till last but I just have to show you this amazing personalised cake tin. I absolutely adore it, both in style and quality and it will take pride of place in my kitchen. It is a little pricey at £42.99, but when you see it with its personalisation and feel it’s strong sturdy quality, you’ll know it’s worth having!

The metal is really thick and strong, this tin really is made to last. It has a handle on top of the lid to aid in opening. What makes this tin different to others I’ve seen is the airtight seal, meaning that your cakes will stay really fresh and biscuits will stay crisp. I love the grey colour, neutral but stylish. The personalisation really makes this tin special though, and makes it the perfect tin to keep on show as well as the perfect storage for all my lovely baked treats. I can’t wait to serve visitors with a treat from my tin when they come round for tea!

This Personalised My Family Keyring is so cute with a silver charm for each child that is engraved with their name and a heart for wording of your choice, of which I chose my name. The charms are made from a zinc alloy making them sturdy and strong. At £12.99 I think this would make a lovely gift, I certainly would be more than happy receiving this from my children at birthdays or Christmas (obviously with another adult helping them to buy and order it). This will be home to my house keys from now and live in my handbag, I’m very pleased with this item.

A girl can never be without too many make up bags, you know what it’s like, some get a bit old and need replacing, you need one for make up, one for hair bits, one for other toiletries etc.. I really like the simple but elegant style of this Beauty Parlour Wash Bag and with its neutral colours and pvc coated cotton outer, it’s practical and also a good size. This one does seem really well made and at £14.99 is a good price for the quality and has room to hold quite a few items. It’s sitting proudly in my bathroom at the moment, full of little bits and bobs to make it look at bit tidier but I’m also looking forward to using it when I go away.

A small but cute gift is this Grow Me Say It With Flowers Seed Kit and priced at £3.99 is a bargain. I love roses and hope this successfully grows and is something I can plant in the garden. An ideal stocking filler or smaller gift if you are doing a bag of presents, then this is the perfect extra.

I’ve been really pleased with the selection of gifts from I Just Love It and would happily shop there again. The items are certainly different from what you’d find elsewhere and the personalisation on the some of the items is unique and makes them stand out a bit. If you are stuck for gift ideas, then I’d definitely give here a look, the range is vast and you’re sure to find something for person you are gifting.

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

Stocking Filler ideas – Review

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Fiona Martin

Stocking Fillers is a great website full of all those small items, such as games, toys and fun things that are perfect for filling stockings this Christmas. With a wide range to choose from, the site is easy to navigate as it’s broken down into different price points as well as boys, girls, adults etc. There also is something for everyone making it the one stop shop for stocking fillers.

I chose a selection of items for my children that I don’t think will disappoint. The quality on all the items seems good value for the price and it was easy being able to order a box full of goodies from one place.

There were plenty of branded items to choose from such as Corgi diecast cars and Crazy Soap which is always a hit in the bath! I also picked up some coloured Bath Tint tablets to change the colour of the bath which sound like fun.

My daughter enjoys a game of noughts and crosses on paper and I spotted a little wooden set using hearts and flowers which looked quite sweet, games never disappoint my children so I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun for such a simple item.

For Mister B who’s 4, I think the dinosaur stick will be fun, by turning it over it makes a dinosaur “roar”. The Secret Message Pen will be a hit for Miss M as she loves writing little notes and the fact that we can’t see them will turn it into a fun game for her.

I think the Stocking Fillers website is a great place to pick up all those last minute little bits and pieces that fill us with joy each Christmas morning. Why not take a look yourself?

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

Win a Thorntons Christmas Chocolate Bundle

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Fiona Martin

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It’s the season for chocolate, well it is all year in my book, but hey at least you can enjoy it at this time of year without worrying about your waistline. There are a vast array of special designs and moulded figures available for the festive season that look almost too good to eat.

Thorntons have come up with a wonderful range suitable for children designed around The Snowman and The Snowdog, with much of it made of white chocolate. There are beautifully crafted models, chocolate lollipops and selection packs. Why don’t you check out the lovely range of Christmas gifts here at Thorntons.

If you’d like to win The Snowman & The Snowdog Christmas Bundle from Thorntons, then I have one to giveaway to a lucky reader, just fill in the form below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions

Prize draw open to customers and non-customers aged 18 or over who are UK residents. Draw is not open to employees of Thorntons, their families or anyone associated with this draw. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request.

Winners will be drawn at random at the end of the promotion.

The promoter reserves the right (a) to add to or waive any rules on reasonable notice (b) cancel or postpone the promotion at any stage in the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control; or (c) in its reasonable discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.

Arts and Crafts Gift Ideas for Children

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Fiona Martin

My two children are so excited about Christmas, the joy of Santa coming down the chimney and leaving them a pile of presents to open. But with so much choice out there where do I start. There are a wide variety of Children’s Toys at Littlewoods available but I want to get my children something that’s not too gimmicky, that they will use again and again and has some sort of learning value from it. So I’ve decided to concentrate this years presents on creative toys this year.

As well as physical toys, you can also get them to have fun online with digital scrapbooking where they can help you create great gifts using photos adding backgrounds and stickers to add their own touch. This is a great introduction for young creative kids to gain some computer skills as they can play around changing their designs as they wish.

For physical toys there are some great ideas shown below:

Both my children love colouring, painting, sticking, you name it, they are always entertaining me by making something so this Jake and the Neverland Pirates Colour Your Pirate Ship would be right up their street. They’d have hours of fun decorating this before acting out their pirate adventures!

They both love getting their fingers stuck in dough, so I’d love to get them each a fun set, to get creative with. For 5yr old Miss M, she’d just love this Play-Doh Disney Princess design-A-Dress Boutique where she could create lots of pretty dresses for the princesses. For Mister B who’s 3, the Fireman Sam Dough Toolbox would be perfect for him to mould bits of dough in whatever shape he likes. With lots of tools, cutters and stencils this would keep him occupied for hours and he’d love the toolbox to keep it all in like one of his idols – Fireman Sam.

Miss M loves to draw her own pictures and although they are cute and creative, I think she’d really enjoy the Hello Kitty Drawing Projector to aid her drawing skills and allow her to draw fun pictures with the help of the projector light but as if they are her own. It would boost her drawing confidence and hopefully give her ideas on further ideas for her own pictures.

One thing we often find ourselves doing as a family is travelling long journeys in the car, either to visit family or to go on days out. I’m alway on the lookout for things to keep the children occupied in the back of the car and these Travel Art Easels look just the thing my two would enjoy and entertain them along the way. The Disney Princess for Miss M and Monsters University for Mister B.

So many exciting present ideas for art and craft loving children, I know my two would be pleased to see all of these on Christmas morning. They’ll have to write their wish lists for now and wait and see what Santa brings!

In collaboration with Littlewoods

Christmas Pringles – Sweet Cinnamon and Mint Choc

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Fiona Martin

We all get excited about Christmas and Pringles have certainly brought a bit of festive fun to their ever popular potato snacks this year. They have released two limited edition flavours just in time for the festive season, Sweet Cinnamon and Mint Choc.

So, I can imagine you are all thinking – what do they taste like? Well with my husband being a lover of Pringles I put him to the taste test along with my children. He found the Sweet Cinnamon quite tasty once he got round the sweet flavour on a crisp and actually enjoyed munching his way through the tube. I thought they were ok and had a few as an evening snack.

Unfortunately the Mint Choc didn’t fare so well with us, the immediate bite seemed quite intriguing but the strong minty aftertaste really didn’t seem right on a crisp. I have some friends coming over this weekend who I will share these with to see what other views people have on these limited edition flavours.

For us as a family we enjoyed the Sweet Cinnamon but the Mint Choc weren’t for us. It’s lovely to try new and exciting flavours though and these are only limited editions – so if you fancy trying some for yourself, get to the shops quick!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions. We are not paid for reviews although we do receive the product to try out and enable us to write the review.