Author Archives: Tracy Baines

Personalised Haynes Explains Manuals – fun gifts for Christmas from Oh My Gift

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Are your parts wearing out? Do you need an MOT? These fun guides recreate the appearance and technical style of Haynes vehicle maintenance books but with the vehicle being the human body in various stages of life.

Haynes iconic car maintenance guides have been modified to cover the challenges of being a pensioner, teenager, baby or married couple. How many times have we heard that babies etc don’t come with an instruction manual – well now they do. Follow at your peril. Every manual based on a strip down and rebuild – so now you know.

The Pensioner

Are you parts wearing out? Do you need some advice on rust prevention?  I particularly liked the Advantages of being a pensioner section. The Good News: You can live without sex. The Bad News: You can’t live without glasses. There is so much more to keep you reading and much to laugh at.

The Teenager

Not sure whether this is funnier for the teenager or for those who own one – probably both – but full of wise advice on what to say and what not to say to a teenager. Here’s how to understand and handle your teenager until the magic age of twenty and still be laughing at the end of it.

The Baby

For new parents or the perfect present for a baby shower to enlighten prospective owners of the latest model.

Subjects covered include Production and Delivery and Identifying Leaks. Surely something to calm the nerves when it’s most needed. Laughter can get you through most things – even sleepless nights.

The Married Couple

A great gift for weddings and anniversaries taking a wry look at maintaining your relationship and getting the best from your ‘vehicle’.

All written with tongue firmly in cheek these manuals are a humorous and quirky gift and certainly made me giggle in recognition.

They can be personalised with the name of your choice which appears on the cover and the top of each page. You can also include a personal dedication on the inside front page.

It’s a fun gift for Christmas but also for other milestone occasions.

Oh My Gift have a fabulous range of personalised products that are suitable for all the family and all occasions. Put your order in soon to beat the Christmas stampede.

www.ohmygift.co.uk

 

Games for Christmas from Gibsons – a family-owned British Company

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Snakes & Ladders and Ludo

Looking for some stocking fillers that the whole family can share? Look no further than Gibsons Games, a family owned company that produces high-quality puzzles and board games. There’s nothing quite like clearing the Christmas table and settling down for some quieter pursuits and Gibsons have plenty on offer.

Gibsons have been making puzzles and games for almost 100 years and the company is still owned by the Gibson family.

A particular favourite here at Frost was good, old Snakes and Ladders – perfect for little ones and still good fun for older family members. It’s always lovely to have a game that all generations can enjoy and this fits the bill perfectly. The board is illustrated with woodland companions, plump bees, and cheerful toadstools and in place of ladders the counters climb up trees and wiggle down the worms.

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Our young testers really loved the fox, frog, rabbit and owl on the ludo board. The wooden counters were easy for little fingers to hold and move.

The double-sided board is made from high-quality cardboard with wooden counters and dice – and the all important instructions in case you’ve forgotten how to play. It’s nice to have well-loved game updated and presented in sturdy packaging that will last. One to treasure.

Gibson Games’ Snakes & Ladders and Ludo was the winner of the Right Start Best Toy Awards 2016 and has been awarded a Silver Practical Preschool 2016 Award.

2-4 players
Aged 5+

RRP £12

Vintage Kellog’s Puzzle

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The Gibsons puzzle range has grown to over 250 titles, running from 2 to 2000 pieces, with over 50 new jigsaw puzzle images added every year.

One of the new designs  is this Vintage Kellogg’s jigsaw puzzle.

When complete the 250 pieces re-create a nostalgic image of an inviting bowl of  corn flakes

The high-quality  jigsaw puzzle is  made from 100% recycled durable puzzle board and the bowl-shaped puzzle measures 49x34cm when complete.

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The puzzle is presented in a beautifully illustrated, sturdy tin, which is perfect for keeping knick knacks in once you have finished the puzzle. Or you could always keep your cornflakes in it. Tin measures 20x14x6cm

RRP £9.99

Pass the Pud

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Great entertainment for the whole family, Pass the Pud is a team game for four or more players and everyone’s nerves will be tested to the limits as they answer questions in a race against time to beat the burp. There’s nothing like time pressure to set everyone giggling and when the pudding burps it becomes almost impossible to keep a clear head to answer the questions. This is our kind of pudding – and not a calorie in sight.

Players take it in turns to draw a card from four categories. They must come up with an answer before quickly passing the pud on to the next player who must also come up with a suitable answer – and so it goes on until the dreaded ‘burp!’

The player who is holding the Pud when it burps is the loser and the rival team receives a sixpence. Once all of the cards have been used, the team with the most sixpences are the winners.

Requires 2 x AAA batteries.

4+ players.
Age 8+

RRP £17.99

All products tested were well made with clear instructions and ease of use.

There are many more games and puzzles available at www.gibsongames.co.uk

 

 

CORE High Fidelity Wristband Earphones

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I must admit that when I first read the line ‘wristband earphones’ my brain flipped with very strange images but these innovative earphones are great if you don’t want to lug around a bag or stuff them in your pockets.

CORE earphones by specialist audio and fashion manufacturer, WRAPS, are stylish, comfortable and practical so they tick all the boxes for me.

The unique design of Wraps means that earphones can now be worn on the wrist when not in use, eliminating the frustration of looking for earphones only to find them lost or tangled in the bottom of a bag or pocket. They are comfortable to wear and the faux leather strap is adjustable so it fits all sizes. It’s also available in a  braided cloth cable, a PU leather cable or cable with wooden beads. The earphone housings are available in four of the latest smartphone and tablet colours.

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CORE earphones  look  stylish and the sound quality is great too. They also feature upgraded Titanium speakers; a metal which is commonly used in precision engineering due to it having the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal.

The quality of the speaker is crucial for accurate sound reproduction and the 10mm Titanium speakers are expertly tuned to resonate clear, high-fidelity sound throughout the audio spectrum with precise, ultra-fast response times.

Each set of earphones also comes with noise-isolating foam tips. The soft expanding acoustic foam offers not only a superior feel and fit, but also blocks out unwanted background noise.

A universal one-button microphone lets you play or pause your tunes and answer calls on the go from the earphone cable splitter.

Great sound, great looks and comfortable to wear what more could you ask for?

Available in Gold, Space Grey, Silver and Rose Gold from www.mywraps.com  for £49.99

 

Plump It: Volumising Lip Plumper – Review by Talia Lee-Skudder

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Plump it lip gloss is perfect for achieving that plumped up pout. Simply smooth it onto your lips and wear on its own or underneath your favourite lippie. Immediately on application, your lips will tingle for about thirty seconds. As this subsides you can visibly see your lips becoming fuller and plumper as the lip gloss gets to work. The Cupid’s bow noticeably gets more defined creating the illusion that your lips are bigger.

I have always been sceptical about lip plumping products, often finding that they do not actually work. However, after using Plump It, the change in the shape of my lips when wearing the product is obvious. Whilst my lips are not that thin to begin with, Plump It successfully fills them out and gives me a better shape – which is particularly noticeable when I am wearing a darker lipstick colour.

Plump It comes in a classic silver tube with a sponge tip and click applicator. The gloss consistency is lightweight and glides on easily with the sponge applicator. A great product that achieves a natural and full-looking pout.

For those of you who lust after a Kylie Jenner pout, then Plump it is the product for you. Transform your smile and rock your plumped up pout.  Plump it is available online for £19.99.

www.plump-it.com

The Perfume Studio – Review by Talia Lee-Skudder

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If you’re looking for a unique and fun Christmas gift idea then the Perfume Studio masterclass should be at the top of your list.

The Perfume Studio invites you to spend a day learning about the art of perfumery and creating your own unique and bespoke scent. I attended their masterclass in Manchester last Saturday, and was enrolled on the Platinum Experience which meant I got to walk away with a 20ml bottle filled with my own signature scent.

 

Guests were welcomed with a glass of fizz, or orange juice for those who weren’t quite ready to start drinking at 11 am on a Saturday morning. Once everyone had settled at their tables, the perfume stylist, Freda Rogers, gave an insight into the world of perfumery. Freda provided a brief overview of the business that has been running for more than ten years, and that has brought with it the opportunity for many to blend their own fragrances and learn about the art of perfumery.

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After a brief introduction in which we were told we would be following in the footsteps of countless celebrities who have gone through a similar experience in the creation of their own fragrances, we started the process of choosing our own scents. Individual scent cards were handed out whilst Freda described the key notes in each sample. She informed us that fragrances consist of top note scents, middle notes and base notes and the importance of each category.

Starting with the base note, this range of blends ensure the longevity of your scent and it is these notes that last on your clothes. The blends include musk, woody and balsamic to name a few. We were then introduced to samples of the middle note which set the tone of the whole fragrance and include a number of floral based scents. Finally, we sampled the top scent. This is the blend that makes your perfume instantly recognisable; although it does not have the same longevity of the base note it is this blend that is most memorable.

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We each collected our favourite blends and decided what worked well together. It is important to remember however, that creating a fragrance is subjective – so resist the urge to be tempted by what others around you like and dislike. After much deliberation, I finally decided on what blend of scents I wanted and my bespoke fragrance included woody, musk, neroli, gentle floral and fruity. The perfume stylists create your fragrance while you wait or have your afternoon tea. The 20ml bottle of your perfume comes in a cream box emblazoned with the Perfume Studio logo, a lovely keepsake from a brilliant experience.

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You can attend the Perfume Studio masterclasses nationwide as well as at the flagship events held in London and Manchester. These are group experiences. However, private consultations and events are also offered. You can find more details at The Perfume Studio

The Perfume Studio masterclass is the ideal Christmas gift. It’s a great experience for you and a friend or even to do on your own. Not only is it fun and a fab insight into the world of perfumery, but you also get to create your own bespoke perfume blend. A definite must for your Christmas lists.

www.theperfumestudio.com

Natural products for soothing babies and toddlers

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It’s great to see so many companies  offering great child care products and looking after the environment at the same time. Here at Frost we particularly like:

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PURESSENTIEL REST & RELAX BABY BALM – Ideal for babies & toddlers / pre-schoolers

The Baby Relax Balm made from 100% natural essential oils will help soothe fractious babies and may be an absolute godsend for fraught parents. Gently massage your baby’s body with a small amount of balm, a couple of times a week, and your baby will relax and sleep more easily.

Blended from cypress, lavender, marjoram, orange and thyme it smells gorgeous and worked a treat  settling the youngest member of the Frost team – and it smells so good that mum may want to use a little on herself.

Puressentiel takes the best from nature in an ecologically responsible way. It is dye and preservative free and has no synthetic perfumes. For use on babies from 3 months.

http://www.puressentiel.com/uk/en/products/rest-relax/baby-relax-balm

 

 

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MUSTELA BABY FRAGRANCE – MUSTI EAU DE SOIN – Ideal for babies & toddlers/pre-schoolers

Mustela  Eau de Soin can be used daily to delicately fragrance hair, body and clothes. It is an aromatic mix of subtle citrus notes combined with the soft fragrances of rose, lilac and amber. Chamomile and honey extracts offer soothing and softening properties and the fragrance is alcohol-free.

It is guaranteed safe for use from  birth onwards (including newborns out of the NICU) and tested under dermatological and paediatric control.

Taking care of our children also involves taking care of the environment in which they live. At every stage along the life cycle of its products, Mustela does everything it can to minimize the impact that they have on the environment. Mustela bottles, for example, can all be recycled. The boxes used are from sustainably managed forests, and Mustela Bébé foaming formulations are all biodegradable

A truly lovely product.

 (RRP:£18.50)

 

Ecoffee Cup – The Natural Reusable

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Looking for a stocking filler? The perfect choice  for the Secret Santa? For an original, beautifully designed, practical gift, look no further than Ecoffee Cup. After all, how many of us grab a coffee on the way to work? With over 100 billion single-use coffee cups going to landfill every year globally the Ecoffee Cup is the perfect choice for those looking for Christmas gifts with a conscience.

Made with natural, organic and biodegradable bamboo fibre, the Ecoffee Cup is sturdy yet light, is naturally sterile, has a resealable and ‘drip proof’ lid and is fully dishwasher safe.

The cup will last for years if treated nicely (it can split if stepped or sat on). However, it is not suitable for microwave use.

Created with the world’s fastest-growing, most sustainable crop – naturally organic, bamboo fibre – and non-GMO corn starch, Ecoffee Cup is BPA and phthalate free. It’s the Natural Reusable.

The Ecoffee Cup feels a bit like thick, yet light cardboard. Nice to hold and gorgeous to look at.

And if that wasn’t enough the cup is biodegradable; when it has reached the end of its lifecycle – simply crush it, soak it in boiling water and bury it with organic compost. So no more faded plastic cups lurking in your cupboards or sitting for years in landfill.

Available in a wide range of fun, vibrant designs; from block colours, striped or spotted, to geometric, feather or floral patterns prices start at £9.95.

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We particularly like the recently launched William Morris collection with 14oz cups priced at £11.95

We tested it here at the Frost offices and happy to say the Ecoffee Cup doesn’t taint the coffee, unlike many plastic reusables. It looks great, feels good to hold and is easy to store in your bag.

For more information or to purchase your Ecoffee Cup, go to www.ecoff.ee.

Bimbamboo Children’s Dining Sets From Ecoffee

And if you are looking for something to delight the little people in your life why not take a look at the Bimbamboo dining range for children.

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Perfect for tiny tots. It looks and feels great, the designs are colourful and cheerful and our little band of testers enjoyed using them. Designs in the range are Owls, Robots, Transport, Hot Air Balloons and Animals.  Made from the same natural, organic and biodegradable bamboo fibre as the Ecoffee cup, they are kind to the environment and look so much better than many of the plastic versions available.

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Each set includes a divider plate, a bowl and handled cup.

They’re also naturally sterile – making them the ideal surface for serving kids’ food. We loved them.

Priced at £15 per set

Sisters at War by Milly Adams

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Sisters at War is a wonderful, life-affirming story, every page filled with warmth and generosity for the characters.  It left me feeling uplifted and hopeful that the good in people will always shine through. It usually does, no matter what we may see or hear in the news.

It reminded me of all those lovely films I watched on a Sunday afternoon with my mum, dad and sisters –  an extended family, pulling together, making mistakes, righting wrongs and trying to be better people. I found it immensely moving and admired so very much the bravery of people in wartime – whether they were serving in the forces or doing their bit in Civvy Street. There are so many unsung heroes in any time of difficulty and the pages of Milly Adam’s latest book reveal the hardships and stoicism that challenged them.

Bryony and Hannah are sisters but they couldn’t be more different. Hannah is selfish and Bryony selfless.

Hannah is young and headstrong, no one will stop her from doing what she wants, and she wants to stay in Jersey. Bryony is happiest amongst her family and loved ones, and at Combe Lodge everyone is pitching in. The family home has filled with evacuees and Bryony has joined the ATA, helping to ferry planes across the country, whatever the risk.

When Jersey is occupied by the enemy, Bryony knows she needs to reach out to save her sister. But is she too late?

Hannah was infuriating, I could have wrung her neck at times. Bryony, sensible, brave and daring, a risk taker who sometimes makes the wrong decision. But you will love all of the characters because they are so finely drawn. I feel they are my neighbours, my friends – and I miss them.

Sisters at War is about the choices we make, how we can right the wrongs, learn from our mistakes and hopefully, try and redeem ourselves. Milly Adams shows us that it is never too late, and that forgiveness is a way forward. Her characters are not all goody, goodies – they are human; struggling to find love and hope, and make sense of a world turned upside down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Milly Adams novel and anyone who has read it will not be disappointed by this, her second. If you haven’t read Above us the Sky then lucky you; you’ve got it all to look forward to.

www.penguin.co.uk