Category Archives: Reviews

Vogue Williams shares her ‘Must Have’ Baby Products with The Baby Show Live @ Home

Posted on by

Vogue Williams, radio & TV presenter, model and mum shares her must-have parenting products with The Baby Show:

Bouncer

I love the BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss. We had one of these when we had Theodore and they are brilliant. You can get a toy attachment for it too, so that it can turn into a little activity chair for your baby. We recently got the new Leopard print one for Gigi which I love, but this bouncer will last you through all of your kids as the covers are washable!

 

Buggy

The Bugaboo Fox buggy was the main buggy we got for Theodore and then Gigi used it after she was born. It’s very long lasting and super comfortable, plus you can attach a seat to the back, which is where T sits now!

 

Baby Gym

I always find myself looking for ways to occupy Gigi. We got a gorgeous wooden play gym from Scandiborn and I just think they have the most gorgeous toys for all age groups.

 

Travel steriliser

I use the Avent Travel Steriliser. This steriliser is really compact, you can take it away with you and you can store it away in a cupboard, so there’s no need to have a messy steriliser sitting out.

 

Baby Clothes

In terms of clothing, there are so many baby brands I love, but some of my favourites are Rachel Riley, Pop My Way, MORI, Mini Rodini, Oliver Baby, Mini A Ture and Il Gufo. All of these brands are really good quality, so will stand the test of a messy baby!

 

Muslins

I think aden + anais do the best ones. You will need lots of these, we use them for everything, you can never have too many!

 

Breast Pump

My favourites are the Medela Swing and the Elvie. They are expensive, but have lasted me two babies so far and if we have more I will know I will be able to use them again.

 

High Chair

I really love the Stokke Trip Trap as you can use it from newborn upwards plus it’s easy to clean.

 

Sheets

Snuz do a lovely range of super soft sheets.

 

Moses basket

We got a really beautiful Moses for our sitting room from The Little Green Sheep.

 

The Baby Show Live @ Home takes place from Friday 19 – Sunday 20 June, 2021. For more information visit https://www.thebabyshow.co.uk/live

 

GEOX Kids’ new PLAYKIX Collection.

Posted on by

We absolutely love these high-quality and innovative running shoes for kids. They are so stylish and they are waterproof. Win-win.

GEOX Kids’ new PLAYKIX COLLECTION that combines sustainability, technology and fashion to create a running shoe with a futuristic look.

Geox, trainers, children's kids,

  • The shoe cleverly captures foot movement and conveys this information via Bluetooth to the PLaykix App available on smartphones.
  • This sets in motion the adventures of GEOX Boy and GEOX Girl, encouraging them to play outside, while creating avatars who collect plastic waste, rid the air of pollution or repair vehicle that clean the environment.
  • By engaging in these digitised exciting activities, children are encouraged to actively interact with the environment in a responsible way, making walking more entertaining and fun.

 

GEOX PLAYKIX is available in a variety of bright vibrant colours and all  include the Geox-patented breathable waterproof outsole. https://www.geox.com/

 

An at Home Sanitizing Solution: Coral UV’s New LED Sanitizer

Posted on by

Coral UV Expands on Best-in-Class At-Home Sanization with the Coral UV 2

The 2021 Red Dot Awarded Design ensures safe, user-friendly UV-C sanitation

This is a brilliant invention and just what we need in these Covid 19 pandemic times. It offers great piece of mind that your items are thoroughly sanitised. We can highly recommend this. A must buy.

Coral UV, the leader in at-home UV-C sanitation solutions, is proud to launch the Coral UV LED Sanitizer and Dryer. Representing the next generation of the brand’s original 3-in-1 UV-C sanitizer, the Coral UV LED Sanitizer and Dryer builds upon best-in-class safety features to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on the surface of any appropriately sized item.

sanitiser, sanitising, UV,

For the next generation of Coral UV’s Sanitizer and Dryer, designers went back to the drawing board to provide customers with expanded user experience, modern aesthetic, and increased safety features. For instance, mercury bulbs have been replaced within the sanitizing chamber with six, energy efficient LED lights. This eliminates the possibility of users becoming accidentally exposed to mercury and helps keep mercury out of the environment. “Coral UV 2 represents how we provide for consumer requests without sacrificing quality,” mentioned Titus Tse, Co-founder of Coral UV. Tse continues, “Our change to LED ensures this product is completely mercury free and odor free, two of the core requests our customers have made in the past.” In addition, Coral UV has kept its commitment to rigorous, third-party verification. The Coral UV LED Sanitizer and Dryer has been proven to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on the surfaces of household products.

It has:

  • Eco Friendly LED Bulbs – Coral UV uses 12 mW LED, eco-friendly bulbs (as opposed to harmful mercury bulbs). This is six times more sanitizing power than LED competitors.

  • Aesthetic, minimalist design – Coral UV is a minimalist, top-open sanitizer that naturally fits in with the rest of your kitchen, vanity, or bedroom.

  • Roomy Stainless Steel Chamber – A roomy reflective stainless steel chamber allows you to sanitize multiple items at once while ensuring the sanitizing UV-C light reaches every corner inside the device.

  • Drying function – A built in drying function is convenient for items you might rinse off beforehand, such as water bottles. Coral UV is one of the only sanitizers that has this option.

In acknowledgement of its enhanced design, the Coral UV LED Sanitizer and Dryer was recently bestowed a 2021 Red Dot Award in Design–an internationally recognized award that honors the very best in product design. “We are humbled and excited to win such a prestigious award.This makes us proud that our core values of quality without compromise are being recognized,” commented Tse.

 

The Coral UV LED Sanitizer and Dryer will be available for presale on Kickstarter.  Following the launch on Kickstarter, the unit will be available for purchase online at CoralUV.com and Amazon.co.uk in June. For more product information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3dnTT4a

Stokke’s Tripp Trapp High Chair Review

Posted on by

I know I bang on about sustainability a lot and some of you might even be sick of hearing about it. However, I need to talk about the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair. It is a gorgeous high chair that lasts from birth all the way to, well, the rest of your life. How is that for sustainability?

The high chair itself it stylish, with stunning design. It is well-made of course. I would not expect anything less. I put the high chair together myself. Well, with the help of my two young children who insisted on joining in. I found it easy. That said, I did it via a YouTube video and not the instructions.

stokke, high chair, tripp trapp.

I absolutely love the high-end Scandinavian baby brand Stokke and I am not the only one;  Alesha Dixon, Katy Perry, Joe Wicks, Rochelle Humes, Jessica Alba and even Ronaldo all love them too.

stokke, tripp trapp, highchair, review,

Stokke’s iconic Tripp Trapp high chair grows with your child, which can include an additional Newborn attachment. The Newborn Set for the Tripp Trapp chair brings your baby into the heart of the family from day 1 – to develop and learn alongside each other and allow for moments of bonding between all family members. The chair can also include a baby set and can hold up to 136 kilos, meaning your chair can last a lifetime. Tripp Trapp was born in 1972 and have sold more than 12 million chairs. Impressive. I now people who have had theirs for decades.

Available from stokke.com, johnlewis.com and many other good outlets.

 

Pre-school educational games to boost months of lost learning.

Posted on by

This year has been a tough year for our children’s education. Thankfully help is at hand, here is toysandbears.com’s pick of the best pre-school educational games.

writing school, learning, educational, toys writing school, learning, educational, toys

My First Words Game £12.99 Self-correcting puzzles allow children to learn as they play. Encourages reading and learning letters, logical thinking, fine motor skills and independence

Numbers and Sums £12.99 Learn to count with the animals of the Savannah. Helps with numbers, early maths, logic, shapes, colours, fine motor skills and independent play

Writing School £19.99 Help pre-schoolers learn to read, write and draw with this progressive learning program of 16 worksheets to develop hand-eye coordination and improve manual dexterity

montessori , toys, toy, educational,

Montessori My First Desk £29.99 Fun, colourful desk packed full of Montessori method activities. Stimulates sensory development, reading, writing and independence

Funny Labyrinths £14.99 Practise pre-writing skills. Improve fine motor skills, develop hand-eye coordination, and help children to prepare for writing.

Educational Games Collection – Pirates £17.99 3D pirate ship game. Four brightly coloured educational games in one. Improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, curiosity and observation skills

Also available in “Farm” with a 3D farmhouse scene

Carotina Baby Memory Game – Animals £5.99 Self-correcting memory game made from thick cardboard tiles.

Carotina Baby 9 Progressive Puzzle Puppies £8.99, 9 self-correcting animal puzzles.

Carotina Baby Plus My First Feelings, £7.99 Puzzle to match feelings to the scenes, teach children to acknowledge feelings

 

 

Anker PowerPort Nano Review | Tech

Posted on by


Anker recently released the PowerPort Nano in the UK, a tiny 20 watt charger that’s designed to take advantage of the new iPhone’s charging standards. Two years ago Anker released the first Nano that used GaN technology to bring high speed charging to a device just a little wider than a quarter. Continuing their drive to charge all sorts of tech with as little fuss as possible, this new Nano can output 20W of power while being the same size as the original. And of course, it’s also 100 percent compatible with Android devices.
It is 3 times faster than standard chargers, super small and convenient. It is available from Amazon.

REVIEW: Pinocchio, Chichester Festival Theatre

Posted on by

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

 

 

 

 

 

 

That any live theatre has gone ahead this December is a Christmas miracle in itself. In Chichester’s annual Youth Theatre production, however, there is a double dose of wonder; against all the virus-related odds the show has not only gone on, but it’s an absolute belter.

Usually boasting a cast of almost one-hundred, in order to manage social distancing this year’s CFYT offering is presented by two smaller teams of twenty-three, with Team Fox and Team Cat splitting the performances. (On Press Night Team Fox were performing, but I am reliably informed that Team Cat are every bit as accomplished.) Directing a full-scale production to meet the pandemic’s stringent safety measures, on and off the stage, is an extraordinary feat of choreography, and one that all those involved in achieving must be congratulated.

Hope, redemption and realising that our differences can be strengths rather than weaknesses are themes that run through this abridged version of Carlo Collodi’s original tale, which has been superbly adapted by Anna Ledwich. Managing to be gloriously heart-warming without straying into sentimentality, Director Dale Rooks has infused Pinocchio with emotions and moments that truly resonate. One such instance is when Pinocchio and Geppetto ‘hug’. Standing apart, they wrap their arms around their own bodies, bringing a lump to the throat and an ache to the heart – oh to hug again!

On stage there’s not a single below par performance. Archie Elliot (Lewis Renninson) in the title role plays the headstrong little puppet with absolute conviction. Pinocchio may be made from wood but he has guts, heart and spirit, ensuring that we are rooting for him all the way. Alfie Ayling (Jack Campbell) as Geppetto is warm and wistful, playing the lonely carpenter with a maturity beyond his years.

There is excellent work too from Meg Bewley (Molly Berry) as the Fairy and Annalise Bradbury (Olivia Dickens) as Cricket, her exasperated sidekick. Marvellous cameo gems include Alex Webb (Noah Peirson) as a chatty French poodle – très magnifique!

The ensemble work is extraordinary. Matching talent with energy,  it is ultimately in the production’s togetherness that its success lies. A masterclass in how a completely cohesive company can create something magical, the story flows perfectly, the singing and dancing are stunning and the set, simple but oh-so clever, is breath taking.

The overall effect is wonderfully uplifting. Moreover, there is a sense of the fantastic; a promise of enchantment. And it delivers. With Christmas bells on.

Vicky Edwards