Tag Archives: Reviews

Toy State Reveals Fantastic Toddler Toys | Christmas Ideas

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Toy State, a toy industry leader and innovator of highly-stylized licenced “lights and sound” and radio-controlled vehicles has a fantastic selection of Christmas toys suitable for toddlers. Designed to cope with tough toddler play and encourage co-ordination and imaginative play. We reviewed the following:

Hot Wheels Extreme Action Sharkruiser– All the excitement of Hot Wheels™ with lights and sounds for extra action. Get ready for extreme fun with the chomping jaws and glowing eyes on Sharkruiser. Ages 3+ Expected Market Retail price £19.99, available from smythstoys.com, TheRange.co.uk, ASDA.com, Wilkinson.com, ToysRUs.co.uk

A huge hit with toddlers. They can barely wait until it is out of the box. Chomps away as it goes. 

Cat Buildin’ Crew E-Z Machines® R/C- You are never too young to start playing with a Remote-Control vehicle. Designed for toddlers, the single button activation allows the child to drive the Cat machine forward when pressing the button or watch it spin in circles when released. There are 2 fun characters to collect including; Haulin’ Harry™ and Rugged Randy™. Ages 2+ Expected Market Retail price £16.99, available from smythstoys.com, TheRange.co.uk, Toymaster.co,uk and Debenhams.com

A brilliant little toy for toddlers. Easy to use and tons of fun. It also helps their coordination. 

 

Penclic B2 And Penclic B3 Review | Time To Change Your Mouse?

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Some technology seems to stay the same, and the humble computer mouse may have changed in some ways- became wireless, have different buttons- but really it is a design that has stayed the same. Now Penclic has changed that thanks to high-quality Scandinavian design. These mice are more like pens, and the design has helped many people with RSI or carpel tunnel. In fact, it was designed to help people with RSI. And it does. We reviewed the B2 and the B3. We are a fan of Penclic. It looks great, is easy to use, even if it does not look like it would be, and is easier on your poor hands and wrist. Penclic B2

 

If you dont have any left over USB ports the Penclic Mouse B2 connects seamlessly to both PC and Mac through bluetooth. The sleek pen looks great in white.

    • The supported platforms for Penclic MouseTM are all operating systems that support HID 1.1. These include Windows XP or later, Mac OSX version 10.1 or later and most Linux/BSD flavors. No extra software/driver installation is needed.
    • Bluetooth connection (not supported by standard iOS).
    • Operates on almost any surface without any pad or tablet.
    • Implements a 5-button and scroll wheel. The left click, right click and middle click are on the pen shaft’s right side. On the pen shaft’s left side the backward click and forward click for surfing are positioned.
    • AAA 1.2V NiMH Recharging battery (Everyday use last approximately 1 months before charging is needed).
    • LR 03/AAA/1.5V Alkaline None rechargeable battery can be used. NOTE: Do not recharge.
    • Energy saving mode starts after 10 minutes, press a button to start.
    • Wireless reach, minimum 5 metres.Dpi setting 1200.

A wonderful mouse. Highly recommended.

Penclic B3

 

The Penclic Mouse B3 is perfect for both lefties and righties, it connects seamlessly to any pc or mac by bluetooth.

  • The supported platforms for Penclic Mouse are all operating systems that support HID 1.1. These include Windows XP or later, Mac OSX version 10.1 or later and most Linux/BSD flavors. No extra software/driver installation is needed.
  • Bluetooth connection (not supported by standard iOS).
  • Operates on almost any surface without any pad or tablet.
  • Implements a 3-buttons and scroll wheel mouse.
  • AAA 1.2V NiMH Recharging battery (Everyday use last approximately 1 months before charging is needed).
  • Charging via USB.
  • LR 03/AAA/1.5V Alkaline None rechargeable battery can be used. NOTE: DO NOT RECHARGE
  • Energy saving mode starts after 10 min, press a button to start.
  • Wireless reach, minimum 5 metres.
  • Dpi settings 800 – 1200 – 1600.

The dpi button is located under the mouse, the cursor will move faster for each setting. It will rotate around frequency from 800-1600 and then go back to low 800. Once the power is shut of the dpi setting will return to its default setting, 1200 dpi.

A great mouse which can be used with either hand. Convenient and stylish..

Penclic is available here.

Hape Walk-A-Long Snail Review | Toys

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Frost loves the Hape Walk-A-Long Snail. First of all it is cute and looks so happy. Next, it is also a shape sorter. Your little one can pull it along like a cute companion or sit and play with the snail. It is wooden, high quality and very well made. It is also eco conscious. What more could you want?

When your child starts walking, they’re going to need a faithful companion to explore and play with. This is where the Hape Walk-A-Long Snail comes in to save the day.

This playful little snail will become your child’s favourite toy as he loyally tags along. Once they’ve got used to this friendly snail, they won’t want to go anywhere without him.

The snail is extremely versatile and totes a shell full of wooden blocks that can be removed to not only lighten the load, but also to use as a separate colourful shape sorter toy. You can even set up the blocks to create a “maze” that the snail can navigate through.

Your child can experience the wonders of the Walk-A-Long Snail from as young as 12 months. With the high quality wooden construction, your children are in safe hands and are ready to explore the world around them alongside their playful snail companion.

As with the entire Hape range of products, this unique Walk-A-Long Puzzle has been thoroughly designed to the highest of safety and quality standards. Also, with a commitment to sustainability, Hape only use eco-friendly materials and water based paints in order to produce their much loved products.

Give your child a toy that not only provides hours of entertainment, but also allows them to learn valuable skills, getting them ready for a bright future.

Hape’s Walk-A-Long Snail measures H18.6, W11.2, D30.1cm and is available from Argos for £24.99.

 

Inner-Soul Roses and Lemons Daily Nourish Kit Review

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Inner-Soul’s Roses and Lemons Daily Nourish Kit Review

We love natural skin care so decided to review Inner–Soul‘s trio of 100% natural, certified organic products. We reviewed a trio of products:  Roses and Lemons Tender Cleanse Balm, Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum and Supreme Comfort Daytime Moisturiser. The cleanse balm removes make up well and leaves skin feeling super clean. It is gentle and smells great. The serum can be mixed with the moisturiser and also smells great. It has vitamin C in which is known to be great for skin. The moisturiser feels very nourishing. It doesn’t have an SPF in which would be my only complaint. All three of the products feel great on skin and smell good. They are 99%, 41% and 81% organic respectively. They have a good range of ingredients and are gentle while leaving skin looking great. The samples we were sent were not enough to use for a long length of time so we can’t say if the products make a good, long-term difference to skin, but we were impressed overall. Good stuff.

 

Give your skin the treatment it deserves every day with Inner–Soul‘s trio of 100% natural, certified organic products to cleanse, nourish and moisturise. Presented in a beautiful organic silk drawstring pouch and includes 55ml Cleanse Balm and Moisturiser and 15ml Serum. £59.00

Emma believes that a daily skincare routine including massage equals happier, healthier skin and this kit makes it simple for you to achieve this. Roses and Lemons Tender Cleanse Balm, award-winning Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum and Supreme Comfort Daytime Moisturiser have been designed to balance dry, sensitive and mature skin types with antioxidant-rich fruit and flower extracts leaving you nourished, soft and glowing.
TIP: Become your own skincare expert by simply mixing as much or as little of the face serum with the moisturiser in your hand before applying and see how your skin responds.
Inner–Soul is all about boosting inner confidence through treatment of the skin holistically to nourish, balance and enhance.
Inner–Soul’s Founder Emma Coleman is a qualified Aesthetic Nurse, Clinical Aromatherapist and Skin Nutritionist and offers clients a comprehensive range of bespoke skincare treatments and solutions through a combination of science and nature with natural & organic skincare, facials, rejuvenating treatments and aesthetic injectables.

 

 

Shop Skincare Launches: The New Beauty Site You Will Love

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Very exciting beauty news indeed: a new website for beauty lovers has launched. shopskincare.co.uk are a team of like-minded beauty lovers who love a beauty recommendation. However they describe themselves as a cynical bunch who try every product before it makes its way onto the site to make sure it is good enough. Shop Skincare lets you try something new from a brand you love, experience a new brand or give a gift. If that was not enough each order over £40 receives a free beauty box which contains full size products from the brands on the site.

There is over 200 products on the site from the biggest and best brands. What are you waiting for? Dive in….

shopskincare.co.uk

Are you an aspiring make-up artist or beauty blogger? Do you love trying out new beauty products?

Shop Skincare the exciting new online beauty retail site launches July with a panel of beauty, health and wellbeing experts, the search is on for a makeup artist / beauty blogger to join the team.

We are looking for someone who loves to try out new make-up and beauty products who we can support with free products for them to review as well as feature them on our blog and social pages. We’d love you to share this with your readers, as it’s a great opportunity, or you might want to enter yourself!

How to enter:  

Follow @shop.skin.care on Instagram and tag a photo with your favourite make up look and the winners will be picked as soon as the site is launched.

 

Hape Pop-up Monkey Track Review

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This train track with popping monkeys was a huge hit with the Frost toddler. The cute banana train makes the monkeys pop out in a very satisfying way. Smart and fun, it has fast become a favourite toy. You can also buy additional track. Very much recommended: another great hit from brilliant toy brand Hape who focus on high-quality wooden and education focused toys.

Three monkeys hide in the jungle just waiting for their chance at snatching a banana treat. Watch as they hop out just as the banana car passes!

  • Suitable for age 18 months +
  • Dimensions (LWH) 23.4×12.3×11.4cm
  • Includes: 7 Pieces
  • Encourages imaginative play, creativity and helps to develop planning and logic skills.
  • Warning: Not suitable for children under 18 months

 

Available from debenhams.com

Protecting Little heads from tiny pests with Kit & Coco: Complete Treatment Review

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head lice review

head lice treatment, kit & coco

head lice treatment, kit & cocoThere are many things that parents dread. Parenting nightmares are very real things and head lice is a big one. The ick factor is there and so is the embarrassment. Past head lice treatment can smell- and be- too chemical. Others are not that effective.

Kit & Coco is a haircare brand created to be gentle but effective on little heads. Launched earlier this year, Kit & Coco’s haircare is enriched with coconut oil which is naturally hydrating, nourishing and soothing. When massaged in, it both strengthens hair fibers and soothes irritations of the scalp, leaving hair even softer and shinier than before. Coconut oil has a bonus quality: it is an active participant in the treatment of head lice. Very handy.

Kit & Coco provide a gentle and fuss free solution to headlice and their pesky eggs.

Lice can produce around 10 eggs a day which take around seven days to hatch so one small problem can escalate into a larger issue very quickly. The Kit & Coco complete treatment kit includes treatment shampoo, a gentle ergonomic nit comb, applicator brush, protective shower cap and a surprise treat for little ones.

The Kit & Coco shampoo has coconut oil and rich botanic oil to deliver gentle yet effective prevention and treatment for head lice and nits. As head lice are constantly adapting to create a resistance to Pediculicides (chemical based insecticides), KIT & COCO has utilised plant based active ingredients – to totally eliminate head lice and nits (eggs) through asphyxiation, which head lice simply can’t develop any resistance to. The treatment range utilises the fatty acids from coconut oil to clog the respiratory system of head lice to banish those little pests for good. The 45-minute treatment we reviewed is proven to be 100% effective against lice and nits, find out more here: http://uk.kitandcoco.com/kit-coco-proven-efficacy

So what did we think? Kit & Coco Complete Treatment Review smells so much better than most head lice treatment. It is well packaged and the comb is a good one. You get four lots of the shampoo and…it works. Our tester was very impressed with the results. Great packaged stuff that looks fun and works. What more could you want?

The KIT & COCO range is available to buy online at KIT & COCO, Amazon and independent pharmacies nationwide.

The Business of Books – 18.1.17

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableSince Another You saw the light of day almost a month ago much of my writing life has been taken over by marketing, interspersed with periods of panic that I’m not marketing enough, or that I’m doing the wrong things. It’s actually very hard to tell what works, however empirical you try to be, so one of my first priorities has been to start the reviews ticking over. That really matters.

Reviews are not all about an ego trip for the author – although I have to say with some of the initial comments about Another You my head could swell more than one hat size. In the cold light of day – rather than the warm glow of knowing someone really loved your book – reviews are about Amazon algorithms. Once you pass a certain number (said to be 50, but for The Faerie Tree it was somewhere in the low 60s) your book will be featured more and more in Amazon customer mailings and suggestions. It’s certainly worth it – I went from selling a few copies of The Faerie Tree each day to selling a thousand or so over a three week period. It just takes a little while – and a lot of work – to get there.

Some lovely reviewers will post on Amazon on the UK, in the US and on Goodreads – as well as their own blogs if they have them. There’s an extra dimension to the Amazon reviews for Another You because for each one in the UK and the US I’m donating £1 to Frost’s favourite charity, Words for the Wounded.

Over the last few years I’ve met some lovely book bloggers online. Most of them have full time jobs and/or are busy mums as well as reading, reviewing and writing and I have a huge admiration for their work rate. I try to be as helpful to them as I can by sharing and tweeting things which I think will be of interest to my followers too and taking part in their special events, so over time relationships build. That means I don’t feel bad about asking if they’ll review Another You or take part in the blog tour but it also means it’s a pleasure to work with them.

The Business of Books – 18.1.17topbookboggersinDorset

Some really go the extra mile, putting together graphics for the book to go with their reviews. Making these graphics – especially useful for saying more in Twitter posts – is something I’ve started to do myself, using a website called Canva. I have no design skills at all but even I can manage to knock up something which looks quite professional. Here’s one I prepared earlier to showcase some review quotes.

Something I haven’t been able to do before is offer a free ebook on Amazon to generate downloads and reviews. On Friday I had an email from Endeavour saying that Another You will be on free promotion from 16th – 20thJanuary. I was really excited by the possibilities but a little phased by the lack of notice. Having canvassed a few writer friends they advised me to get everyone possible to share the news – and the download link – and to look at a few well-chosen free book promotion sites. Sadly most of them need a lead time of at least five days but I have picked three and I’ll let you know well they work in due course.

To end my post with something completely different… I am absolutely made up that my first novel, The Cheesemaker’s House, has been selected by Books on the Underground for 1st February. I really believe in sharing books and this is an amazing way to do it. I’m hugely grateful to the book fairies for allowing me to join the fun.

To download your free copy of Another You before Friday please visit:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-You-Jane-Cable-ebook/dp/B01N9HINKI/
https://www.amazon.com/Another-You-Jane-Cable-ebook/dp/B01N9HINKI/