Fun With Gazillion Bubbles - Review

 AD - We were sent these products for the purpose of this review and compensated for our time.

As soon as the sun makes an appearance the kids and I have to be outside - we cannot get enough of good weather. With some COVID restrictions still in place, we often opt for the comfort of our own garden - or a relatives garden now that we can! As you can imagine we were all delighted to receive a couple of Gazillion Bubbles products thanks to Funrise Toys UK. They couldn't have arrived at a better time.

We received two products for the purpose of this review. The first of which is the Gazillion Sky Bubbles, suitable for children from the age of 3 it retails at just £10.00. With its revolutionary design - one pull of a ripcord and you have bubbles galore! You simply fill the spill-proof tray with the Gazillion Bubbles solution, pop the flyer on top of the tray, pull the ripcord, and you're off! It's a lot of fun but the kids did have issues with it sometimes as they are both a bit heavy-handed. It's a lot of fun and can be used both indoors and out.

Next, we have Gazillion Whirlwind Party which retails at £29.99 but is currently on offer online. It looked quite impressive in its box and like the Sky Flyer comes with a bottle of Gazillion bubbles solution. Before we could get started we had to go out and buy x10 AA batteries, which aren't included and can be quite costly. Once the batteries were in and the machine assembled, all we needed to do was add the solution, switch it on, stand back and enjoy the whirlwind party! It was the firm favourite not just for the kids, but for the dogs too! I shared a video of my dog Tucker on my IG stories. He was hopping around after the bubbles - it was adorable. You can see our Instagram post here.

The kids had so much fun and it was great to see them both so active, chasing, catching and jumping within the bubbles. It lasted such a long time too! Perfect for garden parties this summer. Both of these Gazillion Bubbles products are available online and instore at Tesco - and other leading retailers. Visit Funrise Toys UK on Facebook and Instagram for more fabulous toys. 

The Magical World of Mermaids Personalised Children's Book - In The Book - Review

AD - We were sent this product for the purpose of this review and compensated for our time.

Long before I became a parent I knew that I wanted my children to be bookworms - just like me. In fact, one of the first items I bought when pregnant was a book for the baby. Books are extremely important to my family and between us, we must have hundreds. Ava in particular loves curling up with a book, despite her only being four and unable to read yet she is mesmerised by them. I can't wait until she starts school and starts to learn to read but until then I'll continue to be her favourite storyteller.

With this in mind, I was delighted when In The Book got in touch. They asked if we would like to choose a book to review and to receive a little feedback on their website. I decided to let Ava pick one out this time and with such a fantastic selection to choose from she really took her time. It was easy to browse through the categories as everything is streamlined and very clear. As soon as Ava set eyes on The Magical World of Mermaids book that was it - that was the book for her. Little did she know, it was going to be personalised too!

When ordering it couldn't be any more straightforward. You simply choose a story from the dozens available, add your child's name, then add a personalised message and a photo - easy peasy! Delivery was fast and I fully understand why the website, and end product have such rave reviews. The book itself is stunning to look at and the story is so endearing. I sat on the sofa to read it to Ava and her eyes lit up when she spotted her photo on the last couple of pages - it really surprised her. She now thinks she's famous as she's in her very own book!

It's quickly become one of her favourite books and I've lost count of the number of times she's asked me to read it to her. It is going to make the most lovely keepsake too. We will definitely be ordering another book in the future. The Magical World of Mermaids book costs £19.99 in the softback, and £24.99 in the hardback edition. Visit their website to see their full range of books. 

Smoby Chef Corner Restaurant - Review

AD - We were sent these products for the purpose of this review.

One of Ava's favourite things to do is role-play - doctor, vet, mummy, superhero, baker, ninja - you name it, she's been it! With lockdown still looming I was delighted to be offered the Smoby Chef Corner Restaurant to review - a playset perfect for different roleplay scenarios, something to keep her busy and entertained while life is on a bit of a standstill - and beyond of course.

It arrived in a huge box with lots of bits and pieces - the instructions said that it would take two people 1.5 hours to build but it was almost 3 hours for us. The instructions are quite clear but there's just so much to assemble, tons of stickers, and some parts were quite fiddly - I'm looking at you tap! I would recommend building it before gifting to a child as the kids were constantly asking if it was ready and they were both trying to help, ha ha.

Once assembled it stands at an impressive H82, W23.5, D76cm. There's an option of making it taller as your child grows - this is great because kids often struggle to use playsets like this once they are at a certain height. It features kitchen sound effects, a sink with a real water function, a till with play money, a mobile phone, an attached table, stool, and a working calculator with an LCD screen.

It also includes over 70 accessories; cutlery, pots, pans, mugs, condiments, chopping board, recipe cards, and various food items. The pizza is Ava's favourite accessory - she likes piecing it together like a puzzle and adding different toppings. The cutting carrot is great too - perfect for practicing those fine motor skills.

I sat back and watched the kids play – Ava opting to be the chef and Noah the bossy customer. She took his order, hanging the recipe card on the serving shelf, and made him a hot chocolate from the espresso machine while he waited. His pizza was ready in no time and she provided service with a smile too - not bad for a 3-year-old!

It's worth noting that Noah is quite tall for a 6-year-old and it's a great size for him. With it being a large playset he felt like it was "grown-up" enough for him to play with too. It was lovely watching them play so nicely together and switching roles.

Smoby encompasses everything that little ones love about play and they’ve certainly proven that with the Smoby Chef Corner Restaurant. I’ve seen some play kitchen/restaurant setups in my time but my word, this is the daddy of them all. With so many features and accessories, it’s extremely immersive and encourages children to role-play, be creative, and use their imagination. The kids have played with it for hours and I can see them getting many years of use out of it.

The Smoby Chef Corner Restaurant is suitable for children from 3 years of age, retails at £150 and is available to purchase at Argos.

Blippi Toy Range from Jazwares - Review

AD - We were sent these products for the purpose of this review.

If you have a preschooler you are probably well aware of Blippi by now - he's a YouTube sensation with other twelve billion views! Blippi's character is very childlike with his boundless energy and enthusiasm - he looks the part too with his colourful and eye-catching garb. His content is totally child-friendly and educational, focusing on preschool basics such as counting, letters, shapes, colours, and so on.

Ava is a huge fan so I was delighted to be offered the brand new Blippi toys to review - I have to admit that I had my eye on the postman for the week leading up to the delivery day! When the box arrived I couldn't make Ava wait any longer. She absolutely squealed with delight when she saw the huge Blippi box - she said "Blippi? For me?"

Once she'd unboxed it all, it was time to take a good look at the range. Inside we discovered; My Buddy Blippi - £17.99, Be Like Blippi Role Play - £11.99, Blippi Surprise Boxes - £9.99, x2 Blippi Mini Vehicles - £5.99 each and x2 Blippi Ball Pit Surprise Balls - £3.99 each.

My Buddy Blippi was first to be opened and lots of hugs and kisses followed soon after. He's a plush doll, with a hard plastic head, which measures 16" long - the perfect size for little ones to hold and carry around. The fun doesn't stop there as it also plays 15 classic Blippi sounds and phrases with the simple press of the belly. My Buddy Blippi is a must-have for all Blippi fans - such a fantastic toy and Ava's new best pal.

The Be Like Blippi Role Play Set was de boxed and on in a flash - causing Ava to grin from ear to ear. Kids can now dress just like their idol as the role-play set contains a bow tie, suspenders, hat, and glasses - just like the ones Blippi wears! Ava wasn't wearing the suspenders in this picture as she was wearing dungarees but they've been on since. She likes to skip around the house declaring that she not Ava anymore, she's Blippi!

The Blippi Ball Pit Surprises also receive a huge thumbs up from and at £3.99 each they don't break the bank either. The ball pit surprises come in 4 different colours and contain 12 different Blippi figures, with building block, and letter flashcard. The letter blocks are designed to be stacked so children can put together new words, or just build a tower if they feel like it. It's a nice touch to have each figure holding the item which is on the flashcard - Ava wants 'D for dog' next.

The Blippi Surprise Boxes retail at £9.99 and includes an exclusive Blippi figure and 9 mystery boxes. Each box is labeled 1-9 and inside contains 9 different gifts, all collating with the number on the front - 1 whale, 2 shoes, for example. Ava was so excited to open up each box to see what was inside, some contained figures and others contained stickers.

Last, but certainly not least we have the Blippi Mini Vehicles which retail £5.99 each. There are currently four to collect; a fire truck, garbage truck, excavator, and the Blippi Mobile. Each one has a unique feature, perfect for racing and role-play - I think we will have to collect them all.

All in all, we are really impressed with the Blippi toy range - there's quality there and it's evident that a lot of thought has gone into each product. You can find the range online and in stores at Smyths, Tesco, ASDA, Entertainer, Amazon, and all other good retailers.
 

5 Ways To Spruce Up Your Home For Spring

AD - this is a PR collaboration.

It's almost spring, I can feel it in the air. I can't wait to soak in all the natural vitamin D after a dark, cold winter. I like to spruce up my home at the start of each season, it's become quite the tradition over the years. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a post featuring my top tips - the motions I go through every season.

1. Deep clean

I start my spruce by undertaking a full-scale spring clean, throughout the house. I tackle a room a day and focus on the areas that are easily forgotten about (back of cupboards, behind sofas, skirting boards, and so on.) I make a list of every job which needs to be done in each room and check them off as I go. It's very rewarding to see all the boxes checked off at the end of each day.

2. Clear out

While I'm spring cleaning a room I make a pile of items that I no longer need and ignore it until I'm done. Once I've finished cleaning I sort them into two sections, a charity shop pile, and a bin/recycle pile. It feels so good to take bags of clothes, books, toys, and bric-a-brac to the charity shop because not only am I doing something good but I'm also decluttering my home.

3. Invest in a new storage
We started our home renovation over five years ago. It's been such a work in progress but we are now at the stage where we have money left over to buy new pieces of furniture, and storage for our home. I would like to invest in a fitted dressing room from Urban Wardrobes. Not only do they look super chic and stylish but they are functional and very useful.

4. Update your decor & furniture

A simple way to brighten your home for summer is to change up accent pieces in certain rooms. I like to switch my cushions, rugs, and ornaments around, however, I don't always buy new. I like to look in charity shops for bargains or even buy and sell pages online.

5. Choose a home fragrance

I'm quite new to the world of home fragrance and I'm hooked on finding the perfect scent. The subtle use of home fragrance can freshen up your home, especially if you have young children and pets like I do. My favourite scents are Ylang Ylang, Lavender, and Vanilla.

Do you have any tips you would like to share?

Classic Wooden Games from Jaques Of London - Review

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

As a parent, in this fast, ever-growing digital world I'm always striving to take things back to basics - back to the way that I remember it. My childhood revolved around me using my imagination, making my own fun, and playing classic games with my parents and siblings - these are the childhood memories that I truly treasure. They are also experiences that I want my own children to appreciate and enjoy so we often have screen-free days where we dig out our favourite board games, books, and toys and just enjoy one another's company.

With this in mind, when Jaques of London got in touch to collaborate with us I think I emailed back within 2.5 seconds. Their website offers a plethora of incredible wooden toys and games suitable for all ages - at affordable prices. We chose the Tumble Tower and Four in a Row game to review as I knew they were games that my children were familiar with and would enjoy playing with together.

Four in a Row was the first game on the agenda. It came packaged in an eco-friendly way - in a reusable cardboard storage box, and paper. It was very easy to set up, simply open up the box by sliding out the wooden frame, separate the wooden discs and voila - ready to play! It's made to the utmost quality and I appreciate how each wooden disc is thick and sturdy - they won't go missing easily and will stand the test of time.

The instructions for this game are pretty self-explanatory and I think most people have played it. Taking turns, the first person to connect four discs in a row wins. Don't forget that you can go vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. I forgot the latter and then lost my first game, whoops! Four in a Row - Home Edition costs just £16.99 and would make the most wonderful Christmas gift.

Next, we have the Tumble Tower - which retails at just £13.99. Just like Four in a Row, it was packaged in an eco-friendly reusable storage box. It was so refreshing to open two games and have zero plastic to contend with - thank you for that. You can get large versions of this game, however, we opted for the smaller, indoor version to keep us busy when indoors during the winter. It contains plenty of sturdy wooden blocks, some printed with the Jaques of London logo, and others not. I had the task of setting up the tower ready for play and let me tell you, the kids were buzzing with excitement for this one. What is it with children and knocking down towers?

This was by far Ava's favourite out of the two - she's spent so much time over the past few weeks, stacking with extreme precision and exhibits such pride and confidence once she's completed the tower. She has also, somehow, become with family champion - much to Noah's frustration. I keep telling him that practice makes perfect and let me tell you, he's been practising hard ever since! It's been a joy to watch their faces when they are studying which block to remove next and it makes us all laugh every time the tower takes a tumble. This game is so much fun.

I cannot recommend Jaques of London enough - so much choice when it comes to games, and toys and the website is so easy to use. I'm already looking at what to buy next and will be reusing all the games at our wedding next year. These traditional family games are both such bargains and are available to buy on their website now. Please use this link for 15% off for you and your purchase https://jaques.games/15off.

Which game would you play first?