Oct 15 2013

TalkTalk Box Office Review: Epic the Movie

Posted on October 15, 2013 by admin

We’re having a fabulous time reviewing TalkTalk’s television, phone and broadband services so far. I’d go so far as to say they are many features on our Youview box that I simply could not live without now I’ve experienced them. The record function is an absolute necessity, especially in the case of your weekly favourites (X Factor, Downton Abbey, Homelands etc) where you can ask TalkTalk to record entire series’ in one click. There’s also the ability to scroll back through the previous week’s television and watch selected programmes On Demand. Never again will I ever moan to Craig that “There’s nothing to watch”.

You might recall that a month ago I reviewed TalkTalk’s Kids Boost and was impressed by the wealth of choice available, well this month it’s all about a TalkTalk Box Office review. To do this, we reviewed the family friendly film Epic (from the makers of Ice Age) featuring the voices of Colin Farrell, Beyonce, Amanda Seyfried, and wait for it… Steven Tyler!

The Ordering Process

Ordering the film was simple. You simply press the TalkTalk button on your remote, scroll to Film, then select the film you’d like to order. Whilst you’re selecting your movie, the mainframe of the screen will show you trailers of what is on offer to help you choose. Once selected, you’re taken to a Box Office screen which gives you more information about the title including cast, director, duration, year of release, certification and a short description of the movie. The price is also clearly listed and most offerings are available in HD or standard format. The only thing I’d point out is a minor spelling mistake in the description (there’s probably hundreds in this post alone so I won’t be too judgmental!).

The standard version of Epic was available to download for £3.50, with HD priced at £4.50. Considering it now costs upwards of £10 per person to go to the cinema, this is very reasonable indeed. There’ll be no more smuggling in Diet Coke’s and popcorn from Tescos as you can watch from the comfort of your sofa and pause for loo breaks - perfect!

Once you’ve selected your format, you’re taken to the payment screen. I was pleased to discover this is incredibly secure as you use your 4 digit pin to confirm the purchase. This is excellent if you have tech savvy little ones who are handy with a remote control. I know Dexter (at just 17 months) has already sent indecipherable tweets from my mobile, who knows what damage he could do with a tv remote! The movie downloaded in seconds which was really impressive. Once you made your purchase, you can watch the film as many times as you like for the next 48 hours.

So was Epic Epic? (boom boom)

I can’t believe I just typed that…

Well to be honest animated films aren’t really my sort of thing. In fact, you’re asking someone who (not-too-secretly) harbors visions of assassinating Disney executives worldwide and wears ear plugs when her son watches Peppa Pig. However, I’m sure, before long, Dexter will be taking over the telly and I’ll have no choice but to watch cartoons. Films like Epic are therefore a great toe-in-the-water for cartoon-phobic killjoys like myself.

The film is a classic good vs evil tale. It focuses on the secret life of the forest where mythical creatures called Leafmen (the goodies) are locked in a constant battle with The Boggans (the personification of decay and rot) over control of the forest. The Leafmen (led by Farrell’s character, Ronin) are charged with protecting nature and preserving the light within the forest, whereas The Boggans only seek to destroy everything that lives within it.

Meanwhile likeable teenager Mary Katerine aka M.K (Amanda Seyfried) returns to her childhood home where she is reunited with her eccentric father (looks a little like an emaciated David Tennant). Dad is exactly as you might imagine David Attenborough would be if he took hallucinogenics. Having lost his wife, he’s become obsessed with the forest and kitted it out with CCTV in order to prove the existence of the ‘Little People’. All being clearly not well in the house M.K decides to pack her bags and runaway.

As M.K. leaves the house she’s distracted by her father’s three-legged Pug Ozzy who bolts out the front door and heads off into the nearby forest. Without giving too much away, M.K chases him into the forest where upon she witnesses something truly miraculous that proves the existence of father’s beloved ‘Little People’. She is unwittingly shrunk to their size and is swept into an adventure where only she can save the forest. Joining forces with the Leafmen, and Mub and Grub (a snail and a slug) there follows an epic journey to defeat The Boggans!

The recommended age for the film is a fair 7+. As someone who took 4 pages of notes throughout Pirates of the Caribbean to remind herself what was going on, I’d definitely agree - at times even I was asking Craig! But there’s no denying that the animation was first-rate. In fact, as I watched it with Craig, Dexter and his Uncle Dan, they were raving about it a good 45 minutes after it had finished. Dexter might not have understood what was going on, but he definitely loved the colours and particularly liked Steven Tyler’s character Nim (a glowworm).

Here are some quotes from the lads…

“The sort of movie you’d imagine your child begging you to take them to McDonalds for (to collect the Happy Meal toy characters)” - Uncle Dan

“An impressive child’s fantasy film where good conquers evil. With good fun characters that children of all ages will enjoy (and some discreet adult humour for mum and dad) - it does exactly what it says on the tin” - Craig (my other half)

(No talking, but some impressive smiling and dancing) - Dexter (17 months)

Sounds like it got a big thumbs up from all the men in my life!

Disclaimer: We downloaded the movie for free as per our ongoing review work with TalkTalk. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sep 13 2013

Clothes That Make You Fall In Love With Your Bump from KLM Maternity

Posted on September 13, 2013 by admin

I received a lovely treat from the girls at KLM Maternity yesterday, a lovely maternity cardigan and a really comfy nightie to accommodate my ever-expanding belly!

I’m a massive fan of KLM - for everyday, practical and affordable maternity wear, they’re pretty hard to beat. I first stumbled across them when I was pregnant with Dexie and fed up of the high street. When you have a huge belly, the last thing you feel like is hauling it around town and having a mass ‘trying on’ session. Add to this the fact that most high street shops have limited maternity ranges (usually unceremoniously dumped in a shady corner of the shop floor so you have to waddle past all the things you can no longer squeeze into) - there’s usually a few vests, shirts and the odd skirt… not much to get excited about!

Online shopping is definitely the way to go. You can’t beat a specialist maternity store that stocks lots of different styles and occasion-wear. I find you don’t have to try things on so readily when you are pregnant - if they are made well, with quality fabric, they’ll comfortably stretch over your bump anyway. You don’t want things to be really fitted and clingy so you tend to buy loose-fitting styles with less potential to make you look like you ate too many pies.

KLM are fabulous as they have such a huge selection to choose from. I literally have a huge wishlist as long as my arm. Here are some of my absolute favourite bits…

As you can see, the prices are beyond reasonable and there are things for work, play and special occasions. The sizes are great too as most styles go up to size 14-16 for the larger figured lady.

I was sent a lovely fitted cardigan from Mamma-licious in Limbo (a kind of red wine colour / mulberry colour). The material is beautiful and soft and there’s loads of stretch in it so cover the bump. I choose to tie the ties at the front to show off my bump, but presumably you can also tie them loosely at the back to accentuate your waist. It’s ridiculously comfy for everyday and a bargain maternity essential at just £24.99.

I was also sent the 9Fashion Lisa nightdress in grey - this will be perfect when my tummy is too big to fit in my usual PJ’s. Right now it’s slightly too big for me but very well fitted around my boobs (which have increased to a mammoth 36H with this pregnancy!). It’s fabulous for breastfeeding as the panel across the breast unclips from the pretty ruffled straps for easy access to your breasts. It would make a fabulous birthing nightdress as it’s lightweight, cool and very generously sized for the later stages of pregnancy. This is just £25.99.

I’d happily recommend KLM Maternity for speedy delivery, ease of ordering, and for having such a fabulous choice of maternity wear for the busy and style conscious mama-to-be. The only thing I can possibly think of that might improve the shopping experience is a zoom function on the clothes. For 99% of people this wouldn’t be a problem at all, but for those of us with big busts it helps to be able to see how if there is a under-bust seam that might not accommodate my boobs.

To top it all off, if you like them on Facebook you can unlock a 10% off your first order code, and they’re always available on Twitter if you have any questions! Well done KLM Maternity for making maternity shopping a less stressful experience!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent both the above products in exchange for my views. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Aug 22 2013

Battling the Stretch Marks

Posted on August 22, 2013 by admin

Dr_Ceuticals_Logo

Years of yo-yo dieting, one glorious baby boy, and now a pregnancy that is threatening to make passing through a doorway an impossibility, has left my tummy and thighs covered in stretch marks. Although none of these are fresh and most have faded to a silvery colour, they still bother me. Gone are my hot pant wearing days and I doubt I’ll ever bare my tummy in a bikini again.

In truth, I’ve given up trying to be body beautiful. I’m (sometimes) fun to be around, am not unhappy when I apply my make-up in the morning, and (at 30) still occasionally get id’ed for alcohol. Personally, I think this is good going. As long as Craig still holds my hand in public, I don’t feel the need to turn any heads down the high street.

Stretch-Mark

I have much the same attitude towards cellulite. Had I the time, I would be body brushing for an hour every evening, slopping on the Bio-Oil and wrapping myself in Cling-flim. But I simply don’t. Having said that, given my worst affected areas resemble a map of all the highways in the US, I’m always happy to try new potions to minimise their appearence. Anything that takes less than five minutes, won’t leave me smelling like a funeral home, and has some encouraging stats on the bottle works for me.

So, when I was kindly sent a tube of Dr. Ceuticals Stretch Mark Solution to try, I wasn’t overly hopeful, but was happy to give it a bash. The box has a vaguely medicinal appearance and the solution itself has a reassuringly expensive price tag (£14.99) which appeals to me. I’ve used cheaper and more commercial products before and noticed precious little change - perhaps you get what you pay for and Dr. Ceuticals might fare better.

Here’s what they say…

Simple steps such as regular moisturisation are often recommended to aid in the prevention of stretch marks but a harder-hitting solution is needed to target existing marks that lie deep within the tissue of the skin. This cream boosted with high levels of Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter acts directly on the problem area to help reduce both the size and depth of colour of existing stretch marks. With continued use, the cream will also help to improve skin firmness and tone.

Sounds encouraging. And with claims that within 28 days of prolonged use it will decrease the surface area of stretch marks by 7%, and fades them by up to 32% - it sounds even better.

Well I’m now 14 days into the programme and can now report back as to its efficacy so far.

I’m actually fairly impressed. It smells inoffensive (think cucumber, orange and a hint of cocoa butter), leaves your skin feeling really soft and firm, and despite feeling quite greasy when you first rub it in, it dries to a matt finish within 30 seconds of applying. As far as convenience goes, it’s therefore scored highly with this busy mummy.

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As regards my stretch marks, it’s had mixed results. On the old scars on the top of my thighs - it’s made them smoother but there’s no visible difference. I’m not sure if this is because I carry lots of cellulite on my thighs and therefore the lotion has further to go to blast through to the scar tissue. On my tummy, where the skin is thinner, it’s actually had more success - the scars are significantly lighter and less noticeable.

I’m actually a tricky candidate to give a stretch mark lotion a good worming as I’m pregnant and my belly is growing. This means old scars are evening out where my skin is stretching to accommodate baby. It also means a few fresh ones are cropping up under my breasts. Keeping up with the changes, applying the cream, and giving an honest appraisal is therefore difficult.

As a post-baby solution, I think Dr Ceuticals could really work. Combine it with a light exercise programme and tons of water, and I can see it helping to firm your skin and taking the redness out of your battle scars. It certainly has its advantages over many of the other solutions I’ve tried in the past.

To find out more, and discover the rest of the range, head on over to the website. There are several products which aim to tone, firm and sculpt problem areas, and given that’s the one thing I can honestly say the Stretch Mark Solution has achieved, I’d recommend it for this alone. The entire range is available to buy from Boots.

DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a full size sample of Dr Ceuticals for the purposes of this review. All views and opinions are my own.