Mar 8 2013

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Posted on March 8, 2013 by admin

As a massive Heat Holders fan (I think between Craig and I we have at least twenty pairs of socks), I jumped at the chance to review some leggings recently. Yep Heat Holders have taken the very technology we love about their warm and toasty socks and applied it to leggings. This review is all the more exciting as I’ve got some adventures planned for this spring.

I’m actually due to go camping soon as a bit of a bonding session with Craig and Dexter (I know, I know. Me. Camping.). With festival season nearly upon us, I suspect I’ll end up having to do this more than once too. Having not been camping since my school days, I’m dreading it. The trauma of having to resurrect a flimsy neon structure (rigid with last decade’s dirt) that barely fits us all in, the smell of mud and grass inches away from my face as I sleep, the dinners of luke warm sausages and baked beans… can you tell I’m not a fan?

I’m definitely a pampered princess and can’t imagine how people actually enjoy ‘roughing it’ in subzero temperatures. Each rainy day that passes is making me more resentful about our upcoming trip and I’ve even started hinting to Craig we just book a Groupon hotel deal instead. I think it’s all falling on deaf ears though and I’m destined to be sat around a miserable damp fire in pigtails eating from a metal tin all too soon.

The one thing I can safely say I’ll be packing, is my new Heat Holders leggings. They are so warm and will protect my leggies from the feel of cold metal sleeping bag zips (just thinking about that sensation conjures up images of being bullied at Girl Guides). I’ve fallen in love with these bad boys. I suspect they’re meant to be worn under clothes as traditional thermals, but I just wear them as normal leggings (at 140 denier they’ve passed the stripey knickers test!). They’re also amazingly comfortable on the inside as they have an ultra soft brushed inner. It feels as though they’re a second skin - nice and stretchy but they mould to your legs.

Wanna win a pair for yourself? Well I have teamed up with the good folks at Heat Holders and they’ve given me 3 pairs to giveaway (RRP £8, which is a bargain of epic proportions in itself) – this means 3 winners and triple the chance to win! If you would like to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is fill out Rafflecopter below.

Finally if you’re not lucky this time it’s well worth following them on Twitter and Facebook as there’s always heaps of competitions going on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C’s – a.k.a – the boring bit!

- Only one option on the Rafflecopter form is mandatory (leave me a comment) – the rest are up to you and will only serve to improve your chances of winning

- UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)

- The winners will be contacted by email and must respond within 1 week of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn

- When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winner completely at random

- The winner’s names will be published on this site

- All prizes are non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Jan 24 2013

Ella’s Kitchen - New 100% Organic Wakey Wakey Breakfast Range

Posted on January 24, 2013 by admin

We’ve been incredibly lucky with Dexter when it comes to weaning. He is yet to refuse anything we give him (finger foods, porridge, fresh fruits, and the odd sneaky Rusk) so we’re delighted he’s growing up with a healthy appreciation for food.

Dexter is lucky enough that his Daddy loves to cook and is always getting to try new things at dinner-time. However, as poor Dexter has to survive the mornings and afternoons with just me whilst Craig is at work, I’m the first to admit that breakfast and lunch is all about convenience.

For breakfast, Dex always has porridge. We thoroughly believe that this morning meal is the most important as it sustains him throughout the day - that’s why we’ve always opted for organic choices that have no sneaky additives or nasties. I’ve been a massive advocate of Ella’s Kitchen Wakey Wakey Baby Porridge for exactly this reason, and until now have mixed it up with bits of fresh banana, dried strawberries and other yummy fruit to make it taste a little bit different everyday.

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I’ve long been an Ella’s Kitchen fan - there’s something about the funky packaging and excellent product messaging that makes it so accessible and fun. If you sign up to their newsletter, you’re always getting little friendly emails in your inbox with news of competitions and funny baby stuff. It’s the same with their Facebook - it’s all tongue-in-cheek and about making weaning fun. There’s no comparison with other baby and toddler brands - they’re just brilliant at what they do.

When Ella’s Kitchen contacted me about trying their new range of 100% organic Breakfast range of porridges and cereals, I couldn’t wait to see what Dex made of them. The combination of fruit and oats is exactly what my little monster is so fond of and these great new flavours looked right up his street.

We were sent three ‘spouches’ - Strawberry, Mango and Banana Porridge, Mango and Apple Baby Porridge and a Banana Baby Porridge. Mango is a new one on Dex so I couldn’t wait to see his little face when he tried it.

Stage2_Cereal_Strawberry

The first thing to note is how ridiculously brilliant the packaging is. Not only is it bright and vibrant, it’s easy to read and fabulously easy to pour from. As you mix these porridges with baby’s milk they also go a long way - our three pouches will last him a good month (and that’s with generous morning portions).

As this new range is designed to support little people throughout the weaning process - the stage 2 porridges are textured and not lumpy to encourage your munchkin to chew. Although Dexter is well used to this, I can certainly vouch that the consistency is different to your usual baby rice porridge. Dexter was certainly working his food around in mouth a little longer than usual which is really good to see.

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The best thing however - is watching Dexter literally devour his breakfast. He smiles in-between mouthfuls and I know he’s really enjoying his most important meal of the day. It’s so reassuring to know his brekkie is literally packed full of goodness.

Here’s what Ella’s Kitchen have to say…

Wake up your little ones senses with the Wakey Wakey breakfast range from Ella’s Kitchen

Ella’s Kitchen’s NEW 100% organic breakfast range is the perfect fun and healthy way for tiny tummies to start the day, made with just simple ingredients and with nothing else added:

NO added refined sugar or salt
NO additives or thickeners
NO GM
JUST yummy organic breakfast for little ones

To help busy mums and dads, the Wakey Wakey range comes in easy to pour, resealable pouches, filling babies bowl with tasty textures and flavours – just add milk!

Wakey Wakey Baby Porridge

Perfect for babies’ first breakfast, Baby Porridge has a super smooth texture and yummy exotic flavours to start little ones on their tiny taste bud journey.

Wakey Wakey Baby Porridge (RRP £2.19, 125g pouch)
Wakey Wakey Mango + Apple Baby Porridge (RRP £2.29, 125g pouch)

Wakey Wakey Porridge

Our delicious textured (not lumpy!) porridge helps little mouths start to chew. Wakey Wakey Porridge is full of just oats, rice maize + fruit in flavours worth waking up for!

Wakey Wakey Strawberry, Mango + Banana Porridge (RRP £2.49, 150g pouch)
Wakey Banana Porridge (RRP £2.49, 150g pouch)

Wakey Wakey Round Ones

This melt in the mouth cereal is made up of 2 different multigrain Round Ones. They are the perfect size for tiny fingers to hold and squeeze and little teeth to learn to chew. Delicious with milk, or add yoghurt + fruit for a tasty morning treat. (RRP £2.19 for 46g pouch)

Disclaimer - I was sent 3 pouches of yummy Ella’s Kitchen Wakey Wakey products to try. Unless stated, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!

Jan 15 2013

REVIEW: Munchkins Click-Lock Cups!

Posted on January 15, 2013 by admin

We’ve been trying to encourage Dexter to drink water throughout the day ever since he started weaning at 5.5 months. He’s not a huge fan but we’re not sure if it’s an aversion to water, or he can’t get his head around the array of cups we’ve been putting it in.

It’s true. We’ve tried so many starter cups I honestly don’t know who is more confused - Dexter or me? They just seem to have so many small and fiddly components that they’re constantly getting lost in the bottom of the washing-up bowl and I can’t work out which bit goes with which cup. They’ll all claim to be non-spill, easy-flow and ergonomically designed for chubby little fingers - yet they all look so dramatically different!

When we were asked to try the Munchkins Click Lock range, I jumped at the chance - I’m ever hopeful there is a cup out there that will suit Dex and pass the washing up test!

Here’s what Munchkin have to say about their new range:

The Click Lock™ range features ‘ click’ to lock technology providing a leak proof guarantee, so drop, throw or tip upside down, no liquid will come out. The cups could not be simpler to use, simply turn the lid until it ‘clicks’ in to place providing parents with an auditory reassurance that the cup is completely sealed.

Click Lock™ cups are available in an assortment of vibrant colours and styles including spill proof, trainer, straw, and flip straw. Because sometimes things in life just click!

What’s more, Munchkin’s undertook some serious research before designing the new Click Lock™ range and found that:

« 61% of mums surveyed admitted they could find improvements to their current cups, with non-spill and leak-proof being the most important features when looking for a cup. A staggering 92% of parents said they want a brand that offers innovative features. With Click Lock™ you simply twist and click the lid locked and it fully secures the cup to ensure a complete seal so no leakages can happen.

« Munchkin knows how important the spout design is when designing a cup, and 68% of mums said they need to buy more than one cup before they find one their child likes. The Click Lock™ spouts and straws are made from soft BPA free silicone, providing an easy flow of liquid

« Mums told us that the cup must be easy to hold, helping their child gain independence. The Click Lock™ range is lightweight and incorporates a very narrow waist, making them perfect for tiny hands

« In the Munchkin survey 37% of mums admitted how much a cup costs was a key point for them. The Munchkin Click Lock range compares favorably to many of the leading brands on the market and starts from £3.99

Time to put them to the test!

We selected the Click Lock Spill Proof Cup (10oz.) for Dexter as he’s already graduated from trainer cups. I also wanted a cup we could fill with enough pre-boiled water so it can last him the day so I could monitor just how much he taking onboard.

As with all new cups, we tried it first. I’ve learnt the hard way on that one and have been soaked through on more than one occasion where the spill proof mechanism hasn’t been inserted properly. I also like to see the kind of action that Dexter will need to perform in order to get the drink out (be it sucking or sipping).

I found that it required a stronger suck to get the water than I had expected. However, I could not fault the spill proof mechanism - not one drip spilt when I turned it upside down and shook it.

Despite the fact I found it tough to drink from, Dexter was able to clutch the cup just fine and managed to take confident gulps of water. Success! Further testimony of the spill proofing was evident when he proceeded to shake the hell out of it (seemingly for entertainment purposes).

Even more impressive - there are no fiddly bits! The bottle is made up of 3 parts but each are so distinctive you can’t possibly confuse them for any other brand. It’s so easy to clean that I’ve relegated all the other to the back of the cupboard to save me from the stress of having to wash them up. 5/5 from us!

You can follow Munchkins on Twitter, and like them on Facebook for chances to win prizes and stay in the loop for all the all the latest news.

The Click Lock Cup range is available from leading supermarkets and stores nationwide.

Disclaimer - I was sent a Click Lock Spill Proof Cup for the purposes of this review - all words (except where stated), opinions and images are my own and should not be copied without my permission