The Middle East is a part of the Earth that most of us dream about exploring, but travelling there is nothing like spending a couple of weeks in Europe or the United States. Dubai, in particular, is famous for its strict laws, while other countries and states are steeped in tradition that tourists would do well to respect. Islamic countries have come out of celebrating Ramadan, which is when Muslim followers fast during the daylight hours. This means no food, water, swearing or inappropriate thoughts as the sun shines. While Ramadan is one of the more well-known traditions of ... read more
Using technology to get a good night’s sleep #ElectricSleep
There was a time that we were all told to avoid technology before bedtime if we wanted a good night's sleep. The general idea was that if you were looking at a screen, or interacting with technology in any other way, it would prevent your brain from winding down properly before you drifted off to sleep. Even if you did manage to nod off, the sleep you had would not be as deep or restful. As technology has changed and advanced, opinions towards it and sleep have changed somewhat. It used to be the case that people might curl up with a book in bed, and some old-fashioned types like me still ... read more
Brio Police Transport Set
It goes without saying that Master C loves trains and as I've said before, there's little that he loves more than being sent trains, or train related things, to help me review. Back in January I attended the Toy Fair in London and came home with a load of photos for him of the new Brio Police range that was due out later in the year. Ever since he's been asking about when he will get some "police trains" to review, and so I was delighted to recently be able to give him the new Brio Police Transport Set to test out. The concept of the set is that a baddie is trying to steal the gold on a ... read more
MOKURU – the latest trend hits the UK
When I was at school there was a girl in my A-level maths group who used to amaze me on a daily basis with her ability to twirl a pen on her fingers whenever she was thinking. In a way it was annoying, but it was just what Y did without even being conscious of it. She always use to tell me that it was something that everyone did back in Hong Kong, and strangely I'd forgotten all about it until a couple of weeks ago when I was sent a MOKURU to try out. This amazing wooden toy is perfect for anyone who has had enough of fidget spinners and wants to move on to the next craze that's sweeping ... read more
Interior Inspirations for Summer #InteriorInspirations
July is almost upon us. My birthday month. And to me July always means a long month of summer with lazy days in the sun and plenty of relaxing in the garden with good food, drinks and friends. It's also the time of year when I start to look at my home with different eyes. Start to look at the garden differently, and want to try to combine the two more to embrace summer properly in the home. A friend has recently renovated her house and when I went round for a nosey I completely fell in love with the Sanderson wallpaper that she has hung on her stairs. For me it totally captures the ... read more
Ravensburger Bugs in the Kitchen #GoGadgetFree for National Unplugging Day
This Sunday (27 June 2017) sees us celebrating National Unplugging Day. A day on which parents are pledging to #GoGadgetFree and spend from sun-up to sun-down without technology. It's like a return to a previous time; a time when children weren't glued to screens all day long and played together either using their own imagination or playing a board game together. As part of National Unplugging Day we were asked to review Ravensburger's fantastic game Bugs In The Kitchen. Now I first saw this game when I visited the Toy Fair in London back in January. At the time I was blown away by how ... read more
Discovering Ciao Gusto at Ocado
This last week has been like living in the Mediterranean hasn't it? It has been so, so hot that I think everyone has wished they were on holiday instead of trying to get on with their day to day lives in the extreme heat. For me though, that holiday feel comes not only from the weather, but also from the food. Years ago I went to a conference in Sorrento in Italy and had one of the best food experiences of my life. Simple Italian food that was so delicious and plentiful that I still talk about that meal years later. I love Italian food and therefore it was a complete pleasure that I was asked ... read more
Staying active at the office with #OfficeYoga
One of the benefits of being self employed and working from home is that I don't have work colleagues watching how I work. I can either sit at a desk or table like a "normal" working person. I can sit on the sofa with my feet up, or even sit in bed in my PJs with my laptop balanced on my knee. I can get up at any point and wander around and sometimes I even find myself walking up and down the garden whilst on the phone. Basically, I can be as comfortable as I want and as mobile as I want, but I realise that not everyone's as lucky. If you're sat in a traditional office and hunched over a ... read more
Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Mystery Puzzle
Back before Christmas I was one of those parents desperately trying to get my hands on a Hatchimal without having to remortgage the house to do so. Unfortunately Father Christmas didn't come up trumps on this one and Little Miss C hasn't let me forget it. That's why, for her recent birthday, I made sure that I bought her a pack of Hatchimals CollEGGtibles which she loved. She was beyond thrilled when a few days later I produced a brand new Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Mystery Puzzle for her to help me review. The way these Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Mystery Puzzles work is that you get a 48 ... read more
How To Get Free Makeup & Perfume
It might seem unbelievable to get free makeup, but the truth is that it is quite easy to get many great samples and some full sized ones too. Getting free makeup is as easy as visiting makeup company websites, visiting makeup counters in department stores, and clipping coupons in the Sunday paper. If you want to learn about some additional strategies for getting free makeup, keep reading. 1. Free Makeup from Department Stores Go to your local department store like John Lewis, Debenhams or House Of Fraser and head for your favorite makeup counter. It is important to check online as well ... read more