Hi this is me again hope you are all well just to say not been here in a while either looking to maybe start a new blog soon and do reviews on my new youtube i now stream alot and you can check out my work on twitter twitch and youtube as well as instagram links below

Chillfactor Slushy Maker Review

Spring is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate it’s impending arrival and hopefully the end to the winter weather than with a Chillfactor Slushy Maker...

Slushy makers are not a new thing in out home as we had purchased some a couple of years ago and the kids loved them, especially during warmer days. Granted they don’t get as much use over the colder months so when we decided to get them out of the cupboard ready for use we found that the inside of the mug (the part that freezes) had gone all funny and had to be thrown out. This was disappointing but in researching replacements we found out about the new and improved range from Chillfactor and jumped at the chance to try one out. Would the cool new design improve on the previous model or would it be a case of ice idea but another frosty reception!

When you first open the box the new model looks quite similar to the ones we had owned previously although this time they come in some great new and very vibrant colours. My kids love anything from ice-cream to ice-lollies and Slushy’s are a firm favourite too so making them in the comfort of our home is not just cheaper but quite possibly also a whole lot healthier given that you have control over what you are using to make the drinks and can afford extra colourings and sugar laden mixtures.

How it works

Prior to your first use make sure the Slushy Maker is washed out with warm soapy water and then place the special magic freezer part into a freezer for about 4 -6 hours.

Once this is sufficiently frozen you are ready to make your Slushy. First place the frozen part back into your cup and then attach the lid sections. Next you can proceed to adding your drink of choice to make your very own slush. Within a matter of mere minutes your chosen drink becomes a slushy just like magic... It really is as simple as that. No scrapping, no stirring, just a perfect slushy!

Conclusion

Whilst on the whole the new Chillfactor Slushy Maker works in the same way as previous versions, the new improved colours are fun and the easy locking lid a big improvement. I guess only time will tell if they last a lot longer but frequent use  would certainly avoid any problems with storage although I am confident that Chillfactor’s improved design goes beyond the cosmetic. Highly recommended for children (and adults) of all ages!

What’s in the box

1x Chillfactor Tutti Fruity Slushy Maker

1x lid

1x reusable slushy spoon and straw

1x instruction booklet  

Shrink Design Jewellery Review

My little ones love all things crafty so we were very pleased to try something a little bit different that actually took me back to my own childhood.

What’s in the Box:

• 30 x Jump Rings
• 3 x Clasps
• 6 x Clamshell Clasps
• 4 x Earring Hooks
• 240 Mini Beads in 3 colours 
• 7 x Shrink-Plastic Sheets
• 1m x Plastic stretch Cord
• 3m x Black Cord
• Mini Hole Punch
• 32 Page Colour Instructions book complete with templates

Before diving in we had a think about what designs we wanted to make and my son and my daughter brainstormed some fabulous ideas and interesting designs. As well as making our own designs we also tried some of the templates contained in the Instruction booklet . The first design we tried of our own was a Creeper creature from the Minecraft game as my son, like many children, is absolutely Minecraft mad!

After a bit of colouring then cutting out  we were on to the next stage. Before going further I would suggest to either colour in after you have cut out the shapes or use coloured pencils rather than pens as we made the mistake of using pens directly on the sheet and ended up with ink all over our hands and smudged the designs a little.

Once our designs were drawn, coloured and cut out we punched holes into the various shapes so they could easily be made into jewellery once they were shrunk down too size. We were now ready to pop them in the oven. This was a bit hit and miss as although we had the oven at the advised temperature but the designs shrank a little too quickly causing them to curl. Again I would advise trying at a lower temperature and seeing if that would help the curling issue. I seem to recall that similar products of many, many years ago were on thicker material to begin with which would certainly prevent curling, the material here is certainly thin so I would start at a lower temperature and perhaps experiment with a small piece first.

Overall it was hit and miss as to what designs came out okay and which ones curled a little too much to be useable – unfortunately they snap if you try to uncurl them even before they cool. However we did have some success and once the surviving designs had cooled  we finished making them into jewellery and admittedly they looked pretty fab...

It was a shame one of a pair of earrings broke but we were able to make the other one into another necklace.  Next time we will try to shrink them more slowly under a temperature lower than recommended so they don’t curl too much and we still have a some sheets left so plenty of practice yet to come. We will update this review if we have more success the next time around.

Overall this would make a good little gift for a wide variety of age groups, particularly good for Christmas time. It was simple enough to use the product and despite the issues we had, which are likely resolvable by dropping the temperature (or the use of thicker material), for £9.99 you really can’t go wrong. It passes the time very nicely and all things considered we had fun. My son really loves his Minecraft Keyring and was so proud of himself for making it. 

Why We would like to review the Kurio Tablet?

Being a family of geeks and loving playing with any new tech or gadget .... I know my kids would love to help review the new Kurio Tablet ....

I must admit from a parents perspective the Kurio tablet comes with many benefits from safe web surfing  so no need to worry about them looking at any non age appropriate material.

With so many great apps to not only encourage safe and fun learning but lots of fun for both mum and dad too ...

With great multimedia capabilities from viewing pictures and videos to listening to music  there is plenty of different parts of kurio me and the family can review.

Not only can you setup different users on the Kurio they come pre loaded with loads of great apps, from family favorites from angry birds to wheres my water. So there is an app for everyone on the Kurio.

So not only will we deliver a fab review we  can give a great overview from ages 7 to 11 and both girl and boys opinions too.

The Kurio series  so far includes:

Kurio 4s touch

Kurio Phone

Kurio 7s

Kurio 10s

Kurio Tab

Kurio Pocket

Kurio TAB XL

So please pick us and  watch the Kurio magic unfold in great pictures and videos with a  fab review to showcase all the fab features ......

we would happy to review any of your products and cant wait for this fantastic opportunity

Blogger Break !! I am Back

So  I am sorry I have not been here much but after starting a new job and moving house and other exciting news .... which I will let you all know about at some point soon !!! I have been very very busy with homelife and juggling new job...

But I am back and getting ready for christmas and some exciting reviews too !!! 

So please keep a look out for those also I am going to be looking at some deals for christmas and where to get the top toys and great prices too !! As we all know christmas does not come cheap with three kids especially when two of them have birthdays just before Christmas YIKES!! 

S o hope you are all well ... and onward and upward so they say !! 

Also I will be sharing some top tips and ideas to make your Halloween oh so scary and fun !!!

Febreze Sleep Serenity Review

So I was asked to try out Febreze's new Sleep Serenity range thanks to Super Savvy Me, and  I could not wait to get them in my hands. I am a big fan of  Febreze and the variety of products they do.

So once my pack arrived in the post the first and hardest question was which one do I try first, Moonlit Lavender, Warm milk and Honey and Quiet Jasmine.

So on the first few nights I decided on the Warm milk and Honey so about hour before bed I sprayed the bed with all over and the smell was divine ... almost wanted to dive right into bed (but it was bit wet so I thought better of it)!

Roll on Bedtime.

Now I do have trouble sleeping some nights it takes me a while to switch off ... and  on many occasion I do suffer with a broken night sleep due to my overactive thyroid sometimes making it hard to sleep, So I was quite anxious to see if this would work.

So upon waking the next morning I found to have slept all night and felt a bit sleepy but that is to be expected seeing as I never normally sleep the whole night through, whether this was bit of mind over matter only time would tell.

So after a few more nights I was starting to see a pattern that my sleeping habits were definitely improving, So I thought this was a good time to try out  Moonlit Lavender.  Lavender not being one of my fav smells I must say many years of growing up with lavender bushes all over the garden and vases of it all over the family  house, you could say I was sick of smell or immune to it. Once again I used it over a few nights and found the result to be about the same I was getting more sleep and finding that I was waking up more refreshed and to my surprise the Lavender smell was not too strong and really pleasant and  I quite liked it.

So I started letting my friends and family in on my sleeping secret ... and explaining why I was getting more sleep and how I was doing it, I even let my mum use the Warm Milk and Honey mist to see how she would get on. I gave out most of the coupons to my friends and got them to fill out a little survey.

So it was time for a change and time to try Quiet Jasmine, now out of the three I think this one was my least favorites the results were the same I was still getting a good nights sleep but not so keen on the scent of this one seemed to be missing something but not sure what.

I then decided not to use any of the Febreeze Serenity range for a whole week ... and gave the rest of the samples out to friends and neighbours to try ... and for a few days I seemed to be doing okay going to bed waking up all seemed to be going fine.. but then it started again I started waking up in the night and not been able to sleep. So the next morning I went to the shop and purchased Warm Milk and Honey and Moonlit Lavender and made sure I sprayed them onto the bed before bedtime ... took about a day to get back into a nice sleeping pattern and I now find I use it the sprays every other day to get a good balance of waking up feeling more refreshed after a good nights kip.

So after Trying out the Febreze Serenity range I can say its a must for my house not only have I found to benefit my sleeping and now being a must in my bedtime behaviors. It not only smells great and many of commented on what air fresheners I am using and then being surprised when  I inform them its Febreze Serenity range..  I have found it relaxes the kids before bed too, creates a calming ambiance around the house which is great when trying to get the kids settled at bedtime.

So thank you Febreze cant wait to see what is next up your creative sleeve.

Also grab your £1.00 off coupon on Super Savvy Me so you can try the new range too let me know which scent is your fav!

Minecraft figures Series 2 Review from Character

Myself and my two young boys were so thrilled to be selected as reviewers for the new Series 2 Minecraft figures from Character.  We will be reviewing these fantastic new Minecraft figures over the coming few weeks, starting now with the Steve With Diamond Armour figure and Animal Mobs six figure pack.

We are absolutely Minecraft crazy in our house and own copies of the seminal sandbox indie game on both home computer and game consoles, I even made a Minecraft themed cake for a recent birthday. My youngest son really enjoys watching the Minecraft based Stampy Cat videos on YouTube and hopes one day he will be featured in Stampy’s Love Garden.

What, I hear you ask what is Stampy’s Love Garden? Well it’s a place that features in Stampy’s Lovely World, a feature of every Stampylongnose Minecraft video. It’s a memorial garden in which Stampy and his friends show thanks and appreciation for their special fans, whether it’s for drawing a Stampy themed picture, baking a Stampy themed cake or simply by posting a favourite comment on their fan page. Sometimes all you have to do is ask! Fingers crossed my son will get there one day.

Back to the figures! We already have a few Minecraft figures from Series 1 and knew what to expect in terms of quality so we could not wait for the postman to finally bring the new range to our door and pretty much tore the packaging apart just to get our hands on them!

We are very lucky to have a great back garden for exploration so perfectly suited for real-world Minecraft play in which Steve and his animal friends could go crafting, exploring or just enjoy watching the sunset after a long day of building. At first glance the Series 2 figures are much the same as Series 1 in many ways, reassuringly so,  although there are new designs for Diamond Steve, Iron Golem, the Villager and the Animal mob. Familiarity is no bad thing as the figures are exceptionally high quality and represent extremely well their pixel related counterparts. These are in no way a cheap imitation of these hugely popular characters and fans of Minecraft will be thrilled with the look and feel. In short these are stunning articulated action figures - colour, look and even the limited range of movement (as in the game) are perfect!

Steve With Diamond Armour comes with his very own diamond sword and full set of armour including detachable helmet and a diamond ore block ready for mining. The only thing the boys said they would have liked was a diamond pickaxe instead of the sword, or even both if possible.

Animal Mob includes the cow, chicken, pig, sheep, tamed wolf and the ocelot all of which are articulated.  The boys loved that this set included all of the main animals from the game and I liked this set a lot too due to the fact there are no small pieces that could go missing like some of the other sets have.

Overall we are very, very pleased with series 2 and so far they look really good and feel really well made. As you might expect they have been put through their paces by some very excited young children and I can confirm that the they take a good bashing and would be quite hard to break.

Adults/older children just looking to collect Minecraft figures won't be disappointed as they would look pretty awesome on a desk or in a presentation cabinet. With their interesting designs they certainly look different and are certain to provide a great talking point.

We are very much looking forward to seeing what the next three instalments have lined up so keep checking out the blog for updates about what’s just around the corner in the world of Minecraft. I wonder if they will ever look at doing a set featuring Stampylongnose and his friends such as I Ballistic Squid, Amy Lee etc. I am sure it would be very popular and I know my son would love to have this set too. Who knows – in the world of Minecraft literally anything is possible.

Minecraft is available now on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Playstation 4, Linux, Android and more!

Minecraft Series 2 figures are available now from all major toy retailers.