Thor figurine from Schleich

It's such a great time to be a superhero fan these days. All the recent superhero films, games and merchandise, have captured our imaginations, renewed our love for old favourites and brought many new and exciting characters to our attention. Whatever your age, everyone can have a favourite superhero.

Schleich, producers of detailed, hand-painted models, have a range of excellent Marvel figurines to collect, including Spider-man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Dr Strange, Venom, Falcon, Iron Man and Green Goblin. One of the latest editions to this super Schleich collection is the mighty Thor!

Based on the titular character in the upcoming Marvel movie, Thor: Ragnarok (which is in cinemas from 27th October) the figurine is an excellent likeness with his signature weapon, his hammer Mjolnir. Thor stands on a rock with his hammer held aloft, in a powerful stance. He wears his superhero costume, complete with cape and helmet.

The Thor figurine stands at just over 7" tall and is well designed and beautifully detailed. It is perfect for grown-up collectors and superhero fans, and for children who will enjoy recreating movie scenes and assembling their Avengers to fight against evil forces. The figures will look great on display in any kids' bedroom, where they will be ready for action.

As with all Schleich figurines, the quality is excellent and the figurine comes boxed, making a lovely gift idea for Thor fans of all ages.

The Thor figurine is £9.99 and is suitable for ages 4 and up.

Find out more and see the whole range of Marvel figurines at www.schleich-s.co.uk.

Freddy's Christmas Wish List

"Christmas is coming, my festive joy gets stronger.

And Freddy's Christmas list gets longer and longer!

So many toys to go on Santa's sleigh,

Ready to deliver and unwrap on Christmas Day!

So what will Santa bring, to fill Fred's heart with joy?

And will he be lucky and get a must have toy?

A Golden Coin Maker to make choccie treats,

Foil wrapped and yummy for us all to eat.

Or maybe he'll get arty with a set of cool Blo-Pens,

Or the VTech KidiPet could become a virtual friend.

LEGO and Marvel are two awesome brands,

Put them together and he's building Spiderman!

A soft toy to hug and something new to snuggle,

To nurture and love, to squeeze and cuddle.

Teksta Kitty walks, meows, plays and purrs,

Just like a real pet (but without any fur!)
What toys will Freddy find this year under the tree?
Only Santa knows! We'll just have to wait and see!"

Debenhams Toys Wish List

Golden Coin Maker
debenhams.com

LEGO Super Heroes Marvel Comics Doc Ock Truck Heist 76015
debenhams.com

The Happy's Pets Sport
debenhams.com

BLO pens Activity Set Animals
debenhams.com

KidiPet Friends Puppy
debenhams.com

This is my entry into the Debenhams Christmas Wishlist competition.

Valentine's Gifts in Unusual Places

This Valentine's Day, if you are looking for some cute, quirky and great value gifts to treat the man in your life, then it's time to defy convention.  Forget about looking for tacky toys or novelty presents in expensive gift shops, florists or jewellers...check out Sports Direct.  With hundreds of products available online or in store, you'll find perfect presents for your other half...even if he isn't that sporty!  Many of the items are under £20 so you'll find some top bargains too.

Here are my five fab finds that Ian would love to receive on Valentine's Day.


Lee Cooper Hi-Top Trainers £12.99

I love a man in a pair of canvas hi-tops.  They are playful and bring back memories of being young and carefree.  They remind me of summers spent having fun, being impressed by him doing tricks on his skateboard whilst looking casually and effortlessly cool.  You're never too old to embody the inner skater boy! Give these to a guy to let him know that you love him heart and 'sole'!!

Superman Classic Folded Wallet  £14.99

Let him know that he is your superhero with this fun take on a sensible gift.  Wallets are always a really acceptable present because, after all, we always need somewhere to keep our cash and cards safe!  This one is perfect for fans of comic books, embellished with classic comic strip artwork and bearing the Superman logo.  With the resurgence of DC and Marvel, many man have a secret (or not so secret) hankering to be a superhero...and this Valentine's Day, I'll happily be Lois Lane to Ian's Superman!

Arsenal Mini-Football Table £17.00

Whether he supports Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool or Arsenal, re-enacting on pitch action with a mini-football table can be most cathartic.  The near misses, the great saves and the goals will never be as much fun than when played out together through the medium of table soccer.  It's a chance to embody the Premier League players and get a bit competitive.  What's not to love?

 DC 3 Pack of Pyjama Bottoms £11.00

I love lounging around, snuggling on the sofa and watching a good film together.  In fact that would be my ideal way to spend Valentine's Day evening, after enjoying a delicious meal for two.  Cracking open a bottle of red and settling down with a movie, feeling all comfy and cosy is a wonderfully relaxing way to round of the evening.  If you throw these super cool DC PJ bottoms into that mix, the night just gets even more chilled.  I love the Iron Man, Thor and Hulk, Spidey & Captain America designs.  And as previously mentioned, many men love the whole superhero thing, making these a fantastic gift idea.  Perfect to cuddle up in!

Calvin Klein Two Pack boxers £19.99

They are classic, sexy, snug fitting and something that every man should have in his pants' drawer.  The hot pink trimmed CK's are the perfect Valentine's Day underwear.  The waistband peeking out over the top of his jeans is a designer fashion statement boldly declaring that this guy is confident, smooth and isn't afraid to flash his pants in public. A great gift that is practical, while still be a little frivolous and cheeky!

Find these gifts and more at SportsDirect.com.

Sonic Blasting Iron Man 3 Toy - Review

We are big fans of Iron Man.  We love Robert Downey Jr's charismatic superhero and can't wait to see Iron Man 3.  So when we were sent a 15" Sonic Blasting Iron Man toy to review, everyone from 3 year old Freddy through to 44 year old daddy got very excited!  Daddy has a self-confessed man-crush on RDJ so this toy was always going to appeal to him.  Featuring a motorized rotating missile blaster, 5 fire missiles, 5 ice missiles, flashing eyes, Arc Reactor and authentic battle sounds it offers an all-action play experience for Iron Man fans of any age!

We were really impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the toy: it feels very sturdy, stable and solid. Even when Freddy played hard, it withstood the rigours of being flown around the room and having fights with imaginary foe. The spinning sonic blaster shoots five missiles at a time at the touch of a button.  It is very effective but isn't too ferocious which is a bonus, meaning we still have all ten projectiles intact and haven't lost any down the back of the sofa.  The rotating action works really well and Freddy loved it!  He also loved the button that made his eyes and chest light up.  This really is a great toy for fans young and old which would look as good in a teen's bedroom as it would in a toybox.  Everybody agreed that it was a real blast!!

Here is Freddy's demonstration of the Iron Man toy which has quickly become his favourite plaything... making daddy very proud indeed!

The toy takes three AA batteries that fit securely into a screw up compartment in Iron Man's back.  It has an RRP of £29.99 and is available from good stockists including Amazon.


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My Superhero Husband #kodakavengers

My husband Ian is a bit of a comic book geek when it comes to the Marvel Avengers.  He loves all the films and admits to a man-crush on Tony Stark.  I bought him the 1978 Black Sabbath Tour T-Shirt as worn by Tony Stark in the Avengers Assemble movie and he is adamant that the resemblance between himself and the man behind Iron Man is uncanny!  Ian also thinks that he would be able to beat the Hulk in a fight.  The green giant, who is not in the least bit jolly, would definitely find himself in a battle of brain over brawn  going up against my husband in this fantasy battle.

It is therefore no surprise that Ian was very quick to volunteer as a model for the #kodakavengers Linky Challenge on the Britmums Blog to celebrate the release of Avengers Assemble on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Kodak have an exciting online printable kit which includes a whole host of Avengers goodies that can be printed out and used to create a fun movie night or party.  We printed out the masks!!

My Superhero husband was in his element.  He made a dashing Captain America, a ferocious Hulk and a  spectacular Iron Man!  Here is is striking his best poses and embracing his inner superhero.

Captain America...The Old School Hero

The Hulk...You Won't Like Him When He's Angry!!

Iron Man...The High Tech Hero

You can print out your own Superhero masks and join in the fun yourself.  There are some great prizes to be won...and you too can get your husband or kids to embrace their inner superhero.

Unfortunately for Ian, the closest he normally gets to being Iron Man is when he is doing the ironing...but he will always be a superhero to me!

Avengers Assemble!

Iron Man Fancy Dress Costume from Rubies

With the recent excitement surrounding the return of The Avengers and other Marvel comic book characters to the big screen, kids around the country are all dreaming of becoming superheroes.  Thanks to Rubies, the UK and Europe's only official distributor of Marvel costumes (they do Disney too!) they don't have to dream anymore!

With a new range of costumes soon to hit the UK, your child could dress up as their favourite characters for some fun role play and world saving!

Kizzy was sent a cool Iron Man costume to model.  The all in one suit and mask is perfect for fancy dress parties and  Halloween.  Children can dress up in Stark Industry's best creation and embody the hero that is Iron Man!

Kizzy, who is 9, is wearing a large Iron Man costume which is designed for ages 7-8 but as she is slim it fitted fine, although the legs were a bit short.  So it would be the right size for the intended age group.  It is also available in small and medium for children aged 3 and up.

The mask fitted everyone and was modelled by 16 year old Ella and 3 year old Freddy too!  It is flexible and comfortable to wear with good visibility.

If you children prefer to be Disney Princesses rather than Marvel Superheroes, Rubie's have a range of four new classic princess outfits!  The gorgeously girlie Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White and Cinderella dresses with a large character print on the front are available exclusively from Argos.  They are available in ages 3-5 and 5-7.  Every little princess will have her dreams come true with her very own fairytale ending!!  They are currently available at £14.99 each or two for £19.99 instore or at argos.co.uk