My Christmas Wishlist App

Many children enjoy writing wishlists to inform Santa which of the must have toys they most want to find under the tree for Christmas.  In the past, this may have involved an Argos catalogue, paper and a pencil, but nowadays the process is much more high tech with the launch of the Argos My Christmas Wishlist app.

You simply download the free app from the App Store or from Google Play and you can begin.  The animated opening sequence features some fun characters and kids can pick a helper to guide them through the process.

They can personalise their wishlist, by taking a happy, festive selfie, which then appears throughout the app.

It is simple to browse through the best toys of the season, displayed as thumbnails, and pick the ones you want.  They are sorted by brand so if your child wants LEGO, Nerf or Playdoh, for example, they can click straight through to the relevant section.

Children can get creative using the virtual pens and numbered stickers to decorate the list before emailing it off to Santa (aka Mum or Dad's inbox!) They can rate their preferences so you will know which toy is their favourite.

The app is colourful, fun, kid friendly and interactive and parents can set a price limit and limit the number of gifts to avoid children picking too much or choosing toys that are too expensive.

Once the letter is sent, the designated email recipient gets an email with a colourful copy of the wishlist, with links to the toys that have been chosen so you can click through and buy or reserve direct from Argos.

Freddy had a go at making his wishlist.  He really liked the app and chose the cute little helper Squidge to assist him.  I limited the price of the presents to £32 and restricted him to five gifts.  He picked four toys: a VTech DigiPet, a Nerf crossbow, a Leapfrog LeapBand and an Innotab game, before decorating his list and clicking the button to send it to Santa.  It was really simple and user friendly, and he enjoyed looking through all the toys in his price range.

This app is also a nice way to send wishlists to relatives who ask what the kids want for Christmas, plus it makes it easy for them to buy direct from the links in the email.

                     

A Coffee and Cream Mood Board - Argos Colour Campaign

One of my guilty pleasures is a visit to a coffee shop, relaxing in a big, comfy, high backed leather chair and sipping on a delicious, iced, coffee frappuccino.  It's such a treat to take a few minutes out of my schedule to enjoy some me-time.  Needless to say, I am a big coffee fan.  I love its evocative aroma, the deep, dark colour and its rich flavour.

When challenged by Argos to create a mood board for redecorating a room in my home, I instantly thought of a coffee and cream themed living room.  I love the autumnal shades of brown, in all its shades, from the glossy depth of a dark, chestnut brown to the creamy, luxurious tone of cafe au lait. These colours provide a comforting warmth and richness to a room space, while the spectrum of shades brings contrast.

A coffee and cream palette offers a warm, sophisticated look, which works with natural woods, rattan and sepia artworks.  It is calming and comforting and evokes thoughts of my favourite coffee indulgence. With a rich brown feature wall and contrasting creams and beiges to lighten the aspect, I'd create a real 'grown-up' living space, taking inspiration from the coffee shops I so enjoy.  Comfy seating and soft furnishings, along with a few ornamental embellishments would complete the look.

I love the pieces that I found to include in my mood board.  Some pieces are from Argos such as the contrast clock, copper tone cafetiere and the embroidered lampshade.  I also love the vintage storage trunks, which would look brilliant in the corner of the room, concealing away some of our clutter. The sepia New York wall art is a really arty piece and a homage to its coffee shop scene ... I think Central Perk had a lot of influence in the UK's coffee shop popularity surge!

Colour has such an effect on our mood and well being, and making your home a reflection of the colours that you love can give you such a good feeling.  I like my kitchen and bathrooms to be bright, light, airy, clean and uplifting.  My bedroom is a tranquil space with muted tones and metallic accents.  The kids have bright, happy, fun, sunny colours in their rooms to match their personalities. But for my living space, the coffee and cream theme would be the perfect deliciously, indulgent spot of luxury, reflecting the guilty pleasure that is my love of coffee shops!


This is my entry into the Argos Colour Campaign competition.

#WIN a Samsung LED HD Smart TV

With Christmas fast approaching, I have a really prize to give away to one of my readers.  By entering my festive giveaway you could win a fabulous 22" Samsung LED HD Smart TV in white, thanks to the lovely people at Argos!

Ideal for any bedroom or kitchen, this white 22 inch 1080p Full HD Smart TV provides stunning definition with a Freeview digital tuner for your entertainment. The HDMI, USB and SCART sockets provide additional connectivity options, whilst the auto set up feature ensures efficient TV channel and radio station scanning. It has an energy efficiency rating A and is wi-fi enabled.

What a brilliant gift for you to surprise someone special or to keep for yourself so you can keep up to date with your favourite TV shows or even access the internet.  The RRP of this fabulous Smart TV is £249.99.

You can find out more about this Smart TV and other televisions on the Argos website here.

For your chance to win this prize simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below and leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favourite TV programme to watch over the festive holidays. Are you a fan of the X Factor or perhaps the soaps or maybe you are a fan of the Queen's Speech??

The giveaway ends at 11.59pm on 11th December 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions.

By participating in this prize draw you are deemed to accept these terms and conditions.

Prize draw open to customers and non-customers aged 18 or over who are UK residents. Draw is not open to employees of Argos, their families or anyone associated with this draw. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request.

The prize is a Samsung UE22F5410 22 In Full HD 1080p LED Smart TV - White, includes postage to the winners UK address. Promotion runs from 27/11/13 and all entries must be received by 11.59pm on  11/12/13 latest.

Winners will be drawn at random at the end of the promotion.

The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative. The promoter’s decision is final in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. The promoter reserves the right (a) to add to or waive any rules on reasonable notice (b) cancel or postpone the promotion at any stage in the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control; or (c) in its reasonable discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.

If a prize remains unclaimed after reasonable efforts have been made to contact the winner the promoter will be entitled to dispose of the prize as it sees fit without any liability to the winner for having done so.

The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice.

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Do You Believe in Fairies? - Meet the Flying Fairy by Flutterbye

This Christmas, the Argos Gift Guide has an exciting new feature; BlippAR technology to showcase some of its top products such as the Flutterbye Flying Fairy and Furby.  For the first time, it contains blipp-able images, which are brought to life using the BlippAR app on your smartphone.  Simply by viewing the page through your phone, you can see some of this year's most wanted gift ideas in all their glory, using augmented reality, so you can find out more about the things you want before you commit to buy.  You can watch demos, get a moveable 3D image or buy direct through the app.  Plus there is a competition, games and other fun interactive activities accessed through the BlippAR app.  Pick up a copy of their gift guide in store, download the free app and join in the festive fun!

One of this year's predicted top toys for Christmas, and one that is showcased using the BlippAR app, is the Flying Fairy from Flutterbye.  We were sent a Flying Fairy from Argos for Kizzy to try out.  The pretty fairy comes with a charging station (which takes 6 AA batteries) and is charged up via a small cable ready for launching.  

When the button on the front is pressed, the Flying Fairy's skirt and wings spin round causing her to take off and fly.  It is very impressive to see her flying around the room.  You can bring her in to land by pressing the button on the charger and catching her by the legs.  

Controlling your fairy does take a little getting used to.  She can sometimes be a little erratic and you may find yourself chasing her around trying to get your hand underneath her to guide her.  She is a little noisy when she flies, as her skirt whirrs around at great speed.  She may even crash now and then if you don't catch her mid-flight.  But, she is massively entertaining and a whole lot of fun.  The novelty value of having a fairy toy that genuinely flies is huge and playing with her is quite addictive...even for the grown-ups!  

I can see the Flying Fairy providing a great deal of fun this Christmas.  We found that the fairy, once charged,  had a good amount of fly time and actually became easier to control with each flight.  (She is a bit frisky on her first, fully charged flight so be ready in case she shoots straight up to the ceiling!)  Younger children would benefit from some adult supervision as they get to grips with the toy.  It is important that the skirt and wings are aligned and that there is no draught which will affect the flight.  Controlling the flight is part of the fun, and if done properly is very impressive.  It is an enchanting toy that will be enjoyed and will bring a lot of fun to kids this Christmas.  It is a real novelty toy with the added bonus that it will look lovely displayed on a shelf when not in use, as the charger doubles up as an attractive stand for the doll.

Argos have the Flying Fairy toys for £29.99 (at the time of publishing this post): Flying Fairy at Argos!

Take a look at Kizzy's vlog including a demo of the BlippAR and a demo of how to use the Flying Fairy.

                              

Enjoy a Summer Playcation!

Get Outdoors With The Kids This Summer

Recent findings have discovered that 68% of family time is sedentary with TVs and technology entertaining the family whilst sat down on the sofa!  Ironically, this summer's Olympics is creating even more sedentary behavior as many of us tune in to watch the sporting endeavours of Team GB, whilst sat on our behinds!

However, 30% of parents surveyed expressed a desire to be more active as a family although 32% worry about the expense of participating in sporting activities.  Help is at hand as Argos, the UK's number one toy retailer has teamed up with TV presenter and exercise enthusiast Laura Hamilton to create a Summer Playcation Guide full of games and tips.

There are some great ideas to inspire and equip parents to play outdoors with the kids this summer.  The ideas are all inexpensive, focusing on families getting up and getting out into the fresh air together to enjoy their Playcation!

When I was a child Hide and Seek, den building and playing in the fields opposite my home were favourite pastimes.  Nowadays, my own older  children prefer video games and social media!  But it's not too late to instill a love of playing outdoors together in their repertoire of things to do!  

Argos has a wide range of outdoor toys to suit all ages and budgets. They also stock Chad Valley which is a leading toy brand.  We have received a croquet set and two space hoppers to help us get sporty and active and enjoy our Playcation!

The Playcation Guide is available to download here.  It features three original games alongside a host of activity and toy suggestions. 

My favourite is the Rainbow Treasure Hunt where players have to hunt for items in the garden of every colour of the rainbow.  Perfect for even the youngest players!  Our Space Hoppers can be used in a game of Stop and Go where players have to bounce on the track without being spotted by the traffic light who is ready to turn round and spot them unless they stay completely still!

Five Top Tips for your Playcation

• It doesn't have to take long.  Just 30 minutes is long enough for a quick game of swingball before dinner.
• Reward sporting activity to motivate your family.  Simple printed certificates are great fun to receive.
• Activities don't have to be expensive.  Argos sells over 800 toys from just £3.99.  Hide and Seek is free!
• Get a big group get together.  Team games like rounders and football can be fun.  Change the rules to let little ones join in so no one feels left out.
• Don't be put off by lack of space.  Fun can be had in the smallest space.  If you want a bigger area, head off to the local park.

Freddy loves his garden and has enjoyed testing out the Croquet Set he received to try out.  Not only did he enjoy knocking the balls through the hoops, he also had fun throwing the balls and using the colourful mallet as an imaginary magic wand.  With a bit of imagination everyone can have fun outdoors!

Child Safety Week....Protecting Our Children

This week is Child Safety Week, sponsored by safety specialists Lindam and retail giants Argos.  Organised by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, the aim of the week is to raise awareness of the accidents that injure or kill children and advise parents on how to avoid them.

As a mum to a toddler, this is something very close to my heart.  I am one of those mothers who sees danger in everything.  I am a self-confessed worrier!  But I don't want to wrap my toddler in cotton wool.  Bumps and bruises are an important part of growing up, as children seek independence and explore their environment.  However, as parents, it is vital that we take steps to minimize the dangers.  The theme to this year's Child Safety Week is "Take a Second Look for Safety".

We often take things for granted  and don't notice potential dangers in the home.  Lindam have created a virtual tour to highlight potential dangers which reminds us of things we can do to protect our children in the home.

The statistics for accidents in the home are shocking, but most of the accidents are avoidable.  Sometimes we simply don't realise that our toddler has grown tall enough to reach dangerous items which were previously out of harm's way. Their advancements can take us by surprise. So we really do have to keep child safety at the forefront of our minds on a day to day basis to pre-empt potential hazards in the home.

Consider these facts:

• Over 500 under fives are rushed to casualty every week because of burns and scalds with hot drinks being the number one cause.  
• Everyday a child under 5 is admitted to hospital after being scalded by bath water.  It takes just 5 seconds for a toddler to suffer third degree burns from hot water.
• 41,000 under fives go to hospital due to a fall down the stairs.
• 12 children a day are admitted to hospital for swallowing dangerous substances.
• Traffic causes half of all accidental deaths in children.
• Over two thirds of all cycling deaths involve a head injury.
• 6000 housefires every year are caused by under tens.
• A toddler can drown in 5cm of water

It is tragic that avoidable accidents can kill or seriously injure children.  We can't protect our children from everything, but we can do our best to avoid many common dangers by taking sensible precautions and taking a second look for potential dangers.

Cycle Helmets protect against head injuries.

Safety Reins with Grab Handle

Lindam is the UK's number one safety brand with 20 years experience and an award winning portfolio of home safety products including stair gates, play pens, travel accessories and bed rails.  The products are available to purchase from Argos.