The Unbeatables - Film Review

If you have kids who love football, The Unbeatables is the perfect film for them!  The Unbeatables tells the story of young Amadeo, a boy with a talent for table football who humiliates the local bully Flash, by beating him at the game.  Fast forward 10 years, and Flash is a soccer superstar (who bears a bit of a resemblance to Ronaldo!) who is hellbent on revenge and set to destroy their hometown and turn the area into a football stadium.  Amadeo may have been accomplished at table football, but he is not quite as accomplished in life and love and Flash's return challenges him to man up in an attempt to save the town, win the girl and discover his inner strength.

When Flash destroys Amadeo's beloved table football, it is Amadeo's tears that magically bring the footballers to life and they are ready to play for his honour.  It is the little lead footballers who steal the show with their witty dialogue and distinct personalities (similarities to real life football legends can't be ignored), as they help lead Amadeo and his team of misfit town folk as they take on the might of Flash in the ultimate football showdown.

The film was originally a massive hit in its home country Argentina.  Being a foreign film, the English dubbing sometimes doesn't quite fit and the dialogue can seem a little odd at times as the script tries to fit the lip synch, which annoyed Ian but didn't bother me or Freddy at all.  The voice talents of Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Ralf Little and Rob Brydon more than made up for this issue. The Latin American setting with the English references sometimes jarred a little, but again it didn't bother me.  It's easy to suspend your belief and just enjoy the fun and adventure.

The Unbeatables climax is the big football match between Flash's team and Amadeo's team.  It is beautifully and inventively animated and the commentary is spot on. I loved the imagery of the townsfolk as they played for their town, which gave rise to some great visual humour! It is a very long scene with real time action that footie fans will love.  The result is not the predictable ending I expected and it raises some very valuable life lessons about what it means to really win.

The football centric storyline makes this DVD a great watch for young footie fans.  The adventures that Rico, Loco, Skip and the other table footballers get into adds some real magic and excitement into the mix.  The story is quite unique and overall it is an enjoyable, sporty, animated film with a difference.  However, if your kids aren't into football, this film probably won't interest them, Kizzy refused to watch it - but you can't please everyone!!

The Unbeatables is available on Blu-ray and DVD from 9^th February 2015, courtesy of Vertigo Films

Celebrating the FIFA World Cup with a Big Match Family Night In

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. 

Brazil 2014 is tantalizingly close. In a matter of hours families across the world will be preparing to celebrate a summer of football and enjoying every big match of the FIFA World Cup.  It is an opportunity to come together with family and friends to support your team, cheer for every goal and hold your breath at every penalty shoot out.  It's a time to throw fun-filled parties or enjoy nights in together watching each big game and enjoying the excitement of such a huge sporting event as a family.

To get us in the World Cup mood and to build excitement for the kick off, we held a #BigMatchPlanner family night in with #CollectiveBias.  Tesco are currently selling a World Cup branded four pack of 1.5 litre bottles of Coca-Cola for just £4.00, which was a great place to start when it came to planning our event. (This super special offer is available until June 17th.) They were easy to find, on a promotional display in the entrance of the store, and the 'Celebrate Together' message definitely tied in with my plans for our family football themed night in.  It's lovely to see so many big brands and retailers getting into the spirit and supporting Brazil 2014.  They are helping to get the ball rolling, inspiring us all to get involved!

I decided that it would be nice to embrace the flair and favour of the host nation Brazil, and bring a touch of its South American influence to our night in.  So on the menu was Cachurro Quente - Brazilian street food, consisting of hot dogs served with a variety of toppings including five bean chilli, deep fried sweet potato noodles, salsa, cheese and sweetcorn.  We used veggie hot dog sausages for our meal. This style of DIY party food is a lot of fun, especially for the children who get to help themselves and create their very own bespoke dinner in a bun!

For dessert, I made a selection of World Cup-Cakes.  They included some Chocolate, Coca-Cola and Marshmallow Muffins served with a mini marshmallow kebab, limited edition Brazillian M&M's or chocolate footballs. The addition of the Coca-Cola in the batter makes them sweet and light.  I also made some Vegan Cupcakes with Coconut Chocolate Frosting topped with a selection of fresh fruit as a tribute to Brazil's rainforests!

I hung some world nation's flag bunting alongside Brazilian flag bunting to really set the scene.  I challenged the children to identify the flags, matching them to the correct country.  Who knew football could be so educational?!!  I also displayed a Brazil 2014 wall chart so we can follow the progress of the tournament and keep scores.

It was lovely to see 4 year old Freddy take such an interest in the World Cup.  His older sisters reminisced about football tournaments of the past, recalling the days of Beckham, Seaman, Bergkamp,  Roger Miller and Thierry Henri, and remembering the heartbreak of watching England lose a penalty shoot out to the Germans.  This year Freddy will be making his own memories to talk about in the future.  I hope they will be good memories... just imagine if they went on to be memories of England's first World Cup victory since 1966! (We can dream.)

The food went down a treat with everyone, who thoroughly enjoyed making their own Cacharro Quente. To quote a rather awful football pun...it did get rather "Messi" but this Brazilian dish will definitely be on the menu again during our World Cup get togethers.  It was such a fun dish.

And of course, serving up ice cold Coca-Cola in England cups quenched our thirsts and raised out patriotic spirits.  There may have been a few renditions of 'Three Lions' complete with Nobby Styles's famous dance moves that took place during the evening!

Every year we have our own sweepstakes, picking names out of a hat, so we have more teams to support should England fall at the first hurdle.  Of course we'd be overjoyed if our home team do well, but the prospect of more penalty shoot-outs brings me out in a cold sweat.  So it's nice to have a few other teams, which we are less emotionally invested in to cheer on too. Anyone who picks the team that goes on to win the tournament wins a prize, so it keeps everyone excited.

Freddy, draped in one of our national flags (I think it's Croatia), looking like a little World Cup themed superhero,  picked out South Korea as his sweepstake team.  He was most delighted with his choice especially as I told him that that was where Psi came from, prompting a rendition of Gangham Style!

The girls made a poster to display our sweepstake teams alongside our World Cup 2014 champion predictions.  This year, my money is on Brazil to win with the home advantage.  I still remember the genius of Pele and the infamous Maradonna 'Hand of God' incident.  Brazil are always memorable in the World Cup. I hope they impress this year.

This poster and all the other World Cup decorations will be staying up until the winning team hold the Jules Rimet cup aloft, at the end of the tournament.  The World Cup will be a wonderful excuse for many impromptu nights in, big match parties and general footballing fun!  We are so excited!

We enjoyed a game or two of table football and I bought some official FIFA World Cup tattoos that we had fun applying. We did plan to end the evening with a football related movie such as Bend it Like Beckham, She's the Man or Escape to Victory, but as England was playing a friendly against Ecuador on this night, that provided the perfect entertainment to get us all match ready.  It may not have been the most scintillating match, but a draw is a draw and I hope the teams are saving themselves for the real thing!

This taster of the fun and excitement to come when the World Cup kicks off , has really made us all feel match ready!  We've got our World Cup themed t-shirts to wear and our flags ready to wave. Come on England!!

Why not have your own Big Match Family Night In, serving up food from one of the nations playing, singing football songs and enjoying some football related activities?

It's a great way of making some fun, family memories.

Which team do you think will win this year's World Cup?

Visit the Coca-Cola Big Match Planner website for inspiration on hosting your own nights in with ideas on themed recipes, music and entertainment.

Introducing One World Futbol - the Indestructible Football!

As this year's World Cup gets ever closer, football fever is starting to take hold.  Freddy, who is 4, is enjoying honing his ball skills with daddy in the garden and I'm planning a World Cup party with a Brazilian flavour.  A summer of football is definitely on the cards.

One World Futbol, has launched the world's first nearly indestructible football in the UK and Freddy was sent one to try out.  It will never need pumping up and never goes flat, even when punctured, making it perfect for withstanding some seriously tough kick abouts.

The One World Futbol Project combines encouraging outdoor play with humanitarian aid.  For every purchase in the UK, a ball will be donated to disadvantaged communities around the world in their 'Buy One, Give One' campaign. The toughness of the balls makes them suitable for any terrain, and the company's mission aims to bring a joy of football to young people living in refugee camps, disaster areas, war zones and disadvantaged communities.  More than 165 countries have been reached by the One World Futbol project, bringing the healing power of play to millions of children.  It's a wonderful thought to know that as Freddy plays in the garden, another child will be playing somewhere else in the world, where play can be used to bring joy, teach life skills and foster social change.

The ball itself is sturdy and made of tough elastomer plastic.  It has a lower bounce rate making it easier to control and less likely to bounce over a neighbour's fence.  As it is never goes flat, even when punctured, it will outlive most other balls on the market making it a good investment that will last for years. It can even survive being run over by a car or chewed by a dog.

It's tough enough for use on the roughest of play surfaces, but is just as good on the street, in the garden or on the beach.  It is well weighted and easy to control.  The One World Futbol has replaced all of the old deflated, faded and torn footballs and playballs in our garden this summer!

You can find out more, buy a One World Futbol for yourself and choose the campaign to send your donated ball to at www.oneworldfutbol.com.  They cost £33.00 on a 'buy one, give one' basis.

Watch some inspirational videos on their YouTube channel:  www.youtube.com/user/OneWorldFutbol

Soccer Suckers Review

My eldest son Joe, who is now 25, was a real football fan as a boy.  He collected everything to do with football such as the sticker albums, souvenir coins and mini figurines, plus he wore each season's Arsenal kit with pride.  I'm sure it won't be long before 4 year old Freddy gets into the sport just like his big brother, especially with the excitement of the forthcoming World Cup in summer. That will undoubtedly herald the start of me buying all the latest football merchandise again.

Jumbo Games has a new range of collectable toys that will appeal to football mad kids and grown-ups alike. Each football shaped capsule contains a footballer with a sucker on the back, which can be stuck to any hard, glossy surface such as a window, mirror or computer screen. We were sent some to try out.

There are 40 players to collect, from either Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur.  You can create your own dream team using players such as Kompany, Gerrard, Hart, Wilshere and Torres.

You can trade, swap and collect the perfect team and display them wherever they stick!  The little football capsules can be played with too, as Freddy discovered!

Soccer Suckers are available from Amazon, W H Smiths, Toys R Us and Smyths.

 

Find out more at www.soccersuckers.co.uk.

Hacky Sack

Hacky Sack for Football Skills, Fitness and Fun!

Hacky Sack from Wham-O are a fun way of learning ball skills and keeping fit.  These little bean bag style balls have been around for 40 years but are making a big comeback.

The Hacky Sack are hand sewn foot bags.   We were sent a three panel Impact foot bag in green and black and a fourteen panel Striker foot bag in black and white.  Both are perfect for skills practice (with keepy-ups made much easier).  You can learn tricks or simply toss and catch them!  You can play on your own or with friends. There are so many ways to play with your Hacky Sack, it is a simple toy, but very versatile.

Freddy is nearly three so wasn't really able to demonstrate the keepy-up skills that make playing with a Hacky Sack so impressive.  However he was able to throw, toss, catch, balance and kick the Hacky Sack

with great control.  He is definitely developing some 'tricks' and improving his hand eye co-ordination and motor skills.  Because they are soft and don't roll away they are great for little ones to practice ball skills.  

Big brother Joe is coming to visit at the weekend and we are looking forward to challenging him to impress us with his football skills.  How many keepy-ups will he be able to perform?  With scope to use the inside and outside edge of your feet, kicking and stalling the ball and alternating feet, I'm hoping I'll get to learn a few tricks myself. 

The Hacky Sacks are a good little toy to help get the kids (and grown-ups) fit.  In fact  playing with one for an hour burns up to 240 calories.

The Hacky Sacks retail for around £3.99 so are perfect pocket money toys.  They come in a variety of designs and are really good simple fun!

Football Crazy with Topps

Topps Match Attax and Premier League Official Album

It was about 17 years ago that I first became familiar with football sticker albums.  My son Joe who was (and still is) a huge Arsenal fan became completely obsessed with the packs of Merlin stickers.  He'd love finding the appropriate place in the album to put his latest purchases and would be super excited if he unearthed a Gunner or two.  Living down south, we attended the Merlin Swap Shop event at Legoland to get the few remaining stickers he needed to complete his album and we even queued up to meet some rather nice Premier League footballers and got them to autograph themselves in sticker form.

These days, things have changed.  Topps Football is the new name on the lips of every football loving schoolkid.  Topps are the people behind Match  Attax, the only official Premier League football card trading game.  An estimated 1.5 million loyal fans buy 144,000 cards per day, such is the popularity of this phenomena!  To put their appeal into context...27 packs are sold to every Mrs Bar worldwide!

My daughter's Junior School saw a huge proportion of the children, both girls and boys trading their cards at break times. Pencil cases were stuffed with cards that the children used to sneakily play with during lessons...I should know because I was the teaching assistant assigned with the job of ensuring that Match Attax swapsies took place in the playground and not during maths lessons!

As well as being fun to swap, the cards have Defence and Attack Stats which allows collectors to battle with each other on the pitch in  a game of strategy and skill that is suitable for all the family, for football fanatics and card game fans alike.  Collecting cards to strengthen your starting XI builds the excitement.

Ready to battle!

Priced from 50p for a packet of six cards, Match Attax are affordable collectables.  £4.99 will buy the Starter Set which includes a collection binder, a pitch, a limited edition card and 25 standard cards.  This allows competitive gaming from the moment the pack is opened.  The deluxe Collectors Tin would make a great present for a fan.  60 cards and a limited edition card are inside the decorated tin which costs £10 from Argos, The Entertainer and Toys 'R' Us.  It is perfect for players on the go, giving a place to store your top team as well as your all important swapsies!

An exciting addition to this season's Match Attax cards is the possibility of finding one of 101 specially signed Rio Ferdinand cards.  If you find one you can get to meet the man himself at a special Match Attax event!

The Topps 2011 Premier League Official Album is also available with some amazing never before seen additions, making it the most exciting one yet!  This year for the first time ever the sticker album comes in stunning 3D!  Players jump off the page!  Each £1.99 album includes a free pair of 3D glasses so you can enjoy this special effect.

In addition to this, the album includes fun facts, statistics and club information perfect for footie fans providing a comprehensive guide to the Barclays Premier League Season.  Also new for this year is a nostalgic look back at past footballing heroes.  A special legend from each team completes the page.  I hope we find Arsenal's gorgeous Thierry Henry (you know, the one with Va Va Voom!)

Each pack of six stickers costs 50p and there are 450 to collect.  Swap and Play events are taking place across the country over Easter so those doubles can be exchanged to complete your album.  An online swapping service is also available.  As a mum who has been through collecting football stickers, these services are invaluable!

Kizzy (and her camera shy brother!) thoroughly enjoyed playing with the Match Attax cards.  They are well made and sturdy.  The Collector's Album is really well designed, packed with information and fun facts about every team.  The 3D aspect is a really nice touch.  The special 3D stickers and the 3D sections of the album are eye-popping!  It certainly adds an extra dimension to the collection.  Overall, these products are great and  the children really do love them.  It's nice to see Topps keeping up to date with the new generation by adding some new, exciting developments.  Price wise, the products are affordable, however as with any collectable there is a temptation to overspend if you have a demanding child (like my son was back in the day!)  So, do consider that and take advantage of exchanges, swapsies and Swap Events to make use of the doubles!

Check out http://www.toppsfootball.co.uk/ for more information on Topps Football and for the rules for playing Match Attax.

*Topps Football provided me with Match Attax cards and pitch and a Premier League album and stickers for the purpose of this review*

Showing Fred her dream team!