Claire's Support UNICEF

There is no greater gift than the gift of life.

Claire's is one of the shops in town that we cannot walk past without Kizzy and Ella wanting to go in.  They love the colourful ranges of jewellery and accessories on sale.

Claire's have launched a new partnership with UNICEF- "Little Things Make A Big Difference" - which aims to give children the best start in life.  Everyday, thousands of children die from deadly but largely preventable causes such as malnutrition, diarrhoea and malaria.  UNICEF send lifesaving supplies such as clean water, vaccines and food for those who need it the most. This Christmas, Claire's will be selling six bespoke jewellery items in their Claire's For Unicef Range to raise money for UNICEF's vital work saving children's lives.  £1 from every purchase will be donated to UNICEF.  This is enough to give eight life saving vaccinations or feed a malnourished child for one day.

The range is very pretty with a pink and silver colour theme and featuring hearts and stars.  Each item features the life affirming message "A Gift For You...The Gift of Life For a Child"  so the recipient knows that this gift has helped raise money to save a child's life.

Claire's Unicef Range 

Claire's customers can also add a donation at the till whenever they make a purchase or buy gift cards with an added on donation to UNICEF.

I think that this partnership is a lovely way to give a little back at Christmas time to help those in need.  I always try to include gifts that help others when I buy presents for my children, and I know my girls will love this range and the fact that they are giving the gift of life to others.  I can't always donate cash sums to every charity I support, but it is easy to incorporate a donation when making a specific purchase.  It's an easy way to give, especially when money is tight.  The jewellery costs £4.50 - £5.00 and would make a lovely stocking filler.

Teen Bling...Safe Accessories for Tweens!

My 8 year old daughter is at that stage where she wants to wear jewellery but isn't really old enough to be responsible for expensive necklaces which could easily get  broken.  I'd hate to see her upset if she snapped a chain or even worse, got hurt by catching a metal or strung bead necklace round her neck.

Young girls love fashion and creativity but they also need their jewellery to be safe.  That's why when the lovely Lynne from Teething Bling offered us the chance to try out Teen Bling I knew a little girl who would only be too happy to help out!

Teen Bling (or Tween Bling as the Americans call it!)  is made from the same material as the Teething Bling, but it comes in funky vibrant colours perfect for fashionable young ladies!  They are aimed at tweens who want to look stylish, but need to be safe.  The silicone contains no harmful chemicals and are free from BPAs, PVC, lead and latex.  They are flexible, bendable and can even be chewed on...much more hygienic than chewing hair or pen tops!!  My daughter fiddles with everything so this pendant is an ever present object that she can play with without causing any damage or harm, or leaving a trail of fiddled with objects strewn around the house!

The Teen Bling necklace that Kizzy was sent to try was Hot Pink and also was Berry Scented.  The fragrance helps keep the wearer focused!  The 2x2" donut shape pendant is strung onto a black silky cord with a breakaway clasp for safety.  It is fun, vibrant and stylish and very practical for a busy pre-teen!

Kizzy loved the colour, she loved "squidging it" and I caught her having the occasional chew on it!  She liked the scent too...kids love 'smelly' things.  She loves scented felt tips and pencils so this was right up her street!!

She felt very grown-up with her jewellery and it was reassuring to know it was safe (even if little brother Freddy grabbed it!!)  It carries the CE trademark which means it has been tested to the strictest safety standards.  You can also put it in the dishwasher to keep it hygienically clean.

Even when she was playing outside I wasn't worried about necklace related mishaps.  I really think this is a great product.  The quality is great, it isn't brittle and breakable like some of the hard plastic pendants in the shops.  It is soft so there are no hard edges that could snag clothing or stick into the skin whilst playing.  The clasp adds an element of safety that puts mums' minds at rest.  And it really looked good and bang on trend with its oversized shape and low hang.

The necklace sells on Smart Mum UK for £12.95.  Other colours are available including Lollipop and Peachy Peach...perfect for little girls.  Co-ordinating bangles are also available for £8.95, made from the same material.

The Teen Bling definitely fills a gap in the market for safe, stylish fashion accessories for girls aged 8-12 years old.  It would make a lovely gift for any young girl.  Kizzy says "I love it and it is fantastic in all ways possible! It makes me feel very pretty!"  So, I think that is a definite thumbs up!!!!

SES Creative Glass Bead Bracelets

We are so proud to be Craniacs!  This means that we are ambassadors for John Crane, testing a selection of  beautiful toys and writing reviews about them.  My 'Tiny Testers' Freddy and Kizzy are poised ready to help out with any toy testing that needs to be done.  This time it was Kizzy who had the opportunity to try out SES Creative Glass Bead Bracelet set.

The SES Creative Range includes hobby kits, craft sets and art materials.  Kizzy was lucky enough to be sent the Glass Bead Bracelet making set.  The pack contained everything needed to make some lovely personalised bracelets.

Kizzy really enjoyed making this and has enough bits left in the set to make a couple more bracelets.  She was able to do most of it independently, but linking the beads together was a little bit fiddly and she needed my help for that.  As with all craft kits, you need to be patient as the paint and glue takes time to dry between each stage, but Kizzy understood that and didn't rush her project.  The end result looks very effective and Kizzy was very proud to have made something that looked so nice.

This craft kit was definitely one of the better ones Kizzy has used in terms of achieving a good end result, and she had a lot of fun in the process!

Kizzy said "I love jewellery and make-up and girlie things so it was really nice to make my own design of bracelet.  I enjoyed doing it and like painting my own design but it was fiddly putting the beads together but Mummy helped me.  I am proud of my lovely bracelet!"

Available at Amazon for £6.99...it really is a great value for money craft kit. for any budding jewellery maker!