Well that was 2011!

It has passed in a blink of an eye and a constant flurry of activities.  2011, has been a great year! My family have continued to make me proud and are my greatest joy and achievement. Freddy has grown into a bright and gorgeous toddler (with a Diva-ish penchant for dancing in his big sister's dresses!)  Kizzy is thriving at school and has enjoyed taking part in the Gifted and Talented programme.  Ella's musical talents continue to astound me with her beautiful guitar playing and vocals.  Megan is doing so well applying for Graduate schemes ready for September. Joe has been promoted at work with his new post starting in January.  But 2011 has been a great year for me personally too!  My blog has continued to present me with amazing opportunities and I have been amazed at how much it has evolved over the last 12 months. Here are some of my highlights of the year.

My success with my weightloss has seen me have photoshoots for The Sun and Top Sante and I have appeared in the Mail Online.  I was the runner-up in the Slimpod Slimmer of the Year competition which was a huge honour, after shedding 3 stone with the Lose 2 Jeans Sizes Slimpod!  This year I want to lose another stone and maintain a comfortable size 12.  That will be a huge achievement and will make me truly believe that I have completely kicked the yoyo diet habits forever.  I am forever indebted to the wonderful Sandra Roycroft-Davis who I have met on numerous occasions this year.

Top Sante shoot by Thomas Skovsende

In 2011 I have been a Craniac for John Crane, a Graco Ambassador and a Toys R Us Toyologist. I have worked with some great companies including UK Mums TV, Aldi, Regis, Pampers, Warner Bros, P&O, Quinny, Next and Ubisoft.  I love working closely with brands that I believe in.  It is an amazing opportunity to test out products and attend events, and share my thoughts on my blog.

In 2011 I enjoyed going to Cybermummy along with fellow ambassador Emma representing Graco.  With a hire car from Hyundai and Lou as my co-pilot we had a great time meeting fellow bloggers and learning a thing or two about the blogging world.  I even won the passport competition, winning a weekend at The Four Seasons Hotel.  Above all though, attending this event was a huge achievement for me.  Just a few months prior to this, I would never have dreamt that I would be able to drive all the way to London and stay in a hotel on my own without Ian by my side.  This was a real test for me and my self-confidence...and I've not looked back since!

Feeling like an official Blogger at Cybermummy

I took Kizzy to the Hexbugs Bedbugs Sleepover at London Zoo.  It was amazing sleeping on the floor of a bug house alongside ants and cockroaches after having a private tour of the zoo by torchlight.  We went with Helen and her daughter Hanna who were perfect company.

Meeting a Tarantula at London Zoo

The Next event to preview the SS12 range was a wonderful, child friendly affair where we were thoroughly spoiled!  I had some photos taken of Freddy which I absolutely love.  I'm proud to be part of the Next Blogger Network and would love to work with them again in 2012.

Fred modelling his Next jeans (Next jumper was removed prior to photoshoot!)

I guest edited Real People which was a real highlight of the year and got to produce a two page spread that appeared in the magazine.  It was an amazing experience that gave me the chance to recommend some of my favourite blogs and top toys.

My Real People pages!

Attending the Tots 100 Butlins Christmas Party was a wonderful opportunity to combine blogging with my family, as me, Ian and the kids descended on the Bognor Regis resort.  I had a really great time catching up with favourite online friends and spending some quality pre-Christmas fun with my family.  Thanks again to Sally!

Our Tree Decorating Team at Butlins

The Rachel's Organic event at Buxted Park Hand Picked Hotel was another wonderful opportunity.  We watched top chef Lucy Hyder prepare dishes using Rachel's products before being treated to a sumptuous four course meal in the 5* restaurant.  The hotel was exquisite, the company was superb and the food was out of this world.

Me and Lucy Hyder of Buxted Park.

I have enjoyed family outings to zoos, safari parks, theme parks, Blackpool dungeons and events such as Bob's Big Build (where we enjoyed a marvellous breakfast on board a Clipper alongside Danielle, Helen and families before arriving at the O2 for lots of Bob related fun!).  Sharing the benefits of blogging with the children and Ian is a real bonus, making the hours spent tapping away on my laptop worthwhile.  The children have also relished the opportunity of being my Tiny Testers, helping me with my reviews.  I couldn't have done it without them!

Kizzy at Bob's Big Build

What a great year 2011 has been!  Here's hoping that 2012 is going to be as successful, eventful and fun for us all!  I hope to see many more of you in 2012...our community is a wonderful place and I am honoured to be a part of it!  Happy New Year! xxx

Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck

Playmobil has been a favourite brand of mine for years.  I love the miniature world and the range of items available is just breathtaking.  The new Robo Gangster Truck brings the world of espionage to the brand with Secret Agents, satellites and chaos capsules!

The truck came in pieces, all packaged into individual bags to make it easy to organise.

It was easy to fit all the bits together, aided with clear pictorial instructions.

The finished model was sturdy, robust and impressive.  It has gull wing style opening doors, firing rockets, a chaos satellite launch pad, two gangsters and accessories.

For any budding James Bonds out there, the Robo Gangster truck promises hours of fun imaginative play.  The firing satellite is a really nice touch with shiny solar panels that fold out.  The missiles really fire from their launchers.  It is recommended for ages 7 and over.  Older children will be able to play with all the fiddly accessories, whereas Freddy just wanted to whizz the truck around.  It was Daddy who had most fun with it and expressed how much he would have loved one as a child!

The Rob Gangster Truck has an RRP of £29.99 and is available at Toys R Us.  The most exciting thing about the Robo Gangster Truck is that you can add a remote control unit to it along with a fully working secret spy camera.  This elevates this toy to something that gadget mad kids (and dads!) will love.  Look out for our video showing these features in action, coming soon!

My First Number Flashcards

My First Number Flashcards from Ravensburger consists of 50 good sized cards which are designed to help your child with number recognition, counting and simple number problems.  They support early years numeracy and help develop number skills in children aged 3 and over.

I was impressed with the quality of the cards.  They are brightly coloured and printed with appealing designs which children will be attracted to.  They are printed onto quite sturdy and glossy card.

The set of cards includes pictorial representations of the numbers 0-20 in both written and numerical forms.

  The number word cards show the numeral and corresponding number of objects on one side with the written number word on the back.  Each picture shows a different object such as sheep, balls or puppies.

The numeral cards have the number on one side with the corresponding number of items on the other.  They are represented by ducks in a pond.

There are also cards showing the different operations: plus, minus, divide, equals and multiply.  This enables the introduction of simple number sentence work.

Three further cards have larger numbers on, 30, 40 and 50 to extend counting skills.

The instructions on the box give some ideas on how to use the cards with your child, from simple counting and number recognition exercises, to putting numbers in order or matching up the correct number to the corresponding picture card.  They make number work fun!!

Freddy is 2 and enjoyed counting the objects on the cards.  He is pretty good up to 14!  He will get lots of use from these cards as his skills develop so they would be a good investment for any toddler.  They also aid language development as the child names the different objects which is a bonus.  

The cards are available from Toys R Us for £5.99.

Reeves Scraperfoil

Toys R Us have sent us the Reeve's Scraperfoil Gift Set to test out.  The set consists of 3 pre-printed boards of a dolphin, a unicorn and some dogs,  a scrapertool, a practice piece of board and instructions on how to make three engraved silver pictures. 

Kizzy 9, along with big sister Megan and future sister in law Jade, set about scraping the foil to make the pictures.  The boards are pre-printed with faint guidelines which you scrape away with the tool.  With broad strokes, stipples, texturing and freehand lines you can make your own engraving.

Megan, who usually loves art projects could not use the scrapertool at all.  She doesn't hold pens in the usual way, and consequently could not scrape away the top layer.  She couldn't get the right angle to use it.  So she was out!   The box says not to be used by children under 36 months, so I'm assuming that implies it is recommended for children aged 3 and up as there is no age recommendation.  However, within a very short time it was clear that Kizzy was struggling and getting frustrated.  I stepped in to help her.  It was not very easy to do neatly and there is definitely a bit of a knack to doing it.  This is an activity for older children.

It is quite fiddly to do and if you are not careful you can scrape through the top layer into the cardboard underneath.  This is Kizzy's attempt of going it alone on the Unicorn picture.  She got fed up and didn't want to do the background and gave up.

Jade however, really enjoyed doing the Scraperfoil.  She did a great job on the dog picture but she did say it hurt her hand and she would like the scrapertool to be a bit more comfortable to use, possibly with a soft end to hold. She also said she would like to have blank sheets included so you could create your own designs and not be tied to the pre-printed pictures.

This is a very time consuming and tricky activity, that is definitely more suitable for older kids with a lot of patience.  Some people may really struggle to do the scraperfoil as my eldest daughter did.  But, in the hands of someone who can do it, the end result is quite impressive.

Win Crazy Chefs Game *CLOSED*

This is the final Toyologist Giveaway of 2011 (sobs!)  It's been a wonderful six months and I enjoyed sharing the Toyology fun with everyone along the way.  The last prize I have to offer in my Toyology Giveaway is Crazy Chefs from Orchard Toys.  A perfect present for 3-7 year olds.

The Crazy Chefs are in the kitchen and they have lots of delicious food to prepare. There are five tasty dishes on the menu - pizza, kebabs, shepherd's pie, stir-fried noodles and iced cupcakes. But the Crazy Chefs need lots of help collecting the utensils and ingredients they'll need before they can start cooking. Players start by turning over cards, trying to find all the things they need to prepare their meal. Once they have collected everything on their game board, they spin the spinner to try to get a plate. Once they have their plate, they need to 'cook' their meal by spinning the spinner again until it points to a child sitting at a table. The winner is the first player to get everything they need for their meal and to 'cook' it. This very popular, best-selling game encourages children to talk about food and food preparation, and is linked to science and PSHE in the National Curriculum (there is an educational guide printed on the box).

To win this prize (and receive it in time for Christmas) just fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.  Just follow Toys R Us on Facebook and tell me you did it!  Bonus entries available too.  Good luck :)

Toyology is Coming to an End

This morning, I answered the door to the postman wearing my stripy onesie (embarrassing much!) to take delivery of my last Toys R Us Toyology delivery.  This was the sixth and final shipment of fabulous toys for my Tiny Testers to review.

It has been a brilliant experience.  I've seen some amazing toys from the interactive Let's Rock Elmo to the high tech Air Hogs Vectron Wave.  I've enjoyed watching Freddy discover new things and develop new skills with toys like his Leapfrog Tag Junior.  Kizzy's love of doing crafty things has been totally satisfied with art sets galore.  We've had lots of family fun with board games and the Cycocycle.  It's been a fabulous adventure for us all and something I'm so thankful to have been a part of.

Ella and Kizzy have even performed the new Toys R Us song "I Wanna Be a Toys R Us Kid"!

Toys R Us are running a competition to win a £500 Trolley Dash.  You just need to film yourself or your kids performing, dancing to or singing along to the new advert, upload it to YouTube and post it their Facebook wall after you've filled out the application form.  Full details here.  What a fabulous prize to win just in time for Christmas!

#NaBloPoMo Day 15

Step 2 Sand and Water Adjustable Table

Toy R Us have sent us a Step 2 Adjustable Sand and Water Table for Freddy to test out.  We have already tested the Waterwheel Play Table from Step 2, which although a lot of fun had some limitations.  This new table most definitely is the bigger and better equipped brother of  the more basic model.

This table is adjustable giving two height positions to build the table at.  This means it can grow with your child over the years.  It was easy to build using a bracket and a screw for each leg, giving a very sturdy finish. The moulded plastic sand and water compartments include rock faces and roadways to increase the play value.  Accessories included are a parasol for shade on sunny days (remember those!?), a spade/fork, two water pots, a two part bridge and two boats.  Handy plugs allow for easy emptying after use, without having to tip the table over!  Best of all, the table comes with a one piece plastic lid which attaches with elastic straps, keeping the contents clean and protected when not in use.  I think this is a really important feature for an outdoor play table.

Freddy checks out his newly built table.

Strong Elastic Closures for the Lid

Freddy loved whizzing his boats around the roadway and over the bridge.  We couldn't find any sand for it at such short notice but filling both sides up with warm, soapy water seemed to impress Fred!

Over the Bridge.

Freddy definitely is enjoying the added features of this play table and the potential for imaginative play is increased by the landscaping of the plastic.  I really like the well fitted lid that will stop the dead flies, leaves and garden debris getting in when not in use.  As it grows with your child, this will last for a good few years.  It retails for around £69.99.

Paper Jamz Pro Microphone

My daughters love their music and you can usually hear guitar playing and singing somewhere in our house at any time!  Toys R Us sent us a Paper Jamz Pro Microphone by WowWee which seemed like something my girls would absolutely love to test out.  It allows you to sing like a pop star using a series of special vocal effects.  You can download music to sing along to and the set contains a USB cable to connect the amp to your PC.  The box contains a full size mic along with a mini voice amp which clips on your belt for portable vocals.  The pink design was really funky, I love Paper Jamz branding.  This microphone joins the other products from Paper Jamz including guitars, drums and amps...become an instant rockstar!

The effects that this gadget can give your voice are quite amazing! The Pro Mic gives Perfect Pitch to your voice, automatically correcting it to keep you in tune.  The Chorus function multiplies your voice to give depth.  Auto Harmony allows for awesome harmonizing as you sing. You can do a one man duet!   Auto Vibrato gives you a warble that would give Leona Lewis a run for her money.  Melody Match tunes your voice for a perfect melody.  You can sing like a diva using this nifty toy, perfect for taking centre stage and impressing the family!

It comes with two pre-loaded songs to sing along to, I'd never heard of them but they come with lyrics enclosed to sing along to them!  Shame it doesn't also include a backing track that the kids could make up their own words to, that would have been a good addition to encourage some vocal freestyling!  The amp will hold up to three MP3's of your own choosing so you can belt out your favourite tracks along with your favourite artists.  The software is easily accessed at paperjamz.com.  The amp takes 4 x AA batteries.

The microphone created a synthesised version of your own voice, a little bit like a melodic robot with the Chipmunks singing backing vocals!  The effects can be switched on individually or all together giving lots of options.  The effect was pretty impressive and we all enjoyed singing into the Pro Mic.   Freddy was surprisingly taken with singing into the mic and made up his own song...a version of Postman Pat with a long note to finish!  It is the long notes that sound the best through the amp. I think he may become a future rock god/prima donna!  Kizzy used the mic to accompany her sister on her guitar which gave her confidence.  Ella had a go at a bit of electro-pop!  We also sang along with the two pre-loaded tracks. (Ella tried to Google them but they do not exist on the internet! Where did they get them from??  "Love Karaoke" is our particular favourite...it's a bit Lady Gaga-esque!!!)

The PaperJamz Pro Microphone costs £34.99.  It is a really fun product with huge novelty value as well as being a lovely way for kids to enjoy singing.  Anything that encourages music gets a thumbs up from me.  We are having a real blast with the Pro Mic...it's a very cool gadget for all ages!

Horrible Science Explosive Experiments

I think this is the toy that has elicited the biggest squeal of joy from Kizzy.  The Horrible History Explosive Experiments kit from Toys R Us is a tantalising box containing the equipment needed to carry out six experiments.  You just need to add a few household items to complete the experiments.

The kit included the Top Secret Lab Notebook which is done in the style of the Horrible Science books and includes cartoons, information, fun facts and instructions for the experiments.  There are ideas for further experiments and explanations of the science behind the results.

Kizzy chose to do the Snot Experiment!!  This entailed mixing the Slime Powder into some hot water so it was very simple to carry out.  Once the mixture has been left for a few minutes, it is ready to handle.  This was a messy affair which Kizzy absolutely loved!  It demonstrates the properties of matter as it can behave as both a solid and a liquid.  So it is educational as well as fun.  

Other experiments include making a rocket, an exploding volcano, a lava lamp and fireworks (don't worry, they are made using food colouring and vegetable oil and not gun powder!) Attention is given to safety rules and there is advice for supervising adults.  The kit is recommended for ages 10+ (Kizzy is almost 9 and I felt she was old enough to carry out the experiment with supervision.)  For £15.99 this is a great set which is perfect for budding scientists.

Kizzy said "It was really fun and I love the style of the Horrible Science Lab Notework.  It was really interesting and funny."

Little Tikes Seek and Explore

My husband has proved his dedication to Toyology.  He has spent 45 minutes in the rain putting up the Little Tikes Seek and Explore Climber with the ever helpful Tiny Toyologist Freddy trying to clambour all over it mid-construction!  Ever since the huge box arrived, Freddy has been waiting to get his hands on the toddler sized play equipment.  With imagination it can become a fort, a castle or a frontier outpost.  With multi-level platforms,  plank, rope, slide and crawl through tunnel, the climber helps pre-schoolers develop climbing skills and encourages role-play.

The construction of the plastic climber was quite straightforward for my husband and his electric screwdriver.  The instructions weren't the best and it was a bit tricky to get some of the screws in underneath the climber, but it was up and built well within the hour.

The completed Seek and Explore Climber is a good size, approximately 3.4m long, 1.8m wide and  1.2m high.  There are plenty of bits to climb up and on, to peek through, to slide down, crawl through and hide under.  It feels really strong and sturdy and the castle-esque design  adds to the play value.  The colours used include beige, green, blue and brown rather than bright primary colours so it is quite pleasing on the eye!

Freddy was very impressed with his new piece of play equipment.  It was a lot bigger than I had anticipated and it had plenty for Freddy to explore.  Kizzy, who is 8 loves playing with her little brother and couldn't resist having a go herself.  Shame it kept raining, cutting short their games, but we did manage to film this short video showing the Little Tikes Seek and Explore Climber in action.

                                       

The Little Tikes Seek and Explore Climber is available at Toys R Us for £199.99.

Pass The Bomb

Pass the Bomb Junior is a quick moving family game from Gibsons Games.  It is for ages 5 and up, allowing younger children to take part in this popular game.  We were sent a copy from Toys R Us to try out.

Players have to think of words associated with scenes pictured on the cards.  For example you are challenged to think of things you would find in a sewing basket, or on the beach or in the garden.  Nerves are tested as you are put on the spot to answer as quickly as possible.  This comical word game is made all the more fun by the passing of a small ticking plastic bomb between players.  The infernal ticking noise makes it even more difficult to think of an answer as the pressure to shout out your answer mounts knowing that the bomb might go off at any minute!  The bomb goes off of different intervals each time so you never know when it will happen.  If you end up with the bomb when it explodes, you take the card.  The player with the fewest cards wins.

The pictures on the 55 cards can be used as prompts to include younger children in a version of the game.  Freddy loves to join in and he was able to name some objects in the scenes.  The cards are also printed with a caption which comes in three languages adding an extra educational dimension to the game.

I thought this fast paced game was really fun.  It was suitable for the whole family to play together which is something that  it is really important to me with my multiple-aged children!  But with the element of luck involved in passing the bomb, anyone could win!

We really enjoyed playing this game...it is amazing how your mind goes blank under pressure and makes you blurt out nonsense, which of course the kids find hysterically funny!

The cards do get a bit repetitive with extensive play, but you can easily make up your own ideas for rounds and still use the bomb to keep it interesting.  It would be a fun game for taking on holiday as it is very compact...but I would NOT recommend taking a ticking bomb on to an aeroplane!

Pass the Bomb Junior costs £15.99 at Toys R Us.  The bomb takes 2 x AAA batteries.

Toyology Review...Casdon Ironing Set

When we received a toy ironing board and iron from Toys R Us I had to laugh!  My poor youngest kids have never even seen an iron in our house!  Since our son left home taking with him the need to iron his work shirts, the iron has been made quite redundant.  (Unless we do fabric painting and have to iron the design to fix it!)

The Casdon Ironing Board is a scaled down, realistic looking board with padded cover and iron storage tray.  The iron is a miniature Morphy Richards and very much like its full sized counterpart.  It also includes a folding clothes airer and four hangers.  This set is a authentic replica of the full size versions,  perfect for role play and for copying adult activities (although this is not a common activity in our house!)

The board folds down flat and features finger-trap-safe hinges.  However you can't lock it into the folded position.

The recommended age is for 3-8 year olds. So I thought we might be a little bit stuck with this toy as Kizzy has really outgrown this stage and Freddy is a bit young and doesn't have dolls' clothes that need make believe ironing.  However, in the name of gender neutral parenting and Toyology my Tiny Testers set to work testing it out.  Kizzy's dressed teddy was stripped down to his fur to provide clothes to iron.

The board has three height settings and was sturdy enough to withstand Freddy's playing techniques.  The iron had a clicking dial and a switch (my 15 year old was disappointed that it wasn't electronic with sounds!!) The airing rack was a nice addition and the little hangers were perfect for the tiny toy clothes.

I really like how Casdon have created a range of toys that are exactly like the adult products.  Pre-schoolers are not patronised with baby-ish versions. Little ones always want real things (remote controls, mobile phones etc) and are often not duped by garishly coloured, kiddy friendly alternatives.  Casdon have created toys based on this premise. Children can emulate their parents in a realistic way and be real little mini-me's!

My only real problem with it was in the assembly.  A rivet and a retaining cap are needed to secure the legs on.  The retaining cap is almost impossible to press onto to the rivet although the instructions simply say "push on".  Ian had to resort to using a pair of grips to get it on.

Both children actually had a lot of fun with this set.  For Kizzy, it was a real novelty as an iron is a seldom seen item giving it a glamorous appeal!!  Freddy likes to copy his big sister.  Maybe I should have slipped my laundry pile into their game!  They are definitely better ironers than I am!

The set RRP is £20.

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