The Dog's Doodahs Personalised Gifts and Cards!

In two week's time it's my 14th wedding anniversary.  I love to discover new and fun things online to keep our celebrations interesting.  When I was contacted by The Dog's Doodahs to have a play with their personalised cards and gifts website I was only to pleased!  It meant I'd get to order a unique card for my wonderful husband and have some fun in the process.

The Dog's Doodahs sell hundreds of personalised cards for every occasion and features brands such as On The Ceiling, Virtual Safari and the Odd Squad.  The designs range from the cute to the arty to the downright outrageous with edgy pictures and cheeky slogans.  Text and headlines can be edited to personalise them making thoughtful and often hilarious cards for friends and family.  They can be as funny and as rude as you like!

I went through all the 1877 designs (yes I really did!!) to see what was on offer.  Covering everything from birthdays to anniversaries to new baby to leaving cards, there is really something for everyone.  Male, female, straight, gay, pets and even secret admirers are catered for.

The majority of these cards are definitely for adults only!  There is a massive selection of rude and risqué cards with toilet humour, sex & fantasies and drinking all featured. Rhyming "between us" and "penis" gives you an example of the type of poem you might find!  It's like the old seaside postcard humour brought bang up to date for the 21st century.  Double entendres and the battle of the sexes reign supreme.

The website is very easy to use and navigate.  The search option allows you to find cards based on what and who it's for, as well as what style and theme you'd like.  It is easy to work through the designs.  Nine are displayed per page and hovering over the image opens it up larger to view.  When you find the design you want you can personalise it.  Highlighted text can be edited and the card can be previewed so you can see how the personalisation looks.  I had a lot of fun playing around with the site!

In the end I chose a card for Ian that used a photo upload.  I didn't go for a rude one because I couldn't find one that really suited our relationship.  (A lot of the anniversary cards implied a sexless marriage where the man does nothing bar fart and hog the remote control while the woman irons and fantasises about George Clooney whilst drinking Chablis....that is so not what goes on Inside the Wendy House!!)

Despite going for a safe option I was delighted to receive my card the next day.  The design was lovely and the personalisation made it perfect for Ian.  It was larger than I expected and well printed on a good quality, glossy card.  I was very pleased with it and very impressed with the excellent service.

Standard cards cost £3.50 plus postage.  The cards can be sent direct to the recipient or back to you with a spare envelope to send the card on yourself.  If you order by 2pm the card will be posted first class on the same day...so this is perfect for last minute card buyers.  Other personalised gifts are also available online.

You can follow the Dog's Doodahs on Twitter and on Facebook (over 16's only!)  This company is a lot of fun and definitely up for a laugh!

Although I didn't find the perfect rude anniversary card, I've lined up a few cheeky cards for some upcoming birthdays....I'll definitely be back!!

*I was given my card free of charge for the purpose of this review.  Don't tell Ian that I'm cheap!!*

Listography....Simple Pleasures

Kate has challenged us to come up with five simple pleasures this week.  The little things in life that make us smile and remind us why it's good to be alive!  After my bout of Labyrinthitis last week, the fact that the room is no longer violently spinning is a real plus and an unexpected pleasure...my sense of balance is no longer something taken for granted, that's for sure!  But aside from this what are five simple pleasures that I make my life worth living!

The sunshine on my face, a beautiful setting and my family taking a Sunday afternoon stroll together.  It truly is a simple pleasure, you can just feel the stress floating away.  (Unfortunately teenage Ella who doesn't have an ounce of fat on her body feels the cold and the wind whipping across the lake freezes her to her bones and she ends up wearing everyone's jackets and still shivers. Walks are often cut short...one day we WILL get all around the lake!)

My King Size Leather Sleigh Bed is one of my real pleasures.  I love snuggling up under my duvet and am totally sold on memory foam pillows.  The one thing I really love is to wait until Ian gets up for work, then I sidle up into his side of the bed and lie in his space.  It's all warm and smells like him.  It makes me smile.

My husband's willingness to wear this T-Shirt that says 'Property of Mrs McDonald' on the front is a simple pleasure.

I'm working towards making him get a tattoo that says the same!

Watching my little seedlings coming up in the pot garden we made is a real unexpected pleasure. Every pot we planted up is starting to show signs of life.  Little green shoots are pushing up through the soil.  We have carrots, onions, chives, spinach, salad leaves, strawberries and herbs.  The children are thrilled...I am possibly more so!

My only problem though is that I am now meant to thin out my crops and I can't bring myself to euthanase my plant babies.  How can I choose which ones to destroy?  It's like Sophie's Choice all over again.  I may have to send my dad out to do it for me next time he is here, so I don't have to witness the genocide of my onions and carrots.

No one told me gardening would be this hard!

My fifth simple pleasure cuddling my baby boy post bath.  He is so warm and smells so gorgeous and his surfer boy hair goes all fluffy and soft.

I wrap him in his Cuddledry towel and snuggle him up.  It is beyond wonderful.  A simple pleasure at its best!

Hearts of Palm

I am always prepared to try new foods (as long as they are suitable for vegetarians) so when I was given the chance to test Green Giant's Hearts of Palm I was willing and eager!!

Hearts of Palm is the harvested inner core of a palm tree and is ideal for salads.  It can also be added to stir fries, pizza toppings or pasta dishes.

The tin contained five cylindrical whole hearts of palm.  They are firm and smooth and considered somewhat of a delicacy akin to asparagus or artichoke hearts.

I finely sliced one to try.  It reminded me of something that I remembered from my non-vegetarian days.  Without telling anyone my thoughts I let my husband have a try.  He immediately said "It tastes like tuna!"  My thoughts exactly.  I don't know if it was the brine it was in or the texture...but I could not get past the tuna association.

Ian was not put off and made himself a nostalgic snack...a homage to when tuna was on the menu.  His Hearts of Palm and Mayonnaise sandwich went down well with him!  So much so, he's taking some to work with him tomorrow for his lunch.

Although it wasn't for me it is a low calorie, low fat delicacy that counts towards your five a day.  There are plenty of recipes online such as deep friend Hearts of Palm, Hearts of Palm and Quinoa Salad and Hearts of Palm in Butter Sauce.  People speak very highly of this under used product and seem to love the "unique and natural flavour".  They retail for £1.99 for a 410g can.  If you fancy trying something completely new and different give them a go.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about Green Giant's speciality product 'Hearts of Palm'!!

Blue Friesian...the Wedding Cover

I've reviewed the fabulous Blue Friesian products on my blog before.  I was very impressed with the website and with the end results.  So, when the opportunity came up for me to make a magazine cover in the Royal Wedding promotion, I jumped at the chance.

With my own wedding anniversary fast approaching, I made a Glossy "Hallo!" Magazine cover for Ian, commemorating our upcoming special day.  Incorporating photos from our wedding day with a recent snap, I am delighted with the finished product.

I love Blue Friesian.  The website is now even easier to use with built in editing functions allowing you to resize and move photos in-situ. The finished cover is great and is a perfect memento for our 14th wedding anniversary.  For just £10 you can have your own glossy, fully personalised spoof cover made and delivered.

*I'm reviewing this simply because I love Blue Friesian and I wanted to tell everyone about how fab their products are! *

Thai Taste

Thai Taste is a range of authentic products that will help you rustle up a delicious Thai Feast in the comfort of your own home.  Using fresh ingredients, sourced locally in Thailand where it is produced, anyone can make and  enjoy Thai cuisine in minutes!  "Real Thai, Real Simple!"

I was sent an Easy Thai Red Curry Kit, a Yellow Chilli Sauce with Ginger and a Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce to try out, from the range.

The Thai Sauces are store cupboard essentials which can be used to give everyday dishes a lift.  They can be used to marinade; can be mixed with mayonnaise to make a Thai dip; used as an ingredient or as a condiment.    The Sweet Chilli Sauce was my favourite.  It had a nice chilli kick but was not too hot.  I had it on a barbecued veggie burger.

The Thai Curry Kits are the perfect solution for making a quick and easy meal for 2-3 people. They contain curry paste, coconut milk and dried Thai leaves.  Everything you need, just add vegetables or Quorn to make a delicious Thai Veggie Curry!

I was sent the Thai Red Curry Kit to test out.  The box contained three little bags containing the ingredients.

I used Quorn Chicken Style pieces and peas to make an authentic tasting Thai Red Curry.  It was quick and easy.  This is how to make the meal.

Heat a tablespoon of oil, add a spoonful of coconut milk and the curry paste and fry for 3 minutes.

Add the Quorn and Peas and fry for 3 minutes.

Stir in the remainder of the Coconut Milk and simmer for about 5 minutes until cooked through.  Stir in herbs and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Serve with rice and enjoy.

The kits cost £1.99.  Much cheaper than a take out!  It was very tasty.  Not too hot, but rich and flavoursome with the Thai fragrance and aromatic taste.  It can be refrigerated and reheated on day 2, as the flavour is meant to improve...but ours did not last that long!

1% of sales are donated to the Duang Prateep Foundation in Thailand, a charity founded in 1978 grown out of the efforts of slum people to address the problems that confronted them.  Projects focusing on education, health, social services,  human development and disaster aid have transformed the lives of slum dwellers.

Taste of Thai products are available in Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and selected independent retailers.  They are also available from Amazon online.

Cuddledry Poncho Towel

The sun is as last shining down on us, which means we are all enjoying the great outdoors.  Wonderful as this is, there are dangers involved in exposing our little ones to the sun's harmful rays.  Cuddledry has come up with a wonderful solution allowing baby's delicate skin to be completely protected under the Poncho Towel.  With an SPF of 50+ and using new Rayosan technology, it deflects harmful UVA and UVB rays off of the towel, making it perfect for the beach.  Just slap on the suncream on exposed skin and baby will be well protected after swimming or for playtime.

We were sent a Cuddledry SPF50+ Poncho Towel to try out with Freddy.  The aqua coloured hooded towel is edged in turquoise giving a lovely fresh, bright appearance.  Poppers under the arms create loose sleeves which keep the towel comfortably in place.  It is easy to slip on and off.  The fabric is really soft and thick made of snag free brushed cotton towelling.

The embroidered Hammerhead Shark design is stylish and very apt as it is one of the only other creatures that can burn in the sun!  It is the perfect motif for the Cuddledry SPF 50+ Poncho Towel.

As we are (unfortunately) not on holiday at the moment, we tested out the Poncho Towel as a bath time robe for Freddy.  It really was lovely and soft and a good size with a spacious snuggly hood.  Freddy was very happy to throw on the Poncho and it fitted well with the poppered sleeves.  He was so cuddly in it!  Here is a video of the Poncho Towel in action!

It washed up beautifully after use and still felt soft.

You can purchase your own Cuddledry SPF50+  Poncho Towel for £22.99 from Cuddledry online.  It is available in Turquoise/Aqua and Lilac/Cherry.  I'm looking forward to trying it out on holiday and am very reassured by its sun protection qualities.

It definitely gets a thumbs up from Inside the Wendy House.

Silent Sunday