Get Crafty This Half Term (or Get Creative for Christmas!)

I have a daughter who absolutely adores arts and craft activities.  They keep her occupied, entertained and are perfect for keeping her busy during the school holidays.  I love discovering sets that are affordable, creative and rewarding for Kizzy to do.

Here are four very different craft sets from Flair that tick all the boxes!

The Hello Kitty Cool Cardz Card design Studio is priced at £19.99.  It contains everything you need to make ID cards, party invitations or secret club cards including stampers and pens! They can be laminated and placed in the card holder.  The laminator is heat free meaning it is mess and hassle free, requiring no batteries.  The Hello Kitty branding makes this an instant hit with Kizzy.  The funky studio stores everything neatly inside.  The draws, compartments and flip up lid make the unique workstation very exciting to your budding artists.  Refils are available when the cards get used up so you can continue using the workstation.  For £19.99 this is a great creative play kit that girls will love.

We've used Zubber before, making Zubber Bands.   This kit uses the same material to make Charms and Toppers.  It moulds like dough and sets like rubber.  You mix the Zubber, press it into the mould and model charms.  In 10 minutes they have set like rubber and can be made into bracelets or phone charms.  The result is quick and so children can show off their creations straight away.  The set makes sixteen charms.  It would make a good stocking filler for Christmas costing £6.99.

Charmies Magic Bead Maker allows you to design and create jewellery.  You load up the magic beader with Charmies of your choice (which includes cute characters and cupcakes) then twist it to string your beads.  Secure it with clasps to complete your design.  You can make necklaces, bracelets or keychains.  If you unstring them you can re-use the beads and start again.  Refill sets are available if you don't want to destroy your creations!  The "magical twist" adds novelty value to this jewellery making kit and the cute bead designs make this quite a delightful creative toy!  For £19.99 you can make cute accessories time after time.

The Aquabeads Spray Station is a no mess, no stress bead art kit.  Simply pick a template and place it in the Spray Station, use the 'plopper' pen to place the beads in the right place.  The flower sprayer then sprays a mist of water over the beads making them magically stick together.  (No ironing required...thank goodness!) You can make beautiful bead creations of your own design allowing you to get as creative as you want to be.  The beads are stored in petal shaped drawers keeping everything together which is genius!!  Turning the flower twists the drawers shut keeping the beads safe inside.  With over 800 beads there is a lot of play value to this kit. It is a lot less fiddly than other bead art sets on the market, which is great because I've had to dry tears after other bead related craft disasters!  For £19.99 it is a great product that children can enjoy with minimal help.  No wonder Aqua Beads have been around for years!

Each of these sets are perfect for Kizzy who is just 9 years old.  She can follow the instructions and get on with minimal adult assistance. Younger children could cope with the projects with more support from a grown up.  The end products are all impressive and rewarding to make.  This is an excellent selection of creative play products.

If you have any crafty kids they would make ideal Christmas gifts and would keep them busy during the long winter nights!

Check out these and other great products from www.flairplc.co.uk.

Fantastic Gifts For Foodies

With Christmas approaching, I'm looking for gift ideas for my parents and in-laws.  I love the idea of giving hampers of goodies that they can enjoy over the festive period, which contain top quality foods.  Instead of buying the ready-made hampers which are always charged at a premium, I prefer to create my own bespoke goodie baskets.  They make personal, unique and thoughtful gifts which are sure to be appreciated.

I want to include something really special in my gift baskets and think the new range of top quality sauces and condiments from Owen potts fits the bill perfectly!

Owen Potts is undoubtedly the food industry's best kept secret!  A genuine culinary expert, Owen Potts has been behind the scenes developing products for brands for over 15 years.  Now he has brought out his own range.  With cooking sauces, condiments and dressings using the best, natural ingredients, they are luxurious bringing a gourmet touch to everyday meals or special occasion dining.

I received a delectable Spanish Dressing blended with roasted peppers and pimenton, a Pimenton Spiced Tomato Bravas Sauce and a Honey Cranberry Sauce.  The stylish bottles looked great and the condiments themselves are richly flavoured adding a real twist to your normal table sauce choices!

The Bravas Sauce is inspired by a spicy Tapas dish and is ideal with potatoes.  The Spanish Dressing is sweet and smoky.  The Honey Cranberry sauce is perfect for Christmas with its softer, sweeter flavour.  They are available in Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Booth's with prices starting at £1.65 to £2.39.

Another quality brand with products that will delight any foodie is Fudges.  The delicious range includes both sweet and savoury baked goods.

I received a Biscuits for Cheese selection which includes delicate buttery rosemary rounds, rustic oat crackers and rich malted wheat biscuits alongside oat and seed topped flatbreads.  Perfect for accompanying a festive cheeseboard, these are completely delicious, melt in the mouth and really are something special.

I also received a box of Dark Chocolate Florentines which are elegant and have won awards for their great taste.  They are chewy and indulgent, cram packed with dried fruit and nuts and dipped in rich, dark chocolate.  Perfect with a cup of rich coffee!  Or how about serving with vanilla ice cream...tastier than a wafer!

They can be found at supermarkets such as Asda, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco as well as at independent stockists.  The Florentines are £3.35 and the Biscuits for Cheese are £3.45. 

All you need to do to transform these delectable goodies into a fantastic gift is to add a basket and some shredded paper.  Any foodie fan would love a selection of gourmet products...I know I would!

Find out more about the products at www.fudges.co.uk and www.pottspartnership.co.uk.

Meet Fudgy Bear!

Meet Fudgy Bear!  He is the latest addition to Freddy's family of cuddly friends.  He is soft, cuddly and very lovable.  Fudgy first came to life when his creator Sarah wrote a book for her little boy about a teddy bear and his trip to a farm. From here the idea grew and a whole series of Fudgy Bear books were written and Fudgy Bear himself was created.  He was made with love, care and attention and it shows.

Fudgy is made of the finest plush, with soft shaggy fur.  He really is cuddly and snuggly, you just have to give him a hug.  He is 32cm tall and made with real attention to detail.  His bright stud eyes and hand embroidered features give him the friendliest face.  His printed bow makes him look super smart!

His claws on his paws are hand stitched  into the softest of pads.  He has his name embroidered on his right foot.  He is a unique teddy!

Freddy loves his Fudgy Bear.  He is a great companion  to sit down ans watch TV with.

He is also lovely to cuddle when you want a big hug.   Both Freddy and Kizzy enjoyed  snuggling with Fudgy Bear.  He really is the softest teddy I've ever squeezed!

Fudgy isn't just a lovable, huggable teddy.  He is also supports learning with his series of books that your child will love.  The books that Sarah wrote featuring Fudgy's adventures are unique and fun and teach your child about animals, animal noises, colours, shapes and numbers. Lovely, colourful photographs introduce pre-schoolers to the zoo, the farm and the seaside.  

The glossy paperback books bring Fudgy Bear to life in a series of exciting adventures.  The full colour pictures feature Fudgy, and Freddy loved pointing him out on the pages.  The books have great educational value, making learning fun!

Kizzy has enjoyed sharing Fudgy and the books with her little brother.  She reads him the stories while he holds onto Fudgy Bear.  It is very sweet!

Fudgy Bear has his own canvas bag so you can carry him and his books around safely.  There is also a fun Fudgy Bear Activity Book to accompany the series.  

You can buy your own Fudgy Bear for just £15.99.  His books are £5.99 each.  At the moment you can purchase Fudgy Bear with all Five books for just £39.95 plus you'll receive a free canvas bag and activity book!  What an amazing Christmas present for your little one!

I'll be giving away a Fudgy Bear with two of the gorgeous books plus the activity book and canvas bag so keep you eyes peeled for that competition coming very soon!!

Aquadoodle...Good Clean Fun!

Tomy Aquadoodle Rainbow

Freddy loves to paint, but painting often involves a great deal of mess!  So when Toys R Us sent us the Tomy Aquadoodle Rainbow to try out, it sounded like the perfect solution to satisfy Freddy's desire to paint during those times when I could do without the cleaning up afterwards!

The Aquadoodle Rainbow is an amazing drawing mat that lets you draw rainbow pictures with water using the special water pens, stampers and drawing brush.  The special white surface instantly transforms into brightly coloured markings as it comes into contact with the water.

The set includes the large colourful mat, 2 water pens, 3 stampers, a drawing brush and a water pot.

Both Freddy and Kizzy enjoy playing with the Aquadoodle.  It was brilliant to take to their Grandparents' house for them to play on.  It kept them entertained together and made no mess!

After the children have finished playing with the Aquadoodle mat, you leave it to dry and it's ready to be played with again. 

The water pens can be refilled from the tap and we have experienced no leakage.  The water pot also did not spill at all.  Even if there was a  spill, only a minimum amount of water is used.  So it really is a mess free activity.

It is a great toy that will keep the children entertained for hours in an engaging and mess free activity.  It folds up neatly when you want to pack it away.  It encourages early penmanship skills in pre-schoolers and is a lot of fun.

There is a whole range of Aquadoodle products to choose from.  Check out toysrus.co.uk or look instore to find the perfect Aquadoodle for your little one!

Chicago Town...the Only Pizza with X-Factor

Ever since X Factor returned to our screens, Saturday night's entertainment has been sorted!  Whether you are a fan of Johnny, The Risk or Marcus, nothing beats sitting down with the family and rooting for your favourite act.  And things have got even bigger and better with the return of the Chicago Town X Factor Pizza.  It's the perfect accompaniment to a big night in for fans of meaty pizzas.  To add to the fun, on every pack there is a code to get a free music download which also enters you into a prize draw to win a share of £2.5 million of amazing prizes including X Factor goodies, cash and pizza vouchers.

We had a Chicago Town Pizza Night before watching the X Factor Results show.  My parents and my nephew Tom were happy to tuck into the X Factor Pizza while the rest of us enjoyed a Chicago Town Takeaway Cheese Pizza.  This kept everybody happy!

The X Factor Pizza is made from Chicago Town's famous fresh dough that rises in the oven.  It's generously topped with Xtra large pepperoni, spicy beef, regular pepperoni, red onion and a special BBQ sauce.  The crust is stuffed with the sauce too.  It is  a pizza that has the X Factor.

Ready for the Oven!!

The pizza cooked perfectly on its oven proof base and the dough rose a treat.  With the smell of freshly baked pizza wafting around the kitchen, everyone was ready to tuck in to Chicago Town's finest!!

X Factor Pizza

Tom, my mum and my dad sampled the X Factor Pizza.  They loved the tang of the BBQ sauce and the meaty topping.  My dad loved the sauce stuffed crust.  There was much oohing and ahhing at the intensely flavoursome slices!  Meanwhile the Cheese Pizza with tomato sauce stuffed crust went down equally well.  What a fabulous feast for us all!

Tucking in with Chicago Town.

Everyone Happy with their Pizzas!

"This Pizza has the X Factor!!"

Empty Plates = Full Tummies

Chicago Town Takeaway The X Factor Pizza is available from most supermarkets with an RRP of £3.79.
Check out the Chicago Town Facebook Page for more X Factor fun!

**This is a featured post**

The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game

We were sent The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game from University Games to try out.  As it is a game for ages 12 and up, I waited until I could get my grown-up nephew and my parents to help with the review.

The game is based on the world of horse racing where you compete in a series of races hoping to get to the end with the most cash!  To come out triumphant though, you have to do your best scheming, conniving and plotting to bring down your opponents before they get you!

The game consists of the race board, horse and jockey playing pieces, lane cards, Really Nasty cards, a riderless horse to create havoc, a Bookie's board, betting slips and a dice, pencil, pen and money. The object of the game is to win the most money at the race meeting and this can be done in one of two ways. Firstly, by getting your horse placed first, second or third in the race and secondly, by placing bets on winning horses.


Each player (up to six players) gets a number of Really Nasty cards, £20,000 cash and of course, a betting slip. The game lasts for a race meeting of six races. Each player gets six horses, one for each race. The horses are graded 1 to 6, with1 being the best horse and 6 being the worst horse. Before racing starts each owner has to decide which race each horse will run.  Then after picking which lane they will run in, the odds are calculated using a chart on the race board.  You then get to place your bets and put them in the middle of the board.  You don't have to back your own horse to win, you can strategise and back an outsider, then do your nastiest best to nobble the other horses in the race!

The horse that draws the inside lane starts. Movement is decided by a throw of the dice: one length for each spot on the dice. There are rules that control the manner of racing as well, such as changing lanes, cornering and blocking, plus the special Early Pace, Quicken Up and Finish Well sections that give extra momentum for some horses. 

The set of mischief cards helps players create havoc with the other horses and riders in the race.  Horses can be made to fall at fences and unseat riders.  You can launch a steward's enquiry or demand photo finishes.  You can sabotage other horses' victories to ensure the horse you are backing wins, or to make sure your horse wins the prize money in the race by coming in the top three. 


The rules and instructions were very long and seemed quite complicated.  To be honest they went completely over my mum and Kizzy's heads, but we proceeded with the game checking the card meanings and the rules as we went along.  We were all quite polite at first, but quickly saw the benefits of dirty tactics.

As soon as the Really Nasty Cards came into play, things got interesting.  My nephew Tom took great delight in blocking opponents and making horses fall at the fences.  My horse went out of the race taking a tumble at Beecher's Brook at the hands of Tom.  An unseated rider resulted in a riderless horse causing problems for the other horses in the race.

There were a lot of laughs and a lot of heckling as everyone tried to get to the finish line without falling off or losing their rider or getting hindered by the riderless horse.

It all came down to a two horse race by the end of the round.  My dad came from behind and enjoyed beating all the other horses to become the winner of the Queen's Cup and take the prize money.

The first game of this took a long time as we tried to get to grips with how everything worked.  It is quite complicated.  You need a bit of an understanding of odds etc to be able to make an informed bet.  Deciding how best to play takes some skill.  You have to work out which horse to run in what race, whether to play to win or try to make money from the gambling.  Playing the Nasty Cards can be used to your best advantage with some clever plotting and you need a thick skin in case someone plays one against you.  You could be first across the line and still be disqualified with the throw of a dice from an opponent.  

As the game is played in six rounds it doesn't feel too long winded.  Each round involves skill but there is also a lot of luck involved, so anyone could take the prize pot or back the winning horse if they get lucky.  The game play gets easier as you get used to when best to use your Really Nasty Cards and what strategies work best for you.  

The game has an RRP of £18.99.  It is celebrating its 21st year and is considered something of a board gaming classic.  

It is definitely one for the grown-ups and older children.  I can imagine some heated races going on over the festive period.  I can imagine the addition of some seasonal tipples for the adults would add to the enjoyment factor!  It'd be like a fun day at the races...only much nastier!!

Flying the Union Flag