Make Christmas Magic with PNP (Portable North Pole) !

We started the day with a moment of festive magic and wonderment for the youngest Madhouse Mini-testers this morning (and a huge belly laugh for me but more about that in a moment) because I called everyone to the laptop and announced that Santa had sent everyone a special message. We discovered PNP (Portable North Pole) and their fabulous (not to mention free) personalised Santa video messages a couple of years ago and it's turned into a lovely new tradition here at The Madhouse.

By logging on to the PNP website and adding various details (name, age and location of child, a couple of photos and key moments, whether they're naughty, nice or a mixture of both), you get a magical message from the man himself straight in your inbox. Pierre has already twigged that the Santas that we see in town are just people dressed up but he is totally convinced that the Santa in the video is the real one - I must admit, he really does look the part.

Even better, this year, PNP offered us the chance to try out the premium service, which gives you a longer video and lets you add even more personal details for £2.99. You can click through here to see Pierre's special video message, and his face was an absolute picture when he watched it ! I felt a bit guilty though because his face fell when he found out he wasn't quite on the Nice List (I put him down as a Naughty/Nice child), so I made him another one straight afterwards (a free one this time) telling him that he'd made it - phew ! Juliette is on the verge of not believing in Father Christmas any more, but even her eyes lit up when she watched her video. (You can see hers here if you want to get an idea of what a free one looks like.)

So that's the magic but what about the belly laugh? Well, I noticed that you could do Santa video messages for adults too so I made one for Madhouse Daddy. Santa tells him off for using his phone when in the car and - this had me silently sniggering as we all sat down to watch it ! - says he has made a real effort not to fart so much around the house so he can go on the Nice list ! I made one for me too where he says I'm always forgetting to take the bins out ! It opens up a whole new world of possibilities for non-believers and is much more fun than a regular e-card.

We also received a credit for a special phonecall from Santa which I haven't used yet, but I'm sure that will be another magical moment.

Another new addition for this year is the PNP Santa Sprint app which the kids have been having great fun playing. You have to help Santa prepare Christmas, working through different areas (Santa's workshop, the stables and the library) and 45 levels, moving an elf through the mazes to collect the items that have been scattered while avoiding the frosty creatures. (It reminds me of a festive version of Pacman !) As you complete the levels, you unlock special Santa video content. It's a lovely kid-friendly app for the run up to Christmas and can be downloaded for £1.99.

I guarantee, if you have kids (or even if you haven't !), once you've made a PNP Santa video, you'll definitely be back year after year to keep the Christmas magic alive !

I can also share a discount code with you for 20% off digital products in the PNP store, valid until 1st January : BLG20BKP

star rating : 5/5

for more information : http://www.portablenorthpole.com

Disclosure : I received a PNP Premium Bundle in order to write an honest review.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Kids' DVD review : Mike the Knight - A Very Knightly Christmas

Simple Christmas Crafts to do with the kids this weekend

Santa's reindeer has come to live at The Madhouse !

Kids' app review : Sing and Play – Jingle Bells

 Sing and Play – Jingle Bells is a new festive app from P2 games, who are the creators of many of the Madhouse Mini-testers' favourite apps featuring Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam, Mister Maker and many more.

As the name suggests, the app is a fun, kid-friendly introduction to some of the most popular traditional Christmas songs, especially Jingle Bells, which you can sing along with.

Your child (oh alright, I might have had a play too !) can also have a go at bashing out Jingle Bells on a keyboard and you can record their efforts, using piano, trumpet, xylophone, bells and even some funny silly sounds.

That's not all though. The app has a total of ten fun and educational activities, based on different Christmas songs. There are four jigsaw puzzles, featuring scenes from  ‘Jingle Bells, ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’, which magically come to life when you've completed them.

There are also four pictures to colour and decorate, four musical books with lots of things to touch  - you can make the sleigh bells and bells ring, make Rudolph's nose glow red, make the robin sing and the christmas lights shine bright.

For every activity that you complete, you win stickers - there are over 40 to collect in total - so there is plenty to keep little players busy in the run up to Christmas.

As you can see, Pierre loves it. It's aimed at children aged 2-5 but his big sisters have been having fun with it too.

One thing that I love about all P2 Games apps is that there are no in-app purchases so you won't get any nasty surprises.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £1.99

for more information : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sing-and-play-jingle-bells/id690570059?ls=1&mt=8

Disclosure : We were gifted the app in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Kids' DVD review : Mike the Knight - A Very Knightly Christmas

How about giving a cheap but priceless gift this Christmas?

Cadbury Festive Chocolates review

Kids' DVD review : Mike the Knight - A Very Knightly Christmas

The Madhouse Mini-testers were delighted when we received a copy of Mike the Knight - A Very Knightly Christmas to review. It contains six fun and festive episodes featuring Mike the Knight and the other residents of Glendragon. The episode listing is as follows :

1. The Sneezing Reindeer

2. Santa's Little Helper

3. The Snow Dragon

4. The Great Protector

5. Viking Snow Day

6. The Busiest Day

The official blurb says : "It’s Christmas Eve in Glendragon and one of Santa’s reindeer is sick. Mike makes it his mission to save Christmas and does everything he can to nurse the reindeer back to health, making sure he is included on Santa’s ‘nice’ list. Meanwhile, Mr Cuddles is sent on a wild toboggan ride, Squirt gets stuck in a giant snowball and Mike learns that Vikings like to have fun in the snow too."

It has some pretty cool DVD extras too, including a fun modern day version of the chivalrous code and a sing-along theme tune (which always has us in fits of giggles !). 

But that's not all ! Mike the Knight: A Very Knightly Christmas also comes with a special bonus DVD, Mike’s Hidden Treasure, containing six additional episodes : The Smiley Treasure, The Tricky Trail, The Buried Treasure, The Wizard's Treasure, The Most Medals and The Jewels of Glendragon.

Both Pierre and Juliette have watched it through several times and I already thought that, with 138 minutes of viewing time, it was good value. But when I went check the price on amazon, I was flabbergasted to see that it is currently only £3. If you have a little Mike the Knight fan, grab it now as a bonus stocking filler - that's a crazy price !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £12.99 (but currently only £3 on amazon)

• Number of discs: 2
• Classification: U
• Studio: HiT entertainment
• DVD Release Date: 21 Oct 2013
• Run Time: 138 minutes

Disclosure : We received the DVD in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Mike the Knight Mike's Mission Set review

 It's Madhouse Daddy Mike the Knight !

 Kids' app review : Mike the Knight The Great Gallop

Family DVD review : The Croods

We always watch more family movies in the winter months so we were delighted to be selected by Mumsnet to receive an early copy of The Croods on DVD to review. I remember seeing the trailers when it was in the cinema but we never ended up going to see it, so we weren't sure what to expect. It turned out to be a fun film that the whole family, not just the kids, loved.

The film tells the tale of The Croods, who are the last surviving prehistoric family. The over-protective dad Grug (with the voice of Nicolas Cage) thinks that the best way to keep his family safe is to err on the side of caution and for them all to keep out of harm's way in their dark cave. Unsurprisingly, his rebellious teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone)  has other ideas and wants to get out there and concentrate on actually living, rather than just not dying (my favourite line from the whole movie and a great life motto for all of us). One night, the wayward teen sneaks out of the cave and crosses the path of a boy named Guy who will ultimately show the family that there is a whole lot more out there for them to discover, from weird and wacky creatures and inimaginable new creations to self-discovery and a whole lot of fun and adventures.

It's a lovely movie, full of laugh-out-loud moments, action and even a few scenes that will make you go aww. We loved the fact that, despite the prehistoric setting, the rapport between the different family members accurately reflects most modern families. We loved the messages about living life to the full, not being scared to try new things and getting out of your comfort zone that the film puts forward.

The kids loved the sillier slapstick humour - their favourite scenes were when the family discover fire and set everything alight and when they encounter the Punch Monkeys ! 

Have a look at the trailer to get a feel for the movie :

It's out on Blu-Ray and DVD on Monday 9th December so if you're still on the lookout for stocking filler and Christmas gift ideas, this is a great contender.

star rating : 4.5/5

• Classification: U
• Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: 9 Dec 2013
• Run Time: 99 minutes

Disclosure : We received the DVD in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Kids' DVD review : Tangled

Kids' DVD review : Alpha and Omega 2 : A Howl-iday Adventure

Kids' DVD review : A Monster Christmas

Fab freebies of the week 7/12/13

Free samples seemed a bit thin on the ground this week - maybe everyone was putting their energy into starting advent giveaways instead !

alyson waugh ‏@Greetincardz                      

Pop over to my Facebook for a free sample Polymer Clay bear card topper. (sorry, UK only).... https://www.facebook.com/Greetincardz

5000 mascaras to be won at Super Savvy Me

free samples of Vagheggi beauty products available here

Try before you buy! Now you can try this fantastic product absolutely FREE! Play the Nikwax WebQuiz here ( http://nikwaxinfo.co.uk/AWA-20FWN-1V9G2B-TZC8P-0/c.aspx ) and answer all 10 simple questions correctly to receive a FREE 100ml sachet of Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In. (If you get one wrong, you can start again)

SEPAI ‏@sepaibeauty In UK? Get your free sample from @sepaibeauty RESTART serum, for combination and oily skin, only in @Selfridges http://bit.ly/1cl0fME

MP Treatment UK ‏@MP_Treatment_UK - write to us info@mptreatmentuk.co.uk for a free stone care sample

You can get a free sample of Mighty Matcha tea here

follow @ScienceFitUK and sign up on http://www.sciencefitness.co.uk for a free sample! #FF #energy

Free drink at The White Horse in Leamington Spa (mulled wine or a soft drink) if you sign up here

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time.

You may also like to enter my giveaways :

Giveaway #345 : Win Drumond Park Wordsearch Junior - closing date 20/12

Giveaway #344 : Win 3 Chuggington die-cast train characters - closing date 19/12

Giveaway #343 : Win 3 copies of ‘Frozen’ The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - closing date 13/12

Giveaway #342 : Win Drumond Park's Mask 'n' Ask - closing date 9/12

Style Lux Blackhead Killer Face Mask review

I was recently asked if I'd like to become a Style Lux Premium Blogger and review some of their products. I went over to have a look at their website and discovered that they have a small but interesting and rather eclectic range of beauty and lifestyle products, including beauty accessories, fashion watches, bras, slimming belts and iPhone skins.

For my first review, they sent me through a pack of Blackhead Killer Face Masks, which are brand new to the UK but being advertised as "the remarkable, all-natural new skincare sensation from America that removes pimples in just minutes". I had a look through the testimonials and reviews on the site and, to be honest, it all sounded far too good to be true ! The write-up promises that it removes pimples, blackheads, impurities and excess oil, deeply penetrating your skin and sucking up all the imperfections, as well as any accompanying redness and pimple scars, so that you instantly have better-looking skin. It also claims to prevent future outbreaks by killing the bacteria that cause spots.

Unfortunately - or fortunately, from my point of view ! - I didn't have any spots to test it on. My skin has started to feel quite dry with the winter cold and wind lately though, and I have do have dilated and clogged pores around my nose, so I thought I'd see if it would help me get the cleaner, smoother and fresher skin that it promises, from removing dead skin cells.

Having looked at the photos on the website before I started, I knew that this wasn't going to be a pretty face mask to use - in fact, it looks like runny, gooey black tar and is quite messy to apply. The box contains 5 sachets, each of which contains 10ml, which is actually quite a lot, once you start applying it. I don't think you actually need to apply the whole amount because it ends up being too thick to dry out and peel off, but had I actually bought these, I'd have been very peeved at having to throw some away. Maybe they could look at doing 7 x 7ml sachets for the same price, rather than 5 x 10ml.

I had read on the instructions that you need to peel it off after ten minutes of it drying. I took this to mean that it would take ten minutes to dry but I found it took a lot longer so my advice is not to apply it too thickly. Some parts dried out better than others but this meant that I didn't manage to peel it off in one go - it broke up with some parts sticking and others breaking off. I ended up washing the last few bits off with warm water, so it wasn't wholly successful. But - and it's a big but ! - I did love what it did to my skin. The skin around my nose definitely looked cleaner (you can see what it's pulled off on the used face mask) and my whole face felt moisturised and freshened with fresher-looking skin.

I still have four more sachets to play around with so I'll try to get a thinner coverage next time, so that it dries out more evenly. Just a word of warning - avoid your eyebrows or any little hairs around your ears or it can be quite painful when you pull it off ! (Any men using it might want to shave first !)

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £14.95 for 5 x 10ml (with free shipping)

for more information : http://stylelux.co.uk/beauty-accessories/5-acne-killer-10-ml

Disclosure : I received the product n order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Radox Revive, Refresh & Muscle Therapy review

BritMums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge

Vaseline Lip Therapy review

Ozeri 4x3motion Digital Pocket Pedometer review

You may have noticed that last Sunday, I didn't do a weekly weigh-in post. After having a chat with @10milewalk on twitter, we both decided to stop weighing in until after Christmas and start focusing on other things instead. One of those things is getting in more exercise, which is always a good thing, whatever the scales say, and something that you can control more than weight, which often fluctuates with no sense of logic whatsoever.

If you're like me, when you hear the word "exercise", you think gym memberships, aerobics classes or marathon running. Well, I tend to go for a different route : playing tag at the park with the kids, having races across the car park and jumping in leaf piles. That's definitely much more fun !

I also have a new piece of kit to help keep me on track and motivated - this very snazzy pedometer from Ozeri. The full name is a bit of a mouthful - it's the "Ozeri 4x3motion Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer with Tri-Axis Technology". It records steps, distance, speed, calories and time, making it really versatile and useful whether you're a serious runner or just out for a walk with the kids. It can count up to a million steps and has a 7-Day Memory, so it's great for watching your progress. It also has a built-in Clock, a Calendar and a Sports Timer. It's very user-friendly with automatic sleep-mode and a blue backlight which is very handy if you're out in the dark or twilight and want to see how you're doing.

When I first looked at it, I thought it looked really complicated to set up but it's actually really simple. If you want to switch over to metric (kg) from imperial (lb), you hold down the mode button for a few seconds. Then you programme in your weight, stride (you need to walk a few steps and measure it to get your average stride length, so that it can detect how far you've walked), year, month, date and time. It only takes a few seconds then you're ready to go.

The pedometer looks just like an mp3 player so you can wear it on a lanyard around your neck day to day without looking silly, but it also detects movement if you leave it in your bag or pocket. It's small and very light and you don't have to worry about it being in a set position for it to work. It's a great little reminder to walk a bit further on a day-to-day basis or encourage you to get a bit more active by seeing how many calories you're burning. Even better news - it has a RRP of £39.95 but is currently only £15.95 on amazon. Sounds like a great Christmas present to me !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £39.95 (but only £15.95 at the moment on amazon)

Disclosure : I received the product on order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Bounce Natural Energy Ball Peanut Protein Blast review

Shock Absorber Zipped Plunge Sports Bra review

Nutribox review

Giveaway #345 : Win Drumond Park Wordsearch Junior - closing date 20/12

*** I've just shared our review of Drumond Park's Wordsearch Junior game. ***

Now Wordsearch Junior (rrp £18.99, ages 4+, for 1-4 players) brings Drumond Park’s unique and much loved Wordsearch ‘race’ game format to a whole new generation - of youngsters. They’ll have hours of fun playing this stimulating game - while getting to grips with language, recognition and pattern.

Wordsearch Junior brings together the much-loved game play of wordsearch and a fun, competitive edge. It motivates youngsters to build on their embryonic language, recognition, pattern and reasoning skills while enriching their vocabulary through exposure to letters and words. The game is also proving to be immensely helpful to children who may be struggling with reading and language, providing a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when they succeed. All in all, Wordsearch Junior is set to be an all round winner!

Drumond Park have kindly offered to send a Wordsearch Junior game to one lucky Madhouse Family Reviews reader. To be in with a chance of winning, enter your details in the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK only. Closing date : 20/12/13

T & C's : Entries close at midnight on the closing date. Winners will be selected with a random number generator and announced on facebook, twitter and in the giveaway post subject line. Please note, you will be contacted by email and/or twitter and if I haven't heard from you after a week, I'll have to pick another winner. Prizes will be sent out by the companies or their PR directly to winners.

Other giveaways you may be interested in :

Giveaway #344 : Win 3 Chuggington die-cast train characters - closing date 19/12

Giveaway #342 : Win Drumond Park's Mask 'n' Ask - closing date 9/12

Giveaway #343 : Win 3 copies of ‘Frozen’ The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - closing date 13/12

Drumond Park Wordsearch Junior review

This month, Drumond Park sent us through another game from their collection for us to try out that we had never heard of but that has immediately become a family fave : Wordsearch Junior. This is the simplified kid-friendly version of the classic Wordsearch game.

The playing board is a round turntable which comes with a choice of nine double-sided playing discs, categorised into three levels, depending on the age and skill of the players. The easiest level is blue for which you need to find picture patterns and sequences with cards illustrating the themes of Zoo, Pets, Fruit, Fairy Tales, Faces and Balls. The intermediate level red is for finding words with picture hints and features the themes of Summer Holiday, Garden, House, Forest, Farm and Animals. The most difficult level is green where you must find words with no prompts at all – you can choose cards on the topics of Transportation, Sports, School, My Body, Food and Clothing.

Gameplay is fast and furious and also lots of fun.  Everyone plays at the same time so there is no boring waiting for your turn. The object of the game is to find the most words or pictures, and cover them with your coloured marking chips. At the end of the game, the player with the most chips of their colour on the board wins. It's funny (or frustrating, when it happens to you !) when you find a word that intersects with a word that has already been marked because you can "steal" the letter and put your colour on top.

As well as being a simple and fun game that takes no time at all to set up, it is also a great way for your children to practise letter recognition, spelling and pattern spotting, which are all vital skills for little learners. Anything that gets them excited about playing with words has to be a good thing too.

The girls also had a laugh using the transparent coloured chips as contact lenses so that they could see the world through rose-tinted (or blue-tinted) spectacles when it was time to pack up !

Players as young as 4 can try out the easiest level, but even as an adult or a teen, it's still an enjoyable game with laughs aplenty, whichever level you choose. I also love the fact that 1-4 players can play together or you can even play all by yourself.

Fancy having a try? I'll be back in just a second with a giveaway where you can win your very own Wordsearch Junior game.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £18.99

for more information : www.drumondpark.com

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Drumond Park's Mask 'n' Ask review

Drumond Park Rapidough review

The Magic Tooth Fairy Game review

What's Cooking at The Madhouse next week? menu plan 6/12/13

Another busy week with after school meetings so I'll need more quick and simple meals that can be made in advance or just thrown together swiftly.

Saturday

lunch - I think I might have to go freezer-diving and clear some space so it could be anything - potato waffles, BBQ chicken bites and vegetable fritters would probably go down well with the kids but I'll see what I find !

dinner - homemade soup and bread

Sunday

lunch -  traditional Sunday roast with all the trimmings  

dinner - leftover soup or a sandwich

Monday  

dinner - flatbread pizza and salad

Tuesday

dinner - we're off to see Father Christmas at Madhouse Daddy's works so there will be drinks and nibbles, I'll see how hungry we are when we get home - this could be a good night to try the soft baked feta with crusty bread and tomato salad

Wednesday

lunch - chicken thighs with a season and shake-type bag/sachet of some description with pasta and veggies

dinner -  Mexican butternut squash casserole with rice

Thursday

dinner - something to use up the leftover ingredients from a Kitchen Nomad box so maybe Vietnamese Crispy Crepes, Saigon Summer Rolls or Mexican Rajos Tacos

Friday

dinner - either cottage pie or fish pie, depending on what's in the freezer

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Great British Chefs Cooking With Kids app review

Applewood Spreadable challenge : Pork & Pumpkin Risotto

Recipes for Autumnal Comfort Food from Tate & Lyle