Film release : Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog

With temperatures soaring and the kids already grumbling about being bored and not knowing what to do, how about a trip to a cool, dark cinema to escape the sun? This week sees the release of Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog, a fun-filled family adventure exploring friendship, courage, family, and the journey of discovering who you truly are.

From the acclaimed studio behind The Queen's Corgi, Bigfoot Family, Sammy's Adventure and Fly Me to the Moon comes an action-packed adventure bursting with fun. Joined by Abe the Tortoise, Meg the Skunk, and Pig Squeak, Chickenhare races against time to rescue his family, while outsmarting the power-hungry Crolloq and her troublesome chameleon minions, whose antics lead to chaos at every turn. Chickenhare and his friends go on an epic adventure to find the mysterious groundhog with the power to reverse time to save the entire harechicken clan. It's a fun, enjoyable film that will appeal to the whole family.

   

 Chickenhare And The Secret Of The Groundhog will be in UK & Irish Cinemas from 24th July. The film runs for 88 minutes and has a PG certificate.

Disclosure : I received some film merch in exchange for sharing information about the film release.

Degustabox July 2026 review : Summer Gatherings

As Glenn Frey once sang, the heat is on ! It's been incredibly sunny and searingly hot since the start of the month so this month's Degustabox theme of Summer Gatherings seemed perfectly adapted to the weather. The contents included refreshing drinks and snacks to nibble on out on the patio, which were just what the doctor ordered. If you're a regular blog-reader, you may be thinking that it looks like there are fewer products in the first Degustabox picture compared to normal. Well, you'd be right and wrong for thinking so. The UK has introduced new HFSS (High Fat, Sugar and Salt) regulations and, as a result, certain HFSS products can no longer be promoted on social media in any form. This means that some products included in the monthly box cannot be featured by bloggers so regular Degustabox subscribers would receive more products that are not shown. There are six products in this month's box that I won't be mentioning just to give you an idea of the box value. 

Kelloggs Crunchy Nut Crunchies Caramelised Biscuit Flavour (RRP £3.50) are this month's product of the month. Crafted from maize, wholegrain oat and wholewheat flour then coated in rich caramelised biscuit flavour, they offer a tasty and totally moreish breakfast option or they can just be nibbled on straight from the box as a snack. I think they would be great crushed and incorporated into a cheesecake base too. We are all big fans of the flavour. Available in all major supermarkets.

Jimmy's Original Iced Coffee (RRP £2) is a no frills, straight-up iced coffee that will appeal to serious coffee drinkers who don't want all the extra flavours and ingredients offered by most modern coffee shops. Made with single-origin Rainforest Alliance coffee and semi-skimmed milk, it is refreshing when chilled in the fridge. The taste is smooth and balanced and it will perk you up when you need a little mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Available in all major supermarkets and online.

 

Buldak Hot Sauce Original and Hot Sauce Carbonara Flavour (RRP 2 x £3.50 - subscribers received one or the other) are Korean sauces that will appeal to lovers of hot and spicy food. Just drizzle a few drops over whatever you are eating to add a distinct kick that will set your taste buds on fire ! Buldak say : "Just add Buldak sauce to bread, burgers, burritos, chicken, dips, dumpling, egg rolls, fries, hotdog, hot pot, meats, nachos, noodles, nuggets, pasta, pho, pizza, rice, satay, shrimp, sliders, soup, spring rolls, steaks, stews, stir-fry, tacos." It was too intense for me but I was brave enough to add literally one or two drops to family-sized meals such as casseroles, soups and stir fries. Take it easy though or you will blow your head off ! Available in major supermarkets.

Kettle Mature Cheddar and Red Onion Tortillas (RRP £2.65) are gourmet chips made with nothing artificial. Made of white corn, red quinoa, onion, and herbs, finished with a rich mature cheddar and red onion seasoning, they are totally delicious and moreish. The flavour is intense and satisfying and the crunchy texture is perfect. The ideal accompaniment to picnics in the park (or just for munching on in front of the telly if you prefer !) Available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons.

 

For Goodness Shakes White Chocolate Protein Shake (RRP £2.50) is a simple and tasty way of getting 35g of protein into your body. Made with only four ingredients (skimmed milk concentrate, natural flavour, sweetener (sucralose) and lactase), there's no added sugar, it's fat free, high in calcium, lactose free, gluten free and only 211 calories. Whether you're serious about your sport and diet or just want something tasty to drink, it's sure to appeal. Available in all major supermarkets, Ocado, Amazon and online.

Gaea Kalamata Olives Spread (RRP £2.50 - other Degustaboxers received Sweet Red Pepper Spread) is a delicious take on classic Greek meze recipes, such as olive tapenade. Crafted from premium ingredients, it offers the rich, vibrant taste that is reminiscent of Mediterranean cuisine. It can be enjoyed on bread, stirred through pasta or alongside breadsticks as the perfect summery snack. Available in local convenience stores.

A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which means you'll get the first box for just £9.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. 

 for more information : 

 http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website 

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook 

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter 

Also now on Instagram @DegustaboxUK 

 Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.

Peperami x Doritos BBQ Sweet Tang review

Right now, finding fun snacks for the kids is big on my mind. Not only are we heading into the long summer holidays where they will be constantly grazing on whatever is in the fridge or the snackbox but we are also in the middle of a heatwave in which anything chocolatey will instantly melt. Luckily, Peperami have just launched a brand new, limited edition flavour which is bound to be a big hit - Peperami and Doritos BBQ Sweet Tang flavour.

I knew we were on to a good thing as soon as I saw the Doritos name. They are another product range that the kids always love so combining that with the chewy pork stick format that the kids like, whether nibbling at home or sticking them in their pockets or packed lunches for eating when on the go, was bound to get a thumbs up.

We received some samples to try and the kids loved the chewy texture of the meat and also the BBQ flavour, which offers a great taste without too much spiciness. They have been enjoyed straight from the pack, wrapped in bread (I'm not sure a Peperami sandwich is a thing but why not ?!) or even chopped into pieces to liven up a lunchtime salad. Pierre even thought they could work well as a special pizza or nachos topping, which sounds like it could be tasty.

The individual wrappers make them great for eating at picnics or as snacks on the go. Each stick contains 100 calories and we like the fact that they are a good source of protein. Available for a limited time only, the new range will be available from all supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide, in three convenient formats: Peperami BBQ Sweet Tang 5 pack (5 x 20g RRP £3), Peperami BBQ Sweet Tang Minis Pack (10 x 10g RRP £3) and Peperami BBQ Sweet Tang Singles Pack (28g RRP £1.25). 

Disclosure : We received some samples in order to share our honest review.

Craft Buddy x Harry Potter review : Wizarding World At Your Fingertips

 

Instead of planning a big holiday abroad this year, we've decided to go for two smaller trips over the summer, taking in a weekend at Disneyland Paris and another in London, to go to the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio. Juliette in particular is a big Harry Potter fan and has seen all the films and even read the books so she's very excited. When the opportunity came up to review Craft Buddy's latest Harry Potter Crystal Art collection, I knew she'd be excited about that too. I wasn't wrong !

The first product that we discovered was from the Harry Potter Crystal Art Bag Charms range. Craft Buddy have recently added two new designs to their collection of sparkling bag charms, featuring Harry Potter's beloved snowy owl, Hedwig, delivering mail or the popular young wizard himself, zooming around on his flying broomstick.

 

We got the Harry Potter design which Juliette was very impressed with. The bag charms are perfect for attaching to backpacks, handbags or bunches of keys, making them harder to lose and rendering them instantly recognisable. 

Inside the pack, you get a Crystal Art Bag Charm with an adhesive template, a pick up pen, a tray, Jelly Wax, a clip-on hanger, bags of crystals and ziplock bags for the storage of spare crystals. I thought this would be fiddly and complicated to use but Juliette jumped straight in and found it very simple. You just need to stick the tiny resin rhinestones in place following the painting-by-numbers technique. The instructions say that it is suitable for fans aged 6 and over, with adult supervision, so this would be perfect for keeping crafty little fingers busy over the summer holidays. The £4.99 price tag is pocket money friendly too.

The second product that we got to try out was the Crystal Art Pin Badge kit. These come as blind bags so you have no idea which kit you will receive, adding some extra excitement. There are 16 characters available, so you could end up with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Hedwig, Hogwarts Crest, Lightning Bolt, Golden Snitch, Ravenclaw Badge, Slytherin Badge, Gryffindor Badge, Hufflepuff Badge, Harry Potter Name Badge, Hermione Grainger Name Badge or Ron Weasley Name Badge. Juliette thought they all looked good and she would have been happy with any of them.

Inside the pack, you get a metal pin badge with an adhesive template, a detachable metal badge stand, 2 removable pin backs, a sealed paper wallet with a tool kit, a pick up tool, Jelly Wax, bags of coded crystals and ziplock bags for spare crystals. The enclosed tool is simple to use and allows you to precisely stick each little resin rhinestone in place following the lettered guide. 

The completed 6cm-tall pin badge can be attached to jackets, bags, pencil cases, hats and accessories or displayed on the little strut stand on your bedroom desk or shelf. Priced at £7.99, they are perfect as gifts, party treats or stocking fillers, but they can also be swapped and shared to help you complete the full mystical set.

Both of these products provide a fun, creative and easily achievable project that children (and even grown-up fans) would be proud to show off or put on display. As everything needed is included in the kit and nothing messy like glitter or glue is needed, they would be ideal for tucking into mum's handbag or a child's backpack for using at a pyjama party, a visit to granny's house or a play date or even for keeping the kids busy during a weekend away or a summer holiday.

The new Harry Potter releases will be available at craftbuddyshop.com and join the successful and hugely popular Craft Buddy range, which has over 40 different products to date.

Disclosure : We received the products in order to share our honest review.