Krafted Connex : The All-in-One Cable Adaptor Hub review

These days, it seems like everything is connected. Whether you have phones, tablets, laptops, cameras or multiple other devices, they all need charging. It can often be hard to find the right cable for each device, especially if one breaks and you need to find a replacement quickly. If I had a pound for every time I hold out a cable to the kids for them to sigh "no, that's not the right one, Mum" ! Well, help is at hand with this nifty little gadget from Krafted : The All-in-One Cable Adaptor Hub.

It folds up like a Swiss army knife so it takes up minimal storage space and won't snag on things if you're storing it in a bag or a coat pocket. (Who am I kidding? Teenagers don't seem to wear coats any more but it can fit in a hoodie pocket too !) I love the fact that there are no pesky wires getting constantly tangled up and wrapping around things. Inside a durable ABS shell, flexible silicone rubber connector arms and nickel-plated steel reinforcers allow you to charge one or even multiple devices simultaneously. The current flow adapts to the input power for optimal charging and can be used for standard charging, PD charging and data transfer. I have no idea what that actually means but the kids nodded their heads wisely and looked impressed ! It's a handy little gadget to keep at hand for recharging anything and everything as needed with zero hassle.

The Connex is available in both black and jade for just £29.99 at Kraftedtech.com.

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

New Licenced Holdems from EXG Pro review

You may have noticed that I haven't been on my blog since the start of the summer. That's because we've been travelling, on a fabulous cruise around Iceland and Scotland, and once we got back, off visiting family. The kids have been whiling away their time using all sorts of gadgets like phones and AirPods when they got bored but with all of us sharing charging cables and not having our regular places available for stashing away our tech, it's been hard to keep track of where everybody's phones and earbuds have ended up.

EXG Pro have a very cute range of new licensed Holdems to help keep track of your random techie bits and they are sure to appeal to teens and beyond, whether they're being used to hold your phones and tech or just look pretty on your bedroom shelf.

 

Juliette has always been a big fan of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch so she instantly fell in love with the Loved-Up Stitch that we received, covered in cute little lipstick prints. He does perfectly hold your phone as required but he gets hidden behind it so Juliette prefers when he is off duty or holding something small like AirPods or jewellery so that he can be seen. She usually slots her phone into his hands when she's charging it. There are four different models available in the Stitch range, with Badness Level, Underpants Hero and Sunset Stitch alongside the Loved-Up Stitch that we received.

The Holdems are available in other cute ranges, including Fall Guys (Skelly, Paint Dipped, Hot Rod Flames and Ice Cream), Sonic (Super Sonic, Sliding Sonic, Tails and Knuckles) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Leonardo). 

Each model costs £17.99 and would be perfect as a stocking filler or secret Santa gift, if you're trying to get a few Christmas gifts in in advance. 

RRP : £17.99

for more info : All Products | EXG Pro

Also available on Amazon.

Disclosure : We received the product in order to share our honest opinion.

Testing out the Zerowater water filter jug (review)

We've had some lovely warm, sunny weather here recently (shhh we'll just completely ignore the one snowy day in the middle of the mini-heatwave, as it made no sense whatsoever !) so we've been enjoying afternoons lounging on the patio, reading, chatting and drinking gallons of cold drinks. Diet coke, fruit juice and even home made smoothies (if I'm lucky and the girls are feeling adventurous !) are frequently enjoyed, but we also drink lots of dilutable squash or just a glass of water, especially at mealtimes. I don't mind drinking plain water at all, but sometimes, I'll turn my nose up because it has an extra strong smell of chlorine or, when I'm at the school canteen, it just tastes stale. (I don't want to think too much about what would make water taste "stale" so let's move on swiftly !) 

 Zerowater recently got in touch with some information about the water-drinking habits of the UK population. According to a recent survey by Zerowater UK, 70% of Brits are still drinking unfiltered tap water, which apparently contains microplastics, which is a definite worry. However, bottled water contains twice as much plastic, as well as being expensive, not to mention bad for the environment. (Think of all those empty water bottles ending up in landfill - eeek !)

Zerowater offered us the chance to try out one of their water filters, which are supposed to be twice as good as Brita. Zerowater removes as much as 99.6% of all toxins, solids and contaminants, such as chlorine, aluminium and plastic particles, and reading through the complete list of contaminants removed (which you can see here) is actually quite scary - mercury, lead, asbestos, arsenic ... Crikey !

The Zerowater jug comes with a total dissolved solids reader so you can test your area's water quality before and after. Some cities like Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and London have water readings of over 280, but after using Zerowater it drops to 0.  There is actually a great video to prove this, showing Philip Schofield putting the water jug through its paces by turning red wine into pure water ! I'm not wasting wine doing this (sorry !) so here's the video to see for yourselves !

We've been trying the Zerowater jug and it does work very well. The water tastes crisp and clear, just the way it should, with no disagreeable chlorine taste. I tried it on the kids and they were unimpressed, claiming that "it doesn't taste of anything". When I replied that that was exactly the point, they looked confused and wandered off, shaking their heads. Kids !

The only downside is that the replacement cartridges are fairly expensive and they apparently need to be changed about every 3-4 weeks, otherwise the water starts to taste bitter. It's worth looking out for bulk-buy deals which will work out cheaper in the long run. You can also get a £5-off voucher if you submit your water quality reading on the website.

The water jug that we received to review is a 12-cup filter worth £39.99, but there are various other sizes available on the Zerowater website.

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

Getting ready for winter with the #ACEWinterRefresh Challenge

Turning over the calendar to the month of November seemed to definitively mark the end of the summer/start of autumn. There is no doubt about it - we are definitely into full-on autumn and, dare I say it, even the start of winter now. While we've been looking for conkers for the past few weeks and watching the leaves turn brown, yellow and red on all the nearby trees, this weekend has seen major wind that has pretty much blown all of the leaves, whatever their colour, straight off the branches. Wherever we look now, there are bare branches, big piles of soggy leaves underfoot and big fat raindrops running down the windows.

For the recent half-term holiday, we didn't do much at all. Besides the cold and the rain, we also had Pierre's plaster cast to deal with, so my usually energetic, outdoorsy son was stuck inside, making cakes, watching TV and catching up with his friends on his phone. This did give me a chance to catch up on the housework and random jobs though, so it was the perfect time to receive some brand-new ACE for Colours Powder to put through its paces. Just by adding a couple of spoonfuls to the machine for your normal wash, it promises to reinvigorate clothes, using stain-removing powers, and bring coloured garments back to life. Sounds perfect for freshening up the autumn and winter clothes that have been tucked away throughout the summer months.

Well, this half-term marked a point where I finally felt able to go through the cupboards - in particular those belonging to Madhouse Daddy, but also mine and those in the kids' rooms - and bag up all the clothes that we didn't want or need any more. It's been eighteen months since he died and somehow, it just seemed like the right time. I gathered the kids together and we went through everything - his T-shirts, jumpers, shirts, ... - and the kids each collected up a pile of things they wanted to keep, to wear or just to remember him by. Seeing all his side of the wardrobe empty just looked wrong, so I moved half of my clothes over to his side. Mentally, this was quite a hard thing to do, but we ended up with about twenty big binbags full of clothes that we donated to a local charity shop. They will be sorted out and resold cheaply or donated to homeless shelters, which makes me feel good about all our hard work sorting through everything.

Here's my favourite find - a totally snuggly, warm Washington Redskins jacket that he brought back from a trip to the USA where he was an au pair for a year straight after university. It's not something that I would have bought personally but I love it. It needed a wash though, as it was often worn when we were out and about, so the Ace for Colours Powder was perfect for this. It freshened it up up beautifully, gently removing stains and helping to keep the colours bright and fresh. It's like getting a hug from Madhouse Daddy every time I wear it and the bright flash of red is great for lifting spirits on grey, rainy days (which we have been having a lot of lately !).

Disclosure : This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEWinterRefresh Challenge, sponsored by ACE for Colours Powder. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper and pick up the range at your nearest Morrison’s store or buy online on Amazon.

Giveaway #711 : Win a Milton antibacterial bundle - closed - winner Sharon Martin

Milton has been a leading name in sterilising for over 70 years. During that time the ‘Milton Method’ of cold water sterilisation has been used by millions of parents, and in homes and hospitals throughout the UK and beyond. But that's not all !

 Many of their products can be used around the home or when out and about and, during the winter months, they can be a great way of avoiding the spread of germs if anyone has got a cold or the flu. Here are some of the most useful day-to-day products :

Antibacterial Surface Wipes

Ideal for travel and quick clean ups at home or on the move with baby. Kill 99.9% of germs including bacterial and fungi. Can be used on highchairs, toys, changing mats. Also handy for on the go when using public transport and restaurant toilets. Fragrance free and no need to rinse.

RRP – £2.35. Stockists: Asda, Babies R Us, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Precious Little One.

Antibacterial Surface Spray

Bleach-free formula cleans, disinfects and freshens all surfaces - including kitchen worktops, potties, high chairs, fridges and baby’s changing mat. This 3-in-1 antibacterial spray kills 99.9% of germs including bacteria and fungi, leaving a lovely fresh fragrance.

RRP – £2.29. Stockists: Asda, Babies R Us, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Precious Little One.

Antibacterial Hand Gel

Milton’s new plant based Antibacterial Hand Gel is designed to help ward off germs. The gel is effective in just 30 seconds on bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, viruses and 99.9% of germs. 100% plant based, the active ingredient is produced from beetroot certified to be GMO free. The gel is fragrance and colour free, reducing the risk of an allergic skin reaction. It is hypoallergenic and tested dermatologically making it ideal for multiple daily use on both big and little hands.

The 100ml version retails at £2.26 and is available from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Waitrose and Ocado and specialist Baby stores. The 500ml versions retails at £3.99 and is available from Boots. The packaging is 100% recyclable

Milton has also launched a new eco-friendly Baby Bottle Cleaner, specifically to remove milk residue, made with 100% plant based cleaning agents. The 100% biodegradable cleaner has been designed to ensure thorough cleaning of babies feeding equipment before sterilising.

The new baby bottle cleaner is dermatologically tested and formulated for sensitive skin, making it kind to hands even after washing up multiple times per day. The transparent gel is fragrance, colour and paraben free. It comes in a 500ml dispenser bottle with push and pull pump, releasing the correct amount of liquid to create a foamy lather for cleaning a range of products, including babies’ bottles, teats, teethers, toys, breast pump components, breastfeeding accessories and family dishes.

All baby feeding equipment must be pre-cleaned to be sterilised effectively; milk often creates a white film on feeding equipment which can be difficult to remove especially around the rim of a bottle. Milk residue left on bottles, can create a dangerous breeding ground for bacteria growth.

The Baby Bottle Cleaner retails at £2.99 and is available from Boots, Ocado and specialist Baby stores. The packaging is 100% recyclable.

Milton products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Babies R Us, John Lewis, Kiddicare, Kiddisave, Mothercare, Ocado, Precious Little One’s, Sainsbury’s Superdrug, Tesco and many independent retailers, online stores and pharmacies.

For more information: www.milton-tm.com

I'm delighted to have a fabulous package of Milton products up for grabs, including 1 x Milton Antibacterial Hand Gel, 1 x Antibacterial Surface Spray, 1 x Antibacterial Surface Wipes and 1 x Baby Bottle Cleaner. Fill in your entries in the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK only. Closing date : 13/2/19

T & C's : Entries close at midnight on the closing date. Winners will be selected with a random number generator and announced on facebook 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 28 days, I'll have to pick another winner. Prizes will be sent out by the companies or their PR directly to winners. Madhouse Family Reviews cannot be held responsible for any prizes that go astray. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. The winners' personal contact information will be passed on to the PR / Brand responsible and used only for delivery of their prize. 

You may also like to enter my other giveaways :

Giveaway #709 : Win a Space Record Breakers book - closing date 29/1

Giveaway #710 : Win an Ultimate Eye Twisters book - closing date 9/2

Taking part in the #ACEforSchool Laundry Challenge !

We were just discussing the other day how the Madhouse kids are getting old ! Sophie is now in her last year at school and debating driving lessons and whether to stay in further education or go out looking for a job. In the middle, Juliette is growing up fast too, spending way too much time attached to her phone and ipad, on Netflix and Snapchat ! Even Pierre, the baby of the family, is now nine years old - how did that happen ?! One thing hasn't changed though - they still come home covered in random stains after a long day at school !

Pierre is a typical boy, always climbing trees, skidding along the floor on his knees playing football or riding his bike through puddles. You can imagine the state of his clothes after an after-school trip to the park with his friends ! Even in the classroom, he always manages to come home with ink stains on his sleeves and random, unidentifiable food stains on his clothes from the canteen. Oh well, at least I get to know what he's been eating by looking at his clothes !

The girls aren't too bad, but they still manage to come home with ink stains on their clothes from time to time, and as a teacher, I'm the same, except mine is usually red ink. Oops ! Luckily, ACE challenged us all to deal with the school stains, sending us bottles of ACE for Colours and ACE Stain Remover Spray. Time to put them to the test !

Well, sure enough, when I came to do the weekly wash at the weekend, Pierre had come up trumps and got some unidentified stains on his coat. He has no idea what they were and my guess is that, as it was hot, he ended up tying his coat around his waist at lunch time. He always comes out at the end of the day wearing everything he has, including coat and jumper, even when it's blazing hot !

Well, ACE Stain Remover Spray tackles grease and germs along with stubborn stains, which sounded ideal for our unidentified stain. ACE for Colours also promises to help keep garments in general looking bright, robust and clean, meaning clothes last for longer - yay ! So, did it manage to tackle the stain?

Yes, it certainly did ! Which is just as well, as I only bought this school coat in September and we bought a bigger size so that it should do for next year too. Well, in theory, if it's still in one piece by then !

Disclosure : This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEforSchool Challenge, sponsored by ACE. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper. http://www.acecleanuk.co.uk/ or to buy head to your local Tesco’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s.

Etiquette Expert William Hanson reveals his top tips for dining at home

Since Madhouse Daddy died in March, I've sat down every single evening for a family dinner with the kids. It never used to happen, because he would get in late from work and not want to eat straight away until he'd chilled out for a while, so the kids would eat early and the grown-ups later. Talking to my friends and colleagues, this is something that happens in a lot of families, and it's a real shame. Unlike lunchtimes, which - if we actually manage to get home for lunch - end up being a rushed affair with everyone thinking about their work/school day ahead, the evening meals are a chance to catch up with (and often laugh about) the day's events, take the time to talk things through and actually spend some quality time together. I've decided to make things a bit more special on a daily basis too - using the posh dinner service that we got as a wedding present and that spends its life in the cupboard waiting for a special occasion, turning off the TV and letting the kids pick some background music, ...

With perfect timing, an email landed in my inbox from Young's, who have teamed up with Etiquette Expert William Hansen, to reveal his top tips to make your dining experience extra special. Dinners and nights out can be expensive, so instead use these tips to recreate the restaurant experience at home. You can wow friends or family by pairing these with some simple and delicious Gastro recipes, all included in the full etiquette guide available on the Young's website. Here are the top tips to get you started.

Set the table

Once the table and dining area is clear it’ll be ready for cutlery, plates and napkins. Forks sit on the left; knives and spoons on the right. The glass goes just above the blade of the knife, on the right-hand side. The napkin should then be placed to the very left-hand side of the setting. Having all the dining equipment laid before you will mean you are ready to eat once dinner is served.

Use the nice china

Make a meal of your meal! Get the nice china out and use it to hold your mid-week fare. There’s no point it just sitting in the cupboard. Quality china and porcelain should be seen and enjoyed – not hidden away!

Find a centrepiece

You needn’t polish up your best candelabra for this one, a simple unscented candlestick alone can give that no man’s land in the centre of the dining table a certain je ne sais quoi! For daytime meals, you could use a small, low floral arrangement, bowl or platter of fruit.

Dress for dinner

The dinner jacket may be a step too far for a Tuesday night (I certainly won’t stop you) but at least change out of your work clothes and put on something decent. You won’t eat properly in pyjamas or loungewear. Keep it simple, chic and above all, fresh!

If music be the food of love...

Use music to give the room some aural atmosphere. Some streaming services even have dinner time playlists, to save you the time and effort of putting together your own mealtime mixtape.

The big turn off

Switch those phones and tablets off! You don’t need a screen to eat your delicious dinner and you should be focussing on eating as well as chatting to your dining companions. Even if you are alone, use meal times to detox and switch off from the techno world.

Perfect plate presentation

Don’t just chuck the food onto the plate and hope for the best. If you’ve cooked a good meal, spend an extra 30 seconds to lay it out on the plate to make it look as visually tasty as possible - we eat with our eyes first! The high-end restaurant rule that you can follow at home is to place the meat or fish in the bottom section of the plate and then have the vegetables laid out above.

Salt and pepper

Taste is so subjective and you or your fellow diners may wish to heighten the flavours of the meal by adding a touch of salt or pepper, or another condiment. Remember to move the salt and pepper mills or shakers to the table - the salt one gets placed just in front of the pepper. When adding salt to your plate, correct etiquette is to just pour a little pile on the edge of the plate, using your knife to add a few granules of salt at a time to each mouthful. (Pepper can just get sprinkled everywhere!) But do try your food first to check the seasoning before adding anything.

Getting saucy

Don’t stop there… perhaps for some dishes some table sauces may go well, such as tartare with fish. Please avoid plonking the jar or bottle on the table. Decant the sauce into a small dish or ramekin instead.

Elbows in

Sit up straight and put your shoulders back! We don’t want your meal to be spilled down your fresh clothes. Using good table manners will give the respect the food and its chef deserve - as well as help you to eat it properly.

Cheers!

Don’t worry about what wine snobs say about pairing food with wine. Pair your dinner with whatever wine you want, despite what the puritans may say. There are some excellent lighter reds that go with fish, contrary to that old ‘white wine with fish’ rule. And it needn’t be wine that you enjoy with your meal - a swish carafe of cordial or juice can add something even further to your meal.

Elegant entertaining

Nothing forces one into making an effort than knowing that friends and family are going to join you for a meal. Use the opportunity to catch up with your neighbours and friends, as well as build friendships by giving them some tasty dishes.

My own personal advice, though, is not to overthink it and just pick and choose the tips that best suit you. As I was eating with the kids, I went for a family-friendly dish and recreated the Fish Finger Pie from the Family Favourites section of the Young's section. (I've bought all the ingredients for the Prawn, Mango & Avocado Salad too.) While it certainly has less visual appeal than the Gourmet range, the kids loved it and eating it off our best china, with (plastic) champagne flutes, funky (paper) serviettes and a nice scented candle in the middle of the table still made it seem extra special.

To find out more, and for more great recipe and serving suggestions, please visit youngsseafood.co.uk/Gastro

Disclosure : We received some vouchers to try out the range.

Meet my new control journal (Filofax Notebook review)

I've always been an organised person, at home and at work. I have a work diary, a calendar in the bedroom, a family planner wallchart in the hall, I menu plan and write my shopping list as I go, 99% of our bills are on standing order and I pay those that aren't as soon as they come in, ... However, since Madhouse Daddy died - and in particular since going back to work last week - I feel like my brain has reached its maximum capacity. Part of that is the fact that, seven weeks on, I am still dealing with a mountain of paperwork - a mountain that never gets smaller because as soon as I get close to clearing it, a load more arrives that needs filling in and sending off, accompanied by various photocopies of things that have been filed away for the last couple of decades. Another part is that now, I have to deal with everything and remember everything without a back-up. Madhouse Daddy always did the shopping and, although I gave him a shopping list with everything I needed to get dinner on the table, he was in charge of checking household essentials like toothpaste, toilet roll and dog food. I've forgotten to pick those up on more than one occasion - luckily we have shops very close to the house ! When Filofax got in touch and asked if I'd like to review one of their notebooks, I jumped at the chance. 

There's something very cathartic about starting a new notebook and turning to the first blank page. It's like a literal version of turning the page, wiping the slate clean, finding a new beginning. Very apt for the situation we find ourselves in here at The Madhouse.

The hardest thing is deciding what to write where - there's nothing worse than filling up page 1 then suddenly thinking oh, I wish I'd left a blank page at the start to put that instead. Filofax makes things easier because both the pages and the inserts can be removed and reinserted wherever you want. I keep switching mine around so it's great if you're indecisive or a bit of a perfectionist and want to start certain parts again.

I've decided to make mine into a control journal and it's ideal. As well as having lots of pages to fill, there is a useful pocket that can be used for storing bills to be paid, important notes from school, party invitations or flyers about events you want to visit, all in one place so you know where they are. I also love the ruler that can be pulled off then reattached whenever you need to underline things or make tables to be filled in.

So where to begin? Well, for me, it was time to empty my brain of all the things I need to do, from big stuff like arranging for the headstone and chasing up the remaining paperwork to small, inconsequential things (that are always the ones that risk being forgotten) such as buying a book for Sophie for school or dropping off a cheque at the bank.

Next, a basic shopping list of all the things that are likely to run out regularly - store cupboard basics, cleaning supplies, the aforementioned dog food and toilet roll ! This is my master list, to scan through after menu planning to complete my weekly shopping list and minimise the number of emergency trips to the local shops to pick up what was forgotten.

I'm not someone who stresses over things but I was starting to feel strangely serene and totally in control as I was writing everything down, so I decided to continue "emptying my brain". (I feel like a computer doing a clean up, emptying the recycling bin and deleting old files that aren't needed any more !) Even if they're already jotted down in various places, I made a page of all the upcoming events for me and the kids - meetings, sleepovers, dental appointments, ... The kids invariably tell me about upcoming school events or things they've arranged with their friends while I'm busy cooking dinner or washing up, so this can be the place to jot down anything they don't want me to forget.

It's not allabout serious planning and the boring day-to-day obligations though. I've also started a section that I've called our Fun Times Bucket List - both Big Plans and Small Stuff. Big Plans are mainly days out that will take some organising, like trips to theme parks or towns that are a train ride away, but also include the kids' bucket list of travel destinations. Juliette wants to go to NYC and Canada (sounds good to me !), Sophie wants to discover Antarctica (might be more complicated !) and Pierre wants to visit Paris - well, that one is easy enough ! My work colleagues made a collection after Madhouse Daddy died and gave us a card with a cheque in it, "for us to do something nice as a family when we feel up to it". I promised the kids that we'll go for a day or maybe even a weekend at EuroDisney, maybe for Halloween or Christmas, which they're excited about - I just need to plan it now ! I've also started jotting down things that the kids have asked to do at random moments, so that I can remember during the holidays or weekends. Top of the list was making edible slime - I can tick that one off already ! (Click through if you want to see how we got on.)

 It's a well thought-out notebook, with all sorts of different types of pages that you can buy as refills (blank, lined, squared, ...) and it's already become an integral part of my day-to-day organisation, whether looking for a form that needs to be filled in in the front pocket or checking what I need to buy when I pop to the supermarket.

Filofax Notebook Classics are available in a variety of colours and designs and cost £12.99 each. If you need a reason to treat yourself to a new notebook, did you know it's National Stationery Week this week (23rd–29th April)?

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

What mum wants ... "Ma"-vellous gifts for mother's day !

In case it's escaped your notice, this Sunday (11th March) is Mother's Day in the UK. If you're still sadly lacking in the inspiration department, here's a little roundup of some of the lovely goodies available at amazon, guaranteed to put a smile on your mum's face, whatever her interests. They even have one-day delivery options if you're completely unorganised and end up waiting until the last minute !

For the hi-tech modern mum, how about the Amazon Echo Dot ? (RRP £49.99, currently £39.99 with free delivery.) Mum can put her feet up and let Alexa take the strain with hands-free voice control to do everything from playing music, controlling smart home devices (including lights, switches, TVs and thermostats), providing information, reading the news, setting alarms and more. Even better, buy one for yourself too and stay in touch simply - you can call or message anyone hands-free who also has an Echo device or the Alexa App. Be prepared to explain repeatedly how it all works though !

For Cooking Mama, the Handmade at Amazon English Dinner Apron by Victoria Eggs (RRP £22) is the perfect accessory for the kitchen. As well as keeping her clothes clean and giving her something to wipe her hands on, it could also come in handy for choosing what to cook for dinner - roast beef? bangers and mash? fish & chips? or how about the retro classic Spotted Dick?! It's not just the food choices that are the best of British - the apron itself is screen printed and hand sewn in Lincolnshire, England.

For Green-fingered earth mothers, even those without a garden, this Indoor Herb Garden Kit (RRP £20.45, currently £12.97) is perfect for the kitchen window sill. There's something very satisfying about having homegrown fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives) to add the final finishing touch and gourmet garnish to your meal, even if it's just spaghetti sauce out of a jar ! This kit has everything you need to start an indoor herb garden - a planter box, 3 rustic pots, growing medium & seeds. You even get some chalk to write the names of the herbs on the blackboard strip while you wait for them to grow ! Mummy Mummy, whose food is yummy, how does your garden grow ?!

For sweet-toothed mums, who love a little taste of luxury, Prestat chocolates go the extra mile in terms of taste and packaging. The 210g Large Jewel Box (currently £14.99) is Prestat's best-selling gift box and is packed with 16 of their favourite chocolates and truffles. Designed by artist Kitty Arden, the box and its layers of tissue paper conjure up the great stages of London, on which Prestat-lovers such as Sir John Gielgud and Dame Peggy Ashcroft plied their trade. They're not the only famous fans though.  Prestat say : “Our chocolates and truffles have been enjoyed by kings and queens, sultans and maharajas, princesses and presidents, stars of stage and screen, indeed by anyone who delights in the pleasure that only the finest chocolate brings”. Time to add your mum to that list !

Finally, for the Perfectly Pampered Parent, you can't go wrong with some luxury bath and body care products, and The Ritual of Sakura Relaxing Gift Set from Rituals (RRP £16.92) ticks all the right boxes. Celebrate each day as a new beginning with these lovely products based on the fabulous aromas of Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk. The gorgeous box contains Shower Foam, Shower Oil, Body Scrub, and Body Cream. Perfect for a pampering spa day in the comfort of your own home.

All of these gifts (and more) can be found online at www.amazon.co.uk/HandmadeMothersDay and www.amazon.co.uk.




Disclosure : I was gifted a selection of products.

Banishing the January blues with Bold 3-in-1 Pods ! (review)

When it comes to doing the household chores, my favourite (or, in any case, my least unfavourite !) is dealing with the laundry, because I love the fabulous feel-good fragrances that waft around the whole house. Recent research from Bold reveals that the smell of newly washed clothes and fresh sheets reminds us the most of home and half of Britons went so far as to say that fresh laundry makes them feel comforted, happy and relaxed.

 I definitely always seem to get a great night's sleep just after changing the bedding, which I'm sure is down to the relaxing scent and softness of the freshly washed cotton, and this weekend, having come down with a flu-type bug and spending vast amounts of time in bed, having the smell of freshly-laundered bedding tickling my nostrils certainly lifted my spirits slightly. 

With January and February being the dreariest months of the year, many of us would love nothing more than staying wrapped up in our quilts all day (or at least for an hour or two longer in the morning). The winter chill, the rainy British weather and the dreaded daily commute are the top three reasons that were given for wanting to stay tucked up at home.

Bold 3-in-1 Pods are designed to give you a portable version of the freshly-washed-sheets, feel-good fragrance, injecting a boost of freshness into your clothes and wrapping you in the nostalgic scents of home (and bed), helping you to mentally escape to the comfort of home whether you're in a stressful meeting, getting squished on the tube or hanging around in the rain at the bus stop.

There are four fragrances in the range :

Lavender & Camomile : Take your senses on a relaxing stroll through fragrant fields of fresh Lavender. Blended with soothing camomile, warm woods and Manuka honey, it creates a blissful feeling of serenity and harmony.

Lotus Flower & Water Lily : Clean, crisp and natural, this scent feels like cool summer evenings soaked into your clothes. The beautiful fragrance mixes refreshing Lotus Flower and Water Lily with crisp Blue Forget Me Not and Star Flowers.

Sparkling Bloom & Yellow Poppy : If summer had a scent, this would be it. This happy, vibrant and uplifting scent is a beautiful blend of yellow poppy, Yuzu blossom, Acacia and other lush floral notes.

Gold Orchid & Moringa : Pamper your world with this seductive and precious scent. This elegant fragrance contains precious notes of rare Gold Orchid and Moringa to make you feel like royalty.

I really like the cocoon of calming freshness that my bedding has provided after using the Lavender & Camomile pods, but I also fancy giving the uplifting, summery fragrances a try too. It's definitely time to put the January blues behind us !

Bold 3-in-1 PODS 55 wash pack, RRP £14, available nationwide from end of Jan 2018

Sparkling Bloom & Yellow Poppy 55 3-in-1 Pods out now, exclusively available at Asda

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

December essentials to see us through to Christmas (review roundup)

December's here ... like it or not, we're in the starting blocks for Christmas and New Year celebrations ! I always find that this is one of the busiest times of the year, what with trying to squeeze in Christmas crafts and baking projects or visits to see the Christmas markets and pretty lights, along with all the gift shopping, wrapping and delivering, not to mention all the usual work and home to-do lists. Phew, I'm tired just thinking about it ! Here are a few of the products that we've discovered recently that will (hopefully) help us sail through December happy, healthy and relatively chilled out.

OK, first potential stumbling block of the festive period - did you remember to buy an advent calendar for your kids ? I had a giggle with the deputy head today because we were comparing notes and discovered that her daughter (aged 17 and a half) is just like Sophie (aged 16) and still wants an advent calendar ! This Teletubbies Advent Calendar from Bon Bon Buddies not only has a cute picture featuring the four colourful Teletubby chums on the front and a milk chocolate hiding behind each door, it also has news of a competition to win a tablet every day this Christmas with #LoveMyAdvent. Teletubbies say Eh-Oh Ho-Ho-Ho ! (Was £1 but now available at a reduced price in a number of shops, including B&M stores.)

If the chocolates hiding behind the advent calendar doors aren't big enough to satisfy your chocolate cravings, I highly recommend sitting down with a family-sized, 300g bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste Choco Biscuit Crunch - deliciously crunchy biscuit sandwiched between two layers of cocoa creme and milk creme filling. I thought it might be just a bit too much but it's lovely, with a great mixture of flavours and textures and an intense chocolatey flavour. (RRP £3.49, available in ASDA.)

As a teacher, one of my big challenges is fighting off the dreaded lurgy in the run up to Christmas. As we get deeper into the winter weather, I seem to have more and more kids coughing and sneezing all over me - they may be aged between 11 and 16, but I still seem to spend half of my time in the classroom reminding them to cover their mouths rather than spreading their germs. I know that Christmas is a time for sharing, but that's one thing I can do without, thank you ! Washing your hands frequently in soap and water is the best plan of attack (or rather defence) but it's not always possible to pop out of the classroom, so Milton's antibacterial surface wipes and antibacterial hand gel have been a godsend - for wiping down desks that kids have been keeping snotty tissues on to throw in the bin at the end of the lesson, then my hands after retrieving the ones stuffed down the back of the radiators (yes really - yuck !). They kill 99.9% of germs in seconds with no need for water and are clinically proven to reduce the risk of spreading infection.

BioCare also sent us a selection of products from their extensive range of vitamins and supplements, suitable for the whole family and designed to make sure your body is fighting fit for the colder months, including everything from vitamin D for the dark winter months, hair and nail supplements, energy boosters and probiotics for gut health. We received : Vitamin C Rosehip Complex (150g - enough for 30 doses - £15.95) - a pleasant tasting vitamin C powder to dissolve in water with minerals such as zinc and manganese, bioflavonoids and berry extracts; Vitamin B6 60 Veg Capsules (£9.95) - contributes to the normal metabolism of energy, protein and glycogen, as well as the normal function of the nervous and immune systems and the regulation of hormonal activity; Everyday BioAcidophilus - 28 Capsules (£13.96) - contains natural prebiotics to feed the live bacteria with no need for refrigeration so it can be kept in your bag or desk drawer for on-the-go use; Children's Red Berry BioMelts - 28 Sachets (£17.95) - Great tasting, melt on the tongue powder in convenient stick sachet  form that children will love to take themselves every day, with live bacteria and vitamin D for everyday and immune support in one hit; EyeCare Plus 60 Capsules (£25.55) - an innovative, antioxidant-rich blend of vitamin A, minerals, bilberry, ginkgo biloba, lutein & grapeseed extracts in a capsule, to help contribute to the maintenance of normal vision, as well as the immune system; Zinc Citrate 90 Tablets (£6.40) - with many general health benefits, including its contribution to normal cognitive function, maintenance of normal hair, skin, nails and bones and normal fertility and reproduction. They're all easy to take and - fingers crossed - we've all managed to avoid the epidemic of tummy bugs and nasty colds that are going round at the moment, so I think they must be helping with boosting the immune system.

The temperatures have dropped and it seems to have been permanently drizzling for the past few weeks, so we have a bit of a new routine after the school run : a nice bubble bath to warm up, followed by snuggly pyjamas and a big mug of hot chocolate. Our latest bath buddy is Dexter the bath mitt and his Super Bubbly Dragon Fruit Bubble Bath from Good Bubble.

As well as being ultra cute and smelling lovely, the limited edition gift set (RRP £8) includes Good Bubble's award-winning, free-from bubble bath that is suitable for newborns and upwards. It's made with real Dragon Fruit extract and at least 98% naturally derived ingredients to help maintain the skin’s natural moisture. Dermatologically and opthalmalogist tested for a kind-to-skin and tear-free bath time, it's also registered with The Vegan Society and is never ever tested on animals. Best of all, it provides lots of lovely bubbles and makes the bathroom (and the kids) smell nice.

Have you discovered any new family-friendly products to help see you through the winter months in tip-top form?

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