Children's book review : The Great Rabbit Rescue - Katie Davies

I've just spent the last couple of weeks reading a chapter of this book every night to Sophie before bed. It's been a while since I've read to her as, now aged nine and an avid reader, she tends to read by herself or she reads stories to her younger brother and sister. It's been great though, snuggling up together under the covers and spending some quality time together, giggling and doing silly voices and chatting, so I think we'll have to get back to doing it as a regular thing.

The Great Rabbit Rescue is a fabulous book for a parent and child to share because it gives you so many chances to talk about things going on their life or things that may be worrying them. Some of the childhood escapades are timeless - the girls with their walkie-talkies and secret clubs really reminded me of my childhood games with my next door neighbour/best friend and Sophie loved hearing me tell her about our own secret spy club and banging on the wall between our bedrooms with a coathanger to each other, rather like the girls in the story ! Other aspects are more contemporary things that the modern child has to deal with - parents breaking up, children having to choose which parent to live with, friends having to change schools following their parents' divorce ...

Sophie loved it when little elements of our own lives popped up in the book, such as Anna losing her watch, her dad shouting at the football on the telly (Sophie laughed and said she thought her dad was the only one to do that !) and - I'm not sure I should admit to this ! - the parents saying "for crying out loud!" and "your life won't be worth living if you do that" ! Sophie giggled and said it sounded like me ! Oops, I've turned into a cliché ! Seriously though, it shows how realistic the writing is and Sophie could really relate to the characters. I especially loved the childish way of speaking that the narrator uses, which frequently made me start reading with a Charlie & Lola type voice without even doing it on purpose !

The central rabbit rescue story is a lovely tale of best friends looking out for each other but is also a cautionary tale of little girls trying to help out and thinking that they know best but ultimately doing the wrong thing and doing more harm than good. Cue a gentle "mum knows best" sermon, as it can never do any harm !

As a mum, I really enjoyed reading it and sharing it with Sophie. But now I'll hand over the reviewing hotseat to Sophie.



Sophie's review :

Anna, Suzanne and Joe-down-the-road have fun playing Dingo the dog, mountain rescue and the super speed bike machine so it's funny to watch them because they're a bit naughty. I like the way they were trying to be nice and look after the rabbit but they were making it sick by accident without meaning to. It was a bit sad but I was happy that the rabbit was ok in the end. It was funny hearing mum tell me about when she was a little girl too ! I liked all the little drawings and the pictures of the maps and things too because they made the story more interesting and easier to understand.



star rating : 5/5
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (2 Sep 2010)
ISBN-10: 1847385966
ISBN-13: 978-1847385963



Other reviews you may be interested in :
Carlton Kids Augmented Reality Books
Children's Book Review - The Taming of Lola : A Shrew Story - Ellen Weiss
children's book review : Wild Rescue : Polar Meltdown - J. Burchett & S. Vogler
Book Review - Waking Beauty by Julie Parrish

weight loss aid - 100 % natural carb blocker DEcarb

I should start this review by saying that I am an absolute cynic when it comes to slimming aids, so - much as I would love to find a miracle product that will have weight falling off with zero effort and above all no health risks or side effects - I don't actually believe it exists.



I should also give you a quick idea of my weight management profile before we begin. Different people need to lose weight for different reasons - they may eat too much or eat the wrong things, it may be a water retention problem, linked to medication or be the result of constant grazing on unhealthy snacks. My weight is actually very stable but I still have all my baby weight to lose from my pregnancy with Pierre but also the girls. I've been wanting to start shifting my excess weight for months now but, as I was still breastfeeding Pierre up until last month, I've been holding off. I was convinced I'd get into a healthy low-calorie eating regime as soon as we all went back to work and school but the best laid plans don't always work out - with this year's timetable, I'm having to eat at the school canteen four times a week. So much for controlling what I eat and cutting out the unhealthy stuff.


I was therefore intrigued by Decarb, which is a natural carbohydrate blocker that has been shown in clinical studies to stop the body absorbing up to two thirds of dietary carbohydrates. Lo-carb diets have been around for a long time and seem to get pretty good press, so cutting down on the carbohydrates that your body absorbs seems like it could be an effective way of losing weight. Decarb explain : "The product has been shown to lower calorie intake by blocking the production of the digestive enzyme that breaks down starchy carbohydrates (e.g. bread, pasta, and potatoes). This significantly reduces the carbohydrates absorbed from these foods by up to 66 per cent, which then pass through the body naturally instead of being metabolised. [...] Excess calories from surplus carbohydrate consumption not used are quickly stored by the body as fat, and can contribute to weight gain." The beauty of Decarb is that it's the totally lazy and hassle-free way of trying to lose weight - there's no calorie-counting, food weighing, forbidden foods or separate meals to prepare. If you're a busy mum who doesn't want to cook a separate meal or if you eat socially with friends or colleagues, you can just eat what you would normally eat and take some Decarb beforehand.


According to the manufacturers, "placebo-controlled and statistically significant clinical trials show that when taken before a carbohydrate heavy meal, DEcarb can stimulate weight loss of up to 2lbs a week. In addition, the reduced absorption of dietary carbohydrates helps flatten ‘sugar spikes’ and energy slumps, one of the key triggers of food cravings". You can take 1-3 tablets immediately before a meal (so you can modify the number of tablets depending on how high in carbohydrates it is) and should not exceed six tablets a day.



As I've been eating at school, I haven't been taking Decarb at all at lunchtime so I have been taking two or three tablets just before my evening meal for the past couple of weeks. Apart from trying to cut down on unhealthy snacks like sweets or biscuits, I haven't changed anything else in my diet at all, eating exactly the same food as the rest of the family and exactly what I would usually eat. I therefore thought it was nigh on impossible for it to have any effect on my weight whatsoever. The first week, I lost 1kg. I was surprised (and happy !) but put it down to all the extra rushing around with work and childcare. The next week, I lost another kilo, despite eating a roast dinner and a McDonalds' burger with the rest of the family. Hmmm it looks like it could be working then !



What I really love is that the weight is dropping off at a healthy rate - 1kg a week sounds absolutely perfect. Anything more extreme would have slightly worried me. I'm still pretty sceptical but I'm definitely going to carry on taking the tablets in the hope that the weight will continue to drop off - and I have to admit I'm starting to believe in it ! Celeb slimmers Gail Porter and Linda Robson claim to have shed loads of weight (over 1 stone for Gail and almost 2 stone for Linda) and most feedback online seems to be positive.

The active ingredient comes from white kidney beans, so it's actually a natural product, which is reassuring. I scanned the information sheet looking for nasty side effects and it did mention increased wind ! As a teacher, I was a bit worried about this, but I am pleased to say I have seen absolute no change whatsoever ! Having read some of the horror stories of other weight loss products, such as Alli telling you to wear dark clothing in case you suddenly poo yourself (I kid you not !), I was really pleased to see there were no side effects at all. I didn't feel tired, have stomach aches, upset stomach or anything else at all. Best of all, it can be incorporated into family life with absolutely zero upheaval to the usual routine. I have to say I'm seriously impressed and surprised at how well it's working.

star rating : 4.5/5



RRP : £29.95 for a pack of 60 tablets


Other reviews you may be interested in :

Slim.Fast's new 3.2.1 weight loss plan
Nature with a hint of ... snacks
Nakd Gluten/Wheat/Dairy-Free Raw Fruit & Nut Bars

Book review : Cold Kiss - John Rector

If John Rector was in a room with me now, I'd smack him. Hard ! And then I'd keep smacking him until he relented and gave me an answer. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a violent person ! Usually. But I stayed up until past midnight last night reading Cold Kiss and this morning, I was up at 6.30 to finish the final pages and find out what happened at the end. But it turns out that John Rector is one of those evil, twisted authors who loves playing with his readers and he just leaves us dangling, giving us no clue as to how it all ends. If you're an Eastenders fan, it's like the ultimate doof-doof moment - but with those, you groan but also smile, knowing that in a couple of days, the next episode will pick up right where that one left off and all will be revealed. In Cold Kiss, I read the final line and howled (silently - everyone else in the house was asleep !) "aaaggghhh that's so not fair !", knowing that - unless he decides to write a new novel featuring the hapless couple portrayed in the book - we'll never know whether they get their happily-ever-after ending or if their luck really has run out.

OK, I know I'm complaining and yes, the ending (or rather non-ending) did annoy me, but that just goes to show how great a writer John Rector is. The book starts simply - a young couple, Nate and Sara, are on a long drive to Reno and stop off in a diner for a rest stop. We know she's pregnant, they're both very much in love, they're planning on getting married but that's about it. We discover her parents are religious and don't like Nate, we know Nate has a bit of a murky past and their childhoods weren't great but that's all we know about them. Yet somehow - maybe because we can see how much they love each other and deep down, we all have a romantic streak that wants to see young love come good - we instantly connect with them, empathise with them and watch in muted horror as their happy little lives start spinning out of control.

On paper and reduced to just a few lines, the story sounds simplistic and lacklustre. Out of the goodness of their hearts (Sara's motivation) and because he offers them some much needed cash (Nate's motivation), they agree to take a hitch-hiker with them when they set off. In my mind's eye, the mysterious Syl instantly morphed into Rutger Hauer's Hitcher. But no, within a few pages, they pull in at a seedy motel to escape the impending snowstorm and discover he's dead. The young lovebirds flap about a bit, then discover that he had a suitcase full of money with him and flap about some more. They make some bad choices but choices that any one of us could have made, so we still feel for them and think of them as the good guys caught up in a living nightmare.

As events unfold and the motel's other residents and guests come out of the woodwork, the reader is trapped in a kind of Miss Marple-esque whodunnit - but we already know what really happened so it's more of a who'sgonnaworkoutwhodunnit followed by a who'sgonnadoitnext ! As the corpses start piling up, we're as interested in the psychological crisis Sara is going through as the murders themselves. Are they innocent victims dragged into something they wanted no part of or is she right to think it is all their fault because they picked him up in the first place, even if it was for the right reasons ?

The reader becomes intensely emotionally engaged with the central characters, still understanding their motivations and hoping against the odds that they can get their happy ending. The odds keep stacking up against them but everything's possible. I read the final lines with bated breath, willing everything to turn out ok ... but, as I said in the opening paragraph, the book ends with a total cliffhanger. (Cue another smack around the head for John Rector, who I am sure will be grinning if he ever reads this review !)

The book oozes eeriness and creepiness, with its sinister motel, eccentric characters and the mounting tension and sense of no escape as the snowstorm closes in, which just heighten the emotional charge of the novel. I thought to myself several times that this could make a really good, atmospheric movie so I wasn't surprised to see that, according to the author's website, it is optioned for a feature film now in development. I'll definitely watch it to see if we find out the director's take on Sara and Nate's future ! I'll also definitely keep an eye out for John Rector's future books because, if this debut novel is anything to go by, he is definitely one to watch.

star rating : 4.5/5 (that's payback for not giving us a definite ending, otherwise it would definitely have been a 5/5 !)

RRP : £7.99

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (2 Sep 2010)
ISBN-10: 1849830681
ISBN-13: 978-1849830683

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Book review : Captured - Neil Cross

Book review : Live To Tell - Lisa Gardner

Book review : Nine Dragons - Michael Connelly

Book Review : Little Girls Lost - J. A. Kerley

Sterimar Baby Nasal Solution

This time last year on this blog, I told you all about Sterimar Nasal Solutions which, despite being widely used in France, are not very well known in Britain. I've just reread that review and made myself laugh - did I really write colonic irrigation of the nasal passages ?! - and since then, my dad - who suffers with undefined allergies all year round - has become a total convert.

They have now created a new version especially for babies, in a very pretty can with a cute, friendly dolphin on it that babies will love looking at as you do battle with their nose ! The product on the inside is exactly the same as the adult Sterimar product, which can be used for everyone, babies, children and adults alike. It's purified sea water which is isotonic - that means (and I didn't know this, despite having consumed isotonic drinks in the past !) that it is a solution containing the same concentration of salt as human body cells.

The difference comes in the smaller baby nose-sized nozzle and the very low water pressure. I actually stood at the back door with a can of Sterimar Baby and a can of regular Sterimar and squirted them both simultaneously to check and the regular version did indeed squirt further than the baby one ! (Then my dad appeared in the background and said, "Don't waste it, that's good stuff, that is" ! )

The microfine water droplets come out as a mist more than a squirt of water so you can clean out baby's nose gently and hopefully with no tears. Pierre still doesn't like it but my doctor still tells me it's good for him so I do use it occasionally when he starts sniffling. It contains absolutely no chemical nasties so according to the website, it can be used 2 to 6 times a day in each nostril, or even more if required.

I've actually just looked on the Sterimar website and have discovered that there are also a range of medical sprays to complement the basic nasal hygiene spray, so you might like to try out Sterimar Copper for noses prone to infection, Sulphur for recurrent nasal problems (phewww I bet that one's a bit stinky but I suppose, if you've got a bunged up nose, you won't smell it !), Manganese for noses prone to allergies and Sterimar "Blocked noses".

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £3.99 for 50ml

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Sterimar Isotonic Nasal Hygiene Spray

Baby Nose Clear Aspirator & Room Vapour

Vicks Sinex Soother and First Defence Nasal Sprays

Care Allergy Defence - natural hayfever protection

Scouting for Girls with Augmented Reality courtesy of Kit Kat !

Having had great fun reviewing some Augmented Reality kids' books this summer, I got all excited when I spotted this promotion earlier - you can watch an exclusive Scouting for Girls live performance by showing the special logo on your Kit Kat wrapper to your webcam. If you've never tried Augmented Reality before, you have to go and have a play. The special little logo interacts with your webcam to open up a virtual 3d scene on your computer screen which is really cool !

*****************************************
Some more information about the Kit Kat promo :

KIT KAT® is teaming up with Scouting for Girls to offer fans the chance to have a personal, unique gig experience, using augmented reality - the latest technology craze.

Using a promotional KIT KAT® 4 Finger (on shelf from mid August 2010), users will be able to unlock and view a one-off Scouting for Girls performance simply through their webcam.
Augmented reality is a digital technology that enables users to experience a ‘virtual’ 3D live performance - in this case an exclusive music performance.

Lead vocalist for Scouting for Girls, Roy Stride, says ‘We had a lot of fun making the augmented reality gig film and hope our fans enjoy a fun, new way of interacting with our music.’

A KIT KAT® spokesperson says: ‘It’s fantastic to be the first confectionery brand to use augmented reality on-pack and we’re delighted to be able to be a market leader in this arena. Innovation is really important to KIT KAT® and we hope that our consumers enjoy being able to see this one-off performance from Scouting for Girls.’

To view the gig, via a promotional KIT KAT® 4 Finger, log on to www.kitkat.co.uk/musicbreak, enter the VIP page and hold the special logo on the back of the bar up to your webcam and watch as a 3D hologram of a Scouting for Girls gig materialises in front of your very eyes.
Have a break, have a KitKat and have fun
Other reviews you may be interested in :

Carlton Kids Augmented Reality Books
Giveaway #15 - Free Download of 2 Previously Unreleased People in Planes Tracks
Nestlé 99 Calorie Biscuit Range
Milkybar Cow

Scholl Clear Gel Blister Plasters

Wow, I've just had a revelation ! For some reason, my perceptions of the Scholl brand have been stuck in a timewarp and the name still summoned up visions of the sensible but extremely unsexy orthopaedic sandals that I remember mums wearing during my childhood in the 70s ! Well, I've just been to look at the shoes on their website and they have some really funky styles on there, including wedges, strappy sandals, heels, boots, you name it !

The reason for this revelation ? I've received a selection of Scholl footcare products to review and I was amazed at how modern and high-tech they seem. The first product that leapt out at me were these new Clear Gel Blister Plasters. While slightly annoyed by the excess cardboard packaging which could easily be removed to be more eco-friendly, the concept itself immediately struck me as brilliant.

The plasters contain "an innovative Hydra-Gel technology" which offers instant relief from painful blisters, often caused by new shoes or killer heels, cushioning them and protecting them from further damage, but the plasters also go one step further. They provide optimum conditions for healing, keeping the blister hydrated and flexible and minimising friction and rubbing. They also help keep the blisters free from dirt and repel bacteria, helping to prevent infection.

But best of all, they actually stick to your skin and stay in place - welcome news for anyone who has ever got through a box full of plasters when trying to protect wounded feet because they keep coming off on socks, shoes or sweaty feet ! I don't know if this is the reason they stick so well or not but they have a special two-stage adhesion process - first of all, you remove the backing film from the central area of the plaster and stick it over the blister, then you remove the second backing film and smooth down the adhesive edge on your skin.

On the label, it says that you should leave the plaster on until it falls off naturally and, bearing in mind that they are waterproof and stick really well, this should be long enough for the blister to heal. The clear plasters are much more discreet than normal plasters and they are breathable so they feel nicer on your skin too.

The plasters come in a little plastic box containing a selection of sizes - 3 large ones which are ideal for heels and 2 small ones that would fit nicely on toes. It's ideal to pop in your handbag or pocket as a foot first aid kit whenever you're breaking in new shoes. Your feet will love you !

The only slight downside is the price - at £4.39 for a box of five, they're much more expensive than run-of-the-mill plasters.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £4.39

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Savlon Spray Plaster
Hotter Shoes
Clarks Daisy & Friends YoToY range - back to school shoes with a hidden doll in the sole !
Flexitol Blistop
Elastoplast 'Plaster with Healing Cream'

Cablox Cable organizer

Have you ever noticed how, whenever you need to plug a new USB plug into the back of your computer or add a webcam or whatever else needs doing around the back, you inevitably get back up sneezing, covered in dust and not sure if you've actually unplugged the right thing anyway ! There is always such a spaghetti-tangle of cables and wires jumbled up on the floor that even if you manage to manoeuver the hoover behind the computer, the dust bunnies always find a place to hide !

Cablox is an ingenious contraption that can help you tidy up your computer area, behind your TV or anywhere else you are inclined to find a multitude of tangled-up cables. It doesn't look very impressive - it's a 10cm x 10cm (approximately) square of white plastic covered in plastic pegs with an adhesive backing that enables you to stick it onto any clean flat surface, for example the back, side or underside of the computer desk. It looks cheaply-made and mass-produced and the pegs have rough edges so it isn't exactly beautiful but, to be honest, it's going to be tucked out of the way where you won't see it anyway.



Once you've stuck it in place, you just need to slot your cables into the gaps between the pegs then twist them around the pegs in whichever direction you choose - in straight lines, up and along at right angles, twisted back on themselves in a U or S-shape ... - whatever works best to get the plugs to come out at exactly the right location and with the perfect length of cable so that the annoying tangle of excess wires disappears. Each pack contains two Cablox cable organizers so you can use both together a slight distance apart if you have very long cables to tidy up, as shown above.

The advantages of this system are multiple. As well as getting rid of the unsightly tangle of cables and the inevitable dust trapped in them, it also keeps them out of harm's way from little fingers and puppy teeth ! It also makes it a piece of cake when you need to unplug a specific cable because it's always in exactly the right place just next to the corresponding socket and you can easily get one cable out without the manic untangling of mussed -up cables that this normally entails.

The design fault that I was expecting was the stickiness of the adhesive backing - I was convinced the weight of the cables would make it fall off but I was wrong, it stuck firmly in place, even upside down or when placed vertically !

My one little criticism is that it doesn't look very pretty but it's not designed to be out on show anyway. As a handy cable organizer, it does the job perfectly.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £7.99 for a pack of two

for more information : www.cablox.com/

Green People Aloe Vera Organic Roll-On Deodorant

Organic Fortnight has just drawn to a close so I've been reading lots of interesting information about organic products, including skincare. For example, Charlotte Vøhtz, the founder of organic-lifestyle company Green People says, “It is actually worse to put toxins on your skin than eat them. When you put something on your skin, it can go directly into the bloodstream. The use of multiple personal care products means that ingredients interact with each other, causing unpredictable additional toxicity to increase the risk of allergies.” Hmmm that certainly makes you think. What do we actually do to ourselves in the name of beauty ? Are we any better than our female ancestors who used to poison themselves to death by painting their faces with white lead paint to look pale and interesting ?!


Green People explain on their website, "Did you know that most deodorants contain a cocktail of chemicals that may be hazardous to health? Green People’s natural deodorants are made with 84% certified organic ingredients and are free from alcohol, pore-clogging aluminium, parabens and other nasties." So far so good.

However, the next bit did make me wonder how well I would actually like a chemical nasty-free deodorant. "Using an organic deodorant won't stop you sweating but, in conjunction with good basic hygiene, it will stop unpleasant odours without exposing you to harsh chemical ingredients and suppressing the body's vital functions." Hmmm I'm not sure about that. I love eco-friendly and organic products but only if they're as good as the less ethical alternatives so the idea of a deodorant that doesn't stop me sweating doesn't sound very convincing to me. Most of the non-organic deodorants on the market are also anti-perspirants, albeit with chemical nasties and pore-cloggers, so sweating is a bodily function that has been made almost taboo now !

So how does it work ? If it doesn't stop you sweating, does it just mask the smell ? Well, no, it does more than that. Green People have cleverly used natural ingredients that will help keep nasty whiffs at bay by preventing the build up of bacteria. They explain, "Aloe vera is a common ingredient across all three of our ladies’ roll-on deodorants thanks to its anti-microbial properties together with its soothing action on skin. Our men’s deodorants contain ingredients such as peppermint and rosemary, which have similar actions. However, it is two other ingredients – Ammonium alum and Zinc ricinoleate – which give our organic deodorants their remarkable effectiveness. Ammonium alum is not like the pore-clogging aluminium you will commonly find in high street antiperspirants. It stays on the surface of the skin, where it prevents the bacteria which cause odour from thriving. Zinc ricinoleate is derived from the seeds of the castor oil plant so is a completely natural ingredient. It has the capability to stop the bacteria from releasing odour, thereby keeping you smelling fresh as a daisy!" The Aloe Vera deodorant that I tried is also perfumed with Sandalwood and Chamomile which smells lovely and musky but not overpowering.

I tested the deodorant on myself and, on normal relatively chilled-out days, I found it actually worked very well but, I must admit, I felt self-conscious on the days when I needed to run about all over the place getting hot and sweaty or on really hot days. I would never live down walking into a classroom full of teens with big under-arm rings of sweat on my T-shirt so I did keep checking under my arms throughout the day, worrying about how I looked !

As this is such a gentle, natural product, I decided to let 9-year-old Sophie try it out. She's starting to worry about getting sweaty and a bit pongy after doing sport at school so, as I guessed, she was over the moon when I said she could use it. I wasn't keen on getting her started on deodorants this early on in her life but with Green People's ethics and chemical nasty-free formula, I had no qualms at all about her using it. She absolutely loves it and feels very grown up putting some on in the mornings before school on the days she has sport ! There is also a teen version available, called Oy!, with a fruity Orange and Vanilla scent that I'm sure she'd love too.

In conclusion, there are things I liked and things I didn't like. It basically comes down to one pivotal question : to sweat or not to sweat ?! If you want to keep your under-arm area as dry as the Gobi desert, you probably won't like organic deodorants. If this doesn't worry you, it's great to find a formula that is so gentle on your skin and that works WITH your body, rather than AGAINST it, trying to aggressively suppress natural bodily functions like sweating as most normal non-organic deodorants that you find in the supermarkets do.


According to the label, Green People's deodorant is made with 89% certified organic ingredients. It is suitable for people who may be prone to eczema and psoriasis, it's soothing and active with anti-bacterial properties, it's made without alcohol and pore-clogging Aluminium, it contains herbal extracts to soothe delicate skin and it's made with fairly traded, organic ingredients. It is certified with the Organic Food Federation and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. But what's on the outside is as important as what's on the inside and they also have eco-friendly packaging. They explain, "Our packaging is recyclable and non air-freighted so you can be sure that any environmental impact is minimal." It's not cheap but you do get the peace of mind of knowing that you're not polluting your - or your kids' - bodies with potentially harmful chemicals.

Green People's Aloe Vera Deodorant was the winner of the 2009/10 Green Beauty Bible awards and was also "Highly Commended" 2010 Natural Health Beauty Awards. For a natural, organic deodorant, it is certainly a very good product.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £7.75 (75ml)

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Green People & Organic Children Sun Lotion
Green People Organic Babies range
Be Sun Savvy & Beat the Heat - Top Tips from Green People

Appliances Online - The Appliance Specialist

I was recently approached by Appliances Online to have a look around their website and tell them what I thought. So I thought I'd tell you too ! I'm going to be perfectly honest and tell you that this is a sponsored post - but that in no way changes the content of my review. If I don't like what I see, I'll still tell them - and you !

I'd never actually heard of Appliances Online but a quick bit of research reveals that they are a British white goods retailer and part of the DRL group founded by MD John Roberts in 2000, after making a bet in a pub ! They ship large kitchen appliances like washing machines and cookers across the UK and offer next day delivery 7 days a week. One of the first things that leapt out at me when I visited the website was the fact that they are currently offering free delivery anywhere in the UK seven days a week. For anyone who has ever had to beg with the boss for a day off work to get a new washing machine delivered, that means you can avoid the whole headache by opting for a Sunday delivery. Normal delivery is £29.99, plus extra for premium dates (presumably weekend deliveries), so that's immediately a pretty good saving if you get in quick while the offer is still running.

But what about the products themselves ? They offer a wide range of all the household white goods you could possibly want, including washers and driers, fridges and freezers, dishwashers, cookers, ovens, hobs and cooker hoods. I was impressed to see that they even have spin driers, which aren't always easy to find but that many elderly relatives prefer to "new-fangled" tumble driers ! The products are grouped into handy categories - for example, for the freezers, upright freezers, under-counter freezers and chest freezers - but you can also jump straight to the "offers" section to see what's on promotion.

Choosing the product you want is made really easy because you can browse the complete range of models on offer or narrow down your choices by using a multitude of search options. You can select by brand, delivery options (standard or next day), promotions (best buy or while stocks last), price, fit type, colour, customer ratings, energy ratings, standard warranty (two year or one year), height or width. As someone who inevitably gets annoyed wandering around electrical goods stores comparing all the little information cards and never remembering which one said what or finding the model with the maximum dimensions required to fit in the kitchen, I think that is an absolutely fantastic tool. Especially as, once you've narrowed down your choices to a select few, you can tick "compare" then go to the compare page (scroll down and look in the right-hand margin - I spent a while working out how to get to the compare page !) to see your favourite models side by side and compare each piece of information point by point.

From looking around the website, you really get the impression that they are offering you everything they can possibly think of to make the buying experience as simple and painless as possible. As well as the comparison page and the handy ways to refine your search that I've already mentioned, they have buyer's guides, glossaries to explain the terminology of different white goods and a free order and advice line, based in a call centre in Bolton (so, unlike many of the foreign call centre operators, they should actually understand your questions !). Having spent many a frustrating half hour waiting for hotline operators to answer the phone, I was really impressed to see that, as well as being free and using sensible hours (Monday - Sunday 8am to 10pm), they make the following promise : "Our target is to answer 90% of our calls within 20 seconds, though we’re often much faster". Yes, OK, the cynics out there are saying that you'll probably be one of the unlucky ones in the 10% but I'm still impressed !

Speaking of being cynical, a little nagging voice was telling me that with all these great deals and free delivery and free call centre and so on, they probably recoup their money by hiking up the prices. Well, they even offer a Price Match Promise. "We’re confident you can’t beat our price, but if you think one of our competitors listed has, call us on 0800 032 3249 and we’ll match their offer." Ever the cynic, I expected a list of expensive companies but no, they price match with Comet, Currys, John Lewis, Tesco and ASDA.


As an online reviewer, I always like to check out the product reviews on websites but when they only have faultless 5/5 reviews, I'm (yes, you've guessed it !) always a bit sceptical that they've censored the reviews or only allowed through the ones that say nice things. Well, I was reassured to see that on the Appliances Online website, there are good and bad customer ratings and reviews, as well as video reviews (although those are more like the demonstrations you see on TV shopping channels so I'd call them video presentations rather than unbiased reviews).

I have to say, the website is well thought out and really easy to navigate and all the information you could possibly want is there at your fingertips. The free advice line is also a huge plus point if you can't find out everything you need to know. And if you need another reason to check them out, I've discovered that they also have a competitions page and on their twitter page, they give away sweets ! What more could you possibly ask for ?!

star rating : 5/5 (please note, I'm reviewing the website and have no actual experience of the company - please feel free to leave a comment if you've got anything to add after buying from them !)

for more information : http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk

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Giovanni Rana fresh pasta recipe ideas

GIOVANNI RANA TRATTORIA PORCINI MUSHROOM RAVIOLI WITH PANCETTA
Serves 4

2 packs Giovanni Rana Trattoria Porcini Mushroom Ravioli
125g pancetta or speck if available
10g butter
150ml single cream
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves or ¼ tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper

To serve:
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the pancetta (or speck) into thin strips.
Heat the butter in a medium frying pan, add the pancetta and cook over a medium high heat 4-5 minutes until browned and beginning to crisp. Add the cream and oregano and allow to simmer until thickened, season.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, bring to the boil plenty of water with some salt. When the water is boiling, add the Giovanni Rana Trattoria Porcini Mushroom Ravioli to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, and toss together with the bacon sauce.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

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GIOVANNI RANA TRATTORIA TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA RAVIOLI WITH BASIL OIL AND AUBERGINE

Serves 4

2 packs Giovanni Rana Trattoria Tomato and Mozzarella Ravioli
1 medium aubergine
Salt
4 tbsp olive oil
Good handful basil leaves
1 tsp lemon juice

To serve:
Freshly grated Parmesan
Basil leaves

Cut the aubergine into 5mm slices, put into a colander and lightly sprinkle with salt, set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile put half the oil into a jug with the basil leaves and lemon juice and blend together.
Rinse the aubergine and dry on kitchen paper and brush each side lightly with remaining oil. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle pan and cook the slices for 2-3 minutes each side until tender and golden. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, bring to the boil plenty of water with some salt. When the water is boiling, add the Giovanni Rana Trattoria Tomato & Mozzarella Ravioli to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, and then toss in the basil oil.Arrange the aubergine slices on warm serving plates and top with the ravioli, scatter over the Parmesan and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

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GIOVANNI RANA GIOVANNI RANA ITALIAN BASIL PESTO TORTELLONI WITH PARMIGIANO REGGIANO FONDUE

Serves 4

2 packs Giovanni Rana Italian Basil Pesto Tortelloni
20g butter
20g flour
300ml milk
200ml single cream
100g Parmigiano Reggiano
Pinch of salt
Handful of chopped pine nuts

Method:
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and mix together over a low heat for about 1 minute.
Bring to boil the cream and the milk with a pinch of salt and then pour it slowly over the flour and butter mix.
Bring the combined ingredients to the boil, whisking all the time, and add the grated parmesan.
Cook for another minute until all the cheese is melted.Meanwhile cook the Giovanni Rana tortelloni in plenty of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then toss with the parmesan fondue and serve sprinkled with the pine nuts.

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GIAVANNI RANA FETTUCINE WITH BASIL AND SPINACH AND TOMATO AND FRESH PEA SAUCE
Serves 3-4

250g pack Giovanni Rana Fettucine with Basil and Spinach
500g tomatoes, vine-ripened or plum
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Handful basil leaves, shredded
175g fresh peas
25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Method :

Cut a cross on each tomato, put into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Drain after 1 minute and peel away the skins.
Roughly chop the tomatoes, discarding the inner core and put into a bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic basil and Parmesan cheese, season and mix together.
Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil, add the Giovanni Rana Fettucine stir and when it comes back to the boil add the peas. Cook together for 2 minutes.
Drain return to the pan and add the tomato mixture. Toss together then divide between warm serving dishes. Add extra basil leaves and serve with grated Parmesan.



Tip : You will need approx 350g peas in the pod to give 175g freshly shelled. Frozen peas can be substituted.

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ENJOY AN INDIAN INFUSED SUMMER WITH PATAK’S DELICIOUS RANGE OF PASTES