Saturday, 28 May 2011

Book review : Ken Tanaka's Picture Book (For Grown Ups) - Everybody Dies


Following on from my review of controversial "kids" book for desperate parents Go The F**k To Sleep, I was contacted by the author of a similar book, Ken Tanaka, to see if I'd like to review his take on the "children's book for grown ups" genre.

When I saw the title, Everybody Dies, I did have a moment's hesitation. Like most people, I've lost people close to me and wasn't sure I wanted something so sensitive and traumatic to be treated with irreverence and humour. But I decided to have a look and see how it was dealt with.

Well, it's actually pretty inoffensive. Yes, you do get the odd bit of sick humour like the "fun activity" to tick off different ways people you know have died (drowning ? armed robbery ? overdose ? tigers ?!) and the picture of a tombstone where you can write your name and "ask a loved one to fill in the date after you've died" ! But the rest is pretty tame.

The book is written in classic children's picture book format with one sentence and a big illustration to a page. Despite the sensitive topic, I think it would actually appeal to kids who often have a very matter-of-fact way of dealing with death. The book does have a very down-to-earth way of dealing with facts, the basic message being : Everybody dies. Cute animals die. Scary animals die. So do people. The world would be a very crowded place if they didn't. Can't argue with that !

It's not quite as clever or intricate as Go The F**k To Sleep, which will have parents shamefacedly recognising themselves and laughing along, but I could see this appealing to teens. It reminds me very much of the humour found in the Hundred and One Uses for a Dead Cat books which used to have my mum in hysterics !

Ken obviously courts controversy and has an irreverent, or some would say warped, sense of humour, as the titles of his other (fake but who knows if he'll ever get around to really writing them ?!) books show : Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What the F**k? ; Ghosts Are Real & They're After You ; A Children's Guide to Heavy Artillery ; and Ken Tanaka's Big Book of Parasites. I wonder if he's ever heard of the Horrible History series - he'd love it !

You can hear and watch Ken reading his book on the youtube video on his webpage : http://www.everybodydiesbook.com/index.php?/about/ It's quite poignant to see that the website was designed by Lisa Nguyen, who the book is dedicated to as "the one who should have been the exception". Says it all really.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : $11


Other reviews you may be interested in :

Lifft Slings Goes Limited Edition

I've already blogged about (here) and reviewed (here) the Lifft sling on my blog but I've just seen this season's new limited edition designs and wanted to share them with you. My top tip for anyone holidaying this year is forget the bulky pushchair, take a sling instead. I absolutely loved having our Lifft sling in Turkey last year - it was great for gadding about on the local buses to go to the market without trying to squeeze in a pushchair, posed no problem on the pushchair-unfriendly rocky pavements, protected Pierre's arms and legs from the sun and, best of all, was perfect for keeping in the mini-fridge in our room so we could have a lovely cooling moment whenever we headed out in the sun !

****************************************


Lifft Slings, the only baby sling known to be scientifically proven to improve posture, has launched five new Limited Edition colours as a website exclusive. Olive, Mocha, Soft Rose and Cool Amethyst are brand new colours and the 5th sling, black with green, is back by popular demand. All perfect for spring and summer babies.


The limited edition selection has all the important benefits of the original Lifft Sling such as encouraging a natural style of parenting, being able to be used from birth right through to toddlerhood and
having no buckles clips or straps to do up. The only difference is the colour.

This exciting new initiative coincides with Lifft’s appearance on the BBC2 series, ‘Britain’s Next Big Thing’, which follows entrepreneurs on their journey to being stocked in well-known high street names, including Boots, Liberty’s and Habitat. Appearing on a prime time BBC show has not only lead to Lifft Slings becoming a high street brand, but it is also helping make it a household name.


The original sling colourways, Cocoa & Coral, Khaki & Black and Vanilla & Stone, are still available from independent baby stores and from http://www.lifftslings.com/ along with a new navy colour exclusive to Boots Stores and Boots.com

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Friday, 27 May 2011

This is Me, This is My Future Challenge To Help Save The Children



I keep getting tagged in memes and have trouble finding the time to do them, but this is one campaign I didn't want to miss out on as it's so important. You must have all heard of the charity organisation Save The Children and the fabulous work they do, but you may not know about their latest campaign.

Back in January, Save the Children launched its most ambitious campaign to date, No Child Born to Die. Every year 8 million children under five die from illnesses we know how to treat or prevent, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Save The Children is focusing on the provision of vaccinations and healthcare workers. In June there is a meeting in London hosted by David Cameron and attended by other world leaders. Save The Children aims to make as much noise as possible to ensure the funding shortfall for vaccinations (4.7 billion) is met by all the donor countries. If this funding gap is met, the vaccines that could then be provided would save the lives of millions of children.

So what can you do to help ? Well, read on to find out about the fun "This is me, this is my future" challenge hosted by the lovely Maggy over at Red Ted Art's Blog. Thanks to Very Busy Mama for tagging me and getting me involved.

**Not been tagged??? Take part ANYWAY… do the below and you are away***



**Don’t want to craft, but do want to help? Go straight to point 2 & sign the petition**

So the challenge is simple:

1) Get your child to either draw or craft a self portrait of themselves now or in the future. Even a simple circle with dots and lines is sufficient !!!

2) Sign the Save the Children petition (here) and then pass it onto your friends

3) Write a blog post about it as soon as possible, including info about Save the Children and the petition. We want as many people linked up AND signed up the petition by Sunday 29th May 2011

4) Tag 8 fellow blogger friends

5) Come back and link up your posts, so we can all share your craftiness

6) If you have time, visit each other posts and say hello!




Well, here's Juliette showing off the drawing she did of our family this morning before school - sorry for the lack of colours but it was a bit of a rush job so that I'd have time to get this post up before the deadline ! You can see, from left to right, Daddy, Mummy, Sophie, Pierre, Juliette, our two dogs Didou and Vicky and our rabbit Charlie ! All very happy and smiley !



I gave her the time to do a proper while after work tonight while I was typing up this blogpost so here it is - Juliette when she's a grown-up mummy. (Her words !)

Now, for some other lovely bloggers to send this to (getting hard now as I think most people have done it already !). It's up to you if you want to help spread the word, with or without a craft project and sorry if you've already done one !

3) @ericahughes http://92three30.com/
5) @savvymum4autism http://www.savette.com/


Other blogposts you may be interested in :


 

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Zhu-Zhu Cow Plush Microwaveable Slipper Boots review


Thanks to the lovely Sylvie at Fuel My Blog, I was recently given the chance to try out one of the products from Zhu-Zhu. Now, I have to admit, my immediate reaction was the same as the girls - I instantly thought of Zhu-Zhu Pets, the cute little hamster toys that they have been hankering after for months ! But no, there's not a hamster in sight. Just cows, as I chose the Cow Plush Microwaveable Slipper Boots to review !

As the website explains, "Zhu-Zhu specialise in Herbal Heat Pack Wheat Bags and are constantly introducing new heat pads, microwavable slippers and other wheat bag products at affordable prices to ensure we offer the most comprehensive range available. We are UK based, offering quality items at prices on heat pads and other microwave products far cheaper than the high street."

Now, I have a very warped taste in slippers - I've had gorillas, rabbits and monster feet in my time ! - so the cow print slipper boots immediately appealed to me, just as regular slippers. You wear them as
long boots or roll the tops down if you prefer. They're lovely and soft and snuggly and great for lounging around the house keeping your feet warm.

But they're more than just ordinary slippers because they contain wheat in the soles so that you can heat them in the microwave for 90 seconds (no more or they'll end up smelling of burnt popcorn !). If you have cold feet or aching feet, they are incredibly soothing and warming and I love putting them on as a lovely way of getting into wind-down mode after a long day at work. As well as wheat, the slippers contain lavender leaf which releases a lovely relaxing fragrance when you heat them up.

The manufacturers explain : "A microwave wheat bag is a relaxing way to release stress and everyday aches and pains. Simply heat in a microwave and apply to tired joints and muscles and enjoy the soothing warmth. Our range of wheat bags and wheat cushions are a convenient method of applying heat therapy which has been shown to be an effective method for reducing muscle pain and reducing muscle and joint stiffness. They may soothe frozen shoulder and neck pains, give comfort to back or stomach pains, and ease arthritic pain."

They are lovely and soothing if you're sitting around on the sofa with your feet up, but the wheat is in the soles which makes it difficult and slightly uncomfortable to actually walk around in for more than a couple of minutes. They stay warm for about half an hour but you can pop them back into the microwave for another quick zap if your feet are still cold. I did wonder how hygienic it is to put slippers that have been on your feet and on the floor into a microwave that you will be using to heat food in, so that's another reason to keep them off the floor - and you might want to wash your feet or wear socks before putting them on !

You may also be thinking that this is totally the wrong season to be investing in fluffy microwavable slippers to warm your feet up (although the weather has gone decidedly autumnal today) but they can also be used to cool your feet down. Zhu-Zhu explain that wheat bags can also be chilled in a freezer and used as a cold compress to ease sprains, swelling, bruising, headaches and sports injuries. Or just cool down hot sweaty feet !

They're easy to buy as a gift as they are one size fits all (or one size fits most feet, as they say), with the slipper boots being suitable for sizes 3-8.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £14.99 (but currently £12.99)

for more information : http://www.zhu-zhu.co.uk/slippers/microwaveable-slippers/zhu-zhu-cow-plush-feet-warmers-microwaveable-slipper-boots.html

Other reviews you may be interested in :


Awww I got a Butterfly Award for the coolest blog I ever know !


Last week, I was very chuffed to learn that I'd been awarded a Butterfly Award "for the coolest blog I ever know" from the lovely Danielle Jordan Terry over at Tinks Tales. If you've never been over there, it's well worth a visit. Not only is Dani very lovely and bubbly, she has some amazing photos (the model pics are absolutely stunning).


Now, the rules of the award are :

1. Write a random fact about yourself

2. Pass The Award On To Five Bloggers

3. Notify The Bloggers Who Got It

OK - for my random fact about myself - during my life so far, I've lived in eleven different houses in three countries. I started out in Hastings, Sussex (three addresses) as a kid, went to Swansea for uni (two addresses) with a year in Brest, Brittany in halls of residence there. After graduating, back to Brest for a few years (three addresses), then a move to Dunkirk, Northern France (2 addresses). Now we split our time between England and France. Phew !

Now, time to choose some lovely bloggers to pass the award on to :

1) Red Ted Art's blog - my first place to call on a rainy afternoon when I want to find an idea for keeping the kids entertained with random stuff I usually have lying about the house !

2) Me and my shadow - Miss Lizzie's blog which inspires me with craft ideas for me to try out, as well as showing the great second-hand bargains you can pick up on her Magpie Mondays

3) I know, I need to stop talking ... - has me in hysterics because she blogs about all those bits of parenting that make you cringe and keep quiet about !

4) Ninja Killer Cat - the only reviews blog I know that is written by a cat ! Hilarious feline photos which make me smile.

5) Confessions of a Compaholic - which should be renamed Confessions of a Weightloss-aholic because her slimming journey is an inspiration to us all (or at least anyone trying to lose weight!)

Well done ladies, who's next ? ...

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Book review : Five Minute Bread - Jeff Hetzberg & Zoe François


Here at The Madhouse, we have a bread machine and it's constantly on the go. There is nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking in your kitchen and eating that first slice slathered in butter when it's still hot is a real moment of pleasure, even though I've been baking bread for years now. However, a few months back, I had a go at baking my bread all by myself, without the bread machine, and it just seemed so much more satisfying. Not to mention the bread (which you can see here) which looked so much more rustic and authentic than anything the bread machine can produce.

I therefore loved the idea behind the title, Five Minute Bread, and was keen to see how it would all work when I was offered the book to review. Making bread in just five minutes seems unbelievably quick and simple. Well, just like Jamie Oliver and his Thirty Minute Meals, I do feel that five minutes is a slight exaggeration but the system does work really well.

You need to spend half an hour reading the introduction to the book to understand the concept and the master recipe. You will basically produce a simple dough that you can keep in the fridge for a fortnight, hacking off and cooking a lump every day to make your daily bread.

This basic dough recipe can be modified in innumerable ways, to create a vast number of different and delicious sounding breads, ranging from chocolate bread and cinnamon rolls to bagels, pretzels and Italian-inspired tomato and parmesan bread. Just flicking through, I have seen so many recipes, both sweet and savoury, that I can't wait to try.

The "five minute bread dough" took me about 15 minutes to prepare, but I'm sure I'll get quicker the more I do it. I had a bit of an issue with it sticking to my knife when cutting and slashing but it really does produce lovely bread with no kneading which impressed me. The longer it stays in the fridge, the more it takes on a "sourdough" flavour and, although I wasn't sure I'd like this when I read about it in the book, it actually tastes nicer the longer you leave it. I love the fact that no two loaves, even from the same batch of dough, will look or taste identical because even the dough is constantly changing.

The recipes call for unbleached flour, which I initially had trouble finding, then realised pretty much all flour in the UK is unbleached anyway. My one piece of advice is don't overthink it and try to make it more complicated than it is - it is as unbelievably simple as it sounds, even if five minutes is pushing it, especially as you then have to add on cooking time.

Even if you've never made bread before, the concept is so simple that you'll be making delicious homemade breads with very little work and very little room for error. Reading the book in detail shows you how much effort the authors - one a scientist with a love of bread, one a trained pastry chef and baker - have put into perfecting their technique and recipes. They've taken all the guesswork and effort out so that you can just sit back and reap the rewards. I bet you'll never buy bread from a shop again !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £14.99

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Ebury Press (6 Jan 2011)
ISBN-10: 0091938945
ISBN-13: 978-0091938949



Other reviews you may be interested in :

Safe Dreams Breathable Cot Wrap review



I always get really excited when I learn about a new baby/child product that has been created by an actual parent to sort out a problem they've encountered because that's always the sign that it will be a really well thought out and useful product. The Safe Dreams Cot Wrap, marketed as the safe alternative to cot bumpers, falls into that category. New mum Louise Guinda was horrified to find her baby son in his cot with his face squashed up against the cot bumpers turning a horrible shade of blue. Removing them brought about a whole new set of problems though, as he woke up several times a night with his arms or legs stuck through the bars of the cot. Louise therefore set about filling a hole in the market for a breathable version of cot bumpers.


When the girls were babies, cot bumpers were still accepted as part of a baby's nursery equipment so when Pierre was born, I wasn't sure whether to drag them back out or not. I'd never had any problems with either of the girls using them but was aware that many health experts now advise against using traditional quilted cot bumpers because of the potential dangers involved - either the risk of suffocation or because of the strings. As you can see in the photo above, I did eventually decide to use them while Pierre was small, but they started to sag and the ties started to get broken and Pierre started trying to use the bumpers to climb on. Definitely time to remove them.


With perfect timing, Louise put a call-out for bloggers to try out a Safe Dreams Cot Wrap so I waved my hand excitedly in the air and sat back to wait for the postman ! It's basically a very long strip of breathable fabric with velcro strips on either end that you can weave in and out of and wrap around the cot bars to hold it in place without any dangerous strings. I found it a bit hard to find the best way of threading it through the bars (which ones and how many) but with a bit of trial and error, we managed to get it relatively tight and firmly in place.


The material is totally breathable so there is no risk of suffocation and also allows the air to flow in and out of the cot, therefore avoiding overheating. Overheating, re-breathing of exhaled air and lack of oxygen are apparently all risk factors which have been associated with SIDS (cot death) so that's good to know.

They're a bit plain and look almost clinical so I'd like to see brighter colours and maybe some attractive prints to rival the traditional cot bumpers (they're currently available in ivory, pink or blue). My one gripe would be that they tend to slip down the sides to the very bottom of the bars so, when you take into account the thickness of the cot mattress, there's not a great deal of cot wrap that can be seen above the level of the mattress. There is enough to stop baby's dummy falling out of the cot or their arms and legs poking through the gaps though and if Pierre tries to use the cot wrap to climb on, he's not getting anywhere fast ! I think this issue might also be solved if the cot is on the highest (newborn) level, whereas Pierre is older so his bed is at the lowest setting.

But the safety aspect totally outweighs these slight negatives and, for my own piece of mind, I'm much happier using the Safe Dreams. It's also machine washable and quick-drying and is available in two or four-sided versions depending on the cot.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £29.99


Other reviews you may be interested in :

Giveaway #86 - Win two great kids' vampire books by Pete Johnson - closed - winners lilpickle87 @freyamae1 @susanwillshee


It's turning into a bit of a Pete Johnson-lovefest here at The Madhouse lately ! First, I reviewed his fab new kids' book, The Vampire Hunters, which is the sequel to The Vampire Blog, right here. Then I blogged his blogging tips to would-be young bloggers (here) and his advice for reluctant readers and writers here (an exclusive guest post for this blog). And last but not least, I have a lovely competition to share with you where THREE of you will be able to win both of Pete's kids'vampire books.

To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous prize, just do the following three things:


(1) follow my blog with Google Friends Connect (over on the side bar on the right)


(2) leave me a comment in the comments box with a way of contacting you (twitter name or email). If I don't hear back from you within a week, I'll have to pick another winner.

(3) comment on any of my other blogposts and tell me where you commented (other giveaways don't count and each comment only counts for one giveaway !)

Bonus entries :

You can do any or all of the following for bonus entries - just make sure you leave me one comment per entry so that they're all counted !


(1) Follow me on twitter (@cherylp59) and tweet about my comp - this is now dead easy if you click on the tweet button on the right-hand side bar. Feel free to shorten if necessary, or you can make up your own tweet. Make sure you copy in @cherylp59 so I can track this.

(2) I love reading your comments so leave me some extra comments on my other blogposts (maximum 5) and I'll give you a bonus entry for each one ! Just remember to leave me a comment here each time to tell me you've done so.

(3) I've created a facebook page for Madhouse Family Reviews so I'd love for you to become a follower on there too - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madhouse-Family-Reviews/144910798898626


(4) Subscribe to my blog by email (near the top of the right-hand sidebar) so that all the new posts pop into your inbox in a handy digest every morning


UK only. Closing date : 15/6/11. Good luck.


Other current giveaways you may be interested in :



HP Sauce with Guinness review


A couple of months ago, just in time for St Patrick's Day, HP launched a new variety of their iconic sauce with a surprising ingredient - Guinness ! - and sent me a bottle to try out. I was intrigued to see what the combination of flavours would taste like. Both HP and Guinness are great by themselves, but would they work together ?

I first tried it out on the side of the plate when I ate sausages and mash and I have to admit, I wasn't entirely convinced. You can really taste the Guinness and my brain couldn't work out why I was tasting that when eating bangers and mash. I got the impression I was eating a pub lunch and someone had spilt their beer in my food ! Hmmm.



I did think to myself that it would great as an ingredient in beefy casseroles or pies though or possibly as an ingredient in a marinade for the barbecue and a quick look at the bottle showed that it does indeed say "Delicious with beef and pork, also a tasty cooking ingredient". The next time I knocked up some beef carbonnade (basically a boozy beef casserole - you can see my £4 Slow Cooker Challenge version here), I squeezed in a good dollop and it gave the sauce a lovely deep, rich flavour and extra thickness.


The website offers a whole host of other recipe ideas to try out that sound as simple as they are delicious : Potato topped Irish stew, sticky spicy ribs, tacos, fajitas, Beef & HP Guinness Pie, even HP Guinness cheese and ham toasties. It actually seems to be a really versatile ingredient for adding a bit of oomph to meaty dishes (and more - I wouldn't have thought of trying it with cheese toasties but I guess that would be a bit similar to Welsh rarebit).

 I have to admit, I'm not keen on it as a side-of-plate sauce as I feel it overpowers the food, but it is great for adding extra flavour to gravies and casseroles, so it's worth experimenting with.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £1.99 for 475g


Other reviews you may be interested in :



Book review - Go the F**k to Sleep, Adam Mansbach's gift book for exhausted parents !


As a mum, I love all three of my kids unconditionally and wholeheartedly and I couldn't imagine life without them. However, there are times when they drive me to distraction and I breathe a huge sigh of relief when it's time to send them off to bed so that I can get some well-earned mummy-time ! Some days it works like clockwork and they're all having happy dreams within a matter of minutes. Other times, it's the final battle of the day and they will use all the ruses kids have ever come up with to get an extra five minutes of not going to sleep. Aaaggghhh !

Adam Mansbach has obviously been there many a time because his hilarious pastiche of a kids' bedtime story sums up the sentiments precisely. This is a book that will divide the masses. While some parents will laugh out loud at its irreverent humour, I'm sure others will be deeply offended at the words addressed to the kids in the book. Cannongate, who have acquired the rights, explain : "Profane, affectionate and refreshingly honest, this book perfectly captures the familiar and unspoken tribulations of putting your child down for the night. In the process, it opens up a conversation about parenting, charming and enraging as it can be, and chimes a note of solidarity with tired parents everywhere."

The book will be published just in time for Father's Day next month, but it is already climbing steadily through the Amazon UK charts, hitting the Amazon.co.uk Top 50 and Humour Top 10 within just a few days. Due to a spontaneous internet buzz that has resulted in the US publisher bringing publication forward, as well as the resulting coverage from the Today Show to the New York Times, the book found its way to the Number 1 spot on Amazon.com last week. Film rights were this week sold to Fox 2000 !

Just a word of warning - it looks exactly like a typical illustrated kids' bedtime storybook so keep it well out of the little hands. This is definitely one to keep for the adults, and even then, only those with a naughty sense of humour and a broad mind !

Canongate will publish a £9.99 hardback on 16 June 2011.

for more information : http://gotheftosleep.com/

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

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