Boo Boo Baby Soft & Splashy Bubbles

"I love my Boo Boo bubbles
They're fluffy and they float
Mummy says they're extra kind
Because they're made with oats !"


This cute little ditty (which for some reason always makes me think of "I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life, It makes the peas taste funny But it keeps them on my knife !" which comes straight out of one of my childhood bedtime books !), combined with the cute pictures of elephants blowing bubbles on the label, go together to produce some of the most appealing baby product packaging that I've seen in a while.


Before I even opened the bottle, I was smiling to myself and feeling all fluffy and warm. When I pressed the handy flip-top lid and squirted a tiny amount under running water, I first marvelled at the amount of bubbles from such a tiny squirt then breathed in deeply to fully benefit from the gorgeous smell. It's such a relaxing, stress-busting, delicious scent that it is absolutely perfect for baby's bathtime to help him relax and get ready for bedtime. I am also definitely going to pinch some myself the next time I have a bath to relax and unwind after a long day.


Closer investigation of the label meant that things just kept getting better and better and my already very high opinion rocketed even further skywards. "We put only kind and soothing ingredients into your baby’s bubbles: Tahitian Monoi, from Tiare blossoms to hydrate and protect, marshmallow plant extract to moisturise and oats to gently cleanse. With added olive oil, coconut oil and chamomile it leaves baby’s skin soft and silky smooth. Suitable for the most sensitive little dumplings !" And if that doesn't convince you, they really hammer home the "no chemical nasties" message with the words, "HOORAY ! We've banned the baddies ! NO parabens, sulphates, TEA petrochemicals, synthetic colours or DEA".


It left Pierre's skin lovely and soft and smelling gorgeous. I don't know if it was a coincidence or a result of the lovely relaxing scent but he also drifted off to sleep calmly and peacefully for the first time this week, since he's had a cold and a very snuffly nose. A huge mum-thumbs up all round. It's bliss in a bottle !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £6.99 for 250ml

Book review : Living La Vida Loca - Belinda Jones

I have to admit to smirking guiltily to myself at the title Living La Vida Loca and the sultry macho Latino sex-god dancing flirtatiously on the cover of the book with a woman in a dress split provocatively to the thigh, especially when there is a cheeky reference to Ricky Martin in the book itself - but that's just bad timing because I happened to start reading this in the week that the real Ricky Martin came out of the closet. Don't get me wrong, I applaud Ricky for coming clean and have no problem whatsoever with his sexual preferences, but it does seem farcical now to think of him singing "She bangs, she bangs" surrounded by hyperventilating female fans !

But Ricky-references aside, what we have here is a fine example of feel-good chicklit that will be absolutely perfect for reading by the pool this summer. It follows two girls, best friends Beth the professional dancer and Carmen with two left feet, who get whisked off into the world of reality TV dance shows.

As they visit three major dance capitals of the world, Argentina, Spain and Cuba, in order to learn the tango, paso doble and salsa, it becomes evident just how much effort author Belinda Jones put into researching the book - the book was three years in the making and she really did go to the countries and learn the dances herself, drawing on her own personal experiences in the novel. As well as explaining the cultural hotspots of the cities and the history of the dances, she gives us a real insight into the lifestyles and mentalities of the people in each country. The descriptions of poor people collecting cardboard boxes to recycle and earn a few pennies to get by and the brutal but breath-taking reality of the controversial art of bullfighting, for example, really bring the exotic locations to life and add extra depth to the basic storyline of life, love and dancefloors.

The central characters are deeply flawed which makes them very likeable. In particular, Carmen's story of her abusive relationship that unfolds throughout the book will have readers empathising with her and mentally cheering her on as she goes on this voyage of self-discovering. Despite some of the dark scenes described, the book is ultimately very uplifting and positive.

Whether or not you like dancing, as an activity or from the comfort of your sofa, you can't help but be drawn into the story. If you're a fan of chicklit, you'll absolutely love it and it's the perfect lightweight read to pack in your suitcase this summer.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £6.99

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks (10 Jun 2010)
ISBN-10: 0340994444
ISBN-13: 978-0340994443

video game : Squeeballs Party - Nintendo DS version

Let me warn you straight away - whether you're 5 or 55, you risk becoming totally addicted to the little Squeeball games on Squeeball Party ! Squee-whats, I hear you say ?! Well, let me explain - Squeeballs are cute little toys that are supposedly manufactured in a secret location somewhere on an island in the Pacific. The Squeeballs need to be tested to the point of destruction before they can be sent to store shelves. Your job is to take on the role of toy-tester and try by any means to destroy them to eliminate any that aren't tough enough to survive and make it to the toyshop.

The slightly sadistic humour of trying to destroy cute little toys with lovable personalities and faces adds an edge to this game and makes it stand out from the huge pile of other "party" mini-game compilations. I wasn't sure Sophie, 8, and Juliette, 5, would enjoy inflicting pain and suffering on a bunch of cute toys - but I was wrong ! They giggled away as they splatted them and battered them and covered them in paint and had no qualms whatsoever about the cruelty element. Oh well, they know it's just a game and it's not real !



Lots of the games reminded me of other games - the bowling is a bit like Wii Sport and the cooking one is a bit like Cooking Mama - but there are also some original ideas, like the catapult paintball game and the wire shocker one. The front of the box boasts 70+ mini games but most of these are just minor variations on the 6 central game types : 10 pin bowling, cooking, paint by Squeeballs, shock, crazy lanes and feeding frenzy.

As the instruction manual says, "Once you have unlocked a Game Type, you can play it for points in Single Game mode. Master the game and reap fame and glory with your name on the High Score Screen. The only thing better than making the High Score screen is beating your friends so hook up with your buddies for a competition in party mode - but don't buckle under the multi-player pressure !"

Each mini game is very simple to play - there are no complicated controls or instructions to understand so even 5-year-old Juliette could just jump in and play along with no questions asked. However, actually managing to complete each target is surprisingly hard and she soon got frustrated. Even I found it difficult to master, but instead of giving up in frustration, I found it hard to put down and kept coming back for more ! The stylus didn't always seem to control movements with enough precision so I wonder if the gameplay would be smoother and easier on the Wii version.

It's a fun little package that will keep the kids entertained (despite the 7+ rating, I think it's perfectly acceptable for younger children) and give you a quick 5-minute play on your coffee break. It's not the most taxing or original title I've come across but the humour and the Squeeballs cuteness in part makes up for this.

star rating : 3.5/5

RRP : £19.99

North Face Girl's Resolve Jacket

As you can see from the big grin on her face, Juliette was over the moon when she was sent a funky pink jacket from North Face to test and immediately adopted it as her new school coat. It does the job perfectly as a school coat or a day-to-day coat but it is also more than that, being designed for harsh conditions for serious outdoorsy-types. We did also test it on a really windy day on the top of a cliff and it kept her nice and warm, as these photos show.

As well as the wind test, Juliette has also worn it to school on several rainy days and came home bone dry, unsurprisingly as North Face is renowned for its outdoor products and even sponsors professional athletes from the world of extreme sports. On their website, they explain "Combining technical performance with style, the Resolve Jacket will keep girls dry during the heaviest of downpours. Its advanced HyVent™ fabric leaves the shell reliably waterproof yet breathable, managing moisture both inside and out for maximum comfort. Mesh lined and with a brushed collar, it feels good against the body, and a full-length zip and elasticised cuffs ensure a snug, secure fit at all times. When the rain eases the hood can be detached and stored in the collar until the next shower, and the whole jacket rolls up small for stashing in a backpack or bag. Smartly designed and cut, it will keep the rain out on girls’ walks about town as well as out on the hills."

Well, I agree wholeheartedly with all of that except for the bit about the hood. Firstly, it's not detachable at all - it can be rolled up and stashed away in a velcro-sealed pouch in the collar but it remains attached to the coat, which is actually more practical than if it was detachable. Unfortunately, the hood seems much too big for the rest of the coat (which fits perfectly, in length and stature - I just needed to roll the sleeves up a little bit). This caused visibility issues (that could be dangerous if you were walking up a mountain, as many North Face buyers probably would be) and also meant that it didn't stay up in windy conditions.

That is my only criticism though. It's a great all round jacket, which means that it is great value because unlike more hardcore outdoor-wear jackets that only look cool in extreme conditions and aren't really suited to the school playground, this one will get worn lots before your child outgrows it. The little extras like the zippered pockets, the hood that can be packed away and the fact that it is so lightweight, plus the advanced technology of the Hyvent waterproof, breathable material, really make it stand out from its cheaper high-street rivals.

As Juliette is a real little tomboy who loves playing in the dirt and scrambling over rocks, the back of the coat soon got dirty but it's just been through the washing machine and came out in pristine condition. It can't be tumble-dried but drip-dried really quickly.

It will definitely see her through the whole of spring and come back out for autumn (or, dare I say it, summer, if the sun doesn't pay us much of a visit this year). The pink colour appealed to Juliette's girlie-girlie side but it does also come in a range of funky colours that should keep everyone happy. I love the fact that it is an all purpose outdoor jacket that looks and feels as good on a day out hiking in all weathers as it does being worn day-to-day as a school coat.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £49.99

Firefly Tonics - Britannia

Last year, I reviewed the whole range of Firefly Tonics, "natural energy" drinks that blend fruit juices with some surprisingly different ingredients to give you some natural oomph while titillating your taste buds (a review that you can see here ).

Well, I was over the moon a couple of weeks ago when a bottle of their latest offering plopped on the doormat, especially when I ripped open the packaging and saw the Union Jack-emblazoned label for the new variety Britannia. It's so gorgeous, I've already decided I'm going to keep it on the shelf once it's empty !

A little bit of ferreting around online has actually revealed that Firefly can take no credit whatsoever for this little stroke of patriotic genius ! It was all designed by Holly Siddons who won the competition they posted on facebook to come up with a new concept, which was admittedlya stroke of genius in itself, especially as - they explain - "It's about time we created a new Firefly but we (ahem) "lost" our development team in a moment of credit crunch madness. So we're shamelessly leaping on the reality TV bandwagon and asking YOU to create our next drink. Yup, the name, the flavour, the colour, the photo : everything, really, except the herbs (herbalists' unions: don't mess)."

Well, she certainly came up with a cracker of a concept that really appeals to the Britishness within me. As they say on the back of the bottle, "Get your Britishness back with this traditional mix of Bramley apples, raspberries and blackcurrants, infused with revitalising guarana, yerba maté and ginger. You'll be singing Jerusalem before you know it ... No refined sugars, no taurine, no funny stuff at all actually. Just a great natural way to feel re-energised." Well, I think somebody at Firefly has been drinking one too many of their delicious tonics because although it says blackCURRANTS on the back of the bottle, it says blackBERRY on the front !

But whatever it contains, it tastes absolutely delicious. It's sweet but not at all sickly with a slight tartness that offsets the sweetness so it's really refreshing - an absolutely perfect drink for quenching your thirst on a hot summer's day. As with all the other varieties, it tastes natural and fresh (the lingering aftertaste reminds me of the freshly-made, cloudy apple juice you can buy from farmers' markets). Somehow, it's a taste reminiscent of childhood too - and it also has that little kick that makes you feel alert without sending you on a hyperactive jig around the room.

It's patriotic perfection in a bottle !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £1.30 for 330ml

Arbonne’s fyi (for young individuals) range

The first thing to say is that I am not in the target audience for these products, which are very much aimed at the teen market. The bright colours on the box should be enough of a giveaway but if it isn't, the name spells it out - f.y.i. = for young individuals. But I am most definitely still young at heart (so much nicer than childish !) so I was quite happy to test them out.


The whole range comes in four signature scents to be chosen depending on your mood and your personality : Vivacious, Mysterious, Flirtatious and Ambitious. As they say on the website, "If you want to learn an exciting, new language, give speak your language a thought ! f.y.i. Arbonne® Speak Your Language is an incredible line of body products —body wash, body cream, body scrub and spray fragrance — infused with four distinct aromas for the girl who wants to make a bold statement. You’ll be fluent in the arts of mystery, ambition, flirtation and vivaciousness with unique f.y.i. products that let you say what’s on your mind, without saying a word!"


Now, I love big in-your-face smells in the shower so I absolutely loved the zingy, fruity scents that really wake you up in the morning and lift your spirits after a long day at work. The four signature scents available are : Vivacious - "Lively notes of coconut, pineapple, passion fruit and guava create an irresistible fragrance that's sure to draw an entourage", Mysterious - "Blackberries and pomegranates are dark, mystical fruits sought after for their intoxicating and unique aroma", Flirtatious - "With origins from exotic lands and a reputation for sweetness, the unique scent of grapefruit and mango invokes feelings of fun and playfulness", and Ambitious -"The dynamic scent of green tea and clover stimulates the senses, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized".


First of all, I tested Vivacious Wash & Wear Body Wash. The website says, "You won’t want to leave the shower. Wash&Wear Body Wash leaves skin ultra clean and carries an irresistible scent you can wash up with and wear out the door." It did leave me feeling incredibly refreshed and in a good mood, but my skin didn't feel as moisturised as it does with some shower gels. I would have liked the scent to linger on my skin for longer after I'd dried off too, but you could boost the perfume by smothering yourself in the matching body cream or spray fragrance afterwards. My one little niggle is that you have to squeeze the bottle quite hard to get any product out !


Next up was Flirtatious Sugarslush Body Scrub. "Sweeten your skin’s appeal with this sugar slush of jojoba beads and gentle exfoliants that foam up and sweep away dirt. Skin is left with a glowing, cashmere-soft finish." In the tub, it seemed a bit runny to me and on the skin, it was nowhere near as abrasive or scratchy as some other body scrubs I've used, which isn't necessarliy a good thing if it's supposed to be exfoliating. But, I reminded myself, this range is targetted at teens who presumably don't need so much exfoliating power to get babysoft skin. I'd define it as more of a shower gel with exfoliating properties than an intensive exfoliaiting scrub.
Before I even got into the shower, one thing that did bother me was the amount of excess packaging. Each tube or tub comes in a superfluous cardboard box and also contains a foldout leaflet with instructions in various languages. By eliminating the box and the leaflet, that would mean a lot less waste - especially as each product is perfectly sealed with a foil covering to be removed before use. (I actually spent a couple of minutes squeezing the body wash in vain before realising this !)
The list of ingredients on the box contains some dubious-sounding ingredients, such as Polyethelene, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate and some artificial colours (Red 30 (Cl 73360), Yellow 5 Lake (Cl 19140), Red 30 Lake (Cl 73360), Iron Oxides (Cl 77499). But to offset this, there are also some nice natural ingredients, including fruit and flower extracts. When you see some of the brightly-coloured and artificial-tasting sweets and drinks that teens shovel down their throats day after day, I'm sure they won't be at all bothered by a few artificial additives in their beauty products !
To conclude, the products are fun, funky and smell absolutely gorgeous. Teens will love the hidden body language messages the products suggest. While they are not as intensively moisturising or exfoliating as some other products I've tried, they do seem well suited for the young skin they are intended for. The excess packaging and some of the artificial ingredients are my only two real negatives.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : Products include Wash and wear body wash £11.50; SugarSlush Body Scrub £16; BodyBetter Body cream £17 or handbag essential Personal Space Spray Fragrance £12.50

Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week starts tomorrow

Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week launches on 12th April (ie tomorrow), fronted by Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who -as a top athlete and having studied nutrition at University -really understands the importance of breakfast.

Victoria says “A substantial breakfast is a vital part of my training so I make sure I never skip it. I can't perform at my best either physically or mentally without a good start to the day and I would certainly not be able to achieve my long term training goals. It is easy to forget that rushing around after the family can be a workout in itself. The temptation when working to a busy schedule is to neglect yourself, but my advice would be to make the time for a healthy and filling breakfast like 2 slices of Hovis Wholemeal Toast with a light spreading of peanut butter topped with a sliced banana to help you avoid turning to unhealthy snacks before lunch."

Research was conducted ahead of the Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week and revealed that "British mums are on the go for an average of three hours every day before they have even reached work. Cramming in a range of activities such as ironing, making the bed and styling their children’s hair means that working mums are on the go from the moment they get up, with 60% of women admitting that their day is well underway by 7am, and rarely slows until they go to bed just before 11pm. Indeed, the average working mum uses around 500 calories simply undertaking her pre-work chores and getting the family ready, the equivalent to over one hour on a bike!

Alarmingly, despite their action-packed schedules, a quarter of working mums (25%) admit that they regularly forgo breakfast; whilst 59% of those that eat it, spend less than five minutes doing so and 32% don’t even sit down. Despite many missing breakfast themselves, British mums are spending an average of 18 minutes preparing breakfast or lunch for their families before work. It would appear that British mums really don’t have time for themselves, with the average spending just over six minutes on her own make-up in the morning and instead put the family first, spending 28 minutes dressing their children, styling their hair and helping them to clean their teeth."

Sounds just like me - a quick swig of orange juice or an Actimel and I grab a banana or a cereal bar to eat at the bus stop as I head out of the door at 7am, despite telling the girls they can't go to school on an empty stomach. Definitely a case of Do as I say, not as I do, I'm afraid !

"Almost half of mums (48%) cite a lack of time as a reason to skip breakfast, whilst almost one in seven do so to lose weight. Of all the women questioned 86% admitted snacking in the morning in a bid to stave off hunger, with 44% of the snacks they were turning to being unhealthy such as cakes or pastries, crisps , chocolate bars, and biscuits.

Hovis nutritionist Lindsey Ormond, warns against the perils of going to work on an empty stomach, saying “With the average mum on the go for three hours before work, a healthy, filling breakfast is even more important. Skipping breakfast could mean they are more likely to snack on something unhealthy mid morning in order to keep them going. Many mums do have to keep an eye on the clock in the morning, but factoring in an extra five minutes to eat a couple of slices of wholemeal toast would certainly help power their morning. Not only is wholemeal bread low in fat and sugars, but it is also high in fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer so you may be less likely to reach for those unhealthy snacks.” "

For more healthy breakfast ideas and further information about Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week, log on to www.hovisbakery.co.uk.

Slim.Fast's new 3.2.1 weight loss plan

Now call me a child of the 80's but when I hear the words 3.2.1, I think of that cheesy old game show that was a regular part of my Saturday evening TV entertainment when I was a kid ! I still remember Dusty Bin, the mascot of the show (who represented the booby prize of a new dustbin !). As Wikipedia says, "Although the show did not rely on catchphrases in the traditional sense, Ted Rogers would regularly make a lightning fast 3-2-1 hand gesture. This became an important gimmick of the show - and a school playground favourite - mainly because it was quite difficult to do, and resulted in a rude hand gesture if performed incorrectly. The correct way of doing the gesture is to hold up three fingers (index, middle, and ring), facing inward; two (index and middle) facing outward; and then one (index) facing inward, turning your hand as you change your fingers." Yes, sad as it may seem, we really did spend hours running around the playground trying to master it !



But enough of going off on a nostalgic tangent ! This review has nothing to do with dustbins or rude hand gestures ! 3.2.1 is the name of the new weight loss and weight management plan unveiled by Slim.Fast. That's 3 snacks, 2 meal replacements and 1 sensible meal per day.




As soon as you say the words Slim.Fast, most people will automatically think of the powdered shakes. They were the original Slim.Fast product and, despite the pale imitations (which is a nice way of saying cheap copies !) made by numerous other companies now, they remain very popular. When you're on the go and don't always have time to make up a fresh shake or have access to a fridge, they also come in a range of ready-to-drink bottles too. I was aware of this but thought they still had just the boring standard flavours of strawberry, chocolate or vanilla. Well, the usual suspects are still there but there are some really surprisingly different and delicious options available too - café latte, blissful banana, lemon meringue, raspberry crush, fruits of the forest ... Boredom is one of the big reasons people give up weight loss plans but with that many different flavours, it shouldn't be an issue. They also have Smoothies - a blend of fruit and yoghurt - that not only fit into the weight loss plan but count as one of your five-a-day portions of fruit.

For those who don't like milk or prefer to have something solid to munch on so that they feel they've really eaten a meal, there are also a range of meal replacement bars available. Just make sure you don't mix up the meal bars and the snack bars, as the packaging looks very similar ! They taste just like normal cereal bars but are amazingly satisfying and really do fill you up. They're perfect for when you need to eat lunch on the go - every Tuesday, I only have 50 minutes for lunch break and I have to change schools in between plus deal with paperwork and photocopies. I've been eating a quick sandwich while walking between schools but it's not particularly practical and the sandwich always gets squished in my bag under a pile of textbooks. These meal replacement bars are absolutely ideal on both counts.

The new and surprising element of the 3.2.1 plan is the number of snacks you can eat. As they explain on the website, "You replace 2 meals a day with a Slim·Fast meal replacement (shake or meal bar), your third meal should be a healthy, nutritious meal of 600 calories for a female and 800 calories for a male. In addition you can have up to 3 snacks of under 100 calories per day, this can be fruits, vegetables or one of our range of Slim·Fast snacks. In total the plan provides between 1200-1400 calories per day. In addition, you should drink around 2 litres of water per day, and also get some exercise."

The snacks are so delicious, it's hard to believe they're part of a calorie-controlled weight loss programme ! If you've got a sweet tooth, you can choose from a Cranberry, Almond and Raisin Bar, a Chocolate Peanut Bar or a tasty and gooey Chocolate Caramel bar - yes, really ! If you're fed up of sweet things and want to go for a savoury option, you have the choice of Cheddar Bites or Sour Cream and Chive Pretzels (just don't do a George W Bush and choke on one !). They taste really yummy and if they didn't have the Slim.Fast name on the bag, I'd never have believed they were low-calorie.

I could go into details of nutritional information and the number of calories per product but the whole point of the programme is that you don't have to, they've done it all for you. As long as you complete the plan with a sensible low-fat dinner each evening (or lunchtime - whatever fits in with your lifestyle), you'll be covering all your essential vitamins and minerals while following the plan.


A recent survey by Slim.Fast discovered that UK women waste a staggering £32,186,000 on clothes that don’t fit. "Shocking new research released today has revealed that the average woman has £200 worth of unworn clothes gathering dust in her wardrobe, equating to four times more than the average household spends on food in a week. The survey of 2000 British women was conducted by Slim.Fast and showed that 80% of women keep clothes that are too small for them in the hope that they will fit into them again “one day”. Over a quarter of those surveyed have purposely bought clothes that do not fit as an incentive to diet, but have never reached their target. The study revealed that nearly 50% of people have 10 or more items of clothing in their wardrobe that they cannot bear to part with, including on average 4 pairs of jeans, 2 little black dresses, 2 bikinis, 1 skirt and 1 boob tube. 53% of women have clothes in their wardrobes that span 3 or more different dress sizes." Well, I have to admit to being one of them, all my pre-pregnancy clothes are still in the wardrobe !

The 3.2.1 plan is so flexible and easy to stick to that it's got to be worth a go. It will work out a lot cheaper than buying a whole new wardrobe too, so in these credit crunch times that's got to be a good thing !

star rating : 5/5

Nestlé 99 Calorie Biscuit Range

For those who want to control their weight in a sensible way and avoid faddy diets, the key words are portion control - you can each pretty much what you want in sensible amounts. Eating one chocolate out of the box or a sneaky bag on chips on a Friday night won't kill you or make you obese, but you have to be reasonable in the quantities.

That's where the newly relaunched Nestlé choccie bars come in because whichever one you choose (yes, you can only have one, if you're supposed to be on a diet - don't be a pig !!), you don't have to spend ages in the supermarket aisle comparing the microscopic print of the nutritional information. They all contain 99 calories so the choice is yours - Breakaway, Drifter, Toffee Crisp or Blue Riband.

The new kid on the block in the 99 Calorie Biscuit Range is Blue Riband Dark - yep, you've guessed it. They've taken a normal Blue Riband and replaced the usual milk chocolate with smooth, dark chocolate.

Joanne Coxon, Assistant Brand Manager for Nestlé Biscuits says: “We are very proud to introduce Blue Riband Dark to our well-loved existing range of 99 Calorie biscuits. The new launch is part of Nestlé’s commitment to give families choice when selecting great tasting treats. The 99 Calorie biscuit range not only delivers on taste but they are perfectly portioned to be enjoyed as part of varied, balanced diets.”

If you're used to eating bigger, non-calorie counted bars, the 99 calorie bars will seem a bit on the small side to you but that's what it's all about. We all need re-educating about what the correct portion sizes are in a perfectly balanced, healthy diet. They are just the right size for a chocolate fix when you're trying to eat healthily and are also perfect for kids' lunchboxes, especially as they contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

They haven't compromised on taste at all. They still taste exactly as I remember them from my youth, so if I can have a dose of nostalgia (not to mention chocolate !) for a mere 99 calories, it's definitely a winner in my eyes.

star rating : 4/5

RRP :

- Blue Riband - 6 pack (RRP £1), 9 pack (RRP £1.29), 18 pack (RRP £1.99)
- Breakaway - 6 pack (RRP £1), 9 pack (RRP £1.29), 18 pack (RRP £1.99)
- Drifter - 8 pack (RRP £1.29)
- Toffee Crisp - 7 pack (RRP £1.29)
- Blue Riband Dark – 9 pack (RRP £1.29)

Neom Luxury Organics Miniature Treatment Candles

The tone is immediately set on the website : "Forget everything you know about candles. Forget everything you know about bath oils and body products... at NEOM we have created the most incredibly powerful, organic range of luxury bath & home products that all work as treatments to make you feel more relaxed, more energised or even just a whole lot happier - depending on the treatment you choose. Carefully blending only the finest organic ingredients and the highest concentration of essential oils, we have created the most beautiful scents that fill your room with mood enhancing treats." Well, that's quite a lot to live up to but as they assure us, "With every single Neom product, we always keep our promise".

Well, I have to say, as soon as I opened the parcel, I was impressed. The "miniature" candle - I had visions of a tealight-sized candle but it's nowhere near as small as the name suggests ! - is packed in a sturdy white and gold cardboard box so it's guaranteed to arrive in pristine condition. The name - Tranquility - sounded exactly what I needed, as it's the kids' holidays and things have been more than a bit hectic around here this week. As I pulled the lid off the box, wow ! The divine scent hit me immediately - it's an indescribable but absolutely gorgeous smell. I closed my eyes and could imagine lying in a warm relaxing bath with all my stress soaking away. Wow, it's having the destress effect already and I haven't even lit it yet ! Just smelling it in the box made me feel totally zen and chilled out.

Intrigued about the wonderful scent, I investigated the box : "Treatment : English Lavender, Sweet Basil & Jasmine is a de-stressing scent that has been blended to help you relax and refocus. Perfect for quiet times or the pre-bedtime wind-down." Sounds like bliss - and it was ! Unlike some candles, that smell wonderful when not lit but whose fragrance all but disappears when they burn, the gorgeous fragrance filled the whole bedroom with a strong but not overpowering wonderful scent that even my husband commented on when he came up to bed. (I'd been reading in a little cocoon of serenity and zenitude !)

You can just tell from the scent that these candles are made with high quality, natural ingredients. The NEOM promise is "seriously effective high grade essential oils used to create products with treatment benefits plus skin smoothing & nourishing results. No petrochemicals, parabens, PEGS, silicone, SLS or synthetic fragrances – in fact no nasty chemicals whatsoever". I had noticed that these candles burned very cleanly - there was no smoke and no black sooty residue on the side of the glass, as there is with some candles. The website explains : "NEOM Luxury Organics Mini Treatment Candles are made using only natural vegetable wax and 100% pure essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances. Unlike paraffin wax candles (that's the majority on sale) they burn without releasing harmful pollutants, toxins or soot, working holistically to make you feel even better."

The Neom candles, which come as miniature 75g candles with a burn time of 25 hours, or huge 1kg three-wicked candles that burn for 55 hours, were the first product launched back in 2005 and now have a scent library of 12 scents, all of which sound absolutely divine - Tranquillity: Calming, Serenity: Peace & Calm, Sumptuous: Comfort & Indulge, Complete Bliss: Happiness, Revitalise: Sharpen the Mind, Restore: Inspire, Relax: Time to Unwind, Real Luxury: Pamper Yourself, Invigorate: Liven the Soul, Refresh: Energy Boost, Pure Indulgence: Uplifting, Rebalance: De-Stress.

As mums all over the world know, it's often hard to get any me-time or serious pampering without packing the kids off to the grandparents for a sleepover, but Neom products really will help you feel totally refreshed and destressed without setting a foot out of the door. Forget babysitters and spa days and go for a DIY holistic treatment at home. I am actually looking forward to getting the kids off to bed and scuttling off to light my candle and read again tonight ! It's as relaxing as a lovely warm bath but you can share the experience with all the occupants of the room !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £12 for the miniature candles, £35 for the three-wick candles