January Rejuvenation ideas from Lush

 Most New Year's resolutions focus on making a huge effort to get fitter, slimmer or give up addictions. How about turning things around and making a new year's resolution to pamper yourself instead ?! It looks like Lush have just what we all need for banishing the January blues !

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January is the time of the year for New Year’s resolutions, detoxing and for making yourself feel good again. What better way to treat both the body and mind after the holiday season than with some beautiful products full of fresh ingredients from Lush... to help you feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the year.


The freshest de-toxing ingredients...

BB Seaweed (£5.50) is a relaxing and reviving, mineral-rich facemask to cleanse, soften and beautify all skin types. This blend, inspired by the sea, contains fresh and nutritious seaweed and seaweed absolute. Also with cleansing kaolin, antiseptic honey, calming aloe vera and rose absolute, this gorgeous facemask will clean the skin and leave your face feeling new. Directions: avoiding the eye area, apply to clean skin, leave for five to ten minutes and then rinse. Lush facemasks are so fresh and preservative free they must be kept in the fridge and used within 3 weeks.


The perfect home spa...

Lush’s NEW Steamer Tabs (£2.50 each) are a brand new invention from Lush designed to be as beneficial to the skin as they are to the mind. Drop into a bowl of hot water and watch the tab fizz as it infuses a blend of aromatherapy essential oils into the steam. Lean over the bowl, covering your head with a towel and inhale the vapour, which will simultaneously clear the mind and cleanse the pours. When the water cools it can be used as a toning water, to wash away any traces of cleanser or dirt from your face, neck and chest. Choose between:

Moon and Sun steamer tab containing a blend of neroli oil to uplift your mood and lavender oil to balance and soothe the skin; or

Dream Steam steamer tab features the same blend of oils as Lush’s best selling Dream Cream. Tea tree oil acts as an antibacterial for the skin whilst rose absolute calms redness and chamomile and lavender oils relax and calm the mind.


For a unique Spa experience...

If you’d prefer to treat yourself and have a Lush SPA treatment, Validation Facial (£75.00) is a great choice to not only leave your skin looking and feeling fantastic - it will also work on your frame of mind. Choosing from the right selection of Lush’s natural skincare products for your skin type, sit back and relax as our therapists take you on a surreal journey of self-discovery, using little techniques to tap into the sub-conscious through the element of touch, sound and smell. You will be left feeling validated and renewed. Available at all Lush SPA’s.

Music for the mind...

CD’s are available to buy, priced at £10.00, with music from each SPA treatment – so you can recreate an oasis of tranquility in the comfort of your own home. Simon Emmerson – the leading light in both The Imagined Village and Afro Celt Sound System – and Lush Co-Founder and Product Inventor, Mark Constantine OBE, have combined a love of folk music traditions and bird song to create a unique musical experience.


Customers wishing to book a LUSH Spa treatment should call 020 7376 8348 for the Kings Road / 0113 243 3626 for Leeds / 01202 672 217 for Poole / 0208 974 9929 for Kingston.


To pick up these and many more ethical, cruelty free cosmetics, visit Lush stores nationwide now or online at www.lush.co.uk.  For shop details and mail order contact 01202 668 545.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

New Year's Resolution Part 1 : The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod

New Year's Resolution Part 2 : The MuTu System

New Year's Resolution Part 3 : Jenny Craig

Upcoming Blog Tours here at Madhouse Family Reviews

I'll be taking part in not one but two exciting book blog tours next week. More details to follow but just to whet your appetite, here are a couple of teasers ...

Watch this space for more details next week ...

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Picture Book Picnic Blog Tour - Children's Book Review : Lost in the Toy Museum 

Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf 2011 blog tour 

Upcoming book blog tour - Across The Universe : Beth Revis

Regis Salon Blogger Gift Set review

A couple of months ago, I told you about a special blogger campaign from Regis Hair Salons where they gave a few of us bloggers the chance to make a special exclusive announcement on our blogs, before it became public knowledge, about who would be the new celebrity face of Regis. In that blogpost (here), I revealed that it would be ... ta-da ...  Emma Willis and also told you about their Facebook competition (at https://www.facebook.com/RegisUK) where you could win a Canon camera or a cut and colour worth £100. Today is the last day to enter your photo though (you've got until midnight), so hurry up if you haven't taken part yet, then the public voting kicks off on the 4th January.

But as well as this, they offered to send me off to my local Regis salon for a cut and colour worth £100. Sadly, with our busy Christmas schedule (and theirs !), I didn't manage to find a time to go and get my hair done so I passed over this part of the reviewing to the lovely Alison at Dragons & Fairy Dust. She blogged all about her experiences at her local Regis salon and showed off her lovely new look on her blogpost here. I'll give you a sneaky peek here too - I'm sure you'll agree, she looks gorgeous !

But Regis Salons' generosity didn't stop there, because they also sent me through a special blogger gift set containing some of their best-selling products, namely :

Designline Colour Care Shampoo

Designline Colour Care Conditioner

Designline Fiji Therapy Styling Oil 

Designline Powder Boost

I've just taken the Designline Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner into the shower with me and I have to say, I'm impressed. They have that undefinable "posh hair care products" smell that all top end salon-bought hair products seem to have. The shampoo seemed really gentle but left my hair feeling deeply cleaned and the conditioner felt very light, despite leaving my hair feeling sleek and shiny.

The instructions for the Styling Oil say : "Just apply sparingly through wet hair to hydrate, heal and protect while adding shine". I did this after washing and conditioning my hair and could instantly see my hair looking hydrated and deep-treated while not feeling greasy, which I was a bit worried about. I left my hair to dry naturally and I'm sure the styling oil helped to stop it going frizzy, but I think this would really come into its own as protection if you blow dry and straighten your hair regularly.

The instructions for the Powder Boost say : "Tap a small about over the root area and massage with fingertips for instant volume and texture. Careful – a little goes a long way!" Now, this is one product that I am staying well away from as I already have incredibly thick, voluminous hair ! I'll pass it on to my mum but judging by the other products, I have no doubt this works really well too.

I've been really impressed with the Regis products and Ali's account of her appointment at the salon. With 153 hair salons across the UK, there's bound to be a Regis near you. You can find your local salon here: www.regissalons.co.uk/SalonLocator

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

So who is the the new Face of Regis Salons ? Find out and win !

Sebastian Professional Hydre Conditioner

Wella System Professional Shine Define Shampoo

Kent & Fraser Vanilla Butter Crunch Biscuits review

I've just reviewed Kent & Fraser's Savoury Stilton & Walnut Biscuits (here) but we also tried out their Sweet Biscuits, when they sent us through a packet of their Vanilla Butter Crunch Biscuits to try out.

You can see just by looking at the photo that they are the ultimate buttery, crumbly biscuits with a taste and texture that seems more homemade than shop-bought. The vanilla flavour is subtle and natural, which is because it comes from pure Madagascan vanilla rather than artificial flavourings.

They appelaed to the Madhouse mini-testers as much as the grown-ups. They contain no egg, soya, wheat or gluten so if you want a seriously tasty biscuit that fits in with your special dietary requirements, you know where to look. They will be bad news for your waistline though because that rich buttery taste is totally moreish and will have you reaching for the packet until they've all gone !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £2.45 for 125g

for more information : http://www.kentandfraser.com/index.php/bakery/sweet_biscuits/vanilla_butter_crunch/

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Kent & Fraser Stilton & Walnut Savoury Biscuits review

Lottie Shaw's Seriously Good Yorkshire Parkin review

Scarlett & The Spotty Dog Present ... The Proud To Be Ginger Nut biscuit review

Vive la différence ! - the French-Anglo Parenting Divide !

Earlier this afternoon, I saw a tweet go by that piqued my interest and I headed off to discover an article in The Guardian entitled "The parenting gap: why French mothers prefer to use the firm smack of authority" with the subtitle "As a new book asks why French children don't have tantrums, Kim Willsher, who has raised her own children in Paris, looks at contrasting views of family life". You can read the article online here but the key points are :

- American mother-of-three Pamela Druckerman, who lives in Paris, has brought out a new book entitled French Children Don't Throw Food

- She asks how the French manage to raise children who, unlike many of their US or British counterparts, sleep through the night at two months, are not picky eaters, do not throw tantrums in the supermarket and go to bed without making a fuss, while their mothers continue looking so cool and sexy

- Discipline versus encouragement, chastisement versus laissez-faire, a sharp shrill "ça suffit!" (that's enough!), versus the mollycoddling "now let's not do that, shall we?" and "that essential Gallic parenting tool", la fessée, or smacked bottom, versus the British naughty step

The article concludes with a tongue-in-cheek GALLIC GUIDE TO CHILD REARING :

■ Put your child aged from three months to three years into the local state-run creche for up to 12 hours a day, five days a week, and return to work. It is cheap (an individual or family with an income of €3,000 a month will pay around €1.80 an hour) and the child will learn to be both independent and sociable.

■ Instruct your child to say "bonjour" every time they meet family and friends. They should also present their face to give and receive "bises" (pecks on the cheek) when prompted, even to strangers. The same applies to an "au revoir" when someone leaves. A child who does not say "bonjour" is considered virtually a savage.

■ The dining table is sacrosanct. Any hand not in use must be placed flat on the table. NO shouting. NO getting down from the table without asking. Absolutely NO throwing food, particularly bread which has a quasi-religious significance. French children are encouraged to eat a wide variety of food from an early age at home and at school, where packed lunches are not allowed. Love of things like garlic, frogs' legs and Camembert must be largely genetic.

■ Ça suffit! (That's enough!) the single most effective weapon in the French parent's arsenal. Said loudly and curtly with the emphasis on the 'ça'. Usually follows an 'arrête!' (stop!). Nine times out of 10 it cuts short any arguments, whining or bad behaviour.

■ "La Fessée" or smacked bottom. On the rare occasions 'ça suffit!' fails, and they are rare, French parents will not hesitate to employ a sharp slap to the rear or leg. French children become so used to this, they hardly ever cry and have learned a subtle body swerve to lessen the impact. Particularly strict grandmothers may prefer to pinch an ear.

Well, I had to smile when I read this because it sums up, in a nutshell, what causes 95% of the arguments here at The Madhouse and when we visit the respective grandparents' houses in the UK and France ! While this is obviously based on a huge amount of generalisations and stereotypes, I have to say that, within the bounds of my experience, it's also largely true. I've spent 15 years in France but there are still certain viewpoints and statements that I hear and have to make a conscious effort to compose my face to not show any reaction to. French Madhouse Daddy Mike is the same on our trips to Britain. These are statements that come from people who I work with or socialise with, get on well with and think I have a lot in common with. Yes, I know - you want examples, you'll get me in trouble now !!

1) "I stopped breastfeeding because my husband got fed up of me sharing my boobs with someone other than him" / "I'm not going to breastfeed because I don't want to ruin my boobs and have to stop wearing sexy underwired bras". Conversely through, breastfeeding in public is much less frowned on in France than in the UK and nobody bats an eyelid if you see someone feeding a baby even in a crowded place like a restaurant.

2) At weddings or family parties, the kids are put together on a table, far away from the grown-ups. The idea is that the parents won't be interrupted by the kids and the older kids are expected to look after the younger ones, help cut up their food, take them to the toilet, etc.

3) The "put your hand on the table" rule has always left me feeling perplexed because I can't honestly see the point, but on a recent school exchange, the French host families were shocked to see that some of the British teens didn't know how to use a knife and fork properly because they only ate finger food like burgers, fried chicken and pizza and said that they didn't like vegetables full stop and never ate them at home. (How much of that is true and how much was them showing off though is another question ...)

4) In France, in general, mums go back to work after 3-6 months and the kids go to a childminder's or creche, with the government reimbursing a large chunk of childcare costs for under 6's. The idea of taking 5 or 6 years off to bring up the kids is pretty much unheard of - even 1 or 2 years is considered a long time over here. (Again, with exceptions, obviously.) Kids can start school at age 2, going from 8.30-11.30am and 1.30-4.30pm, with some of them staying all day if they eat at the canteen. In the afternoon, the youngest children all head off to the dormitory for a sleep, the slightly older ones take a cushion and have a nap in the classroom with their head on the desk. (Which possibly explains why I still get the odd pupil in my secondary school class falling asleep !) When kids are 18 months old, parents suddenly get extremely anxious and full-on about getting their kids potty-trained in time for going to school at age 2, otherwise they'll have to keep them at home or pay for a childminder for another year.

5) Children should be seen and not heard, especially at the dinner table where they shouldn't interrupt grown-up conversations. Parental decisions are not open to debate, ever. The idea of a "family conference" is totally unheard of. Noisy play, such as running around the garden playing cowboys and Indians, is frowned on. French parents apparently do not get involved in rough and tumble play with their kids, or do "naughty things" like take them jumping in leaf piles or splashing in puddles in their wellies. I almost caused a car crash once when a woman looked at me, open-mouthed and frowning, as she drove past and I encouraged the girls (in rain coats, wellies and old jeans, I might add !) to splash in a big puddle ! I'm the only parent ever, as far as I know, to have gone on the slide at the park or run about with a frisbee and the neighbours' kids still talk about me having a water pistol fight with the girls out the front years ago! Oops !

6) I often hear British and American mums/daughters saying that they're best friends. I often hear French friends say that parents are not and should not ever try to be friends to their kids. One memorable debate brought out the line (from a friend) "children shouldn't ever feel they can tell their parents everything, they should keep secrets from them, especially about behaviour they know their parents will disapprove of". That made my hair stand on end and afterwards, I specifically said to Sophie, "I hope it won't ever happen but if one day, you find yourself pregnant or take drugs or get in trouble, please please come and tell me, I'll always be there to help you whatever you've done !"

7) Expressions that don't have a translation in French because they're unheard of - naughty step, messy play, playgroup, playdate, ... My mother-in-law looked on dumbfounded as I had the kids doing finger and foot-painting on one visit, saying that she admired the things I did with the kids but she'd never have allowed it in her house with her kids. She explained that those kinds of things were done at school, not at home. Which is true because the kids go to school aged 2 and spend most of their holidays in a "centre aéré" (literally aerated centre !) where the kids are taken off your hands from 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday throughout the entire school holidays !

So, the big question is, ARE French kids better behaved ? Well, I think they probably are as pre-schoolers and up to the age of about 10, because they better had if they don't want to be punished ! The smacked bum is certainly still in use, but I have also witnessed even small kids aged about 3 or 4 getting a "tape" (small slap) around the face or being told they'll get a good hiding they'll never forget if they don't stop acting up, which always makes my skin crawl.

On the other hand, I teach 11-15 year olds and, while there are some nice well-behaved children (as there are in Britain), on the whole, I compare my working environment to Waterloo Road without the Cooler ! Answering back to teachers, jumping over the school gate to bunk off, smoking, teenage pregnancy, happy-slapping, stealing, fights and insulting pupils and staff are all things that came up last term.

I think the thing to learn is that nobody brings up the perfect kid, wherever they live and whatever their nationality. There is no fool-proof method to parenting, otherwise everyone would have adopted it by now. When I used to watch the French version of Supernanny, she used to adopt a lot of "British" parenting ideas like the naughty step instead of a smack, but some of the "French" ideas - like all sitting down for a proper meal together - are good too. As for the title of the book - do French kids really not throw food ? Well, they certainly do in our school canteen !

for more information about the book : http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/french-children-dont-throw-food/9780385617611

Other reviews you may be interested in :

CLASSIC FRENCH DISH GETS UNE PETITE MAKEOVER

Book review : Bon Courage - Ken McAdams

The Secret Life of France - Lucy Wadham  

Kent & Fraser Stilton & Walnut Savoury Biscuits review

When we received a packet of Kent & Fraser Stilton & Walnut Savoury Biscuits to review, I wasn't sure I'd like them. I don't like stilton and I'm not a huge fan of walnuts so the odds of me raving about them were not looking good. I decided to bring them out as part of our New Year's Eve buffet and pondered whether or not they'd need a topping or dip, maybe some extra cheese or pickle or something. You can see them right at the front of our spread in this photo in fact !

As an intrepid reviewer, I was determined to give them a fair trial and bit into one to see what they tasted like and what would go well with them. Mmmm. They are really crumbly and buttery and taste really cheesy with a rich taste that makes them perfect on their own, needing nothing at all to bring out the flavour.

I popped the packet on the table along with the other nibbles in the buffet but these would also make a perfect accompaniment for a cheese board or even as a snack in front of the TV.

Having tasted them, I'm not at all surprised to see that they won a Great Taste awad in 2009 and that Virgin Airlines have specially selected them to serve as part of their exclusive Upper Class offer. Fabulous news for anyone who needs a free-from diet is that you can enjoy them too because they contain no eggs, soya, wheat or gluten. Be warned though, 100g (that's admittedly a whole boxful) contains 554 calories and 39.6g of fat (of which 18.7g saturated).

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £2.65 for 100g

for more information : http://www.kentandfraser.com/index.php/bakery/savoury_biscuits/stilton_amp_walnut_biscuits/

Other reviews you may be interested in :

The Dormen Seasonal Edition Fruit & Nut Mix review

Olives Et Al Putney Sauce and Chilli Billy Jelly review

BEAR 100% fruit Yoyos - Pawfect Christmas Stocking fillers

Spundown Bedding review

 

I only needed to read the first couple of lines of the press release about the Spundown range from The Fine Bedding Company to know that it was a fabulous idea, especially for parents. They say : "Spundown is a superbly soft and extremely lightweight duvet and pillow range from The Fine Bedding Company. Spundown will save you money and time spent at the launderette because it contains a highly compressible filling that means it can easily squash down to fit into a domestic washing machine for thorough cleaning after night-time accidents. Better still, Spundown is non-allergenic and washes at a dust mite destroying 60ºC. With Spundown you can quickly deal with night-time accidents or sickness leaving your child’s bedding fresh and clean, ready for the evening again straight from the comfort of your home."

Wow, what's not to like ?! Pierre is still in nappies (although he has done lots of wees in the potty over the holidays and has discovered that he loves sitting on the big toilet too, so fingers crossed we're getting there with the potty training !) but it won't be long until the nappy-free night-time accidents start. I learnt long ago the time-saving trick of putting a mattress protector and fitted sheet on both sides of the mattress so that you just need to strip off the wet sheets and flip over the mattress rather than remake a whole bed in the middle of the night, but washing the duvet is always a hassle because it often won't fit in standard washers and driers.

Another common problem here at The Madhouse is washing pillows covered in blood because Sophie frequently has nosebleeds,sometimes while she's asleep. The pillows usually fit in the machine but come out totally misshapen and stay lumpy, even after they've totally dried.

We were sent a duvet and pillow from the Spundown range to review and I was instantly impressed at how soft they are. I was expecting them to be very thin so that they'd fit in the machine but that's not the case at all. The pillow is very plump (I've replaced my usual two flattened pillows by just the one new Spundown pillow)  and the duvet is thick, luxurious and snuggly.

Even if they weren't dirty, I put them through the machine to see how they'd cope and they came out exactly as they went in, which is amazing.

Going to a launderette is always a hassle, but with small children in tow, it would be a total nightmare, so it's worth paying a bit extra for the convenience of being able to wash your bedding at home, especially as they're so luxurious and soft.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : various prices, but as an example, £60 for a 7 tog cot bed duvet and pillow

for more information : www.finebedding.co.uk

Other reviews you may be interested in :

 B.sensible waterproof fitted sheets

Dorma Luxury Bedding & Homewares - Fit for a Queen (literally !)

Safe T' Sleep

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans review

I absolutely love jelly beans. In fact, for pretty much every birthday and Christmas present, I get jelly beans in some shape or form from my mum and dad. This year I got a funky jelly bean dispenser under the Christmas tree which will certainly be getting a lot of use !

I was therefore over the moon when Jelly Belly, who I consider as the ultimate jelly bean brand, gave me the chance to sample some of their goodies. I'm not the only one to think that they are in a league of their own - they are actually dubbed The Original Gourmet Jelly Bean. They do cost more than most other brands but it's like comparing Haagen Dazs with supermarker own brand ice cream. Jelly Belly are far to good to be wasted on the kids, these are to be brought out and savoured individually once they're in bed, not eaten by the handful without thinking about the flavours ! Well, they are here at The Madhouse anyway !

Jelly Belly generously sent me some packs of three mixes - Sours, in the green pack, Fruit Bowl, in the purple pack, and 20 Flavours in the red pack. Each pack contains a transparent plastic jelly bean shaped box that holds 40g of jelly beans, which is perfect if you want to stop yourself from eating too many in one sitting.

The 20 Flavours selection contains many of the most popular flavours (well, mine anyway - except for liquorice, ewww, who put that in there ?!) and is a great place to start if you're a Jelly Belly virgin ! The mix contains Island Punch, Green Apple, Liquorice, Watermelon, Bubble Gum, Orange Sherbet, Lemon, Lemon lime, Coconut, Blueberry, Tangerine, Chocolate Pudding, Peach, Buttered Popcorn, Tutti Fruitti, Toasted Marshmallow, Very Cherry, Strawberry Daiquiri, Cotton Candy (Candy Floss) and Pina Colada. The Sour Mix, which is guaranteed to wake up your taste buds (and is great for cleansing your palate if you've accidentally bitten into a liquorice or coffee- flavoured one by mistake !), comprises Sour Cherry, Sour Strawberry, Sour Blueberry, Sour Lemon, Sour Raspberry, Sour Grape, Sour Apple, Sour Orange, Sour Peach and Sour Watermelon. If you give a few to your kids, get the camera ready for some funny face-pulling ! And the lovely Fruit Bowl mix (my favourite) offers Tangerine, Green Apple, Blueberry, Coconut, Very Cherry, Lemon, Red Apple, Watermelon, Plum, Raspberry, Peach, Juicy Pear, Pink Grapefruit, Grape, Top Banana and Lemon lime.

The big thing that makes Jelly Belly stand out from the rest is the taste. They pack in a much more intense, recognisable and authentic, natural-tasting flavour than other brands. When I started reading up more about how they are made, I started to see why. Jelly Belly explain : "Using a time honoured method and the unique Jelly Belly know how, a single jelly bean can take up to 21 days to create. The 90 authentic flavours use natural ingredients wherever possible and can be combined to create an almost infinite number of taste experiences. Traditional flavours like Green Apple and Very Cherry have endured for 35 years – ever since Jelly Belly was first cooked up - but this year the big favourites are as likely to be Green Tea and Chilli Mango as Piňa Colada and Juicy Pear." I love the Rookies page on the website, where you can discover up-and-coming new flavours which may or may not make it into the official 50 line-up. Current Rookies are Chilli Mango, Guava, Honey, Lychee & Passion Fruit.

 Just one bean packs in enough flavour to be enjoyed on its own, but what I really love doing is trying out the Jelly Belly recipes (that you can see here or here for example). It's great fun sifting through the pack trying to find the right beans for the ingredients and there's something incredibly juvenile but satisfying in stuffing a whole load of beans in your mouth in one go to try and get a new, authentic flavour ! While many of the recipes only need three or four beans, the ultimate indulgence is the Banana Split recipe which calls for Top Banana, Chocolate Pudding, Crushed Pineapple, Strawberry Jam, Very Cherry and French Vanilla. That may sound like a weird and wacky combination that has nothing to do with a banana split but try it - it really does work ! The recipes are also a great way of using up the flavours you don't like - in my case, the coffee-flavoured and liquorice ones, which can be transformed into a more palatable Tiramisu or Raspberry Mocha, for example.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that my New Year's resolutions revolve around losing weight with the Thinking Slimmer SlimPod (see here), the MuTu System (see here) and Jenny Craig (see here). I was therefore over the moon to discover that each Jelly Belly jelly bean contains just 4 calories and is free from fat, as well as wheat, nuts, gluten, dairy and gelatine. (They are certified OU Kosher and are suitable for vegetarians too.) As each bean is so full of flavour, I'll be able to have the odd one or two as a special treat and it will contain much fewer calories than sneaking in a chocolate or biscuit.

Jelly Belly jelly beans are available in Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury, Tesco, all major department stores and the best independent sweet shops and delis. Telephone 0800 018 4416 for your nearest stockist. The full range of Jelly Belly product can also be purchased at www.jellybelly-uk.com .

I will also have a lovely Jelly Belly giveaway coming up for you lucky people so watch this space !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £20.40 for a 1kg bag but various prices/sizes available

for more information : www.jellybelly-uk.com

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Goody Good Stuff Naturally Delicious Sweets review

Organic Seed & Bean Company chocolate bars review

Jealous "irresistible guilt-free sweets" review

Chiquita Super Crunchy 100% Fruit Chips review

Last night for New Year's Eve, we stayed home at The Madhouse with the kids, letting them open the pile of Christmas presents that had stayed behind in France under the tree (we're not mean, there wasn't enough room in the car!), drink Shloer in posh glasses (how grown-up does that make them feel ?!) and graze on a finger-food buffet. There were smoked salmon or foie gras canapés for the grown ups, mini pizzas for the kids, cheese, ham and pineapple on sticks, cocktail sausages, olives, cherry tomatoes, prawns, cream cheese filled crab sticks ... and to replace the ubiquitous crisps, I filled a bowl with the Chiquita dried fruit chips that we had received to review. You can see them on the far left on the photo below.

I'd been warned by a blogger friend that these tasted like cardboard (!) so I wasn't sure what kind of reception they would get but I wanted to give them a try because they're so much healthier than the normal crisps and peanuts. Well, the kids loved them and when I had a taste, I was pleasantly surprised too. They're crunchy (the label promises that they are "super crunchy"), very sweet and taste really fruity, with much more flavour than similar dried fruit chips that we've tried in the past. I didn't find them dry or cardboardy at all !

We had three bags so that we could try out the three different varieties available - banana, pineapple and mixed fruit (containing a mixture of banana, pineapple and mango). They all went down well but the Madhouse mini-testers' favourite was the pineapple because it was the sweetest. Sophie said that she'd be happy to eat these instead of sweets or crisps, which is brilliant news, as they are made with naturally dried 100% fruit. They're fat free and have no added sugar.

The sachets are ideal for keeping in your handbag for snacks on the go or popping in the children's lunchbox. They're the perfect alternative to sweets, crisps and biscuits for anyone trying to be health-conscious for their New Year's resolution. I wanted to tell you the number of calories but the bags got thrown away with the wrapping paper and I can't find any information about them online, I'm afraid. (UPDATE : The banana flavour contains 88 calories per bag.)

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : 97p for 25g from Asda

Other reviews you may be interested in :

The Dormen Seasonal Edition Fruit & Nut Mix review

Eat Natural Fruit and Nut Bars

Nature with a hint of ... snacks

Silent Sunday

inspired by