Thursday, 30 October 2014

Giveaway #433 : Win 2 x Super Mario Bros Original Motion Picture DVD - closed - winners Samantha Ripley O' Donnell & Tracy K Nixon


I've just posted my review of Super Mario Bros Original Motion Picture - it's been a long time coming but it'll be in the shops on Blu-Ray and DVD next week !

When Mario and Luigi are called in to help out with a flood at a dinosaur excavation site, they discover a parallel world populated by intelligent reptiles, the descendants of dinosaurs which weren't actually destroyed by a meteor millions of years ago as everyone believes - they were hurled into a new dimension and now have plans to merge both dimensions and take over the world ! From science fiction, we move more into the realms of fairy tales - the crazy plumbers must battle the evil King Koopa and his Goomba guards, free the beautiful Daisy and save mankind, no less !

I have two copies of the DVD to give away to lucky Madhouse Family Reviews readers. Fill in your details in the Rafflecopter widget below.



UK only. Closing date : 13/11/14

T & C's : Entries close at midnight on the closing date. Winners will be selected with a random number generator and announced on facebook, twitter and in the giveaway post subject line. Please note, you will be contacted by email and/or twitter and if I haven't heard from you after a week, I'll have to pick another winner. Prizes will be sent out by the companies or their PR directly to winners. Madhouse Family Reviews cannot be held responsible for any prizes that go astray !

Other giveaways you may be interested in :

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DVD review : Super Mario Bros Original Motion Picture


Everyone’s favourite plumbers Mario and Luigi’s live action big screen adventure Super Mario Bros gets its long-awaited first ever UK Blu-ray release next week, hitting the shelves on Blu-Ray and DVD on 3rd November. (It really is long-awaited - the film was made in 1993 !) We received a preview disc and settled down with a bowl of popcorn to see what we'd think.

It took a while for the Madhouse Mini-testers to get used to the idea of real people playing characters that they'd only ever seen in video games or cartoons before, but they were soon won over by the madcap antics of the all-star cast, including the legendary Bob Hoskins as Mario, alongside John Leguizamo (playing Luigi) and Dennis Hopper. It's strange to think that the late-great Bob and Dennis are no longer with us.

The plot is a bit crazy but this is Mario Bros after all ! When Mario and Luigi are called in to help out with a flood at a dinosaur excavation site, they discover a parallel world populated by intelligent reptiles, the descendants of dinosaurs which weren't actually destroyed by a meteor millions of years ago as everyone believes - they were hurled into a new dimension and now have plans to merge both dimensions and take over the world ! From science fiction, we move more into the realms of fairy tales - the crazy plumbers must battle the evil King Koopa and his Goomba guards, free the beautiful Daisy and save mankind, no less !

It's all a bit silly but it's a fun movie for the whole family to watch together. They've gone all out on the bonus content, offering an hour-long documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew, alongside the usual Making Of and Behind-The-Scenes content.

If you're a fan from a couple of decades ago or if you think your kids would like to discover it, don't go away - I have a giveaway coming right up where you can win a copy !

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £19.99 on Blu-Ray, £15.99 on DVD

  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Second Sight
  • DVD Release Date: 3 Nov 2014
  • Run Time: 104 minutes



Disclosure ; We received a preview disc in order to write an honest review.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

DVD review : Adventurer : The Curse of the Midas Box

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Have a (Carved) Heart This Halloween !


You may remember, this summer I took part in the Grow Hope with World Vision campaign, sharing some pictures of what hope means to us in order to raise awareness of freedom from famine in Ethiopia. You can see that blogpost here. For Halloween, World Vision asked us to help turn a night of fear into a night of hope for the child refugees of Syria, carving a heart into a pumpkin to show vulnerable children in the war-torn region that we will not abandon them.


Sophie stepped up to the mark and did a great job carving out the heart.


It looks even better with the lights out.


Sophie being Sophie, she also carved a One Direction design on the other side !


If you'd like to get involved, head over to the Night of Hope page for all the details, carve your pumpkin then share the link to your blogpost or picture on WorldVisionUK's Facebook page or twitter feed on or before 31st October. To really make a difference, text Heart8 to 70060 to donate £5 (if you can!) and ask your readers and followers to Carve, Share and Text too. You will be helping raise money for schools and educational equipment, to help give the children hope for the future. All the pumpkin pictures will be shown to the children of Syria later in the year in a special event for them.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Help BEAR help the bears !

#arctichome 2014 with Coca-Cola and WWF

One World Futbol review

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Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Almost enough to make me feel broody ! (review)

Before I go any further, can I just highlight the word ALMOST in that title ! Yesterday was my 42nd birthday and my baby days are way behind me ! I pointed out to Sophie the other day that the next nappy I change will probably be for her son or daughter (but she's only 13 so it won't be for a while yet !). A friend has just announced her pregnancy though, so I'll be passing on these lovely baby products to her that we received for review.


First of all, the Comfortchew from Cheeky Chompers, an attachable teething comforter with textures and patterns to stimulate babies and soothe tender gums. It has been designed to bring together baby’s favourite essentials in one – a comforter, a teether, tags, and the feel of their favourite teddy. Perfect for teething stages and beyond, the soft chewy textured Hippo-teether gives a great ‘bite’, using an innovative, dimpled design to massage and sooth tender gums and encourage new teeth to break through.


It's really soft and cuddly (it's made from super-soft jersey cotton and luxurious cuddle fleece) so baby will love snuggling up to it, but it is also designd with parents in mind -  it can be attached to baby’s wrist, cot, car seat, buggy or dummy so that it won't keep falling on the floor or getting lost. The hippo design is lovely, giving it the perfect balance of fun and functional.

RRP: £17.95, for more information : www.cheekychompers.com


Next up was this twin pack of Tommee Tippee Disposable Steri-Bottles. For parents who like to get out and about, washing and sterilising bottles can just be an added hassle. Perfect for holidays, days out and trips to see family and friends, the Tommee Tippee Steri-bottle is ready to use with no washing or sterilising required. For an easy feed, just unwrap, fill, feed and throw away. So every feed can be fresh, safe and easy for you and your baby. Total feeding convenience – all in one.

This is not something you'd want to use all the time but for special occasions, it's a really convenient solution. I could see this being really handy if dad or a babysitter is being left at home and isn't too sure on how to go about sterilising. It could also be useful for breastfeeding mums who want to express the odd bottle of milk here and there, maybe for a night out, but who don't need to invest in sterilising equipment. If you're thinking that they're not very eco-friendly, the good news is that they're 100% recyclable.

RRP : £2.49 for a twin pack, for more information :  www.tommeetippee.co.uk

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

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Ella's Kitchen - Filling and Fuelling Little Mouths ! #StandUpForGoodSnacks

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Globe-cooking recipe : Beetroot Salad with King Prawns (Thailand)


I have to admit, when I saw this recipe in my Thai-themed Kitchen Trotter box, I initially turned up my nose. It just didn't sound like it would work. Once I bit the bullet and tried it, it was actually really nice and something that I'd happily eat again, probably as a main meal salad rather than a starter next time.


It's a healthy mix of raw vegetables and prawns - perfect for a light option.


This required a bottle of Peanut & Coconut Thai Sauce from the Kitchen Trotter box but you could substitute this for the vinaigrette or dipping sauce of your choice.

Beetroot Salad with King Prawns


ingredients (for 4) :

marinade :

100ml water
100g sugar
1/4tsp salt
4tbsp white wine vinegar

1 beetroot
1 carrot
1/4 cucumber
1/4 red onion
salad leaves
12 king prawns (cooked and peeled)
2 hardboiled eggs
Peanut & Coconut Thai Sauce (or similar)

Peel and grate or finely chop the beetroot. (This is where my Jamie Oliver Chopping Tower is worth its weight in gold !) In a separate bowl, peel and grate or finely chop the onion, cucumber and carrot.


In yet another bowl, prepare the marinade by mixing the water, sugar and vinegar. Stir to dissolve then pour half into each bowl of vegetables. Put in the fridge for an hour.

During this time, boil the eggs and peel/cook the prawns if it's not already done. Wash and dry the salad.

Just before you're ready to serve, drain the marinating vegetables in a colander or sieve. Put some lettuce leaves on each plate. Top with 2 tablespoons of beetroot then carrot. Chop the eggs into quarters and arrange around the salad, along with the prawns.


Drizzle peanut & coconut sauce across the top and serve.

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Globe-cooking recipe : Jasmine-infused coconut & cherry custard (Thailand)

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Wright's Cheese & Onion Bread Mix review


I love my bread machine but I always tend to make the same bread so, when I saw this Wright's mix for Cheese & Onion Bread at the supermarket, I thought I'd give it a try. You can use it in a machine or by hand.


If using it in a machine, you just add water and put it on a basic 3-hour programme then wait for the machine to work its magic.


I was really pleased with the outcome. It has a definite savoury cheese and onion flavour that goes really well with soup or sandwiches. It has a lovely crunchy crust and beautifully soft crumb. Not sure why it ended up with a big air pocket in it though - any master bread bakers know why?

A 500g pack is enough for one loaf this size. It retails for 60p at Tesco's but there's a 3-for-2 offer on at the moment if you fancy giving it a try.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Ella's Kitchen - Filling and Fuelling Little Mouths ! #StandUpForGoodSnacks

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Tuesday, 28 October 2014

Madhouse Diaries : Uncovering Hidden Corners of Dunkirk


Pierre's face says it all - luckily, the Madhouse kids are still as enthusiastic as ever at getting out and about looking for geocaches so we've been out for several adventures this week, as it's the school holidays. 


On Saturday we headed out to a new park with Madhouse Daddy in tow. We do most of our geocaching while he's at work but he seems to have the knack.


I had the GPS in my hand but managed to walk straight past a couple that he spotted immediately. Not fair !


Sophie seems to have an inbuilt geocache-radar too, much to her delight, because she finds most of them before me !


This one was for me though - right in the middle of a gaggle of geese and ducks, Sophie's pet hate since a goose pecked her bum and chased her when she was little !


They came running at us full pelt so I managed to locate the geocache while Sophie was fending them off. Mwahaha !


This is actually quite a nice little park that I'm sure we'll come back to. Once again, we'd never have found it if it wasn't for geocaching.


We couldn't help but laugh as we walked past this sports hall just outside, perfect for geocachers - "Claude It's Where ?"!


The next day, we started again, just me and Sophie this time. Our next series of geocaches took us around some of the lesser known monuments and landmarks of Dunkirk. The Malo Bastion plaque commemorates the second world war.


But while I admired the plaque (so that we didn't look suspicious to the passers-by going to the beach!), Sophie was locating the mini cache in one of the holes around the back !


There are dozens of war memorials in and around Dunkirk.


Some of the statues are really impressive and quite poignant.


But the statue wasn't the only thing that we discovered - another cache to add to our tally !


I love geocaching with Sophie because she's always game for climbing up street signs to get to the high ones !


We discovered an old fashioned railway station (not sure it's still in use) and a plaque on the wall explained that this featured in the war film Weekend At Dunkirk (actually called Weekend à Zuydcoote in French).


This was a sneaky little one actually hidden right in the wall, just next to the informative plaque that I was studying, much to Sophie's amusement !


As it's almost the 1st November, there were fields and fields full of potted chrysanthemums being prepared for sale. On 1st November, Toussaint, all French people go to put flowers on the graves of their relatives in the cemeteries so the farmers are getting ready. The fields looked really vibrant, especially against the grey skies. Time to head for home before the rain !

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Madhouse Diaries : Exploring in Gravelines

Madhouse diaries : Visiting Gdansk (Danzig) in Poland

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Ella's Kitchen - Filling and Fuelling Little Mouths ! #StandUpForGoodSnacks


I must admit, I always think of Ella's Kitchen as a baby and toddler food brand, but I was surprised to discover over the summer that their snacks still appeal to the Madhouse Mini testers who are now aged 5, 9 and 13 !


You may remember our Trunki PaddlePak Picnic at the beautiful Bodiam Castle where we all tucked in to a selection of Ella's Kitchen snacks. The Raspberries & Bananas Multigrain Nibbles, Cheddar & Leeks Multigrain Wheels, Parsnip & Poppy Seed Cracker Bites and Raisins & Spelt Cookies all got a resounding thumbs-up.


The whole range of fruit pouches are also frequent companions on our adventures out and about, geocaching and exploring the countryside.


Ella's Kitchen recently sent us some more of their snacks to try out from their exciting new snacking range for older toddlers from 12 months +. We discovered Apples & Cinnamon Multigrain Nibbles, Carrots & Lentils Multigrain Sticks and Tomatoes & Fennel Seeds Cracker Bites, along with the Raisins & Spelt Cookies and Cheddar & Leeks Multigrain Wheels that we'd enjoyed before. Once again, despite a few dubiously raised eyebrows when reading the names on the bags, the whole lot were declared delicious !


Ella's Kitchen don't just focus on filling little mouths though, they also want to hear what comes out of them ! Last month, they encouraged talkative toddlers to voice their opinions on everything from sibling rivalry quibbles to their favourite lunch time nibbles, with the launch of the first ever ‘little’ Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. By letting them take over Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner and stand proud on their toy boxes (instead of soap boxes), Ella’s Kitchen inspired toddlers to stand up for good snacks and say a big NO in protest to unhealthy, bad nibbles.

With snacks that taste as good as the ones we've been trying, they should have no trouble converting kids to their healthier nibbles !

for more information : www.ellaskitchen.co.uk

Disclosure : We received some snacks in order to write an honest review.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

National Trust "50 Things to do before you're 11 3/4" campaign

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Halloween sweeties from ASDA (review)


It was certainly a case of treats rather than tricks when ASDA sent us through some of their Halloween confectionery to try out.


This cute pumpkin-designed box contained three packs of sweets, which was absolutely ideal for the trio of Madhouse Mini-Testers. The jelly sweets disappeared faster than you could say trick or treat !


The biggest attraction was the lollipops though. They may look just like any regular fruity lollipops ...


... but these are Pumpkin Pops so when you've finished sucking, licking and crunching them, you snap the stick and it turns into a glow stick. How cool is that?! Perfect for making sure you're visible when trick or treating in the dark or twilight too.


They certainly get the Madhouse seal of approval !

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

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Half-term fun with ALDI Halloween Specialbuys

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Monday, 27 October 2014

Nomadic Mango Lassi review


When Nomadic got in touch to ask if we'd like to try out their new Mango Lassi drink, I mentioned it to the Madhouse Mini-testers and couldn't help but laugh at their wide-eyed reply : "Lassi? Isn't that a dog on TV who always has adventures?"

Well, if you've never heard of lassi either, rest assured - it has nothing to do with clever collies ! As Wikipedia explains : "Lassi is a popular, traditional, yogurt-based drink from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes, fruit. Traditional lassi (a.k.a., "salted lassi", or simply, "lassi") is a savoury drink, sometimes flavoured with ground and roasted cumin. Sweet lassi, however, contains sugar or fruits, instead of spices."

Nomadic's mango lassi is a smooth and creamy yogurt based drink, made with low-fat yogurt and Alphonso mango puree. It's sweet and fruity and is very thick and filling. Each bottle contains 330ml and 100ml provides 79 calories, 1.5g of fat (of which 0.9g saturated) and 13.6g of carbs (of which 13.2g sugars). As it's halfway between a drink and a snack, that's not too bad. I love drinking it for breakfast, but the kids also love it when they get home from school.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £1.49 for 330ml

available in Tesco and Ocado


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

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Mrs Crimble's Gluten-Free Teatime Treats review

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