Review Saal Digital Wall Decor

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I was sent a voucher by Saal Digital to test out their Wall Decors. Having previously checked out a photobook from the company I was hoping that the Wall Decors would prove to be as good. 

The software needed for me to create a Wall Decor was already installed on my laptop so all I had to do was choose the size of decor I wanted and which images to use. There were 7 kinds of wall decor to choose from and I opted for the photo canvas style. 

Then I had to work out which size to go for. The prices for each size were clearly set out so I knew what I was going to pay for. It was really easy to design and create the canvases using the software. There was a warning to remind me to allow for the bleed around the edges of the canvases. 

I managed to get three different small wall decors for under £50. Two were 20 cm by 20 cm and one was 20 cm by 30 cm. Once they were designed and saved I just had to process my shopping basket and pay the shipping (£5.95). 

It was amazing how quickly they arrived having been shipped from Germany. I liked the fact they arrived well packaged but without any excess surplus packaging:

This little video gives you an idea of what I thought of my wall decor (annoyingly my unboxing video vanished into cyberspace...):

Here is a close up detail of the back of the frame showing how solid they are once the supplied wedges have been inserted:

Schleich Eldrador Creatures

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My son was sent one of the new Schleich Eldrador Creatures to review. These are a new range of lava, stone, ice and water creatures for ages 7-12:

From the four worlds of Eldrador, the lava world has managed to get hold of the super weapon. This provides the hot-headed creatures with an evil power that they can use to rule the other worlds of water, stone and ice. Only by seizing the super weapon can the others manage to save their own worlds. But this is not so easy! The weapon is stuck in lava rock deep inside the lava world and is being watched over by the red-hot fire lion! So they can possess this power themselves and put a stop to the lava world, the best and strongest warriors from the water, stone and ice worlds are entering the battle to regain their worlds. A fiery pursuit of the super weapon ignites – and grips all of Eldrador. The frost monster – not generally a fan of hot temperatures – is the first to make it into the depths of the lava temple. Will he manage to knock the fire lion out cold?

The one he was sent was the Monster Kraken (£13.99):

He blinds enemies with jet-black ink, fights them with his long harpoon, and with his strong tentacles, can even hold several opponents at bay at the same time: the kraken is a real super fighter! He is not only as quick as lightning under water, but is also super quiet when attacking on land – as he is practically walking on tiptoes. This makes him more dangerous as he is more unpredictable. 

The kraken is a real super fighter – he has several tricks up his sleeve to hold back his opponents. With his strong tentacles, he can take on several opponents at once, he can squirt jet-black ink into their faces, and using his harpoon, he can keep uninvited guests at bay – even those from the air! But anyone who thinks that he is only as quick as lightning under water is most definitely wrong. The kraken can also fight his opponents on land! But how does he do this? He can not only move extremely fast on his tentacles, but is also super quiet – as if on tiptoes – and hardly leaves a trace. No one is safe from him anywhere...His only weakness is that the monster kraken needs water after an hour at the latest, otherwise he is at risk of drying out.

We have reviewed plenty of Schleich models including dinosaurs, Smurfs, elves and knights. The common theme with all of them is the high quality and attention to detail. They are definitely not a toy that breaks after a couple of plays!

The Monster Kraken definitely matched previous toys for the paintwork and small details:

My son is now 11 and he is into action and adventure so these creatures are perfect for him. The fact that the arms move and the weapon can be switched around was a winner with him:

He may say he is too old for toys but playing with the Kraken and creating sets turned out to be a lot of fun. Schleich are brilliant at developing these playsets to spark the imagination and add to the play.

My son now has his eye on the Hellhound (£9.99) to make the story telling more fun! When he does grow out of them they are good enough to look at to keep as part of our model collection too.

Review: Saal Photobook

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I was offered a voucher so that I could try out and review a Saal Photobook. Regular readers will know that I take loads of photographs but hardly ever get them off the digital version and into a hard copy... So this was a golden opportunity for me to rectify that.

To start with I had to download and install the software to my laptop. This was a trouble free process. Then I had to decide which of the many photobooks to choose from. In the end I chose the 15 x 21 glossy book with 26 pages for £24.95. 

The hard bit was choosing which photos to put in it! At least getting them in was pretty straightforward with a little bit of trying things out. I sometimes used the auto features and at others adjusted the photos to fit myself. I was able to save the progress and come back to it and didn't have to create it all in one go.

Once completed I processed the order which again was very simple. Then I just had to wait a few days for the photobook to arrive. I am certainly impressed with the quality and feel of the book (I should probably have come up with a better title!):

The pictures that have spanned over a double spread still look amazing:

Sundeala Noticeboards

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I am still working on getting my house sorted properly and to be fit for purpose for being a  private tutor and having a child starting secondary school. We both need to be super organised and I am hoping to host tutorials at home which means I need to be fully equipped. 

One thing we an never have enough of are whiteboards and noticeboards to keep track of all our activities and to help us remember things. We have experimented with various ones over the years but they haven't all been that brilliant! This week I have learned about a British supplier called Sundeala who have been in business since the 19th century so they must be producing good quality products. 

They produce both white boards and notice boards which can even be combined:

There is a vast range to choose from with sizes to suit all needs, not sure I could justify one that would turn my whole wall into a steel writing surface! With a 25 year warranty they are built to last too.

The boards come in a variety of colours so they can go with any colour scheme in your home or office. The only trouble might be agreeing with my son which one to have:

Review: Famous Five Adventure Game

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When an e-mail popped up in my inbox asking if I was interested in reviewing a new game about the Famous Five I jumped at the chance! These stories were some of my favourites when I was growing up and I have the entire series somewhere boxed away. As an 8 and 9 year old I was part of a group of 5 that used to act out the stories and have our own adventures. My character was always Dick as I was most definitely a tomboy! 

First of all we were sent modern versions of the first 3 stories to read and enjoy. It was wonderful to to be taken back to Kirrin Island with the exciting adventures. Modern children would never be allowed to go off in the way they did at 12 and under to camp on an island. Of course they are also a bit old fashioned with Anne playing house but they are still thrilling adventures:

The game was released on the App store today and we had fun trying it out. We only had time for the quick game so I am not sure what the full game is like. First of all we had to decide which of the children we were going to have as the lead, so of course I had to insist on it being Dick! Then we had to choose the 2 locations that the adventure was going to be in:

Then we went in to the adventure and discovered what mystery we had to solve. In this case it was missing juggling balls. The characters don't talk in English but the text below them is simple to read:

It was great to see Kirrin Island and the castle brought to life in the game including details like the Jackdaw Tower. We had to visit certain places and collect clues by directing a bicycle with finger swipes. Once we had collected enough then we could move on to talking to witnesses. The only way to get good answers was to speak to them nicely so we had to choose the right way of asking each time:

Coca-Cola and the UK Government's Responsibility Deal

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One of the first things explained to us at our breakfast symposium was how Coca-Cola are responding to the UK Government's Responsibility Deal from 2011. They made certain commitments to making the 96 products in their portfolio as healthy as possible for their consumers:

• Reduce the average calories per litre of their sparkling drinks by 5% by the end of 2014

• Reduce the calories in some of their leading soft drinks by at least 30%

• Increase the money they spend on marketing our zero calorie colas by 25%

These were impressive targets to reach and as messing with people's favourite beverages can lead to turning consumers away! However it appears that they have more than met their aims:

• They have reduced the average calories per litre in their sparkling drinks by 5.3%

• They reduced the calorie and sugar content of Sprite, Dr Pepper, Fanta Fruit Twist and glaceau vitaminwater by more than 30%. They have used stevia extract to replace some sugar instead of using artificial sweeteners. This has been done in partnership with the 

Global Stevia Institute. If you want to learn more about Stevia then this video is full of fascinating information:

• They increased their marketing investment in their zero calorie colas by 52%

So how did they manage to achieve their aims?

1. They made sure all of their major brands have a widely available no-sugar, no-calorie or lower calorie alternative
2. They invested £15 million in reformulating some of their best known drinks in order to reduce the calorie and sugar content between 2012-14
3. In 2014, they launched Coca-Cola Life in Great Britain, their first lower calorie cola with a third less sugar and fewer calories than Coca-Cola. They also launched a new bottled water brand, glacéau smartwater, made from British spring water
4. This year they are adopting the Department of Health’s voluntary front-of-pack labelling scheme which combines nutrient amounts and percentage Reference Intakes with colour coding to show how much energy (calories),fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt are in a product

Toy Review: Ravensburger 3D Puzzle Big Ben

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Having previously had experience of Ravensburger 3D Puzzles we were very pleased to be asked to review the Big Ben one. I set my children and my dad on a mission to construct it as they really enjoy puzzles together. As the puzzle is aimed at 10-99 year olds it was a perfect activity for grandchildren and grandfather!

Apparently the hardest bit of the puzzle was sorting out the numbered plastic pieces into consecutive numbers to aid construction. Once they had done this the building went quite quickly:

The fact that you can put together sections separately means that several people can work on the puzzle at the same time:

The actual assembly is pretty straight forward as the plastic pieces very easily click into place:

Eureka The National Children's Museum with Little Live Pet

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The children and I were invited along to Eureka! in Halifax today as part of a weekend promoting Little Live Pets. We each had a free entry into the museum which would normally have cost £11.95 each. I am sure I went to the museum when it first opened in 1992 but hadn't had an excuse to return until now... Before we even got into the museum the children found loads to do:

After I had persuaded them off the musical instruments and play equipment we headed for the museum itself:

Review: Snazaroo Face Paints for the World Cup

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We were lucky to be sent some Snazaroo Face Paints for the world cup with some face painting guides. The kit included both traditional face paints plus sticks. My daughter is the official face painter in our house and this is what she managed to do:

Not sure I am a butterfly girl!

Can you tell which World Cup team this will be?

#3Dates3Mths Valentine's Day Update

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Well its been just about 3 weeks since I signed up for the Just Singles 3 Dates in 3 Months Challenge and with it being Valentines Day I thought I was due for an update! I have been trying out the Just Singles web site for the last couple of weeks.

Its a challenge in itself to set up a profile that will attract the right sort of attention! That is to come across looking and sounding my best without appearing desperate or coming across as tarty... oh and being honest...

So I settled on describing myself as voluptuous as it sounds better than large! Also being not far off 5 ft 9 I went for the upper height as I am definitely more that way than 5 ft 5. Choosing a photograph was tough as I hate many of the photos of me so finding one that I liked was hard work. In the end I went for this one:

It does make me look extra sporty! I just need to work on getting a full length flattering shot..

So what is the choice like of available single males? What's great is that you can filter your search by all sorts of factors:

• height
• distance away
• smoker
• drinker
• marital status
• kids

So you only see the people that you are interested in. You can also block messages coming in from people outside your chosen criteria - so in may case that's no to smokers and blokes a lot shorter than me or ones living too far away..

It's interesting looking at people's profile pics and extra photos. You get an instant impression on some who seem to only include pics with them holding a pint or posing in a sports car (is it really theirs?). If you like the look of someone and what they have said about themselves then you can send a wink or a private message... then wait to see what happens!

I've had a couple of contrasting experiences so far. The first was a bloke who misinterpreted me trying to be nice, swore at me, blocked me, then unblocked me and gave me his mobile number. That gave me a chance to block him in return! 

Then the much nicer guy who chatted back and forth for a while before suggesting meeting for coffee. He didn't know what I meant by voluptuous and I'm not sure he liked my definition of size 14-16.. I have to dig out a photo to show him so maybe this one:

So no date confirmed yet but its been interesting so far...

If you fancy trying out Single Parent dating then I am now an affiliate so you can follow this link. Or for general dating there is the main site...

Tick Tock: in memory of watches

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I look back with fondness on the memory of getting my first proper watch. It was new technology as my parents got me a digital watch a bit like this one:

Being able to tell the time gave children so much more freedom as we knew at what time to come home. There was also the fun of using the stopwatch function when playing games!

I was sad in the 1980s to miss out on the Swatch revolution with all their funky colours. Instead for my 18th birthday I got a sophisticated and elegant analogue watch. This was a special occasion only watch as it wasn't waterproof. Unlike my first digital watch though I do still possess it though I never seem to remember to put a new battery in it..

When I got engaged a friend gave us matching his and hers watches - though I guess they probably fell off the back of the lorry as they didn't work for very long... So I bought myself a kinetic watch so that I didn't need to worry about batteries all the time. This one I do still wear sometimes though I have to take it off to use a laptop and then frequently forget to put it back on...

So the timepiece I most often have gracing my wrist is currently my running Garmin which is rather too bulky and a bit too pink for every day use. I do think I need to invest in something that I can wear all the time so I don't have to rummage for my phone... 

It would have to be something that I didn't have to worry about getting wet or being knocked so perhaps a Casio Baby-G Shock Watch:

Do you have memories of special watches that you have been given or bought over the years?

The Dating Game #3Dates3Mths

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The nice people at Just Singles have challenged a few of us single bloggers to try and get ourselves 3 dates in the next 3 months! They appreciate it how hard it can be as a single parent to get out dating so they want us to try 3 different methods - 1 each month - to see if any of them bear fruit.

First up I will be making use of the free membership they have given us on their site. A chance to browse the selection of fellas who are looking for the right woman! There do seem to be quite a variety to chat with online and maybe meet up with...

For the second month I'm planning on seeing if a 1 month gym membership at a local gym can produce anything other than a slimmer more toned me! I will have to go and check out a couple of the choices of gym first though to see which one I fancy trying....

The question is what to try for month 3? If you have any constructive ideas as to where the nice available men hang out in South Lakeland then let me know! Maybe on a one day course or a beer festival or an art exhibition - I need your inspiration...

Friday Review: Slick Grip 5-in-1 Tablet Case

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When I was first given my iPad it came with a protective case and stand. Unfortunately this case fell apart when the silicon edge became unattached from the rigid back. This left me with a very vulnerable iPad... So when I was offered a chance to review the Slick Grip 5-in-1 tablet case I immediately said Yes.

Unfortunately before it arrived there was an accident and the iPad slipped from my son's hands and smashed:

So off it went to be mended which cost me £45... ouch..

Luckily the day it was fixed the Slick Grip arrived:

At £29.99 this would have been cheaper than the repair job! The silicon case's Shockproof grip is easy to hold for my son (I'm not risking testing the dropping...):

We also loved the Amplify feature which made watching movies and TV a much better experience:

A great feature for me is that the iPad can now stand upright on its own. This means that when I am doing the washing up it fits on the window sill and I can watch a TV programme. It is very stable and I was never worried that it was going to topple over into the sink..

If you flip the iPad round then the case angles perfectly for typing. In fact I was going to write this review on it but my son has stolen the iPad to play a game on....

SPECIFICATION

• Tough silicone case for iPad 2/3/4, iPad Mini, Kindle Fire HD 7″ and Kindle Fire HD 8.9″
• Built-in ‘VIBE Sound Booster’ amplifier, requires no batteries.
• All ports, buttons, sensors and cameras remain accessible.
• Stand tablet in landscape orientation, perfect for watching video.
• Non-slip, high quality silicone case feels great in hand.
• Provides an ideal angle for typing, surfing and working.
• Air filled pockets for enhanced protection against shocks and drops.

We are loving this case and the only thing I am not sure about is when you have to use apps that work in vertical mode only. That's when the grips get a bit annoying. However I think this is an excellent way to protect your device especially if you let your children use it.

Toy review: Minecraft Paper Craft Shelter

There can't be many parents of school aged children who haven't heard of the computer phenomenon that is Minecraft. This addictive yet educational game has children all over the world well and truly hooked (I am still resisting installing it..). A new line of Minecraft Paper Craft sets have beeb brought which will lure your child away from the computer screen:

My daughter was keen to try them out:

The pack was filled with lots of labelled sheets:

Review: SuperAwesome.tv Box of OMG and Box of Awesome

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I was asked if my children would like to try a Box of OMG and a Box of Awesome from SuperAwesome.tv these are described as a free box of curated items .. from brand partners which allow children aged 6-16 to discover new collectables, books and other items once every 2 months. We were lucky and got sent the Mega boxes which cost £4.99 every other month. You aren't guaranteed a free one but are encouraged to answer surveys and join the online communities to boost your chances.

So first up the Box of OMG which is aimed at girls:

This turned out to be a bit too girlie for my tomboy! She liked the Zelf as she loves collecting small characters:

Not so enamoured of the Jacqueline Wilson Pet Journal:

Though she wanted to know more about Ruby Redfort (bubble gum scented bands to advertise her):

Review: Mattesson's Double Dippers

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My life can be so hectic that I often grab food on the go and its not always healthy! So when offered a chance to try something new from Mattessons I was keen to give them a go. The company have done a survey on snacking and much of the results ring true for me:

So the new double dippers are perfect for me. First up Chicken Tikka:

As you can see each pack contains chicken, a dip and breadcrumbs plus a little fork. All you do is dip the chicken into the yoghurt, then into the breadcrumbs and finally enjoy! The chicken was very succulent and I liked the yoghurt dip which reminded me of trips to the curry house. With the addition of breadcrumbs the whole thing made a very quick and tasty lunch. I did find that the fork is a little bit short and I ended up with sticky fingers.

Next up Thai with sweet chilli dipping sauce:

This one was pretty spicy and I didn't use all the sauce. It was very tasty just a wee bit too hot for me but I'm sure other people would love the spiciness.

The third flavour is the classic with ranch dip:

This is the highest in calories at 190 per pack but that's the creamy tasty sauce for you.. I really enjoyed this one.

Finally the Italian option:

This has the least number of calories at 142. The Italian sauce was very tasty with tomatoes and herbs. Yummy for an easy lunch on the go.

Overall I think these are a great idea and I will certainly look out for them in my local shops when I want a tasty healthy lunch on the go.

Food Review: Walkers Mighty Lights

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Like many parents I worry about how healthy my children's diets are. I know that I need to ensure that they have a balanced diet but also want to make sure they are happy with what they eat. So when I was offered a chance to try out new Walkers Mighty Lights I was keen to give them a go. With 30% less fat than normal Walkers crisps plus no artificial colours or preservatives or the dreaded MSG they are a healthier alternative if your children love crisps (or indeed for grown ups!).

We received a parcel containing a 6 pack of each flavour (roast chicken, cheese and onion and lightly salted):

My children were very keen to start testing out the crisps straight away! They allocated each of us a flavour my son got Cheese and Onion, my daughter Roast Chicken and I had Lightly Salted. 

I have to say that those first packets were quickly demolished all round and every one agreed that they were yummy. Sometimes lower fat crisps lose some of their flavour but these were very tasty instead. Over the next week I was allowed to sample crisps from the other flavours as well. I have to say that they were all very tasty!

They really add some interesting texture to a healthy lunch:

We have been out on a lot of family picnics over the last few weeks and its been good to have the Walkers Mighty Lights to add to our lunches:

The ridges really give the crisps a good crunch which makes them more interesting to eat. The whole family gave them a thumbs up and even the grandparents were allowed to taste them!

From next week we have signed up for the Change4Life Smart Restart programme and hopefully these crisps can help us all be a bit healthier. My children have packed lunches at school and I need to know that they are going to eat enough lunch whilst still having the balanced diet. These Walkers Mighty Lights seem to help towards achieving this balance. 

They are available at major retailers and it looks like at least one of my local supermarkets stock them. Looks like I'll be adding them to my trolley when I next go in to shop and switching from the full fat versions. Its great when manufacturers make an effort to produce healthier version of their products that is just as tasty as the originals. I like the fact that there is less salt in the Lightly Salted ones too as I'm conscious of the amount of salt in mine and the children's diets. Wonder if they will being out more flavours too? 

Toy Review: Dr Who Playset

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We are big Dr Who fans in this house so when I was offered a chance to review a new Dr Who Cold War Playset and characters I jumped at the chance. Then I had my daughter asking every day if the parcel had arrived! When it did she was very keen to rip open the packaging:

We were out and about at the time so the characters got a chance to admire Windermere:

The Playset came with the armour-less Ice Warrior (top) and the armoured one was separate. My daughter wasn't sure that the size of the armour would be big enough for the unprotected one.

That night I had to construct the Playset itself. I don't have a good track record on these and the fasteners went flying but eventually it was done:

It clearly is the inside of the Russian submarine from the TV episode complete with TARDIS:

The set is around £9.99 which is a reasonable price. It's not able to cope with robust play but perfect for acting out scenes from the show. We just need to acquire the right size Doctor and Clara to fit it from the 3.75 inch range. Our current Doctors are from a slightly larger series... However the ice warriors are the perfect size:

My daughter has found that the characters can be neatly stored in the missile silo too! A good fun set for recreating scenes from this episode. You would need to add a second character for about £6.99 but I think my daughter will get hours of fun from it. Just watch that it doesn't need reassembly too often from rough play...

The other item we received was River Song's future sonic screwdriver from her encounter with the 10th Doctor. All fans need at least one screwdriver and this is the funkiest looking:

Not only does it look good it has sound effects and lights up:

This is something my children have argued over which is a good sign of a popular toy. Again these are around £9.99 so not too expensive.

My daughter has definitely given these the thumbs up and quickly took them all to her room. I think they are all a great addition to any dedicated child Whovian's collection. Think that someone will be wanting more from this range for her birthday...