AD- Party time with Zuru Bunch O Balloons - Review

I don't know about you but children's birthday parties can become stressful organising party bags blowing up ballons not only can it be stressful it can become expensive especially if you overdo it like I have done in recent years with party bags  I have learned that party bags don't have to be stuffed full a toy something to eat and a peace of party cake is quite sufficient enough for any child.

The good news is ZURU have thought of everything you need to make a mums life simple which is music to my ears they have thought about everything from the ballons to the goody bags and even has the main birthday gift covered as we found out recently for Adams 8th birthday.

Balloons Balloons Balloons 

We have always invested in ballons for birthdays/ Birthday parties, Christmas, Easter well most occasions if I'm quite honest, most kids absolutely love Ballons admittedly in recent years I have tried to where possible just buy the one foil Balloon because of im quite aware of the environmental impact of plastic on the planet. This is where Bunch O Balloons is an Amazing idea not only is all the packaging recyclable the Ballons are reusable how good is that? A better idea for the environment and also means you can put them away for the next celebration occasion in the house which means you are also saving yourself money.

In simple terms, these ballons look and feel like normal ballons but they can be used time and time again. How does it work you might ask? you simply attach the Ballons to the pump press the button and you have up to 40 Ballons in 40 seconds once the 40 seconds are up you switch off the pump, the ballons self-seal and you are left with a fabulous bunch of balloons that have taken minimal effort and a minimal amount of time.

Our main focus of these ballons was for Adams birthday however the list that you could use this pump for is endless parties Christmas anniversaries christenings and weddings I also like that the pump comes with different attachment heads meaning you can use it to blow up inflatables as well I cant wait to use it on next years paddling pool no more leg pumping for me I can't tell you how happy that makes me!

Party Bags 

As I have said earlier in the post, party bags don't have to be expensive a toy something to eat and a piece of cake is quite sufficient I had the cake and sweets covered and Zuru has come up with the idea of putting a smasher into the bag for that little bit extra. now it probably comes as no surprise the boys love smashers they like to keep and collect them all they get to smash the egg and reveal the hidden dino inside I love that you can rebuild the eggs and smash them over and over again!

The Main present 

ZURU have really thought of everything to make birthdays as easy as possible for us parents they sent us a ROBO Alive Dino for the main present which was an immediate hit. It walks and roars and a chomps it’s jaws, not to mention to glow in the dark claw marks on its side. A great gift for any dino mad kid and one that is is already well-loved.

Zuru range makes party planning really simple. The self-sealing balloons and pump saving you a lot of time, the smasher's dinosaur eggs are great for party bags you could even use them as a pass the parcel gift that all the friends will love to play with and could collect together. The Robo Alive dinosaur is a fantastic interactive toy that makes a fantastic birthday present. We absolutely love the Zuru and Bunch O Balloons range, they're all fantastic value for money.

All of the Zuru range is available to buy at Smyths nationwide. The great thing about their products is that they’re reusable and recyclable too.

Bunch O Balloons Party Pump including 16 balloons and one inflatable adaptor and fast fill hose retails at just £14.99

Bunch O Balloons Self-Sealing refill pack retails at £9.99

Zuru Robo Alive Dino retails at £12.99

The Smashers dino eggs retail at £3 each.

**We were sent these products for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own 

AD Thunderbirds are go! Bandai toys Reveiw

A much lighter post from my recent posts that have been on my blog. Its funny isn't it when certain toys take you back to your childhood, I remember my brother being insanely mad about the thunderbirds when we were kids I can remember watching them on the television, I don't mean how you see them today I mean the puppet type ones I remember getting really cross with him for TV hogging and always wanting to watch the show!

Since Liam was little he has really enjoyed watching Thunderbirds and I have enjoyed watching the episodes with him and he loves it just as much as my brother did when he was a child which is great and even better now that thunderbirds have just been relaunched and a new series has started On CITV alongside a new range of toys being launched from Bandai.

We were lucky enough to get to try out some of the new toys they have taken my house by storm Liam who was the only one who currently liked thunderbirds this has started his brothers off wanting to collect the whole range they are interactive and really well-made toys let me tell you what we received.

• Thunderbird 1
• Thunderbird 2 and Virgil Tracy
• Thunderbird 3
• Thunderbird The Mechanic Action Figure
• Thunderbird Virgil Tracy Action Figure

Thunderbird 1

Thunderbird 1 motion tech figure is a classic from the show. Fly the vehicle to hear sounds as it moves. You can rotate the thrusters and release the retractable wings to recreate Thunderbird 1’s launch. This vehicle cam also fit inside the Tracy Island playset. the sound effects are great the boys loved whooshing this up and down its also the perfect size for child's hands to work really easily.

Thunderbird 2 and Virgil Tracy

The Thunderbird 2 and Virgil Tracy figure is one of the boys favourite and mine, to be honest of all the vehicles. It is a great size and I love that you can sit Virgil Tracy in the cockpit ready for action! By pressing the launch button and you can hear the take-off sounds. This toy also has a grappling hook and zip line. Virgil Tracy can actually slide down the zip line for great imaginative play and great for children who like things that wind up and wind down it really gives the toys that something special.

Virgil Tracy

The Thunderbirds Rescue ready Virgil Tracy figure is 30cm tall (RRP £19.99). He comes with detachable rescue claw to help with demolition, heavy lifting and clearing debris. Virgil Tracy also has a search and rescue light to help see into any dark spaces and he can also send out coded signals. Press the button and you will hear Virgil’s voice as he talks with international rescue on his missions I personally love the size of this figure it means you can't lose him and he is always there on standby this has gone to bed with Jack every night since we received him he loves him who doesn't love a hero!

Thunderbird 3

Thunderbird 3 is also a motion tech vehicle, again you can fly the vehicle to hear the sounds as it moves. You can also rotate the central shaft for more sounds. This vehicle has an extending grasping arm and also fits inside the Tracy Island playset. The extra arms that pop up make it a really interesting toy for children and the fact that it is interactive its really well made and it has been bashed about and flown around the kitchen and is still living to tell the tale it's really well made.

The Mechanic

The Mechanic my personal favourite (RRP £19.99) is by far a very cool figure! My son loves him, he always goes for the baddies! The mechanic is a villain not to be messed with! His technical skills allow him to cause chaos, even when he is nowhere to be seen. He comes with a neuron driver and ion hammer as well as a moving blaster. Press his buttons and he will also talk.

The figures are all made to a high standard and the detail is fantastic. These 30cm character figures come with articulated joints, lights, five phrases, plus fully working rescue claw for Virgil and we especially love the firing weapon attached to the Mechanic it makes it seem all that more exciting for the kids.

The Bandai Thunderbirds are go range is suitable for ages 4+ and are available nationwide and online and would make great gifts for kids for birthdays Christmas and treats. 

*We were sent the Thunderbirds are go toys for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own. 

Gift Guide - For Children Under One

It is difficult sometimes when you have small children to find a gift that is suitable for them or something different I have put together a gift guide for little ones to hopefully help with some ideas for gifts this Christmas.

1) Baby Blooms Bertie Bear Christmas Bathrobe set. Beautifully presented in a gift box inside you will find the gift of your choice (there is a lot to choose from on their site) encased in soft tissue paper the perfect keepsake for any child this Christmas the name of the child of whom you are gifting is perfectly embroidered onto both the dressing gown and the teddy bear you can have any name of your choice up to ten letters. Both items compliment each other and the bear is so cute it is likely to become a cuddly best friend and companion for any child.

2) Find me a gift, Bear wall night light and height chart sticker. Brighten up a baby or toddler room with this amazing Teddy Bear Wall Night Light & Height Chart Sticker set. This fun vinyl height chart decal consists of a frog holding a bunch of animal balloons, at the top of which is actually a friendly happy yellow-faced teddy night light! The LED light is battery operated, which means it can be positioned wherever in the room you like. The perfect gift for any young child this Christmas its a fun and a great way to keep a record of any child's growth.

3) blade and rose children's leggings I wrote about these on Halloween a few years ago they are cute comfortable and affordable children and babies leggins I love these they are so practical for both boys and girls alike not to mention they come in lots of stylish designs there is something to suit all tastes they have also started to make a range of funky stunning children's socks ideal as gifts and stocking fillers this Christmas.

4) Vtech pull along Dalmatian, this bright and colourful toy will have your child entertained for hours, Pull along Dalmation, includes; phrases, sounds, 3 sing-along songs and 20 melodies. Teaches; colours, numbers it also helps Develop motor skills and its Legs really move! aimed at children aged 6 months plus it would make a great and useful learning toy this year.

5) Quack Quack moo baby grows we love these practical and stylish the brand also makes vests and bibs too perfectly practical stylish designs aimed at young children another great and different gift to give this Christmas.

6) Hape classic push-along wooden first car. This chunky little car has the simple shape of a modern car it is painted in bright red, with natural wooden wheels. Three holes represent the car windows and act as a handy easy grip to help little fingers push the car along. This Wooden car Unlike many of the toy vehicles which are only suitable from age 3, this little car has been safety tested to be suitable from age 10 months upwards, and so it makes an ideal first push-along vehicle. and would make the ideal stocking filler or stand-alone gift.

7)  Nibbling Rose Dummy clip  not just your average Dummy clip beautifully crafted the dummy clips come in different colours and with different shapes this particular one has roses attached to it making them stunning to look at and can be attached anywhere from the child's car seat, sleeping bag and cot  with the peace of mind that, all beads are made of non-toxic, BPA free, soft silicone and can safely be chewed on and washed.

8) Hape Polar Animal Tactile Puzzle is a wooden puzzle with textures to explore. It’s cold in the Arctic and the animals need special coats to keep warm! Remove the pieces of this puzzle to feel the coats of the seal, penguin, polar bear, arctic hare and orca. Although this is aged at 24 months+ I think this would make a great gift for children aged one the animals can be played with separately it is aged at this limit because of the fur and material underneath the puzzle however with supervision it would be great for sensory play.

9) Find me a gift, My first money box, it's never too early to think about collecting money for your little one even if they already have there own bank account you can save money for a rainy day, a day out or even if to pop your spare change into the front is see through so you can watch the pennies stacking up this is a great gift idea for any little one and will complement any nursery perfectly.

10) Find me a gift, Guess how much I love you, babies first booties These my first booties are the cutest little things I have ever seen, they are super soft and are going to keep any little ones feet cosy this winter  the booties have floppy ears and have a cute rattle noise inside them so they are sure to keep your little one entertained they also come in an adorable keepsake gift box.

11) Baby Blooms Bertie Bear Christmas morning gift set, This would make any Christmas special for your little one again with Baby Blooms all their items come beautifully presented in a gift box the teddy bear is suitable from birth and can be personalised with any name up to ten letters long, The set comprises of a bowl, plate, mug and egg cup and is hand decorated with the Babyblooms' Christmas tree and teddy bear.

My Golden Ticket Personalised book for children

When I was approached by Wonderbly to review My Golden Ticket personalised book for children I got very excited I knew I had to say yes, this personalised book has been released in collaboration with Roal Dahl. As a child I absolutely loved Charlie and the chocolate factory it was one of my favourites it brings back some wonderful childhood memories of sitting down on a Sunday afternoon with the family to watch it. I knew this book would be great for my son Adam he loves to read and recently his reading skills have improved so much that he has started to read to himself although we have a lot of books in the house none of the books belong, solely to Adam they are shared books with his brothers, I decided to have this one personalised for just him.

When the book arrived it came in a beautiful envelope with a golden sticker on the back I decided I wouldn't open it I would save it for him to open his self when he arrived back from school. Needless to say, when he arrived back from school there was a lot of squealing with delight and excitement from him he absolutely loved it and immediately opened it and started reading the first few pages.

The book isn't just personalised with a name like other books each book varies from child to child and is different depending on the name you choose and the sex of the child they all get there own different tasty tour throughout the marvellous chocolate factory. The book takes you on a real adventure the illustrations throughout are beautiful and give the child a real feel for the story.

The beauty of this book is that there are lots of different options to choose from at the checkout the first page can include a message to whomever you are giving it too, of course, you include the child's full name and their name is mentioned throughout the story you can add a character in the book to join them so it could be mummy, daddy or a sibling or even a best friend. There is the option to have the book in hardback or paper and you can have it with or without the gift envelope there is also the option to have it scented with a special candy scent which is a fabulous final touch. Adam absolutely loved his adventure and I'm sure he will be reading My Golden Ticket for many more years to come.


If you have a child who loves to read or even if they don't like to read this book will have them wanting to read more its an exciting unique and individual book that will get children excited and there imagination working this would make a great gift for birthdays, special occasions, or even as a Christmas present this year we absolutely loved this book and couldn't recommend it enough you definitely won't be disappointed with it. 

You can view and buy the book here 

We were sent this beautiful book for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own  

Created by magic - Personalised prints and Keepsake Gifts

This week we were very lucky to receive and review prints made by Created by magic if you haven't heard of created by magic, let me tell you a bit about them they are a website that specialises in personalised prints and keep safe gifts which are truly beautiful. There are products for all different occasions such as first birthday ideas, christening gifts or gifts just because.

I really love personalised items so I loved the idea of these, I chose the bright rainbow prints  because I love rainbows there is something really special about a rainbow and as the twins will be my last babies all my children are special but there is something magical about having twins, it seems fitting to pick that particular print for them something they can have upon their wall, once they go into there own bedroom and keep as they grow up.

Ordering the print is really simple you just choose the print type you want to purchase, type in the name of your choice then check out - I chose a really simple print but there are other prints in which you can have your child's name and date of birth or you could have a wedding print with all the details of the big day on the print. The website itself is really easy to navigate around so ordering prints and other personalised items could not be any more simple.

Our prints arrived really quickly from ordering and they came really well packaged, in an envelope with do not bend on them. The prints are really good quality, eye-catching and bright which I love, the pictures are exactly as they are shown on the website - the only downside is they don't come already framed so do check before you purchase especially if you are looking for something that is framed already. Having said that frames don't cost that much and you can pick up some decent frames for your print or prints at pretty good prices not only that if you buy your own frame you can match it to the room or where ever you intend to display it.

Overall I love Created by magic and was very impressed with the girl's prints, the company is exactly what it says creating a little bit of personalised magic for everyone. The personalised prints are really reasonably priced, the pictures that I ordered are priced at £15.00 each however other personalised items prices vary check out the website below to find out more.


There is something for everyone over on their website. The prints would make for a perfect christening, birthday, Christmas or newborn baby present. Or if you are just looking for a beautiful personalised picture for your child’s room.

You can find out more about Created by magic over on their website HERE

Created by magic have been kind enough to offer you, my readers, the chance to win a personalised print of your own, you can enter the via Rafflecopter below good luck.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Please note that all entries will be checked against comments for validation).

The first entry on the Rafflecopter form to leave a comment on the post is mandatory

All other steps in the Rafflecopter form are optional. 

Only one entry form per person is allowed (however, you can tweet with the bonus click entry daily or use the free entry to increase your chances).

This giveaway is for UK residents only.

Once the Rafflecopter picks a winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested and I will contact them, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.

The giveaway will begin on the 13/11/17 and will close on 27/11/17 at midnight

Dribble Bubbs Cute Practical Baby Wear

We were lucky enough to be chosen as a brand ambassador for Dribble Bubbs, first let me tell you a bit about the brand Dribble Bubbs it is a family run and owned business that was established in 2005, so has been around for over 10 years now the brand and clothing have won multiple awards for its clothing and are currently the only brand still on the market to feature our triple layer protection built into their clothing & accessories.

The first thing I'm going to show you from there collection is the cosy grow and there snuggle suit,

The cosy gro is aimed at the younger babies so they come in 0-3 and 3-6 months with built-in in scratch mittens then the bigger suits that do up to 12 months have the grippy feet the bay grows are all 100% cotton they all have nickel free poppers they all have cow print knee patches and botty pads apart from the fact that this is where baby grows all ways get a lot of wear and tear the botty patch is also absorbent and waterproof to help in case they have the nappy leaks. The cosy grow comes in three bright vibrant colours and the sizing is quite generous. The girls have worn this multiple times now and I have washed and tumbled dried them both they don't seem to have shrunk at all which is usually a problem with basic baby grows and they have not lost their colour or faded I love them they are comfortable and very practical not to mention that they look great on!

The Snuggle suit is made for toddlers these have all the same sort of features as the cosy grow except the knee pads have a double layer the feet have non slip grippy feet which their toes can either be left out or they can be folded over to keep their feet warm. the snuggle suit has an easy glide zip so your child should be able to pull it up themselves, The botty patch is absorbent and waterproof to aid potty training. Again the snuggle suit comes in three vibrant colours the snuggle suit is really well made and is quite thick in the material so will keep your little one warm, this suit also hasn't gone dull or shrunk in the wash and tumble dryer my two-year-old is really big for his age and quite chunky but this suit fit him really well again the size is really generous Jack absolutely loved the cow print on it as well and proceeded to pretend to be a cow once he had it on which was really cute!

The Snuggle suit is priced at £15.00 and the cosy grow is priced at £11.00 which I think is an amazing price considering how much use that you will get out of them not only that but they are really great quality clothing both items get a big thumbs up from myself Jack and the twins we have some more reviews coming including some of the other items from Dribble Bubbs so keep your eye out for them if you would like to have a look at their shop you can do this here

We also have a competition to win a £50 voucher to spend at Dribble Bubbs this is your chance to get your hands on some Dribble Bubbs clothing of your own they would make a great Christmas presents, stocking filler or just to buy for everyday wear. For your chance to win just enter via the Rafflecopter below and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Please note that all entries will be checked against comments for validation).

The first entry on the rafflecopter form to leave a comment on the post is mandatory

All other steps on the rafflecopter form are optional. 

Only one entry form per person is allowed (however, you can tweet with the bonus click entry daily or use the free entry to increase your chances).

This giveaway is for UK residents only.

Once the Rafflecopter picks a winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested and I will contact them, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.

The giveaway will begin on the 02/11/17 and will close on 17/11/17 at midnight

Children's five tractors jigsaw puzzle toy from Hape

We were sent some beautiful children's five tractors jigsaw puzzles from Hape toys.

When you first see the jigsaws in the box it doesn't look like much, but don't be misled or don't judge a book by its cover as some might say the simple exterior of these beautifully handcrafted puzzles can only be seen when you open the jigsaw and take them all out of the box, they are nothing like so many of the jigsaws you will see in the shops these days as you remove one tractor another is revealed and so on.

Each tractor piece is meticulously cut from singular or multilayers to uncover more than what you have first seen.

The five tractors jigsaw puzzle has been made to spark a child's imagination and help them to have fun whilst learning at the same time there is a range of the jigsaws available by Hape so if the tractor that we are looking at in this review is not for you there is certainly something out there from Hape that would suit any child.

Tricky tractor jigsaw specifications,

• Product dimensions in cm: 15 x 11,2 x 2,3

• Package Dimensions in cm: 23,2 x 16,3 x 2,

• Material: wood

• Age recommendation: from 2 years

• Number of Parts: 6

Jack is two and this jigsaw was quite hard for him and tested his motor skills, when he was putting it back together it took him quite some time before he was able to fully complete the jigsaw and still needed help, although he didn't get fed up or frustrated with it quite the opposite he was entertained with the tractors lining them up from big to small and playing with them giving them different voices and names he really enjoyed it. The tractors are all different colours which makes them very bright and eye-catching it also makes it harder to loose pieces. I love the fact that these help your child to learn they are beautifully handcrafted and very unique to other toys that are around in the shops. The Tricky Five Tractors Jigsaw gets a big thumbs up from both me and Jack!

• We were sent this lovely five tractors jigsaw puzzle for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own. 

Clangers Jigsaw puzzle #Review

The Clangers is one of our new favourite programs Adam really loves them so when we were asked if we would like to review two of there jigsaw sets from Ravensburger naturally we jumped at the chance.



We were sent two separate jigsaw puzzles a giant 24 piece floor jigsaw and a four different jigsaws in a box set with each jigsaw having various pieces that get harder as you move along.

We tried out the giant floor jigsaw first the puzzle comes with 24 pieces all of which is brightly coloured with plenty of detail very attractive to little people. The pieces fit nicely together and are easy for little fingers using there premium soft click technology and each piece is made from cardboard which is very sturdy.

 
The floor jigsaw puzzle is aimed at children 3+, Adam really loved this he found the pieces chunky in his fingers and they were easy to turn and match together he whizzed through it I was surprised at how good he was at it. He loved his piece of art we had to keep it up so he could show Liam when he came home from school.

Next up we tried the four in one jigsaw puzzle, each puzzle is slightly more difficult than the last again the pictures are all brightly coloured and the pieces fit together easily. Adam found these jigsaws more difficult than the floor puzzle but after he had sorted out the pieces he was quite good at doing these I love that each individual puzzle has a different border so one has orange stars another green and so on. I found this really helped with getting the right pieces as with them all being in the box together they get mixed up having the borders really help distinguish between the puzzles.




Adam has really had a lot of play out of these jigsaws and he seems to love playing with them as much as the last time, I love that the four in one gradually gets harder it helps with there development and increases there level of concentration over all we loved them a big thumbs up to the Clangers and Ravensburger.

We were sent these lovely jigsaw puzzles for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.