Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. I can't believe its nearly Christmas already. So if like me you haven't bought all your presents yet, here's a great gift idea for any kids you need to buy presents for. The *Hey Doodle Reusable Silicone Mat is a perfect gift for ages 3+ to keep them entertained without being in front of the TV (or tablets I guess is more likely in this day and age). *Hey Doodle Reusable Silicone Mat is an A3 reusable colouring mat.  Its printed on premium grade silicone and includes 9 non-toxic markers.  There are 6 different themes and activities -  Aussie Animals ,  World Countries ,  DinoRoar ,  Toot Toot Honk ,  Into The Wild  or  Sugar & Spice . It also comes with a handy carry case so you can travel with it to keep the kids occupied whatever you are doing - travelling, working from home, restaurants or waiting rooms. Best of all you can easily wipe it clean with a damp cloth so i...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. Now that its the summer holidays finding things to keep you or your kids happy without spending a fortune is key. Cheatwell Games Travel Gabble* is a fun game that requires 2 teams to play and is suitable for anyone age 12+. Its a quick fire game where you have to describe people, places and things which your team have to try and guess. Its a race against the clock to try and guess as many as possible. The more you describe the more you will score. Just slip a card out of the dispenser and then as people guess, you snap the little poppers on either side of the game to keep track. This is a perfect game to take anywhere - on holiday, airports, trains or just staying at home. It doesn't take up much room, is quick to set up and keeps you giggling throughout. Are you good at describing people or places under pressure? Try this game and find out. There's a timer included to keep you on your toes. This game is ...

  *I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. Connetix is a new company to me but I was excited to try out their Magnetic Tiles Rainbow Starter Pack*.   The pack includes a variety of different shapes in different colours and you can build whatever you want just let your imagination run free.  Even if you are not sure where to start the pack includes an Inspiration Book as well, which gives you loads of ideas. Its truly amazing what you can build including houses, small castles, farms, zoos, rocket ships, car parks, towers, puzzles. The list goes on and on.     You and your kids can explore the concepts of magnetism, learn about shapes, patterns and colours, develop fine motor and problem solving skills and so much more. If I'm honest, I was hooked straight away as soon as I opened the pack as I couldn't stop connecting pieces together. It was just so satisfying. Its recommended age is 3+ as it contains magnets and small parts. The...

  *I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. GEOMAG produces a great range of magnetic construction toys which come in a variety of sizes (number of pieces included in the set).  You can buy one by itself or you can keep buying sets that you can join together to make even bigger designs.  This 60 piece Supercolor* set  uses the most powerful magnetic rods which connect to metal spheres. Simply connect the rods and spheres and build them into 3D magnetic structures. The sky's (and your imagination) is the limit. There is an instruction booklet included and a website (Geomagvideo.com) which provides some ideas to get you started. The plastic is 100% recycled and the packaging is 70% recycled. This Swiss made set also comes with 3 storage boxes to keep pieces together.  This is a set that provides hours of creative fun and is suitable for ages 3 - 99.  The set comes with 28 rods in 4 different colours, 28 metal spheres and 4 bases (in 2 dif...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. The 13-Piece Magicube Magnetic Building Blocks set* from Geomag is the perfect gift for kids aged 1-5. It allows them to create different shapes and structures with this easy to handle block building set. The blocks have magnetic connections on all sides and the only limit is your imagination.  There are 4 different block shapes to build with and the set also includes a set of wheels meaning whatever you build can be attached to the wheels, so you get to see your creations on the move. The set helps children develop their hand-eye coordination and cause & effect thinking and imagining new designs supports their creativity.   You can create whatever you want, although there are some examples on the box if you need a helping hand with coming up with different options. Its made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding rubber) and is available here for £29.99 although it is on offer at £22.49 right now.  ...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. If you are looking for a great stocking filler for the dog lover in your life then the Kikkerland Dog Birthday Kit* is perfect. The Dog Birthday Kit* is a fun gift to celebrate the birthday of your best friend in style and make him feel special. The tin includes a dog treat recipe book, a bone shaped cookie cutter, a Happy Birthday banner and a party hat. You can bake a cookie, put on the party hat and decorate the room just for your dog's birthday. It costs £10 from Kikkerland .   Leigh 💜

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. Now I'm sure most of you have probably heard of Goat Yoga but I had never actually watched it on YouTube for some reason (and I watch a lot of YouTube). So when I was kindly sent the Kikkerland Goat Yoga Party Game* I went straight onto YouTube to see what all the fuss is about and I have to say I can see the appeal, although sadly I don't think its going to be offered near me any time soon. That being the case the Goat Yoga Party Game is the next best thing. So what is the Goat Yoga Party Game* I hear you ask? Well it is what it says on the tin (literally). You perform real yoga poses as well as completing ridiculous challenges with the inflatable goat (did I forget to mention there was an inflatable goat with this game). There are some benefits to not using a real live animal (I will leave that to your imagination). The challenges might be to do a Yoga pose while balancing the goat on your head or bat...

*I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. I was recently sent some sets to review that help children learn as they play and I must admit that they keep adults entertained as much as the kids. If you have an interest in science and art then read on. Newton’s Lab Make Your Own Painting Pendulum* lets you learn about the forces of gravity while making your own pieces of art. It is made with die-cut cardboard, pieces of string, tempera paint and a syringe. You build it yourself using the instructions on the back on the box and then watch it create your piece of art. I must admit my eye sight isn't the best and I did struggle a bit with the instructions in certain light. I would have preferred a set of black and white instructions in the box to make it a little bit easier. It is fun though to see what it creates and allows your child to learn as they play. It costs £13.50 and is available from Kikkerlandeu.com . Newton’s Lab Make Your Own Hydraulic Claw* h...

     *I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. I was recently sent The Geomag Glitter Panels Recycled 35-piece set* to review. Each Glitter set is fully compatible with the full Geomag range, including Classic, Green line, Supercolor, and Glow. The Geomag Glitter Panels Recycled 35-piece set is suitable for ages 3-99 and is made from 100% recycled plastic which is great when sustainability is the main goal for many of us. The set also comes with a storage box which makes it easy to store when not in use. This works by connecting magnetic rods to metal spheres, using plastic panels to reinforce and decorate. All you need is your imagination to start building different structures and shapes. Geomag ensures that children can learn key skills through the joy of building, construction, and even demolishing their creations. Packed full of invisible forces that make the magnetic rods and metal spheres attract, Geomag allows children to build endless desig...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. Geomag Mechanics Gravity Vertical Motor* is for ages 8+ (I certainly know adults who enjoy building this sort of thing as well as kids). This game allows you to build and start a motor using the invisible forces of gravity and magnetism without the use of electricity or batteries. With the help of Geomag magnets, you learn to use gravity to turn your own motor, running the spheres up and down the track that you built. Its Swiss made and has 183 pieces and contains 90% recycled plastic. The Gravity Mechanics Vertical Motor uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to start the mechanisms and movements of the Geomag structure. You load the spheres and spin the rotating part at the top and their weight moves a never-ending spiral and starts a gravity elevator. Once they reach the bottom then you simply reload them to continue the movement. This is the perfect educational toy for any future engineers in the family. Geomag was inven...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. It's that time of year when its getting lighter on a night and the weather is getting better and its nice to be out and about. Its lovely to see birds, butterflys and bees around the garden. I was kindly sent the Kikkerland DIY Bird House* in the style of a Japanese Tea House to try out. There are no tools necessary to build this house you just follow the instructions on the back of the packaging and its built in no time at all. Its made of sturdy cardboard with a water-resistant wax coating and a dowel for the front perch. Even better it only costs £6.95. Its also available in 2 other styles - A Frame and Log Cabin. This will make a great little gift for someone or just something inexpensive to buy yourself to encourage little visitors to your garden. When assembled the Bird House is 8" x 6.5" x 6" You can purchase the Kikkerland DIY Bird House here  or here .               ...

    *I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. Now that the nights are getting dark at around 4pm and with the first snow of the year I am staying in more and more rather than venturing out in the freezing cold so finding things to keep me busy is the name of the game.  I was kindly sent the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Board Game* which includes digital lifelines to try out which is ideal at this time of year. The game comes with a game board, answer tokens, lifeline tokens, playing tokens and over 700 questions. Its suitable for 14 years + and you need 2 or more players.  To play, you choose a player to act as the host (the host still gets to play and the role of host changes after each question). The host takes a card from the £500 deck and reads out the question and multiple choice answer options. All players including the host then place their answer tokens face down in the final answer section of the board. Once an answer is in the final an...

*I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. Can you believe its just a month to go before its Christmas Day. I need to get my act together and get the rest of my Christmas presents as it will be here before you know it. I do love the run up to Christmas Day although it can get even busier at work there is just something more relaxed once you get to December.   If you have younger children to buy for Dantoy BIOplastic Tiny Bio Stacking Play Cups * are a good option for ages 6 months+.  The eco-friendly toy includes 7 stacking cups for children to build up and knock down.  Each stacking cup is a different shape and colour and can be used in a sandbox or in the bath (2 of the cups can be used for scooping and 5 of them have holes for letting water sprinkle out of them). They are: Stackable, buildable and delightful to knock down Great bath time fun Can be used as cookie cutters in modelling clay or dough Stimulate childrens awareness of colou...

*I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. I don't know if it's my age, but I do like to receive practical gifts and these gifts are really useful items that I wouldn't mind receiving. Kikkerland Safe Slot Tech Pocket *. This universal phone pocket holds up to 3 cards and features soft touch lining, tech leather exterior and easily removable non-residue 3M adhesive. I don't know about you, but my handbag is usually crammed full of stuff, so rather than pull my purse out when I am buying things, it's usually far easier to pull out my phone and grab a card from this pocket, stuck on the back of my phone. I'm sure some people think that's crazy, when you can just use your phone to pay for things, but tech wise I am not quite there yet and prefer to use my credit card. You can buy this item here for £8.99. Kikkerland Avocado Hot/Cold Pack* . This is freezable, non-toxic and reusable. To use as a cold pack, place the pack in the freezer f...

*I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. Now Halloween is officially over its definitely time to start thinking about Christmas (if you haven't already).  Here are some more fab gift ideas for friends and family. The Mr Potato Head 3D Ceramic Mug* is a fun gift for Christmas.  There are 7 interchangeable silicone face pieces so you can have fun creating his wacky expressions and its perfect for your hot chocolate on these cold dark nights.  Please note that this is an adult novelty gift not a toy.   You can purchase this gift on Prezzybox here for £17.99. The Decision Maker* is similar to the magic 8 ball, you ask a question and swing the decision ball for the answer.  I am a very indecisive person so I love things like this.  Its a perfect stocking filler or even Secret Santa gift as it fits easily on any desk.  You can purchase this gift on Amazon  here  for £10.84. Zany Zoo Jigsaw Puzzle*  has ...

     *I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. Its that time of year again where we can start thinking about Christmas.  I love the run up to Christmas, but not the last minute rush for Christmas gifts so I'm starting to look at what options are out there for potential presents.  These are a couple of great gift options for kids. GEOMAG Mechanics Gravity Loops & Turns 130 PCS* - Ages 8+ The Mechanics Gravity Magnetic Track harnesses the invisible forces of magnetism and gravity through original and surprising means.  The spheres inside the circuit are set in motion by an innovative magnetic cannon that uses the force of attraction of the accelerating magnet.  Gravity is the innovative evolution of the Geomag Mechanics line.  Developed with expert players in mind, the new construction system is based on an innovative "gravity motor" that uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to kickstart the mechanisms and movements of t...

  *I received these products for free but the opinions are my own. With Mothers Day coming up I have been wondering what to get my mum this year.  Usually we book a day at the Spa but sadly that's not on the cards at the moment but fingers crossed that will happen some time this year if we are lucky.   I was sent Daisy The Dachshund Planter* to review and I thought this would be a great gift for mums out there who have green fingers and want a little bit of greenery around the house.   Daisy is a mini leak-proof ceramic planter which you can put on your desk or anywhere around the home.  Daisy is so cute and will look great with some small plants in.   Daisy is available for £16  here . A useful gift alongside Daisy is the Industrial Plant Mister* which is a handy way to water the plants inside your home.  It's small but holds 350ml of water and is great to make sure that your household plants are watered on a regular basis.  ...

*I received this product for free but the opinions are my own. This stocking filler is for the guys so if you have a partner, brother, son or male friend and you aren't sure what to buy them for Christmas then this product might be the one for you.  I was sent a tin of Solid Cologne UK (SCUK) solid fragrance Sikandar to review.  I hadn't heard of this brand before and although I have seen solid fragrances for women, I haven't seen them for men.  You can read more about Solid Cologne UK  here.    Sikandar has fresh and citrusy top notes, followed by warm and spicy middle notes including geranium, cinnamon and cloves.  Base notes include sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood and musk.  The ingredients are all natural and include Beeswax, Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil.  Overall it is a great scent, it smells amazing when you wear it and to be honest I would be tempted to buy it for myself not just as a gift for a guy.   The solid fragrance co...