Cloth bags instead of wrapping paper. An Eco craft Project.

Everyone is talking about the environment. It's as if we all woke up at once to the fact that the earth is a closed biosphere and that stuff we use has to be recycled or we are doomed! So I'm joining in, why not! I'm looking at presents and how we wrap them.

Paper is pretty easy to recycle compared to lots of things we make. And plain paper breaks down and composts nicely. But fancy wrapping paper, the shiny sort, the metallic sort, the glittery sort, doesn't. And Christmas and birthday wrapping can end up looking gorgeous but being very bad for the planet.

Some time ago I wrote about using bags for children's gifts, not because of the planet, but because children's toys are so over packaged that an impatient toddler can end up in tears of rage when 20 minutes after unwrapping their new baby doll daddy is still trying to undo all the ties and twists, and because so much toy packaging is geared towards gender.

But lately I realised that reusable bags would also be good for adults gifts, for any gifts really, and the best thing about a little bag is that it makes gifts easy to wrap, and it can be reusable too!

If you have a sewing machine they are a snap to make, but even if you hand sew they are far from complicated.

So with a doubly environmental plan that involved buying cheap clothes at Charity stores purely for the pretty designs on the material and then recycling them into bags, I set to work.

So far I have actually used new material because I found some cheap 'fat quarters', and the bags I have made are small, but I'm going to keep making them, as and when I have time, so that by Christmas I should have a good choice.

I have used ribbon for the 'drawstring' on my bags so that they can have a bow tied at the top.

The simplest design require no finishing of raw edges, just a simple rectangle of material, wide hems sewn at each narrow end for the drawstring (ribbon) , fold the rectagle into a square, and then a quick sew together of the sides.

Two loops of ribbons are threaded through the hems and ... ta da! a drawstring bag.

Teen gift idea and Printed Sweatshirt Review

Finding something for a teen for Christmas is always tough. Partly as we live in an age of having much more than we need, and partly as teens have money to get what they want when they want it, and so many things that were 'saved for christmas' or your birthday when I was a kid are now just seen as essentials and bought during the year.

Unless you are the sort of parent that buys £600 phones as gifts (I'm not) you'll probably be looking at Christmas albums (interesting aside, vinyls are now outselling downloads, so maybe getting a retro record player should be on your list!), maybe books by their favourite reality stars (DD was thrilled to receive a signed copy of Hannah Hart's book for her birthday this year) or clothes.

I've heard some people say that clothes aren't a real gift. And I sort of see where they are coming from with that, obviously getting a new school skirt or some plain grey socks might not cut it, but clothes that you wouldn't normally buy yourself might be just the thing, especially if they can be personalised.

Don't worry I'm not suggesting you get your teen a T shirt with their name on like you did when they were 4,  but there are things that only you know about your teen that can make a T shirt or sweat shirt into a rather fun gift. Teens like slogan tops (so I have been told by my own teen who recently pinched my 'Nothing But Tea' T shirt, a slogan that amuses her as she's teetotal) and so why not have one specially printed?

I've always thought T-shirt printing places (the online kind, not the seaside 'I'm with Stupid' kind) were for promotional brand stuff or for teams, maybe if a group of you are going to run a marathon, or hang out as a hen group in the town, but they can be used to print individual stuff too, and they are not as pricey as you'd think.

Garment Printing make printed T shirts and sweatshirt and other things too, and the prices are around £24 for a single printed T shirt  inc. delivery and all set up and design help. (of course if you ARE running a marathon as a team then it gets cheaper per item if you order more). Standard delivery is 7-10 days but they provide an express service, and can print and deliver next day if you've left it late.

You can choose your base colour and then decide if you want a picture, logo or other design and if there is any text you fancy.

"Yes mum I cleaned my room!"

"I'll be back whenever"

"My parents made me wear this, to keep my kidneys warm" ~~ seriously considering this for the future!

"Can you lend me £10"

or one of many other well known teen and family phrases.

Garment printers have a team of designers who will make a mock up of the design and send you an image to approve. When they made the one they sent me for review I let them pick the font though I supplied the image, and it works really well, DD loves it, but you can do the design however you want. Once the design is approved, the garment is made and delivered.

DD Can't even think straight

DD and I are really pleased with the quality too. The sweatshirt is nice thick material, it feels llike a quality product. It wears well and has washed well too. The print doesn't fade or peel. I'm really happy with it.

So for a fun teen gift (or for anyone really) why not consider unleashing your sarcastic wit on an unsuspecting T shirt or sweatshirt. Garment printers have a best price promise and will confirm your quote in 5 minutes. (and with a 20% discount for charities - if you are planning doing any fund raising in 2017 as a new years resolution, they'd be a great company to work with)

Best advert for this company I think is DD who has barely taken the sweat shirt off since it arrived! (so it has been washed several times!)

Thank You Letters

The last time I put pen to paper and wrote a thank you letter....hmm let me think...I thanked my best friend for the gift she sent for my 50th but that was a text, I thanked my daughter for my mothers' day gift but I thanked her in person. I thanked my American mate for something she sent but that was an email...no I think the last time I put pen to paper was when I was about 16.

When was the last time you wrote a thank you letter? And do you make your children write them? We have always made DD write cards and letters of thanks (drawing pictures when she was too small to write) and my friends all ensure that I receive a thank you card if I send their child a gift too. But are they really still necessary in today's busy electronic world?

A thank you I received in a recent Amazon delivery!

First things first, I don't usually expect a thank you letter or card if I give the present direct to the recipient. After all, I know they received it and they can say thank you there and then. I do however like a thank you letter if I have posted a gift, and if I receive a gift via the post I ensure I send some sort of thank you as a way of not only showing gratitude, but of letting the sender know that their gift arrived. And when DD was small and had large birthday parties, we ensured every child received a thank you card for coming, and for the gifts they brought.

Lately though I've realised that actually writing the letter may be a bit old fashioned. I'm not a Victorian. I can text, email, tweet, Facebook, Skype ... well you know the drill. So should I still be asking DD to write thank you letters? And should I be doing it too? Or not? I asked a few parenting bloggers if their kids wrote thank you letters:

Katy says "I've never received a thank you card for Christmas, only for a wedding or a new baby. That is fine with me too. I'll get my daughter to say thank you to people when she receives gifts." http://katykicker.com

Stevie says "I always used to mean to do it and bought cards every year just for that purpose, but we've gone 'modern' instead. The boys either text people, email them or give them a quick phone call to say thank you on the day." www.acornishmum.com

Milla says "I always mean to send them. Most years I even handmake thank you cards with my kids before Christmas (my logic being that the writing inside doesn't need to be as fulsome if the card is handmade ) but I hardly ever get round to actually sending the wretched things. Post-Christmas is such a mad time with family birthdays and back to school and calming down hyped-up kids." liveoxfordshire.com

Mary says " I'm old school. If someone had taken the time to send my son a present or give him money then he is writing them a thank you note. I think it's really rude when people don't acknowledge the fact we've given them a present. It doesn't need to be War and Peace, but he does need to make a little effort" http://Over40andamumtoone.com

Naomi says "I send them - usually a postcard of a recent photo of the kids. Mine are 4 and a baby, so at the moment I have "Thank you for my Christmas presents" and then write their names. When they are older they can write them themselves. I think it's polite - - if someone has gone to the effort of getting a gift for them, it's just a thank you. I should add, lots of our friends and family live some distance away, so we don't see them very often." Http://lifebynaomi.com

Louise says "We do thank you cards for birthdays and with Christmas I usually send a photo of the child with the present or a video of them saying thank you as the presents are mostly from family." Http://pinkpearbear.com

Beth says "I've never sent or received a thank you card for Christmas. We do for birthdays but not for Christmas. We are lucky though as usually see all the family who buy gifts so they can say thank you there & then. My Dad always says seeing their reaction is priceless so this means more than a thank you card I guess" http://Twinderelmo.co.uk

Dave (slightly shocked) say "I didn't even know this was a thing! Growing up, I always said thanks to people by ringing them or face to face when I next saw them. I kind of like the sentiment of spending the time to write a letter with / on behalf of Toddler L, but the truth is that we're never going to get around to doing that!" www.thedadventurer.com

Kate agrees with Dave and says "I didn't even know people did this. I was always taught to call or thank people in person, and then later my mum would send a picture of me playing/wearing said present. A lot of our friends live quite a distance away so this is probably going to be an option, however with modern technology you can Skype/FaceTime." Http://Lesbemums.com

Abi says "I always send them. We always sent them as kids so have just continued doing so. Even if we see the person to thank in person, I always follow up with a note. Might take me 6 months to post it, but it goes eventually! I may take a more modern approach of text/email as the kids get older/ we have more!" Www.somethingaboutbaby.co.uk

Sophie says "Writing thank you letters and cards after receiving birthday or Christmas presents was drummed into me at an early age. We HAD to send them, even if we had sent 'thank you' in person or when we had opened the present in front of them. As I got older I got nagged as I tried to explain that saying 'thank you' in person or on the phone should be enough. I can't imagine what the postage costs were! When I talked to friends or my husband about their etiquette most were quite surprised about the letter writing. These days the relatives who used to send a card for any occasion have started barely sending any, probably due to cost of postage and I'm happy to email." http://www.sophieandlily.co.uk

Cat say "I do it for older relatives and distant relations who are 'that type' but now I usually send a quick picture message or short video with a bit of text saying 'thanks for your pressie'" rockandrollpussycat.co.uk

Jayne says "I'm useless at thank you cards. I try and take nice pictures of the kids and the gifts and attach a message saying thank you." http://kidskicksandcloth.com/

Steph says "I always make sure we send thank you cards. I write them and the children sign them (as they are too young to write a whole card). I always find it really rude when I don't get a thank you from others. I'd be more than happy with a text / email/ call but it amazes me that some people don't acknowledge the pressie at all." http://www.hellobabyblog.co.uk

Laura says "With four children and countless gifts, it really isn't feasible for me to get them to write out thank you cards (more so as three are unable to write!). I tend to do a group text or share a post on facebook tagging everyone to say thank you, or if it's an elderly relative we phone them up to say thank you as they seem to expect a more personal thank you." www.fivelittledoves.com

Lucinda says "Once children can write they HAVE to write their own thank you letter whether they have opened it In front of the giver or not. I think they have to think about the thought and action that went into choosing a present for them, and thank accordingly. Old school maybe but we don't want the next generation to lose the art of being able to write a hand written letter!" www.thelondonmummy.com

Claire says "I myself have never sent thank you letters for anything or received, I've rung or texted the person to say thank you and wish them merry Christmas etc as it is important to take a few minutes to show gratitude for the people who've spent their time and money on gifting something thoughtful. I'll definitely be encouraging my little boy to do the same, at the moment while he is so young my partner and I will send a picture of him using the gift and whatsapp it or email it to the person who gifted it or we will say thanks ourselves over the phone but we will definitely be encouraging our little one to do the same. Letters & cards etc takes so much time!" www.dearmummybear.wordpress.com

Lara says "Hmm, maybe I'm old school then! We always send them and making them doubles as a fun wet weather activity! I think it's really important to teach them to thank people for their gifts. However we never receive them from other family members, only from friends Which is a shame. I totally get that modern life is busy and I expect once the boys are older it will be more likely to be a digital thank you but for now it's important we do it in physical form. It also means we take the time to remember whom each gift has come from." www.adventuresofamum.com

Rebecca says "We always thank when the present is received but maybe not after opening it. Oh I am so hopeless at sending thank you cards. I always buy cards to send but keep forgetting!" Http://becster.com

Jennifer says "When my children were tiny I'd make sure thank you cards were sent for every gift, I'd do a crafty afternoon with them get out the glitter and decorate some cards, then I'd write and send them. As they got older and could write themselves this turned into something much more time consuming. Now we'll make and send cards to a few people, such as elderly relatives but if it's someone who's on social media we're more likely to take a photo with the gift and send that to say thank you." Http://www.mymummyspennies.com

Laura says "I love getting thank yous so always make sure we say thank you to people. I write notes for older people that have posted things but younger relatives I'll send a video of the kids saying thank you or type a message or email. I'm not ever so organised though so it is sometimes a while after the event." Www.wafflemama.uk

So it seems we agree that some sort of thank you is in order, we mostly agree that cards and letters are nice (especially for older relatives that may not be as tech savvy) but that it maybe we are moving into a digital era where a 'Thank you Youtube clip' might soon take the place of a card - what a shame Vine is closing down, all those thank yous, sorted in 6 seconds each!

What do your family do? Do you write thank you letters?

Cardoo Colouring cards

I've looked at and liked Cardoo cards before. They are a fun idea that turns a card into a small gift. For a child they are great to add some fun to what can be a pretty, but ultimately only decorative, thing. Perfect to send abroad I use them to send to my sponsored child in Uganda.

Now Cardoo have a new range, perfect for older children, teens and adults. With the craze for adult colouring making colouring a 'cool' thing to do again, and helping lots of people to cope with stress I think they are rather a good idea. Excellent for sending to a teen coping with exams, or in hospital with nothing to do these cards are 8 pages of mandala, floral or geometric designs to colour yourslef. You could even colour half yourself first as a way to bond from miles away on a joint project and send some love.

Each card is slightly different style, but all have lovely metallic foil finish on the front so that even before colouring they are stylish and beautiful. They are complimented by a plain brown envelope - perfect for you to decorate before posting.

The cards retail at £3.50 and the range launches on 1st July 2016, with a selction available at WHSmith.

Find out more about all of the cards and look at the range of colouring cards at www.cardoo.com

Thanks to Cardoo who sent me a couple of cards to review

What do women REALLY want for Valentines day - a tongue in cheek post

Copyright: pretoperola / 123RF Stock Photo

Valentine's Day is fast approaching like a looming red fog on the horizon. Terrifying the average man who is soon to discover he cannot win on this of all days.

On Valentine's Day, a man in a relationship with a lady has several choices.
He can ignore the entire thing, dismiss it as comercialised and claim he doesn't need a day to tell her he loves her. She will assume he is an uncaring heel or that he forgot and this is a feeble way of weaseling out of the whole thing.
He can buy a card, something cute or funny and that's that. She will think he is cheap, assume he grabbed it without thinking in the supermarket or petrol station and she will tell all her friends how uncaring he is.
He can buy an elaborate gift such as a huge bunch of red roses or a massive box of chocolates, and she will tell him what a waste of money flowers are, especially on Valentine's day, she will also exclaim she is dieting and the chocolates are cruel. She will tell her friends he is predictable and boring.

So what do women actually want? Well I asked a few women that were in relationships what their perfect Valentine's Day gift would be. Instantly and top of the list was time by themselves! I can understand the desire to escape the busy everyday life but I was hoping for something a teensy bit more romantic (chaps, save this information for a birthday gift!). Next most popular was sleep, yes I know, still not terribly romantic, though combined with a man that takes charge of the kids when they wake, gives them breakfast, settles them in front of a 3 hour movie and then takes his snoozing wife breakfast in bed might count...

But the suggestions that seemed most useful were:

• Unmarried ladies in relationships (such as Emma) seem to hope for diamonds, if you like it, she correctly assumes, you should have put a ring on it.
• Another popular choice is a spa day, for true romance I guess you'd have to go too, his and hers towels by the pool, joint massages and a cosy canoodle in the hot tub. Several ladies liked that idea.
• Chocolates were not totally out of favour, but they needed to be quality over quantity, the day of the large padded heart shape box are over it seems.
• Many ladies feel that having everything done for them is the way to go, baby sitter sorted, table booked and then whisked off in a taxi so you can both have a tipple at a restaurant where the night is spent eating and gazing into each others eyes....just as you did before your life was full of toddlers and snot.
• Another lovely idea was being told to treat yourself to a new pair of shoes or a new handbag, so many ladies would like this so much more than flowers or chocolates! Even a new dress, why not pluck up the courage to go shopping with her, telling her how sexy she looks in the things she chooses (not looking  at your watch and telling her you are missing the rugby)
• On the 'time alone together' theme, it wasn't only restaurants and spas that were mentioned, afternoon tea, or even a wander around a town or a walk in the country were suggested. Even a whole night in a hotel - oh to have the freedom for loud sex without the kids hearing.....
• The idea of a surprise was high on the list too - unusual gifts but ones that might be appreciated, cheese, a new purse, earrings, perfume....but not 'sexy underwear' (the crime of buying what you, the chap, deem sexy, but what is, in reality, cheap, tacky and uncomfortable and really for you anyway...just no) Going with her to buy some Agent Provocateur does not come into the 'no' category obviously...
• And one odd request was mooted. "I'd really like if he hired a backing group and made up a barbershop style song about me and then performed it on the doorstep. The kind of thing that takes a bit of effort!" ... I'll just leave that there....no one said us women were low maintenance...

Copyright: ventura69 / 123RF Stock Photo

The top result, in all it's varieties, (if we exclude time alone!) was time with you, the man in her life. For you to organise it all so she can be swept off her feet, away from her normal life to an afternoon, evening, or weekend of romantic together time....chaps...you heard it here first..now go get her.Your time, it's what she wants and it's almost (assuming no baby sitting fees) free. No excuse, have fun together. 

Huge thanks to the following bloggers for their candid input. Why not check out their blogs on Valentine's Day to see if all their dreams come true.

Geraldine at Jog On Mum

Nat at Handful of Halfpennies

Angela at Days in Bed

Emily at Emily and Indiana

Mum of Five Staying Sane

Emma at The Mini Mes and Me

Mary at Over 40 and Mum to One
Emma at The Cheshire Wife
Mother Under Measure
Amy at The Smallest of Things
Chantelle at Mama Mummy Mum
Zoe at A Beautiful Abode
Vanessa at A Happy Healthy Mummy
Carly at Mummy and the Chunks

DIY Emergency gifts - Post 40 Bloggers Writing Prompt

Post 40 Bloggers had a fun writing prompt this week.

Using only what is already in the house, you have been given one day to MAKE a gift for someone

Well I'm the sort of person that is always prepared, so the more I thought about it the more I realised I could rustle up something at fairly short notice. For a start we have a 'craft box' so I have all manner of odd bits and bobs like pompoms, coloured lolly sticks, pipe cleaners and coloured feathers. We have paper, card, paint, glue, felt and wool. I have a sewing machine and a laminator so the world is my oyster.

For simple gifts I could make a bookmark, designed and printed prettily on the computer or painted in watercolours and then laminated. I could make a felt bookmark, or a gorgeous felt strawberry keyring (Maggie at Red Ted Art taught me how to make one at Wilderness Festival).

DD and I are also pretty good at making a sock bunny, and in my sewing basket I still have a pair of (new) long stripey socks put aside for this purpose. So I could make a soft toy.

Super Sock Rabbit

I also have a larder full of goodies - we are notoriously overstocked in my house (prepared for a zombie apocalypse) -  so making simple fudge, peppermint creams or even a cake or biscuits would be simple!

Bacon and Maple syrup and whisky cakes

Ninjabread Gingerbread

I think I might even have some of those keyring blanks you add photos to, so I could thrill the mystery gift recipient with a picture of my face, or a cute motivational phrase printed across a sunset.

Along those lines a spare photo frame sprayed gold (fairly sure I have some paint knocking about in the garage, maybe not gold, red?) and then a printed phrase inside might be cute something like "I'm not weird, I'm special edition" in a pretty font would work too.

All in all I think I'm doing quite well for emergency gifts. I blame the years I spent as a Rainbow Guide leader..and years of Blue Peter as a child.

Could you make a gift from things you have at home now?

Ten things I love about Christmas

• Time with my family. Not everyone gets to have time off over Christmas, and this year I have to work on Boxing Day, but I do love time with my family. Visiting distant relatives is easier too as roads are less busy (assuming you drive at what is usually the rush hour) and it's lovely to sit and just be, with people you love.
• Mince pies. People get a bit weird if you eat them at other times of the year, but I do love the slightly sharp, slightly sweet, often alcohol infused, taste of a mince pie. Best made at home with homemade pastry - though I've yet to be brave enough to make my own mincemeat. (and yes American readers, it really is meat - well suet - and fruit, the tudors were big on meat and fruit, and jolly well done I say!) 
• Marzipan. Life should contain more marzipan, Christmas seems happy to take up the slack left by the rest of the year. From marzipan fruits to dark chocolate covered marzipan and marzipan on a cake...mmmm marzipan.
• Eating odd foods at odd times. Turkey leftovers for breakfast, cake for lunch, toast for tea, Christmas seems to be a time when a sudden urge to eat walnuts is acceptable. The joy of eating what you like, when you like is oddly freeing (matched only by festival living) and while one may end up over full, it's only a couple of days so I think we can risk it..another sausage roll?
• Alcohol for breakfast. Bucksfizz, drunk only on wedding mornings and Christmas. An excuse to drink cava or champagne with the strange idea that it's healthy because of the orange juice. (don't have alcohol for breakfast if you are planning to drive and visit relatives, obviously)
• Watching people open gifts. I like getting presents but I know I'm a grown up because I now genuinely prefer to see other people open their gifts. The sight of a child realising as they tear the wrapping that it's the thing they've always (for the last 6 months) wanted...priceless.
• Helping Father Christmas. Sometimes the great man can't be at every house and so it falls to us parents to take up the slack, obviously we don't have to do this every year and he sends us special instructions when we do, but creeping into a sleeping child's room, hearing them (pretending to) sleep, watching the flicker of eyelids as they dream, and then popping their gifts into a stocking, is the best feeling.

• Left overs. Related to the eating anything at anytime, but left overs are great. Bubble and squeak, refried christmas pudding (fry a slice in butter - you're welcome) , picking turkey from the bones when you nip to the fridge for more beer, I love leftovers.
• Christmas lights. I love the festive look the twinkling lights of Christmas give to a home. Once our tree is up adding a coloured warmth to the lounge I never want to take it down.

• Memories. Memories that are being made and memories of Christmases past, each year we buy a new decoration for the tree and so I remember 2 year old DD choosing a shining toy soldier or a 4 year old DD choose a tinkling ginerbreadman bell. Each Christmas stored in a memory on the tree. I look forward to more memories being created this year too. Not all memories are so happy, as we think of loved ones no longer with us, but somehow the warmth and hope of Christmas (or it may be the sherry) let's us remember the happy times we shared with them.

I hope Christmas holds much joy for you and yours. And that memories, even the sad ones,  flow as liberally as the sherry.

Science toys for cool kids

When I was at Blog On Winchester blogging event last month I discovered the company Trends UK. They are the UKs number one science toy supplier.

As a toy company that seems to have some pretty cool toys! We met and slightly fell in love with the Roboraptor, which as his name suggests is a robot dinosaur of the raptor variety. He has various personality settings and could change from hunting mode to your best friend!

 

We also loved the funky haired Elektrokidz who shake their mop tops to any music they hear. A great addition to a teen bedroom or the top of a sound system, I imagine a tiny disco of various colours all wiggling about to the latest One Direction song or rocking out to some drum and base.

But while I loved the robot toys it was the science stuff on the website that really grabbed my attention. Great gifts like telescopes, metal detectors and microscopes. I'm a bit of a science geek and I know I would have loved to have had the tools to explore the world around me when I was younger, I think I made do with a magnifying glass.

Trends bring together some excellent brands, and have a chemistry section too. I still fancy having my own chemistry lab!

But I think for retro goodness alone, and huge 'dad appeal' the Haynes section of the website might be the winner. Airfix Spitfires, model engines, just brilliant! Find out how an engine works and build one, perfect for a tinker of a winter's afternoon in the shed.

Trends also have lots of great spy gadgets. So for the budding MI5 employee or the sneaky preteen there is plenty to choose from, night stealth goggles, door alarms and listening devices.

It's a great site with new toys arriving daily so it's well worth bookmarking and checking regularly. They even have science-y time-y wime-y Dr Who cybernetics labs!

Disclosure - Trends UK gave me the weird dancing music loving Elektrokid as a gift :-) But I wrote this post.

Gift Guide for men! (and ladies that like things men like..so for everyone really)

It was brought to my attention that a previous gift guide for handmade items was a little heavy on girly things. Jewelly and flowery fripperies and the like. So I promised a less girly list, for the less girly (such as me) and for the truly blokey.

So here are some gifts ideas.

How about the stunning and unusual Jord Wooden watch? I can vouch for their beauty (and their ability  to keep time - important in a watch!) and I often get comments on the interesting concept of a wooden time piece. Available in a variety of woods and styles, with the straps sized for your arm prior to shipping. I blogged about them here.

And one of my favourite websites, Flamingo gifts. I personally adore the quirky items they stock and think that these would make perfect gifts for men anyone.

Movie Night Beer Glass

Ninja Mug

Squirrel Keyring and key holder

I'll be honest - I'm in love with the squirrel! Absolute genius and functional too.

Or how about something from Not On The High Street, a company I've used before that always surprises me with ingenious and unusual things. I rather like these for example...

Marshmallow Toasting Kit

Smartphone projector and speaker set

But don't ignore some other sites that look like they are designed for kids, I'm thinking especially of Wicked Uncle who have some wicked gifts for the young at heart, things like...

Zombie Playing cards (with survival tips)

Hulk Smash Nightlight (what's not to love)

And the Great Gift Company has some great things too, from small stocking fillers to big main gifts like ...

Portable Turntable for your retro vinyl

or the rather fun

Twister Picnic Blanket

and if all else fails and you resort to socks, don't make them boring socks! Check out the Sock Shop for such gems as super hero socks (complete with capes!) or even X-ray socks.

Sockshop for wild (and ordinary if you insist) socks

Evil Aunties and Wicked Uncles

I am not only a mummy, oh no, I am also an Auntie. I have two nieces, and several 'honorary' nieces and nephews, the sort where you are almost a mum to them because they are the kids belonging to your  mate. Though in my case many of these mates are now scattered across the UK and we don't see each other that much. I'm not an Evil Auntie though so I still like to send the little ones fun presents on their birthdays and at Christmas.

So I was happy to have the chance to review a website with the rather silly name of Wicked Uncle, for some reason I pictured a sort of Lemony Snickett character behind this enterprise but I needn't have worried, the website is neither gothic nor run down, it is fresh and clean and easy to use.

The premise of the site is simple, much like a wedding planner saves the bride from tearing out her hair over the organisation, Wicked Uncle does all the stressful gift giving for you, all you need to do is to choose (which Wicked Uncle helps with) and then pay and all is done.

Gift wrap, cards, messages, delivery all sorted, you can just sit back and bask in being the brilliant organised Aunt (insert the relative or friend of your choice) and wait for the thank you card to arrive. And arrive it will! Because Wicked Uncle have a rather genius option of a multichoice pre addressed thank you card, so  that all the little rapscallion needs to do is add a tick and a stamp and post it for you to be thanked!

I was so pleased with the site layout, while there are options for Boy/Girl searches, there is also a much more useful 'All' option and then the toys and gifts are sorted by type of recipient rather than gender, so you can search for categories like 'Brainiac' or 'Snuggly' or 'Outdoorsy' or 'Role play' and many more. Each category can be further sorted by age suitability, perfect for when you haven't seen the little darling in over a year. My favourite bit of the site were the little messages that pop up when you add things to your basket

And while obviously buying a glow in the dark zombie shark is super cool, the messages vary, always complimentary and always amusing.

The choice of toys and gifts is fantastic, from Zombie Brain Poppers at £7.99 to Poop Emoji Cushions (we all need one) at £12.95, and from Cuddly lanky cats at £12.95 to Story Cubes at £9.95 (I bought some of these, great for games around the campfire! and for bedtime) and so so many more, I loved the site and found navigating it really easy, I can't stress enough how simple it was!

Make your own super hero mask

I chose to have a couple of presents wrapped, and unlike some other online retailers, the wrapping price is not horrendous as it is only £2.95 with each additional present at £1.50 and there are lots of paper designs to choose from. And standard delivery is only £2.95 (though there is a speedier option too)

Robot Clock

The parcels can be sent out same day if you order before 4pm! so no excuse for belated birthday gifts. Personal messages can be added free of charge (handwritten by elves on the present label) or you can buy and add a card.

My parcel arrived in good time, with the excellent thank you card included (obviously if you have the gift sent direct to the child this makes more sense!)

I will be using the site again, it was so easy, such a great choice from baby to teen (and beyond if you have a silly sense of humour) from cheap small toys, classic wooden ones, to big main presents for the one child you really like ;-)

Inflatable Penguin snowboard!

I dare you to have a browse and not find something you just have to buy - perfect for Christmas. Go on, have a look.

Disclosure - I was sent vouchers to spend on the site - but I loved it so much I spent some of my own money too! The words and thoughts in this review are all my own work, typos and all.

Cardooo Cards - a review

I was sent a couple of birthday cards recently (it's OK - it's not until next month you still have time to buy me a present.) and was asked to review them.

A card, or a book, or a game...

I don't review things I wouldn't buy or use myself and these are brilliant! They are only £3 and before you start moaning about the price of cards etc wait...these are not just cards! They have stickers and a background to create your own picture, they have a story in them, they have colouring pages (yes they are really little books not cards at all!) they have puzzles, they have a board game!! (I know! it's ridiculous) they have quizzes, maps, game ideas...it's not exaggerating, I think, when they claim to keep kids entertained for hours!

Activity card from Cardooo

Most of the cards feel a bit boy/girl themed, at least in the age range selection, but I'll forgive that as the actual cards are terrific!

Fairy themed card from Cardooo

I will be sending one to my sponsored child in Uganda as I sometimes struggle which what fun things I can send her that are small enough to post.

Dinosaur themed card from Cardooo

These cards are great to send to a child overseas, or one you see often, I'll be honest I might start sending them to adults too,  so much better than a £2.99 card that is just a grinning bear with a puerile message in - these cards inspire action. I love the fairy tale story ones too. They are available at Asda for £3

Not only can Cardooo cards be enjoyed for weeks rather than being left on the mantelpiece for days, but the activities make them ideal for kids on the go or rainy days.

To see the full range of Cardooo cards visit their website: http://www.cardooo.com/

Beautiful Blob Slime Laboratory Giveaway

After a delightful time at a recent blogging event I am in the rather lovely position of being able to giveaway some goodies.

Today's giveaway is fun and educational (not really kids, it's just fun, the only thing you'll learn is how to make a mess!) It's a slimy science kit! Suitable for anyone disgusting over 10 years old.

I wouldn't be giving it away but the lovely DD already has one! She's such a science geek, and who doesn't love creating their own slimy monsters!?

And in case you really are a useless mad scientist and fail to create the alien life form of your warped dreams, I'm also including some glow in the dark slime!

Loads of ways to win, and a few weeks to win it in (the plan is that it will be posted out at the beginning of November.) Open to the UK only - and not my family! (sorry chaps)

DD assures me that you'll love it. You can use the lab to make jelly gemstones, wriggly worms, caviar beads, flubbery tadpoles...and pretty much anything gloopy and disgusting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

JamAudio Bluetooth headphones - Review

The very same day that I griped on twitter about too many baby items and nothing for teens to review on blogs and I was offered a free pair of bluetooth headphones to review by JamAudio!

So I obviously leapt at the chance. I confess that we have never really bothered to get decent headphones while DD was growing up - too worried about her breaking them! But now that she is 15 I felt she could do with something a little better to listen to her music on. We have also tended towards 'ordinary' headphones with cable.

It was with some excitement that DD opened the rather nicely packaged Jam Transit Wireless stereo headphones. They were incredibly easy to set up and sync with her phone too, in fact by the time I had binned the outer wrapping and turned around, as they arrived pre-charged (great idea!)  I was faced with this



So score 10/10 for packaging, and 10/10 for ease of set up. The headphones allow you to skip tracks, pause and alter volume all via the headphones too! So you can leave your phone in your bag and still listen to what you want when you want. DD was impressed that there is a microphone on the headphones so she could take a call all while her phone was on a table a few feet away. 10/10 for usability.

The bluetooth range is great and the quality of the sound is excellent. The noise leakage seems minimal too - I had to lean in close to be annoyed by her taste in music, and she assures me that when listening via the headphones she can't hear me talking...certainly she couldn't hear me tell her to tidy her room! She has used the headphones in the car while I was driving too - when I wanted to catch up with the Archers - and confirmed that the music still sounded clear even over the car and radio noise, there was no interference. 10/10 for sound.

The headphones are slick looking, have a solid reusable case and charge easily via a USB cable. With a rather awesome battery life of 11 hours! So you could probably run a marathon in them (I'm not suggesting they will give you super power, you'd have to train and stuff, but they'd supply the music while you did it!)  If you are looking for quality headphones at a good price I would recommend these. They would make a good Christmas present for any age but nice to be able to let your teen listen to their music without having to share the experience. Of course you can link to other devices, anything with bluetooth really. So they are really handy.

All the technical info about the headphones can be found on the JamAudio website - where they also have other headphone ranges. They retail at £59.99 and they have another bluetooth headphone at £29.99 Jam Fusion  Both sets of headphones are available in various colours.

I was sent the headphones for free but all thoughts and the words in this post are my own (and sometimes DD's)

Christmas Gift Ideas - Part one - Real Books

Copyright: patrickrp / 123RF Stock Photo

I realised recently that while I own a Kobo, and have the Kindle app on my iPad and on my android tablet, I actually prefer reading paper books. I was treated recently to two new books for my birthday, one by the master story teller Terry Pratchett and a second by an author newer to me, Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I had previously read The Shadow of the Wind and enjoyed it, so now I am looking forward to reading The Watcher in the Shadows. I think that books still make one of the best gifts, I even like the old cliché that "a book is a gift you can open again and again". So this blog post is here to point you at some reads that you may not have stumbled across and to let you know why you might find they make good gifts.

Amanda Jennings
She's quite quite fabulous, I have squished her boobs against mine once and that was nice. That has no bearing on her ability to write fine prose of course, or to hatch a good plot or to keep you guessing until a final few plot twists. But still, boobs.

She has written Sworn Secret, and The Judas Scar. Both pretty dark, both good reads, sort of 'why dunnits' rather than whodunnits. A good gift or a treat for yourself for a dark winters evening.

Edward Kendrick
He is also fabulous and I have hugged him too - also his wife and, to be fair, her boobs are also nice. (can't help noticing I'm being regularly distracted by boobs, I'll try not to it that happen again) Ed has written a science fiction story that is more about the inside of a mind than the inside of a space ship - though it is about both. Blank Canvas is well worth a read if you like psychological drama or sci-fi but especially if you like both.

Andy Stanton
I have been hugged by Andy (hmm seems to be a theme here) he gives lovely hugs and he writes hilarious books for children of all ages. Including my age. I'm a huge fan of his Mr Gum books but his latest picture book Here comes the Poo bus is a disgusting and vile delight. Go ahead get a copy for a child, they will love you forever.

Anthony McGowan
Don't ask ...of course I have hugged him. He wrote a fine book (amongst many) called Henry Tumour. A wry take on a boy coping with a brain tumour which made my teen daughter weep slightly...for the tumour. It's an unusual book but one that kept my daughter reading, and occasionally weeping) until the end. More recently he has written The Knife that Killed me, an even darker tale that I have yet to read. It looks like a good book for teens. Anthony has written lots of books I haven't read, I'll be popping some on my Amazon wish list. Why don't you do the same?

Josie Lloyd &  Emlyn Rees
You will be thrilled to hear that I have never hugged or even met Emlyn or Josie, however the very title of this book, along with the illustrations makes me include it as the perfect Christmas Gift! The Very Hungover Caterpillar, sounds beyond perfect for the drinker in your life!

Keri Smith
Again, no hugging, but I've seen some of her books in Waterstones and they looked like great fun (maybe not for your inner librarian!) and now DD (my lovely daughter) has added one or two to her wish list so I'm including one here. Check out Wreck This Journal, an irrevereant look at reading, writing and owning a book, oh and rule breaking...let a book take you outside your comfort zone!

Elli Woollard
Woozy the Wizard. I recently won a copy of this cute rhyming story for younger children. Perfect for those just starting to read or to read out loud. A simple sweet story with some funny moments. A lovely stocking filler, maybe mention that to Father Christmas when you next speak to him.

I pin books I like over on Pinterest too - do follow my board for more ideas. (also while I've used Amazon for links to book info, I often buy my books in book shops, it's so much more fun...browsing, touching, stroking)





Which books will you be buying this Christmas?

Find more ideas at