Crowded places, kids, and fear

I'm off up to London with DD at the weekend. I'm meeting up with my brother and his family at Comic Con and I am really looking forward to an excuse to wear my Morphsuit and dress as Deadpool again, I even bought some plastic ninja swords to add to the look.

But after the Manchester attack and the tragic loss of life at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, maybe even scared. Obviously I'm going anyway. As daily news stories point out, I could just as easily die on the drive in to work as in a terror attack, and terror is of course what these evil people hope to cause.

The whole thing has upset me, as I'm sure it's upset everyone. I sway between tears as I read about the beautiful people who died, on a night where they were with friends and family having fun, and then laughter as social media does it's best to snark at terrorists and fight light in the darkness. (see more on the hashtag #BritishThreatLevel on twitter)

I take great solace in reading of the things people did, and continue to do to help others, from kind words, free taxi rides, helping the injured, donating to help with hotel bills and funeral costs.

It is in the aftermath we see the truth of people, many will say we see the best of people, sadly we also see the worst of people, the vile and the racist and the spiteful, this sort of event displays the best and worst of humanity, so I hang on to the images of love and kindness, I look for the helpers.

Talking to DD about London, among my quips about dying wearing a Deadpool costume (oh the irony if that happens, but at least the blood won't show) I talked to DD about plans for us if there was a terror incident, I said that she should use me as a shield, that if we couldn't get out she should lay under me to stay safe, she looked into my eyes, her own eyes wide in surprise, saw my sudden seriousness and nodded, "yes, OK" she said, "but if we are OK, if other people are hurt, we are going to help, I'm going to wear an extra T shirt in case we need bandages..." and there it is, the best of people. I'm proud and heartbroken in equal measure. Not all super heroes wear capes, not even at Comic Con, some wear an extra T shirt.

Copyright: blojfo / 123RF Stock Photo

So I fully expect a fun day out, and I'm trying to keep fear to the back of my mind and keep love and kindness to the fore.

I'll be sharing Comic Con photos after the weekend. Stay tuned.

Teaching a teen to drive with minimal screaming

As the lovely DD has turned 17 her thoughts naturally turned to...nope not marriage, driving.

The first thing I discovered was that adding a new driver (even just a learner) to your insurance makes the price go up. I'm not talking a tiny bit either, my insurance company told me that they don't want to insure young drivers so my quote went from £300 a year to over £800 a year. Obviously I high tailed it to Compare the Meerkat to get another opinion! I am now with a different company, insured for £300 ish again. What a weird world. (oh and I get a free meerkat toy, so win win)

I have a Fiat Panda so it's a nice small car to practice in, has a great driving position with excellent visibility, and DD isn't scared of it, of course my fear factor when she takes the driving seat is on another level all together.


What I can't offer DD is a driving lesson. I'm not a qualified driving instructor and I passed my test (first time, *proud face*) way back when I was young (25 years ago) so I have no idea how much of what I was taught is still in the test, and of course there is a theory test now that I didn't have to worry about.
But I can offer DD some basic pointers and time to practice. And so after a few tense minutes talking about clutch control and braking we went out for a drive.

As the 'reponsible' driver in charge of a learner (I know!) I had to behave exactly as I would when driving. So no tweeting, no having a glass of cava to steady my nerves, in the eyes of the law, *I* am in charge of the car.

But so that you could enjoy the mayhem fun, we set my phone up on the satnav holder, out of the way, and set it to record before we set off. Note my calm and relaxed posture, the lack of screaming, the smiling...I think I did pretty well.

Of course we have invested in 'proper' lessons too. And after a hunt around for someone that
   a) had availability (many teachers are booked up months in advance) 
   b) we could afford (prices ranged from £15 - £30 an hour and some could only be purchased as a bulk booking of ten or more)
   c) DD got on with OK (a 'trial' lesson should be possible with most instructors as teaching styles should ideally be matched to the pupil's learning style)
we settled on a teacher. He is taking DD out once a week in a dual controlled car so that his blood pressure hopefully won't rival mine after an hour in the car with her.

Have you taught a teen to drive? Will you be allowing your child to drive your car? Share your horror stories below.

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!)

Does Parenting Change When You Have a Gay Teen?

My daughter, the lovely DD is 16.

She has really blossomed lately, budgeting for herself, suddenly deciding (against her parents wishes) to have her waist length hair cut to shoulder length, becoming more outgoing, getting herself to and from college without always relying on 'mum's taxi', letting us know when she'll be late and making new college mates and hanging out at coffee shops. In short she has become a teenager at last. So 'almost an adult' that it hurts to think about it.

My baby is testing her wings.

As a parent I know that this is what it's all been about, preparing her for life and for leaving us, but as a parent I also feel the pain of that 'almost loss'.

I'm so proud of her. She did well at her GCSEs, is doing all the A levels she wanted to, is making new friends, and is looking happy. Happier than she has in a while, and she's always been a happy child. Maybe this happiness is linked to the fact that she finally plucked up the courage to come out to her friends as well as her parents.

Yes dear reader, I am the mum of my own little gay! She told me by accident in a mistaken Facebook message back in January, and, well, I behaved fairly predictably. First I checked she sent me the image to tell me something, and not just because it was cute or funny (she often sends me weird memes via messenger) , and then when that was confirmed, I just said "OK" and on we went.

My Wraps - Wearable Headphones Review

My daughter, like many teens, lives with her headphones in her ears, listening to the soundtrack of her life on her phone.

I am a more discerning listener, by which I mean I listen less frequently than she does. Because of this I'm forever forgetting my headphones or finding them tangled and/or broken and useless at the bottom of my bag. When I was sent a set of My Wraps headphones to review I realised I may have finally found the solution!

My Wraps are headphones designed to be worn around the wrist like a trendy bracelet. They come in various colours and even with wooden beads, but the brown suits my style perfectly, nestling comfortably alongside my wooden watch and other bracelets.

They look so good on that I actually wore them for 3 days before I tested them as headphones! They work fine as headphones of course, and I don't lose them and have not been able to tangle them either. They are my new favourite thing, never again will I be trapped on the bus unable to watch a hilarious Youtube clip because there at my wrist will be the answer to my needs! From now on - I'll be wearing my sound.

They are really easy to put on, just wrapping around your wrist (even my skinny one) and then the jack slips into the silicone grip on the earphone end.

My Wraps start at £14.99  for the basic colours, but they are available in leather or beaded too. Perfect for men or women they are available in various colours to suit your mood or style.

They would make a perfect gift for the fashion conscious teen or the forgetful parent :-) Buy some for every outfit!

Specs for Classic Wraps…
Anti-Tangle Fabric
Includes S, M & L Silicon Tips
20Hz – 20kHz Frequency Response
10mm Dynamic Speakers
3.5mm Gold Plated Jack
80dB/1mW Sensitivity
16 Ohms Impedance

Disclosure - I was sent the wraps free of charge for the purposes of this unbiased review.

Are you a safe driver?

Do we all drive safely?

I was send a cardboard VR headset which accommodates a phone, (I have android, it works fine, also works on Apple)  to test out the new Driving Academy game from Goodyear Tyres.

The idea of the Driving Academy game is to demonstrate to teens and children how easy it is to be distracted while driving and how a distraction can cause a mistake and just how quickly it can all go wrong.


The game can be played without the VR headset - so even if you don't have one, pop over to GoodYear with your phone or tablet and try your luck. The VR headset gives you the thrill of 3d of course.

So far I admit I'm not the best driver when playing the game, the phone ringing makes me swerve off of the road! But that's a reason I switch off my phone when I'm really driving - or have it in my bag on silent, so I can get messages when I stop.

Is the game like real driving? No. But it's a good way to introduce driving skills to kids. And the VR headsets (which can be bought in various places, or made if you are crafty!) add some realism.

Thanks to Goodyear for sending me the headset to try out the game.

The Driving Academy App 

In 2016, and as part of the Driving Academy programme, Goodyear launched their first VR (virtual reality) app to connect with young drivers and make them aware of the dangers of driver distraction.

The  app, which uses Google Cardboard, aims to educate young people of the dangers of driver distractions through an immersive experience which puts them in the driving seat, and is used as part of the annual Young Driver Challenge competition run by Young Driver as well as promoted by the DIA through their extensive network of learner drivers.

Developed in conjunction with the Driving Instructors Association (DIA), the game tasks the player to drive through various scenarios whilst navigating internal distractions, such as text messages appearing, or passengers talking, and external distractions, such as pedestrians crossing the road. The free app is available for public use on  (available in Google Cardboard and non-VR formats) and is also used at Young Driver centres across the country as part of our Goodyear Driving Academy programme.

To find out more visit the Goodyear website here.

A Fashion Haul (not really just some clothes I bought for DD)

In the Easter holidays we popped over to Brighton supposedly to buy a few things for DD for when she starts college in the autumn. Because of course she has nothing to wear. And all the other girls will have all the things (eye roll)

We went to a lot of shops but spent most of our my hard earned cash in Primark and H&M. I love Primark some days and hate it on others. It's a bit of a jumble sale and horrendously busy with little room to move, and there are queues to try things on and then more queues to pay, but the prices make it worth the wait.

Being old no longer a teen, I was swayed by DD's choices and we purchased several outfits, with things she can mix and match with stuff she already owns.

Joggers (£9.99 H&M) with casual top (£5.00 Primark)

Loose knit jumper (£14.99 H&M) Boyfriend Rip Jeans (£29.99 H&M)

Tight Black Jeans (£12.00 Primark) Grey T shirt (£2.80 Primark) Fitted Cotton striped Jacket (£20.00 Primark)

Black Shorts (£10.00 Primark) and Vest Top (£4.00 )

Extra tight! Blue Jeans (£12.00 Primark) with Vest Top as before

What's that DD? A kiss? Thank you!

Model wears size 6

We also bought an extra pair of cheap black jeans to rip up at home - a DIY ripped jeans blog post will no doubt follow! I did manage to buy myself a new dress in Primark (£8) and several tops for work. The primark long sleeve tops are cheap but last really well and good on their own or under things, they are my must have staple for the wardrobe and they come in lots of colours.

Do stripes make me look fat? (don't answer) (Primark 4.00)

Sunday Lunch sex chat with the teen

This lunchtime we (DH and I ) decided to tell DD (aka 'the teen') that we had decided that after she starts sixth form college, for various reasons, we plan to give her the child benefit payments direct.

For those that wonder, that equates to about £20 a week and the reasons include ; having to buy her own clothes (as no school uniform), travel expenses, some extra freedom, learning to budget, experiencing the world of pay packets whilst not having to necessarily get a job (surely A levels are a full time job already?)

And that led onto my DH saying " so you won't have to sell your body" and while he meant it in jest it led nicely into a sex talk with the teen.

She told us that some girls had sex a lot, with all the boys, for no real reason. I calmly told her that her body was her body and I in no way wanted to police it, but in my experience she should be careful, that antibiotics were no longer the instant cure they once were and that boys and girls that had sex with anyone, without protection, were at risk. She agreed and said that most young people she knew didn't bother with protection. And that 'friends with benefits' was a common theme.

I feel scared for a generation that is so secure in medicine that infections and pregnancy are now seen as minor inconvenience and easily fixable, especially as this week is HIV testing week.

I told DD quite frankly that if all girls wanted was a satisfactory orgasm then a rampant rabbit was really all they needed. DH choked on his roast pork and stayed silent.

DD left the table, and DH and I continued to talk. I said that I had no regrets to waiting until I was 19 to have sex, that having a six month relationship before that happened was a good thing, that laughter and safety in a relationship were far far more important than 'just sex' great or not.

Copyright: elleemme / 123RF Stock Photo

So my list of things that are important in a relationship follow:

• Sex is great fun but it's way more fun with someone you are comfortable with, friends with.
• If a guy ejaculates before he's ready and you are friends you can laugh and hug and it's all ok. Friendship sex helps boys too.
• If you don't like something your partner is doing and you are friends you can tell them and they will listen and do what you like because they like you as well as fancy you.
• If you have no clue what you are doing you can talk about it it if you are friends and that's OK.
• Friends can have the best sex. Because they can talk, ask and refuse without fear.

I'm not dismissing sex for the fun of sex, but for teens  moving into the world of sex I think it's good to be able to feel safe, to be able to talk.

I'm not sure if I'm an embarrassing mum or a cool mum. To me I'm just a mum. But I remember being a teen with the loves and lusts and fears of a teen, I want DD to feel happy, and special and safe.

Yesterday I asked DD if she needed the 'sex talk' ....I misheard her answer and thought she said "I've already done it" I replied "Oh, bit late then, still, if there's anything you need to know - ask" she burst out laughing and said "This is why my friends think you are so cool, you don't fly off the handle with WHAT!! you just talk to me"

Talk to your teens. Love them. Be a parent. Be a friend too.

Wordy Wednesday with Lauren James

Wordy Wednesday is upon us and this week it is the turn of Lauren James. Lauren is 23, and graduated in 2014 from the University of Nottingham, UK, with a Master’s degree in Natural Sciences, where she studied Chemistry and Physics.

Her first novel The Next Together, a YA reincarnation romance, is published by Walker Books in the UK, and is available to purchase internationally through the Book Depository. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James or Tumblr at http://lauren-e-james.tumblr.com

And so, as we settle down with tea and biscuits, which biscuits will be revealed later... and we begin our chat. First off I ask Lauren what her favourite book is.
My current favourite book is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s a wonderfully diverse series that makes me wish I lived in the world.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I’m very picky about my working environment. The slightest excuse not to write and I won’t get anything done! I need chewing gum, a spreadsheet of my daily word counts (to keep me accountable!) and lots and lots of music. I’m currently obsessed with Halsey’s album Badlands.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
When I’m writing instead of editing, I usually work from 5pm – 1am. During the day there’s usually too much happening to properly focus, and I can’t get much done! If I’m editing, I’m less picky, and I can work during the day too.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?
I currently write full time. I was awarded an National Lottery Arts Council grant, which funds me while I write more novels. I’m incredibly grateful, because without it I’d have to get a part time job to support myself. That is fabulous! so glad to hear these grants really benefit real people in the arts, glad I buy a ticket now. :-)

What are your favourite biscuits?
Chocolate covered hob nobs!  I confess I find them a bit sweet, so all the more for you!

Tea or Coffee?
I’m English- definitely tea!

Where do you do most of your writing?
At my desk in my bedroom, or sitting outside in the sun. Or in the light of a full moon?!

What book are you reading at the moment?
Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I love social media, especially tumblr and wordpress. I used to use it a lot before I became an author, and now I have an excuse to use it even more! *ooh I must follow you on tumblr!

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
I have a kindle, and I love both digital and hard copy books. I think in general I prefer paperbacks, just so that I can keep them on my shelves!

Who are you writing for? Describe your perfect reader (ha! nice hard question!)
Teenage girls aged 14+ who love both Jane Austen and Doctor Who. Is this you gentle reader? or one of your offspring?

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
Do it anyway. Ha!

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
Eighteenth century La Maupin, who has to be the coolest person I’ve ever heard of.

The Next Together by Lauren James

How many times can you lose the person you love?

Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time, their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated.

Spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039 they find themselves sacrificing their lives to save the world. But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace?

Maybe the next together will be different...

A powerful and epic debut novel for teenagers about time-travel, fate and the timelessness of first love. The Next Together is told through a mixture of regular prose, diary entries, letters, "original" historical documents, news reports and internet articles.

Big thanks to Lauren for taking part, if you are now keen to find out what happens next you can buy her book here.

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Phones at bedtime and teenagers

Teens that take a phone to bed are more tired in the day than teens that don't. Being tired can affect mental health. So a study has revealed. Did we really need a study to tell us that? I have a teen and like me she is addicted to her phone, though for different reasons. I'm a twitter addict while she is all about snapchat and youtubers. As soon as she arrives in a wifi zone (she has limited data) she is clued to a 4 inch screen. It was interesting to see in the study that using multiple devices is common too as Dd often watches YouTube on her laptop while listening to music and snapchatting, and checking Facebook!

At bedtime it's tempting to spend a few relaxing minutes laying in bed reading stuff on your phone (or in her case watching a quick video) rather than reading a book or just going to sleep. The temptation is stronger if the phone sits there by the bed (mine does as I use it as an alarm) and if you are a teen apparently the temptation is then to check each beep during the night.

I don't know about you but I put my phone on to 'silent' (no vibrate either!) at night. So when I do finally say goodnight to the little twitter people in the phone, I go to sleep and sleep soundly until daybreak. It seems though that teens can't do that - if the phone is there it must be beeping at each interaction. (though who the teens are that are awake at 3am and sending you a snapchat I do not know! "Me in bed - should be sleeping LOL") It seems, in short, that teens lack self control. Who knew. At a guess, parents, and possibly teens, pretty much all the people that didn't do the study..or maybe they did know but they needed it to be tested, referenced and evidenced.

It sort of comes with the territory that we, as parents,  are still doing the parent thing. Our children might be growing up, but they are not grown up and so we sometimes have to make difficult decisions they won't address. In our house the answer is pretty simple, the teen's phone has to be left (in silent mode) in another room where we can see it when she goes to bed. She doesn't get to have a phone in her bedroom. After all, the average teen is not going to need it as an alarm, they don't get out of bed without dire threats and cold water most mornings. It's no fun setting rules and being the mean parent, but it's still what we have to do.
Does your child have a mobile phone (or tablet, PC, laptop etc) ? Are they allowed it in their room at night and if so will this news make you change the rules? Do you have screen time rules?

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)

The one where DD loses her coat and I stamp! but not my feet!

So, before we had the exciting holiday in California (you didn't think I was going to stop talking about it yet did you?) I had the fun parenting moment of


"Mum, where's my coat?"


Of course like a million mothers before me I replied "where ever you left it!"


But alas like a million children she had no clue where that was. We searched the house, we tidied her room (steady on! she's a teen this was a whole blog post on its own!) But no coat was found. We searched bags, cars, car boots (trunks for the American readers) and still nothing.


"Could it be at school?" I enquired?


So next day she promised to look but came home ominously coat-less. "No luck then?" I asked. "Did you check lost property?" and here she looked straight at me and said

"Well there was a coat like mine hung in the classroom, it was the same size as mine, it was on my peg, it had sweets in the pocket like mine, I just wasn't sure it was mine"

So after I banged my head against the wall for a while I politely suggested maybe it was hers! But it wasn't labelled, so she didn't want to take it in case it was someone elses! "Take it!" I yelled, "If it's still there tomorrow, take it!"

Of course it was her coat and as amazing serendipitous luck would have it that VERY DAY I was asked to review Stamptastic, a naming system involving no writing, no sewing, no ironing! How fortuitous.

The premise is pretty simple, Stamptastic create a personalised stamp on a rather nice transparent acrylic block, and send that along with special indelible ink on a pad and you stamp the name into the clothes!

I gave it a go, it's quick, clear, easy and actually pretty fun! Pretty soon I was stamping all her stuff, shoes, pants (you never know - she is a teen!) shirts, the lot. I nearly had to give up with her school jumper as it's navy and the only white space to stamp was the tiny label but I even managed to squeeze it onto that.

That's the only downside (and it's not really a big one) that you need a white (or pale) space to stamp. But it's so quick and such fun I imagine that you'll find yourself squabbling over who does it, I bet your kids would want a go!

Because it's not only good for clothes, you can stamp pens, pencils, rulers, pencil cases, lunch boxes...well even your child I guess! It's .. well it's Stamptastic!

 Photo credits - Stamptastic

Stamptastic sent me a stamp and ink set for the purpose of this review but the post is all my own!