Bearing Up: What To Look For When Choosing a Teddy Bear For Your Infant

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The first teddy bears were made in the early 1900s. They were given the name ‘teddy’ after the US president of the time, Theodore Roosevelt, who was in office between 1901 and 1909 and despite much contempt was often referred to as ‘Teddy’. The first teddy bears were made by two toymakers – one German and one American – Richard Steiff and Morris Michtom and straight away became one of the most popular children’s toys ever. Teddies still haven’t lost their appeal either as they remain one of the most popular gifts for babies, children and even adults.

Teddy bears make a great gift for a new born baby as they engage their senses. The soft fur of a modern teddy is something that babies love and a teddy bear therefore makes a great gift for a baby’s birth as well as future birthdays and Christmases. Although people of all ages love teddies, if you’re considering purchasing one for a new baby there are a few things you should take into account.

Traditional or modern teddies?

Traditional bears, like Steiff’s classic teddy bears are harder, more rigid and have much coarser fur than a modern teddy. A traditional teddy generally has smaller eyes and a longer nose and limbs, which means that they’re usually collected and put on display rather than squeezed and cuddled like a modern bear. Traditional bears are not necessarily intended for children, although they make a great gift if you want to encourage the start of a collection. A modern bear, on the other hand, has much softer features and is generally a soft toy aimed at children. The fur of a modern teddy bear is usually exceptionally soft so babies love them because they’re warm and snuggly. You can buy bears for special occasions too – whether it’s a birth, birthday or Christmas you’ll be able to find a modern bear that’s fit for purpose.

Safety

When young children are around, safety is of the utmost importance, so it’s only natural to want to be sure that the product you’re giving to a child is totally safe. Although teddy bears can be extremely expensive and are aimed at adults just as much as they are at children, they are essentially still toys and therefore must comply with all toy safety standards.

If you buy a teddy for a child with a hard nose and eyes, as opposed to ones that are merely stitched on, then it’s important to make sure they’re attached securely because young children have a habit of pulling and chewing the harder elements of a soft toy. If your aim is to start a collection for the child and you therefore wish to buy them a collectable teddy, it’s essential to inform the parents so that they don’t give it to their child as a toy. It’s usually the tags on collectables which helps them to hold their value, which means that it’s essential for them to stay intact, so these bears should be put on show for when the child is older as opposed to being treated as a toy.

Colour

Although nowadays teddy bears are available in all manner of colours, traditionally they were only available in varying shades of brown. If you prefer the look of a traditional teddy but want to give the baby a gift that they will benefit from right away – a modern teddy for example – then there are plenty of modern brown teddies about.

Alternatively, there are plenty of occasion bears out there, so if you are buying a teddy for a little baby’s birth then there’ll be plenty to choose from when it comes to appropriate colour and personalisation.

Fabric

A teddy bear is generally the gift of choice for young children because it’s something they can enjoy right away. They can play with them and snuggle up against their new, soft toy at night. Teddy bears are made from a number of different materials. For example, synthetic fabrics are generally used to make modern bears, whereas pile or mohair is used for traditional, collectible bears. Mohair is considered the best type of fur, but its coarse nature means that it’s not necessarily the best choice for a baby – you’re more likely to see a mohair bear in a collection. If you want something cute and soft for the new addition then a bear made using synthetic fibres is the best choice because, this is likely to be the softest teddy and therefore a baby’s favourite.

Whatever teddy you choose, the recipient is sure to love it from the day they’re born and for many years afterwards.

Baby Hamper Gift is a UK company specialising in baby gift baskets and hampers with a strong emphasis on high quality products.

My Debenhams Dream Bedroom

When I saw the Debenhams Dream Bedroom competition on Mammasaurus and Love Chic Living I absolutely had to enter. When my browser shows me my most visited sites, Debenhams is always there. I'm on first name terms with the delivery driver, so a virtual spending spree was right up my street.

To enter this competition you need to create a mood board depicting your dream bedroom, up to a value of £5,000. I've never made a mood board before, but I've thoroughly my first attempt at interior design.

The Furniture

The Bedding and Accessories

Here's what I would buy with my £5,000.
Black nickel Olivia bedstead, king size, £468.00

Back care ultimate 2000 mattress, £536

White pack of four spiral fibre pillows, £30

Hungarian goose down duvet - 13.5 tog, £320

2 Designer black ball stand lamps at £55 each, £110
2 White 'Brighton' high gloss two drawer bedside chest at £180 each, £360
White 'Brighton' high gloss double wardrobe with mirror, £432
Black Clarence 9 Light Crystal Chandelier, £191.20
Light grey 'Butterflies' bedding set, £73
Taupe 'Miramar' chair with dark feet, £432
Taupe 'Miramar' bench with dark feet, £540
Designer black butterfly cameo cushion, £20
Designer lilac bird and butterfly print cushion, £22.40
Natural butterfly embroidered cushion, £22
Designer black striped butterfly cushion, £22.40
Silver large butterflies jewellery box, £17
White framed butterfly art, £30
Silver small butterfly jewellery box, £10
Clear and black glass vase, £58

I've added up my spend and it's coming out at only £3,694 -  for all that. 

What have I missed?

Gah, CURTAINS.

 

Ripple Amethyst Lined Eyelet Curtains, £119

Ah, that's better.

My new total spend is £3,813. Bargain.

Now, you'll have to excuse me, I have butterfly cushions to buy...

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Ticket Ballot for the CBeebies Panto 2013

Join CBeebies presenters in Sheffield as they celebrate the excitement and anticipation of Christmas with plenty of music, dancing and a few CBeebies surprises!

Families in Sheffield have the chance to see their favourite CBeebies stars on stage in a brand new musical version of A Christmas Carol.

Many of the channel’s favourite faces will be appearing including Justin Fletcher (Gigglebiz / Justin's House / Something Special), Phil Gallagher (Mister Maker), Ben Faulks (Mr Bloom), Gemma Hunt (Swashbuckle) and Rebecca Keatley (Let's Play). They will also be joined on stage by some very special, top-secret guests.

The classic novel by Charles Dickens has been specially adapted for the CBeebies audience with the mean and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge needing a bit of CBeebies magic to help him learn to care for those around him and share in the joy of Christmas!

The performances will be filmed and the resulting programme will be broadcast as the centrepiece of this year’s CBeebies Christmas schedule.

Free tickets for A CBeebies Christmas Carol are released today (4^th October 2013) through www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours and will be allocated via a ballot which is open for one week. Performances will take place on Friday 8^th November and Saturday 9^th November 2013 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Outside The Crucible, Tudor Square will be transformed into a winter wonderland for families to enjoy. There will be a host of different activities, all created by BBC Learning to excite and inspire young audiences. No tickets are required for the events in Tudor Square and the activities will run daily from 10am.

CBeebies Controller Kay Benbow says: “We're delighted to bring so many of CBeebies favourite stars to Sheffield. We hope audiences in The Crucible will be caught up in the magic of the story. There are also fun-packed activities taking place in Tudor Square and we look forward to all the family coming along to take part.”

Sandy's Big Night In

Wow, £750 to spend on a big night in - how awesome would that be?

I'd organise a CASINO night for friends and family.

I found Funcas online. They provide all of this, with prices starting at £420:
Delivery and Setup
Luxury Casino Tables
Up to Three Hours Playing Time
Professional Fun Croupiers in full uniforms tailored and made in Las Vegas
Free Acorns Fun Money
15 Years Experience
Full Public Liability Insurance
A Casino Experience with a Fun Twist
Personalised Fun Money – from £20 depending on number of guests. We professionally design your own fun money incorporating your company logo, photographs and any other details. We will forward you a sample proof of the note before printing. An added bonus is your guests will be able to keep them as a memento.

The personalised money sounds particularly brilliant.

Everyone would have to dress to impress. I would wear this dress from John Lewis and pretend I was a Bond Girl

We'd have plenty of money left to serve champagne all night and posh nibbles. I'd buy this cheese board hamper from John Lewis

 I would also set up my laptop on the sofa (the chill out zone) so that me and my guests could play Bingo, with Two Little Fleas, the sponsors of this competition.

This, my friends, would be the perfect night in.

New survey reveals that over 83% of parents admit to bribing their kids

Parents are increasingly turning to bribery to help deal with the behaviour of their children, according to a recent survey by personalised children's chart website, KiddyCharts. But does this really mean that we are turning in a nation that's willing to give our kids chocolate just to keep them quiet?

The recent survey showed that 83.1% admitted to bribing their children with anything from extra time at the computer, to handing over sweets and chocolates.

But are we really bribing our children - or are we really just trying a little bit of positive encouragement?

Mum to two, Helen Neale, who owns www.kiddycharts.com which provides beautifully drawn personalised charts for children helping with everything from staying in their own beds to potty training, says:

"Sometimes parents can be confused as to whether they are offering a bribe or a reward to their kids. It really depends on when you provide that little incentive."

So perhaps this could explain why so many parents are resorting to what they feel is a bribe to help them with their child's behaviour?

Helen continues, "If you are in the middle of trying to manage your toddler who is having a tantrum in a supermarket, and you offer a sweet for them to calm down; then that's bribery. However, if you have given them something after they have behaved well, or they have achieved an agreed goal, that's a reward. It's the desperate placation of challenging behaviour that we should try to avoid if we can. Though I know myself how hard that can be."

Two-thirds (66.12%) of parents admitted to using sweets and chocolates to coerce their children. It's important that even though we might resort to this in extreme circumstances, we must try to remain resolute when dealing with those terrible twos.

Helen adds, "All parents have experienced those public tantrums when all we want is the world to swallow us up. But our children have long memories, and if we give in for a bit of peace and quiet now, that can spell a whole world of trouble in the future."

Dr Amanda Gummer, a child psychologist who works with The Good Toy Guide, says "Bribery and positive reinforcement are two sides of the same coin. The difference is that with positive reinforcement the aim is to help children learn the natural consequences of their actions. These can be positive and negative, but you get more of what you focus on so it's good to incentivise, notice and reward good behaviour."

She re-iterates Helen's warning too, "Occasional mild bribery is no bad thing and it helps children learn how the world works so they can be a bit more street wise and not succumb to actual bribery, but do it too often and you'll end up with a child who won't do anything you ask without asking what's in it for him/her."

To help parents with the increasing challenge of parenting in today's fast-paced world, Helen has developed a range of personalised children's reward charts at KiddyCharts retailing at £2.99 each for printables, and £4.95 for A4 and £8.95 for A3 charts. The company's charts are the only behaviour charts to feature in the Good Toy Guide. Uniquely, subscriptions are also available so parents and schools can use the charts as and when they are needed throughout the year without paying extra. For the largest subscriptions, per chart costs are as little as 50p each.

Aside from helping to stop the need for bribery, KiddyCharts products can help with other aspects of parenting including:

Care charts, that use images to help working parents show who looks after their children day to day

Progress charts, that allow children to move along a track to reach a pre-agreed goal, and can also be used a simple reward charts

5-a-day charts, to encourage children to get their five different fruit and veg in everyday.

All the charts allow photo personalisation where pictures can be placed as an integral part of the background; turning our children into pirates and princesses!

"Our personalisation is not just about dumping a photo into the background.  It's about involving the child in building the charts so they really feel they are part of the learning process and not just an afterthought. That way the charts are so much more likely to be a success in helping you help them."

More information on KiddyCharts can also be found at:

Website: kiddycharts.com

Twitter: @KiddyCharts

Facebook: KiddyCharts Printable Reward Charts

Google Plus: KiddyCharts

Pinterest: KiddyCharts

Disclosure: I have NOT been paid to post this infographic. I took part in the survey behind it and was interested in the results. Helen is a friend, and there is no commercial relationship between us.

Big Fun With Little Trains

Big Fun With Little Trains (16-24 February 2013) is fast approaching at the National Railway Museum in York.

You can enjoy nine days of toys, models and rides.This is in addition to the usual collection of locomotives, wagons and carriages.

We love the NRM, but sadly it's a little too far for us to get to now we have moved down South. If you can't make Big Fun With Little Trains, check out the website for all up-coming events.


Disclosure: The NRM always send a small gift with their press releases. This time it was a die-cast Chugger, much appreciated by my four year old.

Maternity Swishing Parties

Persil Non-Bio and Comfort Pure have teamed up with Tommy's baby charity and new mum Jenni Falconer to create a guide for maternity swishing parties.

If you would like to get together with friends and swap maternity and baby clothes you can download their guide, full of tips from maternity stylist, Alex Longmore.



Disclosure: I'm being sent some Persil Non-Bio as a thank you for writing this blog post.

GET BIDDING TO WALK IN THE SHOES OF A CELEB

Emma Bunton, Jessica Ennis, Joe Hart, Fatboy Slim, Joe Calzaghe and Dame Kelly Holmes are among a host of sporting and entertainment heroes whose trainers are now available to bid for on an eBay auction as part of the ‘Great Trainer Donation’, a campaign raising funds for Mary’s Meals, the official charity of the Tesco Great School Run.

The race is on to grab Jessica Ennis and Dame Kelly Holmes’ trainers, or if you’d rather take centre stage why not bid on Emma Bunton or Fatboy Slim’s shoes? You can bid on the trainers by visiting the auction page of www.greatschoolrun.org/GreatTrainerDonation/. The auction is live from Monday 2^nd July to Wednesday 11^th July 2012.

Proceeds from the auction will go straight to Mary’s Meals (a global movement), which sets up school feeding projects in some of the world's poorest communities, feeding more than 600,000 hungry children in places of education every single school day. For as little as £10.70, Mary’s Meals can feed a child for an entire school year and the charity now helps children in 16 different countries around the world. By providing one daily meal in a place of learning, chronically poor children are attracted to the classroom where they can gain an education that can, in the future, become their ladder out of poverty.

Former Olympian and Tesco Great School Run ambassador, Colin Jackson, commented: “I’m thrilled to donate my trainers to this great cause which is raising awareness of the fantastic work Mary’s Meals does for some of the world’s poorest children. I hope someone’s brave enough to bid on my trainers – even if they go for a tenner, it will mean being able to feed a child for one whole year. If donating my trainers helps inspire kids in the UK to get active too, then even better!”

Children taking part in this year’s Tesco Great School Run have been petitioning their favourite celebrities to donate their trainers and help raise even more money for Mary’s Meals. The charity will also benefit from sponsorship that the children raise by running in the 2 kilometre event.

The Tesco Great School Run is the world’s largest mass participation event for children, encouraging 5 – 11 year olds and their families in the UK to get fit through healthy eating and exercise, by taking part in a two-kilometre (1.2miles) fun run. Last year, more than 1.2m children took part across 4,500 schools.

Abeer Macintyre, Head of Supporter Care at Mary’s Meals, said: “An education can have a life-changing effect on children and their communities, by providing an escape route out of abject poverty.

“With this in mind, we are delighted to be the official charity of this year’s Tesco Great School Run and to be benefitting from the Great Trainer Donation is a wonderful bonus. Since it costs just pennies for us to provide one meal to a child, any amount raised can go a long way to making a big difference.”

Ruth Girardet, Tesco Corporate Responsibility and Community Director, said: “Now in its eighth year, the Tesco Great School Run programme aims to educate and encourage healthy lifestyle choices for school children. This year we’re delighted to have Mary’s Meals as our official charity and are very grateful for the support of the children and celebrities who have been fundraising to help the charity carry on with their incredible work.”

           

For the full list of celebrities, more information on The Great Trainer Donation and how you can bid on the eBay auction, visit www.greatschoolrun.org/GreatTrainerDonation/.

Railfest 2012 at the National Railway Museum in York

I've been to the National Railway Museum in York once before, when we lived a bit closer to it. We had a super day out.

From 2-10 June the National Railway Museum is holding Britain's biggest rail celebration - RAILFEST 2012.

This enormous event, the size of 11 football pitches, has an impressive line-up of more than 50 trains. These include the historic and the record-breaking. You can see the Flying Scotsman, the Mallard and the Tornado (Britain's newest steam train that I've seen stop at Milton Keynes a few times - let me tell you there is nothing more exciting than first hearing and then seeing a massive steam train pull into a station. I'm not joking).

There will be a Chuggington Activity Area for younger visitors as well as a family chill-out area. You will also find stalls, refreshments and live music.

The NRM advises buying tickets in advance to jump the queues on the day and to travel by public transport, as the only parking available for the nine days of the festival will be for blue badge holders only.


Disclosure
I'm telling you about Railfest 2012 because a) The National Rail Museum is fab and b) they occasionally send me sweets and toys for the boys and this is my way of saying thank you. We were offered free tickets too, but sadly cannot make it this time.

NICK JR. LAUNCHES HELP DORA HELP 2012

Nick Jr., the award-winning pre-school channel from the Nickelodeon network, announces the 2012 launch Help Dora Help, the campaign that brings exploration to life in nurseries and pre-schools across the UK.

The campaign, supported by The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts consists of a free activity pack, giving nurseries and pre-schools educational activity resources. Nurseries will also have the opportunity to apply for an award of £20,000. The pack follows the Early Years Foundation Stage development goals and contains six activity session plans that provide stimulating learning opportunities with the theme of Dora the Explorer’s adventures. The themes for this year’s pack are: Cooking, Sports Day, Fairy Tales, Animals, Seaside and Music.

Registration is now open at nickjr.co.uk/helpdorahelp for nurseries to apply for a pack. They have until 22nd July to work through the activities with their pre-schoolers and put together their application for the £20,000 award.

Once this year’s applications have been submitted, an expert panel led by Nick Jr.’s Wake Up World Helena Dowling, alongside Nick Jr. representatives and partners including The Prince’s Foundation, Dora Magazine and Chad Valley will choose five finalists. The public will then be able to vote for their favourite application and decide who is awarded the £20,000.

Each of the five finalists will be awarded discovery and learning equipment from Chad as well as a classroom visit from Dora the Explorer and all five finalists’ award bids will be filmed and aired on Nick. Jr.

In 2011, Hope Nursery School in Belfast was selected. With the award the Nursery selected to build a play area featuring numerous play structures, a puppet theatre, garden, sand and water area.

Tina McCann, MD Nickelodeon UK, said: “The quality of applications in 2011’s Help Dora Help campaign were incredible. We’re delighted with the way the award has been used at Hope Nursery and equally excited to engage with pre-schoolers and practitioners across the country once more throughout 2012.”

Nurseries and pre-schools can apply for the free Help Dora Help Activity Pack and Award Fund at www.nickjr.co.uk.

Dinosaur Train

We don't have Sky TV, so we seem to miss out on a lot of children's programmes. So I was delighted when we were asked to review a new show on Nick Jr, called Dinosaur Train.

The blurb:
Dinosaur Train is produced by the Jim Henson company. It's a cartoon about a whimsically realistic, prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes and oceans. The show stars Buddy, a curious, funny and intelligent T-Rex, in a family of Pteranodons.

In each episode, while on the Dinosaur Train, Buddy makes a hypothesis and begins searching for the answers to his queries with the help of his mum, the Conductor and the new dinosaurs that he meets on the train.

Dinosaur Train will help children ages three to six to apply scientific thinking as they discover new types of dinosaur species, compare and contrast dinosaurs to today's creatures and embrace the living sciences of paleontology and natural science.

Each 22 minute show features two animated episodes. Based on input from paleontologists, science teachers and early childhood education experts, Dinosaur Train promotes critical thinking skills for preschoolers based on an engaging and creative curriculum.

Our verdict:
Presley, 4, and Cash, 3, absolutely love Dinosaur Train. They are glued to the screen and have watched the episodes on the DVD we were sent over and over again. The science bit is sticking. They know an awful lot about a couple of dinosaurs now. They are also engaging in imaginative play and using role play to pretend to be dinosaurs on their own train.

Dinosaur Train is currently on the Nick Jr channel every afternoon.

Disclosure: We were sent a promotional DVD, a Nick Jr goody bag and some Easter chocolate courtesy of Nick Jr. I have already hidden the chocolate!

Not on the High Street

I was asked whether I would like to review the online gift shop NotontheHighStreet.com. Not on the High Street is a collection of smaller shops under one banner. You order via the main website and each individual shop then fulfills your order.

There are gorgeous gifts galore. I spent a very happy couple of hours looking at beautiful things. The search options and categories make finding what you are looking for very easy. Whether you (or the person you are buying for) are into gardening or baking or accessories you will find hundreds of lovely ideas here to suit all budgets.

It was almost impossible to narrow down my choices. I loved the LEGO cutlery and the oil cloth table cloths, but in the end I ordered this fabulous regency cake stand by Lavender Room (£29.99 plus P&P).

It arrived very well packaged and was simple to put together. It is so pretty and I can't wait to invite someone round for afternoon tea.

I also chose this stunning beaded glass ring set by The Ruby Lounge (£25).

My rings arrived very quickly and were beautifully packaged. I love them!

LEGO DUPLO Creative Sorter Set 6784

We were delighted to be asked to be LEGO DUPLO ambassadors again this year. As ambassadors we are sent items for review. As always the boys love new LEGO DUPLO sets. We particularly love the way any new set you get fits with your existing LEGO and LEGO DUPLO.

The Creative Sorter 6784 set (£17.99) is a storage tub with enough standard and shaped bricks to make a bird, a giraffe and an elephant. There are also sorting plates for each animal that double as lids.

My children, aged 4 and 3, both loved finding the correct bricks and placing them in the sorting plate before making the animals. They both did this without assistance.

They then used their imagination and construction skills to build trees for the animals to eat, from their LEGO DUPLO stash. They then played beautifully with their creations. They made up stories and did a little role-play based on Tinga Tinga Tales from CBeebies.

As usual this is a quality toy and this lovely set and would make a great gift.

Josef Seibel

When I was asked if I would like to try a pair of Josef Seibel shoes I thought the name rang a bell. I was sure I'd seen them advertised in the Sunday supplements. I suppose I had the impression that these shoes were for the more mature customer.

I had a look at the website and saw that Josef Seibel sell shoes and accessories for men and women. I have to admit I found some of the women's styles a little 'grannified', but there were plenty of fashionable styles in some lovely colours as well as classics mules and sandals. I chose these blue shoes, called Faith.

I have been wearing these shoes for several weeks now, almost continuously. They are so unbelievably comfortable that you hardly know you're wearing shoes. I have walked miles and miles in these shoes. They look great and I love wearing them.

I just can't see the point in putting up with uncomfortable shoes when these are available. They are cushioned and fit beautifully. Yes, they cost a little more than, say Clarks, but it's worth it to feel like you're walking on air.

The press release that arrived with the shoes highlights the benefits of comfortable shoes for mums-to-be and  I would have to agree. With all the changes in your body during pregnancy I can see the advantage in wearing comfy shoes.

I'm a convert!

The shoes I tried are available from Josef Seibel and retail at £65.

Skeanie Shoes

Skeanie are an Australian brand of young children's shoes. They are hand-crafted from soft leather, with a flexible rubber soul, and designed to nuture little feet. Skeanie have now launched in the UK and we were sent some Sneakies to review.

I was a little skeptical about putting my three year old, Cash, in soft-soled shoes. Little boys can be pretty careless when they're running around, but I was pleasantly surprised how robust these gorgeous shoes are. They look funky, the navy shoes go particularly well with jeans, and they are surprisingly practical too. After running around in the mud I was able to easily clean Cash's shoes and the white bits have stayed white.

We used their brilliant size guide to measure Cash's feet and were happy with the fit when our shoes arrived. They are adjustable and are elasticated at the heel for a better fit. Cash wears his Sneakies in the house he loves them so much. They are good quality shoes and you know that his feet are being looked after.

The only drawback... they don't come in adult sizes!

The Sneakies we tried are available from Skeanie.co.uk for £39.99.

Justin Fletcher 'Hands Up...The Album'

Who doesn't love Justin Fletcher? Well, there was that one incident when my three year old burst into tears when he first saw Justin's House... but that just was a blip. My boys love Justin's House now. They also love Mr Tumble on Something Special. Justin is Mr CBeebies and he has an album out next week.

The title track, 'Hands Up' is a catchy piece of disco and brilliant to dance to. The other tracks are mostly jazzed up versions of children's classics. We all enjoyed doing the actions to 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes', 'Nellie the Elephant', 'The Music Man' and 'The Hokey Cokey', before chilling out with lovely versions of 'Frere Jacques' and 'The Sailor's Lament'. I loved 'Justin's Lullaby' too.

This CD gets the thumbs up from us. It gives mum a workout and the little ones can burn off some energy too.

Hands Up is released on 5th March 2012 and is available on Amazon to pre-order for £8.99.

You can also follow Justin on Twitter and Facebook.

Snow Boots and Great Service from Next

In anticipation of this year's snow I decided to get some snow boots for the boys.

They are very close together in age and they like to have everything the same. Sometimes this just isn't possible. I'd asked my friends on Twitter for suggestions for snow boots. I'd tried a few online stores but they had sold out of one or the other's size.

I popped to Next at the Westcroft Centre in Milton Keynes and spent a while browsing the snow boots. I couldn't find both sizes in the same boot and assumed that all the available stock was on display. That is, after all, the standard shop assistant's response "the only ones we have are on display".

I found two different pairs in the right sizes and headed for the checkout. The assistant couldn't have been more helpful. She said they'd had a run on snow boots as the weather had turned colder. I replied that I was after two pairs of boots in the same style. She asked me to wait while she looked in the stock room as she thought they had more (this was confirmed by the till). She came back a little while later with the exact boots I was after. I was impressed by this excellent service.

I'm also very pleased with the boots. We will test them out properly tomorrow in the snow that has been forecast!

Although I am a member of the Next Blogger Network, I have not been compensated for writing this post. I paid for the boots myself, but I just wanted to share a positive customer service story.

Ladybird Hooded Duffle Coat from Littlewoods.com

There's something rather lovely about a duffle coat. I guess I'm reminded of Paddington Bear.

This Ladybird Hooded Duffle Coat is available from Littlewoods.com for £36-£38. The sizes range from 2/3 years to 6/7 years.

The coat is navy with a red tartan lining and looks very smart. It is well made and well finished. 4 year old Presley particularly likes the deep pockets. The coat fits well and is very warm, there is a zip up to the chin behind the toggles. The hood fits well too and keeps the wind and rain off. There are ribbed cuffs at the wrists, it really is excellent value for money.

I hadn't realised that British company, Ladybird, were still going. It was a pleasant surprise to be offered a gorgeous coat like this to review. Thank you Littlewoods.com!

Hasbro Giant Connect 4

We were sent a Hasbro Giant Connect 4 by Garden Games.

This is the original Hasbro Connect 4 game, but on a much larger scale. I used to love playing Connect 4 when I was a child. I hated to lose. Not that I'm competitive or anything...

Giant Connect 4 arrives in pieces in a large box. It is simple and quick to put together. I did it on my own in about fifteen minutes. I would have been quicker, but I had two excited little helpers who couldn't wait to start playing. The instructions are clear and the plastic pieces are very well made. There are no sharp edges and all the pieces fit together well. There were some small clips keep the top and bottom sections together, but my fingers were too cold to put them on! My husband and I were able to lift the game and move it without them, so I guess they are only for added security. The large stickers were robust enough to withstand my first wonky application and I was able to move them easily. They are now firmly in place.

Presley, 4, and Cash, 3, are too young to understand the rules of Connect 4, but they managed to play with their 'button machine' for about three hours the first weekend we had it. The red and yellow counters feel great and the game operates as you would expect. There are two sliders at the bottom to release the counters, instead of the bar on the small version. The counters stack in the sides and there are also two net bags to keep them in.

I am confident our Giant Connect 4 will last for years. I imagine it will get played with all year round, but will come into it's own at play dates, parties and barbeques. It would be a great draw in a pub garden or at a summer fete.

We really love this game, but I have to say I was shocked at the price. The RRP is £179.99. I have looked around the internet (independent stockists are listed on the Garden Games website) and the cheapest I have found is £159.99. It is the original Hasbro game and that must add a premium, but at the end of the day it is just a big bit of plastic, albeit a quality, nostalgia-rich, big bit of plastic.


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Glossy Box

It's pretty exciting to get a box of beauty goodies through the post.

Glossybox sent me a couple of boxes to review.

They are beautifully packaged. There's box within a box, ribbon, tissue paper and shredded tissue. I'm keeping my boxes to put bits and bobs in - they look pretty on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.

On to the contents of the Glossybox. Each month you get 5 samples of beauty products. The brands and contents vary, but include make-up, skincare, haircare, perfume, bath products and nail products.

You can try these sample sized products in the comfort of your own home.

I liked the Kimia Exquisite Face Oil and the Dead Sea Magik Salt Scrub. The HD Brows Palette was worth £19.95 on its own, but unfortunately hadn't travelled well. I liked the Plum by Mary Greenwell perfume sample, but didn't think a perfume sample was all that special - it looked a bit cheap.

I loved, however, the Neal and Wolf Harmony Intensive Care Treatment. It's a gorgeous-smelling hair conditioner. It leaves my hair soft and silky. It also a full-sized product, worth £12.95.

The second box included more Dead Sea Magik Bath Salts (yay), Arbonne Foot Cooling Cream (again, yay), Monu Skin Perfector (a potential yay, haven't tried it yet), Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps (yuck, not my thing at all) and samples of Serge Lutens perfumes (they smell nice, but meh).

Facts and Figures:

Glossybox costs £10 plus postage and packaging (currently £2.95). There is no minimum subscription term.

You can earn free boxes by inviting friends and collecting 'glossydots'.

There will soon be  a quarterly Glossybox for men.


The Verdict:


So, is a Glossybox good value for money? Yes, if you would be buying this stuff anyway, it is great value.

But... there's always a but... it's not for me. Not every month, anyway. I'm not enough of a beauty product addict.

As a gift though, I think it's great. If you're stuck for Christmas present ideas, a subscription to Glossybox would make a great gift.