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.

Babykind.co.uk

I was asked by Babykind.co.uk if I would like to review a few of their products.

They kindly sent two Buppy Pads and a selection of Earth Friendly Baby toiletries.

Babykind.co.uk are a family-run business, based in Wales. They specialise in cloth nappies, but sell a range of products for parents and little ones.

We are in the potty training stages, so the Buppy Pads (£8.99 each or two for £16.00) really appealed. They are fleece buggy/car seat pads with a hidden waterproof layer. You place them in the seat and they have given me complete peace of mind, particularly on long car journeys. They have a cut out for the straps to go through. They are machine washable.

My only quibble with them is that they just sit in the car seat, some sort of Velcro would stop them moving about would be an improvement, but my boys simply pull them straight before they get in the car each time. They say 'I'm adjusting my cushion'!

We were also sent bubble bath, shampoo & body wash and body lotion from the Earth Friendly Baby range. These toiletries use all natural ingredients.

Our favourite is the shampoo & body wash (£3.99). It comes in organic chamomile, organic lavender and organic mandarin. The gentle fragrances are soothing, particularly before bedtime. A little goes a long way and the bottle lasts for ages. We use it as bubble bath and to wash the boys' hair and skin. Andy and I also use it in the shower. We both have a tendency to eczema and this is really kind to our sensitive skin.

I can't recommend this product highly enough, we won't buy anything else!

Benjoy

Here is my son, Cash, trying Benjoy Munchcups.

This isn't a standard review though. I took the boys on a picnic with my NCT friends. One of them is the brother of Michelle, who set up Benjoy. He turned up with a big box of Benjoy Munchcups and all of us - adults and children alike - descended on them like lions on a fresh kill! So, not only I am writing this review for a friend, but also because I think the product is fantastic.

Benjoy Munchcups are ingenious no-spill snack pots containing delicious 100% natural nibbles for children.

There are currently five nutritious snacks to choose from: mini vegetable crisps, crunchy strawberries, multigrain bites, multigrain munchers and crunchy grapes.

They are currently available from Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, Amazon and Little Chef (£2.59 for four).

They have become a staple in my handbag, even when I'm out and about on my own! They would also be ideal in lunch boxes.

Zingzillas - The Album

We don't watch that much television, but we have seen the CBeebies world music programme, ZingZillas, so we were happy to review the CD: ZingZillas - The Album.

As soon as it arrived I popped it into the laptop and when the boys heard the 'ZingZillas Theme' they came running. They were disappointed that it wasn't a DVD, but listened anyway. I was impressed by the production quality and surprised at how catchy the songs are.

We soon moved the CD to the car and now when I start the engine I get an excited chorus of 'ZingZillas!' from the back seat.

This is how entertaining this CD is, I had driven two thirds of the way from Preston to Ormskirk - on my own - before I realised I was listening to AND ENJOYING a children's CD! My favourite tracks *ahem* are 'Welcome to the Island' and 'Drift Away' (the one with the harp).

So it's a huge thumbs up from us!

ZingZillas - The Album is released tomorrow, 4th October 2010, and is available from all good music shops.

www.Very.co.uk

Today I am reviewing online retailer www.Very.co.uk.

I was sent the following gorgeous outfit:

So Fabulous! Long Knitted Tunic in purple £25

Savoir Bootcut Comfort Jeans in indigo £14

Own Label Plain Wrap in black £10



The jeans are extremely comfortable and I love the indigo colour, very smart. The jumper is soft and snuggly and the wrap can be worn anytime anywhere. I'm over the moon with my new outfit.

At www.Very.co.uk you can also find dresses for occasions. I was originally contacted by Very (via the lovely New Mummy) to dress me for The MAD Awards. Unfortunately the dress I chose looked better on the hanger than it did on me, but this did give me the opportunity to test out Very's free returns service and I was relieved to discover that the process was amazingly simple.

The website is easy to navigate, you can narrow down your search in a few clicks. You can also see whether the item is in stock when you are choosing your size and colour. This saves disappointment at the ordering stage.

I'll definitely be using Very again.

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Spanx Higher Power

It's not often a company offers to sponsor your underwear, but that is precisely what Tights Please did for a few parenting bloggers attending The MADs (Mummy and Daddy Blogging Awards), held last week at Butlins, Bognor Regis.

I chose some Spanx Shapewear. Spanx Higher Power are available on Tights Please for £29.99.

Spanx Higher Power are high waisted control pants. They pull on easily and are soft to the touch. They sit under your bra line and extend down to your thighs, smoothing and shaping. So your midriff, waist, tummy, backside and thighs are covered. There are no bulges at the top or at the legs - you measure your height and weight to find the perfect size for you.

I didn't feel constricted or uncomfortable, I just felt smoothed. Of course there is nothing that will make you smaller, but I felt held in and confident. There were no lumps and bumps or wobbly bits! I wore them for several hours and never once felt like I had to take them off. They stayed in position and despite me checking a few times, I didn't need to adjust them or pull them up.

I will wear them again and again, any time I need a confidence boost. They are simply brilliant and worth every penny.

Thank you to Lauren at Tights Please and Claire at 20 Something Mum for arranging my underwear and thanx Spanx!


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Tomy Aquadoodle Desk

The Tomy Aquadoodle Desk is a lightweight, but stable, foam board desk. The desk top is removable and double sided (one side is orange, the other is green). Like all Aquadoodle products the child draws with a water filled pen. The pen is easy to fill and very difficult to spill!

The child can draw for hours, each pen stroke gently fading as the water dries. This is a wonderful mess-free toy and very popular in our house.

It is a victim of its own success though, both my boys want to play with it at the same time and there is only one pen. If anyone knows where I can buy another pen, please let me know! The other downside is the price. I think £29.99 is a little expensive, although the toy is well made and will last a long time.

The Tomy Aquadoodle Desk is available from Toys R Us for £29.99.

Keep up to date with all the Toys R Us Toyologists' reviews on the Facebook page.



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Timmy Time Pop Up Game

The Timmy Time Pop Up Game features the lovable lamb, Timmy, from TV's Timmy Time programme.

Load up Timmy with a collection of items, but watch out! Timmy may pop up and drop the lot. Similar to the games of my youth, Buckaroo and Jaws, this game is one of balance and suspense. It promises so much, but does it deliver?

No, sadly. While my children enjoyed playing with this game, they couldn't play with it as intended. Some of the items are almost impossible to put on. The bib is awkward, the hat needs to be at exactly the right angle and the football requires the steady hand of an adult, even then it falls off. A lot. Sometimes the mechanism holding Timmy down fails and you just can't get him to stay down at all. It's frustrating for the child when this happens as you can only load up Timmy when he is in position. When Timmy does pop up it is an anti-climax. It is too gentle, the items just fall off him. It doesn't make you jump.

With a few refinements this could be a great game, but unfortunately it currently gets the verdict of could do better. We wanted it to be better than it was so we were disappointed. If your child LOVES Timmy though, they may enjoy playing with him anyway.

The Timmy Time Pop Up Game is suitable from age 3 and there is some adult assembly required.

The Timmy Time Pop Up Game is available at Toys R Us for £9.99.

Keep up to date with all the Toys R Us Toyologists' reviews on the Facebook page. You also can enter a competition to win a Toyologists box of toys of your very own.

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Old MacDonald Lotto

The Old MacDonald Lotto Game is made in England by Orchard Toys.

It is a farmyard lotto game for 2-4 players aged between 2 and 6. Each child (and Mummy) chooses a board, then you match cards to your board. As each card is revealed you make the animal noise or action. The winner is the first one to fill their board and find their farmer.

What we like about this game is that it is well made, brightly coloured and fun. The pictures are clear. The boys have their favourite boards now and can remember which cards they need.

As the boys are only just 3 and 2 we don't strictly follow the rules when we play, but this game has been asked for and played with every day since it arrived.

It's a firm favourite in the Calico household, we love it!

The Old MacDonald Lotto Game is available from Toys R Us for £8.99.

Check out all the Toys R Us Toyologists' reviews on the facebook page.

My Favourite Nursey Rhymes DVD

I was asked if I would like to review a new DVD due to be released on Monday 20th September called 'My Favourite Nursery Rhymes'.

I was curious as to whether my boys (aged three and two) would be interested in watching this as the only DVDs that they currently watch are home movies.

This DVD has been produced by BabyTV in conjunction with Classic FM and the quality is high. It features 21 popular classic nursery rhymes, sung by children. Each nursery rhyme is animated and many types of animation are used from traditional cartoons to CGI. Each nursery rhyme is announced by a graphic. Each time this was displayed my boys asked 'what's next?'.

We watched it twice through the first day and it has been asked for regularly ever since. It's a hit in our house.

The only thing I didn't like was the animation for 'Row Row Row Your Boat' There are animals made of vegetables. The rabbits hands are pieces of broccoli. I found this creepy - maybe that's just me!

'My Favourite Nursery Rhymes is available from all of the usual retailers (such as Amazon, Play.com and HMV) and other leading independent outlets.

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Dot Com Gift Shop

This is not so much a review as a thank you to the lovely people at dotcomgiftshop for including Baby Baby in their list of the Top 50 UK parent bloggers. They also sent me this glamorous mug. It is big and holds lots of tea. I love it!

Dotcomgiftshop is an online gift shop and I'll have my eye on a few items to give as Christmas presents.

I love this Regency 3 Tier Cake Stand (£29.95)

Or how about a set of 4 English Rose Coasters (£2.95)

This is a bargain, a yellow and pink flower handbag (£3.95)

And finally, I'm want this for myself - a carnival bracelet (£14.98)

Dear Santa...

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Rubber Sole

I was asked to chose a pair of shoes to review from online shoe shop Rubbersole.

The website is easy to navigate and searching for shoes couldn't be easier. You have the option to search by product, brand, gender, size and price (in any combination).

Rubber Sole stock many well known brands including: Birkenstock, Converse, Ugg, Fitflop, Dr Martin, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Reebok, Puma, Dunlop, Sketchers, Kickers and even *whispers* Crocs!

I decided to try my first pair of Converse trainers. I chose the Converse Lo Speciality in Neon Green. They arrived the next day in all their glorious shiny newness. Even when I'm getting free shoes, I can't resist a bargain. These are in the sale for £24.99, reduced from £34.99.

Apart from the choice and abundance of sale items, one of the things that stands out about Rubber Sole is that they offer FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY on all their shoes. There is also a return and exchange service, but I didn't need to test that.

So, what do I think of my Connies? Well they look cool, but they're not the most comfortable trainers in the world - but hey, that could just be my feet! I need to keep wearing them though, to take the edge of the newness. They practically shout NEW CONVERSE to the world, but I can live with that.