Win Tickets to the Excel Baby Show, a Hamper from Plum Baby and a Harden's Guide

*This competition is now closed*


The winner, chosen at random by a small child, is number 8 - Paula.

Plum Baby and Gurgle have been working with Harden's to produce the first guide to eating out with babies and toddlers. More than 1,000 venues in the UK have been reviewed, compiled from feedback from 8,000 parents who eat out with their children.


The guide is being launched at the Excel Baby Show (18th-20th February) in London. To celebrate the launch one lucky Sandy Calico Reviews reader will win:

• 2 tickets to the Excel Baby Show
• A copy of the Harden's guide to eating out with babies and toddlers
• A hamper from Plum Baby

To enter simply leave a comment on this blog post, by midnight on Tuesday 15th February, telling us where you like to take your children to eat. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted by me on Wednesday 16th February.


Please ensure you leave your Twitter id or email address so I can contact you if you win.


There is no cash alternative. Only one entry per person.


Good luck!




Disclosure: I have been sent a copy of the guide and some Plum Baby samples as a thank you for running this competition.

Hotter GORE-TEX Shoes

I was sent this pair of GORE-TEX Mist Hotter Shoes to review.

The blurb says that they combine the Hotter Comfort Concept with the practicality of GORE-TEX. This is spot on. From day one my shoes have kept my feet warm and dry. They are sturdy and comfortable.

I walk whenever I can, so recently that has meant walking on snow, ice, slush, through puddles and soggy leaves. I've been wearing my Hotter GORE-TEX shoes solidly for over a month and they still look like new. They fit me beautifully, it's like wearing slippers.

They're not bulky or heavy like my old walking boots, in fact these look like trainers poking out from under my jeans. I feel smart wearing them anywhere.

There are four women's shoes and boots in the GORE-TEX range. I'm happy with my selection, Mist at £74.

I now have a fantastic pair of sensible walking shoes that get me from home to playgroup via the park with ease. I like Hotter Shoes for their quality and comfort and I love that they are a Lancashire manufacturer too. 

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Vertbaudet Children's Clothes

We were sent this fabulous reversible hooded top and a gorgeous shirt (see below) from Vertbaudet.

The hooded top (was £13, but is currently reduced to just £6 in the sale - BARGAIN) is lovely and warm and washes and tumble dries well. It has a reindeer design on one side and reverses to a plain bright red on the other. While I love this top and it looks great on my 3 year old son, I haven't reversed it as the washing instructions would be on show and I don't want to cut them out!

The poplin shirt (£13) makes my 2 year old son look so grown up and stylish. Again it washes and dries well and hasn't faded, although I wish it was self-ironing!

Vertbaudet sell fabulous Baby clothes, funky and functional Boys clothing and also a wide range of Maternity Clothes. 

I'm off to have a virtual rummage through the sale items!

Tefal Actifry

I was sent a Tefal Actifry to review. I'm not normally a kitchen gadget type of person, although I'd heard good things about this. I tend to try things once, find them too awkward to use or too difficult to clean and put them away in the garage. Not this baby. Oh no. I love the Tefal Actifry!

The Tefal Actifry cooks with hot air. You can cook a kilo of chips in just one spoonful of oil, so clearly this is healthier than deep-frying. The photograph above is of our first batch of chips half way through cooking. As you can see there is no condensation and, above all, no mess. You set it going and the paddle turns the food so it is evenly cooked.

What I love most about the Tefal Actifry is that is is mess-free. It comes apart easily after cooking and the lid, bowl, paddle and measuring spoon all go in the dishwasher. There's nothing else to clean.

What I also love is the way food tastes when it's cooked in the Tefal Actifry. Chips are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Potato wedges are amazing, buttery and yummy. You can 'roast' new potatoes with herbs and garlic and they taste out of this world. You can cook all sorts of foods in the Tefal Actifry, not just potatoes (although it is exceedingly good at cooking potatoes). Today I cooked sausages, 8 chipolatas took just 12 minutes and there was no smell, no splattered grease and no mess. I'm going to try their recipe for bolognaise sauce next. The Tefal Actifry comes with a round-the-world recipe book. Some of the recipes are a bit random, but it gives you a good idea of what you can cook in it.

The only minor downside is it's a little noisy, but no noisier than the extractor fan.

Tefal Actifry Recipe for Potato wedges, Salmon and Courgettes

(I made this up, but don't let that put you off. You can see it's edible from the photograph above)!

Cut potatoes into wedges. Dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll.

Put the wedges in the Tefal Actifry with large pinches of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, parsley and chilli flakes and 3/4 of a spoonful of vegetable oil (or oil of your choice).

Cook for 20 minutes.

Add one chopped courgette and 150ml of cold water.

Cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add chunks of salmon steak and the juice of one lemon.

Cook for a final 10 minutes.

That's it. One pot (that goes on the dishwasher), no pans, no mess. Delicious healthy food.

The Tefal Actifry is available from this list of stores. The RRP is £199.99, but you can currently buy it for £107.00. I wouldn't be without mine now.

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Whitworths and a Recipe for the Easiest Fruit Cake in the World!

I'm not known for my baking, but I know my boys love cooking. So when Whitworths offered to send us a baking kit for children, I gratefully accepted. The boys tucked into their healthy fruit snacks straight away.

I searched the many recipes on their website and found one for a rich fruit loaf. It's an all-in-one fruit cake, so perfect for non-bakers like me. It is also a lighter alternative to traditional Christmas cakes.

The boys 'helped' me measure out all of the ingredients, then we got mixing.

Two hours later and hey presto, we have a fruit loaf!

And it's edible!

The proof of the pudding...

Thank you Whitworths, both for the baking kit and for the easiest fruit cake recipe in the world. It really is delicious and has made me feel like I'm an accomplished baker (with a little help from my boys)!

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Tonka Chuck's Garage Deluxe Stunt Playset

Tonka Chuck's Garage Deluxe Stunt Playset is a stunt park with a Tonka Chuck motorised vehicle, made by Hasbro.

Once assembled your child can set Chuck going and watch him do stunts. There is interaction as they have to help him onto the bridge section. They can also direct him where to go by positioning the track to keep him moving.

Presley, 3 and Cash, 2, absolutely loved this toy. I have to admit being a little surprised by this as they normally like to control all the vehicles in the house by 'brumming' them. The both spent hours watching and helping Chuck. The stunts are excellent and I found it mesmerising to watch! There is also a Chuck story book to set the scene.

We weren't keen on the packaging. We had to tear the box to get everything out. This meant that we couldn't then store it in the box. Also, there are sections that once clipped together do not come apart, so you need a large box to keep it in.

Having said that this toy gets the thumbs up from us.

You can see this and other toys in the range in action on YouTube.

Tonka Chuck's Garage Deluxe Stunt Playset is currently available for £34.99 (down from £39.99) at Toys R Us

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Red or Dead Tights at Tightsplease

Tightsplease.co.uk sent me a pair of their new range of tights from Red or Dead.

This is the first time I've worn snazzy tights and I'm a convert. They are more expensive than the tights I normally buy, but they are excellent quality and a good fit. There is a massive range, whether you're after the rock chick look or something more cosy. They most certainly cater for the party animal - perfect for those Christmas parties!


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