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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