TheBoyAndMe | TheBoyandMe

UGG Classic Children's Boots (Review)

April 15, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 7 Comments

Marmite. Peanut Butter. Robbie Williams. UGGs.

Things that you either love or hate.

My husband is of the opinion that marmite is foul. Personally I don't like peanut butter or UGGs.

It's probably a little surprising to see UGGs in that list as this is in fact a review for them, but I'm nothing if not honest. I suspect the PR is currently wondering what I'm playing at. However, the great thing about opinions is that they can change.

And mine most firmly have.

We were asked if we'd like to review some UGGs, and I decided to choose a pair of children's classic UGGs in chocolate brown for The Boy. I chose chocolate brown because I figured that they'd help hide any mud that he might decided to decorate them with; being three and a half this is always a wise move.

I knew they were sheepskin lined, and in the middle of Winter when it's cold (and dry) I figured they'd be a great choice of footwear as they'd keep his little feet nice and toastie warm. As aware as I am that it's now Spring, it's still incredibly chilly sometimes, not enough for his fur-lined wellies, but still a bit nippy on some days. As his feet have slowed in growth, I also ordered a size too large so these can last well into Autumn.

The sheepskin is of a good quality, the fur side doesn't feel synthetic or stifling as is often the case with sheepskin. The suede exterior is smooth and thick, and appears able to withstand quite a battering (UGG also sell a cleaner and conditioner which has good reviews posted on the site). The sole of the boot is quite thick indeed with a good tread on it, enough to stop little ones from slipping, and to withstand clambering over pebbles and park detritus.

UGG children's boots

And what's more The Boy loves them!

At £110 they're not a cheap option for children's footwear, and in all honesty they are beyond our current, limited budget. That said, they are an excellent quality boot which are going to last The Boy for about the next year. I have no doubt that the quality of the material will withstand life with a little explorer, and that during the colder days they'll keep his feet very warm and dry due to the thick sole. Therefore UGG boots do seem to fulfill the wise philosophy of quality lasting.

So it transpires that I am a convert to the benefits and style of UGG boots, and I may* have been eyeing up a pair for myself.

I still hate peanut butter though.

*have

We were sent this pair of boots for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

365 #15

April 13, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 4 Comments

Wahoo! We've passed Day 100!

Well done to all who have made it this far, first big milestone and don't give up now!

This linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!

Days 97-103 of Project 365

April 13, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 77 Comments

97-103 of 365

97. Through the Semi-Circle Window! (The sun valiantly tried to shine for most of the afternoon and so we headed out to St. Fagan's Museum in north-west Cardiff. Back in November I bought an annual pass for the car park (museums in Wales are free) but we haven't been there since to get our money's worth. Now the weather is brightening up, we'll be there a lot more often. This time we explored the castle, but it's fair to say that once we've done that it will be a long time before we need to go back. Bit bland!)

98. By Torch-Light (We made a spectacular den in the living room (actually I did, Mr. TBaM is rubbish at them) and The Boy spent quite some time underneath reading his books by torchlight.)

99. Adoring Listener (We visited his cousins who we'd missed for several weeks due to us both being on holiday. He adores his cousins, and they are so good with him. Here he's watching and listening to his nine year old female cousin.)

100. Bath-time (Apologies for the bland photograph but today was back to work after three weeks off and I was shattered! A bathtime snap is all I could manage!)

101. Stretchy Squares (I bought The Boy a pegboard and eleastic bands and he's had great fun making shapes.)

102. Before The Big Day (Today we nipped into town to retrieve my much-missed Samsung Galaxy S3 which took a month to repair, as a result he missed his nap and was shattered at bedtime. Busy day tomorrow!)

103. Justin's House (We've just come in from an amazing day with Jenny from Mummy Mishaps and her lovely family. It was a great surprise for The Boy as I didn't tell him any of the plans until he saw Jenny pull onto the drive in her car. They came up for lunch, the three boys had a great play together and then we headed into Cardiff to see Justin's House. He's been to a few shows before, mainly CBeebies, but this was his first larger production and he loved every second (apart from when Robert sucked up all the lights into his hoover). Afterwards we all went for a yummy dinner in Pizza Express!)

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Hotham Park, Bognor Regis (Country Kids)

April 13, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 27 Comments

On the road leading to the Butlin's Resort in Bognor Regis, there is a high Victorian wall with a rather attractive looking zipwire poking out from behind it. Teasing us while we waited in the traffic to get into Butlin's, my husband did a quick Google and discovered it to be called Hotham Park.

Mid-week we decided to take a little break from the constant fun on site and nip down to check out the zipwire. We soon discovered that the zipwire is not the only thing in the adventure play areas (two for different ages and abilities), there's also a beautiful walkway through the woodland, a miniature boating lake for remote-controlled boats, crazy golf and from April to October there's a miniature steam railway.

There's also the tamest squirrels I've ever seen. I spotted them from a distance and opened up a packet of Hula Hoops to tempt them, within five seconds one was ensconsed on the picnic bench nibbling away.

Hotham Park, Bognor Regis

Hotham Park is definitely worth a visit when staying in the Butlin's neighbouring; it's literally across the road from the Wave Hotel and a little haven in the centre of the town.

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Pan-Fried Swordfish With Sweet Potato, Pepper & Stilton Salad

April 9, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 6 Comments

Fish is a favourite food in this house, and I've been challenged to produce a selection of recipes using fish which are high in Omega3. Quite a challenge for a vegetarian!

Swordfish is considered quite a delicacy and often found in Mediterranean restaurants. It's also a really good source of Omega3 DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and there have been numerous studies which show that people who eat plenty of fish, tend to experience less dementia and memory problems in later years. Omega3 DHA can also help children with ADHD, and there are links between DHA and better general concentration.

Please note that children under 16 should avoid eating swordfish due to the mercury levels.

Ingredients:

For the swordfish:
- swordfish steak
- half a lemon
- dill
- olive oil
- black pepper
For the salad:
- Lettuce leaves (I've used a mixed Bistro salad)
- broccoli
- sweet potatoes
- mixed coloured peppers
- olive oil
- soy sauce
- honey
- half a lemon
- stilton

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into wedges. Slice the peppers into strips and put in a baking tray with the sweet potatoes.
Mix together 1 teaspoon of olive oil with 1 teaspoon of honey and drizzle over the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
While that's cooking, heat a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil in it.
Place the swordfish steak into the frying pan once it is hot and sear quickly on both sides to caramelise the outer crust, before turning the gas down to cook the steak through more slowly.
Squeeze half of the lemon into a pot and mix with 1 teaspoon of dill and a grind of black pepper (technical term). Pour over the steak ensuring both sides are covered. The steak should take between five-ten minutes on low-medium to cook. Turn the steak every few minutes to cook evenly.
Rinse the salad leaves and shake to drain, place it on the serving plate.
Mix together 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, half the lemon, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of honey and drizzle over the salad.
Remove the sweet potato and peppers from the oven and scatter over the salad.
Chop up a matchbox size of Stilton and sprinkle over the bed of salad.
Once the swordfish steak is cooked through, place it on top of the bed of salad.

Swordfish salad

This recipe has been posted as part of my collaboration with Fish is the Dish's 'Healthy Happy Hearts' promotion. They have a selection of recipes available which form a six week plan designed by dietician Dr Jane McKenzie, to improve health by eating two portions of fish a week, one of which is rich in Omega3.

healthyhappyhearts

Dishmatic (Review)

April 8, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 2 Comments

In April of last year I was sent a clever little washing-up device, the Dishmatic sponge and reusable handle. It might seem like it's not a terribly exciting product on the surface (after all it's a washing up sponge) but it's the only thing that we've used to wash up with in the past year; all other sponges have been thrown in the bin.

Despite the fact that I don't do the washing up (a condition of accepting his marriage proposal), the device used for washing up is something that we have had minor disputes about in the past. Mr. TBaM liked a sponge, I insisted on a brush because of the abrasiveness and the additional pressure via the handle. He looked at me scornfully and pointed out that I don't do the dishes and therefore didn't get an input.

He had a point.

However, I felt very happy that the Dishmatic was a good compromise; a sponge on a handle. Hence binning all other brushes and sponges since getting the Dishmatic a year ago. The only other problem was that we still needed a scourer for when I became too enthusiastic with the length of time a cheese sauce was on the stove, for example. That was until I was sent more of the Dishmatic range recently to review.

Dishmatic

The Dishmatic basic system is a hollow handle which is filled up with the washing up liquid, there is a small hole in the top of the unit which dispenses a small amount of the liquid. However, there's also a brush attachment and a scourer along with the two different grades of sponges. They slot onto the end of the handle and the washing-up liquid is dispensed through the small hole in the end of the handle through the attachment. And they can be interchanged mid-washing-up session to suit the needs.

The Dishmatic system is available to buy online or via most supermarkets and DIY stores. And I thoroughly recommend getting one, they're effective and cost-effective in the amount of liquid they use.

I was sent the above products for the purpose of this review, my opinions are honest and unbiased.

Harumika Pop Diva Set (Review)

April 8, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 2 Comments

When I was a young girl, one of my favourite toys was my Girls' World Fashion Plates:

fashion_plates_650x300_a01_

The idea was to select a head, top and bottom half of each person and then to choose a pattern for each item of clothing. I completely loved playing the hand-me-down toy from my sister, even if the stylings were a little 1970s!

Move forward a couple of decades and the world of the young fashion designer has changed quite significantly. They can still design outfits and select the fabrics or patterns, but now that happens in 3D using a mini mannequin and fabric swatches! This is the world of Harumika, an award winning and unique toy that has become a massive hit since its introduction to the world in 2009.

It's a far more practical and responsive way for young fashion designers to test out their designs and styles, and doesn't require any needles, thread, glue or scissors, making it a very safe activity for children over six years old. (And I say children because I refuse to confine this type of toy to the world of girls alone, Julien MacDonald and Matthew Williamson would have something to say about it, I'm sure!) Harumika works by layering, folding and customising fabrics and accents using the silicon strip at the back of the dress form. All the materials and accessories are reusable so the possibilities are endless; if you don't like your design just start all over again!

Harumika Pop Diva

I was sent the new Harumika Pop Diva Set for my nine year old niece to review, and I made her world when I gave it to her; her life-size mannequin which she uses to style her outfits is testimony to how much she loves Harumika! The Pop Diva Set includes one purple dress form and two removable corsets enabling the budding designer to create different shaped skirts and dresses with the selection of funky fabrics and accessories.

This is the colourful and stylish design that she (and The Boy who was keen to help!) came up with using the long corset:

Harumika

The long corset skirt easily comes unclipped and the short corset can be clipped around the torso to help create shorter versions of the designs.

Harumika

My niece was over the moon with the set, she particularly liked that there was a small slot on the chest to create some halterneck styles or a fancy collar, and the different length corsets. I do think they Harumika is an excellent toy for budding fashion designers, although for the price of the sets a few more fabric swatches would be quite useful as this set had only five in it. Overall though, it's a brilliant toy and is so nice to see her using her imagination to play and not be in a rush to grow up.

The Pop Diva set comes out in July with a RRP of £34.99

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review; my opinion, and that of my niece, is honest and unbiased.

365 #14

April 6, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 7 Comments

Having spent the day basking in the sunshine (albeit in a thick fleece which worked really well with my sunglasses), I am determine that we will show the seasons that it is time for Spring. My 365 collection this week features a decent amount of outdoor play, I hope that everyone else has been able to get outside and enjoy nature. That is if the snow has finally cleared off!

I'll show you my week if you'll show me yours!

This linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!

The doodah thingy bit will be up after my husband's finished putting The Boy to bed!

Days 90-96 of Project 365

April 6, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 44 Comments

90-96 of 365

90. Rolling, rolling, rolling! (We went to Dyffryn Gardens for the National Trust Easter Egg Trail and had an absolutely marvellous time exploring the recently reopened Dyffryn House. However, the best bit of the day is that The Boy got to cross off #2 of the 50 Things: Roll down a really big hill – really big is subjective when you're only three!)

91. A-maze-ing! (Despite yesterday's beautiful weather and the hint that Spring was on its way, today was blindingly cold and dreary! We spent much of it inside chilling out after our hectic previous week and weekend, with Nanny and Grandad coming to dinner. I'd bought The Boy some new wipe-clean books from Usborne; this is a maze book and he is completely devoted to it.)

92. Spiderman (Having popped up to the local butcher we went for a walk in the main park in our town, a park which has many different 'zones' to it which provide ample play opportunities. We discovered yet another tree that needed to be climbed, although he decided to jump out of this one, rather than climb down. As it was only a foot drop, I let him off.)

93. Hello down there! (Another day, another park! Swing time took on a different angle today.)

94. Nearly there (The Boy is obsessed lately with trying to make different colours and I decided to let him loose with a colour mixing experiment. My sister would be pleased to know he just wanted to make brown – her favourite (boring!) colour – and he very almost managed it.)

95. Cookie dough (Today was dominated by The Boy having his preschool MMR booster in the afternoon, and it appears I may have been quite anxious about it as I was a grumpy mummy most of the day. I managed to summon up the inclination to make cookies with The Boy, but even that was staight from a packet and add two tablespoons of water; how lazy! Turns out that The Boy was fine with his booster, didn't even notice the injection.)

96. Where's the hole? (We returned to Dyffryn Gardens today, as I hadn't had long enough to explore the inside of the house, and get the photos I was after – I still didn't manage it today as The Boy wanted to explore the gardens. The garden rooms are plenty and full of little holes and pathways leading through into a different 'room'. Only thing was, there wasn't a hole in the hedge here, despite The Boy trying his hardest to push through. Look closely and his head had half disappeared inside. It reminded me of Tom in Tom's Midnight Garden.)

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Winkworth Arboretum (Country Kids)

April 6, 2013 by TheBoyAndMe 19 Comments

About a month ago, we had the pleasure of attending an event organised by the National Trust to promote the 50 Things To Do Before You're 11&¾ and the Project Wild Thing campaign. We were already well on our way to reclaiming a childhood spent playing outdoors through Coombe Mill's weekly linky of Country Kids, but the videos that we were shown by David Bond (marketing director for Nature) really helped cement the importance of outdoor play for children. And for adults as well. Reconnecting with the natural world soothes the soul and helps emotional wellbeing.

We were very fortunate to have received a media pass for the National Trust following the blogging event, and it means that we can explore many of the National Trust sites around Britain when we're out and about. On our way back from Butlin's (in Bognor Regis) last weekend, we called into Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey. It's not a part of the country that we'd normally explore, being so far from Cardiff, however we relished the opportunity to stretch our legs, break up the journey and do some nature exploring!

It was a beautifully sunny, Good Friday afternoon when we arrived (if not a little nippy) and the arboretum held some wonderful signs of Spring for us with the daffodils in full bloom and pussy willows on the trees, not to mention the many play opportunities.

What three year old can resist climbing a tree with a trunk as wide as a living room? Or sliding down a pile of wood shavings? Or kicking leaves all over their daddy?

Winkworth Arboretum, Surrey

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We've received a media pass for the National Trust for 2013 which grants us free access to National Trust sites. We haven't been asked to blog about any of our trips, I choose to do so without bias.