NOOK HD+ (Review)

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A while ago I was sent a NOOK HD+ to review. I'll admit that I was both sceptical and intrigued as to whether I'd like it; I am a big fan of my Android phone and our family iPad, and I wasn't sure that a tablet which is essentially an e-reader with additional capabilities would have a place in our lives.

It does.

However it doesn't have a place in our lives, because it is quite firmly mine.

Mean? No. The Boy has access to the iPad, his Kurio, his Innotab and on occasion our phones. My husband has his iPhone and a Kindle. I could create up to six profiles on it (parental controls are inbuilt), but I'm not going to. This is mine. All mine. And I love it.

The NOOK HD+ looks very similar to many other tablets on the market but with a matt black, non-slip casing and surround, and a lowercase 'n' as the home button. The obvious comparison to make is with an iPad, and the buttons to control the volume or power on/off are in directly opposite positions to the iPad, which can be confusing at times. The NOOK HD+ also has a small hole and hand grip in the bottom left hand corner which combined with the light weight, and the slightly smaller dimensions than the iPad, it makes it easier to hold one handed therefore aiding reading.

Nook HD+ Review

The operating system is based on Android OS and I really like the way that the interface has been adapted. In the past I haven't been a huge fan of Android tablets as I've found the interface not as user friendly as the iPad, but the NOOK's display is very simple and cleverly organised.

There's a ribbon of apps to scroll through at the top of the home screen, the selection can be edited to suit the user. There are also shortcut buttons at the bottom of the main screen; library, apps, web, email or shop. The library is particularly well organised and sub-divided into; Books, Magazines, Films & TV, Apps, Children, Newspapers, My Shelves, My Scrapbooks, and My Files.

NOOK HD+

Whenever a new mobile device enters my hands I install certain apps on it first of all: twitter, Facebook, Gmail, WordPress, Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, Candy Crush, and the all important Instagram and photo editing apps. And this is where my only problem lies with the NOOK HD+. Because it is essentially a more sophisticated e-reader tablet, and therefore there's no camera. And logically because of this you wouldn't need to download a photo sharing app, would you? This I found frustrating as my photos automatically upload to Dropbox so I could use still use Instagram after downloading them, plus I like to network on there. But it's not the end of the world, just a minor inconvenience and it actually means that I use the NOOK for different things than my phone or the tablet.

Magazines, books and newspapers are the biggest feature pushed on the NOOK, which makes sense for an e-reader. In the Summer of 2013, Barnes & Noble were very wise and added the Google Playstore to the OS which meant that the Kindle app could be downloaded and previous books purchased (and used on other devices) could be accessed. Prior to this e-book downloads had been quite costly. Despite all the other capabilities of the NOOK, I feel that for me its selling point is the magazine subscriptions and book reading functions. I don't tend to use the Kindle app on my phone (too small) or the iPad (too heavy) but have read several books on the NOOK as it has a different 'feel' to it, and I don't just mean physically.

As mentioned, my other favourite aspect of the NOOK is the magazine subscription facility. I don't buy magazines in 'real life' as I don't like the clutter around the house (there's too much anyway!), I end up with ripped out pages stuffed onto the kitchen shelf which never get looked at again, and it's not very eco-friendly. I now have subscribed to several cookery magazines on the NOOK, which are stored in the library. Additionally there is a very nifty little 'scrapbooking' feature which enables the user to virtually 'rip' out a page and save it in a scrapbook or category.

NOOK HD+ 1

I've got fifteen scrapbooks on my NOOK HD+ which enable me to easily access recipes under different categories, so much more efficient than one hundred pieces of faded paper shoved into a cookery book in the kitchen!

The screen is very high quality, almost as good as the iPad3 to compare visually (the NOOK HD+'s 9" display is 1920×1280 pixels with 256 PPI, the 9.7" iPad3 display i 2048×1536 with 264 PPI), the difference in PPI (pixels per inch) is minimal making it not far off the quality of the Retina display on the iPad3. This makes game playing and watching films a complete pleasure and a high quality experience.

NOOK HD+ screen reolution

The NOOK HD+ that I was sent was the 32GB model, which has double the space of our iPad3 and will last a very long time as it is not cluttered with all of The Boy's games. However, if I do need to increase the storage space, then there is a an expandable microSD slot.

Sales of the NOOK HD+ decreased in the last few months of 2013 which I think is a shame. I'm sure that the introduction of cheaper Android tablets from supermarkets have affected NOOK's sales, but I think the quality is incomparable. I use my NOOK daily, often in preference to my phone (which is giving me RSI style symptoms) and the iPad (because of its weight), and because the functionality of it is different.

The NOOK HD+ 16GB is available from £129.00 and the 32GB from £149.00 in a variety of high-street and online stores. While it doesn't have the complete capabilities of a standard Android tablet due to the lack of camera, it is an investment that I think is thoroughly worthwhile, especially as it allows for up to six profiles to be created with parental controls, and utilises the Google Playstore. I wouldn't be without it now.

For other bloggers' opinions, please see the reviews on Geekalicious and GeekMummy's first post and second post.

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

Aldi Ski Range (Review)

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Regular readers of this blog are used to seeing The Boy kitted out in his bright blue all-in-one ski-suit during Winter months. Wrapped up warmly inside this, he will happily play for hours outside on the beach, in a forest or in the snow. Never on a ski-slope though, which goes to show the adaptability of the outfit.

Just before Christmas we were sent some of the ski-wear range from Aldi which was launched in December as a part of their Special Buys selections. Unfortunately, the set that we were sent was for 7-8 year old boys which obviously doesn't fit my four and half year old son. However, I was so impressed with the salopettes and ski jacket that I immediately went out to buy the snow boots that went with it. If I'd been clever then I'd have tried to predict the size he would be when he is indeed 7-8 years old, but that's a tricky job when he has only gone up once size in a year.

The salopettes and ski jacket are excellent quality and in a really nice design and colourway.

Aldi ski-suit

It's nice to see boys' clothing that isn't bright blue or a garish neon green or orange, but a more subdued shade of green and classic grey. The salopettes have thick elastic braces to them which will ensure they don't fall down and as the straps are so wide then they won't dig in to his shoulders either. At the bottom of each leg there is an inner boot snow-flap with slip-resistant tape and an outer leg which fits over the top of the boot. Very conveniently, this is zipped to provide easy access when putting boots on or taking them off; something his current snowsuit doesn't have. The jacket has elasticated snow protection at the waist and cuff to prevent snow slipping in. There is also a zipped pocket in the arm, designed for a ski pass but perfect for other important things when playing outdoors.

While the stock on these products is obviously limited to what is left in store still, I nipped into Aldi yesterday (actually to buy their sweetener as it is the only non-aspartame based one in any supermarkets) and spotted that there were still plenty of boots and salopettes, along with merino wool thermals.

Priced at only £14.99 each for the jacket and salopettes, they are £10.00 cheaper than those I've seen in Matalan, and actually better quality.

I was sent these products for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

BOB Revolution CE Stroller (Review)

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Early in 2013 I was approached by Britax to become an ambassador. Incredibly flattered and excited to work with them, I accepted eagerly and the PR and I engaged in a conversation to determine the best product for The Boy. Aware of his increasing age, that at nearly four years old he was hitting the upper age limit for their products, we settled on a lightweight stroller which would be good for longer walks (when he still became tired) or weekend trips.

We were sent the BOB Revolution CE Stroller to review, as it was meant to accommodate a lot more weight and have a bigger seat so would probably last a bit longer. The Boy and I eagerly unwrapped the box and set to putting it together (a little bit tricky) and he eagerly clambered in. And that is why it's taken me longer than I would have liked to review. While the seat of the BOB is wider and it has a decent amount of leg space, the hood is very flat and it left very little head space. When the hood is folded back, there is a lot of folded fabric to accommodate and it takes up space where his head should have been. When the canopy is open and extended fully, the upper sling of the fabric doesn't support his head.

Mortified and disappointed it took a little while to work out what to do. In the end I've borrowed a friend's two and a half year old son to model the stroller.

Bob Revolution CE stroller

The specifications for the BOB Revolution CE Stroller (amongst others) are:

  • Swiveling front wheel allows for superior maneuverability. Locks forward for increased stability when jogging or if the terrain turns tough.
  • Easy, two-step folding, lightweight frame for convenient transport and storage.
  • State-of-the-art, adjustable suspension system provides an exceptionally smooth ride.
  • Ultra-padded, adjustable reclining seat for enhanced seating comfort. Five-point padded harness helps keep your child comfortably secure.
  • Multi-position canopy adjusts for protection against the elements. Large viewing window lets you keep an eye on your baby.
  • Lightweight alloy wheels with pneumatic tires and tubes are durable and compact.
  • Low Boy Cargo Basket provides plenty of undercarriage storage. Additional space in large seatback pocket. Internal seat pockets provide a great place for snacks and toys.
  • Padded handlebar for comfort; wrist strap helps you secure stroller when strolling and provides handy fold lock when folded.

I've always been skeptical of three-wheeled strollers or pushchairs as I was worried about tipping and felt they were bulkier than the standard four wheeler. The BOB is very sturdy and tipping didn't seem to be possible accidentally. It is a little bulkier and the front wheel does remove for storage in the boot of a car. When folded in the house, the front wheel is best removed otherwise it slips and falls over. It also takes up a lot more space when folded than a conventional four wheeled pushchair.

I look for a few factors in pushchairs: reclining function, shopping baskets and rain-covers. The shopping basket is large but is similar to a sling without a decent depth to it, so I'm not sure how useful it would be for a shopping trip. Reclining the BOB is not as simple as pulling on a lever like on a Kiddy or a Maclaren pushchair; it uses straps (similar to those on a rucksack) to loosen and lower the back to the required position. This is not something that strikes me as an easy thing to do with a sleeping child, and keep the child asleep! The raincover is fairly easy to fit over and has a large viewing window for the child to see out, with vents down either side.

A more detailed analysis of the specification for the BOB Revolution CE stroller is available on the website directly. The CE model is advertised as being good for "Tight corners, crowded pavements and small spaces" but I beg to differ that it is too bulky and large a pushchair to negotiate the crowded streets of a busy town centre or even a suburban area. It is better suited to energetic parents who are looking for something for jogging or long woodland walks.

Priced at £325.00 for the stroller unit, £16.00 for the rain-cover and a further £20.00 for the detachable snack tray, the BOB Revolution CE is at the top end of the price range for a pushchair like this. Having reviewed both a Maclaren Techno XLR and a Kiddy City 'n' Move (and owned an iCandy Cherry), I don't feel that this is an option that I would have investigated independently due to the size, price and lack of capacity for a larger child.

I was sent this product to review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

Gro-Clock (Review)

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Earlier this year on twitter I expressed mild irritation concern at The Boy's inability to stay asleep in the early hours of the morning. He was going through a phase of waking at around 5.30am and not going back to sleep; we were all exhausted and life was becoming quite unbearable! Many, many people stepped forward and suggested a sleep training clock, and The Gro Company stepped in to send us a Gro Clock to try out on him.

Words cannot express how grateful I am to the wonderful folk of twitter and the ingenius person who invented the Gro Clock, for changing my son's early morning sleeping habits.

The Gro Clock is a small white clock made up of a circular display with digital images on it. During daytime or 'waking' hours it shows a yellow screen with an overlaid image of a smiling and awake sun, but at nighttime or 'sleeping hours' it displays a soothing blue screen with a snoozing star to remind a stirring child that it's still sleepy time. The adult sets the acceptable waking time in the clock and, once the nighttime button has been pressed to change the screen from the sun to the sleeping star, the display will continue to show the sleeping star (with miniature countdown stars around the outside edge) until the clock has reached the time set. At this point the sun wakes back up and takes over the display with the yellow background again.

With the clock comes a wonderful story which explains the way that it works via a setting of a pig who lives on a farm and is grumpy because he doesn't have enough sleep. This is a wonderful story, beautifully illustrated and it really explains to the children the important of getting enough sleep.

The Boy took to the clock very quickly and it has become firmly embedded into our bedtime routine. He understood the point of it very quickly, and it took around a month for him to realise that if it was still blue then it wasn't time to be awake. We did have a random week early on where The Boy would wake up and rather than go back to sleep he would lie awake waiting for it to change to yellow. As he had no idea how long it would be (and sometimes it was an hour!), this was a particularly infuriating point of the training. However, it then took a month for him to train himself to go back to sleep, with consistent reiteration from us that if the screen was blue he had to close his eyes again. Once he'd understood it and 'got the hang of it', then we were able to change wake-up time from 6 o'clock to 6.45am. This took another month as we took it very slowly and only changed it by an extra ten minutes or so each week.

We're now eight months on from starting to use the Gro Clock and I could not recommend it strongly enough to parents of toddlers or older children! Every time we go away (even if only for one night), the clock comes with us. It is so reassuring to hear The Boy tell me that he saw the clock was blue and so he went back to sleep!

The Gro Clock is available from a variety of high street stores or online directly for £29.99.

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

Orchard Toys: Monster Bingo (Review)

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One of the first games I reviewed with Orchard Toys was Red Dog, Blue Dog which is a simple bingo game for 2-5 year old children. It was a great introduction to colours and really helped to consolidate the skill of recognising and matching shapes and colours. The Boy still loves playing with it, but as he's now reaching the upper age group for it I felt that he needed another level of bingo, something that would challenge him a little more.

Orchard Toys sent me the next step up to try out with him; Monster Bingo. This is a shape and colour matching bingo game with the appealing aspect of the shapes designed as friendly monsters.

The game comprises of:

  • 4 double sided bingo boards, each with 16 spaces
  • a colour dice and a shape dice
  • 36 coloured shape cards
  • 64 slime cards

Orchard Toys Monster Bingo

There are two ways to play this game;

  1. For younger players:
    1. Each player chooses a board, the colour shape cards are placed face down on the table and the slime cards are placed within each reach of the players.
    2. Players take it in turns to turn over a colour shape card and everyone checks to see if it matches on their own board, covering it with a slime card if it does. The colour shape card it left on the table face up (to show it's already been played; we actually placed these to the side so as not to confuse matters).
    3. The winner is the first person to get four in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
  2. For older players:
    1. Each players chooses a board, the colour shape cards are placed face up on the table so they can be seen (we actually placed them in a grid so all the same colour cards went along a column, and all the same shapes cards went along a row; it made it easier to locate them), the slime cards are left in a pile in easy reach of all players.
    2. Each player takes it in turn to roll the two dice and locate the right card (matching it to the dice) and then everyone can cover it on their board if they have it.
    3. Again the winner is the first person to get four in a row, as above.

The first style of game was more straightforward for The Boy to play, it also had the element of surprise from turning the cards over and not knowing what would be picked up. This way could be used to extend the game by each player having to wait their turn before they can place a slime card on their board, it would bring in the element of a memory game then.

The second style of game was more of a challenge for The Boy, and it lasted slightly longer as well. We all enjoyed playing this one, and it was a good learning opportunity. My husband and I were bantering about his pronounciation of the word 'diamond' and The Boy interjected to tell us it could also be called a rhombus and that it was his turn!

Of course at the end of the game, the winner must shout 'Monster Bingo' in true bingo style, with as much enthusiasm as they can muster!

Orchard Toys Monster Bingo

As usual, Orchard Toys publishes an educational guide to show the learning potential of their products. Monster Bingo is good for:

  • developing colour and shape matching skills (mathematical development);
  • encouraging social interaction;
  • developing observational skills (pre-reading development);
  • links with Early Learning Goals.

Monster Bingo is available from Orchard Toys and all good high-street toy shops for £9.50.

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

Orchard Toys: Greedy Gorilla (Review)

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It's no secret that we are two of Orchard Toys' biggest fans; I've got more of their games and puzzles than the local toy shop and we play a different one each day. One of The Boy's favourite Orchard Toys' games is Crazy Chefs which he likes because of both the 'cooking' aspect and the 'chance' factor. Therefore when we were sent Greedy Gorilla to review, I knew that this one would go down really well with The Boy.

Orchard Toys: Greedy Gorilla

Greedy Gorilla is a game designed to encourage healthy eating in a fun way. The game involves collecting healthy ingredients to make a nutritious meal while identifying the junk food and disposing of it in the gorilla's mouth. The game consists of:

  • 4 playing boards including chicken, beef, fish and vegetarian meals,
  • 24 healthy food cards (e.g. tomatoes, salmon steak, carrots, mushrooms, apple juice, water, milk, etc)
  • 8 junk food cards (e.g. burger, ice-cream, pizza, fries, etc.)
  • 1 gorilla posting box (requires 3AAA batteries which are included)

Orchard Toys: Greedy Gorilla

The idea of the game is very simple:

  1. Each person chooses a playing board which has six ingredients listed on it;
  2. The 32 healthy food and junk food cards are placed down in the middle of the playing area face down;
  3. Starting with the youngest player, each person chooses a card and turns it over to see if it is on their board;
    1. If it is a junk food card then it is placed in the gorilla's mouth, who will then burp and all the players must put their hand over their mouth and say 'pardon me';
    2. If it is a healthy food card then they can place it on their board if it matches or return it to the centre of the table;
  4. The player to complete their board first is the winner.

Orchard Toys: Greedy Gorilla

As with all Orchard Toys games, Greedy Gorilla is educational and fun. However, the educational element this time comes in the form of educating children about the type of food that is healthy and those which are 'sometimes' foods; treats and not to be eaten very often at all. The Boy is starting to learn about this in school at the moment so it's great consolidation for him and really helps reinforce the importance of eating healthily.

The game can be extended further by discussing the need for a balance diet through combining the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and dairy alongside fruit and vegetables. The game is aimed at 4-8 year olds and I can definitely see how the game can suit this age range. I also think that they could be used as recipe cards and a meal planner to help create healthy meals for families throughout the week!

Greedy Gorilla is available for £11.75  from Orchard Toys directly amongst a plethora of other toy shops online and on the high street.

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

Win an Orchard Toys Prize Bundle (Blogoversary Giveaway #5)

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I'm incredibly proud of my long-standing relationship with Orchard Toys; the games and puzzles suit us well as a family, and I enjoy sharing the word about both the educational and fun aspects of the brilliant range. Orchard Toys sponsored me for Britmums 2013 (and I've got an exciting announcement coming up regarding this) and were more than happy to provide a bundle of prizes to help celebrate my three year anniversary!

The prize package consists of:

Orchard Toys competition

To be in with a chance of winning these wonderful prizes from Orchard Toys, fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a Pink Lining Mini Yummy Mummy Bag (Blogoversary Giveaway #2)

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I've got a little infatuation with bags, and Pink Lining bags are one of my favourites; stylish and practical, I can always fit in everything I need. The Boy is developing a bit of a liking for them too with a lunch bag and satchel to add to our collection.

Pink Lining were eager to help celebrate three years of TheBoyandMe, and have offered a wonderful Mini Yummy Mummy bag worth £39.00 as a prize to one reader.

The Mini Yummy Mummy bag comes with a fold-up changing mat, zip front pocket for keys, money and phone as well as a back pocket and dividing pouches inside. The bag also now comes with an adjustable shoulder strap that is long enough to fit over most pram/buggy handle bars. Internal Features: 2x small pouches, a fold up padded travel changing mat and a small zip pocket.

One lucky reader will be able to choose their prize from the three designs; Bumble Bees and Stardust, Cream Bows on Peppermint, or Purple Dragonflies.

pink lining competition

To be in with a chance of winning this prize, please complete the Rafflecopter form below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a Leapfrog Prize Bundle (Blogoversary Giveaway #1)

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I'm very fortunate to be a Leapfrog Blogger Panel member this year, which means not only do we get sent new products to review every so often, but that they were more than happy to help celebrate three years of TheBoyandMe by donating some prizes for a giveaway.

This bundle worth nearly £60.00 consists of:

  • a Read With Me Scout or Violet (winner chooses either one) RRP £29.99
  • a Creativity Camera (for use with iPhone or iPod Touch) RRP £14.99
  • a Learn To Write With Mr. Pencil (for use with iPads, iPhones or iPods) RRP £14.99

Leapfrog competition

To be in with a chance of winning this prize bundle, fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#LEGOChallenge: Exclusive LEGO Ferraris From Shell (Review)

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LEGO is one of toys that I've been anticipating The Boy playing with for a few years; he likes creative toys and producing something, plus it's a great, traditional toy which is so versatile. However, when other two year olds were busy with large construction blocks and building garages and houses, he would merely turn to another toy disinterested in LEGO's potential. Who knew that it would only take last year's trip to the Mecca of all 'blockheads' everywhere (LEGOLand) to ignite his curiosity in Duplo, and since then LEGO. We last went in October half-term and I ended up smuggling two boxes of the stuff (for his Christmas presents) back to the car, wrapped in my coat so he couldn't see what they were, "No darling, mummy's just hot. That's why I've taken my coat off"!"

Last week I received a parcel which sent The Boy into raptures of delight! To celebrate their new promotion, Shell and their technical partner Ferrari have teamed up with LEGO to produce six exclusive models. In the range there are; Scuderia Ferrari truck, Ferrari F40, Ferrari 150° Italia, Ferrari 458 Italia, Ferrari FXX, and a Ferrari 250 GT Berinetta. Each one is powered by revolutionary micro-propulsion engines, the smallest ever pull back engine built by LEGO. And we were very kindly sent one of each model, along with a storage box and instructions on how to race them.

Shell & Lego

This is the first piece of proper LEGO that The Boy has played with, and we had great fun making it together; me deciphering and translating the plans into minute steps for The Boy, and him almost putting them in the right place each time. However, we got there in the end (despite daddy coming and taking over completely with one car) and decided to test them out to see which of the cars was the better at the jump-ramp we positioned in his tuff-spot.

I need to warn you that this video was the last one I could handle recording; it was the eleventh 'take' and we'd gone from mad chatter to doing it in silence, via him getting completely confused and doing the cars backwards. By this time, I was delirious with hysteria (the mic on my phone went weird at one point), he'd turned into the biggest over-actor of them all (no Oscar awards ceremony for us in the future) and we were cold.

In order to get your hands on these models for £1.49 each, fill up with £30 of Shell V-Power Nitro+ Unleaded or Diesel at any Shell garage between now and 8th January 2014, the cars are available while stocks last. LEGO and Shell are also encouraging you to get involved by videoing one of four exciting challenges (found here), and uploading and sharing it via twitter, Instagram or Youtube using the hashtag #LegoChallenge. There are a great selection of prizes for the best entries. More information can be found here.

We were sent the above products for the purpose of this promotion.

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