SIGG Thermo (Review)

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As a family we have been using SIGG bottles for three years now and they are a constant when we leave the house. We always have our water bottles with us, even if we're only popping to the shops, and I can't even begin to imagine how much money we've saved on not buying a bottle of water whilst out, let alone the environmental impact not buying plastic bottles has made. We have honestly not bought any plastic bottles of water in three years!

The SIGG Thermo is the newest addition to the range and something that I've been waiting for for a long time. It is their insulated drinks bottle, and is one of the best flasks we've tried. The bottles are made from high-quality 18/8 stainless steel and due to the double walled vacuum insulation, drinks are kept hot, or cold, for many hours.

And so to test this claim that the SIGG Thermo maintains its temperature for hours, we recently tested the 0.75l insulated flask we'd been sent to review whilst on holiday in Cornwall.

On the Sunday we decided a trip to Polzeath beach was in order, and my sister-in-law brought a Kelly Kettle with us so that we could make some hot chocolate. I filled the Thermo up halfway with cold milk (as I know The Boy can't handle hot drinks very well) and we sent off to make a fire on the beach.

Sigg Thermo 1

The Boy helped make the fire and then we boiled up some hot water to make the hot chocolate. The milk that came from the Thermo was indeed still icy cold and it make it a lot easier for him to drink his warming drink on the beach.

This might not seem a very thorough test of the insulating capabilities but what I will say is that it is a very practical flask to use. The drinking cup can be stored on either the top or the bottom of the flask, but we kept it on the bottom mainly because it meant that we could clip the SIGG Thermo to our rucksack using a carabiner; it makes it a lot easier to carry around. My sister-in-law actually works in the outdoors and pointed out that the added bonus of it not fitting over the top of the flask is that when it's removed for a top-up, there isn't a steady stream of dregs trickling down the flask from the upside down cup! A definite bonus on a beautiful white flask!

To truly test out the Thermo we filled it full of hot coffee the next day when we visited The Eden Project. My husband made the coffee at 11am and we set off for the day. The SIGG Thermo holds three and a half mugs full of coffee which I knew would keep him going during the long day ahead and sure enough he sat down to have his first cup of hot coffee around 1.30pm. He then had another cup at four o'clock when we were recovering from the 33°C temperatures of the Rainforest Biome.

Sigg Thermo 2

And finally when we returned home in the evening, and were unpacking our bag from the day at eight o'clock, he poured the last mug out. I'm not sure if you can see this image properly but the coffee is still steaming and was still almost too hot to drink; a full nine hours after it had been made!

Sigg Thermo 3

I've never known an insulated drinks flask to work as well as this did, to still be producing a piping hot drink nine hours after it was first made is a pretty amazing feat. The fact that the SIGG Thermo is once again a beautifully designed bottle, free from harmful substances such as BPA or phthalates, practical in design and elegant to look at, comes as no surprise to me.

The SIGG Thermo is available in 0.3l, 05.l, 0.75l and 1l bottles, with prices starting from £19.99 for the smallest.

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

Trunki: Moshi Monsters' Katsuma Suitcase (Review)

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There are certain products made which just appeal to children and adults alike, and a Trunki suitcase is one of them! Anything that can make the 'going on holiday' process easier has got to be a bonus and I'm sure many parents wish that there was an adult-sized Trunki for them to have a zoom around on too!

I've wanted to get one for The Boy for a year or so now, and was very fortunate a couple of months ago to be offered the chance to review the new Moshi Monsters Katsuma Trunki suitcase. I've been unable to review it properly until recently when we went away to Coombe Mill in Cornwall for a short break of four nights/five days.

I will admit to being sceptical that the 18litre Trunki (which is ideal for overhead lockers on planes) would be big enough to hold The Boy's clothing for five days on a farm; after all we're talking about thick jumpers, numerous jogging bottoms and long johns galore, in addition to normal underwear and pyjamas. And of course it is a rigid suitcase so there is no give in it to squash in that extra teddy or book.

In total there was:

  • four pairs of jogging bottoms
  • four jumpers
  • four vests
  • six pairs of pants
  • six pairs of socks
  • three pairs of pyjamas
  • two four story books
  • one teddy
  • and one Oliver Monkey!

Trunki suitcase - Katsuma

Once I'd worked out that the scoop of each side was greater in the middle, I was able to pack everything in bar two of the reading books which just wouldn't fit in due to their dimensions (too wide!). The photo on the bottom left above implies that the case didn't shut, but it certainly did! Everything fitted in very neatly and the two halves closed together tightly.

And what's more, The Boy absolutely loved having his Trunki to scoot around the Scandinavian lodge at Coombe Mill!

I am quite confident that the Trunki is big enough to hold his clothes for our holiday to Butlin's at Easter time, and we will certainly be using it during our Summer trip back to Coombe Mill.

The Trunki Katsuma is available to buy for £44.95 directly from Trunki, or through a variety of online and high street stores.

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

Goody Good Stuff: Vegetarian Sweets (Review)

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I have a big internal conflict; I'm vegetarian but I truly adore jelly sweets.

Sometimes I choose to ignore the fact that they're made with gelatine, but it's not an easy thing to do, nor is it something I should be doing; I'm vegetarian for a reason so I shouldn't be putting those morals aside just for the sake of a cola bottle or a cheeky hot lips.

Then one day on twitter I was involved in a conversation with a company which produces vegetarian jelly sweets, made without gelatine. The gelling agent used to make the sweets is derived from plant extracts, which is a far more ethical ingredient to have in a vegetarian food product. Although let's face it, it's far nicer than chewing on ground-up bones anyway, isn't it?

There are eight varieties in the Goody Good Stuff range, four are gummy sweets and four are 'sours';

  • strawberry cream,
  • cheery cherries,
  • tropical fruit,
  • koala gummy bears,
  • cola breeze,
  • summer peaches,
  • sour mix and match,
  • sour fruit salad.

Goody Good Stuff Vegetarian Sweets

I was sent a selection of both the gummy sweets and the 'sours' to try out and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a huge fan of sour sweets, preferring the sugary sweetness of gummy or foam sweets, but even these were quite pleasant and didn't have the consistency of traditional sweets made with gelatine. In fact, none of the sweets required copious amounts of chewing, the texture and consistency was pleasant and made them easy to eat. The only thing I would say is that the gummy sweets are more sticky than conventional sweets.

Goody Good Stuff sweets are available to purchase both online and in a number of supermarkets priced at around £1.49 for 100g.

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

Christy's Bedlinen (Review)

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Like most parents who don't seem to spend anywhere near enough time enjoying sleep, I am fond of my bed; it's like an old friend who I don't catch up with often enough.

I'm also a bit fussy with the bedlinen that I have, I like the soft and easy iron aspect of poly-cotton (even though I know it's not really an approved of or trendy fabric) and I don't like printed materials, so the design has to be woven. I also like cream or neutral colours so that it doesn't alarm me when I wake up in the middle of the night to tend to The Boy. Finding decent bedlinen can be a bit of a nightmare at times.

Therefore when I was recently sent some gorgeous bedding from Christy, I couldn't wait to get it on the bed.

Christy's bedlinen

The Mandalay range is made from 87.5% cotton and 12.5% silk blend jacquard on the face of the duvet, and 200 thread count cotton percale on the underside, making is soft and cosy to sleep under. The beautiful and delicate jacquard design on the cover is in a warm linen shade and has a luxurious silk yarn in the weave which gives it added lustre. I actually feel like I have a grown-up bed for once!

The duvet cover comes in a double, king or super-king size, and the pillowcases in either an Oxford square or Oxford rectangle size. The photos above are of the king-size with Oxford rectangle pillowcases. Priced at £159.00 for the duvet, and £45.00 for the pillowcase pairs, it's clearly a luxury bedlinen set, and in all honesty out of my normal budget. However, now I've experienced how soft, smooth and luxurious quality bedding like this is, I'll be hard pushed to cope with my supermarket polycotton again!

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

Get Fit With Netflix

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Mr. TBaM and I like going to the cinema but it seems to happen less and less these days. Time was that we'd go a few times a month, but not we seem to manage around three times a year. It's a great shame as we love watching films, but since having The Boy, there's a greater need to budget and we have to plan babysitting around my mum's availability. About six months ago we took out Sky Movies, but have been seriously unimpressed with the range and quality of the films included.

We've recently been invited to become members of the Netflix Stream Team, and can't believe that we hadn't subscribed before! I've seen people discussing about Netflix on social media for a year or two but had never realised completely what was involved; in my head it was like the old LoveFilm service which required physical DVDs to be sent out and returned. I knew that I'd never return them on time or end up losing them!

However Netflix is a subscription service which allows users to stream films (and t.v. serials) directly onto an Internet accesible device, like an iPad, mobile phone, or a gaming console like a Wii.

And it only costs £5.99 a month!

We've been subscribed for a month now and can't remember the last time we watched 'live' television. Admittedly there's a whole load of programmes that we still Sky+ and watch later, but more and more we're finding that we're browsing Netflix and discovering comedies, dramas and action films which we missed in the cinema. The other aspect of Netflix that we love is the range of television serials available; I am personally over the moon to have discovered Gossip Girl (to sate my embarrassing Chuck Bass crush), and we're working our way through all of the David Tennant Dr. Who episodes.

Obviously it would be incredibly easy to lounge on the sofa and not actually move all evening, but that's hardly productive to a healthy lifestyle. However with 2014 well under way I've discovered that my non-New Year resolution to shape up and dust off the work-out kit has not really kicked off. Well Netflix has come up with the perfect solution.

They've teamed up with fitness expert Niki Wibrow to help busy Brits find a way to work in some work outs during their daily routine, and what better way to do this than to burn the calories while you are watching a show on Netflix.

Niki has put together three exercises for each area that you can do at home, on the go, at the gym or at anytime to help keep trim throughout the year. The exercises can be combined in any order, at different levels of intensity or to fit a short workout during an episode of Weeds or a full 55 minute episode of Orange is the New Black (which I've heard is amazing and I need to try!).

Personally the programme that I think would be perfect to get up and moving to is one that I've mourned the loss of since it finished in 2003!

Buffy The Vampire Slayer!

I'm sure I'm not the only woman of a certain age that was positive that they could kick the derriere of many a vampire? (Please tell me I'm not?!) What better easy-watching programme to become motivated to exercise to than one featuring serious physical prowess?

Niki Wibrow has developed three bespoke exercises concentrating on five different areas. Each can be performed in different combinations, at different speeds and at different numbers of repetitions to suit your fitness plan

For someone who absolutely detests the gym, this is a perfect solution!

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I have received a year's subscription of Netflix and an iPad in order to review the service, my thoughts and opinions are honest and unbiased.

Tidy Books Book Box (Review & Giveaway)

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Books are an essential aspect of our home, and as I was sorting out The Boy's books after Christmas time I realised that he has very distinctly moved into a new phase of story books. Hardback books are long gone, the amount of text on a page has increased and the font is smaller, and the subject matter is more detailed.

We've also had to find space on his book shelves for his own reading books, those which I've bought him to practise and develop his reading skills. I have in the past tried to keep his books constrained to just the dining room, but when I was sent a new book box to review, it was the perfect excuse to gather all of his reading books together in one place and bring them into the living room.

With an advertised space for up to 40 books and four sections of two different heights, it's the perfect size to sit in the corner of our living room and appeal to The Boy to sit down and flick through a book and have a go at reading it by himself. In reality we actually have a lot more books in the book caddy than that, with over 120 small reading scheme style books in there, we've definitely got something to suit The Boy's moods and improving reading ability.

I set the book caddy up for The Boy one afternoon to explore after school and he found it really enticing. The fact that the books are forward facing is incredibly useful, because actually children do judge a book by its cover, especially if they can't read the title!

Tidy Books Book Box

The Tidy Books' book box measures 34 cm (h) x  54 cm (w) x 28cm (d) and had a lovely play clock which can be attached at one end (although it can also be removed when children are older) with moving hands for The Boy to practise reading the time on. Assembly was simple, the book box arrives flat-packed in a carry box, and it took me less than five minutes to put it together with the provided alan key. Made from sustainable wood, not MDF, the book box is also finished in a water-based lacquer which is a safe, virtually odour free lacquer which is better for the environment and is ideal for children and allergy sufferers.

I find it very reassuring that the product has been made in a very responsible manner with sustainable resources and harmless paints. The finish and quality of the product is amazing, there are no sharp edges or splinters of wood on the screw holes, and it's the type of book box which will be used for longer than a few years; I can see it being passed down through the family.

The Tidy Books Book Box is available in a dark petrol blue, white or natural finish, and is priced at £69.00. While that may seem a little more expensive than some cheap high-street alternatives, the comparative quality is indisputable and this is one of those cases where it's worth spending a little more for something that will last years.

However, I am very fortunate to be able to offer a Tidy Books Book Box to one lucky reader of TheBoyandMe. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below for the chance to win one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

The GTech Multi (Review)

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Before Christmas I was sent the brand new GTech Multi to review. It was a very opportune time to put a new vacuum cleaner through its paces considering the amount of glitter, tinsel, artificial Christmas tree needles (yes, they still drop them like a real one does), food crumbs and tiny pieces of wrapping paper (which seem to multiply) there was around the house. And we really did test it very well, there was a lot of glitter in this house.

We've continued to give it a rigorous testing ever since, mainly because The Boy really likes glitter!

GTech are a relatively young brand when it comes to carpet cleaning, but the expression 'new brooms sweeping clean' really does speak volumes in their case. I have previously reviewed the GTech AirRAM and couldn't have praised it any more than I did for the ease of use, in fact I did a video review where I poured two bowls of 50g of blue sand into my cream carpet, rubbed it in, and then compared the power of my Electrolux vacuum against the AirRAM's suction. As the GTech cleaner actually sucked up all of the 50g, plus another 3g of dirt in my (previously vacuumed) carpet. That wasn't embarrassing at all!

At the time when I reviewed the AirRAM, my only criticism of it was that it didn't have a hose and therefore any attachments to clean the edges or the stairs.

GTech have solved that problem by creating the Multi.

GTech Multi

See there's no cord? That's because it's one of the few cordless and powerful handheld vacuum cleaners around of this quality. With a run time of 30 minutes from charging, the Multi is perfect for cleaning stairs, the car, and all those awkward to reach places around cupboards and piano legs (or is that just my house?). It weighs 1.6kg so it very lightweight and not at all too heavy to use or manoeuvre. It also has a selection of attachments and devices on board to make it easier to clean all areas; long length crevice tool, upholstery tool, dusting brush, extendable hose and an extension tube (available free when ordering directly from GTech).

But the best bit about the GTech are the headlights!

Yes, they have installed headlights on a vacuum cleaner! However silly that initially sounds, the two small LED lights either side of the attachment area make hoovering in crevices, cars and stairs so much easier! They really help to highlight all the dirt and dust which would otherwise be missed.

As the 50g blue sand was such an effective review technique, I decided to repeat it with the GTech Multi. I don't have another cleaner to compare it against, however I wanted to see how much of the sand it could suck up. I actually had doubts that it would manage to be as effective as the AirRAM, purely because of the trigger button feature and the crevice nozzle.

I set to the task with my trusty digital weighing scales and blue sand!

2014-01-31 13.53.05

While it didn't suck up all 50g of blue sand, I can certainly forgive it for missing the 1g (or less) of blue sand that it didn't suck up. Considering how much I rubbed it into the carpet, I felt it was very effective at vacuuming it.

Cleaning the Multi is not quite as straightforward as the AirRAM, but at the same time it's hardly onerous. The clear barrel pulls away from the main machine, the lid unclips and the filter in the middle can be removed very easily to wash out. There is a filter on the lid which should be unclipped and the dust removed from, as this is where quite a lot of fluff can collect. However, the whole cleaning process is quick and simple to do. And, if like my husband, you put it back together the wrong way up, then a red light flashes on the Multi to tell you that the filter is blocked.

We have used it to clean the car, and my husband commented that it made life so much easier that he didn't need to feed the extension cable through the porch window and position the car as close as possible to the house.

Priced at only £149.00 then I think the GTech Multi is an incredibly effective cordless and handheld cleaner.

UPDATE 06/09/14: I have noticed a decline in the power and therefore suction of the GTech Multi I'm sorry to say. I do clean the filter regularly but it doesn't seem to make much difference. It still works for light dirt around the edges of carpets and for cobwebs, but it is now struggling to suck up sand from the carpet in the car. The lights have also stopped working. A real shame for a machine with big promise.

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

Vanish Gold Challenge (Review)

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My twitter bio starts with 'part-time teacher, full-time mum'. What I don't include in the description is the housework bit, because quite frankly it's a bit boring. However, as for all parents fitting in the housework and laundry is a weekly battle. When The Boy started school, I vowed that I would have all the laundry done on Fridays so that I actually had the time to spend with him over the weekends, and not be faced with radiators full of drying clothes ready to be ironed on Sunday evening. To that end we invested in a tumble dryer to ensure the job was completed on time. Anything to make life easier!

So imagine my happiness when I was sent a tub of Vanish Gold Oxi-Action to try out…

Vanish Gold Challenge

… and then my consternation when I realised what they wanted me to do with the beetroot.

Now because I am a little stubborn (just like stains) and don't like to do what I'm asked, I decided to deviate from the intended plan of dropping beetroot juice on the gorgeous napkin slightly. Mainly because we don't eat beetroot in our house, and also because I know there are a few more stubborn stains I encounter weekly:

Marmite, baked beans, tomato ketchup, hot chocolate, and of course the assigned beetroot.

Vanish Gold Challenge

Using the Vanish Gold Oxi-Action is very simple and quick; use one heaped teaspoon of the powder mixed with a third of a scoop (provided) of warm water (I found boiled water worked better), and stir for a few minutes. Apply the solution to the entire surface of the stain and use the specially designed nobbles on the back of the scoop to rub the solution into the stain. Then rinse the fabric in a bowl of water and wash as normal.

As you can see above the stains were pretty stubborn and offensive, the oxi-action solution bubbled and fizzed well in the scoop and rubbed in well to the stain. I put the napkin in the machine straight away on a normal 40°C wash and this was the result:

Vanish Gold Challenge

As good as new!

Of course, the true test of anything sent for review is when you need to use it genuinely because your mother didn't tell you that The Boy had spilled hot chocolate down the arm of his school sweater. And she didn't put it in to soak. And it just went in the machine and the stain was then 'set' in.

That's just what you want to find on a Friday evening at 9pm when you're doing the ironing.

Not.

Vanish Gold Challenge Hot chocolate

See? Vanish Gold Oxi-Action really does work wonders!

If you've got a stubborn stain that just won't shift, pop over to Vanish Tips for some handy hints and guidance.

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I was sent these products (and have received a fee for my time) for the purpose of this challenge, my opinions are honest and unbiased.

Clarks' Boys' Range (Review)

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A few months ago I was offered the opportunity to review the Autumn/Winter 2013 range of shoes and boots for The Boy. As I'd actually just bought him his school shoes and normal Winter shoes, I decided to invest in a pair of Winter boots for him instead.

We were booked into the Cardiff branch for a Saturday morning appointment and, despite turning up a little late, we were seen very quickly for our 'measure and fit' appointment. Due to his age and shoe size, the sales assistant measured The Boy's feet using the computerised measuring machine, which resulted in him being measured as a 10.5G. However, I did ask her to manually measure his feet with the measuring tape device as he had previously been wearing an 11F for three months, measured by an expert with over forty years experience. At this point she found that he was indeed over an 11F and so fitted him with an 11.5F.

This goes to show that a machine isn't always right, and the experience of a human being when assessing a child's foot, the size of their arch, fit around the heel and the rise of the instep is far more important to fitting a child with new footwear.

Clarks' shoes

In the end we chose a pair of traditional, brown, leather, Chelsea boots for The Boy. With a zip on the inside to enable easy pulling on, they are stylish and would look good with a variety of clothing. At £40.00 I felt that they were a good price, especially as I knew they would last him all Winter, and were sturdily made with quality materials. My only reservation is that the machine should not necessarily be trusted automatically, trust your parental instincts!

I was provided with a voucher for £40.00 to buy footwear for The Boy, trialling the 'Measure and Fit' service, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

What's The Point Of A Bedtime Book?

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For the past four years, since The Boy was six months old, we've had the same bedtime routine every night; no electronic devices or television from 5.30p.m. onwards, dinner, play a calming game, upstairs for a bath (every alternate night), pyjamas, first book, brush teeth, kisses and cuddles good night from the adult not doing bedtime, second book, lights out.

I feel very strongly that children's minds need to 'wind down' at the end of the day to enable them to sleep peacefully, and for me that means no stimulation from a television or a mobile device. Setting a peaceful tone and giving children the opportunity to make sense of their days and the world in which they live.

As a baby, the consistency of our bedtime routine sent The Boy silent signals about what the time of day was and what was going to happen. As a school-aged child the routine is just as important, but for very different reasons.

Reading good quality fiction is an essential tool for many reasons; not only is it a bonding experience between the child and the adult, but it also helps develop the child's imagination and their vocabulary. The Boy is an early stage reader who is progressing really well with the amount of words that he is beginning to recognise by sight. Children learn through modelling and exploration; seeing an adult decode words, using expression and fluency, recognising punctuation and using it appropriately, are all important skills that children pick up from story time. Doing all of this at bedtime enables the child time to process what they've just witnessed.

It also sends them off the land of nod with lots of lovely ideas for dreams!

According to a survey of 35,000 8 – 16 year olds by The National Literacy Trust, only 28% of children read daily in 2012. This genuinely shocks me, although I can see how the busy lifestyle of working parents makes it difficult to fit in, I don't feel that it is impossible; surely bedtime reading is the perfect time to read together? Both Mr. TBaM and I love reading and have heaving bookshelves, we can't imagine The Boy not wanting to do the same!

To help us with our bedtime routine of nurturing a love of reading, Marks and Spencer sent us a wonderful selection of books along with some warm, brushed cotton pyjamas (in a lovely presentation box complete with a cuddly teddy).

Marks and Spencers bedtime

The Boy has really taken to the First Readers books which are designed to be read with an adult (one page an adult, one page a child) and thoroughly enjoys trying to read some of the words on 'our' pages. And as for the pyjamas? How cute and cosy does he look?

I was sent the pyjamas and books to help support this reading and writing project with The Boy, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

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