Reviews Archives - Mami To Five

Choosing Christmas gifts for men from Uncommon goods

Everyone loves a bit of shopping. I actually hate physically going to the shops but I can quite happily window shop on the internet for hours at a time, especially when I am looking to buy gifts for family and friends. One of the wonderful things about the internet is that you are now able to easily see what is available to buy, all across the globe. In theory this is fantastic, but quite often you are faced with a ‘we only ship to the continental united states’ Or ‘international shipping not available at this time’ which means you either a)need to find a similar product available in the UK, or b) need to know someone who lives in that country to borrow their address. But then you are effectively paying double the shipping costs and also putting someone else out.

I am always quite excited when I find a website that are happy to deliver goods to the UK so imagine how pleased I was when I was approached by the website Uncommon Goods to take a look at their website and not only was international shipping available but they also had the option to view prices in your own currency. So much easier than trying to figure out exchange rates!

I’m not sure if it’s just me but I usually find it particularly difficult choosing gifts for the men in my life. However whilst I was browsing I kept coming across things I thought Lee, or my dad, would love. In fact the entire selection of men’s gifts was quite broad and I expect you’d easily find something for even the fussiest of men.

Here’s a small selection of items I thought Lee would love this Christmas. He usually ends up with smellies, funny socks and a new video game or gadget. These things are all just a little bit different from the usual run of the mill gifts and vary in price from under £10 for the mug to £136 for the handmade, driftwood pen.

Having read into Uncommon Goods a little bit more I was quite impressed by the way they run their business. Not only do they strive to offer unique gifts for men, women and children (let’s just say they certainly live up to their name!) They also seem very ethically minded on the whole, with about one third of their products incorporating recycled or upcycled products. They also seem to appreciate the environment. They endeavour to supply products that are created in harmony with the envirnment without harming people, plants or animals, which in the plastic, throwaway age that we are currently in, is quite hard to come by.

I loved the fact that the artists of the handmade items have their photo right there next to the items they make, you can read a bit about them and the other items they make. This makes everything so much more personal for me and makes me feel that UncommonGoods actually care about their creators and employees. They don’t just mass import cheap products from China just so they can sell them for huge profit!

If you are looking for something that’s just a little bit different this Christmas I really do recommend you give Uncommon Goods a browse. You might just be pleasantly surprised!

This post was made in collaboration with Uncommon Goods, however all thoughts about the website and the products are honest and purely my own.

Review ~ Stikbot Pirate Movie set

Being a typical 11 year old boy, LV loves anything to do with computers, movies and video games. So when he was given the chance to review the Stikbot Pirate Movie set he was over the moon!

We had one lonely little stikbot already that LV hadn’t really known what to do with yet, but as soon as the Movie set arrived, and he saw the costume stickers, he started planning his epic battle between the pirates and the continental soldiers!

The set comes with everything you need to create a stage for your movie, we just added a big blue background with the help of an old sleeping bag.

The instructions are very simple to follow. You just pop the numbered pieces out of the page and slot them altogether. Everything is numbered, even the holes! Apart from a couple of fiddly bits LV managed to assemble everything by himself, although younger children will probably need a fair bit of help. The pieces are made from what looks like laminated foam, they are pretty sturdy, but longer, thinner pieces like the flagpoles might easily get bent if you are a bit heavy handed with them.

The Pirate Movie Set comes with one Stikbot, who is already dressed as a pirate captain, and there is also a page full of other costumes to choose from. These can be a bit fiddly to get off the page, LV couldn’t do it as he has no nails, I have nails but still struggled getting the plastic sticker off the paper! Not sure where I was going wrong but I got there eventually and the pieces were all shaped perfectly to go on to the stikbots body parts. The bodies are articulated which makes it very easy to pose your characters as you like and when they are on a flat surface they are very good at staying stood up, even when they are holding themselves in odd positions.

The set also contains a full array of weapons that the stikbots hold with the help of these little white clips that slip over their ‘hands’ which are actually suction cups. The suction cups are also on the feet too and they are great for getting your Stikbot to climb up or down anywhere!

We had a few practice runs so we could figure out how much to move the figures to stop them looking like they were bouncing around the set. We also learnt how important it was not to move the camera AT ALL, or the scenery looks like it’s all swaying in the wind! We don’t have a tripod for my phone but a shoebox and some blu tack to hold the phone still worked great for us.

We used the Stikbot app to create the actual movie. It was very simple to do, it is just a case of taking the pictures and the app does the rest of the work for you! Once you’ve finished taking your pictures you can then either add sound effects or music that are already available, or record your own voices over your video.

Here is LV’s finished Stikbot Pirate Movie:

What do you think? I think he did a fantastic job! It may only be 7 seconds long, but those 7 seconds took pretty much an hour and a lot of patience to create!

LV gives the Stikbot Pirate Movie set a big thumbs up and can’t wait to get creating more movies soon!

The Stikbot Pirate Movie set is available to buy from many stores including Amazon. The following link is an affiliate link meaning if you purchase the set after clicking through I will get a small percentage from the sale. This won’t cost you anything extra though!

Review~ The Toddlebike2

At the end of last year we were asked ifwe would like to review the Toddlebike2 before it’s launch in November. I have to be honest in that I had never heard of the Toddlebike before but when I looked into it I found that the original version had some fantastic reviews so I jumped at the chance to be able to try the new and updated one out for ourselves!

Fungus Amungus Review

Recently a mysterious package arrived at our door. A parcel so dangerous it needed the word CAUTION written on it yet inside was, what can only be described as the perfect toy for any child!

These new collectables, called Fungus Amungus, are icky, sticky, germy, gooey little creatures that are sure to elicited ‘yucks’ and ‘ewws’ of joy when they are squished or splatted against any surface. The Funguys are a collection of germs, spores, bacteria, moulds and more – some are creepy, some are gross but they are all super sticky and sure to be a hit with any child!READ MORE »

Review – Scruffs Expedition Tech Jacket

Being at home with kids means I can often pick and choose when I need to go outside. Some days, apart from venturing out for the school runs, I can stay inside in the warm and dry all day if I want. Lee isn’t quite so lucky. Being a HGV mechanic means he is out in all weather and until his job switch last year, all hours of the day and night.

This time of year he is usually completely layered up under his overalls because he can’t wear a thick coat over the top while he’s working. This means that he is often soaking wet and freezing cold by the time he come home.

A little while ago Lee was sent a Scruffs Expedition Tech Jacket from Scruffs Hardware to try out and although he can’t wear it while he’s actually working on a vehicle it has been a great jacket for travelling to and from work. He has also worn it when he’s been out shooting, walking or any time he’s likely to get muddy (which is fairly often!).

The jacket is lovely and warm, but not too bulky at the same time. The material it’s made from is very tough, exactly what you would expect from heavy duty work wear, and feels like it would last a long time, no matter how hard it is used. Yet it still manages to look stylish and like a ‘normal’ coat.

In my experience, workmen seem to come home with pockets full of ‘stuff’ be it random bits of metal, screws, tools or just pieces of paper. This jacket has plenty of pockets to store all these vital bits and pieces. But there are other little features that make this jacket really great.

Lee loves that there is a really bright LED torch in it’s own little compartment on the left breast pocket. It is really bright, ideal for dog walking, there is a bulb on the end too, which means it can be taken out and used like a standard torch.

The taped seams make it completely waterproof, yet the material is still breathable so you don’t get too sweaty like some waterproof coats.

Lee also likes that the hood can be tightened without having to faff around with toggles when his fingers are freezing cold and oily as there are self locking elastics which hold it firmly around his face, they are easy to loosen too.

We would recommend that you buy a size bigger, especially if you will be wearing layers underneath like Lee does, as it feels like a snug fit. Overall though, Lee is very impressed with the Scruffs Expedition Tech Jacket and it has kept him warm and dry on many occasions.

You can visit the Scruffs website to buy this jacket, or to view the other great items in the Scruffs Hardwear range.

***We were sent the Scruffs Expedition Tech jacket in return for this review. All views and opinions are honest and our own***

Braun No Touch + Forehead Thermometer Review

When you have children, illnesses become another part of life that you have to deal with, a little more regularly than you’d prefer. When there are more than one or two children in the household barely a week goes by sometimes without someone being poorly with a fever, especially through the winter months. Illnesses have a nasty habit of making their way through every family member, before you start all over again with another bug.

A good thermometer should be right at the top of your First Aid essentials list. Over the last fourteen years I have probably tried them all, from the old fashioned glass mercury ones, yeah that one didn’t last long in this house, to strips that went across the forehead, to the digital ones that go under the armpit and everything in between. Yes they all took temperatures but how accurate most of them were is debatable. I remember LV being really poorly with chicken pox when he was two (he ended up being hospitalised with necrotising fasciitis-yes it was as bad as it sounds!) we had three different thermometers in the medicine drawer and every one of them gave a different reading. Not very helpful when you’re exhausted, worried and not thinking straight!

Thermometers have come a long way in the last few years though and the Braun No touch + forehead thermometer is the perfect example of just how far they have come, it literally takes two seconds to give a reading and this can be done in two ways, either by touching against the forehead or holding it 5cm away. For the last month I have been trying out the Braun NTF3000 and between my five kids you can guarantee it has really been put through its paces! We have had illnesses galore so plenty of opportunities to put it to the test.

PROS

One thing I really like about the Braun No Touch + Forehead Thermometer is, well it says it right in the name! The fact that you can check a sleeping child’s fever without actually having to touch them at all.

It’s fun for children to ‘help’. O hates having his temperature taken, the screaming and fighting to keep an axillery thermometer in place often means that either his temperature is higher from all the screaming or it has dislodged from under his armpit and didn’t take an accurate reading anyway. He happily lets me take his temperature with this by helping me hold it and even pressing the button, he likes the beeping even better when it beeps lots because he has an elevated or high fever!

It is very hygienic. The last thing you want to be doing is passing germs from one child to another, the fact that this only touches the forehead, or doesn’t even touch at all, means that each child gets to keep their own germs without sharing.

It is very fast, whereas it used to take a minute or more to take a single temperature with a simpler digital thermometer the Braun allowed me to take all five kids’ temperatures in less than a minute without having to disturb them at all.

The light code, green for normal, amber for elevated and red for high, is easy to read even in a sleep deprived state when you can’t focus your eyes to read the actual numbers.

CONS

I sometimes like to take temperatures more than once, just in case. The Braun coped well with this when I was just reading one child’s temperature but after two or three foreheads it sometimes got a little overwhelmed and needed a break for a few minutes. This was probably more me pushing it to it’s limits than an issue with the unit itself though.

The cost is more than I would usually pay for an item like this.

To be honest the following aren’t really cons, more observations, things to keep in mind:

Because the thermometer is reading skin temperature you have to keep in mind that there can be external factors that affect this. Obviously you can’t expect it to give a precise reading if you have had a cool pack against the skin or if you have been snuggling and the forehead has been pressed to your own skin which can give a higher temp. According to Braun the NTF3000 is accurate to within 0.1 degrees.

If you are taking the temperature using the no touch method, the reading will probably be a little lower than taking the reading pressed against the skin. If you are concerned or need really precise readings maybe touching the skin would be a better method.

CONCLUSION

Over all I have very little bad to say about the Braun No Touch + Forehead Thermometer. Even with the high price tag I really do think it is worth what you pay, and after all you can’t put a price on peace of mind.

What type of thermometer do you normally use?

***Disclaimer: We were provided a Braun No Tough + Forehead thermometer to review but all thoughts and opinions in this post are honest and my own***

Book Review ~ Seas of Ramion by Frank Hinks

When this book arrived in the post, my first thought was ‘how beautiful!’ The Seas of Ramion comes as a traditionally bound hardback book in a lovely shade of blue which is embossed with gold to make it really striking. See for yourself:

The second thing which caught my eye was the map inside the cover, I don’t know what it is but I love it when a book has a map. It makes the story much more real to me somehow!

Inside, you will find three stories from the magical ‘Ramion’ series which is filled with witches, dwarves and many other magical creatures. The series is based upon the author, Frank Hinks’ own three children, here is how the books evolved.

The Ramion adventures started with his oldest son Julius giving him the first line of a story at bedtime each night and leaving him to take it over without any idea where it was going. These stories evolved into the books that are now available with his own colour illustrations. He has produced around 500 full page gouache paintings for 16 stories and is now working on story number 17 The Dream Thief in which the boys have to rescue their mother’s dream of being an artist.

The Kingdom of the Deep.

The first story sees Griselda the witch holidaying in Wales, which LV found funny, with plans to eat the three little boys whilst there. Sadly for Griselda things go a little awry and after getting annoyed, she ends up sending the boys to the kingdom of the deep where they meet many creatures.

The Blizzard Wizard

After the Blizzard Wizard gets wrongly freed from prison he turns all of Ramion into ice. The boys have to collect 4 mystical elements whilst trying to avoid some nasty creatures of the forest. When the four elements combine they bind up the Blizzard Wizard and take him back to his cell.

The Body Collector

Griselda’s pet skull Boris misses his body, but can’t remember where he left it! After having a vision, or a dream, he remembers it getting stolen from him by Charlie Stench who collects bodies and turns the heads into evil floating skulls. They visit Stench Castle to get Boris’s body back but of course things don’t go quite as planned!

The Verdict

It’s refreshing to find a book aimed at boys which is a fantasy book whereas most are sport based, specifically football. Although the main characters are boys, girls would equally enjoy the stories too. LM had a read through the first story and thought it was enjoyable and quite quirky, even if she thought it a little young for her. She is 12.

I have to be honest that Frank Hinks’ distinctive illustrative style was a bit bright and bold for my liking, but I am 33 and these stories and pictures are aimed at children aged 7+. LV didn’t mind them, although he is colourblind and many of the colours were indistinguishable from each other which meant he missed some aspects of the images.

LV’s favourite story was The Blizzard Wizard. Being a nine year old his attention span is very limited, unless it involves a video game of course. This story was quite fast paced which moved the story along nicely so he never got bored.

If you would like to order a copy of the Seas of Ramion for your child it is available from Amazon for just £9.99.

Our Top Secret Mission: SpyNet Laser Tripwire Review

We were recently invited to take part in a Top Secret Spy Mission by Spynet HQ. When LV found out he was going to play at spy’s he was over the moon and when the box arrived containing the Spynet Laser Tripwire he immediately set about deciding how he was going to set it up to protect his room from the enemy AKA The Big Sisters.

Priced at just £24.99 the Laser Tripwire consists of a transmitter, two mirrors and a receiver. Everything is adjustable so it is easy enough to align the laser, although it can get a little tricky once they are more than a few feet away from each other or when you’re trying to be clever and have all the bits on different levels.

The mirrors do have suction cups on the bottom and you are meant to be able to get them to stick to surfaces like walls and windows. I have to say that although we failed miserably to get them to stick to our walls but this didn’t take away any of the enjoyment at all. It actually meant that he thought of more creative ways to position the mirrors, like tying them to his bed frame! We didn’t attempt them on the windows, I’m pretty sure they would have stuck really well on the shiny surface.

The alarm that goes off once the laser is broken is quite loud and likely to send any would be invaders scarpering.

Being typical teenagers the girls soon got bored of being test subjects to LV’s tricks and so he set about testing if he could stop himself getting past the lasers. This lead to some hilarious limbo moves, think of a not so refined Oceans Twelve!

LV’s final word on the SpyNet Laser Tripwire is that it is really cool and great to trick people with. The only thing that would make it better would be able to reset the alarm by remote control so the receiver doesn’t need to be right next to the exit.

Oh, and to not try attempting a burglary with a two year old!

Do your kids like playing spies?

***Disclaimer: We were sent the Spynet Laser Tripwire to review for the purposes of this post, but all thoughts and opinions are honest and our own.***

Punctuality and Procrastination

I’m not sure what has happened to me over the last few years. Don’t get me wrong I’ve always been a terrible procrastinator, or should that say I’m a fantastic procrastinator? But I always used to be on time, as a matter of fact I was usually ridiculously early. Maybe this was a habit from when I couldn’t drive, so needed to plan ahead around bus times or walking? I’m not sure.

Even when I had four small children nipping at my ankles I could get all of us out the door and wherever we were heading in the blink of an eye. I also had this magical ability of reading a a hospital appointment letter and being able to remember the time and date, even if it was months away.

Then I turned 30, became pregnant with O and all that changed. My brain seemed to turn to mush, I missed appointments and suddenly started losing track of time. By the time we had an actual newborn in the house we were rarely where we were supposed to be at the time we were supposed to be there.

Even after two years it feels like I still forget everything in the blink of an eye. Can it really be called “baby brain” when said baby is now two years old and is walking and talking (well, full on talking might be pushing it a bit too far, let’s say communicating, he does that really well).

Just a quick interjection here here to say that I was supposed to making dinner and while the veg was cooking thought I would sit and write a bit of this post, instead of sorting the kitchen. Here are the results of my procrastinating. I tried to save them but the taste was just awful!

Review ~ Fred n Benji Trolley Seat Insert

Have you ever been to the supermarket and had to wipe down the trolley seat because it is either wet or dirty? Or even worse, have you been distracted, popped your uncooperative toddler into the seat and THEN realised it’s wet? In my 14 years of parenting, I have lost count how may times I have had to carry the little one to go and find some of that blue roll they keep by the front door, before being able to actually use the seat!

You can imagine then, how happy I was to notice a tweet looking for reviewers, from two lovely ladies who have set up their own business creating something I kinda wish I’d thought of myself years ago!READ MORE »