Friday 24 October 2014

REVIEW: Rant & Rave (DXB)



Rant & Rave 

I like the rant & rave book because it lets me express what things I like about school and what things I really don't like which I find very good.

Rave Side:

There is a bit where you can fill out your name, what you like to be called, your school, your age, what year your in and who your teacher is. Then there is a space for a rave photo which I assume is either for you to stick a photo of you or what makes you happy though I'm not sure which?
Next you have a section where you can write about your average school day it lets you fill in what time you wake up, what I like for breakfast, what time you leave for school, what time I get home from school and what time I go to bed.

Now the next part of the book (still on the rave side) there is a section where you can write and doodle about your journey to and from school so you could draw a little diagram of the route you take and maybe write where you go and maybe whether you have found and any shortcuts to get there quicker.

Then the rest is mainly about friends where you can rave about who your  favourite friend is, about your teachers and subjects write about your uniform where you could also doodle a picture of it, about the people who are in you class, what you do when you leave school what your greatest achievements are, sports you enjoy, about your school lunches, what you think you will be doing in 20 years and that's only some of the things included in the rave side.

Rant Side:

In this side there is also a place where you can write information about yourself this includes a space to put your eye colour, your hair colour, your height, your shoe size, your home, your town and your country and like I said with the rave side there a space that says rant photo and I'm not sure whether you put a picture of yourself or what makes you angry.

In the next section you can rant about the worst bits of your school week, about school routines you don't really like, people who don't behave well, things you spend a lot of time on that you think are pointless.

The rest of the book is where you draw and rant about annoying people,
things that make you bored what you have to wear to school, your teachers and subjects, school rules, things at school that could improve, how you like to chill, things you'd like to try and your perfect classroom and again this are only some of the great thing you can do in this book.

Overall I would say this book is certainly worth buying especially if you like to draw and write. I think that this book was good for my age (12) and would also be suitable for 8 year olds upwards and you don't have to write it all out in one day you could just write a page at a time giving you something to do every day.

REVIEW: ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 (PB)

I had the opportunity to try out the ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7.

Yvonne says I'm a bit of a geek, so I will keep this technical bit short and get on with something a little more interesting to read ;)

It is an Android tablet with a 7" screen, it has a 5MP camera (and a 1.2MP front camera). It's lightweight at 300g. It has Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a quad core 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB memory and comes with 8GB or 16 GB storage options. 


I regularly use a 7" Android tablet so it was interesting using the MeMO Pad. I found it to be lightweight and easy to hold, although not especially thin. If you normally use an iPad you would probably find the screen rather small, but you would soon find it is comfortable to use for extended periods.

It comes in a variety of colours to suit your personal style. The case has a slightly cheap feeling to it as it is just plastic, with plastic buttons, but it does mean it is nice and lightweight.

The MeMO Pad doesn't have a sim card slot, so you will only be able to access the internet via WiFi. This isn't much of a problem with so many places offering free WiFi (coffee shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, etc).

One thing that I noticed was a lack of light sensor. Normally a tablet's screen will brighten and dim depending on the brightness of where you are using it. This helps make it more visible in well lit areas and saves battery & prevents an overly bright screen in a less well lit area. Unfortunately this tablet doesn't have this feature and you must manually adjust the brightness.

The Memo Pad has no flash, which means indoor photo's can be a little disappointing. The main camera overall wasn't bad, at 5 MP it's fairly average for phones and tablets. The auto focus was a little slow as was the time from pressing to take a picture until it took it. This does mean that action shots will be below average.



I liked that the USB charging/data socket was at the top. Often they are at the bottom and it makes it awkward to use while charging - you can easily damage the cable by leaning it on yourself. But this tablet has it at the top which, although seems rather insignificant, does make a difference when you use it while charging.

I was pleased to see the tablet has a Micro SD socket, giving you up to 64GB of extra space. It surprises me how fast 16 GB can fill up so I wish mine had this. I did notice that it doesn't have a cover of any sort over the socket, so it would be a good idea to always have a micro SD card it - just to prevent dirt and damage.

I was surprised how much I like the keyboard. Asus have made it much nicer to use than the standard Android keyboard. The keys seem much easier to hit, the word prediction seems to do well and gives a whole row of suggestions as you type.

I used the 'launcher' (the main interface that you see when you turn it on and when you arent using an app). It seemed fairly average, it had 5 screens to swipe between, giving plenty of space for shortcuts to your favourite apps and games and space for widgets, too. It was nice and responsive with no delays. I wasn't too keen on the notification drawer. This is the thing you swipe down to see notifications, such as the ones telling you that you have an email. Asus's customisation of this was a rather large pull down drawer that just didn't feel right. It did have some useful shortcuts on it, to turn Bluetooth on and off etc, but seemed a little too big for when you just want to see what a notification says. There was an option to switch it off, which I did, and then it felt like "normal" Android.

If you don't like the way the launcher looks then there are many other choices in the Google Play Store so it's no problem to make it more to your own taste.

There were some power management options which help the battery last longer, but I found it lasted well anyway. I am used to charging my phone and tablet everyday and this tablet seemed to last well between charges.

I played a number of 2d and 3d games as well as using various apps. I found games ran smoothly; rarely, if ever, slowing down or going jumpy. All the top games on the Play Store worked well. All the apps I tried ran well, too.


Browsing the internet was fine, too. Sites loaded and displayed quickly. I used both Chrome and Firefox on it and they both worked marvellously. I tried YouTube and found videos played smoothly, even the HD ones at full screen.

The touchscreen worked well - I tapped, the tablet responded. The tablet remained responsive to my taps and I never found myself wondering if I was waiting for something to happen or if an app was waiting for me.

I was pleased to see it wasn't overloaded with initial apps. Sometimes tablets and phones have dozens of apps that come preinstalled, with no way to uninstall. The MeMo pad didn't have many, just a few to get you started. 

Being an Android tablet means that you get all the usual Google apps such as Gmail. You obviously get Google's Play Store giving you access to 1000's and 1000's of apps and games. You can opt for other sources of apps, too; such as Amazon's app market, App Brain, Slide Me or F Droid.

Overall I would definitely recommend this tablet. It is much cheaper than the iPad Mini and many other Android tablets, too. It isn't the fastest and doesn't have the most memory but I would say it is more than adequate for 90% of users.

The Asus MeMo Pad can be found in various online retailers including Amazon for about £109


Thursday 23 October 2014

REVIEW: Haynes Manual USS Enterprise (DXB)


 Haynes Manual USS Enterprise 

At the start of this book there was a section that told you about the Star Trek ship itself, the ships history, what all the parts are, showed you pictures of it on the inside and about all the facilities.

Steps 1-14

I thought that steps 1-14 were very simple clearly set out and easy to understand. Some of the parts didn't go into place as easily as I thought they would have, but after a little bit of trying and determination I finally managed to get them into the right place.

Steps 15-30

With steps 1-15 I thought they were a little more fiddly because I didn't think the steps were as clear and understandable but again after a bit of trying i succeeded and went on to the next set of steps 31-46.

 Steps 31-46

 Whist making this part of the ship I found putting the sections of the saucer hard to slide together and also putting the edging strip on it was also hard but the rest of it was quite simple.


Steps 47-62

In steps 47-62 I found making the sensor dome tricky and hard to make and slot in place despite the fact that the instructions were easy to follow and clear to read.





Steps 63-78

These steps were clear and follow-able and I managed this part with no difficulty.

Steps 79-149

From steps 79-149 got a lot harder I found that some of the pieces didn't even go together properly which was disappointing because I was so close to finishing as well but it just didn't work.

On the back of the book it says skill level 5 and I can now see why this is.
And it also says that it is suitable for ages 8 and over but I'm 12 and i found this hard to do so I would suggest age 12 and over.
I also think Star Trek fans would love it.

REVIEW: Pocket Money Cookery (DXB)

On the first 3 pages of the book it gives you an introduction to it and talks about CeCi who works with Oober Kids Republic, a childrens nutritional therapist and gives a full introduction to the book over all.

On the contents page it has the number of the page I talked about before and two others:
  • Be Safe When Cooking! 6
  •  Are You Cheating? 9
Now the recipes:
  • Pizza Beef 10
  • The Embarrassed Queen Frittata 14
  • Winter Mud Dessert 18
  • Explosive Volcano Eggs 20
  • Dawn Scrambled Eggs 24
  • Fresh Tomato Spaghetti 28 
  • Broken French Dinner 32
  • Mozzarella On A Scooter 36
  •   Snowstorm Veal 40
  • Mini Chocolate Hedgehog 44

    • Your Own Oober Recipes 
On the next page it tells you how to defrost chicken or beef, what to do if you cut yourself, to remove nail varnish, take of jewellery and to get an adult to help you clean the equipment you used to make your chosen recipe with.
Then the next page tells you how to stay safe when you are cooking and tells you the do's and don'ts when cooking.

I made the Broken French Dinner and I found the instructions very clear and easy to follow which is good considering that this was my first time making recipes without much help.

First I had to peel the potatoes then put them in a pan to boil.

Whilst they were boiling I did all the other preparing I needed to do and then once the potatoes were soft I mashed them along with all the other ingredients and then put the whole mixture in the oven dish I made a vegetarian version for my dad and a meat version for me and my mum.


Then came the time to see what it what it was like...
I served it onto my three plates and gave it to my mum and dad.
My mum said she liked it very much and so did my dad so I'm very pleased with myself.


Now for dessert I made the Winter Mud Dessert.

It didn't take much to make and I made it on my own because it seemed easy enough and I wanted to give myself a challenge.

I personally didn't like it and neither did my mum but my dad did especially seen as though he loves cinnamon and ginger nut biscuits which are two ingredients in this recipe.


Altogether I thought this book was fabulous.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

REVIEW: Festive Glass Painting Pack (DXB)




I was sent a Festive Glass Painting Pack and I thought it was really fun.
In the pack there were 12 transparent hanging baubles, 6 Christmas snow globe suncatchers, 5 Christmas suncatcher keyrings, 6 Christmas wiggle-eye stained glass decorations, 6 suncatcher photo frames and 6 HobbyLine glass pens.




Basically all you did was get a glass pen any colour of your choice and colour it in and the best thing was you could make it as original as you wanted.

I thing it's worth buying considering how much stuff you get in it and it gives you something to do if your bored.
I personally thought this was easy to do and make some fabulous decorations for around the home.

Here is me colouring in a penguin suncatcher keyring.

I like how the glass painting kit was easy to colour in you only had to go over it once aswell which makes sure you have enough for the other things. The one thing I didn't like was that there were parts you couldn't get to to colour them in.



REVIEW: Go Ape (PB)

We had the opportunity to Go Ape!



Go Ape is an adventure in the treetops for adults and kids. There are 28 locations across the country, so it's likely you are near one! It is great for kids or adults. Kids between 10 and 15 will need an adult to supervise up to 2 of them and 16-17 year olds only need one adult for up to 5 of them - great for a birthday activity! Kids must be over 1.4 metres. The course is all-weather and suitable even in rain!


After a harness fitting and important safety talk; everyone gets a practice go at attaching the harness to the safety points on the obstacles. Then it's off into the forest. There is one small set of obstacles to allow to to build up your confidence and check you know what you are doing before you get started on the main course.

The course is a series of obstacles between the treetops. Up a ladder and off you go! Connect the harness to each treetop crossing in turn and make your way to the next tree. There is a wide selection of things help you between trees - ropes, ladders, balancing bridges, tunnels, zip lines, Tarzan swings, rope ladders, cargo nets - all with their own challenges, but all lots of fun.


If you are supervising children you can be up the same tree and check they've attached everything as they should have, you can shout advise if they have any problems between trees and you can photo or video them wobbling away to another successful crossing.

For our experience we got the train to Delamere and walked to the Go Ape hut situated in the forest. There is a car park as it's a popular place to hike, cycle, walk the dog or take the kids. Having previously Gone Ape we knew what to expect but still made sure we listened to the safety instructions. We couldn't wait to get back into the trees! We both had a great time. It was nice to be able to check David was connecting himself correctly, but he had no problems and got it right anyway. A couple of places there was a choice of two different paths up in the trees, one way slightly more challenging than the other.


We enjoyed the short walk between the different parts of the course and spotted a couple of squirrels also doing a bit of climbing. The view up the trees is fantastic, you can even have less adventurous friends follow you around at ground level.

The best parts of the course was the zip lines. They take you at high speed from the top of a tree down to the bottom, the landings can be a little rough but it's worth it for the fun! The course took us about 3 hours, which is about what they estimate. But it was so much fun it didn't feel that long.



There is a scaled down course for 6 year olds upwards, so even your littlest monkey can have a go.

You might be interested in Go Ape for a birthday treat (for you or your kids) or even a corporate team building day. It would be great for a school outing or even a stag/hen do.

If the treetops don't appeal to you then many of the locations have an off-road forest segway experience! Whizz around the forest on a specially designed segway!

You can book online or by phone. The Go Ape website has all the details you will need. You can also buy a gift voucher for someone if you aren't up to the challenge.

Monday 13 October 2014

REVIEW: Johnson's Baby First Touch Products (YB)

I received a range of the new Johnson's Baby First Touch products and here's how I got on with them...



As a user of Johnson's products already, I was keen to try the new range with my little man, Marley. I've always been a fan of Johnson's even when my eldest son was a baby.

The new First Touch range is specifically designed for a newborn baby's sensitive, fresh skin. It's mild and fragrance free to ensure your baby's skin is left feeling soft and nourished.


Newborn skin is around a third thinner than adult skin and loses moisture quicker, making them more susceptible to dryness and irritation and in need of extra care to protect their skin’s natural defences. In fact the study of 540 first time mums found that almost two thirds (62%) said their baby experienced dry or sensitive skin, over half (51%) experienced redness or a rash, and almost a quarter (24%) suffered from cradle cap or dandruff.  


Johnson's Baby First Touch All-in-one Wash


Having tried this in Marley's bath, I found it to be very gentle on his skin and it was easy to use and left his skin soft and smooth.


Johnson's Baby First Touch Shampoo


Again, having tried this when giving Marley a bath, I found this was easy to use  and very kind on my son's delicate skin. It was clearly mild on his eyes too, as there was no crying when it got near. It left his hair feeling silky smooth and extremely soft.


Johnson's Baby First Touch Moisturising Lotion


I've been using the moisturising lotion on Marley daily and it leaves his skin feeling quenched and soft.


Johnson's Baby First Touch Oil


When Marley is in a good mood after his bath, I like to use oil to massage him, it helps calm him down and make him comforted and relaxed. The oil is easy to use and my son seems to love the feel of it on his skin.


Johnson's Baby First Touch Barrier Cream


My son has suffered from nappy rash on several occasions and I have to treat it with cream, but I love the new barrier cream that helps form an instant barrier to protect against it happening in the first place. After using this a few times, I've found that it's very effective and it is something I will continue to use on a regular base, after all, prevention is better than cure! It's easy to use and seemed to last for a reasonable amount of time.


Johnson's Baby First Touch Wipes


Babies get through a lot of wipes. Be it cleaning up a nappy mess, or a bit of sick after a burp or maybe just a dribbly chin, wipes come in very handy. I love the gentle touch of these wipes and they are very effective in use, they do the job they are supposed to do. They are thick enough that they do not tear when using, they are nice and strong.

Overall, I am very pleased with the new range of Johnson's products and I will continue to use them in future.

REVIEW: Elastoplast Aqua Protect (YB)

I received 2 boxes of the new Elastoplast Aqua Protect plasters to review and here are my thoughts on them...




Well, in typical child fashion, within a couple of days of receiving them, my son had done himself an injury and hurt his elbow requiring a plaster - unfortunate for him, but also a good review opportunity (well, he will mess around!) :P



I've had the opportunity to use one myself. I like that they are thin and therefore breatheable. They are definitely waterproof and they stay stuck on well when you're washing your hands. They are 100% waterproof and they lived up to their claims.

The plasters come in a variety of sizes, so suitable for various places on the body and you can get a pack that is specifically designed for hands.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

REVIEW: Cadbury Chips Ahoy! (YB)

I was sent 2 big bars of the new Cadbury Chips Ahoy! Cookie for review and this is what I thought...



Well, I received good size 120g sharing bars and being a big fan of Cadbury chocolate, I couldn't wait to dig in and try their latest invention!

Basically, they are scrumptious chocolatey goodness in the middle with cookie pieces and coated in delicious Cadbury milk chocolate.

The chocolate inside was very silky and smooth and very, very tasty and I think there were just enough cookie pieces in it to make it tasty but not too biscuity.



It's really delicious, and having biscuit in, turns it into a tasty and filling snack and it's a great sharer at home watching television or a film.

REVIEW: Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester (YB)

I was offered the opportunity to visit and review Legoland Discover Centre in Manchester on 28th September...

Me & Paul (hubby) took our eldest son, David (12) and my sister, Latisha (also 12) - and our new little man, Marley (2 months) came along for the ride too.


Sadly, we quickly found that Legoland is aimed at younger children than David & Latisha, but too old for Marley. I'd say it was aimed at 2-8 year olds ideally. I think Marley will love it when he's older and we'll definitely be taking him back when he is old enough.

We were greeted by Professor Brick-A-Brack, who did a fantastically sterling job of continuing his welcoming, despite the fact that it was clearly aimed at children younger than David & Latisha. I think a bunch of little kids would absolutely love meeting Professor Brick-A-Brack on the Lego Factory Tour and learning about the Legoo (yes, really, the Legoo) process! We got a souvenir piece of Lego each :)

After that, we went on the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. It was quite slow (again aimed at younger kids), but it was good fun shooting the spiders and things :) Marley was fascinated by the lights and colours!

Next we went to Miniland which was good - the mini buildings are fantastically made. One of my personal favourites was the working mini rollercoaster! David & Latisha had fun playing Lego table football against each other!




While it wasn't really designed for their age, David & Latisha made the most of their time (and their love of Lego!) while we were there. They had fun building and racing their Lego cars in the Lego Racers: Build & Test area. Paul even took the opportunity to get in on that one!

Next we went to the 4D cinema and saw Lego Legends Of Chima - it was a very good experience with very realistic coming at your effects and good smoke effects etc. Marley tried out the glasses too...




Me & Paul sat for a cup of coffee and to feed Marley while David & Latisha went off to do their own thing for a bit - they went on the Merlin's Apprentice Ride - they both enjoyed it!


They visited the Master Model Builder where they got to build a boat, which you can then purchase afterwards but they chose not to.

We finished off by going to Lego Ninjago Laser Training Camp which was actually good fun - I had a go as well as David and Latisha :P It was actually quite difficult but I did better than both of them!

As I said, while it wasn't really suited to their age, they made the most of it and enjoyed it anyway and we will definitely be returning, likely on Marley's 2nd or 3rd birthday!

It's great value at just £9.95-14.95 per ticket when booked in advance online at the Legoland Discovery Centre website, children 2 years old and under get to visit for FREE as well! And for just £12 midweek, a parent AND toddler can visit!

Wednesday 1 October 2014

ADVERT: Aldi SpecialBuys - Halloween Range (YB)

Well, today it's the 1st of October and we're just 30 days away from Halloween! By now, you're probably thinking what outfits you're going to get for yourself or your kids, right? Maybe trying to plan some suitable foods for an Halloween party? Or maybe just looking for some great accessories to complete your Halloween?

Well tomorrow, Thursday 2nd October, Aldi gets their new range of Halloween outfits, accessories and food in store on their Thursday SpecialBuys... They are only available while stocks last, so be sure to get your Halloween stuff in early! 

They have a range of children's costumes for a bargain £3.99 each:


Girls' designs
  • Catsuit, Bright Witch or Spider Ballgown
  • 3-8 years
Boys' designs
  • Skeleton or Dracula
  • 3-8 years
Unisex design
  • Spider Tabard
  • 3-5 years


Children's Dressing Up Set

They have a range of adults costumes for just £7.99 each:

Men's Dracula Design (M/L or L/XL)
Ladies' Skeleton Dress, Witch or Vampire (S/M or M/L)

They have a great range of other Halloween stuff too:


Coloured Hair Spray £2.99 for a 125ml can

Children's Halloween Tights £1.29 per pair

Glowsticks £2.99 for a pack of 6

Pumpkin Carving Kit £2.99

LED Tealight Holders £1.99 each

Halloween DVDs £3.99 each

Assorted Partyware 99p per pack

Halloween/Spooky Sprinkles 79p for 61/62g

Wychwood Beers of Character £14.99 for 12x 500ml bottles

Pumpking Ale 99p for a 500ml bottle

Something I just love the look of for the Halloween table this year is their Halloween sausages! They look great and are £1.39 for 380g!

Halloween Sausages