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.

REVIEW: Festive Glass Painting Pack (DXB)

Baker Ross Festive Glass Painting

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.

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.