The Family Panel Reviews Guide

PomeGreat PurePlus Juices

2012-06-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Mellow Mummy gives us the lowdown on the natural health benefits of pomegranate juice and extract.

I love to eat pomegranates but the pith and seeds can often add bitterness to an otherwise enjoyable fruit. In the past I have drunk pomegranate juice as a means of warding off urinary infection and I have also used the juice as an ingredient in mediterranean cookery. This week I have been trying out the new range of PomeGreat PurePlus pomegranate juice drinks.

PomeGreat PurePlus is a new range of pomegranate juices with a special pomegranate extract made from the whole fruit, not just the seeds. This pure fruit extract is claimed to have some amazing medicinal properties and PomeGreat are billing it as the biggest step forward in natural medicine for years; they are even selling the extract in capsule form.

First of all I tried the pure pomegranate juice drink which was slightly darker than my normal pomegranate juice. It wasn't noticeably more bitter or strong than any other, despite using the extract from the whole fruit. I often find pomegranate juice to be quite drying on the mouth but this wasn't too bad at all.

My favourite juice from the range was the PomeGreat PurePlus with Cherry. This is a really deep dark burgundy in colour - almost like red wine! It tastes intensely fruity and the dryness of the pomegranate works really well to cut through the sweetness of the cherry juice. I found the drink to be so drinkable that I kept going back for more. This is a really tasty way to enjoy the health benefits of pomegranate extract without the bitter or dry experience.

The health benefits raved about by PomeGreat PurePlus are a whole lot more extensive than just the traditional uses for pomegranate juice. They include a reduction in hypetension, anti-inflammatory properties, UV protection, anti-microbial properties each of which shows promise for tackling some cancers, cardiovascular diseases and even sexual dysfunction.

Find out more about PomeGreat PurePlus at www.pomegreatpureplus.com.

Lazy Town Fit Fruits Juices

2012-05-30T06:43:00.004-07:00

The new range of Lazy Town juices has been tested out by Mellow Mummy and her preschooler, Lara.

The new range of Lazy Town drinks have hit the shops and some of the range is available in Sainsburys, ASDA and Tesco stores. The range features cartons of squash, smoothies and juice drinks all designed to be fun yet healthy - they are all fruit based and free from artificial colours, sweetners, flavours and preservatives.

Lazy Town is aimed at 2 -6 year olds. The juices, waters and smoothies feature the three main characters from the Lazy Town TV show: Sportacus, Stephanie Sparkles and Robbie Rotten and they aim to draw on the healthy aspirations of the characters of the programme.

Lara tried out the Lazy Town Fit Fruits single-serving cartons which come in three flavours - Apple & Blackcurrant, Lemon & Lime and Orange & Peach. They are made from 75% juice which is diluted with water; this means that they still have a strong juice flavour but with a lower sugar content to protect their teeth. Each carton contains the equivalent of one of your child's "five a day".

I shall be very honest and say that Lara really didn't like the Lazy Town Fit Fruits cartons and I know exactly why; I think she found the flavour combinations a bit wacky and would rather have done without the combinations - apple juice drink or orange juice drink are about as adventurous as she gets. Lara REALLY wanted to like them because the bright Lazy Town characters jump out at her every time she opens the cupboard! Thankfully, we know lots of children who do love Apple & Blackcurrant drinks (not so wacky) so I pack a couple in my changing bag when we are at the park. I also I think that the Fit Fruits 200ml cartons will be ideal for Lara's 3rd birthday party we will be hosting in a couple of weeks time as they are bright and fun and don't spill easily!

Seraphine Maternity and Nursing Wear

2012-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

New mum Mellow Mummy has swapped her bump for a breastfeeding newborn so has been reviewing some of the maternity and nursing fashion on offer at online fashion retailer, Seraphine.com who are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

When I first browsed the Seraphine website I was in the last weeks of my pregnancy and really regretted not having discovered them sooner. Their range of maternity clothes is one of the most refreshing that I've seen to date - lots of maternity clothes these days are very clingy and follow some very predictable fashions but the clothes at Seraphine have a large range of colours, shapes and fabrics. The range of maternity dresses is awesome.

As it was, my practical side took over and instead i focussed in on the Seraphine range of award-winning breastfeeding clothes in their nursing section. Once again, I was really impressed with how different the styles of the clothes were to almost all of the other websites I had visited - I was genuinely spoilt for choice.

In the end I plumped for this floaty, angled breastfeeding t-shirt because it looked casually elegant and totally different to my other nursing tops.

The t-shirt is a very light cotton mix with poppers along each side of the t-shirt. The design makes it look as if the t-shirt pops together all the way along both side seams but in fact it only has poppers which open around the breast area. The opening for feeding is at the side and at first it felt very alien to me because all of my other tops open at the front. I found that to feed, I had to reveal quite a bit of breast until I got the hang of things!!! I also found it quite tricky to re-pop the poppers after use and had to get my husband to help me out as I couldn't manage it with my daughter in my arms!

Despite the teething problems, I really like the top - it goes well with jeans and leggings and will be perfect during the summer (if we ever get a summer, that is) because it is so light. I think it would work well paired with full-length or calf-length white or cream linen trousers.

My favourite part of the Seraphine website is the "Shop the Look" section which has some gorgeous photos as outfit inspiration - it makes me want to buy the entire range of clothes and accessories and is an inspiration to lose some of that baby weight.

Green People Mum & Baby Rescue Balm

2012-05-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

With a brand new baby, Mellow Mummy was the ideal person to test out the Mum & Baby Rescue Balm by Green People. Find out whether it helped mummy or baby get through those difficult first few weeks.

Breastfeeding a newborn can be pretty stressful, especially in those first few days when your nipples are sore, cracked and abused by a frantic baby trying to get milk. One of the primary uses of the Green People Mum & Baby Rescue Balm is as a nipple balm; I have been using it for a little while now, through a hot period of weather when my baby girl has been trying desperately to feed (well, I assume drink) every hour or so throughout the day. At the first sign of nipple pain from such regular feeding, I looked to the Rescue Balm to help me out.

The Mum & Baby Rescue Balm is a very light texture - much lighter than the lanolin cream I had used in the past. I love the texture... it almost melts into your skin and it isn't thick or tacky when you apply it. The balm is also very easy to dispense because it is not so thick.

The active ingredients are organic Calendula and Vitamin E to soothe, organic Shea Butter to reduce dry skin and organic Sunflower, Sweet Almond and Hemp Seed Oil softens the skin. It is also recommended to tackling dry skin on your baby as it is so gentle and softening; it can be used on babies and adults alike to tackle ezcema and psoriasis. Another use that Green People recommend this balm for is to soften the skin on the perineum before childbirth.

Most of the ingredients of the Mum & Baby Rescue balm are organic and as with other Green People products, it is free from Parabens, Lanolin, phthalates, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals and colourants which is why it is suitable for small baby skin.

I have found the balm very effective at soothing my sore nipples from over-eager or poorly positioned baby! I appreciate now why this Green People product has recently been awarded a 'Must-Have Breast Treatment' award by TIPS.

I love the scent too; Officially the balm is scent-free but the natural ingredients give it a lovely honey-like smell that cheers me up, even when my nipples are sore! I have also used it on my little girl's hands and feet where the skin has dried and flaked after her first baths - she finds it very soothing for me to rub it gently into her tiny little digits!

The Green People Mum & Baby Rescue Balm costs £9.70 for 100ml. To me this seems like a massive amount of nipple cream but because it has several uses, perhaps such a large bottle makes sense.

Abigail Hallmark Interactive Story Buddy

2012-05-23T10:48:00.001-07:00

Getting children interested in reading can be a chore, and Mini, who formerly loved books, is now finding other things to occupy her other than learning to read. We tried Hallmark's Abigail, an Interactive Story Buddy to see if it could ignite her interest for books once more.

Now that Mini is at school, she is constantly under pressure to learn to read fully, and, as with most kids, she's rebelling and deciding that she much prefers to draw, dance and sing! She still has a bedtime story, read by myself or Gadget Dad, and she can memorise her favourite books, not to mention key words for her age group.

The Abigail Interactive Story Buddy, as a stand alone toy, is plush and cuddly. She has a sweet face, soft fur, and Mini fell in love with her instantly. As a plush, she is of the best calibre, and, that alone straight away peaked Mini's interest in seeing what else the toy could do.

It comes with one hard backed book, which has lovely illustrations- the version of Abigail in the book is instantly recognisable, and the story is heart warming. It comes with a great message promoting perseverance (as Abigail is upset that she cannot balance on a beam in a gym competition and her Mother tells her to believe in herself and not to be so worried about being small).

At a time when Mini can become frustrated at being not quite as skilled at a task as some of her fellow classmates, this sentiment reinforced our own soothing words of encouragement, so she really loved that Abigail faced her trials head on- it was so positive for an impressionable child like our daughter to hear it's not just her that sometimes wants to rush to be better!

Of course, by far and above the best, and for Mini the most magical aspect of Abigail is that she talks. Its very simple to use, requiring a press of a button to activate which is clearly marked on her ear. It immediately tells the child that she is "ready for her story"- something Mini found amusing as she was surprised that Abigail liked to have a story read to her! Plus points for making children who are becoming less interested in books find a love for stories all over again.

Once you start to read the story book provided (and there are more to come shortly- the toy only works with the special books produced by Hallmark), and providing you speak clearly, at points in the book there are red highlight lines. On reading these highlighted parts, Abigail will interject with a comment on what has just happened, she sometimes giggles too- which again Mini was very impressed with as Abigail found the parts she found funny amusing as well.

The story is just the right length to keep the child interested, and just right for bedtime too. The whole package of cuddly soft toy, beautiful detailed illustrations, a good story with a message and, of course, the fact the bunny can "discuss" parts of the story as well make this a child aged 5+ dream toy.

Mini now loves to take Abigail with her to bed, and we have plans to buy as many books for it as we can find. As she becomes more able to read alone, the fact it works by the child reading aloud is a definite plus too, as, of course they will need to become more confident with reading aloud in class as they get older.

A clever toy which promotes reading and learning, Abigail is a definite thumbs up product in this house! At £19.99, she isn't overly expensive for such a great toy either- I expected her to be at least £15 more expensive.

You can find out more about Abigail and the other Hallmark Interactive Story Buddies at Hallmark's website

John Crane Pintoy Junior Chair

2012-05-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

Lazy Girl and The Bratlings have been trying out John Crane and an item from their wooden toys and furniture range to see whether wood beats plastic when it comes to kids.

John Crane is an online retailer based in Nottingham, and from humble beginnings has grown via nifty usage of Facebook and Twitter to create a buzz amongst parent's looking for sturdy toys. In the days of recession and even well known brands going bust, John Crane has survived due to its word of mouth following and great range of old fashioned toys and furniture.

A few years back, we bought a wooden table and chairs from a very well known Scandinavian retailer, so the kids could conduct their messy play far away from our family heirloom dining table. However, a toddler sized Littlest decided to do his usual brand of demolition, and although the table survives to this day 2 years on, the chairs lasted six months before he had completely broken them. The joints of the chair really weren't very solid, and, as a result, the slightest knock by an over eager child and they came loose, and despite attempts to glue them back, they ended up being binned pretty quickly.

So, Littlest was the best person to test out John Crane's version- a Pintoy Junior Chair.

When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the weight. It was far heavier and thus more solid than the previous wooden chair we'd had. There were no visible areas where a knock could mean the legs fell off. On first impression it looked much better equipped to deal with anything that was thrown at it.

The Pintoy Junior-Big on construction, but big on price

The tantrum test proved it a worthy contender for dealing with kids. After claiming ownership of the new chair, Mini came home from school, and straight away wanted to have a go too. Of course, this did not go down well with Littlest, and the chair was man handled across the room via Littlest dragging it by the leg across the floor, before picking it up and thumping it down in a gesture meant to confirm it as his to his sister. When this happened to the old chairs, they did not take it well, however, the Pintoy dealt with this mistreatment with not a sign of damage or loosening of nuts and bolts.

To really test the safety and structure of the chair, I picked it up and dropped it from a greater height, and it landed on its all four legs before resting on its back. Again, the Pintoy dealt with any abuse or rough play directed at it, and is looking just as good as when it came out of the box, its not become shaky or left me worried it may collapse.

At £40.95, (although delivery is free) the chair is probably not for everyone. Yes, it's sturdy, it will undoubtedly last much longer than one which costs half of its price. I do think this end of the scale chair (as the price is for one chair, not a set of chairs and table) is a luxury buy, and the price will put many off. Its small so really will only last until they reach about 5-Mini is already too big to be comfy with it, and of course the table would be needed too as its far too tiny to reach a dining table. Of course, resale wise once your children have outgrown it, its going to stay in good enough condition that you can do that, but you'll be hard pressed to see a return on your original outlay.

A great little piece of well constructed furniture, which looks good and lasts tantrum abuse. Sadly, the price is just a little too high for many.

You can find John Crane toys on their website or at Facebook

Tiddley Pom Luxury Baby Experience Set

2012-04-17T00:08:00.003-07:00

In her début review as a Family Panel team member, Elizabeth from the blog Bumps 2 Babies has been putting the Luxury Gift set from Tiddley Pom through its paces, with the help of her son, Tristan.....

Tristan loves having a bath, having lots of fun splashy time and then having a relaxing massage afterwards which I find calms him ready for bed and it is the only time my little monkey stays still for more than a minute. As Tristan loves bath time and his pampering massages I was delighted at the opportunity to test some of Tiddley Pom’s products with my little man.

Tiddley Pom Natural Baby Spa make organic baby products and gifts that focus on the 3 primary infant senses of touch, smell and sound. Their range of organic baby products helps develop a baby’s senses using massage, aromatherapy and music, creating a relaxing atmosphere whilst bonding between parent and baby is enhanced.

Tiddley Pom’s products are created by experts using high quality natural and organic ingredients. Their organic baby products are made in England and contain no parabens, SLS, mineral oils or harmful chemicals and are never tested on animals.

We were sent a Tiddley Pom Luxury Baby Massage Experience gift set to test. The gift set contains 125ml organic massage oil, 125ml organic baby wash, a luxury 100% cotton towel and an introduction to baby massage booklet.

The gift set is beautifully presented in natural, understated packaging and I love little hint of nature with the use of the little animal icons on the bottles. The towel is lovely and soft and a great size. I love that this gift set comes with a booklet providing instructions on healthy and soothing massage techniques, which are easy to understand and follow. The booklet is a fantastic aid to baby massage, especially for parents who are new to baby massage as the instructions help them massage their baby successfully creating a relaxing and bonding experience.

The organic baby wash is made from natural and organic plant and vegetable extracts and is designed to cleanse and hydrate delicate skin and stimulate a baby’s senses. The fragrant baby wash has a subtle scent of lavender and chamomile that creates a relaxing aroma, and leaves little man smelling beautiful with a clean, fresh scent to his skin. It lathers really well and a little goes a long way. This is a lovely baby wash that leaves little man’s skin very soft.

The non fragranced, gentle organic massage oil is specifically designed for baby massage to leave baby feeling soothed, calm and relaxed; and it is suitable for all over massage. Even though I do like scented products I like that this massage oil is unscented as it is kinder, safer and more hypoallergenic for baby’s delicate skin. I love the clever spray dispenser, I think this handy feature is brilliant as you can easily control the amount of oil coming out of the bottle saving you from wasting the massage oil, having too much oil come out and it prevents spillages and getting both you and baby over oily. The oil is light with a silky consistency and it is easy to massage with; it absorbs well and doesn’t leave the skin feeling greasy after the massage. The massage oil calms and relaxes Tristan and he loves being massaged after his bath with this oil which leaves his skin feeling silky smooth, soft and moisturised.

I would recommend Tiddley Pom, the products complement each other and using them gives your baby a lovely pampering treat. I love that using these products means Tristan’s skin benefits from the natural ingredients and the calming, bonding effect baby massage has. I think Tiddley Pom’s gorgeous products make ideal gifts and this gift set is perfect for introducing parents to baby massage.

The Tiddley Pom Luxury Baby Massage Experience gift set can be purchased exclusively at Debenhams for £15. Tiddley Pom have also created other new gift sets that can be purchased at Debenhams for £5 and £10, which includes combinations of their massage oil, soothing lotion and baby wash. Information about Tiddley Pom and their other products, including relaxing CD’s composed for babies and DVD’s that teach baby massage, can be found on their website.

Brush-Baby Chewable Toothbrush and Baby & Toddler Toothpaste Review

2012-04-14T03:34:00.003-07:00

Mellow Mummy and her toddler daughter have been trying out the Chewable Toothbrush and Baby & Toddler Toothpaste by Brush-Baby.

We started brushing our daughter's teeth when the first tiny tooth poked through at 6 months old and getting her to accept a toothbrush or toothpaste was a daily struggle for nearly two years afterwards. Only since Christmas has our daughter actually volunteered to brush her teeth and sometimes it is still hard work. I wish now that we had known about the Brush-Baby chewable toothbrush earlier.

The chewable toothbrush is a small, soft and flexible mouth-shaped 'brush' designed to curve around a tiny mouth. The head has lots of small wibbly wobbly bristles that your baby or toddler can chew on until their heart's content. It is, of course, BPA free and it is safe to go into a steriliser or into your dishwasher. As a mum-to-be who has been through the troubles of teething once before, I really like the fact that you can put the chewable toothbrush in the fridge and then use it for teething relief of sore gums but I think the best thing is that it is intended for use with or without toothpaste on it.

The Brush-Baby chewable toothbrush has a small handle that your child can grip and so use the brush independently. When my daughter struggled to use the brush, I tried to help by holding it myself but found the handle too small for me to easily grab hold of – a larger handle might be useful for a parent, especially when assisting a baby to brush their own teeth.

My 2.5 year old struggled to use the chewable toothbrush, mostly I think because she now knows how to use a traditional toothbrush and was left a little confused by this totally new experience. I think it would be perfect as a first toothbrush for a much smaller baby or toddler.

Brush-Baby also make a toothpaste designed specifically for babies and toddlers. The Brush-Baby Baby and Toddler toothpaste is suitable from 0-3 years. It contains low fluoride levels so it is safe to swallow (thank goodness! Teaching a small child not to swallow toothpaste is astonishingly difficult!!!). It also contains Xylitol as an active ingredient...

Xylitol is a natural sugar and Brush-Baby use it because it is known to help reduce tooth decay by preventing the bacteria in your mouth from producing acid on the teeth. My daughter liked the Brush-Baby Baby and Toddler toothpaste because of it's appley minty scent and flavour – after two days of using it she started pestering me for the 'apple toothpaste' before she went to bed. I liked the fact that the paste was a light, transparent gel rather than the thick white cement-like paste that sticks to your sink! We were both pleasantly surprised at how well the toothpaste foamed for an SLS-free product (SLS causes the foaming you usually associate with toothpaste but it is a known allergen for young children) – a low-foaming toothpaste is ideal for younger children because it doesn't fill the mouth unexpectedly.

The Brush-Baby chewable toothbrush costs around £4.99 and is available in 3 colours. The Brush-Baby Baby and Toddler Toothpaste and brushes can be found in Waitrose, Sainsburys and Tesco along with a number of specialist retailers and online. Brush-Baby also make toothpaste and dental floss for slightly older children.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Can you become Kitchen Canny too?

2012-04-08T03:40:00.003-07:00

Mellow Mummy has been following the Kitchen Canny plan to see if she can reduce her family's food wastage and food costs. Could you be Kitchen Canny too?

On week one of the Kitchen Canny challenge, all we had to do was to place into our Kitchen Canny waste sack, any leftover food that couldn't be eaten due to us having bought too much or cooked too much – we also had to keep track of any waste liquids that we threw away too and make a note of why everything couldn't be eaten and about how much it would have cost us. I think that at the end of that first week, we had established that the Mellow family are not a wasteful family despite having a toddler in our midsts (feeding a toddler can at times be very wasteful if they simply aren't in the mood for what you offer them to eat). Week One and the contents of our bag was a leaf of left-over iceberg lettuce that our daughter had tried but turned her nose up at, about 15ml of unwanted orange juice and one moldy onion (that I suspect was already manky when we bought it). Our waste bag was more or less empty – I calculated the contents to come to approximately 15p. Yay us.

Despite this, we continued using the Kitchen Canny kit to see if there was anything we could learn and improve in the way that we shop, plan, cook and eat our weekly family meals.

During Week 2 we learned about taking stock of all of the food we already had in the cupboards to see if there was anything we could use up before its best before dates. Then we set about coming up with creative ideas for recipes that used what we already had to eat (before even thinking about doing any grocery shopping). Once we had some ideas, we worked out what food we needed to buy in order to top up the cupboards with all of the ingredients we needed to produce our creative masterpieces. None of this was ground-breaking to us – producing a weekly shopping list REALLY does help you reduce your grocery bills as it helps you focus on what you really need. It did help though to be prompted to use up stuff in the cupboard while you can, and some of the more advanced tips in the Kitchen Canny kit were very helpful (if only common sense).

Last week we then started thinking about portion sizes (making sure you only cook what you need to eat so that there are no leftovers!) and about how to store food (both cooked and uncooked) so that it lasts longer and doesn't need to be thrown away. I found the most useful section of the whole Kitchen Canny kit to be about the best ways to store foods – ways to freeze fruit, vegetables and fish for use at a later date and ways to bring back food from the dead! These are all skills I'm hoping to apply in the run up to my new baby's arrival ( a freezer full of food will be handy) and in the days after when I'm not in the mood for shopping.

Next week it is time for us to track our progress – ordinarily you would do this by comparing your weekly contents of one of the Kitchen Canny waste bags with that of the first week to see how much you've improved... I guess we have to aim for a totally empty bag this time around!

I think the Kitchen Canny kit could make a big difference to the shopping and eating habits of some families and I really really hope it would help people to reduce their shopping bills by shopping more wisely and making steps to reduce the amounts of food they throw away, whether or not they realise they are doing so. I also think that for slightly older children, the Kitchen Canny kit could be a brilliant way to teach them about food wastage – by allowing them to place their own left-overs in the waste bag each week it could teach some important lessons about where the food now goes, and what it could have been used for. Coming up with fun recipes by rummaging in the cupboards together is also a great way to bring the family together.

The Kitchen Canny Kit costs £10 plus postage. The kit includes your magnetised food planner, 3 kitchen waste sacks so that you can measure your wastage, a sticker and your weekly step-by-step cards to guide you through the process. It also includes online access to the Kitchen Canny facebook app to help you track your food usage and a community of other users with whom you can share deas for using up those small bits of food in your fridge. By following the plan, not only could you save yourself upto £550 a year, but you can also do your bit for the environment by reducing your waste.

Fisher Price Little People Happy Sounds Home Review

2012-04-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

Today's Guest Toy review is by Emma from Mellow Mummy. Emma's daughter is approaching 3 years old and has just discovered the joys of role play - she has been reviewing the Little People Happy Sounds Home by Fisher Price

The Happy Sounds Home makes a great first doll's house. We got the Little People Happy Sounds Home at Christmas when my daughter was two and a half and I'll admit that she didn't really show much interest in it for several months. It is only now, three months later that she has started to enjoy playing with it and I put this down to the development of her imagination.

My daughter has learned to role play and simulate real life. At nursery she enjoys 'pretend' games with her friends and in the evenings she likes to play with the little people in her house.

The Happy Sounds House comes with a small family of Fisher Price Little People characters - a mum, dad and baby. The baby comes character can be put into either a little rocking cradle, or into a baby bath. The house features a bedroom, living room, bathroom and a kitchen/utility room and at several points across the house there are interactive noise features such as a washing machine, doorbell or telephone.

We have other Little People characters lying around our house who often get invited round for tea or to sit and enjoy some 'interesting' conversation in the living room of the house.

My daughter likes to put the people to bed and then turn the sun around at the top of the house to indicate that it is night time and then she quietly whispers to us all that it is bedtime. Then she folds the house in half and packs the toy away for the night!

I would say that the Fisher Price Happy Sounds Home is suitable from about 2-4 years old but best suited to an older two-year-old / younger three-year-old. Without lots of further characters or extension points (other pieces to buy), I think the entertainment value won't last her long at this age.

Tooth Fairy 2 DVD Review

2012-03-26T11:56:00.001-07:00

Guest Review by Mellow Mummy.

The Tooth Fairy 2 came out on DVD earlier this month. I don't normally consider myself to be the kind of person who watches movies of men dressed up in pink clothing but given that the movie had a PG certificate, I thought it was worth the gamble!

The Tooth Fairy 2 stars Larry the Cable Guy who is jilted for the town hot-shot. In an attempt to impress his ex, he volunteers at the local kids club. not long after starting, he slips up by suggesting the Tooth Fairy is a myth at which point he is transformed into a tutu-wearing, pink-winged fairy until he learns his lesson.

The Tooth Fairy is challenged to collect 10 children's teeth in just 10 days and the movie follows his attempts. As the days pass he actually starts to enjoy himself and learns a few important lessons in life. As he does so, his ex (quite predictably) starts falling for him all over again but her new man isn't too happy about this and attempts to sabotage the Tooth Fairy.

There were a number of funny moments as the boyfriend steps in to do his very best to throw the Tooth Fairy off and prevent him from fulfilling his challenge but we found the funniest parts to be the ones that featured Brady Reiter as the head fairy - very cute!

This movie surprised me (it went straight to DVD so I had my doubts about it!) - our whole family enjoyed it and it had a great mix of comedy and emotion. You can buy it alone or as part of a double-pack with the original Tooth Fairy movie which stars Dwayne Johnson.

Review and Competition! Cillit Bang All in One Dish & Surface Automatic Dispenser

2012-03-19T02:40:00.004-07:00

Mellow Mummy has been trying out the Cillit Bang All in One Dish & Surface Automatic Dispenser. It is a handy gadget that sits on your work surface or window ledge and allows you to conveniently dispense a little liquid whenever you need it.

The liquid comes in two scents - Lemon Burst or Lime Blossom & Mint. It is suitable for use on your dishes as a replacement for washing-up liquid, and also for use on kitchen work surfaces such as tiles, worktops and hobs. The ingenius dispenser self-doses just the right amount onto a sponge or cloth and each refill contains upto 160 doses.

THE GOOD BITS

Incredibly easy to use - no mess or sticky marks from the bottom of a bottle.

Efficient - I've found myself using a lot less liquid than I would with either a washing up liquid OR a surface cleaner.

The lemon burst scent is really zingy and refreshing... I really notice when the kitchen has been cleaned.

The dispenser is a really smart and handy addition to my kitchen window ledge.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD BITS

The liquid foams a bit too much for me to regularly want to use it on my work surfaces - I end up having to rinse it off with lots of water.

Currently you can only buy refills online on the Cillit Bang facebook page

I keep forgetting that I don't need to put washing up liquid in my bowl and end up searching around for the bottle!

You can find out more about the Cillit Bang All in One Dish & Surface Automatic Dispenser on their facebook page www.facebook.com/CillitbangUK.

We have 5 Cillit Bang All in One starter sets to give away to Family Panel readers. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is:

(a) become a follower of the blog using RSS, email or Google Friend Connect
(b)make sure you let us know in your comment how you are following us (so we can check!) and a means of contacting you such as your twitter ID or email address.

The competition will close at midnight on 27th April. One entry per household. Automated and duplicate entries will result in disqualification.

BabyBjorn Booster Chair

2012-03-19T02:38:00.001-07:00

In her debut review as a member of the Family Panel team, Janice from A Working Mum has employed the services of Little Fella to test the Baby Bjorn Booster Chair. So, did Mum and son love it, or was it a let down, seat wise?

The lovely people at BabyBjörn have sent us their new booster chair to review.

The booster chair has been designed to enable your child to sit comfortably at the dinning table on an adult chair and more importantly at the correct height.

It’s has an ergonomic design made from very lightweight recyclable plastic, does not contain any PVC or BPA (bisphenol A), making it environmentally friendly and easily portable.

The booster chair has a very easily adjustable band on the base which clips under the chair to ensure a very snug fit, that combined with non-slip pads ensures that the booster chair does not move whilst it’s being used.

BabyBjörn recommends that the booster chair is suitable for ages 3 and above, but we’ve been using it with our son who’s only 23 months and he loves it. As the sides and back of the booster chair hug your child’s bottom and legs, our son felt very secure sitting on it and he enjoyed sitting up at the table with us eating his dinner instead of in his high chair.

The booster chair has a very smooth finish making it very easy to clean, the only slight drawback is that it only comes in white, which over time may not look so good, but time will tell.

The booster chair can be purchased from Amazon, Kiddicare and Jojo Maman Bébé. The only negative thing that I have to say about the booster chair is the price, the RRP is £59.99, which may put some people off.

We’d certainly recommend the booster chair, it’s ideal to take with you when visiting relatives or friends, or when going away on holiday.

Gtech Cordless Power Sweeper SW20

2012-03-19T02:37:00.000-07:00

In her very first review for the all new Family Panel, Emma from Mummy..Mummy..MUM! has been testing out the latest Gtech Cordless Sweeper, the SW20. So, could it compete with 3 crafty kids, or did leave behind a trail of glitter in its wake?....

I seem to spend a large proportion of my day pushing my vacuum cleaner around, thanks to my messy children and black kitchen tiles which show every crumb. A sweeping brush just doesn't clean well enough and getting the big vacuum cleaner out after every meal is a little tiresome. The GTech Cordless sweeper sounded like the perfect solution.

I have been very impressed, the sweeper is very compact and light ( it weighs less than 1.7kg ) meaning it is easy to push around and even easier to store. It can be used on all types of floors and worked really well on my tiles, wooden floors and carpets.

The Gtech charges on its own very small stand, which has an eco setting to charge the sweeper in just 4 hours, but you can just leave it on the stand all the time. Once fully charged it lasts for 60 minutes. There are no bags or leads, just this small charger.

The handle is telescopic which means even my children have been able to use it easily.

The dust and dirt collects in a tray on the side which is very easy and clean to empty.

The brush bar is very powerful and collects all the visible dirt from the carpet, it even has an edge cleaning brush to collect debris from skirting boards.

The Gtech also has germguard which kills over 99.9% of bacteria including MRSA, Salmonella, Listeria and E-coli.

This sweeper really is great, I don't think you could use it instead of a full size vacuum cleaner but for a quick clean or just doing a small area it really is fantastic, and so easy to take up and down the stairs. I would definitely recommend it. The only downside is that is it quite noisy.

The RRP is £69.99 which I think is really great value, as it costs less than a penny to recharge so running costs are minimal.

Available from Amazon and other retailers.

Tefal Sensorielle Range

2012-03-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

You may not know it, but TheLazyGirl is also better known as Lazy Girl Cooks, and so she was excited to try out Tefal's new Sensorielle frying pan from its wider range of pots and pans. So, did it help our resident reluctant chef in the kitchen?

Considering I've never been the world's (or the South East's ) best cook, I do seem to buy an alarming number of pots, pans and other cookery related items.

However, I've always struggled, since buying my first pan set at 17, to find the right pots and pans to do the job. Or to make it not quite so easy for me to burn things.

There was the set that was meant to be oven safe, which, when cooking a pilaf in the oven melted the handles. There was also the really quite costly set which used to heat up so badly, the handles had to be gripped with oven gloves, which promptly caught light.

Hence my relationship with cookware has never been great!

Tefal are the range most people, from young to old, will recognise the name of. I've always assumed that, due to their name, the brand would be pretty pricey.

I tried a Sensorielle Frying Pan, costing between £20-£30 depending on the size you require.

All the Sensorielle range have an Intensium Non-Stick coating, which they say means you can cook without oil- and in these times of healthy living advice is obviously something which will attract buyers.

I was quite dubious whether it would be possible to cook without a tiny amount of oil, but it was- I tried cooking sausages, eggs and a piece of salmon to see whether I could beat the no-oil necessary guarantee and I failed. Even my ability to cook things to the point of charcoal did nothing to diminish the pans reluctance to allow any foodstuffs to stick.

Hence, the pan was incredibly easy to keep clean, requiring the lightest of wipes with washing up liquid and a sponge to look as good as new.

The other handy thing about this and the rest of the range is the unique to Tefal Thermo Spot, which directs the cook when the pan has reached the optimum frying temperature, so the guess work is gone.

Not only that, but these pans can be safely placed up to 180 degrees in the oven, and have a cooper infused anti warp base, which distributes the temperature evenly.

I cannot fault this pan, and its well worth the price- I'm seriously considering buying the rest of the range for my kitchen, as it makes even the most novice of cook into a competent chef!

Banish the kitchen blues and buy the Tefal Sensorielle range as your Christmas gift to yourself!

The full range is available to buy online from Amazon

Rastamouse Talking Plush Toy and DVD

2011-11-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

If one show on CBeebies has got the nation talking (and tuning in regardless of being a parent!) its lovable crime fighter Rastamouse. Not since Roland Rat has a rodent made such an impression. So, it was a mad dash when the Tot Testers got to try out two items from the Rastamouse show, a DVD and a talking plush toy.

I may be a near on 30 Mum of two, but if there is one show on CBeebies which I don't mind secretly tuning into with the Tots, its Rastamouse. The combination of great music, Reggie Yates' so cool and laid back voice over for the character, and of course the message to kids to be good and help out makes it one of the best kids TV shows I've seen in quite some time.

Rastamouse seems to be the antidote to the "loud and brash hyperactive" brand of kids TV. Da Easy Crew, Rastamouse's band and crime fighting agent friends manage to solve crime and "make a bad thing good" without the need of prat falls, and presenters or characters who seem to have downed copious amounts of fizzy pop and sweeties before turning up to film.

Even the naughtier characters, such as Bag o' Tea, are lovable, and as a household we're well and truly hooked.

The DVD comes with the whole first series, which we have now permanently in residence in the DVD player. All the characters are there, and every episode features the lovable characters of Mouseland getting into scrapes.

We've loved the show since it was a one off episode of Jackanory Junior, and love the tongue in cheek names of the characters.

The plush talking Rastamouse has had to be cuddled on rota, as he's become very popular indeed. I hope that the company will release the rest of the main characters from the show as well, as these would prove just as popular.

Rastamouse says all the phrases you'd expect (and which my tow both love to say!) in his distinctive voice, as well as including music from the show. Usually these sorts of toys drive me mad after a while, but you can't help but smile when you hear the toy. It's easy for little fingers to work out as its a simple tummy press to activate.

If you haven't yet seen Rastamouse, you must, its one of the best I've seen since becoming a parent, and just right to curl up on the sofa and watch. With the children, of course!

Both the DVD "The Crucial Plan and Other Adventures" and the talking plush toy are available from Amazon and other good retailers, priced £8.49 for the DVD and £12.99 for the plush toy.

Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven

2011-11-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

Christmas is coming, and its time to look to what is available to keep your kids smiling on Christmas day and beyond. First up is a product from Disney, the Magic Rise Oven.

Big Tot is a fan of all things girly, pink and princess related, so the Disney Magic Rise Oven ticks all those boxes. It also peaked her interest as, now she is at school, she is encouraged to act like a big girl and do some light baking as one of their curriculum activities.

From a parent's view, if you're not too keen on allowing your eager child loose in the kitchen with a hot stove, this makes a great make believe alternative, and also encourages imaginative play.

The Magic Rise Oven comes with a raft of accessories included, which is a good start as there are no separate extra cost items needed, which seems to be a new way of making money within the toy community. It was very simple to set up, and to use, and Big Tot didn't require much help to work it out herself.

The magic wand element was welcomed by Big Tot, as she loved the make believe of a wave of a wand making the "cake" rise. However, the cake will rise with or without the wand, so obviously if you have a child prone to losing bits and bobs this isn't an issue.

The noises are imaginative, and really re-enforce the magical element. They certainly made Little Tot laugh, and Big Tot loved the idea of being a fairy able to create cakes with a magic wand sound effect.

I would say the downsides are that there are only two pretend cakes with the set, and these are quite fiddly to re-flatten. It also doesn't take long for each cake to rise, so the boredom factor is quite high. I also had to remind Big Tot not to be heavy handed with it, as its quite lightweight and I could foresee with too much force that the door may pop off.

However, Big Tot enjoyed playing with it, and loved to dress up in one of her Princess outfits and play bakeries.

For £30, its quite expensive, and I would have liked to see a few more cakes to play with for that price.

The Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven is available from Amazon amongst other retailers.

Jumbo Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory Game

2011-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Big Tot loves cartoons, and has been trying out the Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory game, from Jumbo, so, was it as popular as the TV show?

As any parent will agree, games can be great sources for sneaky education- and this game falls into that category easily. Whilst The Tot Testers had fun with the spinning character, they also worked on their memory skills.

The game is easy to assemble, taking under 3 minutes to put together. We had a similar game which had Peppa Pig as the spinner, but that was quite irritating as the pig often fell over, so this was a welcome change. It does require batteries which aren't included.

Not only does the game improve a child's memory, it also promotes number skills, as the child has to make sure they have all 5 cards from a set to win. Problem solving is also included, as the child has to work out which cards go with which to form the set, they chose which character they want to collect at the start, and 5 cards will be associated with the specific character, for example, if playing as Fireman Sam, they will need to find his engine and other Fireman Sam character items.

The toy has the added bonus of having the voices of Fireman Sam and Norman, which Big Tot immediately recognised, and for the age its aimed at, both of the Tots found it exciting. Little Tot had to be helped, at 3 that's no surprise and I found it quite enjoyable helping him to remember what cards he needed and where they were.

Big Tot, however, worked it out pretty quickly, but this didn't stop her really enjoying the game, so boredom factor was low.

This is a great fun game for younger children, and at under £10 its a great pocket money toy.

The Fireman Sam Spin and Rescue Memory Game is priced at £9.74, at Amazon.

Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine

2011-09-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

Gadget Dad has been indulging two of his passions in his latest review- cooking and tech! He's been testing the Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine, so what did he think?

Gordon Ramsay, like many other celeb chef now has not just an ever growing range of books, but now also puts his name to cooking appliances as well. I have to admit that at first this put me off- I once owned a set of very nice looking Pots and Pans which an equally popular chef put his name to, which were impractical as they burnt your hand everytime you used the handle.

However, he Gordon Ramsay Tagine is much safer, featuring a cool touch base and removable pot, and I'm happy to say I've remained burn free!

Its quite deceptive in size- whilst you do need to strip down a chicken if you want to cook it in the appliance, it does still hold sufficient liquid and food stuffs to make a stew or Goulash to feed two adults and two young children.

Its a very practical device for the coming months, as the handy heat switch can be set to a keep warm setting which automatically cuts out after the temperature gauge tells it its hot enough. I happily left this on whilst I went out to collect the Tots. If you have more time, the high setting allows you to sear meat and add the other ingredients afterwards- its literally a one pot wonder where there's no need to use lots of pots and frying pans and limits the washing up- certainly an added bonus!

If you are a busy parent, or perhaps on a tight budget, this is the ideal appliance. I used it to make a stew from leftover roast dinner chicken, chucked in an onion chopped in 4 and a couple of carrots, and left it over night. By dinnertime, the veg had gone soft and the stock from the chicken was fabulous.

If you want to feed a bigger family, I would suggest a larger version, as this is more suited to 2 people (we have two children who eat bird sized portions!).

I liked that it could also be used as tableware with the large Tagine lid- this is also came in handy when shoving a bit extra food in as the flat glass lid did restrict portion amounts.

Overall, a very good item which will be a godsend over the cold winter months.

The Gordon Ramsay Slow Cooker and Tagine is available from Argos at £37.99

I Don't Know How She Does It, By Alison Pearson

2011-09-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

20somethingmum finally has time to herself now both the Tots are at school, and she's indulged her favourite past time of reading with I Don't Know How She Does It, now a major new film starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

I love books, and, personally, if a book is being made into a film, I always like to read the book as the author intended before settling down to watch the Hollywood version.

In Alison Pearson's novel, the main character, Kate is a busy, time starved Mum of two, who is trying to juggle both a successful city career with being a good parent, loving wife and close friend.

Inevitably, and with a car crash like inevitability, we see her fail to manage all those labels, and the consequences of it on Kate and those she is closest to.

I loved this book, I have to say it straight out, I could not put this down, I even sat in my kitchen cooking Sunday Lunch whilst trying to read the book! Whilst I don't have a successful London career, I could relate to the character as if I was reading about a real life actual person. We all find it hard these days to make time for all the things that matter, and often I find myself awake at 3am, making lists in my head of things I simply must find time for, just like Kate.

You also find yourself mentally willing Kate to make that much needed call to her family, or to her friend Jill, and curse as yet again she forgets too. I also started to assess the effect my attitude towards my own children- we have all at some point fobbed them off with a cartoon to get that important piece of work or 5 minute cup of coffee in the middle of a busty day. With Pearson's book and her clever writing skill, we are able to see directly the confusion this causes to a young child if done regularly.

AT times the book is achingly poignant, and at others jaw achingly funny-especially the character of Candy- this book has everything and is a must read for busy Mum's everywhere.

I now look forward to the film- although, as an aside I do worry at the effect switching the action to the US from London will have and have to comment that when I read the character of Kate I imagined Kate Winslet in the role instead. However, I'm sure with Pearson's input, and the amazing story already in the book the film will be great.

Wewillbuyyourcar.com

2011-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Unless you happen to be a member of the Top Gear team, it can be hard to sell your car when you need to sell one and upgrade, or just simply because you are a bit strapped for cash. Online company wewillbuyyourcar.com can help.

Whether you're thinking "I need to sell my car London" or further afield, We Will Buy Your Car will offer a competitive price whatever the make or model.

Its very simple to use, just click on the sell my car button on the homepage, enter your cars details, such as registration, model and make, and of course where you are, and the website will get back to you straight away with a price.

If the price fits what you had in mind, the money can be deposited in your account within 10 minutes, via secure Bank of Scotland transaction.

Better still, you don't have to deliver the car as its picked up from you at a mutually convenient time.

Why pay for expensive adverts and valet costs, cut out the waiting time and tyre kickers, and check out wewillbuyyourcar.com!

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Fancydressball.co.uk

2011-08-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Even though its the summer holidays, its always good to plan ahead for the ever popular Fancy dress party. With that in mind, the Family Panel have been checking out costume website Fancy Dress Ball to see what they have to offer.

Costume parties used to mean buying some old sheets or clothes from the local charity shop and using whatever "skills" in sewing you possessed to come up with something which most people would be baffled to name! Or it meant paying vast sums to hire slightly sweaty smelling costumes from the hire shop.

However times have changed and, just like most things, costumes are now available online and for a fraction of the prices we used to be forced to pay.

One such company is Fancy Dress Ball, who have an amazing and varied selection of outfits, wigs and accessories for all the family and all occasions.

Whether you are looking for a Halloween costumes of devils, gruesome beings or something less conventional, or perhaps for inspiration if you have a last minute costume to organise for a party, you can find it here.

Another popular costume choice, for parties or hen dos is sexy fancy dress- you can be as daring as you like and impress perspective partners with naughty costumes of sexy sailors and less than angelic angels from brands such as Eye Candy California Costumes and Leg Avenue.

Or, if you don't want to bare all (and who can blame you!) there is a vast selection of era costumes from the 60s, 70s and 80s fancy dress sections. These include everything from mini dresses, hippie chick wear and mullet wigs, not to mention fingerless gloves Madonna would have been proud of! Whether you remember the fashions of the times or not, the costumes are detailed and can be seen in sharp and clear images online.

Kids and adults are catered for, and prices are not going to scare you- wigs are priced from 7.99 and whole costumes for ladies start at £15.95, men's are from £22.99 and kids from £9.99.

You can pay securely online, or pick what you want and phone the local rate number. Costumes are then delivered to you at home. It really couldn't be easier.

So, next time you need a costume, check out Fancy Dress Ball.

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Jungle Junction Wheel Around Fun Set

2011-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

A while back, you may remember the Tot Tester's got to watch a brand new Disney show called Jungle Junction. Since then, the programme has grown in popularity and now, as with most kids TV shows, there is now a tie-in selection of toys. We previewed the Wheel Around Fun Set to see what the Tot's thought....

Jungle Junction is one of many modern educational programmes shown across the Disney Channels available. It follows then that this toy should have some sort of educational purpose to it.

As with other playset based toys, its bright and inviting, encouraging children to grab the toys. I was surprised that it's not suitable for under 3's as it's definitely a programme and toy style I'd pitch towards 2 and up.

However, as its based on a road set up, there are small parts, which I don't really think the toy particularly needed. Perhaps if this toy is redesigned at any point, making the signposts chunkier maybe a design consideration.

That said, it does encourage imaginative play, whether the children know the characters well or not. The three character toys represented (who, I'm reliably informed by Big Tot, are Ellyvan, Bungo and Zooter) are chunky and friendly looking little things, and are a break from the traditional car shapes usually associated with road sets.

Sadly, this didn't impress the Tots for long, as its quite small, and they already have a traditional car play mat. From a parent's point of view, when a toy is costing between £9.99 and £20 depending on where you buy, its pretty dull. It doesn't make any noises, its pretty boring for the age its aimed at in a time when there are more impressive toys becoming available at almost the same price. It also doesn't bode well that within 5 minutes, one of the sign posts was easily snapped in half.

You really do expect better from something associated with Disney, and something which looked quite promising.

Definitely a could do better here, in my view as its aimed at the wrong age group, and could have had sounds added.

The Jungle Junction Wheel Around Fun Set is made by Flair and is available from Amazon (cheapest price online).

Spartoo.co.uk

2011-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers are a fashion conscious pair, and like any parent knows, feet, however tiny, need a good quality shoe that wont wear out in a few days. We've been trying out Spartoo.co.uk, so, what did we think?

Just like any other children, the Tots seem to need new shoes every month as they grow faster and faster. It can be hard to balance finding good quality shoes, using the best materials, with affordability. There is also the added problem as a child becomes more vocal in what they like or don't like in agreeing on a style for all occasions.

Spartoo, an online only retailer stocks footwear for the whole family, and is well stocked with various styles, sizes and brands both well known or otherwise, from Ugg to Converse and everything in between.

The site is simple to navigate, and splits into categories depending on what kind of footwear you need. Inventive tags include "skate", "relax" and "rock"- quite different to the usual tired descriptions and obviously a clever use of marketing as it certainly sticks in the mind.

The footwear available is competitively priced, with a pair of Converse starting as low as £26, they offer free delivery and returns, and most shoes available come with handy customer reviews.

We let the Tots hand pick their choice of footwear to try out. Big Tot decided on a pair of on-trend Gladiator sandals, made by Hello Kitty.

The sandals proved just as popular on Big Tot's feet as they did when she spotted them on screen- I had to fend off queries from other Mum's at the playschool door whose eager daughters wanted a pair too!

They are made from soft leather, and being metallic and miniature versions of what you'd expect most women to be buying from the High street, Big Tot was very pleased at how fashionable she was! She has worn them for long walks and has had no discomfort at all- and she'd be the first to complain!

At £35, they may seem a little pricey for a pair of sandals, but considering they are a character shoe, which usually last for a very limited time indeed, these are worth the expense and will see your child through summer. They are a good all-rounder, as they aren't too flashy for everyday, but just sparkly enough for parties too.

The Hello Kitty logo is also discreet too. Big Tot is impressed and have to say I am too.

We also tried out a pair of classic Converse All Stars for Little Tot.

Trainers are a must for children like Little Tot who are constantly active, so it can be an expensive item. With the Spartoo trainers, we found a well known brand in Converse, but at under £30, its not going to hit your budget too much. The trainers were a good all rounder, and as they are canvas can be washed in the washing machine on a cool wash, coming up like new no matter how much mud they were caked in!

The site is great, and is a one stop must for all the families footwear. Its impossible not to find something for whatever occasion or budget, and its quick and easy to use, with clear images which can be rotated to see all sides.

A Family Panel Thumbs Up.

New Style Bikes and Trikes for all ages

2011-06-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Tot Testers have been trying out a new styles of go cart, the Ezy Roller Ultimate Riding Machine, and a twist on the classic toddler trike, the Scuttlebug. So, when the suns been shining and they've been able to go for a ride, what did they think?

Little Tot is now a much more independent child, and whilst he was happy last year to be pushed on his traditional trike, this year he wants to go it alone. At close to 3, a parent wants to encourage this sudden independence, but at the same time may worry about accidents.

We tried a Scuttlebug- whilst this is a traditional trike, in that it has 3 sturdy wheels, which support movement, and a large seat to sit on, the design has that little bit of wow factor to a child.

Its lightweight- so lightweight that Little Tot could move it with ease whether he was riding it or picking it up to move it! However its not so lightweight that it tips over when used on grass or an uneven surface.

There are no peddles to get in the way- I recall my trike had these and I never used them, they got in the way and I'd bump my ankles!

The design, in our case of a ladybird, made it eye catching, and when stood next to a traditional trike it really stands out. The colours are vibrant and Little Tot certainly loved the bug design. The wheels are soft too- so Little Tot could play indoors on the Scuttlebug without damaging the carpet- and its so quiet too- no squeaks or grinding noises!

From a parents view, its possibly the easiest toy or bike I've ever had the pleasure of putting together. As any parent knows, a new toy is wanted the minute its removed from the box, and with the Scuttlebug it took under a minute from box to being used. It folds flat too in 3 simple clicks, so can be transported on car journeys without taking up lots of room.

The Scuttlebug by Mookie is available in a variety of styles, and can be purchased for a purse friendly £24.99 from Amazon

Next up, Big Tot tried out an Ezy Roller Ultimate Riding Machine.

The Ezy Roller is, at first glance, a go cart, and looks quite small. When I first saw it put together, which took slightly longer than the Scuttlebug, I thought it was quite an expensive item which would be played with for perhaps two summers before both Tots grew too big for it. However, Gadget Dad showed me that the product can be extended- and according to the instructions included, can fit from age 4 to 14! Not many out door ride on toys can boost that longevity!

Its quite hard to describe it- its got the low to the ground seat of a go cart, however, there are no pedals. The child propels themselves forward using leg movements to the left or right. This took Big Tot a while to work out and caused a bit of frustration, so perhaps the "age 4" tag is slightly ambitious.

It does, when the technique is mastered, go quite fast, something that Big Tot loved (but which may make a parent worried!) and I would recommend the use of knee pads and a helmet with this toy.

Its rust free, so if looked after should last for many summers. Its also lightweight and silent due to the lack of batteries or chains, so maintenance is also at a minimum.

Overall, a good toy, with potential once the Tots are a little more co-ordinated.

The Ezy Roller is available from Amazon priced between £79.99-£109