The Enchanted Illuminations at Abbotsbury – #GreatDaysOut
Oct25

The Enchanted Illuminations at Abbotsbury – #GreatDaysOut

Friday saw us head down to Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens (between Weymouth and Lyme Regis on the Dorset Jurassic Coast) for their Enchanted Illuminations event. Established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle, Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens is a fabulous place to spend a few hours. It’s a 30 acre garden, filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world – and it...

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Probably the best girls skate shoes ever – Naturino Sneakers #NotJustForBoys
Oct22

Probably the best girls skate shoes ever – Naturino Sneakers #NotJustForBoys

Have a picky girl dresser? Yes, me too. Particularly, it seems, when it comes to footwear. And this winter my girl took against trainers – she wanted the best girls skate shoes, pleasethankyou. When we started working with the amazingly lovely people at Naturino they asked if we’d like to review. In fact, they insisted – “no, really, you must. Our shoes are different. We promise.” Now my daughter Bear is...

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VQ Christie – LOVE this clever & pretty little digital retro radio
Oct20

VQ Christie – LOVE this clever & pretty little digital retro radio

Ages ago, my beloved leather-clad vintage-look kitchen radio slowly died a crackling, buzzing, untune-able death. When I looked for a replacement, I had just two criteria – that it would look stylish and lovely in my kitchen (basically it needed to be pretty enough to raise a smile every time I turned it on), and that it would have an iPod dock; a lot of my audio books are on my iPod, and they’re my listening of choice for...

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Ragtales and the three mice. DON’T miss these.
Oct19

Ragtales and the three mice. DON’T miss these.

To call these soft little chaps ‘rag mice’ is doing them a bit of a disservice, isn’t it? I mean these guys are CUTE. Properly, achingly, can’t-put-them-down swee-e-e-e-eet. A few months ago we told you all about Ragtales, Mr Darcy Bear, and how they’re producing some Very Special Toys Indeed. But we saved the best for later. Because much as I love Mr Darcy Bear in his gorgeous duffle coat? These three...

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Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer Review (from a 12yr old)
Oct15

Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer Review (from a 12yr old)

When Nintendo asked if we might like to try an Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer review I jumped at the opportunity – on a number of levels. First, because I know just how much Jolly & Bear LOVE Animal Crossing New Leaf – there was no way they wouldn’t want to try out the new game. Secondly, I knew with a joyous happy brain, that 12yr old Jolly would write the review for me, and do a MUCH better job than I...

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The Vileda Steam Mop vs the chicken poo dog sick. Yes, really.
Oct14

The Vileda Steam Mop vs the chicken poo dog sick. Yes, really.

Most days I love my job.Occasionally there are days when it annoys me.And sometimes, it feels like the Universe is giving me a prod… A few weeks ago, Vileda asked if I’d like to review their steam mop. Sure, I said – my old one had died a death last year and I’d never got round to replacing it.I popped it under the stairs, and promised myself to give the laminate floors a once-over in a few...

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