Tag: Review

Posted in reading

Wonderbly Personalised Book Review

Posted on by Amy

Ellie loves reading, it’s one of her favourite things to do. She reads fluently too with so much expression but her favourite books are the kind where she feels like she is really in the story. That’s where personalised books are amazing because she can find her name or a character that looks just like her while getting stuck in to the story.

Wonderbly is an online book company specialising in personalised books for children. They have a wide range of books in three age categories: 0-3 years, 3-6 years and 6+ years allowing you to easily choose a book suitable for the child the book is for. There is a book suitable to gift for any occasion too!

We have been very fortunate to have been sent their “Princess You The Great” book to review.

These stories are built around your child; giving them the fun and excitement of seeing their own name built in to the story.

Getting started is really simple.

Just choose a book, write in your child’s name, and pick the character drawing that looks the most like them.

I LOVE the different choices of customisation you get with the Wonderbly books. You don’t just choose Boy or Girl, you can choose characters with the same hair and skin colour of your child, this gives them the feeling that they are really in the story!

The website is extremely easy to use and navigate, the hardest part is choosing which book to personalise. There is the option of changing the colour of the cover (some colour options have an additional fee) and then a choice of softcover, hardback or premium hardback layflat. The hardback is a popular choice for any child book to keep them safer in little hands!

Before I finalised our book I created my own dedication which would be printed on the first page. I’ve done this for every personalised book we own, I think it will be a lovely memory for when Ellie is older.

Princess Ellie The Great

A little princess or prince has been invited to the palace to celebrate someone special – but who could it be? On their way they’ll meet lots of magical creatures who need their help and learn what makes a true champion.

A story about a strong, brave girl who just so happens to be a Princess. What more could a little girl want in a story whose main character looks just like the girl reading it. I love that the story teaches young girls they can be both a princess and a brave warrior able to overcome anything they desire! Within the story the main character learns the power of kindness, creativity, courage and determination – all qualities I want Ellie to have as she grows up – by befriending and helping the magical creatures they meet.

Each page is beautifully illustrated on thick high-quality paper and sourced from sustainable forests (making them good for the planet too!)

Our new Wonderbly book is an amazing addition to our Wonderbly Collection and we all love reading them. They are fun and make reading a bedtime story together even more special.

These are books I know we will treasure forever!

Do you own any Wonderbly books? I’d love to know what books others would recommend!

DISCLOSURE – WE WERE KINDLY GIFTED THE PRODUCT TO REVIEW HOWEVER AS ALWAYS ALL THOUGHTS, OPINIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE MY OWN.

Posted in Gifted, motherhood, Mum Blogger, product review

Trunki/Yondi Review

Posted on by Amy

If you know your way around an airport or a train station then you’ve probably seen a Trunki Suitcase. They are such an ingenious idea and I’ve been really excited to give it a full review and find out just what makes it the best-known ride on suitcase for kids – winning over 100 awards since 2006!

We were recently sent a Una the Unicorn Trunki and matching Yondi to review and use – unfortunately with the pandemic we haven’t been able to book a holiday but we are hoping to get a late deal in the summer holidays even if it’s just a weekend and I know the suitcase will come in handy for that and the sleepovers Ellie will be having at her grandparents when she is allowed.


First I wanted to talk about the Trunki:
I love how unique the trunki is; the fact it comes in many different colours/themes yet still has the option to be completely personal with the stickers (this was a huge hit with Ellie who loves a good sticker sesh!) I also love the independence it allows the toddler/child to have – packing their own toys/clothes and being able to pull it along themselves.

The Trunki comes with a pull-along strap allowing the child to ride on the suitcase (perfect for those long airline queues). It has a curved top which Ellie tells me is really comfortable to sit on, two handy grab points (Ellie calls them ears) for the child to hold on to. The whole product seems very resilient too – made from hard plastic making them easy to clean which is even more important now and you can use antibacterial wipes without it ruining the outer plastic.

A Trunki has an 18 litre capacity and holds quite a lot. We packed Ellie’s suitcase ready for her first out of lockdown sleepover and I was surprised at how much room she still had for all her teddies. It’s lightweight and a perfect size – we don’t tend to travel abroad but I’ve researched and is classed as hand luggage on some airlines (I’d recommend checking with the one you are flying with) as they are the perfect size.

Inside the Trunki has an elasticated teddy strap to keep luggage and most importantly teddy safe from falling out everywhere and an elasticated internal pocket for easy access.



Now for the Yondi:
When Ellie was smaller we purchased an own brand neck pillow for her when she was first transition from her baby car seat – it was awkward to put on her and she hated wearing it when she wasn’t actually asleep – she threw it off so much it broke after a few times.

I can honestly say the Yondi travel pillow is a far better product – it connects under the chin with hidden magnets and forms a supportive cushion around the child’s neck. This stops their head from rolling forward and means they can sleep in a comfortable and safe position in their car seat. The Una the Unicorn Yondi is suitable for ages 2-5 so a perfect size for Ellie, she can fasten it under her chin easily and she tells me it’s comfortable around her neck. She hasn’t actually fallen asleep with it on yet but she quite enjoys wearing it in the car anyway.

Like all the Trunki products the travel pillows are bright, colourful and based on childrens’ favourite animals or things children love so they are keen to try them out which is always a win.

We would 100% recommend Trunki to anyone thinking of travelling with a toddler this year.



Price Guide
The Trunki suitcase retails at around £39.99 which does seem a little pricey however when you take in to account everything it has to offer it’s actually a great investment!
The Yondi Pillow retails at £12.99 – again a very good price for the peace of mind it brings.

You can check out the other characters/colours of the Trunki suitcases and Yondi Pillows as well as their other products on the Trunki website

Disclosure – We were gifted the Una the Unicorn Trunki and Yondi to review however as always all thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.*

Posted in Gifted, product review

Greater Skies – Review

Posted on by Amy

In our house stars are extremely meaningful; I look to the brightest star every night before I go to bed and I just know somewhere by that bright star is my boy. I guess when you’ve experienced a significant loss like I did you cling on to “something” that can relate to them, for some it’s feathers or robins but for me it’s stars. When I was deep in those first days of grief a friend sent us a star that they named after Jason. I was absolutely floored. It is to this day the kindest, most special thing anyone ever did for my boy. It brings me comfort no matter how silly it may seem, to think that Jason is watching us from that star and knowing one day I’ll be right there with him.

Greater Skies

Greater Skies is a company that creates custom, personalised star maps giving you the chance to mark a memorable date. Greater Skies create detailed maps of the stars as it looks from anywhere on the Earth – whether that date is in the past, the present or even in the future! These are now available in digital e-card form making it easier to let someone know you’re thinking of them in these difficult times.

When Greater Skies reached out to collaborate I knew the exact date and time I wanted to use; Ellie’s birthday of cause. She’s really interested in the stars so I knew she’d love to see what they looked like at the exact point she entered the world.

The Creation Process

I was immediately impressed with how easy it is to create a map on the website. In just three easy steps you’re finalising the details and getting ready to put your order in.
Step 1: Choose your style and colour: there are 4 styles to choose from and each style has it’s own colour schemes. I chose the planet design in magenta as I want to put it up in Ellie’s room. You can then choose whether to add constellation and star names.


Step 2: Choose the place and time you want to use: (REMEMBER: this can be from the past, the present or the future) I was able to use our home address and the exact time Ellie was born to create the map of the stars.

Step 3: Add text: I altered the text at the top of the map and added a message at the bottom – you can add 5 lines of text

The only other decision you have to make is the size and whether you want it framed. You then see a draft of your map before you order to make sure all the details are correct.

After I’d put my order in I was sent a digital high resolution copy which I was able to download (you can choose this option to print at home). I loved being able to see what the map looked like before it had arrived.

I quickly received an email stating it usually takes 0-3 working days to process the order – print, frame and ship (digital copies are instant) and just 1-2 working days for delivery and ours arrived within that time frame too! You can of cause opt to pay more for express delivery.

When it arrived it looked absolutely stunning, the white frame set it off perfectly. The print itself is of a high quality and far better than if I’d have printed it myself.

What We Really Think…

These maps are absolutely beautiful, I love how you can personalise them in so much detail – receiving something personal is the best feeling. They make such wonderful gifts. The finish is perfect, the frame is a great quality and it really finishes off the print. What makes them so amazing is how versatile they are, these are perfect for Anniversaries, Birthdays, Christmas, Valentines, MOTHERS DAY (hint 14th March in the UK) and they can be used to celebrate relationships, births, graduation, those special milestones like buying your first house the list is endless.

It’s been great being able to talk to Ellie about the stars, the constellations and what the print means, she’s loved finding the big dipper, we found the constellation where her names star is and where Jason’s named star is too. I love how she always includes her Big Brother in everything.

Visit https://greaterskies.com to find your perfect map of the stars.
Prices start from just £29 and even offer free delivery for certain prints.

Disclosure – We were gifted a Framed Star Map by Greater Skies however as always all thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.*

Posted in baking, Food, Gifted, parenting, product review

Doughlicious Gourmet Cookie Dough – Review

Posted on by Amy

I love baking, it’s something i’ve enjoyed doing for many years but being a busy, full time working Mum/Wife/Sister/Daughter/Friend/Influencer means I rarely get time to even think about baking let alone doing it. During lockdown I loved being able to have the time to bake with Ellie, she loved making cupcakes and cookies.

However I have lately been craving the thing I love most about baking – enjoying something fresh out of the oven.

***Enter Doughlicious Gourmet Cookie Dough***

We have recently been gifted 6 boxes of their “Ready-to-bake” range in return for an honest review. So before I get stuck in I thought i’d give a little bit more information on Doughlicious first.

Doughlicious first started in 2014 when the founder, Kathryn, decided to share her secret on how to make tasty american-style cookies using only the finest natural ingredients. What makes Doughlicious stand out is that their products are 100% gluten-free. They pride themselves on being inclusive for all so they even have dairy-free, organic and vegan flavours too!

How does it work?

Each delivery comes well packaged with freezer bags to keep them cool. You can either store the cookie dough in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake. Our order had fantastic dates – none of them were out of date before December although NONE of them have made it past 2 weeks!

The cookies bake in less than 15 minutes, perfect for a quick treat or for the busy working mum to win brownie (or cookie) points with the kids! They certainly won Ellie over!

We were able to review 6 of their fantastic flavours but to check out the others head on over to the Doughlicious website to see them all!

Organic Carrot Cake

Per cookie: 128 calories, 8g fat, 10g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fibre, 3g protein

These cookies give a definite carrot cake taste – the spices work perfectly with the oats and the kitchen smells so good whilst they are baking. I found they didn’t flatten as much as the other flavours (but think this was more me than the cookie!) but they still tasted delicious. These were Husband’s favourite seeing as he ate 5 of them!

Dairy free/Gluten free/Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic

Chunky Oat Chocolate Chip

Per cookie: 140 calories, 7g fat, 16g carbs, 7g sugar, 2g fibre, 2g protein

These were simply amazing and possibly my favourite flavour. I love an oat cookie but these were on another level all together! I’d have never known they were vegan if I hadn’t have seen the packaging. The double wammy of oats (rolled oats and oat flour) gives a fantastic taste and texture to the cookie while the vegan chocolate chips gives it a soft gooey texture too.

Dairy free/Gluten free/Vegan/Vegetarian

Chocolate and Vanilla

Per cookie: 150 calories, 8g fat, 18g carbs, 10g sugar, 1g fibre, 2g protein.

I loved the look of these, so much so I had to bake these first/ The idea of having both chocolate and vanilla in one cookie and the way they were split so evenly in half excited me. They definitely lived up to my expectations, the rich chocolate flavour was balanced perfectly with the lightness of the vanilla. Ellie also loved the two-tone look to the cookie.

Gluten free/Vegetarian/Nut free

Chocolate Chip

Per cookie: 153 calories, 8.1g fat, 18g carbs, 10g sugar, 1g fibre, 1.7g protein.

This flavour has won the great taste award twice! You can’t beat an old-favourite can you? These are best when warm and the dark chocolate has melted. I definitely ate more than one of these.

Gluten free/Vegetarian/Nut free

Peanut Butter

Per cookie: 158 calories, 9g fat, 14g carbs, 8g sugar, 1g fibre, 4g protein.

Peanut Butter is the main ingredient in these cookies – which for someone who doesn’t like Peanut Butter I feel I was wasted when tasting them. So I asked Ellie and Luke what they thought for a more genuine review – they both loved them. They said the smoothness and doesn’t lose the peanut butter flavour.

Gluten free/Vegetarian

Double Chocolate

Per cookie: 153 calories, 8.7g fat, 16g carbs, 9.8g sugar, 1.6g fibre, 2.1g protein.

This is the chocolate lover’s dream! A rich chocolate cookie with soft cookie dough matched with melting chunks of dark chocolate. It leaves you wanting more!

Gluten free/Vegetarian/Nut free

Our verdict:

I’ve not been able to find a fault within these cookies! The fact that they take less than 15 minutes to bake, make no mess or washing up and they have the perfect balance between texture and flavour. The ingredients are natural, of a high quality and this comes through in the taste. I love the range of flavours, appealing to the chocoholics, the nutty and the healthier ones out there who still like a treat every once in a while.

The whole family have definitely enjoyed being my taste-testers. We will definitely be ordering more Doughlicious treats soon – their Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate cookies launching in just 4 days (7th October) is definitely one I NEED to try!

Disclosure: I was gifted the flavours mentioned above in exchange for an honest review by Doughlicious.co.uk
All views, opinions and images are my own.


Posted in Gifted, product review

In The Book – Review

Posted on by Amy

In The Book is an online book company specialising in personalised books for children and adults of all ages. They have a wide range of books and there really is something for everyone; Disney, Peter Rabbit, Marvel, The Hungry Caterpillar, Beano and so many more. This isn’t including their own range of personalised stories. We have been very fortunate to have been gifted two of their books to review.

These stories are built around you (or your child); giving them the fun and excitement of seeing their own name built in to the story. I loved this idea as not only is the name written in the illustrations but it is also the main character in the story too.

The website is extremely easy to use and navigate, the hardest part is choosing which book to personalise. There is the option of A4 softback, A4 hardback (both available in the standard cover) and the classic hardback which is bound in a premium hardcover with gold embossing.

Once chosen there are three steps to personalising the book:

When our books arrived I was absolutely amazed at the quality and size. I obviously hadn’t read the A4 sizing and was expecting a smaller book which I was worried would be too small to keep Ellie’s attention. These are the perfect size for all readers, big and small. Each page is beautifully illustrated and the story is just magical.




“Ellie’s Unicorn Adventure” is a wonderful story about a Unicorn (with your child’s name) who gets bored in the meadow and goes off on an adventure to find new places. From a pink candyland to the snowy mountain tops this story takes the reader to so many wonderful places.

Ellie’s Thoughts:

I asked Ellie what she liked the most about the Unicorn’s adventure and her reply was:

I like the Unicorn because she has the same name as me. She is cheeky. My name is in the sky. See E, L, L, I, E it says Ellie! The Unicorn likes the snow, it has footprints to go back home so she doesn’t get lost.

We also received a beautifully illustrated “Book of Nursery Rhymes” Ellie loves to sing and she has always loved nursery rhymes so I knew she would love this one so much. The book of nursery rhymes is packed full of songs little ones will already know and love such as Humpty Dumpty, The Wheels On The Bus and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, there’s even a few Mummy doesn’t remember!




Similar to the Unicorn book, Ellie’s name is on the front cover and appears throughout the pages in the illustrations. We’ve had lots of fun getting Ellie to find her name hidden on drain pipes, buses and even on pies. She gets so excited when she’s found it. It’s a great way to get them to recognise their name in written form!

For me, the best part is that you can include a picture of your child on the back page. I love this as it’s a way of remembering how old they were when they received the book. Ellie couldn’t believe her picture was in there too, she told me it must have been magic. I know that even when she is too old to be singing nursery rhymes and believing in unicorns I will always remember the smile on her face when we would read them together.

Disclosure: I was gifted these two books in exchange for an honest review by In The Book. All views, opinions and images are my own.

Posted in Gifted, product review

Chalkola – Review

Posted on by Amy

Being in lockdown has meant we’ve been filling our days with nursery home learning, baking and art and crafts. Ellie has enjoyed being creative so much that we have run out of paint and can’t seem to buy any anywhere!

When Chalkola got in touch to see whether we’d like to try out some of their products I knew this would be a great replacement for the paint. They gifted us a Chalkola chalkboard and a pack of their chalk markers to try out and review.

We’ve been having lots of fun creating different masterpieces on the chalkboard and trying out the different colours with 30 chalk markers in the bigger pack we’ve had plenty to try out!

They work on so many non-porous surfaces; mirrors, chalk boards, glass, tuff trays, metal, ceramic and plastic and wipe off as easily as they go on. For more permanent designs they can also be used on wood, paper, fabric and clay! They really are perfect for every occasion. I’m already thinking of how I can use them at Christmas!

The markers are easy to use, shake the pen to activate the ink and then push on the tip until the colour starts to show then get creative! It really is as easy as that.

Not only has Ellie had fun creating her own art work we have used these for learning too! The chalkboard is great for teaching letter and number formation. Ellie has been using the markers to write her name and her numbers while homeschooling and has loved learning all the different colours too. We’ve even labelled some of our Tupperware with the labels provided too!

To remove the markers all you need is a damp cloth however I must add that as long as the markers are left to dry they don’t smudge or are accidentally wiped away either!

I was concerned over whether the markers would be safe for Ellie to us but once again Chalk Ola have thought of it all. Not only are they non-toxic but they are acid-free and odour-less.

Ellie has really loved being able to be creative in her drawings and i’ve noticed a huge inprovement in the way she draws too. People now have ears and eyebrows rather than just the eyes, nose and mouth. She is using her imagination more too! We’ve made homeschooling more fun and colourful with the help of the 30 colours in the pack.

I also asked Ellie what she thought of the Chalkola markers:

I love them. I like the red one the best. Red is my favourite, it is good to draw with red. I like writing my name and my numbers with the colourful pens.

If you are looking to find out more you can head to their website where you can also use the discount code: AMYP10 on any order!

You can also find Chalk Ola products on Amazon where you can use the discount code CHALKOLA10 on any order!

Check our their social media too!
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Disclosure: I was gifted the chalkboard and Chalkola chalk markers in exchange for an honest review. All views, opinions and images are my own.

Posted in Gifted, parenting, product review

My-Picture.co.uk Review

Posted on by Amy

I’m the sort of parent who seems to have her camera on all the time. I’m always trying to take a picture of Ellie. Part of it is because I know how important photographs are more so since losing Jason and only having a certain amount of pictures of him and never being able to take more but also because I am the sort of person who just takes hundreds of pictures! I remember coming back from a weekend break with Luke and having over 2000 pictures to sort through!

I’m also the sort of person who likes these pictures in the physical form and not just on her phone. So I was very excited when I was offered a collaboration with My-Picture.co.uk who were very generous in giving me £50 to spend as I wished!

It didn’t take me long to know I definitely wanted to order a canvas, after reading some of their customer reviews my mind was made up! My living room has quite a large chimney breast wall so I opted for the 60cm x 40cm print (this also was the best fit to the dimensions of the photo I chose). The ordering process was really straightforward, I simply uploaded the photo I wanted, chose the canvas size and entered my details. I liked the fact I could customise my canvas by choosing the frame thickness and what the edging looked like.

For my canvas I chose the 2cm thicnkness and to have a white edge instead of the photo being stretched. There is also the option to add text to the canvas however I did not do this.

The canvas print now hangs proudly above our sofa and takes pride of place on our wall. It’s lovely to walk in and see them. The photo quality is great, even with pictures taken on my mobile and they are so light they hang on the wall with a single nail. The canvas itself is made from spruce wood making it sturdy enough to support the canvas print.

As well as canvas prints My-Picture.co.uk also offers a range of photo gifts such as personalised cushion, blankets mugs and even towels! I also chose to order one of their personalised photo puzzles to include in Ellie’s Christmas Eve box. I used a picture taken of our family visiting Santa as I knew it would be a special puzzle we can do at Christmas for years to come. The puzzle is made from a sturdy cardboard and is complete with a glossy finish. There are 88 pieces stamped with a photo of your own choice.

I would highly recommend My-Picture.co.uk and I am already planning to use them again for birthday presents for both our parents within the year. If you’d like to check them out yourself I’ll drop their social media links below 🙂

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Disclosure: I was gifted a gift voucher to purchase a product of choice by My-Picture.co.uk in exchange for an honest review. All views, photographs and opinions are my own.

Posted in clothing, Gifted, product review

Cookie Dough Kids

Posted on by Amy

When Ellie needs new clothes I try and shop small as much as I can but it isn’t always easy to do. Shopping small means you are giving someone else a paycheck but with that usually means products are sometimes more expensive BUT they are handmade, take more time than mass-produced clothing and have so much love poured in to them.

I was recently approached by Kirsty from Cookie Dough Kids via my Instagram page who wanted to send Ellie a t-shirt of our choice for an honest review. Of cause with Ellie just turning 3 and her clothes are no longer fitting I jumped at the chance! While browsing the website I found myself struggling to choose a t-shirt…there were so many wonderful designs I could have picked all of them! I decided to go for a personalised tee that shouted out Ellie from the minute I saw it. Not only were there lots of designs to decide on, I then had the task of choosing the colour of the tee and the colour of the text! I’m such an indecisive person that I messaged Kirsty and asked her to send us a surprise, I do love surprises when our happy post arrives and fully trusted Kirsty to make the decision for me. She knows her products and her customers so well that it made sense to me.

Daddy and Ellie #besties

Our t-shirt arrived in great time which considering the prints are all handmade and needed to be personalised I was really surprised!
It was packaged well, wrapped in beautiful tissue paper. The t-shirt itself is great quality, slightly big on Ellie but as she’s only just sized up gives her plenty of room to grow and means she’ll get lots of wear out of it. It’s machine washable, which considering as soon as Ellie got dressed she had her chocolate from the advent calendar and got chocolate on it (ARGH!!) was a life-saver. I’ve washed it and the chocolate has come out and the print hasn’t faded or cracked either!

You can get your own custom design or one of their many designs over on their website www.cookiedoughkids.co.uk or you can check out their instagram where you could DM Kirsty and have a chat with her about what you’re looking for.

Disclosure: I was gifted the t-shirt by Cookie Dough Kids in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own.

Posted in parenting

Pontins

Posted on by Amy

Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park

Months ago I decided I’d treat us to a holiday, I couldn’t afford much as I am only working part-time so thought I’d try the Sun Holidays as I’ve heard so many good things. I found a holiday park fairly close to where we’ve stayed the past few years which was only going to cost £112 for 4 nights which I knew was cheap for a break away in the Summer Holidays. So I booked our 4 night stay at Pontins.

In the months that followed I’d started seeing bad reviews for the site and was feeling really anxious about it all. I did some research but wherever I looked the bad reviews outweighed the good by quite a lot. Its the first holiday I have paid for without Luke’s help and I wanted it to be perfect. I was started to feel quite sick at the thought of us going and contemplated just cancelling and losing the money I’d paid.

I do want to say that you shouldn’t believe EVERYTHING you read on review sites but I am glad I did my research otherwise I’d have been so disappointed when we arrived.

My following review is an honest account of my stay at Pontins Prestatyn Sands and I have written it because I wanted to show what I thought of the park and our apartment.

Upon arrival at the park my first thought was that it all looked a bit run down and in need of an upgrade to modernise it. We arrived around 5pm and found check in quite quick compared to what I had read however it felt very unorganised. We were given our keys and our electric key. I was under the impression that we would need to pay for the electric (which I was annoyed at as this wasn’t stated when booking via The Sun) however I was told our electric was part of the deal and when we ran out we were given extra electric cards for free.

Our apartment was on the second floor of one of the apartment blocks which, quite honestly, looked like they needed rebuilding. Our apartment definitely needed some work doing to it but it wasn’t as bad as I was imagining.
The outside looked dirty but there was so many seagulls I wasn’t surprised. Our apartment looked clean at first sight and I felt quite relieved. The bathroom looked fairly new and clean and so did the kitchen. The appliances were basic but clean and working. It wasn’t until I looked a bit closer that I’d realised the floors hadn’t been cleaned at all. I always take some cleaning products with me so I was prepared to do a little bit of cleaning but there wasn’t anything in the apartment to clean the floor so we had to make do with a small dustpan and brush. I also noticed there was crumbs and bits on the sofa which I wiped before letting Ellie sit down and the paint on the walls had been damaged in places. I reminded myself that we paid just over £100 and it wasn’t going to be anything special but I wished it had been cleaned before we arrived. The curtains all had scissor cuts in them which when we walked around the park seemed quite common in lots of rooms and our curtain rail was falling off.
Everything was just a bit “off”.

We stayed the 4 nights but didn’t use any of the facilities. We decided to use the room as a base point and visit places around it instead. Not the calm, relaxing holiday I wanted however we had a much better time when we were busy exploring. We drove to Llandudno and walked on the pier and enjoyed the arcades; we drove to Conwy and returned to a National Trust site we went to last year which was beautiful; we also took a walk along Talacre and Barky beach.

We made the most of the holiday knowing it didn’t cost up half as much as holiday parks charge for Summer.

Posted in days out, motherhood, Mum Blogger, mummy blog, product review

Nuby Trendz

Posted on by Amy

Ever since Ellie was first born I have loved Nuby Products. In the hospital we used the First Infant Milk Starter Kit which used Nuby teats. Since that day Ellie refused any other branded bottle and on her second day at home we had to go to Boots and buy a set of Nuby bottles for her to drink her formula out of. Ever since then our Nuby purchases have grown; from bottles to bath toys to cups and cutlery. Anything we needed, Nuby has provided!

So you can just imagine the happy dance I did when Nuby asked me* (*Okay…Ellie) to review their Trendz range. Trendz has everything a child will need heading to preschool, nursery or school in September and the bold, exciting designs will definitely make them stand out with their friends (and be easy to describe IF they end up misplacing them in the dinner hall.)

The first product I want to talk about is the Trendz #Grande Water Bottle. This bottle is a perfect size, 540ml, for days out and dare I say it… for going Back to School (sorry Teachers and TAs!!) I really loved the pop-open spout which is also no spill, Ellie has loved feeling independent enough to open the bottle and close the spout herself and it is suitable from 18months+. We’ve made good use of her new bottle over the past two weeks and I can honestly say it is super durable, odour resistant and it doesn’t stain! There are literally no marks left from the juice unlike other children’s bottles we’ve used in the past. It also comes with unicorns and rainbows on it any anyone who knows me knows how much I love a rainbow design!

We were also really lucky to be sent Nuby’s Trendz Double Lunch Bag. Ellie loves the design as it is covered with sweet treats and it is the perfect size to take on our Summer Holiday picnics.
The lunch bag is insulated keeping the food/drink inside cool for up to 5 hours!! Again, thinking of those children who will be starting nursery/school in September, thats perfectly long enough to keep their sandwiches fresh until lunch time. I was able to fit 4 bread rolls, 3 bags of crisps and a couple of Ellie’s favourite snacks in the two separate zipped compartments which meant we only needed to take the one lunch bag out on our adventures.

Finally the Trendz Mini BackPack with Reins (in the same super sweet Treat design). Ever since the mini backpack arrived Ellie has wanted to take it EVERYWHERE. Any time we need to go out in the car she has filled it with her favourite toys and put it on her back ready to go. She calls it her adventure bag.
She really is so cute!
This mini backpack is perfect for Ellie’s age as it comes with easy to attach reins which means any toddler can have free roam without the worry of them running off. We haven’t used the reins as Ellie doesn’t leave our side when we are out however I love that they are an option if we needed them!
What I really loved about the mini backpack was the reflective strips on the straps which I hadn’t actually noticed until I’d taken a picture of her with the flash on! Its such a simple thing but makes me feel so much safer knowing that if we ventured out in the dark that I could see her and so could any vehicles that may be driving past us.
Ellie has walked around quite happily with her bag on her back; it is light-weight, soft and has padded straps so she doesn’t really notice it’s there. I tested out the pockets by putting her #Grande Water Bottle which fit perfectly in the side and didn’t stop Ellie from wanting to wear her backpack.

I am definitely not ready for this one to start Nursery yet (she doesn’t actually start until January…phew) but she is and she can’t wait to take her backpack and lunch box with her!

Nuby currently has a “Back To School” promotion running on their website and you can get a Bargain Bundle for as little as £20! These items come in the treats design you can see in our pictures or a super cool robot design. Like this one:

If you don’t want to order from their website (currently offering FREE DELIVERY with a spend of £15 or more) then the Trendz range will be available from Morrisons from September 2019 too.

Disclosure: The Trendz Mini Backpack, Lunch Box and Grande Water Bottle were gifted to us by Nuby UK during a Giveaway which I ran over on my Instagram page. We were under no obligation to write a review. All views and opinions are my own. This is not a paid ad.