My Clippy - Bags of Style

Create layered card designs with the Japanese themed craft papers, push out shapes and stencils. Hold your card in place with the mini workstation, then create layered card designs. Use the embossing tool and templates to create different effects. Add personal touches with your own pictures, stickers or ribbons. When your design is finished simply pop you’re My Clippy card into the clear bag pockets and you’ve customised your own designer handbag or remove the detachable strap for a pretty pencil case. Change the cards whenever you like to totally change your look! 

I was first introduced to Clippy on one of the television shopping channels when they were a new company getting their name out and about there. They were selling ladies hand and beach bags where you could customise your own bag by putting things into the little pockets on both sides of the bag, making your bag unique and would reflect your style perfectly and when you got bored with it, you changed the contents. No need for a bag for each outfit! I was however, unconvinced about the idea, however I think that Clippy may have got the ideal product right here.

I have a daughter who is just beginning to learn about fashion and her own style. She has discovered boy bands and Justin Bieber and her favourite artist will change every week depending on who her friends like (which also changes regularly).

Included in the box are:

• one bag with three pockets and a detachable strap - it is pencil case size.
• one workstation - holds work in place while creating
• an embossing tool with two interchangeable punches
• 10 card blanks - the correct size to fit in pockets
• 6 sheets of Japanese style papers - all very pink but lovely designs
• 2 sheets of pop out images - waste can be used as templates
• instruction sheet - very brief instructions

The kit is a great start for children who want to make their own creations. The little pieces of art are of similar size to Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) which were popular a few years ago and were little working of art which people would swap with others to get other peoples ideas to try for themselves. They could be used as pieces of art for friends or be added into purses,wallets etc with clear pocket inserts as well as being used to decorate the included wallet/pencil case.

The materials included are a good starter kit and children could add their own glitter,, sequins, gems, photographs, pictures etc to the designs. The kit is very girl orientated. There is a recommended age of 8 years and older which I think is perfect and I know my 9 year old enjoyed playing and testing this out with me. There is, however, no adhesive included - therefore a glue stick or tape will be needed before this can be started. The workstation is the perfect size to hold the card blank, it is not very sturdy and it would be better if it could be attached to a surface (suction pad?). 

I would recommend this as a great gift for a girl who wants to get in crafting - perfect for someone who would love to get into card making (I make my own cards and a lot of the materials and creations would look perfect on a card front) or someone who enjoys art and making their own creations.

In conclusion - I think that is a good idea for young girls who enjoy arts and crafts and a clever idea by Clippy. 

Thank you to Evolution PR for sending me this product to review.

Angry Birds 4inch Plush with Sound

 

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds eggs. Now you can catapult your very own Angry Bird with these 4" Angry Birds Plush Toys with sound FX. All your favourite characters from the hit app game are available to collect. 

Angry Birds seem to be everywhere and now kids and adults alike can own their own Angry Bird. There are five birds and one pig in the range to collect and with an RRP of £4.99 quite reasonably priced for a character toy.

Press the top of the bird's head and there are three different sounds to be heard, from the game. They are well made and look exactly like they appear on the popular game.

The perfect gift to give older children or even adults this Easter.

Thank you to Evolution PR for sending me the product to review.

Sylvanian Families - Celebration Sea Breeze Rabbit Family

 

Sylvanian Families are an adorable range of distinctive animal characters with charming and beautiful homes, furniture and accessories. They live, work and play in the idyllic and wonderful land of Sylvania.

The Celebration Sea Breeze Rabbit family have been all at sea! They are dressed in their nautical outfits and are ready to celebrate 25 years in Sylvania, father Lawrence keeps a tight ship, mother Doris likes to write the captains log whilst away, brother Tristan loves being at sea but sister Morgan would prefer to spend a little more time on land whilst baby Nessie is happy where ever she is! Contains 5 pose-able characters with 6 tiny postcards. For ages 4 years and over.

Prepare for life on the high seas with the seafaring Sylvanian Families Celebration Sea Breeze Rabbit Family . Having just sailed into Sylvania from an epic sea voyage, these adventure-loving bunnies can't wait to share tales of mermaids and pirates with their fellow Sylvanians. Decked out in smart sailing outfits , the five-piece Sea Breeze Rabbit Family comes with dad Lawrence , mum Doris , children Tristan and Morgan , and baby Nessie .

This beautiful set of rabbits contains 5 rabbits - all in their best sea fairing naval costumes. They are in a beautiful presentation box with the view from the top deck as a back drop and six tiny postcards included. They have been released to celebrate 25 years.


As with all Sylvanian families they are made to a very high standard and will look beautiful as an ornament or as an addition to a collector's growing collection. They all have their own names and on the back of the box they all have their own back story  - which will keep a child's imagination busy for ages. 


They would be a perfect accompaniment to the pleasure boat or canal boat or any of the houses in the range. They would also be lovely with any dolls houses that children may also own. The toys are all fully removable and could be swapped between characters in the range. There are endless hours of enjoyment to be had with these gorgeous characters that any child would adore to own.


Thank you to Evolution PR for sending me this product to review.

Justin Fletcher - Hands Up..... The Album!

Justin Fletcher released his single, Hands Up, last year and now he is back with the album! 

The brand new album from the most popular performer on children’s TV.  The album features 20 classic children’s songs along with a few brand new songs – covering everything from The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, The Laughing Policeman to the brand new single Hands Up.

Justin Fletcher has been involved in many of the biggest kids TV shows over recent years including Tweenies, Timmy Time, Fun Song Factory and Shaun The Sheep, as well as starring as himself in shows Something Special, Tikkabilla, Higgledy House, Gigglebiz and his brand new show “Justin’s House”.

Track Listing:

1. Hands Up

2. The Hokey Cokey

3. Music Man

4. The Sun Has Got His Hat On

5. The Grand Old Duke Of York

6. The Teddy Bear's Picnic

7. Heads Shoulders Knees And Toes

8. Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf

9. The Laughing Policeman

10. Old MacDonald

11. Nellie The Elephant

12. Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

13. Incy Wincy Spider

14. The Wheels On The Bus

15. If You're Happy And You Know It

16. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush

17. Ten In A Bed

18. Frère Jacques

19. The Sailor's Lament

20. Justin's Lullaby

There is something for every occasion on the album - it is an album that can be played in the car, at a birthday party or just around the house. There are action rhymes, nursery rhymes and songs to dance to. It is an album that kids of all ages will enjoy but parents will be able to put it on for the children and dance with their children or leave on in the background to entertain the children while doing the housework etc. There are a mixture of old favourites and more modern songs - but all with that Justin Fletcher flair to them!

The album is out tomorrow, March 5th 2012, and is available from all good retailers!

The album has also been highlighted by personal trainer, Steven Teasdale, who thinks it is a great idea as a workout cd for parents as can be seen below: 

Justin Fletcher the star of CBeebies is about to release his debut album ‘Hands up’ on the 5^th March. The album is packed with children’s classic songs but they have been speeded up with a high impact dance beat. Parents all over the UK have been discovering that not only do their pre school children love the album, but they too canenjoy the benefit of dancing along with their children whilst loosing weight at the same time.

Steven Teasdale is a personal trainer whose celebrity clients included GMTV presenter Fiona Philips and television presenter, actress and model, Danielle Lineker. Steven was also the fitnessexpert on the Lorraine Kelly Show for 2 years. He is now better known on twitter as  "The Stay At Home PT" @thestayathomept and combines his personal fitness training whilst looking after his two children.

Steven is passionate about getting parents and their children active and to enjoy exercising again in a fun and enjoyable way. Steven is a big fan of Justin Fletcher AKA Mr Tumble and on receiving a copy of the new album “Hands Up’, which is released on the 5^th March, he realised that the album could be used as a fitness work out for the parents.

He has Vlogged about this here, with his adorable children getting involved too - check out his You Tube Channel and please comment and share it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhcFBve9vN4

He has put together the following guide lines which we would love you to write about on your blog and test them out yourselves!

Steven danced to the album with his 3-year-old daughter, here are his findings!

Having danced to the album with my 3-year-old daughter I would say that participating in the full album is the equivalent of 40 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercise.

This would be similar to going for a brisk walk, or dancing! Based on a 200lb adult, this sort of exercise generally burns around 350 calories per 40 minutes.

This is the equivalent of

40g of kettle chips (Any flavour) and

175ml glass of white or red wine.

However, I've come up with ways to make the Hands Up Album a more HIGH-impact aerobic activity, by incorporating lunges, squats and jumps for the adults (see below) in order to make the songs more cardio vascular. This sort of exercise works the large muscle groups in the legs i.e. the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calf’s and some of the movements would help to work on the core too. This would take the calorie burn for a 200lb person up to around 420 calories.

420 calories is the equivalent to

Pain au chocolate and a Skinny Latte from Starbucks

Calories burned during exercise depends on your weight and, more specifically, your BMI (Body Mass Index) so while it would be correct to say that you can burn up to

420 calories doing the Hands Up Album, this figure is based on a person of 200lbs (14 stone). If we're appealing to mums, the average woman weighs around 11 stone so the calorie burn would becloser to 283 calories. Which would be the equivalent of

A Mini Milk Chocolate Bar

And a large Cappuccino with skimmed milk!

From the M&S cafe

  

“As a “stay at home” parent myself Ithink

How to make the Album more high impact:

Here are a few examples.

"Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush"

The key to making this song more high impact aerobically is for adults to keep fit together and "jump" around the Mulberry bush to the beat of the music, rather than just "walking around". This would make the motion during the song, similar to skipping, which if carried out for 3 minutes (the duration of the song), is a GREAT cardio work out.

"The Hokey Cokey"

I suggest holding light weights while doing the actions to give the arms a work out (you can use wrist weights orthere are objects all around the house you can use as weights) while making a punching action for the left and right arm "in/out" sequence.

Also, when you do the Hokey Cokey, you should be jumping, legs together, into the middle, rather that just walkingforwards and backwards.

The "knees bend, arms stretch, rah rah rah" part can incorporate a squat.

For the part where you put your left leg in and take your left leg out, adults could perform a lunge, which works the Glutes.

"The Laughing Policeman"

Marching on the spot during the verses with high knees is an excellent cardio work out, but the key to this song is holding a plank position for the duration of the policeman's laugh. Four 15second bursts of laughter, which is a great core, work out and the kids will love seeing you trying not to laugh.

"Heads Shoulders Knees And Toes"

A classic song for bending, stretching and touching your toes but we could make it a bit harder by doing dynamic squats.

Finally, the title song “Hands Up” is such a good dance tune that you can do all kinds of high impact dance moves with jumps etc that will really get the heart and lungs working!

The CD can provide a fun “home work-out” for parents. Because most of these songs have a fast beat and high tempo rhythm, they lend themselves brilliantly to a work-out for adults and a fun time for kids, which is healthy to everyone.

If you can cut out 500 Calories from your daily intake then you will lose 1lb per week which is a really healthy weight loss and because it’s done gradually it’s more likely that you will keep the weight off, so by doing this album with your kids daily you are more likely to hit this target.

Thank you to Louise Harris from Rock and Roll Baby World for sending me the album to review.