Philips GC2046/20 EasySpeed Steam Iron with 110 g Steam Boost/ Ceramic Soleplate and Safety Auto-Off, 270 ml, 2200 Watt, Blue

• Powerful Pressurised Steam Iron - produces 35g per minute of continuous steam and a powerful 110g steam boost to remove deep creases
• Smart scale clean slider & reminder - takes less than 1 minute to descale for longer steam performance and lifetime
• Safety Auto-Shut Off - The iron will switch off after 30 seconds if left on the soleplate or after 8 minutes if left on the heelrest.
• Ceramic soleplate - durable, scratch resistant and glides easily on all fabrics
• Vertical Steam - iron out creases in curtains or hanging clothes.

I seem to get through irons at the rate of least one per year. I only do my family's ironing, unlike my mum who takes in ironing too, but I don't seem to have much luck with irons. Therefore I have tried out many brands and different styles over the years.

This iron is by Phillips, a brand I have used many times and one I keep coming back to as one of my favourites.

It is a light iron, I used to think that I preferred heavier models but am now becoming a firm favourite of the lighter ones. It is easy to hold, fitting nicely into my hand, without the need to stretch fingers round the handle etc.

It heats up quickly and the temperature is easy to control with an accessible dial, however i did think that the maximum temperature was cooler than previous irons I have owned.

The soleplate is great - I have not managed to scratch it or leave dirty marks on it, like other irons I have used and it glides easily over all fabrics I have tried. It also irons well and no crease has beaten it so far!

The iron's power cord is not the longest I have seen on irons, it would benefit from being extended by 50cm.

The only other fault I could find was the water reservoir - it only holds 270ml of water, which I found to empty quickly - however I do do a large amount of ironing at one time and therefore maybe I need to buy a model with a larger reservoir. Also the reservoir has a cover over to stop spillages, which is a great asset, however I am right handed and I found the hinge on the cover to be awkward - I would prefer it to open the other way to make it easier to use a jug to fill it with. 

In summary, I would recommend this as a great iron for a student leaving home for the first time or for someone who does not have huge amounts of ironing to do, however for myself, as a busy mum, I would prefer an iron with a larger water reservoir and longer flex.

I received this iron, through the Amazon Vine Programme, in return for an honest review.

Edge Beanbags Techbed - A Beanbag Tablet Stand Pillow Bean Bag Cushion Holder for all iPad iPad Mini iPad Air Surface and other ebook readers - 25cm x 25cm x 31cm bean bag.

The Techbed is a genius accessory for all Ipads, notepads, ebook readers and notebooks. Rest your device on a chair arm or snuggle up in bed, the Techbed keeps the device easily balanced - no slipping and sliding. We use the same top upholstery grade fabrics to ensure a hard-wearing but soft feel finish for your techbed.

I can not congratulate this company enough on their customer service & fantastic service. I placed my order, the next day I had confirmation that my Techbed had been despatched and then Philippa rung me the next day to tell me it would be delivered that day and even gave me a 1 hour time slot of when it was to be delivered! I have not received such fantastic service from any other company.

The Techbed itself is a simple product design but it works so well. I was surprised when it arrived at how light the product is. I think I was expecting a heavy Techbed but it is so light. I assume it is filled with bean bag filling or something similar. It fits a range of size hand held devices - I have used it for my kindle paperwhite, samsung tablet and also samsung mobile phone and they all work perfectly. I use it while sitting on the sofa, at the kitchen table or lying in bed and it holds the device at the perfect angle every time.

Fantastic invention, recommend to all.

The Techbed can be bought through Amazon here and is avaliable in ten different colours

Sealy Posturepedic Pocket Spring Back Pillow - Soft

• This pillow provides soft support and is suitable for Front and Back sleepers
• 65 x 40 x 14 cm
• Knitted cover/ 28 Springs & Memory Foam inside
• To clean wipe only
• Guaranteed for 3 years

I suffer from neck and back pain and have been looking for a pillow to support my neck for some time. I usually sleep on my side or front and so wanted something that would support in either position. I think that I have an answer to my hunt in this pillow.

The Sealy Posturepedic pillow is soooo comfy! It is quite a large pillow and I must admit I haven't tried to find a cover for it yet but I think it may need a slightly larger than usual pillow case to cover it comfortably without it being squashed.

This pillow is a soft support but it was supportive throughout the night and I did not feel that I was sinking into the pillow. When I lifted my head in the morning it immediately sprung back to its original shape and was very tempting to just have five minutes more.

The pillow looks expensive - it is very well made and has a beautiful quilted top and bottom. It also feels luxourious, and therefore could easily be used without a pillow case.

I would definitely recomeend this to anyone looking for a new pillow. It is supportive and well made, while looking very expensive.

I received this product in return for an honest review through the Amazon Vine Programme.

Lego Friends Show Stage (41105)

 

When the Lego Friends series of Lego originally was released, I was lucky enough to see some of the first kits through a research panel on an online forum - the outcome was that as with all Lego kits they were fantastic kits, however why the pastel colours? Lego is unisex and does not need to be sugary pink and purple to attract girls to play with it. The debate has continued and I think that Lego have listened to the consumers.

This Lego Friends kit is, dare I say it, more gothic! Blacks, pinks, blues and yellows make up the kit and it is a much nicer colour palette. The actual model will appeal to girls, but I think that it will also appeal to boys too. Lego have released a number of Pop Star Lego Friends Kits and so this can be added to with other kits. This kit is one of the more expensive kits from this range but there is quite a bit for children to construct and will keep them amused for a number of hours. 

There are some tricky bits in the construction of this kit, but as with all Lego instruction booklets, there are fantastic step by step instructions which children age 8+ will be able to follow with little or no help from others.

This would be a great gift to give to children aged 8+ that they will love to build and love to play with for many hours.

I received this product through the Amazon Vine Programme in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Moonlight on Nightingale Way by Samantha Young

Logan from Echoes of Scotland Street is back with his own smouldering story, as the bestselling On Dublin Street series returns...Logan spent two years paying for the mistakes he made. Now, he's ready to start over. He has a great apartment, a good job, and plenty of women to distract him from his past. And one woman who is driving him to distraction...Grace escaped her manipulative family by moving to a new city. Her new life, made to suit her own needs, is almost perfect. All she needs to do is find her Mr. Right-or at least figure out a way to ignore her irresistible yet annoying womanizer of a neighbor. Grace is determined to have nothing to do with Logan until a life-changing surprise slowly begins turning the wild heartbreaker into exactly the kind of strong, stable man she's been searching for. Only just when she begins to give into his charms, her own messy past threatens to derail everything they've worked to build...

 This is the sixth, and last, book in the Dublin Street novel series by Samantha Young. This one focuses on Logan, who is readjusting to life outside of prison. He was initially introduced in the fifth book, as Shannon's older brother.

As with all of Young's books this one is full of emotion, great story and those sizzling steamy scenes which I know I will devour! But it's uppermost theme continues to be that of family and friendship in many forms. Each installment has introduced new characters but old favourites continue to pop up, which is like revisiting old friends.

This installment is the perfect end to the series, however I am going to miss the cast of Dublin Street and I hope that Samantha Young's next project is as fabulous as this series has been.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a review copy via Net Gallery in return for an honest review.  

Ozeri 4x3razor Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer with Tri-Axis Technology

• New 3D Tri-Axis Bosch Sensor from Germany (with X, Y, Z vector detection) provides superior accuracy in any position.
• Designed for high-performance athletes, the 4x3razor is the world's thinnest and lightest pedometer -- 0.5cm (less than 0.2") thick and weighs just half an ounce.
• Records steps, distance, calories and exercise time with the most advanced Tri-Axis technology.
• Counts up to 1 million steps with 7-Day Memory, and includes a built-in Clock and Sports Timer with Auto Sleep technology
• Razor thin design that fits in any pocket. Ships with a belt clip, extra battery, and detachable lanyard included. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

The Ozeri 4x3 digital pedometer is a small, lightweight pedometer that has lots of potential. It not only measures both steps and distance walked but can also tell the wearer the speed walked and, more importantly to me, how many calories have been burned in each session.

It is a slim line model, with a spring clip on the back making it easy to attach to any waistband. It can easily be hidden under longer tops and can’t be seen due to its sleek design. It is well made, and I have had no problems or system errors in the many months I have been using it.

It is easy to set up and can be used in one of two scales – miles or kilometres. It has the scope to keep 30 days of steps taken, distance travelled and calories burned in its memory

The instructions state the battery should last an average of seven months (based on an average of 10,000 steps per day.

I liked the added feature that it the pedometer would not sense motion like travelling in a car as additional steps taken, there is a suspend feature which prevents motion activation in vehicles.

In summary this is a great pedometer – I have used a number of the free pedometers that companies have given out over time and they are great for someone who is only interested in the number of steps taken each day but for those who wish to train for events or those who wish to use walking as an aid to weightloss I think this is a fantastic pedometer.

I received this product in return for an honest product review.

Dr Miriam Galt Fill and Spill Barn

Introducing a new range of developmental toys for baby’s first year and beyond. Developed with Dr Miriam Stoppard, the UK’s most trusted parenting expert. Each toy is designed to encourage learning through play and includes a play guide written by Dr Miriam with tips on how to play with the toy in the most beneficial way while having fun!A wooden barn with 8 farm animals to put in and take out. Encourages hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity including the important skill of picking up and letting go. All wood is from renewable sources.

A wooden barn with 8 farm animals to put in and take out. Encourages hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity including the important skill of picking up and letting go. All wood is from renewable sources. Part of a range of baby toys developed with Dr Miriam Stoppard, the UK's most trusted parenting expert. Includes a play guide written by Dr Miriam with tips on how to play with this toy in the most beneficial way while having fun!

I work in a children's centre and one of the most popular toys we use is the farmyard and therefore when I was offered this through the Amazon Vine programme in return for an honest review I was very interested in testing it.

First impressions was that it was very nicely packaged and packed within the box, with pieces wrapped in tissue paper to ensure no scratches etc before it was given or bought. The main farm barn is well made, with a removable roof. The corners have been rounded to ensure safe for young hands. It is not a large farm, just the right size as a first farm for toddlers. It is, however, one which can be bought as a first farm and then added to a larger farm set. 

Now, since receiving this item I have had time to consider one issue that I have with this product - the animals are not animal shaped - they are carved out of wood and have a cartoon style animal picture on them, beautiful as they are, but are solid shapes, not proper animals with legs to stand on, or chew on!. This product has been endorsed by Dr Miriam Stoppard, who Galt have said is teh UK's most trusted parenting expert, I am not arguing this, however when I have spoken in the past to Speech and Language experts through my work, they have said that children should see 'real photographic' images of things when learning, therefore surely farmyards should have pieces which look like animals, with four legs which can be grabbed at and a head which can be held, not a shaped piece of wood.

I also found the enclosed leaflet in which Dr Miriam told the reader how to play with the toy rather patronising - it also appeared to me to be too advanced for a 12 month old - Here is a DOG, he WAGS his TAIL and says WOOF WOOF - for example is too much for very young children and although some parents do need tips on playing with their child I do not think the leaflet was very informative.

However, after everything I have said, I do like the actual toy - great size for a young toddler, something which could be used for many years and used as a base for a farm which could, for example, be suggested to people to add to for future birthdays or Christmas, where people could buy separate pieces to add to the farm (eg separate animals, tractors, fencing etc). 

I received this through the Amazon Vine Programme in return for an honest review.