We had an epic time when we first visited Simulator Adventures in Manchester, so we were delighted to be invited back to try out their Airbus A320 Flight Simulator now that they've added the hydraulics. It felt like you were actually moving before, and this really does add another dimension of reality to the experience. 

Our visit was actually 6 months ago, but COVID has kept leisure activities off the menu for a while. Simulator Adventures is used for pilot training, so has been in use during lockdown, but pretty soon (May 17th) they can reopen to the public and let anyone have a go... and bookings are being taken now. 

These guys keep changing their waiting room seating, so it wouldn't surprise me if they've upgraded again, but you get into the mood for flying as soon as you arrive. 

There's no age 'limit', but you need to be around 4ft6 / 10 years old before you are tall enough to actually use the flight simulator, and it's not a place for little ones. This is grown up playtime. 

Uni Students might also want sensible gifts for their studies, but Christmas is about being frivolous, and I like to treat my 4 grown up uni student offspring to things that'll make them smile and maybe also have a practical side. I have previously been sent some of the following items for review - but I wouldn't also include them in this post if I didn't like them! 

Miss You Loads. 

Is anyone ever too old for a soft toy? Uni students this year especially have to cope by themselves far more than in the past. They haven't been able to nip home, and physical contact might be a bit lacking. 

I recently did a review for Moonpig, and sent my 21 year old Uni student this Sloth which warms in the microwave for a very fair £10. Other creatures are available. It's the closest thing to a hug - and it really doesn't have to be pink or fluffy. 

Hedgeways is a wooden strategy game which we were sent to review earlier this Autumn by Sprout & Gherkin. Designed for 2 players (although we have played a version with more), and recommended for anyone aged around 7-99+, it's fun to play, and a beautiful game which comes in the most amazing wooden box... 

Hedgeways is from the same people who make another gorgeous wooden tile game, Sproutword, and it's just as clever. There is no plastic packaging, in fact no plastic at all, and the box itself is part of the joy - created mainly from a single piece of wood, carefully cut to bend over and clip shut. That'll impress the Grandads... 

Players take it in turns to place 1,2 or 3 tiles on the table. Tiles have to match in colour where they touch. Players earn a point for every 'field' they enclose completely. It's pick up and play at it's finest. There are no complicated rules and anyone can win - although you definitely get better as you play! 

Anyone who has ever read my blog knows that I'm a huge fan of STEM toys. I love toys which inspire children to learn more about their world. How does it work? Why does it do that? How can I change it? Can I make it better?

These are questions our Scientists, Technology Experts, Engineers and Mathematicians of the future need to be allowed to ask, and as they find out their answers, your children will be learning skills which will last them a lifetime.


Brainstorm Toys are a household favourite and we've been buying them for our children since they were small. We've also reviewed loads over the past few years, and the links are all at the bottom of this post. They've sent us a selection of toys which I'll be putting away to give to my boys for Christmas.

On Friday 6th December at 6pm, Brainstorm are hosting a Twitter Party where they'll be giving away lots of fun educational toys. I'll be there, and if you have any questions then this is your chance to ask the professionals - and the bloggers and other parents.


STEM Toys make excellent gifts because you are giving the child much more than 'a toy'. You will be helping them to grow, and you may be introducing them to a passion they'll have forever.

Dr Seuss' most famous Christmas grump is available on Duvet Covers and Cushions this Winter thanks to Dreamtex and ASDA, and they've sent us a set to review - plus they are giving a set away to one of my readers. Available in Single and Double sized Duvet Sets perfect for your child's bedroom. The Grinch is the perfect Christmas decoration for your room.


I'm a big fan of Dreamtex bedding because their duvet covers have wide openings for easy changing, reliable popper fastenings and the material is soft and easy to care for. The poly/cotton can be washed hot if necessary and tumble dried.

My Personalised Case make phone cases for a huge range of phones, including the new iPhones, and they can be customised to include your own images and text. They also sell other cases and personalised Bluetooth Speakers and Powerbanks, at very reasonable prices. They have sent me a Tough Phone Case and Personalised Bluetooth Speaker for review.


The website is very simple to use and within a couple of minutes I'd uploaded my chosen image. Be careful which image you choose - annoyingly mine didn't work as a full cover photo because the camera obscures my children's faces! Thankfully there are several layouts to choose from.


You can also add text and other effects including stickers and filters. It's easy to undo your last move and very quick.

Last night I was invited along to be among the very first people to check out the brand new Søstrene Grene store in Manchester city centre. I was also allowed to bring home a bag of goodies to show you the kind of products they offer...


Søstrene Grene sell all kinds of homewares, including gifts, cookware and specialist ingredients, craft materials, children's toys, Christmas decorations, prints and frames, cushions and a whole load more to make your home comfortable and attractive.


The layout is very European, spacious and enticing. Immediately you are met with teas, coffees and preserves, and other foods. They even have loose tea by the bag - my OH was ecstatic with his Ginger and Rhubarb. There are lots of quirky, artisan or unusual foods which are very tempting to try.

This post is a collaboration to put food on my table, written by Ale Roman. It has some great tips and ideas. I've added some of my own images...

October is almost upon us, and that can only mean one thing… Christmas is just around the corner. Already you might start to see the familiar flashes of red and white on the high street as stores start to show their Christmas wares nice and early for excited consumers that are looking for the best gifts for this beautiful season.

While you may not even be thinking of Christmas just yet, rest assured that it’ll be here before you know it! And with just a little planning, you can ensure that you and your family have an amazing time around the tree, by the fire, at the dinner table and wherever else the festive season takes you.


Whether you’re the kind of early bird that likes to plan well in advance, or whether you just want to start feeling Christmassy to brighten up the gloomy Autumn days, we hope you’ll find some inspiration in our ideas.

Here are some suggestions to help make sure that you get the very best out of Christmas 2019...

My boys love all kinds of toys and they aren't scared by pink, so it was their choice to accept a Smooshins Surprise Maker Kit for review. The kit contains everything you need to make 4 different 8cm tall Smooshins - colourful, tactile and cute hand-sized characters - and you start with a Colour Pouch full of two-part liquid and a Smooshin Maker.


The box is a strange shape which isn't incredibly useful for storage and there are some necessary plastic bags, but unpacking is 5 minutes. You will need a small phillips screwdriver and 3 x AAA batteries (not included), but then you can read the instructions and start straightaway. Fairly Christmas morning friendly.

My boys were very lucky this week because they were sent a brand new Hatchimals Hatchibaby to review. I have done a video showing everything, including how long it takes to hatch and how to hatch your Hatchibaby, a link is below. Hatchibabies are, just like real babies, either male or female, and they also come in 2 varieties - Ponette or CheeTree.


There is an instruction booklet inside the box, which you should really read before you begin, as well as a Tips And Tricks sheet and a HatchiBirth Certificate which you can write the Hatchibaby's name and date of birth on, and add the secret slip of paper announcing 'Girl' or 'Boy' which you'll find once your Hatchibaby has hatched.


Your Hatchibaby is lots of fun straight away because it is really interesting even at the egg stage. It will interact and react from inside the egg, as soon as you have removed the locking keys at  the bottom, so play with it and make the most of this time.

I spotted the RoboMaker Pro in the Toy Awards at BlogOn and it was one of the big toys that caught my eye. Clementoni construction sets are brilliant for encouraging STEM learning while having loads of fun.

Your child will practise engineering and design skills when building their model and then they'll learn about electricity, block programming and coding while they get to grips with controlling it - and with different sensors and lots of movement, there is absolutely loads it can do...


Cleverly there are instructions for 5 different models included, and they start fairly easy and become really quite complex. plus you can of course create your own models. Inside the box is everything you need except 4 x AAA batteries. Parts are still attached to the sprue, so you'll need 10 minutes to remove them before you first start.

I've always felt miniature construction would be better with a little more light shed on the situation and Light Stax are a very clever and unintrusive method of achieving this. Wireless, you can barely see where the power is coming from and the way they attach together means you can safely make all kinds of amazing light up designs.


I was given some Light Stax to review at BlogOn and my partner opened them as soon as I got home. He set to work immediately producing my blog initials, which I posted on Instagram. We were both really impressed with the Light Stax - and yet we were both very sceptical before we tried them.


They've won us over. We've got the Snapping Crocodile, Hybrid Fire Truck and V2 Beginner Plus set. The power system is really clever, with metal built into the blocks to pass the current. You can barely see it and it doesn't interfere with building.

A couple of weeks ago we received a parcel that equated to an early Christmas for us. A huge box full of products to review for GB Posters. My grown up kids and young boys all had a chance to add something to the wishlist, and we had a real mixed bag including Fallout, Skyrim and Playstation, Star Wars, the Periodic Table and the human skeleton...


I'll cover the posters later (most of them cost a mere fiver), first the branded or licensed products. GB Posters have literally hundreds to choose from, ranging from Ariane Grande and Adventure Time, to Yu-Gi-Oh and Volkswagen. You can browse them all on the Brands A-Z page.

My family young and old had no trouble finding some of their favourites. These are exactly the sort of thing we give at Christmas as stockingfillers, they're great for adults and awkward teenagers.

It's September and one of our favourite brands are back with some new games for this Autumn. Foxy Pants from Drumond Park is a great active family game that makes your children squeal with delight and excitement. This is a fox who overfills his pockets and suffers the inevitable consequence. When his pants fall it's your job to grab and save as many of the chickens as you can.... It can get quite frantic.


The game is suitable for 2-4 players aged 4+ and as you'd expect, everything you need is in the box, including 1 fox with pants, 21 chickens, 4 chicken coops, 1 dice and instructions.

We are huge Nerf fans, so I was more than happy to accept another for review from Very, the home shopping site. This is my first try of the Nerf arrows, with the huge and impressive, yet ridiculously light, Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt crossbow.


Firstly, this was the most minimal packaging I've ever had on anything sent for review. I can't fault the Nerf crossbow because it survived the UK postal system, despite only being protected by a magic address label. Lightweight yet robust certainly!