A couple of days ago I posted our review of Star Wars Dobble, and today I'm delighted to say that Esdevium Games have offered a copy for one of my readers for my Christmas Present Giveaways.

A frantic and fast matching game that can be played by anyone aged around 6+, this is our youngest family member's new favourite game...


Any Star Wars fans might recognise a lot of the people, symbols, vehicles and other items shown, but only die-hard fans will know them all straightaway, and it's really no bonus as Dobble is all about speed!

You read it right! Bladez Toyz sell radio controlled inflatables, and just in time for Christmas this year they will have a host of new additions, including Star Wars. I'm delighted to say we've been sent R2-D2 and the incredibly cute BB-8 for review.


BB-8 is large enough at 43cm tall, but R2-D2 is a giant 64cm. Both have a 30m range and run on 2.4GHz, however multiplayer is absolutely fine. You just need to 'wake up' your droid, then wait ten seconds for player 2 to 'wake' theirs.
When you open the box you find the inflatable itself, the base unit/battery pack with wheels, and a familiar style controller with 2 dual direction buttons forwards/backwards, left/right. Each droid needs 1 x 9v battery for the controller, and 4 x AA batteries for the inflatable itself .

We love games, and that includes card games. Dobble is a card game for that plays like an advanced form of snap, and it's a lot harder than you might think! We've been sent Star Wars Dobble for review, and my 6 year old loves it because he loves Star Wars, and he can beat us all!


Inside the box packaging, everything is stored in a really neat embossed Star Wars Darth Vader tin. It's great for storage and transport, and looks lovely on the shelf.

Guru Company (formerly Cley Designs) are a small UK company making unique, handmade, personalised gifts. They specialise in personalised jewellery and keepsakes, including text, fingerprints, handprints and footprints. Treasures to keep forever....


I was offered a review, and I actually let my teenage daughter's boyfriend choose her something for her upcoming birthday - so she hasn't seen it yet! He chose this gorgeous and fairly delicate personalised Mini Heart Necklace with her name on. It arrived really quickly, within a week, nicely presented in a gift box.


Inside the gift box the necklace was carefully wrapped in very pretty tissue with silver hearts. It felt very special opening it, and I've rewrapped it with care, so that she will also get that special newness too.

The Book Of Everyone's website is a place where you can create a really gorgeous keepsake gift for just about anyone. Beautiful personalised books with your own words and choices, to make your loved ones laugh and smile.


We reviewed The Book Of Everyone last December, when I created a book for my son, who was 18. This year I have been offered the chance to review again, and I've chosen The Book Of Dad, which takes elements from the original book, and adds to them some specifically written for Dads.


The website is really simple and intuitive, and you can have a book ordered in 5 minutes if you wish. Delivery is quick, within 10 days, and your book arrives neatly packaged in a card box with a plastic bag inside - so it won't be ruined if the postman delivers in the rain.

The Anki Overdrive has had a heck of a lot of use since it arrived. Five minutes to get out or put away, and tons of fun when it's running, this robotic car racing system is a real household favourite. October saw the release of Supertrucks to add to your existing sets and really increase gameplay...


We've been sent the Freewheel Supertruck to review. Three times the size of the Anki Overdrive cars, the Supertrucks use their heftiness, plus a new control system and weapons, to race and battle against the other cars.

The packaging is awesome, and designed to protect your Supertruck long term. Incredibly carefully thought out and quick to open and close, Anki know you want to keep your vehicles safe, and they make it very easy. No excuses.


The Freewheel Supertruck is gorgeous. A sleek and finely detailed printed plastic model articulated truck which also happens to be a very sophisticated robot...

MOA, the Magic Organic Apothecary, are a UK company who make natural skincare products containing ingredients which have stood the test of time, and proven their usefulness and reliability. MOA's favourite ingredient is Yarrow, a herb which has been used for centuries to heal and repair, and one which we spend hours driving past every Summer...


Yarrow is one of my favourite hedgerow flowers, and so I'm more than happy to find out it can be so beneficial. It is one of the ingredients in both of the products I've been sent to review. The Green Balm and Fortifying Green Bath Potion.

Our latest review for Spin Master toys is the Air Hogs official movie replica Batman v Superman Radio Control Batmobile. A 1:24 scale model with a brushed metal effect body on a sturdy chassis, the vehicle has a nippy and responsive driving and linkage steering system.


The Batmobile and charger take a hefty 6 x AA batteries, but we've found power lasts for ages, it's happy with rechargeable batteries, and we haven't had to change them yet despite quite considerable play over the last fortnight.


I love the packaging on this, it was really minimal and mainly taped cardboard and plastic 1/4 turn locking bolts. It takes seconds to remove your Batmobile from the box.

The secret life of pets is an animated family movie from Universal pictures, and is released on released on Digital Download tomorrow Monday 31st October. The movie tells the tale of Max and Penny and a host of family pets. Max is abandoned and Penny finds, and rescues him. She takes him home and they spend the next few months getting to know each other and keeping each other company in the flat.


One day Penny brings a new dog home from the pound, Duke. Max is very jealous and decides he needs to get rid of Duke, but it goes wrong and both Max and Duke find themselves lost.

Max and Duke need to find their way back home, but are being watched by the evil fluffy white bunny Snowball and his ragtag gang of escaped pets. They encounter several adventures along the way, including nearly drowning after Duke is taken by the Animal-Catcher, and the van has an accident on the way to the pound.

Anyone who knows me well will know I've always been a fan of horror. There's no better evening for me than one involving an early night for the little children and a couple of horror movies.

Warner Brothers have asked me to write about my top horror films to watch this Halloween, and in return they're going to send me 5 of my favourite classic horror DVD's, so how could I resist?


1. The Exorcist (1973)
Anything parodied that much has to be worthy of watching. The Exorcist really is a great example of the psychological and disturbing. Possibly the 'horror' and swearing aren't as effective and shocking now as they were back in 1973, but the bed scenes will stay with you. The acting is excellent and very chilling. You can thank The Exorcist for all of the 'possessed child' movies since...

2. Friday The 13th (1980)
Many classic horror movies have sequels and Friday The 13th seems to have more than any other - Jason Vorhees is apparently unstoppable. The original 'kids at camp get murdered one after another by someone seeking revenge for wrongdoings and years of bitterness' movie. Remember the rules kids...

3. The Shining (1980)
One of my favourite books and equally good as a movie, this Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick classic has depths that you miss the first 5 or 6 times you see it. You watch the main character's fall into insanity, as you will his wife and child to make their escape - virtually impossible due to their remote location and Winter snow. Psychological and disturbing, one of the few horror films which does not rely on anyone else as the aggressor. This is what could happen to any of us if we spent months confined...