First Aid is something that's always been in my life. I was familiar with bandages and the recovery position well before I was 7. I progressed through Brownie to Girl Guide First Aid badges to week long courses and I've spent most of my adult life as a designated First Aider.



Lots of First Aid involves simply knowing what is the right thing to do or not do, but a First Aid Kit is also an essential for every home, and a massive bonus to have when you are out and about.

SJ Works is the brainchild of Joan, who lives in Copenhagen. She makes First Aid Kits which attach to your bike, so you have everything to hand should you need it. I think they're selling themselves short, instantly we realised their Bicycle First Aid Kit with smartphone window can also work very well on a pushchair.

I prefer to avoid medicine unless absolutely necessary, especially when it comes to my children, so I'll always take a more natural option if possible. HayMax is a transparent balm which aims to catch pollen and other allergens, preventing them from entering your body.


I have been sent the 5 different HayMax barrier balms to try. All are organic and very natural. HayMax Pure and HayMax Kids contain only 2 ingredients - Sunflower Oil and Beeswax - and are safe for people of all ages.

The other 3 varieties are lightly scented with  Frankincense, Aloe Vera and Lavender. They are suitable for anyone other than small babies, including pregnant women and youngsters. All varieties are non-drowsy and drug-free.

Four years ago today my partner became ill with Meningitis. We were lucky and fairly swift to act and he survived pretty much intact, but he will never fully recover. His memory is a bit broken, he has pain and tiredness. Life is harder for him now, but he's alive. He's a survivor.

Almost 3 years ago our family's oldest girl was a victim of suicide. For those left behind suicide brings devastating gifts that can crush the strongest of souls. The last 3 years have been the hardest of our lives in so many ways, the pressure immense, but we are all still here. We are survivors.

The Manchester bomb was very close to home. A girl from nearby was killed. She went to the same school as some of our lot, and the thought that the teachers have already had to deal with bereaved children because of us made me sob. The thought of her Mum, walking past me in the local shop made me sob.

The latest craze to reach our shores from Japan is MOKURU. These are fidget toys with a difference, as they test your dexterity and with a bit of skill and practice you can do an impressive range of rolls, flips and tricks.


MOKURU appears an unassuming and very lightweight Beech wood peg with rubbber ends. What you don't at first realise is that it's cleverly designed and engineered to have perfect balance, so it can tip and flip end to end, back and forth.

If you don't know what an AFOL is then possibly last night wasn't for you, but the Adult Fans Of LEGO evening at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester was the latest date of choice for my partner and I. (Click on any images to enlarge them.)


LEGOLAND Discovery Centre usually operates a strict 'accompanied by a child' policy. Whilst this makes complete sense, it does exclude many grown up fans who don't have children to take with them. The monthly AFOL Night solves this problem - and it is strictly for age 16+ only, so it's much quieter and I didn't have to chase my youngest round all night...bliss...

My Beautiful Room: Interior Design Workbook is written and illustrated by Jasmine Orchard and Olivia Whitworth and published by Ivy Kids. Through gentle tuition and completing of projects your child learns many of the essential principles of design.

If this sounds boring, think of it more as 'designing your own epic bedroom'.


The first thing you realise about My Beautiful Room is that you are jealous of your child's book. My partner and I both poured over it and commented how much we'd have loved it. We were actually more keen to get stuck in than the children.

Nerf have branched out and the Nerf Nitro range doesn't fire darts or water, instead it blasts foam cars. Still with the power we've come to expect from Nerf, it's just as impressive as it sounds and works incredibly well. We've been sent the MotoFury Rapid Rally Set and Foam Car 3-Pack to review.


Included in the Nerf Nitro MotoFury Rapid Rally set are the blaster, 9 foam cars with plastic wheels, including 3 that are exclusive to this set. 12 obstacles (tyres, barrels and crates), a high-jump ramp, a long-jump ramp and instructions.

We recently had an amazing night of mystery and intrigue thanks to Escape The Room: The Secret Of Dr Graveley's Retreat, and you can too by winning a copy for yourself. This is a full on immersive situation game which is a bit mature for little ones, so best suited to teenagers and adults.


Ideal for parties or an evening with friends, Escape The Room also suits an older family and we played with 2 our two eldest boys. By solving puzzles you play through the storyline, opening new envelopes of clues as you progress through the evening, and the game.

The Crystal Maze meets Sherlock Holmes is my best explanation of our latest game review for ThinkFun. Escape The Room: The Secret Of Dr Graveley's Retreat is a one-time only evening of mystery and puzzle-solving for 3-8 players aged 13+, with the main aim being your own escape!


Inside the box is everything you'll actually need to play the game and it requires no preparation at all, but you are encouraged to set the scene and you can really go to town if you wish.

Before Christmas I reviewed the R/C Inflatable Star Wars Toys from Bladez Toyz and they were awesome. This week they released new inflatables to tie in with the cinema release of Despicable Me 3. We've been sent Mel, Tom and Fluffy!


Inside the box you have the inflatable itself - and you will need to blow it up but it's very quick! There is also a drive unit which is attached to the base of the inflatable, a handset, instruction manual and repair patch.