Spinmaster's Hatching Dragon arrives as a gorgeous interactive egg and pretty soon hatches into Toothless, from How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. We've been sent him to review and he's been a definite hit. Cute, but no too cute...


The packaging does include some single use plastic, but is mainly card and more minimal than I found with toys even this time last year.

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.

Student Nannies has recently launched in the Manchester area, with the aim to pair up families needing babysitters with students who have childcare experience and other additional skills to offer.

Imagine a babysitter who can help your child with their science project or maths homework. Someone who can play football, piano or chat to them in Spanish.


Student Nannies are all students looking to earn a little extra to supplement their loans, and all have plenty of proven experience with children, as well as being ID checked and background checked (real-time checks on global Watch Lists, Politically Exposed Persons and Adverse Media).

Every Student Nanny applicant is interviewed by a mum or teacher before they are added to the site and they're quite strict. Among other things the applicant has to have "fluent spoken English, babysitting experience, the ability to think on their feet and a kind, calm manner".

Every time a Student Nanny is employed to look after children, the parents can give feedback, so you can be assured that the person who turns up at your door has been peer-tested and not found wanting. Parents can also ask Student Nannies for references from other parents, and any additional checks Student Nannies have will be shown on their profiles (DBS checks, 1st Aid Certificate, Life Guard qualification etc.).

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital Download from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. They've sent us a copy to review and I have a Blu-ray to give away to one of my readers too!

What are your pets doing when you aren't at home?


This heartwarming animated sequel from Illumination, the studio that brought us Despicable Me, Minions and Sing, is also led by a star-studded comedic cast. All of our favorite Pets and their growing families are back in a new chapter which really examines the deep bonds between them and their humans.

The voice cast includes Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio), Kevin Hart (Ride Along Series), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Jenny Slate (Despicable Me 3), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip), Lake Bell (Children’s Hospital), Nick Kroll (Sing), Dana Carvey (Wayne’s World), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Hannibal Buress (Neighbors) and Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live).

Excitingly for me, Harrison Ford takes his first ever role in an animated film as new addition Rooster, the very mature farm dog who they meet later on in the movie.

One Dear World are a company I approached because I love their ethos. They create dolls that genuinely represent a diverse range of children - boys and girls from different backgrounds, with different skin tones and hair colours, and One Dear World are also crowd-funding to extend the range to include dolls with disabilities.

We've been sent a doll for review and one of the Fair Trade handmade outfits, which I'll be passing on to a little girl who I know will really appreciate it...


Our doll is Hearty Hope, and her backstory is that she was born in Accra, Ghana and moved to London with her parents. The packaging is mostly unbleached card and she comes with her own little passport. She's 32cm tall and not heavy to hold.


She has beautiful curly hair and dark skin, and when she arrived was wearing a really pretty embroidered white sundress - with bloomers underneath to protect her modesty! The clothes are removable and it was really easy to change Hope.

One of the best games we've reviewed this year is Bank Attack! and I'm delighted to have a copy to give away to one of my readers.

Bank Attack! is a cooperative game where 2- 4 players aged around 7+ take the roles of a safe-breaking gang. Work together against the clock in order to steal the cash and if you beat the safe, you bag the gold bullion....


You can play almost instantly and there are no tricky rules to learn. Players work as a team with everyone taking a role. Then you all have to correctly and quickly follow the instructions given to you by The Boss.

Bank Attack cooperative family game is a new release from John Adams this Autumn and it really is an excellent game! 2- 4 players take the roles of a safe-breaking gang and have to work together against the clock in order to steal the loot. Suitable for age 7+, but plenty of fun even for us grown ups once the kids are in bed....


There's very little single-use plastic packaging, so I'm pleased from the start. Bank Attack! is packaged in a sturdy box which can be used for safe storage afterwards. You will need just 5 minutes to release parts from the sprue before first play and 3 x AA batteries, but it scores well for packaging and is pretty Christmas morning-friendly.


Inside the box are the Electronic Safe, 8 different tools (goggles, drill, laptop, map, flashlight, headset, explosives and gloves), 12 Plastic Gold Bars, 20 notes and Instructions.

Until now we used Bunch O Balloons for solely outdoor play, but that's all changed with their brand new Bunch O Balloons Self-Sealing Party Balloons. Inflate up to 40 balloons in less than 40 seconds without even breaking sweat! What's more, they don't need to be knotted and they even come with ribbons already attached...


We're working with Zuru Toys and Tesco - who will be stocking Bunch O Balloons Party Balloons from this week. They've sent us the Party Balloon Starter Pack With Pump to review, plus some extra Party Balloon Refills (and I'll also have a giveaway on Facebook so that one reader can go and buy some for themselves!)...


Packaging is mainly card with a large plastic window for the balloons, and it's not ideal to keep for storage. The balloons with their ribbons and rubbery hollow sticks are packaged carefully to avoid tangling without using lots of tape - nicely done. Easy to open and you can use it instantly.

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...