The Logo Board Game review and competition - great family fun!

Logo is a great and really popular game from Drumond Park. We were sent a copy of this family game to review and so here we are... we loved it! The game is suitable for ages 12 and up; both of my children are younger than this but being from a family who love board games, we played with my children being on the 'team' of their choice! Needless to say, I lost out on an extra team member and Nanny and Grandad both gained a bit of extra help!

So, the principle of the game is simple - answer brand-related questions with either pictoral clues, themed clues or just pot luck whilst racing your way to the Winning Zone at centre of the board. The first player (or team, in our case!) to answer their question correctly whilst in the Winning Zone wins! The no die aspect of the game confused my children at first as they LOVE to roll the die(!) but they loved it just as much when they were able to jump their counter a huge way to the next appropriate coloured space!

Overall, we loved the game. To be honest, we're not huge TV watchers and the last time we saw an advertising bill board was probably before Christmas when we took a trip to a large city for some shopping and family-visiting so I had a slight worry that I wouldn't know any of the answers! But, we were fine.... many of the subjects are classic brands and the trivia questions great! Often the answer is on the tip of your tongue and you just can't remember what it is!

The King of Board Games (my Dad) won... of course! Along with his side kick of my daughter... who strategically seemed to swap teams throughout the game, depending on who was winning at the time! It didn't take too long to play and as the questions are varied, the game is fun right to the end!

Logo is available at all major toy retailers (online and instore) and retails at £32.99 but if you can't wait to have a go, why not download the official Logo board game app from the App Store (iPhone and iPad only)? It's free and is published with approval from all the contributing companies. You could even brush up our knowledge ahead of the family challenge... then everyone will be begging to be on YOUR team!

You can keep up with new game releases from Drumond Park on their Facebook page here and join in with the board game conversation at Twitter here.

So, for your chance to win a copy of this game to play yourselves, just complete the Rafflecopter entry below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

docrafts Creativity Magazine Review

docrafts Creativity magazine s a bi-monthly publication which is jam packed full of craft ideas and projects, ranging from beginner/child-friendly makes through to more skilled and technical masterpieces. We received the latest copy to review and let you all know what we think.... so here we are!

The magazine is very well laid out with skill levels and shopping lists clearly shown so that that you can make sure that you have everything to hand before you start! Some projects definitely need specialist equipment or materials, so it is best to check these over before planning your weekend of craft activities! There's a handy list of stockists for the more obscure items that you may need. You can also find this on their website here.

As the magazine is produced every two months, there's a good variety of seasonal craft ideas included - we had things like Easter, Father's Day and general Spring themed projects in our issue. We decided to start by making the 'stained glass effect kite'. My daughter (9) made this with a little help from me, so it shows that the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

 

We were impressed with the finished item and it now hangs in my dining room window, shining in the sunlight!

 

Our next project will be to make the Father's Day cards in plenty of time for the upcoming Dad's weekend! Each issue comes with free gifts - we received some Father's Day card toppers so again, these will definitely come in useful!

 

I like to craft but often find that time runs away with me and I don't get enough time to try new ideas, but with docrafts Creativity, the more advanced projects are easy to follow and so I would feel confident enough to try a new techinique when I've an afternoon to myself!

 

There's also a docrafts website which has a handy forum and lots of further projects and advice, so if there's a query or you just simply get stuck with something, there's sure to be the answer (or someone who can help!) on there! You can also keep in touch with the lovely people who run the magazine along with fellow crafters on their Facebook here. Pop over and say 'hello' - they're a freindly bunch!

 

So all in all, I would recommend this magazine as a general source of craft inspiration. There's so may different magazines out there; some specific and some covering a range of different techniques, but docrafts Creativity is my new favourite 'me-time' read! Why not give it a try and let me know what you think?

Bendi-gedig - THE place to visit in Barmouth!

Barmouth is a lovely place both to live and visit BUT when the sun decides to hide away and the rain comes out to play, there's not much to do with the little ones in your life. I love a coffee and a cake but know only too well that children get bored pretty quickly in a café and there's nothing relaxing about shushing your child every 5 minutes, conscious of what everyone else is thinking of your parenting skills!

So, after a long-ish wait and a great build up, Barmouth finally has a super new attraction - Bendi-gedig! Here's our views, both from a child's eyes and mine!

We spent just over 2 hours playing here - there's two main areas; a toddler section for the under 4's and then the larger play equipment for the over 4's. There's also a games area with a basketball hoop which seemed popular when we were there.

My children enjoyed all of the equipment, especially the slides! My son liked the fact that some of the crawling tubes are clear so that he could see me from *nearly* all of the area... I think he thought I was going to sneak off!

There were quite a lot of children playing but with plenty of space available, there wasn't TOO many children and they all were able to play safely. The pram and wheelchair access was good, with plenty of seating available with tables for the essential coffee and cake for the parents!

The food here was reasonably priced - we didn't eat a meal, just a drink and a snack but I did like the idea of how the children's menu works. Instead of the usual sausage &chips, chicken nuggets & chips or fish fingers & chips, the children can have a smaller portion of nearly anything off the normal menu for a smaller price! This is great for our family as my youngest doesn't like chips! The menu also uses lots of local produce, so that's an extra tick in the box from me!

With the nearest play centre like this about a 90 minute drive away, I'm sure Bendi-gedig will become the leading centre for indoor play on the Cambrian Coast! Entry prices are reasonable.. they could have charged a lot more being quite an exclusive attraction, but with offers such as a family discount card and a loyalty card, these ease the burden on your purse a little making Bendi-gedig somewhere that we will visit often throughout the year.

So, yes we'd recommend this as a great family-friendly attraction in Barmouth and we will be visiting again! My youngest is already planning his party here for his next birthday...

You can check out the Bendi-gedig website here and also why not pop over to their Facebook page and say 'hello'!

*I'll be updating this blog post with photos soon; the ones I have taken have other people's children in them so I can't publish them online! Once I have suitable photos... I'll show you and then you can see how great it is for yourself!

'Love From Lalaloopsy' Children's Magazine Review

We had a special delivery this week - the 'Love From Lalaloopsy' edition of the new magazine series 'Love From...'.

Each month features a different character with this month being the lovely Lalaloopsy! Within this pack, we received the standard magazine, an extra craft magazine, stickers, a door hanger craft set and a free gift of a cute little bag, pencil & jewellery set.

There are plenty of activities to complete with your child within the magazine; my daughter especially liked the 'Cookie Mix' gift idea, the 'Letter Game' and the 'Spots and Stripes' activity page.

 

This is definitely a magazine worth buying; with the dismal weather we are having at the moment, this is great as there are lots of indoor things to do and ideas for things to make. And to make sure there's a bit of educational material in there(!), there's little quotes within the magazine with facts to help your child to learn along with puzzles, quizzes and stories.

 

There's often been the time when I've let my children choose a magazine after a shopping trip, only for it to be brought home, flicked through and then found lurking in the toy box or under the bed weeks later! But this one has been read and loved over the weekend, with still plenty to do from it over the next couple of weeks.

 

The next month's edition will be on sale on 5th March and will feature the fairies from 'Rainbow Magic'. Look out for it in major retailers including Co-Op, Asda and Sainsbury.

 

The 'Love From...' series will also build great communication with parents by using the three main social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) to enable parents to share in their child's experience and find inspiration for further creative and educational projects to complete together. Keep an eye on their social media channels for lots of great ideas!

 

Overall, this looks to be a great series of magazines with plenty to keep your children busy!

 

Disclaimer: We were sent one copy of the 'Love From Lalaloopsy' magazine to review. All views and opinions my own (and my daughter's!).

Hotel Chocolat Valentine's Chocolate Review

This week were sent a special treat to review from the lovely people at Hotel Chocolat. Now, everyone loves getting parcels through the post, but when this parcel arrived, it was clear that it was something special! No boring brown cardboard boxes here....!

I'll keep you hanging on for just a couple more seconds...

Here we have the exquisite Valentine's Goody Bag! A beautifully presented gift bag full of luxury chocolates - what more could a girl ask for on Valentine's Day?

 

This gift contains a luscious selection of charming chocolates to treat someone special this Valentine's Day. With Lovely Hearts Milk Chocolates, Raspberry Fusion Slab, Strawberry Heart Lick and Passion Fruit Truffles there's enough choice to share, if you really want to! (I'm sure the 'broken heart' was the doing of the postman, not Hotel Chocolat... or my loved one!)

 

These chocolates are definitely something to savour and enjoy - deliciously rich but not overly sweet, and an extra bonus point, they are suitable for vegetarians! This Valentine's Goody Bag costs £19, so a really reasonable price for the quality of chocolates that you receive.

 

Perfect for a treat for a relaxing Valentine's stress-free weekend and did I mention that chocolate can reduce stress and anxiety? So, a little indulgence is good for you!

 

You can buy this gift and the other chocolates within the range here. With prices from just £2.50, there's definitely something for all budgets. And don't forget, Valentine's Day is closely followed by Mother's Day and Easter... I'm off to make my 'wish list'!

 

Disclaimer: We were sent the Valentine's Goody Bag free of charge from Hotel Chocolat to review. All views and opinions my own.

 

Advent Post #4: Keeping warm, whatever the weather! Aldi Ski Wear Review

The start of the ski season is upon us and some of you may be lucky enough to be hitting the slopes either before Christmas or for a well-deserved New Year break.

Aldi have a new range of superb quality ski wear suitable for all levels of skiers at great value prices. We were sent a girl's ski outfit to road test this week ready in time for the range to be launched tomorrow! Sadly, we didn't get to jet off to the Alps, but we did visit a local Christmas market in the cold!

The children's ski trousers and jacket have lots of pockets including a handy ski pass pocket (or a secret, special pocket as my daughter liked to call it!), detachable trouser braces, side leg openings and snow (and cold wind breeze!) protection at the waist, leg and inner cuffs. The outfits are available in sizes 5-14 years and retail at £14.99 which in my opinion is an excellent price for a really good quality skiing coat and trouser set.

But don't be disheartened if you're not planning on embarking on any skiing this winter - this outfit is perfect for family walks in the snow, which I'm sure will hit us at some point. My daughter felt really warm wrapped up for the evening and so now there's no excuse for not wanting to walk the dog with me over the holidays when it's 'too cold'!

We have our sledges at the ready, along with our warm and cosy coats - all we need now is the snow! This is a photo from a couple of years ago... maybe we'll get a white Christmas again this year....

There's many more items in the range from just £1.99 so pop down to your local Aldi from tomorrow when the full range is available in store!

We were sent a two-piece children's ski suit for the purpose of review on behalf of Aldi.

Advent Post #2: Christmas Gift Ideas - Bellucci Chocolate from Turin

With Christmas now just literally around the corner, it's a present-buying frenzy in most households (mine, anyway!).

Some people are really easy to buy for because anything suits and some gifts seem to jump off the shelf towards you when you realise they are perfect for a particular family member. But... there's always the time when you're really stuck and you feel like a box of chocolates are a bit of a cop-out as a gift!

Well, let me introduce Bellucci Chocolate to you all! Bellucci Chocolate is a new brand of speciality chocolates from Turin in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. With the 'Tonda Gentile delle Langhe' hazelnut at it's heart, the brand showcases traditional glanduiotti, cremini and other gianduja products; a rich velvet smooth hazelnut praline that melts as it touches the tongue.

The 'Bella' selection boxes contain a combination of praline, nougat and traditional chocolates. And great news for those who have a dairy and/or gluten free diet - the traditional gianduiotti are gluten-free AND dairy-free! So when the box of chocolates get passed around, you'll be able to say 'Yes please!' instead of looking on longingly, wishing for some chocolate!

We were sent a sample of each chocolate that goes into the Bella Box Grande. Let me tell you that you needn't be sheepish about buying these chocolates as a gift for a loved one! They look exquisite and almost too good to eat! But don't let that hold you back! They are absolutely delicious and taste as good as they look. The flavours are subtle but classically beautiful, in fact I don't think I'd want to share them with anyone!

Have a look around their website here or pop over to their Facebook page here. You won't be disappointed with their range of gift ideas! With next day delivery available, you've no excuse for running out of time this December (subject to courier/Royal Mail restrictions, that is!).

I'm off to enjoy some more luxurious chocolates!

This blog post was written after receiving a sample selection box of chocolates from Bellucci Chocolate.

Popband Review

Let me intoduce to you the great hair styling accessory that is Popband!  Unlike most (if not all) hair ties, they promise not to crinkle, crease or otherwise create a bump in your hair whilst wearing them, so you can sweep your hair up out of the way and then when your hair is released, it's still super straight!

Too good to be true? Well, I tried these on a journey to London via train.... warm weather, crowded train, 2 changes to contend with and on arrival, the promise of a nice meal out with my sister so my barnet *must* be perfect and presentable!

So off we went, hair duly straightened and tied back with said popband.  Five and a half hours later, on arrival at London Euston, I removed the popband, quick brush of the hair and voila, I was ready for the evening ahead!  To be perfectly honest, there was a very slight 'bump' where the band was but after about 10 mins, this dropped out to nothing noticable!

And to add to the beauty of the popband, I then wore it around my wrist for a bit of glitz to finish off my outfit.  They are pretty enough to wear as an accessoryand come in a huge range of colours and styles.  Have a look at their Facebook page here and see what you think!  They often have flash sales and discount codes available, but they are cheap enough anyway!  They most definitely aren't going to snap or fray and leave you in the lurch when you really *do* need you hair tied back.

With the addition of head bands and poplaces to the range, there's definitely something for everyone's style and situation!

'Dobble' card game review

Thanks to the great guys and gals at Esdevium Games Ltd, we were able to review the great new game 'Dobble'! At a first glance, this is a very unsuspecting round tin full of picture cards. A clever take on the traditional 'Snap' game played by millions around the world.

 

The game consists of 55 cards, each with 8 pictoral symbols per card from a bank of 50 images in total.  The 'snap' aspect comes in very cleverly in that there is only one identical symbol per pair of cards.  Difficult to believe and I can't begin to work out the stats involved(!) but that's the beauty of the game... there's ALWAYS a match, it's just a question of who spots it first!

In the pack,there's instructions for 5 mini games along with a quick beginners round so that everyone can get a grasp of the game.  We've played a fair few times since receiving the sample pack... and enjoyed every go!  Each time it's a different game, as the cards come out in different sequences.  We played with my 6 year old and (very competitve!) 9 year old and both children played the game well.  It really is down to who spots the match first, quick reflexes and an eye for detail.

Every player is actively involved throughout the game and no-one is 'out' so this avoids boredom setting in for younger players who always seem to be 'out' early into most other board games we have played!

A plus point for us as a familiy are that the game is extremely portable - everything fits inside a handy tin which is definitely rucksack or picnic basket sized... at a push, I'd even say it was handbag sized!  Perfect for a journey on the train or for taking away on holiday camping or similar!

Also, a further positive note is that the cards do not have any written word on them, so if your child cannot read too well yet, they still will be able join in!  And, as a bi-lingual Welsh/English family (also learning Spanish to boot!), this is a great way to practice vocabulary as a family!

Dobble is available at all major retailers including Amazon, RRP £12.99.  It's suitable for 2-8 players, game time approx. 15mins and appropriate for age 6 years+.

And now just for fun, comment below with the match you spot in the image above!  Also, you can pop over to their Facebook page here and join in with the 'Dobble goes Travelling' photo album!  Where will you take yours!?

Ideal Cases App review

Thanks to the great guys (and girls!) at Idealcases.com we had the chance to review the new app where you can design your own phone, tablet or eReader case.

There are different platforms for the app - I used the Apple app.  Simply download the free app from the Apple Store and start designing!  With the fun to use design apps, the only limitation is how crazy you want to go!  You can create your 'Ideal' phone, tablet or eReader case with a family photo, logo, favourite illustration or even song lyric.

The app is really easy to use; simply select your device, then device model and finally, case style.  There are a good selection of styles available - including  matt, gloss, black, white & wallet case, there's something for everyone's taste.

Then, choose your photo from either your Facebook account, Instagram account, flickr account, images stored on your phone or you can even take a new pic there and then!  And you can make it your own by tweaking and editing your photo to fit just right!  You can flip and/or rotate the image at the touch of an icon and then share your creativity with your friends via various social media channels.

This is the photo that I've put on my phone case - a rare day out during the summer months for us all!  An impromptu 'let's go out for the day because it's sunny' event... the unplanned ones are always the best!

Registered customers can also earn points on their purchases - everyone loves a loyalty scheme!  And as a special 'thank you' to my followers, you can get an extra 10% of any case up until the end of June with the code 'katiecupcake10'... but be quick, you've only got 5 days to use the code.  So have a think for any upcoming birthday or events where you'd like to surprise someone with a personalised phone, tablet or eReader case!  With a free postage option and prices from just £12.49, what more can you ask for!

I would highly recommend the app as a simple and easy to use design app - almost too easy as you may think that only the technically-minded of us could use something as 'complicated' as a design app!  So, blow away the design cobwebs and treat yourself or someone else!

Why not pop over to their Facebook page here and have a look at the great designs and ideas for inspiration!

Childs Farm - Natural Toiletries for Kids!

Thansk to the lovely peeps at Luvit!, we had the opportunity this week to try out some great bath and hair products for children.  Childs Farm is a lovely and unique company who produce and sell products which are organic, paraben-free, sulphate-free and mineral-free!

My daughter (8... nearly 9!) has very sensitive and dry skin (especially her scalp) and we usually stick to a shampoo of the "no more tears" variety; without mentioning any names, Mr. Johnson does very well when you look in my bathroom cupboard!  BUT, my daughter insists that it's "baby shampoo" - which she is actually correct about!  And, although she has quite fine hair, her hair is getting thicker as she's getting older, so this shampoo is becoming more and more unsuitable for her lucious locks!  So, we tried Childs Farm as an alternative and..... great success!

Firstly, the scents are fantastic!  The strawberry and mint shampoo & conditioner actually smells of strawberries and mint!  Real ones....not the fake sickly smell that you can get with some bath products.  And with the tangerine bubble bath, you can actually sense the citrus zing that it contains!

Secondly, the products in the "Cleaning Kit" come in 100ml bottles, so your first instinct there is that they will only last a couple of baths.  Well, that's where you're wrong!  We put a decent "squirt" of the tangerine bubble bath in our (rather large) bath and there were bubbles galore!  The "squirt" was about a sixth of the bottle, maybe less, so gone are the days when you use half a bottle of bubbly to achieve a feeble attempt at a bubble bath!  The shampoo and conditioner are the same - just a 10p sized squirt of each was enough to wash and conditioner my daughters (long) hair!

Thirdly, Childs Farms should make a big deal about the fact that the conditioner left my daughters hair (almost) tangle-free!  No matter how many times I tell her not to "scrub" her hair in the bath...it still happens!  But after using the Childs Farm conditioner, her hair just simply combed straight down without a knot in sight!  Smiles all round from us!

And lastly, (the sciency bit), as I previously mentioned, my daughter has really dry skin.  When we have tried different products in the past, the effect is almost instant, as she can fell the tightness and itchy skin straight after using something different.  And we can honestly say, these products did not have any adverse effects on her skin!  So the organic nature of the products and lack of unecessary chemical interference shows that there are great-smelling, kind to nature and kind to us products out there!  Childs Farm were unknown to me before working on this campaign but I hope they become known to every household out there!  And, you don't have to have sensitive skin to use these products - they're just extra-friendly if you do!

You can buy Childs Farm products online here or instore at various retailers including Barmouth's very own Luvit!  The company and their products have had some great press coverage; from The Guardian & The Telegraph to Tatler magazine, there's lots of positivity out there!

Definitely a thumbs-up from us!

Also, if you have an explore around their website, there's some free colouring sheets for your children to colour (not in the bath though!) and lots more information about their products and the charity work they are involved with - so good news all round!

So, why not pop over to their Facebook page, say "hello" and look out for these great products next time you are stocking up the bathroom cupboard!

The Glitter Tree Princess Tattoo Party Pack Review

The Glitter Tree is the UK's number 1 supplier of temporary body art including glitter tattoo kits, stencils, glitter powders and accessories.We had the great opportunity of being able to review one of their party packs - my daughter was thrilled to receive the Princess Glitter Tattoo Pack. 

In the pack, you receive a variety of themed tattoo stencils and 6 glitter pots, along with 2 brushes, skin-friendly glue and skin wipes to clean the skin before applying the tattoo.  These packs are definitely big enough to use at a children's party or friends sleepover (this was the scenario in our case!)

They are extremely simple to use - my daughter (aged 8) did the one on my arm and enjoyed telling me to "sit still", "don't move", etc, etc....!  The instructions are simple to follow and not much scope for "user-error" so I would definitely recommend them!

We only attempted 1 colour tattoos but you can stencil in different colours - whatever takes your fancy :)

The tattoo stencils are single use but are soooo cheap to buy from their website (prices from just 15p) you really can't go wrong.  We still have some stencils left and will be adding to them to use over the Easter holidays to while away any wet days that we have - and being in the good old UK, I can guarantee there will be at least a couple!

A good point to make about the stencils is that they are skin/hair friendly(!)  My daughter started to grimace as I began to remove the sticker stencil and was surprised when it didn't hurt (imagine ripping off an Elastoplast, well it's the complete opposite - no pain!)  And don't forget - with the glitter, a little goes a long LONG way!

Also, they are water-friendly in that we all had a shower or bath that evening and the glitter tattoos stayed put :)  The next bath time they were cleaned off but not with a "scrub", more a firm rub!  So they will last a fair few days, keeping the Princesses (and Princes!) happy for longer!

So all in all, a great alternative idea at a tea party or birthday party.  Set the trend in your town and be the parent who all the children remember as "the one with the glitter tattoos"!

Have a look at their website here and keep in touch via their Facebook page here - plenty of great ideas and competitions to be won too!  So pop over and say "hello"! x

Chilli Papas Gurkha Curry Mix Review

Following a post on Facebook, we were lucky enough to be selected to review a new curry spice mix from Chilli Papas.

So let me introduce Chicken Gurkha Curry!  The spice mixes from Chilli Papas are really, really simple to use.  They look fantastic in the clear pouches and smell even better when opened!

For the gurkha curry, you need to add some ingredients (tomatoes, lemon juice, soya sauce and stock) and whichever meat you are using (if any) to the spice mix and marinade for up to 8 hours.

We marinated in the fridge for about 4 hours - this was enough to develop the flavours... but we could have left it longer and no harm would have been done!

Going in to the fridge to marinate....

Now for the taste test!  The resulting curry was wonderfully spiced and enjoyed by myself and hubby.  My two children aged 5 and 8 tried it too... it was a little too hot for them to eat a full serving but they didn't complain when dipping their naan bread into mine!  Homemade naan bread, might I add - my husband has been perfecting his recipe for weeks by using different recipes found online.  I'll post the link here when I've typed the latest edition up!

The only improvement I would make would be that the sauce was a little too thin for how I usually like my curries.  I would perhaps suggest a little less stock, to reduce the sauce by heating on a high heat at the end of the cooking time or to add a little cornflour starch to thicken at the end.  We thinned ours down slightly by reducing over a high heat.  The flavour was fantastic though and unlike any curry I have eaten before - homemade or takeaway/restaurant!

So, thumbs up from us!  Another idea would possibly be a milder version if possible... so all in all, I would recommend this spice mix to anyone who likes a bit of spice in their life :)

Around the world in 80 animals! Britain's Best Days Out - Chester Zoo!

When we applied for the opportunity to review a family day out we were thrilled to receive a family ticket for Chester Zoo, courtesy of MoneySupermarket.  MoneySupermarket have a great section of their website "MoneySupermarket Days Out Discounts" with money-off vouchers and days out vouchers for some great family days out!

I would definitely recommend having a good look around the Chester Zoo website before your visit - there are lots of things to find out, maps and quizzes to download.  You an also make use of the clever webcams to have a spy at the animals before and after your visit.

Once you are there, there's 110 acres of award-winning gardens to explore, and over 8,000 animals to discover. (Yes – 8,000!)  My daughter thought that it would be a challenge to count them all... but lost count (read - distracted!) once she spotted the cute baby giraffe!  I'm sure she would have been a great help(!) to the staff as we visited on their annual "stock-take" of the animals at the zoo!

The animals include more than 400 species of rare, exotic and endangered wildlife.  The enclosures are cleverly designed to provide great experiences for the visitors (little legs as well!) but also providing the best possible animal welfare.  I especially liked the low-level viewing windows, so that wheelchair users, toddlers in pushchairs or "little-legs" like my 5 year old can see everything without having to be picked up.  And to be honest, often the view of the animals is better from their level!  So I spent part of the time crouching down to get a child's eye view of things!

The enclosures are cleverly designed with minimal high fencing, using water moats and low-level perspex sheets instead so most of the animals do not look as though they are "contained".  It makes the zoo have a very happy feeling about it and you really can get close to the animals.

Throughout the zoo, there are simple but educational plaques for you to learn a little about the animals you can see.  As my youngest (5) loves looking at maps and globes, his latest future job role ambition is to be an "aeroplane-driver" *read pilot!*.  So whilst we were at the zoo, we kept a track of where the animals were originally from and then plotted them on Google Maps when we returned home to see how far we had "traveled" during our trip to the zoo.  Any guesses how far...???



View Larger Map

Well, we actually traveled 46635 miles!  From aardvark to zebra and 78 other species in between, we saw them all!

We took hundreds of  photographs whilst we were there... here's just a few of the best ones!

But Chester Zoo is not just a zoo, they also have acres of award-winning gardens, where you’ll find all sorts of plants from around the world, reflecting some very exotic species in our natural habitats.

And, as you can never guarantee the weather... they have a great Wet Weather Trail helping you to plan your visit.  With the help of this rainy day guide, your visit will be just as fun and animal-packed!  The route is put together to avoid the wettest weather whilst not missing out on the animal attractions that you came to visit.  The weather was fine for our visit (by some amazing stroke of luck, we didn't get rained on at all!) but there are plenty of shelters and exhibition areas/viewing platforms under cover so the rain would definitely not spoil your day out.

 There are great views of the monkeys and gibbons from a large indoor viewing area - Realm of the Red Ape... we even spotted a little monkey looking at the other monkeys!

Throughout the day we chatted to different members of staff in different areas, all very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their work.  The staff in "Guest Services" are also very helpful - here you can hire pushchairs for the day, a single one is £6 for the day and a double pushchair is just £10 (with a £10 refundable deposit for each pushchair required).  As I no longer have a pushchair-sized child *sad face* we left our picnic in the car so that we didn't have to carry it around with us - this is not a problem at Chester Zoo!  They will gladly stamp your hand with a return entry stamp so that you can pop to the car for any essentials you need and then you can return with your picnic and eat it at one of the many picnic areas within the zoo.  They even provide an indoor Picnic Room especially for visitors with their own picnics.  So, we got takeaway coffee from the cafe and enjoyed our picnic in the partial sunshine!

And a little bit of "housekeeping" reviewing... there are plenty of toilets dotted around the zoo - clean and well-stocked with the essentials!  And also a good number of small play park areas for the adults to rest their legs whilst the children run wild for a while!

As this trip was a surprise for my children, we didn't get the opportunity to sing this on the way there... but the adapted version "We've been to the zoo zoo zoo...." was definitely ringing out from our car windows!

And here's my favourite photo from the day...

Defintely one for the wall...!

*Disclaimer - we were sent a family ticket from MoneySupermarket for the purpose of reviewing the family attraction, Chester Zoo.

Beetroot & Chilli Brownies - Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off

Gourmet Garden are the the producer of fresh herbs and spices easy for weekday cooking.  Their passion is organically-grown herbs and spices packaged in a convenient squeezable tube that lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge.  They are currently running a Blog Off Cook Off competition where one lucky blogger can win a trip to Australia and a whopping £3000!

Using some of their great range of fresh herbs and spices, I have to develop and make a recipe to be judged by the great Rosemary Shrager.

So here we go - here's one of my entries to the fantastic Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off competition.

Beetroot & Chilli Chocolate Brownies

Makes 16 brownies, preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 30-40 minutes.

250g milk or dark chocolate - preferably dark 70% cocoa solids
100g butter
250g cooked beetroot, drained and cooled
3 eggs
250g light brown soft sugar
150g flaked almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp Gourmet Garden fresh chilli
Icing sugar to dust, optional
Freshly whipped cream, to serve, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.  Prepare a 23cm square baking tin by greasing with butter and lining with a wide strip of baking paper - leave two "tails" at each side to help you to lift the brownie out of the tin.
2. Break the chocolate into squares and put into a heatproof bowl along with the butter.  Place over a pan of simmering water and allow to gently melt, stirring to mix.
3. Tip the beetroot into a food processor and blend to a coarse puree.  Add the melted chocolate and butter and eggs and mix again to incorporate the ingredients together.  Add the sugar, almonds, cocoa, baking powder and chilli and process until you have a smooth(ish) batter.
4. Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 40 mintues, checking after 30 minutes, until the top is set and the edge is starting to pull away from the tin slightly.  A skewer inserted into the centre will come out fairly clean but still a bit sticky.
5. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin, place on a cooling rack and cool completely in the tin.
6. When cold, remove from the tin using the "tails" and cut into 16 squares.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

This brownie has a definite warm kick and so the cream serves as a coolant if required!  You can adjust the amount of chilli to taste - 2 tsp was just right for my tastebuds, I wouldn't go much higher though, unless you want a large kick of heat!

I also used home grown beetroot... one of the few sucesses that I had this year with my "home grown trials"!  So, if I can manage to grow a good crop of beetroot from scratch, I'm sure you can give it a go too!

Cake Crafting Cupcake Stencils Review

At the Good Food Show Winter, I had the opportunity to chat to the lovely people from Cake Crafting.  They are a great company who supply all the lovely bits and bobs to make your cakes, cupcakes & cake pops extra special.  From edible decorations and colouring to bakeware and packaging - if you want something slightly different or special, this is definitely the place to look!

I was able to review two different types of stencils - I've been making cupcakes and some larger cakes for years for family and friends, but have never been brave enough to use the stencils which I've seen on the market before.

I've always admired the effect but thought it must be riduclously difficult to do.... well, here's my first attempts at using the stencils and I'm happy to say I was really pleased with the result!

You simply roll the ready-roll icing to your required thickness (about 5mm for the cakes I made) and place the stencil on top, give the icing another couple of firm rolls and dust with edible lustre or shimmer sparkle.  Carefully remove the stencil and voila!  You have a beautifully elegant cake topper!  Cut to size with a round cutter (or heart-shaped cutter would work equally well) position on top of your cupcake and there you have it - a cupcake fit for a queen (or princess, prince or who ever you wish to treat!)

You could also dust a dark chocolate brownie with icing sugar using the same technique.. or just use without an additional colour or glitter to produce and embossed 3D effect to add a stylish touch to a plain cupcake.

The only tip I would give you is to make sure you use plenty of icing sugar on the rolling surface so that your icing does not stick... I found the last couple of rolls made the icing stick slightly to the table top surface and was a bit diifcult to remove.

I only ever really make cakes for school fundraisers and family/friends but these stencils are definitely a worthy addition to my cake-making basket of goodies!  And if I were a professional cake maker - especially wedding cupcakes/favours/etc... these would be an essential part of my kit.

Priced at just £5 per stencil and able to be used time and time again, they are the best value specialist and essential item I would buy.

Have a look at their Facebook page here for regular updates with products and new ideas - your cakes will look better than ever and you will the envy of everyone! 

So there you go, a simple way to make your cupcakes stand out from the crowd - in a good way!

Kwan's Kitchen Chinese Condiment Review

You know the time when you find a perfect dish from a Chinese (or other) restaurant or take-away, then move house to over 100 miles away and really miss those times when you really, really want to eat that perfect dish?

Yes, well so do we!  Moving from a large city with the perfect Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings to my little seaside town is exactly that!  But now, I've discovered Kwan's Kitchen!

The Salt & Pepper spice mix is fantastic!  It is defintely worthy of it's Great Taste Gold 2012 award!  Following the Good Food Show Winter, armed with my small but mighty jar of spice, I made Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings for my husband.  To be honest, he was quite non-commital at first, keen to try it but not overly enthusiastic as "it could never be the same as the one we used to eat"... one bite of the chicken and all was changed...!  He (and I) was very impressed and *did* believe that it is as good as a top Chinese restaurant.... and all cooked in my own kitchen with my own fair hands!

I can highly recommend the condiments from Kwan's Kitchen... here's the recipe for the Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings so treat yourself to a restaurant quality dish made at home for at least half the price!

Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
Serves 2

8 chicken wings
1 tsp Kwan's Kitchen Salt & Pepper Spice Mix
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely sliced (optional)

Place all ingredients except the spice mix on a baking sheet with sides.  Sprinkle over the spice mix and bake in a preheated oven (Gas 5) for about 30 minutes, checking the chicken is cooked through.  Serve hot with a side salad and boiled rice.