Teenie Tiny Toes interactive Doll Review

There is one thing in our house that always goes down a storm and that's anything to do with babies. My younger two play babies all day Ami being the mum Son Son the Dad. They love all sorts of doll's so when we were asked to review some Tiny interactive dolls I knew it would be right up there street. 

 We tried out the  Teenie Tiny Toes they are small interactive dolls that fit in the palm of your hand, measuring just 11cm from head to toe. Each doll comes with 6 different sensors that react to touch, motion and light. There is three in the collection which includes Ticklish Tess, Gigglin Gabby and laughin Luna. 

Ami and Son Son loved the dolls as soon as they saw them. They said are these babies as small as the babies at your work. Thankfully they are just a little bit smaller than my babies. The dolls come included with batteries which is a bonus making them ready to play with straight away. 

They were quick to work out what the babies did Son Son liked to make his baby burp where Ami thought it was sweet to rock her baby to sleep. Together they worked out what each baby did and even how to play peekaboo. 

Touch the dolls back and she will burp.  Touch the left cheek for kissing noises.  There is a light sensor near the hat which, when covered and uncovered activates peekaboo sounds.  To put the dolls to sleep you have to rock them backwards and forwards in your hand a few times.  There is also a sensor on the bottom of the tummy and right foot for other sounds.

Son Son and Ami were over the moon that they are so interactive. They are also so cute the way they move there arms and legs. It is a good way of encouraging them with there role play. 

The dolls are made out of plastic and hopefully durable we will see in a few weeks. They retail at £14.99 which I think is good value for a little doll that does a lot of things. Check out this link to find out more about Teenie Tiny Toes. 

Thomas the Tank Engine Ravensburger Puzzle Review

My Son Son loves puzzles, especially floor sized puzzles. Out of all of his toys and games, he always picks a puzzle, his favourite being a space ship one. So when we were asked to review a Thomas the tank engine puzzle I knew he would love it. 

The puzzle we were sent was a 24 piece giant Thomas the Tank Engine floor puzzle. Aimed at children aged 3 plus its the perfect size for smaller children. The puzzle is based on the latest movie Thomas in Big World Adventures. It shows Rebecca joining the Sodor steam team aka "Steamies" It features other favourites like Thomas, Rosie, Percy Gordon and James not to forget Harold the helicopter. 

My kids have loved Thomas especially Ast who had all the toys and we spent hours watching the show when he was small. Sadly he is now 12 and is far too cool for Thomas the Tank engine puzzles. 

Son Son was keen to start putting the pieces together he started on the edges working from the outside in. The colours are bright making finding the pieces easy for little people. The puzzle is made of good quality cardboard. It's strong and finished with a linen finish to minimise the glare on the puzzle. 

Ravensburger is known for there good quality products. They have over 100 years of experience of manufacturing puzzles. All of the puzzles are stamped to such precision that all the pieces fit in beautifully. 

Thomas & Friends Big World Big Adventures Giant Shaped Floor Puzzle has 24 pieces and is suitable for ages 4+ and available from Amazon and all good toy shops. You can find more of our reviews on Ravensburger puzzles and games. All in all, we were lovers of the puzzle. Especially Son Son who has made it a few times over the last few weeks. 

Cinderella at the Marlowe Theatre

There is one thing I haven't done since I was a child is going to a panto. Seriously isn't it a Christmas tradition? Well, I just haven't been as I thought it may be something I wasn't interested in but I was so so wrong. Seriously everywhere you go its Panto season (oh yes it is). We were gifted some tickets to see the show and even meet Buttons and Cinderella at the end. Ami and Son Son were far too excited and inundated them with questions. 

I have heard that the Marlowe theatre has a reputation of being one of the best pantos around and it was no exception we laughed from start to finish. My children came with me Ast (12) Ami (6) and Son Son aged 5 all came along too. Ast wasn't too sure being too cool for Pantomimes but he had such a good time.  He said his favourite part was the pun jokes which since I have heard is a tradition at the Marlowe. The pantomime brings both the traditional story of Cinderella creating both old and new story together. 

The Panto had some things you would expect such as silly costumes, ghosts in the woods and songs to sing along too. There are lots of highlights too including a real pony on stage which was Ami's favourite part. Also a very quick on-stage dress change with Cinderella which I thought was ever so clever. Let's not forget the wheelbarrow of puns which includes 35 Disney themed puns at a quick speed. 

My children were excited too because Mister Maker (Phil Gallagher) was in the panto too. He was hilarious in the show and even came up with some on the spot jokes which made the show even more fun. Other stars include Ben from Eastenders and Cories Sally Linsay. Other actors from the Westend (although they don't like to talk about it). Let's not forget the aerial silk display which my children were on the edge of there seats for. 

One of my favourite things was the hilarious comedy Dames Donaldina and Melania. The ugly sisters in Cinderella. They provided some wonderful costumes and witty jokes. The timing was just perfect and they really made the show in my book. They even picked on a poor audience member which we all found hilarious. 

 By the end of the show, we were all standing in our seats having a dance. For me it as the best show I have seen in a long while. We laughed throughout and even Son Son stayed put on his seat which is no mean feat. Check out the Marlowe website and see if there are any cheeky tickets left as its running until the 6th of January or if not why not book for next years mother Goose. 

Ravensburger Collectors Cupboard 1000 piece puzzle - Review

There's one thing I have to admit to not doing in my adult life and that's a 1000 piece puzzle. Don't get me wrong it's not because I have been too snooty or anything just has never crossed my mind. When I was contacted to review a 1000 piece puzzle and after my last 1000 piece puzzle I thought why not. It was something me and Asti did together and both enjoyed spending our evenings working on a puzzle together. We have been sent the collectors Cupboard by Ravensburger. The puzzle is a cupboard full of collectors pieces from shoes to buttons it has it all.  

Having been a complete puzzle beginner ( I have only done one 1000 piece before) I have found I love completing a puzzle. I must have spent nearly a week sitting at the table in the evenings and my days off. I am clearly not that quick but it was very good to relax me after a busy day. I also found that the time just flew by and some nights I was staying up late because I lost track of time.

This time Asti was keen to help like he did the last. I found that sometimes he would come down early to help and we would chat about our day. Being the eldest of three he has two younger siblings who usually take a lot of my time in the day. We both got small satisfaction when we found the right pieces and the collector's cupboard started to take shape. We found all the easy parts first then it all started to come into shape. 

To start off with it was something me and my eldest would do in the evenings. In fact, he would come off screens early to help. I googled how long a 1000 piece puzzle took and it said 5-6 hours, whereas I can say it took us well over 20. There is so much going on in the puzzle so it makes it interesting and if what a little bit more difficult. 

You can buy the Collector’s Cupboard puzzle from Amazon, Hobbycraft or other usual outlets. There are lots of puzzles in the Curious Cupboard series there are plenty of other jigsaw puzzles to choose from. They make perfect presents which are something I didn't think I would ever say but we really enjoyed these puzzles. For me and Asti its something to do when the nights are dark and long. 

My eldest son has ADHD so the puzzle actually had a calming effect and I actually saw him yawn which is something he never seems to do. It really helped him relax and calm down from a busy day at school. For me, I found my self-completing parts throughout the day, then getting lost in time and being late for things.

The puzzle has been a big hit in my house and we have had the pressure of competing to get the use of the table in the front room back. We need one of those puzzle mats now that we are proper puzzlers (after 2 puzzles that is). I am sure people will give me some after I have been saying how much we enjoyed this one. 

Milly Feels better Doll - Baby Annabell Review

Sometimes the kids get sent something that really appeals to me. Ami recently got sent the Milly feels better doll from baby Annabell collection. Ami was overjoyed as she had seen it on the adverts and thought it was something that her mummy does at work. If you are an avid reader of this blog or more my social media you would know that I am a neonatal nurse and spend my working days cuddling babies ( not just that but making them better for home). i work in my local special care unit which Ami absolutely loves. Ami enjoyed being a nurse when baby Milly came.

Baby Milly is one of the new dolls in the Annabell collection, she has something a bit different to the rest as she gets poorly. She comes with five accessories that include a stethoscope, medicine powder , thermometer and syringe. She also comes with an outfit and hat too. She needs a couple of batteries (not included) so as soon as she came the kids were desperate to get her working.

Ami was excited as Milly comes with a stethoscope and she has seen those on the cots at the neonatal unit. Milly is educational and the idea is that you can make her feel better again. One feature we loved was when she is poorly her cheeks turned red and she does a funny cry. You can then use the thermometer to take her temperature, use the stethoscope. Then you can give her some medicine via the spoon and she stops crying and her cheeks go to normal colour. Milly Will start to feel better again. She also comes with an injection too if that ill.

Like most Annabell dolls her eyes open and close when she is laid down. She also laughs when you tickle her too which is a great feature if pretending to make them better. Ami was over the moon and we have played doctors and nurses over and over again. She is desperate for a proper cot and even asked for that big one she saw on the neonatal unit. The other day I took her around my work and she told the staff all about her baby who she makes better. She was so proud telling them how she made them better. They then said she could work there and she was ever so pleased.

That's why I love the Milly feels better doll. It brings my work home in a good way. I can show Ami what I get up to and we can play together. Ami is always asking me about the babies and if they were boys and girls. Its true to say we both love babies ( don't get any ideas my shops shut to more babies).

Milly Feels better Doll retails at £35 and is available at most toy shops. She is such good value for money and does a lot to keep all doll loving fans pleased. Its a perfect gift for any child this Christmas.

Orbeez Wow Review

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We were recently sent some Orbeez. I don't know if you have seen them around but they are all the rage with my kids at the moment. They also love anything that comes in some kind of blind bag surprise form, they also love anything that they have to open by taking packaging off. 

The Orbeez come in a globe form. They are filled with clear Orbeez so you cant see which figure you have in your globe. It works by taking the packaging off then unscrewing the top and pour a little bit of water in the top. As the water goes in the orbezz become more invisible and show which creature you have. 

You can then get the toy out by using the little key provided in the ack and make the magical creature spin. you then pour the water out (the little Grill in the globe stops the orbeez falling out. You can then use the key to get the magical pet out. The base then becomes the stand for the pet. 

They are great pocket money treats and my two loved them. You can play with the toy over and over again as long as you keep the orbeez sealed they should last a while. My kids took them out and make potions and other things with them. The orbeez cost £5.99 which are a lot cheaper than other pocket money on the market. They will also make perfect stocking fillers at Christmas too. 

For more information and fun competitions head to charactercreate.co.uk.

Scheich Bayala Unicorn and Stallion Review

My daughter loves unicorns and all magical creatures. She loves anything to do with pretend play and also loves animal figures. She recently made a museum of her animals based on our local museum that has a massive range of stuffed animals.

We were recently sent some of the Schleich Bayala range, which as you can imagine Ami was over the moon about. We have quite a few other Schleich toys and have found the quality toys and love the fact that each one is hand painted. Which when you see the toy up close you can see how much detail has actually gone into the toy. The toys have glittery paint which is always a win in our house. Along with unicorns, there is also elves and fairies in the collection too. 

We were sent the Stallon and the mare from the collection, both the figures are decorated beautifully with lovely flowers, gems. The Mare has jewellery on her body the colours are beautiful along with a trademark unicorn horn. The stallion has beautiful blue wings and glitter. 

One thing we love about the Schleich toys is the quality. They are sturdy toys and made to last, it doesnt make me feel so bad when the toys aren't made of tatty cheap plastic. The fact that they are handmade makes it that extra special you can tell that a lot of attention has gone into the toys. Its perfect for any child who loves pretend play.

All in all, we loved the Baylala range. Both the figures are beautiful and not only a toy but a beautiful ornament for a shelf (or a museum collection of your like my daughter). Both the figures retail at £14.99 and available at most toy shops.