Joining the Kurio Family Blogger group

There’s a new little badge in my side-bar today, just like the one above. One I’m very pleased to include.

Kurio have invited us to join their Family Blogger panel and over the next few months we’ll be testing out a new-sized product for them.

This one in fact:

A Kurio 4S Touch – click on the link for more details.

If you haven’t heard of a Kurio before, here’s what has already been said about the 7″ version:

The Kurio 7 Tablet is a breakthrough multimedia entertainment device designed for both children and parents. The full-featured tablet has a high-resolution, ultra-responsive 7″ touch screen, a built-in mic, Wi-Fi and Flash 11 support, an HD video player, a music player, an e-reader, front and rear-facing cameras, HDMI and USB connections (HDMI cable not included) and 4 GB of internal memory.

The tablet comes packed with preloaded kids’ content, including popular apps, e-books, educational material and interactive activities, and offers access to the Kurio marketplace. Advanced Web filtering, block and safe lists and the easy-to-use, password-protected Parental Area ensure content is appropriate for the whole family, and the included drop-safe bumper keeps the Kurio safe even in kids’ hands.

Obviously we’re going to be testing and giving our views on a smaller version but the positives that stand out for me (as a parent) are the parental controls and the pre-loaded content. Safety is a must for our children in a ever-intrusive wifi environment.

Needless to say, we’ll be reporting back on what we all think over the next few months.

No more battles with a rain-cover, thanks to a @bundlebean

Rain-covers on a buggy and D do not mix.

From a very early age, she would start screaming as soon as a rain-cover was put over the buggy and literally carry on for the length of the journey. Highly stressful for me, for her and for anyone within earshot. Now, of course, I realise she had considerable anxiety and sensory issues over her perception that she was being placed in a plastic bubble, a place where she couldn’t see or hear properly, a place which was noisy due to the rain.

So, it’s been a challenge. As soon as she was old enough, we moved to an umbrella, but then had the issue of her not holding it over herself, of the wind blowing it away, off her refusing to use it if she didn’t feel like it.

Now that she’s older, the rain-covers are still refused but she will hold an umbrella and curl up underneath it as obviously her lower half was still getting wet and, more importantly to her, Bunny could get wet too.

What was a Mumma to do? The weather is so changeable so quickly in this country.

The answer came in the form of a BundleBean, a 5-in-1 waterproof and warm travel cover.

Designed by Emily and suitable from birth, it can be used with:
Bike seats
Car seats
Buggies and strollers
Slings and carriers
and for
Picnics and Playtime.

Now, I know you’re thinking: “hang on a minute, D is 9…how would this accommodate her?”

Take a look at these pictures, yes, we tested the BundleBean in the wind and rain, with both special needs buggies:

We can confirm it is waterproof!

D is 143cm tall and it more than covered her legs, the side ties meant that I could fasten it to the buggy securely too. She loved the stars pattern on the front and the fleece back, it made it very warm and snuggly for her. She was delighted to find that there was a pouch pocket at the front, perfect for the small things and likes to carry around with her.

The cover is very adaptable to fit around a smaller child’s bike seat/car seat/buggy/sling and here’s how:

The BundleBean is going to make our school runs and journeys out so much easier, it’s a huge recommendation from me.

Bunny enjoys having a tea party with D on it too!

Click here for a list of UK and International stockists, or here to purchase directly from the website, prices start at £29.99.

Disclaimer: we were sent a Red Star blanket for the purpose of this review.

Expressing herself through drawing

As regular readers of my blog will know, there are a few things that are very important to D (my 9 year old daughter with autism):

(That’s her in the picture with T, her brother who is also diagnosed on the spectrum)

I’d say her priorities are:

Bunny – her anxiety soother, her little companion who is carried everywhere, either held in her hand or tucked under her arm if she’s drawing

Drawing – a calming mechanism, D mostly draws positive images but has drawn one before of her anxieties and how it effects her, which is very useful to me, as her parent.

Food – D is governed by her belly. She likes her meals at set times and her particular foods. Her little sensory nostrils will start twitching if anyone eats outside those times and, she’ll decide that she’s hungry so it’s beneficial for her health that we stick to those times.

Me – that sounds egotistical but a bear hug/a soothing word seems to make issues better quicker. The downside is that she stores any negative elements up from her school day until she sees me so it is a case of establishing causes and effects gently but speedily on our journey home.

Going back to the drawing, it is a fantastic release for her. I wrote a post last year which contained examples of her drawings and her explanations of why she’d drawn them, it was lovely to revisit it this morning.

One constant subject in her drawings is Bunny, faithful old Bunny, getting more worn and threadbare with each day:

We enjoy looking out for Bunny-type images in art and were delighted to find that Castle Galleries in town stocked Peter Smith artwork that we could take a look at (also available online, click on the link).

We particularly liked Thumpers In Jumpers (the bunnies look so similar to D’s Bunny!):

And Meet The Family:

Peter Smith will be visiting the Gallery towards the end of the year, we’re definitely going to pop along and say hello. Click here to go to the Events section of the website where you can find out when Meet The Artist events are happening.

I hope D never looses her willingness to draw her feelings, it’s so calming for her.

I’m going to share a picture of a painting we have in our hall. It’s an original and a definite one-off:

It’s of me, painted by my paternal grandmother, who was a published artist and in her prime had exhibitions in New York, London etc. She passed away in the 90′s but made a good living from doing what she enjoyed. It’s nice to have a momento of her.

Having a girlie time with our new shoes!

It’s always a challenge finding shoes that are affordable, practical and in stock! There’s nothing worse than coming back empty-handed from a specific shopping trip, especially with special needs children.

So, D and I were very pleased to have the opportunity to review a pair of shoes each from Shoe Zone.

I must admit, I hadn’t heard of Shoe Zone before but their stats are impressive:
“currently trades from over 550 stores throughout the UK and Ireland. Selling over 25 million pairs of shoes per annum, equivalent to 50 pairs every minute!”

Of course, there is the online site too, which we eagerly went on to.

There was a lot of choice, D – despite just turning 9 – is an adult size 3 and I’m a size 8 and we found plenty to choose from in shoes, sandals, boots and trainers, all well as bags.

Here’s what we chose:

D went for this:

A Lilley Women’s Black Suede Effect Ballerina Pump at £9.99, reduced from £12.99. She was very attracted to the gem stone effect all around them and drew a picture in anticipation:

I went for these:

A pair of Adesso Women’s Flexible Multi Coloured Woven Shoe at £29.99.

We ordered online and they were delivered within two days via courier.

So, what did we think?

The service from selection to checkout to delivery couldn’t have been easier. Although we weren’t in when they were delivered, the package was left in a very secure place with a card put through the door.

Here’s D in her shoes, they’ve been tested on the trampoline, in the garden and she’s worn them to school today.

She thinks they’re “great” and says they are comfortable.

My shoes are fantastic, I love the woven effect and because it’s all elastic weave they are very comfortable, the rubber soles providing a light weight alternative to my usual summer wear when it’s been raining too.

There is the option of wearing them as clogs but I prefer the heel effect. They do come in a more orange/red effect as well as sandals and I’ll definitely be getting some. Ideal for beach wear too.

A thumbs-up from D and I, thanks to Shoe Zone.

Disclaimer: we were sent two pairs of shoes of our choice for the purpose of this review, our views and words are our own.

We love “Tiny Twisted Tales” from Calvin Innes

We like books a lot in the Bluecrisps household, to pick up a book and from the first few lines to be transported away to a world in the author’s imagination is wonderful.

Books can relax you, excite you, make you laugh or cry or wonder at the imagery presented.

What we all enjoy are humorous little stories, T and D have their favourites and with the age they are now, the more “burps” and mild “toilet humour” mentioned the better. T will collapse in a fit of giggles if he sees certainly funny little words when he’s reading, it’s great to see.

We were really pleased to be sent three titles in The Tiny Twisted Tales range to have a read through and we throughly enjoyed them!

Here’s some information on the books and their author/illustrator Calvin Innes (from the website):

The Tiny Twisted Tales are a collection of short stories and poems from the rather strange mind of Calvin Innes.. Each Tiny Twisted Tale is about another weird, scary, wonderfully gruesome character, from people who eat bugs, to tiny toga-wearing goblins. Each book is packed with dozens of Calvin’s quirky illustrations.

Tiny Twisted Tales books are available from most major bookstores (including Waterstones) as well as on-line bookstores like Amazon (Kindle Version also Available) and WHSmith.com as well as the My Little Big Town store.

RRP £4.99 per title.

What did we think of the books?

As a mum, I found the books very appealing. The books are described as “spooky, scary, strange, disgustingly wonderful and wonderfully macabre” on the back cover and they are certainly that!

The books each contain one story, in rhymes with wonderfully detailed illustrations. There is some quite cartoony gruesome imagery but it’s appropriate to the story and it didn’t manifest in any terrors. Each story has a nice morale and conclusion to it too.

The books we were sent told of a man who ate bugs, a werewolf-hunting little girl and a boy who didn’t like to go out.

I enjoy writing a piece of poetry every week for a linky so I was interested in how the author could make whole series from rhymes.

And T thought they were cool and made him laugh too! Great praise from a 10 year old who likes to read and read!

Thank you, My Little Big Town for introducing us to a new author.

Disclaimer: we were sent three books, RRP £4.99 each for the purpose of this review. Our words and views were our own.

“Scooting with a definite smile” thanks to Micro Scooters

I’m keen on anything that gets my children active and away from tablets and console games.

But with special needs children you think “what can they do?”, issues around stranger anxiety and turn-taking can present problems, which other parents aren’t usually willing to acknowledge. That generally leaves sports centres out of the equation.

D also has motor issues which means riding a traditional two-wheeled bike or two-wheeled scooter isn’t possible. She hasn’t developed the co-ordination to pedal, look where she’s going and steer. Her tendency to bolt if overcome with anxieties means that, so far, I haven’t gone down the three-wheeled trike route.

What she does enjoy is her three-wheeled scooter but as with many lower-end-of-range scooters, bits tend to fall off (yes, really!) and she’s outgrown her three-wheeled pink scooter as she’s already past the average age of a 12-year old at age 9 and a week!

So, my challenge was to find a three-wheeled scooter which would accommodate her stability needs and my safety concerns. It would also need to last as she does get very upset when things break.

I was therefore delighted when Micro Scooters asked if we would like to review a Micro Compact Kickboard T-bar Scooter in silver and it arrived in time for D’s birthday too!

When I asked for scooter recommendations, Micro Scooters came back as the top choice many times, so I knew we’d be reviewing a top quality scooter.

Here’s what the website says:

*excellent three wheeled kickboard scooter suitable for older children (10+) and adults

*strong enough to take the weight of a child who has outgrown a maxi with the same tilt and lean steering that they love

*based on a simple version of the superb original kickboard but with a t-bar.

*three wheels gives the stability that comes with kickboards scooters.

How easy was it to assemble?

It was extremely easy and very quick. Unpacking the parts took longer than assembling the scooter and there were very clear, easy to follow instructions in the booklet. The Allen keys were also supplied.

Nice sturdy box:

Parts out of the box and ready for assembly:

Assembled!

The height is very easily adjustable via the steering rod and there are reassuring “clicks” when all is in place. The scooter is very sturdy and I can’t see any bits of this falling off in a hurry!

Because my children are very visual, it was nice to see that a “Safety Rules” sheet was included:

And what does my birthday girl think of it?

She loves it! She’s mastered using the brake and is learning how to use the tilt and lean steering but we’re sticking to quiet, straight paths at the moment.

I asked her what she liked best and she said “stopping and a safe ride”.

Which means a definite thumbs-up!
The smile on her face says it all (and yes, I do need to get her a helmet, along with a little buggy bag for Bunny to travel in. They are available – along with many other great ways to personalise a scooter – here.)

Disclaimer: we received a micro scooter, a bell (which D loves ringing) and a strobe light for the purposes of this review. My words and views are my own.

Shoes that fit through your letterbox?

Yes, I couldn’t believe it either. Shoes that you can order without having to wait for a parcel delivery, that’s assuming you’re in/the postman hangs around longer than ten seconds for you to get to the door.

This is where Cheeky Shoes come in.

Don’t believe they will fit through a letterbox? Take a look at these pictures:

The shoes come in a fantastic range of vibrant colours and are very comfortable, D (being an adult size 3) has worn them to school and in the garden. They are very easy to clean too.

Here’s some details from the website:

“We wanted to design footwear that was fun and funky, and that made women feel good about themselves. We wanted to create a pair of comfortable, colourful shoes that you could buy online without having to worry about fitting. We wanted to create a product and shopping experience that women would want to tell their friends about.

The first few months of actual selling Cheekyshoes were amazing. We talked to pretty much everyone who bought a pair – women of all ages, lots of mums – and they all said the same thing: that in a tiring, busy lifestyle, where practical, comfortable shoes are essential, our colourful Cheekyshoes made them smile and feel happy.

This was inspiring – we were making women happy. It’s all we’ve ever wanted to do.

We know that buying shoes online can be a bit of a nightmare. How do you know they’ll fit? How do you know they’ll be comfortable? With Cheekyshoes it’s simply not an issue. Our shoes are made with a blend of Lycra and neoprene, making them really flexible, and allowing them to stretch and expand to fit your feet.

Imagine walking barefoot on the beach, being able to wriggle your toes, not worrying about falling off a pair of heels. That’s what wearing a pair of Cheekyshoes is like.

Except that thanks to a lovely lightweight natural rubber sole, you don’t have to worry about standing on a spikey shell.

We don’t buy into the idea that ‘sensible’ shoes have to come in ‘sensible’ colours either. Yes you want a pair of shoes that you can walk around in for hours, but we also want those shoes to bring a splash of colour into your day and a smile to your face. The only tricky bit here is deciding whether you are more of a sumptuous cerise or a luscious lemon. (When in doubt, we say suggest you buy both)”.

So, what did my little reviewer think of them?

I’d say she’s very pleased with them! She loves the colour red, in fact she loved all the colour choices. She’s found them very comfortable and the stretchy fabric and the rubber sole means I don’t have to worry about her injuring her feet walking over stones etc.

The fact they are easy to clean and remove any marks is a definite bonus, keeps them looking nice and fresh.

A thumbs-up from us! Now we just need some sunshine…

To view all the vibrant colours in the range, please click here.

Walkers Hoops and Crosses crisps – Product Review

Crisps….ever wondered why my blog is called “bluecrisps”? Well, it’s named after D’s love of cheese and onion crisps and what she calls them.

I was sent a packet of Walkers Hoops and Crosses to try out with the children.

This is what Walkers had to say about the new crisps:

“We understand kids can be cheeky monkeys when it comes to eating what parents put in their lunchboxes. Which is why we’ve created new Walkers Baked Hoops & Crosses – a great-tasting, low-fat and fun way for kids to boost their wholegrain intake.”

The crisps are made with 56% whole grain and as a recent survey indicated that “some kids in the UK just don’t get enough. In face 27% don’t get any at all”, it’s a handy way to discretely up their whole grain intake.

The packet we tried out was Roast Beef flavour, there are also Salt and Vinegar and Prawn Cocktail in the range.

Here’s the nutritional information, I was pleased to see that they have less fat in them than other crisps:

So, how do they taste?

T loved them and, as a child with limited foods he will eat due to sensory issues, that is good news.

I thought they were tasty too and I’m heading off to the supermarket to get some more!

Usually I don’t encourage playing with your food but we made an exception in this case…winner ate all!

Disclaimer: we received a packet of Hoops and Crosses for the purposes of this review (and the cutest cheeky little monkey toy!)

Karcher WV50 Window Vac – Product Review

The sun is shining, the spring flowers are popping through and it’s time to start thinking about the exterior of our homes. The lawnmower emerges from its enforced hibernation and the windows need a clean.

Recently I was sent a Karcher Window Vac to test out and it definitely made the task of window/door washing less messy and much easier!

So, what is a Window Vac?

Here’s some information from the Argos website:

This Karcher WV50 handheld window vacuum cleaner is a lightweight and time-saving way to clean smooth surfaces such as windows, mirrors, tiles, shower screens and much more. It ensures streak-free cleaning without drips and even removes condensation. The innovative water recovery system takes in the dirty water before it drips – ensuring a great finish.

3.6 volts.
20 mins running time on full charge.
Capacity of dustbin 0.1 litre.
Total capacity 0.1 litre.
Window blade.
Size H33, W28, D18cm.
Weight 0.7kg.
EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 4039784468993.

How does it work?

The Window Vac works by battery-charged suction, via a button on the side.

Is it easy to use?

Couldn’t be simpler. The Window Vac will need charging up before use – once fully charged, you have 20 minutes running time.

Simply, apply the cleaning solution to your window/door/tiles/mirror:

Position the Vac, press the button and move the Vac down as you would a squeegee:

The dirty water/cleaning solution collects in the water bottle at the front of the Vac and …voila! Clean, streak-free surfaces:

The messiest part of cleaning is applying the detergent/water before using the Vac. As the water collects in the bottle, there is no mess.

I’ve also tried it out on spilt water on my laminate floor, again a quick, efficient way of quickly clearing up a potential hazard.

Perfect for removing the detergent/water from cleaning windows internally and externally/mirrors/shower screens/tiles and the spill from a hard floor.

The Karcher Window Vac is available from Argos (click here) and Amazon (click here). Priced between £49-£59.99.

Disclaimer: I was sent a Karcher Window Vac for the purpose of this review, my views and words are my own.

Music and the joys it brings – @BabyMusic – Product Review

Music is so evocative, isn’t it. A particular set of notes or a couple of lines of lyrics can instantly transport you back to good or bad times, first love, wedding dance etc.

One of the reasons I enjoy compiling my “Music Monday” posts is to rediscover songs I haven’t heard for a while, to take a look at the lyrics and have a go at analysing them. Always fun!

Sometimes when we arrive at D’s special needs school there’ll be one of the music staff walking around, strumming his guitar. It instantly changes the atmosphere, making it more relaxed.

We had a BabyMusic CD when D was a toddler, prior to diagnosis and Melatonin and the CD did soothe her and relax her prior to sleep.

This is what BabyMusic have to say (taken from the website):

“Studies have shown that playing classical music can have beneficial effects on children’s creative and cognitive development, improving memory and concentration while fostering general well-being.

The recordings in this section are purely musical, with no narration or commentary. Listening during pregnancy and the early years helps lead to life-long, rewarding experiences with classical music.”

I was sent a couple of BabyMusic CDs to listen to with D and we’ve found them lovely to listen to. D especially enjoyed “The Snowman”, narrated by Chris Jarvis (CBeebies presenter).

Plenty of classical and story telling CDs to choose from on the site, click here to visit the shop.

Disclaimer: I was sent two CDs to listen to. My words and views are my own.