The Bristle Blocks Basic Builder Case Review

As John Crane Ambassadors Leo and I have been tasked with reviewing a new toy each and every month over the British Summer. 

You can read our past reviews below:

- Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube

- The B. Creative You Hue

This month our test subject is the Bristle Blocks 50 Piece Basic Builder Case.

This particular toy dates right back to my childhood, and I have fond memories of playing with them. I am really pleased that I get to introduce Bristle Blocks to Leo, and that they are still going strong.

For those of you not familiar with Bristle Blocks, they are a great introduction to construction toys. They are perfectly sized for toddler hands and are so easy to work with. The blocks have bristles all around the circumference, top and bottom of the block that allow you to interlink them with one another.

All the blocks are lovely and bright in an assortment of different colours, and have gone down a real treat with Leo. Leo is at the perfect age now to really demonstrate just how much play value these toys hold, now his imagination is really coming into it's own each new day brings a new game that can be played with the Bristle Blocks.

At the moment Leo has simply enjoyed stacking the blocks one on top of the other, or helping me build something that he will later pick up off the floor and run away with, just to stop me enjoying myself! 

The Basic Builders Set has a few exciting designs for older kids to try and build, we have kept this for when Leo is that little bit older so he can give it a go too. For now though it is lovely to watch Leo discovering which blocks fit best together, and if he puts a that block there...He can stack that one on top of it..

These blocks make Leo think hard, and you can see the concentration on his little face as he problem solves his construction dilemma.

They recommend that the Bristle Blocks are suitable from the age of 2 years plus, and I have to agree that this is about right. I think that Leo is just going to get more out of this toy as he continues to grow, and as his imagination continues to stretch for the stars. 

Watch this space, I will one day report that he HAS built the airplane... Or I for that matter!

For now though we will both stick to the stacking!

I really like the 50 Piece Basic Builders set as it includes a very handy travel storage box, this means I can pack all of the pieces back into the box for safe keeping to stop them going walkabout when Leo has one of his terrible 2 temper tantrums...The box fits perfectly in Leo's new toy box and I rest assured knowing that all of the 50 pieces are safely tucked away before it gets put away for the day.

This set retails at at £15.99, I think this is a attractive price when you take the play value into consideration, and it is a toy that will last for many years to come. It is also a toy that I can add more to by purchasing more blocks and different sets, so this toy really pushes the boundaries to whatever you want them to be.

Viral Infections In Children...

Viral infections in children are incredibly common.

In the 2 years of Leo's life he has managed to pick up 3 to date.

Before having Leo, I actually had no idea what a Viral Infection was? 

I didn't know that it would be one of the worst things that Leo would experience as a baby, and as a toddler.

In the May of 2012, just shy of his first birthday Leo was diagnosed with Roseola.

A viral infection that kept us both up all night.

What is Roseola?

'Roseola is a viral illness in young children. It most commonly affects babies and toddlers aged between 6 months and 2 years old. It is usually marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

A child with roseola typically develops a mild upper respiratory illness, followed by a high fever (often over 39.5°C) for up to a week. During this time, the child may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite and swollen lymph nodes.

The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash appears and spreads over the body. The rash's spots turn white when you touch them, and individual spots may have a lighter "halo" around them. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs.'

Leo had been incredibly grumpy and not himself.

But with that infection behind us, 

I didn't think he would come down with it again...

But I was wrong.

Very wrong..

Roseola can strike more than once.

On August 7th Leo was not 100%,

not in that last hour before bedtime anyway.

He was burning up like a radiator, and hot to the touch.

He was clingy and whinging but still got put to bed just like he always does,

and for a little while that is where he stayed.

By the end of the evening Leo had already navigated his way to my bed,

very quickly forming the starfish position leaving me nowhere to get comfy.

It was a night full of disturbed sleep,

a wakeful toddler wanting reassurance and Cars 2 on the iPad.

We had big plans for the following morning. 

It was my birthday.

Plans were forming and being cancelled in the wake of the night 

Leo and I had been subjected too.

As the day progressed Leo became more under the weather.

To accompany his temperature, a very familiar spotty rash was 

spreading all over his back and tummy.

A rash that looked very familiar to the Roseola rash he had been sporting once upon a time.

Then everything else began to add up.

- He had been off his food

- He had a runny nose

- He wasn't sleeping

- He had a temperature

- He now had a rash...

My little boy was fighting off the bane of viral infections.

Roseola... For a second time.

Last night there was not a lot of sleep to be had. 

Sleep became a distant memory,

memories from yesteryear crept back.

People wanted to make sure I had thought to do the glass test on the rash.

People were telling me it was everything but a viral infection,

Told me to take him to the doctor.

I failed to see the point in going back to the doctor. 

I had a very good idea what it was. I knew what I needed to do. 

I knew that the doctor would check his temperature, 

give him a once over and send us on our way with the merry words

'it's viral...Just keep doing what you are doing'.

I had to try and keep the fluids going into him, keep an eye on the rash. 

Give him all the cuddles and love I could muster where he would allow it, 

and finally try and keep him dosed up on calpol. 

Calpol has to be the hardest bit of it.

Leo will not allow calpol, So I have to try and sneak it into his milk. 

With this virus though he has been completely off his milk, 

which is not something that happens to Leo very often. 

That alone is enough to set alarm bells ringing for me.

I did call the doctor though, and she talked through Leo's symptoms with me and told me that she completely agreed. It was most likely Roseola and just to carry on doing what I was doing, and if I felt the situation escalated then to give them a call back.

Roseola is such a horrid virus, 

it has reduced Leo to screaming for over an hour on two occasions today.

It seems to shake his very being and it is horrible seeing your toddler affected so deeply. 

There have been moments in the thick of this virus where Leo has shone through as brightly as ever,

and even through my sleepy haze I can muster a smile for that beautiful boy of mine.

It has been a hard two days, but I think we are coming out of the other side of this awful infection now, so hopefully a sense of normality will resume tonight. Or else I will be kicking myself for writing this and not getting an early night as planned..

Through the black smog of Roseola here are a few things that have brought a smile to my poorly boys face..

How I Lost All of My Birthday Glitter...

Yesterday was my birthday. 

I had big plans for an exciting day out at Legoland but from the moment I woke up, 

to the time I finally got to bed... 

The day had it in for me.

With each passing moment, the day chipped away all of my birthday glitter.

The night before my big 24th,

Leo had become grotty, he was not himself.

That grotty-ness progressed and he ended up in bed with me.

By 4am I had decided to cancel my birthday trip and spend the day at home with Leo.

If only I had stuck to my guns.

If only I hadn't gone...

I was awoken to a smiley face,

as Leo tapped my head shouting 'Mumma' and I decided that Legoland 

was back on again in that mere moment. 

The bag was already packed, the pushchair was in the car. 

The wheels had been inflated especially for this exciting journey...

Arriving at the train station a very kind man helped me up and over the steps, 

but on the other side just as I was about to get on the train...

My front wheel popped.

Simply turning my pushchair around caused the wheel to go *BOOM*.

I stood there, with a very confused Leo.

My face must have mirrored his confusion, 

and a number of business men from first class rushed out of the train to help.

I had no choice but to take my poorly pushchair with me on my travels, 

as the train was set to leave.

Off we set on our latest adventure. 

With each turn of the train wheels,

 taking us further away from home.

Then disaster sets in...

Leo starts to cry.

Hysterically.

I told myself 'He will be fine when we get there'.

Almost trying to lull myself into a false sense of security,

knowing deep down that he was coming down with something.

He had been hot to the touch, burning up like a radiator.

I should have stayed at home..

Our journey involved a change.

A change with a poorly baby and a broken pushchair.

My heart was slowly sinking.

I decided the best option was to strap him back into the pushchair 

and see how far we got.

It became apparent very quickly that the only way to really push him, 

was to lift the pushchair up and roll him on the back wheels.

*Along comes Mr Know it all train conductor at Slough Station*

He told me in no un-certain way that this wasn't safe.

I should stop now.

When I had actually wanted to leave the pushchair somewhere 

at Slough station to pick up later, 

there was just no time with the connecting train to make the feesable.

So I stumbled on, loosing a little bit more of my birthday sparkle with each passing minute.

Legoland very kindly checked my pushchair in to keep for me.

But there were no pushchairs left for me to rent. 

I had a poorly toddler who just wanted cuddles and carrying around.

I had a heavy bag full of essentials for the busy fun day we were supposed to be having. 

But there wasn't much fun to be had.

Leo was getting progressively worse,

getting more clingy, more viral.

I began to notice a rash all over Leo's tummy and back.

Having only been there a few hours,

it was time to come home.

The few hours had given us chance to get on 2 rides,

The lines were horrific, but then what did I expect for a sunny day in the Summer holidays?

It would have been fine if Leo was his usual happy self.

But today Leo just needed snuggles with Mumma.

He needed to be at home.

I managed to leave the pushchair at Legoland,

One less problem for the way home on a busy train. 

Now however I need to try and get it home again...

On the transfer at Slough I ran into the same train conductor.

On this occasion we needed him to help us get my sister in law's pushchair onto the train.

I had Leo on one hip, and my bag on the other,

so I asked for his help.

I asked him to help us lift the pushchair onto the train.

His response?

'Sorry I can't, health and safety'.

Seriously!? 

Is this what the world has come to? 

Now you cannot even ask train staff to help you?

So I commented on the health and safety aspect, 

ironically it would be safer for me to assist and potentially drop my child? 

Or even drop the pushchair?

Yet earlier this very man had been cautioning me on the perils of child safety.

REALLY!?

Getting back home was not the end of my hellish day,

I was awake throughout the night with a poorly toddler.

A poorly boy who just wanted to watch Cars 2 on my iPad.

A poorly boy who was awoken bright and early by the road works right outside of our house.

And that is how I lost all of my birthday glitter.

The Fisher Price Bubble Guppie Toy Review

Bubble Guppies is an interactive children's show that runs on Nick Jr. The show offers little ones the chance to learn about a whole matter of real issues within the fantasy world inhabited by merperson pre-schoolers, deep down under the sea. 

Fisher Price have recently launched an exciting new range of Bubble Guppie toys suitable for fans of 18 months and over. Leo has been sent a selection of the new toys to have a play with, and over the past couple of weeks we have been having a serious play so that we can give you our honest feedback.

Within our exciting collection we received:

- The Bubble Guppies Rock & Roll Stage

-  Bubble Guppies Nonny & Green Streak

- Bubble Guppies Molly & Violet Racer

At the moment Leo is just loving anything and everything that he can push around, anything that resembles a car. I knew that the racing vehicles were going to be a big hit, so I presented these two toys to Leo first. 

As suspected Leo spent the rest of that evening (and everyday since) playing with his racers. With the nice weather he even spent a great amount of time out in the garden posting the cars and their occupants down the slide. At the end of each slide Leo would exclaim 'more' and run to pick them up only to repeat the process again and again.

The cars are both brightly coloured, Molly comes in a bright Violet colour and Nonny in a lush Green. The characters are easy to put into the cars and actually clip in so that you can drive them round pretty fast and they can withstand a few bumps (or a trip down the slide in Leo's case). They are perfectly designed for little hands to play with and there are no little parts that you have to worry about them putting in their mouths. 

The characters have little roller balls underneath so that you can roll them along the floor and use them separately without the cars. Leo has even been using Nonny and Molly in conjunction with the Rock & Roll Stage, so the possibilities are whatever you make them.

The Bubble Guppies Rock & Roll Stage was a toy that I was actually a little skeptical of in terms of how much play value Leo may get form it. In fact I really didn't think that Leo would be very interested at all and actually waited a few days to open it up for him to play with. 

This was when I discovered how wrong I was.

Leo was curious as soon as I started taking the parts out of the box and started to assemble them. He was taking parts away before I had chance even click them into place...And that was before he realised that the real magic would take place after I inserted 3 AA batteries into the bottom. (Batteries not included)

I found the entire assembly process very straight forward and in true 'Laura' style, I neglected to look at the instructions (So it can't have been hard at all). Once the batteries are in that is when the Rock and Roll Stage truly comes alive. 

There is music brought to you by the Bubble Guppies and lights a plenty. If you want more music or sounds you can keep pressing the centre button located at the front of the stage. Leo has been rolling each of his 3 Bubble Guppies down the attached ramp. 

The set comes complete with a rolling Molly and 3 play pieces including a drum set, microphone and Rock and Roll Lobster. 

After my initial reservations about this set, it turns out I could not have been more wrong. It has and continues to provide excellent play value for Leo.

Leo has really loved this new set of Bubble Guppie toys and I forsee them sticking around at the top of the toy box for some time to come yet.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Fisher Price Bubble Guppie toys for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Home Improvement Hero

I recently heard that Money Supermarket were inviting a select few to take part in a home improvement challenge.

 #homeimprovementhero

I was very excited to get involved and there was no question in my mind as to what needed doing in my house. In our lounge we have one big wall that is completely bare, there was absolutely nothing but a big wall of white.

In my honest opinion it needed a big splash of colour, maybe in the form of a nice big canvas.

I did some measuring up (if you count stretching out your arms to get an idea of size...) and started having a hunt through family photos. 

This was the hardest part, locating a photo of all 3 of us that could sit up on the wall and give the room a more vibrant atmosphere. After the right image had been selected I started hunting out a reasonably priced canvas company so that I could get the idea on order.

I settled on HelloCanvas and within a few days I had a very sizable canvas to get hung up on the wall. 

I went for the 36 x 56 size and I have to say that I am incredibly pleased with the finished result. It has brought a real personal feel to what was a big empty space just yearning for a big piece of family art to take away the boring, dull feel the room once had.

I think it is safe to say that this has been achieved.

I spent £89.00 on this canvas and I do think I got a real bargain.

Disclaimer: I was provided with £50.00 to take part in the #homeimprovementhero challenge. All views and opinions are my own.

How We Used to Play...

Kid’s today have such a diverse range of toys to aid learning in fun inventive ways, kid’s tablets, camera’s that actually take photos and a whole range of battery operated toys that would well and truly go on to make a very long list.

The toys Leo has to play with today pale in comparison to back when I was his age, my tech savvy 2 year old knows exactly how to un-lock my iphone and swipe through the photos. Heck he even has Luke’s old cast off iPod Touch!

Research has shown that the average child today has around £1,200 worth of toys in their home. As I look around Leo’s ever expanding toy collection I have to say I am inclined to agree with this.

In my immediate sight I spy an InnoTab Tablet, a toy washing machine, the Bubble Guppies Rock and Roll Stage, his favourite toy tractor with authentic sounds and lets not forget his army of stuffed toys, most of which have plenty to say thanks to the voice box in the back of their stuffing!

In the past 20 years toys really have become far more sophisticated, but we used to play very differently.

Once upon a time there were no batteries, toys relied heavily on the imagination of the child at the end of the strings. There were no flashy lights and no computer generated sounds, and absolutely anything could happen in the make believe game you dream up.

npower recently launched an energy archive on Historypin.com called 'Remember How We Used To...' www.historypin.com/rememberhow - They have launched this archive to take us back over the years and to show us all just how much energy has transformed our lives.

Leo and I took part in a very interesting challenge assigned to us by npower to help them see how a child would feel about toys from back in the day. 

The challenge was to put away all of our electronic toys for one whole weekend and play with toys from back in the day. Interestingly enough many of the toys we were sent for the challenge are still in existence today, or the idea at least. Of course they have been modified for use in 2013 but they have never been forgotten.

In our challenge set we had:

-          A wooden Puppet

-          A tin Cash Register

-          Play dough

-           Kaleidoscope

-          Mr Potato Head

When the toys arrived I was discussing the challenge with Leo’s Granny and I was intrigued to discover just how far back Mr Potato Head went. Back in the day of my Mother’s childhood he was merely a potato (a real one!) that you stuck body parts in. Of course today we have the very well-known Potato Head that many of you will recognise from the ever popular Toy Story series!

Not long after the box arrived we were packing up to go away to Devon and to be staying in an old barn conversion. I saw the opportunity to take the toys along and take part in the challenge, so I simply took only this box of toys along with us. I knew this way there was no chance of one of Leo’s many electronic toys cropping up on us…

Leo didn’t take long to get his hands into the very lovely tin cash register, he loved playing with it just as much as he does his electric one at home. It has lovely big buttons that he can push in and even make the register ping open. This is a toy that will never loose it’s place in the grand scheme of things, kids love to role play. Many of the most popular toys are simply toy versions of general day to day objects.

The kaleidoscope took me right back to when I was about 5, I remember being allowed to choose one toy from Woolworths and I chose the Kaleidoscope. I haven’t actually seen one in the shops for the longest time, and I think it was actually Granny and I who enjoyed all of the shapes and colours hiding within this toy more than the toddler. Leo did give it a try but I think this will be something he ‘grows into’.

The wooden puppet was really fun to dance around the lounge, admittedly Leo was a little scared of it…For what reasons I will never be completely sure of. He did however say ‘No Mumma’ through the screams that ensued shortly before I listened to him and put the puppet back in his box.

Granny was telling us all about the puppet she had as a child, how back then a puppet was the kind of toy you would receive as a main Christmas present. That alone shows you just how far we have come, todays bigger Christmas gifts come in the form of tablets and computers, but back in the day…Puppets were the current fad!

We had great fun with the Play dough, this was Leo’s very first experience with it and I did wonder whether he may try and eat it or not. In all honesty though, Leo has always been pretty good with the whole not putting things in his mouth. Leo adored the play dough, even though all he really did was roll it around in his hands. When I was little Mum would always make the play dough from scratch for us, we could then colour it with food colouring and make it as bright as we liked! I think maybe soon Leo and I will have to have a go at making up some home-made play dough.

I feel that the challenge was a big success, Leo didn’t mind the fact that the 50’s style toys were not electronic, he didn’t mind one bit. I think that many of these listed above are classics and that is why they are still in production today. One thing is for sure though, and taking part in this challenge really opened up my eyes to how many toys my little guy has, how much technology has come along over the years and just how tech savvy kids today actually are.

Disclaimer: I was provided with the above toys to take part in the npower challenge. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The New H&A Bath Time Range

Bath time is a time that comes once every day in our house, as Leo has got older it has become increasingly apparent to me that it really is an essential time of the day.

Leo seems to have a way about him that encourages anything and everything dirty to stick to him. It is almost as though he is a magnet and the dirt is being pulled by a polarised attraction. Dare I tell you about the day a week or so ago that I actually put him in WHITE linen trousers? Dare I tell you about what happened less than 5 minutes after I put them on him? 

Juice... That is what happend.

Then of course the grass stains followed...

Bath time... Yes bath time happens every day in our house.  

At this moment in time Leo isn't really enjoying his baths. He has gone back to standing and refusing to sit, so I am always on the look out for ways to encourage him to sit down in the tub. As luck would have it he has recently got really into Disney films and cartoons, so we are entering a whole new stage of persuasion that I can use to my advantage. 

Character merchandise!

H&A have launched a new soft and gentle range to get your mucky pup through the bubble and squeak that is bath time, and out the other side looking like prince charming! There are some really well known characters in the new line up:

- Thomas & Friends

- Minnie Mouse 

- Finding Nemo

The new range has been specially formulated for our little people. I have used products with Leo in the past and with his sensitive skin it has completely dried it out, but these bubbles have been nothing but kind to his skin. The fun character designs mean that our growing babies can start to move away from the traditional baby bath ranges, and even start to pick their favourite cartoon characters!

Each of the character selections have a Soft and Gentle Shampoo and Bubbly Bath to complete the bath time experience. We have been asked to try out these new products with Leo, and picked the lovable Finding Nemo to help us along on our daily cleaning ritual.  

Leo has loved pointing out Nemo on the packaging and has even helped pour the bubbles into his bath. You only need a drop of the bubble bath for a nice frothy bath, and as Leo always points the bubbles out I know he was suitably impressed! Fitting in with bath time at present Leo decided that he wasn't going to sit down at all which made getting photos of him rather difficult. 

The shampoo lathers up perfectly and you don't need much at all, of course Leo was very pleased about this as having his hair washed is by far the worst thing about bath time. What is great about the shampoo is that it doesn't run, and saves those little eyes from the soapy bubbles that occasionally drop in to say hello.

As a parent of a child who does react to certain bath products I think the new h&a range is fun and perfect for Leo's needs. I like that there is a subtle fragrance to both the bubble bath and the shampoo but is not too over powering, and is the perfect sign of a freshly washed bubba who is ready to head to bed. 

H&A is currently running a Try me, love me, money back guarantee on this new bath time range. All you have to do is pick up a pack featuring a special sticker in your local Sainsbury’s store, and give the products a go for yourself. At £2.00 each per item I think it is very competitively priced, especially for the characters featuring on the bottles.

If your little one is at a age where they can tell you which character they would rather choose, let them! It may make bath time that little bit easier. In hind sight I think that Leo would have probably chosen the Thomas & Friends after he has recently fallen in love with 'Choo Choo's'.

You can keep up to date with H&A on their Facebook Page and of course their official website.

Happy splashing!