Updating a Bedroom

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Dragons and Fairy Dust

We have lived in our house a long time, we were there when my son was born and now he is nearly thirteen. During that time his room has seen many changes and I wish that I had photos to document them all.

When we first moved in we did not have a child and the room was a study. It had benches all the way around it which was brilliant as I had a place for my computer somewhere to work. Then I got pregnant and we had to change the room into a nursery. We made a lot of changes, we moved the benches from this room into the spare room and I now have a study area along the wall in there.

When we first had him he slept in Moses basket beside our bed but then we moved him into a cot. We added a colourful border to the bedroom and a table where I could change him. The curtains were the same ones I had in my room when I was the same age. They are colourful animal curtains which added a bit of cheer as well as being a piece of family history.

As all children do, he grew. There came a stage where he had to move out of the cot and was ready for a bed. We chose a high sleeper which had a tent round it so he had some room to play. I also had a book shelf that fitted underneath and placed a pile of cushions there so he had a den. I remember the day it was delivered, he was so excited to be getting a big boy bed. The bed arrived flat packed but he was so excited that he refused to go to bed until I made it for him. My husband was out so I spent several hours with a screwdriver and a hex key, putting the bed together. He was so happy when it was done, although I was exhausted.

The other day I realised my son is now nearly thirteen. He still has the same curtains he had when he was a baby as well as the tenting around his bed. It is time to give his room an update. I took the tenting down from around his bed and got him a new roller blind and some curtains. All he needs now is some new bedding and his room will look more grown up.

What do you think? I know he was really pleased.

Ecover – Message In A Bottle

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Dragons and Fairy Dust

Our planet is our responsibility, only we can look after it. As part of looking after the environment I always do my best to recycle as much as I can. It annoys me that recycling is only collected twice a month and my recycle bin is always overflowing. I was pleased to learn that Ecover have a pledge to clean the planet one bottle at a time.

“We pledge to constantly innovate, evaluate and future proof our products; from the ingredients we choose, the processes we use to the bottles in your home.
We’re hooked on plastic – future proofing our bottles with the clever mix of Plant-astic, Recycled Plastic and reclaimed Sea Plastic will set new standards in packaging, closing the loop in everyday recycling making it the easy choice for you.
Our pledge to you is that we will never stand still when it comes to sustainability.”

Philip Malmberg, Ecover CEO

They sent me this infographic to illustrate how they are going to achieve this and I found it very interesting. I hadn’t realised they make plastic bottles from sugar cane which is renewable and recyclable. What was more worrying to me is that our sea is full of plastic bottles which can’t be good for our sea life. Ecover are actively working to remove bottles from the sea and reusing them, which can only be good. The picture below shows how this all works.

Cleaning the seas, one bottle at a time. Visit The-Splash for more information and to read our pledge.

Disclosure: I received some Ecover products in return for this post but I think the message is important.

The New Impulse Collection

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Dragons and Fairy Dust

There is something about wearing scent that lifts your mood. I love spraying on perfume in the morning and have a number to choose from depending what mood I am in. Scent can raised my confidence and make me feel better about the day ahead. Impulse is a brand I have always been familiar with, their adverts with the slogan “Men can’t help acting on Impulse” always stuck in my head. Impulse is a body mist that is easy to carry around in the handbag to use when needed.

Recently I learnt that Impulse have developed their new Impulse collection of scents. Impulse worked with world-renowned fragrance experts, including Dior and Calvin Klein to produce the new range of eleven fragrances. I was delighted to be asked to try these out.

I was sent five scents from the range of eleven, True Love, Tease, Very Pink, Romantic Spark and Secret Smile which is a limited Edition. Also available are Sweet Smile, Temptation, Loving Words, Hint of Musk and Glamour.

I love the design of the cannister, they look smart and eye catching whilst being feminine. They are the right size to fit in my handbag and they have an easy to use swivel open top. The top presses down to release a fine spray.

I tried out the scents on different days for variety. I loved the Secret Smile limited edition scent which is a mix of raspberry and gardenia. It is perfect for a sunny spring day with its light floral notes and hint of fruitiness underneath. It is a limited edition which is just coming into stores in May so get it while it is available.

Tease was a much more down to earth fragrance with a mix of red fruits and wood. It is an appealing smell that is not too heavy. True Love is a lovely floral scent with notes of freesia and tangerine which really lifted my mood. This is perfect for a Spring day. Very Pink is a mix of pink grapefruit with a base of vanilla, an exotic scent that will take you into the night time. Finally Romantic Spark is a mix of wild violets with woody notes of white sandalwood which was really fresh.

I loved all these scents and will wear them on different days depending how I feel. As they are RRP £1.99 you can have a variety without feeling that you are spending too much. Impulse is found in most supermarkets.

Disclosure: I was sent some Impulse fragrances to try out in order to do an honest review.

Mini Ninjas: IPad App Review

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Dragons and Fairy Dust

With half term coming up shortly I was pleased to be asked to review a new app for the IPad, Mini Ninjas. In the game you start off as Hiro, the smallest of a gang of Mini Ninjas who have set out to defeat the Evil Samuari Warlord. The other Mini Ninjas have all been captured so it is up to Hiro to save the day and free his friends.

Hiro starts off running along a scrolling screen, he has to jump over obstacles, fight off enemies and on the way collects coins and ingredients for special potions. Hiro is able to use Kuji magic which allows him to form a protective bubble around himself, create electrical storms or possess animals to sneak past enemies.

The action is fast paced, you tap on the screen to make Hiro jump or attack and it is great fun seeing him take on the enemies. On the way you get to pick up animals, which follow you about. You also get to release your trapped friends. If you do this you can play as a different Mini Ninja and get to use their abilities.

All the Mini Ninjas have different skills. As well as Hiro you can be Suzume , who has a magic flute that attracts collectables, Kunoichini, who has a staff to allow you to do massive attacking jumps, and Futo, who has a massive hammer which will smash rocks and everything around.

In the latest version of the game you can also take on the abilities of your animal companions which gives you even more skills to use to defeat your enemies. You get the power ups from the Dojo Shop in the game when you have enough coins. Then you can use the moves of Panda, Fox or Crane. Panda is powerful and wise with strength like no other allowing you to knock aside enemies with ease. Fox is agile and swift allowing you to pounce out of danger with ease and Crane is graceful but deadly with aerial abilities which help to avoid flying enemies.

The coins you collect also allow you to customise your ninja in the shop as well as buying other power ups to help you on your quest. The game is fast paced and enjoyable. My son spent ages playing and is much better than I am. It is really addictive and great fun. Square Enix, who wrote the game, are planning a cartoon of Mini Ninjas in the future and I can see this becoming a big hit with kids.

Mini Ninjas is RRP £0.69 and is available from the App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. You can download it here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/mini-ninjas/id577106023?mt=8

You can also find more information on the Mini Ninjas website: http://eu.square-enix.com/en/games/mini-ninjas-mobile

Disclosure: We were sent a code for the app in order to do an honest review.