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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
8 September, 2010 at 1:00 pm
 Many mums who’ve endured the horrors of morning sickness (and what a misnomer THAT one is) know about the trick with the acupressure and the points on your wrist. If you haven’t strapped an entire stationery cupboard’s worth to your wrist in desperation, then you’ve likely tried out the professional products. And one such product is the Sea-Band.
These acupressure wrist bands have been designed to ease nausea, including travel sickness, and they come in sizes to fit both kids and parents. Now we got sent a bunch of these to review as a part of our travelling theme this month and I winged them across to our Mum in Waiting, Rosalind.
Poor Rosalind has been suffering from some hideous morning sickness and so she grabbed these bands with glee.
“Useful, yes, I do think that they offer some relief but the best effect I had was combining them and a drink of ginger root in boiling water,” she said.
 “They do not take the feeling away completely, but I noticed a difference when I took them off to have a bath. This meant that I really did not want to take them off to get in the water. It might actually be worth having two pairs so that I can get one wet.”
The Sea-Band works by exerting a constant, gentle pressure on a point on the inner wrist called the Pericardium 6 acupressure point. Which makes me feel nauseous as I hate anything touching my inner wrist, obviously the Sea-Bands are not for me…
“They are comfortable to wear and the instructions are easy to follow,” continued Rosalind, “I did find they slipped quite a bit over the course of wearing them so I spent a fair amount of time adjusting them. “
Rosalind was also suffering from another pregnancy symptom – clean, clean, clean – so she was rather pleased that the Sea-Bands had clear washing instructions on them. She did, however, feel that it would be nice to have different colours to make them more interesting, but not luminous ones (you’ll see why in a minute).
 “The only thing is that you look a bit like an 80s dancer when you wear them,” she said, “They are not very discreet. I found that I did feel much less self conscious when I was wearing long sleeves. I think, because it is such early days, I did not like to draw attention to why I was wearing them on my wrists.”
I was hugely amused by the 80s dancer remark myself. Visions of pregnant 80s styled dancing women made me laugh out loud.
“I am definitely going to keep wearing them,” Rosalind concluded, “Anything to ease the symptoms a bit. All in all, definitely worth trying. I think that it has eased a bit and I would say that the bands have helped. It’s also nice to have something that I can keep after the pregnancy and use on holiday as well.”
And Finally
 While we were unable to find a child suffering from travel sickness about to go on a boat/long car trip in time for this review, it is entirely possible that they will be just as effective. As a mum of a very fussy toddler, I reckon that the hard bit would be persuading them to keep wearing them.
For the pregnant mum who’s tum is at war I love Rosalind’s final comment…
“If I was going to be pregnant again (which I am not), I would get some it stock so I could wear them from the word go!”
The Sea-Bands retail from £7.99 at Lloyds, Superdrug, Tesco and other such useful places.
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By Lynley Oram in Reviews on
7 September, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Have you ever watched QVC, the shopping channel? It has a strange hypnotic quality to it. And some of the products showcased on there are just wonderful. Like this one, which we managed to get in for review. It is the USB Pink World Travel Adapter, and it is sold by Pinktoolbox.co.uk.
This is a gadget for the mums really, although that’s not to say there aren’t dads who like the colour pink. However they might be happy to know that the same product is also available in a nice, rich, grey. The pink version is, though, very pink, and comes with a very pink bag, which will appeal to lots of people I know! We gave it to PlayPennies mum Emily, as she travels quite a lot. Particularly with the holiday season just behind us, how useful does she think it would have been?
Her first impressions were good. “I took the new travel adapter out of its handy little pouch. To start with, the pouch is useful, because I often throw travel plugs in my suitcase and get poked by the prongs when rummaging for it.”
 While the unique aspect of this adapter is that you can plug in the devices that use a USB port to charge, even if you’re not near a laptop or computer, it will also adapt the plugs of all your devices to the sockets of many countries.
Emily says that “It’s quite a nifty little gadget too. I couldn’t name all the countries where this would work, you’d need to read the specifications on the website for that. But from looking at the plug itself, I can see the UK prongs, US prongs, EU prongs and here’s my favourite bit – a USB power port.” On the website it says that the USB World Travel Adapter will fit the sockets of of America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
That’s good, but does she think it will come in useful when she is travelling? “This is actually excellent for me, because I usually travel with my laptop and have a few devices that charge via the USB port. My ebook reader and mobile phone can both charge via USB – so that actually means I don’t have to carry their 2 power plugs with me any more! As long as I have a USB cable (which I usually do), then I’m all set.”
It is quite scary just how many electronic devices we travel with nowadays. I remember years ago when I first started backpacking after university, the only electronic device I carried was a walkman, the old fashioned cassette using kind. And that just needed batteries – rather a lot of AA batteries if I recall.
Emily’s only problem with the USB Pink World Travel Adapter was that it was, well, pink. “I’m not really a pink person,” she explained. “So I am not in love with the colour of this gadget. But I DO love gadgets, and this fits the bill.“
Lucky then that this item is available in grey too. However, the whole selling point of this website is that it sells pink items. A concept that I find rather bizarre, and yet I can definitely see the niche appeal. Who though, seriously, is going to want to have an outdoor, garden hose on a wheel (pictured at the bottom) that is entirely pink? Well, me kind of. I’m not actually a pink fan, but it certainly looks a lot more fun than the standard green garden hos e. Unfortunately my other half nixed the idea. What a spoilsport!
Emily sent me a photo of the adapter in four stages, as seen here. “Top left – the plug as a whole. Top right – the plug broken in two. Bottom left – the plug broken down into the full 3 pieces. Bottom right – the plug in my hand.“
And Finally
Both the Pink and Grey versions of the USB World Travel Adapter cost £14.99. Delivery is free to mainland UK, and items are delivered within 48 hours.
 One word of warning though. Do use the link above to go to the website. If you are entering the site’s address yourself, then DO make sure you enter the .co.uk part. I discovered that the pinktoolbox.com site covers something very different to products that happen to be pink, is American, and is definitely not suitable for family viewing!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
3 September, 2010 at 1:00 pm
 When the little pack of Snuguns arrived at PlayPennies HQ I was quite impressed. At last, a pair of gloves for kids that didn’t demand hours of painstakingly slipping individual fingers into their glove sections but still allowed freedom of movement.
It really irked me last winter. My daughter was too young to put her fingers into the different compartments by herself but she also kept taking them off and asking for them to be put back on again. I swear that at least two days of my life were spent fiddling with gloves.
The snuguns are these clever mittens that will keep little hands warm but also give them plenty of room for movement and grip. My daughter slipped them on in seconds and was soon playing with her toys without a fuss. Obviously, they didn’t allow for fine motor actions like drawing or picking up sticks, but they did give her enough flexibility to handle her toys with ease.
 The design of the Snuguns means that kids can slip them on without any adult help, and they can go on either hand. You don’t need to worry about putting the wrong glove on the wrong hand here. The length that goes over the wrist is wide and flat and elasticated so the glove won’t slip off easily, and it can hold sleeves and jerseys in place. This is rather brilliant for icy cold weather as they’ll stop blasts of cold air from going up the sleeves.
I tried this out on a thick jersey, her thick winter coat, and her winter rain jacket, and the gloves (with a bit of wrestling every now and then) fit all of them. This gets it a big tick in my book.
The gloves have silicon dots that run along both sides of the hand section which make it easier for kids to grip things and, according to the instructions, reduce wear and tear on the fabric of the gloves themselves. I just think that the gloves look ace with them.
 Another design element that my daughter noticed was that there wasn’t a bundle of seams to scratch or tickle her hands. She hates seams (I don’t know why either) and the Snuguns only have one single flat seam down one side.
Now the sizing says that one size will fit three to 36 months but my four year old fits into them perfectly. She actually prefers them to “normal” gloves. They retail for £9.99, which isn’t a huge expense for six months of snuggly hands, and I think that the clever design and features make them well worth the price.
And Finally
The Snuguns sport some great features and are definitely very comfortable (I tried them on too) and I like the clever silicon spots for grip, as well as the fact that the long sleeve will fit over coats and jerseys. They come in a range of different colours and look adorable.
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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
2 September, 2010 at 5:00 pm
I recently reviewed the flushable wipes that I got from Method and really enjoyed them. The only downside was that they got dry quite quickly and the top didn’t reseal very well. Now I’ve just had the chance to play around with the Jackson Reece flushable wipes and I must say that I really like them too.
To start with, the pack that they come in is degradable. That’s just fab. And the wipes themselves are made from entirely organic ingredients so they’re gentle on your hands and skin. At first I thought these were also for cleaning the loo so it’s a good thing I opened them up.
Anyway! The Jackson Reece flushable wipes are just lovely if you don’t like the idea of using scary chemicals on your baby’s bottom. They have Tea Tree oil, aloe vera and lavender in them and they are free from alcohol, lanolin and parabens. I suffer from excema on my hands and I noticed a difference pretty quickly after using these. My daughter has very sensitive skin and these didn’t affect her the way other brands sometimes do.
These flushable wipes will completely degrade within eight days of being whisked down the loo and are made from 99% vegetable or plant extracts, including the preservatives. Am rather curious as to what that missing 1% is made of though.
 They are, however, a bit of a nightmare to haul out of the packet. I had to wrestle the first one out of there with both hands. A no-no for the mum covered in poo. But boy do they smell yummy. Seriously, I could sniff them all day.
While the Jackson Reece flushable wipes are not easy to snatch in an emergency, and they cost 92p for a pack of 10 (ouch!), they are really luxurious, soft and environmentally friendly.
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By Lynley Oram in Reviews on
1 September, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I should probably be ashamed to confess now that I once spent a hour in a pub arguing over whether the ubiquitous nappy rash remedy was Sudocrem or Sudocreme. Perhaps I shouldn’t admit that! Embarrassingly, I was wrong. It might be a cream, but the name is not. I think that dates the conversation a bit though, as these days with the internet on your phone it isn’t likely to be the sort of argument you’d have after a few pints of cider or house white.
The thing is though, that everyone knows what this stuff is because just about everyone has a use for it. If you’re a teenager, it is good on spots (yes I was suprised by that one myself, I had no idea!). For adults, it is a great soother for dry skin, and for adults and children alike it can work wonders on mild eczema and rashes.
 The cream is now available in a 30g squeezable tube. To be honest, my reaction to that news was one of a surprise that they hadn’t already made the step to tube. After all Marmite has been doing it for years!
So I gave some to PlayPennies mum Emma to try out.
What was her first reaction? “I’ve never seen it in this sort of container. I’ve only ever seen it in those instantly recognisable grey tubs that I’ve seen for years. I got a 30g tube, which is actually a really great size to throw in my baby’s changing bag for when I am out and about.”
As a mum, I think the grey tub will still remain the preferred container, at least for keeping at home. The reason is that you can unscrew and remove the lid, then start on the nappy changing process. Thus if you find you need some you can, using just the one hand (while the other has baby’s legs up in the air), scoop some out of the pot and apply. I can’t see it being easy to do that with a squeezable tube. I was given a couple of tiny little empty plastic jars with screwtop lids by another mum when my son was born. These were a fabulous gift as I could put in just as much cream as needed to take out with me when out and about, leaving the big jar of Sudocrem at home.
However, the target market for the squeezable may not be us mums necessarily. While the packaging on the tubs reads “Antispetic Healing Cream“, on the tube it says “Skin Care Cream“.
As Emma comments “I’ll be honest, when I think of sudocrem, the first thing I think of is baby’s bum. I remember first using it 21 years ago… when my niece was a baby! And Sudocrem has quite a distinctive smell, I’d recognise it anywhere.”
With the squeezable tube to hand though, she found it useful, and not for baby’s bottom. “Last year, I was staying at a friend’s house and I had a severe allergic reaction to their long-haired Belgian shepherd dogs. I came out in a rash all over my body, particularly on my arms and legs. It was very itchy and incredibly annoying. My mum happened to have a large tub of sudocrem with her, and I generously slathered this all over my itchy skin. It was a big help, and kept me same while the rash disappeared.”
 It isn’t unpleasant to use on your own skin, and as most mother’s already know, a little goes a long way making it quite good value. “I actually have quite dry skin on my cheeks (on my face), so I’ve been using Sudocrem on them for a few days. I like the feel of Sudocrem, nice and smooth. It’s also a very thick cream, you only need to use a little bit to cover a large area.”
And Finally
The price for the tube varies a bit. On the Hight Street I found it priced at £1.89 at Boots, and £1.99 in Lloyds Pharmacy. If you don’t fancy leaving the house, you can buy Sudocrem products on Amazon with free delivery if you use Amazon Prime!
So tell us, what do you use Sudocrem for? Have you found better (and cheaper) nappy rash remedies? Share with us here!
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By Sarah Kensington in Reviews on
31 August, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I was rather intrigued when I saw Brother Max Food Portioners on the review list – what on earth were they!?
Well, food portioners obviously – that bit of the title does give away a BIG clue – but Brother Max? I’d never heard of them before!
A quick visit to their website soon revealed that they are a relatively new company, founded in 2005, as a result of a motorbike, car and washing machine designer turned father who felt there had to be a way to make every day baby tasks easier.
I wish I’d known about these food portioner pots when my youngest was little…
 When I think about the faff and fiddle that comes with home-made weaning *shudder*
Ice cube trays just didn’t work for me – my freezer is just too busy with two teenagers in the house conducting raids on it every half an hour, and everything ended up everywhere.
I tried other little pots that had lids on, but they were generally round, after being bounced around in a bag for a few hours I discovered that the lids weren’t that secure; it was enough to drive me round the bend and THEN, as with socks, over time I ended up with more pots than lids – where did all the other lids go?!
Tamsin and her daughter test-drove the Brother Max Food Portioners for us and took them on a jolly outing to London for the day!
 “These pots are really cute! They’re brilliant for both weaners and back to schoolers – we’re through the weaning stage now but snacks-on-the-go are still an essential part of our going out paraphernalia!” Tamsin told us.
“They fit all my lunchboxes and are just ideal for raisins and snacks at school,” she continued.
She’s right about the raisins – those little cardboard boxes of raisins just don’t stand up to the rigours of my kids’ school bag abuse and neither do little cheapo plastic sandwich bags with a knot tied in them.
 “We took ours to London and they SO came in handy for a hungry tot on the train. The lid is really secure too, we know this as the food portioners got bashed around in my bag something fierce!” said Tamsin.
I’ve seen what Tamsin’s bag has to go through every day, anything that can withstand being inside it for a day, let alone on an outing to London, and come out unscathed is tough, and strong, enough to be admitted in to the SAS!
But what about at home?
“The Brother Max Food Portioners are square and can be squidged together so they all join up, but still keeping the food separate, and fit nicely into squareness of fridges, freezers and lunchboxes,” revealed Tamsin, “AND if the contents of the pots are hot, then the connector doofers on each side act like little heat proof ‘handles’ so you don’t have to juggle them in your hands when you take them out of the microwave.”
Tamsin was very taken with these pots, “I really like that the food portioners come with a pen so you can write what’s in each one on the side – the number of times we played ‘guess what the baby is having for lunch today’ when we were in the weaning phase!”
One of my favourite design features of the Brother Max Food Portioners is their hinged lids (I clearly have a thing about lids)! The thought of not having to relegate perfectly good pots to the back of the cupboard because they’ve lost their lids is very appealing to me!
And finally…
Freezer safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, Tamsin’s bag safe – these really are robust little guys that are going to save you time, faff and mess and will withstand the roughest of school, and parent, bag treatment!
They come in two sizes – 6 small pots holding 40ml each or 4 large pots which will hold up to 170ml – and are Phthalate-free, PVC-free and BpA free which, if the current research turns out to be correct, can only be a good thing!
The Brother Max Food Portioners are available from Amazon, Boots, Mothercare and other places (see the Brother Max wesbite for full stockist details) and both retail for a very reasonable £5.99.
A great price for a great product as far as we’re concerned!
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By Emma Kelly in Reviews on
29 August, 2010 at 4:00 pm
A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Huggies changing pads which I have been using for a while. I’m now going to review the Pampers change mats too.
The Pampers change mats are disposable waterproof mats, which have a soft top, and a coloured base. When I first took them out of the packet and used them, I unknowingly placed it upside down. Looking closer, they have writing all over the coloured side, saying “other side up.” If they hadn’t written that… there would have been a few messes in my house!
As I mentioned before, my baby changing station has a cold top, made of plastic coated foam. I used these changing mats on the top of the baby changing station, so baby didn’t get cold bits and decide to pee all over everything!
I quite liked the Pampers change pads, though I feel like they are very similar to those large bed pads you get in the hospital, so that had a negative image in my mind.
The Pampers change mats are also quite large – I am cutting them in half and getting double the usage out of them. My baby is only 3 months old, and half a change mat is more than big enough for her. I think each change mat lasts for about a week, before baby makes a mess on it, and it needs to be disposed of.
 I also find the Pampers change mats handy when she’s getting out of the bath.
Price wise, they’re quite costly in my opinion. They come in packs of 12, and these range from £3.74 at Asda to £4.37 at Tesco and Sainsburys (at time of writing).
Out of the Huggies and the Pampers change mats which I have reviewed, I prefer the Huggies, mainly because they don’t remind me of the hospital!
On that last thread though, PlayPennies parent Rebecca suggested just putting a hand towel down on the changing surface which can be washed when needed. This is also a good idea 
What do you use?
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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
27 August, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Warning: Major parent love happening here.
When I was sent the Leapster Explorer to review I was dubious. Wasn’t this nothing more than a glorified Nintendo that purported to have educational properties? I am not a fan of my child sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time, and this set off a thousand warning bells in my head.
 Well, I have to confess that this Leapster Explorer, has enchanted everyone in this house. Not only do I have to pry it out of my husband’s hands every now and again, but it has now become the argument du jour every day. Once my daughter has her little paws on it, trying to get my daughter to stop playing it is like trying to stop Arnie from coming back. (sorry)
I know that this sounds like a negative point, and it is, it’s also positive because of the scale of learning that my daughter has experienced. Her problem solving skills, letter skills and drawing skills have improved dramatically in the week since it arrived.
Let me tell you more about the product itself. It is a sturdy handheld device with a full colour screen that’s really well sized. I’ve ranted in the past about the horrific screens that comes with some children’s laptop ranges and this beats them all hands down. You can adjust the screen brightness and the quality is exceptional.
 The device itself is really easy to use. You press the On switch and are taken to a log-in screen. Here you can create a profile for your child and set their age-group so that the learning experience is tailored to their skill levels. After only two days, my daughter could switch it on, access her profile, and get playing without so much as breaking a sweat. As a mother who wants her child to adore reading as much as she does, this improvement in letter recognition is delightful.
All the games that have been designed to work with the Leapster Explorer are educational. We got the Disney Princesses game with ours and it made my husband cry. He’s not a fan of Disney. To be honest, neither am I, but if my daughter even hears the word “princess” her ears prick up like a bloodhound. Anyway, the games included with the Disney Princesses title are all very, very clever.
Children have their reading, writing and problem solving skills challenged in different ways across the stories. They start at the beginning of the “movie” and work their way through different scenes via mini movies and challenges.
 The three other games were The Penguins of Madagascar, which was a bit too advanced for my daughter, and Toy Story 3, which she can play but she needs a bit of help with some of the challenges, and Mr Pencil. The latter is very good for building reading skills and for playing together. The Penguins of Madagascar felt too much like a Mario game than actual education and I don’t really let her play it. Mr Pencil, however, is downright brilliant. It shows children how to draw specific letters, shapes and words. It’s my favourite. The links above are to a special that Argos is currently running on these titles.
There is an impressive range of these games to choose from too. Check them out here.
When you first get your Leapster Explorer you’ll also get two Leaplet Download cards. These can be used to buy Leaplets when you go online, and these Leaplets are, honestly, really clever educational games. You can connect your Leapster to your PC in seconds, it is very much a plug-and-play device, and then you need to download Leapster Connect. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have access to the Leaplets, your child’s educational journey, and so much more.
 Just sticking with the Leaplets for now…. I feel like I should set reviews aside for each of them. My personal favourites include the Sugar Bugs – a game that teaches kids about good oral hygiene – this got my child so worried that she had green bugs on her teeth that she brushes them far better than ever before. Other titles include the Jewel Train (problem solving), Harmonies (music), and Wheel Works (logic and thinking).
They are broken down into Games, eBooks, Videos and Flash Cards, so you can choose which ones you feel would benefit your child the most. While they don’t have a huge range on offer right now, I can only see this growing as the Leapster becomes more popular.
 The other thing you get when you download Connect and get your device hooked up to the internet is a personalised educational programme that tells you exactly how your child is faring. The Learning Path offers additional activities, tools and advice on working with your child to improve weak spots too. When I logged in it showed me where my daughter was struggling and where she was excelling and, based on that information, I chose specific games for her to play that challenged her weaker areas.
And Finally
Coming in at a tidy £59.99 on Amazon or Argos, this is not a cheap device. However, it isn’t that much more expensive (and in some cases, less so) than other educational toys and it has a superb back-end support network that very few other people offer.
Individual games will cost you around £19.99, and the Leaplets will cost around £9.99 at Amazon for a set of two codes (the average game only uses one code).
 In terms of value for money, this product is a complete win. Since we got it I haven’t had the dinner-time whine, I’ve spent a happy half an hour here and there playing the game with her and (I have to admit) having as much fun as her. She’s actually had to take the game from me saying, “Mommy! It’s my turn!”.
The games are addictive, fun, clever and educational. The online extras are a fantastic way of learning together and spending quality time together. The parent section gives you tons of extras that honestly impressed me a great deal.
The negatives? Yes, it’s hard to limit her to a maximum of an hour a day and there have been some downright horrible tantrums. It’s a pricey investment to start with and it is a bunch of games.
The positives? It is not battery heavy, brilliant for travelling and long journeys, educational and fun.
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By Tamsin Oxford in Reviews on
26 August, 2010 at 5:00 pm
 I know that it seems a bit odd for me to be reviewing the Boots Parenting Club but it’s just been re-launched, revamped and remodelled and all expectant mums signing up for the club get 10 Advantage Card points for every £1, free magazines, baby-centric special offers, and a free baby changing bag.
Yeah, I was rather impressed by that too. So, I got one of these changing bags and decided that the best way to introduce the club and its benefits was to also review this changing bag. It’s all very well getting a free bag, but if it doesn’t have everything you need then it’s just going to take up valuable space.
As you can see from the picture the bag is really pretty and stylish. And they’ve chosen to deck it out in black which is lovely and gender neutral. I’m not a fan of blue for boys and pink for girls, but some parents are, and a black changing bag will suit both.
The bag has two outside pouches, one on either side, and two bottle holding pockets on the edges. They are both lined with waterproof material.
The inside of the bag has two additional Velcro-sealed pockets on either side – brilliant for quick access storage of wipes and nappies. The bag itself has a nice depth to it. It is quite compact but, thanks to the storage choices, it can take a lot of stuff. It also has a sturdy built-in base that I’m particularly impressed with and an included changing mat!
This is a fab freebie!
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By Lynley Oram in Reviews on
25 August, 2010 at 1:00 pm
How organised are you? My ‘daily planner’ is the side of a bookshelf on which I tack (with bits of sellotape) scraps of paper with scribbled notes on appointments and events. Not particularly organised!
Which is odd really as I have a huge stationery fetish. I think that is why I am lacking any proper organisers or calendars because I don’t trust myself to step into Paperchase, Rymans or even WH Smiths. Not because I’ll spend more than I should but because of the huge amount of time it’ll take to browse lovingly through all those shelves of lovely lovely stationery.
Beautiful Stationery
 The KTWO Products website is more comforting than eating a whole bar of chocolate. I could just curl up on the sofa on a rainy night, with a snuggly blanket and my laptop, and happily browse this site for hours. Which is actually what I did this evening thanks to the wonderful British summer weather we’ve had this week.
KTWO Products let us know that most of their customers are busy mums. So we got a couple of their items to review and find out just how useful they might be. The company is based in Edinburgh and describes itself as a “specialist in files, calendars and journals, which aim to bring stylish organisation and calm to busy lives.”
Canny Calendars
We recieved a School Calendar (£12.99) and a Family Calendar (£9.99). I gave them to Playpennies mum of one, Tamsin, to try out. They are also giving Playpennies readers a 20% discount. I wrote about that yesterday – to find out more click here.
 “I got the 2011 family calendar that comes with pockets for each month to put bills and cards and stuff in (SO useful) and the school calendar that runs from August 2010 to July 2011 and has loads of brilliant stuff in it.” says Tamsin.
“It has a notepad, stickers (both in cute little carry boxes on the front, space for five people to write notes/birthdays/reminders, colour coded stickers.”
The School Calendar has space for up to five family members to record appoinments and events. The calendar runs from August to July to keep in line with the academic year. The Family Calendar also has space for up to five family members, along with a deep pocket for each month for keeping little bits of extra stuff close to hand. In addition, there’s space to help you remember recycling dates, add in useful phone numbers, and a calendar and notes section for 2012.
 Did Tamsin find them useful? As she told us “these are brilliant, I think, because of my space constraints at home. The only downy I have with them is that they can’t stick on my fridge. “
The Full Range
I was intrigued to see, in the Best Selling section, a Takeaway Menu Organiser. I know that when my two step children were still at home, I would always have a pile of pamphlets from pizza deliveries, chinese takeaways and indian restaurants. However, I’d never thought of getting a special organiser just for those. It might be nice to have a file specially designed for takeaway menus, but I would have to ask myself if I would really use it. And I probably wouldn’t. I could imagine best intentions followed by never taking it out again and just jamming the menus in the corner of the cubboard as I do at the moment.
But that doesn’t matter, because I’m sure that there’s plenty of people out there for whom it is the perfect product. It would be heaven for anyone who loves being organised. There’s an organiser, planner or calendar that covers everything I can think of and a few I didn’t!
And Finally
Having liked the look of it on the website, and after Tamsin’s glowing endorsement, I’ve actually bought one of the Family Calendars myself. That doesn’t happen to often actually. Since joining the Playpennies family, and getting into the ethos of this site, I limit myself now to buying only the things that I really, actually need. After all, even if something is on sale at half price, it isn’t a bargain if you weren’t going to buy it in the first place!
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