Dad a Whizz in the kitchen? Oxo Good Grips have Father's Day Covered

I have to be quite honest here.  The Husband refers to me as "The Queen of the Reheat".  (Memories of "The Potato of Doom" have never quite left me I'm afraid). This means that the kitchen is, by and large, his domain and he is quite happy to receive kitchen-related gifts.  I did think of a Marco Pierre-White style bandana but on the basis this may give him ideas of culinary supremacy, I have found a few more appropriate presents from the OXO Good Grips range which would suit for Father's Day presents from the kids.

Bladed Meat Tenderiser

For those dads that enjoy a good steak or a family BBQ in the summer sun, OXO's Bladed Meat Tenderiser can help make the taste and tenderness of the meat even more enjoyable. With the cost of a steak main course being generally in the range of £23 per main course, creating restaurant-tender steak at home is very useful! This sharp 50-blade tool creates pockets which reduces both marinating and cooking times allowing meat to retain it's natural juices. Dish-washable safe so, Oxo say, "dad doesn't have to spend too much time cleaning up after". Hmm. If only. £16 Available from: Amazon.

Clean Cut Pizza Wheel

Maybe dad prefers a pizza? We tried OXO"s stylish Clean Cut Pizza Wheel, a handheld device designed to cut easily through thick and thin based pizza's. With a red blade guard to protect hands and soft, non-slip grip, it allows easy control for pizza slicing. £10 Available from: Debenhams.  We found this great to use and extremely easy to clean as it just comes apart.  We eat pizza at least once a week. Ieuan always demands Ham & Pineapple pizza from which he painstakingly removes each piece of ham and pineapple and leaves them on the side of his plate for Caitlin.  Go figure.

Please note:  reheating all my own work

Twist Top Water Bottle

OXO's Twist Top Water Bottle is 'perfect for those active and sporty dads that are always on the go'. This bottle boasts a 710ml capacity and a large opening for easy filling, cleaning and adding ice.

Oh bless - I've told him it's full of vodka tonic

When it's not in use, the twist-open lid will keep the straw clean and free from spillages. It's a great chunky bottle whose lid cleverly conceals the straw when not in use.  It's leakproof and spill proof and frankly, belongs in my kit bag for Pilates and my other sports. You can't afford to get dehydrated when crushing that candy now, can you? £10 Available from: Lakeland.

 For more information, please visit www.oxouk.com or call 0114 242 7295.

PR samples were received for this post.

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Things that go through your head when you are ignored during the school run

School run time and I am about to run the gauntlet known as "dropping your child off at school". As usual, the playground comprises numerous cliques who have positioned themselves territorially at various locations.  It's a bit like West Side Story where the Sharks square up to the Jets.

The school run can be an isolating experience

And, as usual there are some mums who, despite you saying "good morning" and smiling will only occasionally return your greeting and more frequently pretend they haven't seen you.

Now I appreciate I don't turn up looking like "glamma mamma" but a bit of common courtesy wouldn't hurt, would it?  I often find myself wondering why some mums are so, well, odd.

These are some of the thoughts that go through my mind.

Is it me?   Have I done something to give offence?  Have I looked at them in a 'funny way'?  Have I not heard them (yes, I know, put your hearing aids IN)?  Do they object to my constant wearing of black leggings?

Is it them?  Have they conceived an (obviously irrational) hatred of our family, including my ancestors and anyone remotely connected to the primordial soup from whence I came?  Is it simply because they are like that with everyone?  Perhaps they are just shy?

Am I too old?  Ah, a biggie this one.  Have I been relegated to an ' older mum ghetto' (innit?) Do I not have the necessary hormonal surges required to discuss the merits of slightly sticky play centers and whether feeding McDonalds to under 12's will shorten their life span?  (Probably)

Is it because I am a stay-at-home mum?  Do they think I spend my time painting my nails and baking cupcakes.  Or lounging on a chaise longue reading Vogue and waiting for my housekeeper to steam my edamame beans and brew some chamomile tea?

Are my children secretly the school bullies?  Another whopper this one.  Nobody would like to think for a moment that their little angels are anything less than kind, caring and sociable but often, I imagine, reports of bullying behaviour must come as a bit of a shock to the parents.

Are my children the school swots?  I remember distinctly from my own (largely painful) school experience that any level of academic achievement above turning up and writing your name on the front of your exercise book was often viewed with extreme suspicion and was definitely "not cool".

Do they know something I don't ? (this one is also what is commonly known as paranoia).

It's hard, isn't it when you see groups of mums chatting happily and organising play dates with their kids. The truth is, for some of us, making friends as adults is no easier than making friends as children.  You would have thought that we'd have acquired some social skills and confidence along the way.

There's one last question though, and this one is the most important one of all, the one that really needs answering.

Does every mum really feel like this?

If the answer to that one is "yes" then we should really all make a bit of an effort (I'm including me in that) because, as our kids go through school together, we are likely to be meeting each other every day for a very long time.

What are your experiences of the school run?


This post first appeared as a guest post on umeandthekids.com.

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Dad & Me & Dear Dad - Beautiful Journals For A Father's Day Gift

It's rare that I open a package for review and find the contents bring a tear to my eye but these two journals "Dad & Me" and "Dear Dad - from you to me.  A Journal of a Lifetime" did just that.

Dad & Me is an award-winning fun and interactive journal to inspire any father and child to have a great time getting to know each other better. The journal is designed so that they can write, draw and doodle in tandem, then share and learn about each other along the way.

It is a great way to encourage children to enjoy writing and drawing. Inside, each page either side of the book has the same prompt - for example "Being Healthy" and then a space for both dad and child to draw what their idea of being healthy is.  Other prompts include things like "My Spare Time", "Holidays" and even "Falling In Love"!

This innovative journal will not only create intimate and enjoyable family moments, it will help father and child to share memories, experiences, hopes and fears. The spaces to draw and fun activity prompts make Dad & Me easy to use and ideal for a wide age range.

Dear Dad from you to me is an equally beautifully designed award-winning journal to inspire any father to tell his story, and to reinforce that unique father-child bond. Once completed by dad, the journal can be returned to the child filled with precious memories and dreams - a really lovely keepsake.

Dear Dad contains over 60 carefully designed fun and inspiring prompts and questions which will encourage dad to open up about his life – his childhood, career, life at home, becoming a father and much more. For example, "What did you think when first saw me?" and "Did you have an idol when you were young?  Tell me who and why". The answers to the questions contained in Dear Dad would be interesting for the whole family I think!

Dear Dad is available in two designs, 'Sketch' (seen here) and 'Tree'. There are also 3 other titles available, Dear Mum, Dear Grandma and Dear Grandad and these can also be personalised at www.fromyoutome.com.

Dad & Me retails at £14.99 and Dear Dad from you to me is £12.99, both available from www.fromyoutome.com.  Tel: +44 (0)1225 866225 or email hello@fromyoutome.com.

PR samples were received for this post.

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Glossybox June Edition - The Festival Edit

This is box five of a six month subscription to Glossybox. For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box. Some of these samples may actually be full size products.

This month Glossybox is all about "revelling in festival season or hitting a sun-drenched beach" and contains "exclusively designed faux tattoos... to the quick fixes that keep the skin fresh and flawless in the heat".  To be honest this box looks like an idea which made sense when it was conceived but falls a bit flat in the execution.  For a start, how many of us actually go to a festival?  And the last time I wore a temporary tattoo I was about Caitlin's age.

The mix of products is a little odd too, even though there are three full size products in this month's box (although one of these is a sheet of tattoos).  In amongst the nail varnish and facial mist are an anticellulite boost and a packet of facial wipes.

The box contains 3 full sized products worth £22.76 together and two sample products, one of which is £1.20 and the value of the other not listed. The cost of each box is £10 plus packaging (£3.25), so, again, I have received more than I paid for.

The first full size product in the box is a sheet of Glossybox's Flash Tattoos (£6.50). There are 12 tattoos and frankly I'm not sure the sheet is worth the rather notional price Glossybox has given it. Application is by damp cloth and the tattoos will apparently last a week.  I might try one later to convince the Husband I've had a moment of madness whilst out shopping but they hardly look convincing.  Rather more Art Deco book binding than festival tattoo craziness I'm thinking.

The second full size product is the Anticellulite Booster from Spanish company Kueshi (£14.55) which is a lightweight cream with "a hard hitting mix of natural ingredients and antioxidants to stimulate blood circulation, in turn toning your skin and fighting off any dimples.  I don't actually have any cellulite but the cream is pleasant enough, although somewhat sticky.  The natural ingredients include Astralagus, Butchers Broom, Lemon Peel and Goldenrod Flowers.  The website www.kueshi.com is pretty spartan and I can find no obvious way of purchasing the product which is a little odd.

The final full size product is a "The Gel Nail Polish" in "I Don't Care" from Essence (£1.71). You don't need a lamp but you do need a base coat and a top coat so supplying one out of the three products needed to test the product doesn't make sense to me.  I also find it hard to get excited about a product that costs the princely total of £1.71. The polish is described as "having a long-lasting gel formula for an amazingly shiny manicure that endures all week". More information is available at www.essence.eu/uk and the products seem to be ready to buy from your local branch of Wilko.

The first sample product is Monu Spa's Rosewood Reviving Mist (full size £11.95) which contains a 'zesty blend of essential oils including lemon, rosewood and geranium' which you mist over your face to refresh and set make-up.  You could also spray all over to hydrate skin after a bath, shower or swim (which seems like a very expensive way to use the product to me).  Readers of this blog know I'm not a fan of facial mists (I really can't see the point) but this one smells pleasant enough, although I can find no mention of whether it is suitable for sensitive skins and, just because it contains essential oils, does not mean it is necessarily that gentle.

The last of this month's treats is a sample size of Halo Fragrance Free Facial Wipes (10 wipes, suitable for sensitive skin) which have gone straight into my handbag for emergencies.  I have heard of Halo and I can see the logic of their inclusion in the "Festival Edit" but I'm not sure it fits into the overall Glossybox ethos of introducing new and slightly higher end or different beauty brands.

So there you have it.  The "Festival Edit".  To be honest I'm not sure the rest of us are as in love with "festival experience chic" as the glossy magazine editors seem to be.  My own 'edit' would have included antibacterial hand-gel, a plastic rainhood and some paracetemol.  Best not let me loose on editing the next box then, although I might also have included some chocolate.

Am I happy? This is definitely not the best box I have had but I can't quibble about the value of the products.  I have one more box in my 6 month subscription to go in July (with a promised French theme) after which I will be deciding whether to stick with Glossybox or, as is more likely, to try one of the many other beauty boxes out there.

I'd love to know which ones you think I should try.  Or are you a die-hard fan of Glossybox?

Disclosure: This is a completely independent review; The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase. Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk, on Twitter at @glossyboxuk and on Facebook as www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.co.uk.

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Review: Wassen Collagen Drink For Radiant Looking Skin

Having turned 50 last year I have recently been boosting my skincare regime (such as it is these days since I had kids!) with collagen drinks.  Collagen is the main structural protein of the various connective tissues in our bodies and skin and makes up from 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content. This makes it important, not just for glowing skin but the overall health of our bodies.

My 51 year old face!

When we are young, our skin stays plump thanks to collagen which holds the skin together, giving it smoothness and elasticity.  As we age though, collagen production slows and existing collagen can get damaged through sun exposure and bad skin habits.  In other words, we start to wrinkle and sag!

My usual brand of collagen drink, Collagen Gold is expensive - at £35.99 for 10 bottles, although it contains a mix of additional vitamins and minerals, so I was interested to find that Wassen International have launched their own Collagen Drink which contains 5g of Peptan© hydrolysed
collagen.

Wassen's version contains 100mg of Vitamin C, 15mg of Vitamin E and 2mg of Manganese which protects your cells from oxidative stress.  It differs from other collagen drinks in that it comes as a powder in an individual sachet which is mixed with 50ml of water to give a pleasant tasting orange drink.

This is a big bonus because I find my usual collagen drink catches the back of my throat and stings slightly so I always have to gulp it quickly.  No such problems with the this version. Wassen advise 1 sachet per day preferably for 8 weeks or longer to see the full benefit but they do not make any grand claims of plumper skin or wrinkle reduction within this time-scale.

The biggest plus of the Wassen Collagen Drink for me is its price point - £19.99 for 10 sachets - a whacking great saving of £16 every 10 days which makes this collagen drink more accessible.  Yes Collagen Gold has a greater mix of vitamins and minerals but nothing which could not be easily supplemented by an over the counter multivitamin.

I will say that, having taken Collagen Gold for a while (some 3 or 4 months) I have seen some improvement in my skin so it will be interesting to see if the Wassen Collagen Drink has a similar effect.  I think taking collagen is one of those things the benefits of which will take at least 3 months to see, despite claims of plumper skin from rival products within 8 weeks.  I am interested in the effect collagen will have on my health as a whole, not just on hopefully reducing my 'laughter lines'!

Peptan© Collagen, according to Wassen International (who have 35 years of research behind them), supports the following:-

• younger looking skin
• moisture levels
• smoothness
• prevention of deep wrinkle formation
• improved suppleness
• bone density
• joint health
• post exercise recovery
• weight control (as a satiating macronutrient)

As you can see, it potentially has far greater benefits than just a skincare supplement, particularly for those of us who are peri-menopausal (that's probably you if you're over 40 by the way).

If you are interested in adding collagen to your skincare and supplement regime, I think Wassen's Collagen Drink is an ideal starting point.

For more information and to buy, go to www.wassen.com where there is currently a 50% off offer or www.boots.com where the product is currently on a 3 for 2 promotion.

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Father's Day Gift Guide - Gadgets & Gizmos

If your dad is techy, geeky or IT mad, here are a selection of gifts which will make him happy.

CoPilot GPS - the award winning sat nav app.

This app was voted by Which? as the 'only best sat nav app' in 2014 and it has some very useful key features to take the stress out of those daily commutes and weekend family trips to help make driving an enjoyable experience. For instance:-

Calcuate Fuel Costs – calculate your estimated fuel costs for a trip before you leave, so you’re well prepared for the journey ahead.

Google Local Search – search the internet to find your favourite nearby stores, local businesses or services to navigate to, call or check out the user reviews.

Find My Car – CoPilot works offline, so you won’t have to worry about racking up mammoth data roaming bills.

Voice Command - CoPilot now responds to voice commands for hands-free control. Just say, “CoPilot, take me home,” or “CoPilot, take me to work,” and the app will do just that.

CommuteMe - This takes the hassle out of the daily drive by intelligently learning a driver’s preferred route to and from work. It then automatically scans the route for traffic to avoid delays and provide an accurate arrival time. If a driver starts to prefer a new route, CommuteMe recognizes the change and proactively adapts.

The app is also very easy to gift by simply going to iTunes and searching for CoPilot GPS. Once you have selected the appropriate version of the app, scroll down and you’ll find ‘’gift the app’’ you can then send the code to an email address with a personalised note to your dad.

CoPilot is available on IOS, Windows Phone 8 and Android! CoPilot GPS have recently partnered with leading Road Safety Charity, Brake about safer use of mobile technology when travelling by car. They have a video about their partnership you can watch here.

The app is usually priced at £19.99 for UK maps and £33.99 for EU maps (which is also available in HD for £34.99) and available on iOS, Android and Windows.

Further information is available HERE.

TabletTV (from £64.99)

TabletTV is a simple device which lets you watch Freeview TV channels via your tablet anytime, anyplace and for free.

There is no reliance on 3G, 4G or WI-FI, all you need is a TV signal, tablet and the free TabletTV app (available to download from the App Store). You can even record live TV and watch it later on – ideal for keeping the little ones quiet during long car journeys or flights.

TabletTV allows you to:-

- watch live television absolutely free on your tablet in most European Countries* without any cables, satellite or internet

- one-touch-recording so you can record and catch up on your favourite shows whenever you like

- a home network feature allowing you to easily flick between the TV and internet, so you can join in conversations on social media without interrupting your viewing

It comes in two tuner models: the mains tuner (￡64.99) enabling your tablet to act as an extra screen and a portable tuner (￡69.99), which easily slips into a coat pocket or bag while you are out and about.

TabletTV is available to buy via the TabletTV website www.tablettv.co.uk or Amazon.co.uk - no subscription required.

Amazon Fire HD 6 and HD 7 From £79

If your dad likes apps, entertainment and surfing the web, he’ll love one of Amazon’s Fire tablets. The Fire HD 6 and HD 7 offer dads the perfect gateway to millions of songs, movies, TV shows, books, apps and games, it even has front and rear-facing cameras - ideal for Skype or a cheeky selfie with the kids.

Amazon Kindle £59 

If dad likes to relax with a good book, Kindle offers on demand access to over three million books, magazines and newspapers. With a touchscreen display that reads like real paper and built-in Wi-Fi that means dad can download books in 60 seconds, Kindle is super simple to use and the perfect gift for any dad who loves to read.

Monster Superstar Backfloat High Definition Bluetooth Speakers RRP £11.95

From pioneering audio brand, Monster, the Superstar BackFloat is engineered to keep pumping out high performance Pure Monster Sound, even whilst floating on water! It can be used at the pool, in the shower or just use it as a speaker. It's available in Black/ Neon Blue and Black/Neon Green.


Or there's the iSport Bluetooth Wireless Superslim™ in-ear with Bluetooth RRP £129.95 - super slim, low profile wireless in-ear headphones which feature a comfortable easy-to-wear patented sport clip which stays in your ear promising a perfect and comfortable fit. It gives total noise isolation with exceptional wireless sound quality which will keep the user focused on the most intense workouts and extreme outdoor sports.

Monster products are available from www.shopmonsterproducts.co.uk and selected retailers nationwide.

One For All's new Smart Zapper (£34.99)

This will turn dad’s smartphone into a universal remote control. It is an advanced ‘bridge’ that sits on the coffee table and translates Bluetooth Smart signals into Infrared.  It will convert his tablet or smartphone into a universal remote control for all his home cinema equipment. Just use it in conjunction with the free Nevo iOS or Android app and full zapper functionality can be configured on his smart phone or tablet in under three minutes! Stockists: Maplin or www.oneforall.co.uk. The Nevo app is free from the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store (search for Nevo under ‘Universal Electronics’).

TomTom Golfer (£179.99)

If your dad is golf mad then the TomTom Golfer could revolutionize the time that he spends on the course. It will help him to plan his game and quickly make informed decisions using the full screen graphics of hazard and green distances. It has one-button control and easy to navigate through menus. The TomTom Golfer comes pre-loaded with course data from over 34,000 different courses and is available from American Golf, Direct Golf, John Lewis and Argos.

TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio GPS Sports Watch - £209.99

The TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio GPS Sports Watch is equipped with a built-in heart monitor so there is no need to wear a bulky chest strap. He can track progress against goals and know that he’s in the right heart rate training zone whatever he wants to achieve. There are five different intensity levels from ‘easy’ to ‘fat burn’ to keep dads of every level challenged! With different colour straps to choose from including red/grey and turquoise/red, dads can ensure their gear is always as fashionable as they are. Available from Sweatshop, Runners Need, Up & Running and John Lewis.

So there you have it.  Gifts to suit the most techy of dads! I'm not letting the Husband see this.

PR samples were received from CoPilot and TabletTV

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Our Father's Day Gift Guide

It's Father's Day on Sunday 21st June and as usual the hunt is on to give a special gift that your dad will appreciate - particularly if, like mine, he claims not to want anything and demands that you don't go to too much trouble.  You know, of course, that if you were to ignore the day, there would be ructions.

Here are a few ideas to suit varying budgets and levels of  dad-fussiness.

Personal Grooming Gifts

Gillette and Braun have a great range of shaving products for your dad.  The Husband tried the Braun WaterFlex WF2s Blue Shaver. Wet & Dry (Boots.com RRP £159.99) and was impressed with the close shave it gave, even in the shower.  It has a contour adaptive swivel head and is fully waterproof. It also has an Optiblade foil, which Braun say is their "most advanced foil with ergonomically sized holes that cut hair deeper than ever before".  The shaver has a rechargeable Li-Ion battery which fully recharges in one hour for 45 minutes of cordless shaving and an LED display to show how much battery is left. There's even a convenient 5 minute quick charge function for fast and easy shaving.

He tried the shaver with some new products from The Real Shaving Co. - their new 3 step system of products including the Daily Face Scrub, the Sensitive Shave Cream (or Sensitive Shave Gel) and the Sensitive Anti-Ageing Moisturiser.  I had a lovely morning teasing him about his new found metrosexual tendencies, but he liked the products and the combined effect of the Braun Shaver and his new 3 step routine gave him a face far softer than mine!

The Face Scrub has gentle exfoliating beads with added almond oil and cocoa butter whilst the Sensitive Shave Cream contains Allatoin to sooth the skin.  The Sensitive Anti-Ageing Moisturiser has an advanced soothing formula with Q10.  The products retail at £3.99 for the Face Scrub and  the Shave Cream (or Shave Gel) and £4.99 for the Moisturiser and are available from Boots.com.

Sweet Treats & Boozy Gifts

How about some Lily O'Brien's Desserts Collection Chocolates (£6.00) - one of a range of chocolate collections from the Irish chocolatier?  This tempting collection contains 18 chocolate mini desserts including Creme Brûlée, Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Infusion, Passion Fruit Posset, Banoffee Pie and Hazelnut Torte.

There is also the Lily O'Brien's Ultimate Chocolate Collection (£5.00) which includes 16 Chocolates such as Double Chocolate Truffle, Simply Chocolate, Le Crunch Chocolat, Sticky Toffee, Hazelnut O'Brien, Caramel Macchiato, Death By Chocolate, Zesty Orange Chocolate, Lemon Meringue Pie and Praline Perfection. Indulgence overload!

Pocket money options include the Lily O'Brien's Dark Chocolate Stem Ginger Batons (£2.50), dark chocolate infused with real pieces of stem ginger in a handy re-sealable snacking pouch, Lily O'Brien's Milk Chocolate Creamy Caramels with Sea Salt Discs Sharing Pouch (£2.50), or the Lily O'Brien's Le Crunch Chocolat Pouch (£2.50), buttery crispy crumbs of caramelised French biscuits mixed with creamy milk chocolate.  Lily O'Brien's chocolates are available in selected supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

Or what about a dram of luxury single malt whisky?

We tried Laphroaig Select (£34.99 from retailers such as Morrisons, www.thewhiskyexchange.com and www.masterofmalt.com. It has a deep smoky taste but a surprising gentle sweetness. We also tried The Ardmore Legacy (£29.99) from retailers such as Tesco and Morrisons.  The whisky is a great introduction to peated single malt whisky, having a full bodied and smooth taste that is dry, spicy and has notes of creamy vanilla, smoky charcoal and savoury spices.

If wine is more to your dad's taste, why not try Lindeman's, Australia's number one heritage wine brand. Available at all good supermarkets nationwide including ASDA, Morrison’s, Waitrose, OCADO and off licenses, the brand's Bin Range has been spruced up with the new Lindeman's logo and a nod to Dr Henry Lindeman's philosophy that "the one purpose of wine is to bring happiness". He sounds an eminently sensible chap.

There is the Lindeman’s Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc with fruity tones of green apples, which complement fresh flavours, like salads, making it a perfect choice for barbecues. Then there is the Lindeman’s Bin 35 Rose, a soft, fruity wine or Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay, a medium variety ideal for a celebratory family lunch, or on a sunny evening – if he doesn’t want to share. We tried the Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz which has berry plum flavours and a touch of spice, a perfect complement to a roast or just for easy drinking with bread, cheese and olives.

For further information about Lindeman’s and the rest of its Bin Series, just visit www.lindemans.com.

After so much indulgence why not give Dad this V neck compression ToneTee T-Shirt from Highstreet.TV? (£9.99).  It's a control base layer which has body-shaping qualities.  It's made from 360 degree high tech fabric which targets key problem areas which will help Dad look visibly slimmer and more athletic looking.

The Husband found it surprisingly comfortable and it did seem to have a slimming effect on what Caitlin and Ieuan refer to as the "daddy podge".

Well, we girls have to get our own back, don't we?

PR samples were received for the writing of this post.

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Snack-time Treats With The Fabulous Bakers

The Fabulous Bakers from Oxfordshire have just reformulated their cakes, muffins, flapjacks and bars using natural ingredients with no artificial additives.  So, I duly recruited my crack panel of taste testers (oh alright, the kids) to give them a whirl.

Individually packaged and ideal for popping in lunchboxes and serving up as elevenses treats, we tried the Double Chocolate Mini Muffins, the Fabulous Bars of Berry Good Things and the Fabulous Mango & Pineapple Bars.

The Double Chocolate Mini Muffins have a lovely gooey chocolate ganache centre and like the rest of the range are suitable for vegetarians.  Each muffin contains around 123 calories.  They are, however, very moreish.  The 8 x multipack of mini muffins retails at £1.50.

The Berry Bars and Mango and Pineapple Bars are part of The Fabulous Bakers new range of oaty cereal bars (there is also a Banana Brunch Bar).  There are also popcorn bars in "Raspberry & White Chocolatey" and "Apricot, Almond & White Chocolatey". Cupcakes and flapjacks complete the completely reformulated range. A 4 pack of the Bars retails at £1.79.  The Fabulous Bakers products are available at Asda, Ocado and, shortly, Sainsburys.

True to their word, The Fabulous Bakers' products taste natural and not synthetic or overly sugared. We found they made a great change from our usual biscuits.  I'll also be popping a couple of muffins into Ieuan's lunchbox for his school trip to Barry Island (or Barrybados as we know it locally).  Is there anything more exciting to a kid than a packed lunch?!

And I like The Fabulous Bakers' philosophy of #Fabulous World Actions which you can read about at thefabulousbakers.com. For example they support Inner-City Bee Habitats and have a "Reduce, Cycle, Recycle Initiative".  The box the muffins came in was made of 70% recycled cardboard.

You can learn more about The Fabulous Bakers at facebook.com/fabbakers or on Twitter @fabbakers.

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