Infinity Crates - October Review

Infinity Crates - Doom Theme
Infinity Crates - Doom Theme
For those who follow my blog will know I have this new found addiction - subscription boxes, and not just any boxes though - the geeky ones!  After 3 months with Nerd block, I am now saying my farewell to this great little service and moving over to a couple of British boxes.  The first being Infinity Crates.

Infinity Crates boasts that their boxes are put together from YOUR interests, which you complete when creating your account profile.  All crates have a T-Shirt and Pop Vinyl guaranteed each month (loving the Pop Vinyl!) and this subscription costs £16.99 (for the monthly option) with free delivery in the UK.

So, what was in the box?  Well, when I opened the box I was greeted with the print that you see at the top of this post - how fab is that? THAT alone got me excited to see what else was inside.... but then I got slightly disheartened to see a print larger then the box itself curled up and bending, but my disappointment was short lived when I saw a fantastic image of zombie Avengers!!  I can live with curves, they can be ironed out.

Zombie Avengers print from Infinity Crates
Zombie Avengers print from Infinity Crates
Going old school (for me) and next up we have Poppin' Candy - Halloween themed of course

Halloween Popping Candy - Infinity Crates
Halloween Popping Candy - Infinity Crates
Badges!  Oh Yes, it's not a geek box without badges.  Now I know this isn't the best picture but in my excitement of rummaging in my box, I'm rather impressed that I remembered to take ANY pictures.

Infinity Crates Badges
Infinity Crates Badges
How observant were you with the first print?  Did you notice The Walking Dead?  Of course, you did so, of course, there is something walking dead related - and not just a badge - Vinyl Stickers no less.

Infinity Crates - Walking Dead Vinyl Stickers
Infinity Crates - Walking Dead Vinyl Stickers
A key-ring - now THIS is a key ring - I love my forest ghost and will be going pride of place on my keys next to spider-man.

Forest Ghost Key-ring
Forest Ghost Key-ring
I wanted to save the best until last, but I can not decide which out of the last two items I love more, but as I am loving the Pop Vinyl - let's go T-Shirt first - both Nightmare before Christmas themed.

The Nightmare Before Christmas T-Shirt
The Nightmare Before Christmas T-Shirt
Jack Skellington POP Vinyl
Jack Skellington POP Vinyl
So that's my haul - 8 fantastic items!  There is not one item in my box that I did not love, so much so, I can't wait for November's Animation Crate!  I may not get to test any more boxes if Infinity Crates carry on sending me goodies that I can't fault.

So two for two I would choose Infinity Crates over Nerd Block for 2 reasons.
1. Pricing on Infinity Crates is approximately £4 cheaper
2. I love every item in my box, the sizing and the quality.  There were a couple of items in my Nerd Blocks that I've not been soo keen on.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the infinity crate.




Autumnal Snuggles

** COMPETITION NOW CLOSED **

Web Blind are currently running a competition to find out how you like to keep warm through this autumn nights - details of the competition can be found here.

For me autumn is all about the colours and snuggles to keep warm and there are some lovely divine gold Fauxwood blinds which are the golden colour of autumn that I love.

Shutting out the cold autumn chills
For the snuggling, there is a lovely deep red snuggle chair from Sofaka which is a perfect size for two - me and my boy in the evening whilst watching a movie before bed or me and my partner watching Walking Dead!

Perfect snuggling for 2
If there is just a chill in the air that doesn't quite warrant the heating going on then body heat is obviously a great way of keeping warm - and pets are also lovers of warmth and a cuddle and I love the fact our dog is the perfect autumn colouring.

My perfect hot water bottle
So we have the blinds to keep the heat in, the big chair to fit us all in (including the dog) and for that extra bit of warm - the snuggle accessories - a blanket - let's go retro and have a good ol' fashioned checked wool blanket from not on the high street.  Obviously I can't let a post go without a hint of geek so to keep your feet warm Dr Who Slippers and a nice warm drink as the final step to keeping warm - I would choose hot chocolate and I would have it the delightful Alice in Wonderland teapot - because I'm bonkers... but then all the best people are ;)

Snuggle Accessories
With my autumn colours and a big snuggle sofa ready for company the minute the blanket comes out is all I need to keep me cosy as the nights draw in and it is always time to make Tea and Snuggle.

So this is my entry to Web Blind's So Cosy competition - what do you think, does it give you a warm feel?


Geek Subscription Boxes



I have only just found out about Geek Box subscriptions!  I don't know how these have passed me by for so long!  I found out about them via Cosmickick when Angela was reviewing her Nerd Block.  How fab are these!

I so wanted one!

I so subscribed!

I now have 2!

We started with Nerd Block - Classic and Junior.  I have written a review for Nerd Block Junior which you can read here, having had these boxes for 3 months now I have finally cancelled this great subscription and moved on to My Geek Box and Infinity Crates, so watch this space for the reviews!

So, after the initial excitement of such goodies arriving on my doorstep, I did some searching and it appears there are quite a few geek boxes around!!!  It seems Lootcrate is the big competition for Nerd Block - both are overseas and therefore coming over to the UK has high shipping fees but by the time you convert to GBP the value is around £20.

AND THEN, I find out the UK does them too!!  The main 2 I've found so far are My Geek Box and Geekgasm.  Obviously, I can't subscribe to all the boxes so I figured I'd try each of them over a period of time and then settle on my favourite - Well this is going to take some time - by the time I've got to Geekgasm there'll probably be a whole load of new ones pop up!

There are loads of subscription boxes out there and as well as the above I have now reviewed the fantastic KawaiiBox which offers FREE international shipping!

I will update this post as and when I find more.



Are there any more out there.................

Apparently so, after writing this blog post I've just found out about Infinity Crates in the UK and My Geeky Goodies in the USA.  So that's a couple more on my list to try.

As promised I've updated this post in the last month and yet another subscription box has popped up - Thingamabox ...... I'm going to need a spreadsheet!!

QwerkiBox seems like a good UK one to try next!

Fun times are ahead!



Halloween Kids Craft with Bostik - #Wands


Oh, we had such fun with this!! (OK I did for sure, but glue, paint and sticks are involved so I'm pretty sure my boy did too!).

Autumn means collecting leaves, conkers and sticks - and we were on a mission on our last walk to collect 'wands' and I must say, we came home with a pretty good haul.

Preparing our sticks to transform them into wands

Halloween Kids Craft with #Bostik - Vampire Bats

Halloween Craft with Bostik
Halloween Craft with Bostik

Letters to my Son - September updates

Dear Maxwell,


We've had a busy couple of months, and I believe we always will around this time.  In September you moved from toddler unit in the nursery to 'upstairs' (preschool section) and you LOVE it!  I believe you love that there is more to do upstairs, more to investigate and more to learn.

You still call it Lindsay's house and recently you have insisted that we call you Maxwell.  I think this is because there is another Max in your class and so as not to confuse the two of you I think they let you know that you are Maxwell and you're passing that on to me.  To me you're Max, but if you want to be known as Maxwell, as you so rightly tell me that is your name, then that is what I'll call you .... when I remember.

Also this month you started dance classes.  I originally wanted you to do street dance but due to work commitments and your age this isn't feasible this year, so we'll look into that again next year.  Instead, you are doing ballet and tap on a Saturday morning - and you love it!  All the while you are enjoying dancing with the ballerinas then I will encourage you to go.

You're a strong-willed young boy and you know what you like so I have no worries that as soon as you don't fancy doing a hobby anymore you will let me know.  

September also saw our first Staycation which I'll write a separate post as we visited various places local to us and yesterday you had your first party for your birthday, which also deserves its own post.


Imitating daddy's canvas picture

Learning to read

Showing no fear on the zip wire 


All my love
Mummy
xxxxxxx

Braun No Touch & Forehead Thermometer Review

Braun No Touch & Forehead Thermometer NFT 3000
Braun No Touch & Forehead Thermometer NFT 3000
One of the most important pieces of equipment I bought when our boy was born was a thermometer.  I had no idea which to buy so I bought a basic one which did the job (when it would switch on!), it lit up red if a fever was present and green if not.  The downside these days is 2 fold - 1 my boy always wants to get involved with having his temperature taken and 2 I have to touch him to take it.  Now I know that sounds a little odd, but if he's asleep or just resting the last thing I want to do is disturb him and it appears Braun have been listening.

Sometimes it is necessary to monitor a fever every few hours and waking a child to do this can add to an already stressful situation for the parent, and it is with this in mind that Braun has launched this new no touch and forehead thermometer which we were fortunate enough to trial.

Braun No Touch Thermometer
Braun No Touch Thermometer
Braun No Touch Thermometer
Braun No Touch Thermometer with soft lighting
Braun No Touch Thermometer
Braun No Touch Thermometer with colour coding
I love the new thermometer!  It has colour coded displays with or without sound.  It has a soft light so you can see where you are placing it on your child and the shape is ideal to keep a solid hold with no flimsy handle.  It is also suitable from newborn.

The price is £52.99 and available at Asda, Boots and all good baby specialist retailers.  I know this thermometer is not cheap but it has professional accuracy and gentleness which will last, can be used on all the family and is far more accurate than a flimsy thermometer for a couple of quid.

I also received from Braun Dr Ranj’s top tips on managing a fever:

Dr Ranj Singh quote on Braun's new No touch + forehead thermometer
Dr Ranj Singh quote on Braun's new No touch + forehead thermometer

Check
Make sure you know how to check temperature accurately and get your child used to it too. Making it into a fun game can make the process easier, especially if they’re not feeling well. Likewise, if your child gets upset when having their temperature checked, think about using a ‘non-touch’ thermometer.

Hydration
Babies will often feed more when they are hot, both for comfort and to stay hydrated. You may find that they take less feed, but more often.

For children that have been weaned, offer them cool drinks or ice-lollies when they are bothered by fever. This is a great way to help them feel more comfortable.

Keeping cool
If your child is hot, reduce the number of layers they are wearing to help them cool down. This applies to both babies and older children.

Babies primarily lose heat through their heads, so when they are hot make sure their head is uncovered.

Older children will lose heat through sweating and so ensure they have regular drinks when they have a fever, to keep them hydrated.

At night when your child goes to bed, cover them in a single sheet, rather than a duvet. For babies, the sheet should come up to their armpits and not cover their heads.

Make sure that the room your child is in is a normal temperature (around 18 degrees centigrade), so turn down the heating or open some windows. However, it shouldn’t be so cold that it is uncomfortable.

Do not use tepid sponging to cool your child down. This isn’t very effective and may actually be counter-productive.

Medication
There are medicines that can help to reduce your child’s temperature, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Make sure you always follow the dosage instructions or check with a healthcare professional if you are unsure.

Medical opinion
Know when to seek further help. You should keep a close eye on your child when the thermometer reads ‘elevated’ (yellow), and seek medical advice if it reads ‘high’ (red), or if they have any other worrying signs (such as a rash, floppiness, breathing difficulties, fits or signs of dehydration).

Any child with a fever that lasts more than 5 days should be checked by a healthcare professional.



Disclaimer: I received a No-touch & forehead thermometer from Braun to review.
The opinions are my own and not influenced by the product received.

Paradise Park - Newhaven


Don't you just love it when you visit a place and it just exceeds all expectations?  Well this happened to me last week when we decided to visit Paradise Park in Newhaven and all I really knew was - it's just a garden centre with a few dinosaurs.

Well yes, it is a garden centre and yes there are dinosaurs - but there is so so much more to do and see I can't recommend it enough!! Especially, if you're going to go with the thought 'It's just a garden centre with a few dinosaurs'!

We arrived at the 'Garden Center' at around 10am and there in the foyer is a full size (I assume, no idea really if it's full size or not but it's bigger then me!) Velociraptor - so we're at the right place then!

Paradise Park - Newhaven
Welcome to Paradise Park - Newhaven
We paid our way and entered the Planet Earth Museum.  It's rather loud in here, lots of dinosaurs roaring at each other and darker lighting which all probably added to the fact Max got scared, and I mean proper scared and started shaking when he saw the first dinosaur... which then moved!  I must admit it slightly freaked me out too - it's very realistic!  So I picked him up and told him to hide his eyes as we run past.  This happened quite a few times through the museum route.  Bless his little heart!

Paradise Park - Newhaven
Planet Earth Museum at Paradise Park
After seeing a few scary dinosaurs we finally got to a Triceratops which is one of Max's favourites and he soon plucked up the courage to walk through the rest of the museum.

The end of the trail leads on into the Plant houses which is rather calming and Max seemed to enjoy running off ahead along the pathways until we reached the Oriental gardens where he loved the fish..... and the bridge.

Paradise Park - Plant Houses
Paradise Park - Plant Houses
Paradise Park - Plant Houses
Paradise Park - Plant Houses
Paradise Park - Plant Houses
Paradise Park - Plant Houses
When we left the Plant Houses we were given a few choices on which way to go next, so I now can see why they give you a map at the beginning.  So after a quick play in one of the play zones, we moved on to the Dinosaur Safari path.

This was much more pleasant and less scary than the museum.  Bright, colourful and non-moving dinosaurs - although still noisy

Paradise Park - Dinosaur Safari Path
Paradise Park - Dinosaur Safari Path
We then ventured on into the Paradise Gardens and here we kept seeing little gumball machines for fish food.  It turns out you can feed the carps that are in the ponds outside!  How fab is that!  So once we'd completed our trek around the gardens we had some lunch in the garden centre restaurant and picked up some fish food (which you can purchase at the entrance).  There is a seating area out in the gardens near the play zones so I'm sure picnics would be allowed.

So after we had some lunch we bought a token to have a ride on the little train that goes around the gardens - now these seats are no very wide at all and I was sure my childbearing wide hips were going to get stuck getting in - but somehow I got in there (and out again) and Max loved it.

Paradise Park
Paradise Park - Newhaven
Armed with our fish food we went off to some of the ponds and fed...........the ducks!  We seemed to have a posse of ducks following us around the minute they spotted the fish food!  One even had the cheek to take the food bag out of Max's hand!  So we fed some fish and the ducks and it was great fun, but again, slightly weirded me out and felt like the pied piper when we were walking between ponds.


Finally with all the gardens seen, fish fed and dinosaurs roared at we headed over to another play zone which is both indoors and out.  There is a soft play area, video games and remote control cars inside which is very spacious and then outside there is a sandpit, park area and my favourite - miniature golf!

Paradise Park Play Zone
Paradise Park - Play zone

Paradise Park Play Zone
Paradise Park Play Zone

Paradise Park Play Zone
Paradise Park Play Zone

So what do you think?  Not bad for a garden centre with a few dinosaurs is it.




Creating an #Avengers Theme Toy Box

Avengers Themed Toy Box
Avengers Themed Toy Box
I'm not entirely sure if Max is into Avengers - but he loves Hulk, knows of Capital America, Thor and Iron Man so hey - that's good enough for me........That and his parents are Marvel geeks (OK, I am).  So after taking a year on creating Max's first Marvel toy box, I set about doing it all over again!

Personalised Magnet

Anyone who follows my blog will know I LOVE having our pictures up everyone around the house from Canvases on the wall to Polaroid effect images around the mirror, so when PicStick asked if I'd like to review their picture magnets I was more than happy to!

Once you have created an account with PicStick you get the option to connect and upload from Facebook (always my favourite option), upload from Dropbox or upload via your PC (probably the best option due to facebook quality is not always the best).