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review

The Tefal Steam Generator means I can iron with broken ribs

Review / By

There is no way I could have used a traditional iron and have been so thankful of my Tefal Steam Generator as the iron part is much lighter as the water for the steam is not stored in it, rather it is stored in a separate part. The model I have is the Pro Express Total Auto Control – GV8930, which retails at around £299.

Now I appreciate that this is A LOT of money for what is an iron, but really it is more than that. Since getting mine I have halved my ironing time. I used to take around an hour on a Sunday to iron 5 mens shirts, the boys school shirts and tops and all the rest of the weeks ironing. Now that is down to 30 minutes. Plus is it easier and looks better too.

The Pro Express Total Auto Control means that I do not have to set the irons temperature, but I do have control of steam with its two preset steam levels. It has 5 bar of steam pressure which means that the results are pretty impressive.

It also comes with the following:

Tefal’s unique anti-scale collector and Auto clean soleplate
Unlimited ironing time thanks to the permanent refill and 1.8L detachable water tank
Added safety with the auto-off feature
Environment friendly product with an “Eco” setting saving 20% of energy
The cord winds back in to the iron
The iron locks on to the base, even when hot

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tassimo, how a coffee machine has revolutionised our lives (no exaggeration)

1 Comment / maximad / By

I never thought that a coffee machine would make such a difference to our home. I am not a coffee drinker, but MadDad loves a good coffee and it is his affordable luxury in life. So when offered a Tassimo machine I thought it would be something that he would really appreciate. I was right, he is really impressed with the quality of coffee, however, this months challenge was to create our own drink, but MadDad’s coffee is sacred and he would not allow me to fiddle with it at all!

The only time I drink coffee is in the lead up to Christmas when I add Baileys, so I decided to add some and yum, very nice grown up coffee.

But the thing that has been most wonderful and completely unintentional is the freedom the Tassimo machine has brought to Maxi and our morning routine. Maxi has always been an early riser and he loves to have a hot chocolate on a morning, but at 8 I feel that he is too young to operate a kettle, so one of us has to make him one. The Tassimo machine means that Maxi can make chocolate for both him and Mini. I love instilling independence in children and Tassimo has certainly revolutionised our mornings. They are calmer, more relaxing and we get a little longer in bed!

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Trutex Uniform Review Update

1 Comment / Review / By

Over a year ago I was sent some Trutex Uniform to review and I have recently been sent some more for the boys and I wanted to update you on how well they have washed and worn.

The uniform is of good quality and is the brand of sweatshirts we would get from the school with the logo on if we bought direct from them. The sweatshirts have washed and better washed throughout the year and have withstood nearly everything the boys could throw at them with the exception of black permanent marker that Mini somehow got hold of at school! In fact they have washed so well that Mini will be wearing Maxi’s hand me downs come September.

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Hyundai New Generation Santa Fe – Six go road tripping

Review / By

I love driving. I only learned to drive when I was pregnant with Mini and ever since have never looked back, but I only have a little car, so when Cass and I decided to go on holiday together to Bognor Regis with our four children there was no way we could all fit in to my tiny car. Thankfully Hyundai came to the rescue and loaned us a New Generation Santa Fe for the week. The New Generation Santa Fe is a five plus two seater and we have three children in booster seats between us. My two boys use a high back booster whilst Master Frugal is a little taller and use uses a booster seat.

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Pong Ipad Case review

Review / By

by directing wireless energy and radiation away from the user by up to 52%. As a parent this is a BIG factor for me.
It increases wifi speed by up to 2.6% thanks to a special patented wafer thin ariel in the case. This also helps boost battery power b y some sort of hocus pocus too!
The case enables you to use the ipad both in portrait and landscape mode and feels really secure.
It closes down you ipad when you close the cover to save on battery life.
It fits really well. The ipad clips firmly into the case without any flexing and feels really secure and safe, which with two destructive boys is a must.

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Cut the rope Toys review

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They received a plush cut the rope OmNom that makes the cut the rope noise, which Mini really loved. As it is a circle the boys took to throwing it at each other and it wasn’t long before Alvin decided that this must be his new toy. This is around £9.99 and has been a big hit with any of the many children that come through my house.

We were also sent a joke book (RRP £4.99). My boys who are now seven and eight really love and understand jokes. This book has been well thumbed and has 64 pages of age appropriate jokes. It is a super book for any reluctant reader and prepare yourself to be inundated with jokes.

We were sent a comic, which is a monthly publication and is £3.99. I find childrens comics quite pricey, but this did have a lot of content and was also filled with puzzles posters, experiments and also things to make and do, so Maxi enjoyed it and as always the boys love the freebies that you get on the front of childrens comics and magazines. This edition came with a small book and pen and some cut the rope stickers.

We were also sent a doodle book, which I actually nabbed to put in the boys summer activity packs for the car. This is £5.99 and is filled with activities including dot to dots and mazes (which are Maxi’s favorite).

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Tefal Optigrill – A Review

6 Comments / Review / By

As I am a Tefal Innovator, I was sent the brand new Tefal Optigrill to test. This is a revolutionary new grill that can detect how thick your meat is and tells you when it is cooked to rare, medium or well done.
steak

We like:

It does what is says it will – We had three different cuts of meat all cooked to different specifications and it was delicious.
It takes the guesswork out of cooking – I love that it has an audible beep as well as a visual identification when your meat gets to a certain specification
The cooking plates are removable and dishwasher safe. _ no mess, no stress and no burning your fingers cleaning it.
Large drip pan – We tried burgers on the Tefal Optigrill today and they were either fatty, but the drip tray more than coped and it fits snuggly to the machine
It is versatile with settings for fish, sausages, burgers, bacon, chicken and a manual setting for vegetables. My mushroom today was divine
We weren’t keen:

At £130 is isn’t a cheep bit of kit, however, I have had three of the competitors grills in over two years. So if this lasts then it will be much better value for money than its competitor
It has a large footprint. I know that this is something we will use regularly, so didn’t want to put it in a cupboard, but it takes up two thirds of the top of my microwave where it now lives!
Overview:

The Optigrill has such a familiar look and feel to me. My mum had a tefal grill with removable interchangeable hot plates for over 30 years. She used it a lot and I am hoping that I get just as much use out of this as she did. The grill plate is a great size and could easily cook six burgers on it and is perfect for a family of four. I am looking forward to trying out tuna steaks on it and fish next week.

Don’t just take my word for it, see what my fellow panelists think of the Optigrill

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Trash Packs or Trashies for those in the know!

1 Comment / Review / By

Whilst Maxi was at Cub camp last week, Mini and I had lots of fun making up the Slime Trashies. We made gooey, sticky, sewer ooze slime that defies gravity, then we used our ooze to create 3 giant, slime filled Trashies that you can squish, poke and squeeze.
Making them was great fun, Mini had to measure, stir and time his slime and had to wait 30 minutes for it to become fully slimelike, which was great for his patience.

The good thing about trashies is that they are reasonably priced and make great reward and pocket money priced toys.

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Chatham Marine Wake Pro Deck Ankle Boot Review

Featured and Guest / By

Now we do not have a boat, but MadDad has been wearing these for the last few weeks and said that they are extremely light and conformable. They are perfect for the warmer weather as they have side ventilation in the leather and look smart with trousers or even shorts.

The blurb:

The professional quality performance deck boot everyone has been waiting for. Wake G2 is a technical boat boot with 5 eyelets, premium leathers, mesh panel inserts and a butted raw edge apron seam with rolled mesh padded collars. Full interior leather and cotton linings for your comfort, a strobal construction and a full length perforated padded sock make this one of the most comfortable ankle boots on the market. On top of all of that, this shoe comes with a 2 year manufacturers guarantee.

A boot that comes with a two year guarantee well that is new to me and we are really impressed with the quality of these boots. They might be designed for the sailor, but they are also perfect for walking and playing with the boys too.

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