Review - Zhu-Zhu Lavender Body Wrap - Microwaveable Wheat Bag

Zhu-Zhu Lavender Body Wrap - Microwaveable Wheat Bag

Price: 6.99

Available from: http://www.zhu-zhu.co.uk/lavender-body-wrap.html

Suitable from: three plus

Initial Reaction: I suffer from shoulder pain, so anything that can help is a bonus and the fact that this smells of lavender is a real plus for me.

Review - Dettol No-Touch Hand Wash System

Dettol No-Touch Hand Wash System

Price:  Starter sets from £9.98  Refills  £3.15

Available from: Most supermarkets

Initial Reaction:  looks good but will it last.

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• Easy to use
• Only dispenses a small amount
• Helps to stop the spread of germs
• Last quite a while
• The hand wash itself is really nice
• No drips

Cons:

• Sensor quite sensitive
• Expensive

Value for money?  It expensive

Overall Reaction:  The Dettol No-Touch System is really easy to use and the hand wash lasts long than normal bottle as it dispenses the right amount of soap.

BG was really scared of it to start with but has come around and now wants to wash her hands all the time! It has been great as we have just finished potty training and it helps to encourage her to wash her hands after using the toilet. It is really sensitive so you need to move your hands away straight away.

I do find it quite an expensive; ideally I would like to have one in the Kitchen as well as the bathroom.

The starter kit comes with a dispenser, one hand soap refill, and four AA batteries

Great idea. 

By Carol

Review - Varta V-Man Home Station

Product: Varta V-Man Home Station  

Price:   RRP £49.99

Available from: Amazon, and electrical retailer’s incl Best Buy

Initial Reaction: Smart Little product

Pros:

• Lots of different types of connectors,
• lightweight and small a and it does everything it says on the box

Cons:

• 7 slots but 8 connectors – this one could get lost.
• Also has a very bright LED light when charging.
• Feels plasticy and cheap

Value for money? At £49.99 it should be better quality material.

Overall Reaction:  Great idea and happy 

By Debs 

Review - Neo-G Adjustable Pregnancy Support

If, like me, you are heavily pregnant (expecting twins) and have found that at times your back and bump is in need of some essential TLC, then the Neo-G Adjustable Pregnancy Support can provide just that.

This belt-come-corset fits neatly under your clothes and can be easily positioned around your lower back and under your bump.  It provides a dual-purpose support that did in fact elevate most of my back pain. 

I wore the belt during the hours I thought I would need it more; when I was at work or on the move.  But I did choose to remove in the evening when I was in a more relaxed state.

What’s particularly good about the belt is that post pregnancy it can be worn to help the body regain its shape, and that’s exactly why this product deserves a pregnancy thumbs up all round.

The Neo –G is available from Physioworld for £29.99 

By Jenny 

Parent Panel Review - Vicks Mini Ultrasonic Humidifier

Product: Vicks Mini Ultrasonic Humidifier

 

Help reduce the survival of flu viruses and ease dry nose, throat, eyes and skin discomforts with moisture level between 40%-60%

 

Price:  £49.99, Scent Pads £3.49

Available from:   Amazon

Initial Reaction: I was a bit sceptical at first

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• Can be used with or without scent pads
• Directional nozzle
• Has a germ killing function
• Helps ease symptoms of flu and colds
• Mist output regulation switch to adjust moisture level

Cons:

• It kept BG awake at night it is a bit loud.

Value for money?  It is a little on the expensive side.

Overall Reaction:  The humidifier really helped ease our colds. Our noses seemed less blocked and made it easier for us to breath. We tested it one day and then spent the next day without it and we did notice a difference. We used the scent pads in it which was a really pleasant menthol, not too over powering. You don’t notice the sound during the day but at night when nothing else is on you can hear it and it kept BG awake which was a shame because we would have liked it in her room overnight.  We will be using this again.

By Carol

Parent Panel Review - Vicks Gentle Touch Behind the Ear Thermometer

Product: Vicks Gentle Touch Behind the Ear Thermometer

Price:  £39.99

Available from:   Amazon, Boots

Initial Reaction: BG is never going to let that near her ear!! It was ready to use straight away.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Gives a reading in 1 sec
• Tracks last 8 readings
• Clinically prove to be accurate
• You just need to touch gently behind the ear to get a reading

Cons:

• None

 Value for money?  Peace of mind and accuracy is priceless when it comes to children. I have bought and tried different thermometers with BG and this is the only one she will let me use.

Overall Reaction:  Great thermometer, easy to use, quick and accurate. Has come in handy in the past few weeks as we have been ill. 

By Carol 

Parent Panel Review - The Minuet Digital Radio from Magic Box

Product: The Minuet Digital Radio from Magic Box

Price:  from £21.99

Available from: My Memory, Amazon, Play   

Initial Reaction: Nice and compact.

Pros:

• Clear Sound
• 20 Preset Stations
• Runs on mains and battery
• Stations are named
• Scrolling screen
• Easy to search for stations
• Headphone sockets

Cons:

•  Drains batteries really quickly

Value for money? Yes, digital radios can be really expensive this is the lower price range.

Overall Reaction:  I had been after a digital radio for a while I like 6 Music which is a digital station. With this it meant I could listen to it all around the house and even in the garden. The sound it clear and I like the pre set channels. The batteries did die quite quickly which is a shame when you want to use it outside but all in all a great little radio.  

By Carol 

Parent Panel Review - Olbas Oil Vapour Release Tissues by Lotus

Product: Olbas Oil Vapour Release Tissues by Lotus

Price: around £ 2.29

Available from: all major supermarkets and Boots

Initial Reaction: I love the smell of aetheric oils, so I was really looking forward to test this product when I was asked to review it.

Pros: The tissues are really soft and the capsules release just the right amount of olbas oil. Furthermore, they help you to breath in easier if you are suffering from a blocked nose.

Cons: The tissues are a little bit on the thin side and the packaging could be a bit more discret.

Value for money: Yes

Overall reaction: A couple of weeks ago we were asked if we wanted to test a pack of Olbasoil tissues by Lotus. Great, I thought, the flu season is just around the corner so we will have plenty of opportunity to rub our sore noses into some soft and well-smelling tissue. But well, the big wave of flu and colds missed us. We still used the tissues regularly and found out that both, daddy-to-be and I are big fans of the Olbas oil that is released whenever you crush the tissues. Furthermore, they are really soft and even suitable for sensitive skin - perfect, if you are suffering from a really bad cold and you don't want to end up looking like Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. The only thing that lets the tissues down a bit is that they are quite thin. Therefore, we would suggest using two tissues at a time to make sure germs stay in the tissue and don't land on your hands. Also, if you want to keep the box in your living room make you better make sure you hide it well. Bright orange and green stand out quite a bit if the rest of your house is decorated in fairly neutral colours.

 

Parent Panel Review - Boots Weaning Equipment

Product: Pack of 5 Extra Wide Bibs, Boots Baby Organic Jar of Food 125g, Boots Baby Organic Plain Rice Cakes 50g, Baby Melamine Butterfly Bowl and Plate, Cutlery Set

Price:   £5.99, 60p, £1.05, £2.54 each, £2.85    

Available from: Boots                         

Suitable from: 4 Months       

           

Initial Reaction:   I was pleased to receive this lovely bundle. The colours were lovely and bright and I loved the designs.       

     

Pros:   

Lovely design. Able to use the plate and bowl in the  dishwashers

Baby food and rice cakes use organic ingredients

Bibs covered a large area.           

Cons:                          

The bibs were too easy for the baby to pull off himself. 

The cutlery set  is a bit big for a 6 month old. Ideal for an older child.

Value for money?  Food, plate and bowl are good value for money. I thought the bibs were a bit on the pricey side though. 

Overall Reaction:  Very pleased with all of the range that we tried.

Overall a lovely collection of weaning equipment. The colours on the plate and bowl are lovely 

and bright and the designs are lovely. We had the pink set, but I had a look at the boys are 

they’re equally as nice. They have been very hardwearing so far and come out of the 

dishwasher like new.

I found the jar of food a bit too pureed.  It was very runny, but it is suitable from 4 months 

and I didn’t start weaning until 6 months. Brandon preferred the rice cakes with mashed 

banana on.

The designs on the bibs are nice and the bibs are large and cover a wide area on the baby. 

The only problem was that he discovered he could pull them off by pulling until the Velcro 

came undone.

The fork and spoon were a bit too big for Brandon to handle by himself, so we will be keeping 

them until he is a bit bigger.

          

by Sarah

Parent Panel Review - Wilkinson Anti-bacterial Surface Wipes

_{Product: Anti-bacterial Surface Wipes}

_{Price: 80p for 30 wipes}

_{Available from: Wilkinson’s}

_{Initial Reaction: I was already familiar with this product when asked to review it.  I had purchased these many times before from Wilkinson’s, finding they performed as well as the leading brand, but at a lower cost.  As my daughter is not a baby, I’m less fastidious now about wiping surfaces – she’s not crawling up the furniture or eating from highchairs any more.  However, they are still very handy to have in your bag when you’re out and about. Our local soft-play centre being a case-in-point.  It is most satisfying to wipe over the dining table, and hold out the almost black filthy wipe at arm’s length and hand it to the waiting staff with a disdainful “do you have a bin?”  They usually get the message!}

_{Pros: Great value. Good sized wipe, durable and strong.  Anti-bacterial protection for up to 4 hours, killing E.Coli, Salmonella, E. faecalis and S. aureus.}

_{Cons: Can’t really thing of any cons, except maybe that the packaging does look a bit ‘budget’.}

_{Value for money? Yes}

_{Overall Reaction: Happy to recommend.}

_{By Liz} 

Parent Panel Review - Cleebo baby nasal tweezers

Product:  Cleebo “Cleebo is the best way to clear nasal congestion in children, in a safe, hygienic and easy-to-use product.”  Confirmed by 80% of the 23 independent medical professionals surveyed.

Price:  £5.99 

Available from: amazon, thebabycatalogue.com, http://www.opus-innovations.com/

Suitable from:  Birth

Initial Reaction: What a fantastic idea.  They arrived in the middle of a rather crusty cold so I was able to get to work straight away. 

Pros:  They are a great design, brightly coloured and sturdy, they contain 10 removable / interchangeable colourful silicone tweezer ends on ABS plastic tweezers. The ends cannot be inserted too far into the nose and can either be disposed of or sterilised.  The case keeps all the parts together neatly.

Cons:  I found them incredibly difficult to use.  A combination of my lack of dexterity and my wriggling and very ticklish toddler, I only achieved one successful excavation before he realised what I was up to and made sure that the tweezers never went near his nose again.  He preferred to play with them. 

Value for money? If I had been able to get to grips with them, I’d have said yes.  As it stands, sadly, no.

Overall Reaction: I believe that these are easier to use with a small baby who is not prone to excessive movement.  They did not work for me, but I will be passing them onto my bed-ridden Grandmothers carers, to see if they can be of some use to her.

by Catherine

Parent Panel Review - Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons

Product: Honey Sticks beeswax crayons

Price: £8.95

Available from: The New Zealand Honey Shop

Initial Reaction: They are really nice and chunky great for little hands. They smell really nice. They also draw with no effort.

Pros:

• Made from 100% natural beeswax and non-toxic pigments
• Safe for children
• Natural beeswax scent
• Handmade from environmentally sustainable resources
• Easy to draw with
• Right size for little hands

Cons:  

• None

Value for money? They are more expensive than most crayons, however I feel a little more at ease with these as BG always eats crayons even at 2 years old. Plus I find even with the chunky ones they snap and break but these haven’t yet and we have had them two months.

Overall Reaction:  Really good crayons, they are just soft enough that you don’t have to out much pressure on them to draw. That meant BG didn’t get frustrated with them. A good investment for your craft set. 

By Carol 

Parent Panel Review - Green Baby Organic Skincare

Product: Green Baby Organic Skincare

Price:   Petroleum Free Jelly: £6.95

               Moisturising Hand Sanitiser: £7

               Calendula Balm: £7.50

               Shampoo and Body Wash: £7.95

Available from: Green Baby 

Suitable from: Petroleum Free Jelly and Shampoo and Body Wash from birth; Calendula Balm from 3 months.

Initial Reaction: I was really excited about trying these Green Baby products. Personally I’m not fussed about whether ingredients are grown organically, but companies that care about organic produce often care about ethics and sustainability more generally, and Green Baby are no exception.

Pros: All of the products we tested were great quality. I used the shampoo on my kids, but as they both have very little hair that only occasionally needs washed, I’ve been using it on my own hair too. The lather it produces is really thick and dense, and a little goes a long way even on my thick hair.

We tested the Calendula Balm on my 10 month old baby, who suffers with a few little patches of eczema. I’ve tried a wide variety of creams and lotions, including prescription emollients, E45, Vaseline lotion and Lush’s Dream Cream, to maintain his skin in between steroid treatments. I’m yet to find the elusive miracle cream that will remove the need to go back to steroids, and I hoped this balm might be it. Unfortunately it wasn’t – but it did just as good a job on the dry patches as anything else we’d tried. It went on easily and had an oily feel to the base, which protected the skin well.

The hand sanitiser basically did what it said on the tin! It dried quickly and the smell disappeared as it did so. The bottle was light enough to be easily carried in a changing bag, which is a plus if you’re changing nappies on the go.

The biggest pro for me was the fragrances. The Calendula Balm in particular is gorgeous: it smells fresh, spiky and herbal and lingers for a long time after use. The lavender and chamomile shampoo is lovely too – soothing and refreshing.

Cons: The smell! It’s very strong and seemed to be love it or hate it in our house and with other people who smelled it. My husband variously described it as like twigs, gloss paint and “like that old drunk woman your mother knows, who tries to kiss you on New Year’s Eve”! I think it’s great, but I guess it’s not for everyone.

I’d expected that the Petroleum Free Jelly would be similar to Vaseline, which is a petroleum-based jelly – otherwise why call it ‘jelly’? However, it was very solid, more like a hard wax. Also, the heavy glass jar makes it a bit of a pain to take out and about. It did work well as a moisturiser for little dry patches, and as a lip balm (more of a conditioning balm than the shine you get with Vaseline); I’d like to see this packaged in a smaller tin to make it more portable.

Value for money? Green Baby products are more expensive than your average high-street baby product. You’re paying for the quality: organic ingredients wherever possible, no synthetic fragrances, mineral oils or parabens. The extra cost also goes towards making sure suppliers across the business are paid a fair wage. If those things are important to you and you’re willing to pay a bit extra for a product you can trust, then Green Baby are good value.

Overall Reaction: I love this brand and I was really pleased with these products, particularly the shampoo and the calendula balm. If I was in a position to buy organic products then I’d buy these again, and I’d definitely recommend them.

By Kirsty

Parent Panel Review - Me Finder

Product:  Me Finder – The new digital Wristband for children       

Price: £14.99

Available from: www.kidsshowandtell.com

Initial Reaction: The Me finder looks like a rather large digital watch with a more secure child proof fastening

Pros: 

• I love the fact that you can add up to 5 mobile numbers to the Me Finder and that your child can not delete.

Cons:  

• It is large in size and my boys were not keen with the style we were sent.  
• The Me Finder isn’t suitable for children under 3, but they styles do limit the age range somewhat.  
• My boys would have preferred a superhero wristband, rather than a monkey or the large green techno.   
• It is also hard to fasten on the wrist

Value for money?  As this is waterproof then I do think it is great value especially is you are going on holiday or to a theme park.

Overall Reaction.  I think this is a suburb idea, my old issue is that at 4 and 5 my boys would have liked something smaller and not as visible.  

By Jen 

Parent Panel Review - Sudocrem skin care cream

_{Product: Sudocrem skin care cream}

_{Price: around £1.90 for 30g}

_{Available from: Boots and other large chemists}

_{Suitable from: Any age}

_{Initial Reaction: When I was asked to sample a new cream billed as ‘the A-lister’s secret’ I jumped at the chance.  I chuckled when I opened the package to find it was a tube of Sudocrem, but wasn’t overly surprised – my mother-in-law swears by this stuff for just about everything you can think of.  It has been re-packaged as a skin-care product in a handy little tube.  Apparently it is a different product from the one we’re familiar with as a nappy cream (there are slight differences in the ingredient list – I checked!), but to me it looks, feels and smells exactly the same as that which I slap on my daughter’s bottom!}

_{Pros: I was looking forward to trying it out. The cold weather and constant wearing of a woolly scarf had left me with very dry flaky skin around my chin and jaw line.  I had been using my usual moisturiser up to 4 or 5 times a day to try and fix it with no joy.  I applied some of the Sudocrem one night before bed. As you’d expect, there was no irritation, but it is a very thick cream, so did make my face very white.  The next morning I was a bit alarmed to look in the mirror and find big chunks of flaky white on my face, but happily this was just the cream, and once it was washed off, my skin did look improved (I suspect I was a bit heavy-handed in my application!).}

_{After using the cream for 3 successive nights, the dry skin was cleared.  Unlike the other moisturiser I’d been using, it didn’t leave my face greasy, and prone to spots.}

_{I liked the fact that it’s been produced in a tube. If you’ve got long nails like me the scooping cream from a tub can be tricky.}

_{Cons: Because it left my skin so pale, it’s not something I could use during the day, unless you put the tiniest pinprick of a dot on, it’s quite hard to rub it all in.}

_{The tube works out much less cost effective than the tubs of original cream, but it's not an expensive face cream.}

_{Value for money? Overall, yes}

_{Overall Reaction: I’m not convinced that the product is hugely different from the original Sudocrem, but that said it did work well for me. I don’t exactly look like an ‘A-lister’ but at least I’m not reptilian anymore!}

By Liz

Sudocrem are looking for your best pictures that show your child (under 3) doing something funny. It may be pulling a face, doing a dance, dressed up as a prince/princess... whatever you like! The prize is a £400 Family Merlin Pass.

It’s simple - just visit www.facebook.com/sudocrem, ‘like’ the page and share your child’s funniest photograph with the story behind it.

COMPETITION RULES:

Content should relate to children aged 3 and under only. Please note, submissions must not relate or refer in any way to the use of Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream or any other licensed medicine. Photographs and supporting text are both acceptable. The acceptance, disqualification or deletion of competition entries, without explanation or prior notification is entirely at the discretion of Forest Labs, as set out in the Terms and Conditions found on www.facebook.com/sudocrem   Entries can be submitted up until midnight on Wednesday 16^th March 2011. 

Parent Panel Review - The Bumblejums

_{Product: The Bumblejums – book and music CD}

_{Price: Book £5.99, CD £6.99}

_{Suitable for: Pre-schoolers/Early Years}

_{Available from: Online  or you can download the songs from itunes}

_{Initial Reaction: I loved the concept of this, an eco-friendly set of characters who teach their young readers about respect and responsibility to the natural world.  The characters were warm  and friendly, and had ‘toddler appeal’.  The songs were catchy, but at the same time quite soothing and melodic.}

_{Pros: Great underlying messages, which are approached gently and suitably aimed for young children.  The story ‘Meet the Bumblejums’ is a great bedtime read, with a flowing rhyming story.  Clearly an introduction, I hope there will be more in the series to come.}

_{We meet Jem who introduces the benefits of sunshine and solar power; Jon who is the head grower producing healthy fruit and vegetables for all the Bumblejums; Jay who is concerned with the air and the sky and Jo who takes care of the water keeping it clean and safe and ensuring it is not wasted.}

_{Cons: We also looked at the website which was great for finding out more about the land of ‘Bally Bo’, but I felt the website was aimed more at older children.  There was a lot of educational text, and not as much interaction/games as my daughter would have liked.  I think for younger children, they would find exploring and learning through games more engaging.}

_{Value for money? Yes}

_{Overall Reaction: A great concept, I love the idea of introducing eco-conscious characters to pre-schoolers.  I hope to see this brand develop and the story to evolve.}

By Liz

Review - My M&M's Personalised Gifts

Product:  Personalised M&M Bags

Price:  from £2.90 each

Available from:  My M&M’s

Initial Reaction:  I love the idea of personalised gifts.  I was sent samples of the Birth Announcement range which is really cute.

Pros:

• You can personalise the chocolates with any message (within 16 characters over 2 lines of 8)
• It’s a unique way to announce the birth of your child
• Taste nice
• Looks good

Cons:

The printing on some wasn’t perfect

Value for money? They are not cheap. A standard 40g bag is £2.90 and the minimum purchase is 20, which is £58. More expensive than a announcement cards. However if you are looking for something different it’s not the most expensive option.

Overall Reaction:  I love the concept, I don’t think I would have birth announcements made but they do a range of personalised gifts from birthdays to wedding favours.   The gift boxes are rather cute and would make a perfect present for any occasion. 

By Carol