Earth Kiss Face Masks Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

Being a mum to my two boys I don't get the chance to pamper myself that often. I just never have the time and even when I do find a spare hour to myself I can usually think of a hundred other things I should be doing. I was recently sent some Earth Kiss face masks so I decided I had to make the time.

Earth Kiss face masks, energised with Himalayan Shilajit, provide a truly relaxing experience while both naturally deep cleansing and nourishing your skin. Release your inner beauty with the confidence of wonderful skin.

How does Shilajit help my skin?

The 85 plant micronutrients found in Shilajit, like Fulvic, a natural antioxidant, Hippuric a natural antiseptic and Salicylic, a natural anti inflammatory, help rebalance the skin while also increasing energy and relieving stress and anxiety.

The 6 Earth Kiss face masks all have different ingredients.

Clean Up Mud

Exfoliate Mud Mask

Skin Type: Normal, Oily skin

Mediterranean clay

Volcanic pumice

Rosemary

Cocoa butter

Tea tree oil

Dead sea salt

Detox Mud

Pore cleanse Mud Mask

Skin Type: Normal, Oily skin

Glacial Mud

White tea

Spearmint

Dead sea salt

Shea butter

Moroccan Clay

Pore Refine Mud Mask

Skin Type: Combination, Normal, Oily skin

Rhassoul Clay

Argan shell

Apricot

Aloe vera

Marula oil

Orange peel oil

White Thai Clay

Rejuvenate Mud Mask

Skin Type: Combination, Normal, Oily skin

White Thai clay

Lotus blossom

Lemongrass oil

Dead sea salt

Tea tree oil

Dead sea salt

Million Year Clay Facial

Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask

Skin Type: Combination, Dry, Mature, Normal, Sensitive

Rhassoul Clay

Juniper

Lavender

Dead sea salt

Dead sea mud

Mandarin oil

Miracle Clay Facial

Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask

Skin Type: Combination, Dry, Mature, Normal, Sensitive

Argile clay

Baobab

Mandarin oil

Dead sea salt

Rose Geranium oil

One of my favourites

I tried each mask over 4 weeks. I have to say my skin does feel more refreshed than it did before using the masks. 

Easy to apply - Cleanse your face beforehand with warm water. Gently massage the mask into your face avoiding your lips and eyes. Leave on for approx 15-20 minutes or until it dries. I usually left on for the full 20 minutes. Then just wash off using warm water and pat dry.

I have two favourites - Million Year and Clean Up Mud. I could feel both of these working instantly and afterwards I felt my skin had been energised. 

Earth Kiss face masks are priced at just £1.99 and for more information on the range you can visit Earth Kiss

Michelle

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Our Morning At Mattel Play Liverpool

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A few weeks ago we popped along to Mattel Play Liverpool for the first time. I'm not sure who was more excited about visiting, Little J or Me. I had read lots about the new interactive play centre and it was all positive. I was a little unsure about visiting at the weekend as I was worried it would be overcrowded so we headed down to the Albert Dock quite early on a Saturday morning.

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Wiplii Cardboard Toy Review and Giveaway

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Whether we are playing inside or out little J always has to have a tent or den set up. He loves to have a space were he can go and chill or play on his iPad. We have a pop up tent and I am always trying to jazz it up a little with cushions and stickers to make it look more appealing. When I fist heard about Wiplii and their range of cardboard toys I was really interested as I hadn't seen or heard anything like this before.

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Best Relationship With Your Child DVD Giveaway

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These past few weeks we have been watching a 3 DVD series entitles Best Relationship With Your Child. Both Daddy and I have made time to watch these and I'm so pleased we did.

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Sshh! Don't Wake Dad Electronic Board Game Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

When big J was younger this was one of our favourite games to play. We would spend hours playing and I genuinely mean hours. He would make us sit and play it again and again and again. It is probably still in the loft somewhere as little J isn't in to games just yet as I thought he was a little too young for them but I was wrong.

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Time Tokens - Keeping Track Of Screen Time

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Deciding how much screen time you allow your child to have is definitely a personal choice and should not be judged by others. We decide how much screen time little J can have depending on the day he has had already, the time of day and also as a reward if he has been good. I recently came across Time Tokens and after reading about them I knew this would help us as a visual for little J to remember how much screen time he is allowed per day. 

Created by Amanda, Time Tokens were designed so we could try and keep track at how long our children are using computers, phones, iPads etc. Using the time tokens we can control how much screen time our children use.

Each Time Tokens pack contains 

Time Tokens Wallet - Perfect for your child to take responsibility for their own Time Tokens.

A Timer - Just like a stopwatch.

Time Tokens - They come in 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes which we have used for little J.

60 minute Time Tokens are perfect for big J.

Time Tokens Promise Contract - This allows you to work on the expectations of your child and also agree how much screen time / Time Tokens they will be allowed each week.

A Golden Time Token - This will hopefully encourage your child to stick to their side of the agreement. If they do they will get a special reward.

The Frazzles - These are so cute.  Every Time Token features a Frazzle on the reverse. They tell you all about the things they love to do when they are away from screens.

Instructions - Easy and simple.

How Do They Work?

Little J doesn't have a set screen time amount however we have been using the time tokens just to keep track on how much he does use it. The timer is particularly useful to show how long he has left. When we say 10 minute left he can track the time and finish what he is doing. 

I have to say that it has worked really well and it's nice that he can earn a Golden Ticket. We will let little J use the Golden Ticket for a reward of his choice.

Time Tokens are a great way to keep a track of screen time and also a way to reward good behaviour too. They would be particular useful for parents of children who struggle to control their screen time use.

If you found this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Comments - I love reading your opinions and thoughts - Have you used Time Tokens before or a similar method? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought.

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Michelle

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DisneyLife Review

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This month we have been trying out a new subscription box called DisneyLife. I first noticed it just before Christmas when it popped up in our local Disney Store. As it was Christmas and a little manic I didn't stop to look what it was. If you haven't heard of DisneyLife let me tell you a little bit about it first.

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Teletubbies Toys Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

You may have read last week that a very special and exciting box turned up. Inside was a selection of the new Teletubbies toys range and we were chosen to try them out. Teletubbies was such a big part of big J life when he was growing up and I am so pleased they are back now that little J is a toddler. When it came to opening the box we were so excited to find out what was inside. Little J was jumping around when he saw all the coloured tissue paper inside the box, it was like Christmas.

Inside the beautiful and very colourful tissue paper were 6 Teletubbies toys for little J. He was so pleased when he saw Po, she is his favourite. 

Teletubbies Tickle And Giggle Po

Tickle and Giggle Po is very cute and likes to be tickled. She is made from supersoft plush and when you tickle her tummy she will giggle and say "eh-oh" "Big Hugs" "Po" "Again Again"

Little J loves interactive toys and really enjoys tickling her tummy. Little J also enjoys pushing her around in the pram too.

Teletubbies Supersoft Plush

Dipsy and Laa Laa are supersoft plushes. They are a perfect size for little J to hold and cuddle. He likes to take them to bed and they are perfect for snuggles.

Dipsy and Laa Laa are regulars at our carpet picnics and we play a game were they can only eat pretend food that matches their colours. Dipsy enjoys green pears and Laa Laa likes yellow lemons.

Teletubbies Talking Po Soft Toy

This is probably little J's favourite toy out of the plushes. Talking Po is again made of a supersoft plush. 

Press her tummy and she will say a variety of phrases including

"Po"

"Eh Oh"

"Again, Again"

"Big Hugs"

"Hooray, Hooray, Hooray"

"ooh," followed by a giggle 

"Very Happy"

Tubby Phone

A cute phone with just 4 coloured buttons representing each of the Teletubbies. Press the colour of your choice and the Teletubbie will come on the mirrored screen. Press it once and a voice will say "Hello (name of teletubbie chosen)" press again and the voice will say "Hello Teletubbies" press a third time and it will say "Tubby Phone Party" and play a song. Unfortunately all four buttons do and say exactly the same.

Little J seems to like chatting away to the Teletubbies.

Tinky Winky Figure

We haven't found a home for our Tinky Winky figure just yet as we are hoping little J will be a good boy over the next few months and maybe he will get the Teletubbies Superdome for his birthday and also some more figures. 

I have popped down the RRP of the toys above for you but the full range will be available to see over at Character Toys

Tickle and Giggle Po - RRP £19.99

Talking Po - RRP £9.99

Supersoft Plush - RRP £6.99

Tubby Phone - RRP £9.99

Figure - £3.99

As you can see little J was thrilled with all his new Teletubbies toys and I know our collection will grow over the next few months. I am going to dig out all of big J's old Teletubbies toys as we had the dome, a Noo Noo and all the talking Teletubbies too. Little J will love them. 

Michelle

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Teletubbies Toy Delivery

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When big J was growing up Teletubbies dominated our TV and also big J's toy box. He absolutely loved Teletubbies and had lots of Teletubbies toys including talking ones, a phone, books, even a Noo Noo that moved along the floor. When I heard that Teletubbies were making a comeback I was so excited because little J is just at the age now were he enjoys watching a little TV and I know he will love Teletubbies just like his big brother did. On Christmas Eve we received a huge white box, it was our Teletubbies toy delivery.

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Star Wars - The Force Awakens Film Review

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Before I start I do want to say that I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I like Star Wars mainly because John and big J like Star Wars. I play with lightsabers mainly because big J and little J like playing with lightsabers and I don't think I have watched the original trilogy all the way through. I was excited to see the new movie mainly because John and big J were excited to see the movie. However after watching the movie on opening day I do feel the need to write my opinion on probably one of the most anticipated and talked about movie of the year, Star Wars The Force Awakens.

I watched the second trilogy first, episodes I, II and III and then I have watched bits of the episodes IV, V and VI over the years. I know the story from playing Star Wars Lego on the xbox with John and big J. I liked the first three episodes and obviously they were more up to date than the original trilogy. Special effects were spot on and Darth Maul was such a great baddie.

In case you are peeking at this with one eye closed scanning for spoilers, there won't be any. I know Star Wars fans who haven't seen the movie yet won't want to know about any secrets, twists and turns so I will just stick to the main points.

When the film started there was a real genuine excited atmosphere in the cinema. As the music started and the yellow scrolling text appeared on the screen telling us about the what has happened I did join in with the excitement. The main storyline was Luke Skywalker is missing. General Leia (No longer known as Princess) is searching for him. A new baddie, Kylo Ren was in charge of the First Order and also searching for Luke - the last remaining Jedi.

Throughout the film as new and old characters were introduced I totally believed each and everyone. The actors and actresses chosen for the parts, for me were spot on. I am a big fan of Girls starring Adam Driver and I wasn't sure how he would be as Kylo Ren but wow I was sold. He looked and played the part brilliantly. At first I thought his character had a Darth Maul feel about him and that maybe he would only be in it for a short time but he was on screen throughout with some really impressive scenes. You see and feel the anger inside him within the first 5 minutes so I knew it was going to be good. Also you see Kylo Ren without his helmet on to which really worked.

Finn and Rey reminded me of a young Luke/Han and Leia. Both really great and really stepped up to the mark. Not much was given away about Rey and her past so I am hoping we will find out more about her in future movies. All we know so far that she believes her family will return to her home planet Jakku. She has been alone there for many years, since she was young girl and is surviving by being a scavenger. Finn was brought up as a Stormtrooper but decided to rebel after his first mission. He escaped and found Rey.

BB-8 is the cutest little droid I ever did see. He is adorable and just like R2-D2 can only talk in beeps and other noises. Luckily Rey can understand him perfectly. BB-8 holds the key to Luke's whereabouts in the form of a map that both the resistance and the First Order are eager to get.

When Han and Chewie appeared on the screen I guess for fans it was just like old times. I really like Harrison Ford and considering his age he did pretty well in not looking like an old has been. In fact he had a big part in this movie and with his still dashing good looks and sarcasm he was still the Han Solo the audience loved.

For me Leia was unrecognisable. I know Carrie has aged but she looked so different. There was still chemistry between her and Han and I was a little gutted they didn't make it as a couple over the years.

So without giving to much away Star Wars The Force Awakens was definitely worth the wait. The action scenes were strong, special effects were as expected for 2015 but it still did have an original trilogy vibe. In fact it was more like the original movies than the later. I am sure spoilers will hit the internet soon if not already but I do think sometimes its best to wait and see. I know I am usually the one googling for sneak peeks but with this I didn't and I'm glad. I think even non Star Wars fans will enjoy this movie, I know I did.

Michelle

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Santa Special at Llangollen Railway

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Christmas is a very special time for us and we have many traditions that we do each year. As a family we like to visit Disneyland Paris and Santa's Sleepover at Alton Towers. My Mum and Dad enjoy taking the boys to the grotto and then on to a pantomime in the evening. My in-laws go on the Santa Special - Llangollen Railway. It's so nice that we each do something with the boys that makes Christmas that little bit more special. All these traditions have been every year for at least 11 years. This year we decided to go on the Santa Special too and I'm so glad we did.

It took about 1hr 15 minutes to arrive at Llangollen from Liverpool and when we arrived there were plenty of car parks to choose from. We parked about a 5 minute walk from the railway and it only cost £1 which was great.

We had something to drink at a local cafe/ restaurant before the train although there was plenty of choice in the station itself. There was a small cafe and also sandwiches to buy on the platform.

Our train left the station at approx 1:35pm. The carriages had christmas decorations hanging from the windows and felt nice and christmassy on board. We hadn't been before so had no idea what to expect. There were 12 of us in total spread out on 3 tables in the same carriage. 

Once we were seated and the train was on it's way to the station at Carrog we were given a paper bag each. Now I say we, what I actually mean was everyone except me. They had run out so unfortunately at this point I had nothing. In the bags there was a chocolate lollipop for the kids and a carton of juice. The adults had a mince pie and a small 50ml of Baileys. The booking did say mulled wine but that was not offered.

Very soon an elf appeared in the carriage and got us all to sing a Christmas song as we did Father Christmas made his way to see us. 

I was so impressed that he stopped to talk to all the children and gave each and everyone a gift. 

When we arrived at Carrog, Father Christmas hopped off the train and on to his sleigh. We queued to get a photo with him.

There is a little gift shop and a chance to grab a hot cuppa and a snack if you wish before its back on the train to Llangollen.

When we got back on the train Father Christmas made another appearance. He sat next to little J and chatted about Christmas. This really does make the train so special because the children get to see Father Christmas at least three times.

Both John and I really enjoyed the Santa Train and obviously so did the boys. It was nice to experience a tradition that big J had enjoyed for so long. 

If you found this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways

Leave us a comment below.

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Share This Post With Friends Who May Also Find It Useful. 

Michelle

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Thomas & Friends Personalised Christmas Book Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the product below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. 

I have mentioned before that I love personalised gift. I always find that personalisation adds 'that little bit more' to a gift idea. When I was younger I had a Snow White book and I was in it. My name, date of birth, friends etc had all been added to create a story. I loved that book so much and I still have it somewhere. When we were offered the chance to review a Thomas & Friends personalised book from Egmont I knew straight away that little J would love it. He loves books and starring in one makes it so much more fun.

Ordering was simple. We chose the book we wanted and added little J's name. We could also add a friend so decided to add big J. There is also an option to customise the character. We could change the hair, skin and eye colour to match little J. Finally you can change the colour of the coat. We chose blue.

Although little J looks at books throughout the day at home and nursery, books are usually for bedtime. This book is a perfect bedtime story. It's just the right length to be enjoyed before little J starts losing interest. Usually once we have finished our bedtime story he will usually choose a book to look at before falling asleep. The illustrations in the book are bold, colourful and interesting so lovely to look at too.

Personalised books are always great fun and I find the child is always more engaged when they are the centre of the story. We will definitely be adding to our personalised book collection from Egmont very soon. I love the birthday book too.

If you would like to order the Thomas and Friends Christmas title use discount code pblogger20 for a 20% discount.

Michelle

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UNO Extreme Review

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You may already know that we love board and card games. This time of the year we usually buy a few new ones to keep us entertained through the cold winter nights. This week we have been playing UNO Extreme by Mattel. We already love UNO and have done since big J was little. His first ever UNO was Winnie the Pooh, I think we still have it somewhere.

The idea of UNO Extreme is basically an Extreme version of the popular game. The game features a card shooter which adds some more excitement to the original game and also is very unpredictable too.

Playing the game is very similar to the original although there are a few new cards. Three special Extreme hit command cards change game play from the original UNO game. 

Discard all allows players to play all cards that match the card’s colour

 Hit 2 forces the next player to hit the UNO Extreme Card Launcher button not once, but twice.

The Extreme Hit card lets the player hit any player they want by aiming the shooter at them and pressing the UNO Extreme Card Launcher button twice.

If you have to press the launcher you may get lucky and nothing happens or it could shoot out a stream of UNO Cards.

*****

What We Loved

The launcher does provide excitement and makes the game more fun. When you hit it and no cards shoot out you do feel quite proud of yourself even though it's random.

When another player hits the launcher and lots of cards shoot out.

The actual card game hasn't changed to much.

What Could Improve

The launcher needs 3 x C Batteries. These are not included and we didn't have any so we did have to make a special trip to buy some. Worth remembering if buying as a Christmas present.

*****

Currently the RRP is £24.99 which is reasonable and I think it would make a perfect present for an UNO fan. It is available from High Street Stores and also online at Amazon

I am always a little unsure of new versions of games I already love as sometimes they seem pointless, however this is fun, fast and exciting and we love it.

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PNP - Portable North Pole

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Technology has moved on so fast over the past 13 years. When big J was younger he would write his Christmas list for Father Christmas and he would send it off with hope that he would get a reply. Sometimes he did get a reply but other times Father Christmas may have been to busy. Now it seems Father Christmas can reach all the boys and girls via PNP - Portable North Pole and not only can he send the boys and girls a nice personalised video he can also ring them on the telephone too.

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Young Driver Lesson Review

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You may already know that last year big J drove a car for the very first time at the age of 12 years old. I had so many tweets and messages from readers who were so happy that I had posted about big J's Young Driver lesson as they had no idea that it existed. I had seen adverts in the Trafford Centre but I had no idea we had a training site so close to home until he had his first lesson. It's even better now that we have two really close by.

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Vertbaudet Boys Fleece-Lined Parka Review

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I love Winter because you get to wrap up all warm and snug in fleece jumpers and thick coats. Unfortunately my monkeys don't share the same enthusiasm as me for adding layers to keep warm. Both boys actually don't like coats at all, although I do make them wear them when its cold outside they both usually kick up a fuss. After hours of browsing online for a suitable coat for little J I finally chose a Vertbaudet Boys Fleece-Lined Parka.

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Toby Carvery - Waterside Review

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The highlight of my week so far has to be our visit to the Toby Carvery - Waterside. It was a very cold, wet and blustery Monday evening and I really didn't want to head home after the school pick up to cook our dinner. I needed a day off from cooking and a nice Toby Carvery was just what I needed to warm me up.

We have quite a few Toby Carvery restaurants close by although we do tend to drive a little further to the Waterside. Daddy and I used to go for meals there before it was a Toby and it's always been a nice restaurant, even better now.

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Holiday Extra's - Holiday Inn Express, Manchester Airport Review

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For our recent trip to Paris we were offered the chance to stay over at Holiday Inn Express - Manchester Airport before our early morning flight, thanks to Holiday Extras. 

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Thomas and Friends - The Christmas Engines DVD Review

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Every year we start getting in to the Christmas spirit earlier and earlier. We have a HUGE list of Christmas films to watch and we have a Christmas CD we play in the car. We usually start around 25th November but this year we have already started when we recently watched Thomas and Friends - The Christmas Engines DVD.

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JML Phoenix Gold Iron

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I have to admit that I don't do much ironing, Daddy does the majority of it. It's not that I don't want to its just I am so slow so it's easier and quicker if Daddy does it. When I told Daddy we were receiving a JML Phoenix Gold Iron he was quite excited as our old iron has seen better days.

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