NEW Ariel 3in1 Pods Review

I had high hopes for the New Ariel 3in1 Pods and being sent some it was a chance to put them to the test. Ariel is one of the brands used by four generations of women in my family. The latest launch does away with messy hands,no powder spillage,no liquid drips down the side of a bottle. Just a nice fat little pod...I love that word.

Like many other people I want a washing detergent to clean everything, not fade my clothes and take out any stubborn stains. Long gone are the days we spent scrubbing marks and researching books to find out what ingredient will remove a stubborn stain.
There are three compartments in these jelly like pods, provide deep down cleaning, stain-removal AND maintain the brightness of clothes for an exceptional clean

I have a house full of people determined to make me tackle many a stain,blood,tomato sauce,grass,grease, you name it they attack with it. I pride myself in beating them at their little game with my weapons of clean!!

So I took two common stains in our house and put the pods through their paces.

Firstly pasta sauce,we eat a lot of home made pasta dishes, tomato based and messy. 

Then chocolate as you know chocolate gets reviewed quite a bit and some people seem to drop it as much as eat it! what a waste. A quick wipe up is better than stained furniture though.

A pod in my machine, they need to be handled with dry hands as they dissolve quickly,great for the wash, not on hands.

Also a little different to tablets the pod needs to be placed in the drum before the washing.

I put my wash on 30 degrees, to really put the pod through its paces.

The result, stain free clothes, all the other washing was clean,smells pretty good and the brightness test will have to wait for some new clothes to trial, an even better result as I can legitimately go shopping for test pieces!!

Available at all supermarkets and the RRP is  £7.00 (for 19 washes

Method Cleaning Products Review

Method are a 'new to me' review range,but certainly not new to my home, it was strange when Method asked me if I would like to try their range, I am already a mad fan and told them so, although I have been sent a couple of unfamiliar products.

I  am very much aware of not just recycling and not wasting resources but I am increasingly interested in sustainable products,those that put something back. I like furniture that is from a sustainable source, rechargeable products and while shopping I will pick up the brands who practice this. Method were recently voted with a score of #1 B Corp for Environment! that means of the more than 650 B Corporations worldwide, they have the #1 score for their environmental performance.

Now don't get me wrong, I do use 'non green' products as well, but if a cleaning brand is effective, eco friendly and furthermore smells really great, I will pick it off the shelf more often. Added to that if its roughly the same price and Method often is I am a happy bunny!

I want to talk about the familiar to me cleaning spray first.

Method Multi Purpose Pink Grapefruit as you can see it was already in the cupboard and up for replacement.
I have to mention the fragrance first, its the first thing  to hit the nose as it hits the kitchen sides.
Cleaning is a task,a chore to me, I do it, it needs doing, but its boring. I can think of many more things to do with my time. But it has to be done. 

So I like it to be livened up and for me the scent or a pretty bottle helps, the Pink Grapefruit does just that. Its fresh,zingy,smells squeaky clean and I happily spray around the sides,go off to do something else and come back and the room smells good.

However a multi surface cleaner needs to clean! I find that it does. It tackles grease well,the cooker is cleaned with mine, its great for shiny sinks, plus it removes the tea stains when Chris makes tea, (apparently its not him!!)

I use it in the bathroom too, its probably just for kitchen use, but I find it great there too. 
I buy mine in Sainsbury, Waitrose or the Co Op,its £3 but it really lasts as long as other brands,in fact I find a little longer. However it is so often on offer,currently Waitrose have it at 2 for £4.50  so I wait and buy then.

Now this was my favourite fragrance, but Method have converted me to the Clementine Daily Kitchen,the scent of clementines is lovely. I can quite see this one being a keeper. I imagine it will be lovely at Christmas too. It cleans just the same and is very yummy!

Method sent me a washing up liquid to try and I have been using for four weeks,as you can see from my top photo it lasts well. I do have a dishwasher,but many dishes and pans do not go in,Chris has used it after using my Crafond for a very sticky cheesy pasta dish and the Method worked as well as any other washing up liquids.

Oh and the fragrance cucumber...its very nice,fresh and smells clean.
Its a pump dispenser bottle, which suits me as I like to add my liquid to a sponge to wash dishes and then rinse.I must warn you that for squirting into the bowl, it spurts quite a way, I found that by using less pressure and directing the nozzle down into the water that avoids this,its a great pump action so maybe a little fine tuning could be done,but its a very small con. 

I did look this up online and its double the price of most other brands, I am not sure why as the other Method products weigh in actually cheaper when on offer. This is sad for me as I loved it but also have to watch the pennies. However Method may not be able to compromise the green pledge to bring this to a comparative price?

The final product I had to review is the Method  French Lavender hand wash, this is a joy to use,the addition of bergamot, chamomile and purple sage is scrummy, its currently in Granny's bathroom, she likes it and I do too. I like that it smells great,is non toxic for my skin and good for the environment. 

So to conclude.

 Method is great for the environment, good on skin,no nasty chemicals mean its safe, I imagined this extended to people with allergies so I had a look on the Method website. I was right,it is also going to be beneficial for asthma sufferers as their are no fumes to inhale. 

The bottles are attractive,love the pump dispenser actions once you realise they are quite strong.  

The cleaning ability is brilliant.
The fragrances are so good, it makes my cleaning a little more bearable.

The prices on most products are a little dearer,my advice is look out for the deals in shops if this is a concern and hoping Method look at the price of the dish washing liquid,but I will happily pay a bit more for the cleaners and hand soaps.

Have any of you ever used Method, I would be keen to know about other finds?

http://www.methodproducts.co.uk/

Disclosure.I was sent Method products to try, all views are my own,I was given no other incentive or payment.

Limited Edition Royal Baby packs - Persil Non-Bio and Comfort Pure

To celebrate the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new baby boy, Persil Non Bio and Comfort Pure are for a short time selling special packs, now I consider I have raised a prince and princess, it was hard going at times, manners are key to raising happy children, I am glad I did this, my two make me proud when I see them eating out and when we go anywhere they behave well.

Paige recently attended a very highbrow evening, she knew how to behave, which cutlery to use etc. 

Now this is not the be all of good parenting, but if you can take your children out to your local restaurant chain and they don't play up, its more of a relaxing meal for you and certainly for other diners.

Comfort Pure and Persil NonBio are  also working with royal etiquette expert, Jean Broke Smith, to create a ‘Guide to Raising Your Baby Like a Royal’ which includes advice on communication etiquette, bath time, bed time and feeding time, as well as some touching anecdotes.

I had the opportunity to ask Jean some questions.

What is your top tip for raising a royal baby, if you never teach  a child any other manners? I hope you have seen the tips on raising a Royal Baby on www.facebook.com/comfortzoneUK

Have you any tips on table manners for young babies and children, when do I start teaching this?

When out in a restaurant, how do I teach the children correct etiquette?  When they are little it is good to gently guide them with manners, as soon as they can manage utensils teach them how to hold a knife and fork, and sit properly. Make sure they don’t put elbows on the table, eat with their mouths open or shout loudly.

Don’t encourage games on mobile phones or hand-held computers at the table when in a restaurant with family and friends, and no running around or making a fuss with their food.

There are so many points to raise if you would like extra help. I do Petit Etiquette to help with children’s behaviour at home and outside the home. It is never too young for children to learn how to communicate with older people, and not cause embarrassment to parents and friends.

To see Jeans humorous  guide pop along to The Comfort Zone,my fave tip has to be 'Dealing with the Press

As we all know, once your little one arrives into the world people will be snapping away with their cameras and iPhones. So now is the time to decide whether you want your baby to be public-facing or not. Should you choose to, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook all provide valuable outlets to share your baby’s photos with close family and relatives, particularly those you see less often if they live far away. 

If you’d rather shy away from the public, set some rules with friends and family from the get go and ensure photography is strictly limited to the confines of a private photo album.



www.facebook.com/comfortzoneUK

Persil, Dermot Flynn and Wow cleaning!

While review blogging I've been lucky to get involved in many challenges and events, I do remember the celebrity moments above many.

, 

Highlights cooking in London with Ed Baines and Philadelphia, he has since gone on to cook for Prince Charles, hobnobbing with me can take you far!! 

Interviewing Bear Grylls here and a huge tick on the wow list talking to Sophie Ellis Bextor at Camp Bestival see here last year,this was for her  ‘Getting Messy with Music’ for Persil.

This time I am thrilled to have an art piece made for me, by artist Dermot Flynn, perhaps  you will be familiar with the Marmite ads, maybe his work on  book covers including the Penguin copies of  Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Norah Ephron's Heartburn.

Dermot has been working with Persil  as they have just launched the new Small and Mighty.It has an innovative Triple Cleaning System formulation and Stain Eraser Ball that can also be used as a pre-treater – so it’s really been specially developed with Mums in mind,with the amount of stains a Mum has to deal with its a great new product.

Dermot's art work for me is truly personal, he took a photograph I chose of Chris and I, and on a white 
t-shirt recreated it using common food stains.

I am pretty amazed by the image, to work with food and recreate a brilliant likeness I am impressed.

Now there is no way I would ever wash it, but using the Persil Small and Mighty in the last week it has certainly cleaned all of our clothes. 

However  Persil also sent me my own painting kit with food stains to try out on a white t-shirt, Chris was still offering his up, but I wanted a proper go. It's a bit scary, I am a bit of a clean freak when it comes to washing,I always use a stain remover first if there are stains,I use a lot of natural remedies for certain stains and  take quite a bit of pride in have a line full of white washing, coloured clothes never get mixed in and the whole family know its a big black mark if any washing gets mixed.
So to take a new white t-shirt and deliberately stain it was a tad strange for me. However Paige and I had a go.

Ink, juice, paint and chocolate all were applied,plus grass stains on the back as we got arty outdoors!

Now bear in mind I have no artistic skills whatsoever,so my tee was a message,thanking Dermot and a big ink message, I really thought this would still be there. I used the Stain Eraser ball to rub over the marks, popped it in the machine (on its own I might add, I was dubious that the ink may not come out but also may transfer) and set it going.

Well what do you think??

I was so amazed, I would previously used a Stain Devil ink remover before, I have never just put it in the machine. 

Thank you Persil,saved me some money on stain removal products for the future and thank you to Dermot for my T-shirt
xx

Disclosure : I received Persil Small and Mighty, as well as a personalised T-shirt from Dermot Flynn

www.persil.co.uk 

Fairy Non Bio Free Timmy Time Books

The Bedtime remains Mum's Domain survey results below ring true, although Chris had an active role in preparing Paige and Conor for bed when they were little, I was the one who read to them mostly. 

I am an avid reader which helps, I also read to Chris too,though it tends to be horror so maybe not so good for the 'settling down' I always wanted to do a stint on Jackanory.

Paige and Conor had their favourites through the years and while we were moving home,all the books I had saved for their children were gone through. Who's a Clever Baby then? Their joint favourite. Winnie The Witch was Conors, while Paige loved all my childhood favourites such as Enid Blyton.

Books can really help to relax a child and I found for us, once I started reading they often dropped off.I tended to drop off too,it really is good for winding down!

Its always nice to pickup a book for free and Fairy Non Bio are giving away Timmy Time books. One pack = one free book.

Bedtime remains Mum’s domain!

Fairy Non-Bio, with the help of Timmy Time, have come together to discuss the importance of reading to your little ones at bed time to help them sleep.

83.6% of Mums spend time reading to their children at bed time,

despite studies showing a growing number of Mums returning to work

According to new research commissioned by Fairy, eight out of ten Mums read to their children every night before bedtime.  The survey of 1,000 UK Mums with children aged up to seven took an in-depth look at bedtime routines.  

Whilst it has been widely acknowledged that Dads are playing a bigger role in parenting, this research uncovered that bedtime is still mostly Mum’s domain.

Working Mums Make Bedtime Work

61% of Mums said that, after returning to work, they have to rush through the routine in order to get their child into bed at a decent hour, but that bedtime reading remains a priority for them. In fact, 16% of Mums prefer to shorten bath time in order to make sure that reading to their kids continues to be a regularly observed part of the routine. This forms part of a popular component to children’s bedtime practice with the average amount of time Mum’s spend reading to their children totalling 11 minutes.

Reading is clearly playing a key role in establishing a successful bedtime routine and is seen by many as being helpful when settling down their kids. However, 77% of UK Mums actually stated that the primary reason they read to their children is to aid their development, encourage an interest in reading and to bond with their little ones.

Bedtime Routine: Successful or Stressful?

Many parents seem to have mastered the bedtime routine with 35% agreeing that their child tends to settle down quickly and easily most nights, and 43% say this is the case 3-4 nights of the week.

Unfortunately, bedtime isn’t bliss for everyone and some parents struggle with the nightly routine. One out of ten Mums find this part of the day is a cause of stress and tension, and 2% admit to dreading their child's bedtime.

Chireal Shallow, psychologist and children's sleep and behaviour expert, commented on the findings: “It is reassuring to see how many parents are incorporating reading into a bedtime routine.  However, there are clearly still parents struggling.  I encourage them to continue to search for the right routine and strongly advocate bedtime reading, which is great for helping children settle, as well as the value of bonding time spent snuggling under a soft blanket.’

The on pack promotion

Fairy knows how important reading is - it is an important step in a child’s development and helps them on their journey of discovery into the big wider world. It boosts speech and vocabulary and teaches the skills your child will need to read alone.

To encourage parents to read to their children Fairy has renewed the partnership with Timmy Time, which includes an on-pack promotion offering a free book with every purchase of Fairy Non Bio or Fabric Softner*.

You and your toddler can together share the exciting adventures of Timmy, helping your little lamb discover his new wider world.

For more information on Fairy visit www.softeningyourworld.com or for more information on Fairy’s link up with Timmy Time please visit www.timmytime.tv/fairy

The Fairy range is proud to have been reviewed by Allergy UK and awarded their British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

*On-pack promotion featured on:

• All Fairy Fabric Softeners
• Fairy Non Bio 25 scoop powder
• Fairy Non Bio 10 scoop powder
• Fairy Non Bio 42 scoop powder
• Fairy Non Bio 50 scoop powder
• Fairy Non Bio 20s liquitabs
• Fairy Non Bio 11s liquitabs
• Fairy Non Bio 18 wash gel
• Fairy Non Bio 26 wash gel
• Fairy Non Bio 30s tablets

**Books available while stocks last

Our survey of 1,000 UK mums of children aged to seven was undertaken by One Poll

Disclosure- I was sent a Timmy Time book, Fairy Non Bio gel and fleece blanket. I received no other incentive or payment ,my opinions are my own.

Cleaning tips when one handed!

I recently had a run in with a soft mattress, not in the lying down position, but just pushing it into a car, I didn't even push very hard and my middle finger decided to snap the top joint, to add insult to injury I also tore the ligament.

I have had many people say its only a finger, it can't be too bad, well apart from the pain, it has caused some problems, as it has rendered my whole right hand useless for many tasks.

The family and friends have rallied round, as many of you know I care for my lovely Granny so I was concerned that I would not be able to care as well as I like.

But needs must, days on my own with Granny are made simpler by a bit of forward planning. 

So my tips are.

Salads and cooked lunches prepared by the family before they go. 

Main meals were my first priority, so any chopping of veg, meat etc is done by my glamorous assistants aka Chris and Paige. ( I have to say this they have just been so good) 

I find it easy to stir fry with my left hand so meals have become a little simpler. I cannot lift pans so cooking has to have somebody with me.

I am glad its summer as big casseroles would be unmanageable but a slow cooker is always an option. Though the above is a healthy ready meal from, very tasty too.

Th new Philly Simply Stir meals are good, I actually made this meal with arm in sling apart from the  chicken being sliced by somebody else and pans carried I made it alone.

Opening tins is beyond me, even the type with ring pulls,buttering bread is another, but I can melt it onto hot muffins and crumpets.

Meals now go to Granny in a slower process, I cannot carry a tray, but she has been moving about more to take a cup from me, help with small tasks, which her Occupational Therapist said can only be a positive. Granny said she feels more useful,having always had a really nurturing nature.So in helping me she has brightened even more, giving me more cuddles,our time together has lengthened as I am redundant mainly in the cleaning. So if anything my enforced slow down has been even better for us.

Light cleaning is doable, my tip invest in cleaning wipes, these enable me to clean up with one hand and save my splint from getting wet. I actually like the hygienic quality of these as they go straight in the bin in the kitchen, no harbouring of nasties on a cloth. Flushable toilet wipes in the bathroom are brilliant and will definitely stay when I have two hands.

Pump action dispensers are also good, I cannot squeeze certain bottles.

An apron with a pocket is great for storing cleaning stuff as you go about too.

The heavier jobs have had to be delegated and Granny keeps insisting we get help, maybe later when I tire.

I have managed the vacuuming once, but its foolhardy, you need a good vacuum cleaner one that is light, easy to manoeuvre mine is easy to move but too heavy to steady with one hand.Brushing floors is hit and miss, mainly miss, dustpan and brush just does not work.We have a nifty little handheld vacuum cleaner but I cannot work it with one hand.

Mopping is a nightmare, I get told off by Chris and Paige for trying, Mr Health and safety husband says wet floors and person already compromised do not go hand in hand. (Yes he does keep coming out with the puns.

Ironing, well I have not a single tip for you as I detest it and despite being stubborn and wanting to still manage the home, I happily give this loathsome task away.

Have you ever been unable to manage the house due to injury or confinement, sure you have? How did you get around the incapacity,any tips gratefully received. No ironing tips though, there's never going to be a single handed attempt from me,possibly not even a two handed attempt!

This is a sponsored post.

Win a Cillit Bang Prize Twitter

Bang and the dirt is gone! 

Cillit Bang are running a new campaign on Twitter with a few bloggers.  

If you remember Barry Scott landed with a bang last year in his turbo charged fighter jet.

This year there is a new advert, aired on TV Tues 11th of June, so keep an eye on the television. For my Twitter followers you can have a go at guessing how Barry will arrive,its a turbo powered vehicle!

Get it right and you could win a Cillit Bang cleaning kit!

Why don't you tune in then to see if you were right?!

To enter the competition please enter on twitter - tweet the hashtag #CillitBang and your answer to what Barry's new turbo charged vehicle is for this year to @Jo_Bryan You must include @Jo_Bryan and you need to follow me so I can DM you if you win. You can enter the competition more than once with different answers. If you do not use the hashtag #CillitBang your entry will not be counted.

Here is the tweet for those that have not already entered.  

https://twitter.com/Jo_Bryan/status/344014574921601024


Once you have done this bit, and had a proper guess then have some fun with the guesses! I have had a turbo toilet as one!! 

I will pick a winner at random from all the correct entries and announce the winner within 7 days of the competition ending. If there is no correct answer then I will pick a winner at random from all the entries.

Competition ends at 6pm Tuesday

If I pick you as a winner it would be lovely if you could tweet a picture of your prize with the hashtag #CillitBang  to @Jo_Bryan

Win OXO cleaning tools

I have reviewed for Oxo a few times over the past three years, I still use everything I am sent, they have a great knack of making the tools and gadgets just that bit better or more inventive.My recent review of the Avocado 3-in-1 slicer is just an example.

This time OXO asked if I would like to get cleaning with two of their latest tools. Well I don't like cleaning so any help is useful.

My first item was for quick tidy ups, OXO’s compact dustpan and brush set (£7) its a handy little gadget to have by your side. I have a family who like toast, now I like toast but I hate the toaster with a passion, it has a crumb tray that  does little to help. The crumbs still fall out the bottom and if I pick it up to move it even after cleaning it, there is still a shower of crumbs.

Must find a toaster that does not do this? I decided that the toaster would have the OXO compact dustpan and brush as its little helper. The family have been told it is to be used or the toaster goes and so far so good. The mini dustpan sits neatly in the draw under the bane of my life and I am far happier, its good for the table as well and small clear ups of my settee.

The next tool I tried  was the OXO’s new any-angle broom (£20) on first try I was not sure I would get use to it as its so light I over compensated and I missed bits, now I would not swap it. Its got a lovely wide brush length,makes it so much quicker.I have a large expanse of wooden floor in the lounge and kitchen. It is so much quicker. 

Chris made me laugh as he said, " I love toomy ( this is what I heard) brushes!" I looked puzzled,he said "You can sweep towards yourself, so its a 'To Me' it's so much easier!"

He is right though I did think he had turned into one of the Chuckle Brothers!

The brush is so narrow, it gets under furniture with ease and even into tight spaces, in the picture above you can see the pivot, it easily clicks down to really get at dust bunnies under my settees. Its very very clever and great for all my floors.

If cobwebs form in corners you find hard to reach or dirt lingers between your kitchen units and appliances, . With a tap of the foot, the head pivots and locks into multiple positions including a 40 degree angle for accessing tight spaces between units and furniture. 

Available from Waitrose.

 For stockist details visit www.oxouk.com or call 0114 242 0405.

 Oxo kindly have offered one of my followers the chance to win this lovely duo.

Just fill in the Rafflecopter form, please do make sure the entries you choose are followed, I do check...always!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway