Sing it this Christmas with Celebrity Vocal Coach Yvie Burnett

We are so excited, Paige had a Wii Sing it bought for her and her friends a while ago. She was most amused when myself and friend started to belt out hits, we thought we were

superb until Conor,  Paige and her daughter put us straight. We were broken!

We will be reviewing Disney Sing It Family Hits with emphasis on the family as I am keen to dust off the old vocal chords again and to help me Yvie Burnett has given me some tips ready for my debut!!

Stayed tuned (Hopefully I will be, get it?  heehee) for the review coming soon.

Learn to sing like a popstar with top tips from celebrity vocal coach Yvie Burnett, and the two fab new karaoke games from Disney, Sing It Party Hits and Sing It Family Hits. To make sure you impress your family and friends this Christmas with your Disney Sing It performance Yvie Burnett has provided some top tips on how to warm up your vocal chords to hit those high notes just like your favourite popstar.

We caught up with Yvie to find out if she will be chilling out for Christmas and what what her tops tips would be for some karaoke fun over the festive period.

Yvie, how has your year been?

It’s been pretty hectic, especially the last few months, but it’s been a lot of fun working with some great talent that I think we will see a lot of next year.

Were you excited to see Matt Cardle win?

I was happy for Matt – he was a well-deserved winner and was consistently good.

You work with lots of chart-topping singers like Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger, who would be your dream student?

I’d love to work with Justin Bieber, not just because my daughter loves him, but because he is at the age where his voice is changing and I think it would be fascinating helping him with the transition in his voice. In fact I’ve just been singing along to Justin on the Disney Sing It Party Hits game.

What’s it really like to work with Simon Cowell?

I’ve worked with Simon for years, and got to know him really well. He has always been great to work with - very charming, supportive and the first to say well done when someone has performed really well.

What plans do you have for Christmas?

I will be spending it with my family - we always end up playing games on Christmas day, and the Disney Sing It games will keep the whole family entertained.

What’s your favourite Disney song?

I love singing away to ‘A Whole New World’, it’s my guilty pleasure!

 

What top tips do you have for anyone wanting to play karaoke games such as Disney Sing It video games this Christmas?

Whenever you are singing it is all about the performance – as much as hitting the right notes. Make sure you are enjoying the song and smile throughout – as it will help you stay in tune and really have fun. So pretend you are a true popstar

What is the best way to warm up the vocal chords?

The best thing to do is sing a song you like whilst moving around a bit – to help you relax. So march around the room whilst singing a Disney classic and it will really help loosen up your vocal chords.

What plans do you have for 2011?

I’m heading to LA in the New Year to work with some exciting singers there, and of course there is also the new series of Britain’s Got Talent to look forward to.

Perfect for all the family to enjoy this Christmas, Disney Sing It: Family Hits features 20 beloved songs and videos from popular all-time classic Disney films including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book as well as contemporary favourites from films like The Princess and the Frog, The Lion King, Aladdin, Cars and more.

Get the party started this New Year with Disney Sing It Party Hits, featuring 30 chart-topping songs and music videos from favourites including Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Jason Myraz, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson and more.

 

Disney Sing It Party Hits and Disney Sing It Family Hits are available on Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 now.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

Well the big day is here I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

I am a traditional girl at heart but gradually the digital age has taken over my life, stay with this for a funny take on the Nativity at the end.

I just wanted to say thanks to my husband Chris and my children for putting up with me glued to a screen at all hours, trialling and testing for me when they perhaps did not always want to.
Rushed dinners unless I was reviewing the food then colder dinners as I aimed to capture them on film for my blog.

I love you for all these things and more.

Thanks to some great friends who have helped me with my blog, setting it up, putting up with umpteen questions, so I could get it running and looking good, still a long way to go.

Thanks to some fab readers and followers, who I really wouldn't be here without. (Well I would but I would be  a mad thing mumbling to myself,what do you mean  you already think I am)  
Thanks to you who have visited, supported me by commenting here, entering my giveaways, put up with my tweeting of reviews and my addiction to competitions also tweeted ad nauseum I know.

Thanks to some great PR people who have given the fuel for my review blog and been terribly sweet and generous.
Its been lovely getting to know you, thanks for the emails raving about my reviews, the phonecalls and the Christmas cards ( A lovely unexpected touch)
Thanks to the gorgeous brands who have given me much to praise and rave about.

I wanted to leave a traditional greeting but in keeping with this social networking age I think this is both fun and more apt.

Thanks everybody. I will be here next year with more of the same.

Merry Christmas and wishing you all the best of everything in 2011

GRAND MARNIER’S® CLASSIC BOTTLE DRESSES UP FOR CHRISTMAS

One of my first reviews on my blog had to be about my favourite drink, Grand Marnier.

I fell in love with it at the BBC Good Food Show

They were serving the Grand Espirit cocktail see the luscious recipe HERE

I admit to having to visit the stand several times for a sample and leaving with a bottle along with elderflower and a pitcher so I could recreate at home.

I tend to drink it like that all the time and not so much this time of year because the fresh strawberries are just not quite as good.

Christmas has bought me a present in the form of an exclusive bottle and a new way to drink.

I was interested in the contents but have to say Grand Marnier have really put a lot into the bottle design. Its fit for royalty in a black sleek bottle with a large ruby nestled on the curvy outer.
 Very Christmassy and ultra cool.

Its almost too good too open but then I remember the contents and without any finesse open the lid.

I have my cranberry juice ready , ice and fresh cranberries to decorate.

Next stage to sip, its beautiful, I promise you, the cranberries complement the cognac and the warm orange flavour perfectly, turning my favourite tipple into a festive treat.

Seasons Greetings I have all I want to drink for Christmas

To celebrate its 130th anniversary, Grand Marnier® introduces the exclusive Ruby Edition bottle for the festive party season. Renowned for its classic curves and timeless elegance, the Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge has been dressed up in stylish black with a festive ruby-red jewel to create a stunning gift for this Christmas.

In a design that perfectly encapsulates the quality and heritage of Grand Marnier, the traditional amber bottle has been transformed into jet black – the ultimate in discretion and style. This provides the perfect backdrop for a sparkling ruby coloured jewel, replacing the symbolic Grand Marnier wax seal, which dazzles and captivates against the liqueur and the light.

The eighth in a line of exclusive limited edition bottles, the Ruby Edition was designed to celebrate 130 years since Grand Marnier was created by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle in 1880. Renowned for its distinctive flavour and character, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is a delicate blend of fine cognacs and distilled essence of tropical oranges with Marnier-Lapostolle's secret touch. It is slow-aged in French oak casks to give it its incomparable roundness and subtlety, making it the ideal ingredient for Christmas drinks.

Why not try mixing up a Grand Ruby? A stunning combination of Grand Marnier and cranberry juice, topped with seasonal fruit, it’s the perfect drink to share with friends over the festive season.

The Grand Marnier Ruby Edition is available to buy from October, for an RRP of £19.99, from Selfridges, Oddbins and Nicolas.

How to make The Grand Ruby (1.6 units):

40ml Grand Marnier

120ml cranberry juice

In a tall glass, pour Grand Marnier over crushed ice. Fill up with cranberry juice. Squeeze a wedge of lime above the glass and add same wedge in the glass. Garnish with seasonal mixed berries.

 

 

About Grand Marnier®

Today, the Marnier-Lapostolle company is owned and operated by 5th and 6th generation members of the Marnier Lapostolle family, including Jacques Marnier Lapostolle, the current Chairman of the Board. With 90% of its production sold outside of France in over 150 countries, GRAND MARNIER® has been the leading French liqueur in export sales for over 25 years. According to the magazine “Impact”, GRAND MARNIER® is among the top 100 major international brands of premium spirits and is the third highest selling brand of liqueur worldwide (based on retail sales). A bottle of GRAND MARNIER® liqueur is sold every 3 seconds around the world.

Visit us at http://www.grand-marnier.com/

 

GRAND MARNIER® is a registered trade mark of Société des Produits Marnier Lapostolle.

Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk and our global resource www.DRINKiQ.com for information and guidance on responsible drinking.

e-cloth Kitchen Pack

I think these are in some ways more "Wow factor" than any gadget I rave about for the household. Its because each time I use one, I am bowled over by the fact they clean up all on their own.

From any normal cleaning task, kitchen worktops, fridge and table, to a hob thats been Chrissed ( Our term for when Chris does a roast dinner) It looks like a kitchen of wild animals or the gremlins were let loose with grease, gravy and stuffing.
I had the original cloth and love them, rave about them to friends and family and really did not think muck improvement needed apart from some tougher baked on food occasionally was needing a squirt of cleaning spray.

Actually I had a job resisting the urge to get out a spray when I first used an e-cloth. They simply clean up and whats more clean up so well.  I learned in an earlier review that cleaning products kill the friendly bacteria and so I am happier to go one step further and not use even a friendly cleaner.
It shines, my glass, kitchen mirror I can use it dry on my rustic pine table which means I will have saved money on wax now. It cleans my cooker and any tougher bits now get shifted by the scourer corner of the cloth no need to reach for any cleaner at all.

The washing up  pad is great for the dishes, cleans off all manner of food, even tackles porridge well. It has a scoure part too on the reverse and this helps with the pans that are a little more baked on, I still get surprised by it when there is a heavily caked lasagne dish and I do not have to reach for a metal scourer.

Chemical free kitchen cleaning that removes over 99% of bacteria

Kitchens can be one of the hardest places in the home to keep clean. Bacteria lingering from raw meat and sticky fingers can leave surfaces smeared, while boiled-over pans make a mess of the hob. Because of this people reach for chemicals to clean, but for a chemical free clean all you need is water and an e-cloth to remove bacteria, dirt and grease from around the kitchen and banish all those hidden nasties.

e-cloth has improved its best selling and award winning Kitchen Pack, which contains 2 cloths. The Kitchen Cloth now includes a non-scratch, scouring corner to help remove stubborn and tougher dirt left behind on kitchen surfaces. Simply dampen the cloth with water and run it over your kitchen surfaces to clean. Use the scouring corner pocket on those tougher bits of grime that can build up around the oven and work surfaces. For shiny surfaces, finish with the Glass & Polishing Cloth, to leave appliances, glass and worktops sparkling.

Washing up is a haven for dirt and grime. e-cloth’s NEW dual sided Washing-Up Pad cuts out the need for any other sponges or brushes. The yellow side is made of the clever e-cloth fibres that clean by breaking up and trapping grease, dirt and bacteria, which other sponges can leave behind. The non-scratch, scrubbing side can then be used on tougher food residue on crockery, cutlery and plates. Washing up has never been easier!

e-cloth Granite Pack

NEW e-cloth cares for granite surfaces You know when you’ve arrived in domestic paradise when you have granite surfaces furnishing your kitchen and bathroom units. One of the most popular choices for countertops, granite is extremely durable and doesn’t scratch easily. But, maintaining its luxurious appeal can be an effort. A quick wipe with e-cloth’s new Granite cleaning cloth will help to maintain its ‘sparkle’ and polish through the years.

Using just water, simply wipe the e-cloth Granite cloth across the surface to remove grease, grime, soap scum and bacteria, which has built up during daily use. What’s more you won’t need to use any harsh chemicals to achieve great results, as each e-cloth consists of millions of tiny fibres that are uniquely processed to give perfect cleaning and polishing performance. Unlike conventional cloths, as you wipe an e-cloth across a surface the fibres clean by breaking up, trapping and absorbing dirt.

With a guaranteed 300 plus machine washes per cloth, the e-cloth Granite Pack not only makes bathroom and kitchen cleaning a doddle, but it is also great value for money and kinder to the environment as well. In fact, as e-cloth eliminates the need for chemical cleaning products, it can reduce your household cleaning bill by up to £100* a year while ensuring your green conscious remains clear!

e-cloth Granite Pack is available from Lakelands, independent stories and www.e-cloth.com, priced £8.99.

Periproducts RetarDEX Review

Periproducts is a premium oral health care company, specialising in products to help fight bacteria and bad breath. Products in the range include RetarDEX Toothpaste, Oral Rinse and Oral Spray, SensiShield and interdental brushes.

Why the range is so different to any other brands on the market, is they contain a patented ingredient CloSYS II, that is clinically proven to break the bond of molecules that create bad breath. The retarDEX range tackles bad breath for up to 8 hours - other products on the market simply mask the problem.

I was sent RetarDEX Oral Spray its a fab product  It's small and can slip into any handbag or pocket and I am so impressed Chris now has one too in the side pocket of his car door.

He is in meetings around our region all day every day and he constantlay chews gum or sucks Extra Strong mints.

 

Sugar wise and dentally this is not so good, I moan at him but would do exactly the same if in the same situations of having to eat lunch then go staraight to meet people.

 

I popped to Boots to buy  the Oral Spray. Not only will it give him fresh breath, he won't have to worry about finding somewhere for  his gum and it will be much  better for his teeth!

 

The oral  rinse is another great product.

 

 

One 30-sec rinse is clinically proven to provide at least 8 hours fresh breath*

Alcohol and Sugar-free

Gently whitens by removing organic staining

Anti-bacterial

Clear and unflavoured (optional Peppermint flavour sachet)

Winner of FHM Magazine's "Best Dental Product" award in 2000

 Alcohol-free Retardex oral rinse is colourless and does not contain sugar or any artificial sweeteners. Being pH-balanced, it is kind to your teeth and gums. It is unflavoured - Retardex does not rely on a strong flavour to mask Bad Breath - but a separate sachet of peppermint flavour is provided and can be added to the rinse if preferred.

I had a good look around the Periproducts website and there is a wealth of dental and skincare products, if the two products I was sent are indicative of the rest, I will be happy.

http://www.retardex.co.uk/default.asp

Napster Review

I have to admit that I have been happily downloading and buying from one source and never really looked elsewhere. I was asked to trial Napster and I have to say firstly THANK YOU Napster and secondly "Why did I not do this ages ago?

Its so simple and easy to use. You just register and off you go, if you want no downloading widgets, gadgets or applications you just choose the Napster Web Service.

Alternatively you can stream, download, burn Cd's and manage all your music in one place.

I now have unlimited access to millions of tracks and free MP3s to build my own music library.  Its rather like having all my CD collection at my fingertips and then if I have one artist I like, I can then access all their work.

Its definitely going to accompany my blogging for this month. I love it.

How much you are possibly asking, well its £5 and for that I have 5 free MP3 downloads, simple maths tells you that's worth it, then on top I have the access to all that music to listen to whenever I like.

In under 2 minutes I had registered, chosen to go via Napster Web Service, picked my first free song Ellie Goulding's Your Song for Conor, downloaded and was listening to it in iTunes.

Amazing, I was expecting it all to freeze up and it was so simple.

The only problem I had was when it downloaded, Napster had disappeared from my main screen so I had to reload it.

All in all I love it, not sure why I shied away so long, well i do, I didn't want the hassle of faffing about with a new application and sorry I did not do it sooner, its child's play and such a great value too.

I am leaving the Napster info below just in case I am not explaining it succinctly enough.

Napster Unlimited offers you unlimited streaming from our catalogue of 10 million tracks combined with MP3s you can keep forever, all in one great value package.

With Napster Unlimited you can:

Access Napster online from any computer giving you complete freedom compared to other services where you have to download software and are fixed to one PC.

Use the mobile service to preview and download tracks directly on your mobile phone. Napster will send a back up MP3 copy to your PC as well. Another way Napster makes it easy to access your music wherever you are.

Ian Greaves, Napster's UK Programming Director, comments: “Napster strives to offer music lovers the opportunity to listen to music they won’t find anywhere else. Through our strong relationships with the music labels we are able to continue offering the most extensive sets of exclusive sessions of any music service. NapsterLive allows us to not only promote emerging and established talent but also diversify the listening habits of our users by providing them with exclusive, live sessions. The sessions normally feature each artist performing acoustic versions of their tracks as well as one-off covers, which makes each recording unique and prized by the artist’s fans.” 

Exclusive Performances Available from Ellie Goulding, Kassidy, Funeral Party, Daisy Dares You and many others

LONDON – X June, 2010 Napster, the original pioneer of digital music, announced today that it is offering its members an exciting new set of NapsterLive sessions with a number of UK’s leading established and up-and-coming artists. Available to download or via streaming, the new sessions mark part of Napster’s continuing commitment to offer music lovers an innovative and more engaging digital music experience. NapsterLive sessions have been available for the last five years and in that time there have been over 150 live sessions for Napster members to enjoy.

New artists to be featured include BRIT winner Ellie Goulding, Tiffany Page, Funeral Party, Eliza Doolittle, Kassidy and Daisy Dares You among others. The NapsterLive performances have quickly gained acclaim as a showcase for the world’s most talented and sought-after artists, such as Amy Winehouse, Mumford & Sons and Scouting for Girls. NapsterLive continues to give established and emerging artists the platform to increase exposure around their music and to drive their fan-base.

Available exclusively to all Napster users, NapsterLive tracks can easily be streamed from any PC or downloaded and transferred to iPod’s and a wide variety of other portable music devices.

NapsterLive is just one of the many music features available to users of Napster Unlimited. From just £5 per month users can enjoy a package of unlimited streaming from over 10 million tracks and MP3s to keep every month, making it the best value music service in the market. Other features available to users include hundreds of expertly programmed radio stations and playlists and Automix, a simple, one-click way to listen to a variety of music recommended by Napster, based on what you like. Napster’s music features make it effortless to find the perfect music for any mood. For more information please visit:

http://www.napster.co.uk/product_info.html

 

 

Ian Greaves, Napster's UK Programming Director, comments: “Napster strives to offer music lovers the opportunity to listen to music they won’t find anywhere else. Through our strong relationships with the music labels we are able to continue offering the most extensive sets of exclusive sessions of any music service. NapsterLive allows us to not only promote emerging and established talent but also diversify the listening habits of our users by providing them with exclusive, live sessions. The sessions normally feature each artist performing acoustic versions of their tracks as well as one-off covers, which makes each recording unique and prized by the artist’s fans.”

Napster, the pioneer of digital music, offers the ultimate in interactive music experiences, creating better ways to discover, share, acquire and enjoy music – anytime, anywhere. With a Napster membership customers get unlimited access to one of the biggest music catalogues worldwide with more than five million tracks covering every genre, for a flat monthly fee.

The company’s offerings also include Napster To Go, which allows members to fill and refill a compatible music device and listen to their music on the move and Napster Light, a more condensed service for those who just want to purchase songs and albums a la carte. “Napster Mobile” is one of the industry’s fastest growing mobile music platforms, providing the premier mobile music experience for customers in eight global markets.

Napster’s European offices are based in Frankfurt, London and Luxembourg with worldwide operations located in Los Angeles. Napster's services are available in markets across North America, Europe and Japan.

 http://www.napster.co.uk/