New Pro Swingball

“Swing” into action this Summer with New Pro Swingball®

As a child I loved Swingball we played a played it through long hot summers (Who remembers those as well??)

It was sometimes a little hair raising as the swingball could topple and you had to duck a lot.

Enter the new era of Swingball, I have just been putting one through its paces, well swings. Its a real work or art now as with all updated toys they are so improved. It has a real sturdy base that was my first impression, it stays upright even with two very energetic teens playing it.

Energetic is the word as its taller, for my height you have to leap a lot and its a fab fun work out too. The tennis balls are good quality and everything packs away neatly in the base. We took ours to Wicksteed park for the day with a picnic and it was great for the kids to have something to do while we relaxed.

Some toys definitely improve over time and Pro Swingball is one of them.

Remember one penny chews? Remember when adventure playgrounds really were adventurous and no one had heard of health and safety? Remember playing Swingball in your garden in the 80’s and 90’s with friends of all ages?

Times have changed; life is more challenging and now so is Swingball! The new Pro Swingball is here – with attitude! It’s stronger, tougher and so much harder to play!

It’s ideal for competitive adults and older children or those who just enjoy racket games.  With a larger base for stability and thicker tubing, the all new Pro Swingball is a whopping 1.75m high!  This means players have to hit higher (perhaps even jump!) and the larger coil means the game will last longer than ever before.

With the unique lid and base construction it allows all the game components to be stored inside and the integral handle makes it easy to pick up and play... anywhere!

It’s a perfect game for outdoor events and picnics.  It’s fun, interactive and challenging... and tends to bring out that competitive streak in even the most unlikely players!

We’re retro, and oh so cool…

Swingball is a classic household brand, with a heritage that stretches back nearly 30 years and is officially one of the top ten best-selling toys of the last 10  years.  Pro Swingball compliments the Swingball product range and says ‘Game, set and match’ to anyone who might think that Swingball has been resigned to the garden shed.  It’s a great outdoor game perfect for bbq’s, parties and taking on holiday!

How to play?

Play starts with the tether positioned in the middle of the All Surface Pro spiral.  With two players, each player takes turns to hit the ball, one player hitting the ball clockwise, the other anti-clockwise.  The ball flies around the pole and the tether moves up and down the spiral.  The aim of the game is to reach the top, or bottom of the spiral first.

Available from 11th May 2011 from www.swingball.co.uk with an RRP of £39.99.  Also available at Toys R Us, Amazon, Play.com, Argos, Costco, The Entertainer and Tesco

Swingball ® Owned, distributed and licenced by Mookie Toys

World Breastfeeding Week Survey for Working Mums

World Breastfeeding Week

1–7 August 2011

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. 

 

If you could answer the questions  and/or send this over to any other working mums that you know.

Here's a link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=v_2fhSZl163T_2bL4XnooGVwXg_3d_3d

 

Pizza Hut New Piri Piri Stuffed Crust Pizza.

This is yummy news for lovers of Pizza Hut pizza and especially if you like a spicier evening. I cannot wait to try the new Piri Piri Stuffed Crust and will be doing just that really soon, it was launched on Monday so see if you can beat me to it and try it before I do, if not stay tuned to hear our family's verdict.

The original creators of Stuffed Crust, otherwise known as Pizza Hut, have launched their new Piri Piri Stuffed Crust Pizza.
  The pizza comes with a spicy Piri Piri cheese stuffed crust and is absolutely bursting with flavour. It’s fully loaded with chicken, pepperoni, onions, mixed peppers and jalapenõs on top of a spicy tomato sauce. It’s a scorching little number which is available for a limited time only in all Pizza Hut Delivery stores.

So go on, put your feet up and order yours today at www.pizzahut.co.uk/delivery
For more information on the launch of the delicious Piri Piri Stuffed Crust pizza become a fan on Facebook and follow Pizza Hut Delivery on Twitter.
The Home of the Stuffed Crust

Organic Babies Baby Salve – A must for all Organic Babies

Baby Salve – A must for all Organic Babies 

 

This Certified Organic salve is made with 96% organic ingredients including Hemp and Calendula to help reduce inflammation and soreness of the skin.

Rich in Omega-3 and  6 fatty acids which are essential for healthy skin Baby Salve is ideal for babies with nappy rash and is designed to provide quick relief for baby’s irritated, sensitive skin. Beeswax in the formula creates a water-resistant barrier for baby’s bottom holding the dampness away from the skin and allowing it to heal. 

 

This’ rescue salve’ is scented with fairly traded Lavender which creates a calming aroma for baby.

Not just for Baby’s Bottom

A great natural solution for sore, cracked nipples during breastfeeding, Baby Salve contains Omega fatty 3&6 fatty acids to nourish the skin. This multifunctional salve is excellent for all ages with very dry skin. Its super rich formula provides a drenching sensation for ultra dry skin including dry cracked heals and chapped hands.

 

How Organic Babies began

Charlotte Vøhtz, Founder of Green People says, “I formulated the baby range as a result of my daughter Sandra’s eczema and severe skin allergies. Babies and children are far more sensitive to their surroundings than adults. Even tiny amounts of synthetic ingredients in lotions, creams, shampoos and other skin preparations can spark off allergic reactions. I believe that only the best is good enough for our young ones.”

Organicbabies.com from Green People – Products you can trust!

Baby Salve (100ml £9.70)

JAMIE OLIVER'S QUALITY COOKED MEATS REVIEW

JAMIE OLIVER LAUNCHES QUALITY COOKED MEATS

I like many people really have a lot of time for Jamie Oliver, he is passionate about eating well, you see it right through all he does, the  School Dinner series, his restaurants, his part in the Chickenout campaign, not to mention his cookery series and books.

So when he is involved in promoting or putting his name to a food product, I know its good. His pasta sauces, pasta and herbs are all of the finest quality I have found and we regularly eat them.
So when I was asked to sample the new cooked meats I buttered my baguette faster than you could say "pukka"

The first one I had to try was the  My Favourite Essex Cured Ham, this is everything you imagine good ham to be off the bone lovely and succulent but not soggy, a good dryish meat, perfectly flavoured and has to be the best packet ham I have tried in a long while.
Great with egg and chips, fabulous in a soft crusty roll. A mouthwatering ham.

The My Perfectly Spiced Jerk Ham was a strange one for me, I love Jerk seasoning as any of you who know reading my blog, I have a few recipes on here. But never thought of it as a ham flavour, but it so works, its spicy, slightly sweet fantastic with mild cheese, a lovely salsa in a wholemeal roll.
I may be trying this in a pasta bake soon.

The My Beautiful Pink Salt Beef with Peppery Mustard Crust is exactly that...beautiful, again its soft succulent and delicate. Its perfect with a dollop of cream cheese on a bagel which is how I ate it.

I am very impressed with Jamie's newest additions and can't wait for the next foods to be chosen.

After the success of his range of sausages and bacon, Jamie Oliver has developed a range of four quality cooked meats, using Freedom Food Outdoor-bred British pork and Farm Assured British beef.  The range includes traditional cured ham and pink salt beef and each meat has been developed by Jamie to bring something different and exciting to the cold meats counter.

With summer on the way, these meats will provide a delicious addition to salads,picnics, or simply as a sandwich or baguette filling.

The range consists of:

·        My Favourite Essex Cured Ham,made using top-quality Freedom Food outdoor-bred British pork.  Cured ham has long been a personal favourite of Jamie’s and he’s taken the flavour and amazing, crumbly texture up a level with his own unique cure.

·        My Perfectly Spiced Jerk Ham,which combines Freedom Food outdoor-bred British pork with Jamie’s wicked combination of jerk seasonings – chilli, garlic, nutmeg, clove and thyme.  The ham has been deeply scored so that the jerk flavour can really penetrate the meat.

·        My Deliciously Sweet Roasted Marmalade Ham is another deeply scored ham which has then been glazed with bittersweet orange marmalade and roasted to develop a delicious, zesty flavour.

·        My Beautiful Pink Salt Beef with Peppery Mustard Crust, made from beautifully tender British silverside beef which has been cured with spiced brine and cooked until just perfectly pink –just how salt beef should be.

Jamie’s cooked meats will initially be available from Tesco stores from May and the RRP is £2.79 for 100g of ham and 90g of beef.

Freedom Foods

All the products in the Jamie Oliver Cooked Meats range have been produced under the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods farm assurance scheme.  Freedom Foods is the only farm assurance scheme in the UK which focuses solely on improving the welfare of farm animals reared for food.  The scheme covers every stage of a farm animal’s life; from space, food and water to its psychological needs, governed by strict and compulsory RSPCA standards.

Dylon Fabric Colour review.

 

I have long been dyeing clothes, I used to do the cold water buckets of dye, tie dyeing was a regular occurrence they all have been Dylon products and the colour result has never let me down yet. 

So here we go you will
get a mini history lesson again.

DYLON have been around since 1946, it was founded by two young entrepreneurs, Luca Purbeck and Peter Samuel who began selling colourful dyes from a garage in central London.

From those humble beginnings DYLON went on to thrive in 'make-do and mend' post war Britain making fabric dyes to brighten up the homes, wardrobes and spirits of families across the country.
The company continued to grow throughout the rock and roll years of the 1950s and over the next few decades DYLON went global, selling coloured dyes to over 70 countries around the world.

 I moved on happily with Dylon not since their beginnings in 1946 but from my experimentation in the 80's as I said before with the little dye tablets in cold water, to the latest pouches of machine dye which are as quick to change the colour now as it is to wash some clothing.

I love not only the feeling of restoring a beloved item of clothing, but I love the makeover aspect too. I often pop a pair of black jeans in to be revived and throw in an old tee that has gone past its wear by date.

Some come out in glorious shades, a light green tee I did recently became a lovely bottle green.

So when Dylon sent me the Fabri Colour I was eager to try it. I have a favourite Gap hoodie that was bought as a distressed blue, but I have had it a while and distressed has turned to dishevelled.

I did have a little trouble with the packaging, I use the other washing machine dyes and find them less fiddly to open.

The Fabri Dye has two capsules which are added to your machine after each has the corner snipped off. This was where the trouble lay as it does not easily snip off.

I ended with dye on my hands, the scissors but luckily not my top as the corner pinged off and splashed the dye.

I know I could have worn gloves, but  I already use the powder versions so not really expecting it to be a problem.
I added 500g of salt my clothes dampened were added last.
As well as my hoodie I wanted to refresh a dress and tshirt.

The dye effect was phenomenal and as I write this there is no longer dye on my fingers so I forgive the awkward capsule.

My hoody came out a lovely shade of deep blue. The stiching was elastane so did not keep the dye, but I found this gives it an on trend style.
My drss and tshirt were a deeper navy than newly bought this was a very satisfactory outcome.

The DYLON® Fabric Dyes are in independent haberdasheries, DIY and craft stores, and John Lewis. Visit http://www.dylon.co.uk/ for more information



Follow DYLON® on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DYETODYE or become a fan on Facebook

Homemade Pasta sauce and Pasta Bake.

This pasta sauce came about as a rained off barbecue, I had made lots of skewers of veggies and as the heavens opened, we ended up indoors just eating the chicken and salad, not wanting to sort all the skewers out.

The next day I thought about roasting them then had a look at the Schwartz Perfect Shake and decided to make an Italian style pasta sauce and use the vegetables.

Also I made this as a healthy version. As you know I'm on Slimming World so I was keen to make it syn free. It became a tasty side dish to Italian baked chicken and salad, then the following day became a tasty again syn free pasta bake.

My Ingredients

(All vegetables were quite thickly sliced for the intended veggie skewers, I chopped them a bit smaller but still quite chunky)

A few sprays of Fry Light.

2 red onions

1-2 red pepper

1-2 green pepper

1-2 yellow pepper

2 large courgettes

250g roughly mushrooms sliced

4 cloves garlic

1 750 ml jar organic passata  found at Tesco or Sainsbury.

A liberal sprinkling of Schwartz Perfect Shake Spicy Italian blend

 A little water if needed.

Method

Spray Fry Light into a large pan or wok.

Add onion, courgette, all the peppers and fry gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, add the mushrooms and garlic and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.

Add the passata, Schwartz and a little water if the sauce seems thick.

Simmer for about 15- 20 minutes.

I left the sauce chunky, it  makes a fab cold pasta salad the next day, however this could be made into a smooth sauce to top pizzas etc.

It made two large portions for Chris and I for the chicken meal and three large terracotta dishes filled with pasta bake.

Pasta bake recipe

1 portion of pasta mix

42g mixed low fat cheddar and Parmesan

125g cottage cheese

2 eggs

Seasoning

Simply place the pasta in an ovenproof container.

Whisk the eggs, mix in the cheese and the cottage cheese, season and put over the pasta mix.