Review - Room To Grow Toy Storage Basket

One of the things you soon learn upon having kids is that they generate a lot of stuff. Seriously, endless amounts of toys, clothing, equipment, random junk you daren't get rid of in case you absolutely desperately need it eighteen months from now... Worse, you somehow need to cram as much of it as you can into a room they turn into a bombsite the moment they open their eyes in the morning.

So, needless to say, when I was asked if I would like to review a toy storage basket from Room To Grow you can be sure I jumped at the chance.

Room To Grow is a kind of 'one stop shop' when it comes to children's bedrooms. Since 1996 they have been providing ingenious space saving furniture - including some of the most gorgeous beds you'll ever see - along with accessories and storage solutions. The other brands they stock are carefully chosen to provide top quality and to fit with their own brand ethos; the toy basket we're reviewing comes from Kiddiewinkles, an award winning British brand in their own right with a focus on enabling creative play.


The toy baskets come in a range of colours and designs, from blue gingham to candy stripes, and you can even get them personalised. I (bravely) let Marianna choose which design she liked best and she opted for the pink star basket. A few days later our basket arrived, folded flat and nicely packaged, and the real testing could begin!

The first thing you notice is the quality of the fabric. The colours are vibrant and the quilted fabric - 100% cotton - is lovely and soft and, of utmost importance for anything going into a kid's bedroom, machine washable. The second thing you notice is the size! These baskets are 50cm x 40cm, with a capacity of 78L. Marianna decided to demonstrate how big her new basket is the best way she knew how... by climbing into it.

After persuading her to get out of it, we took it upstairs to begin the mammoth task of organising her soft toy collection. I say mammoth not because she has a lot of soft toys - though she most certainly does - but because I couldn't see the floor of her bedroom for the amount of dolls, blocks, books and other sundries strewn across it.

A couple of hours later we actually got to the stage where we could get all the teddies down off the top of her wardrobe and go through them. I've been meaning to do this for a while now because Marianna keeps asking to play with them and, obviously, if they're being stored at a more child friendly height it just makes life easier for everyone.


After much deliberation Marianna parted with just three teddies and I began to worry that we wouldn't be able to fit all the remaining toys into their new home. In truth, she could have got the whole lot in there! I was really impressed with just how much the basket could hold and, once full, how easy it was to move to its 'tidy place' - the little built in cupboard where we keep Marianna's dress up clothes and inflatable ball pit.... The handles are strong and sturdy, and it's lightweight enough that Marianna could get it out herself.

The instant I left the room.

Still, come bedtime she was able to put all the soft toys back into the basket and I just lifted it back into position. Top marks all around, I think!

Mini Mart: Bad Mother Customs

Supplier: Bad Mother Customs
Website: Ebay store.

Products: Decal transfer sheets to use as scale tattoos, as well as miniature newspapers, comics and magazines. I was particularly interested in the Playboy magazines with pull out centre spreads as I haven't come across anybody else doing those in miniature! The 1/6 scale magazines are $7.00 each - I bought a retro looking one from 1982 (pictured above) which only has a few printed pages in the middle and the rest are blank, and a fully printed Catwoman one.

The print quality is pretty good, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up on the 1/12 scale magazines. I don't think it would be clear enough to read or anything. Still, they look really cool and that's the important thing!

Post and Packing: First class mail from the US at $2.00 per item which isn't bad, but there are no multiple item discounts.

Review: Meg Heath Dog Leads

If you're looking for dog collars or leads, Meg Heath has you covered. They also sell head collars, training leads and harnesses, and are always adding to the range. Everything is available in a wide range of colours - 18 right now! - and if you have something special in mind they will work with you to create bespoke collars and leads. In fact, none of their products are pre-made as you can customise the size, colour and fittings of every item you buy.

We went for the Double Tag Flat Collar (from £9.99) and the Double Up Lead (from £8), both in electric blue. The latter is particularly handy as you can use it at full length or half length, which is great if you don't want to carry multiple leads with you on walks.


I was really impressed with the quality - all items come with a five year guarantee and the stitching has a lifetime guarantee! Based in Lincolnshire, Meg Heath have been working with dogs in rescue, training, and boarding kennels since the mid 1980s. In other words, they know what they're doing when it comes to creating top notch products for your pooches.

Not satisfied with the challenge of getting Bracken to stay still long enough for a photograph, I then decided to get Marianna to pose with Bracken and the new double up lead. The lead is awesome. Getting a two year old and her best friend to co-operate... not so much.


Still, you can see what a gorgeous colour that lead is! Check out the range for yourself at Meg Heath Dog Leads. You can also connect with them on social media via Facebook and Twitter.

Meg Heath are also kindly offering a dog collar and lead to one lucky reader! Fill out the Gleam form below to get up to five chances to win. :)

Review: One Third Stories

One Third Stories are language learning tools - stories that start in English and end in another language. I reviewed the prototype last March and was really impressed with the concept and how well it worked. As I wrote then:

Languages open up a whole world of new opportunities and new experiences. The problem is, how do we introduce languages to young children in a way which makes them both accessible and fun? This is what One Third Stories have set out to accomplish and their approach is really something to get excited about!

Instead of throwing you in at the deep end, or just skirting the edges with a word followed by its translation, One Third Stories substitute English words for their counterparts, relying on the context of the surrounding sentence to clarify their meaning.



This short story follows a little girl who has lost her voice - the first couple of pages are English only, then Spanish words begin to appear as you move through the tale. This is such a fab idea, and feels a very natural way of learning new vocabulary. Enabling children to pick up those key words of the story very quickly is essential, as it inspires them to keep going by proving that they can do it. It's so much better than endlessly reciting the same thing over and over again, the way so many forays into language learning begin.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the books went into full production late last year. We were sent the Spanish language learning bundle (RRP £19.99) as a thank you for our initial support. These are also available in French, Italian, and German, and include a hardback book, audiobook, a set of 32 illustrated flashcards, and an activity book with puzzles and games. The hardback book alone is £14.99, so the bundle is really good value!

Obviously, Marianna is still too young (she only just turned two) to really engage with the concept wholescale, but she has enjoyed having the story read to her and pointing at the things she recognised, and repeating the Spanish words. I'm really excited to use it with her as she gets a little older though, and to use the same approach to start introducing some Welsh vocabulary before she starts learning it at school.

I really like that there are already options for ongoing learning - see the monthly subscription page - so you can continue to build on that initial enthusiasm! (Even better, OTS have kindly offered my readers a discount with the code BABIAFI15.)

Review: Tangle Teezer

I've had my Tangle Teezer brush for about two weeks now and I absolutely love it! In lieu of shouting from the rooftops (I mean, that sounds kind of dangerous), here's a review of my new favourite beauty product...

About Tangle Teezer

The brainchild of hair stylist Shaun Pulfrey, the product first made itself known to the public when it was turned down as an investment opportunity on Dragon's Den. I've never watched the show, but I still heard about the brush as a result of its appearance, proving that old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity! They hit the shop shelves in 2008 and the brand just went from strength to strength, with the range expanding to include compact, children's, and waterproof versions.

The Salon Elite

As the name suggests, these are Tangle Teezer brushes aimed at salons. They come in really funky colour combinations and, most importantly, they were the cheapest version on eBay. Because eight years later I still hadn't tried the brand myself, and was kind of dubious that any brush could actually be that good. I was willing to give it a try though, as I'd hit the last ditch attempt point with my long hair.

About five or so years ago I had most of my hair shaved off. It's a long story but, basically, over bleaching had destroyed my hair and I'd always quite fancied the idea of a mohawk. Now, my hair is reaching below my bust line again and it was getting to be a nightmare, what with all the sticky toddler hands... I was sick of battling with it and figured I'd try the Tangle Teezer and, if it didn't do the trick, I'd go and get my hair cut short again.

The Best £7.50 I've Ever Spent

Okay, so I might be exaggerating slightly, but it really is one of the best purchase decisions I've ever made. I was sceptical that the rubbery teeth could tame my super thick hair - I shouldn't have been. Brushing my hair when dry is now an easy and, dare I say it, pleasant experience. The brush doesn't pull, and so I don't feel like crying after getting in from a windy walk.

It really comes into its own in the shower. I'd been using a basic large plastic comb to condition and unknot my hair, and it was a) painful and b) slow going. Now it's brushed through and smooth in moments, and the teeth keep all the shed hair in the brush so you can comb it out in to the bin - rather than having to drag it all out of the plughole. (Yuck!)

If you're reading this to make a decision about buying one of these brushes, go for it! You will not be disappointed.


You can get Tangle Teezer brushes at the official website, in Boots, on Amazon and eBay, and from any number of other online retailers.

Mini Mart: Dolls House Mania

Supplier: Dolls House Mania
Website: www.dollshousemania.co.uk
You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Heidi Ott doll poses with her new shoes.

Products: Based in the West Midlands, Dollshouse Mania stocks a huge range of DIY, decorating materials, furniture and accessories. There is a particular focus on brands like Jia Yi and Reutter - I don't own many pieces by either, but I decided to splash out on the latter's nativity scene:


Besides that, I went for a range of accessories. Teeny tiny shoes, a little canary, and a few pieces for the kitchen. There was - and still is - a special offer on for 10% off with the code 'DHMPROMO' so it seemed like a great time to check them out. :)

Post and Packing: Standardised first class Royal Mail delivery at £3.50 for orders under £50 - or free for orders over £50. My items were sent in their shop packaging, wrapped in a carrier and bubble wrap, then packed into a cardboard shipping box. I had good communication from them about what was happening with my order - always appreciated! - and fast shipping.

Proud to Print with Bonusprint

Like most people today, I'm something of a guilty snapper. I spend ages trying to get a decent shot, longer still editing and adding filters, and then I stick it up on social media and all but forget about it. Because even though 75% of us say looking at printed photos makes us feel happy, it's all too rarely that we actually get around to printing some.

So when Bonusprint got in touch to ask if I'd like to be involved with the #proudtoprint campaign, I didn't waste any time in saying yes.

I am #proudtoprint - even when my photos aren't perfect. My favourite, most successful photos tend to find their way into frames on the mantelpiece, it's true, but I still want photographs for the fridge, the noticeboard, and scrapbooking projects. Plus, having lots of snaps of loved ones about the place makes our house feel so much more homely.

We were given £80 credit to spend on the site which, with the typical print costing just 12p, stretched a very long way! The first thing I ordered was a canvas print of Marianna and Anthony dressed in his white tie. Anthony has long wanted a big print of this photograph, so it was awesome to finally be able to make it happen.

All I had to do was upload a photo and choose the size I wanted; we went for 70 x 50cm (£44.99). I was so impressed with the quality of the canvas when it arrived - my order was split into two for timely delivery, so this was actually a few days later than the photo prints. Although we all love this shot, it was taken with a mid-range camera phone in far from the best lighting conditions. Looking at the canvas, you would never know it! It now has pride of place in Anthony's 'man cave'. 

Next, I ordered a big bundle of photographs. I loved how straightforward the process was. I just uploaded the photos, and the site determined which size print was best suited to the shot. You can choose between matte or glossy prints, along with some fancy options like polaroid style snaps. You can see below the range of sizes - the quality is really impressive, especially when you consider that most of these were taken with my phone camera, and the vintage holiday pic was scanned in from the original.

These are destined for a variety of purposes; some will be given to grandparents and other relatives who always complain that we just post photos online these days, and some are going to brighten up our own house. The rest are going to be used in some of our summer craft projects...

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#10. Framing

Choosing the photos, picking the frame, adding the finishing touches... Before you know it, an entire afternoon has been filled.

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#9. Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking deserves a whole post of its own, there is so much you can do with it. Here is a page of Marianna's baby scrapbook, an uncomplicated affair done with coloured markers and washi tape.

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#8. Jar Japers

Jars can be a great way to display photographs - or simply great fun. A full face photograph can be curved around in a jar and filled with water to make it look as though there is a head in your jar.

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#7. Snow Globes

Adding water and glitter to your photo in a jar is an incredibly easy way to make a snow globe. You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like - you could glue scene setters to the inside of the lid, for instance, and fix a photo to one side of the jar. I made a simple glitter shaker for Marianna which she had great fun with, for all those googly eyes creeped everyone else out! (Tip: laminate your photo first - you can just cover in clear sticky tape - to make it last longer.)

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#6. Hot Glue

From shells to buttons to jigsaw pieces to plastic flowers, hot glue is a quick and easy way to decorate photo frames. If you don't have a hot glue gun, you can use regular PVA; it just takes longer to dry.

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#5. Lollipop Stick Frames

Super simple - but super effective! You can glue your sticks together, or attach with double sided tape. To decorate, you can paint, use stickers, glue decorations on, or apply patterned washi tape. The possibilities are endless.

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#4. Cardboard

Cardboard mounts are one of the easiest ways to display photographs, and can be decorated any way you like. They're great for young children as they can't really get up to any mischief with them. I glued a photograph to a larger piece of cardboard, and let Marianna stick stickers wherever she liked. She had a great time, and I enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet...

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#3. Googly Eyes

Everything is more fun with googly eyes. Fact. You could even make a collection of little add ons - hats, glasses, mustaches, etc - and prove that you don't need an app to add a touch of humour to your photographs.

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#2. Jigsaws

These can be as elaborate or as simple as you like - I glued my photograph onto a cardboard backing and simply cut the whole into pieces. I then took turns with Marianna to solve the puzzle.

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#1. And the Rest

There are so many great photo crafts I haven't actually got around to yet - so check out the Pinterest board above I'm using for inspiration!

Why not order some prints of your own at Bonusprint? I'd love to see any crafts you make with them - and I'm sure Bonusprint would too!