Randy Kazandy, Where Are Your Glasses?

Randy Kazandy, Where Are Your Glasses?

Los Angeles, CA based author Rhonda Fischer has created a colorful and fun filled children’s book all about Randy Kazandy, a young boy who needs glasses to correct his vision problems.
Only Randy Kazandy hates his glasses. He thinks they make him look like an alien from outer space.
So he does everything he can to not wear his glasses, and even gets rid of them in some very ingenious and devious ways.
Only his mother has another pair, and then another pair, and even another pair.
Will Randy ever get used to wearing his glasses?

A great story book for young readers to read themselves or as a bedtime story for young children. The story rhymes as you read each paragraph and the illustrations by Kim Sponaugle are adorable. Randy Kazandy really comes to life as you read the book, you can feel his despair at having to wear glasses and as a parent I wondered how his mother kept so calm with his spectacles disappearing acts !! My daughter read the book herself and enjoyed the storyline, she laughed at his antics but did comment after that if she was to lose stuff on purpose "I would go wappy!" 'apparently'.

Randy Kazandy, Where Are You Glasses is based on the real life experiences of her brother in-law, Randy Jacque, who was born cross eyed, had to have corrective surgery and wear corrective lenses from the age of 17 months. He struggled with having to wear glasses, and did everything he could to get out of it. It took Rhonda 12 years to write the book and get it published.

We loved the storybook in our house but feel it is suited to children aged 6 and under.

Randy Kazandy Where Are Your Glasses?
Written by Rhonda Fischer
Illustrated by Kim Sponaugle

$19.95
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-9820163-0-5 Published by Whim Publishing

Crayola Colour Wonder

Crayola Colour Wonder

Colour Wonder is a magical way of colouring in as the special markers only show up on the special Colour Wonder paper. Colour in your favourite Disney Fairies characters with Colour Wonder, where the colour only appears within the lines!

Do you remember the old 'Magic Painting' books? The pictures were already printed for you and all you had to do was 'paint' over them with water and the colour magically appeared ... well COlour Wonder from Crayola is bacially a 'new fangled' version of them.
Don't get me wrong, its clever and very effective. The colours are bright and most importantly there is no mess! I would recommend this activity as a good time passer for car, train or aeroplane journeys as they are safe to use and create no mess at all. >br>You do however have to use the pen provided, if you lose this you are stuck .. but we are yet to lose ours as they are quite chunky.

We have the Tinkerbell version but Crayola do market other characters and also plain blank sheets just for drawing on. Emma liked the Tinkerbell but (at 8) she said that they got boring after a while and that she would prefer the plain paper to design her own pictures.
The pack states age 3+ but I would also recommend this for younger children if supervised at all times, great for hand/eye co-ordination and fine motor skills.

Fun, clean and easy to travel with - a recommended craft set from Crayola.
Ryman rrp: £5.49 http://www.ryman.co.uk/Colour-Wonder-1454322031.asp

Our rating: 8/10

Ryman Refillable Bag

Ryman Refillable Bag 43X39cm

We used our bag to hold out camping gear and as you can see from the photo ... it holds absolutely tons of stuff !! Believe me .. there is even the kitchen sink in the bag ;)

Good and strong, great carry handle, many uses .. this isn't your ordinary 'bag for life' that you buy from your local supermarket, this bag is brilliant !!

Honestly I really like it as it does the job well - and that's what you want from a bag.

At 99p its a bargain and I would recommend it to everyone.

http://www.ryman.co.uk/Ryman-Refillable-Bag-43X39cm-0430309999.asp

My rating: 10/10 its great !!

Ryman - 6 Fun Glitter Tubs

Ryman - 6 Fun Glitter Tubs

Truth time: I hate glitter! there I said it .. but unfortunately for me my daughter loves the stuff and now that she is 8 we even have glitter eyeshadow in the house (but that's another story!).

When Ryman kindly sent me a pack of 6 tubs to review our household heard a few cries "Oh no!" from me and a big happy "Yes!" from Emma. I have got to say though that these glitter tubs have been well thought out ......

Each tub is a good size for little hands to use, but they are not too small for big hands too. They hold a good amount of glitter and each tub has a screw top with replaceable disc for storage ... and why would you need the disc? (I hear you all cry), well its to block the excellent little holes in the top of the tubs which allow the glitter to be shaken much like salt and pepper pots. Included in the box is also a small brush to make using the glitter even easier.

Now 6 tubs mean 6 colours and these are a lovely and bright: Gold, Red, Silver, Purply Pink, Green and Blue. Great for card craft, winter pictures, ornament making, calenders, scrap booking ... any kind of art project that needs cheering up with a little glitter.

You won't however cheer me up by sprinkling it on me ;) however glitzy I might look!!

Priced at £2.49 for a set of 6 they are perfect value and a great addition to your craft making accessories.

http://www.ryman.co.uk/Fun-Range-6Pk-Glitter-Tubs-1411010123.asp

Not suitable for children under 36 months. Remember to wear an apron when taking part in craft activities.

My rating: 9/10 for price and ease of use.

Ryman - Super Mega Art Set

Super Mega Art Set - 258 Piece Set

The Super Mega Art Set from Ryman comes in its own case, everything neatly laid out and packed tight so that nothing gets lost in transit.

With 258 pieces it is a brilliant set for all budding artists, it includes a comprehensive selection of art equipment including:
48 colour pencils,
48 jumbo markers,
48 fine line markers.
60 oil pastels,
24 watercolour pencils,
1 palette,
18 watercolour paints,
3 HB pencils,
3 paint brushes,
1 water bottle,
2 erasers
and 2 sharpeners.

What I like most about this set are the oil pastels, the range of colours are incredible! I have owned many sets of oil pastels and I have never seen as many colours as this .. to own this set for the oil pastels would save a lot of blending as the variations in colours are ready to use.

I also admire both of the coloured pencil types as they are cylindrical and not hexagon like many brands of colouring pencils (the HB pencils in the set are hexagon). Cylindrical pencils are much easier to use for shading and they do not make your hand ache after long use, they are also quick and easy to sharpen.

The watercolour paint set also has a range of colours, but it isn't brilliant. Most of the colours are pinks and oranges, with only one blue. There is a black, grey and brown, but the majority are shades that can be easily mixed and 'good' primary colours are missing as is a white.

Two erasers and pencil sharpeners are a great idea as these easily get misplaced after a while. Also the mini water bottle is a brilliant idea, it has a tight fitting lid so you can carry water with you, not much water I might add, but enough.

Biggest let downs are the paint brushes being the cheap plastic brushes when they could have easily added in one good brush instead of three budget ones. The markers (or felt tips) are all of a budget range, however you do get an extensive range of colours and so they will last a while if looked after properly.

My worry is the case, it is a good size and has a strong carry handle but the plastic it is made from is quite thin and flimsy. I feel that after a few uses the case could start to rip at weak points (like the edge/hinge between the two sides), it reminds me of the plastic used in section boxes at Christmas.

I do though like this set and if someone brought me one I would be happy with it. More for a budding GCSE artist than a Uni student the set with a little imagination could help create some wonderful artistic pieces.

The best bit is the price, the whole set is only £12.99 !! An affordable price for Back to School or as a Christmas Present.
Even though the quality is a little low I would personally have priced the set higher, so I am really impressed - well done Ryman.

http://www.ryman.co.uk/Super-Mega-Ryman-Art-Set-1440015050.asp
£12.99

My rating: 9/10 for price but 6/10 for quality.

Special Little People - Aromatherapy For Children

Special Little People - Aromatherapy For Children"What If?" Blend

"Anxiety in children is a common affliction, particularly as they get older.

We have specifically picked some of nature's most soothing oils to develop a relaxed yet positive emotional state. It combines floral and fruity tones resulting in a warming, exotic fragrance with a hint of fun!

When using What If?, explain to your child how the magic ingredients will make them feel better and stronger. Remind them to breathe deeply and steadily, then watch the smiles appear!

It is a particularly useful blend for use around school exam time."

I have been using "What If?" blend with my daughter Emma (8), she has recently been acting as if the whole world if going to end if a)she can't find her spellings book or b)they ran out of carrots at lunchtime ???

I know she is under the weather as she wakes up tired, her ears are blocked with wax (which isn't helping as the poor kid can't hear) and she has grown a HUGE wart on her foot.

Well so far so good ... the 'What if' seems to be working. I haven't told her about it (sneaky eh!) but I have been putting some on some tissue (ok loo roll) and hanging it off of the side of her bed. The aroma isn't overpowering but you can smell it a bit when you walk back into the room. She has calmed down a little, maybe it is coincidence? but she has seemed to have chilled out a bit.

Today she only got 6 in her spelling test (usually she gets upset as she struggles with spellings) but today she didn't seem to care. She actually admitted that she hadn't practiced them and was actually pleased with herself that she got 6! I congratulated her :)

She has also stopped asking stupid questions constantly, it could be that she has run out of questions ;) or that she just doesn't care about the answers any more? either way I don't mind as she was doing my head in.

I am thinking of using the 'potion' myself, will I chill out and stop yelling at the students? will I suddenly decide that rap music is cool after all and allow it to be played via a tinny sounding mobile phone in my classes? maybe ... you never know ... I'll keep in touch :)

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

What if? A blend to relieve anxiety - Aromatherapy to banish the wobbles!

£11.95

My star rating: 8/10

Pearl Drops Instant White Ultra

Pearl Drops Instant White Ultra

• Provides an ULTRA white effect in just one coat, transforming your smile in an instant!
• Simply brush on to leave a bright white veneer that dries in seconds!
• With its gorgeously packaged applicator, you can fit it into your handbag & touch up your smile at anytime, in any place.
• A concealer for your teeth that can be reapplied as many times as you want.
• To remove, simply brush off with a toothbrush at the end of the day!
  

According to the description on the Pearl Drops website ... this product gives 'Dramatic results in seconds' well don't get too excited as you do get results but they aren't of a Simon Cowell dramatic standard.

I gave it a go, read all the instructions and followed them step-by-step, I cleaned my teeth and dried them with a tissue, then applied the pre-shaken liquid with the little brush provided. Clenching my teeth together I asked my daughter "Oooh they oook iter?", she looked puzzled, "Mi eeeth oo ay ook e-nee iter?". She read the box and looked at me again still with my teeth clenched together looking like a demented Cheshire cat, "Hmmm a bit!" she told me (which was I am sure just to make me feel better) "Did you paint them?".

I licked my teeth and they felt lovely and smooth, the taste of the liquid is actually quite refreshing too which was a surprise. Determined to get 'Dramatic results in seconds' I re-dried my teeth and applied a second coat. This time after giving them a minute to dry I set off outside to find my husband - he stated that my normal teeth did look a little brighter but my discoloured tooth (I fell of my bike when I was 7 and now have a darker front tooth) just looked like I had painted it with Tippex.

Hmmm so what do I put in my review? On regular teeth discoloured by coffee (for example) Pearl Drops Instant White Ultra does give a brighter lightening effect, but on badly discoloured teeth you can see the white liquid streaks. For a party or special occasion this product is a good idea, but I probably wouldn't use it for everyday use.

Ingredients: Alcohol, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Aroma, Glycerin, Aqua, Linalool, Limonene, +/-CI 77019, CI 77891.

** Not suitable for children under 7. Keep out of reach of children. **

Instant White Ultra is available to buy in Boots, Superdrug, and major retailers nation wide, for only £7.99.

Buy it instantly online by clicking on the links: http://www.boots.com/ http://www.superdrug.com/

Information obtained from: http://www.pearldrops.co.uk/instantwhite-ultra.php

My rating: 6/10