Tuesday 14 July 2020

CarGoSeat - The 2-in-1 Booster Seat and Travel Suitcase - A Review

As frequent travellers, it is fair to say that we have tried numerous products over the years to try and make our journeys as easy and as comfortable as possible for our children. Compact suitcases, an extensive collection of travel games and numerous pillows with blankets have all been tried and tested in our aim for stress-free family adventures. However, there is one particular comfort and safety aspect that has always bothered me - Booster Seats!

My two eldest children no longer require a booster seat, however my 7 year old still does and this has presented numerous problems on our journeys. Firstly, we sometimes get a minibus to the airport in the UK, especially if this works out cheaper than parking, however our usual taxi company does not provide booster seats and so you are left with the choice of travelling with no booster seat (a no go from me) or using our own seat and then either having to leave it with the taxi company or hauling it around the airport with us and on holiday.


Secondly, when we then book our transfers overseas we are often faced with an additional charge for the use of their booster seat. An example of this was on our trip to Italy last year, where we were charged an additional 20 euros each way, for a booster seat that looked so grim and tatty. However, faced with no other option, we choose to pay it, to ensure that Riley had a safe journey.

You can therefore imagine just how happy I was to hear about a brand new and innovative product called the CarGoSeat, which addresses all of the issues I have faced previously. Not only does the CarGoSeat offer a safe and sturdy booster seat for travel, but it can also be used as a 10 litre travel suitcase, offering a 2 in 1 product that is perfect for mini travellers.


The CarGoSeat is suitable for children within the weight range of 22kg to 36kg, who are also at a height of 125cm or taller. It comes in a lovely selection of colours which are Purple, Green, Pink and Blue. Riley chose to review the Blue one and I must admit that it is a really nice bright and vibrant colour which looks great.

The outer packaging of the product is minimal and can either be retained for future reference as suggested on the rear, or when you are ready to dispose it can simply be popped in the cardboard recycling bin. This is also another element of the product that appealed to me, as once you have finished using your product to the point that it is no longer required, there is an address on the back of the packaging that you can send it to, for the CarGoSeat to be recycled.


Obviously with any booster seat, the most important features are the safety aspects. This was therefore the first thing that I looked into once it arrived and I was reassured to see that it meets ECE R44/04 Regulation Standards, as well as noting that it has been rigorously crash tested. It also comes with a 12 month warranty.

Once I had removed the packaging, Riley had a good look at his new CarGoSeat and started wheeling it around the house. We tested the wheels on a variety of surfaces such as the carpet, kitchen floor, grass and the pavement and experienced no problems with movement. I am therefore confident that Riley will be able to manouvere this comfortably when we next go to the airport.


Riley was also keen to see just how many of his toys, clothing and other belongings he could fit inside, so he spent some time learning how to open the clasp safely and how to lock it into place, before filling it with items. With there being 10 litres of space, this is an ample size for some travel toys, snacks and a few pieces of clothing.


When it came to placing the CarGoSeat in our vehicle, we found this to be really simple and it literally took seconds to get it into place. It has to be used with a diagonal 3 point lap belt and it is not suitable for use with a lap belt, so this is an important fact to remember to ensure its safe use. When you are ready to use it, you simply place it on your chosen seat and lift up the arms which are located either side by pressing in the yellow button located within the wheel on each side. You then need to ensure that the red clip is placed at shoulder height for your child and then attach this to the seatbelt and ensure that the belt is safely secured across the seat. There are pictured instructions located on the side of the CarGoSeat should you ever need a reminder.


Another aspect that I really liked about this product is how easy it is to clean. The seat pad is easily removable and washable and the fully plastic body makes it very simple to wipe over after each use, ensuring that it doesn't retain any crumbs or get too grubby.

Overall we are really impressed with the CarGoSeat and we will definitely get plenty of use out of it on our travels. I love the innovative design and the colour range that the product is available in. It is very lightweight, making it easy to carry and I found that the wheels moved well on a variety of different surfaces. Riley was able to fit plenty of his items inside for safe keeping and he found it a real novelty that he was putting toys and clothes inside a booster seat. Both my husband and I found it very easy to fit in the car and I can't wait to use this on our future travels. With an RRP of £49.99 I think that it offers really good value for money and would happily recommend it to others.

If you would like to find out more about the CarGoSeat, then you can find their website and social media pages on the following channels:

Website - www.cargoseat.com
Facebook - facebook.com/CarGoSeat
Twitter - twitter.com/cargoseat
Instagram - instagram.com/cargoseat

There is also a fabulous Twitter Party planned for July 16th 2020 between 4pm and 5pm, so why not pop over and join in with the fun.


*Disclaimer - We were gifted a CarGo Seat for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated. 

Thursday 2 July 2020

Win a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope - Competition

You may have seen our recent blog post about the fantastic outdoor learning products we have been using during lockdown, from Learning Resources UK. These items have been such a great help with our home schooling, with Riley's favourite product being the Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope.

This wonderful microscope allows Riley to view items with up to an 8x magnification and its bright and chunky size really appeals to him, as he is able to use it independently and with ease.


The Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope is recommended for children aged 3 to 7 years of age and the fixed platform means that children can observe both flat and 3D objects through the comfortable, extra large, dual eye pieces.

Riley found the microscope very comfortable and easy to use, which made him really keen to explore and view such a wide range of objects. He loved pretending to be a scientist and very quickly got the hang of using the microscope by himself. It also has a really cool feature of a bright LED light, which helps you to enhance the viewing of small details and the button was simple for Riley to control. This requires 3 x AAA batteries which are not included.


The Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope has an RRP of £20, which I think offers excellent value for money. It is available to purchase on the Learning Resources website here, however if you are feeling lucky, then why not enter our fabulous competition to win one!

For your chance to win, simply read through the terms and conditions and then enter using the gleam form below, before the 11th July 2020. Good Luck!

Win a GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope

Terms and Conditions

  • There is 1 (one) prize of a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope
  • Entry is open to UK residents aged 18 years old or over
  • Competition closes on the 11th July 2020
  • A Winner shall be drawn within 7 days of the closing date and notified via email
  • The winner will have 7 days to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entries.
  • No bulk or third party entries
  • The winners details shall be shared with the promoter for the purpose of prize fulfilment and permission shall be obtained from the winner prior to doing so.


*Disclaimer - We were gifted a Learning Resources GeoSafari Jr My First Microscope as featured in this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

Sunday 28 June 2020

Getting Crafty with Aquabeads - Review, Tutorial and Competition

My son Riley absolutely loves Aquabeads and if you are a regular reader to the blog, then you will have seen that we have reviewed a lot of their products over the past few years. My family and I think that Aquabeads are great and provide children with a fantastic way of getting crafty and creative, whilst also helping to improve hand to eye coordination and concentration skills.

During lockdown, we have been using our Aquabeads sets to create some wonderful designs using the online templates that are available on the Aquabeads website here. We were therefore delighted when we were sent some new products to review and Riley decided that he wanted to make some of his own designs and experiment with what he could make.


We had a little look on the Aquabeads website to get some ideas and Riley decided to create a name plaque for his door. He also wanted to incorporate a rainbow theme, so he wrote down a few ideas and did a little sketch so that he had a design to follow. Once Riley was happy with his design, he set about making his creation.

To make his new door plaque we used the Aquabeads Star Bead Starter Set, which comes in brightly coloured star shaped packaging and has an RRP of £14.99. The front and rear of the box are covered in plenty of design ideas to show what you can make with your beads. Riley particularly liked the look of the dragon and the rainbow designs which looked fantastic. Other images around the outer edge of the box, also included pictures of the kit inside, the contents and bead colours.

On opening the box, we found that the contents inside consisted of:
  • 1 x bead tray lid
  • 1 x bead tray
  • 1 x board
  • 1 x flip tray
  • 1 x bead dispenser
  • 1 x bead sprayer
  • 3 x reversible template sheets
  • 1000 beads of varying colours

The first thing that Riley noticed, was that the kit contained star shaped beads, which is something he has never seen or used before, so he was really excited to be able to use these in his designs. Riley had initially decided on a rectangle shape and that he also wanted his name across the middle. I therefore suggested making his name on the board first, so that we could then incorporate the rainbow colours around it. By placing the name first, it also meant that he could check that he was happy with the position, before we began to place all of the other beads on the board.


Once the letters were all in place, we began getting the rainbow colours ready and working out how many rows of each colour we needed. To do this we counted the paces across the board and also checked how many beads we had of each colour. We then began doing the outline and opted for rows of either 3 or 4 in each block of colour.


When Riley first started placing the beads on the board he used his fingers, but as the board began to fill, he found that it was easier to use the bead dispenser to get them accurately into place. We also sprayed the design once half was completed to prevent any beads from moving as the board began to fill. However, just before doing so, Riley decided he wanted to change the black beads for a light blue, so we were able to amend these to his chosen colour before he sprayed the water.


Riley was so pleased as the design started to take shape and he was so proud that it was his own idea that he was making, without the help of a template. The whole design took him around half an hour to complete and he was so happy with the end result. We gave the design a good spray and left it to dry before removing from the board.


We had used a large quantity of beads, so we took advantage of the refill sets to top up our beads. I really like the fact that you can buy refill packs, so that you can continue making great designs, without the need to buy the larger sets. If you already have a board, sprayer and bead dispenser then the refill packs are a great way to build up your collection.


Overall we were really impressed with the Aquabeads Star Bead Starter Set and felt that it contained a huge variety of beads to help make some fabulous creations. As you can see the possibilities are absolutely endless with Aquabeads and as well as using one of the many templates available both in their sets and online, you can quite literally make whatever your imagination desires. With a little patience, determination and creativity, you can create some wonderful designs, animals and objects, which look fantastic once completed. We really like the fact that we can top up the sets with the many refill packs that are also available to purchase and feel that all the products in the range offer excellent value for money.


Aquabeads are available to purchase from most good toy retailers including John Lewis, Smyths, The Entertainer and Amazon.

However, if you are feeling lucky, then we have a fantastic prize to give away of an Aquabeads Star Bead Starter Set for one lucky winner. If you fancy your chances, then simply enter using the gleam form below. Good Luck!

Aquabeads Star Bead Studio Set


Terms and Conditions
  • There is 1 (one) prize of an Aquabeads StarBeads Starter Set
  • Entry is open to UK Residents aged 18 years or over
  • Competition closes on the 11th July 2020
  • A winner shall be drawn within 7 days of the closing date and notified via email.
  • The winner will have 7 days to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entries.
  • No bulk or third party entries
  • The winners details shall be shared with the promoter for the purpose of prize fulfilment and permission shall be obtained from the winner prior to doing so.
*Disclaimer - We were gifted the Aquabeads sets featured in this post for the purpose of writing an honest review of the products. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.


Thursday 18 June 2020

Garden Fun with the Giant Pass The Pigs Game - A Review

As we regularly enjoy holidays and weekend breaks, it is fair to say that we have accumulated a nice selection of travel games over the years. However, one of our favourite games, which always comes with us on every trip, is the classic family favourite of Pass the Pigs. My children love this game and the simple uncomplicated rules, makes it easy for even the younger members of the family to join in.

We were therefore delighted to hear about an even bigger and better version, that not only could we take on holiday with us, or to the beach, but that we could also play together in the garden whilst enjoying the sunny weather outdoors. But what could possibly be better than the original Pass the Pigs?............GIANT Pass the Pigs of course!!


Giant Pass the Pigs comes presented in a medium sized box. The front of the packaging features a large image of two inflatable pigs, along with an age recommendation of 6+ and a suggestion of 2-4 players. The rear of the box provides more images along with some suggestions of where you could play the game. There is also a contents list that explains exactly what you get inside.

On opening the box, we found that the contents included:
  • 2 x Inflatable Pigs (approximately 50cm x 40cm)
  • A Carry Bag
  • Pencils
  • Score Pad
  • Repair Kit
If you aren't familiar with the game of Pass the Pigs, then it is really simple to learn and very easy to play. Firstly we removed the pigs from the packaging and inflated them, before moving into the garden to begin our game. We each took it in turns to be the "Swineherd", which is the person in charge of both the pigs and the points. You then simply place one pig in each hand and hold them by the ears, before swinging them up in the air at the same time and releasing them. You then have a look to see how your pigs landed and match it with the score point images to see how many points you gained. Super easy and plenty of fun!



There are numerous positions your pigs can land in, which all have various points allocated to them. The aim of the game is to earn as many points as possible and the first to reach 100 is the winner. However some positions could see you earn zero points, lose all of your points, or even force you to retire from the game. The positions and their points are as follows:
  • A Sider (1 point) - This is when both pigs land on their same side.
  • Trotter (5 points) - This is when a pig lands on all 4 legs.
  • A Double Trotter (20 points) - This is when both pigs land on all 4 legs.
  • A Razorback (5 Points) - This is when a pig lands on its back with its legs in the air.
  • A Double Razorback (20 Points) This is when both pigs land on their back with their legs in the air.
  • A Snouter (10 Points) - This is when a pig lands on its nose and front trotters.
  • A Double Snouter (40 Points) - This is when both pigs land on their nose and front trotters
  • Leaning Jowler (15 Points) - This is when the nose, trotter and ear are to the ground.
  • Double Learning Jowler (60 Points) - This is when both pigs land with their nose, trotter and ear to the ground.
  • Mixed Combo (Add points together) - A mixed combo is the combination of a trotter, snouter or learning jowler and you simply add the individual points of each position together.
  • The Rumper (15 Points) This is when you pig lands on its bum with its nose in the air.
  • A Double Rumper (30 Points) This is when both pigs land on their bums with their noses in the air.
  • Pig Out (0 Points) If the pigs land on opposite sides, then you don't score any points.
  • Makin' Bacon (Lose Points) If your pigs land and they are touching, then you lose ALL of your points!
  • Piggy Back (Retire) If you get a piggy back, then you are out of the game.

Overall we absolutely love Giant Pass the Pigs and it has been great fun to enjoy together in the garden. The rules are so easy to understand and it is an enjoyable game to play with family and friends. With an RRP of only £14.99 this represents excellent value for money and I would absolutely recommend Giant Pass the Pigs to others. It is entertaining, fun and easy to play and this will no doubt become one of our top garden games to play this summer. Giant Pass the Pigs can be purchased from retailers including Amazon.

If you would like to find out more about Giant Pass the Pigs or the other games in the Pass the Pigs range, then you can visit their website or social media pages on the following channels:

Website - www.passthepigsofficial.com
Facebook - facebook.com/passthepigs
Twitter - @PassthePigsGame
Instagram - @passthepigsofficial


*Disclaimer - We were gifted the item featured in this post, for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.