Monday 22 November 2021

Christmas at Dunham Massey 2021 - A Review

On Thursday evening we had the pleasure of attending the press night for the launch of Christmas at Dunham Massey 2021. My family and I have attended every year since 2017, with the exception of last year due to our local lockdown, so it is fair to say that we were all extremely excited to return to one of our favourite festive events.

Christmas at Dunham Massey is brought to you by Raymond Gubbay Ltd (Sony Music) in partnership with the National Trust and sees the stunning grounds transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland, with a magical, after-dark illuminated trail. Featuring over a million lights accompanied by seasonal sounds, it is the perfect place to make memories with loved ones or friends as you walk around the stunning grounds and take in the creative and mesmerising lights.

Prior to beginning the Christmas Trail you can spend some time in the courtyard, where there is a selection of different street food vendors, along with some vintage fairground rides that included a carousel and a helter skelter. Tokens need to be purchased for the rides at an additional charge and these are available from a kiosk located nearby, if you haven't already purchased them in advance. 


It is important to note that due to the one way system, you don't return back to the courtyard area after you have finished the trail, so if you are wanting to enjoy this area and have a bite to eat, then this needs to be done prior to entering the trail. The food and drinks available looked delicious and were reasonably priced. I also felt that there was a good variety of choices available to cater for all tastes.

Once we had finished in the Courtyard, my family and I made our way over to the giant sized reindeer located at the start of the trail where we were greeted by friendly staff who scanned our tickets. The mansion was lit up brightly and we were captivated watching the sequence of lights across the building. Our favourite part was when Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas began to play and my son, along with some other guests, began to dance. It felt so Christmassy and welcoming and we were excited to see the rest of the event as we began to walk down the path.


Just like previous years we were greeted with stunning displays and my son kept asking how long it must have taken people to create the fascinating arrangements. The fire garden was so relaxing and I could quite happily have stood there for a long time just watching the flames and listening to the music. We were also extremely impressed by the incredible rose garden installation which was absolutely breathtaking as the roses began to change colour. 

There were also plenty of opportunities along the trail to purchase hot drinks and snacks including hot chocolates, mulled wine and tea. The option of a children's hot chocolate was also available and my boys both said it was absolutely delicious. It cost £2.25 and they enjoyed taking sips and keeping warm as we continued our walk together.

Approximately midway through the trail, there is a place to stop and purchase marshmallows to roast on one of the fire pits. The marshmallows were available to buy for £1.50 each which I thought to be reasonable given their large size. My youngest son opted for a candy floss favoured marshmallow, but my eldest son noticed additional cabins that were selling waffles and crepes, with the giant tubs of nutella immediately catching his attention. He therefore chose to buy a nutella filled crepe instead at a cost of £4.50 which he described as the best snack he had ever tasted.


My favourite part of the evening was watching my son speak with Santa, albeit socially distanced. Whilst there are no individual meet and greets, Santa did his best to speak out to guests in the crowd and welcome everyone. It was beautiful to watch his interaction with visitors and the surrounding setting was wonderful and perfectly lit with gentle lighting against the backdrop of the night sky.

Overall we had a wonderful time and it was the perfect start to our Christmas celebrations. The way the event is designed makes it suitable for all ages and whilst it is a lovely family event, I also feel that it is ideal for couples and individuals to enjoy too. All of the staff we came across were extremely courteous and were very friendly each time my youngest son spoke to them. He had taken one of his teddies with him and insisted on showing it to every staff member, who all seemed more than happy to engage with him and have a little chat. The highlight of our evening was the interaction between Father Christmas and my son which was just a joy to watch. We would absolutely recommend Christmas at Dunham Massey to others and if you have already booked your tickets, then you're in for a treat.

For further information on Christmas at Dunham Massey, please visit their website or social media channels which can be found here:

Website - National Trust - Dunham Massey
Facebook - DunhamMasseyNT - Facebook
Twitter - @DunhamMasseyNT

Event Details

Attraction - Christmas at Dunham Massey, the magical after-dark illuminated trail.
Location - Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4SJ
Dates - 19th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022 (the event is not open on all dates so please check for availability).

The majority of tickets for this event are now sold out, however on checking today (20/11/21) there are currently limited tickets still available for the 1st and 2nd of January 2022. However, the creators for Christmas at Dunham Massey are also operating a new lights trail approximately 40 minutes away from Dunham Massey called Christmas at Delamere Forest. You can find out more details on this event on the blog here.



*Disclaimer - We attended the press evening of Christmas at Dunham Massey and were provided with complimentary tickets for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Details provided are believed to be correct at the time of writing but can be subject to change. I would therefore always recommend visiting the attraction's own website in order to obtain the most up to date information. 

Saturday 14 August 2021

Crazy Construction Fun with Junkbots from Hexbug - A Review

My family has been huge fans of the Hexbug range of products for many years and my children have enjoyed many of their toys, with my eldest two children building up quite a collection at one stage. My youngest son Riley also loves Roblox and unboxing, so we were really excited to learn more about Junkbots, along with Hexbug's latest project that merges toys with entertainment.

A new eight-part digital series based on Junkbots, is now available to view on the HEXBUG Official YouTube page and from the 20th August, fans will be able to join in with the fun with the launch of the Roblox game that will follow a brand new adventure which all kicked-off when Junkbot Jack Static received a cryptic radio transmission. 

To celebrate the launch of the digital series and game, we held a fun screening event for Riley where he watched some episodes whilst also playing along with some awesome Junkbots toys. Of course no screening would be complete without some sweets and popcorn, so we made sure there was plenty on hand for us to enjoy whilst watching the show. 

Junkbots are the ultimate unboxing experience and there are items galore for you to rummage through and find the rubbish that can help you create your Junkbot character. They come in a selection of different sizes ranging from the Junkbots Trash Bin with an RRP of £4.99, the Junkbots Dumpster with an RRP of £9.99 and the Junkbots Industrial Dumpster with an RRP of £19.99. There are over 36 Junkbots to collect, but the beauty of this product is that items can be mixed and matched, which means that children can create numerous characters of their very own.

The Junkbots Trash Bin has an RRP of £4.99 and is the smallest in the range and perfectly priced for a pocket money purchase. Once you have opened the trash bin lid you can rummage inside to find the 15 pieces that you need to build the Junkbot character. Some pieces are loose in the trash bin, whilst others can be found inside the mini bin bags, providing plenty of unboxing fun. The design is fabulous and looks like a brightly coloured bin. The Junkbots are recommended for ages 3+ however there are some small parts, so I would definitely advise parental supervision if allowing younger children to play. 


The Junkbots Dumpster has an RRP of £9.99 and includes 30 pieces inside allowing you two build two completely different Junkbot figures. This was my favourite in terms of price and value for money as in addition to the two Junkbot figures, the pack also included an energy module. Our energy module was easy to build and was a light which could be attached to Junkbot figures to make them glow. My son Riley absolutely loved this and enjoyed moving the light from one figure to another. Some of the connections and joints can be a little difficult to put together, so I did need to help Riley from time to time, but personally I enjoyed that I could also be involved and it was nice to be able to work together.


The Junkbots Industrial Dumpster has an RRP of £19.99 and is the ultimate construction adventure. It features over 50 different pieces allowing for 4 Junkbots to be built and this set also includes an energy module and a motion module which really help to bring the figures to life. Riley described this pack as being 'epic' and unlike other unboxing toys where the fun can be over very quickly, this set offered Riley hours of entertainment. He loved rummaging through all the bin bags, separating the junk from the pieces and creating the character designs. It kept him entertained for a full afternoon and once he has finished playing with the existing figures, he can do it all over again and create his own. I therefore really like the fact that these toys can be played with over and over again which definitely gives added value to the product.


Overall, we really loved the concept and design of the Junkbots and the fact that they offered so much unboxing fun. We particularly liked the fact that we could create our own characters, which was something that Riley definitely enjoyed. The initial diagrams are slightly difficult to follow and could do with being a bit clearer for children who want to make their character perfectly, but we managed on the most part and for any connections we weren't sure of, then Riley just used whichever part he liked the look of which seemed to work really well for us. The design is really fun and we loved that you had miniature bin bags to rummage through and find the pieces. I also feel that the RRP of the products is very reasonable and offers good value for money. I would definitely consider buying more of these in the future and will also look to buy these as birthday gifts due to their price. Junkbots are available to purchase now from The Entertainer, Amazon, Toymaster and other local independent retailers.

If you would like to find out more about Hexbugs or the Junkbots range of products then you can visit their social media pages on the following channels:

Website - Hexbug.com/Junkbots

Facebook - facebook.com/hexbug

Twitter - @HEXBUG

Instagram - @hexbug

YouTube - hexbugtv

Why not also check out the HEXBUG Junkbots series trailer below:

*Disclaimer - We were provided with a complimentary selection of Junkbots toys for the purpose of writing an honest review of the products. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.


Friday 4 June 2021

Disney Classic Plush Collection - A Review

During the most recent lockdown, my family and I subscribed to Disney+ which not only allowed my children to watch some of their favourite films, but it also gave us the opportunity to rediscover some Disney Classics together. I was therefore really excited to learn about the Disney Plush Classic Range from Simba Toys, which features iconic characters from films such as 101 Dalmations, The Aristocats, Lady & The Tramp, Dumbo and even more. 

Riley recently received three plush toys from the collection with the first one being the stunning Dumbo. I used to love this film as a child and each of my children had a small Dumbo soft toy when they were babies, so this particular item brought back some really nice memories for me. My son is still at the age where he loves pretend play, so from the moment it arrived, he immediately began to run round the garden with Dumbo, trying to teach him how to fly. 

The quality of this product is absolutely superb and the stitching is very neat and detailed, which really contributes to the character likeness. Riley loves how cuddly it is with the material being so soft. My son enjoys placing his face next to Dumbo's ear as the fabric feels so lovely and it is such a nice item to snuggle up to.

The second toy Riley received was the beautiful Marie from The Aristocats. She is so snuggly and features a pretty pink bow. Like the other toys in the collection, Marie is hand wash only, but given their size, this shouldn't be too difficult a task and in the summer months they can easily dry outside in the sunshine.

Riley hasn't actually seen The Aristocats before, so he is now intrigued to see the film and find out more about Marie. In the meantime he has been enjoying plenty of pretend play and cuddling up to the adorable snuggly fabric.


The Dalmation is so huggable and this was Riley's favourite of them all. He has watched the film 101 Dalmations numerous times, so he was delighted to have a plush toy of a beautiful dalmation pup. The fabric is so gentle and incredibly soft and even the little red collar is nice and smooth. The collar is also centrally stitched at the front and rear, so no worries about it coming loose or being removed.

The attention to detail is fabulous and Riley enjoyed counting all the spots over it's body. He kept losing count of how many there were, but I am now reliably informed that there are 30 spots in total.

Overall I absolutely love this range of soft toys and they are the perfect gift for both children and Disney fans of all ages. They are beautifully made, super soft and there is a great selection to choose from. They can be purchased in a range of different sizes which include 17cm, 25cm and 35cm. The toys featured in this review are the 25cm size which I felt was just perfect for playing with at home, or for taking on our travels too. 

The toys are really light and comfortable to hold, so Riley has already decided that the Dalmation will be coming on holiday with us in the future. One thing I really liked about the soft toys in this review, was that they can also be displayed nicely without just falling over, which is a common problem I have had with other toys. I feel that these plush toys offer excellent value for money and they can be purchased from Amazon.

If you would like to find out more about Simba Toys UK or the Disney Plush Classic Range then you can visit their social media pages on the following channels:

Facebook - Simba Toys UK

Instagram - @simbatoysuk

*Disclaimer - We were gifted three Disney Classic Soft Toys for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

Monday 12 April 2021

Anti-Bacterial Slime from Canal Toys - A Review

If you are a regular reader on this blog, then it will come as no surprise that my boys are huge fans of slime. They have tried out numerous different kinds over the years and despite my constant worry of it being embedded into my carpet or sofa, I know just how much they enjoy it, so I've always been happy for them to play with it. 

They were therefore delighted to be offered the chance to try out the latest Anti-Bacterial Slime from Canal Toys, which I found to be a really interesting concept. At a time where hand sanitisation and cleanliness is of the upmost importance, I really liked the idea of a product that makes hand hygiene fun and I couldn't wait to find out more.

Whilst I have always encouraged good personal health and hygiene with my children, it is safe to say that this has been extremely prominent in the last 12 months. Washing your hands, sanitising and regularly wiping down items and surfaces has always been important, but we are now seeing these recommendations absolutely everywhere, with hand sanitisation stations in shops, supermarkets, schools and pretty much any public space in general. For younger children I can imagine that this can feel very excessive and my youngest son will often comment that he feels like he has washed his hands a million times a day in school. I therefore knew that this product would be an instant hit with him and I definitely wasn't wrong.

Canal Toys Anti-Bacterial Slime is a unique product and the first of its kind in the market. It is child-safe and can kill up to 99.9% of germs. This isn't just a one time use product either, as it can be used over and over again, with it's anti-bacterial properties lasting up to 1 month. It is also alcohol free and comes in a funky little pot that can easily be carried around for use on the go.

The Anti-Bacterial slime is a great way to encourage keeping your hands clean through play. My son sat quietly for ages just quite happily covering his hands fully, which made me think that he was possibly also getting better coverage using the slime than he does with his usual hand sanitiser product. As a parent this gave me lots of reassurance that my sons hands were super clean and that the product was seeing off any germs that may be lurking.

The product can be bought as a single 40g pot with an RRP of £2.99 or alternatively it can be purchased as a tube of four pots with an RRP of £9.99. They are available at both Smyths Toys and Amazon and there are six different colours to choose from. My sons favourite is the purple, but all the colours look lovely and vibrant.

Overall we loved this product and I would be more than happy to purchase this for my children again in the future. I found it to be really innovative and I love the fact that the creators have taken a well loved product and added an anti-bacterial element. I feel that the recommended retail price of a single pot for £2.99 is a very reasonable cost and also an affordable pocket money price for children to buy themselves. For extra value the 4 pack tube is available at £9.99 which would also make an ideal gift. 

If you would like to find out more about the Anti-Bacterial Slime or other products in the Canal Toys range, then you can find their website and social media pages on the following channels:

Website - www.canaltoys.com

Facebook - fb.com/canaltoysglobal

Instagram - @canaltoysglobal

TikTok - @canaltoys


*Disclaimer - We were gifted sample products for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All opinions are my own. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link, which means that we may receive a small commission should you choose to purchase this product through the link provided.