Top That! Publishing - The Silent Owl & The Tangle Fairy Books Review

As I've said before, I have always been a firm believer that reading enriches and nourishes life. I read at least an entire book every couple of days and have read books of every genre, many different authors and different lengths and levels of depth. If there is nothing left to read I will happily pick up an old classic or favourite and re-read it as I really do love to read. I also believe that reading is a very important educational tool whether at school or at home which is why I really hope to pass my love of reading on to Lexi in the hope that she too will see the wonder of being transported into not only the minds of the author but into the lives and loves of the characters in the story whilst picking up and developing her English skills.

Lexi and I read very frequently and I think it is proof in itself how much benefit reading is to children as she is only 2 years 4 months old and can already recit the entire alphabet, count to 15, knows all her shapes and colours and can recognise letters and what sounds they make easily and loves it too as she is constantly being told how clever she is! :)

We have reviewed books for Top That! Publishing before and Lexi (and Mummy!) absolutely loved them so when Top That! Publishing sent Lexi two new storybooks to review for them, I was really pleased as I honestly think that the last books we reviewed for them have had a positive effect on Lexi's enjoyment in reading and her love of books...

The Tangle Fairy

Written by Seema Barker
Illustrations by Kirsten Richards

"Why is Jaya’s hair always in such a tangle? From witches to dragons, each night The Tangle Fairy explains to Jaya why she must make her hair so tangly. Children will love to follow Jaya as she tries to get to the bottom of the mischievous Tangle Fairy’s stories!"

Lexi was instantly interested in The Tangle Fairy because the bright colours and fantastic illustrations caught her attention and she was hooked!

The story is so original and such great fun that she loves it and hasn't grown tired of it even after reading it goodness knows how many times! There are so many fun and interesting things to see and read about in the book that she is so excited to turn the page to see the magic of the story continued on the next page! The story is written in rhyme so is fun for all ages of children whether reading it themselves or having it read to them as it gives them the anticipation of what is to come and the rhyming sentences make it even more fun!

The Tangle Fairy is available to buy direct from Top That! Publishing on their website http://www.topthatpublishing.com/ with an RRP of £5.99 but they have a special offer with it being on sale for the fantastic bargain price of £5.39!

The Silent Owl

Written by Clemency Pearce
Illustrated by Sam McPhillips

"‘In the great, old hollow oak,
Lived the Owl,
Who never spoke.’

In the deep, dark forest lives an owl who never speaks. The forest animals are worried about silent Owl, but he has a few surprises up his sleeve! New and emerging readers will love this enchanting bedtime book with unique illustrations and rhythmic text, ensuring that it is guaranteed to be picked up again and again!"

Lexi loves owls so as soon as she saw the owl on the cover she fell in love and wanted me to read it to her straightaway. She wanted to turn the pages as soon as she had seen the pictures to see what the owl was going to get up to; but not before she had to take the book straight over to Nanny and Grandad's so she could show them her new owl book! She was so excited to show them the owl and all owl's friends in the book including mouse, fox and badger!

The story is written in rhyme too and Lexi loves guessing which words are coming next and reciting the story in a sing song voice. It melted my heart each and every time she read this book because of the enjoyment, fun and laughter she got from it. She absolutely loves it and keeps it beside her bed so that she can read it to her toys (show them the pictures and make up her own story as she can't read herself just yet!) to help them sleep at night once Mummy and Daddy have done story time, kisses and left the room.

The Silent Owl is Lexi's most favourite book of all books she has ever owned by a clear mile!!

The Silent Owl is also available to buy direct from Top That! Publishing on their website http://www.topthatpublishing.com/ with an RRP of £5.99 but they have a special offer with it being on sale for the fantastic bargain price of £5.39!

You can find out more about Top That! Publishing and their fantastic other books and products by visiting their website or by popping over to their Facebook page and saying hi!

Both The Silent Owl The Tangle Fairy are huge hits with Lexi and will continue to be for a long time I'm sure! Thank you yet again Top That! Publishing for introducing Lexi and I to your fantastic array of books. You will continue to be very much Loved By Lexi for a long time to come!

Ewan™ the Dream Sheep from Easidream®

Even at over 2 years old, Lexi is an absolute nightmare sleeper! She has always been terrible and no matter what we have tried including controlled crying, various sleep inducing techniques and just about everything imaginable, Lexi still doesn't sleep through the night and still insists on coming into Mummy and Daddy's bed (yes we stupidly allowed her when she was ill and just can't seem to get out of the habit). Controlled crying didn't work: "she will give in eventually" we are told by Health Visitors, Doctors and friends..... 4 hours later when she is still crying where are the Health Visitors then with their facts and opinions! So every time, Mummy and Daddy give in and Lexi ends up back in our bed fidgeting and acting up. Mummy hasn't had a full night's sleep in over 2 years and it sure is taking it's toll....

So when we were asked to review Ewan the Dream Sheep from Easidream I was absolutely ecstatic! Anything was worth a try and I am at my wit's end. Please let Ewan work I thought. Please....

About Ewan and Easidream

"ewan™ the dream sheep is a simple yet effective tool for settling restless babies and toddlers into a peaceful slumber. Cute, cuddly ewan™ attaches securely to the cot bars or sit him next to your moses basket, and plays real heartbeat and womb sound combinations that mimic the noises babies hear inside the womb. These comforting sounds have been proven to be effective for settling and calming even the most restless newborns, as they make the difficult transition from womb to world.

Even better is that ewan™ has a choice of 3 further pink noise sound combinations- similar to white noise but more effective - which are suitable for older babies and toddlers, so he can go on helping with your sleep routine well on into the pre-school years!

ewan™ loves to travel, so if you’re out and about he can be attached to the buggy or car seat so your little one can be comforted ‘on the go’ and there’s no chance of leaving him behind. With his useful tail you could even securely attach a dummy or teether.

ewan™ also doubles as a nightlight, thanks to his soft pink comforting glow, so no need to buy one of these as an extra and his calming soft light simply adds to his charm!"

Features

A choice of four soothing heartbeat combinations which are proven to be effective
Soft pink comforting glow.
20 minute timer.
Volume control.

Hangs from cot/buggy/car seat with Velcro tail.
Battery operated 3 x AAA

Surface wash only

What Lexi Thought

Lexi was absolutely petrified of Ewan the first time she met him! I had turned him on so he was glowing (which I think is more red than pink)

and had the heartbeat and womb sounds coming from him. Lexi took one look at him and hid behind the wardrobe! It wasn't the reaction I was expecting as she loves anything soft, cuddly and animal shaped. I didn't press the issue and Ewan went back in his box for Lexi to meet him another day.

The next day I got the laptop out, sat Lexi on my lap and we looked through pictures of sheep on Google images until Mummy eventually (without Lexi noticing) changed the pictures we were looking at from normal sheep in fields etc to pictures of Ewan in fields and with other children. Lexi was pointing at the photos saying "Lexi want. Lexi love" so Ewan came out again.

Lexi's reaction this time was completely different. She loved him. He has such a lovely cute face and is big, cuddly and soft and she loved squeezing him and cuddling up to his soft tummy. It took a while to get her used to it, but after a while she was even pressing the legs herself to make him make the "nice sounds". I was so pleased....

Next challenge: BEDTIME!

LEXI SLEPT!!! No not right through the night..... BUT she slept from 8pm to 4am! That is the longest she has EVER slept in her own bed in over 2 years. It is a miracle!!! There is no way it could be coincidence because she honestly has NEVER slept that long in her own bed in her entire life so it's impossible for it to be a coincidence! THANK YOU EASIDREAM!!!

I wish we had discovered Ewan the Dream Sheep from Easidream a very long time ago as maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now and would never have gotten this bad with Lexi's sleeping habits! But I am eternally grateful to Easidream because they have instantly changed Lexi's sleeping habits aswell as my own so that we are getting some sleep. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I wasn't able to film Lexi asleep without her waking but here is an idea of the soothing sounds and Ewan's effect on little ones from Easidream's video:-



Price and Where to Buy

Ewan is available to buy with an RRP of £29.99 and can be bought here: http://www.easidream.co.uk/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=easidream.tpl&product_id=6&category_id=1. Knowing how amazingly Ewan works, I would definitely 100% pay £29.99 for him as he is such great quality and really does work!! I'd pay anything for a good night's sleep though but even so, £29.99 is a great price in my opinion.

THANK YOU EASIDREAM! Not only have you allowed me some well needed sleep but Ewan is so well thought out and works so brilliantly that I really can't praise you enough! Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. Ewan the Dream Sheep from Easidream is DEFINITELY Loved By Lexi!

WINNER ANNOUNCED: CroydeB Backpack

And the winner of the CroydeB backpack from Miracle Products is.....

LIZ TUMBRIDGE!

Congratulations Liz!!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Keep watch as we will have another competition coming very soon. :)

VersArtile - Making it Personal

A few months ago I came across an amazing looking page on Facebook belonging to VersArtile. Their photos showed an array of gorgeous canvases personalised with your child's details and photographs all cleverly arranged around your chosen theme. The second I saw them I fell in love so when I was asked by the fantastically talented guys over at VersArtile to review a canvas for them I was delighted!

The Process

The first step is to choose the canvas theme. There are lots of gorgeous themes to choose from which are suitable for boys, girls and unisex. There really are so many and they are all brilliant! After spending quite a while looking through Vintage, Enchanting, Retro, Sparkle and many more I finally chose In Bloom because it's so pretty and beautiful!

Once you have chosen your design, the second step is to email VersArtile the details for personalisation. The information they need is really easy to understand as they highlight it in blue so you know what information to send them.

Once you've emailed VersArtile with the design choice and wording, they give you a separate email address to send the required number of photos to. The reason it is sent to a separate email address is so that they don't store them, they use them for your design and then delete them for your peace of mind. I found this stage the most difficult because I am rather trigger happy when it comes to Lexi and have thousands of photos to choose from! It took me a while but eventually I emailed them the 6 photos and eagerly waited to see what they'd do with them and the wording and to see what the proof they'd email me would look like! I got an instant reply saying they had received my photos and would start creating my canvas which I thought was wonderful - no wondering or worrying that they hadn't received them - I knew straightaway and this gave me even more confidence in them and their ability!

Usually I find getting anything personalised to be a total palaver with sorting photos and emailing details then having to ask for things to be changed goodness knows how many times so was a little dubious as to how my vision for the photograph's I chose and the wording and look of the canvas in my head would translate into an email and then onto canvas but it couldn't have been easier!! The guys talked me through the process stage by stage and made sure they knew exactly what I wanted and had it looking perfect before it was sent to print. They sent me a proof to look at by email which looked fantastic but they were more than happy to make any changes if I'd have wanted any - but they had it spot on first time so there was no need. Their creative flare and great communication made it so easy for me to explain myself and get the perfect images to them first time and so easily and quickly! The proof of my canvas came only a few hours after I had placed the order which I found extremely impressive!

I replied saying that I absolutely loved it and gave them my address.....

I was expecting a 5 day wait as that's what it states in their Ts & Cs; 2 days later my canvas arrived in the post! I couldn't believe how quickly it arrived. It was boxed brilliantly so there was no damage to it (which I had been a little worried about) and even came with the fixings to attach it to the wall - Service above and beyond!!

The Canvas

"HIGH QUALITY CANVAS
VersArtile canvas prints are made using 100% cotton, 360gsm canvases. Our chunky 1.5 inch (3.8cm) frames are also slotted with wedges to keep your print taut and in good shape for years to come.

MADE TO LAST
Our canvases are printed using the very latest high resolution printers and high quality ink with 72 million colours all containing fade and water resistors.

10 YEAR GUARANTEE
And all our canvas prints come with a 10 year guarantee (terms & conditions apply)."

Lexi's Canvas

The canvas itself is fantastic quality; it is mounted on a sturdy wooden frame so it's very tough and durable. The print quality is superb too. Every little detail in the photos I had sent to Adam and Rich at VersArtile was depicted beautifully on the canvas and the warmth and strength of the colour is fantastic.

It is the little details on the canvas which are encorporated into the canvas which make it even more special.

On In Bloom, the clothes peg is personalised with Lexi's date of birth which is subtle but stunning.

The little black and white old fashioned pictures have Lexi's date of birth stamped onto them.

The daisies in the top corner spell her name which looks so cute and eye catching..

Obviously, I love the whole canvas and all the little details and magic touches which make it so special but my favourite part of the canvas is the wording...

I have read the little verse so many times I know it by heart and now, each time I glimpse the canvas and the wording, it brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye because it is so beautiful.

VersArtile

I cannot recommend VersArtile enough. They are offering a unique, beautiful and very special product which will last a lifetime and bring any room to life and be a real focal talking point in your home!

The process, communication and support offered by Adam and Rich is beyond brilliant. I am so impressed that I have been showing everybody who will listen the canvas and praising VersArtile as much as possible.

If you'd like to browse VersArtile's fantastic canvas themes which are available to personalise, you can view them:-

Facebook: www.facebook.com/versartile
Website: www.versartile.com

Special Offer for Loved By Lexi Readers

The usual price for a personalised canvas of your own is £100 which I think is well worth the money as it is superb quality. I have paid much more just for a canvas photograph or print so £100 for something so unique and special, I think is a fantastic price.

BUT; The lovely guys Adam and Rich over at VersArtile are offering all your lovely Loved By Lexi readers a special 20% off discount on their own personalised canvas!! Your very own personalised canvas featuring personal details and gorgeous photos of your little one for the extra special price of £80! Brilliant! Just mention Loved By Lexi when you place your order to benefit from this amazing special offer! What better Christmas present for a loved one than a beautiful personalised canvas of their child to treasure forever! Gift vouchers are available too if you'd like to order a canvas for someone you love but want to let them choose the design and photos themselves, gift vouchers are the perfect solution! I know I would be ecstatic to receive gift vouchers for such an amazing gift!

Thank you VersArtile; Lexi's canvas is hanging proudly on the wall in our house and we have had endless comments on how gorgeous and special it is. Not only is your service superb and the canvas amazing but you made the process so simple and painless. That is why VersArtile is highly recommended and absolutely Loved By Lexi!!

COMPETITION: Win a NEW CroydeB Backpack from Miracle Products

The fantastic people over at Miracle Products Ltd are giving one lucky Loved By Lexi reader the chance to win a brilliant flashing LED backpack from their brand new CroydeB range.

"CroydeB Childrens Backpack Features:

1. Embedded LED light technology cool to the touch.
2. Reflective strips on the shoulder pads of backpacks.
3. Soft Rubber zip pulls.
4. 100hr of light usage (watch battery).
5. LED 360 degree viewing angle.
6. Made from 600D Polyester, tough and durable.
7. Removable battery packs, if you want to wash the bag
8. Red LEDs for Bags, Blue for Caps.
9. LED Effects: FAST, Slow and Always on.

Plus they look great, feel great and fit loads of stuff in!"

Competition will end on 30th November 2011 with the winner being announced on 1st December 2011 so the lucky winner will receive their flashing LED CroydeB backpack in time for Christmas!

You can find out more about the CroydeB range by visiting:-

Website: Miracle Products website
Facebook: Miracle Products Facebook page

Good luck to all our lovely Loved By Lexi readers! I know that the lucky winner will absolutely love their CroydeB backpack!!

John Crane Ltd & Sevi: The Perfect Partnership!

The Loved By Lexi household have always been huge fans of John Crane Ltd and own lots of their fantastic toys. So when we heard that the wonderful John Crane Ltd had formed a partnership with the equally amazing Italian company Sevi, we were really excited!!

Sevi

The history of Sevi spans almost two centuries in its devotion to wood and the success of Sevi is down to its design, quality, commitment to professional service and hundreds of satisfied customers.

1920 – At the beginning of the 1920’s Sevi excited the local market with their small, hand made masterpieces.

1930-1940 – To keep up with a now growing market, new machinery was purchased to support the craftsman’s skills. Automation did not affect the high quality of Sevi but enhanced it.

1950-1960 – The booming economy lead to a new craze of giving children small ‘surprise’ gifts. Inspired by this Sevi continues today to producing not only toys but objects that express the warmth, wonder and friendliness of a child’s world.

1970-1980 – This was the brands boom years with new characters born – the Happy Clown is still in the line up today, reborn in the newly styled Le Cirque collection.

1990-2000 – Sevi is acquired by the Trudi Company in 1998, remaining faithful to it founding principles and values; Sevi continues in hand crafted wood, caring for detail and dynamic creativity. Stringent safety testing is applied to all products and Sevi was awarded UNI EN ISO 9001 certification in 2001.

2010 – Sevi chooses John Crane Ltd to distribute to retailers in the UK, and a strong wooden partnership is born.

Lexi and I absolutely love John Crane and from the looks of the gorgeous products available from them via Sevi - we are going to LOVE them even more!!

To look at the full range of Sevi products available from John Crane pop over and take a look at:-

Website:www.john-crane.co.uk
Facebook:www.facebook.com/johncranefanpage
Twitter:www.twitter.com/johncraneblog use #sevi-by-johncrane

You can read the other fantastic reviews of John Crane and Sevi's partnership over on the Blogmatch linky.

John Crane has always been a firm favourite of ours but I am sure them and their products will be Loved By Lexi even more now they have teamed up with Sevi!

Bebemoda: Bumkins Superbib - DISCOUNT FOR LOVED BY LEXI READERS

The lovely people at Bebemoda were so grateful for our review of their Bumkins Waterproof Superbib that they have given the wonderful readers of Loved By Lexi the opportunity to purchase their very own Bumkins Waterproof Superbib using an amazing 15% off discount code!

Using the discount code "SUPERBIB" you can bag yourself an absolute bargain and get:-

A SuperBib for just £6.79

or

A three pack (of your choice) for just £18.33!

Discount Valid Until: 20 November 2011

Remember: SUPERBIB and you will get an absolute bargain which will make a brilliant Christmas present for that little someone special!

There are lots of designs to choose from so pop over to the Bebemoda website to choose your favourite!

You view our review of the Bebemoda Bumkins Superbib here

Thank you for being such amazing readers - I hope you enjoy your discount code!

Miracle Products Ltd: Urban Slate Spot Changing Bag

Loved By Lexi recently ran a competition where the lovely Alison Turnnidge won herself a fantastic bag from Miracle Products Ltd. Alison said that she absolutely loved the Lotus Flower City Range that she was sent so when Miracle Products Ltd asked us to review a bag for them I was really excited!

After falling in love with just about all their designs and styles, we decided to go for the Urban Slate Spot changing bag because it has so many great features and I love the colour and spot design.

"The Urban Changing Bag is a twist on our very successful City Baby Changing Bag. The oiled cotton gives the bag a more rugged feel but with a sophisticated edge carried through with our soft cotton striped handles. Each bag comes with our exclusive dandilion interior fabric, matching large padded changing mat, carry, shoulder and buggy straps. Slightly smaller than our City Bag but large enough for mums who need space. Two large zipped compartments are perfect for keeping personal items one side and baby items the other."

The bag is made from oiled cotton which at first I thought looked a little plastic

BUT once I had filled it with all Lexi's changing paraphenalia it looked a lot better.

The inside is bright red with a gorgeous flower type design which was really striking against the slate of the outside of the bag.

The integrated changing mat is a really good size; it fits perfectly into the bag so I thought it would be a bit too small but it was the perfect size and is made in the same striking red as the interior of the bag and has an oiled underside to protect against moisture and dampness.

Miracle Products Ltd have obviously thought out the design and features of their changing bags really well as there are lots of great pockets and places to keep things in the bag; I absolutely love the two zip compartments on the outside of the bag. They are so convenient to just slip keys, phone or wallet into without having to open the main compartment of the bag and rifle through nappies, wipes and clothes. I love these two front pockets as they are so useful!

The bottle pocket on the side of the bag is genius too as it means you can slip a toddler cup or a bottle into the side of the bag where it is protected against spills and leakage and also easy to access.

The bag is really roomy and has plenty of space for everything you could possibly need to take along for a newborn right through to toddler. It is very well made so will last for years and years to come!

The variety of straps are a great idea aswell as you can sling it over your shoulder when you have lots to carry or can use the other handles. The best feature in my opinion are the buggy straps. These are brilliant! You can attach the changing bag to your pushchair without having it dragging along the floor or dangling in the way of the wheels - I wish I had discovered that buggy straps existed a long time ago as that has been a bain of my life ever since Lexi was born and I have tried all the usual tricks to make carrying a loaded changing bag on a pushchair easier and less dangerous as when Lexi was tiny, her changing bag was so heavy and pulling down on the handles of the pushchair with such weight that it actually tipped her pushchair up backwards with me just stopping it in time before she fell onto the pavement! So I have always been wary about hanging a changing bag on my pushchair and now that I have discovered buggy straps from Miracle Products Ltd I am very happy and would highly recommend them purely for that key feature!!

About the Urban Changing Bag

Available Colours:
Navy Spot

Red Spot

Slate Spot

Dimensions:
W:44cm D:19cm H26cm

Features:
Two large zipped central compartments.
Two external zip pockets.
1 large slip pocket.
Deep bottle pocket.
Wipe clean waterproof interiors.
Interior zip pockets for keys etc.
Large matching padded changing mat.
Pockets for mobile phone, nappies, bottles and so much more.
Carry and shoulder straps
Buggy Straps Included

Material:
100% oiled cotton with soft cotton handles

Price: £44.95

Although £44.95 might seem expensive, I have paid much more for changing bags in the past which were nowhere near as good quality or so useful and gorgeous so I think £44.95 is a great price for the Urban Slate Spot Changing Bag.

You can buy the Urban Slate Spot Changing Bag direct from the Miracle Products Ltd website where you can also view their other fantastic designs, colours and styles of bags.

You can also find out more about this fantastic company and their fantastic products by popping over to the Miracle Products Ltd Facebook page.

I have read lots of reviews of Miracle Products Ltd's products so was really pleased to get the opportunity to review for them and was not disappointed. Their products really are innovative, gorgeous and genius aswell as being reasonably priced and practical! Miracle Products Ltd's Urban Slate Spot Changing Bag is most definitely Loved By Lexi.