SFR Product Reviews Blog
Sunday 13th February 2010
Finally after a chaotic weekend I can sit down and write about Liv's first pre-school birthday party yesterday. Due to worrying about parking we arrived a good 10 minutes before everyone else and the first thing I was asked was if I was staying or going? Considering Liv has only just turned 2 years old and I did not know these people my bottom was certainly going to be glued to their sofa whilst Liv ran around!
The parents of the birthday boy had hired a bouncy castle with a dome so that it was covered, fantastic idea but Liv was having none of it - the same as a few other children who arrived soon after.
I actually came away feeling awful that Liv had not actually been inside the bouncy castle, considering that was the main event of
the party. On the way home it reignited a discussion that I have had many times with my friends... "Do you have a party at home or at a venue"
In most cases it really would be an easy decision, have a party at a special venue and let someone else clean up your mess! Though really when you start weighing up costs, with some venues charging at least £9 per head for a minimum of 15 children, the cost of a cakes, party bags and balloons/decorations on top of this,calculating the costs is very scary! Venue parties can also appear to have a conveyor belt feel to them and the food can be sub-standard and almost always is cold food and rushed. Though their main attraction is the fact someone else is "hosting", has organised the party, is looking after the children and food and there is no chance of that priceless antique vase in your living room being broken!
Cost wise you really can be quite savvy if you host at home - this is something we found out for Liv's 1st birthday. Going to a wholesalers for your food, decorations and drink is a great way to ensure you save money (only if you buy what you need!!) The main downside I experienced was that after everyone had left (13 adults and 8 children) we realised we hadn't actually spent much time with Liv on her special day. Being a hostess means you are constantly attentive and making sure everyone is happy, fed and watered when really it should be you spending the time with your child too. Making sure your house is spotless is a must but then be prepared for muddy footprints on the carpet and drink spillage too!
So when weighing up cost against missing out on my child's special day... no contest really! I would personally choose a venue each time! I love the idea of someone else clearing up after a bunch of children who have wreaked havoc and it gives me the opportunity to have a chat and get to know all the other parents. Better start saving up then!!
As you maybe aware CyberMummy 2010 was a fantastic success! Lots of influential mummy bloggers attended to discuss blogging, SEO and have a good network all in one room!
I am hoping to be part of the CyberMummy experience when the event is held on the 25th June 2011 at The Brewery in London and I could not be more excited!
As I am a Northern mummy based in Manchester I do not generally have the ability or preparation time to attend events although I have no excuses this time!
The only worry I have regarding the event is the cost of attending, which is why I am writing this post.
I would love the opportunity to represent a brand at CyberMummy and for this am looking for sponsorship in order to help me get there!
In return for sponsorship I would utilise my website, blog, Twitter and Facebook pages to advertise and promote my sponsor for the foreseeable future. This, of course if alongside representing the brand at CyberMummy and being the eyes and ears for the day! Raising brand awareness at the event and in the social media world would be my way of returning the enormous favour - I may even put a video diary of the journey on the site!
Guaranteed I will miss my beautiful daughter (currently 22 months) terribly, but sometimes mummy's need a little break too!! This will give me the perfect opportunity to network with all the fabulous mummy bloggers I have been in contact with this year!
If you would like further information on sponsoring me at the CyberMummy 2011 event please do get in contact! My direct email is simone@sfrconsultancy.co.uk
Wednesday 27th October 2010
Finally we can grab that elusive extra hour in bed due to the clocks going back this weekend! Good news for adults, but what will it mean to a child’s sleeping patterns? Is this something you have already considered? Do you think that it will disrupt your child’s sleeping patterns?
When it comes to children’s sleeping patterns I know I am truly blessed… Liv has pretty mush slept through the night since day 1 (she obviously takes after me as I love my sleep too!) Though having spoken to many of my friends over the years, it is apparent that many people suffer with lack of sleep due to their children waking through the night for various reasons and I have always felt slightly helpless as I can not really advise them on how to cope with this problem.
One thing I am dreading is the day when Liv moves from her cotbed into the bed section. Liv has a very cheeky but loveable personality and I already know she will take full advantage of the new found freedom and when taking her to bed she will make sure she stays up as long as possible and sitting down relaxing for us will be a distant memory! I do not think the extra hour will disrupt our household too much, though only time will tell!
We have all seen “Super Nanny” but are there other ways in which to aid a peaceful nights sleep for your children…?
To celebrate the magical new Forever Friends bedtime storybook for pre-school children, "Night Night Sweet Dreams", Hallmark are holding an exclusive Q & A session with Chireal Shallow.
SFR has the opportunity to put questions forward to the renowned children’s sleep expert and Channel 4 psychologist Chireal Shallow regarding kiddies sleep patterns - if you have any questions relating to this topic please comment and I shall make sure these are passed forward to be answered.
The session will be taking place on Tuesday 2nd November from 11am -3pm, all you need to do is visit www.Twitter.com/HallmarkUK during the chat, and post your questions by including @HallmarkUK in your tweet.
Though if you comment on this post your questions will be forwarded directly to Chireal to answer and hopefully she will be able to advise on the best solution to helping your children have a wonderful nights sleep!
Thursday 21st October 2010
Today has been a wonderful day! :O)
It was the first time Liv has had her photo taken by a professional photographer (which has now left us in a quandary of which image to choose) and we visited the pre-school Liv will be attending! An open day was held and we were able to go and look around and Liv was free to play alongside all the existing children and she had a whale of a time climbing up and down the wooden slide!
It was fabulous to see her running around and interacting with the other children and I know that she will flourish there! Everyone is so lovely, not fake like some people in the local nurseries that we looked around and as a protective mummy I feel very reassured that they will look after the most precious thing in my life.
The pre-school is in the heart of our lovely little village and currently only has 19 children registered with a handful extra starting in the January intake. This in turn could be a good thing as it may mean place availability at the school we would like to send Liv to will be good so fingers crossed!
However the low number of attendees coupled with the pre-school being run by volunteers means that the future of the pre-school relies heavily on fund-raising and donations (currently the majority of which comes from parents.) I had a good chat with the manager today and she mentioned that they do not like putting so much pressure on parents, especially when several children from the same family may attend the pre-school, though they do not get the same funding and grants that many nurseries do.
After our chat I bravely volunteered to become a member of the committee in order to help with fund-raising (when I found out the meetings are held in our local pub how could I resist this honour!!) and have a very large favour to ask…!! I have met lots of wonderful people and had contact with lots of fabulous companies over the past few months and I wondered if I could possibly trouble you just one last time…
Myself, everyone at the pre-school and more importantly all the children would be eternally grateful if any companies could possibly donate any goods that could be used by the children or used as prizes in raffles etc.
The pre-school uses all types of toys from paints to modelling clay, crayons to tumble mats and books, along with bowls, beakers and cutlery for snacks. Any donation large or small would be gratefully received and would play a huge part in the development of all the 2-4 year olds at the pre-school. In return I will do my utmost to promote yourself and your company on SFR and within our community. I am hoping that any fundraising could be promoted in our local paper also which would mean extra exposure of any donations.
(Just to add… the pre-school is a registered charity!)
Thank you so much for your time in reading my blog post and if I can provide any further information please contact me at simone@sfrconsultancy.co.uk
Monday 20th September 2010
Oh what a day! If I had a time machine to rewind to 9am this morning I would use it as quick as a flash!
My day actually started out well with a fantastic bargain shop in Primark ready for our trip to Disneyland Paris! My daughter (LO) at this point was being well behaved and my shopping trip went like a dream! On the way home I decided to call into the local mini Tesco and walked LO in there instead of getting her pram out of the car. This was my biggest mistake!
We started walking around, with LO attempting to carry the basket very unsuccessfully! All was going well until we stumbled across the brand new Pick N Mix stand that had been installed over the weekend. As we didn’t have any treats in the house I thought I would treat LO and myself to some cables, white mice etc, my mouth was watering just placing them in the tub! I had just put LO down whilst I was struggling to fix the lid to the overflowing tub when she bolted. For a 20 month old she can run! Off she went around the shelves, by the checkout section and I finally scooped her up by the tea and coffee stand! In my haste to chase her I left my basket and overflowing Pick N Mix pot alone in a deserted aisle. Upon my return I looked and noticed something didn’t look quite right. My handbag was missing. I had literally only been 5 seconds had someone honestly taken my bag? I shouted “Help, someone has taken my bag…” as I looked around in shock I shouted again ” Arrrr someone has taken my bag…” Staff and other customers rushed to my aid just as shocked as me as I tried to explain that I had left my bag and it was no longer there.
There are movies where a scene occurs and just before realisation hits, the screen freezes and a voice over comes on to say “and this is the moment when Simone wondered if this was one big dream…” As it slowly dawned on me what had happened the words “Oh my lord… I am so sorry… I didn’t even bring my bag in with me…” escaped my lips as my face fell from shock to utter humiliation. With everyones’ eyes still staring at me! Apologising profusely everyone was absolutely lovely and the women especially were very understanding. The male shoppers on the other hand looked as me as if I had a screw loose!
To make life easier for myself I usually just chuck my purse into the basket when I walk LO in and had completely forgotten. Can I really still be suffering from baby brain? I am still reeling from what happened even now, whilst I am sat here picking the white mice out of the tub! However I can now laugh about what happened and have certainly made a few people chuckle already with this story of my antics – however most know me and know that things like this happen to me all the time!
Today it has been announced that I am one of the very lucky testers of the new Quinny Zapp Xtra and this news could not have come at a better time! I certainly will not be going into our mini Tesco for a while but the next time I do I shall certainly use the Quinny (and take my bag with me!) I may even take a picture of us next to the Pick N Mix stand!
Molton Brown is looking to spoil Yummy Mummies!
Make sure you keep Wednesday 22nd September 2010 free in your diary!!
Yummy Mummies since the kiddies are going back to school... this is your chance to be pampered
If you live in the Manchester area or are willing to travel the special Yummy Mummy pampering sessions are to be held
once a month at the Molton Brown store in the Lowry Outlet Mall in Manchester.
Yummy Mummies are invited to arrive, between 11am and 2pm. Each will be given a complimentary hand and arm massage and a Molton Brown goody bag. Expert staff will be on hand to give out top tips on pampering at home. Pots of tea, courtesy of Whittard of Chelsea, and cupcakes will be provided whilst you browse the luxurious bath and body collections in store
If you would like to induge in a little "me time" then please reserve your spot by emailing
your name, address and telephone number and how many spaces you would like to reserve to:
(don't forget to mention SFR when you email!) you can also reserve tickets for your friends!
Those that enter will also be in with a chance of winning an exclusive Lowry Outlet Mall gift card, to the value of £20
This all sounds fabulous and considering how many shops there are in the Lowry Outlet Mall it will be a perfect opportunity for a lovely day out with your friends!
Places are limited so make sure you email and book your place!
We look forward to meeting you there!
Whether it is shopping, dining or entertainment you are after, The Lowry Outlet Mall has it all under one roof, offering savings of up to 60% off RRP all year round. Boasting over 80 stores including big-name retailers like Marks & Spencer, Molton Brown, Whittard of Chelsea, Nike and Whistles; with a huge selection of fashion, gifts and niche sectors such as homewares, handbags, sportswear and much more.
A Gap Store will open on the 8th September offering 30% off everything!!
Saturday 22nd August 2010
SFR HQ was a hive of activity tonight as “Operation Save the Goldfish” went into action. We are currently looking after a friend’s cat whilst they are away and their goldfish looked decidedly unwell so we are hoping (fingers crossed) that by moving them in with us we can keep an eye on them. The cat on the other hand is absolutely fine!
We have had a very interesting couple of weeks with many people asking for a Newsletter to be sent out… after deciding we could not put it off any longer this week we sent out our 1st newsletter – a copy can be viewed here… http://eepurl.com/Q2hL
Due to being so busy updating the site with new reviews and our Twitter, Facebook pages and blog we had put it on the back burner -though we realised how nice it is to receive newsletters and keep up to date and thought our subscribers would like to be kept up to date too! To subscribe please fill in the form on our homepage… http://sfrconsultancy.co.uk/default.aspx
Recently we have noticed that our Baby & Toddler review section has been very busy and popular and as we are approaching Christmas we decided to add a new review sector! Well… there was only one choice! It had to be Gifts & Unique Products…!
This new sector is dedicated to products that can be given as gifts and products that our visitors may not have actually heard of or considered before… it’s all about making it easier for YOU to find the perfect present!
The ball has started rolling already as SFR testers’ are reviewing Playmais, an Ozbozz My First Scooter and Ogon Wallets. We are so excited about the new review sector and hope you will be too and we hope that it will help you in the tricky task of choosing presents!
If you have recently purchased any products that you think may fit nicely in the review sector please let us know as we would love to showcase your opinions!
In the past week we have added reviews for Organic Babies (part of the Green People range), Love + Art luxury organic skincare and Peter Rabbit Organics Juice Drinks – it has been an extremely busy week and the workload is due to increase! Next week we will be adding reviews for Clearly Herbal Wipes, Swiggies, Green People skincare (for mummies!) and Nelsons skincare.
We would love to hear your feedback on the reviews – have you tried any of the products reviewed and agree with the opinions? Or maybe even disagree? Is there anything you would like to add? If so please get in touch!
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend – SFR will be back with another review update soon (and hopefully a positive Goldfish update!)
In the meantime… don’t keep your product opinions to yourself… share them!
Saturday 8th August 2010
Back in 2009 my beautiful daughter was selected by Mother and Baby Awards to test and review products for the Best Product for Weaning and Best Baby Food (Stages 1,2 and 3) categories. We had such a wonderful time trialling the products and they were certainly well used and well travelled as we took most on holiday with us!
It was lovely to have our opinion and feedback taken on board, even more so that the products that were outstanding received an award for their hard work in ensuring their products are best for baby and also best for the parents too!
The products we tested last year made such an impact on my family that we did actually change our formula – after researching I found the brand we tested suited LO more and we were happy with how she adapted so quickly to using this product that we changed to this particular brand for the remaining time that she used formula. The weaning products that we also tested included several training cups and they have been well used over the past 12 months and have been the topic of many conversations between my mummy friends.
We love the Mother and Baby Awards and the fact that we can be part of such a large, industry renowned testing panel but the fact our opinion is taken on board whether good or bad.
For further information on the Mother and Baby Awards and testing please view Jessica’s blog – she is the wonderful and very hard working co-ordinator behind the Awards and certainly does a fanastic job to ensure it all runs super smoothly!
http://jessicamilln.wordpress.com/category/mother-baby-awards/
This year (2010) I was shocked and over to the moon to find out that we would be testing the Best Car Seat Group 1 category. For us it could not have come at a better time as the same day I received confirmation our car seat that we had enjoyed using decided to jam so that we could not use it. This car seat had seen us travel to the South of France to visit my parents, several trips to Norwich to see the in laws and basically journeys all over the country and many trips to the airport to drop my husband off to catch his plane for work. As a courier (only on a Saturday!) I really do need a car seat I can truly rely on as my area I cover is very rural and some of the roads are hairy at the best of times, you add rain or snow and it feels like I could put some of the rally drivers to shame!!
Well before I start commenting on the fabulous car seats we are testing I will mention that our original car seat was replaced and both companies involved who we dealt with were wonderful. They obviously care deeply about safety and child protection whilst in a car is paramount.
For the Mother and Baby Awards 2010 we are testing and reviewing 4 completely different car seats – all Group 1 – and are in a fortunate position that I live on a wonderful close with many neighbours who have children of a similar age to LO who can also contribute by testing the seats. It also means there is less hassle swapping the seats over on a weekly basis although I must look bizarre to people who have no idea whats happening, lugging the seats up and down the close!
Currently in our car we are testing the Maxi Cosi Pearl and FamilyFix Base which is for an Isofix setting – for us this car seat is absolutely perfect due to the long journeys we take. LO can be well reclined in this seat – more reclined that any other I have seen and it is well padded for extreme comfort.
I am sure LO will forgive me for posting this image one day but as you can see she is extremely comfy and content in this car seat and we are very reassured when using this car seat.
A more detailed review will go live when all testing is complete.
Monday 26th July 2010
Well the 300 Next catalogues I had to deliver are now all done! Phew! I cannot believe I managed it – I certainly do not want to see another catalogue for a while! I cannot complain though they weighed an absolute tonne so I have certainly built my muscles up and lost weight from running up hills carrying them!!
Now that the catalogues are out of the way I can get back to concentrating on SFR Product Reviews again and I certainly need to get back in gear as we have some wonderful and very exciting products being tested at the moment.
We have several car seats from well known brands being reviewed including Chicco and Mamas & Papas…. an Ozbozz scooter, BabyBjorn Potties, Splash About float suits and the Happy Nappy System, a creative modelling toy named Playmais, FruityFaces, Peter Rabbit Organics fruit juices alongside beauty and skincare products.
SFR Product Reviews is now in it’s 4 month and we have been overwhelmed with the wonderful response and support we have had and hope this may long continue. www.sfrconsultancy.co.uk
The reviews already on the site have been well received and we hope that everyone enjoys reading them and that they help when people are considering purchasing the items showcased on SFR.
We had a fantastic response to our first competition on our Facebook page (SFR Product Reviews) and all winners from the Doidy Cup / Bickiepegs competition have been notified. We asked you to give ideas on new flavours for Bickiepegs and all flavours were very yummy indeed and I am sure if these flavours were available then adults would also certainly enjoy them! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105234816193078&ref=ts
Tuesday 13th July 2010
Well after taking receipt of half of my Next catalogues that are due for delivery, I smile at the thought that after I have delivered all 300 of them at least I will have some enviable muscles. I am sure these catalogues, which I am sure are the largest, fattest, thickest.. so far will be used as doorstops when they are no longer needed!
I am so relieved now that Mr. SFR is back home from a 2 month stint on the rigs… it means I can go and deliver these without Little Miss SFR and all the chocolate stains and handprints she usually leaves when I finish my courier round!
I love my courier work on a Saturday, although I am sure I am one of the most hated people as I start delivering parcels from about 8:10am… well if people don’t want their parcels delivered right to their front door then they shouldn’t order anything! The majority of people I deliver to are wonderful and I can have a real good chuckle with some cheeky chappies but part of me thinks especially when delivering to older people… I may be the only person they see that day so if I can provide a smile or two I know I have done my job!!
Most of my time now is taken up with running SFR Product Reviews and making sure everything is running as smoothly as it possibly can – obviously there will be hiccups every now and then but so far I have been blown away by everyone’s support and in return my testers have produced some fantastic reviews.
The only thing is… even though Mr. SFR is now home I am now looking after him too and have to explain everything to him! Before, when he was away I was acting like a single mum… looking after LM SFR and doing all my jobs plus all the housework and now that he is home it’s almost like I have 2 children!! He has missed out on 2 months of a very active 18 month olds life and is now tired out after 10 minutes…! Mum’s must run on energizer batteries!!
Oh the joys!!
So actually delivering the Next catalogues may actually be a nice break… though I dread to think without me, what Mr. SFR will dress LM SFR in!! Eik!!