If the little girl in your family is a fan of the Ritzy Rollers, she’ll be thrilled with this Spa playset.

A fabulous pink and white spa-on–wheels, it opens up to let your child give her Ritzy Roller characters a real treat. And why shouldn’t the Ritzy Rollers have some down time in a super-luxury spa?  Featuring a vanity mirror, where they can enjoy a makeup session or a hair-do, a lounge for chilling with a Ritzy magazine, a bubble bath for those muscle-relaxing treatments after a hard day on the road and even a dance stage for letting off steam. Press a button and the spa has lights and music too.

The set includes thirty of those sort-after, collectable charms, which can be attached to the wheels of the Ritzy Rollers, or stored in their ‘booty trunks’ for swapping with fellow collectors and, guess what? It includes the Tori Tada unicorn character too.

A fabulous surprise for your youngster.

Stockists include; Amazon, Argos, Smyths, The Entertainer, Hamleys, Shop Direct and John Lewis. RRP £34.99, but on special offer at The Entertainer at £27.99 at the moment, so hurry up and buy it.

Recommended ages 4-8 years (due to small parts not suitable for under 3 year olds).

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Do you remember when you were young, and little girls pushed plastic baby dolls in scaled-down prams like their Mum’s? Well forget all that and let Tomy take you into the space–age.

Meet Rizmo (short for rhythm and monster). This little space baby is cute and loveable – and grows up. Yes, really.

When you first meets Rizmo, he is a soft ball of fluff that makes gurgling noises when you move him, or sleepy sighs when you rock him. But, like a real baby, he needs attention.

He has five modes – including song recording and sleep. You can switch between modes by pressing a button, but then you must confirm by gently swinging Rizmo. His eyes change colour to confirm the mode setting.

Sing to Rizmo and he will sing right back, in a cuter version of your own voice, talk to him and he’ll talk back too. And the more you sing, cuddle and generally stimulate Rizmo, the quicker he’ll develop. Just like a real baby, he responds to touch, motion and sound.

Then one day, after making some warning noises, he’ll grow into kid Rizmo right in front of your eyes. But you must cheer him on to help his transition.

Kid Rizmo can do more and now has a furry tail. Keep on singing to him, playing with him and dancing with him, and one day he’ll transform into a full-sized Rizmo. Very exciting to watch, he makes some odd noises, then little legs pop out and he sits up; his face appears and he smiles adorably.

The full-grown Rizmo is even more fun – he remembers the songs you taught him as a baby, and even does a remix and dances.

Rizmo is something to cuddle and love, whilst showing features of computer-based entertainment – using Rizmo is intuitive rather than following instructions. Your child can experiment and see what he does.

For a child with a newly arrived sib, Rizmo may help them relate to the new baby. How many other toys learn and develop like a baby does?

Rizmo comes in Berry, Aqua and Snow – so suitable for boys or girls. Recommended age is 6+ yrs although I would have thought a mature four or five year old could enjoy it too.

Stockists include; Smyths, The Entertainer, Argos, Hamleys, Amazon, Very and John Lewis. At £59.99, there is a lot of toy and novelty here.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

What is Little box of books? Frost Magazine asked Little Box of Books.

Boxes of inclusive and representative books for families and schools, all yours to keep, help children better understand the world and their place in it. For every box bought, we donate a book to our charity partner, Doorstep Library, to support families with limited access to books.

How does it work?

We deliver great books, that are yours forever, right to your door. Getting hold of stories with a diverse range of characters, situations and family set-ups couldn’t be easier.

1. Choose a monthly subscription or a one-off box of books. All you need to do is simple select the child’s age, chose the number of books you would like to receive, chose subscription or a one- off gift, write a free gift message for free gift card and then pay using the secure payment method
2. We hand wrap your books, box them up & send them out. Subscription orders are posted on the 20th of each month. Gift and one-off boxes are posted in the week they are ordered. Boxes are mailed, usually by Royal Mail. Then Little box of books donate a book to Doorstep Library as a thank you for your purchase.
3. Your brand new, inclusive children’s books arrive at your door. Your books arrive. Read together and discover new favourites Complete all the puzzles and activities. Share your experience on social media. Wait patiently for your next box!

What I thought of my Little box of book’s

Well I loved it, I found that everything from the packaging to the books was perfect. In my ‘little’ box I received two children’s books, a hand puppet sewing kit, a reading record, puzzles and activities to do with my children which were connected to the story books I had received, a thinking pad (essentially a pad of blank paper for the children to write down their thoughts, feelings and emotions) Emoji stickers and lots of information on the background of the company and what it is that they do and why.

As a parent I understand the importance of reading to children, and the little box of books also understands that importance and the fact that they donate books to those who need them is fantastic. So we got two books and they were “How to be a Lion” and “The Prince and the Witch and the thief and the Bears” my son really enjoyed the “How to be a Lion” book as he loves animals especially lions, wolves and dinosaur’s so this was a hit, and the moral of the story is beautiful. My daughter being a typical little girl adores fairy tales, princes and princesses and dragons was so excited to read “The prince and the witch and the thief and the bears”  together we put together the hand puppet which has now become to be known as “Gertrude the Giraffe”

I would unquestionably recommend ‘Little Box of Books’ to anyone who has a child in their life. This would make a lovely gift as its totally one of a kind and is a different and more fun way to get more children reading.

https://littleboxofbooks.co.uk/

“I choose to fight so that today will be better than yesterday”- Supergirl

Meet the DC universe’s most incredible female superheroes!

Who granted Wonder Woman her mighty superpowers? How does teenage supergirl disguise her identity in public? And why can Vixen channel the power of any animal in the world?

Discover the empowering stories of Batgirl, Bumblebee, Mera, Hawkgirl and many more. You’ll be inspired to be brave and bold, just like them.

Compassionate, Bold, Curious, Persistent- everything we want our daughters, granddaughters, nieces and sisters to be. Brave and bold is a empowering book for young girls to read about the female superheores that portray these characteristics. Each Superhero has a page dedicated to them, their background, where they are from and most importantly- what they stand for.

My daughter has watched her older brother play with superman and batman toys and I often felt as though this is teaching her that women can not be superheroes. Well they can and this amazing book tells girls just that.

Beautifully illustrated, the stories of each superhero is bound to spark excitement and imagination of the readers. “Sometimes all it takes is for a few words to change your life” – Bluebird

Pub DK. Price £12.99

Recently, Frost Magazine featured the stylish Indigo and Ivory cake tins from Tala.  I just love the simple understated elegance of this modern product range from one of England’s most established baking manufacturers.

The Indigo and Ivory kitchen range has everything you need to bake that delicious cake, from flour sifters, to mixing bowls, and roasting dishes too.  All coordinated in distinctive indigo, ivory and silver finishes which will complement most modern kitchens.

So how about the new matching storage tins? Each displaying the signature Tala logo, in ivory with indigo lids, one fits inside the other, which is rather neat.

The largest is labeled flour, then sugar, then coffee and the smallest  – tea.  Designed to fit normal bags of flour and sugar, a jar of coffee and a box of loose tea – all big enough, but not too big.

On special offer at the moment – reduced from  £24.99 to £14.54 from Amazon – grab a bargain for Christmas.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

With recipes from Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and The Bakers

The big book of amazing cakes brings the magic of the great British bake off to your kitchen with easy to follow recipes for every shape, size and delicious flavour of cake you can imagine. Featuring the very best cakes from inside the bake-off tent, alongside much loved family favourites, stunning showstoppers and classic bakes, the book is packed with expert advice and helpful tips for decorating. From simple sponges to spectacular celebration cakes, aspiring bakers will have everything they need to create the perfect bake for any occasion.

I was so excited to try some recipes from this book; I love baking and the great British bake off so this book was a must for me. What struck me about this book was the expert advice and professional hints and tips throughout the book alongside pictures of what the finished products should look like and beautiful scenic photos.

The instructions were easy to follow, and the ingredients were very easy to source. Each recipe had a ‘hands on’ duration as well as a baking time and serving size. At the back of the book is a conversion chart which is very useful for those who cook using cup sizes or ounces.

I chose to bake the Gingerbread loaf, the maple, apple and walnut streusel and not forgetting the ultimate chocolate cake. Each recipe was divided into easy to follow steps and had a picture of what I should expect the finished product to look like. I had great fun baking away with my daughter, niece and mother. We all love baking so naturally I had to get the family involved. After lots of weighing, measuring, baking and cooling our creations were finally ready to sample. We were not disappointed each cake was delicious and I am eager to bake some more yummy cakes.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in baking as there are recipes for beginners and experts alike.

Publisher- Sphere  Hardcover  eBook

Thanks to Bake Off and similar programmes, people are upping their game on the baking front. I remember making theme cakes for my children’s birthdays – Optimus Prime from the Transformers, My Little Pony – every year a different, almost recognisable masterpiece – a triumph of love and enthusiasm over skill. But my kids were always delighted, or if they weren’t they learned from an early age to fake it.

Nowadays things are different. Master baking skills seem to be part of the modern mum’s job description – my daughter-in-law is an astounding example. She regularly produces cakes worthy of any self-respecting patisserie for family events, in between looking after two children and working – and she makes it look easy.

But how do you store and transport these lovely creations? An old cardboard box, like in my day? I don’t think so.

Thankfully Tala have got this covered.  Their set of three cake tins are a work of art in themselves. Part of the new Indigo and Ivory range, they are sophisticated and stylish.

The two smaller cake tins fit inside the bigger one, for easy storage.  The largest measures 25cm in diameter and is 15cm deep, and the smallest is 20cm by 11cm. The bigger one is particularly useful for celebration cakes, and the three of them could even be used for a small wedding cake.

They each have the same classical design (see image), but are in coordinating colours – indigo, silver and ivory – they look lovely, stand alone or together, and of course they also match other items in this new Tala range.

At £20.25 from Amazon they would make a perfect gift – and Christmas is just around the corner …

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.