Box of Awesome Review ~ Box 3

Here we go with box 3 of Box of Awesome's latest unveiling of their special goody bundle. As usual there's a very mixed bundle with a hefty amount of collectables and some new comers, including some online offers.

Kito 16-Piece Stoneware Dinner Set Review

I am completely at a loss as to what section to put this post under. In the end I plumped for Fashion due to the unnecessary need for ornamental crockery. Personally I believe matching crockery is a hell designed for +Christmas dinner and other such over the top occasions. The rest of the year we are all happy to munch from our chipped mismatched plates, and I'm sure many of us fondly remember our childhood individual plates from the culmination of remaining sets. For those that don't; you lived a especially charmed abnormal life, and likely played Polo.
In choosing my future cracked set of plates I caved to The Controllers  constant demands for square plates. Square plates have always seemed like they belonged in a pretentious hotel serving up a tiny artistic remnants of food. However he has been asking for nearly a decade, so I guess it was about time I bowed to the man of the house.

Skechers Bikers Hot Ticket Shoe Review

Alas with joys of gainful employment comes the search for suitable apparel, and none more essential than the material with which we clothe our feet. Some may read this and think otherwise but those would be the people who can afford to be fashionable in the workplace. In a job that involves constantly putting my 'slender' weight on my long suffering hooves, it becomes an essential trial for comfort. Gone are the days of vainly trotting my illogical heels and comely courts to and from a desk.

This is my third attempt at foot wear; court shoes and hiking trainer were both a mistake in their own blister inducing ways. I apparently required some thing breathable, flexible and comfortable; which also looked reasonable attractive and was black. I took on-board the advice of people and searched my way to Skecher's door and settled on their 'Bikers Hot Ticket Shoes' . Slip on shoes with a minimal 1/4 inch heel and masses of happy reviews.

Chobani Strained Yoghurt Review

Well the source for this review was different from my usual, in fact my ego requires that I claim I was head-hunted!
Earlier this month this comment from +Chobani was left on one of my posts:
'We've been stalking your blog, and are loving all of your product reviews!
So, we'd love to send you our range of Chobani Strained Yoghurt – they are made with only naturally sourced ingredients and completely fat free with twice the protein of regular yoghurt. 
What do you say – can we tempt you?'  

I deliberated long and hard on the option of free yoghurt, whilst frantically googling the company to check for obvious signs of a scam (a healthy level of suspicion goes a long way online!). The titbits of information regarding the name change from Greek to Strained yoghurt, and the subsequent packaging revamp, caught my eye first. It showed that the marketing aspect was taking advantage of the situation in a progressive manner in line with a corporate giant. This video introduction by founder +Hamdi Ulukaya explains the origins of a company which after initial production took only 4 years to become the Number One selling brand in America.

The Heat...Is it a Summer Scorcher? ~ Cinema Review

Today I was lucky enough to see a free early screening of +The Heat through Show Film First (Nine days before release!). Starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy  the film revolves around the uptight, anti social arrogant, FBI agent's hunt for a elusive drug lord. Sandra Bullock meets the uncouth, opinionated, plain spoken Melissa McCarthy, and then the fire-works and laughs are meant to begin. 

Originally due to be released for April, the decision was made to delay for a big budget Summer slot, to suitably milk the profits. The initial trailer does a great job of touting the 'girl power' jokes; blatantly designed to be a feel good chick flick. This film has likened it to Miss Congeniality, and the FBI/ Police characters lend credence to this. Could they not have gone for DEA or even the Coastguard this time, or does Sandra Bullock just have a love fetish for her FBI uniform? From the same director as Bridesmaids (Paul Feig) you might expect a certain level of humour, but the similarities appear to be rather subtle. 

Box of OMG Review ~ Box 2 (Final Finish)

As I've mentioned in previous Box of OMG posts (One + Two) there was a book meant to be included in the boxes. Well it has finally arrived, complete with the original box and contents. I had been expecting a bubble wrap envelope containing the missing book, receiving the whole box again was quite a bonus. This goes quite a way to quelling the complaints of avid readers and restoring faith in Box of OMG.

As you can see the content of +Moshi Monsters Stickers and tattoo's, the bracelets and OMG paperwork are the same. The new addition is by Edyth Bulbring called 'A Month With April May'. Edyth Bulbring was born in Boksburg, South Africa and grew up in Port Elizabeth. This book is her first published in the UK although her previous ones are all available to download online. Fun fact: the books was published under the name 'Melly, Mrs Ho and Me' in Africa.

Border Biscuits Strawberry & Cream Shortbread

Well hello again from the lovely world of on-line competition entering, and I'm a winner again. Yes I'm perfectly aware a braggart isn't appealing, but I really was very surprised at this win. So I have decided to turn it into a review of sorts, centering on a single product and the quite astonishing competitions that this particular company have on a regular basis.

For those that already skipped to the pictures (or found me via google), the company is indeed Border Biscuits. A previous winner of a lovely large hamper, I still marvelled at the large box of biscuits.
The competition featured on +Facebook on the 5th of July, in support of a Scottish sports star, and involved nothing complicated. Simply commenting with the name of +Andy Murray opponent in the semi final of Wimbledon ( +Jerzy Janowicz for those pernickity people). Later that day the winners were announced, with the case of biscuits arriving mere days later.

Bzzagent Persil- Small and Mighty Review

I'm a +BzzAgent  +BzzAgent Den +BzzAgent Denise and love the benefits of testing new products for free and being the first to find out 
about new gadgets and gimmicks.

This campaign is for Persil Bio Small and Mighty and it involves a 15 wash bottle of Bio Persil and 4x pass along sample boxes containing a 52ml sample sachet and a green Stain Eraser Ball for friends and family. 

Persil is produced by  +Unilever, which seems to have been responsible for a lot of the recent Bzz Campaigns ( +Dove  +sure deodorant  +Ben & Jerry's). I'm not sure if this is a coincidence or a bit of dodgy secret handshakes, but all I ask, is that you keep them coming! Persil is emphasising its stain busting powers through its products and its newly designed Stain Eraser Ball.

Its worth noting that there is a range of other products available with the Stain Eraser Ball. Whether your preference is a Non-Bio for sensitive skin or a 2-in-1 with a gorgeous scent there is still an option available. Obviously the pop out dispensers are all colour coded to match with the bottle design. They make a bold impact and would certainly be easily identifiable on a supermarket shelf. On a personal note I think I would prefer the Non-Bio version (simply to match my blue kitchen) but I do find my self drawn to the zingy orange bottle as well, who says you can't over accessorize!

Savvy Circle Duracell 45 Minuter Battery Charger Review

I'm a a member of +SupersavvymeUK  Super Savvy Me and the Savvy Circle and love the benefits of testing new products for free and being the first to find out about new gadgets and gimmicks.


This campaign was for a +Duracell  45 Minuter Charger. It takes place over the space of 8 weeks and is shared with 500 other members, we all received 1 Duracell charger, 4x AAA batteries and 4x AA batteries. This newly designed charger lays claim to the ability to charge 2 AA batteries in as little as 45 minutes, with batteries boasting that they can retain power for an impressive 6 months when not in use. The charger has a RRP of £29.99, whilst the charger might seem (is very!) expensive it can be easily seen as a lifetime investment. The AA batteries are 1300 mAh and the AAA batteries 750 mAh, perhaps a little low for the high drain capacity of many things but adequate for general purpose (and who really minds 45 minutes for a charge).

These days batteries are an essential part of everyone's lives (a far cry from when the +Duracell Bunny first appeared in advertising in 1973), whether its for gaming, remote's, toys or any of a hundred other gadgets, batteries are an ongoing requirement. Rechargeable's have proven to be cheaper and just as efficient, though there are times when the charger may seem to never be out of use with the sheer volume needed to run our day to day lives.

Box of OMG Review ~ Box 2 (Second Servings!)

As promised here is my second box review for Box of OMG; whilst there are similarities in products, the content seems much fuller and more rounded.


This is the second Box of OMG  to land on our doorsteps. From the individuals who brought us Box of Awesome and aimed mainly at girls. Advertised primarily through social media sites, this is definitely growing in popularity. Companies have saw the proof of advertising in the first Boxes and have an interesting collection in this one. The box is filled with goodies, collectables and digital options.

Box of OMG Review ~ Box 2

This is the second Box of OMG  to land on our doorsteps. From the individuals who brought us Box of Awesome and aimed mainly at girls. Advertised primarily through social media sites, this is definitely growing in popularity. Companies have saw the proof of advertising in the first Boxes and have an interesting collection in this one. The box is filled with goodies, collectables and digital options.

Bzzagent Danone Danio Yoghurt Review

I'm a +BzzAgent  +BzzAgent Den  +BzzAgent Denise and love the benefits of testing new products for free and being the first to find out
about new gadgets and gimmicks.

This campaign is for +Danone Danio yoghurt, and involves 3x 85p-off coupons and 5 x 50p pass along coupons valid at Tesco for friends and family. There is no actually product with the Bzz kit, thank goodness could you imagine the mess! Danone is emphasising its healthy eating through its products especially the yoghurt ranges, they are also the company that owns +Activia, Shape and +Actimel.

The Internship ~ 'Intern-esting' Cinema Review

Yesterday I was lucky enough to see a free early screening of +The Internship through Show Film First (Two days before release!). Something The Controller and myself had been looking forward to seeing since seeing the initial trailer. The hype and internet chatter surrounding this film has been quite damming touting it as Google advertising and a failed Wedding Crashers sequel.

Yes it is a film about Google (big hand clap for those that worked that one out!), but so was the 2007 film Google Me and I don't remember anyone decrying it. Most films revolve around a product, place or even a sport, and seriously who really cares or even notices any more. We could say 1949 film 'On The Town' was blatant advertising for New York, but perhaps I'm over reacting to the other reviewers over-reactions . Perhaps I missed it, but I'm pretty sure The Social Network wasn't dismissed for being free +Facebook advertising, in fact it received eight +Academy Awards  nominations and won three.