Christmas Gift Buying with Wicked Uncle

16/12/201809/04/2024 Lisa 1 Comment

Christmas Gift Buying with Wicked Uncle

Christmas Gift Buying with Wicked Uncle is so simple. Once on the site it’s really easy to navigate since you can pop in the age of the child that you’re buying for, and it shows everything within that age category. This is great if you’re buying for an age range and you’re not sure what the kids are playing with at that age.

There is loads to choose from including games, stocking fillers, keepsake gifts and a great range of toys.

I went on site to find a gift for both Isabelle and Freddie and these are my top five for both.

Freddie

A baby's Soft play cube with various sensory features and animal characters

Magical Cube with Farmyard noises £24.95 This fits in well with our baby sensory theme that we’ve gone for to excite all of Freddie’s senses.

Rotating Music Box – £16.95 – I’ve not seen anything like this before, but Freddie loves things that makes noises and this would be great for him to roll after.

Gardenbug Footfinder and Wrist Rattle – £16.95 – Freddie was given a set of these when he was born and they’re great for encouraging babies to find these hands and feet.

The Birthday Surprise Counting Rag Book – £12.95 – we love to read to Freddie and cloth books are a great starting point since it doesn’t matter if they grab or put them in their mouth.

Pound and Tap Bench with Xylophone – £29.95 – This is labelled as being suitable from 12 months but since Freddie isn’t left to play on his own I think this is something he would love.

Isabelle

Black Glow Art Neon Effect Drawing Board – £25.95 – Isabelle loves to draw or write cheeky notes for us so this would be a big hit.

Robo Chameleon Silverlit Remote Control Pet – £34.95 – This looks quite cool and I know Isabelle would have a lot of fun with this.

Jellyfish Tank – Colour Changing Mood Light – £18.95 – Isabelle loves fairy lights and lanterns in her bedroom so I know she would love this addition.

Slinky with Sound FX – £12.95 – what kid doesn’t love a slinky. This one has sound effects so even better!

Don’t Say it – Fast word game – £14.95 – This would be great to challenge Isabelle with. She loves the yes and no game and we have endless staring competitions. I’m sure I’d be able to beat her at this though!

You can also have your gifts gift wrapped for £3.50 for the first gift and then £1.75 for any additional gifts which I thought was reasonable and gives you less things to do.

There is also a birthday reminder service which is quite handy for remembering nieces, nephews and children on friends.

Wicked Uncle’s last date for Christmas delivery is Friday 21st December for Standard Delivery and Saturday 22nd December for Express Delivery (when ordered before 4pm).

We were given a £40 voucher to spend on site which I did on my phone. The whole process from navigating to payment was extremely simple. The only thing I found time consuming was trying to decide what to buy!

*we were sent a £40 voucher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Herodrive Collection Review

03/12/201825/01/2024 Lisa

Herodrive Collection Review

Herodrive Collection Review – It’s been a while since the house has been filled with traditionally ‘boys toys’ since the last eight years have been dominated by every shade of pink and frills!

Freddie is just coming up to six months old and like his big brother loves a ‘car-car’. Ryan was obsessed with anything with wheels on it and would lie down next to the car to watch it’s wheels go round.

Freddie has started to love our plat sessions which I do with him a couple of times a day so I was really excited to introduce him to the Herodrive Collection.

The Herodrive Collection includes the Bat Mobile, the Herodrive Signal Squad and Mash Machines.

Herodrive Bat Racer £24.99

The Hero drive Batman racer is the ultimate Batman vehicle for little hands since it’s nice and chunky. It has lights, and engine sound and music. Push the windshield forward and the wings pop out. Pushing the logo on the hood for unique Batman sounds, and push it again and the Bat Mobile races into action. This is a battery operated car and better still it comes with batteries which eases the stress as parents since little ones are eager to start playing.

Our thoughts

I love all of the Herodrive range and the Batman Racer has been Freddie’s favourite. It’s really chunky and durable making it perfect for toddlers who can be a little bit clumsy. There are no fiddly bits that can snap off which is always good. I really liked the easy way of getting out of the packaging with little key type things that you release which means no scissors or unscrewing. As I already said, each of the cars come with the batteries already installed, but you do have to switch it from demo mode for the full effect. Freddie was totally amused by the Bat Mobile and the dog was quite bemused with all the lights and sounds. The Bar Mobile is supposed to move when you press the button twice but unfortunately this feature doesn’t seem to work on ours. Nevertheless we thought this was a great toy.

Herodrive Signal Squad Car £12.99

With Hero drive signal squad, you can Patrol Metropolis like Superman! Press the Superman logo to send the Superman Super Signal and protect the city. The possibilities are endless when you can be faster than a speeding bullet. Collect them all!

Our Thoughts

This Superman car was possibly the one that appealed to us as Mum and Dad the most with it’s Superman light signal. It’s pretty cool and Freddie was quite captivated by the light which we shone on the walls, floor and on his feet. This car was smaller than the bat mobile so Freddie could hold this one slightly better, and really didn’t want to when it was time to pack away.

Herodrive Mash Machines £7.99

These are smaller than the Bat Mobile but are still chunky enough for little hands and are resilient to bashes and bumps. The Herodrive Mash Machines are mash-ups of your favourite DC super friends with rescue and urban vehicles. Each vehicle comes with flashing lights and character sounds. Push the symbol on the front grill to start the action.

This range is nice and chunky, great for little hands and is suitable from 3 months onwards available from Amazon, Hamleys and ASDA will be sticking from February.

*We were sent the Herodrive Collection for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

Playfoam Pals Review

25/11/201822/01/2024 Lisa 21 Comments

Playfoam Pals Review

Playfoam Pals Review – It seems that the most popular toys at the moment are ‘surprise toys’ and the unknown of which character you’ll receive inside your box, bag or other equally fun thing to unwrap. Isabelle spends a lot of time watching unboxing videos on You Tube and gets just excited as the person filming to find out what the gift inside is. When the Foam Pals arrived they were a total surprise for Isabelle who not only didn’t know they were coming but also hadn’t heard of these before.

Playfoam Pals come in a box with two foam filled domes, each with their own little animal inside. There are 12 animals to collect including rare gold animals if you’re lucky! You also get a little check list which you can tick off as and when you get the different animals. You can mix and match the heads and body parts of the animals to create funny combinations of animals.

The Playfoam is made from non-toxic formula and can be moulded and re-moulded into little beds for the animals and can be played with time and again.

Our Thoughts

Isabelle is always up for a surprise toy any day of the week, so she was very excited when these arrived. We were sent two packs so she had four animals to unbox.

We had two green Playfoams and two pink Playfoams. The foam is really lightweight and sticky (in a nice way). It feels like lots of polystyrene balls all stuck together and is surprisingly nice to mould before rolling into a ball and starting all over again. The animals were in the middle of the Playfoam and this is what we got:

Two Speedy the Sloth Gold Limited Edition, Chilly the Penguin and Stretch the Giraffe. Isabelle was quite taken aback that she got two gold animals. What are the chances of that!

I thought these were really good especially considering the price and the Playfoam is a nice change from Isabelle’s usual slime. These would make an excellent stocking filler or extra small gift at Christmas.

Each two pack set retails at £6.00 and can be bought here.

*We were sent two packs of Playfoam Pals for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Getting Busy at Halloween with Little Brian Fabric Sticks

26/10/201825/01/2024 Lisa 8 Comments

Getting Busy at Halloween with Little Brian Fabric Sticks

Getting Busy at Halloween with Little Brian Fabric Sticks – You only have to take a look around our house to know that we’re crafty so n so’s. We bought craft drawers for Isabelle, but these are fit to bursting so there are random deposits of bits and bobs around the house.

Craft stuff is the one thing that I really don’t think you can have too much of when you have children. Rainy days are made for craft projects, and great for an after school activity.

We were sent two packs of paint sticks, one that you use on paper or card and another that you use on fabric. We were given the Bumper 24 pack which includes primary colours, neon colours and metallic colours.

Paint Sticks

Little Brian Paint Sticks look like glue sticks, and are used in the same way with a twistable bottom which pushes up the colour. The paints are water soluble and child friendly as well as drying in just a couple of minutes. No brushes or water are required to use these paints. The colours are really bright and the sticks are easy for small hands to handle.

Isabelle was very excited to use these since we’ve never seen anything like them before. The colours are really bright so there’s no need to press very hard at all to get a lovely bright colour. The age recommendation for the paint sticks is three, but I think these would be a great introduction for Freddie when he’s a bit bigger.

I feel that we gave the paint sticks a good testing since we now have a good stack of new drawings for the fridge. Freddie and I (ok, maybe just me) painted a butterfly and Isabelle gave blending a little go with a little bit of water and a brush to create flowers.

Fabric Sticks

Again, the Fabric Sticks work in the same way as a glue stick, are easy to glide onto fabric leaving a vibrant colour. We thought we’d give t-shirt designing for Isabelle a go as well as designing a cute halloween vest for Freddie to wear as well.

To make your t-shirt design, you need a plain t-shirt and a piece of card which you insert in the middle of the t-shirt so that the colour doesn’t bleed through onto the back of the t-shirt. Get as creative as you like and then seal the design by ironing the reverse of the t-shirt. Once complete these can be washed in a normal 40 degree wash.

Both the Paint Sticks and the Fabric Sticks can be bought from Amazon and Tesco’s and would make a great Christmas present. Oh and just to put your mind at ease, the casings and lids of the paint sticks are fully recyclable which is always good to know.

Little Brian Fabric Sticks 12 pack – £12.99

Little Brian Pain t Sticks 24 pack – £14.99

Our thoughts

The Paint Sticks went down a storm with Isabelle. They were easy to use and achieved a lovely bright colour. It was great that we didn’t have to use brushes and water, although we did give the blending a go to make a flower picture.

The Fabric sticks took a few attempts to get the hang of since the material kept bunching up so we used bulldog clips to keep the t-shirt in place.

The colour choices in both packs were great and we had a lot of fun making our halloween costumes. The proof is in the pudding – look at these two cuties!

*We were sent both paint sticks and fabric sticks for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Singing Gummy Bear Review

09/10/201813/11/2023 Lisa 8 Comments

Singing Gummy Bear Review

Singing Gummy Bear Review – Isabelle is always super excited when she is asked to review new products and finding out that it’s a plush to add to her ever growing collection is even better. The Singing Gummy Bear sings the catchy ‘I’m a Gummy Bear Song’ which once you’ve heard it you’re guaranteed to be singing or humming along to at some point (usually for me in the middle of a shop or in the street).

The Bear is from Posh Paws who are the makers of many well know characters including Minnie Mouse and the Incredibles. The Bear is super soft and has been given prime position in Isabelle’s bed at night time which is something to aspire to in the world of teddies.

By pressing the bears hand, it sings the Gummy Bear tune which we’ve been singing and dancing to for the last few days. It also captured the attention of four month old Freddie who seems to favour the left ear to chew on. I think they might have to timeshare the bear (Freddie during the day when Isabelle’s at school).

Isabelle also received a bag full of Gummy Bear goodies including notepads, stickers, a t-shirt, pens, pencils and tattoos and badges all inside a Gummy Bear drawstring bag.

She was very pleased with this since she’s just started running club so is going to use the drawstring bag to put her kit in.

Overall the Gummy Bear was a total hit with both of children and would make a lovely gift for a teddy bear lover.

You can buy your own Gummy Bear over on Amazon for £21.99

Lisa x

*we received this item for the purpose of this review. All our thoughts and opinions are our own.

6 Ways to use Coconut Oil on your Baby | Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil

29/09/201829/01/2024 Lisa 17 Comments

6 Ways to use Coconut Oil on your baby + Review Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil

6 Ways to use Coconut Oil on your baby with Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil- We all know that babies skin is delicate and sensitive and use products as such.

Our daughter had eczema as a baby and we were really restricted with what we could and couldn’t use on her which we’ve now taken on board with Freddie.

I would say that as a starting point, the best advice was not to bathe your baby every day which strips the skin of it’s natural oils. When our eldest was a baby a bath was an every day occurrence and helped him to wind down towards bed time. It also meant that we had a structured routine every single day.

As we were advised not to bath Isabelle everyday, every third day we replaced the bath with a baby massage to help her relax before bed.

So far Freddie hasn’t shown any signs of eczema but since bathing every day can dry out the skin we’re sticking to the same routine as Isabelle.

One thing we didn’t try with Isabelle was coconut oil so when we were asked to review the Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil we were more than happy to give it a go.

Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil

Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil is 100% organic and chemical free making it the perfect choice for baby’s delicate skin.

The coconuts used are ethically sourced and organically farmed to ensure a premium quality.

Ways to use Coconut Oil on your Baby

The packaging is in keeping with the product and is 100% recyclable.

Moisturise

Melt a small amount in your hands and apply to your baby’s skin head to toe for lovely moisturised soft skin.

Cradle Cap

Most babies have a bit of cradle cap. To help this, smooth a small amount of coconut oil onto the scalp and leave for around 20 minutes. Brush gently with a baby brush to remove the flakes and then rinse with warm water.

Baby Massage

Baby massage is soothing for a range of things such as colic and constipation as well as being something lovely to do at the end of each day to wind down as part of the bedtime routine. Use coconut oil as the massage oil which will also moisturise the skin and smells yummy.

Nappy rash

Coconut oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which can help prevent and treat nappy rash. Even better news is that you can use coconut oil if you use washable nappies since it doesn’t affect the absorbency.

Insect Bites

Coconut oil has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce the redness and swelling. Just pop a small amount on the affected area.

Teething

Rubbing a small amount on your babies gums is thought to help ease the pain of teething.

It’s basically an all round product that can be used for many things for both big and small people.

Our Thoughts

The Cocobelle Baby Coconut Oil is a nice big sized jar (250g) which is available from Amazon as well as their own site. The coconut oil was easy to get out of the jar, and melted easily in the palm of my hands before using.

Freddie has a bit of cradle cap on his head and between his eyebrows which is always worse when he’s had a bath. I put a small amount on his head and left for about 15 minutes before using his soft brush to dust off any flakes that had come away. It made his hair extra fluffy on his head which was super cute.

After his bath he gets quite chatty and smiley so it was the perfect opportunity to be able to put some on this arms, legs and tummy. I then put him on his tummy and rubbed some into his back which he seemed to enjoy. At the moment he’s not showing any signs of having eczema but it’s nice to use natural products that also smell so yummy as well.

I may have used a bit on my hair as well since pregnancy seems to have left it quite dry.

We also use washable nappies and most nappy rash creams aren’t recommended since they reduce the absorbency of the cloth and builds up whereas coconut oil is perfectly fine to use. This hasn’t been an issue so far but it’s good to know that we have something to help sooth him should we need to.

Having not really used Coconut Oil very much I think I might be a convert. I can definitely see it becoming a staple in our skincare for Freddie. It’s a huge thumbs up from us as a lovely fresh smelling multi-use product.

What do you use Coconut Oil for? Leave us your suggestions in the comments box.

The Cocobelle Organic Baby Coconut Oil is £12.99 for a 250g jar which will last ages since we’ve used daily and have barely scratched the surface.

Lisa x

*we were sent a jar of Cocobelle Coconut Oil for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own. This post contains affiliate links.

BabyHub SleepSpace Travel Cot Review

02/08/201821/10/2022 Lisa 3 Comments

SleepSpace Travel Cot Review

SleepSpace Travel Cot Review – Over the past year or so we’ve tried to make the most of our family time. It’s really easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle of work and school, and if you throw in housework and a dog it can be really time consuming. We’ve decided as a family that the time that we do get together should be spent doing fun stuff, one of these things being taking the opportunity to venture outside of the house with day trips as well as the odd family holiday.

Saying that we haven’t got anything booked as yet since little Freddie was due at any time and we didn’t want to commit ourselves to anything until we’d got into our new family routine. Now that Freddie is very much here and making his presence known we can start thinking about our family adventures.

Previous experience of holidays where some things are provided such as cots, highchairs and prams have not been great so we like to take our own things so that we know they are safe and clean to use.

When we were asked to review the SleepSpace Travel Cot I was very excited. You may wonder why, but the SleepSpace is no ordinary travel cot as it is multifunctional, and doubles up as a play teepee or den if you’re seven.

The SleepSpace Travel cot is lightweight (6kg) and comes in it’s own zippable bag for easy carrying. It comes with its own padded mattress, 67 x 94 x 2cm which all standard travel cot fitted sheets can be fitted.

it has an umbrella style mechanism for folding/unfolding which makes it easy to put up and down with just a few clicks.

it also comes with a mosquito net perfect for our unusually hot weather, and a teepee which fits over the top to transform the cot into a safe play space.

The SleepSpace Travel Cot has fully padded edges to avoid bumps and has breathable mesh sides making it a safe place for your baby to sleep and play.

The SleepSpace Travel Cot is suitable from birth to 3 years and is available in 4 colours (Tangerine, Pebble, Kiwi and Ruby).

Our thoughts

We took a few close up shots on Instagram to see if you guys could work out what we’d had delivered since this is no ordinary ‘run of the mill’ travel cot and quite a few of you savvy mums and dads had it sussed fairly quickly.

Assembling the SleepSpace Travel Cot was extremely easy with just a few clicks. We liked the mosquito net feature since the weather has been unusually hot so there are a lot of flying nasties to contend with. It’s got plenty of padding covering the frame to prevent any bumps.

Most importantly this was deemed ‘cool’ by our seven year old daughter once it was transformed into a teepee den. With a seven year old and a newborn there are few things that are appealing to both age groups but this definitely got the thumbs up from Isabelle who had this in her room for a few night to ‘try out’.

Freddie is obsessed with lights so we turned it into a little sensory light show with the help of Isabelle.

The SleepSpace Travel Cot has also won several awards which in my book always goes a long way since they use Mum and Dad reviewers to help make these decisions.

The test of all tests is whether or not the travel cot would go back in it’s bag. Don’t you just hate it when you buy something, take it out of the box and then it never goes back in there unless you squash it or sit on it. This went down and back in its bag like a dream.

Overall we were really impressed with the SleepSpace travel cot not only for its functionality as a safe place for Freddie to sleep but also the multifunctional use of a cool play space for both Freddie and Isabelle to enjoy.

The SleepSpace Travel Cot is available to buy at the BabyHub Shop for £149. To keep up to date with all the news and special offers sign up to their Newsletter.

Disclosure: We were sent a SleepSpace Travel Cot free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions and images are my own.

Mothers Select Pre-natal Vitamin Review

02/03/201813/01/2024 Lisa 1 Comment

Mother’s Select Pre-natal Vitamin Review

Mother’s Select Pre-natal Vitamin Review – When you’re trying to conceive or have just found out that you’re pregnant there are a few things that are top of the list that you do, and one of them is making sure that you’re taking the necessary vitamins to ensure your baby has the best start.

It’s important to get enough of the following:

Folic Acid
Vitamin D
Iron
Vitamin C
Calcium

Whilst it’s important to try and gain these from a healthy balanced diet, there are lots of supplements that are available to ensure that you get the recommended doses which will help to put your mind at rest.

I was sent some Mother’s Select Prenatal Vitamins to try which is a brand that I hadn’t previously heard of. Mother’s Select make a range of Vitamin supplements to help support women right through from conception to breastfeeding, and also a range for babies and children. The whole Mother’s Select range is available via Amazon which I think is convenient for most of us. Mother’s Select range is made in the USA but shipped FREE to the UK. Yey!

What’s so great about these vitamins?

These vitamins can be taken before you are pregnant, during pregnancy and throughout your breastfeeding journey which is great.
You only have to take them once a day
They include all essential vitamins including Methyl Folate which is a natural version of folic acid, DHA and Omega 3 for Brain Support, Eye and Nerve Development, Mutivitamins, Antioxidants and Minerals for bones, immune support, and hair growth.
They come in capsules which are really easy to swallow and free from common allergens including wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs.
Made with only the highest quality ingredients with no fillers or chemicals.
They also have an unconditional money back guarantee. No questions asked.

So as you can see they have everything you need to take you right through to the end of your pregnancy and breastfeeding journey.

You get 60 capsules in the bottle and since they retail at £14.77 per bottle, taking two a day that works out at 49p per day which is nothing for the comfort of knowing that all the vitamins you need are covered.

My thoughts on Mother’s Select Prenatal Vitamins

I know it’s really important to stay as healthy and do everything possible to ensure my baby can be born as healthy as possible. during the first five months of my pregnancy my eating habit wasn’t the best. I wasn’t able to eat a huge variety of food and was sick a LOT so it’s a worry that you aren’t getting enough to keep the baby healthy. Taking vitamins makes me feel better in the knowledge that by taking them I’m at least providing the essential nutritional vitamins that both the baby and I need.

The tablets are really easy to swallow. You have to take them after you’ve eaten so I take mine after my evening meal and I’m getting really bad heartburn at the moment and I get a bit of a tablety taste afterwards, but that may just be because I’ve eaten rather than the vitamins exacerbating the heartburn and causing me to burp (the joys of pregnancy). The price of these is around the same as other leading brands, but the difference with the Mother’s Select brand is that you can take the same tablets all the way through.

Where can you buy them from?

You can buy theMother’s Select range from Amazon or directly from the Mother’s Select website where there is also a 5% off discount code.

Hope you’re having a healthy and happy pregnancy. You can follow my week by week progress via my Pregnancy Diary updates.

Lisa x

*We were sent a 60 capsule bottle of Mother’s Select Pre-natal Vitamins for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Review: Songmics Large Folding Storage Ottoman Bench Box + Competition

20/02/201811/01/2024 Lisa 105 Comments

Review: Songmics Large Folding Storage Ottoman Bench Box + Competition

Songmics Large Folding Storage Ottoman Bench Box – With Christmas not that long ago we always find ourselves having to do a reshuffle and reorganisation of the toys and books both old and new. Finding the right home storage is key to keeping it all under control.

When Songmics, leading sellers on Amazon got in touch and asked us to review the Storage Ottoman Bench I bit their hands off (virtually of course). Songmics sell a range of household and storage solutions at great prices.

I like box style storage or multi-purpose storage in muted tones which is why I was drawn to this Grey Ottoman Bench box.

As you can see it doesn’t look like a toy box from the outside so fits in perfectly in the dining area.

It was really easy to put together with no fixtures or screws. It came in four pieces:

The Lid
The base
The bottom
A divider

All we had to do was unfold the base, add the bottom which was a thick plastic part that keeps the base box shaped, and then add the divider.

The lid is padded which means that it can also be used as a bench style seat, or a reading place as Isabelle has already claimed it to be.

What’s inside?

As it’s quite large I thought it was perfect to store some of our ever growing collection of board games. We’ve put it in the dining area which means that if we were to have additional guests for dinner we could use it for extra seating at the table so it definitely has a multi-function purpose. You could of course use this for anything from a blanket box to shoe storage.

What we think?

It gets a big thumbs up from me simply because it is multipurpose and doesn’t look like a toy box so fits in with the surrounding furniture. It also gets an additional thumbs up from Isabelle who has been lounging on it reading her books or playing on her tablet as she’s been full of a cold for the last couple of days. Our games have a great new home now which is easily accessible whilst looking stylish.

Competition

Like what you see then enter our Competition to WIN one for yourself – Just fill in the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Lisa x

*We were sent a Songmics Large Folding Storage Ottoman Bench Box for the purpose of review. All our thoughts and opinions are our own.

Thrive – Feel Stress-Free App – Competition & Review

23/10/201709/08/2021 Lisa 17 Comments

Thrive – Feel Stress-Free App – Competition & Review

I was asked to review the Feel Stress-Free App which was quite apt as over the last few months I’ve been overwhelmed with feeling stressed which has affected everyday life.

My stress is attributed to being unhappy in a previous job and then starting not one but two new jobs. I’m not sure that I’m doing a particularly great job since I feel unable to retain any information which in a new job is vital.

I currently feel that I’ve lost grip on both my home and my work life. The house is a tip and we’re attempting a huge clear out of outgrown clothes, toys, books, etc. I’m starting things but not completing them which means there is ‘STUFF’ everywhere.

What I need is a huge brain dump of all the silly things that are waking me up in the night such as have I given the dog his flea treatment or did I remember to add something to the calendar. Stupid everyday stuff that shouldn’t be reason enough to wake me up.

I also really need to get organised so that I can stop fretting about the things I’ve got to do and just do them.

The Feel Stress-Free App

I was really pleased when Thrive got in touch and I’m hoping that using the app as well as giving myself a manageable to-do list will get me back on track.

I downloaded the app which was really simple. You can pop over to the Thrive site or through your app store.

Once you’ve signed up there is a simple questionnaire around how you are feeling good and bad about at the moment and the way that it makes you feel.

I’m feeling pretty good today but that could be more to do with it being my day off and I had a bit of a lay in this morning.

These were my results which say that I manage my stress well but some risk factors have been detected. The app then gives you some suggestions.

All of this took a matter of minutes and I think I’m going to use my bus ride time to complete this as I’m completely on my own (aside from the other people).

It’s a good idea to check in with the app a few times a day. Not only does it give you useful suggestions but it also tracks your progress and gives you words of encouragement.

I got a notification of a message in a bottle.

These are words of wisdom and quotes which you can reciprocate to encourage other users.

I headed to the wellbeing section which gives you loads of tips for things that can help with depression, anxiety, relaxation, and making sure you get enough sleep.

I have trouble relaxing. My brain never switches off, but it doesn’t mean that I’m more productive as I tend to procrastinate and worry about things I have to do rather than actually doing the do.

I also need to improve my sleep as this has been shocking recently. We don’t have a TV in our room but I do check my social media before I go to sleep and I also read from my kindle every night without fail. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to put a stop to either of these but I do need to improve it.

The process of asking how you feel and what you feel good about happens daily and recommendations are made based on the answers given.

Breathing Exercises

I like the breathing exercises, but at the beginning, I was finding myself urging to click on other apps or checking emails whilst I was completing the exercise which is totally not the point.

The more that I have done these exercises the better I’ve become at focusing on the exercise and zoning out everything else. This is huge progress for me.

Meditation

There are several options in this section and you will either require headphones or be in a room that allows you to focus on the words. The point of these exercises is to make you aware of your surroundings which include sounds of the sea, the sensations within your body (body scan), and make you aware of your tensions to enable you to let them go.

Zen Challenge

One of the features of the app is a Zen Garden game. You have to rake between the coloured buckets making sure that the paths do not cross. I’m quite good at that and can easily do several levels at a time.

There are so many aspects to this app that also links to the NHS exercise plan which is free for everybody to use.

Goals are set for you which you can do at your own pace. One of mine was to cut down on the amount of caffeine I drink. I do drink quite a few cups of tea during any given day so have changed a few of these to peppermint tea. You can keep track of your progress as well to see how far you’ve come.

You can of course download the app for £5.99 a month by popping over to the Thrive website or via the app store.

Do you feel stressed and need a hand to get back on track?

Enter our competition to WIN a month’s access to the Thrive Feel Stress-Free App. Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck.

Lisa x