Cosatto Giggle Pixelate Pram Travel System

I've been a big fan of Cosatto for a long time and was ridiculously excited when we got the chance to review the Giggle 3 in 1 Travel System a 2 way pushchair, pram and car seat carrier. I love that Cosatto's products are functional and practical but don't scrimp on style. I've got an amazing travel system that suits my family's needs but also looks AMAZING.

We chose the pixelate pattern--it's bright, funky and anything but ordinary. I honestly get complimented on it just about every time I leave the house and if I don't I overhear people saying what a gorgeous pattern it is!  The pattern isn't just for looking good though as Baby Girl loves staring at the bright colours, too. 

Both the inside of the carseat and pram are patterned as well (something I'd not seen before) and we all know how beneficial it is for babies to interact with bright colours and shapes.

So the Giggle looks good but let's talk about how it works. I'll start with the Hold 0+ carseat: I totally love this carseat! It is a bit bigger than the one we had for Blondie Boy but it seems much more comfortable for Baby Girl. One of the best features is how it seamlessly clicks into the base in the car. One of the most frustrating things about carseats can be how long it takes to get in and out of the car, making quick trips that much longer. The Hold base easily installs to the car and then the seat clicks in and clicks out quickly and easily.  The Hold can also be strapped in securely with just a seatbelt; it is not difficult at all and can be done one handed, which meant when I was without the car and had to pick up a sick Blondie Boy at school I could strap Baby Girl in to the taxi. The Hold will also click in and work with Isofix fitted cars. The only small downside is that the car seat is quite heavy, particularly with a growing baby in it!

Once you are out of the car the Hold clicks directly into the pram base. For me this is ideal as it means when I'm picking up Blondie Boy at school I can get Baby Girl in and out of the car with little hassle. After my c-section and severe SPD I wasn't allowed to carry anything heavy so carrying the car seat was not an option; being able to clip the Hold carseat into the pram base was essential! I can be a bit of a faff getting the Hold in and out of the base. Ideally you'd like one seamless motion but I have it worked out now that I need to clip in one side and then the other side--the same is true for taking the seat out of the base. You couldn't do it one handed but I'm okay with that because it means  I know the carseat is secure in the base.

The pram base itself is very easy to open up and close down. The base opens one handed using hydraulics although you need two hands to collapse it (it has two buttons plus a safety button)-again you know this means it is safe and secure and you aren't going to accidentally close it while using it. The pram/ cot clips in and out easily. When Baby Girl was first born I wasn't allowed to go up and down the stairs post c-section so she slept in her Giggle in the living room! 

It is roomy and comfy and I love again that there is pattern inside the carry cot to stimulate your baby. Even though it's spacious for baby, we were able to get the carry cot, pram base and all of Baby Girl's stuff easily into my mother-in-law's trunk when we went to visit. There is nothing worse than a pram taking up all your trunk space but the Giggle can hang out in your boot and still leave plenty of room for groceries or other shopping.

The Giggle Pixelate Travel System is available for £430 and the Hold Pixelate Infant Carrier Carseat is available for £125 but for a limited time you get it FREE with any Giggle Travel System!

Let's be friends! Find me here: Transatlantic Blonde were provided this travel system for review but all opinions are our own.

Eurocamp Le Brasilia Camping Holiday in France

Last year we weren't sure what we were getting ourselves in to going on a camping holiday in France with Eurocamp. This year we knew we were going to have a great trip but we really didn't know just how amazing Le Brasilia was going to be! I promise you it is not hyperbole when I say it is absolutely the perfect place to go on a self-catering holiday with a preschooler!

When we were picking a parc for our holiday we focused on the Premier Parcs which offer a holiday experience that’s exceptional, even by Eurocamp's already high standards. I wanted to go somewhere that was still warm in early September and NotBlondeHusband wanted to go to France since we'd already been to Spain in June. We'd been to the south east of France before and knew how easy it was to fly into Barcelona and drive up so Le Brasilia at Canet Plage seemed like a great location. Plus it had heated pools and waterslides which are always a must for our little pool rat. To make it even better there was direct access to the beach from the site. We were sold.

The parc sounded brilliant on paper but honestly I wasn't prepared for how great it was in person. The parc has a butchers, bakers, green grocers, wine shop and mini grocery store all on site--you literally don't have to leave the parc if you don't want to. It was great to walk up with Blondie Boy in the morning and have him visit the boulangerie and ask "baguette s'il vous plaît!" There was also a restaurant with an ice cream parlour but we much preferred to eat in our accommodation.

There was plenty of room to eat inside our Eclipse but we ate every meal (except the day it rained) on our deck. For a family with a young child that deck is the absolute best. Blondie Boy would play on the deck but also once he was asleep at night NBH and I would sit outside and listen to music, play cards and enjoy the night but still hear him if he woke up. On the day that it did rain (and omg did it storm) we borrowed the game Guess Who from our couriers (there are lots of games, beach toys, etc you can take on loan) and had fun in doors while we waited out the storm.

We spent every day at the pool and every evening at the Mini Show.  Blondie Boy loved all the different water slides and went from going down on one of our laps to going down the biggest slides on his own in no time flat. He is such a pool rat and would get off the slide and immediately go back up to go down again. I think NBH was giving me the side-eye when I insisted on a parc with water slides but I'm so glad I did! There was also aqua-zumba class that was really more for fun than fitness that Blondie Boy loved, too! It combined his love of swimming and dancing.

Before or after hitting the pool we'd head down to the beach; being able to walk directly out onto the beach was amazing. Normally you have to think about packing lunches, parking, a change of clothes---nope none of it. If we got to the beach and Blondie Boy was only up for 30 minutes of beach time that was okay because we could just walk back. If it was too hot or he got hungry, no big deal. The ocean was really shallow along the beach so perfect for children to play in and the beach itself was soft white sand. I'm not a fan of pebble or shell beaches so it was perfect. We built sand creatures, jumped over waves and collected stones and shells--it was perfect. I love the beach and I've definitely passed that on to BB.

The part of our holiday he probably loved the most though was the Mini Show. Every night the kid's club staff would lead kids in singing and dancing at the amphitheatre. I'm fairly sure it was NotBlondeHusband's own version of hell but Blondie Boy LOVED it. In fact I'm not sure love is a strong enough word. Nearly two months later and he is still singing the songs and doing the dance moves just about every day. 

I can't tell you enough how amazing our Eurocamp Le Brasilia experience was. They really aren't kidding when they call it a Premier Parc there are so many extras. You get free tickets to ride the little train that runs from the parc into the town as well as free tickets to take a boat across the port into town, too. Blondie Boy had never been on a boat before so to be able to take him on the short 5 minute journey was so much fun for him. I could go on and on but I've already bombarded you with so many photos and videos I will let them just reiterate my point for me. Le Brasilia is the perfect family holiday with a preschooler--just listen to Blondie Boy!

Eurocamp, the self-catering holiday specialist, offers the widest selection of outdoor family holidays in fantastic locations throughout Europe, with a range of stylish accommodation, pool complexes, unrivalled facilities and kids’ club activities.

After uniting with its sister company Keycamp to offer customers a bigger, better choice, from 2014 there are over 160 parcs to choose from across France, Spain and Italy, as well as unique accommodation on offer including stylish mobile homes, lodges, bungalows, Safari Tents and brand new Tree and Lake House accommodation.

Seven nights from 24 April 2014 for a family of two adults and up to four children staying in a 2 bed Espirit mobile home with decking and air conditioning at Le Brasilia will cost from £355 including return Dover to Calais ferry crossings. Fly-drive and alternative ferry packages can be arranged though Eurocamp at a supplement.

For further information on Eurocamp, please call 0844 406 0552 or visit www.eurocamp.co.uk

Let's be friends! Find me here: Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation was provided for the purpose of this review but all travel and other costs on holiday were met by ourselves. All opinions are our own--do you think I could get a preschooler to lie?

What I Wore Wednesday: Rainbow Room International

I've made no secret that I've been hating my hair lately. For ages all I wanted was really long hair and then once I got it I felt like I couldn't do anything with it. I was super impressed I didn't pull my hair back once at work yet the whole time I really wished I'd thrown a hair tie in my purse. Every time I walked past the bathroom mirror it just didn't look right and I wasn't loving it at all.
So I found it quite serendipitous when I got the chance to try out the services at Rainbow Room International at Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow. Rainbow Room was founded in 1979 and is an award winning salon synonymous with quality, luxury and innovation. There are 9 salons, 2 beauty and spa salons as well as the prestigious academy. I'd heard great things about Rainbow Room but had never been myself.

When I met with David, the salon manager, I let him know I felt like my hair was too long and just hung there and that my unintentional ombre (more commonly known as massive grown out roots) was making me feel a bit blah and I was open to suggestions. We talked about my face shape (heart) and how angles would help flatter it and how to brighten my hair up with a mix of highlights and cooler low lights as my natural colour is quite warm.
I also learned that a lot of shampoos have silicone in them that cause build up that not only coats your hair but can block up your hair follicle and weaken your hair; it can even make two weak strands grow instead of one strong strand which is why you can have shorter standing up bits of frizzy hair! David scraped my hair to show me the silicone build up and I couldn't believe it. There are certain shampoos I won't be touching now!   I got started with an amazing Shiatsu head massage (lovely after all that flight drama) and then had my hair cut first before colour. David cut my hair first because then he could apply my highlights to flatter and accentuate the new cut. Then five different colours were applied to my head with foils and afterwards David painted on colour outside of the foil where it would process differently.

David talked me through the best way to blow dry my hair (don't part it and don't tip your head upside down ::coughMOMcough::) and what sort of products to use as well. Rainbow Room have their own product line formulated especially for Scottish water including a light weight leave in conditioner that can be used to style as well. When I first sat down I'd told David I wanted to know what he thought about my hair and what he thought I should do since he has been with the salon over 20 years with experience in London and Amsterdam before that and he did not let me down!

Pink and Grey Top- Gap

Sweetheard Jeans, Old Navy

Blue Flip Flops, Old Navy

I LOVE my hair! At first I thought maybe the colour was a bit dark but I think my eyes were playing tricks on me. My hair looks so much healthier and has so much body and fullness. There is an actual shape to my hair now instead of just two flat curtains. I'm so happy I was able to go to the Rainbow Room and experience their friendly and talented staff first hand. I would whole heartedly recommend them to anyone and can't wait to see their new styling videos they are producing shortly. David had offered to show my different ways to curl and style it but as I had to pick up Blondie Boy from school I didn't have time.

Rainbow Room International haircuts and colour vary in price by the level of stylist but you can also get stand-by appointments or appointments with students in their training academy.

Let's be friends! Find me here:
Transatlantic Blonde was provided a cut and colour free of charge for the purpose of this review but all opinions are my own. I am ridonkulously picky about my hair and if I didn't like it you would know--I only speak the truth!

Gigaset SL910A Touch Screen Phone

When you’re looking at stylish tech items for your home, you probably think smart TVs, Macbook Airs, espresso machines and BluRay players. A new fixed line phone might not be one of the first things you think of but you might be surprised at how far phones have come recently, especially now Gigaset have released the SL910A  their first touch screen home telephone.

At first glance the Gigaset SL910A seems more like a mobile phone than a land line. It’s stylish metal and black handset looks more like the latest smart phone than what you would normally think a home phone looks like. It has a large touch screen interface and a sleek design. Bluetooth and miniUSB connectivity allow you to upload photos to the phone and use them as a screensaver or for picture caller ID. When you’re not using it as a phone, it is effectively an extra digital photo frame.

On top of all the extra features you wouldn’t expect it has a lot of great ones you would. There’s an answering machine with masses of recording space, an extra big battery allowing you plenty of standby time and talk time and a missed call list which lets you know who has called you when you’ve been out and about.

We loved the option to add photos. Like anyone with a young family the amount of pictures of your little one in the home is only limited by the number of places you have to put them. We just found some new space! The call quality and battery life are great, we haven’t had any problems there. If you were to push for a negative, there’s a limited number of ringtones and they’re all a little annoying after a while. A simple “ring ring”, classic phone option would not go amiss.

If you’re chic but tech savvy, this could well be the phone for you. What’s the point of spending a fortune kitting out your house with all the latest hip tech products and then sitting them next to an ugly old telephone? And the SL910A is definitely not style over substance, its features put it right up there with the best phones available.

The Gigaset SL910A Touch Screen phone retails for £139.99 and it’s available to buy from John Lewis, Dixons, Ligo and Amazon.

Transatlantic Blonde was provided a phone for review but all views are our own. 

Sodastream Review and Giveaway!

This post is brought to you by NotBlondeHusband. I wish Blogger made it easier to tell who the author of a post was! I love our SodaStream Drinks Maker but NBH is the one with fizzy history.

To me SodaStream conjures up memories of childhood. I never had one but I remember friends who did and I also remember greatly coveting one, although never quite managing to get my parents to succumb and get “busy with the fizzy”. I was slightly worried that admitting to remembering it may show my age but given I also remember when most people in Scotland had fizzy drinks delivered to their door on a milk float so I decided SodaStream is probably the least of my worries.

Despite the fact that I considered it somewhat of a sevnties/ eighties throwback SodaStream never really went away. It’s always been popular in Europe where apparently more than 1 in 5 households in Sweden own a machine, but it seems to have somewhat reappeared in the UK recently, so when we were offered a chance to test one out I was keen not only to right my childhood wrongs but also to see where the growing move back to SodaStream had come from.

First off I was surprised how easy it is. We tried the “pure” drinks maker. It doesn’t need plugged in, just a work surface to sit on. Initial set up was a doddle and afterwards it’s just a case of screwing on a plastic bottle and pulling a lever. You then add your syrup of choice and hey presto, 1l of fizzy goodness. A 500ml bottle of syrup costs around £3.49 and makes 12 litres, so the savings that can be made on even supermarket own label soft drinks are pretty good.

Aside from fiscally, SodaStream also makes sense environmentally. The bottle used in the machine is reusable, so instead of piling up mountains of empty 2 litre bottles and throwing away drinks cans that we intended to recycle but just never got round to, the SodaStream has reduced the amount of rubbish we create, which can’t be a bad thing.

My main concern about SodaStream was the flavours. When it comes to soft drinks I’m a label whore, supermarket brands are not an option. First time around I remember SodaStream having name brand flavours like Vimto, Tizer and Irn Bru, now it’s all made in house. I needn’t have really worried, the fruit flavours are great and there’s a surprisingly large range of other drinks, clear flavoured waters, natural options and even energy drinks (I found the Red Bull-esque Xstream particularly good). I’m not going to lie though, for me the cola flavours don’t stack up to the name brand equivalents. We started with a sample pack which let us try without buying a full bottle of the syrups. The root beer in particular was a huge success. We’re all root beer fans in our house and as it’s generally imported into the UK it tends to be expensive. £3.49 for 12 litres with SodaStream is a bargain. It’s not hard to find the syrups either. We’ve bought some in both Tesco and Asda, as well as ordering from the full selection on the SodaStream website.

I think the main reason my parents were anti-SodaStream in the eighties was that they were worried that it somewhat relied on a novelty factor, that we’d all be excited to make our own fizzy drink once or twice and then we’d put it in the back of a cupboard and forget about it. So far that’s not been a problem for it: three months on it’s still in the kitchen and we still use it, both for knocking together soft drinks and soda water. In fact we like it so much that I’m pretty sure that it’s a permanent feature.

The SodaStream Drinks Makers are available to buy at most major grocery stores or online via the SodaStream online store starting from £55.99.

The fabulous people at SodaStream are giving you the chance to win a SodaStream Drinks Maker! If you live in the UK leave a blog comment and follow the Rafflecopter instructions to enter.  Competition ends Friday, January 11th at 4am (see widget for hours remaining). See Rafflecopter widget for full Terms and Conditions.
GOOD LUCK! Competition CLOSED.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Transatlantic Blonde was provided a SodaStream Drinks Maker for review and one for a prize but all opinions and stories are our own. I don't know about yours but my husband only does and says things he wants to say!

Vax Rapide Ultra Carpet Cleaner

I don’t  think anyone would be likely to call us house proud. Don’t get me wrong, our house isn’t dirty but despite being less than three years old we’ve managed to build up an impressive level of scuffing, staining and general baby/ toddler/ dog related dirty marks on our house, which somehow we never get round to finding the time or the inclination to fix. Our carpets are no different. A potty training toddler, a mucky dog and an amazing propensity to spill red wine, Irn Bru or pretty much any beverage which stains will take their toll on carpets in a relatively small time, particularly if the carpets in question are a rather fetching light beige colour.

As far as I was aware, carpet cleaners were giant industrial units that you rent and then spend a full weekend wrestling with in a vain attempt to rejuvenate your tired floors. Even when we got the opportunity to review the VAX Rapide Ultra 2 carpet cleaner, I was sceptical. I assumed that that a cleaner which you could purchase and keep in the home wouldn’t get the results you would get from an industrial type cleaner and I was sure shampooing carpets would be a huge amount of effort. Balancing a little boy who loves attention, work and general household chores takes up most of our time, spending what little free time we get shampooing our carpets is not my idea of good fun.

In actual fact cleaning carpets with the Rapide Ultra 2 is no more effort than hoovering. The unit looks like a bagless vacuum. It comes with a spray wand which you use to pre-treat the carpets: think watering a lawn but indoors. A general spray of the solution, plus extra on any heavily stained areas took us a few minutes. After leaving for 15 minutes you can use the unit itself much in the same way you use a hoover. There’s a trigger on the handle, when you pull this down the VAX is putting cleaning solution on the carpet, take your finger off and its sucking up all the water and dirt and grime which comes with it. It was really easy to get the hang of: trigger down while you push the VAX away, washing the carpet, trigger off when you bring it back to you sucking up all the mess. It really was as quick and as easy as running a vacuum over the carpets. One look at the reservoir which collects the dirty liquid and you can tell that it’s working. Depite our carpets not looking *that* bad, they produced and impressive dark brown liquid which had more than a passing resemblance to Coca Cola. Impressive but a little gross to think of all that grime sitting in your carpets.

The results surprised me too. The carpets looked noticeably brighter all over and the more heavily stained areas faded after one use and were gone after two. Spilled Coke and Irn Bru weren’t a problem, neither were muddy dog’s paw prints or little marks left by a toddler who didn’t quite make the toilet in time. We first used the VAX a few months ago and we’ve busted it out a couple of times a month since then, since it’s so quick and easy. The carpets look as good as they have since they were brand new, now we just need to find a magic machine for peanut butter stains on our couches and crayon marks on the walls. We live in hope anyway…

The Rapide Ultra 2 comes with a 2 year guaruntee and retails for £299.99.

Transatlantic Blonde was provided this product for review but all opinions are our own. You should know by now we only speak the truth!

Scootin with Microscooters

Blondie Boy loves to play outside, something not exactly compatible with Scottish weather, but given the choice he'd be outside all day, every day if possible. In general all outside toys are a win with him but I wasn't sure what Blondie Boy would think about a scooter and wasn't even sure he'd be able to scoot but OMG does he love his Micro Scooter. You'll notice that he is indoors in this photo--he's standing on his scooter watching tv. Blondie Boy drags his scooter all around the house and if I'd let him it would sit up on the couch with him. 

I was actually quite surprised how quickly he figured out how to actually scoot on his micro scooter. Blondie Boy has a Mini Micro Scooter which had two wheels at the front for greater stability for little legs so he's less likely to lose balance. He can easily scoot along but still isn't the best at steering! This video is literally the first time he took his scooter outside, Glasgow isn't ideal for outside pursuits before May, and you can see how he took to it. If you listen carefully you can hear him say "I'm doing it!"

Since he isn't quite two and a half when we take the scooter out more often than not he alternates between scooting, pulling the scooter, having Mommy or Daddy drag him on the scooter and just walking while one of us carries it. Today though I busted out the Micro Sprite Scooter, suitable for older children and adults and we had so much fun scooting together.

Blondie Boy loved racing Mommy and scooting beside me and since we were in our own backyard I didn't have to worry if he wandered away or dropped his scooter. I have a feeling we will have lots of fun scooting together when he is just a wee bit bigger, too!  In the meantime do you think I can get away with scooting around my block on my own? I think it would be a great workout!

This Jubilee weeked there is free shipping on all Limited Edition Union Jack Scooters! Super cute if you are wanting to get behind Team GB this summer!

The Mini Micro Scooter is recommended for ages 3-5 and starts from £49.95.
Aluminium Scooters are suitable from age 5-adult and start from £52.

Transatlantic Blonde were provided these scooters for review but all opinions are our own. Have you ever been around a two year old? They are about as honest as it gets :)

Frankie & Benny's New Menu

I used to hold a major grudge against Frankie and Benny's after I had a bad experience at one at Stansted airport. I would straight up refuse to go there but now that we live less than two minutes from one I've let go of my grudge. The food has gotten a lot better and their new menu is no exception.

We went to check out the new menu a few weeks ago; the first thing you have to know is the portions are INSANE. Frankie and Benny's isn't actually an American restaurant (my MIL very sweetly took my Mom there after Blondie Boy was home because she thought she'd know it and was a bit embarrassed to learn it doesn't exist in the US) but the portions are giant American sized. NotBlondeHusband and I both had starters but we could easily have split one as neither of us finished our meals.  So what did we have:

Starters:

Breadsticks and Cheese Dip

Calamari

We'd had the breadsticks before and they did not disappoint. We tend to get them because we know Blondie Boy can munch on them too since they are egg-free. I was really impressed with the calamari; it is really easy to mess up but this was light and fresh.

Mains:

Kid's Margherita Pizza

Chicken & Prawn Alfredo

Double Philly Stack

Bacon Cheese Fries

Blondie Boy's main actually came out with our starters which from a Mom point of view is great. It means he can take his time (as toddlers do) and doesn't get frustrated that we are eating and he is not. The kid's pizza was huge; two children could easily split it.

Alfredo is my favourite pasta sauce and you don't really get it in the UK. While this version was not the sauce I was expecting it was still good and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of prawns and chicken in the dish.

NotBlondeHusband isn't exactly a small guy and he could not finish his burger but really enjoyed what he could manage. It was huge as well! I think if we both knew how big portions were we'd have split or skipped starters all together.

I'm a glutton for punishment and fell for the card on the table advertising the new cheese fries-- I freaking love cheese fries (not the same as chips and cheese) and you don't really see them in the UK. They did not disappoint and the crispy bits of bacon were a nice touch; I really wish there had been ranch dressing to dip them in to complete the Americaness.

Dessert:

Vanilla Ice Cream

NBH and I had no room for dessert but Blondie Boy's kid's meal included dessert so we decided to let him have a treat and try some ice-cream.  Frankie and Benny's passed the allergy test and the waiter brought me out the tub of ice cream to read the ingredients to double check there wasn't any egg in it. I'm always happy when servers go that extra bit to make sure something is egg-free.  He LOVED the treat and got a little bag of buttons we took home for later.

Frankie and Benny's menu has something for everyone and great value for money when it comes to portion sizes. Right now you can get £10 off the new menu with this voucher when you buy two or main courses! 

Transatlantic Blonde were provided vouchers for our meal but the opinions are our own.

Sizzling Pubs

I'm going to be honest here: I wasn't expecting much when I agreed to check out our local Sizzling Pub. I'm not really a fan of chain pub-restaurants and their reputations aren't necessarily the best, however Blondie Boy, Not Blonde Husband and I had a really nice evening.

First of all the staff were lovely. Blondie Boy has an egg allergy and it can prove to be quite a problem when eating out.  Our waiter had no problem with checking which of the children's meals did and did not contain egg and even went as far as to read labels to double check instead of just asking the chefs. This was great: so, so helpful.

So here is what we ate:

BBQ Wings & Fried Mushrooms

My J20 was Glittery!

NBH's Angus BBQ Stack Burger

My Steak and Chicken Fajitas

Cheese, Tortillas & Fixings

BB's Grilled Chicken, Beans & Chips

The Most Massive Sundae I've ever seen

The portion sizes were extremely generous and we were both surprised with the food. Was it the best meal we ever had? No of course not but it was tasty and extremely good value for money. I was particularly pleased with my fajitas as I've had my fair share of bad British interpretations of fajitas but this was well seasoned and not overcooked. NBH and I split the Mega Supercurlycrunchielistic Choccaberry Sundae and we only got about half-way through. It was really tasty but HUGE!

The face of someone very excited for ice-cream

We went on the weekend but Sizzling Pubs have some great offers through the week and for the school holidays kids eat for free through the end of February! It really is great value for money and I can't say enough about how friendly the staff were. There are locations all through out the UK and I know I will certainly keep my eye out for one the next time we are on a road trip! 

Transatlantic Blonde was provided the meal to review but all opinions are our own.