Etch a Sketch: TV Fun

Last week I promised you guys (and coincidentally the readers of the Express and Star newspaper) that I’d be exposing the “Etch a Sketch for the 21st century” this week. Sure sounded dramatic didn’t it? Well here it is; the 'Etch A Sketch TV Fun'. Or more specifically a handheld device that plugs straight in to your TV and lets you draw anything you like.


Those familiar with the original Etch a Sketch will know that they consist of two dials which can be turned to draw up and down, or left and right. Whilst you might think this new variation looks the same it actually contains two big buttons instead of dials; one to move a cursor in four directions and the other to be held down when you’d like to start doodling.

As it’s electronic they’ve also tried to add a couple of new features in order to make things varied. The first of these is connect the dots which includes five pre set challenges for you to complete. To join the dots you simply click on one dot and then the next number up and a line is drawn automatically. Sadly five puzzles won’t last very long but some children will no doubt want to do them again and again.


As well as connect the dots there’s also the option to trace four images. The problem is the arrows keys are incredibly sensitive in this mode meaning that drawing anything other than a straight line can be a bit of a nightmare. Whilst I’m sure this can be overcome with practice it could be off putting for a child the first time they pick up the device. Or maybe it’s just me wanting to not go outside of the lines…

The most unique mode is called simply “Cool Drawing Tools” which pretty much says it all. This mode lets you use an ice scraper to carve images in a frozen lake and an aeroplane to place clouds in the sky amongst other themes. It’s easiest to draw in this mode as the sensitivity has been reduced and it also puts the TV screen to good use.


Last but not least there’s the old fashioned drawing mode where you can pretty much draw anything you like. This mode is the least sensitive meaning you can take your time and draw more inventive creations. There’s also an eraser that will remove the last line you drew in case of mistakes.

So it seems the team at Etch a Sketch have come up with some new ideas but sadly you never quite feel like you’re in control of what you’re drawing. Still it costs about as much as a regular etch a sketch so if you’re still intrigued or just want to write messages in the sky you can buy the Etch a Sketch TV Fun here

Or for more Etch a Sletches see the below box:

Jazz Apples

Now this is dedication to blagging. You see most of the companies that send stuff over for review pick something up off the shelf and send it over. Not Jazz apples; rather than sending me some pre-packed stock they nipped over to Marks and Spencer’s, grabbed the ripest juiciest pack they could find and sent it over via special delivery so they’d be fresh for me to sample the next day.

And very fresh and juicy they are too. You can buy them from “the premium fruit sections of Marks & Spencer, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose.” Now I didn’t even know premium fruit sections existed. So far any apples I’ve ever eaten have been from a basket in my local newsagents (mmm dirt) or a bigger cleaner basket in the corner of Tesco. Still if you do spot a premium fruit section, with its quilted lace, ambient lighting and classical music you should also spot a pack of Jazz apples ready for the tasting.



What’s strange about Jazz apples is that they stay crunchy and crisp right down to the core. A lot of apples get soggy towards the middle but through some feat of nature Jazz apples don’t suffer from this problem. They’re also juicy right down to the final bite which is another little mystery all in itself, and better yet, means they’ll satisfy both your hunger and your thirst. Oh and if you have a juicer then try blending them with raspberries and oranges for a delicious evening smoothie.


So how do they taste? Well I’d have to say Jazz apples are best for those who enjoy Golden Delicious and Braeburn apples. They’re not exceptionally sweet like Granny Smith apples, and instead have a far softer, more relaxed taste which lasts and lasts. Still you probably won’t be able to get an idea just from me blathering on so why not just try some? Sure I could ramble on about how they have the subtle, soft textures of an orchard in spring. Or how the name ‘Jazz’ perfectly reflects the relaxing soulful music and sweet aftertaste of it’s namesake in the world of music… but then I really would be rambling.



Ok, so I may not be an apple connoisseur, but who said I had to be? If you enjoy a nice apple, especially with a homemade sandwich, or just fancy a mid day snack then nip over the premium fruit counter and pick up some Jazz apples.

DVD – Waiting

Before winding up blagging for a living I once spent a day working in an Australian themed restaurant. Whilst there everything seemed good, the food was well prepared, the waiters friendly and the customers all seemed to have a good day. It's safe the say the resturant in Waiting is nothing like this! The customers are pains in the backside, the chef's spit in the food and the waiters have their own problems to deal with. Is this what really goes on in resturants?


Probably not, but then again this is a gross out teen comedy which once again pushes the bar on grossness. Whilst some recent teen encounters have grown up and still provided laughs (such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Just Friends), Waiting sticks firmly to the American Pie formula of sex jokes and more sex jokes. Will you enjoy it? Well as Monty (Ryan Reynolds) puts it at the start of the movie “Ask yourself, are you ok with gratuitous male nudity?”… quite.

In reality there’s no actual nudity but there is a strong recurring theme of employees flashing at each other which you’ll either love or hate. There’s also a pair of mini Jay and Silent Bob clones who smoke and swear like no tomorrow. Technically they’re more like Jay and Jay as they’re both far from Silent and they’re far too over the top to make you laugh on the same level as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (which might I add is one of the funniest movies of all time!).


And that’s just the problem, at times this feels like it wants to be the next Clerks or even Mallrats. Heck the DVD release has been timed brilliantly to come out two days after Clerks II hits the cinema, making it perfect fodder for those looking for some light entertainment while they wait for Clerks II to come out on DVD, although sadly it never quite reaches the heights of Kevin Smith's movie.

To be honest it’s not all bad, and the closer you are to the ‘15’ age rating the more you’ll find to laugh at. Anna Faris is comedy genius as always, but sadly the writers only felt the need to give her one interesting scene, once that’s over she’s mostly relegated to the background. There’s also the misconception that this movie is just jokes about people spitting in food, which is a little unfair, there is a thin plot revolving around one character's decision to accept a job as assistant manager or move on with their life, as well as a couple of side plots which are there to give the rest of the cast something to do.


I’ve got to admit I did laugh in places and if you’ve worked in a restaurant for a long time then you’ll probably find something to relate too. For everyone else I advise a quick visit to Kevin Smith’s many great movies or a rental of Waiting if you need a night of quick laughs.

Waiting is out on DVD today and can be purchased here

Or for a Kevin Smith movie check out the below box of fun:

Next Week Preview

Before I run off for the weekend I just wanted to give a litle tease as to what's to come next week. From now on I'll be updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so be sure to mark those days down in your diary. The reason for cutting back is so I can commit myself to my final year of University whilst still giving you the blagging updates you deserve.

So next week I've got the first ever DVD blag, the Etch a Sketch for the 21st century and by far the most dedicated food blag so far. See you Monday!

Simpsons Poker

I’m not sure when it happened but everyone seems to be completely and utterly devoted to Poker. Maybe it’s the magazines that have sprung up all over the place, maybe it’s the stories of people winning millions, or maybe it’s the ease you can hop online and play someone around the globe? Whatever the reason Poker is now a part of our culture and I’ve decided it’s time I embrace it, or at least learn the rules!


In order to help myself get acquainted I decided that rather than enter a seedy poker den or online tournament only to get hustled out of £100,000 I’d opt for Simpson’s Poker instead. It even includes chips so you don’t have to worry about losing your life savings when entertaining guests. There’s also something about the Simpson’s character artwork which makes the whole thing a little less serious and easier to pick up.

The set itself comes with a 54-card deck, 200 Simpson’s chips, instructions and what’s called a chip rack. Well not really, the chip rack is actually the case the chips come in inside the box, but you it does allow you to rack up the chips so I’ll let them off. There’s also instructions teaching you how to play Texas Hold’Em, 7-Card Stud and 5-Card Draw.


Yes I have no idea what I just said either, but the instructions are there to help point you in the right direction. Always wondered what a straight flush, or full house are but never wanted to ask? Well it’s all explained here, the instructions also list which of these sets of cards outrank each other. Long story short a Royal Flush beats everything and that’s 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.

The cards themselves are well made and feature a different Simpson’s theme for each suit. So Spades represent the Powerplant employees and Diamonds represent the Simpson’s family. The artwork is brilliant too and keeps the mirror-image style you’ll find on every other pack of cards. It’s put to good use as Bart spray paints and Lenny eats donuts, in fact it’s even better then last weeks Uno artwork.


Once again it seems the Simpson’s folks have delivered another solid card game package. It’s a nice fun alternate to high risk stakes and excessive gambling so for those who want to finally get in to poker it’s a nice place to begin.

You can buy Simpsons Poker here, or for more Flair Poker sets see below:

Sanex for Men Range

This is the second time I’ve tried to grow a beard in order to review a product and failed. Last time it was to test out the Gillette Fusion and the result was blonde stubble, which wouldn’t be so bad if not for the fact my natural hair colour is brown…. This time around I’ve managed to accumulate a little more stubble (slightly more brown this time!) which I’m going to be attempting to remove with new Sanex for men transparent shaving gel.


One of my major gripes about the Gillette Fusion face care range was that they didn’t include any instructions on the back, making them a little bit intimidating for new shavers. Sanex on the other hand include clear instructions and even tell you the pH balance of their product. Yep pH 6, not too acidy, that’s always good.

When you think of shaving gel you’ll probably think of a giant white foamy solution which completely covers the bottom half of your face. Transparent Shave Gel is a little different, in that its clear. You’ll still be able to see where you’ve applied it to your face but you can also see all the hairs underneath making it far easier to tell where you still need to shave and areas you may want to avoid.

After a brief shave I found my skin felt both clean and very soft to touch. There’s no leftover stickiness either, and any leftover gel washes off easily. As before I’ve included a quick snapshot so you can see the smoothness. Those that spotted leftover bristles on my Gillette Fusion review will notice I’m also getting the hang of a manual razor too!


With my face shaved I set to the next step in the morning run, deodorant. Sanex for Men were also kind enough to provide me with some of their new Invisible Deodorant to try so I decided to put it to the test. As with the shave gel and its transparency, the emphasis here is on the ‘invisible’, clearly the team at Sanex don’t like to see anything…

Jokes aside, it can be a real pain applying deodorant only to find hours later than there’s a huge white mark where you applied it. As Sanex is ‘invisble’ it means minimal white marks and removes all the annoyance that comes with it. It’s also a very light deodorant meaning you won’t make half the gym cough when you apply it, something which is also normally a huge deodorant problem.


Unlike a lot of rushed “For Men” products the team at Sanex have clearly tried to spot problems with existing men’s products and remove them. They may be all about making things invisible but with their dedication to improving the men’s market they are a brand you shouldn’t ignore.

Thumb Warriors

1, 2, 3, 4 I declare a Thumb War. Ahhh those were the days, Thumb War was always one of the best sports within my school and if nothing else served as a great excuse to hold the hand of the prettiest girl in school. All those hours wasted wriggling and squirming and trying not to end up playing against the school bully were fun but those days are sadly over.


Or are they? Thumb Warriors is a new take on the Thumb War sport and longing to relive those old school days I grabbed the prettiest girl in my life and proceeded to challenge her to a duel. Just like the glory days of old you hold hands with your opponent and then hit thumbs together in an attempt to pin down your opponent, the only difference is you’ve now got a giant snake on your thumb.

Each of the snakes is covered in body armour and beneath the armour there’s a “trigger of doom” which must be pressed to win the duel. The basic idea is to wriggle round and knock the armour off your opponent and then touch the trigger. This then triggers an explosion sound effect, which is a handy way to stop any arguments over who actually won. There’s also extra sound effects to simulate two giant predators attacking the heck out of each other.


Whilst a lot of the toys featured on Blagman have been great for kids and adults this is one which is strictly for just for kids. Sure you may be thinking that it looks like fun and I wouldn’t want to do anything to stop your enjoyment, but there’s one teeny problem. Adult thumbs just won’t fit! While you’ll probably be able to put the snake on, as soon as you wriggle around a bit you’ll soon find it can get painful very quickly.


It’s a shame that this is the case because the few battles I had before RSI set in were actually a bit of a laugh and I can see kids lapping these up. If you’ve got kids who love a) monsters and b) fighting each other, then they’ll probably have a lot of fun, sadly grown ups this time at least need not apply.

Thumb Warriors are available from Toys R Us and other leading toy stores for £14.99. In each set you’ll get two warriors meaning you can start fighting straight away.

Or for us adults there's always more fun stuff from Radica to enjoy:

Adez

Last week I received a mystery call from the folks over at Unilver. They wanted to warn me a big parcel was coming and that I would need to be in my flat at 10. Stupidly I didn’t ask what they were sending over and settled down to wait for my box of mystery….


Well I certainly wasn’t expecting what turned up, a huge box of a new drink called Adez. Just to make sure I got the most of the drink they sent over eight one litre cartons for me to try, all with exactly the same flavour… Never one to pass up on a free drink (or eight) I turned my fridge in to an Adez stocklist and let the drinks cool for a taste test.

What’s essentially supposed to make these fruit drinks different to the innocent smoothies of the world is that they contain Soya protein. If you have no idea why that’s a good thing (like me) there’s about an A4 side of notes on why Soya is fantastic at Adez.com if you fancy a gander. After reading through the article it seems I could have gotten the answer just as quickly from the Adez pack; ‘it helps build a strong body’.


But enough of that new age stuff, I’ve never read carton from top to bottom before and I’m not going to start now! What you really want to know is the taste, and it’s not bad, and no matter how stupid I’m going to sound saying this it does actually taste like Mango. I should however point out that it’s not 100% fruit juice but it’s not meant to be, as the carton says it’s a “fruit juice drink with soya protein, sugar and sweeteners.” Apparently it also has “a third of the calories of regular fruit juice drinks”. Hah guess I did read the carton after all...

On top of that it’s dairy free yet somehow manages to have as much calcium as a glass of milk. What sort of Voodoo is this? Simply put Adez is a tasty option to go with your morning cereal. Sure it won’t win any awards with health freaks but it is doing something right with its obsession with Soya. It’s only a couple of quid so why not give one a try? Heck I gave eight a try.

Drambuie

Warning: Alcohol is not to be consumed by anyone under the age of 18 in the UK. For other countries please refer to your national guidelines.

Last week Blagman went global and was featured by the Idaho Statesman in good olde USA. In the article Emily Simnitt talked about her experience running a drinking column and how hard it had been to acquire any samples. Even when samples arrived all she could do was “was photograph it and write about it..” No drinking allowed. How mean is that?


Thankfully that’s not the case here. In order to help promote their new cocktail ‘The Libertine’ Drambuie sent over a bottle of their finest mixture and let me loose on it. Whilst I was expecting a 50ml mini-bar sized bottle I was pleasantly surprised by the generous 500ml bottle that arrived. In order to make the signature cocktail you’ll need 3-4 lime wedges, 2 splashes of Drambuie and some ice. Give it a go if you get the chance.

So on with the taste test. Having only ever tried Drambuie before in chocolatey liqueur format and already a big fan of Mr Jack Daniels I was intrigued to see what it tasted liked. I decided to try the drink out in its natural environment away from splashes of lime. Just a simple shot in a glass with a dash of coke on top.


Scottish made and packing a punch to match Drambuie isn’t a bad little pick me up, although I wouldn’t recommend drinking it at 9 in the morning like I just did (mental note: don’t leave reviews till the morning they’re due). Before trying the drink I was starting to think all whiskies were the same but I was pleasantly surprised as Drambuie differentiates itself thanks to its strong spiced honey taste which makes it flow down your throat with both a soft and sweet texture, especially if you add a little bit of coke to the mix as well.


Sure I may be drinking out of a ‘moo-cow’ cup but this isn’t a drink that’s to be laughed at. It’s a drink that’s to be sampled and to be enjoyed whenever possible, not stuck in a bottle and forced to have people take pictures of it. So next time you see a poor bottle of Drambuie be sure to give it a good home and think of those sat in an office somewhere unopened and lonely.

Welcome!

Just a quick reminder that the Blagman store has been upated to include more of my favourite blags for the last month.

I'd also like to see a big hello to everyone who has arrived via Yahoo Office Attachments! For those new to the site Blagman.co.uk shows off a new product every week day, the only rule being I can't spend a penny in getting each product. So far I've looked at books, food, drinks, games, toys, razors, and kitchen sinks. Oh and waxed my legs too. You can see all my blags by clicking the link to the right and the last 9 blags are shown below. Enjoy!

Or click here to visit the Blagman online store

Chrono Life Journal

I’ll always remember a lesson I had with my Psychology teacher when I was young. She made us all write down 5 things we could remember from the past year and 5 things we wanted to achieve with the next. Looking back at that little booklet now I seem to have forgotten everything I was supposed to remember and as for the five things I was supposed to achieve I’ve still never been to Japan or learnt a single chord on the guitar.


Much like my little book Chrono is very similar. It’s designed to help you remember all the key details from your life so you can check back regularly at the things you’ve done and where you want to be. It’s split in to six key sections, each of which focus on a different area of life including personal (health, love life), social (friends, family) and activities (hobbies, travel). In each section you can jot down what you did that year and if you fancy it pencil in what you’d like to do next.

There’s also a selection of pre set memories given as a guide for each section should you be unable to remember your favourite love songs. I had to laugh when reading the list of things you can do at certain ages, sadly it seems once you turn 21 all you’ve got to look forward to next is joining saga and retiring. Oh and life beginning at 40 of course.


As you can see above Chrono comes with a hard leather cover which is designed to make the book last for generations as a time piece . You see it’s meant as much more than a gimmick on a raining day, or to prompt a quick search of your family tree. It’s designed as your own little time capsule, a complete collection of your loves, cars, toys, health, children and everything in between.

And whilst some may argue that £175 is a lot for a book I find it best to look at it in terms of cost per use. For example if you use the book once a year to record your life for 80 years then that means all it cost was litlle over £2 a year, and for that price you’ll be able to remember your life as a child right up what you it felt like to hold your first grandson. Plus when you factor in the fact that generations to come can get a detailed picture of your life long after you’re gone it’s really not much to ask at all.


To sum it up, Chrono is a beautifully illustrated time capsule for anyone who has ever reminisced about their past or wanted to preserve their future. It’ll outlive us all.

Want to preserve those memories forever? Then visit www.chrono.co.uk

Next week: Is Blagman's pallet up to the taste of Drambuie? Plus a new toy that could be better than a good old Thumb War, some mysterious invisible deodorant and more. See you Monday.

Banana Skins Book

Always one to branch out in to new areas and topics I decided to contact one of the biggest book publishing agencies in the world and put myself at their mercy. I asked for a forthcoming book and lo and behold they send me Banana Skins by Donough O’Brien. It’s a collection of short articles on the events that have led to the downfalls of some of the most powerful men and women in the world.


The first thing that struck me about the book is its fantastic visual quality, from the glossy front cover to the hundreds of illustrations and photos inside, it’s a feast for the eyes. Each story is brilliantly told out with accompanying shots of the person in question as well as their unique downfall. There’s also a handy banana skin icon on each article at the exact point that person’s world crumbled around them, so you can jump straight to the disasters if that’s your kind of thing. Honestly before it arrived I didn’t have a clue how I would photograph the book but thanks to the brilliant design throughout there was no end of photos I could take to show it in all its glory.

As for the articles themselves they’re brief and straight to the point. Usually around 2 pages each they don’t waste time blabbering on about each persons childhood, they establish that person’s role in the world and then the events that destroyed their world. Whilst that may sound a bit dark this book isn’t there to act as a warning to others, it’s merely a humorous bit of satire, ideal for readers of Private Eye and the like.


I mean how many books can you find that have Paris Hilton just a page across from Bill Clinton? How many books tell the downfall of Richard Nixon in just 2 and a half pages? Gone are the days where you have to read a persons biography just to get to the juicy bits. Donough O’Brien lays everything out as it happened and lets you eat it all up.

Depending on your personal preference the book also splits up each person’s downfall in to different categories such as Love and Lust (Pamela Anderson), Lies & Treachery (Jeffrey Archer) and Envy & Jealousy (The Leaning Tower of Pisa). That’ll also give you some idea as to the diversity of the events included, there’s everything from celebrities, politicians, war heroes & villains and even towns & cities for you to laugh at.


Banana Skins is a great read through and through. With over 370 pages of slip-ups and beautifully coloured pages it’s essential pick up and put down material for night time reading, train journeys, or just whenever you’ve got 5 minutes free.

Banana Skins will be released on 1st of October 2006 and comes in both hardback and paperback editions. You can pre order it using the handy links below:

Slim-Fast

Now for something totally different. Last week a big box of Slim-Fast products arrived at my door and for the past few days I’ve been following the Slim-Fast plan, will it change my life? Will I notice any difference? And the real question is how do they taste?


The answer is actually pretty damn tasty. So tasty that there should actually be a couple more items in the above photo but I was hungry on the way back from the post room so this is all that survived till I could grab a camera. Sorry. As you can see from the photo there are two different types of food to choose from which are split in to meals and snacks. Snacks include cheddar bites and chocolate caramel bars whilst meals include soups and even bigger bars. There’s also some smoothies but unfortunately they all went before I could take a photo… er sorry….

As you can guess Slim-Fast has come a long way from the milkshake style drinks of old. Sure they still exist but you can now add these new bites, nibbles and meals in to the mix to help improve you chances of sticking to a target weight. So what’s the plan?


Breakfast: Smoothie, Shake or Meal bar
Snack: Fruit or Slim-Fast snack bar
Lunchtime: Soup, Smoothie, Shake or Meal bar
Snack: another bar or savoury snacks (this doesn’t mean sausage rolls and scotch eggs sadly)
After then it’s up to you to make a healthy lunch and dessert. Do healthy desserts even exist?

So first up there’s the smoothies. Just over 200 calories each and with a little bit of real fruit (well 2%) so you’ll feel less sinful. I found these to be a nice way to start the day and they’re quite filling, not quite enough to last till lunch but that’s what the snacks are for. I opted for the cheddar bites and sour cream pretzels during my time on the diet and they helped sustain me till until lunchtime. They also tasted really good and were full of flavour despite being under 100 calories each. So 300 calories down I started making my lunch.


Whether you pick the soup, the bars or the shakes you won’t have to worry about waiting long for dinner. So even if you are feeling a bit peckish by now relief is only a few nibbles away. The soup takes a couple of minutes to warm up and then it’s all yours. I tucked in to chicken vegetable & pasta soup which although not looking very nice did taste good. There’s also Mediterranean Tomato and Bean soup and Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup to try too.

Snack time again I hit the snackbars including apricot, cashew nut and pumpkin seed. To be honest that sounded a bit too natural for me so I decided to opt for the chocolate caramel bar. Like there was any competition? Unlike most low fat chocolate bars it actually tastes like chocolate, which is good enough for me.


Dinner time and things all went terribly wrong. At this point I remembered that I had some Galaxy Minstrels in the cupboard. Quicker than you could say “mmm chocolate” I grabbed the packet and started to tuck in. And that’s the problem. Slim-Fast meals should come with a warning to say “Please remove all snacks from house before staring the plan”. You see Slim-Fast is a great start for anyone looking to lose weight but they can’t give the one thing that’s really needed; willpower. Having said that they did make sure I wasn’t eating junk food for nearly a whole day, which is a definite improvement, despite my minstrel lapse. Clearly there’s something here for those who have the self control.

So if you’re feeling up to the challenge and have hidden all the Minstrels then you can find Slim-Fast products can be found at Boots stores all over the UK.

Sylvanian Families Toilet and Sink

Sometimes I see things that I have to blag, and this is very much one of those items. After browsing the Internet one day I spotted a Sylvanian Families toilet. Coming in at just 5 centimetres tall it looked the business and I knew I had to have one. Sadly after talking to the company that makes them I found out they’d been discontinued and that was the end of that dream. Until today. When not only did a small toilet arrive on my doorstep but a kitchen sink as well.


Yes, I can now officially say I’ve blagged everything from Chocolate Hob Nobs to a kitchen sink. Brilliant! Not only that but Flair also provided me with a complete kitchen and bathroom set to boot which means everything from pots and pans to bathtubs and mirrors. In total there’s over 40 pieces in the kitchen set and over 35 in the cottage bathroom set. Sadly the sets don’t come with actual Sylvanian Family figures but a quick email later and I had an entire family of Sylvanias to play with.

Flair sent over the Reindeer family set, which included a mother, father, son and daughter all of whom worked as journalists. After wondering if all journalists receive a press pack including the Reindeer family so as to appeal to their egos, I set to work creating my own wonderland.


As you can see it’s easy to create a quiet family scene with son at the table and mother at the stove. Now before I get people writing in saying this website is sexist and Un-PC I should point out that the father has a chopping knife in his hand and is just about to help with the cooking. I’d also like to point out that it wasn’t my intention to create a family of mass murderers but if you look at the middle two figures carefully you might get the sense of something evil…..

Or maybe not. You see the point is that everyone will get something different out of these toys. Sure I may have been thrilled by the sight of a 5 cm tall toilet but most likely kids will get a kick out of the ability to bring a bit more life to their Sylvanian Families. Or they might enjoy the sticker set with tiny little stickers to decorate their pots, pans, bath and more. Or they may even just love the novelty of tiny little scrubbing brushes in the bathroom set.


And that’s just it, imagination is that makes these toys interesting. The kitchen sink might look just like a kitchen sink to an adult but in the hands of a young child it’s where daddy reindeer washes his hands and does the dishes whilst mummy reindeer tucks baby reindeer in to bed. Isn't that a world we'd all like to go back to someday?

To see more Sylvanian Family toys that you'll know what to do with click here

Dead Rising

There are five simple things that every man can enjoy: Snakes, Pirates, Ninjas, Monkeys and Zombies. Thanks to Snakes on a Plane, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Super Monkeyball Adventure and Askaninja.com I’ve managed to sustain every one of those cravings expect for one, zombies. Thankfully Capcom have come to the rescue with Dead Rising, just in time to satisfy every man’s zombie rampages.


Most gamers will already be familiar with Capcom for their work on the Resident Evil games, already zombie masterpieces in themselves. The only problem with Resident Evil was that you never got the feeling you could run around causing chaos, you had to watch your ammo carefully and save every bullet. Dead Rising on the other hand lets you cause chaos however you see fit and plonks you slap bang in the middle of a shopping mall with whatever weaponry you can find.

In fact there’s over 200 weapons to choose from which can each be picked up in a selection of stores around the mall. These include katanas, lawnmowers, footballs, knives, benches, toys and a whole range of diverse items. To keep the game varied items are dotted randomly around the mall and each break after a certain number of attacks. Luckily there’s usually something nearby you can grab to inflict more damage.


With more weaponry you’d be expecting more zombies to kill and Dead Rising doesn’t disappoint. Whilst they’re nothing to worry about in small doses, just like Dawn of the Dead once they group together it’s a different story. You’ll also face off against a range of bosses, including evil clowns and sniper maniacs. Each of the boss battles are well executed and also play on the different areas of the mall such as an early stand off in a food court.

These boss encounters form the bulk of the main storyline but there are also a range of interesting side quests to fulfil. Frank has just 72 hours in the mall and in that time he can rescue survivors, take photos, progress the main storyline or just hide out in the security room. How you play the game is totally up to you, in fact you can even kill the main characters and just mess about beating zombies to death with teddy bears if that’s your thing.


All in all Dead Rising is and instant classic that takes itself too seriously. It’s a tough game and it’s all too easy to save with no health but then again what would a zombie game be without a little risk of death? So if you’ve got a zombie craving what better way to satisfy it than by spending hours just slicing up zombies, cruising on skateboards and smashing a guitar over more zombies?

Dead Rising is released on Xbox 360 today and you can grab the game at Amazon.co.uk

Heinz Squeezy Tomato

Heinz ketchup fact time: Heinz have been making their ketchup for 130 years this year. That means that the product you splatter over your chips is older than you, your granny and your great granny. What’s even more impressive is that in that time they’ve managed to sell 11 billion bottles of the stuff worldwide, which means by this point everyone on Earth should have just under two bottles each. Blimey.

No doubt a lot of those 11 billion bottles have been sold to a number of greasy spoon café’s up and down the globe and many of them will have been stored in the below red tomato. As a way of celebrating their 130th birthday Heinz have reproduced this classic ketchup container and even sent a couple my way to take a look at.


Yes sitting on my desk right now I have what can only be described as a red ripe juicy tomato which I am about to fill to the brim with ketchup. First of all I’d recommend getting a squeezy bottle of ketchup to make adding ketchup easy. The reason being that there’s only a small hole on top of the tomato and regular glass bottles of Heinz ketchup have a slightly bigger opening, still if you like a challenge (and a messsy floor) then you could always just try and slide the ketchup in with a knife...

Once that’s done you simply screw on the top and you’re ready to serve. Thankfully the top is very secure so if your guests want to throw the tomato around or even give it a kick it should still hold all the ketchup in place. You could even play pass the ketchup if you fancy it although I accept no responsibilities for any ketchup-covered kitchens that result from this game!



When you’re done adding ketchup and having a kick about you’re all set to show off your new toy to the world. Sadly it doesn’t make getting your ketchup any easier than a squeezy bottle and those last drops are still a real pain to get out. But then again this isn’t designed as a life saving ketchup applicator. It’s just a cool little novelty item which is designed for those who want to bring a little fun in to their kitchen. Oh and did I mention that it’s limited edition and that people are already starting to sell them on eBay?

If you fancy your own squeezy tomato before the eBayers get there then you can grab one for £3.99 at www.heinzketchup.co.uk.

Puma - Gym

I’ve been going to the gym a bit recently and every time I go I’ve noticed a growing trend. More and more people are starting to wear outfits with matching tops and bottoms. You see it’s not enough to go to the gym anymore wearing any old white t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, oh no now it seems the modern gym goer needs to dress up for the gym if they want to get noticed.


And to get noticed that means no more Hard Rock Café T-Shirts that have been worn so many times half the logo has come off. It means no more tracksuit bottoms that were baggy when you bought them 10 years ago and which are so tight now they can now only be described as another layer of skin. Yes it means investing in a matching tracksuit.

Thankfully after delving deeper in to last weeks Pandora’s box from Puma I found such an item. It’s from their Lifestyle range and as you can see it matches, oh happy days! It’s also very comfortable and just stretchy enough to make even the most complicated lunge, squat thrust or Yoga position a possibility.


You’ll also need something to go underneath you tracksuit and even though it destroys the colour scheme completely (does yellow and blue go?) I decided to opt for the above yellow T. Puma have been kind enough to include strips to let air in on both top and bottoms but if you’re really doing a good work out you’ll probably get a bit hot for the jacket. Just in case it’s always good to wear a similar T-Shirt underneath. After all no one wants to be one of those men who walk around gyms topless…


Trust me when you walk in to the gym wearing this people will know you mean business. No more 20-minute waits for an exercise bike and no more queuing up for towels. In fact it’s so good you won’t even need to wipe down the equipment after you use it, people will be waiting to do it for you. Okay so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but if nothing else it can at least help get people in the right mind and ready to do some serious exercise, which can only be a good thing.

Uno (Simpson’s Springfield Edition)

Why is it that no matter how many card games people know it can be impossible to make them pick up a pack of cards that doesn’t just include 52 cards and jokers? I’ll admit I was the same around a year ago and with the only exception of Top Trumps I wouldn’t even look at another card game. Then when Marie mentioned playing Uno I shunned the idea purely because I didn’t want to learn how to play with a new pack of cards.


Looking back I’m not entirely sure what I was worried about, not only are the cards in Uno remarkably easy to understand, they also follow on from a similar card game called Blackjack. The game starts by turning over a face card and then playing on that colour or number. So if the face card was a Red 7 I could lay a red card or any kind of seven on top. It’s so simple that if you don’t pick it up within 2 minutes then you probably shouldn’t be playing with cards at all.

To add a bit of a twist in to the mix there are extra cards, which can change the game at a moments notice. These include Draw 4 which means your opponent has to pick up 4 cards, Reverse which makes play go in the opposite direction and Wild which can be played at any time and allows you to change the colour of play. There’s also a ‘Great Scot!’ card which allows you to give away two of your cards to an opponent of your choice.


What makes the Great Scot card unique as well is that it’s exclusive to this edition of the game. That means you won’t be able to find it anywhere else in the Uno universe making this game of Uno different. As you’d expect you also get a range of characters from the show on your cards although those expecting the Simpson family should see the Simpson’s standard edition rather than this Springfield edition. Homer makes a brief appearance but the rest of the cards focus on the stranger residents of Springfield such as Moe, Comic Book guy and Apu.


All in all I was very impressed with Simpson’s Uno. It’s nice to see a unique card to make this edition slightly different and it’s also refreshing to see the game is still just as easy to pick up and play. So put down your packs of 52 playing cards and pick up this 112 Uno card pack instead.

To get Simpsons Uno at Amazon click here