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Review

Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA – Artistry that Takes Your Breath Away

Last Wednesday we were privileged to attend the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA. I remember when I was younger going to Cirque du Soleil shows with my mum and my sister, they were so magical and I wanted to share this with my children. One thing that is good about Cirque du Soleil is that it is a circus without animals.

About Cirque du Soleil?

In the early 1980s, a group of performers led by Gilles Ste-Croix showcased their talent on the streets of Baie-Saint-Paul, a picturesque village along the St. Laurent River near Quebec City. Initially known as Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (The Stiltwalkers of Baie-Saint-Paul), this group became the foundation for what would later evolve into Cirque du Soleil. Learn more about the history of Cirque du Soleil on their website.

What is LUZIA About?

LUZIA is often described as a “waking dream of Mexico.” It takes audiences on a journey through vibrant landscapes. The show also features surreal settings and awe-inspiring acrobatics. The show includes everything from a cascading waterfall to jaw-dropping aerial acts. Each element is designed to transport you to a world where dreams meet reality.

The Running Woman – Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

Discover the Magic: About Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA

The show opens with a man (who is the clown of the show) falling from the sky, hinting at a daring leap from a plane. The roar of an engine fills the air as a powerful wind sweeps across the stage, sucking up his backpack and belongings, sending them straight to the top of the tent. Amid the chaos, he humorously deploys a tiny umbrella, somehow managing to land safely on the stage—a moment that earns plenty of laughs from the audience.

The clown turns the key and starts the show.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

As he regains his footing, he notices a massive key embedded in the stage. Curious, he looks around for its owner but finds no one. Turning the key unleashes a thunderous noise, setting off a chain reaction of movements and events that start the show.

Among his possessions is an empty metal water bottle, symbolising his desperate need for water. This quest becomes a recurring theme, cleverly interwoven into both the narrative and comedic skits throughout the show.


The show was broken into different acts and in between each act the man who is searching for water came along and did a skit or two to allow the other performers to set up for another performance.

Water displayed mesmerizing images.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022


Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

During the performances you were not sure where to look, there was so much amazing things going on, dance, acrobatics and just stunning costumes to look at, not to mention the amazing sets!

The LUZIA performance was a captivating display of acrobatics and stunning visuals, with one scene in particular reminding my children of a moment from the Madagascar 3 film. The act combining hoop diving with two giant treadmills was striking, as the acrobats leaped through hoops with remarkable precision, much like the scene in Madagascar where the circus tiger interacts with small hoops. The performers, balancing on the moving treadmills, effortlessly jumped through hoops in a variety of daring ways—sometimes feet first, sometimes backwards, and even leapfrogging over each other. It was a mesmerizing combination of agility and speed, creating the illusion that they were defying gravity, just like the acrobats in the movie performing with such ease and fluidity.

The Cyr Wheel and Trapeze act was equally mesmerizing. The performers danced through large, majestic hoops while a trapeze artist executed daring flips and aerial moves. The acrobat balancing on one heel, suspended in mid-air, was a particularly striking moment, adding a dreamlike quality to the performance.

Performers ready to jump through hoops and did it all on a treadmill.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

The performers who jumped through the hoops were fantastic.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

The Football Dance was another standout, with the performers skillfully manipulating soccer balls with their feet and heads. Their ability to bounce, roll, and spin the balls using only their bodies created a seamless and fluid performance, almost making the soccer balls appear as if they were floating in mid-air.

In the Aerial Straps act, the performer emerged from a cenote, interacting with a life-size jaguar puppet in a beautiful display of strength and grace. The performer rotated above the water, creating an ethereal moment that felt like they were gliding through space.

The Hand Balancing act was another remarkable highlight, where the artist balanced on flexible canes, gradually building the structure to an impressive height. The strength and control required to perform these feats was astounding, leaving the audience in awe as the artist maintained such challenging poses.

Hand balancing done in retro style. It was a tribute to Mexican cinema of the 1920’s.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

As for the Beach Clown scene, my youngest had the most amusing reaction when the clown finally found water in a pool, only for it to suddenly disappear. With wide eyes, they yelled, “How did that happen!” It was such a funny and unexpected moment, bringing a lighthearted touch to the show.

Hand Balancing looks so easy but this lifeguard was up 6 meters high.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

During one of the clown’s search for water, the water was actually flowing from behind him, and one kid from the audience yelled out, “It’s behind you!” The whole audience erupted in laughter at the perfect timing of the moment. The clown, ever so quick-witted, turned around and exaggerated his surprise with a playful expression, as if realizing it for the first time. He then comically gestured with his face and hands, giving the impression that he was pretending to be oblivious to the water behind him, as if asking, “Do you think I’m silly?” It was such a funny, spontaneous moment that had everyone in stitches, making it one of the highlights of the show! There was a hilarious moment with a poor man who kept trying to reach the water to fill up his bottle, but just as he got close, the water would stop flowing. As you might have guessed, the water would magically start flowing again… but only when he was nowhere near it! His attempts to outsmart the situation were absolutely priceless, as he would dash to a new spot, only for the water to follow him in the most unexpected way. His growing frustration and clever antics had the entire audience in stitches, making it one of the funniest parts of the show.

One of the most impressive moments in LUZIA was when an acrobat performed an aerial act where she was suspended solely by her hair. It was truly awe-inspiring to watch. I can’t even begin to imagine how strong and controlled you would have to be to pull off such a feat. The precision and power needed to balance in mid-air by just her hair were mind-blowing, and it left the entire audience in complete amazement. It was one of those moments that made you truly appreciate the incredible strength and discipline of the performers. Plus, how strong her hair must be to support her.

You Have to Go to Believe How Amazing It Is!

LUZIA is truly a must-see.

The show leaves you speechless, as you can’t help but stare in awe at the incredible talent of the performers. From the breathtaking acrobatics to the magical, otherworldly atmosphere, it’s an experience that transports you to a completely different realm. You find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, watching these amazing people perform fantastical tricks, each one more mesmerizing than the last. It’s the kind of show that stays with you long after the final curtain call.

CYR WHEEL AND TRAPEZE
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022
This magnificent trapeze artist performs a series of original figures,
sometimes hanging only by one heel. The performance culminates in the rain.
Photos: Matt Beard & Anne Colliard
Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi
Cirque du Soleil 2022

Grab Tickets and Get All the Details for the Show

The show is on until February 9, 2025, learn more and book your tickets today!

Tickets cost from $85+ to $90+ or $95+

Venue

Under the Big Top, The Entertainment Quarter, Sydney

The Entertainment Quarter is located at 122 Lang Road, Moore Park NSW 2010 (next to the Sydney Cricket Ground).

If you would like a map or other help about the venue then click here to learn more about The Entertainment Quarter.

Before the show, the kids and I had our photos taken.
This time here is the whole family


A huge thank you to Cirque du Soleil for the tickets to LUZIA! It was an incredible night that left both the kids and adults in awe. The show was absolutely stunning, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to experience it together as a family. It’s a memory we’ll cherish for a long time!

Oh, I nearly forgot, I grabbed t-shirts for the kids and myself—here’s a look at mine and one of theirs.

I thought this was so fun had to get it for the youngest.
This shirt made me smile so it won me over immediately. Yes, I do my own stunts.

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Review

Osmo Pizza Co for Kids

Alexander loves his Osmo Pizza Co game and iPad Stand

I got sent an Osmo Pizza Co with an iPad stand, I must say that I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am blown away.

Osmo is fabulous! It is so interactive and teaches kids when they are having fun playing.

Once I unwrapped the game and the iPad stand, I then set it up for Alex.
The Pizza shop was open for business. It is so interesting that the game is not just played on the iPad, it is also played with the pizza board, the pizza ingredients and the money to make change for the customers orders.

The customers do get angry and annoyed at you if you get their order wrong….however it is fun to see their happy faces when you get it right.

Customers then pay you with an amount of money that is listed on the iPad and you have to give them change. To give change to the customer you need to turn the pizza board over and use the black/grey side. Add the money to this side and then the customer is super happy.

I had to help Alex with the money part as he is still a little young for this part of it, but it won’t be long until he is telling me how much money the customer needs.

My boy did have a lot of fun creating the pizzas and also making pizzas that the customer didn’t order. He loved the fact that the game saw what he was doing with the ingredients.

Alex loved the castle game that I downloaded for him

Games that allow kids to learn while having fun is ideal in my book.

We loved our Osmo Pizza Co and I am keen to get Alexander some more Osmo games.

This game is so perfect for a Christmas gift or a special treat during the holidays. You can purchase Osmo games and iPad stands at the following places: BigW, Kidstuff, JB Hi-Fi, Amazon.com.au, Apple Store, and OfficeWorks.

I am sure you will love an Osmo game as much as we do.

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Dec 18 2020

Categories
Review

Review: Anywhere Can Be a Cinema with LUMOS AURO v2 Projector

So, 1st Blackheath Scouts had a movie night at the Scout hall, and we needed a solid data projector to show the movie. We’ve used a very old Epson projector in the past, but this time, we got our hands on the brand-new LUMOS AURO  v2 Home Cinema projector. Big shoutout to LUMOS for letting us try out their latest model. Spoiler alert: It was a game-changer.

Unboxing and Setup

The kit arrived in two boxes: one for the stand and one for the projector. Setting up the stand was a piece of cake – join the two poles, attach the base plate, and top it off with the 360-degree ball head. It took less than five minutes, and voila! A rock-solid stand ready for action.

Unboxing the LUMOS AURO  v2 was like opening a present. Inside, there was the projector, a remote control, a power cable, and an HDMI cable. The only thing missing? Two AAA batteries for the remote. No biggie, though.

Setting up the projector was just as easy. I attached it to the ball head adapter on the stand, plugged in the power cable, and switched it on. That’s it. Simple as that.

Projection Magic

I initially placed the projector in the middle of the Scout hall, thinking I needed some distance to fit the screen I had set up. Boy, was I wrong! The image filled the entire back wall of the hall, which is 9m wide and 3m high. Next time, I’m bringing a bigger screen to take full advantage of this beast’s capabilities. It can project up to a massive 200-inch screen if you have the space!

Once I adjusted the projector’s distance to the screen, it went into an auto-focus routine that left me in awe. In just a few seconds, the image was pin-sharp. Super impressive.

Testing and Performance

The LUMOS AURO  v2 is Wi-Fi enabled, so I quickly connected it to my phone’s personal hotspot. Streaming YouTube videos was a breeze, and the preloaded officially certified apps (YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and more) worked flawlessly. Just log in, and you’re good to go.

The image resolution is top-notch – super sharp, with vibrant colours and great contrast. Even with the hall lights on, the brightness was incredible. A quick peek at the manual revealed why: 1080p native resolution and 6000 lumens. No wonder it was so bright!

The audio was equally impressive. Despite its compact size, the AURO v2 pumped out loud, clear sound with decent bass. Its certified Dolby Audio Dual (2) Speaker system had rich, strong bass and immersive sound. It was more than enough for a home cinema setup, though I added extra speakers in the large Scout hall to combat the inevitable Scout chatter and popcorn fights.

Next, I tested a film loaded onto a USB stick. Again, the AURO  v2 didn’t disappoint. The image quality, colour vibrance, and contrast depth were superb. The Scouts started arriving, popcorn was popped, bean bags were prepped, and we were ready to roll.

The remote control was a pleasant surprise too. Easy to navigate in the dark and worked all the way from the back of the hall. A big win in my book.

Additional Features and User Experience

The projector’s user interface was a breeze to navigate. Everything was intuitive and easy to find, with no confusing menus. The remote control was just right – no unnecessary buttons, making it easy to use even in the dark.

The AURO  v2 was silent during operation, a delightful contrast to the noisy old Epson. And it stayed cool throughout the movie, just lukewarm at the end, so we could pack it away immediately without waiting for it to cool down.

One standout feature was the automatic keystone and focus adjustment. Move the projector, and it quickly and accurately adjusted itself. Super handy and very impressive.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the LUMOS  AURO  v2 Home Cinema projector is an impressive piece of kit. The build quality is solid, the image and sound quality are mind-blowing, and it’s incredibly easy to use. At $498, it’s a steal compared to other projectors that cost three times as much. The Scouts loved the viewing experience, and so did I. It’s five stars from me.

Top marks, LUMOS. You’ve got a winner here.

Grab A Discount

If interested, you may use the promo code “MUMTPO25OFF” for a special -$25 off any purchase during website checkout. 

Categories
Review

Review: Natralus Australia Skincare

If you are like me you love receiving gifts and especially if they are ones that allow you to pamper yourself. I recently received a box of Natralus Australia skincare products to test out and share my thoughts with you my lovely readers.

My skin always gets so dry in autumn and winter so having a good quality moisturiser on hand is essential. The weather in the mountains during the colder months means my skin deals with harsh winds, cold temperatures, warm heating, and of course layers and layers of clothing too that don’t help with dry skin.

The wonderful smelling Hand & Body Lotion – Rose, Lilly Pilly & Berries

I was sent the following items:

  • SOFTENING HAND & BODY LOTION – ROSE, LILLY PILLY & BERRIES
    The body lotion smelt amazing and made my skin feel so soft and subtle. I loved the fact that the natural perfume lasted and made me smell fantastic throughout the day.
  • NATURAL DEODORANT – WILD ROSE
    This deodorant is so wonderful and makes me smell like a rose all day long. It is not a strong scent, in fact, it is more a subtle rose that makes you feel like you are on holiday or it is summer still. You can get natural deodorants in Cool Spice, Lemon Myrtle, Zesty Citrus, Citrus Spring, and Sea Berry.
  • NATRALUS NATURAL PAW PAW BALM
    This natural paw paw balm is so moisturising and stays on your lips for ages. It is thicker and really helps keeps my lips feeling good and also looking amazing. I think you will be super amazed at the quality of this paw paw balm and it will soon be a firm favourite for you too.

    This is my favourite item and a must-have for anyone… you seriously need to get yourself some Natrualus Natural Paw Paw Balm today!
All the amazing natural products from Natralus Australia
Natralus My Little One Gentle Cleanse Shampoo & Wash smells so good, so marshmallowy!

Natralus My Little One Range covers all stages of care for children, including lotions, cleansers, and shampoo/conditioners.  The creams and washes are so gentle, moisturising and soothing for babies’ and kids’ skin.

We loved the My Little One Gentle Cleanse Shampoo & Wash, it was like a big bunch of crushed-up marshmallows, My Little One Comforting Touch Massage Oil helps protect bubs skin, you can also use the massage oil during pregnancy and post-pregnancy for your skin too.

The oil is “enriched with paw paw to help nourish and protect delicate skin, Rosehip oil to deeply moisture and help support your little one’s skin natural elasticity, Jojoba oil, is gentle and easily absorbed, helps to prevent dryness and leaves skin silky-smooth. Calendula, known for its calming and soothing properties.”

Thanks to Naturalus Australia for sending me such amazing products to try.



I loved them and will definitely recommend them to friends and family. If you are looking for some amazing natural products, make sure to check out Naturalus Australia.

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Review

HelloFresh Gift Card Disappointment

I didn’t know what to get my in-laws for Christmas and left the present shopping till the last minute. Even if we did magically purchase the most amazing present, we would still need to post it to them, and there was no guarantee the present would not make it for Christmas.

I said to hubby why not give them a voucher or something local that they can use. Something that will not require postage and therefore allow us to get them a gift and not have to post anything.

One suggestion I discussed with Hubby was a possible gift box for HelloFresh (We loved our HelloFresh box and enjoyed the experience and wanted to share it with family). It would allow Hubby’s parents to have meals delivered, make their life easier, and test out the subscription box. There is no incentive to sign up we just wanted to enable Hubby’s parents to put their feet up for a bit, no shopping or thinking about what is for dinner.

Bad customer journey on the HelloFresh website

We decided to go ahead with the gift certificate for a week for our Christmas gift, we thought that this would be a good due to not being able to get a present there in time. I thought it would be easy and tried to do the process on the HelloFresh website.

I navigated to the gift card link all the way down the bottom left on the HelloFresh website. I clicked the amount I wanted to spend, and the number of people and then progressed to the next page. The next page had questions like I was signing up for a subscription box, my address, delivery at home or elsewhere, and more.

Why would HelloFresh be asking me this? I am not making this decision. It is a gift for someone else.

Me annoyed that the gift voucher hasn’t arrived

I would have thought that this would have been the process

  • You click on the gift card link.
  • You select the amount you wish to spend, how many people it is for, and then where it should be emailed, along with your message to your friend or family member.
  • Then the next page should take you to the payment page, you then pay for the gift card, and then you get an email saying that you have paid for a $110 gift card for 2 people for 5 meals, when the email will be delivered and the time, along with the email and name of the person/s that will be receiving this email with the gift card info. With this confirmation email, you should also get a copy in case the recipient for whatever reason never receives their email.

As the page kept on looking like it was going to sign me up instead of just purchasing the gift card, I rang HelloFresh customer service helpline. I was talked through the whole process by a nice lady who understood what I was trying to do. She kept on telling me that it was only for the gift card purchase and that it will not sign me up for a subscription. I really didn’t feel confident but followed her advice and filled out the next pages as she instructed. (She was right but I was holding my breathe thinking I might get an email for something I didn’t sign up to)

As you can see in the image below it says the address and phone number for delivery purposes. I am not the person getting the gift box my inlaws are. It also asks me where I would like my gift box delivered…..geez again I cannot make this decision and this question shouldn’t be on this page at all.

Confirmation email

I was told that I would get a confirmation email with a copy of the email that the giftee would get. I only got that I spent the money on the gift card and that the recipient would get an email on the date I selected. I selected 25th December 2022 for the delivery date and as mentioned above the email has not arrived to the people it should of.

Today is the 26th of December and still, my in-laws have not got the email alerting them to their gift box from HelloFresh.

Tips to improve the customer journey on the HelloFresh website

The whole process to order a gift card is too complicated and confusing from a customer’s perspective. (You might think I have no idea about customer journeys on websites, in fact, I have over 16 years of experience with content and improving sites).

  1. The business (HelloFresh) needs to pretend they are the customer and follow the steps to purchase gift cards and other items. During this process, did everything make sense? Was there clear information and is it easy to find?
  2. Once you have highlighted items to fix to make the process easier and more efficient for the customer these need to be fixed. For example, have a simplified gift card purchase process. Click on the link for gift cards, select the spend amount, who it is going to, and email address, and fill out your message to the recipient.
  3. Then the next page is your payment page. This page should only have info for the person buying the gift only…no info about the delivery address or where the box should be left. This is information that needs to be asked when the recipient enters their details to claim the gift card for their HelloFresh box.
  4. The final step in the process should be sending the person organising the gift a confirmation email. In this email it should have the following items: Congratulations on your purchase of xxx amount for your HelloFresh gift box, a breakdown of what you bought for whom, who it will be delivered to and what email address, what date and time you can expect your family/friend to get their gift card email, and also a copy of this email to send to your recipient if for whatever reason the person doesn’t get the email from HelloFresh (like in my case)
  5. Moving the link from the bottom of the website to the top and making it more obvious to customers (this link needs to be higher up on the page – living on the top of the page real estate rather than where most people don’t look at all) that they can indeed get a gift box as a gift would I believe increase sales and take up for new subscriptions. Also making the buying process easier and less complicated would allow more sales as well.
  6. Having a buying process that has few steps is ideal. Too many things to do, and pages that have questions that are not relevant will mean people don’t buy and do not come back. Having a 3-step process that is simple and quick is what is needed.
  7. Oh and make sure you have your office hours listed on your site – if you say that they are listed there from your recorded message it needs to be on your website.
  8. Also the contact us area isn’t user-friendly to message the HelloFresh team. It needs to be updated to allow customers to send a message about other issues rather than a subscription box or missing ingredient.

There is not a lot of info about meal box gifts. All the major players in the market seem to not have it available. Personally, this is a gap in the market…… Make it easy for people to spend their money and try your product. Easy really!

I am very upset and disappointed with this gift card experience. I organised and paid for it all on the 19th of December, and was told on the phone and on the website that the people receiving the gift will get the email when I nominated it to be sent. Nothing has arrived so far. I have spent $110 and no gift has been sent!

I rang the customer service line of HelloFresh on Christmas Day to see if they had recorded information about when they will be available so that I can sort this out. The recorded message said that they were closed (fine it is Christmas) and then told me that I can check out their hours of operation on their website. Then the call dropped instantly. Nice….. Geez. Not even an updated recorded holiday message saying:

“Happy Holidays from HelloFresh, we are closed from 23rd Dec and reopen on xxx day in Jan 2023. If you have any urgent enquires please call this number xxxxx”

I went back to the HelloFresh website to see if they had details of their opening hours for the holidays and there is no such information anywhere on their site. Zilch! Nada…. Nothing!!!!!

I have no idea when I can contact them about the missing gift card email and to top it off my inlaws think we haven’t given them anything now. Insert a very unhappy customer and affiliate partner of HelloFresh.


My recent posts about HelloFresh

I do really love what HelloFresh offers. We have had some great meals with them. However, as a lover of their product and service and also a person that has reviewed them as well, I am disappointed by the customer journey for their gift card purchase, how it looked like I was going to then subscribe to a meal box and not gift if to the people I really want to give it to, and then the BIG ANNOYING PART, the email for the gift card never got sent to my inlaws. Yep, we have checked many times and they have received nothing. Zip… Zilch! Nothing of nothing has arrived.

I hope that this post will help HelloFresh understand how to fix their website, what are the pain points for the customer and fix my issue with the gift box for my inlaws for Christmas.

As said I am not anti-HelloFresh, I love the products and what they do, I just think that some of the services have fallen flat and as a devotee and affiliate to their program I am rather upset about it all.

NOTE: I Finally made contact with HelloFresh via Facebook messenger (HelloFresh was quick to respond via messenger and to sort out this issue) and they are looking into why the gift box email never arrived. I do hope they can fix it today for my in-laws. I have been told that the email was indeed sent on December 24th, but we know for certain that there was nothing in their inbox from HelloFresh. The team at HelloFresh have sent the email again and if not received I will contact them again to let them know.

No email arrived…I messaged again and was told that I needed to send my email confirmation via messenger.

I explained I cannot do this and needed an email address. No email address was given. I then was asked if I filled out the form with the person’s email, and I said I did. I asked for it to be sent to my own email address, but still, no email showed up. I then asked for the email to be sent to my Hubby, no can do that as the person who organised it can only get the email. I then get asked if I have an account and more weird questions. I explain that I can send the email confirmation but they should already know that I have paid from their end.


I then get told that I have been sent a discount (Also the email for this discount was not labelled in a different way, it is for a subscription box only, so to actually make use of the discount I need to set up a subscription with HelloFresh) to send my in-laws that will be in place of my gift box that I have arranged. The discount was for $130 off a subscription and not a one-off gift box. I explained that I didn’t want this and that this is not what I ordered at all. I told the person on messenger that I wanted a gift box for my family and would appreciate the code so that we can access what we paid for.

I then get asked about how I ordered the gift box. Did I use the website? What email did I use? And more info I had already told them.

This still didn’t explain why I still wasn’t getting the email.

In the end, I was then told that I filled in the form wrong with my email, not the email that should get the gift code for the meal box (If this is the case, I should have gotten the email). I explained that their form online for purchase is confusing, I rang their help desk and was walked through the whole process and was told that I did it correctly. Also kept on saying that the confirmation email didn’t give any info other than the fact that I paid for it and that the people I nominated for the gift box will get an email for the date I selected.

As you might imagine I wasn’t happy and wanted to talk to someone that could just give me the code so that we can access what was paid for. I finally received the code in a text message via Facebook and have created my own email to the in-laws to allow them to finally get their Christmas gift.

I am pleased that I finally got the code that I needed to send to my in-laws for their Christmas present but rather annoyed and frustrated at the whole experience. This purchase experience was anything but easy or fun. It was rather painful and annoying, to say the least.

I have given this feedback to HelloFresh and I hope that this helps others and also the customer journey on the HelloFresh website.

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Review TV

Man vs Bee: 13 Reasons Why Trevor should never house sit

“A man finds himself at war with a bee while house sitting a luxurious mansion. Who will win, and what irreparable damage will be done in the process?” IMDB.com

I recently watched Man vs Bee on Netflix and to say it stressed me out is an understatement. I got very uneasy and was shouting at the TV when disaster was going to strike and as you can imagine inevitably it did. As a person who never likes to see damage happen, I found it hard when priceless items were destroyed….all to rid the house of one bee!

However it was like wanting to know what happened in a disaster, I had to find out what happened, was Trevor going to triumph over the bee? Or will the bee get his revenge to Trevor’s demise?

What is Man vs Bee About?

“Man vs. Bee is a 2022 British comedy created and written by Rowan Atkinson and William Davies. The show consists of nine episodes, each of them directed by David Kerr. Atkinson stars as a down-on-his-luck man who finds himself entrenched in a battle with a bee while house-sitting a rich couple’s modern mansion. Jing Lusi, Claudie Blakley, Tom Basden, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Greg McHugh, and India Fowler also feature. Man vs. Bee premiered on Netflix on 24 June 2022 and received mixed reviews from critics.” Wikipedia

Rowan Atkinson is Trevor Bingley who is obsessed with removing a bee from a mansion that is filled with expensive everything; statues, artwork, clothes, cars, books, and more.

13 reasons why Trevor should never house sit

  1. Breaks priceless statue
    When Trevor first arrives at the house he walks around admiring all the art and objects. You slowly realise that there are a lot of very expensive and priceless objects. He turns around and bumps a statue off a table. Trevor tries to remember how to open the kitchen cabinets from the information shared by Nina and Christian the homeowners but is finding it difficult, as he is looking for glue to fix the broken statue. Trevor finally finds super glue and fixes the broken statue by glueing the broken part back on. However, this scene has been found to have a continuity error. “One viewer couldn’t help but notice the moment during the first episode when the head of a broken statue hilariously flies across the room after Trevor tries to speedily glue it back together and dry it with a hairdryer. However, in the next shot, as Trevor looks on horrified, the head inexplicably appears back attached to the main body of the statue.” Hello Magazine
Trevor breaks the statue on the first day
  1. Burns manual to house
    When Trevor met Nina and Christian they explained that the house has a manual, all that he will need to know is in this manual. The manual also had codes to unlock doors and other such items, if Trevor doesn’t have these codes the only way to open doors is using Nina’s voice as it is voice activated. Trevor put the manual on the induction stove top, he thought that he had turned on one area of the stove for a saucepan to heat up some food but had actually turned on the back part of the stove that the manual was sitting on and therefore set it alight. As you might guess the food never cooked or heated up and Trevor was not sure why it wasn’t working.
The instruction manual to the house
  1. Locks Cupcake the dog in the library
    Cupcake the much-loved dog of Nina and Christian is not allowed in the library. The library is the home of some very rare books and one, in particular, is a manuscript that is on display on a platform that is carefully lit. Trevor was given explicit instructions to make sure that the dog was never allowed in and in his panic to try and rid the living area of the bee didn’t realise that Cupcake snuck inside while Trevor was distracted making it easy for the door to lock after him. Trevor remembers that the codes were to do with famous naval battles and magically remembers what the code is but then the door will not open unless he sounds like Nina, so Trevor spends time perfecting his female Nina-like voice to open the library door.
  1. Cupcake destroys priceless manuscript
    While Cupcake is trapped in the library she destroys the priceless antique manuscript that the homeowners were protecting and valued. It is torn to shreds and as you can imagine the rest of the library is a mess too.

Cupcake destroys priceless manuscript
  1. Ruins a Kandinsky sculpture
    Trevor breaks parts of the Kandinsky sculpture and works hard to fix it. He replaces the artwork with a metal hand beater and other things to make it appear like it was before it was broken.
  1. Rips a Mondrian painting
    Trevor accidentally rips the painting by using a hammer to try and open the door to the library that is locked. He attempts to break the glass on the library door and then the hammer slips out of his hand and flies backwards to then slide and rip down the expensive painting. Trevor fixes this issue with tape and colouring it to appear like the red on the painting. At one point the tape falls down to show that there indeed has been damaged and that it is not perfect.
Painting with a hammer stuck in it
  1. Makes cupcake the dog sick
    Trevor has been warned that Cupcake cannot eat peanut butter, if she eats it she has diarrhoea and farts a lot…and as you can imagine it was not good and very stinky. Due to Cupcake having an upset belly and doing terrible poos inside it affects Trevor when he crawls back inside the house with Cupcake’s collar that opens automatically the dog door. Trevor accesses the house with the dog door due to locking himself outside of the house and then lands right into the dog poo.
Cupcake eats peanut butter and then gets very sick
  1. Wears the furs of the homeowners while covered in dog poo
    Trevor is covered in dog poo when there is a police officer at the door. He doesn’t know what to do as he is not dressed adequately, he panics and finds a fur coat to wear when he answers the door, he is also still wearing the dog collar. While speaking with the police officer the officer finds that Trevor is rather smelly and finds his outfit rather troubling. The police officer is letting homeowners know that there is a band of burglars that are breaking into houses and to be aware.

  1. Posions Cupcake the dog
    In an effort to rid the house of the pesky bee, Trevor traps it in the pantry and then has a poisonous bomb of cleaning chemicals. To lure the bee into the pantry Trevor put peanut butter on a knife and left it in the pantry with the door open, this then also lured in Cupcake the dog. Trevor thought it was just the bee and shut the door trapping Cupcake in the pantry when he let off the chemicals. House sitters are trusted to look after animals, not kill them or try to…well you hope this never happens.
Freaking out after he nearly kills Cupcake the dog
  1. Torches the house
    In one last-ditch effort to rid the bee from the house and away from Trevor he torches the house. As you might imagine this caused terrible damage and burnt the house too. Torching houses of course is not what a housesitter should do and one that you would think that a bee would not survive, but this bee is rather clever and cunning…. Yes maybe the bee has a cunning plan Trevor
Torches the house to remove the bee
  1. Damages a priceless E-type Jaguar
    After nearly killing Cupcake the dog Trevor needs to get her to the vet. Trevor decides to drive the very rare and super expensive E-Type Jaguar to get much-needed medical help for cupcake. On the way to the vet he damages the car, to make sure he had all the broken bits he made sure to put them in the car and magically made it to the vet, and spoiler alert….Cupcake was okay.
  1. Bombs the house
    Trevor is so over this bee and is dead set on wanting to get rid of it for good. He believes he has captured it and then devises a bomb to kill it for good. He lets off the bomb in the garden but it impacts the house and also the car too.
  1. Unknowingly let burglars into the house
    Trevor had no idea that he let the burglars into the house. The team of men were locked in the house and was in the process of robbing the house of Nina and Christian’s valuables. As a house sitter, you should really know if you have burglars in the house and poor Trevor had no idea.

What did I think of Man vs Bee?

I found the show reminiscent of Mr Bean but the character of Trevor was different. Trevor was more caring and human and Mr Bean is rather selfish in his behavoiur. The drama that Trevor got into as a result of a bee was horrible and there was so much destruction. I found myself yelling at the television about certain things, and telling Trevor loudly, “NO don’t do that!!!!” “Oh NO!”

The show has very short episodes and some by the time you start have ended, so it is very easy to watch the whole season in one go. I did find myself annoyed at all the destruction and rather upset about it but had to watch it to the end. Some things were very funny and others I found rather troublesome. I wasn’t a fan of showing how to poison a bee or kill a bee as they are needed for our survival. Bees pollinate our food and help everyone. However, I know the bee was used as a demonstration of something that plagued Trevor, leading to him not letting go and focusing on that above anything else.

I am not sure that Man vs Bee is for everyone. If you were like me you might get upset with all the destruction and be too stressed out to watch more.

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Recipes TV

Celebrate Season 2 of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ and make some Dip

The show ‘Only Murders in the Building’ reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’. The show looks into other people’s apartments and bit by bit you learn more about their lives. As a viewer, you get involved, invested, and need to find out what will happen next. The art deco animation for the intro titles is also reminiscent of old films, well I think it is.

Learn about the Art of the Arconia

DID YOU KNOW
Sesason 1 of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ was the most watched show on Hulu

I just love Selena Gomez’s outfit from the first season of Only Murders in the Building

What are Only Murders in the Building about?

“Only Murders in the Building is an American mystery-comedy streaming television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu on August 31, 2021. The plot follows three strangers played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, who share an obsession with a true-crime podcast. After a suspicious death in their affluent Upper West Side apartment building, the Arconia, the three neighbors decide to start their own podcast about their investigation of the death, which the police ruled a suicide.” Wikipedia.

I loved the show and have been waiting eagerly for season 2. It is so cleverly written, acted, and a well-cast show. A joy to watch!

Have you ever thought there might be secret things hidden in the opening titles? If you have, well you were right. Brian Cronin from Pop Culture References has a complete list of all of the opening titles Easter Eggs from Only Murders in the Building Season 1.

One of the Hardy Boy books from Tim Kono’s apartment

Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building starts 28th of June 2022

Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage in Season 2. Charles is shocked at being accused of murder.
Martin Short as Oliver Putnam in season 2 and not happy about being accused of murder.
Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora having her photo taken at the police station in season 2. It is not looking good for Mabel having blood over her shirt.

Oliver, who is played by Martin Short exclusively eats dips. “I haven’t had a real entree in years,” he proudly shares. “It’s all containers and fingers.”

While Oliver (Martin Short), Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Charles (Steve Martin) attended the body corporate meeting to discuss the recent murder and there were a bunch of dips for the residents. Oliver decided to take them all as he declared it a meal and why waste it!

Celebrate Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building while eating dip!

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    Spicy Sesame Guacamole ready to eat

    Spicy Sesame Guacamole

    INGREDIENTS

    • 4 medium ripe avocados, peeled and pitted (or 1 pack of frozen avocado pieces thawed)
    • 2 limes juiced
    • 2- 4 green onions, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish (if you have fewer avocados use less onion.
    • 4 tbsp. chopped coriander
    • 2 tsp. chilli garlic paste
    • 1 tsp. soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 tsp. sesame seeds
    Toasted sesame seeds on the Spicy Sesame Guacamole

    DIRECTIONS

    1. In a large bowl, mash avocados and lime juice with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency, leaving some chunks. Stir in green onions, coriander, chilli garlic paste, soy sauce, and salt.

    2. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately with tortilla chips or crackers. You can make it ahead. Make sure to place plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole to prevent browning and refrigerate.

    Beetroot Houmous

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup Chickpeas cooked
    • 1 medium Beetroot
    • 2 cloves of Garlic
    • 1 tbsp Lemon juice 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • Water to thin out
    Cutting up the beetroot

    INSTRUCTIONS

    Step 1: Cut up beetroot and cook in a pot with a little water over medium heat. Cook till soft. Cool down the beetroot before starting step 2.

    Step 2: In a food processor, place chickpeas and cooked beetroot and process for one minute or until smooth. Add garlic, lemon juice, cumin powder, and salt and process by adding water to thin the mixture out.

    Step 3: Refrigerate or enjoy immediately. The dip should last for a week in an airtight container.

    Beetroot Houmous

    Roasted Eggplant Dip

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 large eggplant
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 1/2 Spanish onion, quartered
    • 1/2 cup parsley
    • 4 slices of bread
    • Olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to season

    INSTRUCTIONS

    Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C.
    Step 2: Cut the eggplant in half and place it on a baking tray, cut side up. Bake in the oven until the eggplant is brown and soft.
    Step 3: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before peeling back the skin of the eggplant from the soft flesh. (Don’t wait too long to peel off the skin or else it will be stuck).
    Step 4: Purée all ingredients in a food processor for 60 seconds before drizzling in the olive oil. You’ll need to add the olive oil slowly and add just enough to bring all the ingredients together into a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper and blitz again.
    Step 5: Serve with bread or crackers.

    Eggplant cut and ready to cook

    Roasted Pumpkin & Cumin Houmous

    INGREDIENTS

    500g pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 3cm pieces 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    1 tbsp ground cumin
    2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
    Chopped fresh continental parsley, to serve Crackers or bread to serve

    INSTRUCTIONS

    Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Bake for around 30-35 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Set aside for around 20 minutes to cool down before you start the next step.
    Step 2: Process the pumpkin, chickpeas, garlic and cumin in a food processor until almost smooth. Add the lemon juice and process until well combined.
    Step 3: With the motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until smooth. Once done, transfer the hummus to a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crackers or bread.

    Enjoy the dips while you watch the new season of Only Murders in the Building.

    Categories
    Review

    Penn & Teller

    Penn and Teller.

    I am a massive Penn & Teller fan and have been watching them on TV for ages. Not only am I a huge fan, our twin girls and hubby are also raving fans as well. Yep, we think they are awesome.

    It was hubby’s and my plan, with our two good mates to fly to Las Vegas and see Penn & Teller, however that never happened. So I am thankful that they are finally touring Australia as this might be my only chance to see them without flying to Vegas.

    It was late 2019 and I managed to secure front row tickets for hubby and I and the twins to see Penn & Teller at the Opera House. You might have guessed I was a happy woman and sooooo excited about the upcoming event.

    I didn’t give the kids heaps of presents for the 2019 Christmas as I was foucsing on experiences over things. I got them tickets to see Shrek the Musical and of course, the Penn & Teller tickets, which they had no idea about but the show would have been in January 2020.

    However, due to COVID, the show was cancelled and my money was refunded. I was not happy but understood. I wasn’t sure if Penn & Teller would come back so decided to not say anything to the kids.
    If I did mention that I got tickets and we couldn’t go, or if Penn & Teller decided to not tour in Australia? What if it never happened? Maybe the show will get rescheduled but when would this be? Still best to not tell the kids, I thought this the better tactic as I didn’t want to be asked, didn’t want the disappointment and thought it best to see what might happen.

    I eventually got an email from the Opera House saying that the show had been rescheduled for April 2020 and due to other shows that were already playing Penn & Teller was now going to be at the Capitol Theatre. Okay I thought, I need to get tickets to that show. I managed to secure four tickets in the 3rd or 5th row and all was good, that is until the show got canceled again. I believe it was due to a few things this time, COVID and Teller had a back operation and needed to rest.

    So for the second time, I got my money refunded and was told that they would let us know when the show would be rescheduled. At this stage, I thought they might not come at all.

    Flash forward to 2022 and I got an email from the Opera House saying that since I was on the list of people that bought tickets before, and the shows were cancelled that they had great news that Penn & Teller were coming to Australia and tickets would be on sale from 9am that day.

    I had a strategy day at work but needed to get 4 tickets urgently and make sure to get decent seats. For some strange reason, the bank had changed a code for online banking and my credit card was refusing transactions. I had to get the hubby to do the purchase and seating choice. I did have great seats but since the transactions were not allowing me to continue I lost the seats due to the time allotted to do the purchase…..I was not happy and needed to get tickets.

    Hubby finally let me know that he secured tickets and all was good in the world. Finally, after 3 attempts to see Penn & Teller we had tickets again. Phew. I just hoped that this show didn’t get cancelled too.

    Finally the show at last!

    June came and the date of the show was here (Insert very excited happy dance from me). The twins had no idea what we were doing, just that we were all going to the city to see something, what they had no idea! As said I didn’t want to say that we might see these great magicians for the worry that it might never happen, I didn’t want to promise something that might never become a reality.

    We arrived at the Opera House and parked our car. I didn’t even think about VIVID when I booked the tickets and as you can imagine it was packed with people and very busy. Once there, we all walked around and found somewhere to have an early dinner.

    After dinner, we enjoyed ice cream and looked at the view and the large cruise ship going under the Harbour Bridge at sunset. It was a great sight and one that looked like if the ship was any taller it might not have fitted under the bridge.

    Even though we had time to spare we decided due to how cold it was getting to wait inside the Opera House, when we entered a man who was dressed in a suit who worked at the Opera House said, “Are you here to see Penn & Teller?”

    This is when the girls said, “WHAT! REALLY? DID HE SAY PENN & TELLER?” I said maybe…..as you can see they were very happy and surprised.

    We waited until the upstairs area with the bar and more seating was open and then got drinks and waited some more. The girls got t-shirts from Penn & Tellers merch and we collected 4 cards as instructed for a trick we had no idea about – The Love Ritual… strange, but it is Penn & Teller.

    It was finally time to enter the theatre and we were in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Opera House. I don’t know why but I thought we might be in the larger theatre in my head. We were seated and waited for the show to start.

    The famous ampersand of Penn & Teller
    The stage at the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Opera House ready for Penn & Teller

    I got talking to the nice lady and her husband next to me and she had the same experience with tickets, it was her third time too to see Penn & Teller and like us was very happy and excited to finally be there to see them in real life (Yes I am sounding like bluey)

    The Show

    The lights went down and then finally a loud voice announced Penn & Teller. Everyone erupted with screams, clapping and whistles. I think we were all pleased to see them and for the show to start. Maybe there are more people like me and the couple I sat next to that this was their third go to see Penn & Teller.

    Penn and Teller – Image from the Opera House Website

    Penn & Teller were in their standard dapper-looking suits and looking immaculately dressed (as always).

    Penn started saying how they had been trying to come to Australia and we’re very glad they were finally here. Which of course got big claps and screams of appreciation from the audience. Penn then went on to tell us that their show Fool Us has been signed for a 10th season and they really only thought it would last a few years…now going strong at 10 years.

    It was also mentioned that Helen Coghlan an Australian magician has fooled Penn & Teller 4 times! (see some of her tricks in the video below).

    Penn was busy telling the audience about how we needed to pay attention and about how magicians use misdirection and then during this whole conversation there was a trick about a disappearing chicken and a gorilla with symbols. I will not spoil it for you, but it was amazing! You need to keep a close eye on everyone.

    In the audience, there were many children and a few were lucky to be invited on stage to help with some of Penn & Teller’s tricks. A boy named Jack helped Teller with the polyester fabric trick. Teller had a long piece of fabric, tied it in a knot and then once cut, it was revealed as a whole piece of fabric, and the shocked expression on Jack’s face was priceless. Mind you Jack was only 8 and he thought Penn & Teller were amazing and was able to keep the polyester fabric as a souvenir.

    There are a few tricks that I am not sure how they were done but being tricked and believing in the magic is magicial enough. The fun, humour and showmanship were first rate and we giggled and were amazed at everything they did. I like many other audience members were on the edge of my seat and looking carefully to hopefully figure out the secret to some tricks but I couldn’t.

    Make sure you pay attention to the needle through the camel trick and another that I was amazed by was the rose in the vase. The rose in the vase is casting a shadow onto a piece of paper and Teller uses a knife to cut the shadow while affecting the real rose in the vase. HOW??? How is that possible??

    While Teller was performing the rose in the vase shadow trick many in the audicence were yelling, “What?” “What the?” “How is this possible?”

    I still don’t know and happy to be fooled as it was a joy to watch two of the best magicians perform live. I did tell hubby that I saved us money…he asked how? I said we didn’t need to fly to Vegas to see Penn & Teller. See winning right there!

    If you are wanting to see Penn & Teller they are at the Opera House in Sydney until June 11th and will be having shows in Melbourne and Brisbane. I see from www.viagogo.com that there are still a few tickets but they are selling fast.

    It was fantastic to see Penn & Teller in the flesh, well at least from row Q (not the far Q, so don’t think that), It was a fair distance but closer than seeing them on TV. If you get the chance to see Penn & Teller while they are in Australia I would urge you to go.

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    Categories
    Review

    What Have I Been Watching?

    What have you been watching lately? Well, I have a few things I have binged watched, and thoroughly enjoyed. Below is a list of shows in no particular order.

    In this post are 12 shows to binge-watch – I hope you enjoy them as much as I did

    The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4

    I have watched all the other seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and was keen to see what would happen in the fourth installment.

    What is the 4th season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel About?

    “The fourth season finds Midge enraged and humiliated after being fired. She struggles to restart her career and vows to only do headliner gigs, not opening acts. Complicating matters, a Daily News reporter continually disparages Midge’s performances in print. Meanwhile, a jealous Sophie Lennon again thwarts Midge’s career. Joel’s landlords are unhappy that his successful club draws attention to their illegal activities. Joel also copes with girlfriend Mei’s unexpected pregnancy, his mother’s meddling, and his father’s heart attack. Midge becomes the comic emcee at a strip club, seemingly content to languish there until police raid the place. Lenny Bruce gets Midge out in time, then helps reboot her career.” Wikipedia.

    Severance

    Severance is a very mysterious show that only reveals little bits of the story and makes you question everything. It always ends with you learning a little bit more but in fact still not knowing mostly everything and yes leaves you with more unanswered questions. Even though the show makes you want more it is intriguing, and engaging and has you wonder what is going to happen next.

    What is Severance About?

    “From Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, Severance centres around Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a leader of a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives.

    Poster for Severance

    This experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the centre of an unravelling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.

    Severance features Adam Scott, who stars alongside Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette, Emmy-winner John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, and Academy Award winner Christopher Walken.”

    The last episode ends with you learning more about Hellie R and I had no idea about her real life (referenced as her outie). I am sure you will be shocked when you see this too… and no I will not give you any spoilers.

    Russian Doll

    I was wondering what to watch and found Russian Doll on Netflix, and yes I am late to the party to have suddenly discovered season 1. This late discovery has an upside, season 2 comes out April 20th, and looks very interesting. The show has taken a turn that I had not thought of. In season 2 it appears that it is playing with time travel. At the time of posting this post, I have only watched 2 episodes of the second series and so far it is very good and not the way I thought the time travel would occur.

    Russian Doll Season 2

    What is Russian Doll About?

    Nadia Vulvokov who is played by Natasha Lyonne dies in horrible accidents and also silly accidents that you think couldn’t kill you but they do kill Nadia. She always comes back to life and relives the same night of her birthday. Nadia ends up in the bathroom every time she comes back to life and then wonders why she is there and no one else is going through what she is. No one knows that she is living the same day. Although she lives the same day over and over again (yes a little like groundhog day) Nadia manages to have a few things change, but she keeps on dying and yes ending up back in the bathroom at her birthday party yet again.

    During a freak meeting, Nadia meets Alan Charlie Barnett who is going through the same thing as Nadia. Alan keeps on dying and reliving the same day soon. Nadia and Alan work on a plan to try and break the cycle and finally live a different day and of course not die.

    It is a clever and funny show that also has dramatic and touching moments. Be prepared for a lot of swearing and Nadia smoking what appears to be boxes and boxes of cigarettes (as a nonsmoker I find this harder than the drinking in the show). Even with the smoking, it is a fun and addictive show that is a refreshing take on reliving the same moment over and over again.

    The Chestnut Man

    What is Chestnut Man About?

    The Chestnut Man is a Danish drama. It starts in 1987 with a horrible murder of a whole family but with only two survivors, kids from the family were the only people to live after a terrible violent event.
    ” More than thirty years later, in present-day Copenhagen, a young woman is found murdered in a playground with one of her hands missing. Detective Naia Thulin is assigned to the case. With her reluctant new partner, Mark Hess, they notice a tiny figurine made of chestnuts lying next to the body. A mysterious piece of evidence is soon discovered on the chestnut man—the fingerprint of a missing girl, the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung.”

    I was hooked on this show and needed to find out who the Chestnut Man was and more about the 30-year mystery. It is not a show for kids and is just for adults only. Many of the images are quite grizzly and would give kids nightmares. I for one love murder mysteries and a show that has good suspense as well as a story gets me hooked, and that is what the Chestnut Man did for me.

    Safe

    What is Safe about?

    Tom Delaney played by Michael C. Hall is a widowed surgeon. During the first episode Tom’s teenage daughter goes missing and during his search to find her he begins uncovering the dark secrets of the people closest to him.

    I quite liked this show as it was a thriller and a who done it and one that had you guessing what would happen next. However, due to Michael C. Hall’s English accent, I was rather curious about that due to the fact that he is indeed American and has never to my knowledge played anyone that is not American. It took me a while to see him as an English father, and mind you he did a good job but for me, it was his accent. I felt that he could have been an American father in England and that would have made his role much more convincing.

    Bridgerton Season 2

    I watched series 1 of Bridgerton and thought it was very entertaining, mainly the very good-looking men, and the scenes where they are naked were a nice touch to the story. I was not only taken by the good-looking cast but also by the pomp and pageantry of costumes, decor and so much more of the show.

    What is Bridgerton Season 2 About?

    Did you know?
    “Bridgerton‘s second season is the most-watched English-language television series on Netflix with 627.11 million hours viewed since its March 25, 2022 launch.”

    Grey’s Anatomy Series 18

    I have watched Grey’s Anatomy since it started 18 years ago…wow it has been running a long time. In one episode in Series 18, they did flashbacks of when some characters started at the hospital and gosh they looked so young. If you have never watched an episode you have 18 years of shows to catch up on, I have been totally involved in the characters’ lives.

    “Grey’s Anatomy is an American medical drama television series. The show “focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into seasoned doctors while balancing personal and professional relationships.” Wikipedia

    I have now started watching the following:

    I am keen to watch the following:

    Stranger Things – Season 4 (May 27th 2022)

    Dead to Me – Season 3 (Final season – hopefully this year)

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    Categories
    Review

    Hot Wheels Jumbo Egg

    I purchased two Hot Wheels Jumbo Eggs for my little boy. He is obsessed with cars, especially Hot Wheels, and does not eat chocolate or like it so a different gift for Easter was needed.

    While at BigW I saw that Hot Wheels had a few eggs with lollies and toys. I thought this was the perfect option.

    Easter Sunday morning arrived and my little boy opened his Hot Wheel eggs. I did expect maybe a car due to it being Hot Wheels but no that was not to be. What do you think was inside the eggs?

    Well once they were opened I discovered that each egg had exactly the same thing:

    • Bags of little jelly beans
    • Lollipops
    • Stickers
    • Spinning tops
    • Noisemakers (think that is what they are called)
    What was in the Hot Wheels Easter Eggs – lollipops, stickers, spinning tops, and noisemakers

    After my six-year-old opened his eggs I must say I was very disappointed in what was inside. No car???? It is Hot Wheels after all. Why spinning tops and noisemakers? Every Hot Wheels mad kid would have been annoyed and upset about not getting a car.

    Hot Wheels Spinning Top

    It didn’t need to be a great car, just a car, and yes I know that having a sub-average car might be something else to complain about but for the price point, I think a car of any sort would be better than no car.

    As you will see my little boy has taken a sharpie to his big egg. He thought it looked cool, although as a mum I was sad about what it offered. I mentioned to hubby what was in the egg and he was shocked…. Hubby said, “Why didn’t it have a car?????” I said I don’t know and I agreed, I bought them hoping that it might have a car. I got two eggs to make sure if there were different toys we might have a chance for different toys. Little did I know they would be the same, exactly the same!

    I think I paid $5 each for each egg and I did hope for at least a car in one of them.

    Have you purchased a gift that you thought had something else inside to be very disappointed and upset at your purchase? Let me know.

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    The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

    Are you in need of a new show to watch? Something that is captivating, and keeps you guessing?

    Well if the answer is yes, then I have the show for you. Netflix’s new series called, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

    I read a little about the show, and of course love Kristen Bell so watched the first episode and was hooked. I think I finished the whole first series in a weekend. You could do it in a day if you didn’t have interruptions with kids and other things to do.

    The show is a suspense thriller but also has some dark humour rolled into it as well. I found myself guessing and yes there is a HUGE plot twist that I didn’t guess at all, so make sure to keep watching until the end.

    This is one show that I now cannot what for series 2, and yes, I binged it.

    The way it ends it indicates that there will be another series, and I hope I am right.

    What is The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window about?

    Anna (Kristen Bell) is homebound due to a tragedy that you don’t learn about until later in the show. You see her staring out her window and loosing herself in copious amounts of red wine. She sees a new handsome neighbour move in across the street and she starts to wonder about him and his little girl. One night while watching the world through her window sees a murder, well she thinks she did, but no one believes her. Now she is doubting herself and trying to prove what she saw to the local police by doing her own detective work.

    This is another show that uses the whole Hitchcock Rear Window theme, the plot is advanced by the main character Anna staring out her window. I will be writing soon about another show “Only Murders in the Building” where it is very similar to Rear Window and in that post I will address why.

    Here are two lines that I loved from the show:

    “No thank you I don’t drink wine anymore.. I’ll have a vodka”

    “You are no longer in my prayers”

    Have you loved The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window? What is it you liked so much?

    Also I wondered about the extremely long title. The meeting with the executives about this title would have been interesting, and it definitely gets you interested. I for one was curious about it and then got hooked. Maybe it is clever marketing and we will see longer titles?

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    Silent Pool Gin

    See my wonderful gift from Silent Pool Gin

    I was lucky to be sent a gift box from Silent Pool Gin. This gift box included a bottle of Silent Pool Gin and a stunning glass for my gin and tonic’s that was decorated with fabulous gold flowers just like my gift box.

    This fantastic gift was a nice surprise during lockdown. It really put a HUGE smile on my face.

    I do love gin and enjoy testing out all the different types that are now available.

    The Luxury Gift Pack from Silent Pool Gin
    The very pretty box that the Silent Pool Gin and Glass came in

    With such pretty bottles for gin, it means that I cannot get rid of the bottles. Maybe they might be good water bottles for the next dinner party?

    • The pretty Silent Pool Gin Glass
    • Inside the fabulous glass from Silent Pool Gin

    I was very surprised to get a very big and pretty glass alongside my new bottle of Silent Pool Gin. It is so pretty and makes me feel very glamourous when I have my sundowner.

    If you have no idea what a sundowner is it is any drink that happens once the sun goes down. My Nana called her Gin and Tonic’s a sundowner and by the way, they were drunk regardless of where the sun was…yes the sun could still be up and it was still called a sundowner.

    “Suzi the sun is down, see…. we can now have a sundowner!” said my Nana

    I would then say, “Nana but the sun is still up?” As a kid, I was very confused, but now it makes perfect sense.

    What did I think of Silent Pool Gin?

    The decoration of the bottle, glass, and gift box really impressed me. It looks regal and very fancy.

    Having gin delivered was much needed, as I had just finished a bottle of gin that I was testing out.

    I really liked Silent Pool Gin as it has floral and slightly herbaceous flavours. It is perfect with a twist of orange or lemon.

    I have tried the gin with homemade SodaStream and added fresh lime juice as well as slices of lime too! It tasted delicious and really made the drink pop with the addition of fresh juice.

    Enjoying a Silent Pool Gin – It was a Gin and Tonic
    What an attractive bottle and glass, thanks to Silent Pool Gin

    Some drinks from Silent Pool Gin below

    Would I buy Silent Pool Gin Again?

    Yes, I would, it had a nice floral and refreshing taste that makes it a perfect summer drink or evening cocktail after work.

    You can buy a bottle of Silent Pool Gin from Dan Murphy’s for $75 a bottle.

    I did love it so much that I have finished the bottle and now need a new gin for my sundowners. Maybe that was lockdown or homeschooling that made the bottle go faster? I am not quite sure, but I think it was more like it was super yummy so it got drunk.

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    Shows to Binge-Watch While in Lockdown

    Would you like a list of some new shows to add to your watch list? If you said yes, then I have a few for you.

    I’ve been watching some really great shows and I thought it might be nice to share them with you.

    Panic

    What is the show about?

    “In the summer after their senior year, 47 graduates participate in the annual Panic competition. Winning Panic with a cash prize of $50,000 will allow them to escape their small Texas town of Carp. After the rules change they must decide what risks they will take to escape their home town.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_(TV_series)

    The show is based on Lauren Oliver’s book Panic which was released on March 4, 2014. The story is about high school seniors that play a daring competition that gets more dangerous as the activities and actions for each level exceed the danger of the previous ones…in fact, the things that the kids are asked to do are downright horrible and silly. I would never participate in this game.

    Even though personally you would never do the things in the game Panic, you get invested in the main character, Heather Nill (played by Olivia Welch) and want her to win to allow her to follow her dreams.

    I really enjoyed the show, although I cringed a few moments due to the dangerous actions. I liked the way the friendship group of Even though personally, you would never do the things in the game Panic, you get invested in the main character, Heather Nill was very supportive even though they were from vastly different backgrounds.

    If you want a show that makes you wonder what is going to happen next, then this is for you.

    You can find Panic on Amazon

    The Outsider

    We have Stephen King to thank for this mini-series, the show is based on his book of the same name. The Outsider is also produced by Jason Bateman (Bateman is only in 2 or so episodes) and Ben Mendelsohn, both also star in the show.

    If you truly wanted a show that makes you second guess things, question what has happened, and have supernatural storylines, this is your show.

    What is the show about?

    The show is about one horrible crime that has police second-guessing themselves. The evidence contradicts everything the police know about the case. Not only is this not the first horrible crime that has contradicting evidence no one believes that the person accused of the crime is actually innocent.

    Ben Mendelsohn who plays Ralph Anderson is troubled about how the case is not adding up, why is their evidence of the person being in two different places at the same time and places that are not possible to travel to if you are already in one town. Ralph powers through his sensible nature and finally comes around to the supernatural forces at play with all these crimes.

    I loved this show and am rather sad that currently there is no series two. After looking it up on the internet, Stephen King said that a season two was written and planned but HBO has not renewed the series, and therefore the show is shopping it around to see who will back the next series.

    You can find The Outsider on Apple TV

    Virgin River Season 3

    I started watching this series ages ago and although it is more wholesome than other shows listed here, I got attached to finding out what happened to the characters.

    What is the show about?

    “Virgin River follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe, who answers an ad to work as a midwife and nurse practitioner in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh and leave her painful memories behind. But she soon discovers that small-town living isn’t quite as simple as she expected. She must learn to heal herself before she can truly make Virgin River her home.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_River_(TV_series)

    You can find Virgin River on Netflix

    LOKI

    What is the show about?

    This show is based on the Loki character from the Avengers film. The television show is rather quirky and although it is set in the future the set and props seem to be based in the past and very retro.

    Owen Wilson plays the main investigator (Mobius) who gets special permission to have Loki help him find the other Loki’s in the different times across the other universes.

    Loki is played by Tom Hiddleston and some of the dialogue is very amusing and Hiddleston delivery of the character is very humorous at times.

    The show “shares continuity with the films of the franchise and takes place after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019), in which an alternate version of Loki created a new timeline. Loki is produced by Marvel Studios, with Waldron serving as head writer and Kate Herron directing for the first season. Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki from the film series, with Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Sasha Lane, Jack Veal, DeObia Oparei, Richard E. Grant, and Jonathan Majors also starring.” (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9140554/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

    I rather like the quirky nature of this show and the fact that it looks like a 1960’s or 70’s show with the set design.

    I’m sure you will love it too.

    You can find Loki on Disney Plus

    /center>

    The Mysterious Benedict Society

    This show is another quirky one and is rather funny. The whole style of the show is very much like Wes Anderson’s style. It is a very very strange but fun show, that, of course, makes you want to find out more of the story and of course you on get bits and pieces, which makes you want to find out more.

    What is the show about?

    “During a global emergency from a suffering economy and other factors, Mr. Benedict, a very talented and smart individual, recruits four kids for a dangerous mission to infiltrate The Institute. The Institute is a school run by Mr. Curtain, who is sending messages that infiltrate one’s subconscious, which makes him able to slip in ideas and thoughts into people’s minds. Mr. Benedict sends the four kids he has recruited into The Institute to stop this nefariousness and to save the world from Mr. Curtain’s control.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Benedict_Society_(TV_series)

    The show stars Tony Hale who also played Gary in VEEP.

    You can find The Mysterious Benedict Society on Disney Plus

    This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy

    What is the show about?

    This is a very interesting documentary about money, the economy and the rich. One thing that I liked, was does money make you a dick or do dick’s attract money?

    The documentary is presented by Kal Penn and it is very informative, entraining and also funny.

    You can find This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy on Amazon

    Leverage Redemption

    I loved the Leverage series and Leverage Redemption is pretty good. The new show is missing Timothy Hutton, and this might have something to do with a lawsuit that is against him (this was from over 20 odd years ago but the studio wanted to distance themselves from the bad press, so new series without Hutton happened)

    Move forward to the new show, the same cast is there and to balance the missing link without Hutton, Noah Wylie is the new person and I must say fits in nicely.

    What is the show about?

    “Reformed criminals put their unique skills to good use by helping ordinary people fight back against corporate and governmental injustices.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leverage:_Redemption)

    Evil

    I love this show, it is scary and also rather funny. Some of the dialogue the way it is delivered is very clever and funny.

    What is the show about?

    “A skeptical forensic psychologist (Herbers) allies with a Catholic seminarian (Colter) and a technology contractor (Mandvi) to investigate purported supernatural incidents.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_(TV_series)

    There are funny scenes with a ghost or supernatural creature called, ‘George’ and he is very creepy but the way he interacts with the lead character Dr. Kristen Bouchard is played by Katja Herbers.

    One of the evil characters is Dr. Leland Townsend who is played by Michael Emerson, and you will know him from LOST and Person of Interest.

    I am sure you will love this show too and you can find Evil on Stan.

    While compiling this list I have noticed that the following shows have new seasons available:

    I hope you like this list of shows that will keep you occupied during lockdown, it is nice to go somewhere but not having anything to watch is even worse.

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    The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Is A Must See

    I have just finished watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and I cannot wait for Season 4.

    What is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel About?

    The show starts in 1958 and is about Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), an upper-class Jewish American housewife who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She has been married to Joel Maisel (Michael Zegen) for four years and has the couple have two children. Joel works at a plastics company and on the side fancies himself as a stand-up comedian. He performs at the Gaslight Café and copies other well-known comics material for his act. He is not good and rather mediocre at best. After a very bad performance, he leaves his wife and children as he thinks he is a failure and not to mention that Joel is also having an affair with his secretary.

    Midge reacts to Joel leaving by getting drunk and going to The Gaslight Café to let off some steam. She ends up on stage telling the audience all sorts of personal stories and letting them know that her husband has just left her, and also packed his stuff in her suitcase! She swears and then flashes her breasts when she says, “Would you leave this?”, and gets promptly arrested for her language and for nudity. (In 2021, what Midge did wasn’t an arrestable offence but in 1958 it was).

    All three season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are available on Amazon

    Miriam moves in with her parents, Rose (Marin Hinkle) and Abe (Tony Shalhoub) and gets work at B. Altman (A high-end department store) at the cosmetics counter.

    Midge realises she is good at comedy and would like to become a stand up comic. Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein) who works booking talent at The Gaslight Café sees that Midge is talented and has great potential to become a famous comedian. Susie becomes her manager and they both start working on Midge’s act.

    The show is now the journey of how Midge navigates the world of work and comedy and also being a single mother. She is constantly pressured by her family to give Joel another chance but Midge has been deeply hurt by Joel leaving and believes she is better on her own.

    I just love shows set in a different era, I like how the sets are styled to match the year, clothes, hair and makeup are also fabulous as they really make you feel like you are indeed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I really admire the set decorators and costumiers that create a whole world, they are beyond talented.

    The Fashion from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    In The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Midge Maisel wears some really stunning outfits and so does her mother Rose. I just adore seeing what Midge wears in each episode and how her manager Susie Myerson complains about how fancy her clothes are and of course not right for the clubs they frequent.

    I learnt from the show that you can match your shoes to your handbag, not your dress or skirt. Although the colours of the handbag and shoes did compliment the dress colours, I would have not thought to do this. One outfit Midge wore was a purple dress and she had a green handbag and green shoes that had purple stripes on them, and it looked amazing!

    Women’s Rights and Independence

    Even though the show is set in the late ’50s and early 60’s it is rather modern with regards to Midge and Joel’s relationship post-marriage breakup. Midge works during the day, goes to clubs in the evening to do her stand up comedy and is the mother to two children.

    In the third season, she goes on tour to open for Shy Baldwin (LeRoy McClain) and Joel looks after the kids. It is the early 1960’s and many who learn that Joel is the primary carer for the kids are shocked. It is pointed out that Midge shouldn’t be travelling and should be a full-time mother to her children. This arrangement is very modern and embraces Midge’s new freedom to have her own career, and eventually buy back her apartment so that she can be an independent woman and make her own decisions for herself and her children.

    Her parents finally come around to the fact that their daughter is walking a different path and embrace her new career and the fact that she has not remarried after separating from Joel.

    Looking forward to Season 4

    If you are a fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel you will be very happy to learn that Amazon has renewed the show for a fourth season…. what fantastic news, and I cannot wait to learn what happens to all the characters.

    Currently cast and crew have been filming the fourth season in New York.

    Filming has been stalled due to COVID so we might see the new series hit Amazon possibly end of 2021.

    Make sure that you check out the The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as I’m sure you will love it as much as I do. You can watch all three seasons and either binge watch or watch a few each week.

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    The Queen’s Gambit

    I don’t know if I’m late to the party but I just recently finished watching the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit”

    I was tempted to start watching by myself but decided to include hubby in my tv watching decision. I must say that we both loved it and consumed the episodes at great speed.

    Netflix poster for The Queen’s Gambit

    So what is The Queen’s Gambit About?

    The show is based on Walter Trevis’s 1983 novel called, The Queen’s Gambit.

    It is about a girl called, Beth Harmon who gets orphaned after a car accident kills her mum. The show starts in the 1950s and progresses through the 1960s.

    After Beth is orphaned she is taken to an orphanage for girls. She is then introduced to chess from the building custodian, Mr Shaibel. While at the orphanage she is exposed to taking daily tranquillizers as this is a way the home keeps the children under control. Due to taking these pills daily, Beth grew to rely on them.

    Mr Shaibel teaching a young Beth Harmon to play chess

    Beth sneaks downstairs to have secret chess lessons from Mr Shaibel and it is slowly revealed that she is a chess prodigy. Mr Shaibel introduces Beth to a contact at the local high school that has a chess group so that Beth can learn more and be exposed with other fellow chess players.

    Beth enters chess tournaments and gets better and better. It is interesting to watch how Beth grows up as a young woman and becomes her own person rather than relying on a mother figure or another adult.

    Also, I was taken with the 1960’s fashion and furnishings. Just loved this part of the show too.

    I loved this show, it was fun, griping and a good drama.

    Many of my friends have raved about this series and I thought I will get to it one day. If you have heard good things about this show I would urge you to give it a go.

    We have loved having Netflix and it has been godsent with lockdowns and not being able to travel or go anywhere in 2020 and also in 2021.

    Send some more suggestions for more shows that I can binge watch.

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    Kids can build a Piper Computer Kit – Great STEM Project

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    Trapped -The Art Heist

    Games that make you think and solve problems are fun, a game that means you can only leave the room when you have the right pin code to open the door is even better.

    TRAPPED Escape Room Games allow you to turn “ANY room into a family-friendly escape-room adventure where you move around the room actively solving puzzles.”

    We have never played an escape room game so as you can imagine the kids and I were rather excited.

    I loved the fact that it was a game that made the kids think and is engaged, plus not staring at a screen for a while.

    “Each pack contains everything you need to create your very own escape room in your own home. Wall posters, cards to display, hangers for door handles, ID cards, and secret envelopes are just some of the things you might find inside the pack along with clues to solve and awesome puzzles to crack.”

    All the posters, clues and tools needed to crack the puzzles and solve the mystery.


    Setting up the game

    I put all the contents of the game onto the floor of the girl’s room. I then proceeded to read the instructions to understand what I needed to do. There are a lot of little clue cards and a few posters that need to be stuck around the room, on each card/poster it says where you should put them. Some will say stick on the wall and others say they should be near the exit and so on.

    Fun playing the game and solving puzzles.

    The pack comes with a book of clues and a code cracker (this is a cardboard cover that allows certain words to be read and others not. You need this when you get asked to read a clue). We did have some interference from a four-year-old who tried to scrunch and rip the code cracker but this was foiled by mummy distracting him and allowing sisters and their mate to play their mystery game.

    The instructions didn’t give a great deal of information. I wanted to know if we had to put all cards out. Do the clues on the back of the work passes get read at any time or will that spoil the game if it happens earlier? The mystery envelope with the clues to the code that unlocks the door was already organised so I had no idea what was in there.

    If the kids did decide to play in teams how do they negotiate time with the clue book and code cracker? This might prove difficult. Oh well, currently it was just the girls and their mate, so a total of 3 kids originally I was playing but I had to spend time distracting the four-year-old so that he would leave the older kids alone to solve the puzzles.

    Cracking the code

    Initial thoughts of the game

    At first, we didn’t really know what we were doing. The kids and I were in teams. This was proving hard due to not having time at the clue book and one team saying that what they were looking at was super important.

    It was then decided that they would work as one group and not have teams. It was a bit confusing about picking clues to work on. I suggested to the kids that they pick one clue and solve it and then go from there. I later found out that they took all the clues off the wall and solved them together, but also one at a time.

    I thought the kids might solve the game quickly but it was a good couple of hours before girls and their friends emerged telling me that they had solved the puzzle and finally had the code to leave their room.

    What did we think?

    I think the game was a lot of fun and definitely worth playing. It was great to see the kids get so involved, help each other, and solve puzzles by finding clues. I believe that games that get kids thinking and away from screens are best.

    This is how long the kids were playing the game for

    Recommendations

    I do have a few thoughts to make Trapped The Art Heist even better.
    When you have all the clues and materials ready to set up for the game, I would recommend having a few options for how you can set it up. It would be more like a chose-your-own adventure. You pick scenarios A, B, C, or D. These different options give you different clues in the room and different answers in the envelope when you finish. So if you pick Scenario B, you only put these clues up throughout the room. The posters might remain the same, and the mystery envelope would be different for each scenario that reveals the winners and the secret code.

    The girls told me that no matter which way they went the answer to the puzzle was the same.

    Great gift/party game

    The kids really enjoyed this game and they were playing it for nearly 2 hours! We did thoroughly enjoy this game and it is a great gift or party game. If you are wanting a fun game for the family this Christmas Trapped Escape game would be a good one to try.

    Trapped has two other escape room games to try; The Bank Job and The Carnival. You can get all three to have some fun during the holidays.

    Stay tuned for the Trapped Giveaway

    2 lucky readers have the chance to win a Trapped escape room game for the holidays.

    I have the following to giveaway: Trapped The Bank Job and Trapped The Carnival. The Giveaway is going to be on my next post so make sure to follow and enter.

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    If you wish to purchase a Trapped Escape Room Game they are available at ZING/EB Games, Mr Toyworld, BIG W and Mr Puzzle!

    A HUGE thank you to U Games Australia for sending us this amazing and fun game to try. Plus the extra giveaways for my wonderful readers.

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    Westward American Single Malt Whiskey

    I’d not been aware of WestWard before or their whiskey offering. I normally lean towards an Irish whiskey or an American bourbon if given the chance – or even a pint a Guinness – so I was keen to sample WestWard’s mash.

    On cracking open the bottle of WestWard American Single Malt Whiskey, I was struck with the classic full aroma that you get from good whiskeys – not the severe eye-watering alcohol waft that comes from those cheap mass-market brands – especially, I find, from scotch whiskeys – but a well-rounded and glorious sniff that comes from whiskeys that have been crafted with skill, care, and quality ingredients and equipment, which I’d expect from a craft distiller like Westward.

    And it was a good introduction to the brand, as on first sip it didn’t disappoint. The rolling flavours that came forth were light, rich, bold, and very well balanced, giving off notes and aromas that I’d expect from a much more high-end and expensive bottle of whiskey. In fact, the full-body-flavours lasted well after I’d finished the sip – they kept dancing around my mouth enticing me to take another – of which I generously obliged.

    This whiskey is not a weak, vapid, cheap tipple, but a whiskey that grabbed me with both arms, a whiskey that I’d look forward to after a hard day on the chainsaw, a whiskey that will keep me warm and toasty on the bitterly cold nights here in the upper Blue Mountains – especially when the snow has started falling or when the Antarctic cold blasts hit us from Kosciuszko!

    This whiskey is certainly now on my watch list.

     

    You can pick up a bottle of WestWard American Single Malt Whiskey 700mL from Dan Murphy’s for $115.90

    A BIG THANK YOU to WestWard American Whiskey for sending us this fabulous bottle to try.  Grab a bottle for the perfect gift or surprise for someone special.

    Stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway to win some smaller bottles of WestWard Whiskey Cold Fashioned.

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    Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance

    Winter is upon us and it was like it knew it and hit with a vengeance.  From June the 1st we have had icy temperatures and winds and just very cold days and nights.

    Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance
    Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance

    You would think that living in the Blue Mountains has made me love the cold and winters but that is so very wrong, I long for the summer days and the warm weather and to keep happy during this freezing time I am happier with toasty warm feet, a roaring fire and a nice warm drink to keep my super warm.

    I was very pleased when UGG Express sent me some of their new Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin’s to test out, and boy did it come at just the right time (My feet were pleased about this new addition to my wardrobe)

    There are a number of bright colours to pick from and I for one normally go for black or blue, however this time I wanted to inject some colour into my world.

    I was tossing up between red or purple but decided upon the purple – am more partial to blues and thought that the purple would go with my PJ’s, loungewear, and of course jeans.

    When sent my request for the purple UGG Moccasin I thought it would be a bright and vibrant colour, when the shoes arrived I was eager to see the stunning colour and to try them out, however, I was relieved that they were not neon purple and a nice shade that goes with my other clothing.

    Getting ready to wear my Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance
    Getting ready to wear my Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance

    You can get pink, purple, yellow and red EVER UGG MIRACLE MOCCASIN WITH SPECIAL FLOWER FRAGRANCE
    You can get pink, purple, yellow and red EVER UGG MIRACLE MOCCASIN WITH SPECIAL FLOWER FRAGRANCE

    My normal shoe size is 7 and a half, and lately, it seems that no one makes a half size shoe. Due to not being able to get exact I always opt for the size 8 for my feet as I believe that this will give adequate room. I am not sure if it is just due to the moccasins being new and possibly my feet being a bit swollen but I have found them to be rather tight.  However, after a while of wearing my new Purple UGG’s I have noticed that they are giving a little bit. I am not sure if I need the next size up or just to wear them more and break them in.

    While wearing my new snazzy Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin‘s I have found that my feet stay so warm and it is like I am walking on a cushion of wool and air.

    I live in a very cold place and lately, it is getting colder and colder by the day, and of course, my feet without shoes or socks get ice cold and therefore my whole body becomes freezing.

    Doesn't the purple colour match my jeans, I love purple what about you?
    Doesn’t the purple colour match my jeans, I love purple what about you?

    My Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin has been a savior to ensure that my whole body is not an ice block and allows me to wear comfortable shoes inside the house and look fabulous too.

    The moccasins have a great grip rubber sole that means that you will never slip or fall over while wearing them…well I have been super impressed and with a four-year-old playing and tumbling I have been able to grip to the floor and make sure that my tootsies are comfortable to boot!

    Keeping warm in my new purple UGG Moccasins and relaxing with a glass of wine
    Keeping warm in my new purple UGG Moccasins and relaxing with a glass of wine

    My new UGG Moccasins come with a subtle fragrance of lavender, I was worried at first if this would overpowering but it is just a hint of lavender and makes the shoes smell nice even after you have been wearing them for a while.

    If you are looking for a gift for mum, your wife, girlfriend, or anyone then these amazingly warm and comfortable Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin with Special Flower Fragrance would be perfect.

    They are now priced at $50 and used to be $129, so that is a $79 saving.

    Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin’s Will Help me Stay warm this Winter
    Ever UGG Miracle Moccasin’s Will Help me Stay warm this Winter

    What did I think?

    • A little snug at first but starts to loosen up (I would love to see what the size 9 feels like but happy with my purple shoes – make sure to measure your feet to ensure you get the best fit)
    • Love the bright colours
    • The wool inside makes it super soft and comfortable and my feet are always so warm
    • The bottom of the shoe has a great grip for a moccasin and since I live somewhere wet and cold this is great for the Blue Mountains.
    • I would recommend them to friends and family as they are stylish and keep your feet warm.

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