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Airports are multi-faceted transport hubs and retail operations, requiring a range of expertise rarely available within one consultancy. Aurecon is a total infrastructure provider, developing world class solutions integrating transport hubs and the built environment.
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Optimising the value of an asset portfolio is critical for our clients' performance, continuity and profitability. Our management and technical resources assist investors and business operators to optimise returns on new and existing assets.
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We design engineering systems that bring buildings and structures to life so they function efficiently, economically, safely and sustainably. We aim to design and deliver safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly buildings for both our clients and the end users.
Offering world-class structural design, Aurecon has built a reputation for technical excellence and innovation. We provide a diverse range of analytical and practical skills, delivering sustainable, economical and buildable solutions that meet the needs of our clients.
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subset: commoncrawl


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What a perfect day on the Rock Pile!( Thursday Aug 17th )
My brother and I Took Tux to Lions Head, many others also hiking up it today,we found lots of very nice hikers on trails today.
also Just a quick note to say thanks for this board!
What a perfect day on the Rock Pile!( Thursday Aug 17th )
My brother and I Took Tux to Lions Head, many others also hiking up it today,we found lots of very nice hikers on trails today.
also Just a quick note to say thanks for this board!
Nice choice in your route to the top. Thursday-Saturday were great hiking days to see views. Only about 70 days a year is the rock pile free from being 'socked' in. Best time of the year is Sept-October followed by May-June. The views are so fantastic I must return once each season.
yes, i just got back from a overnighter today and i must say it was very nice out saturday and sunday MORNING, but in the afternoon it started to rain and i was stuck right on huntington ravine, not a fun way to get down in the rain.
Tucks is most difficult to ascend let alone descend in the rain. So very glad your group was completely prepared. Sad that it didn't go your way, but thankfull you are safe in the end!
Last edited by MtnMagic; 08-28-2006 at 05:09 AM.
i didnt go down tucks, i went down huntington in the rain which was quite scary at times.
Great pictures! Looks like you had a great hike. You scare me though with your choice of route off Mount Washington. In the rain the quickest way down may seem the best idea, but not if its Huntington Ravine. A quick check of the AMC guidebook would have talked you out of using Hunts. You got out safely but Tucks or Lion Head would have been better choices, although nothing is good in the rain. Lion Head is exposed above treeline longer and Tucks trail is criss-crossed with brooks that swell and make footing difficult. I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but the guide book says this about Huntington Ravine, "...descent at any time is strongly discouraged.", and also, ...the ravine must not be regarded as a feasible escape route from the Alpine Garden in severe weather." Also a quick check with anyone at the Obs or State Park would have tried to dissuade you from this trail. Keep on hiking and shooting, we want to see more great shots, but please take the time to familiarize yourself with all the trails along your route, the best place is the AMC guide, it has saved my butt on many occasions. Many hikers don't and some of their names are on the wall at the summit.
I wrote Tucks, I meant Huntington. Hair raising going up. Must have a 'nightmare' descending!! K.D.Talbot is right on the money. Hike well ... and be safe!


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now you see it. Now you don't. This transparent new console floats in the room without taking up permanent visual residency. Thick-cut plexi in one seamless turn adds clean mod edge to entries, hallways, and behind the sofa. Priced to disappear quickly, too.
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The short story is that you have 90 days within receipt of your purchase to make a return on most non-furniture items. For furniture returns or exchanges, please call us within 7 days of receipt at 800.606.6252 so we can advise you on how to make your return within 90 days of receipt. Notably, for Special Order upholstery items, returns and exchanges are limited to transit damage or manufacturing defect. Our policy is simple. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, we promise an appropriate refund, credit or exchange.


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Casey's Q & A
Who's your favorite sports team, and why?
The UFC, I've always been a huge fan.. and why? Because its AWESOME! :D
What's your favorite movie quote?
I don't have a favorite because most of the time I find myself falling asleep through most movies :P oops
What's your favorite video game, and could you kick our butts at it?
Forza Motorsport 4, My brother has taught me a thing or two :)
Piercings/Tattoos (How many? Where?)
Just my ears pierced with the diamonds my grandpa gave me!
What's the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
The whole Phantom of the Opera sound track! Lets just say I'm happy my windows are tinted so no one has to awkwardly watch me sing it in my car!
What's your best party trick?
My charm :) Im a mix and mingle kind of gal, I love talking and meeting new people!
What's the most memorable pick-up line you've ever heard?
They must of not been very memorable because I cant remember any of them :P
What's the worst job you've ever had?
I've never had a bad job and if it was I definitely wouldn't of stayed working there!
What's the most dangerous thing you've ever done?
Cliff diving, next is sky diving!
It's 4AM after a crazy night out – what are we eating?
Chicken fingers and ranch! :P
What's the strangest thing in your fridge right now?
Not strange to me but maybe to you..White truffle oil I LOVE to cook with it!
What's the naughtiest thing you've ever done in public?
Now now.. I have to keep some things secret :)
What do you feel sexiest wearing?
My little black silky robe ;)
Tell us a joke.
I'd rather tell you a riddle.. "The maker does not want it, the buyer does not use it, and the user can not see it, what is it? Answer: niffoc (backwards) :)


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text:
Tigers signed RHP Jeremy Bonderman to a minor league contract; assigned him to Triple-A Toledo.
Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports that Joe Maddon is prepared to sit out the 2015 season to wait for the right managing opportunity, according to his agent Alan Nero.
Alcides Escobar went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, sparking the Royals offense in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Giants in Game 3 of the World Series.
Eric Hosmer went 1-for-4 and drove home the eventual game-winning run on Friday as the Royals topped the Giants in Game 3 of the World Series in San Francisco.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Joe Maddon is seeking a contract in the five-year, $25 million range.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Adam Wainwright had cartilage, not a ligament, "trimmed" during Friday's elbow surgery.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that the team has discussed the possibility of starting Madison Bumgarner in Game 4 of the World Series on short rest if they lose Game 3.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Cole Hamels is updating his no-trade list.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that impending free agent Victor Martinez will be looking for a four-year contract this winter.
Jarrod Dyson is starting in center field and batting eighth in Friday's World Series Game 3.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs are viewed as a "leading contender" to bring Joe Maddon aboard as their manager.
ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Rays manager Joe Maddon has exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and will leave the club immediately.


text: Team Cycling Sports starts in the elite category on the national level. The nine riders, mostly young, made a successful transition to the highest category and are working towards establishing themselves on this high level. The experienced structure with manager Christian Zucol and the athletic directors Daniel Gysling and Sascha Maiezza enables the riders to continue to develop under the best possible general conditions. With the promachine SLC01, Team Cycling Sports places its trust in the tried-and-tested product from BMC to win on the highest level, even in terms of the material.


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like the BEST person ever. Just so sexy. And likes prawns. a lot. Often drinks excessively, but thats okay.
omg she was soooo wasted last night, almost doing a rachel.
додав carteblanche 11 Лютий 2009
someone who is so dumb, and gullible
Person 1: I just met Kanye west and got invited to his party
Person 2 : OMGG reallyyy? can i come
Person 1 : Wow you are such a Rachel
Person 2 : OMGG reallyyy? can i come
Person 1 : Wow you are such a Rachel
додав thejerkoff 25 Листопад 2010
A woman who demands perfection, and will not settle for less, but does not give it back in return. Will infatuate you with her "Love", and then cheat on you behind your back. Is good at leaving you one day, and finding another guy the next.
"She just did a complete Rachel"
додав RaisedPhenominally 7 Жовтень 2008
A pill popping stripper who will not listen to house rules and puts holes in doors. She has been with so many different men you can confuse her legs with a hallway. she will work at a job that will get her no where in life and never leave.
girl: wow look at that skanky girl who works here. I bet shes been here a long time.
Boy: That's Rachel she's been here so long at least ten other guys in line have been in her.
Boy: That's Rachel she's been here so long at least ten other guys in line have been in her.
додав iwishihadcalledthecops 26 Серпень 2010
a girl who can turn a high school musical move into a stripper move. she always walks in dramatically and is obsessed with justice. she loves "that's what she said" moments and has a high pitch laugh and thinks she's ghetto. she is nice to people but when someone is mean to her she just thinks of a comeback. she enjoys saying "doodlecake", "oh snap!" , and "potato with butter." she is a short little girl with a huge personality. wow she's umm yeah. she's intersting but she's so hilarious and funny! shes one of my best friends(:
"I have faith in you! Haha hehehehe that's what she said! I'm so Rachel!"
"I touched your doodle! I'm so Rachel!"
"I touched your doodle! I'm so Rachel!"
додав Moo___182903 7 Травень 2009
Is more then likely a name of a girl whom is blonde. Unaware that she is disliked by many! Lives in a trailor park and dates a guy in the Co. jail. She enjoys drinking cheap alcohol and blames it for sleeping with every man she comes in contact with. Also has scaps on her face that she picks at and makes them bleed.
Person1 - "Did you see what Michelle just did?"
Person2 - "Yea shes pulling a Rachel!"
Person2 - "Yea shes pulling a Rachel!"
додав DamnThatRachel! 16 Вересень 2010


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- Jun 5:
- Fort Ord veterans cemetery conflict brews
- Apr 16:
- Army water approved for Fort Ord cemetery
- Apr 10:
- Fort Ord cemetery plans call for Army water
- Mar 19:
- Fort Ord reuse: Another problem with plans
- Mar 12:
- Large donation to Fort Ord veterans cemetery
- Feb 12:
- Fort Ord fight in store over plans
- Feb 11:
- Fort Ord: Board of Supervisors delays decision on plan to sell open space
- Feb 10:
- Fort Ord sell-off raises hackles
- Jan 30:
- Fort Ord open space fight extends to state-ordered sell-off
- Sep 14:
- Monterey County supervisors to reconsider Fort Ord land use finding
- Aug 23:
- MPC plans become bargaining chip in Fort Ord ballot measure
- Aug 21:
- Seaside's Fort Ord ballot measure challenge fails
- Aug 20:
- Seaside sues to kill competing Fort Ord ballot measures
- Aug 19:
- Monterey Downs spent $86K on veterans cemetery petition campaign
- Aug 2:
- Let the negotiations begin: Seaside picks possible developer for Fort Ord land
- Jul 31:
- Seaside to mull spending $50K for 'education outreach' on Fort Ord land use
- Del Rey Oaks, developer headed to bankruptcy court in Delaware
- Jul 16:
- Monterey County supervisors agree to open Fort Ord road despite concerns from hikers and bikers
- Jul 13:
- Opening Fort Ord's Intergarrison road runs into resistance
- Jul 3:
- Fort Ord veterans cemetery has extra money if needed
- Jun 26:
- Fort Ord appraisal gets OK from Monterey City Council
- Jun 11:
- Fort Ord's proposed veterans cemetery on track to get $1.5 million from state
- May 30:
- Seaside City Council gets look at Monterey Downs site
- May 29:
- Fort Ord Reuse Authority takes initial steps for special election
- May 26:
- A primer on the dueling Fort Ord petitions
- May 23:
- Fort Ord petition signatures turned in by veterans-business group
- May 15:
- Seaside to consider extending negotiations with Monterey Downs
- May 3:
- Fort Ord cemetery site not contaminated, state says
- May 1:
- Lawsuit filed against Fort Ord open space petition
- Special election for Fort Ord petitions could be costly
- Apr 26:
- Veterans unveil counter petition for Fort Ord space
- Apr 17:
- Fort Ord open space petition draws more opposition
- Apr 16:
- Businesses, veterans discourage Fort Ord open space petition
- Apr 9:
- Group wants environmental review of Fort Ord land for veterans cemetery
- Apr 2:
- Monterey puts off action on Fort Ord land
- Apr 1:
- Open-space proposal includes area planned for Monterey Downs
- Mar 29:
- Monterey considers proposals for Fort Ord land
- Mar 26:
- Monterey County agrees to transfer Fort Ord cemetery land to state
- Mar 25:
- No resolution in sight for Del Rey Oaks development case
- Mar 23:
- Fort Ord East Garrison developers confident in housing market
- Mar 22:
- Del Rey Oaks considers sewer proposals for Fort Ord territory
- Mar 15:
- FORA lawyer quits, saying job isn't fun anymore
- Feb 19:
- FORA falters in picking executive committee members
- Feb 14:
- Sierra Club upset with FORA over language change in settlement
- Feb 11:
- DA says FORA panel broke meetings law
- Feb 10:
- No more free lunches at FORA
- Feb 5:
- Monterey County rescinds 'guiding principles' for Fort Ord
- Feb 2:
- Water availability for Fort Ord development in question
- Jan 14:
- FORA not expected to adopt 'guiding principles'
- Jan 9:
- Environmental group wants investigation into legality of 'guiding principles' meeting
- Jan 8:
- Proposed 'guiding principles' for Fort Ord reuse plan reassessment spark controversy
- Nov 20:
- Audit: FORA needs to better define allowable expenses
- Oct 12:
- Fort Ord veterans cemetery site won't change, Monning says
- Oct 8:
- Veterans organization wants more of a voice in Fort Ord future
- Sep 25:
- Auditors to review FORA expenditures
- Aug 25:
- FORA seeks to cut down trees at Parker Flats
- Aug 17:
- In the wake of troubled economy, Fort Ord reuse plan not expected to be as optimistic
- Aug 9:
- FORA faces conflict of interest charge
- Jun 8:
- FORA director accused of being wrongly reimbursed
- May 19:
- Fort Ord dedicated as National Monument
Fort Ord Reuse Authority officials and their contractors say the munitions cleanup on 3,340 acres of the former Army base is on schedule and on budget.
And they have 2,370 explosives, 29,400 pounds of munitions debris and more than 1 million hand-dug holes to show for it.
If the pace holds steady, that's about $95 per hole.
To FORA officials, that's the cost of ensuring community safety before the land is turned over for development, habitat and public recreation. Had FORA not sought a $97.7 million federal grant for privatization of the project, said Executive Officer Michael Houlemard, the Army would still be out there clearing explosives a decade or more from now.
"I'd do it again," he said. "Without question."
But it's a price tag that raises hackles among open-space advocates who have been using much of the land without incident for years, who believe the development is not needed, and who oppose the proposed extension of FORA itself.
"We certainly don't oppose the land being cleaned up so it's safe," said Michael Salerno, spokesman for Keep Fort Ord Wild. "But it's been 20 years and a lot of the interior of the base is still rotting. Why did we spend $100 million as a gateway to more residential development when there are 5,800 units already approved?"
Cleanup team
Salerno points to the number of foreclosed or delinquent properties on the Peninsula to argue housing development on Fort Ord is unnecessary.
Local officials say perceived delays in the munitions project should not cloud accomplishments on the base or the need to complete the economic development component of the reuse plan.
The ordnance remediation project, dubbed ESCA for the Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement, dates back to 2004. Frustrated by the snail's pace of the Army's munitions cleanup on Fort Ord, Houlemard and the agency's Washington attorney, Barry Steinberg, began exploring regulatory avenues that would allow an early transfer of the base and privatization of the cleanup.
As the potential grew, FORA initiated a competitive process for a private team that could determine realistic costs, help negotiate an Army grant and complete the work.
The contract went to the team of ARCADIS, Weston Solutions and Westcliffe Engineers, though a memo released to The Herald indicates URS engineering corporation was initially judged the best competitor. Houlemard said ARCADIS won the nod because it had a local office and agreed to complete the research and negotiation phase for free, assuming the risk that the Army would refuse to relinquish control.
Kristi Reimer, vice president and project manager for ARCADIS, said the company invested more than $1 million into the first phase. For its two-year effort, ARCADIS and its partners got a $72 million contract.
Insurance policy
In 2007, the Army issued a $97.7 million grant to FORA to cover all of the project's costs. Of that, $82.1 million purchased a fixed-price environmental insurance policy that guarantees completion on time and at cost. The insurance company, Chartis, doles out payment to the contractors as work is done.
The remainder of the grant paid for taxes on the policy or was retained by FORA for administrative costs, payments to regulators who shadow the workers and a $1 million self-insurance policy that has seen no claims.
The project came under fire in recent months after the environmental group Keep Fort Ord Wild sued for public records documenting how the money was spent. The records were largely released after the group and The Herald declined to take Houlemard's word that the "cleanup project is highly successful and all funds are accounted for and reported on a very regular basis."
Defending the project
Houlemard, Reimer and Stan Cook, FORA's project manager, recently sat down to defend the project. Like proud parents, they took a visitor on a tour, pointing out areas where chaparral is returning to land that was mowed and cleared of explosives. Much of the acreage will remain in permanent open-space habitat.
Reimer said the work is on schedule and slightly under budget — 70 percent done, with 67 percent of the budget, or about $55 million, spent. Most of the unfinished work is regulatory clearance, Reimer said. Only 9 percent of the known munitions cleanup remains.
Back in the FORA offices, she displayed a recently created map showing the project's progress. It is one of many visual aids posted in a community information room that has been enhanced since Keep Fort Ord Wild's lawsuit.
Color-coded to explain progress on various parcels, the map shows 35 percent of the 3,340 acres in "celebratory pink," land that has been cleared by all state and federal regulators and awaits release by Chartis.
Reimer said she is working with the insurance company to arrange release of the properties as they receive regulatory clearance, rather than awaiting project completion.
A large part of Parker Flats, including the land proposed for the controversial Monterey Downs project, could be released within two months. The area was largely cleaned by the Army before it transferred the property.
Houlemard said state and federal regulators keep a tight rein on the project, both for quality of the work and timeliness of completion. If FORA fails on either front, it faces fines. There have been none.
Trying to stay accountable
A verbal encyclopedia of acronyms, Houlemard said he communicates with the Environmental Protection Agency, state Department of Toxic Substances Control and other government regulators on a daily basis. Records released to The Herald show monthly reports to the agencies detailing the work done and the munitions uncovered.
FORA also contracts with a private quality assurance firm, EERG, that shadows Weston's munitions removal and plants "blind seeds," dummy explosives, to ensure nothing is missed.
Beyond the multiple levels of regulatory oversight, Reimer said, ARCADIS and Chartis have a private concern keeping them on track: profit. If ARCADIS doesn't finish the job on time to the satisfaction of regulators, it must finish the work at cost. Chartis has guaranteed overruns for up to $128 million.
"There's no incentive for us to draw this out," said Reimer. "And you can imagine (Chartis is) watching us."
With two years left in the contract, she added, "We wholeheartedly believe we will be able to deliver on time and at the budget we negotiated with FORA."
Bill Collins, wildlife biologist for the Fort Ord Base Reuse and Closure office, agreed.
"FORA's doing a great job," he said. "We haven't had any issues. Everything is on track to be completed by the time FORA sunsets" in 2014.
Rotting barracks
That looming deadline is another reason Salerno and other open-space advocates are taking a keen interest in the remediation work. The state Legislature is considering extending FORA's shelf life for another 14 years to allow it time to complete a required Habitat Conservation Plan and reassessment of the base reuse plan.
But the conservation plan is expected to be complete by November, the reassessment by 2013. If the munitions project will be done by 2014, activists say, why is FORA needed? Transfer the property to the county and cities as intended and let them take over, says Salerno.
Standing in the parking lot of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, it's not difficult to grasp the discontent. On one side stands FORA's beautiful new office. Houlemard's Mercedes is parked outside in his reserved parking space.
Turn around and the view is monopolized by dilapidated Army buildings, paint peeling, windows shattered, vacant relics of the base that closed in 1994, taking thousands of jobs. Houlemard's salary alone, currently $225,000 annually, will cost close to $5 million if FORA is extended another 14 years. That could tear down a lot of blight.
"The (General Services Administration) blows a bit less than $1 million on a party and it's national news. FORA has accomplished basically nothing of worth while spending $230 million, and not a peep from anyone," said Nick Wheeler, another member of Keep Fort Ord Wild. "It's appalling. At least the GSA guys had a good time."
Houlemard and others say the rotting barracks are still standing because of the poor economy, not FORA. The cost of tearing them down must be paid by developer fees, and the developers are only now beginning to come back.
Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer has been involved with base reuse from Day 1. Meurer, the former public works director for Fort Ord, gives FORA an "A" for meeting two of the "three E's" of the reuse plan: environment, education and economic development.
Nearly 20,000 of the 28,000 acres of the former base will remain open space, he notes, and CSU Monterey Bay is but one of several higher education facilities that have become reality. Only the economic redevelopment is lacking, he said, and that is because of the recession.
"I'm uncomfortable with what I'm sensing is a preconceived idea that we don't need any more development," said Meurer, who supports the extension. "We are not in a stable enough position in Monterey County to say we don't need any more jobs."
Supervisor Dave Potter, chairman of the FORA board, said FORA is needed to ensure a regional approach as the vision of the reuse plan is completed. He said the community owes it to the cities of Seaside and Marina, which bore the brunt of the economic blow when the Army closed Fort Ord.
"We made a commitment to Seaside and Marina that this is what we felt was appropriate development regionally and for those cities," he said. "To break those promises would be going back to the old days of the Peninsula telling them they don't know what's best for their community."
Virginia Hennessey can be reached at 753-6751 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Cheap ski holidays in hundreds of ski resorts worldwide.
Nb: infants must be under the age of 2 and
children must be under the age of 12 at the time of
Residence Les Chalets de Solaise offers comfortable and spacious apartments spread between two buildings, which are linked by an outdoor court, providing a huge central relaxation area.
Included: Bed linen, towels, tea towel, cleaning kit. Local Expenses: Refundable deposit (credit cards) and resort tax at a supplement pers/day
Iglu acts as a travel agent for disclosed principals/tour operators, further details
of which will be made available at the time of booking. Your holiday contract will
be bound by the tour operators terms and conditions.
Prices are shown for a basic room or unit, can be subject to change and are indicative
until time of booking. Please call on 0208 544 7114 for prices for other travel
and room options for this property.
The price shown includes 7 nights accommodation,
with flights from Gatwick.
Prices shown are per person per week based on maximum occupancy. Descriptions and
quality ratings are provided by the Tour Operator (or one of the Tour Operators
where similar holidays are offered by more than one supplier). We reserve the right
to make minor adjustments to the description or rating based on staff and customer
feedback. For payments by credit card, a 2.5% credit card charge (4% for AMEX) will
be added to your invoice. If you pay by a UK issued debit card, there is no charge.
All bookings are subject to a £5 per person Passenger Admin Fee charged by Iglu.com.


text:
30 Small Cool Kitchens from Real Homes
Kitchen Gallery
Apartment Therapy's biggest event of the year, Small Cool 2011 just wrapped, and the winners were announced. It was a complete festival of inspiring compact homes this year — nearly 200 entries from teeny-tiny to small. We took this as an opportunity to dig through this year's entries and pull out the most inspiring small kitchens. From sleek, all-white modern kitchens to simple and homey spaces, here are 30 small kitchens to inspire.
• Lasse in Denmark
• Julia in New Hampshire
• Nicole in Brooklyn
• Jordan in Brooklyn
from homes under 400 square feet
• Stellah in Brooklyn
• Cammie in Boston
• Arden in New York
• Paul in New York
• Sandy in Brooklyn
from homes under 600 square feet
• Eduardo in New York
• Abbie in Norwalk
• Maya in New York
• Christine in Sausalito
• Danielle in Los Angeles
from homes under 800 square feet
• Susan in Amherst
• Joey & Kati in Chestnut Hill
• Sammi & Dave in Oakland
• Maureen in Denver
• Dan in Cambridge
from homes under 1000 square feet
• Darren in New York
• Christopher in Cambridge
• Anna & AJ in Los Angeles
• Johanna in New York
• Kathryn in Iowa City
• Heidi and Dave in Portland
from homes under 1000 square feet
• Eider in Spain
• Steve in Sydney
• Dean in Glasgow
• Bianca in Cape Town
• Patricia in Canada
• SEE ALL THE SMALL COOL 2011 ENTRIES: Small Cool 2011 at Apartment Therapy
(Images: All images provided by owners/inhabitants of featured homes.)
6 Comments
I love posts like this! SO much diversity, very inspiring.
I guess "small" is relative, as some of these kitchens look quite comfortable (and some are about half the size of my New York apartment!).
It does seem to be a relative term. I have roughly the same amount of counter space as Julia in New Hampshire *and don't have the island* and think I have a decently sized kitchen. It's not small by any means, though it's not huge either.
I have shelves like Abbie from Norwalk, and I adore them. I actually used shelf braces from lookintheattic.com. They're wrought iron-looking, I think they called it oil rubbed bronze. I have a bright yellow kitchen and used dark, antiqued metals as an accent. It looks so good.
@aliebert yes, the "small cool" refers the size of the home as a whole, and it seems like some have large kitchens, proportionally-speaking.
BUT we are doing a small cool KITCHENS contest later this summer - stay tuned!
This is a prime example of how the user interface is so frustrating on this site. With so many thumbnails to scroll through, you have to scroll down, click, scroll back up, scroll down and find your place among the tiny thumbnail, scroll back up to look at the picture. Most of the time I give up looking at the picture because it takes so long. Please please please put some arrows or something up so you can just click quickly through the images. Or maybe just click on the photo to go to the next one. It drives me nuts!!


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Here we have a pack of four chunky highlighter pens from Wilkinson. The highlighters within this pack are yellow, green, blue and pink.
At present, this four pack of highlighters can be purchased in a Wilko store or by visiting www.wilko.com. The current selling price is 75p.
I must admit that I haven''t been completely satisfied with my purchase of highlighter pens. Each pen measures approx 4.5inches in length and the plastic is smooth. The lids remain securely attached and are fairly hard to pull off. Each lid has an additional piece of plastic attached to it to allow the highlighter to slipped over the cover of a notebook for safe keeping. I find these pens to be a little fiddly to use due to the shape of them. They are quite flat but wide and I can use them comfortably for short periods of time but the slight rectangular shape of them makes them awkward to use for longer periods of time.
The nib on each highlighter pen is fairly thick and slanted. The highlighter can be held at different angles to achieve different finishes on paper. The thicker side of the nib is fine for highlighting a large passage of text whereas the thinner side of the nib is more suited to highlighting one sentence or a few words. Due to the shape of these highlighters, I don''t feel that I am able to create a neat and tidy underline so prefer to use them to highlighter pieces of text. The colours are quite vibrant on paper and I have been able to colour code different pages and passages of text. I found these most useful for my Psychology class as we had to use three different colours to pinpoint three different theorists and behavioural approaches so these highlighters came in handy.
I prefer using these highlighters in my workbooks that have been printed. I find that the highlighter glides across the paper effortlessly and the colour transfers well. In my workbooks, I have been fairly impressed by how the passages of text stand out thanks to the bright and eyecatching colours of the highlighters. I have been less impressed by using these highlighters in my own notebook to highlight my own personal notes. Even if I use the highlighter to highlight notes several hours or days after writing them, I find that the highlighter makes my work look a little untidy and dull especially if I use the yellow or green highlighter. Over written ink, the blue highlighter doesn''t look good at all as the colour looks patchy and uneven in places which is disappointing.
These highlighters are very cheap and if I am being honest, not the best. They have lasted me well and have been fine for highlighting some text in my workbooks but I am going to replace them with some more expensive highlighters which are slimmer and which might offer me a better quality finish on written work. They are long lasting.
This 'Make Your Own Pirate Ship' is manufactured by Wilko and is suitable for children over the age of 4 years. Inside the box you will find a range of accessories alongside an instruction sheet:
*18 foam shapes
*6 pom poms
*2 rods
*foam stickers
It is important to keep this set away from small children as some parts may pose a choking hazard. Adult supervision and assistance is needed
Children who like pirates or pirate themed things are likely to be drawn to this set as it does look promising on the box. The box was lightweight as you would expect as this set is mainly made up foam and other lightweight materials. On opening the box, I was quite shocked at how many pieces were in it. Some pieces were very small and/or flimsy. The foam pieces looked durable enough but only time would tell if they would be up to their intended purpose or not. The instructions do confirm that adult assistance is needed for this activity and this is definitely true.
My son and I spent quite a while reading through the instructions which are both written and pictorial. The instructions weren't all that simple to follow. I'm not great at following instructions but tried my best. It is recommended that you use double sided tape during this activity and this is not provided.
My son quickly lost interest in building his pirate ship due to how fiddly it was to put together. Foam pieces needed slotted a specific way but no matter how much we tried to follow the instructions, we found that the pieces kept coming apart. The instructions advise you to interlock foam pieces together to form the main part of the ship and tape together but ours didn't hold together even when taped. There are foam adhesive shapes included and they are rubbish as they do not stick well. The main body of the shop shouldn't be difficult to put together but it is as the materials are so flimsy. The extras needed to decorate the ship aren't much better and nearly every part of the ship building experience is too difficult or awkward for a young child to do so they are likely to get bored very quickly.
We did, eventually, manage to get the foam pieces taped together in some fashion and my son stuck the cannons and skull and crossbones on and we slipped the sail in to place but it looked terrible. Our ship looked nothing like the picture and looked very poorly made as tape was visible. My son didn't want to play with or display it and we both agreed that the quality of the set was poor so it ended up in the bin.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this set. It is awkward to put together, not child friendly and doesn't last. Spend your money on something better or make one from scratch.
~Drink Up~
'Origins drink up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst'.
Origins offer a range of beauty products created using plants and without using harsh chemicals. Drink Up is a face mask aimed at those with dehydrated or dry skin and contains algae extracts. These extracts help to deliver hydration to skin. The recommended usage instructions for this mask is to apply to clean skin and then tissue or rinse off the residue after a 10 minute waiting time.
Drink Up is presented in a rather simple white tube with green writing - basic and functional. The tube is plastic and features a flip cap at the base to allow the mask to be dispensed without hassle. This mask has a 24 month shelf life from the first use.
~Price and Availability~
You can purchase a 100ml tube of Drink Up from the company website www.origins.co.uk. The current selling price is £22.00 and you will receive a sample tube too. If you aren't satisfied with the sample, you can send the full sized product back for a refund. Large department stores may also stock Origins products.
~My Thoughts~
Whilst shopping in House of Fraser on Boxing Day, my sister made a purchase from the Origins counter. I asked about which products they had suitable for dry skin and ended up leaving with a few small tubes of Drink Up to basically 'try before you buy' - I had the equivalent of 21ml of this mask . I have been using this mask as a regular treat for my skin since the first week of January and still have some product left in my last tube. Having had a good number of weeks to sample this mask, I am happy to confirm that it is on my wish list to purchase in the near future as I really do love it.
My skin is dry and sensitive. I use daily moisturisers and cleansers but sometimes my skin just needs an extra helping hand as it dehydrates so easily. This mask may seem expensive but it is has proven to be very beneficial for my awkward skin and I therefore consider the premium cost to be worth it. This mask is perfect for those times when a regular moisturiser just doesn't meet my skins demand for hydration. I find it to be a delightful treat to use and the price reflects the quality of this product in my opinion.
I normally choose to apply this after lightly cleansing my face with a mild cleanser but have often just washed my face with warm water and dabbed off before applying this mask. I find the mask easy to dispense from the tube. The mask has a thick, creamy consistency which allows it to glide effortlessly across my skin. I find that I only need a small amount of mask per use as it spreads well and melts on to the surface of my skin. Applying this mask is a rather indulgent experience for me as it feels quite rich and incredibly cool as I smooth it over my skin - very refreshing. The scent is highly appealing to me personally as it is an uplifting, fruity cocktail sort of scent which I consider to be very Summery smelling. It lingers for a short while on my skin and makes the application experience all the more enjoyable.
This mask sits on the surface of my skin in a shiny, slightly sticky way for the recommended 10 minutes. During this time, I notice how soothed my skin feels and it gradually feels more comfortable and less tight as some of the mask starts to absorb in to my skin. I have used both methods of removal - tissue and rinsing but favour splashing over my skin with some warm water and then removing the excess mask with a damp flannel. This method works best for me and completely removes the remaining mask from my skin.
Results wise, I consider this mask to be an excellent face mask. It isn't messy to apply or remove when compared to regular face masks as it becomes clear when rubbed on to my skin. After patting dry my skin, I am very pleased by how clean and refreshed my skin feels thanks to the cooling and soothing experienced offered by this mask. This mask offers a great deal of hydration for my skin and I find that my dehydrated, dry skin soaks up every ounce of goodness from this mask and reserves it deep down in the layers of my skin. My skin looks incredibly healthy and dry areas of skin are effectively moisturised for the entire day. The surface of my skin feels soft and smooth to the touch so I am able to apply any make-up without needing to apply an extra coat of moisturiser.
~Final Thoughts~
Some face masks dry my skin out but this is not one of them. I love the way my skin looks and feels after using this mask and consider it a pleasure to use due to the consistency, scent and end results. It gives my skin a much needed drink and is perfect for my skin care needs. As I said previously, I have sensitive skin and have had no negative reactions from using this product though those concerned about allergies can contact Origins directly to discuss the ingredients should they feel the need to do so. As far as value for money is concerned, this is an expensive skincare treat but each tube that I have used so far has allowed me to obtain four applications so a full size tube would work out great value for money in my opinion. I highly recommend this face mask to those with dehydrated skin.
Thanks for reading :)
*Note that I am reviewing the sampler version of this product - dooyoo only allow for one variation of each Yankee scent to be added to the database though I have used the wax tart too*
~Season of Peace~
Season of Peace was introduced to the Yankee Candle range in 2013 and can be purchased in different formats including tea lights, housewarmer jars and wax tarts. A further format offered by Yankee Candle is a votive sampler and this review discusses my experience of the Season of Peace sampler.
This votive sampler takes form as a small candle with a single wick. This particular sampler is white in colour and the tight packaging around it features a delightful snow scene. Each sampler is designed to offer 15hours of fragrance and has been created using natural extracts. The official Yankee Candle description for Season of Peace is 'reflect on the silently peaceful solitude of winter's snowfall, captured in this cool, enchanting white musk blend'.
~Price and Availability~
Yankee Candle votive samplers are widely available from Yankee stockists on the high street and online retailers including Amazon and www.yankeecandle.co.uk. Expect to pay around £1.80 per sampler.
~My Thoughts~
I love trying out new Yankee Candle scents and initially bought this one in wax tart format. I ended up receiving this votive sampler in my Christmas hamper from my sister and have only just got around to reviewing it. I very rarely go for the samplers as I prefer wax tarts but if received as a gift, I am more than happy to use them. On unwrapping this votive, I was aware of a pleasant yet light aroma coming from the candle. I placed it in to one of my candle holders and found the wick to be easily lit.
As the lit sampler flickered away in my candle holder, it did offer a warm glow which is perfect on a cold day. A small pool of melted wax started to form around the wick and within 25 minutes or so, a faint aroma started to emerge and gradually increased. Unlike the wax tarts, I find the samplers to be a little weaker in strength and Season of Peace is no exception. I found that at its peak, the scent was just right for filling my living room with a consistent and noticeable level of scent but wasn't strong enough to travel any further around my home. Samplers are definitely best reserved for single or smaller rooms for the maximum impact.
I really liked the aroma offered by Season of Peace. It is a really lovely scent which I consider to be bright and quite fresh smelling at first. The scent effectively eliminated odours which had floated in from my kitchen and I find that the scent lingered gracefully in the air without being too strong or overpowering. I liked how delicate the scent is without being a mere whisper - just right in my opinion. As the wick burned down further, the main scent is revealed and is that of white musk. I like musk scents providing they aren't harsh and musty smelling.
Thankfully Yankee Candle have allowed for a smooth, creamy musk with a touch of floral sweetness but I find it hard to pin point particular flowers or sweet aromas as the scent is more blended than layered. I find the aroma to be beautifully natural. It doesn't smell 'Wintery' or 'snowy' but it does create a relaxing ambience and is pleasant to witness whilst chilling in the evening. Whilst there is a floral touch to the scent, I consider Season of Peace to be neither feminine or masculine and therefore appealing to both genders.
Overall I consider this a pleasant scent to experience in the sampler format but prefer the more intense nature of the wax tart. My sampler burned down evenly and I burned it for a few hours at a time for the course of a week or so. It did burn for at least 15hours and the scent was every bit as appealing with each use. At £1.80, it isn't too expensive and would make a nice token gift for a Yankee fan to cheer them up.
Thanks for reading :)
~Gosei Megazord~
This toy forms part of the extensive range of Power Rangers toys on offer. The Gosei Megazord is suitable for children over the age of four years due to small parts. This character toy doesn't just feature one character but five Zords - Tiger, Phoenix, Snake, Dragon and Shark. For those unfamiliar with Zords, they are robotic creatures and are mainly based on animals. These Zords can be combined together with other Zords from different sets to form a Megazord. When this Megazord is complete. it stands an impressive 30cm tall and is 23cm wide.
~Price and Availability~
At present, this Gosei Megazord can be bought from Amazon at a price of £25.60 and free delivery.
~Our Thoughts~
My son is Power Rangers crazy so was delighted to receive this Gosei Megazord from his Aunt and Uncle on Christmas Day. He received a number of other Power Rangers toys but this is by far the biggest one that we own at the moment. My son is nearly six years old and this review discusses our experience of this toy.
The Megazord arrived with us perfectly safe within a large, perspex fronted box. My son was immediately drawn to this toy as it looked exciting and was displayed really well. I read out the description to him and he was amazed at the prospect of being able to change the Zords about in 15 different ways. This set comes in several different parts which need to be fitted together at first.
Once I had shown my son how to properly fit the parts, he was able to attach and move the parts himself without any help. This encourages him to use his fine motor skills and hand eye coordination whilst carrying out this task. The parts vary in size and I do feel confident that the average four year old would be able to master the process quickly so this an age appropriate toy in that respect.
The Megazord is quite impressive and my son considers it to look fantastic. It is well made in my opinion as the different parts are made of sturdy plastic and they are easy to grasp and manipulate in to place. This toy is bright and engaging in terms of colour and when complete, the entire toy remains intact even when placed in the toy box. It does appear to be durable and can withstand an element of rough play. I find that there is neat attention to detail on this toy.
My son has quite a few Zord based sets so has been able to combine them to create different Megazords for the ultimate Power Rangers battle. He particularly likes playing with this one and a few others with his cousin (also aged 5) as they attempt to defeat each other. This Megazord is most appealing to him due to the different ways that it can be put together. My son takes pleasure in creating different Megazords and regularly changes the Zords and the heads around during play. Each Zord is different in features and my son is able to identify them all from this show. Each Zord has its own unique design and our favourite has to be the dragon Zord - he is extra cool!
In play, this Megazord is good for role play and I notice my son getting right in to the whole Power Rangers thing as he defeats the bad guys. There is a good amount of movement within this toy to allow my son to move the Megazord around including his arms. He isn't too heavy either so is easy to hold for lengthy periods of time. My son enjoys adding to this Megazord to make him even bigger and more powerful. There are so many different design options open to him and that is all part of the fun as he can design something different every day. The other parts from other sets fit securely on to the main body of this Megazord and I'm sure most Power Rangers fans with have fun discovering the different possibilities with this toy.
~Final Thoughts~
Whilst £25.00 (approx) is a lot to pay for a character toy made of plastic, I consider this to be a worthwhile purchase. My son enjoys playing with it and it is a sturdy, well designed toy in my opinion. The different features open to my son increase playability and make this a fun character toy to play with. If your child is a serious Power Rangers fan, I would recommend investing in this and building up a cool Megazord collection. No batteries involved - just pure imagination. This set also comes with two Power Rangers cards which my son collects.
Thanks for reading :)
The picture doesn't do the toy justice as it isn't displaying all features fully.
~Multi-Coloured Glitter Glue~
Wilko offer quite an extensive selection of craft products and this review concentrates on the multi-coloured glitter glue.
This pack contains six bottles of glitter glue each containing 20ml of liquid. The bottles are simply packaged under a plastic cover on a piece of cardboard. This pack contains six different colours of glitter glue - red, silver, blue, green, gold and red. This product is recommended for use by children over the age of 4 years and under adult supervision. The packaging does give guidance and warnings regarding possible staining and small parts which should be read before use.
~Price and Availability~
This six pack of glitter glue is available in Wilkinson stores or online from www.wilko.com. The current selling price is £1.00 per pack.
~Our Experience~
My son and I thoroughly enjoy doing craft activities together and recently we revamped our craft box with some bits and pieces from various shops. We decided to purchase these glitter glues as they were well priced and the colours appealed to myself and my son who is nearly six years old. Glitter glue is something that we regularly use and I am happy for my son to use this type of product though parents who are more strict with messy play mess may have different ideas. If surfaces and clothing are adequately protected, I see no reason not to experiment with messy play and my son certainly enjoys doing this.
The pack is easy to open and cannot be resealed so the tubes of glitter need to be stored somewhere safe in between uses. The bottles are made from squeezy plastic and the different colours are evident through the plastic. Each bottle has a screw off lid and there is a thin nozzle to allow the glitter glue to be dispensed through. We have used these glitter glues for a few craft activities and have had mixed experiences with them if I am being honest. Glitter glue in general is good for collages, making cards, decorating homemade projects and much more craft activities. Combining the glitter and glue together should mean less mess overall as there is no dry glitter to be poured.
There is a great selection of colours within this pack and they are all vivid and eyecatching. The bottles are very squeezy and it does take a little getting used to for both children and adults to get the right flow of glitter glue being dispensed. Each tube is packed full of shiny glitter mixed within clear glue but when dispensed on to our chosen surface, we found that the glitter coverage wasn't consistent and my son felt the need to add extra glitter glue to some parts to get a more even glitter coverage. The glitter glue flows well from a brand new tube and sticks well to different surfaces including paper, card and felt as we have discovered. It would be very easy to dispense too much glitter glue and this has its issues in the long run.
My son enjoys using glitter glue as he can add finishing, glittery touches to his craft projects and he was able to use this glitter glue independently. He lets his imagination run wild and we have made various pictures and puppets on rainy days that he is proud to display. I have also used this glitter glue for decorating some cards for fun more than anything. As I said before, the glitter coverage isn't always consistent. The glitter glue is quite thick in consistency though it can be thinned out a little using the nozzle at the end of the bottle. I would recommend doing this as thick glitter glue takes an absolute age to dry.
I wouldn't say that these are the best glitter glues we have used but the price does reflect the quality. The glitter clings well to surfaces and the colours are bright. The thin nozzles makes this glitter glue ideal for swirling designs and for my son to create more accurate pictures. We found that writing words with this glitter glue was a simple and hassle free task. The main issue we have with this glitter glue is the drying time. Although sometimes the glitter glue has been applied fairly thickly, this is not always the case. During the holidays a few weeks back, we left our pictures and cards to dry on the table and the glitter was still not fully set after 3 days which isn't ideal at all. I do prefer the quicker drying time of proper glue and dry glitter.
~Final Thoughts~
Okay, these are cheap and they are useable but the drying time puts us off using them more often than we currently do. Our finished projects feature bright and sparkly pictures and writing. Whilst we find all of the colours to be presentable, we both favour the blue and green as they are extra vibrant on paper. A small issue aside from the drying time occurs when the glitter is running low. One or two of our more used colours is running low at the moment and my son is finding it difficult to dispense the glitter glue out as it is refusing to budge from the bottom of the tube to the top so we may need to cut in to the tube to free it - no wastage of glitter in this house! We are careful when using this but a small amount of this glitter glue dropped on my sons trousers and came out when washed without staining though I cannot speak for all types of fabric so be careful.
Anyway, at the end of the day, these glitter glues are cheap and they do the job. They are perfectly fine for younger children to play around with and use their imagination to create pictures and add bits to their designs. You do get a good selection and amount of glitter glue for £1.00. Older children may prefer a higher quality glitter glue but my son was happy with this glitter glue and we will give it 4 stars despite some issues.
Thanks for reading :)
*~Daily Energizer Cream~*
The Daily Energizer skin care range from Clarins includes four products - a cleansing gel, wake-up booster, a cream-gel and this cream which I will be reviewing.
This day cream is recommended for ladies in their 20's and has won a few beauty awards. It is suitable for normal to dry skin and should be applied to the face and neck area after cleansing. Clarins promise that this cream will leave your skin soft and smooth. Further claims include a healthy, radiant complexion and that minor imperfections will disappear. This cream is designed to hydrate the skin without leaving an oily finish and is suitable for using as a base for applying make-up. Ingredients include Vitamin C, turmeric and ginkgo biloba as well as alchemillia. More information on the Clarins website.
This cream is presented in a sturdy, orange jar with a white, screw top lid. As with a lot of face cream products, the packaging resembles a jar within another jar and this helps keep the cream extra fresh. I find the packaging for this cream to be bright and eyecatching. This cream has an 18 month shelf life from first opening.
*~Price and Availability~*
Daily Energizer Cream is available in a 30ml sized jar from Clarins counters within departments stores and from www.clarins.co.uk. It is currently priced at £21.00.
*~My Thoughts~*
I like to take care of my skin and need to moisturise daily as my skin becomes very dry otherwise.I am lucky to have never really suffered from spots or excessively oily skin but the dryness does annoy me especially if I wish to wear make-up. Over the years, I have tried a number of face creams and the one that I am using just now is the Daily Energizer Cream which was recommended by a friend. I have had good experiences with Clarins products and have previously used the other Daily Energizer products on my skin. I have used them alongside this cream when I first bought it but have since ran out of the cleansing gel and wake-up booster so I am currently using this cream alongside a different brand of cleanser and toner.
This cream is very pleasant to use. On opening the jar I am greeted with a gorgeous pale orange cream which has a very fresh, clean and slightly citrussy aroma to it. I try to apple this every morning after cleansing. If applied directly on to dry patches of skin, it doesn't work quite so well so cleansing is a must for me. If you have more normal skin, you could get away with just slathering this on without cleansing beforehand. I find the texture of this cream to be just right as it feels creamy and lightweight. I don't need to use a lot to fully moisturise my face as it spreads effortlessly across my skin.
I spend a short time massaging this cream in to my skin and love the cooling sensation that it offers as it absorbs in to my thirsty skin. The scent is a bonus too as it is the perfect 'wake-up' scent and is beautifully bright. This cream does sit on my skin for a minute or so and feels a little sticky but it quickly absorbs in to my skin leaving it feeling refreshed and soothed. I find this cream to be suitable for my skin care needs. My skin feels soft and supple after applying it and I am able to apply my make-up confident that it won't cling to any dry patches on my forehead. The light scent lasts for a short while on my skin.
The finish offered by this cream is good. My skin appears bright, healthy and I find that my complexion is evened out and radiant. My skin also feels hydrated deep down and this feeling lasts well. I find that my skin remains moisturised through the day and I apply a light night cream in the evening. This cream works best alongside the other Daily Energizer products but is fine to use with other branded products in my experience. There are occasions where my dry skin on my forehead flares up really bad. On these occasions, I normally make use of a face mask or a scrub before applying this cream. The rest of my skin is never anywhere near as bad as my forehead.
*~Final Thoughts~*
If I don't use this for a few days (through being lazy or illness), I do notice that my skin becomes quite dull but is brought back to a bright, healthy state when I apply this cream. I find it to be pleasantly refreshing to use and it is perfect as a daily use cream in my opinion. It is fine for my dry skin unless, as stated above, my skin flares up quite badly on my forehead then I need something extra. I have sensitive skin and have had no sensitivity issues with this particular cream. It always feels gentle and kind to my skin whilst allowing it to breathe freely.
This is an expensive moisturiser but I do consider it to be worth the higher cost. I may try something different when my jar runs out but I will likely go back to this in the future.. My 30ml jar is lasting well and I recommend it for normal to dry skin. It is worth looking out for special offers on Clarins products.
Thanks for reading :)
~Surf Capsules~
The Surf laundry capsules I will be reviewing are the 'Wild Flowers and Morning Dew' capsules. Each capsule is filled with dark blue liquid. The capsules have biological detergent in them and essential oils. The capsule should be placed in the washing machine drum before the laundry. These capsules aren't suitable for hand washing. For larger loads of soiled laundry, it is recommended that you use two capsules. As well as leaving clothes clean, Surf also promise 'long lasting freshness'.
These capsules are presented in a rather large yet easy to store plastic bag. The bag is quite eyecatching due to the bright, Summery colours and floral illustrations used to decorate it. The bag has a secure closure tab to keep the capsules secure.
~Price and Availability~
An 18pk of Surf capsules can be purchased from Asda and is currently priced at £3.00. A bottle of the liquid detergent is also £3.00.
~My Experience~
I vary my laundry purchases depending on what is on offer but it seems that most of my purchases fall under the Surf brand. I have had positive experiences with the Surf laundry capsules so bought a pack of these wild flower ones a good few weeks ago. At £3.00, I consider them to be fairly priced and hassle free to use as there is no measuring involved. The liquid detergent does work out better value for money wash per wash though so this is something to consider when deciding on which variation of detergent you wish to purchase.
The capsules remind me of plastic ice cube packets that my Mum used to use when I was younger. It is easy to just throw one in to the drum and add in our laundry. I have a large capacity washing machine but rarely fill it to capacity so I find that one capsule per wash is more than suitable for my laundry needs. I have used these capsules on various settings and various types of laundry. They have also been used at different temperatures ranging from 30c up to 60c.
I have been pleased with how well these capsules perform but wouldn't say that they are my favourites in terms of scent. The capsules dissolve well in the wash and circulate well through my laundry. I haven't experienced any residue on my laundry once removed from the machine. I have used these capsules without any fabric conditioner and find that they clean my laundry to a high standard. The detergent is effective at removing light stains and general dirt. I am satisfied by how fresh and clean my laundry is when the machine has finished and the laundry is nice and soft too.
I find that whilst my laundry smells refreshed, the wild flower and morning dew aroma is very subtle. For that reason, I prefer to use a few drops of Comfort in with my laundry. My laundry benefits from the added conditioner as it enhances the scent and softness to a more favourable level. I do feel that some of the other Surf capsules offer a more prominent scent which I personally prefer.
I am happy with how well these capsules wash my laundry and find that clothes and towels are lovely and soft against my skin when they have been washed using these capsules. The fresh scent lingers well allowing my laundry to smell clean even after it has been put in the wardrobe for a few days. I do wish the fragrance was a little stronger and for that reason I will probably favour the other Surf capsules over these ones. All of my family have sensitive skin and we have not experienced any irritation from using these capsules. They are perfectly suitable for use on all family and household laundry in my opinion.
I do recommend these laundry capsules for their cleaning performance.
Thanks for reading :)
~Animal Glasses~
Wilko offer a range of children's craft sets. The set I will be discussing today is the 'Make Your Own Animal Glasses' set which is suitable for children age 4+.
There are two sets available and we have the elephant and parrot set. The contents of this set are presented in a clear fronted packet. Inside the pack you will find :
*Plastic glasses x2
*Wiggly eyes x4
*EVA foam pieces
*Double sided tape
It is recommended that this set is kept away from children under the age of 3 years as small parts may cause a choking hazard.
~Price and Availability~
This set is available from Wilkinson stores and on www.wilko.com priced at just £1.00.
~My Thoughts~
My son and I love doing craft activities together and on a recent visit to Wilko to pick up some supplies, we decided to purchase a few of their own branded craft sets. My son chose a few and I made a few selections too. During a recent few days off school and over the past few rainy weekends, we have had great fun testing out these craft kits and have found that some are definitely better than others.
At £1.00, this was an inexpensive little craft activity for my son and I to do together. The pack includes lots of little pieces including thin strips of double sided tape and foam pieces and also larger foam pieces. There is an instructions leaflet provided with written instructions and a few small diagrams. When it comes to instructions, I favour mostly pictorial instructions. I read the instructions out to my son before we started but he looked as confused as I did. We decided to simplify it and make it up as we went along.
Anyway, we decided to get started and see what we could create. We were quickly able to separate the parrot pieces from the elephant pieces as the picture on the front of pack makes it clear which pieces are for which animal. Some of the pieces within this set are quite fiddly especially the double sided tape which needs to be cut to size and separated. It turns out that I have been using this type of tape wrongly for years and now know how to use it. The tape is quite flimsy and difficult to work with so this in itself was not practical for my five year old son to do himself. Adult intervention is definitely needed when creating these glasses.
The plastic glasses are well made and don't feel too flimsy. They are colourful and the perfect size for a young child to wear comfortably. They do not feature lenses. We found the parrot glasses much easier to put together than the elephant glasses. There is a large foam piece in the shape of the front of the glasses and the are different pieces (hair, beak) that need to be taped to this big piece. Once I cut the tape to size, my son was able to stick the pieces together. The beak is a little heavier than I think it should be and we had to add extra tape behind it in order to keep it in place. Once the foam pieces were joined together, we were able to use some more tape to attach it to the glasses and add the eyes. The completed glasses looked very colourful and my son was satisfied that they looked rather cool and was pleased with his efforts.
The elephant was a little trickier to put together in certain parts. It isn't quite as colourful as the parrot as you would expect as it is grey in colour. There was just enough tape left to stick the ears and trunk to the glasses. Both my son and I found it awkward to form the trunk. This starts off as a flat piece of foam with some cut outs in it and needs to be folded a particular way and taped in place. We ended up giving up but Daddy came to the rescue on his return from work and fixed it for us - super Daddy!
~Final Thoughts~
My son and I had fun creating our animal glasses. The finished result was some fairly cool looking glasses which my son finds fun and comfortable to wear. We have had to reattach the parrots beak on a few occasions since we made these glasses and I think a bit more attention to the weight of the beak would have been good. Young children will be unlikely to make these glasses themselves as some parts are fiddly and require adult help. Children will be developing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through creating these glasses. This activity will also promote imagination especially when it comes to role play after the activity has ended. They are worth £1.00.
Thanks for reading :)
~Power and Pure~
Here we have a bathroom spray manufactured by Dettol. This bathroom spray as 'active oxygen' which helps your bathroom of tough dirt, soap and grease. Dettol claim that this bathroom spray will kill 99% of bacteria and will leave no chemical residue on your bathroom surfaces even without rinsing. This particular spray carries a 'fresh mountain spring' scent. It is suitable for use on various surfaces including :
*toilet seats
*children's toys
*glass or sealed wooden surfaces
It is not suitable for use on marble. carpet, brass or fabric surfaces. The usage recommendation is to spray on to surfaces from a distance of 20-25cm, leave to work for five minutes and then wipe it away. This product should be kept in a safe place away from children and pets.
This bathroom spray is presented in an easy to store, blue and white plastic bottle. The bottle has gripper indents for easy handling and a trigger dispenser which has an on/off nozzle. The bottle has the essential product information and warnings present and as far as cleaning products go, the bottle is fairly attractive.
~Price and Availability~
Expect to pay £3.00 for a 750ml bottle of this bathroom spray from Asda.
~My Experience~
Dettol is a cleaning brand that I know and trust. Around 6 weeks ago, I spotted a bottle of this bathroom spray on offer at just £1.50 in my local Asda supermarket and decided to give it a try. I prefer to use a different spray for my kitchen and bathroom rather than a multipurpose spray as I feel the cleaning needs of both rooms require two different products.
This bathroom spray is simple enough to use. A few pull backs on the trigger spray results in a reasonable amount of white foam being distributed across my bathroom surfaces. I don't find that I need to use much of this product per clean as the foam spreads well and a small amount covers a reasonable sized surface. I use this on nearly all of my bathroom surfaces including my bath, around the taps and shower head, the sink, the toilet and underneath my sink. I find it to be an effective product to use.
This bathroom cleaner is quite strongly scented and I find myself needing to open the bathroom window whilst using it as it can be a little overpowering. The scent is very fresh and clean smelling but I am aware of a bleach undertone too. Dettol claim that the foam breaks down in to a combination of water and oxygen which helps remove bathroom grime. I find this claim to be accurate as the initially thick foam starts to expand and spread on contact with my surfaces.
I find that this bathroom spray is effective at cleaning my surfaces. I use a sponge to wipe over the surfaces after five minutes any grime such as shower gel, soap scum or toothpaste is removed with very little effort on my part. My surfaces shine after using this bathroom spray and I am confident that bacteria and germs are eliminated though without tests, this is difficult to conclusively prove. This bathroom spray quickly dissolves any marks including stubborn marks on my surfaces and leaves them looking clean and shiny. I find that this spray leaves my taps looking particularly shiny and buffed and also my little bathroom bin too.
Whilst the recommendation is to simply wipe the surfaces with no need to rinse, I normally do choose to rinse my bath with some warm water from the shower but if you aren't as fussy as I am, you could easily get away with just following the recommendation as the surfaces are immaculate and don't appear slippy with any sort of cleaning residue present. After using this bathroom spray, my bathroom smells clean and fresh. The bleach aroma quickly disappears which is something I am thankful for as I hate my home reeking of bleach.
~Final Thoughts~
Overall I have had a positive experience with this bathroom spray. I consider it to be a worthwhile purchase as the active ingredients work quickly and efficiently to leave my bathroom exceptionally clean and refreshed. It is perfect to use for a thorough bathroom clean or for a quick once over through the week. I have sensitive skin and haven't experienced any reaction to using this product but I am always cautious to wash my hands immediately after using any cleaning products.
Even at full price, I consider this bathroom spray to be a great purchase as it lasts very well. I have used it regularly since the day I purchased it and there is still quite a lot of liquid left within the bottle so it does make for a purse-friendly purchase in the long run. Highly recommended by me.
Thanks for reading :)
~Walkie Talkies~
These walkie talkies are part of the Power Rangers Megaforce range. They come in a pack 2 and are recommended for children over the age of 3 years old. Each walkie talkie requires a 9V sized battery. These walkie talkies are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
~Price and Availability~
These walkie talkies are currently reduced to £5.99 on the Argos wesbite www.argos.co.uk.
~Our Experience~
My son is a big Power Rangers fan and received a number of Power Rangers toys at Christmas. Gran and Papa bought these for Santa to deliver to my son on Christmas morning and he was delighted. The walkie talkies are presented in a clear fronted pack which does require a reasonable amount of force to break in to. Thankfully my Dad supplied a packet of appropriate sized batteries but sadly we could not play with these walkie talkies until we went to my parents home later in the day.
We have a number of different sized screwdrivers in our tool box and whilst we managed to unscrew the back off one of the walkie talkies, the same screwdriver wouldn't work in the other walkie talkie. Papa managed to get the back off the other one after Christmas dinner and we could finally play with these walkie talkies. I think I was more excited than my son to be honest as I absolutely loved these type of toys when I was a little girl.
The walkie talkies are well made and feel solid in use. They are made of plastic and are the perfect size for a young child to hold and use comfortably. Each walkie talkie is moulded to resemble the face of a masked Power Ranger and this set includes a Red Rangers and a Blue Ranger. The plastic is smooth to the touch and there are no evident sharp bits that may cause issues. My son loves the design of these walkie talkies as the detailing is clear and precise compared to the intended character. There is a little antenna on each walkie talkie and a button at the side of each when should be pushed in when your child is wishing to talk through the walkie talkie.
We had a lot of fun teaching my son how to use these walkie talkies as he wasn't quite sure at first. The idea is to press the button in and speak through the walkie talkie before releasing it and allowing the other user to speak. This proved a little difficult for my son at first as he would disappear out of the room and we would hear him speaking but not through the walkie talkie as he forgot to press the button in. Having played around with these for nearly 4 weeks now, he is starting to get the hang of how to work them properly.
There is no indication on the Argos website as to how far the range is on these walkie talkies but from experience, it isn't all that far. We have tried using them upstairs and downstairs in my parents home, outside and also in our one level flat with various results. I find that for the best results, it is important to be no further than one room away from the other user. The walkie talkies do work through thin walls but only if you aren't too far away from the other user.
If not too far away from each the other user, you can hear them fairly clearly without any issues. If you go too far away from the other user, their voice becomes crackly and distorted. Basically, they have a reasonably short range and are best used when both users are in close proximity. They seem to work well when playing out in the garden as we have found. We used them upstairs and downstairs and found that we couldn't hear the other user all that well.
My son enjoys playing with these walkie talkies and thinks that they are rather cool. Now that he has gotten the hang of how to hold the button in to speak, he enjoys them even more. He has had great fun communicating with us through the walkie talkies and he particularly loves it when his cousin (also aged 5) comes to play as they are able to have a proper game of Power Rangers using the walkie talkies to warn each other of possible Nylops approaching. They are great for role playing. Oh to be a child again!
~Final Thoughts~
Whilst the range on these walkie talkies isn't great, they are quite cool and my son likes them as a novelty toy. I do think the novelty will wear off after a while due to how limited the range is but for now, they are well appreciated. There is an on/off switch on the walkie talkies which I would recommend using as the batteries do run down quickly if they are left on. These are fine at the current selling price but I wouldn't pay anymore for them.
Thanks for reading :)
Asda offer a wide selection of stationery. I often buy my college stationery from Asda as the prices are generally good. Around 6 weeks ago, I needed to replace my pens and decided to purchase this pack of free ink roller pens. The pack contained four pens - two black, one blue and one red pen. This pack of pens cost me just £1.00 which I consider to be very reasonable. The pens are arranged in a simple plastic packet and are the perfect size to fit in a pencil case. I have bought these pens on a number of occasions now.
I prefer this type of pen as I find that I don't need to apply as much pressure to my paper to encourage the ink to flow. Pens aren't particularly exciting but I do like the look of these pens are they look a bit different to a plain pen in my opinion. They are average in size and the outer part of the pen is made of smooth plastic which is coloured silver and either black, blue or red depending on which pen you are using. The lid has a sturdy clip to allow the pen to be slid on to a notebook lid and kept safe. Underneath the lid, there is a slightly ridged plastic section near the tip and a standard, thin tip is evident. With regular use, the silver colouring around the pen does start to fade.
I find these pens to be easy to use. The smooth plastic makes them comfortable to grasp and compared to cheaper pens, my fingers don't become sore when I have lots of writing to do in a short space of time. The black and blue pens are the main pens that I use as I have to do my college work using only these colours. I do like having the red pen too though as I can use that one at home for writing up lists or doing my monthly household budget. It is advised to avoid using red in school or college as teachers/tutors generally tend to use red ink to mark coursework.
These pens are perfectly suitable for doing my coursework. I mainly write on paper but also card and find that these pens are reliable. The ink doesn't leak out through the tip of the pen and I find that the ink flows best when the pen is held upright or at a slight angle. The ink flows smoothly and neatly from each pen and transfers on to my paper with very little effort on my part. Compared to other similarly designed pens I have used in the pass, I don't notice any ink 'pools' on my paper and the ink doesn't leave my coursework looking messy or untidy in anyway. The ink starts to dry quickly but does, as you would expect, take a little longer to fully dry and become smudge-free than a Bic pen for example.
I am happy with how well these pens perform. Each colour is bold and noticeable and neat on paper. I favour the black pen over the blue for my coursework as it offers a gel-like finish and makes my work stand out. The blue works equally as well and the red in a strong, fiery red which stands out well on paper. I find that the ink doesn't seep through paper to the other side of the sheet unless I have been colouring in with them and I am happy to do a lot of writing with these pens as I find them comfortable to write with. The ink does last quite well though I always ensure I carry a few of these pens with me as you can see how much ink is left and they do run out without notice. My current pack of four pens are still lasting after 6 weeks (on and off) of use and I will be stocking up on more for the next block at college.
Overall I recommend these pens. They are affordable and do their intended job perfectly well.
Thanks for reading :)
~Sistema Bottle~
Sistema offer a range of food and drink containers. The Sistema range of drink bottles is extensive as they offer different sized bottles and also different designs. I am reviewing this twister bottle in the 330ml size. This bottle is available in three colours - green, pink and blue. Each bottle features a 'twist to seal' lid. The bottles are made from linear low density polyethelyene and is BPA free.
~Price and Availability~
This bottle is currently available in Asda priced at just £2.00.
~My Thoughts~
I initially bought one of these bottles for my son and have ended up buying one for myself too. At £2.00 a bottle, they are inexpensive and have proven to be a good purchase. My son has the blue bottle and I have the pink. I like that there is a few colours available in this range. These bottles are well made and the 330ml size is perfect for my son to take to school or for me to take out when I go for a nice walk. The plastic can be squeezed easily but appears to be durable as it reverts back to its original shape without any issues.
The design of this bottle is simple. The blue plastic is transparent and there are no sharp edges as it is a curvy bottle. The bottle nips in at each side and some ridges are present allowing the bottle to be comfortably held by both my son and I. The lid is like a dome and screws on tightly to the bottle. The cap and drinking spout is within the lid and is twisted up and down by gently turning the twist cap. Once I had shown my son how to do this and he practiced, he found this feature to be quite cool and is now able to twist the spout up himself and twist it back down again. As I am a bit more heavy handed, my twisting of the spout often leads to me nearly twisting the full lid off. A gentle hand is definitely needed here.
We mainly use these bottles for diluting juice or water. Providing the lid is secure and the spout is in the downwards position, this bottle doesn't leak at all. When it comes to taking a drink, the spout allows for a gentle drip of liquid to be released. Squeezing the bottle allows for a quicker but not gushing flow of liquid and it is very easy to control how much liquid you want to consume at any one time. I haven't noticed any issues with the plastic changing the tasting of my drink and my son hasn't posed any complaints about his drinks either. The bottle doesn't control the temperature of the drink in any way but I fill up with cold drinks which remain cold for a reasonable amount of time. Both my son and I find it very easy to drink from this bottle.
One thing that may cause a slight issue in the future with regards to the design of this bottle is the lid. The main body of the bottle can be rinsed clean with very little effort. I remove the lid and wash it out but with the spout being integrated, it isn't the easiest to get right in to in order to clean it. So far, I haven't noticed the spout becoming unclean or stained in any way so I am hoping that by steeping and rinsing the lid that it is keeping it clean enough. Our bottles look as good as new.
~Final Thoughts~
These bottles are well worth the £2.00 price tag. The colour of each bottle is bright and colourful. I am more than happy to allow my son to take this to school with him as it doesn't leak unlike his previous bottle which leaked so badly that I had to keep washing my sons school bag. It is the perfect size for a little one to hold and drink from. I would like a bigger bottle for myself so I may buy one in the next few weeks but for now this twister bottle is fine for both our needs and I recommend it.
Thanks for reading :)
~Asda A4 Notebook~
Asda offer a wide selection of stationary products including various types of notebooks. I am reviewing the A4 Notebook but there is a hardback and refill version of this notebook available. This notebook is available in three colours - black, blue and red. The notebook has a wire spine and features perforated pages. Inside you will find 160, single ruled sheets of white paper.
~Price and Availability~
This notebook can be purchased from www.asda.com or instore and is currently priced at £1.50.
~My Thoughts~
I am currently a student so regularly purchase stationary for use at home and in college. It is essential for me to have notebooks so when I started my new block back in November, I headed to Asda to stock up on new notebooks. I decided to buy three of these A4 notebooks as I am in college three days per week and figured I could use the one notebook for both classes that I am in to save me having to carry around lots of different notebooks.
At £1.50, I consider these notebooks to be good value. They don't look fancy but are very practical for my coursework notes and are the perfect size and thickness to slip in to my handbag for carrying to college. I like that there are different colours of covers available as this helps me to distinguish which notebook I need to take with me depending on what classes I am doing that day. The polyprop cover on each notebook is very smooth and the colours used are bold. The only writing on the front of the notebook is 'NOTEBOOK' - very simple. The polyprop cover protects my coursework perfectly well.
The quality of these notebooks is really good and I have been pleased with how good it is compared to cheaper notebooks that I have purchased in the past. The wire spine is very secure and I haven't had any issues with it detaching from the main body of the notebook. The perforated edge on each page isn't particularly easy to see and I find it difficult to tear pages out of the notebook by using this as a guide. I do, however, find tearing the page out directly from the wire spine to be very easy but this doesn't offer a neat finish. There are four holes down each page allowing them to be put in to a ring binder if necessary.
The paper quality within this notebooks is perfectly fine for my coursework needs. The single line spacing is just right for the type of writing that I do and I imagine that it would prove to be perfect for University students or those simply writing up letters or doing budgets at home or in an office. The margin is wide as is the top line so I can add the date or my name/title of writing piece very easy with no space issues. The paper is of a good quality with easy to identify lines. I find the paper to feel smooth and it is very easy to write on. I vary between roller and ball point pens and have had no issues with the ink sinking through on to the next page in the notebook or smudging. I do noticed, however, that if I am a little heavy handed with my pen (when I am writing a lot at the one time), the other side of the page feels a little bumpy but to be fair, the notes are only for my own personal viewing so I am not overly fussed by the occasional bumpy appearance of the paper.
~Final Thoughts~
Overall I can recommend these A4 notebooks. They are simple, cheap and well made. These notebooks suit my coursework needs and I will be more than happy to buy some new ones when my new block starts in four weeks time. My work is neat and held safely within the one notebook. I have noticed that Asda do a similar designed notebook with dividers in it and this may be ideal for those who don't have quite as much to write as I have but is something I may consider in the future if my workload reduces. These are definitely worth a purchase and come recommended by myself.
Thanks for reading :)
~Confetti Nail Effects~
Confetti Nail Effects is one of the nail paint ranges from Barry M. There are five shades available but I am reviewing Marshmallow. Barry M claim that these nail paints are perfect for the party season and they can be worn alone or over the top of another nail colour. This nail paint is filled with 'confetti sprinkles'.
This nail paint is presented in a rectangular shaped bottle made of clear glass. A sparkly white and silver lid holds a long applicator wand with a brush at the end. I like the design of the bottle as it is pretty as well as being practical.
~Where To Buy~
Expect to pay £3.99 for a 10ml bottle of this nail paint. Stockists include Boots, boots.com and barrym.com.
~My Thoughts~
I love adding new nail colours to my collection and particularly like the Barry M nail paint range. I couldn't resist buying a few new shades when I spotted them at the tills of my local Bank store. They had them reduced to just £1.00 a bottle. I was attracted to Marshmallow Confetti as it looked very girly and sweet. The fact that it was a quarter of the price that Boots charge was also an incentive and I hadn't previously tried the Confetti range.
The lid housing the wand is round and comfortable to hold whilst in use. The nail paint itself is a very pale pink with thousands of small confetti sprinkles. I keep my nails neat and tidy and love making use of different nail products to ensure they look nice. Whilst this isn't one that I would choose to use for work or formal functions, it is fine for me to wear to college.
This nail paint is easy to apply. The brush is of a high quality and I have had no issues with stray bristles. The liquid itself is quite runny but thickened up with the confetti. I find it runs smoothly across my nail and lots of confetti sprinkles transfer on to my nails. It is near on impossible to achieve an identical finish nail to nail due to the confetti sprinkles. I find that I need to apply two coats to ensure that each nail is well coated. This nail paint has a typical nail polish scent and I find that it my nails are dry to the touch within 2-3 minutes of application.
I like the finish offered by this nail paint. The background colour is pale and natural looking to allow the main emphasis to remain on the confetti sprinkles. The finish looks like I have dipped my finger nails is white sprinkles. It is a little different to my usual choice of nail colour but I like it because of this reason. I find that my nails do feel slightly rough on the surface even if I apply a top coat and like with the glitter nail paints, the nail colour seems to catch on things easily.
This nail paint is nice over the top of other nail paint.and Marshmallow looks really good over the top of a nice pink shade - very pretty and girly. I find that apart from the odd bit that catches and chips, this nail paint is quite long lasting. I actually find it difficult to remove compared to a smooth nail paint as due to the texture as the confetti sparkles catch on the nail pad. I haven't had any issues with this nail paint causing any staining to my nails due to how pale it is.
~Final Thoughts~
Whilst this isn't my first choice of nail paint, I like using it occasionally as it is different. I think young girls would like it and I know my young niece prefers this over the glittery nail paints I have when it comes to Auntie Laura painting her nails. It gives a pretty finish and lasts well. I find it easy to apply a little bit extra if the nail paint catches and I would happily pay £3.99 for it.
Thanks for reading - pic to follow this evening.


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