Wednesday 31 January 2018

Retro Toys that have Made a Comeback.

Retro Toys that have Made a Comeback
We all had our favourite toy as a child, that one toy that we took everywhere and refused to leave behind. Whether it was an action figure, a soft toy, or something you could build, everyone has fond memories of their favourite childhood toys.
If you have little ones, then you might be happy to find out you can now share your precious childhood toys with your own kids! This is because there are loads of retro toys and games that have made a comeback and your children are sure to love them!
Tamagotchi
The Tamagotchi was the ultimate 90s toy. Everyone had one of these little digital pets that they had to grow from an egg and look after it throughout its life cycle, providing food, love and care. Keeping them alive was always a challenge but they provided endless hours of entertainment. The original Tamagotchi turned 20 in 2017 and Bandai deided to relaunch it. They’ve proved to be popular with kids and with so much nostalgia, parents are sure to love them, too.

Troll Dolls
Remember those crazy, wild-haired little troll dolls? These dolls were first produced in the 1950s but experienced a popularity craze during the 90s – some of the original dolls are now highly collectable. They’ve made a big comeback over the last couple of years due to the Trolls movie. However, they have had a bit of a makeover and are now brightly coloured, with neater hair, different outfits and accessories.
Roller Blades and Skates
If you were a child in the 80s or 90s, then you probably owned a pair of inline roller blades or roller skates. If you spent hours skating around with your friends, then you’ll know how fun these were. Unfortunately, kids nowadays spend more time attached to gadgets than playing outside. However, roller blades and skates are making a comeback, so buy your child a pair (Proline Skates have a good range) and have some fun!
Furby
Launched in 1998, the Furby was a huge must-have toy. With its big blinking eyes and interactive features, this cute toy was sold in the millions. The Furby relaunched a few years ago, with new features you can connect to on an app. Like Troll Dolls, the original Furby has become collectable, with some selling for more than £500!
If you have fond memories of any of these toys, introduce your children to their new versions and relive your magical childhood memories.
*Collaborative Post.

Blogger's Best Linky

Well hello!! Welcome back to the new and improved Best and Worst linky now named Blogger's Bests. We can't wait to read your posts and see what you've been sharing this week. This last few days have been pretty full on, feel like I've got lots on my plate at the moment but that is life.

So Sarah from RunJumpScrap and I would like to introduce you to the Blogger's Best linky. A place for any post, whatever the post, the best post of your week or simply a post you are proud of and want to shout about it. This is the place to share it and we can't wait to read them. The linky will open at 05:30 on a Wednesday and remain open until Friday 23:55.

There aren't many rules because lets face it, rules are boring right? However, linkys only work if you share the love and support your fellow bloggers so what we do ask is.....

  • You comment on the host posts and at least a couple of others, of course if you want to comment on more  then please do!
We would also love if you could .....

  • Tweet us over on Twitter (I'm @helsy_1983) and Sarah is (@runjumpscrap) so we know you're joining in ( and please do use #bloggersbest) and we can give you a retweet

  • Join us over on Instagram with the hashtag #bloggersbest and tag us in, we both love a bit of Insta! You can find me here @helsy_1983) and Sarah is @runjumpscrap

  • Add the badge at the bottom of your post so we know which post you've added to the linky
But these are pretty much all the rules. Sarah and I will continue to have featured posts each week and will of course be retweeting your links when you link up. We're really looking forward to hosting a fresh and vibrant new linky and hope you'll enjoy linking up too! Spread the word, Blogger's Best is the place to be!

Run Jump Scrap





    

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Beautify your Living Room!

Interior Design Tips to Beautify Your Living Room
No matter if you have a small living room or a vast expanse of space, as one of the most important rooms in the home, your living room décor should feel special and inviting. However, when you have little ones, it can be difficult (and sometimes exhausting!), to keep it child friendly and stylish. Thankfully, these tips will help you to strike a balance between practical and functional, and chic and on-trend. Read on!
Storage is Essential
When you have kids, your house can quickly turn from a relaxing, tidy space to one where every available surface is covered with items. This can be stressful, especially in the room that’s designed for relaxing and fun family times. To stay sane, invest in extra storage. Whether you add bookshelves, use a chest or footstool as a coffee table, or add drawers under your sofa, clearing away the clutter can quickly transform your living room.

Play with Textiles
There’s a reason parents avoid pale coloured sofas: children can be messy. To protect your furniture while also beautifying your living room, add textiles – these ideas look amazing! Choose from patterned, chunky, knitted, faux fur and super soft throws, all of which can instantly refresh style and add a new colour pallet or theme. Throws are also practical as they can be washed when needed.
Choose New Neutrals
When you’re unsure of how to style your room, it can be tempting to choose white or cream so that everything coordinates. This can sometimes hinder more than help and leave your living room feeling bland. Instead, choose other neutral tones such as pale mocha, peach tones, and pale grey – Direct Blinds have a great selection of grey blinds that look amazing with different styles.
Change the Layout
With large family sofas and storage, even a big living room can start to feel a little cramped by furniture, so it’s important to really consider layout. Changing the layout of your living room could better showcase your beautiful furnishings and accessories. Move furniture to create better walkways, highlight focal points, and make your living room feel more open.
Floor to Ceiling
When you’re redecorating your living room, you probably think about colour schemes and how you would like to paint the walls, but do you give any thought to the ceiling and floor? The floor and ceiling are essentially two extra walls but are rarely utilised in this way. Don’t be afraid to add colour and texture, as this can really make your living room stand out – look here for ceiling inspiration.

* Collaborative Post.

Defining a Living Space with Lighting.


How to Define your Living Space with Lighting
Many of the spaces in our homes are multifunctional spaces and depending what they are being used for, they demand a particular ambiance when it comes to how they are lit. This is no truer than in the case of the living room and the dining area, so here we look at how to define your living spaces with lighting.
Dinner Parties
An informal and relaxed ambiance makes for a great dinner party and can be achieved quite easily with the use of lighting. A stylish pendant ceiling light, hung above a dining table can act as the centrepiece and there are a great range to choose from at Cox and Cox. Bring a little flavour of Morocco to the space, an industrial feel or a more modern metallic look depending on the décor of the room.
To embellish the ambiance you have created with the ceiling light, keep all of the other ceiling lights switched off and use lamps and candles to light the rest of the space softly. Bon appetite.
A similar lighting strategy can be used to create a romantic feel to the living space and makes for the perfect cosy night in with a good film to watch and a box of chocolates.


Lighting Clusters
For large living or dining areas, clusters of ceiling lights work really well. Consider a cluster of the same type of light but in different sizes or maybe a more eclectic ensemble of shades would be more fitting for your own personal sense of style.
Zonal Lighting   
Lighting can also be used to break up a living space into particular zones. For example, one end of the room could be relatively brightly lit, for reading or playing with the kids, while the other end of the room could be more dimly lit for someone wanting to relax.
Both ceiling lights and lamps can be used to achieve this effectively.
Up lighting and Downlighting
Lamps and wall fitted lights can be used to dramatic effect if they are positioned to create either up lighting or downlighting.  Consider this if you are looking to draw attention to a particular feature of the room, such as a painting or a ceramics piece.
The way we use lighting in our homes brings a sense of theatre into the space and a little experimenting can completely change the feel of a room. If variety is the spice of life, then shine on. 
* Collaborative content.

Monday 29 January 2018

Tips for updating a child's Bedroom.

I think accessorising a home can be such a fun thing to do, there is something about injecting your personality into your home and putting your stamp on it. I've recently been adding a few touches to Elarna's room to take it from being a baby room to a little girls room (sob!). She obviously had to have a new bed and I've changed her lampshade, got her some nice new duvet sets and added some new artwork and dangle accessories. 

Alfie's room has recently been redecorated, he chose the colours himself and wanted a jungle theme, however we haven't really expanded much on that yet. I've been looking for a jungle related artwork for absolutely ages and haven't been able to find anything quite right, until I discovered murals wallpaper, these could be the answer to my problem. Full on wall murals to make the wall zing and pop to life. 

So feeling inspired I have compiled a collection of tips to help you on your mission in creating a funky kids bedroom. 

  • Be brave and bold with your colour choices. I think children's bedrooms should be fun and bright, get them involved with choosing their colours and it's a good start for inspiration for the rest of the room.

  • Consider a wall mural, this is such an impressive way to bring a wall to life. There are some amazing designs to choose from and so many ideas to base a room theme idea on.

  • Get storage. The last thing you want when you decorate a child's room is to have loads of toys strewn about, I have a ton of toy storage boxes hidden away under their beds and it really does make a difference to the room.

  • Choose a selection of accessories to personalise the room. For example Elarna has a beautiful, pastel coloured wooden rainbow and some hand made little wooden ornaments as well as some original artwork in her room while Alfie has his planets hanging from the ceiling and lots of Lego around his room.

  • Make the room somewhere your child feels safe and wants to be in, use beanbags, blankets, throws and cushions to make a little haven for them that they will enjoy sleeping in.

There are so many things you can do to make a kids room appealing and freshen it up, from simple changes to a full on redecoration the possibilities are endless. 

* Collaborative content.

Jake Shoes *Review*

School shoes......wow we must have been through nearly 5 pairs since Alfie started school, how crazy is that. As Alfie is an active boy and by active I really do mean active, he pretty much has ants in his pants all day everyday so we need a robust and long lasting pair of shoes. I'm yet to find a pair that has lasted longer than a term, that is until we were sent a pair of EZ 10 road tyre shoes (RRP £45.00) to review. 

We wanted to give these shoes a through test so waited a while before reviewing them to give them our full and honest thoughts all about them.

On first impressions these tough school shoes are even better than I expected. Although they look like they might be heavy they are surprisingly light, the velcro straps make them ideal for a child who is not yet tying shoelaces and they are easy to take on and off. They also look smart but have a trainer like appearance but without looking like trainers, if you get what I mean!



What did we like? 


  • Just how light these shoes are, they really are so lightweight and not once has Alfie complained that they are uncomfortable or too cumbersome to wear and run about in.

  • They are incredibly robust. As you can see from the picture further down they are long lasting and exactly what you want in a school shoe, resilient and stay in one piece!

  • They look smart and are a great school shoe, they look good with trousers and shorts and made of leather they keep Alfie's feet warm in Winter and cool in Summer.

  • They look as good as new when cleaned, a quick buff with some shoe cream and they look brand new again.

  • Alfie finds them very easy to do up, he's very keen to put his shoes on when morning comes about and can do them up quick as a flash. I know we should perhaps be starting to tie laces at some point but for the moment he gets on with them so well I'm happy for him to be putting his own shoes on!


Is there anything we weren't so keen on?

  • To be honest there was very little we weren't impressed with. The only thing I guess would be the price, £45.00 is alot to spend on a shoe and hope it lasts, aswell as how quickly little feet grow! However, I would say that it is money well spent as I am very impressed with just how well they have lasted......please see the below picture!
As you can see these are the shoes after a good 3 months of use. I purposely haven't cleaned them so you can see them in their natural state, actually they don't look to bad mud wise, they have been caked recently! They are lasting brilliantly, they is some slight wear and tear to the right shoe which of course is to be expected but overall they still are in very good condition and I think (and hope) that they've still got much more wear left in them!


So, if you're looking for school shoes for boys or girls you must head over to Jake Shoes and check them out, there is a huge range of shoes to choose from. 

* Please note we were kindly sent the shoes in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sunday 28 January 2018

My Sunday Photo - 27/01/18


So last week we had a bit more snow! Not as much as in December and pretty short lived but we took a chilly walk in it regardless. I'm willing the sunny weather though I have to say, it's been so gloomy of late. 

Thursday 25 January 2018

Brightening up your Home in Winter.

Winter can be a gloomy old time can't it. The dark nights, the wet and cold weather and the lack of colour in the trees can make everyday seem quite a chore! In our house, especially our living room I find that the house can feel quite dark and foreboding and having to keep it lit with led's most of the day is no replacement for natural light. It got me thinking about some tips to keep your house feeling light and fresh during the winter months. Read on to see my suggestions.......

  • Flowers! Pretty flowers the whole year through just make the house feel a nicer place to be and injects a bit of colour and vibrancy through the house, anything bold and colourful I like.

  • Windows!! Keep them clean and shiny so the sunlight we do have can find a way into the house. If you don't have many windows in your house or want to let more light in consider getting the professionals in to create some more......and make sure you accessorise with some nice Velux blinds

  • Candles! I love burning candles, there is nothing nicer than curling up on the sofa and enjoying a fresh fragranced candle, I like zesty fragrances they really uplift my mood.

  • Buy some throws and new cushions, this is such a simple and relatively cheap way of brightening up your home. For me either a black or cream throw with some brightly coloured cushions. This will also be great transitioning into Summer also as let's face it who wouldn't want bright colours around the house when Summer eventually arrives.  

  • Consider having a change around of furniture. Just making very simple changes to furniture can make the hugest difference. For example I recently moved our kitchen table into the centre of the kitchen and away from the wall, it really has made a difference to the space and seems to make the kitchen feel a bit bigger. 

  • If all else fails consider just embracing the cold weather and gloominess and hitching a lift on the school bus on the annual school ski trip haha. 
As you can see just by making a few simple changes it can make a big difference to your wellbeing and happiness!

* Collaborative post.

Wednesday 24 January 2018

Choosing Flooring for your Home.

Changing the flooring in your home can be a daunting task. We recently had carpets throughout and it involved alot of furniture moving and upheaval that's for sure! I would love to be able to get the laminate sorted in the conservatory, it's seen better days that's for sure. It would be a bit of a mammoth task though....joy. While thinking about new floors I thought I would compile a short list of things to consider when choosing some new flooring. 

  • Set your budget, then shop within it. It's easy to be tempted to go over budget but be realistic about your costing. 
  • Shop around, it's always good to get a feel for what is available before fully committing. 

  • What look are you trying to achieve? Where is the flooring going? This might aid with choosing which type of floor you choose.

  • Where is the flooring going? This could be a big decider on the type of flooring you purchase. For example do you want tiles, vinyl, carpet or stone. Are you wanting to install under floor heating? Is it going in somewhere that is used alot or not so much?
  • Ask for recommendations from the professionals. What would they recommend?
These are just a handful of tips but if you want to have a look at some more click here, good luck hunting for your perfect floor!

* Collaborative Content.

Blogger's Best Linky!

Well hello!! Welcome back to the new and improved Best and Worst linky now named Blogger's Bests. We can't wait to read your posts and see what you've been sharing this week. This week has been busy but good. We had illness last week with Alfie, then my husband so I've spent most of the week dodging germs! We've also been trying to think about ways to improve our conservatory, it's such a nice space but it needs a bit of TLC. At the moment we use it as a playroom so it's packed full of toys but I'd love to use the space more effectively, this article has given me some inspiration as to what we could use the space for when we use it less as a playroom. I'd also consider getting a new conservatory at some point, there are some lovely ones over on cheap conservatories. Hmmmm food for thought ey!

So Sarah from RunJumpScrap and I would like to introduce you to the Blogger's Best linky. A place for any post, whatever the post, the best post of your week or simply a post you are proud of and want to shout about it. This is the place to share it and we can't wait to read them. The linky will open at 05:30 on a Wednesday and remain open until Friday 23:55.

There aren't many rules because lets face it, rules are boring right? However, linkys only work if you share the love and support your fellow bloggers so what we do ask is.....

  • You comment on the host posts and at least a couple of others, of course if you want to comment on more  then please do!
We would also love if you could .....

  • Tweet us over on Twitter (I'm @helsy_1983) and Sarah is (@runjumpscrap) so we know you're joining in ( and please do use #bloggersbest) and we can give you a retweet

  • Join us over on Instagram with the hashtag #bloggersbest and tag us in, we both love a bit of Insta! You can find me here @helsy_1983) and Sarah is @runjumpscrap

  • Add the badge at the bottom of your post so we know which post you've added to the linky
But these are pretty much all the rules. Sarah and I will continue to have featured posts each week and will of course be retweeting your links when you link up. We're really looking forward to hosting a fresh and vibrant new linky and hope you'll enjoy linking up too! Spread the word, Blogger's Best is the place to be!

Run Jump Scrap




    

Tuesday 23 January 2018

SuperZings Rivals of Kaboom! *Review*

KABOOM! Let me introduce you the SuperZings Rivals of Kaboom. The latest pocket money toy on the block, these crazy little superheroes and supervillains are the new collectible craze to hit the stores this January. 

So what are the SuperZings??

Based on everyday objects and brought to life in a comic like fun theme, these colourful little figures are a delight to look at. There is a hero vs. villain theme throughout the collection, so each figure has a matching rival......more about that later on. 


The SuperZings have incredible superpowers and live in special hideouts and you can identify them by the symbol on the door, they also drive amazing supercars and come dressed in superhero/villain capes and eyemasks. You can tell the difference between the heroes and villains via their eyes, white eyes = hero and yellow eyes = villain. Simple! 



In the SuperZings collection there is more than 80 figures to collect, within these are 36 regular characters, (in 2 different colour schemes), 6 x silver, 2 x rare gold ones and the super rare Engima SuperZing.


To begin the collection off you can purchase the starter set for £5 which contains a bright and colourful comic book introducing you to Kaboom City and the characters in it. Also with the starter kit are 3 SuperZings, a metal hideout and a superblaster and 3 discs (so much fun!).



We were also sent a ton of singular SuperZing blind packs (RRP 80p each), 3 Supercars (£2.50 each), a selection of hideouts and a blister 4 pack which contains another superblaster and a coupe of hideouts (£1.50 each) and a SuperZings 4 pack blister (RRP £7.00) which includes another blaster, a couple of hideouts and SuperZings. Me and my husband definitely didn't have a superblaster battle, uh uhhhh not us! Ha, we did have a little bit of fun shooting each other with the discs, so not just fun for the kids hey!



These little collectibles are great, Alfie loved the element of surprise opening them and the added extra of having the option to make them zoom around in cars was great. The pocket money prices also make these very appealing and perfect little treats or rewards. 


What did we love?


  • They are bright, fun and great to play with. There are loads to collect and with the surprise element to the blind packets it adds an extra touch.
  • The whole collection has funky names, we really liked the idea of their being heroes and villains but with the twist of a matching rival. For example T-Mate's villain rival is Red-Ray and Brain Freeze vs. Ultra Dryer and Badnana vs. Stomper.
  • The characters are cleverly thought out with lots of extras to add on, the attention to detail on each of the figure's is brilliant!
  • The price! 80p for a blind pack is amazing, for me these would be a perfect little treat for the kids and will work well with rewards for good work, behaviour etc.



Was there anything we weren't keen on?
  • Mostly we loveeeee the collection. The only thing I would say as a very, very slight negative is I couldn't find an easy way to identify the characters, I think maybe a corresponding number somewhere on the figures would be useful. Also I think a small display unit would be brilliant to put the figures when they're not being played with.




The SuperZings are great, they've kept both my nearly 6 year old and nearly 3 year old occupied. They've both enjoyed popping the different figures in the hideouts and whizzing them about in the supercars. So although they are aimed at ages 4 - 8 they've been very successful in the Blogging Beautiful household with one slightly younger than the advised age. 


The SuperZings have only just recently launched and are currently available from a wide range of stockists such as Tesco, Asda, Co-op, The Entertainer and more. If you're looking for a new pocket money collectible then I would totally advise checking them out!

http://www.superzings.com/uk/index.php

* Please note we were kindly sent the selection of goodies free of charge in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monday 22 January 2018

Enjoy the View with bi-fold Doors.

I love being able to see the outside while sitting in the house.  To be able to enjoy our garden or other beautiful views that are meant to be enjoyed is good for the heart and soul, plus I just really enjoy being able to enjoy looking onto a nice garden or out onto a decent view. On a balmy, warm summer night imagine being able to fold back the door, let the air in and enjoy the evening breeze while being comfortable sitting on the sofa. Imagine entertaining and being able to make the most of space using these handy bi-folding doors allowing people to pop in and out at their own choice. 

anthracite grey bifold door

I absolutely love them, I think these would work really well in our conservatory rather than the double doors we currently have. Not only do they look fab but they are super easy to operate, they are strong and durable and look great. You can opt for either the internal bi-fold doors (i.e to separate a conservatory from the house) or the external bi-fold doors  (to open up the outside space into the inside space) depending on your requirements. I think it's just nice to be able to have that option. 

Grey Bi-fold door

When it's a hot day I love to keep the doors open into the garden, it encourages us all to go outside and enjoy the day but also the children love to be able to come and go into the garden as they please. I'm a strong believer in letting them go out in any weather if they want and feel it's important they get fresh air daily so these doors would enable them to do just that. 

The folk over at Folding Doors 2 U with their  aluminium sliding doors are very much on hand to discuss and provide lots of useful information. There is tons of information on their website should you wish for a little more information and advise. There are also lots of pictures and images of their doors so you can get a real insight as to what the finished article looks like. So head over and have a look and see what you think.

* Collaborative Post.

Sunday 21 January 2018

My Sunday Photo - 21/01/18


A beautiful and fresh walk along the river. I love the sun in this picture, it dominates, it is one of my favourite places to walk, it's so open and all you can see for miles are trees and fields. I do love Cambridgeshire.

Friday 19 January 2018

Choosing the Perfect Engagement Ring.

Ahhh getting engaged is lovely isn't it. For me, I waited 10 verryyyy long years before my (now) husband popped the question. To say I was delighted was an understatement. I really was over the moon. He even had a ring! He chose the ring all by himself and he got it totally spot on. A beautiful pink sapphire and diamond ring, if I was going to choose a ring myself this would be it. I can't tell you how long I stared at it for just there, shimmering and glinting on my finger. I remember thinking 'oh my god I am finally engaged!!'. Unfortunately at the moment my beautiful ring is damaged and I need it fixing so have a temporary one in place and oh I really am missing my lovely ring. So while I'm remembering my engagement and wishing I had my ring back I thought I would share a few tips for deciding on or choosing an engagement ring. 


Right after THE proposal. Ahhh the memories, plus sooo young!



  • Firstly, I think one of the most important things is choose a reputable jeweller, somewhere like F.Hinds is a really good place to start with lots of choice.

  •  Have they got a good reputation? Get feedback from friends and family, research them and visit the jewellers to see what's available. 

  • What sort of design or stone would you like? I knew I wanted a coloured stone as well as a diamond or two (I don't ask for much, ha!) the design though I had no specification really. 

  • Set a budget. It's good to know before ring shopping what is available for your budget, you may be tempted to go over budget if you fall in love with a certain ring and that's ok if you can afford it but ideally shop within your reach ..... you'll need to be able to afford wedding rings after all! 


  • If it's going to be a surprise, it's always good to drop a few hints on the way. I can't imagine how awkward it would be to pretend you like a ring if you don't. I obviously don't mean this from a shallow point of view but the engagement ring becomes part of you so it's nice to love your ring.

  • Ensure you are up to speed with the 4 c's when engagement ring hunting....... cut, clarity, carat and colour. Many jewellers will assist you with this but it's always good to have read up about these and be aware while shopping. 

  • Most of all have fun!! This ring is the beginning of the rest of your life so try not to stress too much about it and just enjoy ring hunting.
* Collaborative post. 

Wednesday 17 January 2018

Blogger's Best Linky!

Well hello!! Welcome back to the new and improved Best and Worst linky now named Blogger's Bests. We can't wait to read your posts and see what you've been sharing this week. I've had a good week, been busy scouring online for holidays even though we've already booked our Summer hols. My husband keeps wanting to go skiing but I've never been before and I like a warm holiday, that doesn't mean to say that the apres ski doesn't appeal and so I've been looking at a a few colder holidays shall we say such like Ski School Mottaret which could cater for all our skiing needs. The more I read about skiing though it does appeal on a level, especially from a health benefit aspect. We will see, time will tell! Anyway I digress, on with this weeks linky.

So Sarah from RunJumpScrap and I would like to introduce you to the Blogger's Best linky. A place for any post, whatever the post, the best post of your week or simply a post you are proud of and want to shout about it. This is the place to share it and we can't wait to read them. The linky will open at 05:30 on a Wednesday and remain open until Friday 23:55.

There aren't many rules because lets face it, rules are boring right? However, linkys only work if you share the love and support your fellow bloggers so what we do ask is.....

  • You comment on the host posts and at least a couple of others, of course if you want to comment on more  then please do!
We would also love if you could .....

  • Tweet us over on Twitter (I'm @helsy_1983) and Sarah is (@runjumpscrap) so we know you're joining in ( and please do use #bloggersbest) and we can give you a retweet

  • Join us over on Instagram with the hashtag #bloggersbest and tag us in, we both love a bit of Insta! You can find me here @helsy_1983) and Sarah is @runjumpscrap

  • Add the badge at the bottom of your post so we know which post you've added to the linky
But these are pretty much all the rules. Sarah and I will continue to have featured posts each week and will of course be retweeting your links when you link up. We're really looking forward to hosting a fresh and vibrant new linky and hope you'll enjoy linking up too! Spread the word, Blogger's Best is the place to be!


Run Jump Scrap






    

Monday 15 January 2018

Swann 1080p Thermal Sensing HD Security System *Review*

Recently around our area there have been numerous car break ins. Generally speaking we live in a safe and low crime area but like everywhere there is always going to be an element of crime. Living near a large events showground it's surprising that our crime levels are so low as there is lots of coming and going, especially when there are big events happening, but really other than this recent spate of car break ins we are in a quiet and family friendly area......long may it continue of course. However, it's easy to become anxious when there is  crime happening near by and since we've been moved in I'd wondered about having some security cameras. 

The previous owners that lived here did have CCTV installed and as such there was a non working camera and cabling left in our porch so I figured if we did get some camera's it may be easier to install as I assumed that there would be some of the cabling left in situ. When we were offered the chance to review these Swann 1080p 4 channel heat sensing camera's from Maplin it couldn't come at a better time. We've had these up for well over a month now because 1/ they took a while to install and 2/ so I could review them thoroughly, but so far I feel more at ease knowing that there is an element of security protection against our cars and house while we are away from our property or asleep. 

So. First things first, lets look at the things in a bit more detail. This is a smart bit of kit, included inside are some very nice looking motion sensing camera's (x 2) and everything required to enable you to install them for use. The camera's included are decent looking, they were bigger than I was expecting if I'm honest but now they're up on the house they do kind of blend in fairly well. Obviously you can see them up close and may act as a deterrent but as you drive up to the house unless you're looking for them they're not glaringly obvious. 


They're fairly easy to install, obviously it involves ladders, crawling around the loft, laying cables etc etc. I did get a tad twitchy with just how high my husband had to get up the house to fit them, I think it's fair to say I held the ladder tightly for him while closing my eyes and trying not to shiver as it was soooo flipping cold when he put them up. My husband did a very good job, he's a very handy dude that's for sure. Fortunately we did have some of the previous cable already laid from the past owners which did help somewhat but it's all fed through the eves of the house so there is zero cabling visible which is great. It takes a few hours to get them fully installed and working but once all set up it was simply a case of downloading the app (available for Android and IOS) and connecting the camera's to our phones.  


Like I said we've now had these installed for a little while so have started to get used to operating them and using them. As with all my reviews lets start with what we like. 

  • The fact that they are connected using my phone is brill. I can log in from anywhere and check in to see if there has been any unwanted activity while we've been out. I believe you can set up alarms or notifications to alert you but I'm yet to do this. 

  • The recording is activated using 'true detect' motion sensor so no need to watch hours and hours of footage it simply picks up both heat and movement and you can see when watching back on playback when there has been something detected. 

  • The image quality really is very good on our phones and even at night. Also, because of the size of the camera's the image field of view is brilliant as you can see from the pictures below. It also covers the main entrance to our cul-de-sac and most of the communal green area we have which is great. 

  • That we feel our property is more secure. As I said above there is definitely an element of reassurance knowing we have some protection over our property. Of course if criminals are going to commit a crime they are most likely going to do it regardless BUT I'm pleased that we are able to have some insight into house when we're not there.



We mostly like everything but there are a couple of things that I'm not so keen on. 

  • I find the app to be a big buggy at times. I have found that I need to log in and log out again to enable the live function and sometimes it takes a while to load up. Also when watching playback the images captured either stuck or didn't want to load. Recently though I think that they have updated the app as it seems to be working more efficiently.

  • The instructions included are very basic. You can get more in depth ones online but it's just something to be aware that the booklet included is the bare minimum. 

  • I find the app a little tricky to navigate, it's not the easiest to find things but once you've used it a few times it does become a bit easier to use. Mostly it seems to be the app more than the camera set itself. For example, if you look at the pictures below to access a playback from previous days (which I am trying to get in the habit of checking the night before on a morning) you access the playback menu, then click on the little box in the right hand corner, then click the DVR 1 which then brings up the dates in blue circles which you then click on to access the footage. When viewing the footage anything that has been picked up is shown in yellow lines along the bottom so you can scroll along and watch any of these that have been recorded. 




This pretty much sums up our review. In all we are really happy with them. Good quality, HD images, fairly easy to install and offers reassurance. Retailing for £229.99 (offer price, RRP is £259.99) these are not cheap BUT can you really put a price of securing your home and safety. I think not. Overall, I could not be happier with the camera's, the app perhaps needs a bit of tweaking to make it a bit more user friendly but on a whole it is a usable system. 

What do you all think of having a home security system? Yay or nay?

* Please note we were kindly sent the camera's in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.