Liska Loves #LiskaLoves #1

I am going to start a series of blog posts called Liska Loves.  It will include products, places and things that Aaron and I have loved.

I will feature things I have recently seen in the shops, and link to previous reviews if we are still enjoying the product.

This week I am really enjoying cleaning products. Anyone who knows me, knows I hate housework/cleaning. That's why I ONLY like products that make my life easier.

These next two cleaning products (Dettol and Vanish) are things I have bought, not that I am reviewing, but I want to mention them as they are truly making my life easier.  

I love the new Dettol Oxygen Power and Pure products - I have the kitchen AND the bathroom sprays as pictured below. As they are *new* out they are on promotion pretty much everywhere, so if you hate paying the earth for cleaning products (as I do) grab these while they are cheap.  I normally have to make a special shopping trip to Savers for cheap cleaning products but the great thing with these is they are on offer pretty much everywhere at the moment (don't buy in a supermarket that's not promoting them).  I got the bathroom one I think in Lidl, and loved it, so got the kitchen one in Co-op. 

BARGAIN: Tesco is doing them for 1.50 GBP instead of 3.00 GBP until 04/03/2014.

It's rare nowadays for bloggers to write about products just for the sheer love of it unless (a) they have been gifted the product (b) sent it free of charge to review or (c) paid to do so as a sponsored post.  I am featuring the Dettol products because of how easy they are to use, because they are currently so cheap and because I like the finish they give, in the kitchen and bathroom.  I went to their website, and the description there says it better than I can:

It gives a powerful clean without leaving any harsh chemical residue behind, as its Active Oxygen ingredient breaks down to just water and oxygen, so there’s no need to rinse afterwards. As well as being tough on dirt it kills 99.9% of bacteria. 

Power and Pure is available for kitchen and bathroom in spray and wipes.

Vanish Power Powder Clean and Fresh Carpet Cleaner

I bought it in Tesco for 7 pounds on Valentine's Day, but only got round to using it yesterday.

We live in a 1st floor flat and the hubby was complaining recently that a couple of the lower steps were a bit brownish (mainly due to the wet weather we have had of late). He was talking about all sorts of extreme things like getting new carpet.  I simply got out my (not Vanish) carpet stain remover and cleaned the whole staircase. HOWEVER, the stairs are closed top and bottom.  No ventilation.  No heating.  They didn't get to dry properly and a couple of days later the whole staircase had a whiff! A major whiff.  What did not help is the scourer that I spot cleaned the stairs with may have been "used" -eeek! I am NOT a domestic goddess.  My solution to the whiff:  I got in a time machine back to the 1980s, bought some Shake 'n' Vac, to put the freshness back and was rather smug.  HOWEVER (again) the smell returned within a couple of days. WHAT HAS WORKED HOWEVER (3rd time lucky) is Vanish Carpet.

- You simply vacuum (the stairs are normally hard work, but no longer thanks to the next product below).

- You then brush the Vanish into the carpet straight away with a soft brush so it goes into the pile!

- You then SHAKE the Vanish evenly over the carpet. Leave it for a minimum of 20 minutes.  It's in a bag with holes in the bottom and a handle on the top - it's easily done!

- After the 20 mins, you vacuum the Vanish off. Thank God the Dyson DC59 is not only cordless, but also has superb suction power so this was easy.

 This pic shows the Dyson DC59 with the short attachment which makes cleaning the stairs/car or furniture very easy!

My Dyson DC59 (this was an item I was provided with for the purposes of a review, but I have NEVER EVER loved anything SO much!) In fact it has been life-changing. I never used to vacuum often at all, and if you know about energy, energy stagnates unless you clear it, ESPECIALLY on the floor.  Now I often vacuum 3 times a day, as the DC59 is cordless it is SO easy to whip it out and spot clean wherever and whenever you want.

The long hose neck is easily changed for a short attachment (like in the photo above), which means cleaning the stairs is as easy as if you are using a car vacuum, except you have the suction of a proper one. My stairs look and smell fab now (thanks to a combination of the Vanish and my Dyson as above).

With my previous upright cleaners (recent one being a Vax and my long-term one being the original DC01) hair always used to get stuck on the mouth.  Getting it off was always problematic.  Luckily I went to a Dyson event and their scientists had told me what to do.  At the edge of the suction head is a groove that you simply put a coin in and twist.  The whole thing comes apart and getting the hair off is a piece of cake.  I hadn't noticed a drop in suction power when it was clogged but it did seem to work even better once clear.  

While it was apart, I took the chance to clean the dust off the clear tube head to make it sparkly, and got every single hair off, which has never been so easy before:

I am so so glad I opened it up.  It gave me chance to clean the inside of the clear tube, AND it meant I could get the PAPER out.  We recently bought a new shredder and Aaron thought it would be fun to empty it on the sitting room floor - obviously I picked up what I could but the last bits were vacuumed, so I took the chance to get those bits of trapped paper out in addition to my hair.  Thanks to Chinese Herbs (another thing that #LiskaLoves) my hair is NO LONGER falling out at the rate it once was.

Vacuuming regularly really gives me and my home a lift, and leads to further decluttering due to the "light" energy it brings in.  I can't recommend the DC59 enough.  I know some people say that it doesn't do a large enough area before needing re-charging but I have not found this to be the case.

Yesterday for example, after I had left the Vanish Carpet Power Powder on for long enough, I set about vacuuming it off.  I have a tall flight of stairs and spent quite some time on each step.  It was ONLY when I got to the top and final step that the charge ran out and I smiled as it was quite good timing.  The trick is to then plug it in straight away, so that it is ready for after-meal time crumbs or the next time you want to use it.

Finally, I said I would feature things we have reviewed in the past that we still love.  We still love our Read with Me Scout from LeapFrog - it's always on our sofa, ready for Aaron to grab whenever he wants to play with it.  This was our review of it.

A similar product that Aaron loves just as much is his Thomas Me-Reader which he plays with just as regularly. I got it for 15 pounds in Argos but they are now charging 19.99.  It is such good value as it is an electronic reader but also contains 8 hard-back books, which actually are worth that in themselves. It's a "toy" Aaron never gets bored of (we've had it since before Xmas) and GREAT value.  I have paid more for things he has played with less - haven't we all!

I don't need to encourage Aaron to read. He LOVES reading, letters and numbers and is now starting to write letters, as it's now been a few weeks since he can recognise all of them (he stops to read the letters on road signs when we are out and about).  He's 3 years and 8 months. He'll literally say "R O A D spells Road"!

You press the corresponding button that matches your chosen book, and then there is a symbol that matches each page.  It is so so intuitive that Aaron quite happily plays with it by himself, often reading all 8 books in one sitting.  He worked out how to use it on the day we got it (sitting in McDonalds' as above) with no explanation from me. Great for the Thomas fan who is an early reader/pre-schooler!

If you would like me to feature a product here, you only have to ask.  However it will only be featured IF I love it, or Aaron does :-)

LeapFrog Read With Me Scout - Perfect Christmas Gift - Review

From the minute the LeapFrog Read With Me Scout arrived (he also has a sister called Violet) it was love at first sight for Aaron, even when he was still in the box!

It's an educational toy we have had both had a lot of fun with.  We have had it since November 12th so I can give you an honest account of the last few weeks.

It comes with 5 hard back small books that are actually great in their own right.  

1. Let's Go Camping
2. Let's Find Scout's Toy
3. Let's Have a Party
4. Let's Cheer Up Eli
5. Let's Learn About The Weather

The books are sensitively written.  The one about emotions is so cute, and perfect for Aaron who is very thoughtful and observant of moods.  We also enjoyed the one about the weather as we talk about the weather everyday.  The party book is great for learning colours. Aaron's not great when I ask him to look for something, so I like him reading "Let's find Scout's Toy" in the hope he might copy the searching skills :-)  Let's Go Camping teaches them their numbers.

Although it is a toy aimed at 3-5 year olds, I'd say it is best bought when the child is no older that 3.  I only fear that if the child was older, they'd find it a little baby-ish.  With that said Aaron is 3.5 years exactly (June 2010 baby) and he LOVES it.  He's known his colours for over a year, but is just learning to visually recognise numbers.  Plus until now he has always wanted me to read TO him but now he is independent enough to sit with Scout and read with HIM.  Except of course when he is in need of a cuddle or being a threenager!

Things I'll say about Scout:

• There is a volume switch on his belly - just move the velcro out of the way.
• The on off switch is on his dog collar and easy for little ones to use/access themselves.  They tend to whack it to on, but halfway across there is a lovely lullaby setting for bedtime stories (so you don't need to pat his head everytime you turn a page).
• The books are colourful and fun.  Aaron took to the toy from the second it arrived.
• There's a beautiful rhythm to the stories, that we have both enjoyed.
• Aaron now recognises his numbers but when it first arrived he would choose the book, and then know which button on Scout's collar to press from the colours on the buttons/books.  He can happily do this without parental supervision.
• If you have an early reader/pre-schooler in your house, or one you'd like to buy a Christmas present for, I can honestly wholeheartedly recommend it.
• One of his paws plays songs and these are lovely

The day I took the below video, Aaron was in typical threenager mode, and wasn't being at all cooperative, but this toy still broke the mood and turned him around.  It's a God send in that respect, look:

You can purchase the LeapFrog Read with Me Scout at the LeapFrog Store online for £29.99, where you will find the following information:

Read With Me Scout

Read With Me Scout is a playful toy pup that reads and asks questions. It's an interactive get ready-to-read toy that's doggone fun! Scout reads from the five included board books, and engages children by asking questions throughout the story to help build comprehension skills.

Features
Scout features 5 interactive spots that respond to your touch. You can pet his back to answer questions; kiss his cheek and hear him say you're his best friend; press his left paw to hear songs; and press his right paw for more responses.

As Scout completes each page, he will ask the child 1 of 70+ different engagement and comprehension questions over the course of the 5-book set.

The 5 colourfully illustrated board books teach: 1) Rhyming—helps children learn about the sounds of language and build phonological awareness, 2) Learn-about—learn about the world through reading  3) Narrative—learn about how stories are put together, with characters, settings, and a sequence of events, 4) Pattern—learn with rhymes, refrains and repetition to predict what comes next, and 5) Concept—explore concepts like colours to label and classify new information.

Learning Difference
Research has demonstrated that the most effective read-alouds are those in which children are actively involved in asking and answering questions and making predictions rather than passively listening. Read with Me Scout features 5 different book genres that promote a range of strategies for an educational and cuddly introduction to reading.

Testimonial
“From reading aloud to reading along, Read With Me Violet reflects best practices in early reading instruction that help your child develop important language and comprehension skills critical for success in preschool and beyond.”
—Clement C., LeapFrog Learning Expert

Disclosure: we received this product in exchange for an honest review.  All words/opinions are our own apart from where indicated otherwise.