The one where I rant a bit about reviews

This post is sure to mean I am never approached by a company to review a product ever again. But that is not my intention.

I opened my Google Reader to read 11 new posts yesterday and they were all reviews. All of them, every one. 

And that made me think. 

I do not follow any review blogs or company blogs, I follow (vomits at use of phrase) mummy bloggers, and a few daddy bloggers and a few other personal blogs. I read them for the chit chat, the anecdotes, the mundanities of life that oddly seem either comforting or hilarious when put into a blog. If I want a review I go to amazon, or a review site, or I google it. Now before you all shout, yes I know, I have reviewed things here. I reviewed some Nakd bars (they were yum) and a mysterious magical toothbrush (it was amazingly effective) , I reviewed Vosene (more than once) and I reviewed a Nokia Smart Phone. So I am not immune to the lure of the 'freebie' and lets be honest, who doesn't like something for nothing!?!

But I at least try to be honest and I know it's hard to look a gift horse in the mouth; of course this means reviews of freebies tend to be good, many are glowing, does this convince me they are great products? not really? so is the advert (for gentle reader, that is what these reviews are) really even working?

I will post here and on twitter if I find something I love, whether I'm asked to or not, whether I am sent a freebie or not. And I will accept things to try, and then review them if they are something I would normally use or try and I will be honest.

I think the main thing about adverts is, that like the television, they need to be short, and spaced between quality programs because if not, the blog just turns into one long ad break, and I for one find the urge to fast forward....

Maybe this is not a popular view? maybe you love to find new things via a review on a friends blog? Do you blog reviews? Do you set yourself limits?  Do comment below and let me know.

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The one where I share money saving tips and then lose the plot

Today I listened to The Jeremy Vine show. Sadly I often have to listen to his inane ramblings and tedious subjects as I share an office, and democracy dictates the majority rule the radio waves. Often his callers are as misinformed and as odd in their ideas as he seems to be (I fervently hope he is just pretending to be as stupid as he sometimes appears) any way today took the biscuit with some top money saving tips…

Now I don’t know about you but I do try and save money. Most of the way we do that is fairly obvious, we buy cheap unbranded stuff, we switch off lights we are not using, we don't buy newspapers, we turn off electrical appliances, etc

So I was a little surprised to hear the advice “Buy dresses in the sale to save money” Wow, I thought, how lucky he told us that! Who knew! Sale items are cheaper than full price! Great tip!

And to be fair I tuned out as much as I could after that, but still stupid money saving tops, from the glaringly obvious to the blatantly stupid began to pop into my head and so, without further ado I share them. I hope you don’t need to instigate any because either you already do them or you can see that they are plainly ridiculous.

My thanks to several tweeters for joining in with my idiocity.

• Buy things that are a bit cheaper than you usually buy
• Eat a bit less
• Ask the green grocer if he has any old vegetables ‘for your rabbit’ – eat these (My MIL actually used to do this)
• Try the above tip with bones for the ‘dog’ from the butcher – make soup
• Read your neighbours’ newspapers the day after they are printed, they can be easily rescued from the recycling bin under cover of darkness
• When a mate visits, ask them to bring their own tea bag, or batter yet, a flask of tea.
• Ask your neighbour if you can ‘borrow’ a cup of sugar. Do this weekly, never give any back
• Don’t buy any clothes at all for at least a year, you have too many anyway.
• Switch off your car engine when going down hill.
• Use a head torch powered by cheap pound shop batteries rather than turn lights on in the home
• Get rid of your TV and save on the licence fee
• Ditto telephone
• And also electricity…and your car
• Drip hot wax onto your head and stick a candle on it, even cheaper than a head torch!

 And it was at that very point I realised I needed a lie down, or a cup of tea…

   

Can you spare a cup of sugar?  

Please add more tips below, serious or silly, all appreciated

and while we are talking Festivals

I went to the Out of The Ordinary Festival at the end of September, we were blessed (maybe by mother nature herself?) with fabulous weather and the best people on Earth.

I ate fabulous food, we listened to bands we had never heard of (but enjoyed anyway) and the kids tried out circus skills...oh and there was cake.

Here are some pictures of the awesome.

Making stoves from cans

Music

I especially enjoyed New Groove Formation

Circus skills and climbing fun

 

The Best curry I have ever had, in a field

 Wood Spirits...

 Cake!

 Recycling.....yes it's my Pim's can

 Lovely places to chill and eat vege food

 Did I mention that there was shopping too!

and for all your late night needs....

admit it, you wish you'd been! next year? see you there!

During the Summer I went to Camp Bestival

and I don't think I ever got round to telling you all how awesome it was! Obviously much of it is a blur due to copious amounts of Pim's (it's terribly middle class dahling!) but we did get to see Mark Ronson (carrying on despite the tragic death of Amy Winehouse only days before) and the (and the Business International) were great, loved dancing to the bicycle song with DD - catch the song on YouTube if you've not heard it yet



DD enjoyed seeing Dick and Dom (maybe I did too) and the entire campsite rang to the sound of BOGIES! yelled at every opportunity all night on Saturday.

The Insect Circus was a highlight again.

I did not touch Mr Tumble this year, but we can't have everything.

DD adored Silly Science.

I loved seeing (and heariing) Jaguar Skills - it was late though, so DD slept in our middle class trolley :-)

The food was good, the people were friendly. It was a gorgeous festival as always and we have already signed up for tickets for next year, do comment here if you are going, it would be fun to meet up.

My tent is easy to spot :-)

Some fast blog posts so I can catch up..

Thanks to everyone that signed up for the Christmas Decoration Swap (which will actually be more of a chain) I hope to tell you who you will be sending to by the end of this weekend, so you can either wait and persoanlise your decoration, or just get started now!

I can admit here and now that my DD will be making a decoration to send to my person as well as the one I send, prepare yourself! Her's is bound to be better than whatever I make!