The time is nearly upon us, the shops are prematurely changing their in store decorations and we know its not too long until Jingle Bells starts playing on loop! So we thought, to get you all ahead of the game we would showcase one of our favourite Xmas go to shopping centres, John Lewis, and show you the kind of bargains you can expect this festive season. So if its mum, dad, brother or sister, this famous department store has it all, and just for you we have some of the finest selection of goodies for £50 and under! Enjoy!! Lets get shopping!! BaByliss Pro 200 Nano Straighteners, Pink – £9.95 – Available from end of September The perfect size for your suitcase or handbag, the Babyliss Nano straighteners provide all the performance but in a handy little package. Great for touch-ups and fringes, they heat up to 200°c and come in stylish purple or pink.
USB Snowman and Gingerbread Man – £19.95 – Available from October These cute novelty USB sticks make storing your most important documents fun! With a substantial 8GB of memory available, and no removable cap to lose, your documents will stay safe and secure thanks to the lifetime flash drive guarantee.
With the Krups F20342 you can grind beans with ease and efficiency. The oval, easy to hold shape gives even grinding and a single speed assures fast results at the touch of a button. With a large grinding capacity of 75g, this can guarantee up to 15 cups of coffee; perfect for entertaining.
The John Lewis Boom Bar features great sound, Bluetooth connectivity and a huge battery. Ready to play all of your music in exceptional quality, it even features a built-in microphone to use it as a hands-free calling device.
Compact, functional and fun; the John Lewis Spectrum DAB/FM radio is a smart choice for digital listening. It can be fully powered by mains or battery making it just as at home on the move or on a shelf at home. The soft touch finish also makes it easy to pick up and carry around. Barbour Quilted Flip Case for iPhone 5, Olive – £34.95 Protect your iPhone 5 in style with this quilted flip case from heritage brand, Barbour. The exterior is quilted with a small leather section displaying the Barbour logo, while the interior features a mix of leather and the Barbour tartan pattern. The click in shell keeps your iPhone safe with cut outs for your camera and volume controls. The new John Lewis Spectrum DAB/FM clock radio is a great choice if you need help waking up in the morning! The clever snooze function is activated by its feet, so it can be turned off by touching the radio anywhere. Fully powered by mains or battery, it also features a soft touch finish. For those who love retro styling, Wild and Wolf’s replica of a 1970s classic will help complete the look in any room of the house. Available in stunning Peacock Green, features include last number redial and ringer volume control. Lending itself to the current Instagram trend, the Lomography Fisheye camera captures great shots with fun distortion. It sees a sweeping 170-degree view, compacting everything around you into a circular image. Whether you get right up close or use the huge depth of field, the built-in fisheye lens offers bright colours and great contrast. Based on the original post office telephone model from the 60s, Wild and Wolf have brought the 746 right up to date in a range of striking colours, featuring the bold curves of the original design. For modern convenience, the dial has been replaced by buttons and the phone simply plugs into a standard phone socket. It also includes a re-dial button and authentic bell ring sound! |
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Watching your weight? Its ok, you can still treat yourself with @weightwatchers hot chocolate!
It may not be time for bikini bodies anymore, but you still might be keeping an eye on your weight…so what can you eat? Well, chocolate is normally a big no-no, but fear not, we think Weight Watchers may have just found the solution!!
The new product team at Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate have been working hard with you in mind to develop a fantastic premium hot chocolate that delivers a more intense chocolate drink – and that’s low fat too! What’s more, it can even be used in home baking!
We here at Snoochie Boochies gave it a try, and can seriously vouch for the fact that it tastes great! You could easily swap your calorific hot choc for this little number and you wouldn’t even notice the difference in flavour. In fact it tastes creamier and more luxurious than some of the market leaders, who knew?!
And if you’re keeping count of points, Weight Watchers Select Hot Chocolate will be a lower ProPoints® value alternative to other premium ‘add milk’ hot chocolate brands such as Green & Blacks, Twinings and Charbonnel.
Here’s the science…
Weight Watchers Select Hot Chocolate’s unique formula contains 50% real chocolate but is still low in fat. Containing only 92 calories and with a ProPoints value of just 2 per serving, Select will be an indulgent delight for chocolate lovers looking for a real chocolate hit without giving up on the plan. The new hot chocolate drink will also offer tremendous value for money with an RSP of £2.49 for a massive 36 servings in the 216g tub.
When compared with the established Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate instant range, the new luxury product also has the added benefit of being home baking friendly and can easily be used as a substitute for cocoa powder in sweet treats such as brownies, muffins and biscuits!
What, there’s more?!
Yep! Variety is the spice of life don’t forget, and Weight Watchers also has a range of different flavoured hot chocolate drinks that are all made with real chocolate and contain only 40 calories per serving. The three blissful flavours, which include smooth chocolate, dreamy caramel and mouth-watering mint, also cater perfectly for those on a ProPoints controlled diet, with a ProPoints value of just 1 per serving.
Available in jars which hold 20 servings and have an RRP of £2.89 and in single-serving handy sachets with an RRP of 35p; all of which contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Tell me more about Weight Watchers…
Weight Watchers is the leading weight loss organisation in the UK. The new Weight Watchers ProPoints® plan is the brands most liveable and flexible weight loss plan ever, designed to fit around real life so that people successfully lose weight and keep it off.
The Weight Watchers Instant Hot Chocolate range is now available across all major UK supermarket chains and selected high street and independent stores.
Date for your diary! The @ukjewishfilm Festival comes to town next month! #jewishfilmfestival #film
If you’re not catching the #LFF London Film Festival next month then fear not, only a few short weeks later will be the 17th annual UK Jewish Film Festival. This years festival will feature screenings of over 70 films and other special events across five cities – London, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester – over the course of 19 days from 31st October 2013.
From gala premieres to documentaries about the Jewish culture, here’s a few of our highlights which look like ones not to miss!
Joe Papp in Five Acts
A riveting portrait of a transformative figure in the New York theatre scene, Joe Papp – a poor, tough, Jewish kid from Brooklyn – who created Central Park’s free Shakespeare In The Park Festival, which launched the careers of everyone from Meryl Streep to Kevin Kline, all of whom feature here.
This radical and tumultuous personality introduced colour-blind casting, nurtured emerging playwrights, fostered countercultural plays like Hair, and revolutionized commercial theatre with the Broadway smash hit A Chorus Line, as well as founding the Public Theatre.
Packed with testimonials from Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, James Earl Jones and Meryl Streep – and framed by Kevin Kline’s exquisite monologues.
Hava Nagila (The Movie)
Featuring interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy, Connie Francis, Glen Campbell, Regina Spektor and more. Hava Nagila (The Movie) is a documentary romp through the history, mystery and meaning of the great Jewish standard.
The film follows the ubiquitous party song on its fascinating journey from Ukraine and Israel to the Catskils, Hollywood and the world, using the song as a springboard to explore Jewish history and identity and to spotlight the cross-cultural connections that can only be achieved through music.
High on fun and entertainment, Hava Nagila (The Movie) is also surprisingly profound, tapping into universal themes about the importance of joy, the power of music and the resilient spirit of a people.
Blumenthal
Funny, clever and abrasive New York comedy from a young director tipped as the next Woody Allen, starring the inimitable Brian Cox CBE.
Blumenthal is a comedy about a family in motion. The severely constipated Saul Blumenthal desperately wants to go. His brother Harold the famous playwright (whom Saul believes plagiarised his life), has just gone. Saul’s wife Cheryl fears she’s a has-been and considers cosmetic surgery whilst Ethan, the main protagonist, is on a duel-pronged journey to find a soulmate and Harold’s lifetime achievement award, as a form of recompense for his father…
Welcome to the world of American Modern Day ‘Jewrosis’!
You can book your tickets via the Film Festival website but don’t leave it too late or you’ll miss out on all of these fantastic films.
Its already time to think about Xmas as @nicolephillipse launches some fab festive products!
With the crunch of the autumn leaves underfoot and the conkers ripening nicely, Nicole Phillips England has been busy putting together her Christmas collection of festive delights. Imagine chestnuts roasting on the fire, the lights twinkling on the tree and the smell of mince pies wafting from the kitchen.
The ideal accessories to this scene are Nicole’s delicate hand-painted range of Christmas products, featuring tea towels, napkins, fabric by the metre and stockings, all designed to give your home some quirky merry-themed touches that are a little bit different.
Nicole’s distinctive watercolour artwork is featured on each 100% pure cotton tea towel, complete with a fabric loop for convenient hanging storage. The Christmas designs include Deck the Halls, Mistletoe & Wine and Sage & Onion Stuffing. The fun and unusual imagery suit every style of home and make the perfect gift for your host, loved one or even as a stocking filler this Christmas.
The perfect missing ingredient for your festive feast, the stunning handpainted designs of mistletoe and holly, each offset against a stylish stripe background and printed on high quality 100% cotton are available by the metre.
Fancy some inspiration to draw Father Christmas to your chimney? Nicole’s Christmas stockings will make wonderful gifts for both adults and children alike, with their patchwork styling that encompass some of the classic Nicole Phillips E designs such as fish on a line and trailing roses, as well as some with more typically festive elements such as mistletoe and holly.
Inspired by country and coastal themes with a foodie influence, the full Nicole Phillips England range also includes cushions, aprons and hob covers, all of which are made here in Great Britain.
Prices start from £12 and all products are available to buy online at www.nicolephillips.com
London Fashion Week #LFW may be over but you can keep the style going with @tresorparis #fashion #style
Another LFW is over so its time for Cara Delevigne to give her eyebrows a rest and for Anna Wintour to pack her bags and head back to Vogue Towers. But if you’re not all fashioned out, then we have the perfect solution for you, and it comes in the form of Tresor Paris.
This year, the UK Jewellery Award winner has once again collaborated with fashion house Fyodor Golan to help put the finishing touches to their SS 2014 collection ‘Electric Children’. 
Inspired by their pedestrian commute to their studio every day across Waterloo Bridge, the collection focuses on shape, colour and energy. Ceramic Tresor Paris beads were entwined on to bra-let tops and dresses to embellish and define the shape element of the collection, which on the one hand was beautifully fitted and on the other was contrasted with looser bomber-style jackets in fine fabrics.
The runners and bikers in particular stimulated the duo to design ‘luxe sport’ inspired pieces, epitomised with insignia FG sweat tops. These were then paired with various geometrical separates which were cut with an aesthetically clean line, such as wide floaty trousers. The ‘Fyodor Golan Tribe’ element is created through the bold splash, embroidery designs and enchanting multi-coloured feathers and pleats protruding from dresses.
Colour schemes range from bright yellow to black which contrasts with the soft pastel tones of mints, baby blues and nudes to create a dazed feeling which is enhanced by the colour splash embroideries, feathers and prints. The snakeskin apparel was also coated in pastel colours to evoke feelings of contemporary sexuality.
This high energy dynamic colouring inspired by the rave movement is visible in the particularly bright pieces adorned with the iconic smiley face.
Pieces will be available from Harvey Nicholls www.harverynicholls.com and Then & Now and www.thenandnowshop.com
Got Kids? Have you heard of Justin’s World? It might be the entertainment you need! #children #jigsongs #apps
If you thought it was ridiculous that kids were getting gadget savvy then its about to get a whole lot worse…or is it? Britain’s best-loved children’s entertainer Justin Fletcher – also known as Mr Tumble – has launched Justin’s World this summer, a new range of apps for pre-school children.
And its most recent addition is ‘Jigsongs’ aimed at children aged 2-6yrs, out now for just 69p?
We all know how much children love doing puzzles. We also know how much they love singing their favourite songs. And of course Justin Fletcher is pretty popular with little ones as well. So why not put all three together. Well, that’s exactly what he’s done and its come in the form of Jigsongs!
Kids (and adults) can choose from: Old Macdonald, Twinkle Twinkle, One Two Three Four Five, or Justin’s all time personal favourite, The Grand Old Duke of York.
So, if you’ve got a couple of little ones, its time to give yourself some ‘me’ time, and let them take advantage of this fab new fun for kids.
If you’re already familiar with Justin Fletcher’s work, you can expect all the fun, excitement and entertainment brought to the screen, but with an entirely new interactive, learning through play experience. Justin’s World puts the child in control of activities, allowing them to consume the content in a way and at a speed that suits them.
Sounds perfect…where can I get it?
The first two of four of Justin’s World’s apps are already available at the Apple App store for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and were released from May 2013 onwards with android versions of the apps expected to follow shortly.
The apps are being developed in partnership with the creator of Mr Tumble and series producer of ‘Something Special’, Allan Johnston.
How does it all work?
Well, Justin’s World uses storybooks, games and puzzles that build on Justin’s well-known character-based performances and features high quality illustrations, video and music combined with curriculum-based teaching games from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Primary National Curriculum. So you may be able to give your kiddies a head start in world domination by speeding up their education…voluntarily! 
Tell us more…
Ok, the first releases in the series of Justin’s World apps include interactive adaptations of popular children’s play activities such as books, puzzles, songs and games:
- Justin’s World – Goldilocks – an interactive adaptation of the popular children’s story. Justin guides and helps you through a series of number and language based activities in line with the EYFS. All characters played by Justin Fletcher
- Justin’s World – Letter Sounds – pick the letter that matches the sound then drag and drop to complete the word! Developed in line with the Primary National Strategy, this phonics activity features Justin teaching the sound and letting the child join in.
- Justin’s World – Jigsongs – puzzles but with a special sing along musical twist! Drag the pieces in place to finish the puzzle and watch videos of Justin come to life singing some of his favourite songs. The first release includes Old Macdonald, Twinkle Twinkle, 1,2,3,4,5 and The Grand Old Duke of York.
- Justin’s World Animal Sounds – A totally free app to say thank you to all or Justin’s World followers. Join in with Justin’s hilarious impersonations of well known animals
So there you go, embrace the tech, follow the UK’s best loved childrens entertainer, and realise that this really is the future of fun (for the little ones anyway!) Enjoy!!
Get creative this party season with these amazing #baking products from @passion4cakes @hobbycraft @therangeuk #cakes #baking
So party season is not too far away, and all you budding bakers out there may need a bit of inspiration if you’re trying to impress with your culinary skills this Autumn. Well fear not, if it’s a ghoulish delight that you’re after for the perfect Halloween party next month, its time to invest! We’ve found this devilishly brilliant bakers airbrush kit from Shesto that may just put you into the highest rankings when it comes to sweet treats! 
Using the Cassie Brown Cake Craft Airbrush Kit, this special cake decoration technique gives beautiful, professional-looking results every time, and you don’t have to be an experienced chef or baker to use it (phew!) . The airbrush kit is quick and simple to set up, use and clean, and comes with three mixable colours, so it’s ready to go – straight out of the box.
Why all the fuss about airbrushing?!
Airbrushing is a relatively new cake decorating technique and is one of the quickest and easiest ways of adding colour to a cake, eliminating the need to work with multiple pieces of coloured sugar paste or royal icing, and at the same time reducing waste and mess. The liquid cake colours are sprayed smoothly through the tip of the precisely-designed airbrush using compressed air, giving the user complete control over the design and finish.
So if you fancy yourself as an ‘artisan artiste’ this winter, we would highly recommend that you give this a go!
Where can I buy this amazing contraption?!
The Cassie Brown Cake Craft Airbrush Kit is available directly fromwww.shesto.com, or from leading craft and kitchenware retailers including Hobbycraft, The Range and craft and cake decorating shops nationwide, at a suggested retail price of £99.99.
What? There’s more?!
And just in time for some ‘spooktacular’ spell binding cake decorating, Cassie Brown has also brought out a “How-To Christmas and Halloween DVD (£14.95) featuring top tips from the award-winning sugar craft expert on how to make stunning seasonal cakes.
So what are you waiting for… get baking and share with us your creative creations!
If there’s one call you make this month, it’s The Call #film #review #movie
A gripping thrill rollercoaster of a ride, The Call is an interesting insight into the world of the Los Angeles 911 emergency services.
Starring Oscar winner Halle Berry as Jordan Turner a veteran 911 operator, we watch her journey as she takes a life altering call from a teenage girl played by Little Miss Sunshine herself Abigail Breslin. Not only does this call mean Jordan has to try and guide this girl to safety, she also has to confront a killer from her past and overcome her fears. 
Cut back and forth between the abduction and ‘The Hive’ (the department for 911 emergency assistants who work away like busy bees) the audience are taken on a tense ride and education as to what it really means to be a 911 operator. Making judgments between protocol and human instinct is a fine line in lifesaving situations, as we see through this film. Halle Berry is back to her finest in the majority of this film, as she showcases a mix of emotions that make the audience empathise with the difficult job she is faced with. Just like her character we understand the stress of the job and the natural (probably female) instincts that she has when faced with a child being abducted, and the consequences that lie ahead should Jordan as the operator put a foot wrong.
We also see a fantastic performance from Abigail Breslin as the victim. We follow her day as a normal girl shopping in a mall with her friend, and then once left alone, gets drugged, abducted and thrown in the trunk of a car by her kidnapper. The most tense and exciting part of the film is the interaction between the victim and Jordan. From the trunk she manages to make a 911 call which initially goes through to a rookie who finds herself way out of her depth and then gets passed on to Jordan. From this point on, you as the audience find out some really clever tricks to try and get yourself rescued from a kidnapping, using everything you can find to discover where you are travelling to, what the car looks like and most importantly anything you can do to pop open that trunk and jump out.
Breslin shows here that she has matured from a child to young adult actor seamlessly. Matching Halle Berry’s ranges of emotions, you watch her go from despair to sheer determination to get herself out of this situation alive. It’s this that makes the first three quarters of this film so engaging to watch…
…And then, sadly, in the last fifteen minutes or so, the film takes a tumble, so prepare yourself for this. After an hour and fifteen minutes of an intense, edge of your seat adrenalin filled thrill ride of a film, The Call sadly falls into the depths of B-Movie status and takes a route so completely left field of the original plot its not only difficult to watch, its also totally disappointing. It’s a shame that the film leaves you with such a sour taste at the end, it had so much promise, but there is still the opportunity to remember the immense film you had watched just before this semi-car crash.
Regardless of it’s ending, The Call is still very much worth a watch. For the majority, it’s an intelligent, intense and exciting film with great performances.
The Call hits cinemas on the 20th September 2013.
3 Stars.
Start your week by giving – with these awesome pressies! @rolleigermany @velodyneaudio @papertango #tech #gift
Ok folks, so if you need to start your week buying some cool gifts for someone in your life, we’ve found some super fun technology that anyone with an interest in gadgets would be itching to get their hands on.
Rollei Action Camera
First up, is a new Action Camera from German camera manufacturer Rollei. These guys have been making cameras since the 1920s, and not only do they have prestige in this area, they are in no way dated, with this little number:
Camera details: S50 WIFI Actioncam: 14 Megapixel WiFi Action-Camcorder with Full HD Video Resolution 1080p (1920x1080p/30 fps)
The camera allows live video streaming and immediate upload to social networks: Adventure lovers can use the Rollei Actioncam 5S WiFi via their smartphone with an app. They can view and share videos in real-time – enabled by integrated WiFi (up to 20 m range) and corresponding app (for iOS and Android). Full HD Resolution (1080p) guarantees breath-taking results in optimal quality. You can increase the frame rate up to 60 fps (1080i) to capture crystal clear slow-motion images. Photos can be taken while video recording. The video time lapse function gives you a whole new outlook for video recordings and boasts intervals!
There’s so much packed in to these little numbers you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to consider anything else! So get snap happy!
Next up, for all you music lovers, who hate other noise, Velodyne has just introduced its latest vQuiet line of noise-cancelling headphones.
vQuiet Headphones
vQuiet headphones are designed to reduce jet engine and other ambient noise by 90 percent while delivering the highest-quality musical or other audio experience. The headphones are available in matte black with a diamond-blue Velodyne insignia on each ear cup that serves as a bypass/mute button, and are foldable for easy storage. A control module on the vQuiet’s detachable audio cable enables users to seamlessly transition from listening to music or watching video to talking on the phone when connected to devices that have these features.
Oh, and did we mention how cool they look too??!!!
And finally, its not just about the gifts you give, but also the way you give it, so step ahead of the game and give the coolest cards in existence via Paper Tango.
Paper Tango
Founded by designer Judy Robinson, Paper Tango is a London based company specialising in origami-inspired gifts and 3- dimensional greeting cards. All of Paper Tango’s cards are intricately laser-cut and hand folded to produce a 3D pop up; creating a unique gift. Paper Tango’s latest range of greeting cards ‘Spots London’, is a range of pop up cards showcasing various London architectural landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye and more. 
The cards, made from the premium British and Italian paper, are laser cut and then hand-folded, glued and trimmed in Indonesia, where Judy personally trained her workers in the craft. Each card is then carefully assessed, before being packed with the envelope and a small map of London showing where the landmark is.
In addition to the ‘Spots London’ range, Judy has started to develop a Paris range with the Eiffel Tower currently available online.
So now you have everything you need to start your week with giving someone a truly awesome gift! Have fun snoochers!!
Go Nuts for National Peanut Day!!! #peanuts #food #celebration @foundationwc2
There’s a new date for your diary people and its called NATIONAL PEANUT DAY!!
To celebrate, Foundation Bar in Covent Garden are launching ‘Big Peanuts’ a brand new peanut cocktail oozing with nutty goodness!
Foundation Bar mixologist David Kay whipped up Big Peanuts cocktail and describes it as a ‘bold nutty cocktail comprising of a generous helping of creamy peanut butter mixed with Baileys, Butterscotch Schnapps, and a lot of vodka.’ YUM!
Why we’re celebrating National Peanut Day!!
Well, there’s a reason why peanuts have a whole day dedicated to them and that’s because they are more than just nutty.
Did you know that…
- Peanuts are cholesterol free naturally
- They are rich in vitamin B3 which is good for your memory
- It takes 540 peanuts to make a jar of peanut butter
- Peanuts contribute $4 billion to the US economy every year
- Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon
- The peanut, isn’t really a nut at all. Technically, peanuts are legumes—simple dry fruits in the same family as peas and beans.
With all this goodness and the peanuts visit to the moon it was clearly a no-brainer to create a cocktail devoted to the little guy.
So if you fancy going nuts this National Peanut Day head down to Foundation Bar, Covent Garden where Big Peanuts will be launched on Friday 13th September.
But if you fancy just going plain nuts at home, then here’s the recipe for “Big Peanuts…” so go on, give it a go and GO NUTS today!
Ingredients for Big Peanuts:
25ml Finlandia vodka
12ml Frangelico
12.5 Butterscotch Schnapps
10ml Baileys
100ml Half & Half
25g Peanut Butter
Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into a peanut butter rimmed martini glass. Serve with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
And if that doesn’t float your boat then how about celebrating like this: bake peanut butter cookies, watch some sport with a bag of whole peanuts, enjoy a nice chunk of peanut butter fudge, or make a peanut butter and jelly/jam sandwich for lunch!
But remember, today, GO NUTS!!!!
Snoochie Boochies 