Charity Auction for The Children's Trust - Bid for a gourmet hamper of Chocolate, kindly donated by Chocadores

Well Chocadores have gone and done it again - as if I didn't think they were lovely enough, they have generously donated a mouth-watering hamper full of delicious chocolate to help raise money for The Children's Trust.

The Children's Trust provide care, education, therapy and rehabilitation to children with multiple disabilities, complex health needs and acquired brain injury.

Their services include the UK's largest paediatric brain injury rehabilitation centre, support in the community for children and young people with acquired brain injury, The School for Profound Education for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, short breaks, transitional, palliative and long-term nursing care.

Please take a moment to read about how the charity has helped change lives, and to see the child rather than the disability.  Children and young people like 3 year old Charlie who has hyperinsulinism, a rare condition that puts him at risk of terrible seizures if his blood sugar levels drop too low. Find out how the Trust's outreach team are helping him and his family to lead a normal life at home. Or 5 year old Kayse who is benefitting from rehabilitation at the Trust after he was hit by a car on a family holiday and suffered life-changing injuries.

So how can you help? We'd like you to dig deep and bid what you can afford in our charity auction. I know times are hard, especially around Christmas, but sadly this is also true for charities who find it tough to raise money at this time of year.  Think of this fabulous auction prize as a Christmas present for a loved one (or yourself!), knowing that the full amount you have paid will be going to support a very worthy cause. 

What better gift for this season of goodwill?

So, with very special thanks to Chocadores, here's what you're bidding on:

1 x Artisan du Chocolat Brazil 75% Chocolate bar 

1 x Amedei Toscano Black 63% chocolate bar

1 x Amedei Cube 70%

1 x Chocadores Giant milk buttons (Venezuela)

1 x Chocadores Mini Milk buttons (Ecuador)

1 x Chocadores Mini Dark buttons (Madagascar)

1 x Jean Galler Papouasie 60% chocolate bar

1 x Michel Cluizel Saint Domingue 67% chocolate bar

1 x Pacari Raw 100% chocolate bar

1 x Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate bar

1 x Valrhona Caraibe 66% chocolate bar

all presented in a beautiful black and orange gift box.  Chocadores is including postage and packaging of this box to any UK address, so if you have submitted the highest bid, that is the total price you will pay.  Overseas bidders are welcome, only if you are bidding for a gift for a UK friend or relative (sorry, we cannot send outside of the UK).

The products, gift wrapping, delivery and packaging are worth around £50 in total, but as it's such a worthy cause, don't let that stop you from bidding more if you wish!!

If you need any more encouragement, just read my review of some of these products! While you're here, you can also enter my blog competition to win some amazing Chocadores products - read here and pop over to Facebook to 'like' their page.

Rules:

Leave your 'bid' in the comment box below stating the maximum you wish to offer (please give as generously as you can).

The winning bidder must pay the full auction price at the end of the auction via the Just Giving page (you can pay by Paypal, credit or debit card). This page is set up for recent fundraising for The Children's Trust at The House of Baby's Christmas event last week.

Please leave a method of contact with your bid so we can get in touch (twitter name, facebook name or email address will be fine).

The auction closes at 10pm on Saturday 11th December, so please check back to see how your bid is getting on, and whether you have to increase it!  We will send out regular updates on Twitter and Facebook to let you know the current leader.

Bids submitted are binding and the winning bidder must send payment no later than 5pm on Wednesday 16th December.

If more than one person bids the same amount, the winning bidder will be the person whos comment is shown earliest on the posting.

Please share this link with your friends and family, and give as generously as you can.

Thank you, and we wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas x

Who's going to start us off?...

Exclusive announcement and giveaway - Chocadores launch new products

Shhhhh!  Gather round, have I got some amazing news for you!  For the past few weeks I've been on a top secret mission with the fabulous Chocadores discussing the launch of their incredible new products.  How I've managed to keep my trap shut about this, goodness only knows.  Not even Wikileaks has got wind of this.

I wrote about Chocadores inspiring approach to chocolate a few weeks back.  Their passion is to bring pure unadulterated chocolate to everyone. To encourage people to move away from the mass-produced, overly sweetened, hydrogenated vegetable oil filled, tasteless blocks, and to try a purer product made from single origin beans.

Following on from my unashamedly rapturous tasting of the giant chocolate buttons, Chocadores have now launched their mini-buttons.  Available in either Ecuador 39% mini milk buttons or Madagascar 67% mini dark buttons, priced at £3.75 for 150g bag.  These are too cute for words, they're cute as a err... well cute as a button.  You can tell they are not mass-produced as each one is slightly different in size or shape. You will have to take my word for it (or better still, order some for yourself), you have NEVER tasted chocolate buttons like this before.  The milk buttons are smooth and deliciously creamy, with a slightly nutty taste.  The dark ones are rich, fruity and completely decadent.  Size-wise these buttons are about halfway between a chocolate chip and those kid's chocolate buttons (you know, the ones that come in a purple packet).

Also new to the range, the mini milk buttons are now available in a glass kilner-style jar (priced at £8.95), making them a perfect gift for a gourmet cook.  I reckon you could safely stash these in the kitchen cupboard with a 'keep off' sign, and treat it in much the same way as some do their cooking sherry, taking a surreptitious mouthful every now and again!

This time I was determined to use my sample buttons to bake with.  What better recipe for mini-buttons than mini chocolate cupcakes.  The small buttons melted effortlessly, and the smell in the kitchen was heaven.  Here's the finished result (sorry, not the most elegant as I couldn't find my piping bag or my palette knife, goodness knows where they've wandered off to, but I had to show you to prove I didn't scoff the lot again!)

Finally, the third new product is possibly my favourite.  I am a huge fan of hot chocolate, and at this time of the year there's nothing more comforting than curling up with a warming mug.  Chocadores are launching their brand new hot chocolate cube.  I'm honoured that I have already been able to sample this (be jealous, be very jealous).

When it arrived, I did have my doubts that it would work.  It looked just like a giant chunk of chocolate, and I know from previous experience that melting chocolate can be a bit hit and miss.  When melting it for cakes it can sometimes go grainy, or else it doesn't melt thoroughly and you're left with lumps, but most of all, it can take ages.  To be honest, I wasn't entirely convinced it would ever get to be introduced to the warm milk, such was the temptation to just eat it as it was...

But it worked magically.  I heated milk on the stove, added the cube to the hot milk, gave it a little stir and that's it - as simple as that.  No lumps, no sludgy residue at the bottom, but a beautifully even cup of hot chocolate.

Apologies to the purists, but I like to have a marshmallow (or 20) in my hot choc.  Often with the powdered or even flaked versions, the addition of marshmallows to an already over-sweetened drink can be teeth-rottingly sickly.  But as this cube is just pure chocolate and some cane sugar you can safely add marshmallows if you so desire!

I'm so excited about this new product. As far as I know it's an absolute first on the UK market and I'm convinced it is going to be hugely popular.  It's certainly going on my shopping list.

To celebrate the launch of these new products, Chocadores are giving away an exclusive gift set to one of my lucky readers.  The set consists of a pack of the hot chocolate cubes, a glass jar of mini milk buttons and a bag of mini dark buttons, all in a presentation box.  Seriously, chocolate doesn't get any better than this!

To enter, you need to complete the following 2 steps and leave me a comment in the box below.

Visit Chocadores on Facebook and 'like' their page.  Then leave a comment here on the blog answering this question: What would be the perfect chocolate related Christmas gift, and who would you give it to?

For example, your comment should look something like this:

I've liked Chocadores facebook page.  The perfect gift from me would be Johnny Depp dipped from head to toe in Madagascar dark chocolate.... excuse me a moment while I savour that image...

That's my fantasy chocolate gift, you need to come up with your own!

You can get additional entries for doing the following, BUT YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH

Post on your facebook wall "I've entered @Missie Lizzie's blog competition to win an exclusive chocolate prize with @Chocadores http://bit.ly/gpcEf0" (1 extra comment = 1 extra entry)

Follow @Chocadores on Twitter (1 extra comment = 1 extra entry)

Tweet: "I've entered @missielizzieb's blog competition to win an exclusive chocolate prize with @Chocadores http://bit.ly/gpcEf0 #chocadores" (1 extra comment = 1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave a way from me to contact you - a twitter name, Facebook name or email etc. If the winner has not responded within 1 week of making the draw, I will pick another winner.

Sorry, due to weight this competition is open to UK entrants only.  Closing date midnight Saturday 11 December 2010.  Winner will be picked at random. Good luck everyone. x

Mirrorin - announcing the competition winner and a special offer

Thank you all so much for entering this competition. It was great to hear which mirrors you all like - the rock star one and the mini-butterflies were very popular.

Well, I have spent all morning trawling through the comments and re-numbering them (naughty naughty, you didn't all follow the instructions!).

Thank you all for following @kidsmirrors on twitter and Mirrorin on Facebook, stay tuned for more news and offers.

For those of you who were not lucky this time, fear not, the lovely company are offering you all 15% off until 15th December. The discount applies to any product from their store (including some which are already discounted). So if you had your eye on a favourite, why not order now or get an extra stocking filler. Please use discount code TCP15 at checkout.

http://www.mirrorin.co.uk/

So, without further ado, let's get on to announcing the winner. There were 256 valid entries, and random org drew number:

219 which was Heather Walsh's entry.  Congratulations Heather @HevWalsh, you chose the cute baby chick mirror.

Please get in touch with me via twitter @missielizzieb or email missielizzieandmyshadow (@) ymail.com and I'll give you instructions for getting your prize organised.

Full of Beans - Jelly Beans from Online Sweets

I jumped at the chance to review some deliciously chewy jelly beans from Online Sweets.  I have a bit of a history with jelly beans. You see, more years ago than I care to mention, one of the first competitions I ever won secured me my very own jelly bean machine.  It was my pride and joy.  I lovingly fed it with coins, turned the little handle and out would roll a small handful of rainbow coloured beans.  To begin with I thought it would act as a money box - rewarding me with a little treat each time I saved some pennies.  However I soon discovered that a 2p coin would undo the base and allow me to re-use the same coin over and over.

So, not much use as a piggy bank, but still a beautiful object, a retro icon and a talking piece.  I carefully wrapped it and packed it through successive house moves, until it reached it's final resting place atop my fridge freezer in the kitchen.  Until that is, in typical bull-in-a-china shop style, my old man had to move the fridge to paint the kitchen walls.  Not realising it would be a sensible precaution to remove items from the top of the fridge freezer before moving it, inevitably it wobbled and teetered and finally toppled to the floor with an almighty crash, smashing to smithereens.  Quickly shooing the dog (nicknamed Dyson) out of the room before she cut her paws or tried to eat the sweeties mingled with glass shards, depressingly I had to sweep the whole lot up into a dustpan and throw it in the bin.  I was livid.  I'd had this bean machine for years. It only ever seems to be my things that he clumsily trashes.  Still now I like to think he's wracked with guilt and self-loathing for this mishap (I suspect not!).  In fact, writing this now has made me realise that I haven't yet forgiven him.  I still have an issue with this.  Maybe some kind of counselling is in order?  I suspect I may have post-jelly-bean-trauma.

Periodically I will point out jelly bean machines in shop windows, nudging him hard in the ribs and reminding him he owes me one.  In fact, Online Sweets sell the very one that he so heartlessly smashed, so I may well email him this link.  Christmas is not far off, even he should pick up this not-so-subtle hint...



Jelly Belly Bean Machine - available from Online Sweets £23.99 small or £41.99 large


If you are reading this, dear-heart it was the LARGE one you smashed. A large one filled with beans...

Anyhow, now I've got that off my chest, on to the review.  The beans I am sampling are from the Jelly Bean Factory.  They are gourmet jelly beans, free from artificial colours or flavours (which is quite staggering when you see the spectrum of colours and the 36 different flavours).  All products from the Jelly Bean Factory are GMO, gelatine, gluten and nut free.  They are suitable for vegetarians AND they are fat-free!


You can purchase these either in mixed jars (once devoured the canisters would make great storage for pasta, ground coffee or...more jelly beans!)




900g jar - £12.99


or, if you have a particular favourite, you can buy the flavours individually.



Butterscotch Flavour - individual flavours £3.75 for 250g tube




There are different approaches to eating these sweeties.  You can either eat them separately, savouring the flavour of each one, discovering your personal favourites (mine happen to be Caramel Popcorn and Butterscotch), or you can do what I do and throw caution to the wind, chuck a handful in and discover what weird and wonderful cocktail you've come up with!  I'm often pleasantly surprised, but sometimes you get an oddball mix (Caribbean Coconut, Mint Sorbet and Cafe Latte together was pretty strange!)

Visit Online Sweets to purchase these and many, many other sweetie delights.  Which will be your favourite flavour?

A product was received free of charge for the purposes of writing this review, however I have received no financial reward and the views are my honest opinions.

Snowy Wrapping Paper Printing

Today as I was fetching a ubiquitous Fruit Shoot from the fridge for Ruby (shock horror, I don't always give her freshly squeezed, organic fruit smoothies!) I happened to notice this little plastic lid.

I must have opened dozens and dozens of these drinks, and only now did I notice that the lid has a pretty little star shape to the top. 

Wondering if we'd be able to use these as paint stamps, I set about fishing a few more out of the recycling bin.  After a near miss with a tomato tin, and a sticky hand from a not-very-well-rinsed yoghurt pot, I soon had four little stampers.

They make pretty star shaped patterns, or as we were inspired by the weather outside, a snowflake scene.  So that's the Christmas wrapping paper sorted.  I've just got to buy some pressies to wrap now. x

When I Dream of ABC - a book review

The next book I'm reviewing for Top That Publishing is When I dream of ABC by Mr Henry Fisher.

I have slightly mixed views on this one, however I have to say the illustrations are incredible.  They appeal to my slightly gothic nature - think Tim Burton meets Ruby Gloom.  On the positive side, it is refreshing to find an ABC book that breaks with the norm and is more imaginative than 'A is for apple, B is for ball' etc.

I love the concept of this - with each letter of the alphabet the child is transported on a magical journey, meeting inhabitants of an enchanted dreamworld along the way.  Traditionally, some of these characters such as witches and giants are often used in children's book, but I found myself constantly explaining that such creatures as Mermaids, Unicorns, Vampires and Leprechauns weren't real.

The difficulty I had is although my daughter is very young (still 4 months off her 3rd birthday), she seems already to assume a 'learning' book like an alphabet book is more fact than fiction.  Maybe I'm imagining this, but I got the feeling that she believed what I was reading to be true.  The humour was lost on her.

"V is for Vampire. Vampires are very pale because they don't eat their greens.  They come out at night and drink hot chocolate, through little holes in their teeth." 

I suspect older children will appreciate the comedy, but would they necessarily need or want an ABC book?

When I dream of ABC is available from bookshops or online from Top That Publishers at £6.29.

A copy of this book was received free of charge for the purpose of this review, however the opinion stated is my own accurate and honest view.

Perfect Winter's Tale from Top That Publishing

I've reviewed a few books from Top That Publishing and they have become firm favourites with my daughter. I love the quality of them, so I was really happy to be asked to review a couple more for them.

The first is Baby Bear and the Big, Wide World by Ellie Patterson and illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic.

We have had this book for a couple of weeks now, but with the Arctic conditions here recently it has really come into its own. It is the perfect snowy tale to curl up in front of the fire with.

The illustrations are stunning, and set in the wintry landscape they are serene and calm which helps to create a peaceful atmosphere - perfect if your little ones are fed up being trapped indoors!

The story is a heartwarming one of a baby bear who longs for a big adventure, and sneaking away from the safety of his sleeping mother's arms one night, he sets off to explore.  He finds himself alone and feeling very small, until he meets a new friend.  Together they discover that with a friend by your side, the world is not so scary after all.

This book is perfect for bedtime reading or winding-down time and absolutely great for sofa snuggles.  My favourite thing about this book is that afterwards Ruby always wants to re-enact it, with her as the baby polar bear and me as the mummy polar bear having a great big polar bear cuddle!

Available from bookshops and online at Top That Publishing priced at £5.39

A copy of this book was received free of charge for the purpose of this review, however the opinion stated is my own accurate and honest view.