All I Want For Christmas....

I'm not sure I can remember the last day when one of my family has not been blighted by germs.  For weeks on end, the coughs, splutters, runny noses and sore throats have been passed from person to person in a never ending pathological cycle.

Freddy has had croup which was terrifying.  The rasping bark was absolutely awful, but thankfully it was over quite quickly to be followed by a streaming cold.  The sneezes, the snot and the runny eyes have become the norm for my poor little fella, who bravely fights it off retaining his sense of humour and his cheeky smile throughout.

My oldest son Joe has had a bad run of it too. A sore throat lead to a chest infection which, after causing a whole array of lumpy lymph nodes to pop out of his neck, caused him to seek medical help.  The Penicillin that was prescribed worked initially, but a few days later poor Joe started to swell up with hot, lumpy skin.  An emergency visit to the doctor confirmed that he was having an allergic reaction to the medicine.  My poor boy's Facebook Status read:

"What's big, man shaped and covered in red lumps head to toe? Yay go me!"

My poor husband is not getting away from all the ill health worries either.  He has been having a long term health issue which although was not as sinister as we first feared, is proving to be a continual worry.  Hospital appointments continue as they try to diagnose his problem and the doctors are not holding back when they talk about potential problems if they don't resolve it.  He has some invasive tests coming up and I hope with all my heart they get to the bottom of it all.


The girls are all having their share of germs and whatnot too.  Megan is asthmatic and her condition has been getting worse.  It was only when she re-arranged her room in her shared house at university that she discovered a possible cause of her worsening chest condition.  Behind her bed was thick black mould spewing spores into the air right next to her head as she slept.  Luckily with some bleach, a heater and some good ventilation her room was cleaned up and we're hoping the asthma will improve.


As for me, I haven't slept through the night for over three weeks with poorly children to contend with.  I'm coughing and have a sore throat but I don't have the luxury to indulge my poorliness.  But that it a parents' lot, to put their bugs on hold while they deal with everyone elses'!


So this year, all I want for Christmas is five healthy kids and a healthy husband so we can enjoy our family time together!  Failing that, a supply of Calpol, Covonia and Ibuprofen will do the trick!

Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck RC Unit and Spy Camera

I've reviewed the Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck which is a good, robust Secret Agent vehicle.  It stands alone as a good toy, but for the gadget mad technophiles among us, it has even more to offer.  It has two attachments which are available to purchase separately that turn the car into a remote controlled vehicle with a secret spy camera set mounted inside.

The RC Module upgrades compatible vehicles giving them remote control capability with three speeds and steering.  The controller is easy to use.  It is very manoeuvrable and the controls are sensitive. The aerial is a little bit fragile as the wire is fed through a tube that can fall out, which was the only downside of the conversion kit.  The internal components were easy to fit into the body of the car.

The Spying Camera Set includes a high resolution screen, separate camera and USB cable.  The camera can be set up to 'spy' on anyone or anything!!  It is a proper piece of geeky, high tech equipment.  When the camera is put into the truck in the passenger seat, it can be used as the 'eyes' to steer it around remotely even if the truck is out of sight, with the screen which can be mounted on the remote control unit.  You can carry out Surveillance work and monitor rooms to check for the all clear!  Very James Bond!  It has an auto shut off feature to save battery life.

My husband was ridiculously excited by the potential of this toy, and 15 year old Ella loved it too!  They were able to whizz the car down our hallway using the screen as guidance.  They had huge fun with it!  It really is quite unique and very innovative, taking Playmobil in a totally new and uber modern direction.  It is amazing what technology can be packed into a child's plaything.


Kizzy is 9 and was not as confident with steering the car and had a few crashes, but it added to her fun, watching the objects in the screen get closer and closer until...CRASH!!  The truck is thankfully really robust and withstood her driving skills!


The Spy Camera is an expensive piece of kit retailing at £69.99.  The RC Unit is £49.99.  Add this to the £29.99 of the Robo Gangster Truck and this is a very expensive toy.  Plus you need to factor in the batteries which are not included.  But it is unique, innovative, high tech and is a really cool boys' toy!  Hours of secret agent fun will be enjoyed using this sophisticated equipment.  It really allows kids to have the whole secret agent experience.  A great, but pricey extension to a great Playmobil toy!  We love it!!

A Christmas Princess

Me and my girls love watching a good girlie movie together snuggled up under our Slankets!  When we were offered the chance to review the new Christmas movie from Revolver Entertainment, we were looking forward to getting a new classic in our festive repetoire.  A Christmas Princess is a delightful family film starring Roger Moore, Sam Heughan and Katie McGrath.

The story follows the life of Jules, a young woman down on her luck and bringing up two children after her sister and her husband Charles die.  She receives an unexpected invitation from her niece and nephew's estranged grandfather who is a rich duke living in a fairy tale castle in Castleford, Europe. He had cut off his son Charles for marrying an untitled woman, but following his death wants to make amends.  Although he had good intentions of having  a family Christmas, he is very grumpy and soon regrets his decision and does not enjoy being reminded of his dead son and does not want to celebrate the festive season.

Accident prone Jules and the spirited Maddy and Milo are very different to the rich family they are staying with.  The children have some trouble adjusting to their situation, meeting their father's family, especially as he doesn't approve of Christmas celeberations.  Milo gets in trouble and Maddy worries about Santa finding her.  But they soon begin to melt the hearts of the austere staff and bring joy to Castlebury.  Jules meets Charles's brother Ashton and an unlikely friendship follows.

Jules and the children bring Christmas spirit to the heartless castle and even the grumpy grandfather starts to soften and plans a Christmas Eve Ball.  A misunderstanding threatens to ruin everything.  Will everything get sorted out before Christmas?  Will Jules discover that sometimes dreams do come true?

We loved this!  It had all the ingredients of a fabulous family film. We laughed out loud, we shed a tear and cheered at some of Roger Moore's moments!  Our favourite part of the movie was the dance scene with Ashton and Jules.  He tries to teach her to waltz and she gets him to loosen up and go ghetto. It is a lovely romantic story where the girl gets her prince, the value of family comes first and Christmas spirit melts even the frostiest hearts.

*****

If you fancy a bit more festive cheer this Christmas, The Nutcracker comes to UK cinemas for a select run of dates from December 22nd.  The live recording of the New York City Ballet features 70 dancers, 50 children and a 62 piece orchestra, and brings the classic ballet to a wider audience.  It would be a perfect Christmas treat for the family over the holidays.  Take a look at the video to find out more.

Win a Gorgeous Wooden Birdhouse Shape Sorter

I have another fantastic giveaway for my readers to fill you with festive cheer!

I have teamed up with the lovely folk at VUP Baby to give away an absolutely gorgeous Janod Birdhouse Shape Sorter toy worth £24.99!

• The Janod Shape Sorting Wooden Birdhouse has an integrated handle for easy carrying and a drawer for storing wood pieces. There is also a clock on the side.

• This toy encourage early learning of shapes, colours and time and is beautifully made and fun.

• This shape sorter comes with 8 wooden pieces in different shapes and colours.

It really is a lovely toy that toddlers will adore.  

For a chance of winning this prize simply send an email to

press@vupbaby.co.uk  

with Inside the Wendy House as the email subject.  Then come back here 

and leave me a comment to validate your entry.

Competition closes on December 15th and a winner will be drawn at random.  

UK Only.

In Favour of the Slanket!

The heated debate over the Slanket has been bubbling away in the Blogosphere for some time.  I am firmly in the pro-slanket camp.  How can a blanket with sleeves not elicit whoops of joy from anyone lucky enough to be snuggled under its fleecy counterpane!  How can having the freedom to go hands free without compromising on warmth be met with anything other than pure gratitude at the genius who invented such a practical item!  Slankets fully support the lifestyle of a modern woman...stay snug whilst texting, tweeting, blogging, snacking and drinking wine...what is there not to love?!

The Love Rug

The Love Rug Sleeved Blanket was kindly provided by findmeagift.co.uk for the purpose of this post.  The fleecy, lightweight slanket is a huge 60 x 84".  The oversized sleeves allow freedom of movement.  It is completely machine washable which is really convenient. It is a perfect Christmas present for anyone who enjoys relaxing, snuggling and wrapping up warm in the privacy of their own home!  The cute love heart design is adorable and the handy remote pocket means you'll not even have to leave the sofa to play your favourite chick flick on TV.  Pet the cat, open a box of choccies and surf the net without having to leave the cosiness of your sleeved blanket.  Imagine how much money you could save on your heating bills if you keep yourself and your family snuggled up under slankets!  The Love Rug retails for £24.99...you've got to love it!!

Check out Find Me a Gift for this and other great, unique and innovative Christmas gift ideas for all the family, whatever your budget.

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Ice Cream Chokablok with Good Stuff

When I took a delivery of a sample of Chokabloks new flavoured ice creams, I was ridiculously excited, although it meant I had to do an emergency re-jig of my freezer to fit all the tubs in. But who's complaining, I'm happy to consign a shelf over to frozen dairy desserts!  I have a real passion for ice-cream...it is one of the foods that is worth its weight in calories!

Chokablok is a premium, luxury ice-cream brand with flavours chok-full of the finest, best quality ingredients.  Available in 500ml tubs, Chokablok ice cream is a real grown-up indulgence.  Each spoonful features more chewy bits, gooey bits and crunchy bits than any other ice cream.

The Chokablok on Sticks are the perfect handheld treats with just the right amount of premium ice cream crammed with yummy bits and smothered in Belgian milk choocolate.

The two latest flavours in the Chokablok range are Peanut Butter Nutter and The Rocky Road of Love.

Peanut Butter Nutter 

ChokaBlok’s expert ‘cremeliers’ have concocted a real first – a mouth-watering combination of chocolate and peanut butter ice-cream, packed with milk chocolate covered peanuts, rich caramel sauce and real milk chocolate drops.
I am nutty for nuts in ice cream.  It is my favourite addition to my favourite dessert.  Peanut Butter Nutter did not disappoint in that department with a generous quantity of crunchy nuts in each serving.  It isn't an overly sweet ice cream, so it tastes really grown-up.  The crunchy chocolate coated nuts contrast nicely with the dark chocolate and peanut butter ice creams.  I didn't detect too much caramel sauce and confess to serving it with a spoonful of Dulce de Leche which worked perfectly.


The Rocky Road of Love


This ice cream is for true romantics: made of a heavenly combination of rich chocolate and marshmallow ice creams, it comes packed the brim with real milk chocolate hearts, bites of crunchy biscuit, mini marshmallows and generous swirls of sticky toffee sauce.  It is cute and colourful and made my daughter squeal with delight. She loved the chocolate hearts and the crunchy biscuits.  The combination was lovely!


The ice creams benefit from sitting out of the freezer for a few minutes before serving.  The flavours intensify as they soften at room temperature.  These ice creams will impress guests at dinner parties or make a perfect indulgent treat for yourself.

The new tubs of Peanut Butter Nutter and The Rocky Road of Love join the five existing members of the ChokaBlok family: Billionaires Shortcake, Gold Diggers Dynamite, Cookie Dough Mon-Star, Cherry Bomb Brownie and The Chocolate Extremist.

Peanut Butter Nutter, The Rocky Road of Love and ChokaBlok on Sticks are now available in Tesco stores nationwide. Bloks of ChokaBlok are priced at £3.99 RRP. ChokaBlok on Sticks are priced at £2.79.

Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck

Playmobil has been a favourite brand of mine for years.  I love the miniature world and the range of items available is just breathtaking.  The new Robo Gangster Truck brings the world of espionage to the brand with Secret Agents, satellites and chaos capsules!

The truck came in pieces, all packaged into individual bags to make it easy to organise.

It was easy to fit all the bits together, aided with clear pictorial instructions.

The finished model was sturdy, robust and impressive.  It has gull wing style opening doors, firing rockets, a chaos satellite launch pad, two gangsters and accessories.

For any budding James Bonds out there, the Robo Gangster truck promises hours of fun imaginative play.  The firing satellite is a really nice touch with shiny solar panels that fold out.  The missiles really fire from their launchers.  It is recommended for ages 7 and over.  Older children will be able to play with all the fiddly accessories, whereas Freddy just wanted to whizz the truck around.  It was Daddy who had most fun with it and expressed how much he would have loved one as a child!

The Rob Gangster Truck has an RRP of £29.99 and is available at Toys R Us.  The most exciting thing about the Robo Gangster Truck is that you can add a remote control unit to it along with a fully working secret spy camera.  This elevates this toy to something that gadget mad kids (and dads!) will love.  Look out for our video showing these features in action, coming soon!

I Got My Hair Done!

 Following the successful launch of Emma Willis as the new Face of Regis, which I covered on my blog,  Regis Salons organised a visit for me to their Telford branch so I could experience their service for myself.

I am not a 'me-time' person.  I get my hair cut twice a year where the hairdresser chops my split ends off.  it's a practical affair without any pleasure at all.  So going to Regis was something completely new to me.

I was met by Style Director Sarah for a consultation.  We discussed the level of commitment and maintenance I was after.  Her hair wisdom was impressive.  We decided that as I am someone who generally gives very little attention to how I style my hair, there was no point in getting an uber impressive do that will look fabulous in the salon, but will not be maintained due to my inadequate skills.

Sarah came up with a style that would be easy to manage with a colour that would be subtle yet lift the overall tone of my hair and won't give me roots when it grows out.  She matched the shade to the tone of my hair so it would blend in and not be too obvious.  I loved her honesty, knowledge and passion.  Her advice made perfect sense and although there is a tiny part of me that fantasised about walking out of the salon looking totally different with a dramatic new colour and funky cut, I knew that was not something that would work for me.  Sarah really got to the heart of what I needed and what I could manage long term.  Her customer's satisfaction is paramount.  Following the consultation, a price quote is given so there is no shocks or surprises when you get to the till.

The salon itself is spacious, modern and clean.  I felt thoroughly spoiled with cups of coffee, current magazines and warm, friendly chit chat.  I'm not used to spoiling myself, but I could so get used to this!

Last time I had a professional colour was in the 80s when I had peroxide blonde highlights.  Back then it was the time of the skull cap and crochet hook which was intensely painful!  Having foils was totally painless.  Hairdressing has really evolved!!

After 45 minutes I was treated to a shampoo, condition and treatment in the comfortable, adjustable sink unit.  I am almost 6' and in the past have found the sinks really uncomfortable, but this was absolutely fine.

After a fabulous scalp massage, I was left to relax with a hot towel.

Sarah was very professional as she cut and layered my hair.  I had about 5" cut off.  Long layers were cut through and then my hair was blow dried with a big brush to make waves out of my natural curl.

The finished result was really impressive.  The new tone blended in to make my greys look less obvious and the overall colouring lifted my skin tone quite dramatically.  A lot of the weight was removed making my hair feel so much lighter.  No longer was it hanging around my face and looking unhealthy.

I was given advice to use velcro rollers to make an evening hairstyle, which I'm looking forward to trying out at the Tots 100 Christmas party next weekend!

I loved feeling pampered and I love the end result.  Sarah knew exactly how to work with what I had,  to enhance the positives and provide me with the low maintenance end result that I needed.

I had a great experience at Regis.  If you are looking for a hairdresser in Telford you'd be hard pressed to find a better salon.

Regis also have a great competition running at the moment.  If you fancy winning a Canon 550D camera and whole year of hair services visit Emma Willis's Regis blog www.haveagreathairday.co.uk/emmawillis  or the Locks, Rock and Load page on the RegisUk Facebook page.  Simply style your locks, rock your look and upload your photograph to the page.  Ten runners up will also win a cut and colour.  So get your entries in by January 3rd 2012.  

Costa Coffee

Grandpa Chocolates and Pink Silky Dresses

This year is the first one that Freddy's had a real handle on what's going on.  So I was really looking forward to him joining in with Christmas preparations, such as making our annual family Christmas card.  Last year in the January sale I bought the sweetest shepherd's costume which came with a crook and fluffy sheep.  I had visions of my gorgeous boy looking like the angelic Little Shepherd who had 'nothing to give but love' to the baby Jesus.  Awww!!  So I prepared for my photo shoot full of the festive joys, anticipating the smiles on the grandparent's faces as they saw their grandson looking so cute.

However Fred had other ideas.  As I was getting the outfit out Freddy saw Kizzy's age 9-10 pink silk witch oufit and that was it.  No amount of cajoling or coaxing could convince him to put on the cute Shepherd's outfit when faced with the flamboyant pink dress with black net underskirt.  Even in his dress of choice, he did not want to co-operate at all, being more intersted in his new discovery....Grandpa Chocolates!  He has his first advent calendar this year and the picture of Santa is in Fred's words a Grandpa.  The concept of only having one Grandpa Chocolate a day is something that he is finding tricky to come to terms with.

So for my Christmas 2011 cards I give you my son, the Christmas Angel with his Grandpa Chocolates and pink silky dress.

*CLOSED*Win a Fantastic Christmas Toy Bundle for Your Little Ones!

This time of year can be very costly as we throw ourselves into the frenzy of Christmas Shopping.  Deciding exactly what to buy our loved ones can be tricky with so many wonderful products gracing the festive shelves of every high street shop, tempting us with their fantastic features and promises.  It is a serious business!


To help you out further Inside the Wendy House (thanks to UKMums.TV)  has got an amazing bundle of toys to give away to one very lucky reader!!  This should help out by giving you some exciting extra gifts for the kids to enjoy.

I feel like Santa giving away such a lovely load of this year's favourite toys!  There is something for everyone in this bundle!

Check out what is on offer:

Zhu Zhu Hamster Princess Snowcup from Character

Rastamouse Plush Toy with sounds from Character

Club Penguin Puffle Key Ring

Club Penguin Fire Sensei 7" plush

Ravensburger 3D Globe Puzzleball from Ravensburger

Mould & Paint Christmas craft set from Bright Sparks Toys

Fireman Sam's Helicopter from Character

Solar Rainbow Maker from Interplay

Sylvanian Families Father at Home set from Flair

I'm keeping this competition open for 12 days (of Christmas!)  Please share it among your friends!  The lucky winner will be announced and contacted directly and has 48 hours to respond.  After this time I reserve the right to redraw.

It's easy to enter...just fill in the Rafflecopter entry form completing as many of the "I Did This!" entries as you like.  The more you do, the greater your chance of winning these yuletide goodies!!  I'll be posting the prize out myself (on a 3-5 day delivery service) so I can't guarantee pre-Christmas delivery, but I'll do my best!  If not it can be a lovely post Christmas treat for your littlies to enjoy to keep the festive fun going for a little bit longer!  Good luck to all!

Just Dance Kids

Since we've got ourselves an XBox Kinect we have been far more active as a family, jumping around in front of our TV and having fun!  What I really love is how 2 year old Freddy can join in with us without us worrying about him flinging an expensive controller across the room...or worse still through the TV!  He has got the idea of what he needs to do to play the games and his favourite genre is definitely Dance games, but they can be quite tricky to follow.

It is good to see Ubisoft coming up with a Dance Game that is aimed specifically at young children and their love of dancing.  Some of the adult games have complicated choreography that a child may struggle to do (heck...I struggle to do some of the moves!!)  So Just Dance Kids is a game designed just for them!

Featuring fun and simple routines with colourful backgrounds, children can dance along to pop hits, tunes from their favourite TV shows and classic nursery songs.  The moves are safe and easy, designed with kids in mind.  The game itself is simple to navigate with easy to use icons.  Kids get to dance along with fellow children on screen which is a cute touch.  A parent's section allows grown ups to choose the playlist and keep check on their child's progress, if they want to keep tabs on what their child is doing.  (Personally I prefer to join in too!!)

Just Dance Kids is available for XBox Kinect, PS3 Move and Wii.  The XBox allows 2 players head to head or in co-op mode, Move and Wii allow up to 4 players if you have enough controllers!

The whole family can join in and boogie to 40 favourite tunes such as Whip My Hair by Willow Smith,  Accidentally in Love from The Shrek movie, Jingle Bells, Jump Up! from The Imagination Movers and Song 2 by Blur!  It's a mixed bag of music that will appeal to kids of all ages as they strut their funky stuff!  It is very current and relevant to youngsters' tastes.

Kids can have fun and get exercise while playing on their favourite games consoles.  No more couch potato kids!  I applaud Ubisoft for creating a game that will get this younger generation up and moving from a very young age, rather than playing on a sedentary game.  It also teaches them a few moves to impress their mates at the school disco!

Just Dance Kids is available to buy at Amazon currently for £22.49 on Wii and Kinect and £37.39 on PS3.  Perfect as a Christmas present for a little one which will provide hours of fun!

Are You Giving Doggie Doo This Christmas?

Anyone who knows me will know how much I love toilet humour.  So when I received a Doggie Doo game a few weeks back as a prize I was suitably delighted!  The pooping dog seemed like the perfect toy to satisfy my warped sense of fun!  Others obviously agree because it features highly in this year's most wanted Christmas presents!

The sheepish expression on the doggy's face brought such promise of the rude fun that was to come.  You feed the special food to the dog, push it in with his bone, then pump the handle on the lead to get the poo moving.  Eventually with a satisfying squelch it is eliminated from his rear end to be shovelled up by a willing pooper scooper!

First few times we were in hysterics.  From 2 year old Freddy to the older kids to myself, we laughed as we willed the next pump to be the one to expel the day-glo yellow poop!  The kids were peeping up the business end waiting to see the doggie doo crown.  It was so funny!

Within a few days, the consistency of the dog food became so sticky that it clung to everything...clothes, hands, furniture...and it wouldn't go through the dog's innards at all.  Very quickly, doggy's digestive system failed to cope.  We resorted to blowing down his mouth hole to jet propel the poop (hilarious first few times!) to sticking a bamboo skewer up his bum to ease out the motion!  I felt like a canine proctologist. The residue building up inside made the toy impossible to use.  Also, the pumping handle started to fall off after a few uses and eventually a spring inside came loose.

At this point Ian decided to give the unusable toy an exploratory operation and took it apart.  The mechanism was completely unfixable and a plastic component had snapped inside, leaving a plastic dog, sticky poop and no pump!

All in all this is a five minute wonder.  It is hugely funny at first but the novelty soon wears off as it very quickly stops working and ends up completely broken.  Is £22.99 worth paying for such a short lived toy?  Probably not.  If you're one of the people who have this for your kids this year, enjoy it while it lasts.  Ours is now in the bin after 8 weeks.  Shame because this is almost genius.  The early laughs however were priceless...but that is easy to say when I didn't pay £22.99 of my hard earned cash for it!!

Feeding the Hordes this Christmas

I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Morrison's Tester to host a Christmas Party!  Receiving a box of goodies, vouchers and a shopping list (adapted as the majority of us are vegetarian), we set about preparing a little soiree for my parents to attend, in order to test a selection of buffet food, cakes, wine, decorations, crackers, party poppers and gifts.

Morrisons have a huge range of Christmas goodies instore and available to pre-order.  My parents were impressed by the Mini Fish and Chips which are little potato slices, topped with minty, mushy peas and finished with a piece of battered fish.  They were good quality and quite impressive to look at!  But at a pack of 8 for £4 or two packs for £7, they aren't cheap as chips!  The cheesy bites, fingers and mini pizzas were good for us vegetarians and the kids really liked them. They made a nice change to the stock veggie buffet offering of Indian snacks.  Morrisons have quite a few veggie bits this year which is nice! We sampled The Best Chocolate Cluster Cake which was a rich fruit cake topped with chocolate pieces and chocolate covered dried fruit and nuts.  It was a great alternative to the usual marzipan and icing topped seasonal cake and everyone who ate it said it was moist, packed with fruit and delicious.  It costs £8 but it went a long way as it was so rich.

Morrisons also have cards, gift wrap, decorations, crackers, party poppers and tableware for all your festive needs.  They also stock a great range of toiletry gifts for him, her and the kids which are a bargain at 3 for a tenner.  Definitely worth popping a few under the tree for any unexpected guests!

We enjoyed having an early taste test of the Morrisons festive party foods.  Definitely a few items in the range that will be purchased for our Christmas and New Year parties this year.  Take a look in store or check out the website for more details of their festive food.

Cars 2 Drive and Talk McQueen

We are huge fans of Disney.  We are complete suckers for the films, the songs, the characters and the merchandise.  We can't get enough of Disney.

We were very excited to receive a Disney Pixar Cars 2 Drive and Talk McQueen plush toy in our final Toyologist consignment.  The cute and cuddly Lightning McQueen toy comes with a cuddly key to start the engine, it makes engine sounds and says catch phrases and moves with a vroooom!!

You have to push down on Lightning's bonnet or stick the magnetic key to the roof to activate the sounds and motion. 

Sounds great??  So why then does this just not quite do it for me?  I just fail to understand the concept of an electronic cuddly car!!  Lightning is a mean machine, built for speed.  It does not translate to a soft, puffy toy with wheels that don't spin and absolutely no aerodynamics at all.  The loud roaring of the engine and the Ka-Chow catchphrase doesn't quite fit the new softer image.  It also only says a couple of phrases which just repeat and get old quickly.  There are two wheels in a heavy plastic base underneath which allows the car to move, but it only goes a short distance and very slowly.  It actually waddles which isn't very race car-like!  

Freddy wasn't overly impressed with the toy.  He kept pushing it to try and make it go faster and further.  He liked the sounds, but as Lightning was neither a cuddly toy that you could snuggle with due to the plastic base, or a speedy vehicle that whizzed around the floor, I'm not sure Freddy really knew what to do with him. He tried to use it as a sit n ride at one point!!  He lost interest quite quickly. 

I am sad to not be singing the praises of my favourite franchise, but this just didn't quite do it for us.  We want our cars whizzy and our soft toys cuddly.  Trying to mix it just isn't a good combination.  We still love Disney and we still love Lightning McQueen and Cars 2 toys....just not in this format.