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Sunday, 25 September 2016
Thursday, 22 September 2016
Heavenly Hotter -Amazing comfort and style for Autumn #review
You know when you get home after a long day on your feet and you take your shoes or boots off and release that blissful "aaaaaaaahhhhh" noise of joy and relief? Now imagine that same sensation when you put your footwear ON!
The lovely folk at Hotter shoes call that a #HotterMoment and want the world to know that their shoes offer this level of comfort along with the latest fashion colours, styles, trims and textures.
Yes they still do ultra-comfy sturdy styles which your Gran would love but they nestle alongside cute zippy ankle boots, totally trendy patent brogues (the style all the teenaged girls are wearing in my neck of the woods) and elegant evening styles which won't leave you with blisters and bunions or hobbling home. They do gorgeous bags too. Cue my husband rolling his eyes in despair.
I was the oldest at a recent #ShoesieTuesday blogger evening where we learned about the origins of the company which started out in 1959 named Beaconsfield Shoes making slippers. They still make slippers. Lovely slippers actually if anyone is wondering what to buy me for Christmas.
I examined the other lovely attendees footwear - I was the only one already wearing Hotter (the amazingly comfortable and versatile H92 slip-on with memory foam insole which I picked up earlier this year. (the updated version of this is called Cloud).
I wondered what these younger women would make of the brand. I wondered if maybe I love it because with diabetes and fibromyalgia their shoes give me style without compromise - but I have long abandoned stiletto heels and plastic pointy toes for wedges and leather foot shaped shoes.
Turns out once they put them on their feet and had their own Hotter Moment it was more an issue about which one of the many styles they loved they would pick as their favourite.
The great thing about Hotter is that they use lasts created from information about actual British feet rather than foreign statistics so the shoes are statistically more likely to fit British feet.
Not British - no probs! The brand stocks a wide range of width fittings and styles and all staff are extremely well trained in finding you the perfect footwear and will happily offer suggestions based on your foot shape and needs.
I defy anyone to not find a pair of shoes or boots in their stores that don't make you feel like Cinderella and like Prince Charming has popped your glass slipper on your foot. I can't promise blue birds flying round your head though.
Many of the styles have interchangeable insoles to ensure the best fit as most people's feet differ in size and shape slightly. Some styles even have washable insoles. Most styles are built on their amazing lightweight bubble filled sole with extra padding in crucial places - no extra gel pads required in Hotter shoes!
Getting fitted in one of the 76 stores nationwide is your best option for a perfect fit but there is a fab website with click and collect as well as online shopping with a handy fitting guide and information about all the shoes, the materials they are made from and the answer to pretty much any question you might think of.
Most of the range is made right here in GB but the company will happily deliver internationally - Hotter shoes are extremely popular in the US apparently and their customer service phone lines stay open to reflect time zone differences for the American shoppers.
Back to my evening shopping at the store inside Watford's Intu shopping centre. As always I was torn between a variety of styles and once again I lingered over the Shake shoes - this time in tan. (last time I coveted the floral Rose Bloom Shake style, below, which I've just spotted are in the Clearance area of the website!)
There's a picture on the front page of the latest Hotter catalogue of a woman wearing the tan Shake style with chunky grey tights and I imagined myself in this combo with a denim pinafore and a grey grandad Tee.......
But the lure of the butter soft leather of the brand's Mystery knee high boots (RRP £89) proved too much and they came home with me along with a fabulous chic cross-body Carolina tan leather bag (RRP £55). I was not the only one to choose these boots although the zipped Vanity boots (RRP £89) proved very popular too !
I can't wait to stride through crunchy autumn leaves wearing my beautiful boots. Instead of coming home and saying "Aaaah!" when I take my boots off I will be saying "Awwwww" as they are so comfortable I won't want to remove them. As the store's hashtag mat boasts, my boots give me #StyleWithASmile.
If you want to have your own #HotterMoment pop into your local store or check out the website (where there are currently discounts on offer if you buy more than one pair of shoes from the new collection.)
Disclaimer: I received Mystery boots and a Carolina bag for the purposes of this honest review.
The lovely folk at Hotter shoes call that a #HotterMoment and want the world to know that their shoes offer this level of comfort along with the latest fashion colours, styles, trims and textures.
Yes they still do ultra-comfy sturdy styles which your Gran would love but they nestle alongside cute zippy ankle boots, totally trendy patent brogues (the style all the teenaged girls are wearing in my neck of the woods) and elegant evening styles which won't leave you with blisters and bunions or hobbling home. They do gorgeous bags too. Cue my husband rolling his eyes in despair.
I examined the other lovely attendees footwear - I was the only one already wearing Hotter (the amazingly comfortable and versatile H92 slip-on with memory foam insole which I picked up earlier this year. (the updated version of this is called Cloud).
I wondered what these younger women would make of the brand. I wondered if maybe I love it because with diabetes and fibromyalgia their shoes give me style without compromise - but I have long abandoned stiletto heels and plastic pointy toes for wedges and leather foot shaped shoes.
Turns out once they put them on their feet and had their own Hotter Moment it was more an issue about which one of the many styles they loved they would pick as their favourite.
The great thing about Hotter is that they use lasts created from information about actual British feet rather than foreign statistics so the shoes are statistically more likely to fit British feet.
Not British - no probs! The brand stocks a wide range of width fittings and styles and all staff are extremely well trained in finding you the perfect footwear and will happily offer suggestions based on your foot shape and needs.
I defy anyone to not find a pair of shoes or boots in their stores that don't make you feel like Cinderella and like Prince Charming has popped your glass slipper on your foot. I can't promise blue birds flying round your head though.
Many of the styles have interchangeable insoles to ensure the best fit as most people's feet differ in size and shape slightly. Some styles even have washable insoles. Most styles are built on their amazing lightweight bubble filled sole with extra padding in crucial places - no extra gel pads required in Hotter shoes!
Getting fitted in one of the 76 stores nationwide is your best option for a perfect fit but there is a fab website with click and collect as well as online shopping with a handy fitting guide and information about all the shoes, the materials they are made from and the answer to pretty much any question you might think of.
Most of the range is made right here in GB but the company will happily deliver internationally - Hotter shoes are extremely popular in the US apparently and their customer service phone lines stay open to reflect time zone differences for the American shoppers.Back to my evening shopping at the store inside Watford's Intu shopping centre. As always I was torn between a variety of styles and once again I lingered over the Shake shoes - this time in tan. (last time I coveted the floral Rose Bloom Shake style, below, which I've just spotted are in the Clearance area of the website!)
There's a picture on the front page of the latest Hotter catalogue of a woman wearing the tan Shake style with chunky grey tights and I imagined myself in this combo with a denim pinafore and a grey grandad Tee.......
But the lure of the butter soft leather of the brand's Mystery knee high boots (RRP £89) proved too much and they came home with me along with a fabulous chic cross-body Carolina tan leather bag (RRP £55). I was not the only one to choose these boots although the zipped Vanity boots (RRP £89) proved very popular too !
I can't wait to stride through crunchy autumn leaves wearing my beautiful boots. Instead of coming home and saying "Aaaah!" when I take my boots off I will be saying "Awwwww" as they are so comfortable I won't want to remove them. As the store's hashtag mat boasts, my boots give me #StyleWithASmile.
If you want to have your own #HotterMoment pop into your local store or check out the website (where there are currently discounts on offer if you buy more than one pair of shoes from the new collection.)
Disclaimer: I received Mystery boots and a Carolina bag for the purposes of this honest review.
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Keep your wheels safe with Scoot Lock #review #giveaway #competition
It is sad that we can't just leave our possessions unlocked and safe from thieves but the fact of the matter is there is always someone who for whatever reason feels they have to steal other people's stuff.
Bikes and scooters aren't cheap and are obviously very portable - leaving one leaning outside a shop while you or your child pops in to buy ice-cream is a gamble. And I am sure I am not alone feeling vulnerable leaving an empty pushchair in the theme park buggy park while we go on a ride, wondering if it will still be there when we get back. After all some pushchairs literally cost as much as a second hand car!
Luckily a mum Cheryl Fox who had her son's scooter stolen came up with another of those blindingly simple but genius ideas to prevent others losing theirs - let me introduce the Scoot Lock.
Scoot Lock is a child-friendly lock, which clamps then stays on the scooter and helps to secure it from being taken by accident in the playground hometime rush (let's be generous about people's motives here) or out at the park or shops.
A simple and affordable lock, (RRP £19.99) it attaches to the scooter, bike or buggy stem or frame and goes wherever the scooter/bike/buggy goes once fitted, meaning it doesn't get lost or left at home. A long cable on the lock then means it can be safely secured to a railing, tree, or just about anything!
It has a reflective disc on the front which you can replace with a custom animal face purchased from the Scoot Lock website and the alterable combination lock means no-one can use a key from their lock to open yours.
The best bit about the Scoot Lock is that it fits any scooter - mini, micro, urban and even adult. Let's face it those posh scooters especially cost a fair bit of money so it seems wise to invest a little bit more to protect them. You can thread the metal cord through spokes to protect a couple of scooters/bikes but I'd imagine that's a bit fiddly and it's probably more convenient for each item to have its own Scoot Lock for best security.
I've fitted one to my tweenaged son's (brand new) bike as he keeps forgetting his chain lock. The Scoot Lock stays on the frame and he has shared his combination with me so if he forgets it he can text and ask me! You can change the combination as often as you like of course.
It stops me worrying about him riding it to the park and leaving it on the grass while he plays. It take seconds to attach the bike to the park railings using the long strong metal cord then he (and I) can stop worrying about whether some toe-rag is going to nick it.
The Scoot Lock is available in five colours and as I mentioned you can also add animal faces to the front. It takes a matter of minutes to attach to whatever ride you are protecting. You can buy the Scoot Lock and accessories from the website or from retailers including Halfords, Tesco, Argos, Amazon and Kiddicare.
Once again I find myself thinking: "I wish I'd thought of that!"
If you'd like to win a Scoot Lock I have to to give away in my simple to enter competition. See the entry form below! Good Luck!
Disclaimer: I received one free Scoot Lock for the purposes of this review. Views and opinions remain honest and my own.
Scoot Lock Giveaway
Bikes and scooters aren't cheap and are obviously very portable - leaving one leaning outside a shop while you or your child pops in to buy ice-cream is a gamble. And I am sure I am not alone feeling vulnerable leaving an empty pushchair in the theme park buggy park while we go on a ride, wondering if it will still be there when we get back. After all some pushchairs literally cost as much as a second hand car!
Luckily a mum Cheryl Fox who had her son's scooter stolen came up with another of those blindingly simple but genius ideas to prevent others losing theirs - let me introduce the Scoot Lock.
Scoot Lock is a child-friendly lock, which clamps then stays on the scooter and helps to secure it from being taken by accident in the playground hometime rush (let's be generous about people's motives here) or out at the park or shops.
A simple and affordable lock, (RRP £19.99) it attaches to the scooter, bike or buggy stem or frame and goes wherever the scooter/bike/buggy goes once fitted, meaning it doesn't get lost or left at home. A long cable on the lock then means it can be safely secured to a railing, tree, or just about anything!
It has a reflective disc on the front which you can replace with a custom animal face purchased from the Scoot Lock website and the alterable combination lock means no-one can use a key from their lock to open yours.
The best bit about the Scoot Lock is that it fits any scooter - mini, micro, urban and even adult. Let's face it those posh scooters especially cost a fair bit of money so it seems wise to invest a little bit more to protect them. You can thread the metal cord through spokes to protect a couple of scooters/bikes but I'd imagine that's a bit fiddly and it's probably more convenient for each item to have its own Scoot Lock for best security.
I've fitted one to my tweenaged son's (brand new) bike as he keeps forgetting his chain lock. The Scoot Lock stays on the frame and he has shared his combination with me so if he forgets it he can text and ask me! You can change the combination as often as you like of course.
It stops me worrying about him riding it to the park and leaving it on the grass while he plays. It take seconds to attach the bike to the park railings using the long strong metal cord then he (and I) can stop worrying about whether some toe-rag is going to nick it.
The Scoot Lock is available in five colours and as I mentioned you can also add animal faces to the front. It takes a matter of minutes to attach to whatever ride you are protecting. You can buy the Scoot Lock and accessories from the website or from retailers including Halfords, Tesco, Argos, Amazon and Kiddicare.
Once again I find myself thinking: "I wish I'd thought of that!"
If you'd like to win a Scoot Lock I have to to give away in my simple to enter competition. See the entry form below! Good Luck!
Disclaimer: I received one free Scoot Lock for the purposes of this review. Views and opinions remain honest and my own.
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