Janome 9300DX Overlocker

It’s been able to handle all the fabrics I have tried, the threading is easy just push the thread into the guide and through the lower looper then follow the colour coded guides on the threading path, I find the built in rolled hem feature handy and it’s very stable and quiet unlike other overlockers I have used for a surprisingly light machine.

• 3 Or 4 Thread Overlocking
• Easy Rolled Hem Conversion
• Differential Feed Ratio 0.5 - 2.2
• Lay In Thread Tension Dials
• Instructional DVD included

The Janome 9300DX gives you a wide range of overlocking features in a compact machine. It's sturdy design and precise Janome stitch performance ensures beautiful 3 or 4 thread operation.

The 9300DX comes pre-threaded and has a built-in rolled hem feature (no plate change) for a professional finish. The cutting width is adjustable from 2.0 to 5.7 mm. The differential feed prevents puckering and stretching, and can be used for fun special effects and the upper knife can be deactivated for decorative sewing. The 9300DX uses standard ball point needles.

Colour coded paths make threading so easy. Other features include an extra-high presser foot lifter, whisper-quiet operation, and an electronic foot control.

Weight - 8kg.

Standard Accessories

• Standard Foot 
• Gathering Attachment 
• Instructional DVD 
• Instruction Book 
• Packet of Ball Point Needles 
• Screwdrivers - Large & Small 
• Tweezers

Summary
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It’s used on a weekly basis and I would recommend this product.

Price: £249.00
PRODUCT LINK

Portable CD-Player Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette USB SD MP3

Great BoomBox with a nice design and great features, this comes well packed and protected so after unpacking and removing the protection I first decided to give it a test with a Rebecca Ferguson CD which played flawlessly giving a great sound, I then pumped up the volume to the max for a short time to test to see if I had any distortion and there was none at all.

 

I tested the radio which has a simple tuning knob and it worked fine, I then loaded some Mp3’s to a USB stick and tested again with great results and also the main feature I was after, I then repeated the process with a SD card and it also worked flawlessly although not a feature I plan to use. Finally I dug out a cassette the only one I could find was 1992 Christmas song compilation and also played fine.

What I liked
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- Great sound
- Mp3 Playback via USB or SD card
- Programmable to create a personal playlist
- Two 3-way speakers (6 speakers)
- Nice design

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- To change mode you have a switch on the rear left, I would have liked to see it on the top but this is more a personal preference than any sort of flaw

Summary
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I wanted a classic style BoomBox with a nice design and great sound but also wanted something to play my music via a USB stick and this is idea.

Price: £64.99
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CSBROTHER Mini Bluetooth Earphone

Simple, small and just what I wanted, this fits perfectly, never falls out like the others I have tried and the sound quality is great. The setup very simple I had it linked up and playing in a couple of minutes, it’s lightweight and comfortable so I hardly noticed I had it in. I tested answering calls which works flawlessly and the pairing with 2 different devices simultaneously which worked well but it’s not something I can see me using. The range say’s 33 feet but I did find it losing connection around 29 foot so would say yes it can connect up to 33 feet but over 29 feet you stand the chance of losing or intermittent connection.

What I liked
*************
- Sound quality is very good
- Fits well and does not fall out
- Very discreet earpiece
- Nice design
- 3-4 hours of talk & playing time & 150 hours of standby time
- Comfortable

What I Didn’t Like
********************
- Small print manual
- Plain brown box, not a big issue but if you purchase as a gift it could be

Summary
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For me this is ideal, does the job and does it well, comfortable and easy to set up with good sound quality, I mentioned a couple of minor gripes but overall I really like it and none of the things I have mentioned are an issue for me so I give it top marks.

Price: £14.99
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Fashionvictime Rhodium Plated Crystal Bracelet

Beautifully designed well balanced bracelet, I got this for my daughter who has started collecting charm beads and loves jewellery. This comes in a simple package with a nice pull string protective bag and a presentation gift box if you are giving this as a gift, I have taken some pictures that hopefully show the quality and attention to detail given to this rhodium plated bracelet.

My daughter was delighted to receive this and her feedback was that it was nice and comfortable on her wrist not too heavy, she loved the design and beads saying that she thought the concealed clasp was a nice touch.

What I liked
*************
- Very nice design
- High quality finishing
- Ideal gift
- Lightweight
- Very pretty

What I Didn’t Like
********************
- Not really anything not to like, could have come with a display box but might be that’s a bit old fashioned now

Summary
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It’s an ideal gift with very nice design, high quality finishing and best of all my daughter loves it so if she’s happy that makes me happy.

Price: £62.00
PRODUCT LINK

Pokemon Sun - Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo have surpassed themselves with this.

This game really is so very different from the format that made Pokemon what it was with a much improved AI trainer and battles that thus far have actually presented a challenge. Graphics are better too, but there’s still some faint blurring around the edges. OK, there’s a lot of cut scenes, but - I’d go as far to say that it will appeal to adults, as well as the kids, such are the changes.
A few I’ve noticed in the couple of hours I’ve played so far include:

No traditional gyms. – Instead you must get past captains and Todum Pokemon to access 4 islands, by completing quizzes, quests and battles.

A QR Scanner. - Each scan will give you random Pokemon trivia. A random scan of a code gives you ten points. Reach a hundred points (I’m only on 40) and you can then search the island for a rare Pokemon. .

Photo Taking - You can photograph any Pokemon you encounter in the wilderness.

Auto Run - You can now run extremely fast and in all directions.

Hidden Machines (HM’s)are gone – Instead you can ride interactive Pokemon on the world map.

Fishing. - You are now limited to where you can fish

Pokebank – Allows you to transfer your character between sun and moon.

I’ve no doubt there’s a lot more changes I’ve yet to find, but those I’ve referenced really do add a very different dynamic to this game. I can see this game being played until the smallest of small hours.
Grab it. It’s brilliant.

Price: £31.99
Product link:

Sony Playstation 4 Pro

Out of the box, it’s very sleek.. Slightly bigger than the PS4 slim, but will still fit nicely in your bookcase etc. There are still two USB ports on the front and there’s now an extra one at the back should you need it for PSVR or another USB device. You also get the PS Camera port, LAN, HDMI and thankfully the welcome return of the optical audio port. They’ve included one redesigned DualShock 4 (why don’t they give you 2?)

 The new console also supports 802.11ac wi-fi
It’s also whisper quiet

I’d have liked to have seen a bigger hard drive. The 1TB one supplied isn’t going to be big enough in the long run and why no 4k Blu-Ray player is beyond me, but at least it will stream 4k content from Netflix etc.

I bought a 4k HDR TV on offer a while ago and having hooked the Pro up I loaded Rise of the Tomb Raider, as this game has a menu option specifically for PS4 Pro, allowing players to choose 4K,

Wow. I was really impressed with just how crisp, clear and defined the graphics were. Something as simple as the glow from Lara’s torch was so realistic. The game backdrops/scenery are absolutely stunning.

It will be very interesting to see what the future brings. I’m not a fan of VR, but this is supposed to be spectacular on the Pro and I really hope game developers exploit the raw power this system offers for future games, instead of just relying on the console to do its best to upscale.

Game wise, this is where you do need to do your research. There are only a few games available at present in true native 4k. . -Choose wisely...

Price: £349.00
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Deckey Desk Lamp LED Table Lamp

Very bright, portable, practical and aseptically pleasing design, I really like this lamp. I have a very similar one which is great and my wife has been dropping subtle hints that she wants me to get her one such as ‘get me one of them’ and ‘give me your lamp it’s of more use to me’ so I got her this.

The lamp has a couple of nice things my other has not such as a colour changing LED light in the base and the base is of a good weight my other one is a bit light so easier to knock over, the brightness has 3 adjustments and is certainly very bright at full, it has good adjustment and ideal to use as extra light for any close up jobs you have or reading small print on an instruction manual. You can turn the LED light off in the base should you not want it on.

What I liked
*************
- Design is very nice
- Very adjustable
- Light adjustment to 3 levels
- Has a good weight to the base helping stability
- Great brightness

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- If the battery is completely flat you can’t run it off the USB power and get full brightness although on full brightness the battery lasts on my test 1 hour 28 minutes before needing to be charged

What I Would Like
********************
- A larger battery capacity
- Larger pint manual although this was readable and in no way as bad as some I have seen

Summary
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This is a very nice portable and useful lamp I use mine all the time and my wife is very pleased to get this, I have flagged up one thing in what I didn’t like but I this is not an issue for my usage or indeed my wife’s so have not reduced my personal rating for the lamp I am just making others aware of it should it be an issue for them. I will of course as I always do revisit this review should I have any issues and adjust accordingly, I was fortunate enough to receive this product at a discounted rate in return for my fair and conscientious review.

Price: £9.99
PRODUCT LINK

Wnnideo Lightweight Sleeping Bag

This arrived vacuum packed in a flat package easy enough to open and unroll, it is very thin, the quality of the stitching and finishing could do with more detail and I found quite a few loose ends on both the sleeping bag and carry case that came with it The bag rolls up easily enough for storing in the bag, is lightweight and seems warm enough.

What I liked
*************
- Lightweight
- Design is nice and simple
- Easy to pack and unpack

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- Product finishing could be a lot better
- It all feels a bit low quality

Summary
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Overall it does the job I just think it needed better attention to detail with the product finishing. I will of course as I always do revisit this review should I have any issues and adjust accordingly.

Price: £19.77
PRODUCT LINK

Ugee 2150 Graphics Tablet Drawing Monitor

Let me start off by saying what a superb bit of kit I highly recommend it for anyone who isn’t interested in reading my whole review. The Ugee 2150 arrived well packed and protected so I set about unpacking, all the peripherals came in a separate box within the main box apart from the screen protector so I unpacked everything and laid it out ready to set up.

The setup is fairly simple if you follow the instructions and is a case of link up all the cables then use the install DVD provided. I wanted to set this up as a duel monitor and took some time calibrating the screen until I had an exact match or at least I could not see any difference at all. I have been using Photoshop now for over 15 years and in the early days concentrated on releasing actions but in recent years have been doing a lot of photo reconstruction and repair so decided it was time I looked at getting a drawing tablet, a mouse works but you are never able to replicate the smooth up close and personal transition you get using a pen and always have the detachment between screen and applicator. I dipped my toe in the water with the Ugee M1000L Graphics Drawing Pen Tablet which is a really good budget drawing tablet but as I needed a second monitor and loved the idea of drawing straight onto my work I decided to invest in this.

I did a small video test I know it’s not the best but I am not an artist and tried to do something fast and simple. I have specific projects for this screen which involve hours of close up work in repair and reconstruction of photo areas but hopefully this will show give you some idea and at the end I write ‘this is a simple test’ to do this with a mouse is virtually impossible or at least would take a very long time and this took seconds hopefully showing you it’s precision.

I didn’t use the screen protector provided as personally I just don’t like them on my phone so didn’t really see any reason to put one on this, the pens are well balanced and feel nice in the hand and the drawing tablet has a very nice adjustment so you can get it just at the right angle that suits you, it comes with loads of spare tips and two pens which is great so I can always have one on charge.

What I liked
*************
- Ease of operation
- Simple straight forward setup
- Excellent precision and accuracy
- Adjustable stand works great and very stable
- Multitude of connections giving you the option of HDMI, DVI or VGA
- It fits my needs perfectly
- Two pens so one is always charged

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- I really haven’t found anything but if I do I will return and edit the review and adjust accordingly

Summary
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I did a lot of research before deciding on this and am very pleased I went for it, overall I found the performance of this outstanding and way beyond what I had hoped for, the setup is simple and it really is not only easy to use it has been making jobs that would take me an hour with a mouse to do take a fraction of the time with more precise results. I would without hesitation recommend this drawing tablet.

Price: £459.99

PRODUCT LINK

Outdoor Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker With LED Torch

Nice little compact speaker packed with features, I got this as I do a lot of fishing and it’s ideal to link up to my phone and listen to a bit of music or even just stick in my pocket for a bit of music on the move. The setup is really simple just hold the power then look for K9 on your device in the Bluetooth section and pair it. I have added a video as I wanted to test it was fully waterproof before I had an accident with it and hopefully that has uploaded and shows this feature. There is a torch on the back that has 3 modes of use (bright, dim or flashing) which should be useful and it has slot for a TF Card another useful feature should you want to pre-load a playlist onto it.

What I liked
************
- Nice compact design
- Good quality sound
- Has a torch on the back
- Takes a TF Card
- 8 Hours play time off a full charge

What I Didn’t Like
******************
- Connection voice is a bit irritating but hardly a big issue

Summary
**********
Nice compact waterproof speaker ideal for my intended use and small enough to slip in your pocket with a good solid sound.

Price: £14.99
PRODUCT LINK

18oz Premium sports water bottle, by Super Sparrow

I drink a lot of water. A lot. Especially cold water. I try and avoid buying these overpriced name brand waters (who’d ever have thought that water would be more expensive to buy than petrol??) and instead opt for filtered water. Trouble is, I struggle to find a glass, especially at work, so I wanted a dedicated bottle to keep there.

This bottle most certainly fits the bill. Ergonomically designed, with a handy, removable wrist strap and a rubberised strip around the centre of the bottle to prevent it slipping, or burning your hand.
The lid has a simple push button locking mechanism, which,once engaged, keeps the bottle leak free. – I filled it, replaced the lid and inverted the bottle. Leaving it upside down for a couple of hours I detected no evidence of any leaks whatsoever.

Inside the lid is a removable plastic strainer – perfect if you’re into infused water, or herbal teas etc (yes, this bottle will hold hot drinks, but not boiling).
Overall, I’m really pleased with this bottle. It’s well made and I’ve no doubt it will last me a good while to come.

Price: £10.95 - £12.95 (depending on size you order)
Product link:

"Coeur" Pendant from Fashionvictime

This is a beautiful looking necklace. It has a very light and elegant feel to it and is really attractive. The stones set into the surround react superbly with the light and the finish is excellent, The necklace arrives with a faux silk bag and a presentation gift box. Again, the quality of both is superb.

The pendant is roughly the same size as a 20 pence piece It’s heart-shaped with a smaller, ¾ heart shape, which is encrusted with stones inside the outer heart. The central stone in the pendant is much larger than the others. The overall length of the necklace, when clasped together is approximately 250mm (10 inches).The chain is of a high standard and quite fine. The clasp is the same as many other necklaces/bracelets and works without any issue.

Reversing the pendant, the stones appear very well set. I ran my finger across them and could detect no wobble or looseness to them and having presented this necklace to my girlfriend, I am most definitely in her good books!

Price: £55.00
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NinaQueen - Lucky Cat Silver Charm

I got this for my daughter who has started collecting them for a charm bracelet, the quality is flawless as I have hopefully shown in the pictures I have taken. The Lucky cat (maneki-neko) is a great addition as I have spent many years living and working in Asia and have a couple round the house, they should always be given and received as a gift to bring luck.

While stories of the origins of the cat are varied and uncertain the one I was told once when in Hong Kong was that there was a family trapped in a house fire and the family cat threw itself onto the fire exploding and extinguishing the flames thus saving it’s owners and making it lucky. Whatever the reason for a claim of bringing good luck this is certainly a very nice charm and a beautiful addition to any bracelet.

What I liked
************
- Very nice design
- Comes in a nice presentation box
- High quality finishing
- Brings good luck (hopefully)

What I Didn’t Like
******************
- Nothing I have found

Summary
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A very well made and beautiful charm which will be a very welcome addition to my daughter’s bracelet and I am sure she will be delighted with it.

Price: £25.99
PRODUCT LINK

Munchkin Hot Safety Bath Duck

My daughter for some strange reason is mad about ducks and even her first word was duck not mummy or daddy so she now has quite a big collection of bath time ducks to play with but I wanted another to add to her collection and saw this one with the temperature indicator not really something I was looking for as I find the back of my hand or an elbow more than sufficient but as it looked nice and of good quality with a reasonable price so I went for it.

It is very good quality and no leaks, I did test the duck in some hot water and it worked I just feel it doesn’t really give a good enough indication of temperature and in my opinion not really accurate enough to rely on.

What I liked
************
- Very good quality
- Good price
- My daughter loves it

What I Didn’t Like
*****************
- In my opinion not accurate enough to rely on

Summary
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My daughter loves this and I didn’t really get it for the heat testing feature that was just an added extra that in my opinion fails but that said it’s no more expensive than other ducks I looked at and it is indeed very good quality, my daughter would not let it go now and it’s the first duck she looks for at bath time so for that reason I am not being too harsh and giving it 4 stars.

Price: £2.79
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Essential Oil Starter Pack - Woodland Oils

There are some great aromas in this pack, I am building a nice large collection now and this is a great addition, I am no expert but I know what I like, Birch Sweet and Cedarwood Himalayan are my favourites although I like them all. The bottles are very neat and have a nice display label.

• Birch Sweet - Has a sweet, sharp, minty scent which is very fresh and quite similar to Wintergreen
• Cedarwood Himalayan - Has a dry - woody aroma, slightly camphoraceous, smoky, balsamic. Very subtle with a hint of spice
• Patchouli - Has a warm, earthy aroma with fresh fruit - like tones
• Pine Sylvestris - Has a crisp, fresh, sweet, forest like aroma. It is more resinous and warm smelling than the regular pine oil
• Tea Tree – A hard one to describe but for me pine mixed with herb, scent of the foliage in a dense woodland area

 

Summary
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A very nice variety of oils and I haven’t found any of them I don’t like, I would recommend these for personal use or as a gift.

Price: £7.95
PRODUCT LINK

Android TV Box 2017 2GB/8GB/4K

Great Android box I really like it for anyone who just wants the bottom line and does not want to read right through my review. The Android box comes in a nice black box HDMI cable, power adapter, instruction manual and remote control, I would note there are no batteries with the remote control not a big deal but would also say these boxes all come with a remote and I would suggest investing in a keypad remote which can be found on Amazon for around £7 they always have a better range and come with a rechargeable battery pack.

After unpacking I was surprised how small the Android box was which was pleasing and on powering it up you get LED lights in the top which look nice, it comes with Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 which is a simple tile menus easy to navigate with several apps pre-installed and google store on the main screen to get more as required. I use a network connection but tested the wireless which works fine and you will need to set this up when you begin by going to the settings on the main screen then Network selecting either WiFi or Ethenet.

 My main reason for getting this is to run KODI media center which is linked on the main screen, on starting it has Kodi version 16.1 the latest stable build so all the software seems very up to date, I would normally at this point put Ares Wizard on which is a portal to Kodi builds but after navigating to System – Add-ons – My add-ons – All I noticed it was already installed so ran that and proceeded to install my favourite build at the moment Pulse CCM but there are masses available. I would say if you are new to Kodi then have a play and navigate the menu trying a few things to get used to it before installing any builds.

I checked all the specifications of the boxes claims and they all match and it runs nice and smooth, this box has ‘2G Memory + 8GB Storage Quad core ARM Cortex-A53 & 64 bits, up to 2.0 GHZ’ you may ask why do I need this when an Android box with less will do what I need and the answer is the newer the increasing requirements of the android operating systems and the next Kodi 17 so you are future proofing yourself plus getting a faster operation.

What I liked
*************
- Nice designed box
- Remote control is actually very good, a lot of Android box remotes are not
- Works flawlessly out of the box
- Comes with the latest operating system and latest Kodi
- Has a proper UK plug not an adaptor one

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- Batteries not included for the remote but very picky and won’t penalise it for this

Summary
**********
Overall a very nice Android box which is nice and compact with a great design, I really like it and would certainly recommend it.

Price: £48.99
PRODUCT LINK

Ewin E02 Polarized Sports Sunglasses

Nice glasses with a unique and clever design, these arrived with a nice quality protective case that had an additional clip on the side and strap to attach to it inside to carry them which I found handy and a good indication that attention to detail had been considered.

On opening they had the black lenses attached with four additional lenses, after taking a few snaps (see below when they upload/show) I decided to give them a test with my daily bike ride so attached the clear lenses as it was a rather overcast day and pleasingly my wife informed me they suited me and looked good. After my ride I decided to try the revo multicolor lens as I work at the computer all day and certainly noticed the difference with the bright light. I tried the other lenses but was unable to fully test without the proper weather conditions/location, my main purpose for getting these was for cycling and fishing so am looking forwards to testing the yellow and blue lenses properly when I next go fishing and will edit/adjust the review if I have any issues.

It is a very simple process to swap the lenses and included in the package there is a cleaning cloth so no problems with smears and they are very comfortable.

Summary
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Very nice glasses that certainly do the job, they look nice and feel great on so I would recommend them.

Price: £14.99
PRODUCT LINK

Collapsible Water Travel Container

Fits my needs perfectly, I haven’t got one of these all singing and dancing fridge freezers that dispense cold water from the front and wanted something to put my filtered water in the fridge that was easy to use, quick access without opening bottles and storing bottles that took up as little room as possible but also held a large quantity. This ticks all the boxes and at a reasonable price.

What I liked
************
- Lightweight & compact design
- Fits exactly as intended
- Mobile should I wish to take it out
- Holds a good amount of water
- Easy to full
- Easy access to dispense
- Good price

What I Didn’t Like
*******************
- Nothing I have found so far

Summary
**********
For me this is perfect and fits my needs exactly, it has a multitude of uses and a handy stand should you want to use it, quality seems good so I would recommend it. I will of course as I always do revisit this review should I have any issues and adjust accordingly.

Price: £8.99
PRODUCT LINK