Songmics Cat Tree and Activity centre

When I moved into my new flat I knew with two crazy cats I needed to get them a really good activity centre. My new living room is huge and with a nice little empty space in a corner I thought they would really like a nice tall activity centre. My cats are crazy at the best of times so they really needed something to keep themselves occupied.

After looking around a lot of places and reading reviews I came across this songmics one.

the reviews I read were promising and I thought it looked like a good bet. When it arrived it was in a massive box and was too heavy to carry so it was best to unpack it where it was. It was all in pieces and I thought it could take me all day. I put an afternoon aside and built it. It didn't take as long as I expected it to and I managed to assemble it myself on my own with no problems at all. Once it was up I was really impressed, it looked great quality and appeared to be strong and sturdy.

I have had cat towers before that have been really flimsy and literally lasted a few weeks. It's a year later and this tower and activity centre is still going strong. Both of my cats use it, one of them really likes the little condo and the other prefers the top perch.

Here they are both enjoying it. They have both made use of the dangly ball toys and surprisingly have both used the scratching posts. There is just a tiny bit of wear on the faux fur trim beneath the top perch but that was where madam decided to destroy it. It hasn't affected it at all and a year later it's still just as sturdy and hasn't been flimsy or fallen apart at all.
My two are quite big cats and both aged three years and still fit on it easilly. my girl is quite heavy and she manages to use it without it wobbling or breaking. So it is perfect for any aged cat from kitten to adult and even seniors. I would highly recommend it as it has proven to be a good buy, slightly more expensive then some cheaper options but you get what you pay for. Cheaper ones would have needed replacing by now, whereas this is still going strong.

Model: Songmics Feandrea Cat treet condo PCT86M
Stockist: Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01J7AMV64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fur Magic Pet hair remover brush

I don't know about you but my pets have all had such a heavy moult this year. It has been one of the worst moulting seasons I've known.
I was finding I was having to hoover two to three times a day just to stay ontop of it all and seemed to forever be trying to brush down the sofa and the bed. Two lapcats who both sleep on the bed you can just imagine what my bed sheets looked like. When either one of them sat on my lap I was covered with a layer of white and tabby fur.

Then someone mentionned the Fur Magic. I was at my wits end and was willing to try anything.

So off I went and purchased one of these new inventions I'd never heard about. Even the day it came i was sceptical but excited. The best place to test it out was the bed. I was impressed, a few small brushes and the fur was gone, it really was like magic. The brush itself sits in its cleaning holder, it is a little stiff to pull out at first. Then all you do is brush in the direction of the arrow and hey presto, to clean it off just pop it back into the holder and it comes out clean and ready to use again. 

Onces it's full the collected fur sits at the bottom and around the bottom edges 

It is so easy to clean out, I just tip the loose fur into the bin. Sometimes it does accumulate in the holder but I've found a old toothbrush cleans it out really effectively. Now I use this fur magic on my bed everynight before bed and brush down the sofas whenever its needed. It also came with a really handy miniature version to use on clothes which is brilliant and just as effective, as lets face it there's nothing worse then going out wearing a nice layer of cat fur.
This has been effective with both dog (Labrador) and cat fur. I really cannot recommend it enough.

Model: Fur Magic pet hair remover brush
Stockists: Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0787CQDS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amznova Cat Scratching Pad

One of my cats Cymmi is a demon for scratching. With a cat tree activity centre and scratching posts he still preferred to use my sofas and other furniture. Plus the odd unsuspecting cardboard box lying around.
I tried everything to stop him scratching my leather sofa but being the demon he is nothing worked. Until I came across this scratcher on Amazon. I was looking for something else to distract him with. When i saw this one it stood out, a lot of the reviews said it worked but these cats in the reviews weren't Mr Cymmi. As it was made of cardboard I thought I could try it. I bought it when it was on offer so got it a little cheaper then usual. As he had shredded a fair few cardboard boxes it might have done the trick.

When it arrived I placed it flat next to the sofa. Initally neither of them was impressed. Even catnip couldn't entice him. So I thought I'd play him at his own game, whenever I told him not to scratch something he did it more. So one evening when I caught him using it I gave a firm "No" wouldn't you know it hey presto it worked. He's used it ever since, although now he gets a "good boy" when i see him using it.
I bought it in March and it still has some wear left in it. It is double sided so once he has completely obliterated one side I can just turn it over. As it's cardboard you do get a fair bit of mess but this really isn't a big problem. I'm much happier cleaning up torn cardboard then trying to fix deep scratches in leather furniture. Overall I'm really impressed by it and as both cats now use it it's been a life saver. 

Model: Amznova Cat Scratching Pad
Stockist: Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07867XBJK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Huawei Honor 10 Lite

Ok let's me brutally honest here, I am an iphone girl, have been since 2012. However when my iphone broke suddenly I needed a replacement fast.
I decided on a whim to try something different, an Android device. Now I have never had an android device so this was a massive and daunting step for me but i thought change is as good as the rest. So i researched a few different models, of course the top end ones were appealing but I was reluctant to fork out for a device i wasn't sure i'd even get on with. So i thought a good bet would be the Huawei Honor 10 lite.

On unboxing I was rather impressed, nice full screen which is something I wanted, it is a nice lightweight deviceand not too big that I'd struggle to get it into my handbag or pocket. I was used to using an iphone 7 plus so was used to a larger phone.

After going through the initial setup I was impressed, android wasn't that scary afterall. Pretty similar to ios infact.
I found it rather easy to get used to the play store and was able to download many of the apps i was used to using on iphone.
All was going well.

I was finding the swiftkey keyboard really annoying. I didn't like how it was laid out and was becomming annoyed by using it. However that was easilly rememdied by downloading a different keyboard via the playstore.

I found the device to be lightning fast, it wasn't lagging at all, even with a selection of apps open. It was more then capable of handling normal browsing, social media and everything else you require it to do.
It was a good device to play games on, my games werent lagging, or slow at all so that was another plus point.

The one thing that really disappointed me was the camera. It was marketed as having a 13mp rear view camera and 24mp selfie camera. I found both of these to be rather substandard. I use the camera a lot and found it was the one let down of an otherwise really good device. That said I did like the night shoot mode, this worked better then the daylight camera in my opinion.

As the days went on I found some more annoyances, and things I really missed on iphone. imessage was something I really missed as most of the people I contact use iphone it was something I found a little annoying. It's a small niggle but to me it was annoying.

I did get on with the device and Android wasn't at all as daunting as I had expected. However after 5 days I resumed to life as an iphone user. I kept the handset as it's always good to have a backup phone just incase of breakges or loss. For me it just didn't work for me, I guess I am an iphone girl at heart.

Vax Power Nano upright vacuum

When it comes to purchasing vacuums, or hoovers as most of us call them it can be a tricky choice. Just a quick browse on my go-to shop shows you hundreds of results. All varying in price but effectively all looking the same and all claiming to be the best.
 When I first moved into my flat I had just had new carpets fitted, it was the height of summer 2018 and I had two cats who were heavilly moulting. A good vacuum cleaner was essential. I had previously owned Hoover and Vax brands before, both had been disappointing. That said a new Vax had caught my eye. I decided I'd give it a try. Well a year later I'm still using it.

It's the Vax Power Nano upright vacuum. First of all it looks really pleasing on the eye. Silver with blue on the bin lid and on the accessories. It's a nice looking vacuum, it looks sleek and modern. One of the things I really like on this model is how the handle folds, making it extremely easy to store. It can be popped under a spare worktop, into a cupboard or sitting unobtrusively in the hall. It doesn't take up much space at all.

Secondly it's really lightweight to carry around the house. I carry it whilst its folded and being a small woman I manage with it just fine.

The extending hose is a must have feature and I have to say this one is a decent length, it does extend well without the main unit toppling over. Easilly capable of doing stairs if you have them. I don't!
With two cats I use the hose mainly for cleaning the litter round the litter tray, I use wood pellet litter and the hose cleans it up with no trouble and no blockages. It's also handy for cleaning the nooks in the skirting board and that hard to reach place between the applicanes. That awkward tiny space between the oven and end of the worktop, not a problem anymore.
I've found I do use all the accessories that came with it, the upholstery brush I use on the sofas. This is really effective in picking up the moulted cat fur.

When it comes to hoovering the floor there are four height settings on the main hoover compartment. I have short carpets so tend to use setting 1 and switching to 4 when it comes to doing the shaggy rug.
The suction on this Vax is brilliant, it is a powerful machine, however not too powerful that it sucks the carpet and lino up like some do. As it is lightweight it really isn't a chore to hoover my floors. I do mine every morning as with two cats I have to with the way they moult. This Vax, despite not being a specifically "pet" branded one is brilliant for cleaning up the loose cat fur,

This is my Vax after a mornings cleaning session, you can see how much fur it has sucked up. Appologies if some people find this gross but I wanted to show exactly how effective this vacuum cleaner is.
The storage capacity is brilliant on this vacuum, I do empty mine each morning after I've finished but for normal use (if you dont have moulting pets) you wouldn't need to empty it daily.
Emptying it is easy you just press the bin release then empty it into the bin. Simple. Bonus points as it doesn't get jammed like some do.

I've been using mine for just over a year and have only ever had one blockage which was very easy to clear as most of this machine comes apart easilly. As for maintenance I take the filters out each month and give them a good clean. I have had no issues with "smelly filter" like a previous vaccum I had and have found that by cleaning the filters regularly it has kept it in good working order.

When my Mums hoover broke late last year I recommended this model to her, she is disabled and has had no issues using this machine herself.

Model: Vax Power Nano Upright Vacuum
Model number: UCNBAWP1

Stockists: Vax UK, Argos, Amazon, John Lewis, Currys

Russell Hobbs 20447 Kettle

If you know me at all you'll know that I practically live on tea. I loose count how many cups I have a day. So for me choosing the right kettle was an important decision as lets face it, it's one of the appliances I'll use most often.

I have to be honest I didn't choose this particular kettle, this was a housewarming gift. I guess someone took pity on my small, takes forever to boil travel kettle I was using temporarilly. Russell Hobbs was not a brand I had ever used before.
I did say I wanted black or purple appliances to match my new kitchens decor. So I was really pleased to receive this kettle in black.

So lets start with the colour. It's a nice strong, glossy look. It doesn't get dirty easilly and when it has had the occassional watermark it is easy to wipe off.
It's a good sized kettle and not too heavy to use, I have known some to be too heavy for me.
It's a fast boil, which suits me as I am impatient, especially when it comes to my tea. It's not a noisy boil. I remember one my Mum had when I was a teenager, it sounded like concorde was in the kitchen. I like that the switch has a light so you can see when its on and when it's finished boiling.

One little naggle for me is the water gauge, its on the left hand side and being left handed i have to spin the kettle round to check how much water is in it. It's not a major issue but personally I do prefer the water gauge window to be on both sides. Bonus points if its an illuminating one.

The filter is easy to remove and clean and so far has no signs of wear or tears. I clean my kettle and descale it every month as I live in a hard water area.

So there you have it, if you want a reliable kettle that doesnt smell plasticy, boils in a decent amount of time and more importantly makes a nice cuppa then you can't go wrong with this.

Model number: 20447
Stockists: Argos, Amazon, Currys