Do your children love the latest gadgets and stationary products? Are you stuck with what to tuck into their Christmas stockings? Stop right now, and head to Smiggle ….well, perhaps continue reading this blog post first to find out more…and then head over without further delay! 🙂 Christmas Smiggle gifts galore coming right up!
Did you read our post about the grand opening of Smiggle’s Belfast store? Ever since then, Tristan’s face lights up when he hears the name, Smiggle! The store is like a treasure-trove of everything cute, and filled with things you didn’t know existed, and things you never knew you needed until you have seen them! If you want Japanese kawaii with a Western twist, this is the place to go. And if you don’t have a Smiggle store near you, they are also online.
We were all delighted when Smiggle sent us a package last week! What could be inside? What surprises would the children find? Seriously, it was just like Christmas had arrived early! As tempting as it was to just set the package under the tree and have the anticipation levels increase until the big day, we just had to open up the package and share the contents with you! But first, here’s a quote from Kallista (age 7.5):
They have fancy and creative things and the things really work so well, and they’re so fun! I looove Smiggle! Their products are really, really well done. I understand how busy they are, and I like the way they have their things smelling. I love you, Smiggle!
We opened up the package and were greeted with the sweet scent of bubble gum! Some of the Smiggle products are scented. This may be an issue if you have sensitivities in you home, as I do, but the fruity smells are not an issue for us. What could it be? Read on to find out!
Smiggle Gifts
The first item out of the package was one of Smiggle’s new products: a Record Me Watch! It not only tells the time, but you can also record your voice on it and play it back! Tristan immediately claimed this for himself; the children used to have a playback Halloween book that they wore out, so this is great! This watch has a blue, black, and green strap with a black ‘face’ and there are colourful sports graphics on the strap. It also comes in 3 other versions to accommodate other fashions. The recording can be a little tricky, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it, as Tristan will show you:
This Record Me Watch is great for children who love gadgets, those who are adventurers, those who pretend to be detectives, or those who would like to record their thoughts and ideas for later – poets, musicians….
The next item out of the package was a lockable diary! I absolutely love this version! It is covered in a denim fabric with an iridescent oil pattern on it. It has real belt loops, and two usable pockets on the front. There are 3 cheerful patches as well: a sequins heart rainbow, a unicorn, and a smiley face in sunglasses. Inside one of the pockets sits a purple sparkly gel pen, ready to get you started. Kallista’s Christmas wish list has sparkly pens on it, so this is just perfect for our budding writer.
There is a little pink heart lock and two keys to lock this diary from curious eyes. Open it up and there’s a place to put Kallista’s name, and a reminder for others not to read the contents without her permission! There are little pictures inside the covers she can colour if she’s so inclined. The page spreads find the left side in a grid pattern, and the right side with lines and room for the date at the top of the page.
Kallista loves to write stories and I thought she could use this for her creative writing, but she has found this Smiggle journal to be so special that she wants to use it only for a special topic: recipes! She wants to own several restaurants when she grows up and she’s decided this journal will be used to keep her own unique recipes secret from the world. She’s absolutely serious about this and has spent several hours thinking up recipes and jotting them down before transferring them to her new book.
Next out of the packet was a 650ml BPA-free Smiggle drink bottle! It’s from the same range as the slap band; also in the dark blue colour (I don’t think I mentioned that most of the items at Smiggle are arranged by colour to make things easier for you; if your little one has a favourite colour, just head to that area of the store (or internet site), and you’ll find all of the products in that colour right there!). The graphics on this bottle look like a video game with scores and explosions on it.
This water bottle is just what Tristan needs! His previous water bottle finally had to be disposed of and he’s been using mine. Tristan isn’t a very big fan of drinking water; but when it’s in a special bottle it must taste different or feel more special because he will drink more! And with a larger size of 650ml, he will be able to drink more before it needs refilling. It will fit in the fridge door nicely, and he’ll be the envy of the kids at Ju-jitsu with the coolest bottle of the bunch (or at least until Santa brings them their own Smiggle water bottles – there are so many designs available I’m sure there won’t be two the same). Here he is just this past weekend after receiving his yellow belt…yes, he had to have his new water bottle with him for the big day!
I must mention some of the great features of this Smiggle drink bottle: other than being large and BPA-free, it has a handy rubber ring around the lid that makes it easy to open and close firmly. For those of us with weaker wrists, this is a feature that should be standard! The straw detaches from the lid for easier cleaning, and speaking of cleaning, you can put this in the dishwasher below 60C. It also has a hinged loop attached to the lid that will make it easy to attach to backpacks with a carabiner. If your children are younger, use this to attach the bottles to your stroller; and maybe even get a drink bottle for yourself, as us parents also tend to get dehydrated running after our children!
Smiggle Stocking Stuffers
What was that bubble gum scent? We were about to find out. Was it lipstick? Was it lipgloss? Was it glue? Nope!
It was a twist-up eraser in purple and blue, with a sparkly cover over a sea of mermaids and a shiny purple base. Tristan and I had spotted these in the shop and admired them, and it’s just perfect for Kallista! I’d love to have one in my own pencil case to take with me when I work from the library…I wonder if Santa will see this post?
Next up was a universe slap band. This version is dark blue and has robots and tanks on the band in an arcade-style. It also has a detachable character badge on it for an extra dimension to a regular snap band. It makes it stand out more and can create the feel of a child being a superhero with a wrist band. Tristan spent some time snapping this around his wrist over and over, and then with both wrists covered between the watch and the band, he was feeling very important!
Most of the snap bands we’ve come across before can be a little stiff and almost sharp along the edges. The Smiggle variety are more child-friendly with a rubberised feel to them. They are thicker and they don’t snap as hard as some do. The rubbery feel to them also makes them more comfortable to wear, which Tristan has commented on.
There was one final item in our packet…what was it? It was a little shiny, sparkly, soft-toy with a big, fuzzy, scented tail! It has a little latch hook on the top so it can be hooked onto school bags, jacket zips, belt loops, the bunk bed above you, or anyplace you can possibly think of! I have had to sweet-talk Kallista to leave it with me until I could get a photo of it or I’d risk it looking dishevelled and showing signs of too many cuddles (not that there is such a thing as that)! I love the colours of this little creature just as much as Kallista does, and those big, wide eyes are hypnotising.
Wow! What a package full of colour, sparkle, creativity, and imagination! I’m so happy we have you to share it with! Smiggle has chosen just the perfect gifts for my children, and if you’re overwhelmed by the choice, ask one of their knowledgeable and friendly staff members (or ask me), and you’ll find just the right thing for Christmas, as well as have ideas for upcoming birthdays and events. There’s something for every price range, too!
Stay In The Know
Sign up for Smiggle emails and you’ll get a discount off your first purchase, and you’ll then receive updates of their latest products (my inbox told me there was a new product line released last week), and you’ll be kept up to date with all the major sales, as well as the weekly specials. I forward this email to hubby and tell him what I want need and ask him kindly to stop in during his lunch hour as it’s just down the street from where he works – so convenient for me! I’m currently loving using the scented inkball pens for my own notes and lists and I love them.
What’s on your Smiggle wish list this year? Wouldn’t it be fun to do a Smiggle secret Santa amongst friends?
Where A Smile Meets A Giggle, visit your nearest Smiggle!
