2017 has got off to a fantastic start for the My Nametags team thanks to Feefo awarding us with their Gold Trusted Service accolade.
Here at My Nametags, our customers are at the heart of everything that we do. We set high standards for ourselves and are proud to boast a 99% service rating.
Last year My Nametags picked up Feefo’s Gold Award and we are delighted to announce that we have received it for another year! Feefo allows us to receive the views of all our customers and is crucial in helping us to develop our products and service. We are happy to know that we are doing a good job and are grateful of the kind words that we receive every day.
We sent our My Nametags’ detectives to London’s annual Toy Fair at Olympia on 24 January to find out what will be the most sought after toys for 2017! Read this and you’ll be seriously ahead of the game for present ideas for the next 11 months…
BEST S.T.E.M. TOY
Toys that promote Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) skills are set to grow in popularity during 2017. We thought that the Science Lab from the Galt Explore and Discover range was fabulous and well-priced at £12.99. It will be launching later this year at Galt Toys: to be the first to know when it’s available, you can signup to the Galt Newsletter following this link www.galttoys.com/
BEST WOODEN TOY
For that big present for age 3+ Hape’s new mighty Mountain Mine, which is part of its railway collection, ticks all the boxes. Full of interactive features including a lift, tunnels, cranes and bridges. £169.99 from Amazon.
BEST CONSTRUCTION TOY
Lego has a fantastic new playset which kids will love to play cops and robbers with. Comes complete with jail cell with breakout feature, monitoring room with screens, plus police motorbike, crook’s ATV, four mini figures and even a police dog! The LEGO City Police – Mobile Command Centre. £39.99 from Smyths Toys. BEST GAME
Cheeky Monkeys won best new game at the toy fair and you can see why. You have to balance your monkeys on the 3D tree but you run the risk of other players stealing them. The winner is the one with the most bananas. The perfect family game. Suitable for age 4-8 and available from 14 February £9.50 from Orchard Toys.
BEST PLAYSET
This adorable Sylvanian Families Village Cake Shop will keep your little ones entertained for hours. The detail is amazing with 90 pieces, including 11 varieties of cake, a Veronica Cakebread figure and a story book that’s perfect for bedtime reading. Available from March from Sylvanian Families £39.99. Watch out for the Starry Point Lighthouse (£59.99) and Ballet Theatre (£54.99) both available in July.
BEST PRESCHOOL CHARACTER
PAW Patrol is a big hit for most pre-schoolers and this fab Paw Patrol Jungle Terrain Vehicle Rescue Set is set to become a winner. Use the crane to pull the panther to safety and push the Paw badge to activate lights and sound. Comes with Ryder, Mateo and baby panther figures. £44.99 from Amazon.
BEST WHEELED TOY
Micro Scooters won (one of three) best Wheeled toy category at the Toy Fair and you can see why. It’s a great quality-made first bicycle for toddlers and is suitable from 2-5 years. Allows your child to build co-ordination and balancing skills. Micro Chopper Balance Bike £79.95 from Micro-Scooters.
BEST CREATIVE TOY
We just love this fabulous magnetic activity box. It’s bright with lots of pieces to play with to create hundreds of different pictures or scenes. The Magnetic Shape Activity Box will be available from April. £19.99 from Fiesta Crafts.
We are very pleased to introduce our brand new My Nametags Teddy Bear logo! We hope you like it as much as we do.
My Nametags was started by a dad in his living room back in 2004. At that time Lars and his wife had two young daughters, who needless to say, kept losing their belongings so My Nametags was born. My Nametags now sells to over 60 countries around the world and directly to six European countries.
The My Nametags Bear has had a 2017 makeover and we love the fact that he is holding one of our nametags. To celebrate the arrival of our new Teddy Bear logo we would love it if you could post pictures of your own teddy bears!
We will be running a competition on facebook . Please post your cute teddy bear pics and we will choose two winners who will both receive a set of our design-your-own colourful stickers worth £11.95 plus £1.00 P&P. Use them to name anything from clothes and shoes, to pencil cases, baby bottles and even teddy bears…
The New Year is the time of re-evaluating our lives and fitness is for many people a key area. So if you started in January with the best intentions and are ready to give up, don’t! Or if you’re still keen, finding out about the latest trends will keep your workouts fresh.
We’ve rounded up the top six fitness trends you should look out for. Adding something new to your weekly workout is bound to keep you motivated throughout 2017.
Count Steps!
Short on time? Trying to juggle home, family and work? Log your daily steps with a wearable fitness tracker or smartwatch from brands such as Garmin, Apple or Fitbit. This year’s wearables, not only track distance they will also provide heart rate readings, GPS route tracking, move reminders and more. Top tips: avoid the car, walk up the stairs and you’ll be surprised at how many more steps you can do in a day.
Virtual boxing
The boxing fitness trend will continue into 2017 but the news is it’s going digital. The Boxx Method is an online virtual boxing workout programme, which is super easy to do at home. All you need is a pair of 1kg weights and you can stream expert instructors to your PC/TV/Tablet/Mobile whenever you want.
Water Workouts
Watch out for swimming fitness classes for a full body workout. Fitness clubs including Virgin Active are offering low-impact, high-intensity water-based group High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes. These classes will offer sprint and long swims as well as resistance activities to give you a well-balanced workout without straining your joints.
Functional Fitness
Functional Fitness is the idea that you strengthen muscles every day to be able to lift a suitcase, carry your toddler etc. It’s a term that has been around for a while. However in 2017 we will see new machines to help you achieve this easily. Watch out for the new Assault Bike from Fitness First. The idea is has heaps of cardio and calorie-burning workout options plus the resistance increases automatically as you push, pull and pedal.
Strength Training
Strength training will be big news especially for women in 2017. The old myth that lifting weights makes you bulk-up is slowly disappearing. Look out for lifting groups and the rise of one-to-one coaching on weights.
Mind & Body
The mindfulness concept has finally reached the gym. The focus will be on taking time out to sweat out your stress instead and trying to get to grips with the deep connection between mind and body. Watch out for beginner courses offered in high street gyms and chill out candlelit classes.