It's not often that I find cooking under pressure this much fun.

 

Cooking Mama 4: Warning - this game is (highly) addictive.

 

So if your like me you have been too busy, cooking (real) food, raising children and running a (real) household to find the time to play many "computer games" lately - I leave that to the kids.

 

But when I got my hands on Cooking Mama 4 for the Nintendo 3DS I found it surprisingly entertaining.

 

The concept is simple - you basically cook recipes.

 

You recipes or dishes by completing various "mini-games". Mini games are based on different aspects of meal preparation - chopping, slicing, boiling etc or whatever the recipes call for. You are rated on how well you cooked the recipe based on your average performance in the meal preparation or "mini games".

 

Once you have successfully cooked some dishes you can start to combine them to make all new dishes.

 

It sounds pretty weird but this game is really entertaining and had that "just have to get to the next level (or finish this recipe, in this case)" effect on me.

 

But really I need to get back to the real cooking and stuff....so I let the kids try it out.They loved it (and I loved the few hours of peace and quiet while they were entranced...). The good thing about this game is it's G rated - it isn't violent or obscene. Harmless fun, and something I was happy for them to play.

 

This game it is entertaining for small kids and big kids like me!

 

      

 

 

Cooking Mama 4 for Nintendo 3DS will set you back $69.95 but will give the kids (and you) hours and hours of fun. Some of the new features in Cooking Mama 4 are:

 

- Master over 100 new recipes under Mama’s watchful eye plus the fun clean up and tidy away afterwards.

 

- Rewards for challenges completed include new recipes or mini-games

 

- Nintendo 3DS wireless function for up to 4 players

 

- Choose a new outfit or hair accessory for Mama! Customise your kitchen and your utensils.

Now I am going to be totally honest with you - our house is a bit messy some of the time. What! I hear you say, messy - well I would go as far to say a pig sty sometimes. Oh the shame. With 3 young kids and two parents who both work full time I think we do our best to function as a "normal" family most of the time.

With our busy lives there is just not much time allocated to cleaning and scrubbing - We do our best. Our car is a particular point of interest in the messy department. We have 3 kids ranging from 19 months to 7 years so our back seat is fully occupied.

 

Then there is the floor of the car - oh my - which usually resembles a rubbish tip. Abandoned toys, remnants of party lolly bags - ransacked then discarded, school notes and half rotting bananas are just a few things that have been found in this area of our car.

So I hear about a product line called grubby bubby and instantly think someone has been spying on my (sometimes messy) family. Grubby? No, no not me. Everything is in total order here.

Apart from the whole "tell the whole wide world we are less than perfect in the tidy department" this is a review for the grubby bubby range of products and I think we are the perfect family for the task.

Firstly the grubby bubby car seat cover - hallelujah.

 

This is genius. I yell out to my husband to get the car seat out of the car so I can put the grubby bubby car seat cover on. Whilst he is out in the garage I read in big letters on the packet...No need to remove your car seat...oops

 

In walks husband with the car seat.... "look it slips on we didn't have to take it out after all" I quickly mention. *Insert eye roll from husband* who begins to put on the car seat cover. The covers are universal and fit most car seats. The cover wasn't a perfect fit on our car seat but looked good and was a HUGE improvement on the gritty seat it had just covered. The grubby bubby car seat cover we had was chocolate brown, perfect to hide the dirt and they have other great colours including apple, marine and fushia.

 

We have washed the cover a few times and all-in-all I give it a double thumbs up - highly recommended, even for clean families who want to look even cleaner!

   

 

Then we have the grubby bubby high chair cover which is pretty much the same as the car seat cover but - you guessed it - for a high chair. Again double thumbs up.

 

These two grubby bubby products are made for busy parents.

Easy to put on. Easy to clean.

 

The high chair and car seat get a pretty good workout and can get quite grotty so these covers are great for helping to keep them in good condition. The grubby bubby car seat cover retails for $49.95 and the grubby bubby high chair cover retails for $39.95 and I say money well spent!

 

And just when you thought it couldn't get any better...how about an extra long bib that won't just keep your baby's shirt clean but also their pants. Not possible you say? Introducing the grubby bubby extra long bib RRP $9.95.

 

This bib slips on over your baby's head so it is harder to pull off and more likely to stay on and do it's job.

 

Apart from keeping the dripping yoghurt and other food off Lachlan I found it great to use as a wipe for his face and hands once he had finished eating. And I am not joking when I say extra long this bib is loooong.

 

 

For more information the fabulous range of grubby bubby products visit www.grubbybubby.com and visit www.bubbahh.com.au to pick up a grubby bubby extra long bib.