Soapbox Jury

Quick Review: mailboxixchange

This is a sponsored post. To view my policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

If there's one thing the US is known for it's their free standing mailboxes. Unlike here in the UK they don't need to worry so much about some little oik stealing the post from the end of their driveway - if anyone even attempts it they'll just shoot at them! And quite right too!

If you're looking to smarten up the bottom of your driveway with a new mailbox, you should look no further than mailboxixchange. This is the ideal marketplace for mailboxes and curbside decor (whatever that is) and they have a wide range of high quality products to adorn residential and commercial properties alike. As well as freestanding models they also have wall mounted alternatives, door numbers and mailbox components - mailbox components ask you? How can an object as simple as a mailbox possibly have more than one component? Well, apparently it does - check out the website to find out more.

For all your mailbox requirements visit mailboxixchange.

Quick Review: Gumtree

This is a sponsored post. To view my policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

Gumtree is a great information portal about London and other major cities both in the UK and further afield. Living in the historic capital of the UK can be an expensive business with average house prices of approaching £400,000 and sky high rates to match. Gumtree dedicates an entire category to London jobs, so you can find the ideal position to finance the cost of living. The portal also provides invaluable information on the local community and services to give an insight into the lifestyle of London residents.

So whether it's a London job you're after, or just a bit of guidance on what's happening in and around the great city, Gumtree is a great resource to consult.

Quick Review: Australian Hotels

This is a sponsored post. To view my policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

Sydney is the most populated city in Australia, situated on the picturesque New South Wales coast to the south east of the country. It is a popular holiday venue and has hosted the recent 2000 Summer Olympic and 2003 Rugby World Cup. The city has a comfortable average temperature of 22 degrees throughout the year. Famous landmarks include the Opera House, which is home to Opera Australia and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The Opera House lies on a small peninsula close to the impressive Harbour Bridge and is the ideal place to relax, enjoy the scenery and dine alfresco. Hotels in Sydney are the ideal way to relax and unwind and enjoy one of Australia's most cosmopolitan cities. The Darling Harbour Hotel in particular is ideally situated for the nearby exhibition centre and fine wining, dining and nightlife. Why not just take a relaxing ferry cruise while you're there?

Melbourne is situated to the south west of Sydney, on the coast of neighbouring state Victoria. It is the second most populated city and again has a comfortable coastal climate. It is famous for its contemporary architecture, fine gardens and extensive tram network. It has thrice been voted the most livable city in the world by The Economist. Hotels in Melbourne are also the ideal base to explore Australia's south eastern coast and check out the sights of the city.

Also in Queensland you'll find the state capital of Brisbane. Hotels in Brisbane provide the ideal opportunity to enjoy the South Bank Parklands and City Botanic Gardens. If you're after more adventurous activity then the Gabba and Suncorp Stadia offer a range of fine sporting activities, from the energetic pursuits of Australian rules football and rugby to the more sedate game of cricket.

For more information on Hotels in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane check the website.

Quick Review: KicksTime.com

This is post is sponsored by KicksTime. To view my policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

Anyone knowing me will know that I am perhaps the most unfashionable person in the world. Instead of going for expensive designer labels I head for the cheap unbranded alternatives - more practical than posey.

If I'd found the KicksTime website a bit earlier I might not be such a fashion outcast. Here you'll find a wide range of affordable branded fashion. Hot for August is a brand new range of Gucci loafers - you don't get any better brand than that. Other big brands include Prada, Lacoste, Timberland and Adidas. They've also got some great deals on Nike Air Jordans at the moment.

KicksTime also stand out from the crowd in that they offer telephone support and free shipping and handling to the US. They accept a range of payment methods for their convenient, user-friendly online shop.

For all your branded fashion needs head over to KicksTime.

Quick Review: Farreys.com

This is a sponsored post. To view my policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

As Britain is gripped in the middle of some of the worst summer weather we've seen in years it hardly seems appropriate to be talking about ceiling fans. Just incase you have found yourself in the middle of a summer heatwave you should look no further than Farrey's for ceiling fan refreshment.

Farrey's are a leading US supplier of ceiling fans, light fittings and various other household fixtures. In this post I'm concentrating on ceiling fans, of which they have over 400 distinct styles from 13 different manufacturers. As if that selection wasn't enough, they also allow you to customise your fan using their wide range of blades, motors, downrods and other spare parts. A brand new range from the Casablanca Fan Company is just in stock. Casablanca fans are built with quality and energy efficiency in mind and come in a wide range of traditional and contemporary styles. The le Grande model, with carefully-crafted veneer blades, is shown as a contemporary example in the image above. The Casablanca range also has desktop fans and fans for damp conditions. Minka Aire ceiling fans are another new addition to the Farrey's catalogue. Just as the website tells you, these things really do have a unique combination of form, function and design - some of the traditional and retro models are particularly unusual.

What better way to relax over the summer than with a nice cool beer and the cooling breeze of a Farrey's fan? For further information visit the Farrey's website.

Quick Review: Hawaiian Beach Rentals

Imagine waking up in the morning and walking directly out onto a sunkist terrace with golden sands stretching for miles and the taste of salty sea breaze on your lips. The turquoise sea rumbles in the distance and bird chatter in the trees in your own little piece of paradise. All this can be yours if you go to Blackpool! Failing that you might like to try Hawaii instead. Poipu beach perfectly matches the little piece of paradise I mentioned before, but the weather is decidedly better than Blackpool. The ideal way of enjoying these stunning surroundings is to rent a beach front condo. You can also get a great condo rental rate kauai (whatever that means). A condo offers a style of living that can't be matched by a hotel - there's a great social interaction with everyone under the same roof with their own amenities. Best of all it offers you ultimate freedom to enjoy your surroundings any way you like.

For further information visit the Hawaiian Beach Rentals website.

Quick Review: Halloween-Store.com

A slinky little outfit from Halloween-Store.com's collection.

This post is a sponsored post. To see our policy on sponsored entries click HERE.

Is it just me or are traditional celebrations appearing earlier each year? I use the word celebration for Halloween in the loosest sense of the term, since Halloween is a bit of a misnomer - it has no more significance than coincidentally being the day before All Saints Day. A lot of it is to do with the commercialisation of these celebrations - Easters eggs appearing on the shelves the week after New Year and Christmas gifts being advertised from September onwards.

It's now April and I've been asked to give a quick review about the Halloween-Store.com. As you may have guessed these guys are purveyors of the finest Halloween tat - Halloween which is, of course, at the end of October. If you want to avoid the rush now is the idea time to get your Halloween costumes, masks, decorations, wigs, hats and accessories. They also have merchandise from blockbuster movies like Superman, Shrek and Batman, although the relevance of these to Halloween is, admittedly, very doubtful. They seem very reasonably priced to me and, Afghanistan withstanding, you can have your orders dispatched to anywhere in the world.

For further information visit the Halloween-Store.com website.

Soapbox Jury (Temporarily) Closed

Unfortunately I'm having to close Soapbox Jury for a while. I really hope this will be a temporary measure. The problem is that completing reviews is a very time consuming process and since Sam is now unavailable they all fall on my shoulders. As readers of my main blog, Tom Jackson Online, may be aware I'm really having to cut down my blogging due to work commitments at the moment.

I hope to be able to open Soapbox Jury once again when my current workload has decreased and I can dedicate more time to it - this isn't likely before Summer 2007.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has supported us and we hope to see you soon.