NOW CLOSED Sign up to the panel now and you could win a signed Nigella book or five Cadbury's Treasure Boxes

[AnnMumsnet]

Have a read of our thank you thread and you could win a signed copy of Kitchen by Nigella Lawson or 5 Cadbury's Treasure Boxes worth £50 in total......

Did you know that in the last year the Insight Team (Ann, NewGirlHelen and Carrie) have given away prizes for taking part in surveys, product tests, events, threads, focus groups etc, worth a staggering £25K? Loads of you have taken part in product tests - from the £1800 Samsung American-style fridge freezer to Walkers Sunbites (and many many things in between - so many we couldn't even begin to calculate the value of goods tested ). We are very grateful to everyone who applied to take part in a product test, took part and/or read the feedback. It's all about reviewing products on behalf of your community and sharing the love (hopefully!) with MN and with the company behind the product.

We've also asked you to complete a number of surveys - so thank you if you've taken the time to tell MNHQ or various clients what you think about a myriad of topics, from kids shoes to your experiences of miscarriage.

Many of these projects have been conducted on Mumsnet, but an increasing number of interesting market research projects are happening off site, via our research panel. If you are part of the panel, many and if you need to change any details we have on the database please email [email protected].

Now for the plea for help...we're always on the look out for new folks to join the panel - click here for more info or to sign up. Everyone who signs up using this link will be entered into a prize draw to win a signed copy of Kitchen by Nigella Lawson or five Cadbury's Treasure Boxes worth a total of £50

You can also enter the prize draws by adding your thoughts to this thread regarding...

a) suggested companies or products you'd like to see put to the MN test next year (no promises mind)
b) what you have enjoyed reading about, taking part in on MN (relating to product tests, surveys, discussions etc)
c) any suggestions for NewGirlHelenMumsnet's new nickname...she has been here a year now and is no longer NewGirl, but there is already HelenMumsnet so we are stumped.....(her surname starts with an R)

We'll do the draw at the end of January so you have plenty of time to have a think!

Coming up in 2012 alongside lots of new projects we are having a new page all about the market research we do, so watch out for that.

Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes for a Happy (and prize winning) New Year

Ann, NewGirlHelen and Carrie at MNHQ

Here's the link to sign up for the panel again

[HugosGoatee]

Ooh I thought of a good one - NCT and any other support groups for mothers. I enjoyed my NCT classes mostly because I met some lovely people through it - I thought the delivery of the sessions was incredibly old-fashioned, although most of the info was good (although biased against interventions / ff) the was it was delivered was straight out of the 1600s ime. It could definitely do with an injection of MN modernity and oomph. I thought it would be great if MN had ante-natal classes - I'd sign up! I know NCT are a charity but they should still make the effort to make their expensive classes a good user experience. Less laminated photos of nursing mothers from the 1970s and one single video shown on a tiny portable DVD player to 16 people in a freezing church hall and more interactive discussion and use of technology.

[ThePhantomPlopper]

Testing cameras is a good idea. I quite fancy playing with a Nikon DSLR.

School shoes would be good too!

[FourThousandHoles]

I got Sky TV free for a year, the whole HD shebang, and it couldn't have come at a better time as DH has been ill and was housebound for a while and became addicted to IPL cricket

We now have the dilemma of what to keep and what to ditch come April as we can't afford the £70+/month it would cost to keep it as it is.

I have a feeling I joined the panel but I I've changed my email address. Will email and check.

Things to test:
Carpet shampooers
Cameras
Toys
Books
Educational websites

[FourThousandHoles]

Oooops forgot to say thanks for choosing me for the sky tellybox.

Thanks

[hippoCritt]

Could M road test sofas? I'd like to know about one which stands the test of families and time, also to be delivered in large boxes to entertain the DCs for hours

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

i have a Q - if you are lucky enough to win something do you have a guarantee/take it back rights?

i won a load of kenwood vouchers last year (thank you very much). one thing i used them for was a kettle that should have been about £70 and has blown the whole of downstairs electricity. it started leaking a little and now has totally gone.

i was a bit as i've existed on tesco's £5 kettles much of my life and never had a problem with them.

do i call kenwood direct or go back to the pr company who arranged the thing - i have no proof of purchase. or do i just put it down to a learning curve and feel smug in the knowledge that yes i was right all along in buying cheap appliances?

the rice cooker sticks and overcooks bottom of rice without fail but i'm very glad to have it, the breadmaker is wonderful would recommend to all and the coffee maker is lovely. (just to share the positives )

[AnnMumsnet]

SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan sorry to hear that - I think you should try with the pr company (do you still have her details?) Let me know via PM if you don't get a response and I will see what I can do.

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

i feel a bit embarrassed fussing about it seeing as it was free ann. not sure i have her details anymore will check but feel bad about annoying her with it. it was hard enough work for her spending weeks working out what i was allowed to choose to spend my vouchers on and i'm sure she was glad to see the back of the whole promotion! thanks for response.

[AnnMumsnet]

I know what you mean but at the same time I am sure they want folks to be happy with the product! I still have her name etc so let me know if you need a hand.

[lisad123]

i think QueenofbiscuitsHelen

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

thanks ann - if you could pm me her email address that would be great

[AmberNectarine]

I've really enjoyed testing the Aldi nappies, as sad as it sounds! They are great and have opened my eyes to a world beyond Pampers!

Things to test: second cameras, toys, beauty products.

Thanks for having me on the panel!

I haven't got any imaginative nicknames to suggest I'm afraid...

[LoonyRationalist]

a) Items to test: Camping equipment and/or sites. Kids shoes. More cheese I hated reading about others trying the goats cheese..

b) I've enjoyed, sunbites, innocent - I killed my tomato plants though :(

c) No ideas here although HRMumsnet looks good :)

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

i think more head to heads would be good - so same product/appliance with a number of mn'ers selected to test each and then feeding back. would be good to compare if they're confident enough to go up against each other.

[RainQueen]

I have enjoyed the testing this year.

I think it would be useful to blind test cleaning products and washing powder (and I wouldn't find testing chocolate products too much of a hardship- no New Year's diets here

[ShatnersBassoon]

I'd like to see toasters tested. I'd love to find out if there's a toaster that can toast bread at the same rate on both sides.

[Silverlace]

I agree with the previous comments regarding carpet cleaners. I have a pale carpet and have tried several types with no luck. I would really appreciate knowing if one really worked before buying it.

I think the car tests are brilliant (sadly haven't been picked for one!). It is great that manufacturers use real families to try their products and that they use Mumsnet as we are after all a bunch of real people with hugely differing lifestyles but all wanting to do the best we can for our families.

I also think that food tests are good (I got the Sunbites). It would be great to be involved in the development of a product before it came to market. I often moan that things can't have been used in real life before being launched on the unsuspecting public.

[JulesJules]

How about OtherHelen or Helen2 or HelenMiddlename ?

I loved doing the innocent stuff - although I didn't get asked to do much, and my daughter pinched the bag and notebook!

Best thing was testing the wii and the wii games and the dds were so excited about it, thank you so much for that!

I would like to test carpet cleaners [tragic] or food

[ScaryFairy28]

You should test Neilson holidays or I'd happily speak about the ones Ive done already.

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

You lot have spoken - thanks for all your ideas about my name. While my fave was definitely the regal HerRoyalHelenMumsnet, we're a democracy here and I shall be known as TheOtherHelenMumsnet from now on!

[AnnMumsnet]

Ohh get TheOtherHelen with her new nick name!!

ScaryFairy28 - do add a review here for any hols you've been on....

[rumpleteaser]

I would like to see more test products available to MNers outside of the UK.

I was too late with my suggestion for helens new name but I will add that I was gonna suggest WonderfulCleverBeautifulHelen please send me the chocolate as we can't get cadburys here!

[ProfessorSunny]

Am I on the panel please?

[RichTeaAreCrap]

I'm on the panel but have never been asked to review anything - how do you receive the invites?

I'd love to see slow cookers reviewed - it seems a popular gadget to have and I need to upgrade mine soon and would like to know which one is recommended.