There's no doubt that Christmas has some wonderful food-related traditions, but if you aren't a fan of dried fruit, or you ate three helpings of Turkey, you might not feel like a Christmas Pudding for dessert. I am a huge fan of Christmas pudding and will happily eat it for breakfast once Christmas Day has been and gone. I recall a few years ago- our first married Christmas- when DH's parents gave us Delia's Christmas Ice-Cream as an … [Read more...]
When we went to visit Harrods Santa 2013
When we were invited to visit Santa's Grotto at Harrod's, I confess I got the giggles out of sheer joy. It's the kind of thing you imagine that a child would love: a big department store Santa with all the bells and whistles, that would really solidify the Christmas Magic in your child's heart and memory. A friend was less encouraging "I took my child to Harrod's last year, and it was terrible. A real waste of money." she said. But I had … [Read more...]
Dress with Tesco this Christmas
Because I have two girls, I find that whenever I get one something, the other wants exactly the same thing. It's a frustration that I hope they will grow out of. Except when it comes to clothes. Secretly, you see, I quite like them when they wear matching dresses. It's adorable in a slightly kitsch way, makes people say "Oh how sweet!" or similar and- and I do find this a total bonus- makes them much much easier to spot when we are out and … [Read more...]
Giving Extra this Christmas: 12 cookies of Christmas
Win an iPad with Halifax. In this season of giving, there is a lesson that sometimes gets lost: it's not the size of your gift but the thought behind it. A chat with a few teachers ahead of end-of-term on Friday has reminded me that the things people appreciate most are handmade gifts that are given with love and made with care. Home-made treats can be given on their own, or you can attach them to the gift as a way of giving extra Christmas … [Read more...]
Christmas Jumper Day Friday 13th December 2013
On Friday 13 December Save the Children is inviting everyone to make the world better with a sweater by wearing a Christmas Jumper and donating £1 to raise money for its life saving work with children the world over. Just wear your fabulous festive sweater on Christmas Jumper Day on 13 December and donate £1 to Save the Children at www.christmasjumperday.org. It's that easy. There's still time to get down to your local John Lewis … [Read more...]
Who lives in a house like this?
When I was a little girl I always thought it would be wonderful to live in a Gingerbread House when I grew up. The air would smell like Christmas every day and I could nibble a corner of the room if the cupboards were bare. There would be pink love hearts around the door and a little path of sugar balls that crunched delightfully under your feet when you walked to the front door. Every day would start with a fall of sweet snow that covered the … [Read more...]
Party with the £1,800 KiddyCharts Advent Calendar giveaway
Helen Neale is popping on the blog today. She is a freelance writer, and mum to Stuntboy and Chatterbox, the stars of both her blogs at kiddycharts.com and stickersstarsandsmiles.com. She writes parenting advice, as well as selling personalised charts on KiddyCharts. Stickers, Stars and Smiles is a bit more personal, and a lot more cluttered. She can be occasionally found on there having a beer, which she clearly can't do in the office. As … [Read more...]
