Category Archives: Christmas

TOMY reveals the top toys every child wants to see under the Christmas tree this year

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With Christmas fast approaching and children’s letters to Father Christmas filling up quickly, leading global toy manufacturer, TOMY, is here to make this a Christmas to remember for the whole family.

Here are our top picks. I absolutely love the cute and fun Soothing Heart Panda for babies, the Dino Eggs is perfect for toddlers. It’s fun and a great way for them to learn and the MegaSketcher is a fantastic present that encourages creativity and is educational. We can’t recommend them enough.
Soothing Heart Panda

A calming plush panda after your own heart! Press the tummy to cycle through four bedtime melodies, each accompanied by a red light and a vibration synced to the rhythm of a resting heartbeat. Press it a fifth time and you’ll hear the heartbeat too! With a friendly, embroidered face and unique patterns and textures for baby to explore during play, it’s impossible not to fall in love.

RRP: £24.99

Suitable for ages 9months+

Stockists include: Amazon, Argos, Smyths, John Lewis and TRU Online 


Megasketcher

     

Take screen time offline with the Original Megasketcher magnetic drawing board. 

Megasketcher has a unique superior screen that allows budding artists to draw clear, crisp pictures everytime and now it comes with a fresh new look!

Megasketcher has been the best in the field of magnetic drawing boards for almost 30years and it’s premium quality offers the best drawing experience around and never compromsing on quality! 

Children love to draw and the Tomy Megasketcher needs no pencils to sharpen and there’s no mess, no paper, no waste and no WIFI

4 shape stampers are included to aid their designs and inspire their creativity.

Then the pictures magically disappear with one sweep of the eraser and they can start all over again!

A great product for encouraging creative minds and perfect for travel.

RRP: £18.99

Suitable for ages 3years+

Stockists include: Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Very, Littlewoods, John Lewis and Independent Toy Retailers

 

Film and TV Lovers

Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs

dino eggs, baby, toy, toys

Toomies brings that wonder to a new generation with Jurassic World Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs! These dinosaur toys are ready for adventure and designed to encourage developmental play for babies and toddlers. Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs is a spinning incubator that includes 5 cute colourful classic dinosaurs: T.rex, raptor, stegosaurus, triceratops & Pteranodon. Give each of these little dinos a shake and hear their sweet growling sounds. Matching each dinosaur with the correct colour shell encourages logic and problem-solving skills. It’s time to fill the spinning incubator with all five colourful eggs and help them hatch! Just push the lever down to watch them spin. Push faster and faster until POP! They’ve hatched! Match them up with their shells and do it again! Or load them back into the incubator and close the lid for easy storage. A fun way to work on fine motor skills while learning about action and reaction. However you choose to play, Toomies welcomes little explorers to a Jurassic World full of fun! 

RRP: £15.99

Suitable for ages 12months+

Stockists include: Amazon, Argos, Boots, The Entertainer, The Range, Tesco, John Lewis, Littlewoods, Next.co.uk, Selfridges, Very and Independent Retailers

COEUR DE LION AW22 Pearl Collection

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I have absolutely fallen in love with German hand-made jewellery brand COEUR DE LION. They have launched their AW22 pearl collection and it is stunning. I can’t think of a better Christmas present.

The pieces also include their Freshwater Pearl multi-way necklace which is available in gold and silver. Head to their website now for these beautiful pieces.

https://www.coeur-de-lion.org/

Top Christmas Ideas

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 Chococo Milk & Dark Christmas Trees filled with chocolate presents

chocolate, Christmas tree

NEW Chococo Milk & Dark Christmas Trees filled with chocolate presents (£19.50/200g each) – Stylish faceted chocolate trees, each with four delicious chocolate gems hiding inside. Perfect for the family to share with chocolate to suit everyone! Each is hand-decorated with speckles of cocoa butter ‘snow’.  Each is wrapped in tissue inside a recyclable kraft cardboard box.

47% Colombia origin Milk Chocolate Tree – this rich yet creamy, low sugar milk chocolate tree has award-winning Gingerbread Caramels and Milk Orange gems inside. Make a difference this Christmas with our Milk Chocolate Christmas Tree. Every Milk Chocolate Christmas Tree purchased = 1 tree planted with the charity Just One  Tree. https://www.chococo.co.uk/charity-milk-chocolate-tree.html

72% Ecuador origin Dark Chocolate Tree – this dark chocolate tree with smooth mellow cocoa notes has  spiced Speculaas Caramels and tangy Dark Orange gems inside. Make a difference this Christmas with our Dark Chocolate Christmas Tree. Every Dark Chocolate Christmas Tree purchased = 1 tree planted with the charity Just One  Tree.  https://www.chococo.co.uk/charity-dark-chocolate-christmas-tree.html

Background: 

Multi award-winning, Dorset-based, independent, chocolatier Chococo celebrates its 20th birthday with this contemporary range of Christmas chocolates to delight family and friends this year. The range is handcrafted in Dorset by a principled bunch of chocolate lovers, led by founders Claire and Andy Burnet, all passionate about creating truly delicious chocolates which both taste good and do good.

NEW for this year are exciting flavours in Chococo’s Festive Boxes, a new range of chocolate Santas, new chocolate baubles and new chocolate Christmas trees. Also included are gifts to share, chocolate biscuit cakes and its ever-popular chocolate salami. Importantly, all the items come in 100% plastic-free packaging. Chococo cares about the impact of its packaging on the environment and always has done – 100% of their packaging, including their mail order boxes, is plastic-free and is either recyclable, compostable or reusable.

All Chococo’s chocolate is sustainably sourced, from its Cocoa Horizons verified chocolate made with 100% sustainably sourced cocoa, to Direct & Raisetrade chocolate produced in country of origin for Chococo by their partners Martinetti Cocoa in Ecuador, Luker Chocolate in Colombia and Chocolaterie Robert in Madagascar.

Paxton & Whitfield – the UK’s oldest cheesemonger

Paxton & Whitfield, the UK’s oldest cheesemonger has the best cheese you can eat. There are a lot of wonderful Christmas gifts available this year from them.
 
 
  1. Christmas Cheese Selection – a selection of cheese perfect for the festive table including the NEW and EXCLUSIVE Cullum 
  2. Hampers & Gift Packs – a superb range of NEW gift packs and hampers  
  3. Cheese Accompaniments & Cheese Homewares – everything you could possibly want for your cheese serving needs 
  4. Cheese Club – Paxton & Whitfield’s original cheese club along with a NEW three month subscription 
  5. Cheese Advent Calendar – Paxton’s NEW & IMPROVED cheese advent calendar for 2022 

Maggie O’Farrell’s new children’s picture book, THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK for the children in your life. 

Beautifully brought to life by illustrator Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, the story follows Jem as he struggles to find a sense of belonging after his family’s recent move from the city to the countryside. When mischief and chaos ensue wherever he goes, his sister believes it to be the work of the “nouka” – can these mythical creatures help Jem find comfort in his new home?

Maggie O’Farrell’s second book for children, beautifully brought to life by Daniela Terrazzini, explores how we deal with pain, loneliness and tough emotions when we face changes and challenges – whatever our age.

 

The story is set in the lush green hilly countryside, which are modelled on Arthur’s Seat, the iconic landmark in Edinburgh, where Maggie lives.

 

When Jem and his family first move to a small town, he struggles with his new life. The unhappier he grows, the stranger things become … mischief and chaos seems to bloom everywhere. His sister Verity is sure it is the work of a “nouka”, an ancient creature that lives deep down inside the hill; a creature forged from the sparks of a long-extinct volcano. Jem is adamant – there is no such thing.

 

But it is through the magic and mayhem of this small mystical creature that Jem finally finds a sense of belonging, a sense of home. He, once more, discovers a spark of magic. A beautiful and atmospheric long-form picture book set against a dramatic backdrop of an ancient hillside and the mysterious mood-affecting creature that lives within.

 

Guylian Belgian Chocolates and Snowman

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Jingle shells, jingle shells, jingle all the way…

Guylian, the premium Belgian chocolatier, has a wide range of chocolates that make the perfect gift for those you love this Christmas.

Loved all around the world for their classic chocolates, Guylian is the ideal treat for sharing and gifting, as even the most discerning gift recipients love to receive chocolate!

Guylian’s iconic Sea Shells are available in various pack formats – 65g impulse pack (RSP £1.50), 250g (RSP £5.50), 375 g (RSP £8.00 from Sainsburys and Morrisons), and for those who really want to indulge, the new 500g (RSP £10.00 from Tesco, Waitrose & Ocado)

If you’re looking for an adorable Christmas gift or stocking stuffer, check out Guylian’s Temptations Snowman, a snowman shaped box filled with six different flavoured individually wrapped Temptations. Flavours include Original Praline, Milk Truffle, Caramel, Crunchy Biscuit, Dark Praline, and Coffee.

Guylian’s Temptations Snowman is available from Lidl RRP £5.00.

They are delicious and you can’t go wrong.

Frost Loves KidiZoom PrintCam For Christmas & Beyond

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I love it when my kids get creative, and I love pictures of them, so this VTech KidiZoom PrintCam is more of a present for me, albeit one that they will love. This super-smart camera lets your kids instantly print pictures of themselves, no ink required. It has over 150 photo effects and activities. What’s more it can print up to 80 black & white photos per roll. It has three games and it also records video.

What’s more it has a comic strip maker, and you can even print off your own cards and pretend money. It’s a fantastic present and I cannot recommend it enough.

Move over David Bailey, step aside Mr Rankin – it’s time to meet the next generation of photography pros with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam.

   kidizoom , print cam, christmas, kids, camera, creative,

Just in time for Christmas, VTech has got a fresh new addition to its KidiZoom line with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam – a children’s camera for 5+ years that lets budding photographers print their images immediately, on the go, within minutes. No more waiting to get to a printer!

 

Unleash little ones’ creativity with included special photo effects, stamps and borders, as well as 3 games, panoramic prints, and a comic strip maker! It’s just as easy to create whacky selfies with the flip up lens that allows full use of the camera without changing hand positions! You can also turn your photos into line drawings to colour or use the print shop to print games, design and print your own cards, or even pretend money and accessories.

 

That’s not all though, when combined with a micro-SD Card (not supplied), it functions as a normal digital camera, enabling children to keep their images forever, whether that’s to print them out again in full colour, or for you to save and treasure them for years to come.

 

This is the ultimate device for imaginative and curious children and will unlock a world of creative and artistic opportunity – while you hopefully get some well-earned downtime!

 

RRP: £69.99 | Available from: Smyths Toys Superstores / Argos / Very and Amazon. 

 

Frost Loves: BCC Bottled Cocktail Co.

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We have tried the Bottled Cocktail Company and we love them. They sell great and convenient cocktails. Perfect for Christmas and beyond.
bottled cocktail company, premixed cocktails, ready cocktails, cocktail, cocktail ready to drink,

– The Bottled Cocktail Company 

Launched, with a refined range of classic drinks in striking bottles inspired by cocktails that have become classics in the world of bartending. The brainchild of drinks expert Keivan Nemati, the range will bring consumers a true mixology experience, with the quality and creativity of a bar, in the comfort of their own home. Inspired as much by Nemati’s experience in the worlds of perfumery and culinary arts as his rich history in the bar scene in London and beyond, the brand was established in 2020 by Nemati and a group of friends, who were brought together by their passion for cocktails and flavours. 
 
The initial range, inspired by cocktails that have become classics in the world of bartending, includes; Silver Fir Negroni (£35), El Presidente (£36), Dry Gin Martni (£34), Elderflower High Ball (£33) and Passionfruit Spritz (£33), with more to be released in the coming months. All are bottled at sipping strength, and designed to be drunk either straight up, served from the freezer, or stirred over ice. 

Our online cocktail delivery service covers North London in as little as 1-2 working days, and 3-5 working days UK-wide.

https://www.bottledcocktailcompany.com

 

The Little Squirrel Who Worried: A Picture Book to Help Young Children Experiencing Anxiety

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The Little Squirrel Who Worried

 

By Katie O’Donoghue

 

A beautifully illustrated picture book about overcoming

anxiety for young children to share with a parent,

teacher or mental health professional

  • children's book. anxiety
     A lovely, gentle story about conquering worries that any child will love, but particularly those who are in need a little bit of reassurance.

 

  • Author Katie O’Donoghue wrote and illustrated The Little Squirrel Who Worried while working for the Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Mental Health Service NHS last year during Covid 19. The book was created specifically to address cases of anxiety that she was seeing among young people every day.

 

  • A gorgeous gift for children who love to be read to and who love animals.

 

Little Squirrel hasn’t left his nest since last autumn. He needs to gather nuts for the long winter to come but he’s too worried to leave his cosy nest.

 

Luckily, Little Squirrel has lots of friends in the forest, from Wren to Snuffly Hedgehog, Grey Rabbit to Mister Fox, Old Badger to Great Stag. Will their encouragement and words of advice be enough to help Little Squirrel to venture out?

 

About the Author

KATIE O’DONOGHUE is a child and young person’s therapist with a background in fine art and design and a masters degree in Art Psychotherapy.

 

The Little Squirrel Who Worried is published by Gill Books available now in hardback at £11.99.   ISBN: 9780717192304
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CREATE YOUR OWN THEATRE AT HOME

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We love this adorable gift. So cute and great for development.

theatre, children, create your own, toys for children, imagination, Christmas .

Create your own theatre productions and performances using the beautiful craft set from Royal Opera House shop – the perfect project for budding performers and theatre lovers!

 

Little ones will be sure to have creative fun, learn about how the theatre works, and get lost in their imagination, whilst writing and putting on a dazzling show for all the family to enjoy.

 

All kits include scenery, characters and props, and come packed with interesting facts and activities.

 

Made with the environment in mind, paper elements are created from recycled materials, and even better… no glue or scissors are needed, making it the perfect safe activity for all children to love.

 

Create Your Own Theatre – £12.50

Royal Opera House shop – shop.roh.org.uk