A joyful and fun advent calendar to get kids excited for Christmas. Yes, chocolate advent calendars are great, but they can’t compare to this swashbuckling advent calendar from Playmobil. It’s the perfect way to kick off festive fun. Hours of fun lay ahead for little ones.
Are you ready for a fun-filled Christmas countdown? Playmobil has just launched four exciting new advent calendars that are sure to bring joy and excitement to your festive season! Get ready to embark on a magical journey with the PLAYMOBIL 71472 Advent Calendar: Christmas Market, where you can explore a winter wonderland filled with festive cheer. Or, set sail on a swashbuckling adventure with the PLAYMOBIL 71636 Advent Calendar: Pirates, and uncover hidden treasures behind each door! For our littlest fans, the PLAYMOBIL 70297 Advent Calendar: 1.2.3 Snowy Christmas is perfect for toddlers to enjoy the festive season. And for all the Miraculous fans out there, the PLAYMOBIL 71344 Advent Calendar: Miraculous: Picnic is a must-have for a miraculous Christmas! Each calendar is filled with surprises that will help you build a set ready for Christmas, making it the perfect way to count down the days until the big day. The best part? There’s no sugar involved, so you can enjoy the excitement without the sugar rush! These festive advent calendars are available online and in toy stores, so make sure to grab yours before they sell out. Get ready for a Christmas full of fun, surprises, and joy with Playmobil’s new advent calendars. Happy adventuring!
Christmas is almost here and if you are anything like me you hate shopping. Don’t panic, Frost is here to help. We will have the perfect gift in our pages. You just sit back and scroll.
Anything from L’Occitane. L’OCCITANE Christmas Gift Guide 2024
Advent Calendar.
The Best of L’Occitane. An absolute gorgeous set of the best L’Occitane has to offer.
Le Grand Voyage. A perfect gift with the best skincare. Wow-worthy.
Shea Butter Body Care Collection. I love shea butter and this gift set from L’Occitane is one of the best.
The Perfect Bra: Bravado Designs | Everyday collection | From RRP: £28.00 | Stockist: Bravado Designs
These are so comfortable and I usually hate bras. I actually bought another one after reviewing them.
Give the gift of comfort this Christmas, thanks to Bravado Designs Everyday lingerie collection. With an extensive range of sustainable options made from the softest eco-conscious quality fabrics, Bravado continues to offer comfort with a conscience. Known for their maternity & nursing bras, the lingerie experts support women from pregnancy, through to breastfeeding and beyond. The latest launches include the Balconette bra, offering a feminine and flattering sweetheart neckline, designed to lift from below the breast to accentuate a shapely silhouette. And the Sculpt, a best-selling design for a good reason, the bra will truly elevate the wearers day in more ways than one –seamless, wire-free and engineered beautifully.
Smart Toys & Games | IQ Gears | RRP: £12.99 | Stockist: SmartToys&Games
This is a brilliant gift for kids and adults. We have already had hours of fun with it and there is a lot of levels you can do. Love it.
Get those brains geared-up this Christmas with the award-winning compact IQ Gears! With up to 120 challenges, players 7+ must fit all the gears on the gameboard to make the cogs rotate!
The Puppet Company | ECO Sockettes | RRP: £19.99 | Stockist: The Puppet Company
These hand puppets are beautifully made and children love them. A great way to entertain.
For the big kids of the family, these fabulous, fun, knitted Sockette puppets with a squeaker in the tongue, are sure to get the conversation started around the Christmas dinner table! Designed to be both eye-catching and highly functional, these easy-to-use creations work well alone and look even more striking when used with some of their other Sockette friends! With larger than life characters, they are full of mischief with friendly faces and big mouths. Making a really unique gift, they are now made from recycled materials and embroidered eyes, with no plastic in sight.
Advent Calendar From Sockshop. Finding matching socks in the morning is always a pain. This advent calendar is joy encapsulated. Brilliant, comfortable socks which are high quality, along with a little fun everyday.
SOCKSHOP Advent Calendars Available for men & women
Priced at £59.99 with 10% of sales going to their partner charity Emmaus
Perfect Books For Children
The Story Orchestra. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A sound book which is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Classic. As fun as it is entertaining. I love this series and I have a few others in the collection now. Everything about this is perfect, from the illustration to the story.
Spin To Survive Deep Space Danger. A game-in-a-book where you survive on a space ship heading for disaster. It’s thrilling and perfect for family fun this Christmas.
Enter The World of Dinosaurs. Immersive 3D Viewer. See dinosaurs in 3D with this immersive 3D viewer. It has 30 dinosaur cards with facts and observational dinosaur games.
12 Days of SkinCycles Advent Calendar
Another gorgeous beauty advent calendar. The products are premium and full-size. This exclusive 12 Days of SkinCycles Advent Calendar – a curated selection of best-selling products in full sizes, is perfect for anyone who wants to experience the full range of clinical-grade skincare. It’s a luxurious way to count down to Christmas while treating the skin to scientifically backed, rejuvenating skincare. The advent calendar will be available for pre-order by November 1st.
With sustainability and ethics at the core of SkinCycles. Products are PETA-approved and coral reef-safe. They were also awarded the Butterfly Mark for r dedication to ethical beauty practices.
SkinCycles, a cosmeceutical skincare brand that merges advanced dermatology treatments with the luxury of at-home skincare – perfect for Christmas gifting!
The Perfect Gift for Film Fans. The official DC Cinematic book has landed, DC Cinematic Universe, published by DK books. Comprehensive and a great read.
See how DC’s characters, locations, costumes, and weapons have been adapted from page to screen and evolved over the decades. Witness some of the world’s finest actors, such as Academy-Award winners Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, Viola Davis, and others transform into the Super Heroes, Super-Villains, and supporting cast for their times.
ShelterBox Book Club
A charity book subscription service with a difference. Every six weeks our 2,000+ members receive a physical book in the post and access to exclusive online events like live Q&As with the authors and discussions with the other members.
It’s no ordinary book club. It’s a community of book worms, passionate about books and ShelterBox’s vision: No one left without shelter after disaster.
A UK based international disaster relief charity that supports people with emergency shelter, and basic items like solar lights, blankets and mosquito nets, when disaster or conflict has torn them from their homes.
The ShelterBox Book Club has been running for 6 years and since then over 90,000 books have been read and nearly £1.5 million has been raised.
It’s a perfect Christmas gift for a book lover. Every 6 weeks members vote their favourite choice from a specially selected shortlist reflecting the countries and cultures ShelterBox has worked in. The book with the most votes is the one that’s posted out to everyone to read.
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Noughty’s 2024 Christmas Gift Shop – Perfect Haircare Gifts for Everyone. Haircare is so mood-boosting and these products are brilliant.
Noughty’s 2024 Christmas Gift Shop, a festive selection of natural, sulphate-free, and vegan-friendly haircare bundles perfect for gifting this season. With products designed for every hair type and concern, cruelty-free gift sets are ideal for Christmas. I loved the Sensitive Scalp Starter Bundle: £22.49 – Instant relief from itching and dryness, fragrance-free and ideal for eczema-prone scalps.
Biovene Barcleona – Great Products and Clean Beauty.
Biovene Barcelona has now launched at Morissons. These make great gifts, and stocking stuffers or add-ons for Christmas!
Biovène Barcelona is a multi-award-winning, socially conscious, brand, which promotes ‘Clean’ Beauty; and where transparency is found in the formulations of products without Sulfates, SLS, SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, mineral oil, microplastics, oxybenzone, hydroquinone, Triclosan, Triclocarban and less than 1% of synthetic fragrances. The brand does not test on animals and strives to provide product options that are either vegetarian or vegan.
Born in Barcelona, Spain, the brand embraces diversity in gender identity and culture, as it does in its world-renowned inclusive city. Spanning all over the globe, from Europe to the Middle East & America, Biovène Barcelona innovates prestigious products defined as ‘premium’ but accessible and believes beauty should be fair it of religion, ethnicity, or any part of life- it should not be limited the access to life and beauty.
The brand instils confidence and establishes itself as a trusted name by assuring consumers that products are made with integrity and free from harmful ingredients. Available from Morrisons.
An absolute note perfect novel based on Maria Callas’s love affair with Aristotle Onassis. A fictionalised story of the ultimate Diva of Opera. I was obsessed with this book and did not want to put it down. I have always been a fan of Maria Callas, and Daisy Goodwin is a writer at the top of her game.
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she’s the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she’s found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then, suddenly, it’s over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
Diva is sexy, glamourous and an absolute must-read. Available here.
HRT Husband Replacement Therapy Kathy Lette
Kathy Lette is known for her wit and this book is no different. It takes serious issues and even tragic moments, and tells them with humour and aplomb. Endlessly entertaining, and both heartwarming and funny, HRT Husband Replacement Therapy is a great antidote to reality. Escape between the pages.
An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying…
Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they’ve all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday.
But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it’s blisteringly brutal.
As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish?
Another belter from Kathy Lette. This time four women reunite for the first time in decades as they enter midlife. The world has decided they are no longer relevant and so they take their revenge. It’s a fantastic, escapist comedy. Throughly enjoyable with many laugh out loud moments.
WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU, IT’S TIME TO GET EVEN.
Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.
Only they’re not going down without a fight.
Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans.
After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…
I needed a moment after finishing this book. Damn, it’s a masterpiece. The story about a former child actor who quit at the top of her game because of the actions of the director she worked with for years. It’s a forensic take on Hollywood and the metoo movement. Ella Berman knows her characters inside out. The relationships between them is tender and realistic. You won’t be able to put this book down.
Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.
Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and ready to reclaim her life on her own terms.
When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke – the man who controlled her every move for eight years – she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.
The Comeback is a moving and provocative story of justice – a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice, from the author of Reese’s Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent.
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Fearne Cotton, Matt Haig, Katie Piper, Melanie B, Holly Willoughby, June Sarpong, Izzy Judd, Beverley Knight, Dermot O’Leary, The Duchess of York, Jo Malone CBE, Paul Weller, Alex Scott MBE, Dr Julie Smith, Emma Bunton and Melissa Hemsley
I absolutely adore this book. Kindness is the most important thing. This book is full of quotes and wisdom, as well as things to do and advice. It is perfect for adults and children and is beautifully illustrated. Buy in bulk to hand out this Christmas.
Unlock the incredible power of kindness with this small book with a huge heart.
Packed with inspirational quotes, tips, actions and pearls of wisdom from famous personalities, experts and inspirational leaders alike, each page of this beautiful book will help you be kinder to yourself, to other people, and to the planet. Be Kind celebrates kindness in all its forms and demonstratesthat kindness can truly change the world.Kindness is your superpower, and this book will teach you how to use it well.
Rosie Nixon lives in Surrey and is an author, coach and broadcaster. A former magazine editor in chief, she is the founder of Rosie’s Reinvention Retreats, a series of carefully curated ‘retreats in a day’ to support midlife women. She is a mother of two and the author of three previous novels, The Stylist (2016) and sequel, AmberGreen takes Manhattan (2017), and Just Between Friends (2020). Be Kind is her first non-fiction book.
The Perfect Christmas book from the Queen of Christmas. Best read with a hot chocolate for extra festive feels. It has family drama, a love story and it’s set in a Cotswolds village. Bliss.
Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?
A PAINFUL SECRET
Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.
AN ACT OF KINDNESS
And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.
FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS
Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?
This is a sumptuous page turner. The lives of two women are told expertly. It’s a glamorous love story which is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Perfect for fans of The Crown.
A royal princess. A dress lost for decades. A love story waiting to be uncovered… London, 1988: Meredith has landed her dream job at London’s most prestigious fashion house, creating beautiful gowns adorned with intricate beads and embroidery. But now Meredith is about to create a dress like no other for the most famous woman in the world: Diana, Princess of Wales. As Meredith pours her heart into this career-defining dress, she works under the handsome and exacting William in the workroom.
William, and this commission, could end up changing her life in more ways than one… New York, 1997: The red carpet has been rolled out on Park Avenue for the auction of Princess Diana’s dresses for charity. Of the eighty items listed for sale, only seventy-nine will sell.
Because dress Number 19 is missing… England, 2018: Jayne has met all the neighbours in her new building bar one: Mrs Chalis on the first floor. When she finally meets Meredith Chalis in the hallway, she is taken aback by how upset she seems and offers her help. Entering her home, Jayne immediately knows something is very wrong. The house is in complete disarray and there is no sign of Meredith’s husband.
But then Jayne sees the most beautiful evening dress thrown over a chair and reads the note laid beside it.
Jayne realises that Meredith has an incredible story to tell… and only she can help uncover it…
Perfect for fans of Strictly and historical fiction. We’re a sucker for a wartime story, and this is a page turner.
You’re invited to a show to remember at the prestigious Buckingham Hotel . . .
In London 1942 the war is far from over for soldier Raymond de Guise. His wife Nancy is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband, and to introduce him to their son. But their safety is threatened once more as Raymond returns to the ballroom at the Buckingham Hotel, ordered to discover the dark secrets held by the glittering high society. On the dancefloor Raymond uncovers a dangerous relationship that could change the course of the war, and also threaten his marriage to Nancy. Can he protect his King and his family before it is too late?
A DANCE FOR THE KING is a pageturning and epic wartime story filled with drama, mystery, dance and romance.
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel board game available from Amazon
Get into a spin this year with the ultra-competitive Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel based on the hit TV series.
This time, you’re the contestant in a race to complete your own set of seven questions and make it through to the End Game, where one final question stands in the way of victory. Compete alone or get into teams to pool your expert knowledge of the vast array of categories, but it’s not that simple, as success all depends on the spin of The Wheel…Land on gold and you’ll be rewarded with an easier ride… but watch out for the red as you’ll be shut down and thrown off The Wheel.
Now included with any purchase of The Wheel board game is the new web app allowing users to play the TV show music when spinning the board games wheel, creating the full feeling of being on the show! It’s available for all new and existing owners of the game and can be played on any web browser on mobile devices and computers. You can now sing ‘The Wheel, The Wheel, The Wheel’ to your hearts content!
With all the dizzying fun and nerve-jangling suspense of the show, it’s the board game ‘revolution’ you’ve been waiting for! The game has a vast array of question categories including science, movies, sport, TV, superheroes, video games, history and social media so something for the whole family.
Mr & Mrs Family Edition board game available from Amazon.
Would you be surprised to find out what your partner really thinks, or can you read them like a book? Pair up with your romantic other half, or even a friend or family member to answer in-depth and entertaining questions about each other with the Mr & Mrs Family Board Game based on the hit TV show All Star Mr & Mrs, hosted by Phillip Schofield.
Mr & Mrs Family Edition contains questions suitable for adult couples, families and even boys and girls from the age of 10. With over 1,000 new questions designed to uncover things you may not know about your nearest and dearest, Mr & Mrs Family Edition is a great way for players to spend time together. The game features an improved Paddle Round where players sit or stand back to back and answer questions about each other such as ‘Who complains the most?’ or ‘Who is the most generous?’ It also includes the ‘It’s a Match’ bonus game – a true or false game where you can still score points for being on the same wavelength as your partner, even if you’re both wrong. It even includes some blank cards so you can write your own embarrassing questions. Guaranteed to cause laughter, blushes, blank looks and a whole lot more! The Mr&Mrs Family Edition board game is available for an RRP of £19.99 [currently discounted to £18.75] from Amazon with the Pocket Edition available for an RRP of £9.99 [currently discounted to £8.99] from Amazon
To protect hearing health and keep kids entertained.
Puro Sound Labs BT2200 Plus Volume Limited Kids Headphones – available from Amazon.co.uk for £100 [currently discounted to £70]
In keeping with Puro Sound Labs mission to protect consumers’ hearing, the headphones are made to protect young listeners’ eardrums from early hearing damage being volume limited to 85 dB as recommended by the World Health Organization.
While the headphones are volume limited to the maximum safe listening level, they certainly do not compromise on sound quality. The Puro Balanced Response® Curve technology is engineered to deliver the finest genuine studio sound with clear, crisp vocals and full dynamic bass suitable for all genres of music. Additionally, the BT2200 Plus features a fully passive design which blocks 83% of the ambient noise @ 1kHz just by wearing them, ensuring that users can listen to their favourite tracks, audio books or YouTube undisturbed, or find their own space in shared environments.
Designed with both comfort and style in mind, the BT2200 Plus headphones boast a lightweight, construction that truly stands the test of time. As well as a durable, supple protein leather headband and ear cushions, guaranteeing a comfortable listening experience while relaxing at home or on the go. The BT2200 Plus also comes with interchangeable ear cups so children can switch from on-ear to over-ear for a better seal and more comfort. It also has a built in microphone, ideal for online learning and children will love the Daisy Chain sharing cable so favourite tracks and YouTube videos can be enjoyed with friends or siblings.
Party Kit Network offers new solution to disposable tableware and decorations
With the new ban on single-use plastics now in place, a UK company offers a solution to Christmas party organisers concerned about the cost and environmental impact of plastic waste generated by partyware. Party Kit Network was founded by Winchester-based Isabel Mack in 2019, concerned by the amount of single-use plastic she saw ending up in the bin at the end of children’s parties.
Party Kit Network offers a ‘sharing economy’ solution to finding fun, affordable, and reusable Christmas party items (such as plates, cups, cutlery and decorations) in the UK, Australia and beyond. Party Kit Network has tapped into two current trends: the growing interest in keeping plastic out of landfill and looking after the planet; and connecting with others to rent items rather than buy them – like the growing number of clothing rental and car sharing apps out there.
Each party kit is independently run by eco-minded individuals, school PTA groups, community lending libraries, small party businesses and zero waste stores. The benefits are huge: the kits help to avoid unnecessary waste from single-use items, which can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill. For a party with 30 guests, switching to reusables and hiring a party kit saves an average of 100 single-use items from landfill. And it’s often cheaper to hire a party kit than to buy the equivalent disposables, plus it’s more convenient, with everything provided in one handy box.
“Party kits offer a simple solution to a waste problem”, says Isabel. “Like the wider sharing economy, I believe they also strengthen community connections (I’m often referred to as ‘the plate lady’ in Winchester). And they can act as a catalyst – by making the swap from disposables to eco-friendly reusables easier we hopefully inspire more people to look for sustainable options in other areas of life. The appeal is truly global – we’ve just had a kit from Oklahoma join!”
What better way to have a less wasteful Christmas than sharing your party supplies? Visit https://www.partykitnetwork.org/ to find a kit near you.
It’s no secret we love cocktails at Frost. ONE of the best things about Christmas is the gorgeous and indulgent food and drinks that we can enjoy, guilt free, in the name of celebration and these Christmas cocktails by Lixir drinks will not fail to disappoint! Lixir have opened their drinks cabinet and bought you the best seasonal flavours, that not only taste divine but will visibly impress your guests, all with limited effort.
Christmas Negroni
Ingredients:
Lixir Blood Orange & Cinnamon Tonic
Gin 25ml
Campari 25ml
Lillet 25ml
Garnish with dehydrated orange & a candy cane
Instructions:
1. Add the Gin, Campari and Lillet into a mixing glass.
2. Stir for 1-2 minutes
3. Pour over ice into a short Tumblr.
4. Top up with Lixir Blood Orange & Cinnamon Tonic
5. Garnish with dehydrated orange and a candy cane
White Margarita
Ingredients:
Lixir Classic Indian Tonic
Coconut syrup 25ml
Milk/ Oat milk 100ml
Silver tequila 50ml
Triple sec 20ml
Lime juice 15ml
Coconut rim around glass
Garnish with Cranberries & Lime
Instructions:
1. Caught the rim of the glass with lime juice
2. Add the coconut flakes to the rim
3. In a shaker pour the milk/oat milk, tequila, triple sec, lime then add ice.
4. After shaking pour into highball glass full of ice
5. Top with Lixir Classic Indian tonic to lengthen & lightly stir
5. Garnish with lime wheel and cranberries
Santa’s Bellini (Lower ABV)
Ingredients:
Lixir Rhubarb & Ginger Tonic 50ml
Prosecco 50ml
Sugar 25ml
Garnish with Mint leaves and some Jazzie sprinkles
Instructions:
1. Combine Lixir Rhubarb & Ginger Tonic, prosecco and sugar into a shaker
2. Shake for about 2- 3 minutes
3. Then slowly pour into a flute glass
4. Garnish with mint leaves and jazzie sprinkles
Gingerbread Martini
Ingredients:
Lixir Ginger Beer or Lixir Ginger Ale
Vodka 50ml
Fresh lime juice 20ml
Ginger syrup 25ml
Garnish with Biscuit/ shortbread crumbs around rim
Instructions:
1. Add into the shaker the vodka, fresh lime juice and ginger syrup
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
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
What could be more Christmassy than a children’s party? In the latest book in The Railway Girls saga series, the friends organise a series of parties to make Christmas extra special. By Christmas 1942, following the victory at El-Alamein, there was a new sense of hope in the air, but there were still severe shortages to contend with at home.
At Miss Brown’s suggestion, some ancient curtains had been borne down from the attics and the WVS had cut them up and sewn them into velvet and chintz sashes for the children.
‘Some will have party clothes and others won’t,’ said Miss Brown. ‘This way, everyone gets something special to wear and afterwards it can all go to salvage.’
One set of red velvet curtains had been used to make a Father Christmas suit for Kenneth. One of the WVS ladies produced a curly white wig, which she allowed Cordelia to chop up and turn into a beard. Last year, Kenneth would never have offered to dress up in this way. He had been far too much of a stuffed shirt. It brought home to Cordelia that she wasn’t the only one who had changed.
She couldn’t have been more delighted with how the party went. From the moment she saw the children walk into Darley Court’s grand entrance hall, where their eyes popped open at the sight of the holly-bedecked bannisters, mantelpiece and hearth, and the two huge flags hanging proudly symbolising the friendship of two great nations, she knew the afternoon was going to be everything she’d hoped for.
She had asked if a piano could be provided.
‘But I never expected a baby grand,’ she whispered to Persephone.
Persephone grinned. ‘This is Darley Court, you know. Only the best for our guests.’
Persephone and Alison took turns to belt out popular tunes, ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’ for musical chairs, ‘It’s a Hap-Hap Happy Day’ for pass the parcel and ‘(We’re Gonna Hang Out) The Washing on the Siegfried Line’ for railway stations.
The Americans, bless their generous hearts, had provided heaps of chocolate bars. Not only could every game have first, second and thirds prizes, but there were going to be enough left over for every child to have one to take home.
While hunt the thimble was in progress, to the accompaniment of ‘Bless ’Em All’, Cordelia and her team of helpers put out the sandwiches and fairy cakes in the next room. The food might not be Christmassy, but the room was decorated and one of the land girls was going to play carols while the children tucked in.
Once all the sandwiches and little cakes had been demolished, there was a loud knock on the door.
‘Who’s that?’ asked the children, looking round.
‘Is it Father Christmas?’ asked one tot.
‘No, honey, it’s the US Army,’ announced a handsome young American soldier, walking in, followed by more soldiers, much to the delight of the children – and also, Cordelia noticed, to the delight of the women helping. Cordelia’s heart sank. Yes, the arrival of the soldiers was exciting, but was Kenneth in his guise as Father Christmas going to be upstaged?
Persephone called for silence.
‘In a moment, I’m going to ask all the children to stand up and tuck their chairs under, so we can walk outside in a nice line, because we’ve got a special visitor.’
Cordelia frowned. This wasn’t part of her plan.
Everybody trooped outside and there, coming up the drive, was an American jeep in the back of which was a big chair and sitting on it was –
‘Father Christmas!’ shouted the children, jumping up and down in excitement. ‘It’s Father Christmas.’
A little girl tugged at Cordelia’s hand. ‘Is he the American Father Christmas? Is he different to our Father Christmas?’
But Cordelia was too choked with tears of pride to answer.
