CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR'S FOR 2025

 *PR Sample – I received the Swizzels advert calender to be featured in this post.

#This post also includes affiliate links – if you buy anything via these links I will receive a small payment from the company, this does not affect the price you pay

December 1st and the official start of the countdown to Christmas is now under a month away! So I am sharing some of the advent calendars that I have come across this year. There are always new and exciting advent calendars that come out each year but these are a few I've seen that have piqued my interest this year.

Cadbury Biscoff advent calendar 

You can't beat a chocolate advent calendar especially one from Cadbury. This year I had to get the Cadbury Dairy Milk/Lotus Biscoff calendar. The combination of Cadbury Dairy Milk and Biscoff is one of my favourite combinations so it's a must have calendar for me. 

Behind each of the 24 doors there is a mini chocolate treat - 12 plain Dairy Milk and 12 Dairy Milk Biscoff. You can find this calendar in most supermarkets. I got mine when doing my food shop in Aldi in the special buys section. Another great thing is that they are always affordable.

*Swizzels  advent calendar 

If sweets is more your thing over chocolate than countdown to Christmas with Swizzels. My husband is more of a sweet lover so this is his calendar for 2025. We love that there is a great mix of favourites included.

Packed with 24 of its much-loved treats and showcasing a fresh, festive new look for 2025, this advent calendar is ideal for families and sweet lovers alike. Inside, you’ll find a delicious selection of Swizzels favourites: from Love Hearts and Squashies to Drumstick Chews, Refreshers, and more. At £6 it's a great budget choice too.

Minecraft Advent calendar book collection

Book advent calendars are a popular choice whether you make your own up by wrapping up 24 books to countdown to the special day or buy an already made one like the above.

ESCAPE TO THE NORTHERN LIGHTS BY CARRIE WALKER

 Ad – review. I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes and all thoughts are my own.

Today I am involved in the book tour for Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker. Carrie Walker is a Brummie born rom-com lover with a lifelong passion for travel. She has lived in a ski resort, by a beach, in the country and the city, and travelled solo through Asia, South America and Europe. Her own love life was more com than rom until she met her husband a few years ago and settled down with him and her dog Ziggy in a small pub-filled village in Essex. 

Escape to the Swiss Chalet was her debut novel and Escape to the Tuscan Vineyard was her second novel. Now her third book Escape to the Northern Lights is out November 6th. It's part of her Holiday Romance series although like her other 2 books they can be read as a standalone.

About the book

Packed with humour, romance and a love affair with nature, Escape to the Northern Lights is a story of transformation, second chances and finding home in the most unexpected places. 

High-powered lawyer Sara thought she had life figured out – until her whirlwind marriage ends in divorce, her dream promotion slips away and a burnout diagnosis forces her to take a break.

Desperate for a reset, she books a four-week spa retreat in Norway, imagining a luxurious escape. Instead, she finds herself in the rugged wilderness of Firefly Forest, knee-deep in reindeer droppings and stuck with an annoyingly bohemian – and ridiculously attractive – outdoorsman, Henrik.

Top Mistakes To Avoid When Furnishing A Bedroom From Scratch

*This is a collaborative post 

Designing a bedroom from scratch? Sounds like the perfect plan, but it definitely has a few challenges. A new bedroom is like a plain canvas and needs your creativity. If you plan it right, you might be able to get your dream space ready. But overdoing something might ruin the vibes of it, and it won’t feel like the escape you were planning to create. 

You might be renovating your home and see a lot of inspiration. But sometimes not every design or furniture choice is right for you. We have so many furnishing ideas today that we can add to our homes, our bedrooms. But do you need all of them? Today, interior design is all about planning and avoiding mistakes, especially when you’re designing from scratch. 

So, here we are helping you out in planning and avoiding the mistakes one can make when choosing the furnishings for your bedroom. Because today it's all about practicality and smart design that matches your needs and personality. 

Top Mistakes That Affect Your Bedroom:

1.Ignoring The Room’s Size & Layout

A lot of people make the mistake they ignoring the bedroom dimensions. Planning, like having a moodboard or placement map of everything, really helps a lot. This is what interior designers do, and that’s why they totally upscale your place. You need to adopt this, too, no matter the size of your room. 

Tips to avoid this mistake:

• Measure your room
• Sketch a simple floor plan
• Do visualise placement
• Keep pathways free
• Keep 2–3 feet between furniture pieces
• Avoid blocking windows or doors

Tip: The best furniture that we think has been a space-saver and definitely does a smart job is the ottoman storage boxes. You should definitely add it to your room. 

2.Forgetting To Define A Style

Before you shop or keep adding stuff to your room, it is better to define a style, and we definitely have so many more options nowadays. You can go for:

• Mid-century modern
• Art Deco
• Minimalism
• Scandinavian
• Bohemian
• Traditional
• Industrial
• Transitional
• Contemporary
• Eclectic
• Coastal
• Rustic

Common Style Mistakes:

• Mixing too many patterns
• Combining clashing colour tones
• Choosing more than one theme

How To Fix It?

• Choose a theme or colour palette first.
• Stick to two to three main materials. 
• Use neutral foundations

3. Prioritising Looks Over Comfort

Prioritising looks over comfort? Seems like a great mistake, especially when comfort is everything you need in your dream room. 

Mistakes To Avoid

• Choosing a bed solely on style
• Buying a mattress without testing firmness.
• Not having bedside tables or chairs.

Is it Possible for Travellers to Follow in the Footsteps of Odysseus?

The Odyssey is one of the greatest stories ever told, and it has inspired countless related works and adaptations over the years. With Christopher Nolan’s version set to hit screens next year, there could be a surge in interest in tourism to the locations from the adventure.

It is possible to travel in the footsteps of Odysseus, who journeyed home for ten years after the Trojan War ended. The great thing is, you don’t need to spend quite as long as he did if you choose to travel the same route.

         

A Perfect Way to Prepare for the New Odyssey Film

There’s a lot of interest in travel to Greece thanks to the popularity of Ancient Greek themes in popular culture. In recent years, there has been so much content across different media that has allowed more people to get into the age-old tales. For example, Stephen Fry modernised many Greek myths in his book series that began with Mythos in 2017. This was followed by Heroes, Troy, and Odyssey, with each book giving readers and listeners a full overview of the stories from that era.

On television, there have been numerous popular Ancient Greece-inspired works, with the BBC’s Troy: Fall of a City giving viewers an excellent retelling of the legendary war. There was also Kaos on Netflix, which featured Greek gods in a modern-day setting and a great performance from Jeff Goldblum as Zeus. In the gaming industry, Greek themes are also everywhere you look. For instance, Age of the Gods: King of Olympus is listed as one of the top Megaways slots on the market.

The best Christmas getaways in Europe for 2025

If you’re dreaming of twinkling lights, crisp winter air, and magical festive experiences, a Christmas getaway in Europe might be just the ticket. Whether you’re after traditional markets, a snow-covered chalet, or something a little off the beaten path, the continent comes alive with festive cheer in December.

Here’s our pick of the best Christmas getaways in Europe for 2025. They’re perfect for couples, families, or solo adventurers looking to make the season extra special.

Classic European Christmas markets and city escapes

Few things capture the magic of Christmas like the old-world charm of Europe’s festive markets. Vienna leads the way with its imperial architecture and elegant Christmas markets, which start in mid-November. Sip spiced punch under the Rathaus and shop for handcrafted decorations beneath glistening lights.

In the Czech capital, Prague, snow-dusted rooftops and the scent of roasted chestnuts turn the Old Town into a festive postcard. Head to the main square for traditional pastries like trdelník and listen to carol singers beneath the giant tree.

Meanwhile, Strasbourg, often dubbed the “Capital of Christmas,” is home to one of Europe’s oldest and most atmospheric markets. Visit from late November to soak up the Alsatian charm and enjoy mulled wine, bredele biscuits, and fairy-tale scenery.

A VAMPIRE IS NOT A PET BY LEXI REES

 Ad – review. I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes and all thoughts are my own.

Today I am involved in the book tour for A Vampire is not a pet by Lexi Rees. Lexi Rees was born in Scotland but now lives down south where she’s slave to carrot obsessed gelding, a frisky mare, a dog who’s convinced he’s not been fed in a month, and a house of hungry boys.

She writes action-packed adventures and fun activity books for children. She’s passionate about reducing her footprint on the planet and becoming more self-sufficient.

She has an active programme of school visits and other events, is a Book PenPal for three primary schools, and runs a free online #kidsclub and newsletter which includes book recommendations and creative writing activities.

About the book

Yasmin REALLY wants a pet. A cat, a dog—she’d even settle for a snake. After all, there’s hardly anything Yasmin is afraid of… unless you count ghosts, zombies, monsters, and maybe custard. But Velma wasn’t the pet Yasmin expected. For starters, there are the fangs. And, well… she’s a vampire.