Magic Santa Letter

Can you to tell I'm excited for Christmas? I hope you have been enjoying my Christmas posts so far this year.  With it being under a month to go to the big day, it's flying by.  I'm all the more excited about getting up the decorations, listening to Christmas songs and getting really into the festive spirit! 


Blake is almost four and I'm hoping that even with additional needs, he will understand a bit more about what is going on this year. This year is our first year where we have decided to do elf on the shelf and so this morning our little elf Buddy has arrived along with a letter for Blake from Santa.

Santa and his elves are currently very busy in the north pole and there is something magical about getting a letter from Santa. I hope this is a tradition that Blake will look forward to each year.





Magic Santa Letter provides some of the highest quality letters for children around the world.  They don't just sell letters from Santa either but other special items such as personalised Christmas wrapping paper, personalised Christmas eve boxes and personalised Santa sacks.


We got to choose a Santa sack for Blake from 10 festive designs and I went for the Ranua one which is personalised with Blake's name and in a cute Scandinavian design. The sack is large enough to hold even the most generous stash of Christmas presents and is excellent quality which is bound to last Blake years!



The magical personalised letter from Santa arrives in the post in an authentic looking envelope addressed to your child. The stamps on the bottom are enough to get children excited! As we have the start of the Christmas fair in town today I chose to have Buddy arrive a day early with Blake's letter which I put aside ready.

When choosing what letter to go for I went for the Magical package which costs £5.99 per letter. The package includes a letter from Santa on high quality A4 straight cut paper along with an authentic looking good child certificate. The letter itself is a great keepsake and so authentic looking along with the good child certificate especially as both are signed by Santa and feature the official north pole seal. 

You can choose from 3 different templates and the one I chose was the I love mince pies which can be personalised in 5 places within the letter for example with  your child's name, hometown and present wanted.


Other letter options are available such as the Truly Magical Santa letters which retail at £7.99 and include: 
- Your pesonal letter Printed on Luxury Thick Cut Scroll Paper.
- Good Child Certificate.
- Santa ‘Stop Here’ Door Hanger.
- Christmass Colouring Sheets.
- Magic Reindeer Food.

All sent in an authentic North Pole envelope and are also single parent enabled along with giving you the choice of one of six templates or write your own for a fully personalised letter.

Don't forget if its your baby's first Christmas this year you could opt for the baby's first Christmas letter for £6.99 which also comes with a good child certificate and magical reindeer food. There are a choice of 2 templates or to write your own letter with this option.

Delivery of the letters is really quick and arrived within a few days of ordering. I feel the letters are reasonably priced considering the contents provided with each one and postage by royal mail is included within the price. 


* Please note if ordering other items you will need to pay postage costs only letters have free postage included unless you spend over £40

** All orders of letters placed after 4pm on 19th December 2018 will NOT be guaranteed for Xmas Eve delivery. 

*** We were sent  a santa sack and personalised santa letter in exchange for an honest review, all views and opinions are 100% my own.

The Christmas Tag – All I Want For Christmas Is…

I love joining in with tags and so when i spotted the Christmas tag for 2018 I had to join in. The Christmas tag features 16 questions on the topic of the most wonderful time of the year.  



What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

It use to be Miracle on 34th Street but to be honest I love most Christmas films and it would be easier to answer what my least favourite are.

Have you ever had a White Christmas?

Yes I remember as a child building a snowman in my grandparents garden. It's always magical when it happens but its very rare and its been a long time since it snowed on Christmas day.

Where do you usually spend your holiday?

At home on Christmas day and on boxing day usually we spend time with Stuart's family. This year we are actually spending boxing day over at my mum's with my side of the family.

What’s your favourite Christmas song?

Last Christmas by Wham 

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

I use to but as I've got older its not something I do anymore 

Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeers?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donna, Blitzen and of course Rudolph 

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

I love doing the Christmas eve basket each year for Blake and we also visit Santa each year and I'm excited to do Christmas crafts together including hopefully some baking.

Is your Christmas Tree real or fake?

It's a fake fiberoptic tree that we get out each year, I'd love to get a real one though.


What’s your favourite holiday treat/food/sweet

Such a hard question as there are so many tasty Christmas treats.
I love pigs in blankets, mince pies, hot chocolate...

Be honest, do you prefer the giving or receiving of gifts?

Both I enjoy seeing others open there gifts and choosing something that they will love. It's lovely though to receive gifts as the person has obviously gone to all the effort to get you something.


What’s the best Christmas present you ever received?

One year Stuart surprised me with a bracelet from Blake it was such a surprise and unexpected. Last year he surprised me with a beauty and the beast charm for one of my bracelets too. 

What’s your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

A bit cliche but I'd love to visit New York or Lapland 

Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

Fail miserably! I hate wrapping presents I get frustrated with selotape and presents never look perfectly wrapped. 

Most memorable Christmas memory?

Waking up very early on Christmas day as a child seeing the mince pie and whisky had gone so rushing into my parents room to wake them up. We use to have my nan and grandad over for Christmas Day and loved spending time with them and playing with my new toys.

What made you realise the truth about Santa?

One year I was naughty and went downstairs in the middle of the night and saw my parents putting the presents in our sacks. My parents did try though with using the excuse that they were the elves helping Santa but I failed to believe them.

What makes the holidays special for you?

Spending time with family, enjoying good food and just being able to relax and enjoy playing with Blake with his new toys.


I'm tagging anyone who wants to join in! I'd love to see your anwser so if you do the tag please comment below with the link so i can have a nosy at your anwsers.

Smiggle Advent Calander

*SPOILER ALERT*
I will be sharing with you all everything that is in the Smiggle Advent Calander this year. If you don't want to know than don't read any further.

First of all if you've never heard of Smiggle or don't know what Smiggle sell they are a stationery brand that sell a wide range of cool and funky products. We actually have a rucksack for Blake from there which is an amazing design and great quality. 

Countdown to Christmas with Smiggle's popular advent calander. Unlike most advent calanders the Smiggle advent calander has 25 doors so you have 25 days of goodies to look forward to with even one to open on Christmas day! The calander retails at £25 and is suitable for children 6 years and over so ideal for school aged children. The calander contains items that value to £40 plus so you are getting a bargain. The calander is slightly hard to open so children will most likely need a little hand each morning. Along with the advent calander you get a little envelope stuck to the back where you have the chance to find one of twenty five lucky tickets and win a £500 shopping spree in Smiggle! 



So the photo below shows every item that is inside the calander there are a good selection of pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers, a keyring, a glue stick,  highlighters and more. As usual with Smiggle all of the items are bright and colourful with quirky designs.  I decided not to share which door each item is behind so if you plan on getting the calander there will still be an element of surprise. 

There are definitely a mixture of items that both Blake and I will use from the calander and i can see school aged children and teenagers having them all in a pencil case to use. So it's an advent calander that will suit a mixture of ages. If you get hold of the Smiggle Advent Calander this year I'm sure that the recipient won't be disappointed.




 * We were sent the Smiggle Advent Calander in return for an honest review. All views and opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway: Fuzzikins Cottontail Cottage

The joys of craft in a cute animal world with endless possibilities of personalisation every time children play, crafting their own story not once, but over and over again.
Fuzzikins are adorable fuzzy animals to colour and play. These craft sets offer hours of fun customising the Fuzzikins and their world! 
 Today I have the chance to giveaway a Fuzzikins Cottontail Cottage set to one lucky person.

The Cottontail Cottage craft & play set offer hours of fun customising the rabbits and their house and creating accessories for them.The Cottontail Cottage comes with two bunnies and a pop-up cottage play house which folds away neatly to save space when not being used.The set includes plenty of accessories to decorate the cottage with. Open the hard covers and reveal the two storey house with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom and a garden.
The set contains:
• Pop-Up Cottage Playhouse Inside
• 2 x Bunnies Figures
• 3 x Felt Tip Pens
• Plastic Garden Fence, with Gate
• Colour-in Stickers
• Instructions

For ages 4 years+. Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts that may represent a choking hazard.

The felt-tip pens in this set are washable, but they may stain certain surfaces, carpets, or fabrics. Read the instructions before use, follow them and keep them for reference.

Terms and conditions
-To enter you must be 16 and over 
- This competition will close on 30th November 2018 at 12.00am GMT 
- The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email, twitter or facebook
- If the winner doesn't reply within 30 days another winner will be drawn
- The prize will be sent from wirepr 


- Please have a look at my privacy policy on how how I collect, store and use data and please do contact me if you have any questions. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Car Maintenance - The Importance of right car tyres & vehicle servicing

With the festive season fast approaching and a lot of people driving home for Christmas, its important to make sure your car is safe to prevent any accidents and/or your car breaking down. Lets face it the last thing anyone wants is problems with their car, especially when most places will be shut around the Christmas period. So this is your reminder to get your car checked out now! After all we are only about a month away til the big day! Doing so will enable you to fix any problems asap rather than at a later date preventing you paying out more in the long run! 


How to ensure car safety

It's so important to ensure that your car is safe to be on the road. There are things you should be checking everytime you get behind the wheel such as mirrors, windscreen, Windows and your breaks and there are checks to carry out less frequently. Those checks are important and how often they should be done will be mentioned in your vechichles handbook. However here is a guide to remind you of some of the things to do: 

MOT/Service 
If you've not booked in to have them done yet than make this a priority! By booking in to have either a service or MOT done in time for Christmas , means you will be made aware of any problems that you need to fix in advance of your travels. Sometimes we aren't aware of some of the problems with our car until its too late!  An MOT is done yearly and is a requirement for cars over 3 years old, whereas a service can be done as and when and worth getting done asap especially if you will be driving a lot.

Check your oil
So you've had an MOT or service done and fixed any problems that came up. Now its important to check your oil regularly to make sure you have the right amount of oil to prevent major damage to your engine. Checking and topping up your cars oil helps your car to run smoothly and reliably. You can measure your cars oil by using a dipstick on older models and by electric measure on newer cars. 

Check your tyres 
It's so important to check your tyres for any defects or wear and tear. Make sure you check your tyres pressure regularly and checking your tread depth so that you replace tyres when needed. If you need new tyres then you can find  Cheap tyres at Jet Wheel Tyre who are based in Essex. When checking your tyres if you aren't already aware you must make sure that the tread  depth is a minimum of 1.6mm which is required by law. Driving with tyres that aren't within the guidelines are dangerous and if you are caught you will get points on your licence.  Last of all when it comes to checking the pressure of your tyres make sure this is done regularly as it can have an impact on your cars fuel economy and performance. 

Check your lights
The evenings get darker earlier this time of year and so the last thing you want is to find you've blown a bulb or got a crack in your lights. If you have a minor crack its best to get this fixed asap to prevent it from getting worse and if you've blown a bulb make sure you get a new one sorted out asap.

Other things to check 
Other things that are a good idea to check are: The water level in the radiator or expansion tank , the brake fluid level,  battery windscreen and rear window washer bottles. 

Remember just because you may have a current MOT certificate it doesn't mean your car is completely safe its your responsibility to check regularly for any problems that arise and get them fixed. 


Giveaway : Coral's My Mermaid Lagoon

Create, play and imagine with My Mermaid Lagoon! With 3 different sets available featuring either Coral, Pearl or Marina with their sea creature friends. 

Today I have the chance to giveaway Coral's My Mermaid Lagoon to one lucky person!



Create a magical mermaid world where Mermaid Coral and her seahorse friend love to live!
Mould, sculpt and play with the glittery magic sand and use corals, shells and other accessories to create an enchanting ‘under-the-sea’ scene in a beautiful bottle with a pretty shell-shaped stopper. Take Coral anywhere, carried safe and snug in her clamshell home that fits perfectly into a pocket.
The set contains: 
• 1 x Display Bottle Base
• 1 x Display Bottle Lid
• 1 X Display Bottle Stopper
• 1 x Coral Mermaid Figure
• 1 x Mermaid Shell
• 1 x Seahorse Figure & Stand
• 1 x Trident
• 4 x Sand Moulds – 4 Different Designs
• 4 x Seaweed and Corals
• 1 x Bag of Magic Sand
• Full Colour Instruction Booklet

For Ages 4 years + Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts that may represent a choking hazard.


Terms and conditions
-To enter you must be 16 and over 
- This competition will close on 29th November 2018 at 12.00am GMT 
- The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email, twitter or facebook
- If the winner doesn't reply within 30 days another winner will be drawn
- The prize will be sent from wirepr 

- Please have a look at my privacy policy on how how I collect, store and use data and please do contact me if you have any questions. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas gift guide: For the kids



Today we have my last christmas gift guide for this year and its for the kids! I have 2 nephews and Blake to buy Christmas gifts for and on top of that both Blake and my eldest nephews birthdays are in December so I'm always on the look out for ideas. This guide mainly features gifts for children 3 years and over and a few ideas for children a little older and babies too. 

Don't forget you can read my other two guides I've done this year for him and for her if you are in need of ideas for teenagers and adults.




Snowglobe by Amy Wilson | Amazon | RRP: £6.99



Snowglobe tells the story of daydreamer Clementine who has been trying to avoid her magic for a while but it has been getting stronger, and harder to ignore.  Whilst at school, she loses control of it and realises she can escape it no longer. When she is drawn to a mysterious house in the middle of town that was never there before, she is pulled in by the powerful sense of a mother she never knew.  Once inside, she finds the place is full of hanging snowglobes, each one shaken, churned up and containing a trapped magician, each one lost in time. So Clem ventures into the snowglobes in an attempt to release all the magicians from their glassy domes.  In the process, she discovers her own powerful connection to the magic of these miniature worlds and, unknowingly, she unleashes a struggle for power that will put, not only her own family, but the future of magic itself in grave danger.  For ages 9 years and over.


Scoop Magazine subscription | Scoop | Single issue £6.50 or 6 issues (over 12 months) currently £36 


A Scoop magazine subscription is an ideal gift for children who will be inundated with toys and you want to find something a little different. The magazine is aimed at children 7-12 years of age that publishes all forms of original stories created by the most fantastic authors and illustrators just for Scoop. Contributors include Raymond Briggs, Joanna Lumley, Tom Stoppard, Catherine Johnson, Tom Whipple, Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Priestley, Laura Dockrill, Chris Riddell and many more. 





Geometric heart print | Mama designs | £8

Need an idea for a little one this Christmas?  It can be hard to know what to buy babies we certainly remember as Blake was 9 days old on his first Christmas. Everyone seems to buy toys and if you want to be a bit different why not treat them to an art print from Mama designs. There are four different designs to choose from the geometric heart, hummingbird, cloud and pineapple. Prints are unframed



Crazy Soap foam/colour change bubblebath | Crazy Soap | prices vary

Make bath time for children with Crazy Soap! Crazy Soap foam is a fun sensory experience for kids to get messy whilst also getting clean. Available in blue, pink and white foam you can have fun in and outside the bath. The Crazy Soap colour changing bubble bath is our favourite pour the liquid into warm water and swish to see the liquid change colour as its mixed with the water. Crazy Soap are great products to add to your child's Christmas stocking.



Say hello activity spiral | Baby sensory | £15.99

How adorable is this activity spiral for babies? Attaching easily to a stroller, cot, or car seat, the Activity Spiral encourages baby to look, touch and explore. The spiral features the characters from the Baby Sensory ‘Say Hello to the Sun’ song, with bright colours, fascinating patterns and textured fabrics. The Activity Spiral is a multi-sensory toy, that baby will love to take wherever they go. Find friendly faces, crinkles, peek-a-boo flaps, a squeaker, a jingly bell, a mirror, pull-and-stick activities, and a textured teether to soothe sore gums.




Personalised colour in and activity book | In the book|  A4 £12.99 or A3 £14.99

Colour in and activity books tend to be popular with children so why not get your hands on a personalised one to make the gift a bit more special. This activity book comes in a large A3 & A4 format and is spiral bound, making it easy for your child to play with it, and giving them nice big pictures to have fun colouring in. Your child’s name will appear on the cover, as well as within the hand drawn artwork throughout the book, making the book unique to them and also helping them learn the letters in their name.




I am not a... book series x4 | Carlton books | £6.99 each

The I Am Not A… series (x4 books - Toilet Roll, Egg Box, Cereal Box, Old Sock) feature fun and creative ways to reuse items we usually Chuck away. The books feature easy step by step guides so your child/ren can make fun crafts such as: robots, penguine, unicorn and a bunny. 




Teen Titans Go! To the movies | Amazon | £10
  
Teen Titans GO! To the movies is all about how robin from Teen Titans vowed to get them their own movie deal like the rest of the superheroes around.Nothing is ever that simple though and Supervillan Slade messes with their plans.



Playbrush | Playbrush | £29.99

Making cleaning teeth fun with Playbrush an interactive way to make brushing teeth fun with games they actively control by brushing their teeth. During each 2-minute adventure, the gaming apps encourage children to brush at the correct speed and equally within all quadrants of the mouth. The Result? A unique brushing experience with lots of fun.





Fartist Club Collectables | Fartist Club | £9.99 each


Introducing Fartist Club from Eolo Toys, the newest gross-out collectable concept to hit stores across the UK this August.  A gassy gang of farting friends, each Fartist Club has mastered the art of fart! Fighting for their right to Farty! Each character is 12cm tall and comes with 10 unique fart sounds that activates when their finger is pulled. Each character also comes with a fart delay function so you can set it up and let it rip when people least expect, perfect for pranks! There four characters to choose from:  Farty Flip, Windy Wendy, Ripping Randy and Munchy Max. I was sent the Munchy Max who is a dirty dog, yet very loyal to his filthy friends. Always on the lookout for mouldy much; fungus, maggots, flees or flies never held him back. No garbage bin is safe from Max, if there is not a foul smell on his findings, he won’t trust it! Due to his dirty diet there is a constant flow of terrible gas eruptions from down under, but Munchy Max doesn’t mind. He loves a good smeller and just makes his mark!




Power Dough Magic Pets Large Kit | Argos | £20


Get ready to design your own Magic Pet that comes to life before your eyes. The Power Dough Magic Pets kit is simple to use. Choose from one of four brightly coloured dough pots and mould your pet using your hands and the modelling tool provided. Decide whether you want your new creations to talk, light up or move. Take your pick from the 15 interchangeable accessories and connect them to the 4 Power Parts. When you’re ready to activate your Magic Pet push it in and Bring your dough to life!





So Slime DY  Slime Case | Smyths | £14.99



Make your own Slime in minutes with So Slime DIY. Getting started couldn’t be easier; add glitter, decorations and colourful slime powder to the shaker and create neon slime that’s entirely your own design. Bring your So Slime DIY Case whenever you feel like being creative with friends. Decorate your shaker with our fun stickers and even hide a cutie surprise inside that will delight your friends

Minions Aquabeads Playset | Argos | £19.99

Everything you need to create your favourite Minion characters- Bob, Kevin, Stuart and teddy bear Tim! Make, Spray, and they stay! Peel after 10 mins and make even more designs! With colourful Aquabeads, beautiful creations are simply a spray of water away!




Corals Mermaid Lagoon | Interplay | £16.99


Create a magical mermaid world where Mermaid Coral and her seahorse friend love to live! Mould, sculpt and play with the glittery magic sand and use corals, shells and other accessories to create an enchanting ‘under-the-sea’ scene in a beautiful bottle with a pretty shell-shaped stopper.Take Coral anywhere, carried safe and snug in her clamshell home that fits perfectly into a pocket.




Fuzzkins Cottontail Cottage | Interplay | £19.99


Fuzzikins are adorable flocked creatures to colour and play. The Cottontail Cottage craft & play set offer hours of fun customising the rabbits and their house and creating accessories for them. The Cottontail Cottage comes with two bunnies and a pop-up cottage play house which folds away neatly to save space when not being used.The set includes plenty of accessories to decorate the cottage with. Open the hard covers and reveal the two storey house with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom and a garden.

* We were sent the items featured in this gift guide for the purpose of this post . All views and opinions are 100% my own.

Space-saving furniture ideas

One thing we’re all a little short on is space; especially if you live in a major city or town. If this sounds like you and you’re struggling to squeeze everything into your home, here are some top tips for space-saving furniture ideas. 


Clear the hallway


Often treated as a dumping ground, the hallway is the first thing you see when you walk into your home, and if it’s cluttered and full of shoes, coats and umbrellas, it will instantly feel crowded and even more closed in. Having ample storage in the hallway that elevates everything off the floor and conceals coats and shoes is an essential step to creating a calming, welcoming environment. A slim shoe storage unit, like this one, is ideal for fixing to the wall and will help  stop the hall from feeling cramped and overfull. Hanging a mirror above will reflect light and help to make your space feel larger.

Under bed storage
The bed is one of the largest items we have in our homes, so making use of the space underneath it is a no-brainer in terms of saving space. For plenty of under bed storage options, look no further than trusty Ikea as they have a large selection of options, with lids for keeping dust at bay, and wheels for easy access to your stuff. 

Choose the right sofa
Picking the right sofa is imperative when you’re tight on space. There are plenty of options you can choose from, with storage sofas, corners and sofa beds being top of the list. A corner sofa will fit snuggly into any given space, and a sofa bed is ideal if you have lots of guests but lack a spare bedroom. Take a look at the range of Arlo & Jacob sofas that include compact sizes and small snuggler style sofas that are perfect for smaller spaces and offer space-saving solutions. 

Floating shelves & storage

Lifting everything off the ground is a smart way to make your space feel larger. Traditional bookcases and shelving units take up excessive amounts of floor space, but floating shelves will instantly make the room feel bigger, allowing light to pass underneath. Consider ones with hidden drawers underneath for maximising your storage solutions. The Range has an extensive selection of finishes, from glossy white and black, to oak and dark wood. 




Get creative

Think about all the places that don’t get used in your home; above the picture rail, behind doors, under the stairs, and even under your kitchen cabinets. Custom-made furniture for these areas can be pricey, but using Pinterest to find hacks and affordable alternatives is your best bet for maximising your space and clearing the clutter. Magnets are excellent solutions for hanging kitchen utensils giving you more worktop space, and are also a fun way for the kids to tidy their toys (it works brilliantly with toy cars). Consider swapping kitchen chairs for a storage bench, and a folding table will help save you space in your dining area when you’re not entertaining. There really are so many ways you can save space in your home.