That Festive Feeling

Christmas is coming - the Coca Cola adverts on TV tell us that, the Christmas music in every shop I walk into, the twinkly lights, the trees and the multitude of letters from school informing me of Christmas fairs/plays/shows/parties tell me that.  The bigger boys are excited, they sing the Christmas pudding song as they walk around the house, they draw pictures of Santa and his elves and they write list after list.  Finn and Cora are still blissfully unaware but I am sure it won't be long until Finn starts to pick up on the excitement.

One of my favouite parts of Christmas is the build up and whilst it can be argued that it goes on a bit too long now (I refuse to start before December 1st), the anticipation is magical.  All the activities add energy to what would otherwise be a pretty miserable month of earlier nights and colder days.  Christmas spirit seems to infect everyone, we group together, we think of others, we plan ways to make other people smile.  

As I type this, I am baking a pudding ready for 'Christmas 1' with the Pogues classic number playing in the background.  My little sister is heading off to France for 5 months over the winter so we are having a full Christmas celebration before she goes.  Roast turkey, pigs in blankets, Christmas crackers, silly jokes, party hats, the lot.  I can do nothing but accept it is already Christmas as early as December 4th.

Our house hasn't had the full treatment yet, I am reluctant to provide Finn with something else to climb on and I dread to think how long our tree will look pretty for before three small boys mess it all up.  We don't send or receive many cards and the tinsel is still packed away.  We are organised on one front though, our stockings are hanging over the fireplace ready for the big man in red to come and visit.  The children were each sent a personalised Christmas stocking from Arty Apple and they were so excited to open them up and get them ready for Christmas eve (the real one on the 24th, not Christmas 1 eve).  

Whilst Dylan and Archie are spoiled for choice when it comes to personalised items, I think Finn and Cora are going to find it much harder and it is lovely to have something like this that we can bring out every year.  At the moment this is as far as our decorating has got, but I know after our Christmas 1 I am going to be feeling more festive and ready to bring out the rest of our decorations.

Whilst the rest of the world is enjoying a normal Sunday and getting ready for Christmas, we will be celebrating it early, enjoying the desserts that are *definitely* going to turn out as good as the pictures online and enjoying an important family day whilst we are all around.

If you want to grab a personalised stocking, sack or bib ready for the big day then you still have plenty of time to get an order in! Check out the Arty Apple website

Thanks to Arty Apple for the stockings - we love them! So soft and well made and perfect for four small children hoping for some gifts on Christmas morning.

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Personalised Newborn Gifts

I love buying gifts for newborns and always have.  Before I had given motherhood a second thought, I would browse the aisles in Mothercare looking for the perfect little outfit for a new baby.  Now as a mother to two beautiful boys, I still get  excited when friends and family welcome new babies and I have an excuse to shop for a newborn.  I love personalised presents, and thought I would round up my top 5 personalised gifts for new babies.

My 1st Years

My 1st Years sell a range of personalised gifts suitable for newborns, but it is the summer romper that I love as a Newborn gift.  The romper comes beautifully packaged in their signature green box with white bow.  The material is light and strong and you can have any name embroidered on the front, with a choice of threads.  I love this as a gift for a new baby as it looks incredibly comfortable, easy to put on and good quality.  Most new parents end up with a huge amount of newborn clothes and not much in the bigger sizes, so this is a great gift all year round as you can plan ahead.

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Merci Maman Review and Giveaway

I am incredibly soppy at heart, (just incase you haven't noticed on the blog!) and so this beautiful necklace from Merci Maman was something I couldn't resist trying.  A sterling silver chain with two intertwined rings, both engraved with the words of your choice.

I had the bigger ring engraved with Dylan and his date of birth, and the smaller ring with Archie and his. My life changed beyond recognition on these two dates, and I love this personal and elegant way of recognising that.

Unfortunately I can't wear the necklace as much as I would like as Archie has quite a thing for it as well, but I know this is something to keep, a beautiful and unique piece of jewellery.  The necklace is incredibly delicate and light, and comes beautifully presented in their trademark orange box.  I love how subtle it is, yet how individual at the same time.

This necklace costs £79 and comes as either sterling silver or gold plated and I have one to give away just before Christmas! Ladies, bookmark this page for your partners ;)  Entry is via rafflecopter below,

Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  I was sent this necklace free of charge for the purpose of this review 

but all thoughts, photos and opinions are completely my own.

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Camaloon Review and Giveaway

It is now officially November, and whilst I have barely even thought about Christmas shopping, I have been doing some planning.  I have a few crafty bits lined up for the next few weeks in preperation and I have my wrapping paper, ribbons and bows all ready from the January sales.  

I love wrapping Christmas presents, and I want them looking neat and perfect under the tree. Camaloon sell personalised stickers and I thought they would be perfect to turn into present labels when they offered me something to review.

I attempted to set up a little photoshoot at home, forgetting how
un-co-operative a 7 month old and a 26 month old really are, and managed to get not a single shot of both boys smiling or looking at the camera.  Lesson learnt - have an extra adult on hand to pull faces behind your back to get them laughing next time.

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Personalised Book Bundle Giveaway

My children have a lot of books.  They have them in their playroom, in their bedrooms and in the nappy bag for trips out.  I loved books as a child (I still do) and I really want to instil in them a love of reading, an imagination and an appreciation of the written word.

A book can transport you to a magical place, it can give you time away from reality, it can teach you, it can show you how to express your feelings.  We have books that have been read to death, with bent corners and tatty covers, and books that live on the top shelf as they are special, ones that come out only for bedtime stories.

I have a wonderful giveaway for you this week, to win your choice of personalised story as well as a bundle of themed books to go with it.  What's more, is that the winner will get their books in plenty of time for Christmas - the perfect present for a special little person.

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The Day That

On this day exactly one year ago I made the decision to go into the local maternity unit.  I had not been able to sleep for a couple of days and was worried that with my impending due date I would be too tired for the labour.  We left early - just as the sun was rising but I was too busy worrying about what might happen to pay any attention.

Dylan was born later that day and I can honestly say I have no idea whether the sun shone or the heavens opened.  I was absorbed in my labour and in my newborn baby boy.  It was the biggest day of my life and one I remember with a tear in my eye, yet I missed much of it's beauty.

I have always been a fan of sunrises and sunsets, and although I have been awake for very few of the former, I remember each and every one:

  Walking down to the beach after staying up all night as a 13 year old at the millenium.  Watching the first sunrise over the waves, struggling to stay awake but knowing it was an important moment

 Staying up all night for a full moon party on Thailand's iconic island and realising it was 6am.  The picture I took of the sun rising over the sea is coloured pink and purple and remains the best picture I have ever taken.

 Arriving at Angkor Wat in Cambodia after

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Review - Rusks and Rebels

I was very excited to see what the lovely people at Rusks and Rebels had sent me, and when I opened my parcel to find Haribo, I was over the moon!  Neatly wrapped in a paper bag in their logo colours and sealed with a R&R logo sticker.  How did they guess my haribo weakness?

They had also sent something for Dylan, a beautiful white romper with a train barcode design and his date of birth on the front.
 I love Dylan in traditional baby grows, especially for quiet days in as they look so comfy.  This one has a funky edge in the brilliant print, and is something to add to the baby box as it is personalised in a unique way, with a birth date.

Dylan in his personalised train romper suit

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