Posts Tagged "Advent"
Have YOU seen Advent Rabbit?
Afternoon.
So Kai is ill, it is cold and I find myself stuck inside with too much time on my hands – the kind of time where I can’t really get anything of real use done that requires any real concentration because I have a boy attached to my lap, but still the kind of time that needs filling, and oooh look my laptop balances just nicely on the arm of the sofa here so I can faff about on the internet and stroke his head at the same time.
Seems like most of us with a child are battling lurgies right now, tis the season and all that. And we’re all feeling a bit bleugh at the weather and the fact we’re all broke and our advent calendars taste like crap.
But never fear dear reader. For I, queen of creative procrastination have come to your rescue to bring you some light in the dark days ahead to keep you going till Chrimbotide.
Those of you that follow me on Twitter will know that I have been serialising the contents of Kai’s advent calendar into a sort of advent mini-drama. If any of you ever watched Sunset Beach (which is quite possible the greatest TV show in the history of LIFE), you’ll find it’s a bit like that only with more disproportionately sized plastic animals (compared to disproportionately sized plastic boobs and botox) and less smouldering but with just as much sex, death and evil twin action.
In any case it seems to have gone down rather well so for the rest of advent I will be bringing you the adventures of “Have YOU seen Advent Rabbit” via the magic of this magical blog.
Come see.
Read MoreBah Humbug – A Christmas Rant
Gah what is it with all you people and your determination to make Christmas last as long as possible?!
Not only have I had to suffer Christmas hitting our high street before Halloween this year, now December 1st has rolled round I’m suddenly met with endless accounts of people with their tree up, presents bought and wrapped, and Christmas cards written.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. But I just start to think about it on the 1st, using the whole advent period to gently warm up to the idea. I put up Kai’s advent calendar last night and got my first little Christmas tingle filling it with various disproportionately sized plastic animals for him to find each day. By the weekend I might just start thinking about doing some Christmas shopping. In another couple of week’s we’ll put the tree up and try a think of a way that we can ensure it survives three weeks of toddler attention. I probably won’t even eat a mince pie for at least another fortnight. This way my excitement builds slowly up to an uncontrollable hysteria on Christmas Eve (where my brother will come and we will play board games and eat our body weight in buffet food), a night lying awake wondering if that sound I just heard really was Santa, not daring to move and thinking that all those unbelievers are going to feel such eejits when they don’t get a Canon SLR under their tree, and then be up at the crack of dawn for a few days of festivities and more food and mulled wine than should probably be legal.
If I started with it all too soon, my excitement would have peaked and waned by the time we gotten half way through advent and I’d be bored and disinterested with the whole thing by the time the big day rolled round. Now fair enough if you personally have the energy to maintain your Christmas Spirit for endless weeks at a time, I just don’t have it in me.
And, for me, having Christmas last a whole month, or even longer, kind of throws out my whole rhythm for the year. Christmas is a specific day, or a few days at most, which is proceeded by ADVENT. Which, if you’re of the non-religious persuasion as I am, means a time of getting ready. If you’ve already got ready then what the frick is the point? You’ve lost all the build-up, all the magic – all you’ve got to look forward to is three weeks of novelty chocolates which I swear are made up of the ground up cardboard of last year’s advent calendars.
*sigh*
I’ll stop ranting now. I don’t mean to wee on your Yule log or anything like that.
I’m just saying, let’s all calm down a bit shall we. We’ve got 24 days people, let’s enjoy them.
Read MoreChristmas at the Great Toy Guide
As most of you know, I deputy edit at the fab new review site ‘Great Toy Guide’, where we provide independent, honest reviews by our team of mummy and daddy bloggers on toys and games for children aged 0-8.
Last week we launched our biggest feature yet, 100 of the best Christmas Toys for under £10.
I’m really proud of this one. We’ve sourced some AMAZING toys: a great mix of familiar names and old classics as well as some toys with a difference, including some gorgeous ethical toys like this Jewellery Making Kit (my absolute fave). I really, really would encourage you to go have a look – toys are organised by age to make it easier and I guarantee you’ll find an idea you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. I want to buy them all! Kai definitely has a few on HIS Christmas list, especially this fun bathtime toy, this giant bubble making kit, and this wonderful personalised memory game.
Personally I think we all tend to go a little overboard at Christmas: it’s so easy to fall into the habit of spending more and more each year. We’re not yet at the age where Kai is going to pressure us to buy the latest toys so we’re making the most of it and keeping it simple this year. I like that here you can get some lovely presents without spending a fortune.
As well our review feature we’re also offering THE best giveaway this Christmas. Four HUGE heaps of presents for your child, in four categories: baby, pre-schooler, girls and boys. We have some brilliant stuff, with vintage toys by Silver Cross and the best Early Learning Centre goodies, as well as your favourite character toys: Thomas and Friends, Ben 10, High School Musical, and loads more.
I am, quite frankly, gutted I can’t enter. But you can, so what are you waiting for!!
Oh, and it’s not to late to find yourself a gorgeous reusable advent calendar that you can bring out year after year as part of your family’s Christmas traditions. See our reviews for some of the best: the Pixie Advent Calendar that we got to test was especially stunning.
–
On a more personal note, I am ridiculously proud of this whole thing. Can you tell? So apologies for the gushing commercial post (which I know is a bit of a change from the norm) but this was too good not promote. We all worked so hard on this and seeing it all come together was fabulous. Thanks so much to the team who contributed, and especially to Editor Sally who worked the clock round and kept us all organised xx
Read More
