Sand play this Christmas!

If you are looking for a toy that will keep the kids entertained as happy well beyond Christmas, then you should buy them the genuinely unique My Little Sandbox range from Map Toys.

The unique playsets will provide young children with hours of fun, when they can use the power of their own imaginations to create their own fun. And they'll keep them busy when the weather means outside play is not possible.

Each playset is themed around different play scenarios which include Pirates, Mermaids, Holidays and Construction.

The sets are well made and each one comes in its own sturdy hardwood box that is filled with ultra fine play sand which is easy to vacuum. Miniature toys and accessories come with each playset so the children will be sure to have lots of fun in the sand. The construction  set features mini diggers, boulders bricks and building workers ans is perfect for those children who fancy themselves as builders.

The Mermaid Sandbox features a beautiful mermaid figure along with some coral and underwater plants and seashells. And the sunshine theme continues with the Beach Sandbox. Children will adore the holidaymaker, the parasol, the deckchair, the towel and the bucket and spade. Little boys will have endless fun with the Pirate playset which includes a cool pirate ship, a crocodile some palm trees and the vitally important treasure chest! (EDITOR: Some little girls will be keen to get their hands on the Pirate playset, too...)

Each My Little Sandbox playset comes complete with its very own grooming rake and digging shovel so the children (and adults!) can create different scenes. Each playset also comes with a special playmat which is designed to catch any sand. And I am reliably informed that adults can use the playset -when the kids are in bed!- as a fantastic Japanese sand garden stress toy, with the sand rake!

Each My Little Sandbox playset should cost something in the region of £24.99, it is available from Amazon. For details of stockists visit www.mapstoys.com

"Spend responsibly this Christmas" Plea from Christmashamper.com

According to a recent study carried out by HSBC, one in 10 UK shoppers will buy their presents online this year.

“It is great news for the online shopping companies, with many e-tailers offering savings and deals on products that cannot be found anywhere else”, says ChristmasHamper.com, a top UK luxury Christmas hamper company.

The study also showed signs of family's cutting back on their spending throughout the festive period. With 22% planning on spending less this year, than in 2010. An expected reduction since the rise of living costs have swept the entire nation in recent years.

Among those who are planning on spending money on presents for immediate family, 78% will try and save money by other means. By making different choices and changing the type of gifts purchased can help achieve further savings.

With an approximate spend of £378 on gifts for immediate family, ChristmasHamper.com ask consumers to think about consolidating the total spend for family this year and give a present that can be shared and enjoyed by everyone. Christmas hampers are full of luxurious savoury and sweet foods and wine that can be shared and enjoyed by all, throughout Christmas day and throughout the festive season.

A spokesperson from the luxury Christmas hamper company ChristmasHamper.com says: “These findings have proved that families require good value for money in times of hardship and we are proud to be able to offer luxury Christmas hampers for all families and all budgets this Christmas. Our exciting range of Christmas gift hampers start from only £19.99.”

They went on to state: "Don't forget to order your Christmas Hamper today. You can rely on ChristmasHamper.com in providing excellent quality and a first class service."

FACTFILE:

ChristmasHamper.com owned and managed by Highland Fayre Ltd. have been supplying Luxury Christmas Hampers, since 1985, to thousands of corporate and private customers throughout the UK and Europe, becoming Scotland’s premier hamper company.

Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale

Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale is a 7% abv glowing amber ale with a heady, fruity nose. It’s the perfect accompaniment to traditional Christmas fare and makes an ideal stocking filler. The crystallised fruits and festive spices complement the rich, indulgent food enjoyed during the Christmas period.

 

Renowned beer writer Ben McFarland describes Christmas Ale: “There’s a spicy signature to this incredibly complex cockle-warming winter ale. The nose is reminiscent of raisins, dates and molasses while the palate is vinous with tannin-like notes of leather, vanilla, apricots and a hint of rustic Armagnac on the finish. An awesome after-dinner drop.”

 

The 500ml bottles will be available from supermarkets, good independent stockists and online at www.shepherdneame.co.uk/shop.

 

Do something great this Christmas. Amaze your kids!

Who says knowledge is boring? Or that frivolity and fun should be eschewed for learning? Only those unfortunate people who have never found the joys of Maps Toys!

This year Maps Toys are inviting you to make Christmas one big, fun and exciting experiment for your children and their friends! (If they want to share the fun, that is!)

For this year Map Toys have some fun and funky toys and games that are sure to puzzle and excite both children and adults this Christmas!

There's something for the mucky pup in us all, called Yuck (should cost about £17.99) a gigantic tub that contains a whole host of top secret formulas to create some tremendously icky stuff. Create snot that looks disgustingly real, and something that looks like... vomit? As well as making disgusting treats, your children can learn how to grow their own bacteria farms using a real petri dish! Yuck! This is suitable for children from age 8 and upwards and for adults who do not have ticklish stomachs!

But, to coin a phrase, there's more!

Why not create some awesomely fun towering geysers, with the  Great Geysers present. (You can expect to pay something in the order of £14.99 for this.

The kit gives you all you require to make a gigantic fountain with fizzy pop and some Mentos sweeties! (So if you get your video camera out, you and your kids can put their efforts up on You Tube, just like the professionals!) But there's a serious point behind all this frivolity and fun, children will be able to perform 12 serious and informative scientific experiments with the kit.

There's also some rather more sedate yet equally fun experiments to be undertaken with the Lab in a Bag, which contains enough experiments to last through the entire year. There are four in the range which include Newton's Antics, Come to Your Senses, Test Tube Wonders and Test Tube Adventures. They should cost £14.99 each. They come complete with a handy plastic carry case.

Children can learn some fun tricks like how to balance six nails on the head of one nail with Newton's Antics to discovering why they might hate vegetables with Come to Your Senses!

Many parts of the UK were fortunate enough to have a real White Christmas last year, the first in many years. But it's unlikely we will be lucky enough to have a White Christmas two years on the trot, so if you want to give your children a taste of a White Christmas, why not buy them some Amazing Snow Grow? It's so simply to use! All you do is get your special Insta-Snow powder, sprinkle it on a dish, add just a splash of water and before you can say White Christmas, you will have an eruption of snow! Insta-Snow looks so realistic it can fool people into thinking it is real. Especially as it even feels cold to the touch!

To find out more just visit www.mapstoys.co.uk

Happy Feet, you can have those Happy Feet for Christmas!

Cold feet = a miserable time of it! It's the same for everyone, really, but especially children. Nobody likes to have cold feet, but this Christmas you can help the little ones in your life to have a cosy toed Christmas because you can treat  them to a nice pair of funky new Mocc Ons!

What, exactly, is a Mocc On? It's the latest innovative invention from those very clever people who were behind the cult bsby brand Sock Ons.

Mocc Ons are a cute, moccasin style slipper sock which will make certain that tiny toes and feet are kept warm and comfortable throughout the festive season and beyond.

They have high quality leather soles that are washable, which are carefully stitched to a soft and stretchy cotton sock. They come in some very trendy designs to ensure the wearer is very fashionable indeed! There's cool pinky designs for the baby girls, whilst the baby boys will enjoy the blue zebra stripes!

They cost a remarkably reasonable £9.99 or so and will make a fantastic Christmas present.

Mocc Ons are available from all of the top baby retailers and also Sainsbury's. For details of stockists just nip over to www.sockons.co.uk

A message from Father Christmas direct to your child!

You will have seen letters from Father Christmas to children, before. Some are better than others. But the best by far is the letter produced by Itsyourstory, because it will help you make the run up to Christmas an even more magical experience for you and your children, with the unique photo-personalised Christmas letter. You will never have seen anything like it before!

The Father Christmas photo-personalised letter features your child in the illustrations dressed dressed as Santa's elf! You will be able to share in their glee and excitement as they see their own photograph on Santa's notepaper and the information about them cleverly and carefully woven into the letter.

Each letter is specially personalised when you order it to feature your child's address, the names of two of thier best friends, their age and a unique PS at the bottom of the letter. This will generate even more special Christmas magic as it is written by the sender and will relate to something personal in the lives of the child, something that is important to them and that they will relate to. The letter will also reveal who asked Santa to write to them!

The cost of the letter is a very modest £4.50, but do not let the modest price put you off, it's a very well produced product which your child will treasure. There's a choice of letter styles and the letter will arrive in a special Christmas envelope with a highly apropriate North Pole stamp!

Last delivery date before Christmas is 19th December. To order just visit www.itsyourstory.com.

From You to me! A teddy to eat, a teddy to keep!

From You to Me have come up with the perfect Chirstmas gift this year: Two Tatty Teddy's in a box. One made from exquisite Belgian chocolate, the other a delightfully cuddly Tatty Teddy that you can keep for ever!

Both bears feature the special blue nose beloved of Tatty Teddy fans the world over and they come in a delightful presentation pack with an illustration of Tatty Teddy with a Christmas stocking! It's unbearably cute! (Sorry!)

The special presentation packs are priced at a modest £6.99 and are available from selected Morrison stores, nationwide.

It makes an ideal present for a mum, a daughter, a sister or a dear friend. It's certainly something that will be a beloved and treasured gift for many, many years to come. Because everyone loves Tatty Teddy!

Gift giving gets easier as new website launches

With Christmas on the way, quickly, the time is on us to start thinking about what we are going to buy our loved ones to celebrate the festive period. But present buying is fraught with dangers, just what do you get them? You don’t want to waste money buying presents they won’t like. Equally, it can be difficult to hide disappointment behind a fake smile, and you’re never sure if you’ll get caught out returning an unwanted gift. And let’s face it; we all hate those awkward ‘So, what do you want?’ conversations.

Isn’t it time we made life easier for one another? Just in time, GiftList.co.uk has launched to change the way you let loved ones know exactly want you want, whatever the special occasion.

Perfect for any gift giving celebration, GiftList.co.uk is free to set up, easy to create and simple to share with family and friends. Lists can also be swiftly and securely added to social media websites Facebook and Twitter. Equally family and friends lists can be easily found on the website, ensuring that every gift is wanted and appreciated.

The website features millions of gift ideas from hundreds of respected UK retailers. With GiftList.co.uk there need never be an unwanted gift given again. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, births, examination passes, Christmas, christenings, whatever the occasion; stop guessing and start sharing your gift list today.

“GiftList.co.uk will revolutionise the way we shop for gifts, taking all the hassle and guesswork that plagued the traditional gift shopping experience,” explains Dave Mason, spokesperson for GiftList.co.uk, adding; “GiftList.co.uk will ensure that the perfect present is given and enjoyed every time.”

FACTFILE:

Launched in 2011, GiftList.co.uk is a simple, free to use website that is suitable for any special occasion, whether birthdays, weddings, baby showers, or Christmas.

Users can quickly create a list, while browsing through millions of gift ideas and products from hundreds of respected UK retailers. The finished list can then be easily and securely shared with friends and family, via social media websites like Facebook and Twitter or by searching on the website.

Gift givers can quickly access a list and buy in confidence direct from the retailer.

GiftList.co.uk is owned and operated by Really Good Presents Ltd, a sister company of Really Good Domains Ltd. Really Good Domains was established in 1999 and is the leading online marketing company for the UK automotive industry.

How it works: GiftList.co.uk can be used for any occasion where people need to buy presents.

GiftList.co.uk is completely free to use. When someone buys a gift through the site, the affiliate partner pays Really Good Presents Ltd a small commission on that item.

GiftList.co.uk does not sell any products directly; instead visitors buy a gift from the affiliate retailer. For example, if a present on GiftList.co.uk is supplied by Argos, the item is purchased directly from Argos via their secure servers.

Prices remain competitive on GiftList.co.uk as users have a choice of which retailer to purchase from.

H.Samuel launches Adidas and Lacoste watch brands

H.Samuel has announced the expansion of its watch collection in-store and online with the introduction of Lacoste and Adidas watches for the first time. And just in time for Christmas!

The Adidas collection features coloured digital watches and stone set ladies' watches in black and white designs. Some of the Adidas styles feature gold and rose gold bracelet style straps. Within the collection there is also a selection of kids coloured strap watches.

The Lacoste range at H.Samuel includes brightly coloured designs incorporating a colour palette of green, yellow, white, pink and purple. The Goa watch designs feature round dials and neon colours and the Socoa styles have rectangular dials and leather straps of pink, green and black.

Adidas was founded in Germany back in 1948 by brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler. Originally famed for sports footwear, Adidas now produce bags, eyewear, clothing and watches. It's now the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and second largest in the world.
More recently Adidas unveiled its latest global campaign earlier this year, showcasing the brand's presence into different sports cultures and lifestyles fusing the worlds of sport, music and fashion. Brand ambassadors captured in their authentic surroundings from football star David Beckham to pop icon Katy Perry show that when you love your game, whatever the game, you put your all into it. The new range of Adidas watches at H.Samuel features styles that are not just created for sport, but for fashion too.

French label Lacoste, was founded in 1933 by tennis player Rene' Lacoste. The brand is known mostly for tennis shirts with a signature crocodile logo. Lacoste combines style with functionality and has launched footwear, perfume, leather goods, eyewear and Lacoste watches. The brand tends to use bold bright colours in its designs, particularly in the watch collection available at H.Samuel.

H.Samuel prides itself on working with such a variety of brands including Swarovski, Rotary, Guess and Hot Diamonds amongst the ranges of jewellery, collectibles and watches. As well as expert staff in store, H.Samuel has a watch buyer's guide offering help and product information to customers before they purchase. The nation's favourite jeweller understands the importance of introducing new brands, not only to stay on trend with the market but to attract potential new customers.

FACTFILE:
H.Samuel is the UK's favourite High Street Jeweller with over 330 stores and a retail website at www.hsamuel.co.uk. Featuring an incredible range of branded watches, H.Samuel also has a stunning range of jewellery, collectibles and gifts for all occasions, offering something for every taste and style. H.Samuel is part of the Signet Group, the world's largest specialty retail jeweller.

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