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Have yourself a Merry Blackberry Christmas! New range of BlackBerry smartphones are looking all white!

BlackBerry is pleased to announce the arrival of two of their latest devices in classic white. The new BlackBerry Bold™ 9900 and BlackBerry Curve™ 9360 are now available. And make fantastic Christmas gifts!

With last years’ white collection a hit with a range of celebrities, including Dannii Minogue, Dita Von Teese and Lily Allen, The new range are a stylish must-have for 2011/2012.

Both smartphones run the powerful new BlackBerry 7 operating system and offer stylish designs ensuring BlackBerry provide a device to suit every need. BlackBerry 7 boasts several exciting features including a next generation BlackBerry browser, enabling a flawless web browsing experience, the latest version of BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), which now extends the real-time BBM experience to a range of other apps as well as a stunning high resolution display.

Device range in White:

BlackBerry Bold 9900

An evolution of the BlackBerry Bold series, already popular with celebrities such as Fearne Cotton and Alexa Chung, the sleek new 9900 handset is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever, offering the perfect combination of a high-performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 in white will be available from Vodafone and Phones 4u from free with price dependent on carrier. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also available in black.

BlackBerry Curve 9360

Sleek and lightweight, the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 is an affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially-connected smartphone. Designed with an iconic QWERTY keyboard, the evolution of this classic BlackBerry includes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and shared instantly on social networks.

The Curve 9360 in white will be available from Phones 4u, Orange and T-Mobile from free, price dependent on carrier. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 is also available in black.

Lakeland for Christmas

For some fantastic kitchenware, just get to your nearest branch of Lakeland.

There you will find all that you need to help you ensure that you and your family and friends will have the perfect Christmas and New Year period.

Baking accessories, pie dishes, cake moulds, speciality devices, all those and much more, besides!

There are giant jellybaby moulds! spice jars, children's garden tool kits, herb gift sets, and much, much more besides!

To find your nearest branch visit www.lakeland.co.uk.

‘Jingle’ all the way with my Travel Cash

Britons who travel abroad or visit overseas websites for their Christmas shopping needs could pocket an accumulative £8.6m as my Travel Cash- the prepaid MasterCard® currency card – gives its customers the gift of cashback.

my Travel Cash recently added a fantastic reward for all customers - 1% unlimited cashback on everything purchased, paid directly to the prepaid card account the following month after it has been used.

Research from Santander shows that the average Briton will spend £359 on Christmas presents, with 4.2 million spending 23% of their budget abroad and a further 4.2 million spending 35% of their Christmas budget on overseas websites – collectively amounting to £8.6m in cashback rewards should they all use a my Travel Cash currency card.

As purchases made in cards’ currency are also free, shopaholics can feel confident when playing Santa for their loved ones this Christmas. The cashback earned is only limited by how much the cardholder spends – no hidden tricks or complicated rules just great value, commission-free rewards, back on the card in time for mid-term break in the sun.

Myles Stephenson, CEO my Travel Cash, comments: “More and more people are heading abroad to European Christmas markets or further afield to New York or L.A. There is also a large percentage of the population who purchase from overseas websites.

“For both types of customers, my Travel Cash not only offers a competitive exchange rate but we go that bit further to ensure our customers are rewarded. We introduced the 1% cashback this summer and it is now a permanent feature on our cards. Additionally, we have also scrapped ATM withdrawal fees on all three of our cards[iv], and to top it off, our customers aren’t charged any commission either.”

my Travel Cash (www.mytravelcash.com) offers three prepaid MasterCard cards in Multi-Currency (Sterling), Euros and US Dollars. The cards work like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone, you load them with money before you travel and top them up when needed, meaning you only spend what you load – great if you need to stick to a budget when abroad.

The Express Delivery option means you can get yours in time for your trip, unlike other prepaid currency card providers that can take between 5-10 working days. Order your prepaid card and take advantage of the competitive exchange rates at www.mytravelcash.com. Then, simply take it with you when you go.

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Quality Street made for the chocolate lover's Christmas

"A tin of Quality Street, please!" those are the words that are being uttered -with a smile of utter anticipation up and down the length and breadth of the entire United Kingdom as we move, ever quicker, to Christmas Day.

It seems that everyone loves a tin of quality Street. They are ideal for sharing. Fondant centres, toffee,  solid toffees, fudge centred, yes, all your old favourites are still there, still in the same good quality tin as they always have been.

The name, Quality Street, and the illustration on the tin bring back many happy memories of a tin of Quality Street being passed back and forth in front of a roaring coal fire on Chirstmas night, with mother offering a note of caution: "Careful! You'll melt all the chocolates together if you get it any closer to the fire!"

Quality Street. Thankfully, some things do not change.

Wrong pong? Wrong size? Wrong colour? Recycle unwanted Christmas presents with Mencap!

Did Father Christmas bring you everything you wanted this year? Many of us are left with the usual unwanted soap sets, spare or unsuitable home gadgets and ill fitting clothes.

This year learning disability charity Mencap has come up with the perfect solution for those unwanted gifts. As part of their Make With Me initiative Mencap is calling on people to sell their unwanted items to raise vital funds for people with a learning disability.

Make With Me in aid of Mencap is a fun filled, homemade initiative that encourages people to get creative and start making & baking to raise much needed funds to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers.

This Christmas Make With Me is inviting people to organise fun gift swapping parties, where unwanted presents can be swapped in exchange for a donation to Mencap. Meaning not only can you end up with a present you like you’ll also be raising money for a great cause.

If however you’re one of the lucky ones and got everything you wanted this Christmas then why not embrace the spirit of make, do and mend and commit to learning a new skill as your New Year’s resolution. Start knitting, cross stitching or take up sugar or paper craft. All makers, beginners and veterans alike, swear by the sense of achievement that comes from making your own unique gifts for a loved one and items for the home or to wear. You can also get social and have fun by organising a Make With Me party.

Whatever you do, help Mencap raise their £25,000 target.

For full information on how to recycle your presents, recipes and tips and how to make a donation visit www.makewithme.org.uk

To stay up to date with all the Make With Me news, stop by and say hello on Twitter (@makewithme) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/makewithme). Got a crafty idea? Anyone can donate ideas to Make With Me via the website’s your projects section, just head to www.makewithme.org.uk.

Looking for stocking fillers? Then get Christmas crafts at Poundland!

The kids have finished school and are enjoying their time off, and it’s easy for parents to feel panicked about how to keep them entertained during the Christmas holidays.

"Poundland has come up with some festive and affordable craft ideas that can keep the kids occupied for hours. We’ve turned some of these ideas into a generic article about Christmas crafts, which we felt your readers may enjoy," explained a spokeswoman.

What springs to mind when you think of childrens’ Christmas crafts? Hair full of glue and glitter, a carpet covered in sequins and snowflake paper cuttings to clear up at the end? Yes, thought as much.

It all looks ever so easy on Blue Peter, with the famous ‘one I made earlier.’ But in reality, we don’t all have the time, patience or artistic ability to pull off a full size rocket made from toilet rolls and PVC glue... especially when there's also a Christmas dinner to cook and presents to wrap! While we all like the idea of being the perfect parent who embraces creative activities and then sweeps up the mess in one fell swoop, we all know this is difficult to achieve when we’re busy and stressed and there's a host of relatives knocking on the door.

It’s great to get children thinking creatively and expressing themselves through arts and crafts and – if you know where to look – it can be a pleasure, not a pain. Much precious time can be spent with the kids over the Christmas holidays making cards together, wrapping presents, creating your own crackers or even making decorations to put up around the home.

The warmth of the oven is also an inspiring place to start with crafts at Christmas. Baking a delicious Christmas cake needn’t cost a fortune, and the whole family will enjoy decorating it with snow white icing and fun accessories. If Christmas cake isn’t to your taste, what about crispy gingerbread men or cute Christmas cupcakes? Edible glitter is easily available and food dye makes for colourful and tasty treats! Best of all, ideas like these needn’t cost a fortune.

There are plenty of websites with handy tips on what to make and where to begin. Activityvillage.co.uk is a great website with plenty of ‘how to’ guides for kids’ crafts that are straightforward and something they will actually be able to achieve. Plus there are ideas to suit different age groups and budgets. Mummy bloggers often test a whole variety of products with their kids so it’s also worth checking out a few reviews and seeing what they have to say.

Most importantly, you don’t want this to cost a fortune as Christmas is expensive enough as it is! It’s great to recycle things from around the home (yes, toilet rolls included!) and as well as being a green way to craft, it keeps the cost down. Old shoe boxes can be decorated to make beautiful memory boxes, old sheets and garments are ideal for at home Nativity plays and flattened cereal boxes can be re-crafted to make bespoke Christmas cards from the kids.

Best of all, hobby and craft products are readily available on the high street so you don’t need to battle the Christmas shopping madness to find niche art stores for your supplies. Make sure you find a store that sells a range of arty products that are inexpensive. You can let the kids choose the items that catch their eye so they can get excited about using them and you don’t have to worry about the cost mounting up.

And who knows, with enough encouragement and a bit of assistance, you might have a little Michelangelo in the making!

Great sources for children’s craft ideas:

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/
www.crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/christmas/christmas-crafts.html

Despite economic times some toys and games are selling fast

Pointless, the board game based on Alexander Armstrong’s BBC1 show, where the least popular answer is the winning answer has sold out in many of the major retailers, such as John Lewis, Amazon and WH Smith, with people even bidding on Ebay.  More Pointless games from the 2012 stock are being shipped in to minimise Christmas shoppers disappointment. 

Some business’ always boom in recession and that is particularly true of board games which are seen as a cost-effective alternative to computer games and going out.  Shoppers are still spending and toy retailers are having to deal with demand on increased family-friendly and fun purchases.  

Board games supplier, University Games is seeing exceptional sales this year across all their products.  Mr&Mrs and Who Wants to be a Millionaire are classic big sellers over Christmas time but their new games Pointless, 5 Second Rule and Smart Ass have exceeded all expectations. 

The General Manager of University Games, Adrian Whyles said “the demand for Pointless has been far higher than expected – we’ve exceeded our forecast by over 50% and still could have sold more.  This is mainly brought about by Alexander Armstrong’s show switching from BBC2 to BBC1, and the continually increasing popularity of the show. And plans for the show are even greater in 2012, so there is huge commitment from the BBC.”

Even the PR agency have had calls from shoppers and have sold their last board games!

Life-changing mobility car given to deserving Hampshire family in time for Christmas

Christmas came early for four-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer Zac Walton and his family when they took delivery of a wheelchair-accessible car.

Big-hearted Constables Mobility Managing Director David Constable agreed to give the family the £14,000 vehicle when he heard about the amazing fundraising Zac’s father Ben had been doing for charities like Whizz Kids.

Ben, from Andover, found out about the car when he attended a recording of Noel’s Christmas Presents believing that his friend Howard would be receiving a gift from Noel Edmonds. Ben was moved to tears when Noel approached him during the recording and told him that Constables Mobility had agreed to donate a Citroёn Berlingo converted for wheelchair passengers with a lowered floor and a gently sloping ramp.

David Constable, Managing Director of Constables Mobility, said: “When we were approached by Noel’s team and told about Ben’s incredible generosity towards others and how the family desperately needed a better way to transport their son as he grows heavier, we agreed to help. Having one of the cars we’ve adapted for wheelchair users and their families and friends will make a huge difference to Zac and his family and give them the freedom to travel easily and comfortably.”

Ben, who firmly believes that ‘what goes around comes around’, was finding it increasingly difficult to lift Zac in and out of their ordinary car. Life had just become even more challenging with the arrival of Zac’s baby sister Lara. The Constables car is the answer to the family’s prayers as it will allow them to transport Zac safely and easily in his wheelchair.

Ben said: “I’m the only one who could get Zac in and out of a normal car. He’s quite tall for his age and, because he can’t use his legs, it was like threading a needle to get him in the right position. It meant all sorts of awkward positions like having his legs over my shoulders – it wasn’t good for either of us especially as he’s at an age when dignity it becoming increasingly important. It was also really time consuming as Zac’s special buggy has a four-point harness to undo and it’s heavy to lift and fold up. The new car is going to be fantastic. It will make our lives so much easier and save us so much time – I can’t thank Constables Mobility enough.”

Zac was 10 weeks premature and spent nine weeks in a neo natal unit before being allowed home. He weighed just 5.5lbs when he was allowed to leave hospital and Ben and his wife Abby were told that he’d been starved of oxygen. Just before Zac turned one, the couple were told the devastating news that their little boy had cerebral palsy. Since then, Zac has had several operations and there has been a constant stream of appointments to see doctors and specialists about his condition.

Ben, who has been nicknamed the ‘Iron man’ firmly believes that if someone is kind to you, you should repay their kindness. So, when Zac came out of hospital, Ben set about raising money for a baby incubator. So far he has raised £9,000.

But even before Zac was born, the 36 year old, who owns a dry cleaning business in Andover, had gained a reputation for doing crazy things involving ironing to raise money for Children in Need.

Ben’s stunts have gained him the World Record for ironing non-stop for 75 hours, breaking his previous world record of 60 hours. Ben’s ironing marathon raised £2,750 for Princess Royal Trust for Carers - the charity that helped the Walton family to buy Zac's special buggy. Ben raised enough to pay back the value of the buggy, plus enough to fund a pamper day for the carers and their Christmas party.

Ben has also raised money ironing in lots of different locations including at the top of Ben Nevis and at every football club in England in 36 hours in 2005. He even ironed on the roof of Andover’s Guildhall dressed as Pudsey Bear and has pressed items for celebrities like Sir Terry Wogan and Status Quo for charity. Ben’s ironing exploits have raised a massive £20,000 over seven years. He also found time to run the London Marathon last year, raising £5,000 for charity Bliss.

With little Zac as his inspiration, in 2012 Ben plans to complete the Three Peaks Challenge for Andover Young Carers who have recently had their funding cut, and run three marathons for Whizz Kids.

All Constables Mobility conversions are designed for the comfort and safety of the wheelchair user, driver and other passengers.. Like all the company’s wheelchair-accessible cars, Constables’ Citroёn Berlingo conversions are designed and manufactured at purpose-built UK production facilities.

Constables’ Berlingo is perfect for families because its flexibility offers seating options for up to five people including a wheelchair user and driver. In addition, there is a choice of optional folding seats. Access for the wheelchair user is up a gently sloping lightweight ramp, so gentle that it rarely requires a winch, and the conversion is fully certified to the most up-to-date EU standards for safety and the environment.

Constables Mobility is one of the UK's leading reputable manufacturers and suppliers of rear access Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) for one or two wheelchair users and have the largest range of flexible seating options in the WAV industry, offering the perfect solution for everyone searching for disabled vehicles.

Constables combine expertly engineered conversions with a price that defines great value to give you choice and flexibility when searching for a disabled vehicle that is both driver friendly and will comfortably carry the driver, wheelchair user and several additional passengers.

Renowned for their quality British engineering and innovation, Constables build wheelchair accessible vehicles to the highest standards, offering the family and wheelchair passenger true freedom, independence, good accessibility and exceptional user comfort.

Contact Constables on 0844 88 00 218 to book a free demonstration at your home, work, business or school, or visit www.constablesmobility.com

“Noel’s Christmas Presents” is a 90-minute studio show broadcast on SKY 1 over the festive period. Noel Edmonds makes dreams come true for the nation’s most deserving, hard-working and selfless people.
Rewarding people for their acts of generosity, Noel tells their emotive stories, as the once-in-a-lifetime gifts make this a Christmas to remember. The show is a heart-warming and uplifting festive treat brimming with touching true-life tales to remind the nation that Christmas should be about giving.

This Christmas, Noel’s Christmas Presents hopes to make the festive season extra special for some of those who’ve dedicated their time to others or battled against the odds. Having been nominated by friends, neighbours or family, Noel Edmonds travels the country delivering unique presents to people who deserve a Christmas gift which money cannot buy.