Ideal Christmas gift for Coffee Negroni lovers

It's an ideal Christmas gift for the lovers of Coffee Negroni Kit because Roasting Plant Coffee have teamed up with Primo Aperitivo to launch a brand new coffee negroni cocktail kit.

The kit is the perfect gift for coffee and cocktail-lovers alike, as it provides an exciting sensory experience through the bittersweet flavours of the Negroni and the smell of the freshly roasted coffee beans. 

The set comes with a bottle of Primo Aperitivo's pre-made Negroni and two bags of Roasting Plant's coffee, ready to be mixed into a punchy twist of the classic cocktail: bitter, sweet and refreshing all at once.

It's priced at £49.90. and is available at https://primoaperitivo.com/products/coffee-negroni?variant=42291385860289

Kit includes: x1 500ml bottle of Primo Aperitivo Negroni, x2 250g bags of Roasting Plant coffee.

Instructions:

Brew an espresso with Roasting Plant's 'just-roasted' coffee

Add ice into a rock glass

Measure 2 espresso cups of Primo Aperitivo Negroni (ca.100ml) and pour into the glass

Top it off with the freshly brewed Espresso to taste (we recommend around 30ml) and stir

Traditional Christmas decorations are on trend

Traditional Christmas decorations are predicted to be the most popular interior design trend this Christmas, with shoppers looking for the classic comfort of traditional green, red and gold themes. 

In a new poll of over 2,000 people, one in five respondents (19%) said they'd most likely adopt a traditional festive decor style this Christmas, according to research undertaken by Anwyl Homes.

Traditional decor was the most popular choice from respondents who'd already decided on their theme, followed by neutral tones, vintage style, quirky ‘elfcore’, Royal family-inspired decor, a country/rural-influenced ‘cottagecore’ style and natural, sustainable decor. 

Gemma Schofield, MD of Lifestyle Interiors and Interior Designer for Anwyl Homes, said: “There's something very classic about a traditional theme for Christmas, especially during uncertain times when people crave the comfort of familiar rituals. The colour combination of bright crimson and dark fir green can create feelings of warmth, security and tranquillity, which explains why this trend is so popular year after year.

“When we’re designing the interiors of new builds, we often use a particular colour palette or tones of colours to help give a premium look and you can apply the same principles to your Christmas decor. For example, if you’re going with the popular and more traditional festive colours, you could use a neutral tone for the base like tablecloths, and then add red and green accessories, napkins and candle holders. Add some glamour and sparkle with gold metallic accents, too. You could also look beyond the festive aisles in the shops for other items in these colours.

“While many households have selected their theme already, nearly a quarter of survey respondents said they had no particular Christmas decor style in mind. We know from experience that lots of people are daunted by the prospect of decorating for Christmas and are concerned about the cost. But this needn't be the case, as making your home feel festive can be achieved on a budget, with some simple ways to turn your home into a seasonal showstopper.”

Make do and mend

Before buying anything new, look at what you already have and consider ways to make it festive. Candles, tealights and fairy lights are one of the most effective ways to bring a Christmassy touch to your home and you’re likely to already have plenty of these in the house. Old baubles that have lost their string can make a great centrepiece when displayed in a large glass bowl, and you can add some battery-powered fairy lights to the bowl to give it an extra sparkle.  

Set a budget

Set yourself a budget for new decorations and stick to it. If your allowance is smaller this year, concentrate your efforts on making one room in the home feel extra special, choosing the space where you spend the most time. This should be the focal point for your festive decor, where you can add your tree and lighting, making sure everything follows the same theme. Be sure to check out charity shops for some festive bargains, especially earlier on in the season. 

Embrace sustainability 

Eco-friendly festive schemes have grown in popularity in recent years, with sustainable decorations offering a stylish and cost-effective way to embrace the holiday season. Natural materials such as foliage, berries, moss and wood are particularly popular for creating festive displays such as wreaths and table centres, and most of the materials can be found in your back garden and foraged for free. If you are looking elsewhere, check responsible foraging guidelines to ensure you are collecting from approved areas. Look for online tutorials on how to bring these elements together to create beautiful displays, with the added benefit of them introducing natural scents to your home this holiday season. 

Looking to book a holiday this Christmas? Meet travelplanbooker.com

A unique, all-in-one, online travel booking platform, travelplanbooker.com, has officially launched. It's a genuine, The one-of-a-kind platform that provides holidaymakers with all the tools they require to plan and book bespoke, complex, multi-destination trips and holidays with ease. Interactive maps with travel markers makes planning intricate, personalised routes effortless.

Travelling is set to be high on the list of priorities in 2023. In fact, two-thirds of consumers aim to take a holiday abroad in the next year. 

With Google searches of ‘interactive travel map’ rising by 54% and searches of ‘multi destination holidays’ increasing by 46% over the past year, the launch of travelplanbooker.com will provide holidaymakers and travellers looking to plan a trip to multiple locations with the tools they need to do so with ease.

Designed to simplify travel planning, the platform is user-friendly, adaptable and enables you to book transportation, accommodation, plus rental cars and attractions, from a variety of suppliers, all in one place. 

You can also take advantage of the various travel guides for essential information like health and safety, laws and etiquette, plus helpful tips and suggestions for local, must-see sights and attractions. travelplanbooker.com works with both low-cost and more expensive providers, with real-time pricing, making it the ideal one-stop online travel agency for booking your dream trip within your set budget.

travelplanbooker.com is a family business inspired by the desire to arrange multi-destination trips comfortably and stress-free. 

Designed to be with you every step of the way when planning a holiday, you can browse travelplanbooker.com’s trending trips for inspiration or customise your search if you already know exactly where you want to go. 

You'll then  be able to book and pay for everything from transport to accommodation and excursions in one place, plus refining your trip with travel insurance and assistance with visas.

Joshua Dunne, the CEO of travelplanbooker.com says: “Travel planning can be a time-consuming task. You can spend hours searching through numerous travel providers to then be overwhelmed with several booking confirmations and lose track of what you're spending with multiple transactions. travelplanbooker.com eliminates these problems and bugbears and we are proud to be the first all-in-one, online travel planning and booking tool. What’s more, the platform offers flexibility for travellers to tailor-make the trips of their dreams.”

What key features and benefits are available with travelplanbooker.com?

• Online travel booking platform, which provides all the tools required to plan and book bespoke, complex, multi-destination trips with ease

• Book transport (including flights, trains, buses and rental cars), accommodation, travel insurance, activities and excursions, from a variety of providers, all in one place

• Design the trip you have always dreamt of, using the interactive travel map. Create your very own favourite attractions list and plan every detail

• Flexibility to adapt flight class options for each part of the trip

• Browse trending trips for inspiration

• Find destinations, national parks, attractions and heritage sites on the map with general information and the best ways to reach them

• Essential travel guides provide further information like health and safety, laws and etiquette, helpful tips, visa requirements and local sights

• Build your own multi-destination trip from scratch with the assurance you only need to enter your data into one system. Or checkout in less than 10 clicks using a pre-planned trip template. Either way, you pay for all your travel needs in one simple transaction

• Compare prices and get the best deals from travelplanbooker.com’s partners, including Best Western, easyJet, Emirates, Hilton, ibis, JAL, Lufthansa, Marriott, Swiss, and Virgin Atlantic

• Partnered with AMEXCO, PayPal, Mastercard and VISA, for secure online payments

travelplanbooker.com

Lift your spirits this Christmas

The countdown to Christmas will soon be upon us and we all know what that means! Not enough hours in the day to get everything done, lacking in energy from the short days and cold winter nights and then of course, the parties! 

Late nights and hangovers are part and parcel of the festive party season. So how on earth can we cope with all this? How can you survive all this? With LIFT, that’s how!

Lift is a carefully formulated substance that contains a fast-acting, measured dose of glucose, which is rapidly absorbed into the body to give you the extra level of energy you need and putting you in control when you need it the most.

The range includes:

Shots, these fast-acting glucose shots are available in Very Berry or Zesty Lemon & Lime Flavours, £1.60

Chews, just as fast-acting as the shots, the chews come in four delicious flavours including Very Berry, Zesty Lemon & Lime, Juicy Raspberry and Tangy Orange. They are available in 10s, £1.25 and 50s £3.80.

Lift Glucose shots and chews are available from Amazon, Asda, Boots, Lloyds Chemist, Superdrug, Tesco.

of Get ready to party like a pro with Lift Glucose this festive season.

Incidentally, Lift has a heritage and expertise in the management of diabetes, as it's a sister brand to Glucogel, the UK’s number One prescription glucose supplement. Lift aims to be the on-hand treatment for the management of hypoglycaemia, as well as providing that extra boost when your body needs it the most.

Lift fast-acting glucose tablets and shots can be taken to raise blood sugar levels when they drop dangerously low. The Glucose in Lift tablets and shots are biochemically identical to the glucose produced in the human body making them instantly ​bio-available.

To learn more visit https://www.liftglucose.com.

"Time to get your flooring done before Christmas," says Hyperion Tiles

Family owned and operated and fully independent online tiles specialist Hyperion Tiles' latest bespoke engineered oak flooring offers all the beauty of natural wood, including its warmth, but is far more hard-wearing and cost-effective when compared to solid wood floors. 

Richard Skeoch, a director of Hyperion Tiles, explains why: "With the UK's cost-of-living crisis, more of us plan to host Christmas at home this year than perhaps ever before. So, now is time to cosy up your home to create a warm, welcoming feel for guests with an affordable flooring solution. Our engineered oak flooring can provide you with a practical way in which you can do this."

He went on to say: "At Hyperion Tiles, this distinctive type of flooring is available in a huge variety of shades, grains, stains and plank widths. So we're bound to have something to suit your requirements, whatever the size and shape of the room you are planning to revamp. Our engineered oak flooring is so practical, you can apply our planks to every room in the home from the kitchen and living room through to bedrooms and even high-moisture areas, like bathrooms. "

Hyperion Tiles works closely with consumers and the trade. From homeowners and designers to  specifiers and architects, they're available to help you achieve your vision. They can provide technical know-how or you can simply peruse their comprehensive collections of in excess of 15,000 types of flooring, wall panels and tiles for residential and commercial projects online or at their Ascot showrooms.

Hyperion Tiles has extensive collections of bespoke floor and wall tiles, planks and panels in a variety of patterns, colours, shapes and sizes. To learn more about their engineered oak flooring, read our latest blog here. To learn more call 01344 620211 or visit their website at www.hyperiontiles.co.uk.

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42% of people dramatically cutting Christmas expenditure

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, 42% of people will be "dramatically" cutting their spending this Christmas

Christmas always means extra costs for most households, but this year the pressure is on as the cost-of-living crisis means most have less disposable income to spend during the festive season.

A spokesman for KIS Finance explained: "At KIS Finance we've been examining the impact on spending habits by comparing the results from our Christmas spending survey four years ago to our current survey. Based on the results it looks as if people will be dramatically changing their spending patterns this year as prices soar.

"42% of people are planning to dramatically cut their normal Christmas spending, with many predicting they'll be halving their normal expenditure. With essentials like food, heating and fuel now accounting for a much greater proportion of disposable income, non-essential spending, including Christmas related items, are coming under increasing pressure."

How have Christmas spending patterns changed

Back in 2018 the average household additional spend at Christmas was £500. Back then some 23% planned to reduce their Christmas spending, primarily linked to concerns over the impact of Brexit and what it might mean to the economy. But overall, 60% still planned to spend their usual amount on celebrating Christmas and 15% planned to push the boat out and increase their usual spend, with 2% unsure of their plans.

But this year the picture looks vastly different. 42% are planning to cut their expenditure over the festive season compared to 2021, with many planning to dramatically cut the amount spent on food, gifts and celebrations. On average those looking to reduce their spending are expecting to do so by as much as 50% compared with previous years. This dramatic reduction is a clear reflection on the financial pressures many households face as we approach the festive season.

Does age influence Christmas spending?

He went on to say: "Four years ago we found as people got older their Christmas spending patterns became more consistent year on year, with 62% of those aged between 45 to 54, and 65% of over 55s planning to keep their expenditure the same as the previous year.

However, this year things look very different, with more people in each age group looking to reduce what they spend over the Christmas period. Only 43% of those age 45 to 54 and 45% of those over 55 are planning to stick to their normal Christmas budget this year.

"Four year ago we found only 25% of those aged 45 to 54, and 20% of those 55+ were planning to spend less. But these figures have risen noticeably this year, with 41% of those aged 45 to 54 and 43% of those 55+ planning to cut their budget for this Christmas. Clearly the cost-of-living crisis is hitting people of all ages and many are having to make some hard decisions this year to cut back on their festive spending."

For the full report please visit https://www.kisbridgingloans.co.uk/consumer-guides/what-will-the-british-public-be-spending-this-christmas.

(Image courtesy of ScouserUK and Pixabay) 

Stuck for presents? Have a look at Amazon

Yes, everyone knows, it's best to shop locally, especially at Christmas time.

But what if the town or village you live in doesn't have any shops that have any suitable Christmas presents for sale?

Of course, years ago one high street I know of had three TV and radio shops, two menswear shops, a gift shop, a craft shop, a haberdasher's shop, two bakers, Woolworths, two jewellers and more.

Now all of the above shops have closed down for a wide range of reasons, we have a jeweller's shop a supermarket and several charity shops and that's about it. 

So, what to do? How about Amazon? Interestingly enough many small businesses up and down the country use Amazon Marketplace as their virtual shop window so if you do buy from Amazon you will, after all, be helping a small businessman or woman.

www.amazon.co.uk

(Image courtesy of Bastian Riccardi and Pixabay)

BBC announces its Christmas programming

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as the BBC brings viewers a December to remember with plenty of programmes and box sets to delight and entertain everyone across the UK this yuletide.

The BBC’s fantastic festive line up will be available live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer and across our channels as both favourites and new offerings from the worlds of drama, comedy, entertainment and factual programmes sit alongside the very best in arts, music and religious programming. Viewers will be enthralled and captivated by a line-up like no other whenever and wherever they want to watch.

Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer says: “Nothing brings people across the UK together like Christmas on the BBC and this year we’ve got a world-class line-up like no other. Get ready to escape and be entertained with an incredible range of new festive shows across every genre, live or on demand, there’s something for everyone.”

There is a story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heart-warming, film based on Charlie Mackesy’s best-selling book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, and there are more animated adventures with this year’s Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler intergalactic adaptation, The Smeds and The Smoos.

Get ready to escape into other worlds over the season with a selection of gripping new dramas. We head to a small Scottish town in the life-affirming Mayflies starring Martin Compston, Tony Curran and Ashley Jensen. Sally Wainwright’s multi-BAFTA award winning hit Happy Valley returns to the BBC for its much-anticipated third and final series.

Scenes from the BBC's Christmas dramas clockwise from top left: Mayflies, Call The Midwife, Happy Valley, Death in Paradise, His Dark Materials and Strike

The Call The Midwife Christmas Special sees a talent show and a fresh start for the midwives and over on the Island of Saint Marie, Commissioner Patterson (Don Warrington) is left haunted by memories of the past in a festive, feature-length episode of Death In Paradise. The residents of Walford get set to celebrate Christmas in EastEnders; while new drama boxsets to binge over the festive season include the final chapter of the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, and Strike: Troubled Blood, which sees Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) visit family in Cornwall when he’s called on to solve a mysterious cold case.

Amongst a raft of entertainment specials, Michael McIntyre will be spinning his enormous yuletide wheel when he is joined by Gino D’Acampo, Alesha Dixon and Bear Grylls all attempting to win money for their favourite charities plus Bradley Walsh returns with a festive special of the legendary Blankety Blank, Romesh Ranganathan’s The Weakest Link and Mo Gilligan debuts TV’s newest and biggest music game show, That’s My Jam.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to the Ballroom for a fab-u-lous all-star Christmas special, plus there is a stocking stuffed with other entertainment highlights including festive episodes of The Hit List, Question of Sport, Pointless, University Challenge, Would I Lie To You and QI plus Richard Osman will open the doors to brand new episodes of his Festive House of Games and The Graham Norton Show will return for its traditional New Year’s Eve edition.

For the first time ever, the Men’s FIFA World Cup Final will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 18 December - which team will bring it ho ho home?

BBC Christmas comedies Detectorists, Ghosts, Mrs Brown's Boys, The Cleaner, Motherland, Two Doors Down, Inside No. 9, Frankie Boyle's New World Order and Live at The Apollo

Comedy fans will have plenty to look forward to with loads of specials coming up. School’s out for the festive season in Motherland and Bad Education is back with not only an all-new class K, but also former classmates too. Elsewhere, Wicky heads to a blood-soaked crime scene in an ice cream parlour in The Cleaner and over in Button House the Ghosts are touched by Alison’s thoughtful generosity and are inspired to give her a special Christmas present in return.

For fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys there are two visits to Finglas this festive season and as the snow begins to fall, it’s a welcome break at the coffee shop after a spot of Christmas shopping in Two Doors Down. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith present a special festive film from their award-winning anthology series Inside No. 9 and Detectorists, the multi award winning comedy series about metal detecting enthusiasts Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones), returns for a feature length special plus there will be even more laughs to come in Live at The Apollo and Frankie Boyle’s 2022 New World Order.

For the first time in Gone Fishing’s history, the angling duo leave the riverbanks of Britain behind and Paul takes Bob on a dream fishing trip to Norway – the country were Cod is God and a place that truly embodies the traditional spirit of Christmas and Dame Mary Berry will be joined by Angela Hartnett, Monica Galetti and Rylan Clark shares her ultimate Christmas feast, packed with tips to plan and get ahead for the big day whilst Sara Pascoe invites celebrities for a festive Sewing Bee Special.

It’s holiday season at The Repair Shop, where the dedicated team of craftspeople are ready to lovingly restore some treasured Christmas keepsakes; and Antiques Roadshow hosts a Special Episode about toys and games and how they have shaped our childhoods.

Natural history lovers will be transported to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, as we meet a group of Barbary macaque monkeys in Dynasties II (Macaque) before Gordon Buchanan gets close to seven incredible huskies on a treacherous dogsled adventure through Canada’s spectacular Yukon wilderness in Snow Dogs: Into the Wild and there will be a special edition of Frozen Planet II.

In music, Top Of The Pops returns for a Christmas special hosted by Radio 1’s Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders and in Cliff at Christmas Sir Cliff Richard chats to Sara Cox about his incredible 64 year career and also performs some of his Christmas classics, new songs and best loved hits. On New Year’s Eve Jools Holland will host his annual Hootanany whilst Eurovision and break through music artist of 2022, Sam Ryder, is joined by some of music’s biggest stars to put on a spectacular New Year’s Eve party.

In My Life at Christmas, actress and comedian Sally Phillips meets three well-known faces to explore how their memories of Christmas reflect the enormous changes they have gone through in their lives, careers, family and faith and there will be three special episodes of inspiring hymns in Songs of Praise, together with uplifting stories of faith from around the UK and beyond.

Winding down Christmas Day to a gentle close, Oti Mabuse reads the story of the first Christmas from the Gospel according to St Luke in On Christmas Night and Carols From King’s will feature the world-renowned choir, directed by Daniel Hyde, singing carols old and new.

Bringing some foodie fun to the festive season, MasterChef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are back once again for two specials, inviting eight of the most memorable celebrities from past series back into the infamous MasterChef kitchen and a sensational year of sport will be celebrated as BBC Sports Personality of the Year comes live from MediaCity UK in Salford.

Count Magnus is the latest ghost story for Christmas from Mark Gatiss coming to the BBC and Gatiss also stars as Jacob Marley in a stage production of A Christmas Carol in his own retelling of Dickens’ classic winter ghost story.

There will be a new adaptation of Coppélia which combines enchanting animation and live action dance in a modern take on the much-loved ballet and Choreographer and director Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker offers a distinctive contemporary take on the classic Christmas tale plus one of the world’s leading forensic investigators, Professor Dame Sue Black, will deliver this year’s Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution.

A host of children’s favourites including Ben Cajee, Jennie Dale, Andy Day and Justin Fletcher will star in CBeebies latest reimagining of a the classic pantomime Dick Whittington and Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! alongside loads more Christmas Crackers for the young ones to enjoy including a Malory Towers Christmas Special, Dodger Christmas Special and Mr Tumble himself Justin Fletcher and friends are back with a Christmas episode of Something Special.

And if all that weren’t enough, there will be hundreds of box sets and classic Christmas specials to stream on BBC iPlayer from much-loved shows like Gavin and Stacey, Ghosts, Miranda, Citizen Khan, Call the Midwife and Not Going Out.

Religious Programming: The full line up of this year’s Religious Programming is available here https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/christmas-religious-programming

VeryMe Rewards customers can enjoy a 15% discount off the Fragrance Shop online, £40 off a FitBit Versa 4 and much more this December

With the countdown to Christmas in full swing, Vodafone customers can enjoy an wonderful array of discounts and treats with VeryMe Rewards this December.

From today, Vodafone customers can enjoy a 15% discount off The Fragrance Shop online. They can choose from a wide range of new and classic perfumes, fragrances and aftershaves, complete with top, heart and base note details to help them find the perfect match.

That’s not all, VeryMe users can claim £40 off a FitBit Versa 4 (RRP £199) and £50 off a Ring Video Doorbell 3 (RRP £159). For those looking for a delicious festive snack, they can claim a free cookie from Blondies Kitchen (£3 postage).

For customers keen on finding a bargain on their Christmas shopping, or for those just wanting to treat themselves this festive period, Vodafone has them covered, too. Check out their Festive Gift Guide, showcasing the great range of offers and freebies you can treat your loved ones to this year.  

Vodafone’s VeryMe Rewards launched in November 2018 and over 94 million rewards have been claimed so far to date. The loyalty programme offers an incredible selection of weekly offers, prize draws and giveaways from both household names and emerging small businesses,  

Vodafone customers can access VeryMe Rewards in the My Vodafone app which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play store.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on Twitter and signing up for News Centre website notifications.

VeryMe: for end dates and terms see My Vodafone app. 

Ts&Cs 

15% discount off The Fragrance Shop online: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 15 January 2023 at 23:59. 

Free cookie from Blondies Kitchen: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 11 December 2022 at 23:59, or one hour after the code has been claimed in the app, whichever is soonest. 

£40 off a FitBit Versa 4: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 25 December 2022 at 23:59. 

£50 off a Ring Video Doorbell 3: 5 December 2022 at 00:01 to 1 January 2023 at 23:59. 

https://www.vodafone.co.uk