A Cracker of a skincare Christmas gift!

Finding a Christmas gift that will be loved by women of all ages can be a tricky deal. But it's much easier now, because top-selling natural skincare brand, Natura Siberica, is offering two Christmas Crackers which are guaranteed to delight! 

And they actually are served up in the shape of some pretty nifty looking Christmas Crackers!

And what’s more, neither of them will break the bank, thus making them perfect gifts for stocking fillers and for secret Santa, teenagers, teachers, family or friends. 

You can even sign up for the brand's newsletter too and get 20% off your first order - making them even more affordable.

naturesdream.co.uk

Natura Siberica

Face Glow Beauty Set

https://naturasiberica.co.uk/collections/gift-sets/products

£11.99

With Organic Altai Oblepikha Oil, a rich natural source of vitamin C. Suitable for all skin types.

Organic Altai oblepikha oil hydrates skin and promotes the formation of collagen, a structural protein essential for youthful skin. The super Siberian berry is the richest natural source of Vitamin C.

Certified VEGAN by the Vegan Society

Contains:

Cleansing Face Foaming Gel 75ml tube: This gel is perfect for everyday use! It gently cleanses the skin and gives you a feeling of freshness. Organic Altai oblepikha hydrolate promotes the improvement of the skin’s overall condition by boosting elasticity and hydration. 

Vitamin C helps to enhance your skin's natural defence system, speeding up the skin's natural repair process. AHA Acids improve skin texture, tone and leave you with a brighter-looking complexion.

Antioxidant Face Serum 30ml with pipette: This face serum helps to improve skin’s appearance, gives a fresh complexion, and awakens skin's natural radiance.

Toning Light Face Cream-Fluid 30ml tube: This cream gives your skin energy for the whole day! It protects skin from external environmental influences, providing freshness and smoothness.

BLUEBERRY SIBERICA. Anti-Ox Face Beauty Set

https://naturasiberica.co.uk/collections/gift-sets/products

£11.99

With Organic Volcanic Wild Blueberry Hydrolate for all skin types. Wild volcanic blueberries, growing in the Taiga wild plains of Siberia, contain a huge amount of valuable antioxidants called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins accelerate skin renewal processes, improving skin tone and elasticity, restoring a healthy complexion.

Blueberries are naturally rich in beta carotene and B vitamins, which add radiance, leaving skin hydrated and smooth.

Certified VEGAN by the Vegan Society

Cream-to-Foam Face Cleanser 75ml tube: This creamy foam gently removes dirt and makeup from the skin, deeply moisturising, soothing and smoothing the complexion.

Super Hydrating Eye Patch-Effect Mask 30ml tube: This patch effect mask is super-hydrating for the undereye area. It restores skin tone and elasticity, refreshes, erases signs of fatigue and relieves swelling and dark circles.

Overnight Renew Face Cream-Mask 30ml tube: This mask is an overnight superhero, hard at work while you sleep! It helps smooth fine lines and even out skin tone to leave your face looking refreshed and radiant when you wake up.

Igloo Books announces new CoComelon licensing deal for Advent Calendars and more

Igloo Books has signed a new licensee deal for Moonbug Entertainment’s hit kids show CoComelon, in a global deal arranged by their UK licensing agent The Point.1888.

The new deal sees the launch of a new CoComelon format added to their popular Storybook Advent Calendar range including the Disney Storybook Advent Calendar, Princess Storybook Advent Calendar, and Marvel Storybook Advent Calendar from Igloo Books.

Each Advent Calendar includes 24 brand-new story books to unwrap every day in the run-up to Christmas, featuring popular characters from the CoComelon franchise. Stockists are recommended to put their orders in now, as these are hotly anticipated to be good sellers.

CoComelon is part of the award-winning global entertainment company, Moonbug Entertainment which was founded in 2018 and has TV shows on over150 platforms worldwide. 

CoComelon is one of their many popular titles which sees the main character JJ, joined by friends and family on adventures featuring catchy songs.

Paul Gregory, the CEO of Igloo Books said: “We're incredibly excited to partner with Moonbug and their fantastic brand, CoComelon. 

"The brand is a firm favourite with children, and we hope our best-selling Advent Calendar format will see strong success and form the foundations of a long-running partnership with the brand.”

Katie Wilkinson, Head of Publishing at The Point.1888 said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Igloo Books to the ever-growing list of CoComelon licensees. This is a fantastic opportunity to create a new publishing offering to the millions of CoComelon fans in the run up to Christmas.”

The Comelon Story Book Advent Calendars are available now for major stockists to order by contacting the Igloo Publishing sales team at

customerservices@igloobooks.com or available for general release to consumers on 1st November 2022.

Expert shares Christmas-focused decluttering tips

With October half-term quickly approaching and festive gifts already appearing on the shelves, celebrity organiser Dilly Carter says now is an ideal time to clear out the clutter ahead of all the hosting, decorating and gift-giving that takes place at Christmas.

As the company behind the clutter-clearing HIPPOBAGs, waste removal firm HIPPO joined up with TV star Dilly Carter earlier this year in a bid to encourage more of us to get decluttering and to do so in a way that’s kinder to our environment.

Organisation expert, author of Create Space and TV presenter, Dilly is the best ‘go to’ expert for those looking to transform their cluttered chaos into an organised oasis. And, as an eco-friendly, hassle-free alternative to the cumbersome metal skip, HIPPO’s HIPPOBAGs are just one of the resources that Dilly would recommends employing.

Dilly says: “Now is a great time to declutter ahead of Christmas before you start filling your home with more decorations, gifts and no doubt the odd house guests too! This is why I’m delighted to collaborate with HIPPO and their genius HIPPOBAGs in encouraging more of us to get decluttering! These are my Top Tips for clearing the clutter before guests come round:

1. Go through your crockery

Is your fine dining crockery kept separate from your everyday sets? Should you be using your fine dining sets more often, instead of it sitting there unused all year round? 

Don't save the best for the best! Go through the plates and make sure all dining sets are together, matching styles and sizes. Even making sure a set is grouped together can change the aesthetic of your cupboard and help you distinguish what you can do without.

2. Sort your linen and towels

What is the linen cupboard and towel situation like in your home? When you have guests staying over, could they easily snag a towel to use? When did you last go through your towels? How long have you had them? How are your towel sets organised? Do you have too many or maybe you don't have enough? You can stash your sets inside a pillowcase belonging to that set so it’s easier to find. And try and separate them into baskets for single, double, king size, etc.

3. Borrow don’t buy new cutlery or furniture

So many of us buy items we use for one day that then take up space we don’t have. Only buy what you have room to comfortably store.

4. Organise Christmas decorations

If you shoved everything away last year then let’s organise our decorations this year so it’s a doddle when it comes to decorating our homes next year. 

Buy storage boxes or use employ shoeboxes to separate different types of decorations. Label every box with a pen, labeller or just use white stickers. It’s always helpful to separate decorations by style or colour. The more we split our decorations the easier they are to find and use what we need or don’t each year. It also helps to wrap your lights around a hanger to keep them from getting tangled up. Make certain you use one hanger per set.

5. Get rid of your Christmas clutter

After Christmas Day, sort through the inevitable pile of rubbish by grouping items together according to how and where they can be safely disposed of. 

Remember sticky tape, glossy wrapping paper and broken glass decorations can't be recycled, unlike Christmas trees or old toys and clothes that have now been replaced by a new gift. 

If you don’t have the time or energy to work through your rubbish then HIPPOBAGs are a brilliant fix. These fully recyclable skip bags are a hassle-free, greener alternative to the metal skip. Once you’ve filled your bag, HIPPO will simply take it away, contact-free, and ensure over 95% of it is recycled for you, with the remainder disposed of safely and ethically.

Available to buy online at hippowaste.co.uk or through the HIPPO App, HIPPOBAG prices start at £13.99 for the MIDI Bag or £189.99 for the MIDI Bag with collection. These clever skip bags come in three handy flat-packed sizes so they don’t take up valuable space outside your home until you need to use them.

For more information, please give HIPPO a call on 0333 999 0 999 or visit hippowaste.co.uk.

Sea Shaken

Sea Shaken is a novel by J. M. Simpson.

Jesse Stevens is in a coma as a result of being pulled off a cliff by a psychopath who managed to escape from prison to track her down.

The psychopath was also injured in the fall and has gone into hiding. He is powered by an unreasoning rage and he wants to ensure that Jesse is dead. if she's still alive? He will kill her.

Onto the scene comes Military Intelligence Officer Sam Jones. Sam is officially considered as missing, presumed dead. He returns after two years in Afghanistan where he underwent brutal torture whilst he was in captivity. 

Brutalised and struggling to cope with his life he really has little desire to continue living, or to return to his family life with his wife Sophie and his son, Marcus.

Sophie is obviously desperate to help Sam to recover and she leans very heavily on her friend and ex-forces veteran, Foxy for help and support.

Things are not good in Castleby. There have been a series of unexplained deaths among the elderly residents of the town and also of a local fisherman.

Police Inspector Steve Miller was working closely with the town's new local town GP, Kate Cooper. They are working to attempt to find out what the heck is happening in their town and to try to learn who is responsible.

Eventually Steve and Kate uncover a very nasty and very sinister and very shocking truth. 

It is published by J. M. Simpson at £9.99 and is available from Amazon and Waterstones. 

It will make a fantastic Christmas present for lovers of mystery novels.

Felix Unbound

Felix Unbound is a novel by Cathy Gunn.

Tiffany has a reputation for being tough, independent and spirited. She loses her temper with Anthony her boyfriend. Unfortunately she inadvertently topples a set of Egyptian figurines which had been part of an inheritance. 

Now ancient forces are released and and they decide to wreak their mischievous revenge on her. How do they do this? They grant her wish that men were more like her loveable tabby cat, Felix.

Of course, it's all fun and games at first, as Tiffany and Felix joyfully launch Felix into her social circle. However, over time it becomes clear that Felix, loveable, charismatic Felix, is very capable of causing trouble.

Felix quickly obtains a reputation as a highly talented artist and as this happens Tiffany realises that her relationships are starting to change. Sometimes not for the better.

Tiffany realises that what has gotten into Felix is not actually new, and has appeared before in the history of her very interesting family.

But what role are Ozzy and Iris taking in the life of Felix and Tiffany? What are their motives? Can Tiffany rescue Felix from their grasp? Should she? 

A new love interest seems to be on the horizon for Tiffany, as Felix seems to be deteriorating. What should she do? What will Felix do? Can his predatory, feline nature win through?

It's a unique novel and one which will make a superb Christmas gift for the lover of mysterious novels.

It's published by New Generation Publishing in hardback at £15.99. It's available through bookshops and online including Amazon. 

Interestingly this is Cathy's first novel, her previous published books being non-fictional. 

  

On Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service

On Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is a memoir by British diplomat Sir Michael Burton.

As a teenager Michael's father pointed out that, because of his facility with languages, he should consider a career in the diplomatic corp.

And that was what happened. He was educated at Bedford School and Oxford's Magdalen College. After National Service as a young subaltern seeing service in the Malaysian jungles during the communist insurrection there.

He then attended what was known as the Foreign Office's 'Spy School' which was based in Shemlan, Lebanon, where he was taught the Arabic language.

His subsequent diplomatic career covered a wide range of very important postings not only in the Middle East but also throughout Europe.

This included serving in Berlin as the Minister and Head of the British Mission during the very crucial period that covered the collapse of the Berlin Wall and of the German Democratic Republic itself.

After that he was appointed as the British Ambassador to Prague in the Czech Republic. 

After his retirement Sir Michael and his wife, Lady Henrietta have lived in both London and Sussex.

The book has received high praise from fellow diplomats and historians and it is illustrated with some very impressive photographs.

It is a very compelling account of the professional life of someone who was actually at the heart of the action. Including asides of what happens when tiredness overcomes one and mistakes are made converting Pounds to Lira (oops! gold topped taps?) and the issues raised during the reunification of Germany.

It's a stunningly good read and will make an ideal Christmas present for lovers of modern history and memoirs.

It is published by iB2 Media at £14.95. 

Rock N Roll Nanny

Rock N Roll Nanny is an autobiographic book by Sally Arnold. It tells the story of how, in 1972, Sally Arnold took a job as a children's nanny in Paris in 1971. It was a job that was to totally change her life for good.

Why? Because the child she was looking after was Jade Jagger, the daughter of rock star Mick Jagger. 

Soon she finds herself working for the big legends of the rock music industry but not as a nanny. She became the music businesses first woman tour manager.

Readers will learn what it's like to prepare and cook Christmas dinner for Mick Jagger, what it's really like to go clubbing at the famous Tramp nightclub with The Who's drummer Keith Moon. And exactly how can you cope with the wives and girl friends of the entourage of the rock bands?

Eventually Sally finds herself with yet another career change. Organising massive charity events and having to manage and deal with mega stars such as comedians Billy Connolly and Rowan Atkinson.

Sally also worked with the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Diana, foreign dignitaries like Mikhail Gorbachev and even members of the world of poetry the Queen's Poet Laurate, Ted Hughes.

There were potentially difficult incidents with the somewhat salty language of Peter Cook and Mel Smith (what would her father think?) the problems of dealing with the contents of portable toilets, something which nobody really thinks about.

Other matters included arranging Vitamin B12 injections for the boys, her Harley Davidson, the problems of travelling round the world, working with the BBC and the Old Grey Whistle Test and how she coped with her own health issues including requiring chemo therapy. And how people who she should have been able to rely on turned their backs on her when she needed their support the most.

The book is wonderfully illustrated with a wide range of photographs from Sally's collection.

It is published by SilverWood Books www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk at £13.99 and it will make an excellent Christmas present for lovers of memoirs and of those who want to know the inside story of the rock n roll industry from someone who was at the heart of it. 

https://rocknrollnanny.co.uk

Chocolate Bombe Dessert from Cocoba

Cocoba has joined forces with Sophia from Baked by Bon to create an easy but delicious dessert that you can whip up in minutes, which will make an ideal Christmas dessert.

This very delicious and yummy dessert can be made using any of their Hot Chocolate Bombes and they highly recommend serving it with a scoop of ice cream for a truly decadent dessert.

Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of one of the bombes and fill it with other treats like small brownie chunks, honeycomb, or shortbread, before turning it upside down so the hole is on the bottom.

Ingredients (for 1):

- One hot chocolate bombe

- 50g milk chocolate

- 20ml double cream

- Fillings for the bombe (optional)

Method:

1. Melt together the milk chocolate and double cream in the microwave or in a pan on the hob until smooth

2. If you are adding a filling, gently make a small hole in the bottom of one of the bombes and place your fillings inside

3. Plate up the hot chocolate bombe and decorate the plate if you wish

4. Pour over the hot chocolate sauce and watch the bombe melt away to reveal the treats inside!

To learn more please visit https://www.cocobachocolate.com.

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Chimney Fire's delicious Espresso Martini

You'll already be aware that Chimney Fire's Coffee have launched their 12 Days of Discovery Advent Calendar is a specially curated collection of coffees from their 2022 Discovery Coffee range. 

You might not be aware that Chimney Fire Coffee has introduced an absolutely delicious coffee Espresso Martini that will make an absolutely delicious addition to your Christmas drinks cabinet.

It is best served chilled, with or without ice. 

I rather like the idea of serving it with fresh, chilled cream! Maybe garnish it with cinnamon and other traditional Christmassy spices? Yum!

Chimney Fire's Espresso Martini is carefully blended with Wry English vodka.

You can order it here https://silentpooldistillers.com/wry-vodka-x-chimney-fire-coffee-espresso-martini.

A 50cc bottle costs £24 and the abv is 20%.

Whilst you are there, why not check out the other Silent Pool Distillers excellent products, all of which look to be great additions to your Christmas drink's cabinet!

Gift them the art of repair with Sugru

Fixing is the unsung hero of creativity!

There aren’t many people who haven’t shed a tear or two watching the BBC’s Repair Shop. Restoring the things we love can be joyous, fun and incredibly rewarding, too. 

So why not gift the art of repair this year? Choose from three gorgeous kits that are available at Sugru.com and give them to your nearest and dearest.

Kintsugi Repair Kit in Gold or Silver (£23.99)

Perfectly imperfect and truly unique! That’s the mantra of Kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of repairing ceramics with visible gold or silver seams. No need to feel sad about a smashed plant pot or cracked tea cup, instead of throwing your broken items away, simply add a touch of magic! You’re able to fix up to 10 items with this amazing kit.

Multicolour Wool Clothing Repair Kit by Woolfiller (£19)

If you’re keen on easy repairs for your threads, look no further than Woolfiller. It's absolutely brilliant for fixing little holes in woollen jumpers (sweaters!), cardigans, jackets, hats, scarves, blankets, carpets, sofas, even car roof linings, in fact, any woollen textiles. 

And just check out how satisfying the felting needle process is here A new solution for an age-old problem, wool-filling is quick, simple and incredibly sustainable. 

Fix & Create Kit by Sugru (£10.99)

The Fix & Create Kit is designed with the repair revolutionary in mind. The friend who is keen to waste less, whilst crafting more. Projects cover everything from repurposing old jars and jewellery, to repairing and adding texture to simple plant pots. Upcycling and improving the things you love!

Best known for its award winning multi-purpose mouldable glue, Sugru has now filled its online shop with equally innovative products designed to inspire people to reimagine their home, garden, clothes and planet in a way that empowers their everyday creativity to beat the throwaway culture. 

Sugru invites you to unlock your imagination and find new ways to  repair, improve, organise, decorate and protect the things you love. Find an ever-growing selection of clever tools, kits, ideas and guides to get you started at Sugru.com  and let the fun begin!

We at That's Christmas are convinced that these presents from Sugru will be talked about with great pleasure for years to come!

Babbingtons Blends are ideal for Christmas gifting

Finding it Hard to Sleep in the pre-Christmas run up? Then you should enjoy sweeter sleep and sweeter dreams with Babingtons Blends.

Herbal teas can act as a brilliant aid to help sooth our bodies and our minds, in particular at bedtime, when our minds can often be racing at speed!

Sweet Dreams is a delicately flavoured floral and 100% natural bedtime herbal tea, prepared by blending chamomile flowers, rose petals, fennel, lemon balm, linden blossom and lavender together in a wonderfully balanced blend.

It's a very relaxing, cleansing herbal tea which also may aid digestion.

Gifts for Tea Lovers

Refreshing, purifying and anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants & vitamins (A,B and C).

All Babingtons Blends teas are sustainably sourced, hand blended and are 100% natural with no artificial colourings or flavourings.

All packaging is biodegradable, too.

Tea Formats

Pyramids (x 18) from £7.99, Pouches (Loose leaf) from £6.99, Caddies (Loose Leaf) from £11.99, Caddies (Tea Bags) from £12.99.

All of which make excellent Christmas presents for those in your life who appreciate the finer, tastier things in their lives!

Visit Babbingtons Blends here www.babingtonsblends.com to find out what is available and to place your orders.

Butcombe Brewing Co Launches Tall Tales Pale Ale

Butcombe Brewing Co (part of the Liberation Group) has launched its latest snappy offering -  a Pale Ale with real bite. Introducing Tall Tales Pale Ale.

A thoroughly modern, delicious and easy-drinking Pale Ale, Tall Tales, is said to be the boldest beer in the Butcombe family of ales, is a refreshing, fruity and light beer. It's chock full of character with notes of grapefruit, pineapple and citrus. 

What is the origin of the name? The ale is named Tall Tales after the legend of a crocodile believed to have been lurking in Bristol's River Avon at Hotwells. 

The reptile, which prompted a police search but which was never discovered, has been reportedly seen floating beneath the surface of the muddy waters of the River Avon.

Marc McGuigan, who is the Group MD, Brewing & Distribution, of the Liberation Group says: “We're incredibly proud of Tall Tales, one of our biggest flavoured beers to date.  

"It's a vibrant and flavoursome Pale Ale brought smack bang up to date, by our amazing brewing team, for today's beer lover. 

“We were inspired by the tale of Bristol's mythical crocodile when creating Tall Tales. It's important that we keep surprising our customers so what better way to show the innovation and creativity of our award-winning brewery, whilst remaining faithful to our Bristolian heritage, than launching this incredible new beer.  Whether it's true or not doesn't really matter.  Who doesn't love a Tall Tale every now and again?” 

Tall Tales Pale Ale is available in 330ml bottles.

https://butcombe.com/brewery-shop-products/tall-tales-pale-ale

We at That's Christmas feel that Tall Ales Pale Ale will be a very welcome addition to the Christmas drinks cabinet as I absolutely adore a good pale ale with my Christmas dinner! My wife is a confirmed stout drinker, so we love to keep a good variety of beers and ales in stock for our Christmas dining and drinking!

Countdown to a Killing. A novel

Countdown to a Killing is a novel by Tom Vaughan Macaulay. And it is a 'novel' in the best sense of the word because it employs new and novel storytelling techniques to tell the story.

It tells the stories of a mixed and disparate group of people in a variety of locations scattered throughout different locations. London, Huddersfield and Sicily.

There's Wen Li, a very sensitive and very kind 29-year-old British-Chinese woman. Sadly, she suffers from a severe OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which, in her case, shows itself as a never-ending and paralysing dread that she could be harbouring murderous impulses.

Emotionally damaged and thwarted in her love life Wen has fallen for a colleague of hers, Lomax Clipper. Unfortunately Lomax is a man who has troubles of his own. He is deeply disillusioned and also finds himself extremely frustrated.

Lomax is very much in love with a young woman who is a Sicilian whom he met whilst he was working in Italy. 

However, Wen and Lomax are united by one thing. A deep and genuine loathing of Julian Ponsonby. Unfortunately Julian is there boss. However, all is not a bed of roses for Julian as he is bedevilled by a rather toxic relationship and also the fact that his father resolutely refuses to accept Julian's sexuality.

Lomax manages to return to Sicily, whilst enjoying a period of sabbatical leave and, whilst there he meets and befriends a vulnerable Sicilian man by the name of Fifi de Angelis who has troubles enough of his own. He is of restricted growth and has been ostracised by his own family.

The novel is told by interlocking correspondences such as emails and WhatsApp messages. The novel crackles with suspense as it becomes clearer and clearer that a murder is in the offing, as the lives of several people are explored as they are firmly bound together. 

It examines under a somewhat brutal lens a variety of important themes such as mental illness and mental health, sexuality, ethnicity and love.

It's an experimental novel that weaves the lives of several characters in a metafictive narrative and will be a wonderful Christmas present for those who like to have to think about what they are reading. It's humorous and also deeply moving in parts. Pretty much like life, really.

It's published by Red Door at £8.99 in paperback.

New job for Christmas at Lidl?

Lidl GB, the UKs fastest-growing and highest paying supermarket, has announced it will be recruiting over 1,000 new hourly paid roles over the next five months.

The roles, which span across stores and warehouses and includes Customer Assistants, Cleaners and Warehouse Operatives, will benefit from industry leading pay. New recruits will earn a minimum of £10.90 an hour outside of London and £11.95 inside the M25; the highest starting pay of any other UK supermarket.

All new jobs will be permanent and include full and part-time positions, which will see pay increase up to £12.00 and £13.00 with length of service, depending on location.

The supermarket, which recently opened three new stores in Alperton, Oxford and Gillingham is set to open further new stores over the next five months.

Lidl is currently the UKs fastest growing supermarket with sales growing 20.9% in the 12 weeks to 4 September. The fastest rate of growth since October 2014. Over 1.5 million more customers are shopping with Lidl this year than in 2021 and in total, with three in five Brits shopping with Lidl in the past year – a record new high. 

It is also in the process of recruiting for warehouses, including for its Belvedere warehouse which is undergoing a total redevelopment and recently completed the first phase of its expansion programme. The supermarket is also set to open its new Luton distribution centre next year, which it began recruitment for back in March.

To make it as easy as possible for warehouse candidates to secure roles, Lidl will be holding recruitment open days across its warehouses, with the option for successful candidates to sign contracts on the day. 

Nan Gibson, Lidl GB’s Chief HR Officer said: “We’re incredibly proud of our colleagues across the country, whose hard work and loyalty mean we're the fastest growing supermarket, with over 1.5m more people shopping with us than last year. 

"As our customer base continues to grow, and as we open more new stores and warehouses, we need more people to join team Lidl. Not only will new colleagues be the highest paid in the industry as a result of our newly increased rates, they also be part of an amazing team of people that are working to help make good food accessible to all households, at a time that is so needed.”

Upcoming Lidl GB Open days:

Doncaster: 24th October, 7th November, 21st November

Wednesbury: 19th October, 8th November

Exeter: 17th October, 21st November

Belvedere: 12th October

Peterborough: 15th October

Check out Lidl at https://corporate.lidl.co.uk.

Tesco launches inflation-busting move before Christmas

Tesco's inflation-busting move will support customers in the run-up to Christmas.

Tesco has announced a fairly beefy new price-lock commitment, freezing the prices of over 1,000 everyday products until 2023, and giving shoppers more ways to spend less and enjoy the festive season more.

The products are all included within Tesco's mammoth Low Everyday Prices campaign, which covers a wide range of products and brands bought week-in, week-out, from cupboard staples and teatime favourites, to household and health & beauty products.

To help customers make their money go further during the Christmas season, Tesco are locking down the price of over 1,000 of these products into the new year.

So whether it’s McCain Home Chips for midweek meals, or a winter pick-me-up with Nescafe Original 3-in-1, Tesco customers can count on Tesco’s price to stay the same until 2023. Which will help them spend less on their shopping and more on friends and family over Christmas 2022.

Lower Everyday Prices is a key feature of Tesco’s commitment to giving customers great value on their shopping. Which goes hand-in-hand with their Aldi Price Match, great value own-brand staples with their Exclusively at Tesco brands and exclusive deals via Clubcard Prices, which together cover over 8,000 products.

And it’s just one of the ways they are helping customers make their money go further this Christmas. Their Clubcard Christmas Savers Scheme offers customers a bonus voucher of up to £12 when they save their Clubcard Vouchers towards their big Christmas shop. 

Whilst their Toy Sale offers savings of up to 50% on kids favourites like Lego and Stickle Bricks, so that families can spread the cost of Christmas.

Tesco UK CEO, Jason Tarry, said: “We know that times are tougher for many customers at the moment, right now, especially as we head into the winter months. 

"We hope this extended price-lock commitment gives our customers the certainty of knowing over 1,000 household favourites will stay at the same great price for months to come. Which will help them with their budget when they need this most.”

As well as helping customers, Tesco are also announcing another big investment in Tesco store colleagues, with their second hourly-pay increase this year, and a doubling of their colleague discount to support them this Christmas.

From 13 November 2022, the basic hourly rate of pay in their stores will increase by a further 20p to £10.30 (or £10.98 in London). This means hourly rates at Tesco will have increased nearly 8% this year – building on what was already a record single-year investment in store pay.

And on top of that, Tesco is also doubling their Colleague Clubcard discount to 20% during the key Christmas shopping period from 13-19 December.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "This is just one part of our comprehensive package of benefits for Tesco colleagues, which also includes a recently enhanced selection of free food and hygiene products in the Colleague Rooms of our stores, so colleagues can access a wider range of breakfast, lunch and snack items for no cost."

You can check out Tesco at www.tesco.com.

Morrisons launches massive toy sale to help customers spread the cost this Christmas

Leading grocery retailer Morrisons has launched a massive toy sale to help customers spread the cost of their Christmas purchases.

Morrisons has taken the step to launch a mega toy sale, to help its customers get their hands on much-desired gifts for kids and spread the cost of Christmas this year.

Customers will be able to obtain up to 50% off must-have toys this year, such as L.O.L Dolls, Peppa Pig, Super Mario Kart and Hotwheels. The toy sale is available now in 423 stores. But it is while stocks last, so don't leave it to the last minute and be disappointed! 

Morrisons is offering the Peppa Pig’s Wooden Playhouse for £52.50, 50% off the RRP. That's bound to be the perfect gift for Peppa's fans. The wooden house comes with Peppa and George wooden figures and each room is ditted out with fun features, furniture and accessories for kids to enjoy a special treat this Christmas. 

For little beauty fanatics and young fashionistas, customers can obtain Shimmer ‘n Sparkle InstaGlam On The Glo Makeup Trolley for just £47.50 down from the £95.00 RRP or Rainbow High Fashion Studio for 50% off at £30.00. 

Customers can also bag themselves a bargain on what experts predict will be the top selling brands this year including a Barbie Pet Supply Store or Radio Control Car (both £26.50, saving over a third off the regular price) or Play-Doh Colourful Café Playset (£33, also saving over a third. Bargain!). 

With just three months to go until the big day, Morrisons hopes this huge sale will help customers spread the cost of purchasing Christmas gifts this year.

David Catton, Morrisons Toys Buyer, said: “We know our customers are under real financial pressure at present and want to help them when it comes to their Christmas shopping.  

"We’re reducing the price of our toys now to help customers spread the cost of the festive season and tick off some very important jobs.”

Morrisons toy deals are available in selected Morrisons stores now while stocks last.

Check out Morrisons at www.morrisons.com.

Cocoba Chocolate has the magic of Christmas this year. With special discount

Kent's very own, favourite chocolatier Cocoba Chocolate has unveiled a gift-pack of nine hot chocolate bombes, plus the ultimate hot chocolate advent calendar, ready for the your festive season this year.

The Christmas elves at Cocoba Chocolate, which is well known for its irresistible chocolate and hot chocolate gifts, have crafted the perfect Christmas packs of hot chocolate bombes. 

These include nine popular flavours: milk orange, dark mint, caramel mocha, milk chocolate, salted caramel, white chocolate, popping candy, 55% dark chocolate and 70% intense chocolate.

The luxury globes of chocolate are chock-filled to the very brim with mini-marshmallows which burst out on being mixed with hot milk, for the ultimate treat on a cold winter’s day.

The nine-bombe box is £34.99, with an early bird discount at a rather nifty £24.99!

Also, courtesy of Cocoba, the new Cocoba Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar, filled with delicious hot chocolate flakes, chocolate spoons and bombes.

The lucky recipient of this very special ultimate advent calendar will be treated to 24 exquisite cups of hot chocolate over the Yule-tide period.

There is a special early-bird discount on the £59.95 to £49.95. Nice!

Cocoba’s chocolate products include Belgian hot chocolate, chocolate bars and lollipops, truffles and buttons, and a growing range of vegan dark and ‘milk’ chocolate. 

Cocoba’s range is available from www.CocobaChocolate.com plus Cocoba’s flagship chocolate café at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, independent farm shops, delis, John Lewis, Selfridges and more. All products are handmade in Kent. 

The advent calendars and nine hot chocolate bombes are available to pre-order

Instagram: @cocobachocolate

Facebook: @CocobaChocolate

Pinterest: @CocobaChocolate

TikTock: @cocobachocolate

Twitter: @CocobaChocolate

Web: https://www.cocobachocolate.com

Reader's of That's Christmas if you order via Cocoba Chocolate will be entitled to a very generous 15% discount!  We'd like to thank Cocoba Chocolate for their very kind offer.

How to access your special discount just use this special code:- FEELINGFESTIVE15.

Time for Walker’s new Shortbread advent calendar!

Walkers are thrilled to share with you their brand-new Walker’s Shortbread advent calendar, available from www.walkersshortbread.com, RRP £17.99, whilst stocks last.

The carefully curated, elegant and beautiful new design is guaranteed to give you all the festive feels. Distinguished and elegant, the contemporary book-style calendar is adorned with Walker’s iconic tartan, gold embossing and stylish snowflakes. 

Inside you’ll find an assortment of all-Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Rounds, Shortbread Thistle Rounds, Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares, Shortbread Fingers, Shortbread Hearts and Shortbread Stars, all based on a simple recipe which has been perfected by the family-run business for over 120 years.

Synonymous with dreamy, cosy nights, festive gatherings and winter warming time-out treats, Christmas definitely isn't Christmas without Walker’s Scottish Shortbread.

Ensuring your Christmas countdown is a seasonal gift for your senses, Walker’s Shortbread has unveiled The Shortbread Advent Calendar for 2022.

Delivering an exquisite daily delicacy of Scotland at its very finest, behind each of the 24 doors awaits an indulgent buttery, tasty treat that will transport you into a Walker’s Shortbread festive wonderland.

You will enjoy a mix of bite-size All-Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Rounds, Shortbread Thistle Rounds, Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares, Shortbread Fingers, Shortbread Hearts and Shortbread Stars, all based on a very simple yet utterly delicious recipe which has been perfected by the family-run business for over 120 years.

The stunning new design is guaranteed to give you all the festive feelings. Distinguished and elegant, the contemporary book-style calendar is adorned with Walker’s iconic tartan, gold embossing and stylish snowflakes. When opened, playful illustrations capture a seasonally whimsical and joyful scene, perfectly paired with the shortbread waiting inside.

An advent calendar that looks as good as it tastes and is set to get you ready for Christmas delivering the best that Scotland has to offer. The new Shortbread Advent Calendar uses only the highest quality ingredients and is free of artificial colouring, flavours and additives and is suitable for vegetarians.

The Walker’s Shortbread advent calendar is available from www.walkersshortbread.com  from now on at  £17.99. But as they are expected to sell quickly, That's Christmas recommends you get your order in as soon as possible. 

Walker’s Shortbread Ltd was established 124 years ago in Aberlour, Speyside, Scotland. 

It's still an independent family concern to this day, the company is headed by the founder’s grandchildren and great grandchildren, who faithfully maintain the tradition of producing the finest shortbreads, biscuits, cakes and oatcakes to original recipes using only finest ingredients. A policy that has earned Walker’s a global reputation for quality and excellence.

Four times winner of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement, Walker’s exports its distinctively packaged luxury bakery products to over 100 countries worldwide.

In 2017 Walker’s Shortbread were granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment from Her Majesty the Queen for the supply of shortbread to the Royal Household, following the granting of the Royal Warrant of Appointment by the Queen and Queen Mother in 2002 for oatcakes.

All Walker’s products are free from artificial colours, flavourings and preservatives. They are certified Kosher (OUD) and are suitable for vegetarians, too. 

Jump!

Jump! is a book by JG Nolan with wonderful illustrations by Carina Roberts with a forward by famous football star Joe Hart.

It tells the story of Robbie Blair who is a very talented young footballer who has dreams of becoming a professional footballer when he becomes an adult.

Yes, Robbie has the prerequisite footballing skills. But he also has the ability to break his bones. Multiple times, unfortunately.

Robbie is taking part in a very important trial match but disaster befalls him when he breaks his leg for the third time.

He then faces the grim realisation that his dreams of becoming a professional footballer have turned to dust.

But have they? Is his dream truly over? Because as Joe Hart said "We can all learn from Robbie Blair."

This is a stormer of a book by J G Nolan who was born and brought up in a sleepy Shropshire village and loved two things as a child. Football and writing.

Sadly his football mad son Robbie was very prone to breaking his bones and was warned by his doctors that he must never play football again.

The idea for Jump! slowly coalesced in his mind when he was making one of his many lengthy stays whilst he was visiting Robbie in the local children's hospital. 

J G Nolan took an interesting route to writing Jump! He made a study of the exploits of historical footballers who, although famous, had also, back in their day, being mavericks.

He became fascinated by and drawn to stories of famous Celtic legends from the 1920s. Even to the present day their names are still chanted at Parkhead.

During his many, many hours of research he learned of Glasgow's icon Cathkin Park. Which resulted in a meeting with Simon Weir, a Scotish actor, who helped preserve the park for many years. And Jump! to coin an expression, took wing.

When Robbie, J G Nolan's son commenced on his long road to recovery and fitness news of his sheer courage and determination reached famed local football hero Joe Hart, a fellow Shropshire lad and former Shrewsbury Town player, whilst he was playing for Manchester City.

Joe sent Robbie some signed goalkeeper's gloves to buck him up during his recovery. 

By chance Robbie eventually followed Joe's footsteps and Robbie attended the same secondary school in Shrewsbury.

Some years later, when Joe had been transferred to Celtic he was thrilled to be asked to read Jump! and he kindly offered to write the forward. 

On to the book. It's a labour of love and it tells the story of Robbie Blair. But it's more than the story of Robbie Blair. It's the story of everyone who, due to physical injuries or difficulties found that, as one door closed another door opened for them. And that sometimes it's just a minor diversion to get them to their original goal.

What kind of a book is it? It's a novel, it's a historical work, it's a mystical work that's on a par with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance a little bit of a ghost story but it's primarily a romance novel. A romance novel? Yes. A novel about the romance of football. 

It's got to be a "must buy" present for every football fan this Christmas. 

It's published by SilverWood Books at £12.99 https://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/jump-by-jbg-nolan.

Throw Throw Burrito

Throw Throw Burrito is an innovative combination of dodgeball and a card game.

It's a fun-filled game which is aimed at everyone from 7 years and older and for two to six players.

It's an easy game to learn and to play, but a lot of fun, too!

Place the pair of funky burritos on the table. Don't worry! They aren't edible, but they are throwable. 

You then deal out the cards and earn points by collecting three cards of a kind.

You play Burrito Cards and then force your friends to Battle!

There then comes a Burrito duel to determine who is the ultimate Throw Throw Burrito winner!

What happens during the Burrito Duel? The two players concerned have to stand back-to-back, take three paces and then fling that Burrito!

By the way, when you open the box there's a nifty code to unlock a special bonus gift!

Check out the game and other fun games at www.explodingkittens.com.

Price in the UK is £24.99.

Mulled Orange & Chocolate Cheesecake

Mulled Orange & Chocolate Cheesecake

Using Cottage Delight Mulled Orange All Butter Curd

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: Overnight chill time Serves: 12

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

• 300g bourbon Biscuits

• 150g unsalted Butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 600g cream Cheese (full fat)

• 300ml double Cream

• 75g icing Sugar

• 300g Terry's Chocolate Orange

• 1 x 305g jar Cottage Delight Mulled Orange All Butter Curd (8 heaped tbsp)

• 1 orange zest

Decoration

• Orange zest

• Orange slices, thinly sliced

• 2tbsp crème fraiche 

Method

For the Biscuit Base

• Melt the butter in the microwave on short bursts until fully melted.

• Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a small crumb or in a bag with the end of a rolling pin, add the butter, and mix until it is combined well. 

• Tip into a 20cm deep springform tin and press down firmly – chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

For the Cheesecake Filling

• Melt the 300g chocolate orange in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring gently or microwave in short bursts until fully melted.

• Mix together the cream cheese and Icing sugar until thick and whip up the double cream in a separate bowl – fold the mixtures together, and then fold through the melted chocolate and 2 heaped tbsp Mulled Orange All Butter Curd. Zest in the orange.

• Evenly spread 6 heaped tbsp Mulled Orange All Butter Curd over the chilled biscuit base.

• Pour the cream cheese mix on to the curd layer, smooth over, cover, and chill in the fridge for 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

• Top with sliced oranges, orange zest and crème fraiche in the centre. 

Check out Cottage Delight and their range of delicious goodies visit https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk.

Give a meaningful gift for your child with Nosso

Many friends and extended family like to give money as gifts, especially for new-born and young children so it can be put aside or invested for the future. However, this can often lack a personal, memorable touch. 

Nosso, which is a new provider of investment and savings accounts aimed at children, is changing that, as it allows family and friends to invest in a loved one’s future in a memorable and gift-worthy way.

An alternative Christmas gift, eschewing deodorant sets, or multipacks of socks, gifting an investment and having a say in the financial future of a child will prove more fulfilling in the long run. As opposed to socks, the more the child grows, in principle so too will their investments! 

Marking significant life changes for both the giver and receiver. Putting money aside for university or a car can be a memorable experience. So, Nosso offers the unique ability for families to leave messages and photos with their investment, preserving the emotions attached to it.

It's a tangible gift there for years. When a child accesses their account later in life, they will be able to see how much those around them care, even if they’re no longer there to say it themselves. Nosso also allows parents to manage accounts for their children, and allow all family members to contribute whenever they want to via its app-first service. 

While most children’s accounts need to be opened and managed by one parent, Nosso allows anyone to open an investment for a child as a gift, from parents and grandparents, to extended family and friends. 

Given the rising cost of living, many parents are struggling to make ends meet, let alone put money aside for their little one. With Nosso, extended family and friends can now play a more direct role in providing for their financial future. 

To learn more about what could well turn out to be the gift of a lifetime, please check out Nosso at https://www.withnosso.com.

Lidl launches national Christmas "Toy Bank" in response to charities' call for help and pledges 1m meals

Lidl’s new toy donation drive launches in over 940 stores nationwide from Thursday 3rd November.

This exciting initiative comes in partnership with Neighbourly, as research has discovered that 8 in 10 local causes would find donations of toys and games very helpful this Christmas.

Charities, community groups, and food banks can register their interest now to receive support from Lidl.

Lidl will also donate 1 million meals and make £250k available for charities, community groups, and food banks all over Britain. 

Lidl has announced the launch of a new, nationwide toy donation drive coming to your town this Christmas.

It follows new research, in partnership with Neighbourly, that found that for 8 in 10 charities and community groups currently partnered with Lidl, toys and games were one of their most needed items to help serve their local communities over the festive period. Second only to food donations.

From Thursday 3rd November, Lidl will launch toy banks across its stores all over the country. Customers will then be able to drop off new and unopened toys and games, to be gifted to children needing support in their local area.

Donations can be anything. From a small stocking filler to something bigger. Sought-after items will include toys, games, books, puzzles, and arts and crafts, for a range of ages.

Toys will then be collected by local charities who are participating in Lidl’s ‘Feed it Back’ scheme, coordinated by Neighbourly, alongside the food they pick up weekly. 

They will then be donated via local charities and community groups like food banks and community centres.

Also, the supermarket has committed £250k for charities during the festive period. This includes a £125k donation for the toy bank initiative. And has also pledged to donate more meals than ever over the festive period. 

As part of  Lidl's long-standing work within local communities, Lidl GB will also donate a selection of festive food items as part of its regular food donations. These will go to local charities and community groups, which, together with their food surplus programme, will equate to over 1 million meals.

Existing charity partnerships will be prioritised for these festive collections but, where there’s availability, additional organisations are being invited to apply to be paired with a local Lidl store to collect toys and fresh and chilled food products. This will include fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, fish, and bread, ahead of stores closing on Christmas Eve.

Says Ryan McDonnell, who is the CEO at Lidl GB: “It's always been our firm belief that each and every one of our stores must have a positive impact on its community. 

"This year, we wanted to find a meaningful way to help our communities. So we listened to the 1,500 local charities, food banks and community groups we partner with and heard clearly what they needed: food, toys, and access to funds.

“As a business we are proud to be able to address all three of these needs. We're launching toy banks in all our stores, pledging 1m meals and we will be making £250k available for charities through a Neighbourly donation and our community fund.

“Our hope is that by rolling out the toy donation points we're making it easier, for those customers who can, to donate directly to local good causes by giving them a small way to make a real difference and help those that need it the most.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: "Our latest community survey has highlighted the financial strain that many families are facing this winter. With local charities seeing a drop in both food and financial donations, any support that Lidl customers can give is going to be critical. 

"For many families, Christmas gifts will be something they will struggle to afford this year, so a scheme like this which alleviates some of the worry for parents will make a huge difference.”

Lidl toy banks will be accepting donations from Thursday 3rd November until Friday 16th December, when all the toys will be collected for distribution.

Charities, community groups and food banks can register interest now to receive surplus food and toy donations this Christmas at www.neighbourly.com/service/good-causes.

Or visit Lidl at www.lidl.co.uk for details of your nearest branch, etc.

A greener Christmas with Nestlé

Nestlé Confectionery has announced industry-leading packaging innovations for two of its best-loved brands: Quality Street and KitKat. In a category first, Quality Street will move to recyclable paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets. 

By replacing the double layer of foil and cellulose with a paper wrap, Quality Street will remove over two billion pieces of packaging material from the brand's supply chain.

At the same time, KitKat will introduce wrappers made with 80% recycled plastic. These wrappers can be recycled at more than 5,000 supermarkets across the UK and placed in household recycling in the Republic of Ireland. The rollout will begin this month on the brand's flagship two-finger products, before being extended across the entire range by 2024.

Purchased by over 6 in 10 households in the UK, KitKat will use the highest proportion of recycled food-grade plastic of any major UK & Ireland confectionery brand. The launch is part of Nestlé's ongoing commitment towards reducing its environmental impact and supporting a circular economy.  

This commitment is further demonstrated by the new Quality Street wrappers, which were developed by packaging experts at Nestlé's research and development centre in York. One innovation is the development of a special vegetable-based coating for the paper, which does not hinder the recycling process.

Nine of the 11 Quality Street sweets will move to paper-based packaging. The Orange Crunch and the Green Triangle will remain in their simple foil wrappers as, traditionally, they have not had cellulose wrappers. The transition to paper, which is now underway, will take several months to complete. This means that for Christmas 2022, consumers will find a mix of both the old and new wrappers in their Quality Street cartons, pouches, tubs, and tins. The delicious mix of sweets inside is unchanged.

QS-paper-feed

Richard Watson, who is the Business Executive Officer, at Nestlé Confectionery said: "These major packaging innovations have been pioneered by our teams here in the UK. The new KitKat packaging is enabled by a significant upgrade to Nestlé's York Factory, while the category-leading Quality Street paper twist-wraps have been designed at our Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, and implemented in Halifax, the home of Quality Street for 87 years.

"Nestlé Confectionery is taking a leadership position on packaging sustainability as we work towards cutting our use of virgin plastic by one third and making all our packaging recyclable or reusable within the next three years. 

"The changes we have announced have been informed by detailed lifecycle assessments that have enabled us to identify solutions with a lower environmental impact than our current packaging."

The new KitKat packs will feature the Recycle At Store On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) - a UK labelling scheme established by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to help consumers correctly reuse and recycle more material. The wrappers will also provide information about the Recycling Locator Tool - a platform launched by the national WRAP recycling campaign Recycle Now, which guides consumers to their nearest recycling point. Supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Aldi, and Waitrose now offer soft plastic recycling facilities in stores, while most consumers in the Republic of Ireland can put soft plastics into household recycling.   

Helen Bird, Head of Business Collaboration, WRAP said: "Plastic waste is a key concern for most citizens, and for many this is centred on whether it is easy to recycle. Recyclability is complex since it requires the culmination of good design, collection, recycling infrastructure, and importantly, market demand for recycled material into new products and packaging - manufacture is after all, the whole point of recycling. Plastic wrappers are not yet collected by local authorities, but this is set to change in the coming years. 

"In the meantime, leading supermarkets are providing 5,000 collection points for all types of plastic bags and wrappers. We welcome these new initiatives from Nestlé, founding members of The UK Plastics Pact, to improve the recyclability of Quality Street and using advanced recycling technology to include recycled plastic into its KitKat packaging - something we need to significantly ramp up in the UK, and across the world. We look forward to further roll out."

Nestlé UK & Ireland has been working to improve the sustainability of its confectionery operations and supply chain for well over a decade. The business has sourced 100% certified sustainable cocoa for all its chocolate and biscuits since the end of 2015 and is aiming to halve the carbon footprint of its local fresh milk supply by 2026. This involves helping farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices that will protect and restore natural resources such as soil, water, and biodiversity around their farms over the years to come, while producing the best quality milk for Nestlé products. 

Quality Street is the second Nestlé confectionery brand to introduce paper, following Smarties, which rolled out recyclable paper packaging for all its confectionery products globally in 2021.  

So this Christmas will be less wasteful? Sounds good to us!

Early Bird! Aldi's frozen turkeys are in store, now

For those of us who are looking to spread the cost of Christmas, Aldi’s full range of delicious, British Frozen Turkeys are in store from now on.

Christmas shoppers can get ahead of the game and begin their festive prep with Aldi’s Large Whole British Turkey (£19.99, 5.4kg-7.2kg), or Small Whole British Turkey (£13.49, 2.8kg-4kg). 

Both offer a tender British meat feast, and once cooked have a delicious crispy skin and succulent juicy flavours. Also, Aldi’s succulent Frozen Medium British Turkey (£15.99, 4-5.4kg) and Frozen Medium British Turkey Crowns (£15.49, 2-2.3kg) have also just landed in Aldi stores all over the country.

Aldi has also recently released its Frozen Food Meal Plan to help shoppers deal with the rising cost of living, promoting cost effective, yet nutritious meal swaps for families. 

Choosing a frozen turkey this Christmas means shoppers can still enjoy a delicious bird for their festive feast, while spreading the cost across the months running up to the Big Day.  

Aldi’s Large Frozen Whole British Turkeys and Small Frozen Whole British Turkeys are in store from 10th October. Aldi’s Medium Frozen British Turkeys and Turkey Crowns are available in store now.  

https://www.aldi.co.uk.

Christmas at Kew returns for 10th year

The UK’s original festive light trail returns to dazzle London's Kew Gardens, bringing magical new installations for the tenth anniversary this Christmas. 

From Wednesday 16 November 2022 to Sunday 8 January 2023 (advance booking only, tickets are selling fast, so book as soon as you can!)

2022 marks ten years of Christmas at Kew, the first light trail of its kind in the entire UK.

New installations include suspended illuminations and optical illusions, featuring over a million twinkling lights along a 2.7km trail.

Highlights include the iconic Palm House projections, Starry Night featuring thousands of twinkling lights, and ‘Illusion Hole’ by UxU Studio.

Visitors can indulge in toasty treats with delicious seasonal street food, mulled wine and hot chocolate, or a Christmas dinner at The Botanical Brasserie.

This November, see Kew Gardens in a whole new light as the UNESCO World Heritage landscape glitters with millions of festive lights with the return of Christmas at Kew.

Since the inaugural Christmas trail in 2013, this unique, world-famous event has paved the way for festive displays across the country each winter, cementing light trails as a firm festive favourite in the run up to Christmas. 

Marking ten years since the original festive trail at Kew Gardens, this year’s display features a host of seasonal favourites alongside mesmerizing new light installations. 

Planning begins more than a year in advance, to ensure this celebration of nature by night brings Kew’s incredible natural landscape to life for visitors of all ages.

New installations for 2022

Taking inspiration from Kew’s horticultural collection and the changing seasons, creative studio NOVAK return to Kew with an immersive animation projected onto Holly Walk. Elsewhere, visitors can wander through thousands of twinkling lights in ArtAV’s magical Starry Night, featured at Kew Gardens for the first time. 

Fun and magical, 16 floating UV feathers by Pyrite Creative appear as if from nowhere amongst the trees, while elsewhere in the canopies, LuminARTi’s Willow Hives elegantly illuminate the surrounding natural forms, highlighting the spectacular scenery at Kew.

Light Art Collection returns with ‘Illusion Hole’ by UxU Studio, a geometrically arranged pattern situated on the Lake in which visitors will experience the fluidity and malleability of moving light. Visitors are presented with a thrilling optical illusion as water formed by light appears to flow into an unknown abyss as they enjoy the trail around the gardens.

Festive favourites

Wander beneath colourful canopies and bushes draped in sparkle, futuristic neon trees and branches illuminated with stars as you enter a botanical world filled with seasonal cheer. Many of Kew’s 12,000 trees and other botanical treasures from Kew’s living collection will be accentuated along the new route, allowing visitors to experience nature from a new perspective whilst reinforcing the essential role that plants play in all of our lives.

Creative studio Pitaya return to Christmas at Kew, lighting up the woodland with their ethereal installation ‘Floraison’, luminous poppies appear to have blown away in the breeze, clinging to branches high above visitors’ heads. Elsewhere, the ever-popular Fire Garden returns for 2022, and Kew’s famous Christmas Cathedral will once again create a dazzling world filled with thousands of fairy lights, offering the perfect Instagram opportunity. Visitors will be entranced as a series of breath-taking projections dance across the surface of Kew’s iconic Palm House and adjacent lake, set to a memorable soundtrack of much-loved Christmas classics.

To add an extra touch of magic to the Christmas at Kew experience, visitors can book a delicious traditional Christmas dinner at The Botanical Brasserie to enjoy with loved ones. Tasty treats from a selection of independent street food vendors are also available along the route, including spiced cider, waffles, mulled wine, or hot chocolate to keep you comfortably warm.

Says Sandra Botterell, Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: “Christmas at Kew is always magical, but this year it is even more special as we celebrate ten years of this wonderful light trail. 

"We can’t wait to welcome our visitors back to the Gardens to experience the return of our much-loved light installations, alongside exciting new additions, all of which take inspiration from Kew’s incredible collections. As the first festive light trail of its kind, Christmas at Kew really is a seasonal spectacular unlike any other.”

Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, sees the return of its own enchanting winter lantern trail for 2022. Glow Wild promises a brand-new route, with 11 bespoke installations and over 1000 paper lanterns handmade by local volunteers all celebrating the incredible colour spectrum of the natural world.

Visit https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas.

Love is in the air with the ultimate Christmas gift ideas

Yes, Love is truly in the air with the ultimate Christmas gift ideas for couples from experience day company WonderDays. 

From romantic short breaks to foodie experiences for two and spa days to making your own wedding rings, there is no shortage of gifts for couples to inspire you this Christmas.

In their latest Christmas gift guide, WonderDays has focused on those times when it really does take two.

Bronwen Jones, who is the company's head of social marketing, said Christmas gifts for couples can be all the more memorable when it’s something they can experience together.

"Making amazing memories and experiencing something together is, for us, one of the bests gifts you can give at Christmas," she pointed out.

"For the team here, our favourite times and most memorable Christmas moments are those we spent time with each other.

"Christmas is all about spending time with those whom you love most and for us, gifting an experience day the two of you can enjoy together further down the line is the perfect couple's present."

For more festive inspiration for two, read the WonderDays full Christmas Gift Guide For Couples on their website.

WonderDays launched earlier this year to offer a more flexible and easier way to purchase and enjoy gift experience days across the UK.

https://www.wonderdays.co.uk/experience-gift-ideas.

The Wise Men Who Found Christmas reveals the True Story of the Christmas Magi

Based on new, fresh research, this new book by New York Times bestselling author Raymond Arroyo is positioned to become atop seller at Amazon and Barnes & Noble this Christmas.

"The Wise Men Who Found Christmas" by New York Times bestselling author and award-winning broadcast journalist Raymond Arroyo is an exciting visual adventure which truly captures the joy of the Christmas season and sharing the long-hidden story of the mysterious Magi, who risked everything to discover the truth. 

Based on new historical evidence, "The Wise Men Who Found Christmas" is an all-new telling of three adventurous seekers who followed a star, and found themselves in the middle of the greatest story ever told. 

Actor Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest, The Passion of the Christ) said: "This beautiful and moving book shines like the Christmas star. Raymond Arroyo reveals the true and inspiring adventure of the Magi, who bravely followed the light given them and found a treasure beyond imagining. This is a journey you and your family would be wise to take, too!"

One of the most highly-anticipated seasonal offerings, "The Wise Men Who Found Christmas" is an exquisite picture book available now. It is a prequel to Arroyo's bestselling, "The Spider Who Saved Christmas."

"The story of the Three Wise Men is one of the most beloved and meaningful parts of the nativity story. Now, in this beautiful book, Raymond Arroyo is sharing the true Magi story with everyone. It will surely inspire all readers to adopt the lessons and traditions of Three Kings Day and keep the Christmas spirit alive for all 12 days of Christmas," said Rachel Campos Duffy, New York Times Bestselling Author, Fox & Friends Weekend Co-host.

Stunningly illustrated by Diane Le Feyer, this enchanting family keepsake is part of Arroyo's larger "Legend Series" of self-contained, episodic stories.

https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Men-Who-Found-Christmas/dp/1644136201.

Diwali 2022 Charity eCards released

Water poverty alleviation charity, Hope Spring has announced the launch of its annual Diwali eCard range. 

The charity which is based in Hereford, made the announcement on Twitter, today Tuesday the 11th of October. The organisation works with communities in developing countries to access clean drinking water.

The Diwali eCard was refreshed especially for 2022. Their new range includes over a dozen ecards and half a dozen video ecards. In the press release making the announcement, eCard platform manager Mr Abdulwasiu Abdulraheem said “Diwali eCards is one of our greeting cards range I love working on, for a start I love the title of Diwali; festival of light”. 

He went on to say: “This year we added a few more ecards and video eCards to our range to give us an improved range of Diwali eCards”.

Compared with last year, people sending Diwali greeting cards on Hope Spring eCard platform will be able to add detailed personalisation, besides sharing their eCard with friends and family via WhatsApp. Recipients can also reply to this year eCard via email, too.

Sending a diwali ecard on Hope Spring is as easy and quick as choosing an ecard from the range of diwali ecards catalogue, personalising it, making a donation and clicking send, and your ecard will arrive instantly. 

The ecard scheduling on the charity ecard platform also allows senders to schedule ecard ahead of time. While drawing attention to this feature, Mr Abduraheem said “those that have busy schedules can take advantage of our ecard scheduler.

This is quite handy. By scheduling a diwali ecard before diwali day, you sufficiently reduce the probability of forgetting to wish your friends and colleagues to zero.”

You can learn more about Hope Spring eCars, their work in water poverty alleviation by following them on their social media page or visiting their website https://www.hopespring.org.uk.

Although this is not a Christmas-related story, That's Christmas decided that we wanted to share it as helping provide the world's people with clean water is a good idea.

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