Morrisons brings back it's festive hero ‘Farmer Christmas’ for second year running

Morrisons is bringing back its Farmer Christmas for the second year running as part of its latest Christmas campaign.

The character was so well received by customers last year, that Morrisons is building on last year's success.  

Farmer Christmas has been integrated throughout the whole of this year’s campaign to highlight the great quality and value of Morrisons entire festive range, with his ‘seal of approval’ being the common thread throughout.

The 60 second TV advert spot, created with Publicis•Poke showcases the other hero of Christmas as Morrisons once again illustrates the work our British farmers do to help make Christmas so special for everyone.

The spotlight is also on Morrisons own colleagues,  many of whom feature in the advert, who are the “real life elves” who help make more than half the fresh food that Morrisons retails. 

The advert follows Farmer Christmas, who we hear speak for the first time in his rich Welsh brogue, as he travels across his fields on a tractor to his festive workshop. 

There we see Morrisons ‘elves’ hard at work preparing festive dishes made by Morrisons. Farmer Christmas introduces a Morrisons baker creating puff pastry mince pies in “magic ovens” (or normal ovens, as the baker clarifies!), a fishmonger showing off smoked Scottish salmon, and a butcher who passes Farmer Christmas a traditionally glazed gammon joint, which he describes as being “like a big edible Christmas present”.  

Viewers will then follow Farmer Christmas as he travels on his tractor to deliver a festive feast to a family, before cheekily inviting himself to sit down and join them!

The advert finishes with Farmer Christmas proudly explaining that Morrisons is the “only supermarket to be officially approved by me” because of its commitment to British farming, its food makers and its great value Christmas products.  

The ‘Officially Approved By Farmer Christmas’ stamp will be seen throughout the festive campaign in stores and also across paid media.

While the advert kicks off the festive season for Morrisons, some Christmas products have been on the shelves since mid September to help customers spread the cost of this year’s festivities.  

Other recent activities that have been introduced to help customers with the cost of living include reducing and then freezing the prices of 150 of its most popular products, the introduction of exclusive offers to My Morrisons members and the continuation of the Kids Eat Free All Day initiative in Morrisons cafés.  

Over the coming days, Morrisons Christmas Collector scheme will go live for eligible My Morrisons members enabling them to receive a significant money-off voucher to spend at Christmas if they meet the criteria and shop in the relevant weeks.  

Rachel Eyre, who has the enviable job of being Morrisons Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, said: "We know our customers are having to manage their budgets closely at the moment but they've told us they don’t want to compromise on the Christmas meal.  

"We’ve brought Farmer Christmas back this year to show our customers the food and great prices that, thanks to Morrisons foodmakers and farmers, will be available throughout the entire festive period, all stamped with his seal of approval.”

Dave Monk, who is Publicis•Poke's Executive Creative Director, said: “Farmer Christmas is back. This year with a twinkle in his eye and a tractor to match. 

"As the authority on Christmas food, with a mouth full of his own wisdom and a sack full of Morrisons mince pies, he’s here to remind us all the most precious moments at Christmas are the ones we spend around the table with our family, and that the presents on our tables make Christmas just as special as the presents under the tree.”

The advert was expertly directed by Frank Todaro of Moxie Pictures and will launch on TV during Good Morning Britain on Monday 7th November, followed by network TV spots that include Coronation Street, Bake Off, I’m a Celebrity and Goggle Box. It will also be shown in cinemas throughout the festive period, too.

The wider campaign will run across radio, press, digital display, social media and out of home bringing Farmer Christmas to streets, as well as screens, across the UK.

This ad is the first in a series of ten Christmas TV ads showcasing Morrisons fresh food and festive deals to tie in with the World Cup as well as the Christmas period. 

Fudge Kitchen says: "Give Fudge this Christmas!"

British artisanal Fudge makers, Fudge Kitchen, completed a rebrand earlier in this year which saw them prioritising ways in which they can minimise their (and their customers) impact on the environment. 

They've been making fudge for nearly about four decades and what began as a handful of fudge shops has developed into a thriving online and wholesale business, producing confectionery for some of the UK's most prestigious hotels and  top department stores.

Sian Holt, their MD,  says: “The rebrand initially came about as we wanted to align the personality of our six high street shops with the premium gifting positioning of our wholesale and ecommerce sides. 

"As part of this review, we felt it was the perfect time to explore more sustainable packaging options, introduce more locally sourced ingredients and find ways in which we can give back to our planet.”

The packaging update saw them moving to use only UK printed packaging, dramatically reducing their carbon footprint. They also switched to plant-based inks and water-based glues, and all packaging is FSC certified and is now also fully recyclable. 

As a part of the rebrand the manufacturer, which is based in Kent, also switched to a new and more ethical chocolate supplier, Luker Chocolate, which is owned by a Colombian family-owned chocolate manufacturer. They are also beginning to phase out internationally grown cane sugar in favour of beet sugar which is grown in Norfolk.

For Christmas, Fudge Kitchen felt the desire to create a product that replaced something wasteful and unsustainable, so they created their Luxury Christmas Crackers. 

You won't find a plastic hopping frog or gimmicky whistle that will no doubt end up in landfill. Instead, each cracker contains three generous squares of butter fudge in their most popular festive flavours, Sea Salted Caramel, Speculoos and Chocolate and Orange. 

The stylish crackers are the perfect addition to a Christmas tablescape, stocking filler or popped on the tree for a decoration.

Alongside their Christmas Crackers, Fudge Kitchen also has an extensive range of other gifting products including their compostable confectionery pouches containing handmade Chocolate Coated Honeycomb, Raspberry Coconut Ice, Rock Salted Peanut Brittle, and Sea Salted Caramel Crumbly Fudge.

The pouches are made using renewable resources, including TIPA bio-based film, NatureFlex cellulose and PaperWise paper, and can be composted with your household food waste (subject to local authority arrangements). The compostability is clearly stated on each pack, with instructions on how to dispose of them appropriately.

Their Head of Sales, Rupert Allinson, added: “We feel very strongly that there's a responsibility for all businesses to play their part in tackling the climate emergency. We don't want to just do 'enough' to keep in line with government rules and legislation. Instead, we want to pave our own way, going above and beyond to minimise the impact we have.”

Fudge Kitchen's Luxury Christmas Crackers can be found on the Fudge Kitchen website, in Fudge Kitchen stores, Harvey Nichols, Liberty and Not On The High Street.

https://www.fudgekitchentrade.co.uk/giving-a-fudge.

Coffee Lovers Letter Box Hamper. Ideal Christmas gift

The Coffee Lovers Letter Box Hamper makes a super Christmas gift for the people you really love and care about and it's a snip at £29.95 and includes standard delivery.

It's gorgeously wrapped in traditional parcel paper, with twine and proper ink stamps, this special little coffee hamper is perfect for friends and family who love the smell and taste of fresh coffee to start their day.

This letter box gift hamper includes:

• A personalised card with the recipient's name and your own personal message.

• Olfactory Coffee's delicious blend of Fazenda Cruzeiro and Agustino Forest beans from Colombia, with a smooth taste of oats, cranberry and caramel. Best used in Cafetieres. Ground beans, 70g.

• Olfactory Coffee's new Ethiopian Rocko Mountain coffee, sweet and full bodied with delicate caramel sweetness and mild lime acidity. Best used in Cafetieres. Ground beans, 70g.

• Artisan Roast Espresso dark chocolate, from Coco Chocolatier in Edinburgh. Single origin 64% dark chocolate meets Bonanza coffee from El Salvador, delivering a taste of the tropical. 90g bar.

• Shortbread House of Edinburgh Original shortbread, handmade in Edinburgh using a traditional Scottish recipe, with a delicious buttery flavour and a light crisp texture. Twin pack.

• Shortbread House of Edinburgh Original with Stem Ginger shortbread, handmade in Edinburgh using a traditional Scottish recipe, with a delicious buttery flavour and a light crisp texture. Twin pack.

We also offer this coffee hamper on a discounted 3-month subscription to ensure that caffeine itch can be scratched without pause!

Coffee not quite your thing? Try our Afternoon Tea Hamper instead.

Simple, free letterbox friendly delivery anywhere in the UK. International delivery available.

Free shipping - Standard Uk delivery. International delivery also available.

Next day delivery available - For orders placed before 2pm

It's a Luxury British Produce - Premium gifting, and their positive reviews speak for themselves.

To order visit https://www.letterboxhamper.com/products/coffee-lovers-letter-box-hamper?_pos=1&_sid=0ece221b7&_ss=r

Royal Mail delivering at Christmas: What you need to know

The following information has been supplied to us by Royal Mail and is correct at the time of publication. For any updates and further information please visit www.royalmail.com/greetings.

Parcel Collect:

Royal Mail’s Parcel Collect service is a convenient way to send parcels or returns this Christmas. With this service, postmen and postwomen collect parcels and returns from customers while they carry out their daily round. 

As well as offering even higher levels of convenience, the move enables online sellers and online shoppers to mail or return a pre-paid item by post from the comfort of their own home. Royal Mail’s Parcel Postboxes are another option for sending parcels or return items.

Shop Early and Post Early for Christmas:

Royal Mail is encouraging customers to order their online gifts and shopping well in advance, and to post their festive greetings early, to help its postmen and women deliver the bumper festive mailbag. Its latest recommended posting dates for mail to arrive in time for Christmas are:

UK latest recommended posting dates for Christmas 2022 are:

Monday 19 December 

- 2nd Class

- 2nd Class Signed For

- Royal Mail 48®

Wednesday 21 December

- 1st Class

-1st Class Signed For

- Royal Mail 24®

Thursday 22 December

- Special Delivery Guaranteed®

Further information is available at www.royalmail.com/greetings.

(Image used courtesy of AW1000 and Pixabay)

Royal Mail reveals special video stamps for Christmas 2022

Royal Mail is celebrating Christmas 2022 with a series of six special barcoded stamps, exclusively illustrated by award-winning artist, Katie Ponder.

The six designs reflect Kent-based Katie’s unique style, providing a fresh and contemporary feel to the classic Nativity story.

The illustrations this year focus on key moments in the traditional Christmas story such as the journey to Bethlehem and the Magi being guided by the Christmas star.

Rather poignantly this year’s stamps will be the last ever Christmas stamps to feature the silhouette of the Late Queen Elizabeth.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: We are encouraging our  customers to post their festive greetings early and order their online gifts and shopping well in advance, to help our posties to deliver the bumper festive mailbag.

The stamps are on sale from today (3 November) and will be available at www.royalmail.com/christmas2022, by phone on 03457 641 641 and the 7,000 Post Offices all over the UK

Royal Mail also worked with The Revd Lucy Winkett, who is the Rector of St James's Church, Piccadilly on this year's stamp issue.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Our Christmas stamp issue is always very eagerly anticipated, and it's one we particularly look forward to. We believe the charming style of these designs sets the perfect tone for the festive season.”

The barcodes on this year’s Christmas stamps allow customers to watch a seasonal, themed video created exclusively for Royal Mail by the award winning Aardman studio. The video features Shaun the Sheep and his friends sending some festive cheer to Bitzer, the Farmer’s dog.

To choose and view the video, both sender and recipient can download the Royal Mail App. The sender can select the Christmas video for the recipient to watch just by scanning the stamp barcode, thus giving that someone special something extra to smile about this Christmas.

Catan Trade, Build, Settle

Klaus Teuber's Catan, Trade, Build, Settle is probably unlike any other game that you have ever seen or played. Ever.

Otherwise known as The Settlers of Catan, this game has garnered so many different awards that it's not always easy to keep track of them. From Game of the Year to Game of the Century, entered into the Hall of Fame and with a variety of awards from countries all over the world, including the USA.

It's an ideal Christmas gift because it's been hailed worldwide as the "Perfect Social Game."

So, what happens in Catan Trade, Build, Settle? Explorers with a thirst for adventure have the task of attempting to explore the island of Catan.

Catan is rich in resources but is totally devoid of any inhabitants, so is ripe for the plucking and for settling and for exploitation.

There are rich agricultural areas, harbours, a desert area and hills, wooded areas and mountains. An intriguing and deliberately engineered feature of the game is that the random mix creates an entirely different board with almost every game. Which means that no two games will ever be exactly the same!

What's the game play? You must steer your own team of settlers onward to victory. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But no! Your settlers will require a certain degree of cunning and they'll need to be smart traders, too. 

Work out which resource combinations will work out for the best, depending on several factors. Grain, lumber. wool, ore deposits, etc, etc. Use your resources to purchase highly useful development cards, have your settlers build settlements, roads and, eventually, cities,

You can acquire resources through trade, the use of cards or even the throw of a lucky dice! Even if it's not your turn? Wow!

However, you need to be aware that other settlers might be trying to do you down by employing their own cunning strategies. And do be aware of the larcenous fiend who has his eyes on some of your stuff!

It's said that the average game player can learn to play Catan in about a quarter of an hour, and that each campaign should take about an hour, perhaps a little longer. It's designed for 3 to 4 players.

It comes complete with a rule book and almanac.

It's suggested that you can learn to play the game at www.catan.com where you will find, amongst other highly useful things, the Catan Explainer App.

You will find Catan Trade, Build, Settle on same at Amazon, in specialist game retailers all over the country at about the £30 mark.

It will make a fantastic Christmas gift for the gamers in your life. 

https://www.asmodee.co.uk/

Ticket to Ride San Francisco

Ticket to Ride San Francisco is a fantastic game from Days of Wonder.

How good is the game? Their proud claim is that you will be able to learn the game within three minutes but that you will then have hours of fun playing it!

And that's absolutely 100% true! I wondered how I, as an individual, would feel about this game because I have had the privilege of visiting San Francisco on several occasions.

And this game actually blew me away! You get a board map of the city's transportation network, 80 cable cars (there are 20 in each colour) 21 tourist tokens, 44 transportation cards 24 destination cards 4 scoring markers and the all important rules sheet telling you how to play the game.

It's a rapid play game as you race against your fellow players whilst seeing who of you can visit the most iconic tourist sites in the city on the bay.

From the cable cars to the Golden Gate Bridge, from Alcatraz to Pier 39, from the Embarcadero to the Mission District, from Pier 39 to Height-Astbury and  everywhere else in between, everyone will have a fantastic touristy time as you race each other to see who can get to their destination first! But be careful to collect souvenirs on the way round the specially designed game board, as you'll need these to win.

Did this game take me back to my visits to San Francisco? In a way, yes. However this time my visit was purely fun and didn't involve any power point presentations in a boring conference venue!

Ticket to Ride San Francisco will make an absolutely perfect Christmas present for anyone ages from 8 and above and is designed for 2 to 4 players.

It's a game from Alan R. Moon and is published by Days of Wonder. And they even have forums for players, too! https://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/san-francisco.

It's available from toy shops and will cost you £21.77.

https://www.asmodee.co.uk/

That's Books and Entertainment: Get more music from Amazon Prime

That's Books and Entertainment: Get more music from Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime members will enjoy an increase from 2 million on-demand to 100 million songs in shuffle mode, ad-free, and at no additional cos...

Matthew West Invites You to 'Come Home for Christmas' - New Song Out Now

Matthew West invites you to "Come Home for Christmas," with his enchanting new holiday tune, which is out now across all digital streaming platforms. 

Kicking off the most wonderful time of the year with a dazzling announcement, West has partnered with Candace Cameron Bure, Bill Abbott and Great American Family to highlight the endearing carol on their Great American Family channel all holiday season. Fans can hear "Come Home for Christmas" for eight weeks during Great American Christmas celebrating their holiday films.

And you can listen to "Come Home for Christmas" here https://matthewwest.lnk.to/ComeHomeforChristmasPR

"I am really thrilled to be partnering with the Great American Family network this holiday season," said Matthew. "I love Christmas music so much, and each year I find myself sitting down at the piano penning a new Christmas tune inspired by my love of this most wonderful time of the year. 'Come Home for Christmas' is not just a song, it's an invitation for every heart to return to the wonder, the peace, the love, and the hope that this holiday season offers to every heart. I hope when people tune in to watch their favorite holiday films on the network that this song will serve as a musical reminder of what Christmas is all about."

"Matthew is one of my favourite storytellers through music of all time," said Bure. "The originality and authenticity of his Christmas songs can be felt within his lyrics and melodies. I'm incredibly thrilled that he is a part of Great American Family, and that our audience can experience such moving music that's really unlike any other."

"Original music plays an essential role in creating a cosy, memorable Christmas experience and is a key differentiator for Great American Family in the holiday movie space," said Abbott, who is President and CEO of Great American Media.

"Matthew's inspirational 'Come Home for Christmas' perfectly embodies our 'Welcome Home to Great American Christmas' theme and the song is sure to resonate with our audience this holiday season."

West was recently nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Inspirational Artist - voting open here. The NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Year also announced his upcoming double album MY STORY YOUR GLORY set for release February 17, 2023. 

The five-time Grammy® nominee has had a monumental year: "Me On Your Mind" spent 6 weeks atop the Mediabase Christian Airplay chart and the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart for 5 weeks. His fifth consecutive chart-topper marked West's 25th number one song combined as an artist and songwriter - now at 27. 

His sixth book "The God Who Stays" is out now. He is set to hit the road for the AN EVENING AT THE STORY HOUSE WITH MATTHEW WEST tour kicking off November 3 then will return to Franklin, TN for his Come Home for Christmas weekend December 2-4.

Candid Communications Launches New Book 'Your Santa Agent Invitation' to Help Parents Navigate the 'Santa' Conversation

New children's Christmas picture book "Your Santa Agent Invitation" is a parent's guide to explaining Santa to children in a positive and enjoyable way, letting them know they have a special role to play in keeping the magic of Christmas alive.

Written in a gentle and easy rhyming style, this book is a delightful way to navigate one of the most difficult and potentially awkward parent/child conversations, enabling an honest discussion with warmth and cheer.

By covering the history of Saint Nick and inviting your child to become a "Santa Agent," this book transforms a time of potential loss into an opportunity for creating a wonderful gain. It shows children knowing the true identity of Santa is, actually, a cause for celebration. 

Written by writer and journalist Alex Lalak, and marketing executive, author and mother Louise Cummins, this children's book offers both children and grown-ups a new way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

"My passion for storytelling was sparked during my childhood by reading the fairy books of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Cicely Mary Barker. As a great believer in the magic and joy of Christmas, I was thrilled to co-write this book," Ms. Lalak said.

"As a mother, I'm inspired to keep the magic of Christmas alive. I hope this book will delight children around the world, and help other parents navigate the conversation with love and care," Ms. Cummins said.

Described by Reader's Favourite as an "uplifting" and "positive" story, "Your Santa Agent Invitation" will be available to purchase online via Amazon and other leading online bookstores.

"This uplifting story presents a positive way for parents and families to be honest with their children while keeping the Christmas joy and spirit alive and well," Melinda Facal from Reader's Favourite said.

ISBN: 978-0648465539

https://yoursantaagentinvitation.com

https://www.instagram.com/yoursantaagentinvitation

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086344899783 

Alex Lalak is an Australian writer and journalist currently based in southern France. She writes for a range of publications, including Escape and The Australian. Her passion for storytelling was sparked in childhood by reading the fairy books of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Cicely Mary Barker. As a great believer in the magic and joy of Christmas, she was thrilled to co-write this book that offers both children and grown-ups a new way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Louise Cummins is an Australian marketing executive, author and mother. Her first children's book "A Different Kind of Brilliant" was made into a short film that featured at film festivals in the U.S. and Australia. Her desire to help keep the magic of Christmas alive inspired her to co-write this book, which she hopes will delight children around the world.

Portable North Pole Brings the Magic of Christmas to you and your children

The Portable North Pole (PNP) website and mobile apps bring the magic of Christmas direct to almost any device with four new free, limited-time trial videos and over 90 personalised videos and calls across Premium packages. 

Parents can watch their children’s faces light up with one-of-a-kind messages from Santa, and record their child’s priceless reaction to their message from Santa using the Reaction Recorder.

Celebrating its 15th season, Portable North Pole has generated millions of cinematic personalised messages from Santa in a beloved Christmas tradition that has grown in popularity around the world. 

Users can tailor messages to include the recipient’s photo, correct name pronunciation, age and Christmas wish, select if they’ve been naughty or nice, and more. 

Parents can help improve or congratulate good behaviour, schedule an incoming call from Santa, experience interactive videos, and take advantage of adding a live call in select 2022 Premium videos!

“We are delighted to head into our 15th season of delivering exciting messages from Santa through the PNP website and mobile app, with new partnerships and features, including the all-new Interactive Gift Tag for an extra-special gift-giving experience,” said Alexandre Bérard, CEO of UGroupMedia Inc., the creators of Portable North Pole.

The new features for the 2022 Christmas season will include:

● 4 new FREE trial experience videos and 18 new Premium video and call scenarios: Discover new Christmas videos for kids and grown-ups, including a birthday celebration video and a special World Cup video message for a highly cinematic experience.

● Live call during video: In select 2022 Premium videos, you can choose to receive a live call from Santa during your video!

● Personalised and Interactive Gift Tag: Place a printable gift tag on a present on Christmas Eve, scan the QR code, and reveal a personalised video of Santa delivering their gift in your living room!

● Added Premium features: Within Magic Pass packages, users can take advantage of:

- Access to all Premium messages: Including video messages, calls, and video calls!

- Interactive videos: Choose your own path in select Premium videos for a unique Christmas adventure!

- Reaction Recorder: Parents can record their child’s reaction as they experience their customised message from Santa!

- Multi-recipient videos: Santa can recite up to four names in several video message options, allowing the whole family to experience the magic together.

- 1080 HD downloads

In addition, Portable North Pole has partnered with more than 48 leading children hospitals around the world to donate up to 5% of online sales through its Portable North Pole Children's Hospital Program. Partner hospitals include Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (USA), Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (UK), SickKids (Canada).

Known as the Number One Santa App in the Apple App Store and Google Play, Portable North Pole has over 11 million downloads around the globe and over 237 million personalised video views. Discover the magic by visiting www.portablenorthpole.com.

Morrisons launches Christmas Collector scheme to help us save

Morrisons is revealing a whole host of festive offers for its My Morrisons customers and is encouraging us to swipe our loyalty card to see what deals await us. (Cool! I can't wait!) 

All this is aimed at helping Morrison's customers save money ahead of Christmas, the initiatives range from collector schemes to help save for the future as well as seasonal rewards for today.

The Christmas offers all sit alongside our My Morrisons instant rewards that continue to be available and give customers discounts on the categories we say matter most to us including meat, dairy and impulse purchases.

Christmas Collector: After listening to customers, Morrisons is bringing back its popular collector programme for both app and card users. (Cool!) 

Launching on 7th November, eligible app customers will be invited to participate in the five week scheme, enabling us to receive a significant money-off voucher if we meet the criteria and shopped in four of the relevant weeks. Those of us customers can then be able to spend our ‘bonus’ voucher from Monday December 12th 2022 until Tuesday 3rd January 2023.

Eligible customers who don’t use the app and prefer to use their loyalty card will have the chance to redeem four weekly coupons from Monday 14th November which, if completed, will enable them to receive a bonus money-off voucher.

My Morrisons Exclusive: Morrisons is continuing to offer My Morrisons members great value by introducing My Morrisons Exclusive offers and promotions.  This week, customers can get ‘2 for £6.00’ on chocolate confectionery tubs which are individually priced at £4.00. The type of categories on offer will evolve as Morrisons continues to listen to customer feedback. 

Basket Bonus: The Basket Bonus has also received a very welcome festive makeover.  When a customer scans the app or swipes their card they'll now be in with a chance to ‘bag a bonus’ offer such as some Morrisons mince pies, a festive coffee or money-off a shop. (Morrisons, you piqued my interest with "Morrisons mince pies!" Yum! These are absolutely delicious and a real part of Christmas at That's Christmas!)

Free Hot Drinks: A ‘buy 4 get the 5th free’ hot drinks scheme has now launched on the My Morrisons app for use in Morrisons cafés.

Digital Wallet: To make it even simpler for customers to locate and swipe their digital loyalty card at the till, My Morrisons app users can now add it to their Apple or Google Wallet.

Rachel Eyre, who is the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Morrisons, said: “We know our customers are under real financial pressure at the moment and Morrisons want to play our part in helping them when it comes to the cost of the festive grocery shop. 

"Our customers have told us they appreciated our Easter and Summer Collector schemes and so we're thrilled to be bringing it back for Christmas again.  The addition of My Morrisons Exclusives means we are offering loyal customers even more value when they shop with us."

The My Morrisons App can be downloaded from Android or Apple stores.  Customers can register online at www.mymorrisons.com for the website experience or can continue to use their physical card for paper vouchers that will be printed at the till when they shop. 

Something new for us chocolate lovers at Asda this Christmas

Shoppers are excited about Asda’s new range of blonde chocolate flavour goodies. Some are even saying "This has Christmas written all over it!” (Actually, That's Christmas is saying the same thing, too!)

Shoppers can test the latest trending flavour sensation, which is blonde chocolate, with Asda’s delicious drinks and desserts range starting at a remarkably reasonable from £2!

Tuck into a treat with the Extra Special Salted Caramel & Blonde Chocolate Choux Wreath - that one shopper claims is “the only wreath that’s needed” this Christmas. 

What’s more, there’s even a Blonde Chocolate Flavour Cream Liqueur that's just so absolutely spot on for festive get-togethers!

Sweet-toothed shoppers are being wowed by Asda’s latest foodie launch, its blonde chocolate range. So, what exactly is blonde chocolate? It's a gorgeous combination of delicious silky caramel and milk chocolate, to create an iconic combination that's luxuriously sweet and very, very tempting!

As we just mentioned, the star of the show is Asda’s Extra Special Blonde Chocolate Flavour Cream Liqueur. Available in stores now for just £8 (70cl), the delicate caramel notes blend very easily with  real Madagascan vanilla for a drink destined to be a festive party hit. Great if served with ice, or fun to try experimenting with your cocktail shakers and some traditional cocktail recipes, giving them a very  welcome caramel twist!

Got guests over Christmas? Then really impress them with Asda’s Extra Special Salted Caramel & Blonde Chocolate Choux Wreath (£5.50). 

It's filled with British cream and topped with Belgian chocolate and some shoppers have said that “this is the only wreath that’s needed” and that “this has Christmas written all over it." Even better news? It serves eight, so there'll be plenty to share.

As winter settles in, it's time to get the hot cocoa out. And as you'd expect, Asda’s new edition hot chocolate added to its Extra Special range is absolutely ideal. The Extra Special Blonde Style Hot Chocolate (£2.75) is best enjoyed blended with warm milk for a sumptuous afternoon treat.

But there's even more, too! Also available isthe Tempting Blonde Caramel Cupcake Kit (£2) and Extra Special Sea Salted Caramel & Blonde Chocolate Chouxnuts (£3 for a pack of two). The ultimate ‘blonde chocolate’ dessert, Chouxnuts are filled with a sea-salt caramel sauce and mousse, and topped with sauces made with Belgian white chocolate, caramelised white chocolate, and sea salt, and decorated with caramel flavour curls.

Give any festive dessert a creamy-caramel twist with Asda’s Extra Special Blonde Chocolate & Golden Rum Extra Thick Cream (£2.75). A thick, smooth, and luxurious eat with sweetened double cream, blonde chocolate, and golden rum. This Extra Special cream is produced using British Milk and Luxardo Golden Rum.

With 6 products available in the Asda blonde chocolate range, fans of this latest foodie flavour trend won’t want to miss out on Asda’s latest launches!

(So, that's several new important members of my food group to be added to my shopping list! Yes, my food group which includes delicious blonde chocolate from our nearest branch of Asda!) 

Buy iconic British heritage brand handmade silk scarves for Christmas

A 90-year-old British heritage brand is thrilled to announce the launch of a brand-new scarf collection. Just in time for Christmas

Jacqmar, a British-owned scarf business established 90 years ago in 1932, has launched its newest collection of stylish scarves, the first new additions in excess of 30 years.

Woven using only the finest of silks, the limited-edition, English-made Jacqmar scarf collection offers a fresh take on the brand, which was once a high fashion staple of royalty and the British celebrities of the day.

In statement colours of fuchsia, orange and navy, the latest collection celebrates the Jacqmar heritage by featuring its very first London store situated on Grosvenor Street, Mayfair.

The sophisticated statement pieces will make excellent celebratory gifts for mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

A spokesperson for the brand said: "We at Jacqmar are enormously excited to release the first scarf collection in over 30 years. A move that further builds on the reputation of an iconic mid 20th century fashion staple."

They went on to add: "The heritage of the brand is inescapable and an intrinsic part of the essence of Jacqmar. However, the approach is very much modern and forward thinking, with the ultimate goal being to bring women joy through the designs, while creating iconic items that showcase pride in Jacqmar’s British heritage. 

"This new collection of silk scarves, will introduce a new generation of customers to enjoy the quality and eye-catching design that’s synonymous with Jacqmar.

"Jacqmar isn't only proud to re-launch with this beautiful limited-edition scarf, which is a unique collective piece, but equally excited to continue their legacy with many more scarf designs that can be loved and worn on any occasion. Two of which will be introduced in the coming weeks."

That's Christmas believes that these Jacqmar scarves will make ideal Christmas gifts for the fashionable person in your life. 

For more information on Jacqmar and its newest collection, please visit https://jacqmar.com.

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Scalp Scrubs. An ideal gift for Christmas? We think so!

Scalp scrubs. Are they merely yet another marketing hype or are they really worth the money?

And what exactly do you do with them? And, even more important, what exactly can they do for you?

You probably think your scalp is clean and healthy. After all, you wash it regularly with your favourite shampoo and that’s more than enough attention, isn’t it? Well, possibly not.

You see, our love affair with dry shampoo, styling foams and hairsprays, not to mention the effects of pollution and everyday dirt and grime, leave their toll on our scalps.

This build-up of residue, added to natural sweat and oils, can leave our heads feeling itchy, dry and flaky. All too familiar, isn't it?

And since beautiful hair starts with a healthy scalp, you really do need to remove this gunk once or twice a week with a scrub which is carefully formulated to deep clean and exfoliate the delicate skin on your head.

It is your scalp that mainly determines what your hair's like, whether it's dry or greasy, dull or shiny, thick or thin. Your scalp is the starting point and its health largely determines the quality of your hair.

Your hair grows from the scalp and depends upon it for its nourishment and well-being, similar to a rich fertile soil needed for plants to grow and flourish.

So, when the scalp becomes unhealthy, it shows in your hair.

Dry scalp, dandruff, flaking, irritation, spots, inflammation, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss and much more can all be symptoms of an unhealthy scalp.

Improving the health of your scalp leads to enormous improvements, not just to the scalp itself, but also to the quality and condition of your hair and its ability to grow.

To make an unhealthy scalp healthy, three things need to happen:

Any scale on the scalp must be removed.

The level of micro-organisms on the scalp must be controlled.

Fast growing, and scale forming, skin cells on the scalp need to be slowed down.

We suggest Natura Siberica Oblepikha Scalp Scrub, £6.50, a unique product that can help combat hair loss and flaky scalp whilst deeply nourishing the hair.

Oblepikha Siberica offers a unique treatment for taking care of your scalp. It's an intensive triple-action scrub which deeply purifies the scalp and helps prevent hair loss by increasing blood flow to hair follicles.

Vitamins and amino-acids in the formula nourish and repair hair, while Altai sea-buckthorn and amaranth oils help produce keratin, which gives hair strength and shine.

Marigold, wild Siberian mint and wood sorrow revitalise the scalp and nourish hair roots. Your locks will look healthy, strong and gorgeous!

And, naturally, there are no nasties in here, no parabens, PEG, glycols or mineral oils. Wonderful!

Natura Siberica is avaiable from www.naturasiberica.co.uk, Amazon, Holland and Barrett and health food stores.

We at That's Christmas believe that this product will make an excellent Christmas gift for the loved ones in your life who care about using natural ingredients in their skincare. Why not take a look at the website and put together your very own exclusive and utterly natural care pack for them?

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Cornish Mead Christmas Jellies With Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream

To us at That's Christmas this will make an ideal family treat for your Christmas festivities. They could even become a part of your family's Christmas traditions for future years.

Festive fruit, honeyed mead and warming spices combine in these Christmas jellies. This easy, no-bake dessert is perfect for making in advance and serving at parties, complete with a spoonful of delicious  Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream and a twist of orange.

Serves 6

Ingredients

425ml Traditional Mead

425ml Cranberry Juice

150g Cranberries - frozen works well

2 large Oranges

1 Cinnamon Stick

30ml Honey

6 leaves of Gelatine / 18g powdered gelatine

225g Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream

Place a freezer-proof glass jug in the freezer and clear a shelf in your fridge for the jellies to set.

In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, zest of 1 orange, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, honey and the cinnamon stick. Simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally before discarding the cinnamon stick. Pour into six serving glasses and set aside.

Gently warm the cranberry juice in a small saucepan and stir through the gelatine until completely dissolved. Pour into the frozen glass jug, before adding the mead. Stir gently until combined.

Pour the mixture into each glass, allowing space at the top. Chill until the jelly sets.

Cut twists of orange peel. To serve, top each glass with a large spoonful of Cornish Clotted Cream and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

The image was taken by Kate Whitaker. The recipe created by Harry Hook.

https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk.

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Just in time for Christmas gifting! Neem London is the Latest Sustainable Brand Validated by ethy

Nick and Ian Reed

The good news is that designed with the future in mind Low emission menswear brand Neem London has passed ethy sustainable accreditation and joins ethy’s consumer shopping guide app. So you can go to their online shop and start buying Christmas gifts confident that your purchases are greener and more ethical! 

Neem London, a low-emission menswear brand founded by brothers Nick and Ian Reed, is the latest brand to become accredited by ethy and feature on ethy’s popular ethical shopping app. Their collection of T-Shirts, over shirts, collared shirts and polos are manufactured using a range of materials, carefully selected by Neem for their lower CO2 footprint.

Neem London's mission? Is to make the lowest-emitting yet stylish shirt in the entire world. Fashion accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions, and Neem London exists to redefine the carbon-intensive industry for more sustainable menswear clothing that doesn't compromise on quality or style. What does this mean? It means long-lasting clothing that offers a great fit and uses fabrics that feel good against the skin. 

Neem London founder Nick Reed says: "Here at Neem we're extremely excited and pleased about joining the ethy family. Their values of living in a greener, more environmentally-considered lifestyle align with everything we’re trying to do with low emissions menswear and our quest to make the lowest emitting shirt in the world."

Brands passing the ethy audit in up to 35 environmental, social, and sustainable initiatives can use ethy's hexagonal trust mark icons on the packaging, digital media, and advertising. Multiple category trust marks build into an impactful visual Impact Hive that customers can quickly identify to differentiate the most conscientious brands.

Callum Miller, CEO of ethy, said: “We are obviously thrilled to welcome Neem London to the ethy family of the world’s most ethical and sustainable brands.

"With fashion making creating a disproportionate impact on carbon emissions, the textiles and clothing industries are slowly changing to a more sustainable future, led by brands like Neem London. Having undertaken our audit and accreditation process, customers can be certain the brand's claims for their environmental policies have been fully validated and confirmed.”

The ethy app has seen an explosive growth since its launch, giving sustainable shoppers a comprehensive platform to look for and find the best in ethical goods and services, plus tips, guides, and information on living a more sustainable lifestyle.

"The easy-to-use ethy app directly addresses the findings of a recent Deloitte survey suggesting 41% of UK adults are reluctant to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle due to it being 'too complicated’ or 'difficult to do'.

"Our mission is to empower both businesses, brands and consumers to act for a more sustainable future," says Callum Miller, CEO and founder of ethy.

"From significantly reducing the costs of audit and accreditation, so even the smallest start-up consumer brands can prove their values, to delivering a free-to-use app packed with information on environmentally friendly shopping, ethy is championing a brighter, greener, more sustainable future for everyone."

Callum went on to say: "From zero-waste stores to vegan cafes, cosmetics, food & drink, electrical goods and fashion, over 100 brands have already undergone ethy audit and accreditation. They can now stand by their claims with ethy trust mark logos on their websites, marketing, and packaging, giving shoppers trust in their sustainable claims. The 2020 Compare Ethics Report showed 83% of consumers would be more likely to trust a product's sustainability claim if it had been verified by a third party."

For more information on ethy, interview with CEO Callum Miller or for comment on any sustainable shopping topics, please get in touch with the team at Quick Brown Fox: hello@quickbrownfoxpr.com

Download ethy on the App Store and the Google Play store.

https://ethy.co.uk/

https://neemlondon.com/

Why not set up a blog for a loved one this Christmas?

Why not set up a blog for someone this Christmas?

For many years I have used the blogging service Blogger.com which is owned and operated by parent company Google / Alphabet.

Why do I use it rather than Wordpress, for example?  The ironic thing is I have actually have a qualification in designing and operating Wordpress sites and did launch a test Wordpress site but I found it less-than-impressive, to be honest.

There are seemingly always issues with the wide variety of plug-ins that you require to operate your site.

Wordpress also brings out a bewildering plethora of updates that are very difficult to keep up with.

Page speed can be an issue, taking forever to load, or so it seems.

There are many error messages that don't seem to make sense, especially to the new user.

You often need a developer to create your blog.

However, with Blogger.com you sign in with your GMail account, you start your blog and congratulations! You have your blog! Often within minutes rather than the hours it can take with other blogging services.

You can easily create a beautiful and stylish blog that perfectly fits within your own design ethos. 

You can opt from a selection of very easy-to-use templates. And all templates come with with flexible layouts and literally hundreds of background images that you can use at no cost. You can use specially designed templates, but I tend to use standard templates that I modify with background images, apps, etc.

And if you have a Google Adsense account you can run these on your blogs/s, too. 

You can create a gift card to present to the recipient of your gift blog and you can help them to start their blog and also give them hints and tips on how to run the blog which they can use to publish their poems, their stories, recipes, family history, etc, etc, etc.

Just visit www.blogger.com to start up.

Google also operate a dedicated help and advice service which you can find here https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/1623800?hl=en.

If you love cocktails at Christmas you'll love Primo Aperitivo

Most people love the idea of making and then drinking cocktails at Christmas and into the New Year party season.

But how do you go about creating your own cocktails? Will they be too strong? Or perhaps so weak they might need some assistance to escape the shaker or the glass?

Well, fret no more neophyte cocktail makers! Because Primo Aperitivo has got everything covered for you with some very, very stylish and very tasty pre-made cocktails!   

A spokeswoman told us: "We currently have a range of three Ready to drink Aperitivo Cocktails, the classic Negroni cocktail, the Americano and the recently viral Sbagliato Cocktail. They are all sustainably produced, made in Italy, come in beautiful gift boxes which are crafted using recycled materials and have won several awards." 

She went on to say: "We are also about to launch gift sets together with Roasting Plant for Coffee Negroni Sets and  Lucocoa for a set of Negroni and chocolate, as well as our Negroni kits including 2 eco-crystal glasses."

Their Coffee Negroni Set with Roasting Plant will also be a fantastic Christmas gift as they're going to be launched as a limited edition across their five shops in London and their respective webshops. 

It will include a bottle of Negroni and two packs of RP’s freshly roasted coffee, plus instructions on how to make Coffee Negroni’s out of this for those of us who are keen on living a little and making our own cocktails.

She pointed out: "For us coffee and Negroni is a match made in heaven!"

To learn more and to make your purchases, please visit them at In the meantime, have a look at www.primoaperitivo.com or follow them at @primoaperitivo over on Instagram.

New advent calendars from Village Melts

Village Wax Melts is well-known for their strongly scented and long-lasting wax melts, is thrilled to bring to the public their new wax melt advent calendars to keep your house smelling festively special throughout the month of December.

Village Wax Melts advent calendars contain 12 very special yet also mysterious wax melt scents including festive scents and some of their popular year-round scents.

Just open the relevant window to discover which scent is behind the window of the particular day during the Advent season.

With their carefully chosen beautifully executed festive designs, the wax melt advent calendars make a are beautiful seasonal statement that is a welcome addition to any room.

They stand them up like a photo frame which you can proudly display in your home.

However, as they only cost £7.99 Village Wax Melts points out that it's best to order one (or more!) as soon as you can.

They are only available exclusively at their dedicated online shop www.villagewaxmelts.com.

 

Cocoba Chocolate introduces new Christmas gifting range!

Cocoba, the Kentish chocolatier famous for producing irresistible chocolate and hot chocolate gifts, has now launched this year’s Christmas gifting range.

From jolly Santa and Snowman Hot Chocolate Bombes to Hot Chocolate Bombe Crackers and boozy Truffles, Cocoba’s Christmas gifting range really does have something for all.

Cocoba Chocolate has also created some truly gorgeous Christmas Hampers nicely filled up with many delicious treats; you need look no further than Cocoba for a complete and full range of festive gifts to get everyone into the all-important Christmas spirit.

Bursting with a generous helping of mini marshmallows, the delicious Christmas Character Hot Chocolate Bombes are handmade using only the finest tasty Belgian chocolate in the shape of three classic festive friends; Santa, Snowman and Reindeer. 

These sweet stocking fillers are available as either a pack of three Belgian milk and white chocolate bombes for £9.95, or sold as individual characters for just £3.95 each. 

A must-have stocking filler includes the hot chocolate bombe crackers, hidden inside the crackers are three hot chocolate bombes made with silky smooth Belgian chocolate with marshmallows.  

Available in a number of different delicious flavours, including milk chocolate, salted caramel, orange chocolate, dark chocolate (Vegan) and white chocolate, so there are plenty to choose from. 

Not a big fan of marshmallows? (my wife reports that she doesn't rave about them, but doesn't especially mind them) then there's a fun alternatively, Cocoba also has a new Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Bombe Cracker filled with Popping Candy.  

Each three-pack of Christmas Hot Chocolate Bombe Crackers retails at £9.95. A single milk chocolate Christmas Hot Chocolate Bombe in a Box is also available at £3.95.

Now, everyone knows that it just wouldn’t be Christmas without sharing a moment of true indulgence with your loved ones, and that’s exactly where Cocoba Chocolate’s luxurious truffles come in. 

Every Christmas, the Christmas Pudding and Mulled Wine truffles are a popular favourite with adults for the fun tipple-infused flavours.  

Beginning at a mere £3.95 for a tray of six truffles, to £9.95 for a beautifully decorated tin.

Ultimately, Cocoba definitely has it all wrapped up with a collection of exquisite Christmas hampers starting from a fairly modest £19.99.  

The contents of each hamper are carefully chosen and the whole hamper is nicely put together to display an array of chocolate treats, before being fastened up with a hand-tied ribbon to add the perfect festive finishing touch. 

Please visit Cocoba Chocolate’s website for more information including the Christmas vegan product range.

www.CocobaChocolate.com.

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

Cocoba’s range is available from www.CocobaChocolate.com plus please don't forget as well as Cocoba’s flagship chocolate café at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre, independent farm shops, delis, John Lewis, Selfridges and more besides. And please remember, all of their products are handmade in Kent. 

Incidentally to save even more on your Christmas gifting this year, please remember to join the their mailing list which entitles you to a special 10% discount on your first order. Plus delivery is free on orders of over £35.

Go Nuts! This Christmas with Chika's as the launch new Limited Edition Sweet Almonds

Bring a little extra joy to Christmas this year with CHIKA’S new Crunchy Sweet Almonds.

CHIKA’S, the brand behind all natural, gluten free snacks, is launching a tasty new limited edition duo of delightfully delectable Sweet Almonds just in time for Christmas, that are bursting with flavour and packed full of all-important goodness.

Available in two tempting and delicious festive flavours, Irish Cream and Sweet Cinnamon, the new Sweet Almonds are gently baked to achieve that perfect crunch, but they're guaranteed vegetarian, gluten free, and a great natural source of plant protein and fibre, too.

Chika Russell, the founder and CEO of CHIKA’S says: “With the festive season rapidly approaching, many of us are seeking out tasty treats to enjoy at home, or to share with friends and family. Maybe to act as stocking fillers, too? But a little bit of indulgence doesn't have to make us feel guilty.

“Why? Because our New Crunchy Sweet Almonds offer snackers something a little bit extra special this Christmas. They have incredible flavours, a moreish crunch, and a sprinkling of sweetness, but they are also vegetarian, gluten free, and packed with natural protein and fibre.

"At CHIKA’S, making good snacks goes further than ingredients and flavour, it’s also about a deep rooted commitment to supporting communities, giving back through every snack we sell."

“Chika went on to say: “As a woman-built business, at CHIKA’S we are passionate about supporting women and giving them chances and opportunities to succeed.

“Today, 31 million girls around the world are not being schooled. And every 7 seconds a girl is getting married. As a business, we want to change that.

“Through our ‘Empowering Girls’ programme with World Vision, we’re supporting 30,000 girls with education by 2025. And this year, we launched CHIKA’S in Africa with the aim of creating 300 jobs and a 70% female workforce. It’s about raising aspirations and creating a culture where female success is celebrated.”

NEW! CHIKA’S Sweet Almonds (Irish Cream and Sweet Cinnamon) will be available to buy from www.chikas.co.uk, Amazon, and Ocado from Christmas 2022. RRP £3 for a 100g sharing bag.

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From their family to your family! Revealing the Thatchers 12 Days of Christmas Gift Box

Thatchers Ciders are unveiling their Christmas surprise. Their very first Thatchers 12 Days of Christmas Cider Gift Box.

Available online and from their Cider Shop at Thatchers in Somerset, the 12 Days of Christmas Cider Gift Box contains a stunning selection of Thatchers' family favourites, all made right there at Myrtle Farm in Somerset. It costs just £34.99 (plus delivery if you are ordering online).

In the best traditions of Christmas gift boxes, they're leaving it a special Christmas surprise as to which ciders you'll find when you open each door. But in true Thatchers style, there's a Somerset cider for everyone included. 

Happy Christmas from all of them at Myrtle Farm!

They're a family run cidermaker with their home in Sandford, Somerset. 

Their ciders, all full of natural apple character, are crafted there at Myrtle Farm. Pride in their heritage, they've been crafting delicious ciders for four generations, is at the heart of everything they do.  

A spokesman said: "Our knowledge and passion for apples is reflected in our ciders: authentic, full of flavour and with a distinct character that reflects Somerset cidermaking at its best.

"We craft a range of ciders – including Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze, Thatchers Blood Orange and Thatchers Cloudy Lemon, but whichever you choose, you can be sure they have all been made with the same care, attention and hands-on experience."

https://www.thatcherscider.co.uk/product/thatchers-christmas-calendar.

Win a Nobu Golden Ticket Worth £100 This Christmas

For those seeking out a full festive feast, or a lighter bite before a crisp walk around the Mayfair area, Nobu London is your perfect Christmas Day destination. 

Reservations are available from 12:30-3:30pm, and every guest will receive a complimentary glass of Champagne, amuse-bouche and petits fours. Dine from Nobu's à la carte menu, featuring iconic dishes such as Black Cod with Miso and Yellowtail Jalapeño. 

Limited-edition festive specials will also be available, including Grilled Scottish Lamb with Shiso Chimichurri and Beetroot Vinaigrette, and a decadent Chestnut Cream with Tonka Vanilla Cacao Foam.

Guests can expect a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and tables decorated with bespoke Christmas crackers. Inside each cracker is a pocket-sized present from Muji, and three hidden Golden Tickets, worth £100 each. The lucky winners will have 12 months to redeem their ticket. A deposit of £200 per person, corresponding to a minimum spend, will apply for all guests aged 12 and above.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Renowned for over 25 years of New Year's Eve celebrations, Nobu London will be seeing in 2023 in considerable style, with a live DJ in the restaurant playing from 6pm-1am. Reservations are open from 6pm-8:15pm with a deposit of £75 per person, ideal for those looking to dine early before heading on to other celebrations.

A special six-course omakase menu is available all night, priced at £200 per person. Dishes include White Fish with Uni, Caviar and Yuzu Ponzu Jelly, Seared Diver Scallop with Truffle Mushroom Risotto and Fresh Truffles, Nori-Crusted Wagyu Beef, and a selection of hand-crafted Nobu sushi. For reservations from 8:30pm, each guest will also receive a complimentary glass of Champagne on arrival.

From 8:30pm, a deposit of £200 per person, corresponding to a minimum spend, will also apply.

Full details can be found online: www.noburestaurants.com/london-old-park-lane

Reservations can be made by phone: +44 (0) 207 447 4747

Please note:- All menus subject to change. At the time of booking for Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve for reservations from 8:30pm, a deposit of £200 per person will be taken, a minimum spend of £173.90, plus an optional 15% service charge. Cancellations made up to 72 hours before the time of the booking will be refunded. Any cancellations after this time will be charged in full.

Asda Launches new, Extra Special Christmas Hampers for 2022

Asda has launched its range of Extra Special hampers, starting at a very modest £25, for those who you care about this Christmas. And they include all your favourite festive products, too!

Following the success of last year’s stunning selection of Asda Extra Special Christmas hampers,  which starred in the 2021 roundup from the prestigious Good Housekeeping Institute alongside the likes of Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. So Asda is bringing them back for Christmas 2022.

And Asda has revealed two utterly new Extra Special Christmas hampers, one version with alcohol ASDA Extra Special Hamper with Wine priced at £35, and a special non-alcoholic version too, the ASDA Extra Special Hamper with Presse priced at £25.

Both premium hampers contain 13 expertly crafted and curated Extra Special food and drink products, offering a truly stunning Christmas gift for your loved ones or simply an indulgent festive treat for yourself. (My wife declares these to be "Christmas in a box!")

The hampers will be available in the Asda seasonal aisles of 50 stores from Fifth November onwards, but not including Scotland or Northern Ireland.

All Christmas hampers can be ordered for delivery or via click and collect from the 50 stores too, but you are advised to be quick, as they are available on a first come, first served basis. IE, when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Both hampers include the following products:

Extra Special Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Nougat

Extra Special Sticky Toffee Pudding Cookies (A Christmas exclusive)

Extra Special Italian Biscuit Selection (A Christmas exclusive)

Extra Special Sea Salt and Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Crisps

Extra Special Clotted Cream Fudge

Extra Special Blonde Chocolate Bar

Extra Special Strawberry Conserve

Extra Special Parmesan & Garlic Twists

Extra Special Rye Sourdough Crackers

Extra Special Columbia Ground Coffee

Extra Special Caramelised Onion Chutney

Incidentally, the Asda Extra Special Hamper with Wine will also include a bottle of Extra Special Malbec and Extra Special Pinot Grigio.

The Asda Extra Special Hamper with Presse instead will also include a bottle of Extra Special Apple & Elderflower Presse and Extra Special Raspberry Lemonade Presse.

Little Blessings: A very special, appropriate Christmas gift for your children

Little Blessings are six really beautiful Bible stories and a prayer book which are designed to provide inspiration to your children and also yourself.

This is a gift that is a true reflection of the real spirit of Christmas as it contains six beautiful Bible stories that are specially designed and written for children.

The six books are My First Prayers, The Easter Story, Noah's Ark, Joseph and his Coat of Many Colours, Jonah and the Whale and In the Beginning.

They come in a beautiful and colourful cover and each book retells classical Bible stories and each book is sumptuously, brightly illustrated by different artists for each book.

These books are designed to be shared between parents and grandparents and the children in the family and will help to encourage bonding between the generations of families in the context of a Christian family.

In fact, we feel that this set of books would also be an ideal purchase for all Sunday Schools.

It is published by Parragon Books Ltd.

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1527000036

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1527000032

It's available from a variety of retailers and although the publisher's price is $59.99 (£51.65)  it is currently listed on Amazon UK at £18.99, which strikes us as being an absolute bargain making it a really wonderful and very appropriate Christmas gift.

My Jingle Bells Are Gone by Zanger Rinus and Romana

Whilst researching something Christmassy I accidentally re-discovered this quirky and fun Christmas song sung and performed by Dutch pop music due Zanger Rinus and Romana.

It was release back in 2011 and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Wow! Biggest Mince Pie ever from Asda!

Is this the biggest Mince Pie ever? Quite possibly!  

It's ideal for Christmas parties and get together over the festive season. It's Asda’s new Extra Special Giant Mince Pie is a showstopping wintertime must-have.

It's new for this Christmas season, Asda’s Extra Special Giant Mince Pie which is deliciously prepared fresh in-store and serves six people.

The launch forms a part of a 15-strong mince pie range including a selection of boozy mince pies, too.

It's available as part of Asda’s largest Christmas range to date, in-store and online from now on.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without mince pies, is it? 

This Christmas, Asda has launched the king of mince pies The Extra Special Giant Mince Pie. The giant treat costs a very modest £4.50 and is enough for six people, thus making it perfect for festive get-togethers this Christmas and New Year.

The mega pie sees an all-butter shortcrust pastry filled with fruity mincemeat infused with brandy and port for the perfect bite. Wrapped in an orange zest-infused casing, this giant treat is bound to impress all mince pie lovers.

As we have already mentioned, it is an integral component of Asda’s 15-strong mince pie range, the range also includes a fine selection of boozy mince pies, perfect for getting the party started or continued!

Asda shoppers can opt for three tipple-tastic flavours, there's Sloe Gin, Irish Cream and Spiced Rum. They are available in packs of six for just £2.25.

Ideal for Christmas get-togethers, the Extra Special Sloe Gin Mince Pies are a gin drinker’s paradise, featuring mincemeat laced with sloe gin and encased in a rich all-butter shortcrust pastry pie.

For something a little bit special, Asda’s Extra Special Irish Cream Mince Pies are rich, velvety, and luxurious and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser this Christmas. Or for those who like a more classic pairing, the Extra Special Spiced Rum Mince Pies won’t disappoint, filled with rum-soaked mincemeat with a hint of spice.

For lovers of a classic, ASDA’s Signature Special Indulgent Mince Pies (£2.50) are a great choice. These traditionally tantalising mince pies come with an all-butter pastry and are generously filled with luxurious fruit mincemeat with citrus peel and a touch of Valencian orange oil, laced with cognac brandy, Portuguese ruby port and a dash of orange liqueur.

And it doesn’t stop there. Perfect for the big day itself, Asda’s Extra Special Indulgent Top Mince Pie Crumble (£2.50) serves as the ultimate treat! This all-butter shortcrust pastry is filled with Bramley apple and toffee and topped with a caramelised pecan nut crumble, offering a wonderful fusion of family pudding favourites.

Asda shoppers can pick up Asda’s new mince pie range online and in-store now. What’s more, the retailer is running an offer from now until the end of the season, giving customers the chance to buy any two packs of Asda’s Extra Special Mince Pies for £3.50 – a tasty saving of £1.

What’s more, with every purchase of the ASDA Extra Special 4 Extra Indulgent Mince Pies (£2.50), the ASDA Extra Special 4 Apple & Pecan Crumble Mince Pies (£2.50) and the ASDA Extra Special 4 Crumble Top Mince Pies (£2.50) shoppers will receive £1.50 in the Asda Rewards cash pot (offer runs from 1st November to 23rd November, 2022).

www.asda.com.

Great news, parents! Top 10 toys for Christmas are more affordable than in recent years

Yes, there's some good news for parents, grand parents, uncles and aunts, because now the average price of the top 10 toys for Christmas chosen by experts at Tesco will be more affordable this year. 

In recent years, interest in electronic toys in particular has forced the average price of a main Christmas gift for youngsters up to between £60 and £90. 

This year Tesco’s toy experts have chosen their top 10 based not only on their current popularity and desirability but they've also factored in the affordability also, to help parents during the current relatively tougher times. 

Although the toys are not listed in any particular order, there's one expected to create the ‘wow’ factor this Christmas, the Pokémon Sword and Shield Astral Elite Trainer Box which goes on sale early next month, November and is expected to be on many kids’ wish lists. 

Tesco Toys Category Manager Anne Borrett said: “We know times are really hard out there at the moment so our team of toy experts have created a top 10 list based on a number of factors that will not only put a smile on kids’ faces but also their parents’ and carers' too. 

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a lot of more expensive hi-tech toys dominate the Christmas market. 

“In the list there are toys for all budgets but more than half of them are priced between £30 and £45.”  

Tesco’s top 10 toys for this Christmas are as follows: 

Pokémon Sword and Shield Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box £42.50

This brand new Pokémon toy is their latest collector’s set and features collectable cards, booster packs and much more.  

The Pokémon Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box includes everything a player needs to outshine the competition in battle!  

Barbie Chelsea Playhouse £60

The Barbie Chelsea doll and her friends have their own playhouse with three levels so there are many play spaces plus a transformation area that unlocks secret play areas. 

Miraculous Switch N’ Go Scooter £43

Race around Paris with Miraculous Ladybug on her Switch N’ Go Scooter. The transforming scooter comes with a 26 cm replica doll of the popular kids’ TV cartoon heroine. 

Zuru Smashers Dino Island Giant Skull £37

Break into the skull to discover 30 hidden surprises while searching through candy cotton foam and super stretchy slime in this epic adventure for ages three and over. 

LEGO Super Heroes – I Am Groot £45

Kids get to build their own version of the Baby Groot model figure from the Marvel Studios Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 

Marvel Studios 3D Puzzle – Iron Man’s Helmet £30

Marvel fans can build this fantastic three dimensional puzzle version of the superhero’s helmet. 

Cocomelon Boo Boo JJ Doll £43

The Cocomelon Boo-Boo JJ Plush is designed to teach kids aged 2-3 years that mishaps are ok. The toy teaches youngsters how to make JJ feel better when a mishap happens. 

LEGO Super Hereos Batmobile £90

Inspired by the latest version of the Batmobile from the 2022 The Batman film, this toy will offer kids a thrilling challenge to build a true to life model of the famous car. 

Fisher Price DJ Bouncin' Beats £45 

A musical learning toy to allow youngsters to have interactive fun with colourful lights, motorised action and more than 75 songs, sounds and phrases that teach the alphabet, counting, colours and much more. 

Squishmallows (7.5” Plush) £9

One of the most popular toys in recent years, the Squishmallow is a cuddly plushie toy that comes in many designs and themes with new versions being released every month. 

Tesco’s Half Price Toy Sale which started at the beginning of October runs until Nov 2. All toys in the sale have been discounted by 50 per cent with some costing as little as £7.50 when bought with a Tesco Clubcard.  

To check these out and buy visit www.tesco.com.

Stage an Amaryllis race this Christmas

An Amaryllis race? Yes, and it's a great fun activity, too!

Just buy two potted Amaryllis plants and gift them to two people and get them to race them before Christmas.

You don't have them to buy them from any particular place, a garden centre, a hardware store with a gardening section such as Wilko, or a supermarket such as Morrison's, Tesco or Sainsbury's, etc, or from shop that uses eBay or Amazon to sell their plants, or who has their own, dedicated online garden shop.

You and they will have a lot of fun. You could give the winner a special prize, too!

Amaryllis racing is a long and honoured sport in my wife's family.

You can also buy them here https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/garden-amaryllis-orange-queen-hippeastrum-pack-of-three.

Someone special in your life? Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has their ideal Christmas gift

A spokesperson said: "Here at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust we love sustainable and high quality stunning products.

"Firstly there are our playful Don Fisher bags which make a fantastically stylish gift. 

And what about the Original Duckhead Umbrellas?

Therese are available in a range of fantastic colours and prints, each umbrella is made from nine plastic bottles! A super cool and quirky gift that is totally on trend and environmentally conscious.

Also, when you buy through the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, all profits go straight into conserving wildlife and wild spaces in the county of Yorkshire and make a difference with your Christmas shopping this year.

You can make your Christmas gift purchases at www.ywtshop.org.uk.