1,000 years of history condensed into a handy card game

You would not have thought it possible, but those brilliantly clever people at History Heroes set themselves one heck of a task, and managed to being it off with flying colours.

They have brought to the families of Britain (and the rest of the world, too) over 1,000 years of history presented in the form of a quiz for all the family card game.

It covers Explorers, World War 1, Sport and Scientists, each in their own set of playing cards.

The cards are not small, yet nor are they too big (11.8 x 7 x 1.8 cm) and they are well printed and each pack of cards covers a wide range of subjects.

For example in the Scientists pack you'll find information about Archimedes (c287-112BC, John Dalton 1766-1844, Edward Jenner 1749-1823, Alan Turing 1912-1954 and many more, besides.

What is the aim of the game? To capture as many of the cards as you can within an agreed time, all of them if you can manage it.

You shuffle the pack, deal the cards equally and then fun begins.

The game is not a game of chance, you must use the information on the cards in order to try to win as many of your opponent's cards as you can.

You can also use them as flash cards to learn facts about the great scientists, explorers, sports people and about World War 1.

It is ideal for all ages and will be highly useful for parents who are self-educating their children at home, or who want to help their children learn more about history in a pleasant, fun and interactive way.

Don't worry, full instructions are included with each pack of cards. Each pack in the series costs a reasonable £8.99 and should keep the family happy and quiet (well... sort of quiet!) for hours of fun learning.

You can order the cards online at the official website https://www.historyheroes.co.uk.

It's beginning to look a lot like Crispmas with Fairfields Farm Turkey Crisps

Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Crispmas with Fairfields Farm Turkey Crisps.

When the brilliant family who farm at Fairfields Farm in Essex have a good idea, they don't do it by halves!

They go all out to ensure that whatever they do is done exactly right.

And so it is with their Turkey flavoured crisps.

They grow the potatoes and the Kellybronze turkeys on their own farm.

Then they carefully handcook the crisps, adding just the right amount of herbs (sage, parsley and thyme) to create their signature dish, their Turkey Crisps.

What are they like?

They are firmly crispy, yet not too crisp, being cooked to perfection.

And they taste just asw you would expect a Kellybronze Turkey to taste, when deliciously melded with the finest Essex-grown potatoes.

And don't forget, Kellybronze Turkeys are "Bred to be Wild."

You can learn more by visiting them at www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk or call 01206 241613.

(That's Christmas would like to express our thanks to Fairfield Farm Crisps for their invaluable help in putting this feature together, including supplying the image and the crisps!)

My Favourite Time of Year - The Florin Street Band (New Christmas Songs)

In Your Wildest Dreams!

This is a remarkably charming book by Seniha Ozer, with compelling a brightly coloured illustrations by Gill Guile.

The book follows on from Sweet Dreams, a book in which Poppy found out how to change her bad dreams into good dreams, with the help of her Grandad.

Poppy finds out that she can use this newly acquired knowledge to help her brother Henry to enjoy sweet, magical dreams, too.

Until one night they both had the same dream, the wildest, wackiest dream ever!

Was the Grandad in their dream? And what was on that piece of paper?

This book is an ideal bedtime read for parents, grandparents and children alike and will make a great Christmas present. It is published by Matador at £7.99.

ISBN 978 1784620 639.

Rusty and Friends

Rusty and Friends is a book by Marianne Parry. It is a book for children, which deals with a range of important topics such as friendship, bullying, being let down and, ultimately, redemption.

Rusty loves his father and he is heartbroken when he learns that the man he loves, his very own father, is a thief.

Marianne Parry depicts well the conflicts that Rusty feels, on the one had he longs to visit his father in prison with his mother, yet he always feels anxious before and during the visit.

Rusty is bullied at school, yet he has the support and help of his two best friends Willie and Sylvester.

The book has several interweaving plots that cross various generations and sensitively touches on images of race, racism, identify and redemption when, perhaps unexpectedly, Rusty's father proves himself to be a better man than perhaps even he himself realised and something of a heroic figure.

It is a charming book and is ideal for boys and girls and will be a well-received Christmas present.

The book costs £6.99 and is published by Matador as a paperback and also as an e-book.

The ISBN is 978 1784620 363.

Cool Chile Co. It's just like having your own bartender in your home!

Everyone likes the ideas of providing some really good cocktails at their Christmas and New Year's Eve parties.

But when someone asks for a "proper" Margarita, what exactly does that mean?

And do they want a sweet one? Or Not?

Have no fear, folks! The Cool Chile Co (the UK's top supplier of Mexican cooking supplies) can step in and help you to produce two of the best type of Margaritas that you will ever have tasted, and it's going to be one of the easiest things you have ever done.

Firstly, take your packet of specially selected and specially blended packet of spices, seasoning and salt.

Place some of the powder into a saucer, we the rim of your glass with a cut lime and then place the inverted Margarita glass into the powder, then remove your glass from the powder and carefully add your drink into the glass and serve your instantly authentic and delicious Margarita!

There are two type available, the Salty Chilli Margarita Rim and the Sweet Hibiscus Margarita Rim.

Why not provide both for your guests to see which they prefer?

They come in attractive tins so will make an ideal gift for the cocktail lover in your life.

They cost £3.50 a tin.

You can learn more about them at www.coolchile.co.uk.

Sugru is an ideal gift for the crafters in your life

Sometimes, people can be quite difficult to buy presents for. Especially the creative folks in your life.

That's Christmas has found an ideal item for a Christmas gift for the crafters in your life.

It is Sugru which is a special mouldable glue, and which is now available in special limited edition Silver Grey and five awesome new colours varieties, specially for Christmas.

What can crafters do with Sugru? They can stick it permanently to lots of different surfaces. Such as glass, metal, wood and most plastics and even some fabrics, too.

But that's only the first stage. At the second stage they will be able to shape it to build up, make, seal or repair. Or even stick things together.

At the third stage they can give it 24 hours and, guess what? At the end of the 24 hour period, Sugru turns into a durable and flexible silicone rubber compound that stays exactly where  they left it. Or at least, until they decide to remove it.

Sugru comes in handy resealable pocket sized tins and was invented by Jane and is made in the UK "with science and love."

To learn more about this amazing product you can visit www.sugru.com.