Celebrate Christmas with a bang and a half with Crackertoa® crackers!

This year you can celebrate Christmas with a bang! Or a bang as a half, as I like to say!

Because that’s exactly the fun you’ll have with the new paper Confetti Popping Party Crackers from Crackertoa®.

They’ll add the finishing touch to any Christmas dinner spread and more, besides.

They are decorated with a seasonal Holly and Ivy design, Crackertoa® crackers are perfect for popping at the office Christmas party or over Christmas dinner at home.

Inside every cracker is an eruption of paper confetti, novelty paper finger puppets, a party hat and a hilarious joke and conversation starter. It’s literally fun for all of the family, this upgrade to the traditional Christmas Cracker is guaranteed to turn any occasion into a party! (Though they do recommend not allowing children of under three to use them.)

What’s inside? Every Crackertoa® cracker pops with an eruption of paper confetti, a party hat, a joke, a conversation starter and a novelty paper finger puppet!

How to use?

• Lay the cracker on the table with the disc seal facing upward

• With a partner, each hold an end ensuring the coloured disc remains

facing upward

• Pull both ends at arm’s length, always keeping away from faces

• The cracker will erupt with a bang, scattering colourful confetti all around you

• Enjoy the content and create your own stories with the finger puppet family

You can buy them on Amazon for a box of six at £14.99.

Blow Christmas breakfast up says Janine!

Mother of two, Janine Marshall has created a brand-new product that rolls a punch of protein into a full complete meal in a few easy to use steps.

Breakfast Bombs are about to hit the UK with a bang as Janine Marshall, mum of two and start-up founder has found a quick and simple solution to the nation’s busiest meal-time. They'll be launched on December 1st.
                                                     
“I’m a super busy mum of two and trying to juggle my business on-top means my life is very hectic!” Janine Marshall the creator and founder of Breakfast Bombs comments, who has branded the business Janine Loves.

“I was looking for a simple solution to creating a harmonious balanced life that looks after my brain and my body and Breakfast Bombs was the answer I came up with."

Created after Janine, who is a private chef, added a homemade energy ball into her blender with a splash of plant-based milk after making the mixture too dry but not wanting to waste the ingredients, Janine realised just how simple it could be to create a nutritious smoothie without the need for multiple bags and bottles of proteins and superfoods. And so, Breakfast Bombs were born.

Each bomb is hassle and waste free and includes a healthy balanced mix of gluten free oats, plant-based protein, almond butter and a carefully curated collection of superfoods specifically designed by their in-house nutritionist Gideon Remfy, who has over 25 years’ of wellness experience.

“Janine wanted a product that packed a punch, and that’s exactly what we have created” explains Gideon. “Each bomb contains over 10g of mixed plant-based proteins and a selection of scientifically researched phytonutrients which are highly nutritious and sustainable plant compounds such as cacao, maca, turmeric, and matcha. Each bomb has been specially designed with a uniquely delicious functional food focus.”

The handmade bombs, which come in an array of flavours including: Beet & Berry, Mango Chai, Blueberry Fool, Chocolate Orange, and Matcha Mojito are designed with specific aspects of wellness and vitality in mind.

The bombs focus on supporting mental and physical performance, a healthy gut, muscle, skeletal and collagen synthesis and overall increasing health-giving plant foods in the diet, dependant on their consumers wants and needs.

Using organic and vegan ingredients that are gluten, dairy, refined sugar and GMO free, Breakfast Bombs are the real meal deal, for a quick, simple and easy breakfast. From bomb to belly in just three simple steps – Breakfast Bombs are set to be the solution to a wide variety of breakfast qualms. Simply throw the bomb in the blender, top with a banana (or fruit of your choice) and your preferred milk, blend for 30 seconds and enjoy. Gone are the days of weighing and scooping out various powders and pastes to gain a nutritionally led breakfast that will keep you going right through till lunch.

And they are already a hit with her private customers, with Lucy Buckingham, the brains behind Lucy Bee singing their praises. “This product is exactly what I’ve been looking for. My mornings are crazy busy and it’s the perfect accompaniment to my [Lucy Bee] coconut milk. Not only do they taste amazing, but they are packed full of nutritious ingredients and are super simple to use.”

Janine Loves Breakfast Bombs will be available to order from the 1st December with a limited edition flavour – ‘Mulled Wine’ (available only throughout December) on  www.janineloves.co.uk those wanting to get a first taste of this new sensation can order now through
https://www.matchanow.co.uk/buy-now/janine-loves-matcha-mojito-breakfast-bombs.

1 Bomb - £3.50
3 Bombs - £9.60

A perfect, crafted Christmas gift for your gin lover

Scottish Oak "Let The Weekend Be Gin" Gin & Tonic Board (RRP: £32.00)

This "Let the weekend be Gin" Engraved Scottish Oak Serving and chopping board is the perfect gift for any gin lover in your life.

This fun and strikingly designed chopping board will take pride of place in any kitchen and trust me, it'll be the perfect and most wonderful birthday or Christmas gift for your gin drinking friend or family member.

It's also perfect for chopping their favourite gin garnishes as well as being great for serving complimentary antipasti, too.

And it's all guaranteed to be environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly, too.

How does this work? The wood is harvested by a Fife, Scotland-based not-for-profit organisation which is dedicated to ensuring the future of Scottish woodlands, particularly in the Kingdom of Fife, improving the environment, and boosting local economies by providing training and work opportunities.

Each board is lovingly and neatly  hand-tied with sweet Scottish oak ribbon and a swing tag making certain that this board will be a lovely, thoughtful and much appreciated gift.

Cinnamon & Orange Triple Wick Candle Tin (RRP: £14.00)
These large filled tin candles with three wicks fill the room with a rich and beautiful fragrance of Cinnamon and Oranges, while the soft glow creates a delightful ambience.

Bamboo Reusable Cup (RRP: £14.00)
Eco friendly, sustainable and reusable, this clever cup helps people reduce single use plastic as it’s made with renewable bamboo fibre, even the lockable lid is made from bamboo (not silicon).

With a 500ml capacity, a sleeve is also included for really hot drinks. It’s dishwasher safe and odour free and taste neutral, what’s not to like?!

Available in three designs, “Time to be a Unicorn” “I am special” (zebra) and “say yes to new adventures” (Mountain scene) these make a fabulous gift for any coffee, tea or hot chocolate aficionado.

You can find all these gifts and more from www.ladida-andover.com.

They even have a special Christmas treat. A rare, limited edition Brussels sprout flavour gin. Dare you order some to accompany your Christmas dinner?

A fantastic idea for your children. A very special call from Santa to them!

This year, Christmas Eve will be even more magical than ever before, thanks to Portable North Pole and their brand new special multi-device scenario straight from Santa’s sleigh delivered on Christmas Eve!

Your Children will join Santa as he reviews his flight plan for the big night in a personalised video message for an excited child or children, the perfect way to get them to go to bed early too!

While checking his plans, Santa has time for one more phone call and children will be amazed and delighted when the phone rings and Santa himself is on the line telling them to go to sleep early in readiness for his arrival.

For just £12.99 for a Magic Pass for one child, you will receive access to all NEW videos and past content as well as a unique Reaction Recorder to make a keepsake of their face and response to the surprise call. The Magic Pass also includes enhanced video and a NEW Family Option to allow you to create one video for multiple children.

There’s so much amazing and very special content included within the Magic Pass, that you can build excitement and encourage good behaviour. Don’t forget to print off their personalised Nice List Certificate too!

New content also includes high definition videos with amazing outdoor shots of Santa’s reindeer and huskies as well as a premium personalised birthday message from Santa that children can enjoy all year round but its particularly great for November and December born children who often get their birthdays overlooked by Christmas.

To learn more and to book please visit  www.portablenorthpole.com.

Deliver a big bunch of festive cheer this Christmas with Interflora

On the other side of the world, yet still think the world of a loved one back home? Or you will be seeing them over Christmas, anyway?

Why not send them an Interflora flower or floral arrangement?

Since 1923 Interflora have been zapping flowers and plants all over the UK and all over the world.

Bit miffed with having to buy the same gifts every year?

Or are you hoping to give that special person a Christmas they’ll never forget? There’s only one way to do it properly – with a big bunch of beautiful blooming flowers from Interflora.

Hand-crafted and hand-delivered by local artisan florists, Interflora’s brand-new Christmas range is the perfect way to send some love to the people who matter the most to you.

Can’t make it home for Christmas and want to show them you care? Or perhaps you want to be with them to see the look of pleasure on their face when they answer the door, or that you simply want to thank them for a cracking Christmas dinner, Interflora is the only option.

It’s all about thinking outside the box (or the wrapping paper) and making Christmas feel extra special with a bunch of Interflora blooms.

Christmas Cracker Hand-tied (from £36)

For the best in festive blooms, look no further than Christmas Cracker; a stunning hand-tied mix of red Asiatic lilies, roses and carnations set against greenery and finished with touches of gold eucalyptus. It’s the perfect bunch of beauties to give to loved ones during the festive period.

Flaming Reds Gift Box (from £32)

Presented in a beautiful gift box, Flaming Reds is guaranteed to inject festivity with its mix of the traditional reds and greens. Featuring a red large-headed rose, carnations, red spray chrysanthemums and burgundy skimmia, with spruce, salal and a cinnamon bundle, it’s the perfect choice for that special someone who loves the colours and joy of Christmas.

Enchanted Cranberry Hand-tied (£75)

Enchanted Cranberry is the perfect gift to give to that someone who deserves something a little extra special this Christmas. A stunning mix of red and lilac large-headed roses, pink astrantia, burgundy skimmia, purple chrysanthemums, pink lisianthus and pink protea, with copper salal and frosted pine and spruce cones. This flower-packed arrangement will truly show you care.

Winter Wishes Hand-tied (from £50)

The festive season doesn’t have to be all about reds and greens, and Winter Wishes is a thoroughly modern take on Christmas blooms. A stunning mix of cream large-headed roses, white chrysanthemums, blue eryngium, white trachelium and white antirrhinum, set against pine, olea europaea, birch and finished with delicate gold sprayed asparagus fern, perfect for the chicest of homes.


Wild Peach Hand-tied (£34)

Wild Peach features white antirrhinum, purple clematis, blue eryngium, peach large-headed roses and blue veronica, with pops of copper salal and eucalyptus. This bunch of beauties is the best way to show someone you care this festive season, whether it’s a first Christmas together or one of many.


Sweet Sugarplum Gift Box (from £28)


Truly get into the winter season and spread plenty of festive cheer and love with the Sweet Sugarplum. Beautifully presented in a wintery gift box, featuring cream large-headed roses, purple lisianthus, burgundy skimmia, copper salal, pine and spruce cones, it’s the perfect gift that’s ready for giving.

Just visit https://www.interflora.co.uk/ or call them on 0333 003 4969.

As my mum said when she had Interflora flowers delivered from the other side of the world: "It's just the flowers I would have chosen myself. And they are from my favourite local florist, too!"

Give the gift of memories this Christmas with CEWE’s personalised gifts

I have been looking for a source of personalised gifts for this Christmas. Checking out well known supermarkets, concessions in other supermarkets and even some local outfits, but something seemed to be lacking. Sadly in many instances it was quality, in others it was choice.

However, I'm a very happy person, now that I have discovered CEWE.

CEWE provide a wide range of personalised gift ideas, have the quality that you need for a personalised Christmas gift and all at prices that seem fair, considering their high quality and finish.

Are you after at perfect meaningful gift for a partner or family member or just a simple stocking filler or Secret Santa gift for a friend, CEWE has the perfect gifts to celebrate your favourite memories with a loved one this Christmas.

Here’s a selection of their most loved festive gifts:

Small Photo Book – the perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. From £5.99.

14 x 13cm – Up to 50 pages

 Make a quick album of your favourite snaps with this photo book, ideal for carrying around a small selection of photos and the perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa gift.


Photo Snow Globe – from £6.99.

A perfectly festive gift that’s ideal for a thoughtful stocking filler! Can be personalised with a photo and text of choice.

Square Photo Book – the ultimate photo album. From £24.99

21 x 21cm - Up to 98 pages

This photo book has a fresh, modern look that’s ideal for displaying your best Instagram images as well as landscape and portrait photographs, making it the perfect choice for creating a unique travel album or memory book.


Photo calendars – from £3.49

Whether it’s adding personality to an office desk or keeping a busy home life organised, create a calendar of photos that your loved one will enjoy looking at all year long.

Jigsaws – from £19.99


For a unique and quirky gift,  create a jigsaw featuring one of  your own photos. Your photo will  be printed on the puzzle and the  box and features original  Ravensburger puzzle pieces.


Wood Prints  - from £24.99.


This gift is truly unique and keepsake – a beautiful photo that captures your favourite memory and can be admired for the years to come!


Large Landscape Photo Book – their top seller. From £28.99

28 x 21cm - Up to 178 pages
The perfect size for any occasion and all sorts of stories, it’s easy to see why this photo book is a best seller. With enough room for all of your best pictures, this large photo book would make the perfect gift to display wedding photos, travel memories or as a family photo album.


Classic Canvas Prints - from £12.99

A beautiful gift for a love one to display a perfect memory in their home. A gift that they can appreciate all year round.

Phone cases – from £14.99

You take your phone everywhere with you, so keep it protected and looking great at the same time. Their range of personalised phone cases are available for both iPhone and Samsung, and will keep your precious smartphone safe, sound and stylish!

Magic Mug – from £8.49

Their magic photo mugs are lots of fun! Add some magic to your hot drink with your own personal magic mug! As soon as you pour hot liquid into the mug, your personal photo appears. As the mug cools down, the picture fades away and the mug turns black again – as if by magic. The best thing about it? You can repeat the process as often as you like.

Hexxas wall art – from £14.99

Create a unique collage with CEWE hexagonal wall tiles. A magnetic hanging system means you can reposition your pictures whenever the mood takes you. You can rearrange your photo across several elements or combine different hexxas to create a stylish collage.

For more information about the CEWE Photobook go to: https://cewe-photoworld.com/photo-books

Places to visit this Christmas

Are you looking for places to visit over this Christmas a n New Year? That's Christmas has come up with some really great places for you and your family.

Lightwater Valley Alice in Winterland, North Yorkshire

https://www.lightwatervalley.co.uk/news/view/alice-in-winterland-at-lightwater-valley-this-christmas

Gasp with wonder as you see hundreds of giant illuminated light sculptures which illustrate stories from Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Discover a giant chess board, watch the Mad Hatter prepare for his crazy tea party, marvel at the four-metre tall Alice light sculpture and come face to face with the infamous Queen herself.

Visitors can follow the luminous trail and immerse themselves in a glowing garden with massive mushrooms, illuminated tulips and even a flamingo or two as the evening becomes curiouser and curiouser…



Blenheim Palace Oxfordshire

http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-blenheim-1

It’s the most wonderful time of the year as treetops glisten and the Great Lake and the waterfall of Blenheim Palace shimmer and sparkle. There’s something for everyone as the one mile glittering path winds its way through the world-famous Parkland in a magical after dark experience.

You’ll notice some very special new installations this year, too. From Sky-Lights, an aerial light show filling the sky with dancing bands of colour, to the dynamic waterfall at The Cascade. From the mesmerising and immersive ribbons of light at Vines to a more reflective place where, beneath the branches of sprawling trees, the flowers softly glow at Snowdrop Walk.


Stourhead Wiltshire

http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-stourhead/

It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year to wander beneath unique tree canopies drenched in seasonal colour and dripping with shards of light, frosty snowflakes, stars and baubles.

As you walk through a Tunnel of Light festooned by over 100,000 lights, the mesmerising voices of the Singing Trees can be heard in the distance. Glowing blossom rises high into the night sky and twinkling hedgerows lead you on a path towards thousands of illuminated lights on Fibre Optic Lawn. Stroll towards the lake and pause at the waterside reflections on the shimmering surface. There are hidden surprises too – step into a Laser Garden and stop at the scented Fire Garden for a moment of reflection.


Belton House Lincolnshire

http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-belton

For the very first time at Belton the tree-tops will glisten and the gardens will shimmer and sparkle. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year to wander beneath historic tree canopies drenched in seasonal colour and dripping with shards of light, frosty snowflakes, stars and baubles. As you walk through a towering Tunnel of Light festooned with over 100,000 pea-lights, the mesmerising voices of the Singing Trees can be heard in the distance. Step into the Laser Garden where dancing lines of light playfully bounce across the branches. Then stroll towards a carpet of glowing flowers and reedlike lights that reach high into the night sky.



Dunham Massey  Greater Manchester

http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-dunham-massey


Enjoy the after-dark sparkling trail lights up once more and winds magically through the formal gardens and deer park of Dunham Massey. Now in its third year, the winter trail is established as a much-anticipated family tradition. Along our 2019 route you’ll notice all-new installations. Enter a grand avenue replanted with gigantic flowers with the house brought to life by festive projections. Walk through the dynamic, glowing Vortex Tunnels and stroll towards the mesmerising reflections made by Fire on Water. Watch out as lights seem to tumble from the undergrowth and light up trees like fizzing fireworks and take time to pause at the delicate carpet of colour changing blooms.



Bedgebury Pinetum Kent

http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-bedgebury

The magical, after-dark, illuminated trail It’s definitely the most wonderful time of year when the after-dark sparkling trail lights up once more. A one-mile path winds magically through Bedgebury National Pinetum. The tree-tops will glisten and shimmer drenched in seasonal colour, on this festive adventure in a world of trees.

Following a much-loved first year, our 2019 winter trail will look very different. The sights and sounds of Christmas await under unique canopies with new installations rising high into the night sky.