How you can fund a School Bag for Christmas

This Christmas, for £20 you can fund a SchoolBag and give the gift of education to an underprivileged child around the world.

School in a Bag is a small charity based in the county of Somerset and a £20 SchoolBag is a totally personal gift (and an ideal alternative to Christmas cards). 

School in a Bag is a UK registered charity, born out of the Piers Simon Appeal, a charity set up in memory of the founder and CEO’s brother who died in the Indian Ocean Tsunami on Boxing Day in 2004. 

School in a Bag distributes SchoolBags to poor, orphaned, disadvantaged and disaster-affected children around the world.

To date over 132,000 SchoolBags have been handed out to children in 54 countries. Every SchoolBag is new, individually numbered and trackable on the School in a Bag website. More often than not, donors are able to learn details and see an image of the beneficiary of their SchoolBag.

Each SchoolBag is filled with essential resources that will enable a child to write, draw, colour, calculate, express themselves, eat, drink and above all, learn. 

A typical SchoolBag contains: pencils, biros, colouring pencils, a maths set, ruler, pencil case, 6 exercise books, a water bottle, a LunchBox with Spork and a hygiene kit which includes a flannel, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and a face mask. 

With some of their projects, a LifeStraw is also included. This is an amazing bit of reusable kit which changes even the dirtiest of water to drinkable water and it lasts for years!  

A SchoolBag can be purchased through the School in a Bag website. And you can buy on behalf of a family member or a close friend. Thinking about it, it would also make an ideal Secret Santa present for someone who has a social conscience. 

It's just £20 to fund a numbered, trackable SchoolBag. Purchasers will receive their own SchoolBag Gift Card (digital or paper) containing the number/s of the SchoolBag/s they have funded. 

As just pointed out, a SchoolBag can also be funded in someone else’s name, making it an ideal present. With the Gift Card option, there’s still something to put under the tree to be opened on Christmas Day, or in email format, it can be sent to anyone in the world, from anywhere.

www.schoolinabag.org. 

SIAB was launched in 2009 and to date in excess of 134,000 SchoolBags have been distributed to 54 different countries all over the world. 

In 2018, the charity reached its fundraising milestone total of £2 million and are well on the way to raising its 3rd million.

Looking for a great Christmas gift? Then you need Poetry for Neanderthals!

Poetry for Neanderthals is a great game for all members of the family and for wild and willing friends, too!

It's aimed at anyone from ages seven and upward (including any Neanderthals you might still have in your family) and is suitable for play by two players or more.

How does it work? You play the part of a Neanderthal poet who has to get your primitive family members and friends to guess a word employing only words of one syllable. 

For example, if you have the card with the word "campfire" on it, you might use the phrase "hot place where you roast soft white cube."

If your team makes a correct guess, then you win points! (Cool!)

But what if you do not get it right? For example, if you inadvertently employ a word that is more than one syllable, for example "marshmallow", then the other team gets to belt you a traditional Neanderthal hit with the NO! stick and they get to remove your points for themselves! 

There's a great deal of fun as you attempt to get your team to guess as many words as possible before your time runs out to become King (or Queen) of the Neanderthal poets!

Included in the game is the inflatable NO! stick, the timer, Grok's cards, the poetry cards and full instructions to make sure you have a head hittingly good time!

It's a fun, wild game that's sure to bring out the Robert "Neanderthal" Burns in the best of us!

It actually encourages innovative use of language as it demands we explain complicated concepts using simple words. Which is probably pretty close to how Neanderthals communicated, at least at first.

It's produced by the Exploding Kittens folks. To learn more about the game or to buy your very own copy please visit https://www.explodingkittens.com. It will cost £20.

Livia's Nugglets for your Christmas treats

You know the bowls of chocolate and sweets that you'll be placing in the usual places around your homes this Christmas?

We at That's Christmas feel that you should fill these bowls up (and refill them from time-to-time!) with Livia's splendid Nugglets.

They'll also make great Christmas stocking fillers and great Christmas party favours, too.

They come in two tantalisingly awesome flavours, Raw Cookie Dough which is crafted using date paste, gluten free oats, raw chocolate,  maple syrup, Himalayan pink salt and coconut sugar.

The combination of tastes is incredibly moreish and very yummy. 

The other variety is the Choc Brownie variety. This is made with date paste, raw chocolate, maple syrup, gluten free oats, cacao powder and Himalayan pink salt.

A slightly less strong flavour that the raw cookie dough variety, but they both actually taste very Christmassy to me. Maybe it is the date paste? Perhaps it is. You'll be able to see what I mean when you order your packets and taste test them. Obviously you'll need to buy extra for your guests!

To learn more and to order some, please visit them at www.livias.co.uk.

You can pick them up at Holland and Barrett stores, too.

Purely Plantain Chips for your Christmas parties

At some point within the next few weeks (yes, Christmas is closer than we think!) you will need to start thinking about what snacks you will be purchasing for your Christmas party tables.

There will be nuts, dates, crisps and Plantain Chips. Plantain chips? Yes, plantain chips! 

You might have heard of plantains, they are a somewhat more savoury relatives to the banana plant.

However, this might be the first time that you have heard of Purely Plantain Chips. 

They come in three varieties, Nice & Spicy, Sea Salt and Wild Garlic. 

My wife and I were fortunate enough to try their Sea Salt and Nice & Spicy varieties. Both of which were are utterly delicious, however my wife has expressed a preference for the Nice & Spicy variety which she says is exactly what it says on the packet "nice & spicy!"

The sea salt crisps are, to my mind, very tasty. Some sea salt flavoured comestibles are a little too salty, but Purely Plantain Chips have a very well-balanced sea salt flavour.

Not only will your guests praise you based on their flavours alone, they'll also be pleased that all each bag contains are thinly sliced circles of plantains, cooked to perfection, plus some salt, a little bit of sunflower oil and, in the instance of the Nice & Spicy variety, some rather tasty spices.

They also come in an intriguing Wild Garlic variety, too! 

The plantain chips are kettle cooked and the only plantains that are allowed in the kettles to be cooked to perfection are sustainably farmed plantain, grown in the rich and fecund soils of Ecuador.

To learn more please visit www.welovepurely.com.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Marry Christmas with the UK's First Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar!

Blue Goose Coffee is taking festive coffee gifting into a new greener, more eco-friendly dimension this Christmas by launching the UK’s first Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar that’s entirely plastic free.

Key Features include:

Ethically-sourced and organic coffee pods for Nespresso® machines that are plastic and aluminium-free, featuring compelling environmental and people stories.

The coffees include the world's first coffee pod filled with Sail Ship coffee and the world's first Bird Friendly® coffee in a Nespresso-compatible pod.

Vegan and vegetarian friendly

The first entirely aluminium and plastic-free coffee pod Advent calendar of its kind, it's made using sustainably sourced board, printed using vegetable inks with no glue used making it 100% plastic free, kerbside recyclable and home compostable, too!

Packed by hand by Devon Disability Collective, a Social Enterprise based in the city of Exeter which provides quality employment and training for people with disabilities and those furthest from the labour market.

A selection of calendars will even include hidden 'Golden Goose Eggs' that unlock prizes, from free coffee subscriptions to Nespresso machines! 

Each coffee is certified 100% Organic, which helps maximise biodiversity in the field and eliminating highly damaging man-made fertilisers, and features compelling environmental and people stories. For example: 

The World’s First Sail Ship Coffee Pod with caramel and hazelnut tasting notes. Filled with organic, Fairtrade coffee which is grown by four indigenous communities in Colombia's Sierra Nevada region, this coffee was transported to Europe on a 1920s sail ship, saving 3483kg of CO2 versus a container ship. 

It's the World’s First Bird Friendly certified Coffee Pod with honey, orange and hazelnut tasting notes. Columbian Clave De Sol coffee is helping preserve critical habitat for birds and wildlife, fight climate change, protect biodiversity and helps support farmers committed to conservation and sustainable farming too.

3x coffees are grown by women-owned and operated coffee cooperatives. Women represent over 70% of the labour force in the fields, harvesting and sorting beans but only 10% business or land owners so increasing the income of women producers has a direct, positive impact on the education of children and family livelihoods.

The Calendar includes eight organic, fruity, chocolatey and full-bodied coffees in fully compostable eco pods to be enjoyed throughout the 24 days leading up to Christmas. 

So if you’re looking for an exceptional tasting festive coffee gift that really does tick all the ethical & eco boxes this Christmas and actually reflects the true meaning of the spirit Christmas,  then look no further bluegoose.coffee/advent (pre-order for delivery in the first week of November 2022 onwards).

In the Welsh Wind's Award-Winning Gins to Launch in Luxury Store Harvey Nichols

It's a natural fit, really. Wales' top gin distillery and the UKs top retailer are joining forces.

Because Gold medal Signature Style and Master winner Palo Cortado Cask Aged gins now in Harvey Nichols' UK department stores. And just in time for Christmas gifting, too!

This is the first significant retail deal for the Cardigan-based In the Welsh Wind distillery

Plus as a bonus to Harvey Nichols' clientele, the distillery will also host special in-store tasting events across Harvey Nichols' UK stores.

In the Welsh Wind distillery has struck an very important deal with luxury department store Harvey Nichols to stock two of its award-winning craft gins.

It is the first major partnership with a UK retailer for Cardigan-based In the Welsh Wind, which has been proactively seeking new avenues to market its distinctive spirits.

The west Wales distillery will supply its premium-brand Signature Style gin (RRP £49 / 43% Vol / 70cl) and its limited-edition Palo Cortado Cask-Aged gin (RRP £52 / 43% Vol / 70cl) to Harvey Nichols stores in Knightsbridge, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol.

The partnership also includes In the Welsh Wind delivering a series of in-store tasting days beginning with Harvey Nichols' Birmingham Mailbox store on Saturday October 15th.

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In the Welsh Wind Distillery, said: “It's hugely exciting for us to be stocked in such a high-profile retail outlet. We're looking forward to taking part in tastings with Harvey Nichols' shoppers and introducing our gins to new audiences outside of Wales.”

Nick Bell, beer & spirits senior buyer at Harvey Nichols said: “I am a huge fan of what the team at In the Welsh Wind are doing, making truly great gin with a real sense of place. The story is wonderful, the bottles look fantastic and more importantly, the gin itself is a real treat. I look forward to seeing what they launch in the coming years.”

Discover the In the Welsh Wind range

Signature Style Gin was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2021 Global Spirits Masters. It is asmooth oil-rich gin with a botanical profile of oranges, cinnamon, clove, ginger and tea-soaked currants. 

The limited-edition Palo Cortado Cask-Aged Gin was awarded Gin Master status at the 2021 Global Spirit Masters. It is a beautiful marriage of the Signature Style gin, which is rested in Palo Cortado sherry barrels for up to six months and delivers flavours of rich spice, dried stone fruit, juniper and citrus.

In the Welsh Wind has established a strong reputation and presence in Wales and has secured several industry accolades for the business and its spirits since being founded in 2018. 

https://inthewelshwind.co.uk

UKs top Plant-Based Cake Brand Launches Luxury Christmas Range

Award-winning and fully vegan and gluten-free cake brand Positive Bakes has launched its most comprehensive range of Christmas hampers since the brand was founded in 2020.

The Christmas range of delicious and scrummy delicacies is their biggest new product development range so far. And their are hampers designed to suit all tastes and all budgets.

Positive Bakes was launched by husband and wife team Aatin and Helen Anadkat, after their son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. 

Their mission? To produce the most delicious, free-from, natural bakes which would also have a minimal environmental impact. All their baked goods are delivered to your door in guarenteed 100% compostable, plastic-free packaging.

From sweet treats like Christmas Pudding Brownie Bites, Gingerbread Blondie Bites, Festive Scones, Luxury Mincemeat and Christmas Mince Pie Slices to savoury delicacies such as Sea Salt & Rosemary Biscuits and Smoked Paprika Biscuits, Mushroom Pate and luxury Speculoos Biscuits, the hampers are a foodie's dream come to very positive and enchanting life.

Says an obviously delighted Co-founder Aatin Anadkat: “This is our most ambitious range of new products to date and I am proud of what we have developed. 

"Each gift set and hamper is very carefully crafted to suit different budgets and different tastes. Positive Bakes has grown beyond our wildest dreams since early 2020, but we have never allowed ourselves to lose sight of our original mission, which is to deliver beautiful and delectable vegan and gluten-free cakes with minimal impact on the environment.”

To place your orders for Christmas please follow this link to enter their online shopping emporium https://positivebakes.com/online-gifts/christmas.