Seven ways to pet-proof your Christmas tree

Careful pet owners are being offered seven top tips to keep inquisitive pets away from their Christmas trees.

Pets and trees aren't always the safest of combination, which is why fitted furniture experts at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk are offering their hacks for keeping festive decoration safe over the festive period. 

Not only does keeping your cat or dog off your tree cause annoyance to owners, but the well loved Christmas centrepiece can also be dangerous for our four-legged friends. 

Needles and pines from real trees may puncture a pet’s digestive tract when swallowed, while decoration and lights on false trees can burn, electrocute, or puncture their paws. 

Tips include avoiding lights on the base of the tree, staying away from tinsel and using scented pinecones as deterrents.

Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk said: “The last thing families want to do is spend the whole month of December trying to get their cat off the tree or their dog away from the presents underneath it. This is why we wanted to share our top tips with animal lovers - so they can keep their trees intact and their pets happy at the same time.

“Things like avoiding stringling lights near the base of your tree and avoiding breakable baubles may seem obvious - but can quickly be forgotten when caught up in the festive spirit. However, it is super important with all decorations during Christmas to ensure you are not posing any danger to your four-legged friends.”

Here are Online-Bedrooms.co.uk’s seven top tips for a pet-friendly Christmas tree:

Lights

Christmas tree lights can add a bit of magic to your tree but can be dangerous for your pets. Some may get extremely hot and burn a small pet interested in getting a closer look or cause electric shocks to little ones nibbling on the wires. If you are keen on stringing lights on your tree, make sure to only string them from about halfway up, depending on the size of your pet. 

Any other Christmas lights around the house should be secured to the wall where possible to avoid dangling close to the ground. 

Gifts 

It is best to delay putting gifts under the tree until Christmas eve or Christmas morning if possible. This way, you are removing additional temptation for your pet and avoiding any heartbreak to find your perfectly wrapped present torn apart by your pet. 

Consider placing the tree above ground level

For those with smaller dogs, placing your tree on a small table may just be enough to keep their pup away from causing any damage to the decorations or themselves.

Scented pinecones

Add some deterrent decorations by spraying some apple cider vinegar on a few pinecones and placing them at the base of your tree. The smell will keep pets away without the need of any large or non-aesthetically pleasing barriers. 

Isolate your tree

One of the best things you can do to deter a pesky pet is to place your tree in a room which can be sectioned off from the rest of the house. Make this a room that your pet doesn't particularly spend lots of time in alone to make it an easier transition for you and your family. 

Secure all decorations

Pets love to play with toys, and cats especially enjoy making toys out of everything in their way - with hanging tree decorations included. Avoid the heartbreak of finding your favourite bauble broken on the floor by carefully securing all tree decorations with twine, strong string or wire. 

Smashed baubles can also cause a serious concern for your pet’s paws. If possible, skip any breakable decorations completely to prevent potential danger for your four-legged friend. 

Avoid tinsel 

Although widely known as a symbol for festive cheer, adding tinsel to your tree this year might just be the reason your pet spends the whole of December trying to climb and attack the tree you spent so much time putting together. The shiny material may attract pets and encourage them to climb, jump and attach themselves to their Christmas tree. 

(image courtesy of Iryna Bakurskaya and Pixabay)

Still Looking for a Unique Christmas Gift? Then give the gift of language

Lingoda, one of the top global online language schools, is the language learning platform designed to get one speaking a new language confidently.

With private and group language classes of up to five people per class, Lingoda offers lessons in Spanish, French, German, English and Business English. 

And for anyone still looking for a Christmas gift for loved ones, language lessons are sure to be a unique gift idea for anyone who is looking to spend some time abroad in 2023 or wants to brush up on their foreign language skills.

Lingoda has several pricing options and learning plans available, ranging from four classes per month for $79 ($20 per class) to up to 40 classes per month for $489 per month ($12 per class).

For anyone looking to crush their 2023 language learning goals in a more speedy kind of way, there is the Lingoda Language Sprint™. The unique Sprint option offers 30 classes within two months, while the Super Sprint entails 60 classes. And one can earn between 50-100% cashback.

"All of us know how hard it can be to find the perfect Christmas present for all our nearest and dearest every year," says Philippa Wentzel, Lingoda's Curriculum Team Lead. "And for anyone interested in learning a new language for personal or professional reasons, our Lingoda language classes are designed to get you speaking your new language with confidence.

"In our group classes of up to five people at a time, people join from all over the world to learn a new language together and get their practice speaking time in. What could be better than a Christmas gift that boosts your confidence and makes you expand your horizons while meeting people around the globe?"

Currently, Lingoda also offers a risk-free trial for seven days at no cost. This way, one may even try out specific language classes before giving them away as Christmas gifts. Within the seven days, students can either take three group classes or one private class before the paid-for learning plan can begin. 

And if one is convinced that they have now found the perfect Christmas gift, just be aware that the person taking the Lingoda classes must register on the platform with their own email address and choose the language they want to learn. Once that is completed, they can start the new year with impeccable new language skills and a great sense of confidence and accomplishment. 

Lingoda is one of the top online language schools. Founded in Berlin, Germany, in 2013, we provide convenient and accessible online language courses in German, English, Business English, French and Spanish to over 100,000 students worldwide. 

With almost 550,000 classes available per year and accessible 24/7, our mission is to build bridges around the world through language learning. 

Visit Lingoda.com to learn more.

Worried about the cold weather this Christmas? Flapjackery has the answer

If the cold weather is gnawing at your bones, fuel up and keep your energy levels high with Flapjackery flapjacks.

Satisfying and extremely  delicious these gluten-free chunks of flapjacks come in an array of flavours and are handmade in Devon with the finest of British ingredients.

These mouth-watering chunks of sugary joy are laden with golden syrup and have just enough crunch, with the perfect amount of crumble, and absolutely no chewiness at all.

When cold winds bite, they're best served slightly warmed, with a dollop of clotted cream for an extra special treat, served with a warming cup of cocoa, in a limited edition Flapjackery mug of course!

Or even better, create your own tray of flapjacks. Flapjackery founders and flapjack aficionados Sally Jenkin and Carol Myott, who are still hands on in their flapjack-making empire on the edge of Dartmoor, have these brilliant tips to perfect your own bakes.

They say: “Weigh the golden syrup! Lots of recipes measure by tablespoon, but this is very inaccurate and too much syrup gives a hard flapjack. 

“Also, people's instinct is to add a bit more to make it soft and gooey but this has the opposite effect! 

“We recommend the same weight of sugar to golden syrup which together should equal the weight of butter, so if the recipe says 300gms of butter we would use 150gsm of sugar and 150gms of golden syrup butter.”

So there you have it! Flapjacks are the answer to keeping warm during this cold spell.

You can order yours from Flapjackery from just £12 and there are an array of wonderful Christmas gifts too from hampers to fudge, to Flapjackery's own exclusively designed jigsaw puzzles and aprons. 

All the flapjacks are delivered in a recyclable box, are individually wrapped, are suitable for freezing and have a shelf life of up to three months.

(That's Christmas points out that they are so utterly delicious that we would be surprised if you could keep them uneaten for three days, never mind three months!)

https://www.flapjackery.co.uk.

Martha Brook x Matilda: Personalised Stationery. A Christmas 'must have'

To celebrate the release of brand-new movie Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, The Roald Dahl Story Company is collaborating with Martha Brook, the online home of uplifting, inspiring personalised stationery.

The Martha Brook x Matilda collaboration allows grown-ups to enjoy a range of splendid stationery inspired by the power and possibility of everyone’s favourite book-loving heroine.  And That's Christmas firmly believes they will make most excellent Christmas presents.

The Martha Brook x Matilda collection includes personalised book journals, diaries, notebooks, life planners, gift sets and desk pads, each featuring quotes from the iconic story.  

Martha says: “As an adult, and now mum to a little girl, Matilda still reminds me that we can all be brave, bold and brilliant. As Miss Honey says to Matilda ‘there is some kind of magic in you’. That’s exactly how I want people to feel when they use items from the Martha Brook x Matilda collection.”

Natalie Hopkins, Senior Partnerships Manager, The Roald Dahl Story Company, says: “We’re delighted to be working with Martha Brook on this beautiful range of personalised stationery. Their company ethos to empower and uplift is the perfect fit for our extraordinary and inspirational hero, Matilda."

Standout items from the collection include:

Martha Brook x Matilda Personalised Book Journal, £25.95

Book lovers of all ages will love capturing their favourite novels in this beautiful book journal, with a cover featuring famous quote from the iconic story: ‘The books transported her into new worlds’. The Book Journal is packed with useful contents to inspire readers of all ages and can also be embossed with the name of your choice in gold foil. 

Martha Brook x Matilda Personalised Magic in You Life Planner, £37.95

Anyone can move through the year feeling bold, brave and brilliant thanks to this refillable planner and personal organiser, inspired by Matilda’s magical mind. The cover features the words ‘There is a kind of magic in you’ proudly displayed and will be embossed with the name of your choice in gold foil. Available in a variety of colours.

Martha Brook x Matilda Personalised Fireworks Softback Notebook, £13.95

This wonderful softback A5 notebook is sure to be a hit with readers and writers alike, with the goosebump inducing quote from Roald Dahl’s Matilda, ‘Words went off like fireworks’. It can also be embossed with the name of your choice in gold foil. Available in a variety of colours

To explore the full Martha Brook range, which includes diaries, notebooks, memory books, photo albums, notecard and writing sets, desk accessories, vegan leather collection, wedding planners, life planners and much more, visit www.marthabrook.com. You can also follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. 

Fantastic Festive Fun at the Bucket & Spade Café This Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Bucket & Spade Café in Shaldon, with a host of festive live music events to delight and entertain. A delicious Christmas Afternoon Tea will also be available throughout December, a perfect option to share with a friend or a loved one, to celebrate this wonderful time of year.

Eat, drink and be merry at one of the many Christmas celebration live music events scheduled with some of the best musicians in the South West. 

Join the Bucket & Spade for a festive 3-course feast with incredible folk singer 'Matt Sellers' on Friday 16th December, and for uplifting, melodic and soulful music join 'Go Tell Alice' on Saturday 17th December. 

The final event of the month is on Friday 23rd December with the 'The Waves Collection', an international, modular band who play an eclectic mix of songs from the 1950's to current popular hits, guaranteed to get you on the dance floor!  At £30 per person, these events are great value with gluten and vegan options available. Make sure you book tickets in advance by calling 01626 818450 or visit www.bucketandspade.com for further information.

Get into the festive spirit with a Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Bucket & Spade. Available Monday to Saturday 12-3pm throughout December, arrive with an empty tummy to indulge in a selection of tasty finger sandwiches, savoury or sweet fluffy scones and a trio of festive sweet treats served with a range of tea or freshly brewed coffee (£15.95 per person). Upgrade to a glass of prosecco for some added Christmas sparkle! (£19.95 per person) Gluten and vegan options are available.

Recently winning Gold in the Best Café category, and two Silvers in the Best Bar and Best Restaurant categories at the Food Drink Devon Awards, The Bucket & Spade is is a popular choice for locals and visitors to the area. With spectacular views across the Jurassic coastline, it's renowned for its friendly service and locally sourced food.

Based at Coast View Holiday Park in Shaldon, The Bucket & Spade Cafe is open to on-site lodge owners and members of the public.  Open seven days a week, Coast View Holiday Park leisure members can enjoy the beautifully warm indoor swimming pool or if feeling a little more active use the state-of-the-art gymnasium to work up a sweat before dining in The Bucket & Spade Café.  New for this year is the 'Be Well' beauty treatment rooms for those who are in need of some well-deserved pampering.

For more information about the Bucket & Spade cafe visit: www.thebucketandspade.com  Follow 'The Bucket & Spade Shaldon' on Facebook and 'bucketandspadeshaldon' on Instagram.

For more information about South West Holiday Parks visit: www.southwestholidayparks.co.uk

Follow 'South West Holiday Parks' on Facebook and 'southwestholidayparks' on Instagram.

New Victuallers Special Edition 'Snapes Point' Sloe Gin for Christmas warming

A classic winter warmer, Salcombe Distilling Co.'s new Victuallers Special Edition 'Snapes Point' Sloe Gin is an exceptional, small batch cask aged sloe and damson gin crafted using locally foraged sloes.  

With its gorgeous, beautiful ruby hue, this unique seasonal release from multi-award winning Salcombe Distilling Co., is available in a 50cl bottle, RRP £40, ABV 38% from salcombegin.com and Salcombe Distilling Co.'s Victuallers flagship stores in Salcombe and Dartmouth.

No ordinary sloe gin, 'Snapes Point' Sloe Gin has been months in the making.  Produced at their stunning waterside home in South Devon, one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat, this intense fruit liqueur takes its name from Snapes Point, near Salcombe -  where many of the sloes were hand picked from nearby coastal footpaths overlooking Kingsbridge Estuary.  

Distilled with unrivalled passion, care and with exacting attention to detail, head distiller, Jason Nickels, first crafted a unique gin which he cask aged for nine months, to bring through vanilla notes and a subtle warmth.  

Once picked, sloe berries and damsons were steeped separately for two months, before further distilling the damson spirit on 60 litre copper pot stills to amplify the flavours.  Finally, the spirits were carefully blended together with Dartmoor water and a touch of honey, from bees kept by a member of Salcombe Distilling Co.'s team, to provide a delicate additional sweetness.     

Serving suggestion - Perfect now the weather has turned nippier, Victuallers Special Edition 'Snapes Point' Sloe Gin injects some winter warmth when sipped neat.  As with all Salcombe Distilling Co.'s gins, it's also excellent served with plenty of ice, a premium Indian tonic water and garnished with a slice of orange. 

Victuallers Special Edition 'Snapes Point' Sloe Gin joins Salcombe Distilling Co.'s award-winning line-up of Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie', the Voyager Series, Salcombe Rum 'Island Street' and New London Light non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs. 

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and Salcombe Gin, visit www.salcombedistilling.com, follow SalcombeGin on Instagram and Facebook and Salcombe Distilling Co on Twitter.

Iceland to give staff extended break with Boxing Day closure

To give their staff members an extended break over the busy Christmas period, Iceland stores and Food Warehouse outlets will not open on Boxing Day, Monday 26th December.

Iceland Foods have announced they will not be open for trading on Boxing Day this year.

Closing store doors on Christmas Eve and re-opening on December 27th, the retailer is prioritising their hard-working staff, giving them the welcome chance to enjoy an extended festive break and make the most of time with friends and family.

All of Iceland’s 1000+ stores will remain closed on Boxing Day across the UK, with it being officially assigned as a bank holiday for staff. The same applies to The Food Warehouse. In Scotland, Iceland will also be closed on New Year’s Day as usual. Opening hours for the wider festive period will vary based on location, with specific store timings announced locally.

Richard Walker, the MD of Iceland Foods, said: “This year has taken its toll on everyone, so officially closing our doors on Boxing Day is just a small token of appreciation to our employees. As we move into the winter months the cost-of-living burden will unfortunately only intensify, and as we work relentlessly to pass on savings and support to our customers, we must also look after our teams who are at the forefront of this crisis everyday across the UK.”

He added: "Iceland and The Food Warehouse shoppers will have plenty of time in the run up to Christmas to get their hands on festive bargains with the brand-new range of festive food available online and instore from 14th November. A dedicated Christmas page has also returned to the website, offering customers, a one stop shop for frozen Christmas products, enabling them to plan ahead with email notifications when their favourite products become available.

"Customers can also take advantage of our unique 3 for £10 deal across a range of lines, where they can save up to a fiver on everyday essentials."

To keep up to date with local store’s opening hours visit: https://www.iceland.co.uk/storefinder.