Looking forward to Christmas with Hallmark

The Christmas adverts have started taking over our TVs and towns across the country are switching on their lights and piping Christmas songs into the shops to get us all into the festive spirit.  With just weeks to go until the big day, I am starting to make lists and get myself organised.  Buying gifts and cards takes up a big part of my to-do-list.

With friends and family that I won't get to see over Christmas, I like to send a card to show I am thinking of them.  This year Hallmark have a range of cards with added razzle dazzle that are bound to add some sparkle to your Christmas message.  With glittering golds and reds and fabulously glitzy, contemporary designs, the range, which includes cards and gift wrapping is perfect for spreading the Christmas spirit. Razzle Dazzle cards start at £2.25.

The Hallmark luxury range have some quality cards with 3D embellishments and are dusted with Christmas sparkle.  The designs really make an impression and the Luxury Boxed cards are £8 for a box of five.  I love the golden dove design, which is simple but classy and the star covered envelope is really lovely.

The Ruby Frost signature range are exclusive to Hallmark.  They have engraved and embossed designs on a white background and are finished with a red ribbon and red wording. They look very sophisticated.  The cards come designed for the special people in your life and feature a short verse
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There is a fun, budget range of cards in the Just Dotty range that means you can send a Christmas message to someone special for just 79p.  The simple but effective design sees wording written in a colourful font printed against a bright red background and looks perfectly festive.  They are a great value way to send a special card this year to your sister, daughter, husband etc.

You can find these products in Hallmark stores. Take a look online at hallmark.co.uk where there is currently a 50 % off code to use against boxed cards so you can grab yourself a bargain!


Hallmark sent me some of their range to send out this Christmas!

Make Story Time Magical with Hallmark Interactive Books

Every child loves listening to a good story.  Freddy certainly enjoys snuggling up and sharing a book with me. But imagine just how exciting it would be if the storybook could interact with you, ask questions and make you a part of the story!  Well, Hallmark have some new Interactive Story Books that allow you to do just that.

All Aboard! and A Day at Fairy Grandmother's are two fun interactive storybooks which respond to the reader and the child, giving up to 30 different possibilities within the story.

To be a part of the story you have to switch on the book then read it aloud.  At certain places in the book, the characters will talk to you, continuing the adventure and will ask a question for the child to respond to.  

Freddy and I have been enjoying the books and as long as you speak clearly and timely and there is not too much background noise, they work really well!  Freddy got really involved and enjoyed being a part of the story.

All Aboard! tells the story of Connor the conductor on his train en route to Celebration City.  Children help him to do things such as call the passengers on board, find a missing ticket and decide the best route for the train.  A Day At Fairy Grandmother's sees little ones help Fairy Grandmother find her missing wand and includes a run-in with a big red dragon.

Take a look at these two demonstration videos to see the books in action.

                           
                              

All Aboard! is just £9.99 and A Day At Fairy Grandmother's is £14.99.

Each book takes 2 x AA batteries which are included.      

Find out more at www.hallmark.co.uk

International Friendship Day

July 30th is International Friendship Day, a day to celebrate friendships and remember all those people in your life that make everyday so much happier.  You can say thank you to your friends today or indeed any other day of the year by giving a card or present.

Hallmark have a host of great range of Friendship gifts available online including personalised sweet jars, mugs, chocolate bars and cards.  So why not treat your best friend with a thoughtful pressie to remind them how much you appreciate them.

As a Hallmark Mummy Blogger panelist, I was sent some cards to send to my best friends to celebrate International Friendship Day.  The quality is great and there is a design that will please everyone.  Whether you like flowers, teddies or something more contemporary or humorous, Hallmark's got it covered! Take a look online for gift ideas for all occasions.

hallmark.co.uk

Until We Hug Again! Hallmark's Recordable Teddy Bear.

I am delighted to be part of the Hallmark Blogger Panel as this means I get to review some of their lovely new products like the gorgeous Until We Hug Again recordable bear.  The cute and cuddly 11" tall teddy is made with his own unique patchwork patches making him a one of a kind bear.  His friendly expression and super soft fur make him so huggable.  He has a soft blue nose and a big blue heart on his tummy.  But the best thing about this toy is that you can record a message using Voice Save technology, that will be replayed with every hug.  So even when you can't be with a loved one, they can hear your voice every time they cuddle their bear.

You can record a 30 second message that can be saved and preserved, which is ideal for someone that you don't see very often, so that they can get to hear your voice everyday. Getting grandparents to make a recording for the grandkids is a lovely way to make them a part of the child's day no matter where they are.  If a parent is away on business, recording a personal message for a little one would help them cope with being apart.  If a child is missing mum or dad, a quick hug of the teddy bear will let them hear their parent's voice.  It is a very comforting idea, letting loved ones feel connected and together at all times.

It is also fun to make funny recordings that the bear will play back, just for your own entertainment!  Who wouldn't want their bear to sing a silly song back to you in your own voice! You can record over the last message as often as you like, unless the recording is "locked" which saves it and stops it being recorded over.

Birthday messages,  special announcements or even proposals could be done via an Until We Hug Again bear. You could record any message prior to giving the bear to a loved one, making this a really personal and special gift!

Until We Hug Again Bear comes complete with 3 AA batteries so it is ready to go!  It is a really fun twist on a soft toy, adding a re-recordable, personalised message that is played whenever you give the bear a hug!

It is currently on sale at Hallmark priced at £12.99.  Find it here on Hallmark.co.uk.

Hallmark Sketch Santa Cards

Can you imagine getting a Christmas card from Gary Barlow with a lovely message and a photograph?  That would brighten up my Christmas morning for sure!  Well, how about the next best thing, a Christmas card designed by Gary!  Or if you prefer, Tulisa, or the Saturdays or Matthew Wolfenden.  Because this year, these celebrities along with ITV's Lorraine and Aled have their very own card designs on the market.

Hallmark have teamed up with ITV's Daybreak to produce their official Text Santa charity Christmas cards. The pack of six cards includes five celebrity card designs, featuring a special message and a photo of the famous designer, plus a card designed by six year old prize winner Demi Holmes who designed the winning card in the Daybreak Sketch Santa competition.

The cards cost £1.99 with at least 50p going to Text Santa, the appeal that supports six charities offering life saving services to vulnerable people in the UK. They are available at Hallmark stores, online at hallmark.co.uk and in Asda.

I was sent a pack of these fabulous cards.  They are a good size, colourful and each card has added sparkle and a different greeting inside.  The back of the card has a message from the designer, a photo and information about the Text Santa appeal.  It is a nice way to contribute to and spread the word about this very worthy cause.

Full further information on the charities supported by these cards, visit www.itv.com/textsanta

 

Bigsby Gets A Pet Mouse!

LEEDS SCHOOL CHILDREN BECOME PUBLISHED AUTHORS AGED JUST SIX YEARS OLD! 

Gifted young authors, from Victoria Primary School have won the Hallmark Story Buddies national literacy competition, becoming published authors at the age of just six years old with their story, “Bigsby Gets a Pet Mouse”, getting it published in time for Christmas!

The class fought off tough competition from hundreds of school children aged between five and seven years old from across the UK and Ireland who entered the national literacy initiative launched by Hallmark Cards and supported by education advisors and the Confederate of British Industry (CBI) to complement the school curriculum. 

The competition required the children to write a story in no more than 200 words about a cute and cuddly Story Buddy called Bigsby.  Story Buddies use innovative technology to allow the characters to actually join in as you read aloud to them, bringing the story to life. The winning book will be published and sold by Hallmark as an addition to the newest member of the Story Buddy gang – the lovable Bigsby, with a donation of sales going directly to the school for its entire lifecycle. 

Following a public vote against 19 other shortlisted entries on Hallmark’s Facebook page, Victoria Primary School was chosen to win the coveted prize, with an overwhelming majority of the votes with their 200 word story, “Bigsby Gets a Pet Mouse”. The sweet tale of an unlikely friendship between Bigsby, the woodland creature and a cute mouse, penned by the young authors will become a brand new Story Buddies book that will launch in time for Christmas. 

Victoria Primary School’s book, ‘Bigsby Gets A Pet Mouse’ will be available online from 1st December 2012 through www.hallmark.co.uk priced £3.00. Fifty percent of all proceeds from the book will be donated to the school.  Bigsby himself and additional books in the series including ‘Bigsby’s Borrowed Shoes’ and ‘Bigsby’s Big News’ are also available from Hallmark stores, good independents and online.

Bigsby - Hallmark's New Story Buddy

A New story Buddy from Hallmark

He is big and beautiful and totally endearing!  That's Bigsby, the latest Story Buddy from Hallmark, a giant furry creature, perfect for your little monsters to love!

Following in the footsteps of Cooper and Abigail, Bigsby is the newest addition to the Story Buddy family.  He comes with his own story book.

Story time is magical with these interactive toys who join in, giving responses when trigger words are read aloud.  The trigger words are highlighted in red in the story book.

Bigsby is a shy creature who lives in the forest who meets a new best friend called Sam, who is new in town.  They share lots of adventures together in the book " Bigsby's Best Friend".  Children aged three and over will love to cuddle up to Bigsby at bedtime, listen to the story and hear Bigsby as he interacts with the lovely story.  He has a great voice and an infectious laugh!

We were sent a Bigsby to try out.  The best way to demonstrate this wonderful toy is to show you in a video!

Priced at £19.99, Bigsby is available in Hallmark stores, good independents and at www.hallmark.co.uk. The additional books for Bigsby are also available from the same outlets priced at £5.99 each.

Hallmark Recordable Artwork

Create a Masterpiece They’ll Never Forget

Hallmark, the card and gift specialist, has launched an innovative and interactive children’s recordable art activity set that captures your  little one’s first pictures and the story behind the art in their very own words.

Recordable Artwork is the ultimate keepsake gift which allows children to combine their painted masterpieces with personal recorded messages.  It’s unique, interactive and is sure to put a smile on the face of mums, dads, grandparents, aunties and uncles for many years to come.

Comprising of a framed blank canvas board, a set of six rainbow coloured paints and a paintbrush, the Recordable Artwork kit has everything youngsters will need to create a spectacular work of art.  But much than that, the set also features a unique recordable panel that uses innovative voice capture technology to allow heartfelt messages to be recorded to accompany the design, forever encapsulating the cherished moments of childhood.

The brand new innovation provides an irreplaceable opportunity to see and hear the world through your children’s eyes even when they’re all grown up. It also offers a fantastic way to spend quality time with your little artists while they create a truly priceless painting, while the recorded message enables you to enjoy the magical everyday moments you simply don’t want to forget.

We were sent one to try out and with daddy's birthday fast approaching, we decided to make a unique present for him from Freddy!

The canvas is a really good quality and the  paints are nice and go on well.  Freddy painted a gorgeous rainbow using all the colours.

Once dried, it slips into the frame which has the recordable technology built in.  A 40 second audio can be recorded and replayed at the touch of a button, making this a unique and precious keepsake and a wonderful gift for a loved one!  

Victoria Greenfield, Innovation Manager at Hallmark, said: “Children grow up so quickly and so our brand new Recordable Artwork is a fun and innovative way to both enjoy and preserve those special times in a child’s life.  It makes a great keepsake gift for loved ones close to a child to cherish and it’s sure to be a big hit.”

“At Hallmark, we’re constantly looking for new and exciting ways to keep memories alive and bring families closer and Recordable Artwork is perfect for just that.  By combining such an expressive and important pastime with the latest technology we can give our customers a completely new way to remember those magical moments.”

Priced at £12.99 Recordable Artwork is available  in Hallmark stores and at www.Hallmark.co.uk

Hallmark Treasured Memories Winner

As a judge in the Hallmark Treasured Memories Competition I am delighted to see that the winning entry has been announced as Lynn Foggon with her story of Looby Loo the knitted doll.  It is a really touching and heart warming tale. 

THE HUNT FOR THE UK’S ULIMATE TREASURED KEEPSAKE IS ON

Letters, mix-tapes, your baby’s hospital bracelet or a warm knitted hat from Granny...Families across the UK are being invited to share their most treasured memories for a unique online gallery which launches today (15^th May) and the chance to have their items brought to life at the National Media Museum.

Showcasing a treasure trove of meaningful mementos, from a new-born’s first curl to a grandparent’s war medal, the keepsake collection will be available to view online, giving an insight into what our nation holds most dear.  From the touching and traditional to the brilliantly bizarre, articles can be photographed and uploaded by anyone in the UK until 12^th June; with written entries also accepted.

Launched by the card and gift specialist Hallmark, the Treasured Memory gallery has been built to share the stories behind the UK’s most cherished keepsakes and, through a public voting process, uncover the Nation’s Ultimate Treasured Memory.

To enter a keepsake in to the gallery, participants are asked to submit a photograph or description of their prized possession to http://www.facebook.com/HallmarkUK with all entries also being added into a prize draw to win a Nikon-1 camera.

Following the initial entry period, a panel of expert judges (including me (!!) and Exhibitions and Displays Manager at the National Media Museum, Amanda Chinneck) will create a shortlist of entries to compete in a public vote to be named the UK’s Most Treasured Memory.

The finalists will be shortlisted using a number of criteria, from their ability to capture a unique memorable moment to the comments they inspire within the gallery. Hallmark will also be working in partnership with the National Media Museum, in Bradford, later this year to create opportunities to showcase the final entries.

On the 5^th July, the public poll will come to a close and the shortlisted entry with the most votes (at 1pm) will then be named the UK’s Ultimate Treasured Memory. The lucky winner will also receive a fantastic Treasured Memories prize package, worth over £350, which includes the new Nikon-1 camera.

Emma Bragg, judge and Head of Emotions, at Hallmark said:

“In households across the UK there are items hidden in attics, drawers and cabinets that capture a truly memorable moment between loved ones and deserve to be shared with the world. Those belongings may not have any monetary value but, to the families that own them, they will mean the world.

“Through our online gallery we want to create a unique opportunity to showcase these hidden treasures whilst bringing people together to celebrate them. We look forward to seeing what the UK has been hoarding in its homes and unveiling the Nation’s Ultimate Treasured Memory for the very first time.”

My Treasured Shakespearean Charms

This is my treasured keepsake which is a necklace that my husband had made for me using three silver Shakespearean charms that my grandmother gave me when I was a child just before she died.  It was a complete surprise when he had my childhood treasures cleaned and put onto a chain.  This necklace reminds me of my lovely old Nan and also of how wonderfully thoughtful my husband is.

I am thrilled to be involved in this competition and I think it will be really interesting to hear the stories behind everybody's most treasured keepsakes.  I love the idea of sharing these precious memories with each other.

For more information about the Treasured Memory gallery, or to enter a keepsake, please visit   http://www.facebook.com/HallmarkUK

Abigail the Story Buddy Bunny

With Easter fast approaching, Hallmark have a new Interactive Story Buddy that is set to rival the Easter Bunny in a Favourite Rabbit Competition!  Abigail the Bunny is a gorgeously cute and girlie bunny that children will adore.

Abigail from Hallmark

As with all Story Buddies, Abigail will respond as you read aloud from her storybook, Abigail and The Balance Beam.

Abigail and The Balance Beam

Key phrases will prompt Abigail to reply with her own cute answers.  The words do need to be read clearly for Abigail to respond so she may not recognise a younger child's voice.

Ready for a story.

The best way to show you just how lovely this toy is, is to demonstrate it in a video!

Abigail joins Jingle, Watson and Cooper in the range of Interactive Story Buddies that sell for £19.99 at Hallmark.  Other storybooks are available at £5.99 each.  They are absolutely adorable, innovative and hugely appealing!  Abigail would make the perfect Easter gift!

Lovable Abigail!

*Kizzy received Abigail for free but no compensation was received.*

Make Story time Magical with a Story Buddy

Hallmark is making story time all the more magical with a new range of new and exclusive Story Buddies.  Using exciting, innovative playback technology, each soft, cuddly Story Buddy interacts when the story is being read, with trigger passages prompting the toy to speak and join in.  A new response is revealed with each new page bringing the character and the story to life.  Reading becomes a more engaging and entertaining pastime, which is perfect for children who are not as keen on sitting still for a story.

We were sent Cooper to try, a gorgeous soft and cuddly teddy bear who comes with his own story book "Big Bear Hugs".

Pressing a button on his ear activates Cooper and he is then ready to listen to the story.  Certain sentences, coloured in red in the text, trigger Cooper to respond.  He has a lot of different phrases that he says, keeping the experience fresh and exciting.  I am such a soft touch...I've spent far too long saying "I love you, Cooper!" so he will reply "I love you too!"  It is very cute!!

Cooper is joined by Watson the Inquisitive Raccoon and Jingle the Husky (a limited edition for Christmas) who both have their own story books.  More Story Buddies are due to join the crew in the New Year.

At just £19.99 a Story Buddy would make an excellent Christmas gift for a young child.  Pre-readers will enjoy listening to the story and will delight in their Story Buddy's responses.  Children who can read independently will love to trigger the phrases themselves by speaking the words aloud.

Hallmark have developed a free down;loadable app suitable for iPhones and iPads to accompany the range which includes a short animated story, as well as puzzles and games.

You can buy Story Buddies from Hallmark.co.uk for £19.99 which includes the toy and a book. Batteries are included (big thumbs up!!)  Additional books cost £5.99.

By combining a traditional and important pastime such as reading, with the latest technology, Hallmark have come up with a new and exciting story time experience that the whole family will enjoy!

Also available are recordable story books where you can read aloud each page of one of seven beautifully hand illustrated books and record your voice.  As the book is read by the child they will hear your voice reading the story to them.  You never have to miss a bed time story again.  Perfect for Grandparents or distant relatives to buy for loved ones, they cost just £14.99 from hallmark.co.uk.  I think this is a lovely idea for those who can't be there all the time to share a story with a child.

Hallmark Cards for Father's Day

This Father's Day, Hallmark.co.uk are offering a huge selection of personalised cards, ready for you to add photos and messages, making sure there is a perfect card for every dad!

They have a new ranges for 2011 including the cute and colourful "From The Kids" range.  Transform your kids into their alter egos, from Little Stars to Little Monkeys there is a design that will fit your family.  The cards can be personalised using up to four photos.

If your dad is out of this world, why not transform him into a superhero?  The "Superhero" range includes iconic comic characters from Marvel, Warner Bros and Disney.  

For first time fathers, the cute "Forever Friends" range celebrates the very special day with the iconic, bear character.  The "Designer Boutique" range is printed on luxury, pearlised board and is perfect for showing your dad how much you care.  

The card you create can be sent directly to your dad, or have it delivered to yourself to give him by hand.

We were given the opportunity to make a card in order to review the site and the product for ourselves.  The range was huge with cards featuring much loved characters from favourite films alongside cute cartoon characters that can be given the faces of your children!  Ella, Kizzy and Freddy enjoyed pouring through the designs.

The process of creating the cards was very simple.  We uploaded the photos we wanted to use and used the photo tool to resize and position them where we wanted them to go.  The inside of the card has areas where you can put text, and the printed verse can be re-written if you do not want to use it.  My children added their own poem to the card, giving it the real personal touch!

Cards ordered before 2pm Monday to Friday are despatched the same day, perfect for last minute orders!  Prices start at just £2 for a small card.

My Three Little Monkeys!

Our medium card cost £3.00 + 55p postage.  The card is printed on glossy, good quality card and I was very impressed with the inside which was printed in full colour to match the design on the front.  The kids' poem was great.  Daddy will be delighted!!!

Daddy's Little Monkey Kizzy!

In addition to the great product, swift delivery and great site, I have to add that the customer service team is great.  I got my account into a pickle (trust me) and the very patient team were able to help me out quickly and efficiently!  Overall, we have had a great experience with Hallmark.co.uk and will definitely use them again for making personalised cards.