My Christmas Netflix Picks

I can hardly grasp the fact that it is already December and Christmas Day is less than three weeks away. So while I sit and wonder where 2015 has gone, I am getting myself into the Christmas spirit by watching some top festive entertainment on Netflix. I love cuddling up on the sofa under a blanket with some popcorn, to watch a Christmassy film with the family.

Check these movies out now and join in with the Netflix festive fun.

A Christmas Carol 

Jim Carrey voices Ebenezer Scrooge in this 2009 Disney version of the classic A Christmas Carol. Mean, cruel and miserly Scrooge learns the power of opening his heart after being confronted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve, that show him the error of his wicked ways. It's quite dark and a little bit scary in parts, but the message is still as relevant today as it was when Dickens first penned this classic tale.

Santa Clause

Tim Allen stars in this great festive comedy. When he accidentally kills Santa he evokes the Santa Clause and has to take the place of St Nick himself. There are lots of laughs, especially as Allen's waistband expands and his beard grows to suit the role.

Jingle all the Way

Arnie plays a desperate dad trying to buy his son the must-have toy for Christmas. On his way he encounters a stressed out mailman, played by Sinbad, and it becomes a meteoric battle of wits as they try to get their hands on a Turbo Man action figure. There is lots of slapstick comedy and some hilarious action as they go to extraordinary lengths to get the toy. The finale is just fabulous and you get to see Arnie dressed as a superhero!

Home Alone

This Macaulay Culkin classic is such a timeless movie, that each of my children has in turn loved watching it over the last twenty years. Now it's Freddy's turn to watch Kevin's elaborate plan to defend his home against the bungling burglars, after being left home alone at Christmas. It's slapstick, it's funny and it has just the right amount of sentimentality to give it real heart. It's a Christmas must-see movie.


Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas

Join Mickey and friends as they star in three festive stories: Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi, Donald Duck Stuck On Christmas and A Very Goofy Christmas. In the Gift of the Magi, Mickey and Minnie both try to get each other the perfect gift for Christmas even if it means parting with something they love. In Stuck on Christmas, Huey, Dewey and Louie relive Christmas over and over again in a Groundhog Day time loop until they appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. In A Very Goofy Christmas, Goofy and Max are awaiting Santa's arrival while neighbour Pete mocks them for believing. But Pete soon has to eat his words. It's great Disney storytelling that keeps little ones happily entertained.

Tetris Light - a great gift for kids, teens or the young at heart

A unique gift idea for kids, gamers and tech lovers

Fans of the classic Tetris video game will love the Tetris Light, a fascinating, colourful and stylish lamp available from Maplin. Made up of seven individual Tetrimino pieces, you can create your own combination of the shapes, which light up in a multicoloured array. Each Tetrimino piece is made up of squares measuring 4cm x 4cm that build together into countless configurations. The endless possibilities that the Tetris Light offers, allows you to create your lamp in the shape and design that you want.

The blue piece is plugged in using the mains adapter and forms the base to the lamp. When another piece comes into contact with the base piece it automatically lights up. The other pieces light up when they touch any other illuminated piece. Remove a piece from the lamp and its light goes out instantly. It's so clever and playing with the combinations is as addictive as the game of Tetris itself!

The lamp looks really cool and funky. It would look great in a teen's bedroom, games room or office setting. It would also be lovely to use in a kids' room, giving off a gentle, coloured light at bedtime. For younger children, it is worth bearing in mind that the pieces simply stack together and so the lamp can be knocked over quite easily.

The Tetris Light is a former winner of the Gift of the Year and after playing with it, I can see why. It is such an innovative product that combines an element of techy Tetris fun with the functionality of  a lamp. How it works is really fascinating and the lamp looks great when assembled. You can change the shape and configuration to suit your mood, and experimenting with the pieces is really quite stress relieving, making this a great novelty gift for young at heart executives too.

The Tetris Light is available from Maplin for £29.99. Check out Maplin's range of electronic goods to find the ideal gifts for loved ones this Christmas, from toys to audio equipment to cameras, for the technophiles and hobbyists in your life.

Christmas Forget-Me-Nots - top tips for a strees-free Christmas

This Christmas Eve, make sure you avoid some of the classic Christmas pitfalls by being prepared for the big day ahead. We all know how stressful things can get as you juggle over excited kids, last minute gift wrapping and food preparation, so pre-empting problems can help you get through the day allowing you to go to bed filled with confidence that the day ahead will run smoothly. Here are some top tips to make sure your Christmas Day is a joy filled success.

Keep your energy levels boosted

Perfect for those who pack lots into the festive period, Emergen-C offers a double hit of energy release and immunity support  in handy fast dissolving, wallet-sized sachets. Packing 1000mg of Vitamin C to support the immune system, antioxidants, fruit extract and 7 B vitamins for energy release, Emergenc-C costs £4.99 for a pack of 8 and is available from Boots stores nationwide. For further information visit http://www.emergenc.com.

Buy gifts for unexpected guests

Whether  one of the family invites  an unannounced guest to Christmas lunch or your neighbour decides to pop in for a mince pie, it’s lovely to make all guests feel welcome no matter how unexpected they are. To help ensure there are no awkward moments when it comes to gift giving, your local Lloyds Pharmacy has got last minute gifts wrapped up.  Pop an extra toiletry set or two under the tree just in case. They stock some lovely Baylis and Harding gift sets for the ladies and if you don't get any unexpected guests, you can keep them for yourself! The Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit Weekend Essentials Bag contains bath milk, bath creme, shower gel, hand cream, body wash, body butter and a body polisher in a stylish weekend bag complete with phone purse. It's great value at £19.99 from Lloyds Pharmacy.

Avoid the‘Batteries not included’ issue

Imagine the scenario: when you pop the pressies under the tree, you realise that the latest must-have toy MUST have batteries and you are all out.  Avoid the disappointment on Christmas morning and be sure to stock up in advance. Keep a supply of AA and AAA batteries to make sure the kids can enjoy all their new toys this Christmas Day.

Help make it a silent night

If the excitement of the festive period has made the kid’s bedtime a nightmare before Christmas and the stress of preparing for the big day means you can’t switch off, why not try an essential oil? Soothing essential oils have been found to be very beneficial for supporting relaxation. Add a couple of drops of  Lavender Pure Essential Oil to your bedtime bath. (£11.39 available from Holland & Barrett Stores and online www.hollandandbarrett.com.)

Avoid those sticky moments

Avoid sticky situations if you find yourself wrapping Christmas presents at the last minute by making sure that you don't run out of tape. Make sure you have an extra roll or two of sticky tape on hand.

Or try the Scotch Pop-Up Tape Handband Dispenser for an easy way to get wrapping. The pre-cut strips of tape are dispensed from the hand-worn dispenser allowing you to keep both hands free for wrapping. No more searching for the end of the roll or getting stuck in a length of twisted up sticky tape! It's convenient and saves time - essential for this busy time of year. They are priced at £2.95 with extra refill packs available.

Mince pies for Santa or gluten free guests

Children love leaving out a mince pie for Santa on Christmas Eve, but if Santa, or any of your house guests  happen to be gluten intolerant , make sure they don’t miss out by buying some Lovemore’s Gluten Free Mince Pies. Available at Holland & Barrett for £2.89 for a pack of 4, these pies are a delicious festive treat. Made with shortcrust pastry and deep-filled mincemeat they contain no artificial colours or flavour. They are also dairy free.

Relax when the hard work is done

After all the hard work is done and you’re ready to unwind, treat yourself to a relaxing face mask while watching the festive edition of your favourite TV show on demand. The Dr. Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask contains organic Dead Sea mineral salt and mud, which have a long history of skin purifying and health promoting properties. In combination with a blend of bioactive, natural and organic ingredients, such as kaolin, plankton extract and algae extract, this face mask penetrates deep into the pores, effectively removing excess oil and impurities, whilst stimulating new cell regeneration.  A tube costs £7.99 from Holland & Barrett.

Christmas Gift Ideas from Dr Organic, Lloyds Pharmacy and Olpro

The Dr.Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Luxury Hair Therapy Gift Pack is a lovely product, giving the gift of rich, smooth, well nourished, intensively moisturised hair to beauty lovers this Christmas. Containing three of Dr. Organic's best selling products: the Your Hair Magazine award winning Moroccan Argan Oil hair treatment serum, moisture repair shampoo and conditioner, the trio works together to leave hair clean, hydrated and in beautiful condition. 

The organic Moroccan Argan Oil hair serum detangles hair, eliminates frizz, nourishes, protects and adds instant shine. It has a rich fragrance and lightweight, easily absorbed texture, with a little going a very long way. It contains natural essential oils and fruit extracts providing a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Even the driest, most damaged hair will be improved and look healthy and shiny.

The Dr.Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Luxury Hair Therapy Gift Pack costs £25 and is available from stockists such as Holland & Barrett. Other Dr Organic gift sets are available including a Manuka Honey Hand and Foot Gift Pack RRP £11, Rose Otto Perfect Complexion Gift Pack RRP £25 and the Snail Gel Skin Perfection Gift Pack RRP £40.

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When out Christmas shopping this year, why not pop into your local Lloyds Pharmacy for some great gift ideas? They have loads of quality gifts in store for all the family, including this Despicable Me 'Minion Made' Jumbo Activity Set. It is perfect for any little Minions fans and at just £7 is great value. The large size, Minion shaped set looks really impressive and boasts some excellent contents to get kids unleashing their inner artist with a Minions twist.

The Jumbo Activity Set includes 14 coloured pencils, an A3 scene to colour, 10 chunky felt tips, 11 wax crayons, 14 oil pastels, 6 A5 Minion standees, 2 A4 sticker sheets, a sharpener, 2 self inking stampers and a cut out colour in Minion poster. Everything has Minion branding, making it really appealing to kids.

This is a lovely creative gift that any child will love to receive on Christmas Day. 

Other gifts available at Lloyds pharmacy include a Frozen Musical band Set for £9.99, Babyliss Twilight Shimmer Hairdryer for £19.99, Frozen 52 piece art set for £4.99 and the Baylis and Harding slipper set for £9.99. 

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For loved ones who are interested in innovative new green products, www.olpro.co.uk, the leading UK camping and outdoor equipment manufacturer, has launched a new range of eco-friendly tableware created from rice husk. They make perfect practical gifts or quirky stocking fillers.

Husk tableware is made using discarded agricultural rice husks following the rice harvest, making them extremely environmentally friendly and also biodegradable. Plastic takes thousands of years to biodegrade, releasing poisonous toxins into the ground. Rice husks are natural plant products and the husk material takes just 90+ days to turn into natural compost once disposed of. It's a great solution to the problem that using plastic has on our planet.

The new OLPRO Husk tableware range includes mugs, tumblers, plates, cutlery, bowls and sets of round or rectangular storage. They can be used safely in the microwave, dishwasher and freezer. 

We received a bowl and a breaktime beaker from the range. The travel beaker comes with a silicon sleeve and lid, making it perfect for both cold and hot drinks on the go. The husk material has no pores and is naturally anti-bacterial making it hygienic and extremely safe to use. The silicon sleeves and lids are available in six different colours.

The Kimchi bowl is lightweight, durable and strong providing an eco-friendly, hygienic serving dish for snacks, fruit or hot food. It is a good looking bowl with a unique Korean design that would look great in a modern kitchen. I really love these products. I like the look and the feel of the material and knowing it is such an environmentally friendly innovation is a real selling point.

Prices start at just £2.79 and right now they are on special offer on the Olpro site.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin - perfect for Christmas

Gin is quickly becoming the spirit of choice for discerning drinkers (and bloggers alike). In fact gin sales have experienced a 6% growth year on year, showing that the gin revival is showing no signs of slowing down. 

This festive season, if you are looking for a sophisticated, elegant gin, to set the tone for your Christmas celebrations then take a look at one of the world’s most awarded gins - Tanqueray London Dry Gin. Made with the finest botanicals including refreshing juniper, peppery coriander, aromatic angelica and sweet liquorice, it has a uniquely smooth yet bold flavour. The botanicals are matured to intensify their aromas, providing a pure clarity of flavours. It comes in an iconic green bottle inspired by the shape of a traditional three-piece cocktail shaker, stamped with the Tanqueray seal.

The crisp, fresh and complex flavour, is perfect for sophisticated cocktails or vibrant, chilled G&T's. You can enjoy the full G&T experience and evoke the golden age of gin drinking by using an oversized Tanqueray Copa glass with its signature green stem and black base. The shape allows Tanqueray's aromas to circulate for full appreciation of the flavour. The gin and the glass both make a great Christmas gift idea for gin lovers. 

Tanqueray London Dry Gin can be used to make a delicious Mulled Tanqueray Punch - a sophisticated alternative to mulled wine this Christmas. With its combination of citrus flavours and mulled spices, and garnished with some fabulously festive fruit, it is a drink that will impress guests this festive season.

Mulled Tanqueray Punch

Ingredients:

35ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin

60ml Pressed Apple Juice

25ml Spiced Sugar Syrup

15ml Fresh Lemon Juice

Cinnamon stick

Whole Fresh Apple

Whole Fresh Orange

Cloves

Method: 

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan.

Add cloves, cinnamon and orange peel.

 Heat up and serve into a latte glass with a clove studded apple slice. 

(You can scale up the recipe to make a large batch for parties.)

Units – 1.6 

Gift boxed Tanqueray London Dry Gin and Tanqueray Copa glasses (£12) can be bought from Alexander and James. 

Tanqueray London Dry Gin is currently £17.00 (75cl bottle) at Waitrose. 


I've received a bottle to try for the purpose of this review.

Breakfast with Father Christmas at Wyevale Garden Centre

One of the highlights of my calendar is having breakfast or tea with Father Christmas at Wyevale Garden Centre. It marks the start of the festive season and gives Freddy his first taste of Christmas festivities with the family. We were invited to breakfast on November 28th, starting at nine in the morning, and so myself, Ian, Freddy and Kezia headed off bright and early to the garden centre at Bridgemere.

A section of the restaurant is reserved for the breakfast and tea experiences and is decorated beautifully, complete with Santa's grotto surrounded by hundreds of quality gifts for the children to pick from. It looks really inviting!

We arrived to see the long tables laid with activity placemats, name stickers, crackers and a bag of chocolate coins for the children. We were able to help ourselves to hot drinks or juice, before having hot toast brought to the table. A counter allowed us to collect our cooked breakfasts, freshly served up by friendly staff wearing Christmas hats and jumpers. Other members of staff dressed as elves were on hand to help children back to their seats and to assist in any way they could. Christmas songs played and the atmosphere in the room was great!

We tucked into our veggie breakfasts: scrambled egg, hash browns and beans for the kids and fried egg, fried bread, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans for the adults. The food was good, hot and filling. The helpful elves were on hand to collect rubbish and dirty plates, keeping everything tidy on the tables.

After the food was eaten, the children were greeted by Dorothy, the green witch and Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz who mingled with the guests. Children were given a Christmas tree gingerbread biscuit, a bag of icing and three little pots containing marshmallows, hundreds and thousands and chocolate buttons. Freddy had loads of fun decorating his biscuit and even more fun eating it! 

Before Santa's arrival, the staff got everyone singing a host of Christmas carols together, which was really nice. Then the children had to shout for Santa, who burst into the room much to everyone's delight.

Children were taken up to Santa one family at a time and given the opportunity to have a chat and pose for photographs. He was a kindly, traditional Santa who put the children at ease and was very accommodating posing for numerous photos. He encouraged Kezia to come for a chat, which she secretly loved! After reminding the children to leave out a mince pie and carrot on Christmas Eve, the children were invited to pick a gift. Getting to choose what they want is a really nice touch. Freddy had his eye on a geology set, where you get to dig crystal gems from a lump of 'rock'. Kezia picked a cuddly toy cow, who she named Larry. 

The experience lasts for around an hour and a quarter and is priced at £7.99 for adults and £9.99 for children. This includes the hot breakfasts, drinks, gifts for the kids plus the gingerbread decorating. An adult lighter option of  a baked pastry with coffee is £3.99. The constant attention and entertainment from the staff was really enthusiastic and kept a party atmosphere going. The organisation was excellent.

I really recommend this as a festive family treat. Afterwards you can explore the garden centre, which at this time of year is resplendent in wonderful Christmasness!

In addition to the Breakfast with Santa experience, there is a tea with Santa option. Children can have a hot tea with squash or a cold 'My Picnic' tea for £9.99, while adults have a festive sandwich, a mince pie and a sweet treat with tea or coffee for £7.99 or a slice of cake and a hot drink for £3.99.

Breakfast and Tea with Father Christmas is available until Christmas Eve.

Visit the website for dates and availability and book tickets for your nearest Wyevale Garden Centre. Book before December 6th and get £1 off all kids' tickets. www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk/breakfast-or-tea-with-father-christmas.

Christmas gift ideas from Fenjal, Branston and Kopparberg

Give the gift of  pampering with the Fenjal Spa skincare range

Treat your loved ones to the rejuvenating qualities of a spa day in their own home with the luxurious Swiss bodycare brand Fenjal. With a range of indulgent products including the nourishing Fenjal Classic Creme Bath Oil to the hydrating Fenjal Classic Hand Creme to the moisturising Fenjal Sensuous Body Spray, the products evoke the decadence of a Swiss spa, transforming the bathroom into a pampering haven. The perfect antidote to the stresses of the season.

For a luxury gift, you could create a bespoke pamper hamper, including Fenjal products, presented in a pretty basket. Or they'll make nice little stocking fillers. They look lovely with their classic branding and the relaxing aqua colour scheme.

Prices start at £3.52 RRP for the body spray to £11.42 RRP for the 200ml creme bath oil. Other products in the range include body wash, body lotion, body powder and shower oil.


A cheeky stocking filler from Branston and Haywards

For some foodie fun stocking fillers, or to use as part of a festive food hamper for a loved one, Branston and Haywards have some seasonal must-haves This Christmas.

Christmas Day often sees a teatime meal of leftovers, cheese and crackers being served up to the family. Boxing Day lunch often sees a repeat performance! Adding some tasty pickles can definitely bring out the taste and add to the enjoyment. Pickled Onions are one of those foods I only ever eat at Christmas, so when I do get my fancy on for pickled onions, I want them to be good with just the right amount of tang and perfectly crunchy! I love the specially branded 'Boxing Day' Branston Pickle, giving our favourite pickle a festive feel.

Other pickles, sauces and pickled vegetables are available from Branston and Haywards. Find them in supermarkets nationwide.


Keep Cosy this winter with a Kopparberg Spiced Apple Gift Set

Available at Boots for £12, the Kopparberg Spiced Apple Gift Set consists of a 500ml bottle of cinnamon Spiced Apple Cider, which can be served hot or cold, along with a lovely limited edition mug and a pack of cinnamon sticks for garnish.

This is definitely the ultimate Christmas tipple with its spicy festive fragrance and warming, woody sweetness. Perfect for a winter's evening, served warm in its own special festive mug.

The Kopparberg Spiced Apple is also available in individual bottles from Tesco, Morrisons and Asda, (RRP £2.29) and can also be found at some UK pubs.


* I've received these products for this purpose of this review*