What age do they stop believing in Father Christmas?

In honesty, I’m sure my youngest didn’t believe a few Christmases ago (aged 11), and questions were raised way before that. They were hedging their bets and I kept up the pretence. There were lists for Santa and a tray of goodies were left out on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas Day most of the presents were from Father Christmas. Last year it was the official goodbye even though we hadn’t specifically discussed it.

I’m glad they came to their own conclusions. It would have been awkward if they still believed in Father Christmas when they went to secondary school! However, it highlighted again the relentless march of time and the fact that they’re growing up fast .

Does it ruin the magic?

It’s sad that we no longer watch Father Christmas’ progress on Santa Tracker or leave out carrots for Rudolph and that I’ll never again utter the immortal words: “has he been?”. However, there’s still plenty to be excited about. I can see that the kids love and appreciate what the festive season means and offers. They’ve even said that presents are only part of it. They enjoy being with family and extended family, having time together, playing games and sharing special food.

The run up to Christmas minus Father Christmas

The start of advent is a very exciting time for all of us. I don’t let anyone play Christmas music in the house before December 1st. That means everyone’s ecstatic when they can finally unleash the festive tunes. Then of course there’s the advent calendars (old favourites and new)! Starting every day with chocolate; what’s not to enjoy about that!? We also love our annual advent candle.

Whilst we do have an Elf on the Shelf, I’ve never subscribed to the whole narrative. Neither have I spent hours I don’t have agonising over 24 creative ideas for him. Cheerfully, my twins enjoy setting up elf for the rest of us to enjoy. We’ve never done the whole North Pole breakfast thing on the first of December. However, I do dress the table festively and make special hot chocolate on a stick; they even have personalised mugs.

The Christmas books come out with the advent calendars. We’ll still be reading Santa is coming to Surrey and Santa is coming to London alongside other favourites including Mog’s Christmas, which is one of my eldest’s favourites despite being a mature 16!

We might not visit Santa in his grotto any more. However, we always do something special. We’ve been to National Trust Christmas events, Christmas at Kew, seen a production of The Nutcracker and done tours of the London lights.

The kids want to make a gingerbread house, and we generally do a lot more baking in December.

I no longer have to provide explanations/answer awkward questions. I don’t have to do different wrapping and labelling for Santa presents and our presents, which is a huge relief! My husband no longer has to avoid Santa traps at 2am, and can now have his whisky earlier! I’m happy that us hardworking parents now get all the credit! On that note, I’ve noticed that the girls are being more conservative with their lists. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty on there but there isn’t quite the wild abandon of previous years. Plus they all now get a lot of joy from giving presents too.

Embracing the Christmas spirit

The children are looking forward to plenty of family time, and passing on the magic of Father Christmas to their young cousin; and that’s what it’s all about.

It’s a wonderful time even without the big man in red.

PS love some of the ideas here: How to tell your children Santa isn’t real

The post When Children Stop Believing in Father Christmas appeared first on The Parent Social.

Christmas Gifts for the Family

The 1% Percent Club

We love this show as a family. My eldest and I are a little bit competitive when watching and this translates brilliantly at home. It’s all about logic and reasoning skills and has nothing to do with general knowledge. The gameplay is simple, but it’s highly entertaining. Some of the questions are so infuriating, and this often leads to heated ‘discussion’ but that’s all part of the fun. If you’re a fan of the TV show, this is definitely for you.

Buy the 1% Club for £25 at The Entertainer. Suitable for 3-6 players ages 8+.

Traitors card game

This a new addition to our game repertoire, but it has cemented itself as a firm favourite. The Traitors Card Game brings the suspense and duplicity of the hit BBC show to your living room, making it a perfect choice for festive fun (and indeed fun at any time of the year). Designed for 4-8 players aged eight and up, this immersive game challenges participants to uncover the Traitor/s while collectively building a prize pot of gold. Its simple rules, engaging twists, and option for digital gameplay (highly recommended) create a unique mix of collaboration, bluffing, and deception that appeals to both kids and adults.

Read the full review here. You can buy it on Amazon for £11.99.

Mystery Guides

Mystery Guides turn UK cities into giant outdoor escape rooms where you discover lots of history and hidden gems whilst solving a mystery (and stopping off at a couple of pubs). You can read my review of the City of London Mystery Guide, which I bought as a family present last Christmas. We loved it. Coincidentally, my mother-in-law bought me a Mystery Guides voucher for my birthday. We opted for the Cambridge one and enjoyed a wonderful day out exploring a city we’d never visited before.

Buy one of the the 37 city Mystery Guides (£19.99) here.

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is an engaging strategy game, which is perfect for older children and adults. The goal is to build railway routes across North America, Europe or London (depending, which version you have) by collecting various train cards and claiming sections of track to connect cities. The more routes you complete, the more points you score, with longer routes offering higher rewards. Bonus points are awarded at the end of the game for the longest continuous track, often shifting the final outcome. Be prepared for some sabotage—whether intentional or accidental!

Ticket to Ride – Days of Wonder (North America version) is priced at £33.57 on Amazon.

Christmas Gifts for the Creative Child

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer is a great gift for creative teens or tweens. This compact Bluetooth device prints black-and-white photos directly from smartphones without needing ink, thanks to thermal technology. Pair it with the Tiny Print app to add personal touches or generate unique designs and special effects. It’s ideal for scrapbooking, journalling, or decorating, and comes with extras like stickers and pens for added creativity. Read more about this pocket printer.

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer is available at various retailers including Amazon & Smyths (prices vary).

Instax Smartphone Printer

The Instax Mini Link 2 is a sleek and nifty gadget, which combines tech and nostalgia perfectly. It links to your smartphone so that you can print your digital pictures in seconds. All too often, precious memories stay trapped on phones hardly ever seeing the light of day. I love how the Instax printer brings back the now old school process of printing so that your photos can be permanently displayed and enjoyed.

I particularly like the retro-style borders of the Instax mini instant film, which you use for the printer. My daughter loves it. As well as using it for her treasured memories, she also uses it for her GCSE art coursework and to create gifts for friends.

The Instax Mini Link 2 is currently on offer at Boots (£99 from £119).

Christmas Gift for the Tween and Teenager

LED Armoire Storage Mirror

We bought this white LED Armoire Storage Mirror, which has great theatre dressing room-style lights, for my daughter (now 16) quite a few years ago. The mirror opens to reveal ample storage for all those bits and bobs. It also has a handy holder for hairdryers. It’s still a favourite fixture and continues to house her constantly expanding jewellery and toiletry collection. It’s currently on sale at £66.99 on Amazon.

The Big Christmas Gift

Playstation 5

We bought the Playstation 5 last Christmas and it has been used almost every single day of the year since they received it. The PS5 loads a lot quicker compared to its predecessor, has improved graphics and provides an all round enhanced gaming experience, which is more immersive due to the superior audio and DualSense controllers. It also supports all the PS4 games. My husband plays a lot of two-player games with each of the girls and they play against each other. Favourite games include: Rocket League, Uncharted and Fortnite.

It’s pricey at £399 (Amazon), but for the usage it gets and entertainment it provides the whole family, I’d certainly recommend.

Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes are a versatile gifting solution and there truly is something for everyone. Here are a few ideas that have been popular…

Mysteries in Time

You can give the joy of history and mystery this Christmas with a Mysteries in Time subscription. Aimed at children aged 6-11, each box contains everything needed to take children on an immersive journey through historical periods such as Ancient Egypt (the first box), the Elizabethan Era, WW2, Ancient Greece, Wild West, Aztecs, Ancient Rome, Victorians, Vikings, Ancient China and Stuarts.

Read the full review here.

Mandira’s Kitchen – for the foodie

These are Indian ready meals, but not just any Indian ready meals. Mandira’s Kitchen frozen meals are authentic, made with the finest ingredients and are the sort of dishes you’d expect to be served in a high-end restaurant. You’ll find familiar dishes such as masala (chana), biryani and samosas but also lesser-known ones including kaju dhania murgh, chicken xacuti, meen moilee (fish) and the intriguingly named railway mutton curry.

Mandira’s Kitchen offers a range of monthly subscription boxes of varying sizes and you can pause at any time. More details here.

The London Sock Company

Ok, I know they’re a Christmas gifts cliché. However, my husband, dad and brother all love to put on brand new socks.

With the London Sock Company Subscription, you buy the gift card and then the recipient activates their own subscription where they can select their size and opt for specific styles or choose to be surprised each month. There are different levels of subscription (starting from £42) and time period options.

These are a real quality product and very attractively packaged. My husband loved receiving them.

The Sporty Gift

NET1 Portable Netball System

All three of my girls love netball, playing for school and in a league. I bought the NET1 Portable Netball System  (£109.99) from Little Big Sports for our garden quite some years ago as they were developing their interest. It has remained consistently popular and with five different height settings has grown with them. It is on wheels so completely portable. You then fill the base with water or sand and it becomes fully stable. It is extremely durable and has survived many winters without being covered. I can thoroughly recommend it.

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I’d love to hear what your tried and tested gifts of Christmas past are. Let me know in the comments below.

The post Top Christmas Gift Ideas for 2024: Tried, Tested, and Loved appeared first on The Parent Social.

Tips for helping kids sleep on Christmas Eve

It took us a while, but we did start to introduce certain things into our Christmas Eve routine, which helped.

Go for a family walk

Whilst it might be tempting to sit on the sofa devouring several family boxes of Heroes and Roses, it pays to keep active on Christmas Eve. A nice walk in the fresh air can work wonders. Exercise enhances the effects of natural sleep hormones like melatonin. Take a ball or outdoor game to give an extra boost. If you’re anything like us, you could also combine with a festive visit to the pub en route!

Christmas Eve boxes 

Christmas Eve boxes can be a little divisive with some people thinking that it puts even more unnecessary pressure on already stressed parents. However, they don’t need to be expensive and just ‘more stuff’. We re-use the same box each year. I put in things designed for having a chilled out evening as well as things I’d buy for Christmas in any case. This usually includes a game we can all play (or a 1000 piece jigsaw that we can continue throughout the festive season), chocolate selection boxes or marshmallows to toast, some sleep inducing toiletries, a dress each for them to wear on Christmas day and some new snuggly PJs. This year, I’ve also added some cosy socks.

Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk also advocates them as part of a winding down routine: “Christmas Eve boxes can ease some of the excitement, making kids feel satisfied that they’ve opened some sort of gift before bed.”

Play some games

We’re huge family game fans. Christmas Eve is the prefect time to bring out our favourites as well as try out the new game that’s in the Christmas Eve box. This year, I’ve gone for a Tetris Tower balancing game, which looks like good, silly fun. After an active day, it’s a good level of stimulation for the afternoon/early evening and something else to help tire them out in a different way.

Warm and cosy evening 

The evening before the big day, we prepare the hot chocolate and marshmallows from the Christmas Eve box and hunker down under blankets while watching one of our favourite Christmas films. It’s a great follow up to an active day. Cosying up on the sofa can really help settle everyone down before bedtime.

Bedtime bath

A nice warm bath before bed (using the lavender toiletries from the Christmas Eve box) is a great way to help them relax and hopefully fall sleep more quickly and easily. Often we put a face mask on to add to the calming routine.

Set a rule for present opening

We haven’t done this before, but experts at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk suggest setting a rule that presents can’t be opened until 9am or 10am on Christmas Day. This helps manage childrens’ expectations so they understand that waking up at the crack of dawn isn’t going to benefit anyone!

Fresh bedding for a good night’s sleep

Everyone loves jumping under the covers when the bedding has that lovely, fresh, ‘just been laundered’ smell. I boost with a spritz of pillow mist, which is designed to aid sleep.

Hopefully, the above tips will go some way in tempering the excitement in the build up so that everyone can enjoy Christmas Day to the fullest.

Good luck, and merry Christmas!

The post Seven Ways to Get Children to Sleep on Christmas Eve appeared first on The Parent Social.

Covid Christmas

In 2020 we had a far more quiet Christmas than usual due to restrictions. It was just my dad, who was in our bubble, that came over. My gregarious dad is like having three people all at once so it still felt quite lively, but even he couldn’t come over this time.

It would be the first time we’d have Christmas just us five. The Boxing Day plans, which should have seen my brother and his girlfriend, my mother-in-law and brother-in-laws all coming over had to be cancelled. I won’t lie, it was hugely disappointing.

The kids took the news better than us. They were buoyed, no doubt, by the prospect of presents. They were also happy that I’d taken off the days running up to Christmas Day. Proof yet again of their resilience and positivity.

Thankfully neither had symptoms beyond a mild cough/cold; and that’s the main thing I had to bear in mind to help quell my disappointment. My husband and I felt rather deflated, especially Matt who loves cooking for people. We had all manner of culinary treats stacked up in the fridge, freezer and cupboards ready to feed a lot more than five people over the two days.

Getting busy in the kitchen (just for us)

In the run up to Christmas Day, we made some of the kids’ favourite nibbles of Pizzette and created our first ever gingerbread house (thanks Lidl). We even attempted our first ever ‘Cheat’s’ churros Nutella Christmas tree, which was fun, pretty simple to make and very, very tasty.

Games and puzzle

Isolation meant that the annual Christmas puzzle challenge was completed far quicker than usual. We played even more games than normal. The kids have stayed up really late pretty much every day of the holidays, which has meant we’ve watched loads of films.

Me time

What was meant to be a family pre-Christmas day out, which included the annual tradition of getting our Christmas cheese from La Fromagerie, meeting my uncle, and having a general mooch about London was cancelled. I ended up going to get the cheese on my own. After being in isolation for 10 days I decided to make the most of it and took myself out for lunch. It was surprisingly nice and I enjoyed it.

I was able to get some last minute stocking fillers and do other Christmas bits and bobs super efficiently. However, I felt huge remorse whenever I saw something Christmassy that I wanted the kids to see too. This dissipated when I was greeted with the below scene on my return. They’d spent several happy hours on the Nintendo Switch with dad!

Christmas Eve

Cleaning the house (for Santa?) was followed by more games and a fire outside in the evening where we had some nibbles by candlelight. Then it was linguine alle vongole (linguine pasta with clams) as part of my nod to the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Later the girls opened their Christmas Eve box, which included treats we could tuck into whilst we watched more films and Christmas TV! It also included a few little pampering items, cosy socks, BrainBox game and ‘Christmas dresses’ for them all to wear the next day. In the evening Matt and I treated ourselves.

Meals on wheels

My dad gets our annual Italian Christmas cake. He brought it over and we cut it in half as he was now going to spend Christmas Day with my brother.

In return, Matt provided pre-prepped beef Wellington, dauphinoise potatoes, and lobsters that he’d cooked that day. Alongside this he also provided some very good wine! It was nice to know that we’d still be a part of their day even though we weren’t going to be together. Matt was happy that he had cooked for people in addition to us five.

Christmas Day

The morning started off as usual with stockings opened in our room. We had a lovely breakfast and then began opening the main presents.

Lunch was fabulous as always. We took time to savour it and the girls remained sat down for over two hours. We interspersed with crackers with their silly jokes and games.

After lunch we took proper time out to play with presents and play more games and watch more films! We extended this into Boxing Day. Though we missed having guests, we filled the day with lots of fun and laughter. We also FaceTimed relatives Christmas was saved!

The post Covid Christmas – Festivities in Isolation appeared first on The Parent Social.

I knew this already, but last night I saw a report on the BBC, which was truly shocking. It brought home just how bad it really is for a lot of people.

Burnley: ‘Children ripping bags open for food’ during pandemic

I’d just put up our family advent calendars. Alongside our old favourites and traditional ones the church had given us, I’d bought my children new, totally frivolous (and quite expensive) ones. I was so excited about seeing their faces the next morning as I knew they’d love them. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt though.

The concept of the reverse advent calendar

I remembered reading somewhere a while ago about the reverse advent calendar. I decided we’d do it this year.

With the reverse advent calendar, instead of taking something out every day – as you do with a normal advent calendar – you actually add something. You collect one item daily during advent either from your cupboards or bought especially and put it into a box. By December 24th you will have collected together 24 essential items, which you can donate to a food bank or other charity project.

What should go into a reverse advent calendar?

Do check with your local food bank to see what specific items they are most in need of. However, in general these are the sorts of things that are very gratefully received. Don’t forget that food banks also accept other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene items.

Food items for the reverse advent calendar

* Make sure items are well within their use by date

• Porridge
• Cereal
• Soup (tinned or packet not fresh)
• Pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Rice
• Tinned tomatoes
• Tinned fish (tuna, sardines etc)
• Lentils, beans and pulses
• Tinned vegetables
• Tinned meat
• Tea/coffee/hot chocolate
• Tinned fruit
• Biscuits
• Long life milk
• Fruit juice
• Tinned dessert such as rice pudding
• Something festive

Non-food items

• Toiletries – things such as deodorant, soap, toilet paper, shower gel, shaving foam, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste and hand sanitiser
• Laundry/household items – liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid
• Sanitary towels and tampons
• Baby supplies such as nappies, baby wipes and baby food

Whilst a nicely, festively decorated box is a bonus, the main thing is the contents.

Finding your local food bank

Use this link from The Trussell Trust (the UK’s biggest network of food banks) to find your nearest food bank: https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/

The below resource details 85-plus food banks to support or use in the UK, Canada and Australia

https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/food-banks-uk-canada-australia/

The post Reverse Advent Calendar appeared first on The Parent Social.

This normally signals the start of an intensely busy and stressful time. Aside from the big day itself, we have six family birthdays crammed into the first two weeks of December. I also do my dad’s Christmas shopping for him as he’s clueless. He does so much for us the rest of the year I can’t grumble too much. However, it does add to the stress. 

Christmas reset

This year, strangely even with the upheaval and weirdness of Covid and lockdown, I’m feeling more relaxed than I normally do at this time of year. Everything’s been pared down. I think it’s enabled me to step back a bit and focus more on what really matters. 

Lockdown birthdays

My daughter is fully understanding that her birthday is going to be different this year and that’s taken the pressure off. Instead of booking something months in advance (like you have to for December birthdays), we’ll just have to wing it last minute. Her birthday falls on the last day of lockdown 2.0. We’re hoping restrictions will be lifted and we can hastily organise an outing with friends for the following weekend. However, who knows how it’ll pan out??? What we do know is, we’ll make it special in whatever ways we can.

Christmas and December socialising

December is usually a minefield of social engagements: work Christmas party, lots of dos, cramming in seeing as many people as we can before Christmas day… My husband arranges something for my birthday on December 10th and we try to do something for my dad’s birthday three days later. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE socialising but the logistics of trying to shoehorn it all in are boggling and a bit exhausting. Scaling back is actually quite refreshing. I think I’ll love it all the more next year.

What we will still be doing this Christmas – Christmas reset

Advent calendars, stockings and a letter from Father Christmas

We’ve got our traditional advent calendars that come out each year. There’s the wall-hanging one that we fill with chocolates and The Nutcraker, which has 24 little books to read each night telling the story of the famous ballet.

New for this year will be Sugar Plum Fairy ones from Paperchase, which include stationery and accessories and a Boots Soap & Glory one crammed with toiletries.

Of course the stockings will come out as usual. Covid can’t stop that. Similarly there’ll be letters from Father Christmas.

Christmas crafts and baking

We can also still do our favourite Christmas activities and bakes. Stress-free fun

I might even try to make a pandoro, but I’ll keep you posted!

Christmas Eve box

This is one of my ‘new’ traditions. It’s a lovely way to ease into the main festivities of December 25th. Along with plenty of chocolate and other bits such as a new family film to watch together, there’s a new 1000-piece puzzle that we try to complete by Twelfth Night.

Christmas day food

I would like to go to La Fromagerie cheese shop if possible. It’s become somewhat of a Christmas tradition. The girls and I sit snug in the cafe with hot chocolate (and in my case a glass of wine) whilst my husband queues up to make our ‘Christmas cheese’ selections. We then have a bit of cheese and charcuterie after. The shop is open in lockdown, whether it’ll feel appropriate to make an evening of it remains to be seen.

We’re still going to be able to have our Christmas food favourites including beloved beef wellington on Christmas Day.

Presents

There’ll be plenty of these I’m sure

Different for this year – Christmas reset

I haven’t trawled the Internet to find a place that’s still offering a chance to meet Father Christmas. I know there are still COVID-compliant ones running. However, it is a lot of effort, won’t be quite the same, my eldest doesn’t believe and the younger two haven’t expressed any interest in seeing the main man. Meeting Father Christmas – if I’m honest – is more about me wanting this to be part of the Christmas experience. Instead, I’ve booked a cab ride to see the main Christmas lights of London. Our cabbie will pick us up and take us on a tour of the most festive parts of the capital. Can’t wait.

Not completely different, but we’ll be making an extra special effort to support local businesses when Christmas shopping.

I’ve wanted to learn how to make a Christmas wreath for years. December has always been so busy I’ve never had a spare day. This year I have. The workshop is booked; fingers crossed it goes ahead.

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It’ll be different, but I’m sure we’ll all have a great time still. I definitely feel like it’s a calmer lead up to the big day and we’ll appreciate everything that bit more.

You might also like:

Successful Christmas Presents

Subscription boxes – Christmas present round up

The post December and Christmas reset appeared first on The Parent Social.

Here’s a round-up of subscription boxes that make great Christmas presents for all members of the family.

Mandira’s Kitchen – Indian food subscription boxes

Mandira’s Kitchen provides high-end, award winning (Surrey Life Food & Drink and Great Taste) Indian freezer meals.

The family recipes contain no additives or preservatives and provide plenty of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Mandira’s Kitchen offers more familiar dishes such as masala (chana), biryani and samosas but also lesser-known ones including dhania murgh, chicken xacuti and meen moilee.   

I was worried that freezer meals would lose quality. However, that wasn’t the case and everything tasted freshly made. The vegetable samosas were perfectly crisp and flaky, and full of flavour as was the palak dal. The chicken biryiani was, without doubt, the best I’ve ever tasted. I’m a massive fan of paneer and this palak (spinach) version was delicious. The cheese was beautifully tender and the spinach, ginger and garlic liquor had fantastic depth making the dish incredibly moreish. The kaja dhania murgh (chicken in a cashew, coriander and coconut sauce) is something I’ve never had before. It was outstanding.

I also sampled the delectable gelatos. Fig & Almond was my favourite and the Mango & Cardamon was my husband’s. I couldn’t leave the spiced Indian crackers alone and polished off the lot on their own!

Subscriptions are very flexible. The recipient can choose the same or different meals every month, pause the subscription or even exchange for a weekend thali or cookery lesson at any time.

A self-selected six dish (each dish being two portions) box is £55 per month. This comes with a free box of vegetable samosas and a mini chutney. The eight-dish option is £65 a month and also comes with a free box of vegetable samosas and a mini chutney. Finally, the 10-dish box is £75 and includes a free box of vegetable samosas, naan bread and mini chutney.

Website: https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/

Subscriptions: https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/pages/monthly-subscriptions

Popupblooms – flower subscription boxes

Flowers in the house immediately lift my spirits so these are wonderful. I received two different subscription products from Popupblooms: a ready-made, hand-tied bouquet and a box (bucket also available) of flowers to arrange myself. They both consisted of beautiful, high quality autumnal blooms and foliage and arrived in pristine condition via courier.

The hand-tied bouquet was pretty much ready to pop straight into a vase and looked lovely. It comes with a letter detailing how to care for and get the most out of the bouquet.

It’s not something I’ve done before, but I really enjoyed arranging the box of flowers using the well-explained hints and tips provided (see my efforts below). Also included was a ‘menu of stems’ listing exactly what was in the box. This was a lovely touch.      

Popupblooms offers a number of options. There’s a ‘taster’ (one off), three-month and six-month plan for both the bucket/box of flowers and the hand-tied bouquet. These can be paused at any time. 

Prices start from £50.00 per month. 

Website: https://www.popupblooms.com/

Craftiosity – adult crafting subscription boxes

Craftiosity are award-winning subscription boxes of modern, limited edition craft kits. The crafts range anywhere from macrame and ceramics to cyanotype and bookbinding. The one I received was to make a parquet clock.

The boxes contain all the tools, materials and instructions you need so you can dive straight in. There’s also access to online tutorials, but the step-by-step photo instructions were so clear I didn’t need them.

Crafting (when not with the kids) is not my normal thing. Most evenings – when the children are in bed – I’m more likely to be glued to one screen or another so this made a very pleasant change. I really enjoyed it and found it extremely relaxing especially coupled with a glass of wine!

I know it’s not perfect but I was actually pretty impressed with my final product. My eldest liked it so much she’s now got it in her room.

Subscriptions are £24.95 per month (with free UK postage) and you can gift a one, three, six or 12 month subscription.  

Use Craftiosity discount code PARENTSOCIAL10 for 10% off the first craft kit.

Website: www.craftiosity.co.uk

Subscriptions: https://craftiosity.co.uk/gift/

The London Sock Company – men’s sock subscription boxes 

Socks might be a Christmas cliché, but my husband (and brother) is a huge fan and particularly loves putting on brand new ones. I took out a six-month subscription as a Christmas present.

You buy the Sock Club Subscription gift card, which comes in a nicely presented box complete with details of the subscription. The recipient activates their own subscription where they can select their size and choose whether to receive specific styles or be surprised each month.

You can choose to gift one or two pairs of socks per month with the minimum term for subscription being three months. One pair a month for three months comes in at £42 and two pairs for the same period is £75.

The company is also making great strides in becoming a more responsible and sustainable brand. The socks truly are a quality product and very attractively packaged. My husband loved his monthly delivery. 

You can currently get a 10% off discount code for your first The London Sock Company purchase.

Website: https://www.londonsockcompany.com/

Subscriptions: https://londonsockcompany.com/collections/gift-cards

Mysteries in Time – children’s history subscription boxes

Aimed at children aged 6-11, each Mysteries in Time box contains the ingredients to take children on an immersive journey through different periods in history. These include: Ancient Egypt (the first box), Elizabethan Era, Evacuees in WW2, Ancient Greece, Wild West, Aztecs, Ancient Rome, Victorians, Vikings, Ancient China, Space history and Stuarts.

The base box, which can be personalised, is £11.95 per month (if purchased for 12 months) plus postage and includes:

• Mystery/adventure story
• Glossy history magazine full of interesting facts, puzzles, recipes and activities (including colouring sheets)  
• Bookmark  
• Themed sticker sheet
• Lovely, large world map with timeline (this comes in the first box)

This can be upgraded for £6.95 plus postage, so in addition to all of the above the box also includes a hands on activity inspired by history and a history-related gift. You can cancel subscriptions at any time.

My children really enjoyed all of the different components and I thought it was very good quality. Read our full review here.

Use discount code PS10 to get 10% off any three, six or 12-month plan.  

Website: www.mysteriesintime.com 

Noble House Prepared – gourmet frozen meal delivery service

Noble House Prepared is a brand-new venture from a team that’s been working in the fine food industry for over a decade. They offer a national delivery service, which provides award-winning, restaurant-style prepared meals all created by a chef with Gordon Ramsay pedigree. 

I was sent a sample of spinach and ricotta cannelloni (with an arrabiata sauce) and beef bourguignon mains; two sides and desserts of chocolate fondant and passionfruit cheesecake. All the dishes are for two people and include tasting notes from the chef.  

The beef bourguignon and accompaniments were first class and absolutely not what I was expecting from a frozen meal (in a good way!). The beef was beautifully succulent and packed with flavour and the mash was perfect. I wasn’t sure roasted carrots would translate well as a frozen dish, so was particularly surprised at how they’d retained such a great texture.

I’m half Italian and shun preprepared pasta dishes as they’re normally way too sloppy with far too much sauce, and overwhelmingly bland. This dish was so flavoursome and had the perfect level of sauce. The arrabiata gave a lovely little kick and balanced the creaminess of the dish perfectly.

Then it was the desserts… The passionfruit cheesecake was beautifully balanced with rich, buttery crumb, delicious cream and a tart jelly top layer. The fondants were a chocolate lover’s dream. We let the kids loose on these and they gave a huge thumbs up too.    

Use Noble House Prepared discount code: WELCOME10 to get 10% off your first order.

Website: https://noblehouseprepared.com/

Gift voucher: https://noblehouseprepared.com/collections/gifts/products/online-gift-voucher 

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However, Christmas 2019 we nailed it. So many presents are being used very regularly or even daily. I separated the wheat from the chaff on their Christmas lists and came up with some ideas they hadn’t even thought of but love.

Here are some of the most successful Christmas presents from last year…

Successful Christmas presents for my 11-year-old daughter

The make-up case

Sofia is only allowed to wear discreet make-up on special occasions. Nonetheless she has mountains of the stuff. It was no surprise then that she asked for a make-up storage box.

I found this lovely rose gold one from Beautify (£29.99). It’s almost like a toolbox – albeit a very pretty one – and has three tiers, umpteen compartments and loads of room. It folds away nicely and is a feature in her room.

The Armoire Storage Mirror

On the same site I came across an LED Armoire Storage Mirror (£67.99). It’s a beautiful looking white cheval mirror with theatre dressing room-style lights running all around it. The mirror opens to reveal storage for a ton of lotions, potions and jewellery. It also has a handy holder for her hairdryer! She absolutely loves it.

Successful Christmas presents for my 8-year-old twin daughters

Handmade fairy house

When browsing at The Holly and Laurel Emporium in Dorking, Maria found a fairy house. She fell in love with it immediately. It’s handmade from apple wood, uses logs reclaimed from a condemned orchard and is furnished with handmade accessories. It also has small fairly lights wrapped around it.

I wasn’t sure at first about buying it, but it remained a constant on her Christmas list so we got it. I’m glad we did as it’s her favourite present and her sisters love it too. It’s also a great antidote to electronic devices. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Our Generation doll

Another more traditional present, which stood the test of time on the Christmas list, was an Our Generation Anya doll (£35.22). Our Generation is a range of healthy looking, nicely proportioned dolls that are quite tall at about 46cm. Anya has pierced ears and comes with a complete outfit – interchangeable with other dolls – two necklaces, three pairs of earrings and a jewellery stand. I bought a hairbrush and spray bottle set to go with Anya, which keeps her hair in good condition. It’s great to see Gabby playing with her beloved Nintendo and doll in equal measure.

Smart watches

The girls love gadgets, games and taking photos. They are also obsessed with the step count on my FitBit. Therefore a smart watch each seemed like a great idea. I did some research and went with the Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch (£39.98). Since getting them they’ve got more interested in telling the time and knowing what the date is. The pedometer is a massive hit and they’ve both taken A LOT of photos. I can tell these are going to stand the test of time.

The joint presents

NET1 Portable Netball System

My three have all started netball club this year at their junior school having never played it previously. They’ve developed a real passion for it so I thought a netball post for our garden would be perfect. It is! They’ve been out rain or shine practising with each other or alone. They even keep saying what a great present it is! The NET1 Portable Netball System (£89.99) has great reviews and I can thoroughly recommend. It is completely portable – on wheels – until you fill the base with water or sand.

CRAYOLA Light Up Tracing Pad

This is a lovely simple present that has brought so much enjoyment and is used very frequently. It’s robust as you’d expect from Crayola and comes with one tracing pencil, 12 coloured pencils, six sheets with traceable items (everything from fairies to treasure chests) and 10 blank sheets. I think it’s great value at £24.47.

And let’s not forget dad

My husband loves cooking and baking, and we’re also on a bit of an economy drive. Enter the Panasonic SD2511 Breadmaker (£169.99). He makes several loaves (different styles) a week. He’ll still make bread from scratch, but this can’t be beaten for convenience. It takes just a couple of minutes to load in the ingredients and then away you go. It works out to about 40p a loaf. All of the different breads we’ve had so far are delicious.

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Traditions always start somewhere

I started doing a Christmas Eve box for the children a few years ago. I’m not sure what prompted it. I have never been tempted with Elf on the Shelf, which seems a bit too much like hard work and I think can be more about the parents than the kids. However, there is something about a Christmas Eve box, with a few simple family-orientated bits and bobs that appeals.

The Christmas Eve box

You can go the whole hog with an expensive wooden, personalised one. However, it really doesn’t have to be costly. Hobby Craft has some inexpensive DIY ones and even has a blog showing 14 ideas for Christmas Eve Boxes.

Personalised Bear Family Christmas Eve Box £55 Not on the High Street

Ideas at Hobby Craft

Ideas at Hobby Craft

I keep it even simpler and cheaper with a non-Christmas chest, which I then use for toy storage afterwards. TX Maxx usually has a good selection of generic chests for under £10 and has been my port of call in the past. Last year we were lucky enough to receive a Fortnum & Mason hamper, so we emptied that and used it for the Christmas Eve box. I’ll be re-using it this year too – so no cost!

On an aside, for Christmas presents from Santa, I absolutely love the stamps from Athena Stamps. They make the job a lot quicker and children can’t catch you out on the handwriting matching mum or dad’s!

What we put in our Christmas Eve box

Our non-Christmasy Christmas Eve boxes

• A ‘party’ dress each for them to wear on Christmas day. It’s a present but something I’d buy in any case. They can also wear on New Year’s Eve and to any parties from then until Spring!
• A Christmas DVD – Past ones have included Elf, The BFG and Home Alone
• Chocolate selection boxes
• A 1000 piece jigsaw – It gets started on Christmas Eve and is continued throughout the festive season. Great for a bit of quiet time activity during the holiday
• Hot chocolate
• Some new cosy PJs 

And now for the the other Christmas tradition: the Advent calendar…

Other Christmasy posts

Christmas Movies, for the Kids and for me!

How do you do Father Christmas?

Christmas Bits and Bobs

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Movies, especially blockbuster movies when I was a child were a massive treat. Renting videos from the corner shop on a weekend always filled me with massive excitement; I was definitely the shop owner’s number one customer and he always reserved a copy of the latest releases for me. My elder brother and I would have movie marathon days where we would rent four or five films and watch them back-to-back. As my elder brother has five years on me, this meant I had access to films which I would be denied over the counter, and so my love for horror films was born. One marathon day from over 25 years ago was The Evil Dead and The Evil Dead II, Hellraiser and The Exorcist 2. How could anyone forget seeing Hellrasier for the first time? Big brother, I am very grateful for that experience.

So, with this background, it is easy to understand why the Christmas TV schedule was so important to me. Just like most children of the 80s, who religiously, every Sunday had fingers poised on their tape-to-tape (fully loaded with TDK D90s) radio recorder to record the UK top 40 chart, I would do the same with films as they were shown on TV.

Imagine the floor with my jaw firmly on it when the Radio Times Christmas cover announced with the largest font size possible: “800 movies, reviewed and rated”! Joy was followed swiftly by panic at the realisation I had four blank JVC cassettes left. The films that made the final cut were: Patriot Games, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, a James Bond film (can’t remember which) and Indecent Proposal. However, these are nowhere near worthy of my top five Christmas movies. To be clear, my top five Christmas movies do not have to feature reindeer, snow, the North Pole etc, they are just films that I remember seeing for the first time on TV at Christmas and that I would happily sit and watch any time, again and again. So, in no particular order, here they are:

Die Hard (1988) Director John McTiernan. Stars Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman

Probably the best action movie ever made and arguably the best screen villain performance of all time from Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. “The circuits that cannot be cut are cut automatically in response to a terrorist incident. You asked for miracles, Theo, I give you the F.B.I.”

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Director George Lucas. Stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guiness

I had a few arguments with my mum over the years with regards to the TV being on, on Christmas Day. It really was a no no, apart from the Queen at 3pm of course, and Top of the Pops was also permitted if Cliff was number one. However, even my mum budged for me to sit and watch The Empire Strikes Back.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Director Steve Spielberg. Stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott and Paul Freeman

I struggle to think of a film that has a better opening 15 minutes than Raiders of the Lost Ark: drama, tension, big ass spiders, spikes, skeletons, a golden idol, poison darts, a whip that saves Indi from falling into a very dark pit and of course a huge rolling rock. Actually, there is no better opening to a film; can’t be.

Trading Places (1983) Director John Landis. Stars Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Denholm Elliott, Jamie Lee Curtis and can you spot a very young Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring from Breaking Bad)

My prized TV

Trading Places is in my top five as I remember very well being given a secondhand Sony TV as my main Christmas present to put in my bedroom. I loved this TV; I loved the fact I had to move not only the ariel around the room but the actual TV set as well to get any kind of decent picture.

Trading Places was the first film I watched on this special TV, and I think it was on late Christmas Day. Some brilliant performances and the fall (low point of Louis Winthorpe III dressed as Santa and eating a side of salmon he stole while getting it tangled in his beard) then rise again of Dan Aykroyd is classic fairytale telling at its best.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Director Steve Spielberg. Stars Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote and Drew Barrymore

The first film I ever saw at the cinema, I was very excited for it to be on at Christmas. I wanted to see if it was as good as I remembered it at the flicks. It was better  The fantasy of meeting an alien, a coming-of-age film and riding your bike into the night sky… what more do I need to say?

What makes your top five? 

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