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!

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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.

The post Successful Christmas Presents appeared first on The Parent Social.

I’ve just taken delivery of that great idea and am really excited to give it as a gift.

The Present Idea

My eldest daughter has a December birthday so I really have to get into gear on the present front at this time of year.

She mentioned she’d like a copy of The Magic Faraway Tree, which they’d been reading at school. I thought this, as part of the series of four, would work as a small Christmas present so looked for the Famous Five series, which she isn’t familiar with. I found the first 10 books, sold as a set, for just over £14 and ordered immediately.

The books arrived promptly and had the lovely retro covers. However, they were just in a bundle wrapped in cellophane. I suppose hardly surprising given the price. I didn’t want to wrap them up to give just as they were so had to think of an alternative.

It’s all in the Presentation

I set about looking for a presentation case, just something simple like proper book box sets come in. I searched for ages and drew a blank. I then had the idea of getting a decorative box to actually put them in, but nothing really seemed to fit the bill. I then thought treasure chest!

It seemed the perfect idea as it all fit in nicely with the whole adventure theme, and of course it would even contain the book Five on a Treasure Island. It is also something that I would have loved at eight year’s old, so I know Sofia will. The chest has arrived today and I actually can’t wait to give this present to her. It even comes with its own lock and key to keep it all secret!

Here are the links to the products:

• Famous Five – books 1-10
• Pirate Treasure Chest
• Other Pirate Treasure Chest (by the same company also looks great – double check the dimensions)

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In our house, we do stockings first thing in the morning and big presents later in the day. With great timing, Wicked Vision has sent me three products – in the stocking fillers price range – to review.

The stocking fillers

First up is The Duncan Yo-Yo priced at £10 (Duncan claim to be the original and number one yo-yo brand). It’s a light-up yo-yo so looks cool and instantly got Sofia’s interest despite being recommended for six years plus. The great thing is, it comes with batteries already installed and also replacement batteries.

It’s incredibly difficult to photograph a yo-yo in action…

It’s well made and the blurb reliably informs that it is a perfectly balanced, ball-bearing yo-yo. It certainly seems a lot smoother and slicker, and not the tangled mess I remember yo-yos being from my playground days.

so here’s a pack shot.

Sofia couldn’t do the tricks. However, the slick movement coupled with the light and colour made it a big hit. My two-year-old twins were mesmerised by changing colours and loved watching their big sister play with it. They were very entertained minus the tricks. This would definitely be a winner for those with a bit more skill.

The Chameleon Flying Disc (£6) is a Frisbee with a thermo active technology twist: it changes colour with just the heat of your hands!

Chameleon Disc in green

The kids liked it. Whilst it doesn’t change colour quite as dramatically as the website picture shows, it did noticeably alter when they touched it, which they enjoyed.

I like the fact that it’s made of soft foam so can be used indoors – as well as outdoors – safely.  It comes in four different colours. It says suitable from three years but, at two, the twins were more than capable of chucking it. The textured surface made it much easier for them all to grip, and even catch sometimes!

* The Chameleon Disc is no longer available on the site, here are some alternatives from Wicked.

Socker Boppers 

Wicked Socker Boppers are inflatable boxing pillows (£10). I initially had mixed feelings about these, as I wasn’t sure I should be encouraging my eldest daughter to box. However, they are fantastic fun and all three girls absolutely love them; I love them! In my opinion they are safe, but certainly require proper supervision.

They are very padded, featuring a ‘double cavity air chamber’, which provides extra cushioning. All four of us could comfortably get our hands into the gloves and even the two-year-olds could bop without them falling off.

They are made from heavy-duty vinyl and have taken quite a pounding without any hint of a puncture, but they do come with one repair patch just in case. They have also stayed fully inflated for the week we’ve had them, and Sofia was able to blow them up herself without any help.

There are only two soccer boppers in a pack; it would be a lot more fun to have two sets so you can have a proper little spar.

All perfect stocking fillers.

Read: Good games for four to eight year olds

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