Christmas Giveaway: With Coles ~ Mix Apparel

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

The winners are:

Gemma who said - I misread the name and thought it was called a YODA bag... then I thought awesome I can put my light sabre and princess leia outfit in it as well as my chewbaccca toy. serial!

Cate who said - This would be a perfect bag for going visiting. You can throw a picnic rug in it, a couple of toys the drinking cup (which tends to spill) and some snacks

Elise who said - We'd use it for our weekly Gymbaroo run. A blanket, drink bottle word of the week item as well as Mums neccessities would all go nicely in this bag and be so much easier to carry than the big baby bag on one hip with the bub on the other!

MichVee who said - I'd keep it in my boot to store a range of supplies ranging from a picnic rug, disposable cups/plates, a game or two and some colouring books and textas for the kids for long car trips.

Alannah who said - what a gorgeous looking bag-great for all the outings in summer holidays with the kids...and when they go back to school, I will use it for my gym stuff!smiles and thanks for the chance

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Welcome to Day 3 of our Christmas Giveaway Spectacular.

Today we have 5, yes that's 5 Mix Apparel Yoga Bags to give away.

Whilst it's nice to have giveaways for the little ones in our life, ladies, this one is just for you!

Mix Apparel, if you didn't know, is the new Fashion Label you can find at Coles.  I know, right, how handy will it be to pop in and by a few bits and pieces for the fridge and a few bits and pieces for the wardrobe?

Well today, you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home.  The Mix Yoga Bag is perfect for storing all those yoga essentials, mat, shoes, towel.  But don't despair if you don't do yoga, this bag is great and would serve a multitude of purposes.

As you can see it's huge, the fabric is really durable, as is the thick rope handle.  It actually has a mesh bottom, which would be perfect for airing any sports equipment.  I personally could see this as a great beach bag for summer too, just give it a shake and all the sand would fall out through the mess bottom.

See what I'm talking about, loads of options and it looks fab too.

If you'd like to win one of 5 Mix Apparel Yoga Bags all you need to do is follow this blog via Google Friends Connect and leave a message telling me what you'd use the Mix Apparel Yoga Bag for.

Details:

Open to residents of Australia Only

This is a giveaway based on skill, winners chosen by their answers

Giveaway closes Tuesday 6th December at midnight

Winner Announced Wednesday 7th December via Facebook

Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before I redraw

I'd love it if you'd share this competition via Facebook and Twitter.  

Cheers

Mandy

PS. Have you entered my other giveaway yet?  

Ultimate Disney Cars 2 Giveaway

Mega Bloks Thomas at the Sodor Fair


Disclosure:  I did not receive payment or any compensation for this post.  I was provided the prize to giveaway on my blog.  Winner will be selected by the Man of the house to ensure winner picked on merit, not for any association.  




Hosted by Three Lil Princesses

Christmas Giveaway: Mega Bloks Thomas at the Sodar Fair

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

The winner of the Mega Bloks giveaway is Mum on the Run, she said:

As soon as I saw this, I thought of my nephew.
The toughest kids I know.
He had open heart surgery at 3 months old and has been an absolute trooper since birth.
He recently had five stitches in his head without anasthetic - and didn't make a sound.
I can't wait for him to (finally)talk because under his gorgeous smile lurks the wickedest sense of humour!
You can just tell.
We're going to have some great times with this little man.
:-)

My husband chose her not only for her entry but also because:

Marianne said: I would give this to my little Miss 3 as she needs things that will keep her out of trouble and mega blocks are awesome for that! In saying that though, Mum on the Run's nephew sounds amazing! Cheers, Mez

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Hi there,

Welcome to Day 2 of our Christmas Giveaways ~ Mega Bloks Thomas at the Sodar Fair.

Mega Bloks are a great entry level block for little ones wanting to participate in construction play.

Having three little ones I can tell you we have a huge roller tub under one of the beds full of Mega Bloks.  The beauty of these blocks is you can add to your collection as you go, never having too many.

They are sturdy and big in size making them easily manageable for small hands. All my kids love to build towers and many other creative things with them.

They also have a great range of licensed blocks, such as Dora and Thomas for those that love their characters.

So today thanks to Mega Brands Australia P/L I have Mega Bloks Thomas at the Sodar Fair to giveaway.

• It's ideal for ages 3 and up
• Features a buildable Thomas train character
• Also features a real turning ferris wheel
• Includes tracks and decorated blocks
• Great on it's own, however is fully compatible with other Mega Bloks playsets

To enter the draw to win a Thomas at the Soar Fair Playset all you need to do is follow this blog via Google Friends Connect and leave a message telling me who you'd like to give this too and why.

Details:

Open to residents of Australia Only

Winner will be chosen based on creativity

Giveaway closes Monday 5th December at midnight

Winner Announced Tuesday 6th December via Facebook

Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before I redraw

I'd love it if you'd share this competition via Facebook and Twitter.  

Cheers

Mandy

PS. Have you entered yesterdays giveaway yet? Ultimate Disney Cars 2 Giveaway


Disclosure:  I did not receive payment or any compensation for this post.  I was provided the prize to giveaway on my blog.  Winner will be selected by the Man of the house to ensure winner picked on merit, not for any association.   



Hosted by Three Lil Princesses

Christmas Giveaway: Ultimate Disney Cars 2 Blu-ray Pack

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Winner is Leimay who said: I'm a Mater fan, he brings so much joy to my children and is far more prizes by them than any other Character.

All 4 of them (11, 5, 3 and 1) go to the Mater toys and since the release of Cars2 Hubby has not stopped quoting Mater... "I vant to syphon your gas"

Any character that can bring a smile to my entire families face is a winner for me.

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It's Christmas Giveaway time at A Little Space like Home.

That's right, this week I'll have a number of giveaways for you, just in time for Christmas.  Whoo hooo!

Today to celebrate the Disney Cars 2 released to Bluray I have the Ultimate Cars 2 Blu-ray Pack to giveaway.

The Cars 2 pack includes:

-          Cars 2 Blu-ray and DVD

-          Invisible Pen with UV Light set

-          Cars 2 watch

-          Credit Card Sized USB Flash Drive

-          Mini Car toolkit

-          Spy Ear Phone

 (valued at $177.95)

Cars 2 is an awesome movie.  I shared a bit bout the movie back in July when we took Tom to celebrate his birthday.  But in case you've not yet been fortunate enough to see it, here is the preview:

Cars 2 is available NOW and is the perfect stocking filler.

So if you'd like to win not only the Cars 2 Blu-ray DVD, but the whole Ultimate Disney Cars 2 Blu-ray Pack, all you need to do is follow this blog via Google Friends Connect and leave a message telling me which character you love the most in the Cars movies and why.

Details:

Open to residents of Australia Only

Winner will be chosen for creativity

Giveaway closes Sunday 4th December at midnight

Winner Announced Monday 5th December via Facebook

Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before I redraw

I'd love it if you'd share this competition via Facebook and Twitter.  

Cheers

Mandy






Hosted by Three Lil Princesses  

Disclosure:  I did not receive payment or any compensation for this post.  I was provided the prize to giveaway on my blog.  Winner will be selected by the Man of the house to ensure winner picked on merit, not for any association.

My first Bloggers Brunch

Guess what, I went to the Bloggers Brunch!  

It's been a little over a week now, arrhhh but I've been busy.  You know that busy that always seems to linger, you always try to shake off, but when you've got 3 young children attached to you, this busy business never seems to leave.

Anyhoo, I got to go to my first ever Bloggers Brunch.  It wasn't the first one of it's kind, just the first I went to.  It was a great experience for a newbie like me.  Especially when you've watched all the buzz on twitter in the past.

So what is the fuss all about some of you may be asking?  It was an event hosted by Kids Business, where Bloggers had the opportunity to connect with Brands.

I was given the opportunity to speak with brands such as Mix Apparel, Logitech, Eco Store, Mega Bloks, Arnotts and Coles. It was really good to speak to Businesses and establish how they thought Bloggers could work with them in the future.

I also really enjoyed the fashion show Mix Apparel put on to show case their new line.

Yes people this clothing is available at Coles (selected stores).

I'm definitely going to be getting me some of this range. Loving it.

I'm also excited to have been given the opportunity to do just that.  Stay tuned, especially next week when we have our Christmas Giveaway Spectacular {a week long celebration, with giveaways each day} You're certain to see some of these brand.  Whoo hooo.

On the other side of the coin, I'm always excited to go to event's like this to meet other Bloggers.  Because let's face it, I do love Bloggers, I love to read Blogs and there are some gorgeous Bloggers out there.  Unfortunately my introverted self was still battling to put myself out there {It's like I get stage fright or something, seriously}, but I refuse to give in, and if I meet a couple of Bloggers each time, I'll take that, and that I did, some lovely lovely ladies.

So thanks again Kids Business, I am so excited to be building relationships in the world of Blogging.  I look forward to telling a little more about these brands in the coming weeks.  But for now I'll go and put the finishing touches on my Christmas Giveaway Spectacular.

Cheers

Mandy

Grateful for Friendship

This week I'm really really grateful for friendship.

As my daughter headed off for her first senior dance concert last night and I relied on the friendship of other mothers to look after her back stage, I am really really grateful.  Grateful that they were able to help, grateful that they care about my daughter.  In general really really grateful.

Tonight we headed to our Kinder social night.  We had a lot of fun.  Between kids activities, a bit of disco dancing and some socialising for the adults we had a really nice time.  Again, really grateful for our kinder group and the friendships that have been made.

A little sad that not all of those friendships will progress off to school together but in a little suburb like ours I'm hoping those friendships will remain regardless.

I mean take a look, check out Lulu with one of her kinder friends.  Does that not make your heart melt?  I mean seriously?

Having friends to bounce ideas off, share feelings, the good the bad and the ugly, all of that, is really important.  I'm so glad I have lovely friends.

What are you grateful for this week?

I'm linking up with Maxabella loves grateful link up, it's been a while, I'm sorry for that.

Cheers

Mandy

Christmas: {Kids Craft} Handprint Christmas Tree

Last year as part of our celebrations of Christmas we decided to create our own Hand print Christmas Tree

To create the tree we used:

• A large piece of card stock
• Green paint
• Small piece of brown card stock

We used a paint brush to paint the hands, but you could put the paint on a plate or use a small roller, what ever you prefer.

Start with the bottom of the tree and work your way up, each layer should have one less hand print in it, creating a tree (or triangle) shape.

Cut out a piece of brown paper for the trunk of the tree.  You could also opt to paint a brown tree trunk if you'd prefer.

Next we made decorations.  I found Christmas images on line, and we decorated and laminated them.

To decorate we used photos, stickers, glitter and textas.

The kids were really proud of their efforts.  It was another take on the traditional Christmas Tree as well as a fun craft activity that took the better part of the afternoon.

Merry Christmas

Mandy

I'm out and about again today!

Today I'm over at Rambling Mummy with a guest post on travelling with kids.

I think this is especially relevant at this time of the year.

Why not pop on over and say hello.  

Cheers

Mandy

The Christmas Tree is Up!

Whoo hooo, Christmas has hit our house, the tree is up.....

exhausted........

Wishing everyone a joyful time over the Christmas period.

I'm linking up with Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

Cheers

Mandy

Mother & Baby – Tips for an Organised Family

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang, view their policy here Organising with kids is a never ending challenge in our home.  I’ve always considered myself to be extremely organised, but I have to admit that since having three children, my organising skills are sometimes swallowed up in general life. Juggling part time work, with home duties, children’s needs such as kinder, swimming, play dates, craft activities, you name it, life can be pretty grueling. But I never give in, when my planning falls by the wayside and everything goes pear shape (which happens more often than I’d like to admit) I always stop and try and reign it all back in. I started to prepare myself early on for motherhood, reading Pregnancy magazines.  I love the real life stories, not the stuff you read in text books, but stories of real women and their experiences.  I loved that they covered not only birthing stories but all sorts of other topics of relevance to expecting or new mums. When it came to organising, these magazines helped me to gain an understanding of what products were out there.  What products I’d need for my new baby as well as simply gorgeous products that are not only beautiful but beneficial. Mothers would share their tips and advice on keeping organised, such as how to keep a clean home, whilst functioning on minimal sleep. Now that I’ve had three children and my youngest is almost two, the challenges change but they are always present. [source] In the latest copy of Mother and Baby magazine, there is a great article titled ‘The organised family’.  In this article, Nicole Avery (who is the author of Planning with Kids) shares 10 tips for helping to keep your family organised. Given she has five children, I’m confident her tips are tried and tested.  As I read this article, there were moments I’d find myself thinking ‘Oh that is good, I’m definitely going to try that’ and then there were moments where I’d find myself nodding, knowing I already do some of the things she recommends.  Which means I’m on the right track, doesn’t it? Like when she mentioned the importance of making access easy for little ones.  She suggests lowering the rails in the wardrobe so they can reach their clothes.  Just recently I purchased some fabric boxes from a storage shop to divide the large draw at the bottom of their dresser into three. This allowed me to move their underwear and socks from the top draws down to the bottom, along with their pjs.  The reason I did this (not only to make better use of space) was so they could access these items.  Now I can ask my 4 and 5 year old to go and get dressed in the morning and they can because they are not standing around waiting for me to get their underwear. So yes, I’m constantly working on my ability to be organised and as a result, run a successfully functioning home. But I will continue to read magazines such as Mother and Baby Magazine and others by Baby magazines in Australia as I find they are a great source of information.  They provide a good balance between professionals and other parents facing the same challenges as yourself, which I’ve always found beneficial. Having read this article with Nicole Avery, I am keen to now read her book in full, and try and implement some of her recommendations, especially as we tackle starting school next year. ...................................................................................................................................................... Be eligible to win one of 10 fabulous Hawaiian holiday packages valued at over $12,000 each with Magshop’s Christmas competition. Simply subscribe or renew for yourself or treat family and friends to any of the 35 participating titles including Mother & Baby, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Top Gear Australia, Australian House & Garden, Shop Til You Drop, UFC, Money, and many more.

Tourist in your City

Have you ever been a tourist in your own city?

Maybe you live in a country town and it's a little more difficult. 

Back in 1998 I spent a year in England.  I worked as a Nanny and whilst I didn't do anywhere as much as I could have there were things I just had to do.  Like go to Wimbledon.  I didn't care how long I had to queue, how much it cost, how could I live in England and not go to Wimbledon.  

But had I ever been to the Australian Open, no sireee.

Ever since that experience I've been a strong believer that you shouldn't neglect what is going on in your own backyard.  The world is an interesting place, so much to see and do, but believe it or not, people travel from other areas of the world to visit the places we live.  

So what is it that is so bloody great about these places, I'm determined to experience our local sites and ensure I know why my home is so great.

This is why I went to the Jazz at the Zoo and the Aquarium, before I even had children.  This is why I went to the Commonwealth Games.

Anyway, moving onto today, Rod and I are on holidays this week, but we have so much going on, a real holiday just wasn't an option.  But we still wanted to ensure we spent some quality time together as a family.

Today we headed into the City of Melbourne (which we don't do often enough).  We did some really cool Christmas things which I'll share later in the week, but today I'm telling you how to easily please young children in Melbourne.

Stick them on the FREE Circle Tram.  As it states it goes around in a big circle, around the City of Melbourne.  We had a wonderful conductor who told us all about the sights.  Pointed out some really cool sculptures for the kids, and really did keep us all entertained.

As you can see we all had a wonderful time, well except Zander, but who's to say sleeping isn't wonderful.

Anyway, this is just a sweet reminder that there a lot of wonderful things out there, right on your own back door, and a lot of them don't have to cost the earth.

Cheers

Mandy

Bloggers read Blogs, Does anyone else?

I know that there are 1000's and 1000's of blogs out there.

But I also know that the blogs I prefer to read are in the 'parenting / personal' blog category.

And most of the blogs I read have the same blogs on their blog roll, give or take one or two.

We're all on twitter and we follow the same people, give or take a few.

We share the love by commenting on each other's blogs, and participate in link ups.

But I've been thinking......

Who else reads your blog other than other bloggers?

I know my husband really couldn't be bothered......

I know despite the fact that I've set my blog up on my mum's tool bar, she hasn't gotten around to it just yet.

I'm not anti bloggers being the bulk of my subscriber base, in all honesty I'm happy for every single subscriber I've got, it means I'm not talking to myself.

It's just something I think about.

Especially as more and more bloggers host giveaways, brands want to work with them, I have to ask, what is your reach if your readers are all bloggers.  We flock to blogging communities and share what we learn and we all grow together, as a bunch of bloggers.

I did read blogs for a good twelve months before I dove in and started blogging myself.  But I'm still often left wondering what percentage of readers are not bloggers?

Do you think it even matters?

Just thinking out loud.......

Mandy

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Dancing ~ It goes on and on and on.............

Today we had Professional Photo Day.

Whilst the Junior Concert is over, Lulu still needs to perform in the Senior Concert.

She will dance for all of 2 minutes, in the first half of a 3 hour concert.

Yeap.  I know.

I'm hoping to go and be in awe of a wonderful performance.  But do look forward to the time when my children are all dancing in one concert and I have a handful of dances to look forward too.

So like I said today was all about putting on the makeup, doing the hair, to have a photo taken.  One I'll probably buy and pay a fortune for.

The littlies are doing a dance which will be lead by a gorgeous 14 year old ballerina.  Lulu is in love with her, especially when she has her tutu on.

Apparently she has been coming into class each week and spending the time with them.  And thankfully she is just as in love with them too.

So anyway, just because I think she is just divine.  Here is a full shot of my little Lulu in Ballet outfit.  Can you believe this is her third year of dancing!

I wonder if one day, my Lulu will be dancing as the lead with a bunch of 'babies'  or if she will have well and truly gotten over dancing and moved onto something else.  Who knows what this life holds for this gorgeous girl, but right now the possibilities are endless.

Cheers

Mandy

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Like my blog, why not vote for me in the Top 25 Parenting Blogs.  You can do so by clicking  here. 

 

Christmas: {kids Craft} Home Made Napkin Holders

Christmas Craft from 2010

Who doesn't love a little table decorations to put you in the festive spirit?

Last year the kids whipped up these little table napkins.  Not only did they enjoy making them, they were used when setting the table each and every night leading up to Christmas.

 

Let's go back to the beginning.

You'll need:

• Card stock
• Wadding (or cotton balls)
• Google Eyes
• Red pom poms
• Glue / Scissors / Ruler
• Red Napkins

I didn't use a template but I would recommend using a ruler, and drawing a line across the top and bottom. Then in the middle add a square below it, and then a triangle on the bottom of that to get the beard section.

Glue your piece of wadding / cotton balls on the beard section.  

Then glue the eyes and nose on too.

Following this you need to bring the ends of the long section together to form a circle, then glue (you may prefer to staple at this point).

The napkin needs to be folded with a triangle point and popped into the ring of the napkin holder.  It represents Santa's hat so it's pretty important that it's red.

Merry Christmas

Mandy

Christmas: Making Playdough Festive

Today we made Christmas Play dough.

To do this we used the usual play dough recipe along with some glitter.

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

4 tablespoons of Cream of Tartar

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of salt

2 cups of water

Food colouring

We were making two colours, red and green of course!  So I used a separate saucepan for each allowing the two to make their own. #equals no fighting

Seriously, this is a no stuff up recipe, you literally chuck all the ingredients in the pot and stir over a low heat until it turns into play dough.

I let the kids measure and mix everything and then I did the stirring over the heat only because I don't really like them near an open flame.

You can see the glitter in the dough, this is way easier to see in real life.  Trust me! OK!

Just in case you're wondering, she had an orange icy pole prior to this activity.  Yeap that's whats all over her face!

This will last us well and truly to Christmas, because we look after it!  And to look after it all you need to do is store it securely.  We use clip lock bags.  If you're worried about kids eating it with glitter in it, you could always substitute the glitter with 100's and 1000's.  Either way with the amount of salt in it you really don't want them eating it anyhow.

And below is a photo of me and my little man as he says 'Thank you Mumma'

I'm linking up with the Anderson Crew for Embrace the Camera.

Merry Christmas

Mandy.
 

Christmas: Buying guide for Girls

Don't know what to buy that little girl in your life?  Here's a few ideas:

1. Pillow Pets - There is a whole range of these, they have a little tab underneath, that when you valcro across they become upright like a pet, then you just undo the tab when you want it to be a pillow.
2. Hair Crimper - Yeap apparently this baby is back in fashion.  I knew I should have hung onto my one from all those years ago.
3. Junior MasterChef Cooking Kit - Again there are a few different kits available, from baking cupcakes to cooking pasta.  So if your little lady is into Junior MasterChef or just likes to create in the kitchen this is a sure hit.
4. Flipper / Snorkle Set - I don't know what the fasination is with this one but both my older two kids are 'like busting' to get one.  Great for outdoor play.
5. Swimmers - The perfect match for (number 4).  And as Christmas in Australia is usually hot hot hot, they are sure to get plenty of wear.
6. Nintendo DS - There are three options here, Nintendo DSi, DSi XL or DS3 (DSi XL has a bigger screen and the DS3 is 3D) Of course there are million games also available to accompany this one.
7. Build a bear teddy bear - There is a catch with this gift. Do you go and get a bear or do you give a voucher?  I think a voucher is best because the whole joy in build a bear is going into the store and being able to pick your bear, pick your heart, and go through all the warm and fuzzy features that make it your own.
8. Books - A stocking filler, whatever, you can't go past a book or too.  Next year my Lulu starts school, stories that relate to what is happening in life are usually quite popular too.
9. Knitting Nancy - Unless you're a knitter yourself and have the time and patience to teach your daughter how to knit, you may want to consider a knitting nancy.  This is a great introduction to the craft of knitting, a stepping stone to the real thing. Sure to keep the crafty girl busy time after time.

I have the privilige of celebrating my daughters birthday 2 weeks after Christmas so I am always after ideas.  

So I've shared my Christmas gift ideas for girls, what are yours?

Cheers

Mandy

First ever Dance Concert

This weekend my little man Tom performed in his first ever dance concert.

He was so proud!

We all came to watch, his entourage.

And not to stand in the shadow, Lulu also performed in the Junior Concert, this is her third year.  I can hardly believe it.

So because, let's face it, I was pretty bloody proud of them too, here is a couple of picture of them from dress rehearsal and on the day.

Oh yes they made my heart melt, and their little baby brothers body boogie.

Tom in his Tap Costume

Lulu in her Tap Costume

Tom in his Ballet Costume

And then the two of them waiting back stage for the concert to begin......

And now albeit Lulu still has her ballet routine in the Senior Concert to go, we kiss goodbye to one activity for the year.  Let the count down to Christmas and Summer break begin.

Cheers

Mandy

Christmas: Buying guide for Boys

We've talked about buying for girls, what about the boys?  Here is my buying guide for boys this year.

1. Sleeping Bag - These are perfect if you do a bit of travelling.  It doesn't have to be camping either, perfect for sleep overs.
2. Lego Games - Lego have a range of 'board games' you can play with your little man.  And whilst we're talking Lego, any Lego will usually be a hit.
3. Octonaut Figurines - These are huge at the moment.  You know we go through phases where a kids TV show becomes the show 'everyone is watching'  It's fair to say Octonauts is it.
4. Pull Cord Helicopter - An old fashion classic, this helicopter will be sure to keep the little man busy over and over again.
5. Flipper and Google set - Anything that encourages a bit of physical is always a winner, and perfect given we celebrate a Summer Christmas here in Australia.
6. Bathers - Always a good choice in Summer, when buying for boys it's always good to get a 'rash vest' to help protect them from the sun.
7. Build-a-bear - As I mentioned with the girls gifts your probably better off getting a voucher to Build-a-bear because the fun is being able to choose your own bear and build it.
8. Books - You can never have too many books, Where's Wally is great fun, but also tests their skills as they try to find Wally in the pictures.  And when they know where he is you can always find other things for them to search for.
9. Nintendo DS - There are three options here, Nintendo DSi, DSi XL or DS3 (DSi XL has a bigger screen and the DS3 is 3D) Of course there are million games also available to accompany this one.

These are some of my suggestions, what's your star pick for this Christmas?

Cheers

Mandy

Christmas: Embracing the Festive Season

I know I can't tell people enough, I love Christmas.

So today I thought I would share some of the little things we do in our home to embrace the Festive Season.

I picked these up this season from Sams Warehouse, each piece was only $1.50.

Lulu also insisted we get these chino cups for when Dad makes chino's on the weekend in December.

Again the little mugs were also $1.50 from Sam's Warehouse.  We'll use them throughout the festive season and then I'll put them away for next year.

How gorgeous are these:

I found them in a little gift shop locally.  I searched on line but couldn't find anything.  But they are from the Russ Company.  I bought a couple last year for the bigger two kids.  I decided I had best go back and get another for the baby, because he is at that age where he is not going to miss out anymore!

I managed to pick up these babies for $4.90, which I actually think is too cheap.  But there was no price on them so the guy just sold them to me at that price.  Score!  I ended up buying a couple more for a little care package I'm putting together.

Music.  It's not for everyone.  I mean some people go bonkers just listening to the Christmas Carols in the shops.  But my kids can't get enough.  We've got a bit of High 5 Christmas tunes which we've had a few years now.  We're probably ready now to up grade to something a little bit more bareable mature.

That last disc is actually a Christmas story, perfect to listen to before falling asleep.

We like to get up to all sorts of crafty things leading up to Christmas, and we will be sharing some of that with you.  But we always have a few colouring books on hand for some down time.  It's easy, it's relaxing and as all the celebrations kick in, it's the perfect activity for tired kids.

Finally, we've started to collect Christmas stories.  Over the last couple of years we've pick up a couple here and there and we really enjoy sitting down as a family reading these stories together.

Like with all our Christmas stuff I don't leave these books out all year.  I pack them away with the rest of the decorations..... that way when they come out each Christmas, they are new, exciting and well and truly embraced along with the rest of the festivities.

I picked up this cool basket below (a couple of years ago) at Provincial Living.  It is perfect for holding the Christmas Books, it's not too big, and it has a flat back which means it can sit up against the wall on our sideboard.

Ok, I'll leave it there for now.  I just couldn't resist but to share some of the little bits and pieces we do to help create an environment that is festive and fun.

Do you have any traditions or activities that you do each Christmas that your children really look forward to?

Cheers

Mandy