Use what you no longer need to those that do/storage ideas

 Christmas is a time to give gifts and a good way to declutter your home whilst you decorate for the festive season. 

Hand creams is a good item for the winter as my hands always get sore and chapped if I don't use hand cream and so is an essential item, but try natural products and not items that have too many added unwanted ingredients in them. 

These make good presents but it all depends on that person's skin but are a nice item that has not been used and still brand new. 

If you have books that you have read why not pass them on or if you to re-read it create a shelf to do that and have a books in section "To be read again", but if you haven't touched them over a year and forget "One day" pick on up or pass it on. 

Give items back like books back to charity shops as it helps them earn money again for the charity and a good way of passing the book on for someone else to get pleasure out of it. 

Have a lucky dip for your kids instead of an advent calendar, or to help prep for Christmas and can be decorations for the tree for them to hang, have personalised barbles and use Christmas as a way to use up your bakery ingredients stored and then make way for other food for Christmas, and reduces waste, making sure they are okay to use up. Check the label of the item or if stored in a jar put a label on it from when it was originally put in the jar with the expiring date or best before dates.

Use up chocolate bars to make into a cake for Christmas, like Oreo cup cakes or digestives bashed made into crumbs to make a base for a cheesecake, including chocolate digestives or bourbans is nice and makes the cheese super rich but great as a change, and so worth it. 

If you have a someone with a birthday close by Christmas then it can be difficult knowing what to buy them separates their birthday and Christmas by having kids in fancy dress of their favourite books and use clothes you already have or handmedowns, always welcomed and make custumes out of paper. My mum did this once when we would holiday in Clacton and the holiday camp there would have fancy dress competitions and not about Christmas or have a birthday party in the morning and Christmas in the evening. 

Have a birthday breakfast party and then have Christmas feast and do picky bits of different foods, depending on your budget and have sibling or any one who volunteers their help. 

It is all about loving the festive season and doing what makes bring smiles and creating everlasting memories. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

My first mince pie and Christmas coffee/Let's get festive

Hello and welcome to a new post. 

This time of year once the first 4 birthdays on this side of the year of my family, have passed I will start prepping for Christmas, and start to get ideas of gifts to buy and have a theme, and not gonna say what theme it will be this year as those I buy for, may read this blog, but you might find this helpful to help you plan for Christmas.

I always set a day in December, to do my Christmas shopping, and I do write a list and have a dedicated folder to help me too and a notebook, to prep and, already had a mince pie and a Christmas coffee. The one I always have is the Blackforest Hot Chocolate from Costas.

I like personal items like Jewellery, gift sets and gift cards. 

When planning for Christmas I do budget but I do go extra when it comes to buying items for children in the family, my son and nieces, and this year instead of putting items into a box or gift bag, I am going to buy some pillowcases and use this for gifts, or a tote bag, as they can use these aswell. 

I like to do different things, and I am gonna make some Christmas cards, and do a bit of decor if I can and one item I am gonna get is small Christmas tree to have in Henry's room where he lives with his dad, and going to buy advent calendars this year rather than make one and when it comes to hosting Christmas, I have no idea as not sure where I will be, but I would like to do that again and I like seeing family and seeing those I don't get to see during the year, at Christmas too.

For kids it for me is for Kids and allowing then to enjoy being a kid, and creating magical memories. I used to love a Christmas party and would have a lots of these this time of the year when I worked up in London, and living in a housing estate. They were all funtimes. 

I want it to be different to last years and not go too mad, but do little things I buy some more mince pies, buy selection boxes, read a Christmas book and buy some Advent Calendars. 

I hope this blog gives you some inspiration and go and get yourself or make a nice Christmas drink and lets get festive. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X  

 

Organizing for half term/How to organize birthdays this time of the year

Hello, so last week and this week kids have had, in the UK half term, and some get one week and others get two weeks, which is currently it for me, but because I co-parent with his father, Henry is spending time with him at the moment, and then back with me on Wednesday which is tomorow as I write this blot post. 

His, my son birthday next week and it can be tricky to get him bits, but I have picked up some and want to take him out on his birthday but he is back at school then, so gonna use the weekend instead, either before his birthday or after, and trying to get tickets to take him to a football match. Also the rugby is on so thinking we could do a rugby or a visit to Bockets Farm. They do, do birthday celebrations, and my niece had hers there. 

You don't have to worry about food they do it all for you. and when it comes to gifts always have a table if they can provide it to put the gifts together. It has an indoor play area and outdoor, so you aren't stuck when it is raining outside. 

My son loves Thomas the tank engine and has actually been on this train, and so check out out, as that is a great day out, and I have bought him a pop up book from Whsmiths and a big thomas tank engine train from Amazon. I want to get him or making him a writing set as he started to lots more of this now.

Going on this theme colouring books are great and making your own by the power of the internet can be even better for them and no cost at all, and kids are not worried about price but on how it will make them feel and good to get useful things rather than all toys. 

If they are having a load of kids together then it is good to set a meeting area, and have them play first and some venues will have it where the kids get to play for an hour and then have birthday party once they have had time to explore, if you want to organize something like visiting a zoo or a farm. 

When is their birthday near or during half term then plan ahead and book ahead, as places like Bocketts farm have many families booking and so you do have to get in early or you can end up missing your chance, and do forget Christmas parties will begin too at such places, and so plan ahead. 

Do a prep and check list and I often use just my notepad and often will put it on my phone aswell as I have got my ideas together and gone through what I have booked and still do get. 

So I hope this helps you and if it is your's or your childrens birthday then best wishes to you.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X