TRAVEL: A Festive Family Weekend at Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market with Macdonald Hotels

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Christmas is well and truly coming and I for one am incredibly excited this year. Perhaps more so than previous years because it is our last Christmas that both Isabella and Poppy are at home on the run up to the big day. Next year Isabella will have started school, so our festivities will have to be kept to the weekend, but for now we are all about getting into the festive spirit every day of the week. Where better to do this than at a Christmas Market? There are many of them happening right now across the country with entertainment, stalls and an atmosphere filled with Christmas cheer. Our closest one is in Birmingham, which is exactly where we headed last weekend for a festive family getaway.

CHILDREN: Bringing the Imaginary World of Puppy Dog Pals to Life

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Don't you find children's imagination so interesting? The way that they can create, nurture and bring to life a whole other world is something I wish us adults could do to. Each day Isabella will take Poppy and I on a different adventure, using the toys around her to really bring it to life. One of her favourite recent imaginary worlds to explore is that of Puppy Dog Pals, which is a very popular television programme on Disney Junior. If you or your little one haven't seen it before then it is based around two pug puppies that are brothers, Bingo and Rolly, and they have fun adventures around their local neighbourhood every time their owner Bob leaves the house. They also have a tabby cat sister called Hissy and a robot dog friend called Autodoggy Robotic Friend or A.R.F for short.

CRAFTS: 4 DIY Gifts for Children to Make for Loved Ones

DIY gifts are an easy, affordable and thoughtful gift to give on any occasion and as there are so many people to buy for at Christmas what better time to get creative? Now that Isabella is older it is even easier to turn a crafty afternoon into a special gift for a loved one. Isabella and Poppy both get to have fun with paint, stickers, glitter etc., as well as producing a beautiful present. I think it is really important to teach Isabella (and Poppy when she's older) all about the gift of giving and her not be a bit oblivious to it all as we buy all of the presents for everyone. When I was a child I loved nothing more than spending my pocked money on presents for others and that love for buying, making and creating gifts for others hasn't been lost into adulthood. I would like Isabella to grow up appreciating the gifts she receives and understanding what makes a thoughtful present for someone else.

CHRISTMAS: What are your family traditions?

Christmas traditions are a big part of the festive period and with new traditions starting all of the time it is exciting deciding which traditions you personally want to follow as a family. It still fascinates me how different each family's Christmas is because up until meeting my now husband I hadn't realised quite how different they could be. Growing up you only know how your family celebrate during the festive period, so it really opened my eyes when I was lucky enough to witness how my husband's family celebrate. Coming together as parents we have brought our own family traditions together, as well as wanting to create our own. 

CHRISTMAS: My Top 3 Gifts for Children from Wicked Uncle

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When it comes to buying Christmas presents it can all feel a bit overwhelming, can't it? The options are endless, so many ideas and potential gifts, but limited time to decide on which ones are perfect for your loved ones. This is where Wicked Uncle steps in when it comes to buying gifts for the children and teenagers in your life. Their easy to navigate website is filled with toys and games for babies all the way to teenagers, so you can get all your Christmas shopping for them done in one place. To make life even easier they offer a gift wrapping service and you can even add on a Christmas or Birthday card to your order for an addition cost. The children's gifts are split into boys, girls or all, depending on who you're buying for and you can also search by their age. This helps to make your shopping experience quicker, as you don't have to trawl through all of the gifts to find the ones suitable for the person you're thinking of buying for. 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Her 2018

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This is the Gift Guide for the ladies in your life, whether that be your mother, sister, friend, auntie, cousin, sister-in-law or simply for yourself. I love reading Gift Guides for Her to help me write my Christmas Wish List, let alone shopping for my friends and family. Anyone else do this? Shopping for women can seem quite intimidating because there are just so many things to choose from. I've tried to include a variety of gifts to suit all ages, interests and styles, so that by the end you're festive shopping for her is all done. 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Children Under £25

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This is my third and final Gift Guide for Children for this year and it is one focusing on gifts between £10 and £25. That perfect middle zone for both friends and family, so you'll hopefully find something for everyone in here. It is so exciting this year, as Isabella is old enough for so many more of the children's toys rather than the toddler ones and it has opened up a whole new world in present buying. The range of gifts out there for children is pretty overwhelming at times, so I've chosen items that are perhaps slightly more unique and many are from smaller independent businesses too. So, without further ado, on with my final children's Gift Guide of 2018...

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Him 2018

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I don't know about you, but I find men the hardest to buy for out of everyone which is slightly ironic as I mostly have men to buy for each Christmas. My husband always says he doesn't want anything, my Dad is similar and my brothers can be tricky too. However, I've found that making notes on my phone throughout the year of anything they've said they like/want has made Christmas shopping this year that bit easier. Hopefully this Gift Guide will help you with ideas and inspiration for presents for those men in your life.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Children 2018

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Buying Christmas presents for children can be challenging because there are quite simply so many different options. I've popped together a range of ideas in this gift guide for children's 'main present' or those bigger gifts that appear on the letter to Father Christmas. A big part of the magic at Christmas time is seeing those excited faces of children when they open their presents, isn't it? I hope that these gifts will get exactly that reaction, so on with the guide...

CHRISTMAS: How to Make Toy Shopping for Children Easier

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When it comes to Christmas shopping for children it can be a challenge to know which toys will appeal to them, actually be used and create lots of fun memories. This is why Fundamentally Children have created The Christmas Good Toy Guide 2018 Edition, which is filled with gifts for all ages and interests. Fundamentally Children is the home of The Good Toy Guide; a place where an independent team try and test a range of toys, so that they can share how long-lasting, age-appropriate, good for learning and development and, most importantly, fun they are! This year they have put together a guide just for Christmas, with the aim of making our shopping experience that bit easier. Parents and children can browse The Christmas Good Toy Guide 2018 here; let the wish list writing commence. 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Children £10 and Under

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This is the Gift Guide for Father Christmas to have a peek at, as it's filled with stocking filler gifts for £10 and under. I have been really impressed this year at the range of gifts available for £10 and under; in a time when money is tight it is worth taking the time to find the perfect gifts for your children that are more on the affordable end of the scale. To be honest, many of these presents could be gifts given outside of the stocking, depending how your family 'do' Christmas. My husband's family have sacks and stockings, whereas my family only had stockings. We all do Christmas slightly differently, but either way I hope you feel inspired after reading this Gift Guide for £10 and under.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Parents 2018

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As soon as you become a parent your focus is suddenly on looking after your children, so Christmas is the perfect time of year to be treated yourself. This is the Gift Guide filled with present ideas for the parents in your life, whether that be parent friends, your partner, yourself or those that have been promoted to grandparents. The gifts that I buy my husband and put on my wish list have certainly changed a lot since becoming a parent with a lot more focus on capturing memories and making life easier. 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: For Babies 2018

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Welcome to my first Christmas Gift Guide of 2018, which is for the babies in your life. Personally, I've always found shopping for baby gifts quite a challenge because the things they need at that age are limited some what. I therefore tend to focus on giving gifts that will either help to capture those precious early years, are practical or can be enjoyed for many years to come. The first year or so of a child's life is filled with magical milestones, exciting changes and all the growing, making it such a special time to shop for gifts. All of the gifts I've included in this Gift Guide would also make thoughtful presents for baby showers, first birthdays or christenings too.

CHRISTMAS: The Rex London £35 Stocking Filler Challenge

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Christmas is coming. The shops are filling with singing Santa's, the festive to-do lists are being written and children across the world of are compiling their wish lists for Father Christmas. I absolutely love this time of year, but it is taken to a whole new level when you have your own children. Being part of creating that magic is so special (and filled with so much pressure!), but when it comes to filling stockings it can get very expensive for Father Christmas. I find it so interesting the different ways families celebrate Christmas, approach stockings and the traditions that are so personal to each family. We all do Christmas slightly differently and that's all part of the magic! 

TRAVEL: The Ultimate Time Together at The Dower House Hotel in Woodhall Spa with buyagift

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When you become a parent your whole life changes and something that used to be plentiful but is now a rarity is the quality time you can spend with your partner. Babies, toddlers and children all require a lot of time, attention and love that fills your time, house and heart, which makes finding time for date night or one-on-one time with your partner very challenging. Since giving birth to Isabella in 2015 my husband and I had only enjoyed one night away together and I had only left Isabella overnight twice (once was to have Poppy!). However, now that they are old enough to be looked after by their doting Grandparents we thought we'd make the most of the opportunity to enjoy a rare night away together.