Festive Films for all the Family (+ giveaway!)

I absolutely love Christmas for so many reasons but one big one has to be gathering the family together and sitting down to enjoy a festive movie together. I loved family themed Christmas films before I even had children but now they are so much more special because I can see how excited my kids get watching them.

Warner Bros. has a fantastic selection of favourites to get the whole family in the Christmas spirit.

The Polar Express
I think everyone has to have seen this movie at least once in their life! If you aren't familiar with the story, a young boy who is doubting the existence of Santa Claus embarks a train to the North Pole. The journey is full of adventure and he receives a gift that only those who truly believe can experience. The way that this movie has been filmed and animated is absolutely incredible, I've never seen anything like it. It's worth watching just for that - and to see Tom Hanks in six different roles!

Get Santa
In this movie, a six year old boy discovers that Santa has crashed his sleigh into his parents shed. He gets his dad to help get Santa back to Lapland in time for Christmas but unfortunately his reindeer have escaped and are running around London. This is a film full of laughs and definitely one to watch if you're after something funny and light hearted.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
This is an oldie but a goodie! In the third instalment of the National Lampoon movies, disaster-prone dad Clark must survive Christmas with his in-laws. Of course, not everything goes smoothly and there are tons of gags and humour along the way. A proper dysfunctional family movie.

Jack Frost
This is one of my favourite Christmas movies as it's just so magical. Michael Keaton stars as a man who is in a car accident and comes back to life as a snowman. In life, Jack (Keaton) doesn't spend enough time with his son so when he is a snowman, he tries to make up for lost time. It's such a heartwarming movie and a must-watch this year.

Do you want to win a copy of all four of these movies? Check out my Twitter competition!

Want to win some fab Christmas DVDs suitable for all the family? Just RT & follow me! #WBChristmas

Ends 18/12 23:59, UK only! pic.twitter.com/BthCTYv494

— Rebecca Phillips (@x_walter) December 14, 2016

Christmas Crafts with Baker Ross

We have been Baker Ross Bloggers for over two years now and C still gets excited when he receives the boxes in the post. I knew that this month's box would go down well because he is so excited for Christmas this year because he understands it more.

Here's what was in our box:

• Santa Christmas List Kits (£3.99 per pack of 5)
• Christmas Scratch Art Scenes (£2.95 per pack of 6)
• Christmas Bauble Colour-in Window Decorations (£2.75 per pack of 12)
• Snowflake Fingerprint Decoration Kits (£1.99 per pack of 6)
• Santa Mix & Match Decoration Kits (£3.49 per pack of 6)
• Elf Mix & Match Decoration Kits (£3.49 per pack of 6)
• Gingerbread House Photo Frame Kits (£1.49 per pack of 5)

Firstly, the kids were pleased to see easy crafts that they know how to do. The Gingerbread frames, Christmas list kit and Santa and Elf Mix & Match are the ones where you peel the backing off the foam and stick them on the 'base'. 

At 4 and 2, they have both mastered these and now they can work away at them themselves, E only needs helping removing the backing. Although they are so used the the foam Baker Ross products, I feel like they don't get bored because the themes and pictures are so different at the end. 

They were both really excited to write their lists and put their photographs in the gingerbread house and hang them both up. We even hung our Mix & Match Santas on the Christmas tree. These were probably my favourite of the foam activities as we liked how you could make Santa look a bit untraditional.

Both children love to colour so the window bauble decorations went down well. We dug out the markers and let them get to work. There are 12 in a pack and you can choose from Santa, an angel, a penguin, a robin, an elf and a snowman. They make a nice, personalised change to regular Christmas window decorations.

The Scratch Art kits were great! C was a bit confused at first as he thought you had to colour them but when he got the hang of it, he loved it. You just need to use the scraper supplied to scratch off some of the blackened image to reveal rainbow colours underneath. 2 year old E got a little stressed out over it though and did throw her scraper across the room a few times. I think she was maybe a bit too young for it! There are six different Christmas scenes to choose from.

Finally, both children adored the fingerprint snowflakes! If it means they get to get messy, it's a winner! There are three different inkpads (purple, blue and pink) and the same colours foam snowflakes, ribbon and gems. I gave them complete free reign to put their fingerprints and gems anywhere and I think they did a pretty good job! The ink washes off easily too - thankfully!

C and E have had so much fun doing their Christmas crafts and as you can see above, the prices are fantastic for what you receive. They also have 20% off their Christmas range until midnight December 9th so you should definitely take advantage of that!

(We received these items as part of our role as Baker Ross Bloggers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

 

Keeping the Christmas Magic Alive with Portable North Pole Magic Pass

C is four years old and this is the first year where he properly understands what is happening at Christmas and gets excited about Santa. We have already done a few Christmas themed things this year to spark the magic - visiting Santa was probably his personal highlight.

Portable North Pole (PNP) website and app is back to delight children across the world and this is the first year that I have tried it with C. The 2016 edition has lots of new features and its aim is to bring the magic of Santa into our homes with personalised videos and phone calls.

The PNP Magic Pass costs £9.99 and for that price you get:

• Unlimited premium videos
• A reaction recorder (mobile app only)
• Unlimited Santa calls
• HD downloads of your videos
• Storytime with Santa - a video each week in December

You can also get a Santa approved certificate to print for each of your videos.

They have packed so much into these videos and the scene is so realistic. Santa can say your child's name, display personalised photographs and there is a huge list of items to choose from so that Santa knows what is on your child's Christmas list, from games consoles to toys. You can even choose specific topics for him to talk about, for example, I chose the fact that C had been asked to share with others. The videos vary in lengths depending on which one you choose and how much information is given. I particularly like the Christmas Eve video as it's sure to get your child excited about the fact that Santa is just about to leave the North Pole with their presents in his sleigh. There are even personalised birthday videos too, I'll definitely be creating those for the children in September.

The Reaction Camera for the mobile app is fantastic idea. You get to see, and keep, the memory of the happiness in your child's face when Santa speaks to them by name. 

Like many parents, I hope we aren't the only ones!, we do use the "I'll phone Santa and tell him you're misbehaving!" threat so C truly does believe that we have a direct line to Santa. C got quite excited about the fact that Father Christmas was able to call him (it comes through like a real phonecall) and it's great that there are little pauses for your child to answer his questions.

For £9.99 you really get a lot for your money as there are just so many different scenarios and aspects to choose from. I think that any child would be delighted to experience the magic through PNP.

(I received a free Magic Pass to Portable North Pole for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Food

I love food (my increasing weight since having E is proof enough of that!) and Christmas is the perfect time to indulge, in my opinion. Diets start in January, right?! I've put together a little gift guide, or maybe bits to include in your own Christmas parties, of food items that would be great for this time of year.

Opies

Opies are a family owned company that has been around since 1880. This Christmas you can pick up their Pickled Walnuts which are a must have with cold meats and cheese. I love a cheeseboard at Christmastime but I'm not a fan of walnuts at all. Instead, I opt for gherkins. Opies do mini pickled gherkins which are just amazing! 

If you are making some festive cocktails, the cocktail cherries and sliced lemon are perfect accompaniments to these. 

Christmas baker? Add some Opies Stem Ginger to mince pies, chutneys or even apple based stuffing to give them some extra oomph.

When you think of Christmas, you think alcohol and Opies have preserved some fruits in alcohol for the occasion; Stem Ginger in Famous Grouse and Christmas Fruits in Courvoisier - yum!

 

Peter's Yard

Peter's Yard are authentic, traditional style Swedish crispbread that are made here in the UK. They are perfect for cheeseboards! Aside from the original flavour that suits any cheese, you can try Charcoal (recommended for Brie and soft goat's milk cheese) or Spelt & Poppyseed (to go with Single Gloucester, Camembert, Wensleydale or Caerphilly). None of the flavours mask or overpower the flavours of the cheese and they are light and crisp in texture - perfect!

In addition to these, Caraway and Pink Peppercorn have been added to the range for this year. Caraway is recommended with a strong, hard cheese whereas Pink Peppercorn is great with a wide selection of cheeses but also a rich pâté too.

 

Stag Bakeries

Stag Bakeries is one of the most remote bakeries in the UK, being based in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis on the Outer Scottish Hebrides.

I've been writing a lot about cheeseboards but if you want something different, why not try Stag Bakeries 'Something Different for Cheese' Fruit Cake? It is made with raisins, sultanas, currants, dates, cherries and cranberries which are generously soaked for 4 weeks in ruby port and whisky. It is also flavoured with pecan nuts, almonds, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to create a rich, delicious eat.

West Coast Dipping Crackers are available in three different flavours; Chickpea & Garlic (great with Middle Eastern dishes and dips), Green Bean & Ras el Hanout (perfect for tagines and couscous) and Lentil & Biryani (which works well with curry as an alternative to poppadums).

New to the range are Sweet Straws. They are a great alternative to tradtional sweet biscuits and are a cool twist on savoury straws. The flavours available are: Apple & Cinnamon, Blackberry & Basil, Raspberry & Chocolate and Sour Cherry & Vanilla.

 

Baru 

Baru are quirky, contemporary Belgian confectionery and even their packaging is cool! This year they have added luxury marshmallows to their collection, all "non-chocolate" flavours; Vanilla Bean, Toasted Coconut, Sea Salt Caramel, Blueberry & Basil, Strawberry & Cacao and Raspberry & Mint.

They use natural ingredients and are made in small batches to ensure high quality. Referred to as clouds due to their soft texture and light eat, they are hand crafted in Belgium to a carefully developed recipe.

Tyrrell's 

Tyrrell's are probably my favourite type of crisp so I was really excited to hear that they were adding a festive flavour to their range. Three Bird Roast is (as you've probably guessed) a trio of roast chicken, turkey and duck. I have to say, Chris and I devoured the entire bag between us in one night and the flavours and crispness are just spot on. At £2.19 per bag, I will definitely be picking more of these up over the Christmas period.

They have also added a very fun flavour to their Poshcorn range - Bellini! This is perfectly popped in small batches at Tyrrell's Court Farm using gold standard kernels. It is perfect for a cosy night watching Christmas movies!

 

EasiYo

Easiyo's bright red yogurt maker is the perfect way to make delicious, fresh yogurt at home. The brand new design is sleek and stylish yet simple. It has no moving parts or electronics so it's easy to clean and is so compact, it'll fit on your kitchen shelf. 

All you have to do is mix a EasiYo with water, put it in the maker for 8-12 hours and you will have made 1kg of fresh yogurt. There are 30 different sachet flavours to choose from and because it is made in the comfort of your own home, there are no artificial colours or flavourings. Both my children absolutely love yogurt so this would be a great hit in my house!

(This post contains PR samples.)

The Magical Christmas Experience at Titanic Belfast

On Saturday the four of us attended The Magical Christmas Experience at Titanic Belfast. I only saw it advertised on TV eight days before and straight away I was on the website to find out more. 

At four and two, C and E are very excited about Christmas and Santa and I felt that at a price of £15 per child and £4 per adult, it was very reasonable. The event runs from November 18th until December 23rd and when booking you can choose a date and time that suits you. We went on the second day, November 19th at 10.30am. Our reason for choosing that date was simply because Chris was off work and we wanted to go when it was reasonably quiet so 10.30am on a Saturday seemed perfect. I spoke to the kids a lot about it and they were so excited to see Santa, C even requested to wear his Christmas jumper to show him.

We arrived and we went into an entrance between black drapes. In front of us was a kind of check-in desk and to the side were two massive candy canes either side of the entrance to the actual experience. I'm really annoyed with myself that I didn't catch the name of the man at the desk because he was so lovely and great with the kids and really helped kick off the excitement for them. Firstly, he was dressed as an elf which I'm sure the kids thought was really cool and he asked their names, jotted them down in his book and had a few little jokes with them. I really liked him and thought he was fantastic. He gave each child a pencil and sheet of paper with a map of what to do and told them to look out for the reindeer stickers as we walked around and tick them off as we go. With E still being in a buggy when we go out, I loved that there was a little space for me to store it as we went around. There was also the opportunity to have juice, tea, coffee and cookies.

When we entered the experience, it was set up like a little old fashioned town with a lane to follow to each activity. Our first stop was writing our letters to Santa. We sat at a little picnic table and the kids got writing on templated sheets addressed to Father Christmas. At the bottom you can write your child's name, age and your email address, I'll speak more about this later. The children then ran over to post them in the postbox to make sure Santa received them and knew what they wanted for Christmas.

We then made stops at the dress up station, where you could try on traditional clothing (C was very taken with the top hat!), mini cinema where the kids adored the massive beanbags and cartoons shown on a big screen, decoration making where they glued eyes and a nose onto lollipop sticks to make a Rudolph tree decoration and a stop for giant versions of Jenga, Hoopla and Noughts and Crosses. We skipped on the storytelling unfortunately as C would never sit still for a story!

Once we had been to all the stops and found all the reindeer stickers, C and E's names were called - Santa was ready to see them! We made our way to the Old Curiosity Shop where we knew Father Christmas was waiting. Before we could enter, a lady dressed in traditional clothing had a massive 'Naughty or Nice' list and asked which list the children thought they were on. She had a look and happily said that they had been good all year and Santa did in fact, have their names on the Nice list. Both of the children were so happy. I really liked this lady. She stayed perfectly in character and acted like she was so happy and excited for the kids. She ushered us over to a spot in the middle of the room and told the children to close their eyes - it began to snow! Of course, it was a snow machine but the joy in C's eyes is something that I will never forget. I am so glad she had recommended that I take a photograph.

Now it was time for our Santa visit. C knocked the door and went on in, full of confidence, with E following shyly behind. C was totally blown away and got straight into a conversation with him. He showed off his Christmas jumper just like he wanted to and Santa even sang Jingle Bells with them. He really gave them a lot of time and we didn't feel rushed at all. C, who is usually shy with strangers, had no problems at all with jumping up on Santa's knee for a photograph. E did get a little freaked out but she is only two and had been a bit ill with a fever the night before so I had to sit her on my knee. The photograph was definitely the best part and C's little face is wonderful.

The kids came away with a toy each and little bags of sweets and we got two photographs with Santa. They had an amazing time and I do think it's got them excited for Christmas. When I first left, I did feel a bit like almost £40 for the four of us was a bit much for what it was but once I thought about how much a single visit, photo and present for each child alone would cost at a regular shopping centre combined with how amazed my children felt after it, it was totally worth it. Two days later, I received a reply to C's Santa letter to my email address in PDF form for me to print for him. Chris received E's one. Both letters mentioned the items that the children had asked for. I will definitely be printing them off and adding them with the post a little bit closer to Christmas.

You can book tickets for The Magical Christmas Experience at the Titanic Belfast website.

(We purchased these tickets ourselves and I was not required to write a review, I just wanted to share our experience.) 

 

Dressing for Christmas - Festive Jumpers from Matalan

I love Christmas. It is my favourite time of year, even more so since becoming a mother. There is nothing I love more than giving gifts and seeing the magic on my children's faces when they see what they have received. I go all out, I buy tons of new decorations every year and buy myself and the children festive clothing. I especially adore Christmas jumpers. I know a lot of people can dislike them but I truly think that it isn't Christmas until you have one.

Matalan very kindly sent the four of us jumpers for the holiday season. I love Matalan and it's my first port of call when I need to buy clothes for any of us. I think 95% of my children's wardrobe has been purchased from Matalan so I knew that I would love their Christmas range.

C is four now and I've been recently getting him more into choosing his own clothes to wear so I let him pick for himself and his two year old sister, E. He spotted a gorgeous red one with Rudolph on the front for himself and a fluffy pink one with a cute little penguin for E. He then noticed a "daddy sized" Rudolph jumper so of course Chris needed that to match! I opted for a standard fairisle style grey jumper.

As soon as they arrived, C's little face lit up and couldn't wait to get it on. He immediately noticed a sticker on Rudolph's nose - it plays Jingle Bells when you press it! He honestly thought that it was the best thing ever and actually cried when I had to take it off him to put his pyjamas on. It will definitely be worn a lot in the run up to Christmas - he even had to wear it to visit Santa and show off the song! It has "MERRY XMAS" on the back under the collar and he keeps trying to turn his jumper around whilst he's wearing it so he can read it. Super cute!

E's jumper is very fluffy, comfortable and utterly adorable. She thinks it's great that her penguins wears a hat and scarf just like she does. She's recently been telling us that her favourite colour is pink so it was nice to get a Christmas jumper in that colour, it isn't one you'd traditionally think of at Christmas.

Mine and Chris's jumpers were very warm and cosy and fit perfectly. Chris isn't a fan of Christmas jumpers at all so I did wonder if I'd actually get him to wear it - he kept it all on day and when I queried it he said, "It's keeping me warm." I'll take that as a win! The lovely cartoon style Rudolph of the men's jumper is very fun and the kids love it. I think my fairisle one is very understated and I love the little Christmas trees, baubles and snowflakes. It's sparkly too, how can anyone say resist that?

I absolutely adore all of our jumpers but I have to say that the price is what blew me away the most. Both of the children's jumpers were £10.00 each, Chris's men's jumper was £16.00 and my women's, £18.00. I've seen some online retailers sell single men's jumpers for £54 so having four fantastic quality and great fitting jumpers for the same price is amazing. 

To have a look at their full range of Christmas jumpers, check out the Matalan website. You can keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too.

(We received these jumpers for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Teletubbies

Both of my children are massive fans of CBeebies and it is on in the background every single day. I've grown to love the shows just as much as them so it was certain that they would like Christmas gifts featuring characters from one of their favourite shows - Teletubbies. I'm sure my children aren't the only ones so I've put together a little selection of some of my favourites and I hope you get some ideas. The prices vary so you can even find some cool stocking fillers.

Ravensburger Teletubbies Mini Memory / GoGlow My First Torch / Pocket Library / Tubby Snowball DVD / Ball Pit / Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar / Po Scooter / Po's Helmet / My First Trike

I've grouped some stocking fillers and outdoor toys together here based on what my own children would love. The scooter and helmet with Po's antenna is genius and I think any child would think they were so cool whilst riding it.

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Pull and Play Giant Noo-Noo / Water Filled Play Mat / Guitar / Superdome Playset / My First Kitchen / Light and Sound Tea set / Jumping Po / Roly Poly Po / Keyboard

In the above image, I've gone more for toys to suit all ages. Some, like the Roly Poly Po and keyboard, can be used by younger children but enjoyed by older ones too. I love how bright and colourful they all are. I had to include Pull and Play Giant Noo Noo as we actually reviewed it a couple of months back and it is a fantastic toy. Any child, I think, would be chuffed to open him out on Christmas Day.

Do you have any Teletubbies fans at home? 

 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Yankee Candle

I absolutely love Yankee Candles and I buy them a lot! I love Christmastime and always stock up on 'Christmas Eve' - it's my favourite scent of theirs. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is a fan so I've put together a little gift guide of what's available for all ages and genders.

Candles & Melts:

All Is Bright / Macaron Treats / Star Anise & Orange / Festive Cocktail

All of these are available in either wax melts at £1.49 each, small jars (£8.99) and large jars (£21.99). I was gifted the small jars of each of these scents and I can assure you that they all smell amazing. All Is Bright is probably my favourite and I will definitely be burning these all through the festive period.

Accessories:

Grey Etched Star Jar Candle Holders / Polar Bears Jar Candle Holder / Star White Tea Light Candle Holder / Red and Gold Snowfall Medium Votive Candle Holder / Holiday Party Votive Candle Holder / Festive Trees Large Tea Light Candle Holder / Polkadot Votive Candle Holder / Stripe Votive Candle Holder / Winter Glimmer Large Shade & Tray Sets

This range is a beautiful way to decorate your home for Christmas in a subtle but effective way. They can complement any décor style whether it's elegant or jolly.

Gift Sets:

Advent Calendar / Party Pavilion Advent Calendar / Holiday Party 3 Votives & 1 Votive Holder Gift Set / 2 Medium Jars Gift Set / Holiday Party 10 Tealights & 1 Tealight Holder

These gift ideas will be perfect for anyone's price range. You can choose stocking fillers or make a grander gesture. I've been hinting to Chris about one of their gorgeous Advent Calendar.

For him:

Black Coconut Small Décor Pillar Candle / Black Coconut Décor Reed Diffuser / Aftershave Footed Tumbler Candle / Hair Tonic Footed Tumbler Candle / Serengeti Sunset Large Jar / Kilimanjaro Stars Small Jar Candle / Madagascan Orchid Small Jar Candle / Yankee Candle Turquoise Sky Car Vent Sticks 

I have to admit, I always thought that Yankee Candles were a bit girly and had no idea that they could be a great place to find gifts for men too.

For her:

Lavender Large Jar Candle / Glass Lantern Votive Candle Holder / Scenterpiece® Warmer / Black Coconut Classic Reed Diffuser / Garden Sweet Pea Signature Reed Diffuser / Mums Make Everything Brighter Medium 2-Wick Tumbler Candle / Shea Butter Large Jar Candle / Fresh Cut Roses Medium Décor Pillar Candle / Pink Sands™ Scenterpiece™ Melt Cup / Fluffy Towels™ Scenterpiece™ Melt Cup

I actually would probably recommend the entire Yankee Candle catalogue for women but I'd never be able to fit it all here so here's a little selection of things I think a woman would love - I would anyway!

For parents:

Eclipse Scenterpiece Easy MeltCup Warmer / Rosa Scenterpiece® Warmer / Home Sweet Home® Scenterpiece™ Melt Cup / Vanilla Cupcake Scenterpiece™ Melt Cup / Crimson Flurries Scenterpiece Electric Easy MeltCup Warmer / Robyn Scenterpiece® Warmer

I love the Scenterpiece range and they are perfect for parents because you can burn melts without having an open flame. Great to have around kids instead of candles.

(This post contains PR samples.)