It is November so I am officially allowed to mention Christmas.

As usual at this time of year, the big names are launching their predictions of what will be the biggest toy of the Christmas season.  And while there are the usual cuddly toys and computer games, reassuringly there are several interesting, educational toys in the mix as well as items that provide learning or skills while having fun. And while there is nothing wrong with any of these presents, sometimes you want to give your children something different, something educational or to help with their learning.  Sometimes, you want to give them something that gets them away from the TV screen or the smartphone!

Day Trips

Children always look forward to a day trip somewhere, whether to the local museum, castle or an animal park or farm.  Anything that holds their interest will be keenly anticipated.  So why not build on this by booking tickets ahead of time and giving them as a Christmas gift?  Even if the tickets don’t look like much, you can always print information about the location from the internet to make it seem even more exciting.

If there is a certain place that they love to visit, then why not get a membership as a Christmas present?  Memberships can save money if you go more than once a year to a place and the promise of regular visits will no doubt excite the kids.  Museums, zoos, aquariums and even music venues offer memberships that often gain access to special events before the public too – another added bonus.

Get crafty

Winter can be difficult as parents because the children can’t get outside and enjoy themselves as they do in spring and summer.  Therefore, Christmas can be a great opportunity to get them involved in some form of craft or art with Christmas at The Works, with lots of ideas that they can learn over the winter and come back to any time there is a rainy day or they are bored. Making something is both educational and very satisfying so this is a good basis for a present.  You can buy lots of ready-made kits or create your own scrapbook so they can have their own journal or memory book that will last long after the Christmas decorations have come down. 

Photography

Creating a scrapbook is a brilliant project to do with your children and a kit containing the basics makes an ideal present.  Whether they have their own camera or smartphone or simply use yours (with a little adult supervision) taking photos and adding them to a scrapbook is very satisfying. 

Nature walks are a great opportunity to take those photos so why not add in a nature guide to presents pile?  That way, they can learn about what they are photographing and can even write about it in their scrapbook or create crafty embellishments to go with it.

Baking

Baking must be tied in first place as the best activity for kids to do with parents, alongside crafting.  Most of us love to have home baked goodies and some of these recipes are extremely easy to do.  Buying a children’s baking set for Christmas will inspire them and even if you start with a packet mix from the supermarket, they will love creating something everyone will enjoy.  And maybe, they will take to it so much that they will end up being the next baking superstar!

Do you try and find alternatives to the usual Christmas list demands?

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With a child that suffers from Asthma and a husband that suffers with nasal polyps, the change in the weather is always approached with some trepidation and we know from experience that allergies are not just reserved for the summer. A lot of people suspect they have hayfever but if you have symptoms during the winter, you haven't got hay fever, you may have an allergy to something other than pollen, such as pet fur or house dust mites.

Pets are very often the cause of an allergic reaction, which is a histamine reaction that is usually characterised by coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, itching, nasal congestion, rash, watering eyes, sneezing, chapped lips, and similar symptoms.

As winter approaches, our cat spends more time in the house and out of the cold but aside from banning the cat from the bedrooms, my husband has tried countless nasal sprays to try and ease the conjestion in his nose (and enable him to breathe easier to go to sleep) and traditional treatments for nasal allergy symptoms which typically include antihistamines or steroids never really seem to work.

Unlike the types of treatments that need to be taken routinely or in advance of symptoms, we were asked to try Serenz, which is a hand-held device designed to quickly relieve symptoms associated with nasal allergies. Serenz uses only carbon dioxide, which we all know is part of the air you breathe and the best part is that Serenz works quickly against nasal allergy symptoms without causing drowsiness. The Serenz nasal spray is easy to use; all you need to do is simply turn the bottom of the product using the blue paddle to release the carbon dioxide. You then insert the product into your nostril and press the button for ten seconds and then repeat in the other nostril. 

Serenz

The size of the Serenz nasal spray is bigger than the ones usually available over the counter and it is not really pocket sized but when it works, this is irrelevant as the benefits far outweigh whether you can fit it in your pocket. 

• Before you start taking a nasal spray, read the instructions that come in the box (although you don't need a prescription for Serenz)
• Clear your nose by blowing into a tissue.
• Take the dose as directed.
• Take as often as directed.
• Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you experience any side effects 

My husband said that the initial sensation is not particularly pleasant but for a man that has suffered for many years, this is an acceptable discomfort for the relief it gives. 

So if you want to try Serenz for yourself ...

Buy Serenz here

Baby Annabell® is a pretty big deal in our house (according to the 5 year old anyway), so when Talk To Mums asked us to work with them and review the Baby Annabell® Bedroom, we knew that we couldn't resist. Talk To Mums mission is to make all mums a hero to someone they love and this is definitely going to improve our hero points with a certain little lady! If you haven't signed up with Talk To Mums, it is worth taking a look as they want to share with as many mums as possible by offering free products to trial to mums which is a big incentive for signing up plus their are lots of other opportunities distributing samples too

So, based on this years Christmas list, we already knew that Baby Annabell® from Zapf Creations has a very fancy new bedroom but you can see from the pictures that from the outside it is designed like a real house. When you unfold the house and open both side parts, you get a gorgeous bedroom which includes a wardrobe that makes me envious with all its compartments, hooks and storage bags.  

In addition to all the wardrobe space, the Baby Annabell® Bedroom includes a foldable bed with cover and cushion, mobile, mirror .... what more does a girl need? 

You can unfold the bed, making sure that Baby Annabell® can sleep tightly underneath the cover and when it is closed up, it can be easily transported and stored. I have to admit that the bedroom is larger than I imagined but it is easier to store than I initially thought as everything folds back inside and it closes with a cute velcro heart to the side. Despite being quite sturdy, it is lightweight too, which is ideal for the little ones. 

The Baby Annabell® lamb design is echoed throughout the bedroom, making it adorably cute and no question of whose room it is. There is no disputing the quality in the product, which is reflected in the £64.99 price tag but seeing how much she has played with it already (and the fact that it doubles up as storage for all the doll clothes and accessories), it is more than just a "toy", it is a great way to keep the 5 year olds bedroom a bit tidier too! 

The Baby Annabell® bedroom is a modern twist on a traditional dolls house, I love that it comes with everything you would need (aside from its own baby doll) and being suitable for children aged 3 and upwards, I have no doubt that it will be one of the top toys on a lot of childrens Christmas lists this year. However we are VERY excited to be able to share the chance for you to win one for your Baby Annabell® fan this Christmas, all you need to do is enter below.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Baby Annabell® Bedroom RRP £64.99

Talk to Mums will be responsible for the despatch of the prize.

By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 26/11/2016 at 12am

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Home is where your Wi-Fi connects automatically. This is the saying of the teen generation. 

If you see our Facebook page, you will know that we are big fans of a "funny saying" or inspirational quote and this is one of the reasons that we have found a love for Desenio, who are a Scandinavian company that has recently launched in the UK. Desenio is a Swedish-based business that was founded in 2010, and who now sell online throughout the Europe, Norway, Australia, Canada and the US but they want the UK audience to know a little more about their products and we are happy to shout about them. 

At first glance, you might be fooled into thinking that they are cheap posters, with prices starting from £2.99 but all the posters are printed on 200g uncoated, FSC-certified and age resistant paper with a med matt finish, so you know that you are getting a quality product. We purposefully don't do many reviews on the Lilypad these days but we genuinely want to share the great designs and quality from this brand. 

The site is really easy to navigate too and you can browse around the website either by categories including Geometric, Quotes, Animals etc or by Best Sellers.

My eldest daughter sat adding poster after poster into the online basket and I am quite sure I could have covered two walls with her choices! As a teenager I remember covering my walls with the on trend "Athena" posters of the time (who remembers the man holding the baby?) but these prints are more classic and timeless and hopefully my daughter won't cringe when she remembers her selections in 20 years time.

Desenio have an eclectic range of posters and once you have decided on the image, you are then able to select a reasonably priced picture frame to compliment your design if you wish. Again the frames start from a reasonably priced £2.99 and are packaged so securely that they arrive in perfect condition. You can take a look at the quality of the packing in an unboxing video from Emma Bradley here.

This poster was my own personal selection (and nothing to do with the 11 year old), because this "&" sign is an image that we used throughout our wedding theme and as it is our anniversary today, it seems that it is only right to end with this poster. 

So whether you want a token gift or really want to blow the budget with a theme of images, Desenio have something for every taste and purse, so like me today, you can be guaranteed of a shopping experience with a happy ever after.

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