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On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me .... well technically nothing. I did however get a delivery of chocolate and thats better than a partridge in a pear tree in my book any day! 

Now I dont get chocolate in the post every day and certainly not from Hotel Chocolat, so I really was like the proverbial child in a sweet shop when I opened it. I had been sent the Dark Chocolate Christmas Collection and seeing as though I am the only person that likes dark chocolate in my house, it was something all for meeeeee!!

As I said, there was no partridge in a pear tree but there was a little Christmas tree in the middle of the collection, which incidentally looks a bit like a face. I would have liked to take a photograph but I was too busy gorging on the chocolates to remember to take a picture, so you will have to settle for a stock photo instead.

If you are disciplined, this chocolate collection could last you for 19 days as there are 19 individual chocolate treats or you could share them with friends after dinner. I confess, I did neither.

Those that know me, know that chocolate is my downfall and beautiful, delicious chocolate from the gorgeous Hotel Chocolat brand. I love that Hotel Chocolat was started by two British entrepreneurs, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris some 20 years ago, with their desure to provide "deeply authentic chocolate with a witty, fashionable edge". The cheeky face in this gorgeous collection shows that they are still staying true to this some 20 years later.

Hotel Chocolat say that their story is "powered by chocolat" ...... a little like this one then!

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As a woman and a mum, I talk alot (and sometimes blog) about relationsips and friendships and their importance in life. Before I get shot down, I am quite sure that there are some grouchy people out there who will insist that they dont need friends but I am a firm believer in making friends and keeping them.

My mom always told me "make new friends but treasure the old, one is like silver, the other gold". To be perfectly honest, my mom has a saying for pretty much every situation but with friends she is right. I have friends that I have known since I was a baby, I have friends from infant, junior and senior school. I have work friends, college friends and my very best friends. They are people that have come in and out of my life at different times and whether I speak to them every week or once a year, they are all part of my life.

I hope the same goes for my own daughters and I wonder which of the friends they are making now will still feature in their lives when they are in (ahem) thirty something.

The little one is now in her second term of Water Babies and there are alot of little ones that have carried on from the beginner course (which is obviously a testament to the Water Babies team) and as our little fishes learn to swim together, I often wonder if this journey will bond them together to carry on their journey's as they grow. The lessons with Water Babies are really sociable and encourage parents (and Nanny) to make new friends which creates that bond through sharing an exciting adventure with the little ones. This week saw lots of underwater swimming (with Nanny going under too), so she has had lots of baby swimming stories to share this week.

Another of moms great sayings is "A good friend knows all of your stories but your best friend lived them with you". Nanny always has a great story to tell of the little fish's adventures in the water and I hope that as the little one grows older and more confident, she can look back and tell those stories with her own friends.

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Ho,ho ho! Did you know that it is only 29 days till Christmas? Our Christmas countdown told us so!!

So with Christmas time just around the corner, bringing with it tidings of shopping, cooking, worrying about money, fretting over keeping everyone happy, and maybe enjoying a first Christmas with a new baby, comfort and joy may seem like a million miles away from the chaos that ensues. It doesnt have to be stressful though, even for those of you who have guests coming to stay, keep positive and there will may even be the offer of babysitting one night, so you can go and let your hair down! The best thing to do is to prepare your home beforehand for your guests, making sure they are comfortable and welcome, and that is half the battle won. 

Sleeping in the nursery with your child, will mean you are on hand in the night, and can hopefully jump in with a feed or a cuddle before baby wakes up the whole house! Having something to sleep on is, of course, imperative.  Obviously it needs to be decided where the guests will be sleeping. If baby is already in a nursery, and there is no other spare room, consider the benefits of having the guests sleep in your bedroom, especially if they are close family members, there shouldn’t be an issue. However, this is purely dependent on the relationship you have with your guests!

One of the best ideas for that extra sleeping space is to invest in a sofa bed. Perfect for a nursery, the sofa will be a useful place for rocking or feeding at ungodly hours, without being too uncomfortable, in fact, keep a throw on the sofa bed just in case you both fall to sleep on there! There are many styles of sofa bed to choose from, be it a futon style or a fold out bed with a sprung base, if this is something you are interested in purchasing for the nursery or guest room head over now to see some examples of sofa bed and guest bed choices. 

Of course, giving up ones own bed is just not an option for some. It is understandable, maybe your guest isn’t close family, or perhaps you just don’t like the idea of somebody else in your bed, whatever the reason, it’s normal, and not a problem. Just bring baby’s cot into your bedroom, not forgetting to stock up on an evening with essentials out of the nursery so your guest isn’t disturbed!  As long as your guest has a comfortable bed and warm room to sleep in while they are visiting, the choice is yours as to which room they have.

Christmas is a time for friends and families and if you are anything like me, you love a house full of people and I do everything possible beforehand to make sure that we all enjoy the festive season. Dont put too much pressure on yourself, bear in mind the guest is there to visit you and your family, as long as they are made to feel comfortable and welcome, the whole household will have a very merry Christmas!