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..... a delicious guest post from Kelly. (still rhymes)

I’m delighted to be on Little Lily Pad today in the run up to Christmas. It’s hurtling towards us at quite a pace. On the fifth day of Christmas I wanted to share a really simple Advent Activity with you that children really enjoy and that requires no baking goddessery of any kind: Snowmen Cookie decorating!

We had a playdate last week with a few friends, and Dimples requested that we decorate biscuits. I had seen a wonderful post on melted snowman biscuits which gave me an idea to work with. So we popped to the shops for various ingredients, and this is how we made them.

You can make biscuits, but I used shop-bought Digestives. Make a glace icing- add small amounts of milk to large sifted amounts of icing sugar and mix until thick- and spread on the top of your biscuit.

Decorate your 'snowman'.

Admire your handy work. Than eat. Or in DImples case, pick off the decorations, lick off the icing and feed the remaining biscuit to the dog.

Bio: Kelly is the face behind the vintage silhouette at Domestic Goddesque. She eats too much cookie dough to have a waist that small. She is a thirty-something Mother of two absurdly photogenic little girls, is married her beloved DH and endures daily battles-of-will with the dog she refers to as the Wonder Hound. She likes to avoid housework as much as possible, preferring to bake, craft and drink cocktails. Sorry, did I say cocktails? I meant coffee. And nap. She likes to nap too. When not blogging, you can find her haunting Facebook for interesting snippets of gossip, or throwing her wit around the twittersphere. (She may have made that last bit up too: she's not that funny.)

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..... a brilliant guest post from Mary Key (I love how these surnames rhyme).

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.... a guest post from the very lovely Emma Bradley.

This week I am really pleased to be guest posting on the beautiful blog that is the Little Lilypad Co.  I love Christmas and everything about it.  One of my parental aims is always to ensure that my children think of others less fortunate than themselves at this time of year. 

As most of my readers over at www.emmaand3.com  know my children often send me near the edge with too many hospital trips.  One of those hospital trips a few years ago saw Dylan being admitted on Christmas Eve.  We spent the next four days on Children’s Ward whilst he was on IV antibiotics.  The nurses were lovely to the children waking up in a hospital bed instead of their own.  There was a present from Santa on the end of the bed and after breakfast he did ward rounds bringing more treats.  I was really humbled by other people’s generosity, we had a pretty awful Christmas that year but those small touches were remembered.

Since then we have always donated presents to the ward for the children and parents waking up there.  One year Chloe collected old mobile phones and had them turned into toys.  She collected over £150 worth which we happily took up to the ward.  At this time of year we always have a big sort out too.  We recycle our own belongings by taking things we no longer use to the charity shop.  Again we always use the charity shop that helps fund Sue Ryder  as they looked after my nan in her final hours. 

At Church on Christmas Eve the children each take a gift that is then passed onto a local women’s rufuge.  The presents are used when new families arrive that might have had to leave everything behind or for birthday gifts during the year. 

I want to teach the children that Christmas is a time of giving in addition to receiving.  Giving doesn’t have to cost money either.  Giving time is perfect – is there a relative or friend that finds Christmas hard and could do with the gift of time and a visit this season?  Is there a neighbour who would treasure a hard made card from the children?  

What will you be giving this Christmas?

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...... not turtle doves but outfits for girls I love (it kind of rhymes).

When we were asked to review the F&F Christmas range, we jumped (or is it leapt like the lords?) at the chance, we love clothes and we love Christmas, so it was a match made in heaven.

Typically, my eldest daughter had to make her own choices ....... she is 8 after all! (what am I going to do when she is 18???) but I was pleasantly surprised at her request!

Both dresses have roses in the design, a flower that is very personal to us as a family, but each design is very different. As a mom, it's good to know that they are machine washable because my children are like magnets for dirt ... no matter how careful they are!

The quality is amazing for the price and it just goes to show that supermarket style can rival the high street any day of the week .... usually saving enough money to buy the matching shoes too! This works for me on lots of levels, saving money and having some spare for shoes! 

If I am honest, F&F is not somewhere that would immediately spring to mind if I was thinking about party dresses but they have a fabulous range of Christmas attire for all ages, including jumpers and some brilliant nativity costumes too!

So on the second day of Christmas, I will happily pass on the turtle doves and have two fabulous party dresses for my gorgeous girls instead. It doesn't rhyme but it works for me!