Christmas Gift Guide 2016

This year’s Christmas Gift Guide is packed full of toys, books and more! It doesn’t contain any Hatchimals, so those of you who are frantically trying to get hold of one can switch off for a few moments and have a nose through my top picks for 2016!

For Kids

An Elf for Christmas £24.99

Seeing as this is a Christmas Gift Guide I felt that the perfect way to start it off would to be introduce you to two little elves!

This year we’ll see the arrival of two very special ‘people’ spending some time with us during the month of December. Elves!

Yes, that’s right! Two super cute little elves will arrive on our doorstep on December 1st and they’ll be keeping an eye on us to make sure we’re being good.

They’ll be reporting back to Santa on a regular basis, but they’ll also reward us and perhaps get up to some mischief themselves! Be sure to check back here on November 28th as I’ll be sharing my plan with you as to what our Elves will be getting up to on a daily basis!

These Elves are available online from Elf for Christmas. You can choose either a boy or a girl, plus you have the option of buying the book, Elf’s First Adventure.

Elf for Christmas is a magical toy and reward kit. It’s perfect for both boys and girls aged two and over. The aim is to promote good behaviour and family engagement. The Christmas reward kit, which is what we were sent, is a unique package to help bring the excitement of Elf to life.

Inside the kit you’ll find:

An arrival letter from Santa explaining Elf’s role in your home

A reward chart & stickers

You read my full review here for more information.

Sort ‘n’ Tidy Taylor by WOW Toys £32.50

We love WOW Toys in our home. We have a dedicated cube in our storage unit just for WOW Toys and that soon will extend to two, maybe even three cubes! WOW toys are one of our favourite toy manufacturers. Their range of toys are durable, safe for children and don’t require any batteries.

The Sort ‘n’ Tidy Taylor toy is a new addition and it didn’t let us down! This is such a great toy for both boys and girls. Essentially it’s a recycling truck. Our girls really enjoy watching the bin truck picking up the bins in our street so I knew they’d love this!

The Sort ‘n’Tidy Taylor Toy comes with three ‘blue bins’, as well as two figures, a boy and a girl. Taylor, a friendly recyling truck, is brightly coloured and has lots of different functions. Children can move the arm on the front up and down, and they can also open the side up so that the bins can be retrieved. Two bins can be slotted into the square shapes on the back of Taylor and then children can life the green arm up to tip the bins into the back of the truck.

On top of the truck one bin can be slotted into the square shape, along with one figure, so they can ride along as the other figure drives. There’s also an open rectangle in the top which the bins can be dropped through.

This toy will provide your kids with so much fun! Overall, we love this toy! Click here to read my full review and see more pictures!

Sylvanian Families Cosy Cottage Starter Home £19.99

Sylvanian Families is a range of toys that has been around since 1985. The adorable range of distinctive animals characters are much loved by children all around the world. If your children are new to the world of Sylvanian Families likes mine, then the Sylvanian Families Cosy Cottage Starter Home makes a perfect first gift. This set includes:

• House
• Rabbit Figure
• 2 chairs
• Table
• Bench
• Plate, food and fork
• Ladder
• Kitchen sink/Hob with frying pan
• Bed and bedding
• Reversible floor

The cosy cottage is really light weight and well made.

The front door can be opened and closed, plus the floor from the upper level inside can be removed so that it can be turned into a garden. This piece is double sided. One side is green so children can use their imaginations to pretend that it’s a garden. The other side is like a wooden floor so children can either leave it as the upstairs area or place it on the ground at the back of the cottage so that the kitchen has more space.

As mentioned above this really is such a great toy to introduce children to the world of Sylvanian Families. Click here to read my full review.

Giant Piano £27.99

What is Christmas without one toy that’s a little bit noisy! This super cool giant piano mat is sure to keep children and adults entertained on Christmas day! Brought to you by Rainbow Colours, this giant piano mat comes with six song cards including old macdonald, happy birthday and itsy bitsy spider.

The great thing about the song cards is that each note matches a colour on the giant piano, making learning easy and fun!

There’s even a record and play back button so that you can listen to your own creations. Plus there are five different instrument sounds too! Choose from a grand piano, guitar, saxophone, xylophone or an accordion! To read my full review click here.

Leapfrog Epic Tablet £89.99

Like most children, our four year old twin girls enjoy playing a variety of games, both electronic and of course with toys. As a parent I want to ensure that the games my children play are both age appropriate and educational.

This is easily done when they’re sat in the same room with me playing with their toys, but when it comes to playing games on electronic devices, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I need peace of mind and reassurance that what they’re watching and playing is appropriate.

That’s where the new Leapfrog Epic tablet comes in. The Leapfrog Epic is aimed at children aged 3-9 years old. It’s a one of a kind tablet experience that grows with your child.

One of the great things about the Epic is that the home screen is completely unique to your child. They can customise it to their liking with stickers, plus the home screen is also ‘playable’. Children can click on the ferris wheel to make it spin, or on the truck to turn it into an ice cream van! Children can animate with moving cars, floating balloons and more. They can also re-design their world as often as they like and really get their creativity and imagination going!

My favourite thing about the LeapFrog Epic is that you don’t need any game cartridges. All of the games are downloaded by the app centre, so you don’t need to worry about losing cartridges! For more information please click here to read my full review, which includes video of the LeapFrog Epic in action. Click here to visit the LeapFrog website.

Octonauts Slimed Playset £39.99

Octonauts to the launch bay! Sound the Octo-alert!

Who doesn’t love the Octonauts? Those cute little creatures doing good deeds! My four year old twins have grown more and more fond of the Octonauts over recent years and I can often hear them saying catchphrases from the show, humming along to theme tune and acting out various scenarios!

Our twin girls became underwater adventurers to test out the new Octonauts Slimed Playset, which can be seen in the new episodes of Octonauts!

Inside the box you’ll find:

Octonauts Octopod
Captain Barnacles in his slime-green Octo-Suit
A rescue net
A slimed octopus
A slime catapult
A container of extra gooey slime!

If you press the Octopod’s mouth, the translucent tentacles light up and glow a cool slime-green colour which our twins love! When you press the mouth you can also hear some phrases from the crew. This is a super fun play set for kids who are big Octonauts fans!

To buy this play set click here. You can read my full review here.

Pipity Activity Sets From £7.50

Our twins love drawing. They also love crafts, stickers, cutting paper with scissors and gluing things! That’s why we love Pipity!

They have a huge range of products and we were lucky enough to be sent some. We were sent two Pipity Activity Cases, two Pipity Portfolios and a selection of activity books.

The thing that I really like about Pipity is that they’ve made it really easy for you to bring everything with you. The activity case has plenty of room inside to store pictures and books.

The Pipity Activity Cases are available in a choice of pink or blue and each bag comes with it’s very own carry strap making it easy to take out and about. Inside you’ll find a range of coloured pencils, a glue stick and pencil sharpener, as well as a pair of scissors and a ruler. You also get a 22 page activity starter pack book which includes cut out and colour in activities.

As you can see Pipity has a great range of products for children. For more info you can read my full review here, or click here to visit the website.

Teeny Beanies Personalised Beanbags From £35.00

When I was a kid I had a beanbag chair and I absolutely loved it! It seems that beanbags are still as popular now as they were when I was a kid, although the way in which look has vastly improved.

Teeny Beanies is a great company that has been around for some time now. One of their products are personalised beanbags, which are available in three different sizes. Small for 3-5 year olds. Medium for 5-7 year olds and large for 7 years up to adult. Prices start at just £35.

What’s great about these beanbags is that you can chose your favourite design from the options available and then personalise them by adding your child’s name.

The pink beanbag pictured above is size medium and the brown one is small.

Both beanbags are excellent quality and really made well. They feel tough and durable, but they also look great and are super soft to touch.

The clean cut characters with their big features are eye catching and appealing. The beanbags also have a zip at the bottom so that you can wash the cover if you need too. The great news is they’re machine washable. You can click here to read my full review for more information.

Dining

Eat Sleep Doodle Tablecloth From £35

Christmas with kids can be such a magical time, but trying to get excited children around the dining table for Christmas lunch can be stressful!

That’s where eatsleepdoodle can help! Selling a range of customisable items such as mugs, tablecloths, bags, aprons and more, eatsleepdoodle is a company that I’ve fallen in love with! We were sent one of their medium tablecloths to review and we loved it!

We were sent it back in September and we still use it every day. The tablecloth comes with a pack of ten wash out pens. Children can doodle on the table cloth to their hearts content, and when they’re finished simply pop the tablecloth in the washing machine and then start all over again!

This tablecloth is a great way to encourage children to sit and the table. It’s also great for parties, picnics and every day play!

I’ll certainly be using this tablecloth on Christmas day that’s for sure!

Available in medium (£35) and large (£40).

GoTroVo Mealtime Treasure Hunt Dinner Set £22.95

If your kids are anything like mine are at dinner time, then it can be quite stressful to get them to sit still, face the right way and eat their food! Like most four year old my girls can get easily distracted at the dinner table, but that’s where this wonderful GroTroVo Mealtime Treasure Hunt Dinner Set can help!

Not only does it look good, it also helps to encourage healthy eating and good table manners.

Inside the box you’ll find:

• 100% melamine plate, bowl and cup
• Double-sided dinner mat
• Fun ‘shovel’ and fork cutlery set
• 10 reward cards
• Large golden coin
• Instructions and advice leaflet from a nutritional therapist

The dinner mat is designed like a treasure map too! The treasure hunt consists of a ten-step treasure trail, snaking around two beautifully designed dinner mats. As your child eats their meal, they use the golden coin to move forward around the trail. Once your child reachrs the end of the trail they can remove their plate or bowl to reveal your chosen reward card. To buy GoTrovo click here or click here to read my full review.

Premium Food Box £16 p/m

I think it’s fair to share that for the majority of people, their healthy eating habits during the Christmas season goes out of the window! I know, for me it does, although I will be trying to exercise some form of control!

Premium Food Box would make for a great gift for the foodie in your life. Premium Foodbox are passionate about quality food. They search around for premium ingredients, healthy snacks, unknown brands and lovely packagings.

Ultimately Premium Foodbox is a monthly subscription box. It costs just £16 a month which I think is good value for money when you consider the contents inside. I was sent a box to review a little while back and this is what was inside:

• 1 can of UGLY unsweet water
• 1 bottle of Cho!
• 1 bar of conscious organic raw chocolate
• 1 packet of Ten Acre Crisps
• 1 packet of Apple Tango popcorn
• 1 pot of Moma Porridge
• 1 pack of tea
• 1 pack of Munchy Seeds
• 1 pack of Honey, Nut Me Out!
• 1 Marlenka Dortik Honey Cake
• 1 pack of raw chocolate raisins

For more information about Premium Foodbox, please click here to visit their website. You can also read my full review here.

Books

Lost My Name From £19.99

Books are a gift that I love to hand over to family and friends. Not only are they gifts that keep on giving, but they can also be so personal and unique to the person you’re gifting them too.

At least that’s the case with these fabulous personalised books from Lost My Name.  They tell the story of a child, (boy or girl – you can choose depending on the recipient), of how they wake up one morning and discover that their name is missing from their bedroom door. The character of the book known as the ‘adventurer’ must go on a journey to find out what their name is.

Along the way they meet some magical characters and it turns out that the characters they meet actually spell out the adventurers name. So if your child’s name is Noah they might meet a Narwhale, Okapi, Angel and a hedgehog!

These books are beautifully illustrated and really do make a magical gift for any child this Christmas. You can read my full review here for more pictures and more information.

Gordon’s Great Escape is a pretty humorous children’s book. We were sent a copy to review recently and we’ve really enjoyed it. This book follows Gordon the Balloon on his adventures around the world.

Along the way he meets new people and learns of new things, but his journey isn’t without it’s hazards. He has to learn to avoid all the dangers which come with being a balloon. Gordon’s have a great time travelling the world. He joins the circus and when a storm hits their ship leaving the circus workers stranded on an island, he bravely sets off through thunder and rain to find help.

This book is super fun to read and the pictures really help to bring the story to life and ignite children’s imaginations. This bestselling books is written by award-winning Sue and Paul as they bring their brilliant comedic talents to this incredibly child friendly book.

Suitable for children aged 0-5, we love this beautifully illustrated book. Gordon’s chirpy face and bright red colour is both fun and cute! Our twin girls, who are four years old really enjoyed listening to the story and laughed along the way as we followed Gordons journey!

This book is available on amazon now. Click here to read my review.

For Babies

Dinky Mix Custom Illustration

Although this one has been placed under the ‘For Babies’ category, this would actually make a great gift for any family member.

Dinky Mix provide custom illustrations based on pictures your loved ones, along with some basic information about their likes and dislikes.

Throughout the process of the illustrations being put together you’ll be kept up to date with how your piece is coming along, and you’ll also have the chance to make any changes.

As you can see I received these two beautiful illustrations of my twins. They really capture them so well and I love them!

Each picture was framed before being sent out to me. To read my full review, please click here. To visit the website click here.

Kiki Moon Blanket £65.00

Although the youngest and most unaware of what Christmas is, babies shouldn’t be forgotten! A gift that’s practical and useful can be a welcome change to a baby rattle or soft play. Take this beautiful baby blanket from Kiki Moon for example.

It’s thick which is great for the cold winter months, plus it’s super soft and made from 100% organic cotton. Great for those with sensitive skin. The bold colours and the fact that this blanket is also reversible just adds to the beauty of it. It’s perfect for prams, cots and even playtime! At €65 it’s a blanket that is definitely worth it’s price.

It’s packaged to perfection. It comes in a stunning white presentation box and is carefully wrapped in tissue paper. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into these blankets. They’re durable, long lasting and ideal for baby’s first Christmas!  Read my full review here.

Pebble Organic Granny Square Blanket  £40 & Giraffe Toy0  £19.50

I think blankets make great gifts for babies. Not only will they be well used, but they can also be passed down from one generation to another. This gorgeous granny square blanket is fair trade, organic and it was handmade in Bangladesh.

This crochet blanket is a really good size, 85cm x 95cm and it is super warm. So whether you’re using it to wrap baby up on a cold winters day or just to snuggle under in these chilly autumn nights, you won’t be disappointed.

I love the combination of colours. Pink, purple, orange and teal all work well together with the more creamy shades. The great is that this blanket won’t break your bank account, as it’s just £40.

The Giraffe toys pictured above are made from organic cotton and they’re available in soft purple or soft purple blue. These cuties are just £19.50 each. For more information please click here to read my full review or here to visit the Best Years website.

Personalised Christmas Bauble From £11.25

What better to mark babies first Christmas than with a personalised Christmas bauble. Available from Personalise.co.uk, ech bauble can be personalised with up to four sentences of a maximum of 20 words each.

I was sent the above two to review. The Personalised Father Christmas Bauble pictured above (left), costs £11.25, and the Father Christmas Personalised Bauble (right), costs £11.45.

For Mum

Tulin Peshtemal £30.00

Before I was sent one to review, if you’d have asked me what a Peshtemal was, I wouldn’t have been able to answer you, but I know what one is and I think they’re great.

A peshtemal is an authentic flat woven Turkish towel with a hand tied fringe, generally made with Turkish cotton.

Luks Linen recently sent me one to review and I love it! Luks Linen is a purveyor of ethically made, hand woven, home and lifestyle wares. The peshtemal is its hero product. It’s an endlessly versatile traditional Turkish towel originally woven for use in hamams.

Peshtemals can be used as a towel, blanket, scarf, cover up and more! They’re an eco-friendly alternative to traditional towels using less water and space in the washing machine.

Peshtemals can be worn as a scarf, sarong, cover up or it can even be used as a throw for a singled bed. Honestly it has so many uses! Read my full review here for more information.

Personalised Jewellery £90.00

I love jewellery that can be personalised and if I can put my kids names or prints of it, then even better! I discovered a company called Angel Casts a little while ago and they sent me a beautiful fingerprint bracelet to review.

As you can see the bracelet has both of my children’s names on, along with their fingerprints. Before receiving the bracelet I was sent a fingerprint kit which was very easy to use and allowed me to take my children’s fingerprints which I then sent off to Angel Casts. I was given a choice of colour of leather band, so I opted for the stunning blue one.

The charm is made from silver and I was truly amazed at the clarity and definition of the fingerprints. You can see all the fine lines of their little prints and it’s super cute! These bracelets cost £90. You can read my full review here.