29 Christmas traditions to do this year with your children.

Hey readers,

Christmas time can be costly so you have come to the right place to find activities to do with the family on the cheap. I have made a list of 27 fun-filled activities to do with you and your family this Christmas.

1. Decorate some festive biscuits. 

2. Go for a Christmas walk and blow some cobwebs off on Christmas day.

3. Go out one evening and see the Christmas lights in your neighborhood.

4. Host a movie night showing some Christmas films.

5. Have a yummy hot chocolate.

6. Send a letter to Santa to tell him why you should be on the good list this year.

7. Visit Santa and tell him how you have been good this year.

8. Attending a Christmas light switch on in your local town/city.

9. Make your own Christmas cards for family and friends. 

10. Go on a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt, there are plenty of free templates you can print off online. 

11. Put red die in a bath to have a Christmassy bath.

12. Check out a Christmas tree festival local to you. 

13. Check out the reindeer deer camera on youtube to see how Santas reindeers are doing. It is also a live stream and is live continuous. Check the link out below. 

14. Make some homemade Christmas cards.

15. Paint some pine cones. 

16. Make a gingerbread house.

17. Check out the sky on Christmas Eve and spot the National Space Station AKASanta. You can check out the times when the spaceship travels above near you here.

18. Have a chocolate advent calendar to count during December.

 19. Count down the days till Christmas Eve. 

20. Decorate the Christmas tree together as a family whilst listening to Christmas songs. 

21. On Christmas Eve have a bath and watch the premiere of the Christmas special movie on channel 4.

22. Make paper snowflake garlands.

23. Read a Christmas book. 

24. Get some Christmas books out from the library.

25. Play a Christmas music playlist free on Youtube. 

26. Opening a letter from Santa. 

27. Leaving food out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

28. Flour or ice sugar Santa footprints. 

29. Have a video call with Santa Claus.

What Christmas traditions do you like to do during the festive period? I love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X

7 Best Subscription Gift Boxes.

Gifts aren’t supposed to be given only on special events or occasions, you can also send someone gift to give them a break from their daily hectic routine or you can also get one for yourself to treat yourself a bit special other than the 9 to 5 routine and stress.

So, We spoke to www. topsubscriptionboxes.co.uk and came up with the best subscription gift boxes.

Glossybox

Glossybox subscription means receiving the best and latest treats straight at your doorsteps but there might be some people who aren’t aware of Glossybox subscription so let me tell you guys that Glossybox is monthly subscription service and each month they send you a box containing 5 products from beauty and makeup category and worth over £50. If you want to keep yourself up to date with the latest beauty trends then Glossybox is the best option for you. Their monthly subscription will cost you less than £15month.

Toppbox

Toppbox is a bit different from the other subscription boxes as it delivers only men grooming products according to their skin type. So basically, Toppbox is subscription service for men, each month they’ll deliver you a box right at the comfort of your home loaded with seven different men grooming products of worth up to £70. These products include essential oils, face masks, Bullet & Bone Cooling Recovery body wash and a lot more! To get started you just need to create your account and enter your details so they can send you the box according to your skin type and their monthly subscription will cost you £24month.

Craft Gin Club

Where are all the gin lovers at This one is for you as they allow you to discover and try the unique small batch gins every time they send you a box. Once you’ve subscribed to their service you will receive a beautiful box containing a full-sized bottle of a craft gin, tonics and garnish along with a sweet savoury treat a 56-page club magazine to enjoy till your last sip.

You can subscribe to their monthly service by paying £40 a month.

BakedIn

The BakedIn baking club is a baking subscription service that delivers a different recipe each month to you straight at your doorsteps. After subscribing to their service you will receive a box containing the step-by-step recipe guide book, along with all the dry ingredients and plus some extras too.

BakedIn given you an opportunity to cook your all time favourite muffins, biscuits, cakes and cookies with really easy step by step guide and share it with your favourite people.

If you are one of those who loves baking and spending time in their kitchen then this one is for you and you can get monthly service by paying £7.50.

Grind

We all know that nothing can be better than starting your day with a cup of your favorite coffee and Grind is a subscription box that each month deliver you Compostable Nespresso Pods Letterbox Refill Pack containing 30 pods of three different blends which is enough to get you through the month and give you the perfect boost every morning. They also offer a decaf version in case you’re willing to with that one and you can subscribe to their monthly service by paying £15 per month.

Mud & Bloom

How can we not mention a subscription box for our lovely little kids while talking about the best subscription boxes! Mud & Bloom allows kids to build and improve their gardening skills. Once you’ve subscribed to their service then each month they’ll deliver you a box containing multiple tasks which will surely inspire your kid to learn gardening and get connected with the nature. You can get their monthly subscription by just paying £12.95 GBPmonth

Gadget Discovery Club

Gadget Discovery Club is one of the best subscription boxes for all those tech lover and they give you a chance to treat yourself or your loved ones a bit special by sending them their subscription box fully loaded with 4 innovative gadgets which they didn’t know they needed.

They assure you that every single gadget they’ll deliver to you at your doorsteps will help you to upgrade your home, entertainment or lifestyle for sure as their subscription box contains everything from tech, wearables to smart home devices including SamsungPhilips kits and Google home speakers.

You just need to signup with your details and select your preferences so they can send you the latest and exciting gadgets based on your profile. They also allow you to either choose a monthly subscription or you can also choose their yearly plan and enjoy hassle-free subscription. You can get their monthly subscription by just paying £33 per month.

Please let us know what you think and which one you liked the most by dropping a comment in our comment section below.

Matching family PJs Christmas sets

 Hey readers,

It has become a trend to get all the family to wear matching Christmas pajamas. So, below I have gathered the best family matching sets for Christmas 2021. 

 

                                                                 1. Next. 

How lovely are these fun punny blue snowflakes from Next with snowflakes and even better they are 100% cotton. 

2. Amazon. 

Next, we have the classic red and white stripes with festive green top from Amazon each set is for specific members of the family such as for mum it has on the top mummy elf, dad has daddy elf and for the kiddos, there is a little elf and cheeky elf. 

3. Not On Thr High Street. 

If you something a bit more personalised then Not On The High Street offers a personalised Christmas PJ set that you can literally any name on your PJs, which is fun especially if you normally find your name hard to get on things. Also, a simple design with the penguin on the front of the t-shirt. 

4. Matalan. 

Matalan has teamed up with Alder Hey hospital and raised money for the surgical neonatal intensive care unit. Not only are they lovely designed PJs but money made from the selling of the PJs rate going to a really good cause. 

5. Primark.

 

An affordable range of family matching PJ sets are available at Primark which are these cute Santa squads with Christmas gonk and they also have got baby grows and a pet outfit. 

6. Asda.

These festive green tree PJs are perfect if you want something festive but not in your face. They come from Asda and they are two sets (trousers and long-sleeved tops). 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 28/11/2201

                                                  

Autism and Christmas

Hey readers,

As you are probably aware that Christmas is upon us next month. Christmas can be a lovely time to spend with special people in your life, however, as a person with autism, this period can be rather stressful.

One of the triggers for me is that it is a massive change in my routine and expectations are the biggest areas that I struggle with and get quite stressed, probably bound to have at least one meltdown.

So, over the years I have tried to find ways that can help me not feel so overwhelmed by all the change because I hate it very much. I thought I would share some of my coping mechanisms, they could help you or someone you know.

Of course, Christmas isn’t just stressful for autistic people it could very easily be someone without it as there are a lot of extra things you have to deal with especially if you have children, the stress quadruples.

Safe place.

One place that calms me is my safe place, where I go when I am stressed and that is my bedroom. 

I have always associated my bedroom with my safe place, even though currently it looks like a bomb has gone off (hubby will one day decorate it, FFS). 

I still go to my bed to calm down. I have low lights on and put one throw and two sleeping bags, yes excessive but that is a comfort for me. I calm down and it is my space (not the website, lols).

Routine.

I know with Christmas everything goes right out of the window but loosely knowing what is happening helps me a great deal to feel I am in control and there is some structure.

 I hate not knowing what is happening. Also, my eldest is the same so basically, we need it now just for me but for him as well.

Mantras

I like mantras, I like repeating them over and over again especially when I am stressed. So saying to myself, 'it is one day, it lasts x amount of hours and I can get through just like all the other days' helps me because it is a statement.

I can repeat it and it brings me back to focusing on the control which in turn helps with managing my anxiety.

Walk.

I used to have this weird idea that you had to stay in all day at Christmas. I appreciate that some people love this, which is absolutely fine. 

However for me going out for a walk, getting some fresh air really does help clear my head. I feel less closed in with the tree and the disorder of all the toys everywhere etc not in their rightful place.

 It also calms kids down as well and gets rid of some of that pent-up energy they have.

Talking.

I know it is ironic me saying talk to someone, as I myself am fully aware that communication is one of the hardest things to do, but even if it is written down one word such as change this can help other members maybe bit a bit more patient. 

I remind the husband as brilliantly supportive he is, sometimes with his own stress, a polite prompt that you are struggling goes a long way.  

It then gives him the opportunity to be a bit more patient and it is a calmer environment for all to manage.

Cheers for reading X

What is a reverse advent calendar?

Hey readers,

In recent times advent calendars have become increasingly popular. There are so many varieties and not just for children such as cheese and gin to name a few.

Some advent calendars cost a whopping £30 to £50 which I think is a crazy amount. So, instead of buying yourself an advent calendar why not do something a bit different this Christmas with a bit more meaning? Then maybe one thing to consider is to do a reverse advent calendar.

What is a reverse advent calendar? 

Well, basically a reverse advent calendar is where you place a food item or piece of clothing into a basket every day during December or for 14 days depending on what suits you. 

When you have collected the amount you want to donate then you can take it to your local food bank or a charity to give to people who are less fortunate than you that really struggle during the Christmas period. 

It is also a great way to teach children about giving and the fact that not everyone has the luxury of having the money, home, or family to celebrate Christmas with.

 It is a time for giving and focusing less on materialism and more on helping other people in need. 

What should not be included in an adverse advent calendar?

Depending on the cause but as a general idea the items below are considered suitable items to be included in the reverse advent calendar. Though it is always good to check out your charity beforehand to be safe.

Dolls, teddy bears, figurines.

Pencils, crayons, paper, coloring books.

CD’s, DVD’s, books.

Hats, gloves, scarves.

Makeup, toiletries.

Baby clothes.

T-shirts, jumpers.

Arts and crafts, jigsaws.

Bath towels, hand towels, blankets.

Tinned goods such as fruit, tuna, baked beans, chopped tomatoes, and rice pudding.

Cans or (plastic) bottles of fizzy or still drinks.

Chocolate and sweets.

Biscuits and crackers.

Crisps and savory snacks.

How to do the reverse advent calendar?

1. Choose your charity to donate your reverse advent calendar to and check what you can include.

2. Get a box or some kind of container where you will store your items in. 

3. Each day chooses something from your own home or go to a shop and buy something to put into the advent calendar. 

4. Then a day or two before Christmas hand in your reverse advent calendar to your chosen charity.

Where to find your local food bank?

If you want to know where your local food bank is you can check out Trussell Trust website where you can type into the search engine your postcode or town to find your nearest local food bank.

Have you done a reverse advent calendar? What are your thoughts? I love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 21/11//2021

                                                  

SO during the week, I had to go to a routine checkup at the options. Options had photos of inside my eye and spotted swelling on my optical nerve. This resulted in going to the hospital for a few days so they could investigate it.

 Anyhow, after scans and lumbar puncture, I didn't medication as my fluid levels in my span ok, so they just regular hospital appointments every six months or something like this. 

Really weird to not be at home with the kids, of course, they were worried but they loved the information about scans and needles going in my back. 

I met them downstairs in the foyer as no visitors on my ward due to covid. Which is fine and they came to see me which is lovely. 

As I write this post I am at some recovering and fingers crossed I make a full recovery. 

Cheers for reading X