The final month of the year is just days away and with that comes the pressure to read the books I am desperate to read before the year is over! I hit my Goodreads reading challenge goal a few months ago; it was set at 52 and as I’m writing this I’ve managed 65! So I am super happy, however I thought I would share my end of year reading list and the books I am hoping to finish in December.
There’s something about settling down with your family over Christmas to watch a festive movie that can warm the cockles of any Grinch’s heart. Here we’ve compiled a list of 25 movies to stream this Christmas, some old and new Christmas films that should be on your ‘to be watched’ list this year! As we know that you watch so much of your children’s movies over the Christmas period, this list caters to adults only!
Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
The Holiday is a feel-good Christmas film starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law (humminahummina) and Jack Black – the fantastic four of the Christmas movie world. The plot follows Kate & Cameron as they swap homes for the holiday, with Cameron hopping on a plane to a sleepy English cottage and Kate whisking herself away to a sleek, modern home in Cali. It has romance, friendship, laughter and warmth – what more could you want this holiday season?
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Elf is a hilarious comedy where Will Ferrel, aka Buddy The Elf, realises that he is in fact a human and so travels from his home at the North Pole to NYC in search for his father. This film is full of laughter and chaos, you’re bound to spend the evening giggling with your family if you choose to snuggle up with this!
Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Emilia Clarke is the gorgeous Kate in this romantic comedy about a girl who is one bad decision away from becoming a pigeon’s permanent toilet until she falls head-over-heels for Tom.
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV (It will also be hitting Netflix very soon for the Christmas season, so keep your eyes peeled!)
This absolute CLASSIC of a Christmas movie will have you sobbing into your hot chocolate as you follow 8 couples over the festive period. With a young Rick Grimes and the late Alan Rickman, you really can’t go wrong.
Amazon Prime
There’s nothing like a black-and-white movie in front of a roaring fire to really get you in the festive spirit. This film follows George Bailey, a man who wishes he’d never been born, and the angel Clarence who shows him just what life would have been like if he hadn’t
Netflix
Emma Roberts dating Luke Bracey with “no strings attached” over the holidays – what’s not to love?! This movie is light-hearted, fun and the ultimate romcom to watch when the littles are in bed!
Netflix
If you’re a fan of Catfish and The Vampire Diaries, you’ll love this! After meeting ‘the one’ on a dating app, Elena *ahem, sorry, Natalie* flies 3000 miles to realised she’s been catfished. Happy Christmas!
Netflix
A group of high school seniors are bought together by a snowstorm that hits on Christmas Eve. By Christmas morning, nothing will be the same (Dunn Dunn Dunn…. but in all seriousness, this movie is cool, light-hearted and fun!)
Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
I have only two words to tell you about this movie. Jennifer. Aniston. Are you sold yet?
Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Ok, so the kids can watch this one! Martin Freeman (aka Paul) is a primary school teacher who is asked to produce the years nativity play, only to get himself into hilariously hot water once he tries to better his opponent by telling them a Hollywood producer will be turning it into a movie.
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Is it a Christmas movie? You decide! Watch Bruce Willis crawl around in a little white vest rescuing a group of hostages at a Christmas party. This epic action movie is a must watch this season!
Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
If you’re looking for something with a different vibe, why not jump into this Christmas vs Halloween mashup and scare yourself silly with Krampus? Based on German folklore, Krampus is the anti-Santi who comes and pays awful visits to children who aren’t on the nice list.
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
In this ‘A Christmas Carol’ adaptation, Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a TV executive who is haunted by 3 spirits on Christmas Eve in a bid to make him see that he needs to change his ways.
Disney +, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
On Christmas Eve, Scott and his son rescue Father Christmas from the roof. No big deal right? Wrong… Scott’s now inadvertently put himself forward as the next Santa! Watch as he tries to keep this from his ex-wife and family in this hilarious holiday classic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmscsQsUtCE
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Brad (Vaughn) and Katie’s (Witherspoon) Christmas plans are ruined when they’re made to stay at all four of their divorced parents families over the holidays. It’s a recipe for disaster!
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play
Bella has ditched Edward for the gorgeous Harper, whom she plans to propose to over the Christmas holidays. Cue drama, shock and comedy when she learns that Harper has not yet come out to her parents in this perfect Christmas romcom.
Amazon Prime, Google Play
While Clark Grisworld plans to have the best Christmas ever, the universe has other plans. This movie is a hilarious must watch as Clark inadvertently causes every good Christmas related event into a terrible one!
Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
Vince Vaughn is featuring in our list again, this time as Fred Claus! Follow the story of Fred, Santa’s older brother, who lands in jail and is only bailed out on the condition that he joins the family business at the North Pole!
Disney +, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV
If you love Sex In The City, you’ll love Sarah Jessica Parker in this Xmas romcom about an uptight business woman (SJP) visiting her outgoing, eccentric in-laws to be. Guaranteed to get a few good giggles and keep you entertained!
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV
Snuggle up with a hot chocolate and enjoy this light-hearted Christmas comedy about the highs and lows of family life as Sam & Charlotte work to give their family the perfect Christmas.
Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube
Time to settle down and enjoy a bit of Santa Claus – with a twist. This hilarious dark comedy stars Billie Bob Thornton as Willie, aka the worst mall Santa of all.
Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube
The Kranks are known in their neighbourhood for having the best Christmasses ever. Glitzy Christmas Eve parties, amazing decorations, the whole shebang. And just for once, they are planning on flying off on a quiet Christmas holiday and are absolutely NOT celebrating Christmas. That is until their daughter tells them 12 hours before that she’s coming home – enjoy the mad rush as Jamie-Lee Curtis and Tim Allen try to make the last minute Christmas to remember.
Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube
Join Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordan-Levitt and Anthony Mackie on their annual Christmas reunion. As they’ve grown into adulthood, it’s time to end that tradition with one last giant blow out.
Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube
This is definitely a little more emotionally heavy than the other films that we’ve suggested, but Joyeux Noel definitely deserves a place on the list. It tells the true story of the momentary ceasefire in the WW1 trenches on Christmas Day 1914. This one will definitely have you grabbing for the tissues, so make sure you have plenty.
Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube
After being arrested for trying to ‘steal some reindeer’, Santa enlists the help of a Father and Son to help him get back to the North Pole in time for Christmas. An absolute classic plot line for a Christmas movie at this time of year. It also stars Jim Broadbent, so it’s a win win!
We at TMC love a recipe to do with the kids, why not make some gingerbread men to decorate together or gingerbread stars to hand from the Christmas tree? This easy gingerbread recipe is unbelievably easy and so forgiving if it’s overworked, so perfect for getting the kids involved in.
– 100g salted butter
– 3 tablespoons golden syrup
– 100g of dark muscovado sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
– 1 tablespoon ground ginger
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 225g plain flour
Step one:
On a low heat, melt together the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Stir occasionally and leave to one side to cook slightly.
Step two:
Mix together the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and ginger in a separate bowl before adding in your buttery mixture. Stir to combine, then use your hands to bring it all together into a dough. The dough will be really soft and mouldable at this point, but it will firm up in the fridge.
Step 3:
Put the dough on a sheet of baking paper and shape with your hands into a rectangle. Lay another sheet of baking paper over the top and roll it out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Transfer the lot onto a baking tray to keep it nice and flat, then pop it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
Step 4:
Heat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/ gas 5. Remove the dough from the fridge and start cutting your shapes! We made stars and men of different sizes and used a leaf cutter for the remaining bits of dough. If you want to hang them up, don’t forget to poke out a little hole for your ribbon to go through!
Step 5:
Place the biscuit shapes together on a baking paper lined tray, giving each one a little room, and bake for 9-12 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits. Once done, leave them to cool completely on the baking tray.
Step 6:
Time to decorate! Once cooled, you can use icing sugar in a piping bag (or store brought tubes) and any other edible decorations to make your gingerbread extra fancy. of course, you can always skip this step and devour them right away!
As much as we love a lovely refreshing cocktail in the summer months, Christmas is the perfect time to get creative and make some delicious festive cocktails. We are sharing our top 10 Christmas cocktail recipes that you need to try, and there is something for everyone! Whether you prefer something more subtle or full on Christmas in a glass.
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You’ll also need a large preserving jar or bottle; sterilised bottle(s)
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Stir all the ingredients together in a medium-size container. Pop a lid on the container or wrap it in plastic wrap and leave in the freezer overnight to set.
Use an ice cream scoop to scrape out enough cranberry vodka slush to fill the glass ¾ of the way full. Pour Sprite/7UP over the slush until it fills the glass.
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CHICKEN HASH WITH EGGS
A nutritious and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner from @feedingtheirfutures.This hash is made with the leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so it’s perfect for cheering up a dreary Monday morning.This dish is absolutely packed with protein, veg & healthy fats, with a fraction of the salt that normally comes in traditional savoury breakfasts, because you’re using roast chicken instead of something processed such as bacon or sausages.It’s largely made with leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so it’s great one to have on a Monday morning. It’s a good idea to make a little extra mash & cabbage to use for this dish the next day.INGREDIENTS-
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- A handful of cooked potato – you could use mash, squashed roasties, or jacket potato
- A handful of shredded, cooked chicken
- 1-2 eggs per person
- Any leftover greens you’ve got – cabbage works best
METHOD-
- Melt the butter in the oil in a large non-stick pan
- Add the onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Then add the crushed garlic and stir.
- Add the potato and chicken, and flatten the mixture with a spatula into a patty.
- Cook over a high heat until crusty on the bottom (about 5 minutes).
- Turn the mixture over and reform into a patty. Cook until browned on the other side (about 3-5 minutes).
- Using the back of a spoon, make some dents in the hash and then crack the eggs into the dents.
- Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny.
- You can top this with grated cheese if you like, and if you want a bit of extra spice – add some jalapenos.
If you follow the TMC Kids Club Bucket List Challenge (if not, why not!) you may have noticed that we suggested one thing you could do this month is to create a Journey Stick.
“First, a little background on the journey stick for you. Aboriginal people in Australia used journey sticks to more easily recount their journeys to other people upon their return. They found a large walking stick, collected materials found along the way, and tied them to the stick in chronological order. Native Americans also decorated sticks to recount their journeys and tell about their travels. These sticks can be used as storytelling and navigational tools. The collected materials and markings have various purposes. Some things can be used as markers for natural features in the land, such as tree bark to indicate passing through the woods. While particular symbols carved into or painted onto the stick could show weather patterns, natural features, or events that took place.”
– Sara McCarty / Run Wild My Child Blog: Journey Sticks and the Art of Storytelling
A Journey Stick is an amazing way of encouraging your children to engage with their surroundings on your daily walk. In a world where we are always on the go, even slowing down on a woodland walk can sometimes be a challenge – so having an activity to do while you’re out can really help with that slow and simple lifestyle.
Step One:
Find a nice thick stick! Wrap some string or lots of rubber bands around it (which, from experience, is much easier to navigate with little hands).
Step Two:
Pop on your wellies, a nice thick coat and get outside! Start picking up leaves, feathers, sticks, twigs (anything that’s safe to do so) from the moment you step out of the door. Make sure to start your journey stick from the bottom, so that it can show a chronological timeline of your journey.
Added Bonus: There are hundreds of ways that you can use nature to enhance your outdoor adventures. Whether you turn your stick into a journey stick or something completely different, encouraging your children to use nature in their day-to-day lives is fantastic for their imagination and observation skills.
Here are some amazing books that you could read alongside this activity. Make sure to tag us using #thatmamaclubig with any photos that you take so we can share your ideas!
Stanley’s Stick by John Hegley
Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis
Today we have a guest post from Mabel’s Mummies, talking all about mental health at the end of maternity leave.
It is a truth not universally acknowledged that in fact, as a woman, you cannot have it all. Wait, what? Hold on, what I did just admit? The feminist daughter of a feminist, the great-great niece of an actual suffragette and I just said a woman cannot have it all? WTF??
Before I have my card-carrying feminist badge confiscated, can I clarify – since having my daughter two years ago, I’ve come to realise that for most women, (and I’m not the first to say so) having it all really actually means doing it all and losing something along the way. For me, it was my sense of self and very nearly my mind…
I came to motherhood late, in my 40s. Not by choice – I sadly didn’t meet my husband until my late 30s, my mum was diagnosed with a terminal illness the very week we decided to start trying for a baby and my work life went crazy at the same time. The stress of all this took a toll on my rapidly declining fertility and I found myself, at the age of 43, several miscarriages in and starting IVF. One more miscarriage and three gruelling rounds of IVF later and I finally became what I’d always wanted to be – a wife and mother with a successful career. Feminist dream – completed it mate.
Me and my daughter got off to a shaky start in the first few days with her taking an instant aversion to my aged bosom and flatly refusing to breastfeed. Combined with a really rather unpleasant forceps delivery, loads of blood loss and stitches and health visitor who told me I ‘ticked every box for developing post natal depression’ due to my bereavements and IVF, the first couple of days weren’t easy. Then – oh my god, it got so bloody good. After three weeks, I gave up trying to force her to accept my middle-aged milk (maybe it tasted sour??) and put her on formula, we literally never looked back. We became the dream team. Once freed from the environs of my crepey décolletage, she revealed herself to be a ‘unicorn baby’ – that perfect child who never cries; sleeps through from 8 weeks old and literally smiles all day. I became the mother I had always planned to be – in control, sociable, running the village baby group; bossing the baby-led weaning etc etc. (Don’t hate me, it’s all going to go tits up in the next paragraph.)
9 months in and Covid hit – still, not a problem really. We were immensely fortunate in that my husband kept his job, I’d already made my mum friends and no one we knew had Covid. We had a house in the country with a decent sized garden and the weather was glorious. I lost most of my baby weight that summer, going for long walks with her all snuggled up in her Baby Bjorn. But then, a few weeks later, my mat leave ended and I went back to work to a world I didn’t recognise. Covid had completely changed the landscape of my career and what had been a job already renowned as one of the most stressful within the industry, became just untenable in terms of what was expected and required. I’d also made the decision to go back part time – not realising that in my job, being there one less day a week and being paid 4/5ths of your salary meant that you kept the workload but had one less day to do it and 10K less a year to live off. And we were so skint.
And I missed her. Oh my god, I missed her. That year of mat leave had been the most amazing, fulfilling year of my life. I’d actually loved pretty much every minute of it. I was obsessed with the smell of her skin, the sound of her laugh, the routine of our day.
It took a while to realise that I couldn’t be in two places at once.
Well, er, obviously.
Prior to having her, I’d never actually stopped to count the hours I worked in a week in order to just keep things ticking over – never mind allowed for what needed to be done in this weird new world. (By my current calculation approx. 70. Honestly, seriously 70 hours – just to do the necessities.)
Now I had her, instead of staying until 7pm, I now had to leave at 5pm and pick her up from nursery, I couldn’t work in the evenings until she was settled in bed. I was leaving the house before she woke up in a morning and counting the minutes when I got in until she went to bed so that I could start work again. I arrived at nursery pickup late and flustered and felt constantly guilty about it. I wanted to spend all my day off with her but I was constantly checking my phone during baby group and sending work emails as she cuddled on my knee each afternoon. I was frantically jumping on the laptop every time she had a nap at weekends and getting more and more aware of how there was less and less time for her.
Needless to say, the home made baby led weaning Instagram accounts got unfollowed, the Montessori playtime activities got substituted for Bing and nursery rhymes on Youtube and I got the guilts.
I bought myself a life planner – wrote lists and targets and affirmations in it of how I was going to manage things better. I got up earlier and earlier each day – trying to maximise my day, get a workout done, get organised, make her healthy food again – ‘stay at the top of my game!!!’ What actually happened was I lost my mind.
IF you saw the Suranne Jones drama ‘I am Victoria’ this summer, you pretty much met me earlier this year (or a poor relation with a bigger bum anyway). Doing more and more to less and less effect, becoming increasingly manic and defensive and doing anything – anything to try and wrest back control. Didn’t work. By summer this year, my brain gave out on me. After getting everything I ever wanted, I found myself in a play barn one morning sobbing uncontrollably and wanting it just all to be over. Fortunately, that perfect daughter of mine was reason enough to stick around for, and I quit my job.
I was lucky enough to have a strong enough mum squad around me to help me pick up the pieces and be honest enough to share their own experiences of maternal mental health. It made me realise that no one gets an easy ride with motherhood – especially not now. I was inspired to set up my business ‘Mabel’s Mummies’ with a hope that we could be a source of help and support for other mothers. We could encourage other mothers to take time out for themselves, could help other mothers find their own mum squad and help fund important maternal mental health work by donating to Pandas Foundation.
My health visitor was almost right. I did get depression, I would argue mine wasn’t post-natal – it was post-maternity leave when the demands of being a working mother just got too much. I was immensely lucky that I was in a position to leave my job and start something new. If Covid hadn’t happened, would this have happened to me? I’m not sure – I do know though that as a society, there is just an assumption that mothers will return to work and manage. There is no support for this second massive transition in our lives – just sky-high nursery fees and a fear of being judged as having lost it ‘since she got baby brain’. But we carry on. And in the process we lose something of ourselves.
I was lucky, I’m getting help and support. I hope what we are trying to achieve with Mabel’s Mummies helps others too.
1️⃣ Melt a spoonful of coconut oil in a large, non-stick pan.
2️⃣ Fry the onion over a medium heat for about 10 mins.
3️⃣ Stir in the garlic, ginger, spices and cardamom seeds and a knob of butter & cook for 1 min.
4️⃣ Add the tomatoes and stir for a few mins.
5️⃣ Add the coconut milk and green beans. Bring to a bubble then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.
6️⃣ Add the fish, stir gently, and cook for another 5 mins, until the fish is cooked through. Don’t stir it too much as the fish will fall apart.
7️⃣ If adding chilli, spoon out the kids’ portions first then add the chopped chilli to the rest, season well and stir gently.
8️⃣ Serve with basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.
If you make this please tag us on Instagram so we can see and share!
With December 1st fast approaching, what better time to start putting together a Christmas Eve box! Some people do one each for their children, One for their children to share and even one big family one! Whichever way you decide to put together your Christmas Eve Boxes this year, here are a few of our favourite things to fill them up! to
Everyone loves a hot chocolate this time of year! These are so fun to watch melt – and some even have a surprise inside!
Perfect for those Hot Chocolate Ball’s 😉 They can also be used year after year.
Pair it with a festive colouring book or some of our Christmas Printables and our good to go!
There is something about festive jammies that make them super special. No Christmas eve box is complete without a pair!
Each year we put a new festive book in the girls Christmas eve Boxes. This year we have “The Christmas Pine” which is also our book of December! You can also check out our favourite Christmas books here
These things have become incredibly POP-ular ( haha get it? ) so these festive ones would go down a treat!
Before you go to bed, sprinkle some of this so that the reindeer will be guided to your house. Completly natural ( no glitter please ) and eco friendly, these are a fab things to put in the boxes!
For those of you who don’t have a chimney and get asked the classic question of how the big guy delivers the gifts, these cute keys for Santa are the perfect thing. Place them on the door handle before you go to bed, and then Santa can make his way into your home to deliver the goods – not slightly disturbing at all right?
If you have seen The Polar Express, This will make sense. If you haven’t, go watch it and come back! You won’t regret it – fantastic film! This is the cutest thing to get for the children who believe!
We hope this post has given you ideas for your own Christmas Boxes, we’d love to see if you make one – don’t forget to tag us @thatmamaclub
We are a sucker for Christmas jumpers and can never resist adding a new one to our wardrobe every year. Some of us are fans of the OTT Christmas prints, where as some of prefer more subtle sweatshirt style jumpers. We have put together a selection of our favourites that you NEED to add to your wardrobe, from a range of high street stores.
We also highly recommend shopping second hand when it comes to Christmas jumpers. You can get some amazing jumpers from Ebay or Vinted, they’re almost always like new and for a fraction of the cost.
We hope you’ve found a jumper here that you like and it’s helped give you some inspiration! I am definitely in the subtle sweatshirt camp so I have my eye on the “Fight For The Claus” jumper. I absolutely love it!
The spirit of Christmas comes in many forms. The presents, the lights, the snow, as well as the music and getting together with family; just to name a few. At TMC we’re all about books and we’re all about our kids, so we love discovering the spirit of Christmas between the pages of a book at story-time. If you’re after some gift-worthy, festive books to tuck into with the little ones this season, here are a few that must make your list.
By Sam Taplin and Allison Friend
Age 0-5
The gift of an Usborne book is a treat with in itself but their collection of Twinkly, Twinkly books really takes the cake for being the ultimate Christmas books. There are three titles in the series, Twinkly, Twinkly Fairies, Twinkly Twinkly Christmas Tree and Twinkly Twinkly Nativity. Not only do the pages of these books don beautifully drawn images, they tell the perfect stories. What’s more, each page has magical lights built into each page which really bring the story to life. These will be a hit with the kids at Christmas season storytimes and you’ll love them, too.
By Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandoy
Age 3-7
Julia Donaldson is a household favourite and it’s clear to see why. Between the amazing images and her quirky, rhyming style her books are popular with children of all ages. So it’s no surprise her Christmas title, The Christmas Pine, is becoming a seasonal favourite. This hearfelt story follows a little tree with a special destiny to be the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square and is actually based on the true story of the Mayor of Oslo and Norway’s tradition of presenting Britain with a spectacular Christmas tree as a symbol of peace and friendship. And if you’re a stickler for packaging, it comes presented in a gold-foiled dust jacket.
Sold?
Because we are.
Tom Fletcher and Shane Devries
Age 3-7
This best-selling story by Tom Fletcher has been adapted into a picture- book and it does not disappoint. The Christmasaurus is a rhyming picture book about a dinosaur who wants nothing more than to be able to fly to help pull Santa’s sleigh across the sky on Christmas Eve. With a pitch-perfect, rhyming style this is a truly fabulous story and lesson in believing anything is possible.
And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
Age 0-5
The legend that is Roald Dahl has done it again with this Christmas picture book. This twist on the classic Christmas song “12 Days Of Christmas” combines all the Roald Dahl characters with nostalgic illustrations. From golden tickets to fabulous friends, this is a great book to introduce young readers to first numbers. We don’t know about you but this book makes us want to be kids again.
Tom Fletcher and Greg Abbott
Age 3-6
Also another Tom Fletcher favourite, this Christmas book is part of a popular series “Who’s In Your Book?” The story introduces a little elf who is trying to find out if the reader has been naughty or nice by asking some questions. We’re all for interactive reading! Adding this fun, festive book to your bookcase will give a whole new meaning to “Elf on the Shelf”.
Anna Wilbourne and Emma Allen
Age 0-5
This brilliant series from Usborne Books has sparked the imagination of young readers all over. Lift flaps and peep-through holes reveal a magical winter wonderland. Kids can explore the pages to find reindeer, Mrs. Clause working on the sleight and even see Santa flying through the sky. The interactive pages have a magical scene laid out on every one and every time you read it you may discover something new. This book is the perfect way to celebrate the excitement of Christmas.
Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Age 2-5
If you’re looking for a book that will be a treat to read all year long, then this one is for you. A refreshing diversion from Santa Claus and Elves, this book also tells the story of a bear who wishes to hibernate over the winter, missing Christmas but is encouraged by his woodland friends to stay up and take part in Christmas festivities. It is a beautifully written story about friendship as well as not being alone around Christmas time. All while highlighting the true spirit of Christmas- giving!
Michael Bond and R.W. Alley
Age 2-5
The U.K.’s most beloved teddy bear in a Christmas book? We approve! This story follows Paddington and his family as they go to a Christmas grotto and explore the beautiful sights of the winter wonderland. Paddington goes on a festive adventure and discovers why Santa Claus makes Christmas so special. We’d happily swap out mince pies for marmalade sandwiches if it means getting to spend Christmas with Paddington.
Enid Blyton
Age 5-7
Yet another beloved author, Enid Blyton wondrously presents 30 Christmas stories in this delightful book. From a dog who discovers the joy of Christmas to Santa Claus and friends getting out of a muddle, you can embrace the spirit of Christmas every time you turn the page. With 30 stories, each at just the perfect length for a bedtime read, the children will be nestled all snug in their bed in no time.
Matt Haig
Age 7-9 years
You are about to read the TRUE STORY of FATHER CHRISTMAS. If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away.
(Because this book is FULL of impossible things.)
Are you still reading? Good. Then let us begin…
So whether you’re giving this season or looking to indulge in some of your own Christmas cheer, the pages of these books are sure to keep you feeling merry and bright. What’s your favourite Christmas Book?
This delicious, nutritious immune-boosting soup from @feedingtheirfutures is packed with ingredients to help strengthen your family’s defence systems during the winter flu season.Whilst you can never fully control whether or not you get poorly, with daily positive actions you can strengthen your immune system, reducing your susceptibility to illness and better preparing your body for fighting off bugs.Some great habits to practice include:
- Eat mostly unprocessed whole foods
- Get enough protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables
- Consume an appropriate number of calories (to avoid gaining or lose excess body fat)
- Move regularly and get out in the fresh air daily
- Reduce smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Get plenty of sleep
- Manage stress with mindfulness exercises
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- Ground spices: 1 tsp each of cinnamon and turmeric
- 1 litre chicken broth (ideally make your own for extra nutrients, by boiling the bones and carcass of a roast chicken for 3 hours, then straining off the liquid through a sieve)
METHOD
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthways and place both face up on a baking tray. Roast for 30-40 months, until the flesh is soft.
- Meanwhile, fry the onion in olive oil in the base of a large pot until translucent.
- Add the garlic, apple and spices and fry for a few minutes.
- Once the sweet potato and squash have cooled, scoop out the soft flesh and add to the pot.
- Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it bubble for 10-15 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- Blend until smooth with a stick blender or by transferring the mixture to a jug blender.
- Toast some seeds in a dry frying pan for topping (cut them small or grind them into sprinkles for smaller babies).
- Reheat the soup to serve, topped with Greek yoghurt and toasted seeds.
These Blueberry Coconut Oat Bars (or porridge fingers) from @feedingtheirfutures make a great healthy, on-the-go breakfast or snack.They’re packed with immune-boosting ingredients, perfect for this time of year when the bugs are flying round at school and nursery!
- Blueberries – berries are rich in antioxidants, particularly blueberries and raspberries.
- Oatmeal – oats contain beta-glucan, which is an antimicrobial fiber and antioxidant.
- Coconut – coconut milk, coconut water or coconut oil are rich in lauric acid, which is converted to monolaurin in your body – a compound that strengthens immunity.
- Eggs – packed with amino acids and antioxidants.
- Live Greek yoghurt (on the side) – contains probiotics, the healthy bacteria your intestine needs to keep your digestive system healthy.
INGREDIENTS-
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 eggs
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh (half them for babies)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
METHOD-
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add the coconut milk, oats, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and shredded coconut, then stir well and combine.
- Add the blueberries and stir again.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is a light toasty brown.
- Cut the squares and serve warm with a dollop of natural yoghurt or enjoy cold later as a snack or easy-grab breakfast.
If you make these blueberry coconut oat bars, please tag us on Instagram so we can see!
My Top Tips for Babies Sleep 0-6 months – Sleep by AlexandraI understand first hand just how important sleep is for both baby and parents. Sleep deprivation can have serious effects on the whole family — not just your child. Studies have shown that sleep deprived households have heightened emotions, can suffer from depression or anxiety and can even develop health issues. This is why sleep is so important.
You generally do not ‘sleep train’ babies until they are 6 months+ as this is normally when we are able to start encouraging sleeping through the night. However, with younger babies it is still beneficial to instil good sleep habits early on.
• Try to maintain a regular feeding and napping routine during the day. Now this is a challenge with a newborn so definitely do not put pressure on yourself; take your time and take each successful feed/nap as a win. Even a very relaxed routine will help, as the aim is to maximise the difference between daytime naps and overnight sleep. Daytime naps can be around noise, bright daylight and in the sitting room. Overnight sleep should be quiet (unless using white noise), in the parent’s bedroom and with little/no light. This will help develop your baby’s internal body clock/circadian rhythm. After 6 weeks, their circadian rhythm has typically set.
• Notice your baby’s cues. Signs like rubbing their eyes, yawning, or pulling on their ears are indicators that your baby is tired. Signs like fussing, impatience, clumsiness indicates that your baby is overtired.
“Be kind to yourself, always”
• Focus on effective feeding. This will determine how long your baby is satisfied for between each feed. Again just do what you can, having a newborn is a whirlwind and they can sometimes feed round the clock so trust your instincts. If you have any concerns, contact your GP or Health Visitor.
• Evening routine. It is never too soon to implement a nice bedtime routine. This can be very simple. To make bath time relaxing, a little baby massage after a bath can be lovely to help release Tryptophan, which encourages Serotonin. Both are happy chemicals that promote healthier and better-quality sleep.
• Room temperature. Having the right room temperature can make a big difference. Around 18-20 degrees Celsius is ideal.
• Baby’s room. Try to ensure baby’s room is a peaceful place. As baby is in with the parents until at least 6 months try to keep the room decluttered, not too much noise (unless using white noise) and no bright lights.
• Be kind to yourself. Remember we are simply developing a good routine at this age, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t all fall into place on your first try. Sleeping well is a learned skill, try not to put pressure on yourself. You are doing a great job mama!
Different children need different amounts of sleep. Getting those crucial naps in place, can really help encourage better night time sleep.
💙 Newborn-6 weeks – 15mins-4hours with between 4/8 naps a day
💚 6 weeks-3 months – 30mins-2 hours with between 3/5 naps a day
💛 3 months-6 months – 30mins-2 hours with between 3/4 naps a day
If you would like anymore information on your little one’s sleep, check out my Website or Instagram.
Exclusive 10% discount for That Mama Club readers off of any of my Online Sleep Success Guides –
Newborn 0-6 months
Baby 6-12 months
Toddler 12-18 months
Child 18 months-5 years
Once downloaded, you get to keep the guide forever. Simply use code: TMC10.
Good Luck,
Alexandra x
Sleep by Alexandra helps your family sleep better so you can enjoy more time together. Alexandra Collingbourne is a sleep consultant specialising in safe, holistic methods of getting your baby, toddler or young child to sleep in a way that empowers parents to live better, happier and with more energy. Specialist postnatal depression & anxiety support is also available for those who need it.
We fully understand that for some people, November is far too early to be talking all things Christmas HOWEVER if you are anything like us organisation is key when it comes to the festive period; particularly when it comes to planning and spreading the cost. Today we are bringing you a bunch of Christmas tree decorations you need this year.
It is tradition in our house that each year we all pick a new decoration for our tree. I absolutely love how our Christmas tree is such a mismatch of beautiful memories from holidays or special places we have visited. We also give the boys free reign to pick whichever decoration they like each year – naturally they are attracted to the most tacky and garish decoration, but it’s so much fun!
We have a great selection for you to peruse whether you are into something quirky or something a little more classy…
LUXURY GLASS GLITTER DINOSAUR £5
RAINBOW LIGHTNING BOLT PAIR £10
Girl Power Lightning Bolt Bauble £5.50
Disney Store Santa Claus Mickey Icon Hanging Ornament £20
THIE WORKSHOP x Blondies Kitchen Milk and Cookie personalised glass Christmas decoration £25
Cheese Board Hanging Tree Decoration | Paperchase £6
Festive Sandwich Hanging Tree Decoration | Paperchase £10
POM POM DINOSAUR DECORATION £6
FESTIVE FIELD MUSHROOM TRIO £6
Moon Mercury Glass & Gold Metal Christmas Tree Decoration £7.50
Santa and Star Tree Decoration £5
Glitter Star Christmas Decoration £4
So our Secret Santa is once again on and we wanted to help you along with some great Secret Santa gift ideas, all under £20!
Giving gifts to anyone can be hard, but Secret Santa can be even trickier.
One of our favourite things about the festive period is the Christmas markets & they are all starting in the next week or so (if they haven’t already)! Is there anything better than getting wrapped up, eating lots of delicious food & shopping with lots of small businesses? We have put together a list of the best UK Christmas markets so hopefully there is one local to you on this list for you to check out. We’ve also included the dates they are running AND their exact locations to make it easier for you.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram where we will be sharing our Christmas market visits!
MANCHESTER – 12TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 22ND DECEMBER 2021
📍 – MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
YORK – 18TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 23RD DECEMBER 2021
📍 – St Sampsons Square YO1 8QT
BIRMINGHAM – 4TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 23RD DECEMBER 2021
📍 Victoria Square and New Street
GLASGOW – 6TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 23RD DECEMBER 2021
📍 St Enoch Square
EDINBURGH – 19TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 2ND JANUARY 2022
📍The West Princes Street Gardens, The George Street event & East Princes Street Gardens
WINCHESTER – 19TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 22ND DECEMBER 2021
📍 Winchester Cathedral SO23 9LS
NOTTINGHAM – 4TH DECEMBER 2021 TO 24TH DECEMBER 2021
📍 Old Market Square & Trinity Square
CHESTER – 18TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 22ND DECEMBER 2021
📍 Town Hall CH1 2HQ
NEWCASTLE – 29TH NOVEMBER 2021 TO 26TH DECEMBER 2021
📍 Grey’s Monument
Are you planning to visit any Christmas markets this year? Which is your favourite?
Autumn is well and truly underway. For me, this calls for leafy walks, chunky jumpers, cosy blankets and hot chocolates. I sometimes think I should have been a bear in a previous life. The idea of binge eating, followed by hibernation sounds like a dream come true. But as the nights are drawing in and it’s darker and colder, others might begin to struggle.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that comes and goes throughout the year, and is triggered by the changing seasons. SAD is more commonly seen in the autumn/winter, but can also affect people in spring/summer.
Most of us might get the ‘winter blues’ at this time of year, but SAD is the next level. It can be debilitating to an individual and impact their ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Any sense of motivation and enjoyment seem at an all-time low, and it shouldn’t be dismissed as just a bad few days. Symptoms might also become more severe as the season progresses. Some might also experience alternating emotions season to season – manic highs one season, followed by manic lows the next. This sounds like one big never ending rollercoaster of continuous symptoms to me!!
One of the main symptoms you’ll see with SAD is a change to sleeping and eating patterns, whether this is an increase or decrease. This can be a bit of a viscous circle, and have a further knock on affect to an individual’s mood.
Factors that can have an impact on a person and their SAD, is their location, and if there is a history of depression. For example, those who live in warmer climates are less likely to be affected by SAD than those in colder climates. The amount of sunlight exposure can affect serotonin and melatonin levels, which influence a person’s mood and sleep.
SAD needs to be taken seriously. As with other types of mental illness, if left to fester, it can take hold of a person and affect all aspects of their life. A whole season is a long time to be struggling too.
As with anything, acknowledgement is the first step. Self-care is important at any time of year, but especially if you feel like you’re beginning to suffer.
Some people dislike the thought of taking medication, but it doesn’t have to be anti-depressants. As a common trigger is to do with levels of light/sunshine, an effective way to help give yourself a boost could be taking vitamin D and/or melatonin supplements, which we would naturally otherwise get from being exposed to sunlight. This could be done alongside using a light box. By sitting in front of this for a set amount of time each day, this mimics natural sunlight, helping to change chemicals in the brain that regulate your mood.
It’s also good to try and reframe your thinking, by trying to see the season as an opportunity, instead of a hardship. What can you only do during that particular season? By trying to make the most of it and embracing it, you allow yourself to be present in the moment, instead of wishing it away longing for the next season. And we all know a watched kettle takes longer to boil. You may not miss it when it’s gone but you don’t need to hide from it either. Happiness can be found, we just need to be on the lookout for it ☺
I know this is easier said than done. It doesn’t matter what it is that you do, it’s all about putting yourself first. We worry so much about looking after others, that we forget about our own needs.
It is estimated that up to three in 100 people in the UK are affected at some point in their life. Whilst it’s more common to occur during the autumn/winter months, it can also happen in spring/summer. Whenever it occurs, it’s important to acknowledge it and to be kind to yourself.
Written by @my.little.mountopia
