November 16, 2013, admin, Christmas, , 2
Since I started blogging we have been sent some amazing things to review. It is something I didn’t expect when I started my blog and something which has been great with me not working as it has meant the Little A’s have had lots of treats they wouldn’t have otherwise had!
With Christmas just around the corner I thought I would recap some of the amazing things we have been sent and hopefully, in the process, give you some great ideas for Christmas presents. If you don’t see anything that takes your fancy here, why not check out my full list of reviews, here.
For Little Ones and Babies…
I always find babies and young children quite easy to buy for. There are so many great gifts out there it is sometimes difficult to choose just one or two things!
As far as toys go we have had great fun testing out the Fisher Price Piggy Bank which has been a big hit with Little Miss A. She loves posting the coins in the top and listening to the fun music and noises.
Another great ‘posting’ toy was the Winnie the Pooh Stack, Pour, Post & Play. This is a great shape sorting and cup stacking toy that can also be used in the bath.
For little girls, we received a lovely Sleepover Fairy. It is a great soft rag doll that comes with it’s own sleeping bag and is great for bedtime cuddles. With lots of different dolls to choose from there is bound to be one to suit every little girl.
If you are wanting to buy a more practical fit why not check out our reviews for the Bubbaroo sleeping bag, the Hevea Panda teether, the Nipper Clipper or Tippy Toes shoes. If you are looking for something a little more fun we loved the Lindam Jump About when Little Miss A was little – she had a great time bouncing around!
Another great site for baby gifts is Funky Giraffe. Not only do they do some great bibs and moccasins that we were lucky enough to review, for Christmas they have some gorgeous stockings available. They are great quality, so thick and soft with some great designs including Baby’s 1st Christmas which you can also have personalised. The stockings start from £8 and would make a great gift!
For Older Children…
Little Mr A has had some amazing things to review through the ‘magic post’ since I started my blog including lots of great books and DVD‘s as well as some great toys. Some of our favourites are below…
For LEGO fans we have tested out the fabulous LEGO Cargo Heliplane and Spiderman Daily Bugle Showdown. Both are great sets on their own and would make a great addition to any LEGO set.
As far as games go we have been lucky to try some great ones this year an Little Mr A’s game shelf is overflowing with some great games that we can all enjoy as a family.
Orchard Toys are always a big winner in our house so we were delighted to be able to add to our collection with Farmyard Dominoes, Counting Caterpillars and the Post Box Game. All of them are great for younger children as well as children Little Mr A’s age. As well as games, Orchard Toys also do a great range of jigsaws starting at 18m and going up to around 5/6 years. We received the Farmyard animals and the Teddy Bears Picnic and are delighted with them. The pieces are made from great quality, thick cardboard and are just as you would expect from an Orchard Toys product.
Other games which we have loved are Shelby’s Snack Shack, Haba Pizzeria, Who Shook Hook, Wordsearch Junior, Silly Moo and the Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game. I always find board games are a great gift as they can be enjoyed by the whole family.
As far as toys go we loved the Imaginext Castle and Little Mr A still loves to play with his Ironman.
For stocking fillers why not take a look at Carddies. They are great little cardboard people to colour in and then play with. For Christmas they have a special nativity set which I’m sure children would have a great time colouring in and then playing with year after year.
If your child is Angry Bird and Star Wars mad then the Angry Bird Star Wars cards are great. Not only can they have fun looking through them, there are so many games you can play with cards too.
For Grown Ups….
I often struggle knowing what to buy for the adults in the family. These days there are so many lovely gifts to choose from it can become confusing! We have been sent some lovely items for the house and ourselves which I hope give you some inspiration!
I love to decorate the house at Christmas, even more so now I have children! We have had some lovely Christmas decorations sent from the Oxfam collection and two beautiful Reindeer.
For bakers, how about these great cookie cutters and Bell shaped cake tin from Denby? And for more cooking equipment check out our Ozeri reviews for a fabulous Wok, Frying Pan and gorgeous glasses.
Another great kitchen gadget that has brought back memories of childhood is the Soda Stream. They have come a long way in the past few years and would make a great gift!
For a more personal touch how about a photo poster from Posterfriend or if you feel like splashing out, a lovely photo book from Vista Print.
A really fun and unique gift would be a balloon bouquet or fun creation from the wonderful Balloon Baboon.
For new Mums, Gumigem do a great range of teething jewellery. Not only do they look stylish, they are also great for stopping little ones chewing your good jewellery!
Talking of jewellery, one of my favourite reviews has to be the Little Pinkies fingerprint and handprint necklace I received early on when I began blogging. I wear it nearly everyday and have had so many people comment on it.
I hope I’ve given you some great inspiration, however, if you are still struggling keep an eye on my blog over the next couple of weeks for some more great ideas!
I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for continuing to visit my blog and commenting/sharing my posts. It means a lot and I hope to keep you all entertained with the Little A’s adventures into 2014!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
