Christmas Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

The Christmas Experience at Lotherton Hall

Anna — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:00:42 +0000

Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves have landed in Yorkshire! From November 23rd right through until 5th January, you can step into Christmas in the spectacular grounds of Lotherton Hall. Tickets are available from £6.75 with Santa’s North Pole experience starting at £15.95. Booking is essential as places fill quickly! You can book your magical visit at thechristmasexperience.co.uk. We have been visiting the Christmas Experience at Lotherton for a few years now – it has always been the highlight of my festive period. Alas, my eldest is now ‘too old’ to indulge in such past-times and I did wonder if we would go this year. Luckily, a friend has a very young child and so we took her along and the festive magic was restored! IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! Step inside the Edwardian Hall and follow in the footsteps of the Gascoigne family and their staff, Lotherton’s residents in the 1800’s, to get a glimpse into how this revered household celebrated Christmas in Edwardian times. The festive woodland walk through the beautiful grounds of the Lotherton Estate is by far my favourite part of the whole experience, there’s nothing more snug than being wrapped up warm and following the lights to discover the installations along the trail – step inside a Christmas card, try to pull a giant cracker or maybe you’ll find the gingerbread house in the trees! Grab a warm drink from the cafe, yurt or one of the stalls to ensure your walk is super cosy. Be sure to take cash as some stalls don’t accept cards. After your walk, you can make your way to the Fairy Dell a tiny lit up secret fairy village alive with fairy chatter and laughter. It really is beautiful and the kids loved looking at all the little houses and shops. I must confess, at one point I found myself standing alone in the dark, surrounded by high pitch fairy chatter and it was a little creepy… Santa’s magical North Pole setting. The experience begins with a snowy walk to Santa school where we filled ourselves with Christmas cheer and each child created a lovely nightlight ready for the big night!! We then headed to the Magic Wishing Well, where each child quietly made a wish before being taken through to see the big man himself. This year, the cabin was more cosy and more festive than ever. I’m going to put it out there, the Christmas Experience at Lotherton is the best it has been – it feels like every year they step up and it becomes more magical. It is still my favourite start to the festive season. Tickets for the experience start at just £4.75 which includes entry to the Estate and Hall meaning you can do the festive walk and visit the Fairy Dell. Making baubles with Mrs Claus and the Elf crafts will need to be booked separately. Even without visiting the Big Man I do feel that the entry cost and even the extra costs for activities is worth it for a lovely visit. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you are there before 4pm your entry cost will include entry to the wildlife area.

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The Perfect Christmas Cake recipe – IMHO

Anna — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:38:29 +0000

As a fan of Christmas I’ve tried to create lots of lovely traditions for us as a family and make everything just perfect. Since she was three, Aoife and I have always made and later decorated the Christmas cake together. It’s something we both really enjoy doing and it means I can use lots of lovely hashtags across social media, you know the sort; #preciousmoments #mumanddaughter #makingmemories #familytimes #lookatuspretendingwearetheperfectfamilywhenwewereyellingateachotheraminuteago The hashtags matter not, we have created a lovely tradition. The Perfect Christmas Cake I’m going to hold my hands up though, there is an ulterior motive to this tradition. The reason I actually let Aoife help me bake the cake and decorate it herself is so the rest of Christmas is mine. I am very particular with what I like and how I like it. No one decorates the tree but me. So when Aoife says “Mummy, can we have though blue sparkly baubles with cartoon characters on them?” I can chuckle and say “Oh darling, I didn’t interfere with your cake so don’t you interfere with my tree” Perfect! I’m not entirely awful though, I leave a special space at the back, middle of the tree for the lovely decorations they make at school. My quest for all things perfect at Christmas has resulted in me trying and tweaking many different recipes until they are just right. I like our Christmas cake to be nutty and not too moist. The recipe is largely Delia but with less faffing and a bit more rum. I did suggest to Rory that I use amaretto in the cake this year, it was a little too controversial for his liking. Below is the recipe Aoife uses. Once the cake is made she decorates it. I didn’t put that bit but you know because you are super. Perfect Christmas cake recipe ingredients 225g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon mixed spice 225g dark brown/muscovado sugar 750g soaked dried mixed fruit 4 eggs – large 225g cubed butter 1 tablespoon black treacle 50g glace cherries – chopped 50g almonds – chopped 50g almonds – flaked zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon Perfect Christmas cake recipe – method Preheat your oven to 140º/gas mark 1 Line an 8 inch round cake tin with grease proof paper making sure that the paper comes about 4 inches above the tin Sift the flour and spices into a large bowl Add the sugar, butter, eggs, & treacle then beat it all together with a hand mixer or by hand Fold in the rest of the ingredients making sure they’re well mixed in Pour the mix into the prepped tin making sure it’s flat The grease proof paper above the edge of the tin needs folding toward the centre of the tin to create a roof effect with a gap for the hot air to escape and stop the cake catching Bake for 3¾ – 4 hours , use a knife or metal skewer to check it’s cooked throughout. When it comes out clean it’s done Leave to cool for 15 minutes then turn it onto a cooling rack Once the cake is cooled, pierce holes into the cake and brush with rum (or whatever alcohol you’re using). Wrap it in grease proof paper and place in an airtight tin. ‘Feed’ the cake once a week with a tablespoon of the alcohol you used for the cake. Note If you can’t source pre-soaked fruit, you can soak it yourself. Just put the fruit in a large bowl, cover with 100ml of alcohol of your choice and leave for 12 hours. Why not take a look at my other recipes here.

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Lapland Letters – Magical Letters from Santa – review.

Anna — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 12:15:58 +0000

Review. Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat… With only 4 weeks to go I am in full on Festive mode. I normally start my Christmas planning in September but this year working and studying full time has ensured that I have barely done a thing. One of the things I did make sure to get done sooner rather then later was ordering a letter from Santa for the children. As with most things Christmas, I am really fussy. I don’t like tacky and cartoon like letters, I like something a bit more traditional. Ideally the missive would be written on magical paper from the North Pole and written by Old St Nick himself. I appreciate that he is rather busy around this time and so will settle for something that at least gives that vibe. This year I ordered personalised letters from Lapland Letters who offer ten different letter themes from Santa (or Father Christmas if that’s your preference). Themes for 2020 include a Lockdown Letter, First Year of School, Baby’s First Christmas and The Meaning of Christmas alongside the ‘classics’. Costing just £5.95, all letters come with a copy of the Secret Map Santa uses on Christmas Eve to make his way around the world. For an additional £2.95 you can add a bumper activity pack to the letter which includes colouring sheets and games, a door hanger and a thank you card to send back to Santa. If that wasn’t quite bumper enough, the early bird special includes a treat tray, nice list certificate and countdown to Christmas. Perfect pre-Christmas entertainment. Personalising your child’s letter couldn’t be easier. After choosing which letter format you’d like (ideal for making sure siblings letters aren’t identical) you simply fill in some boxes with the child’s information. Their age, their best friends name, the gift they’d like etc. and your work is almost done. You can even specify whether your child uses ‘Santa Claus’ or ‘Father Christmas’. The ‘PS’ can be used to include any personal achievements or special information you would like included, “Mummy & Daddy are so pleased that you enjoy your new school” or something of that ilk. Maybe refrain from announcing a new baby brother or sister in this bit though. That could ruin Christmas. Once you’ve personalised your letter and paid, the Elves take over and will send out your child’s letter in early December. You can tick one thing off of your to do list and maybe celebrate with a small sherry. As well as personalised letters, you can also order personalised magical extras including Mrs Claus’ Cookie Mix, Reindeer food, Magic Keys or Christmas Eve box – it really is a magical Christmas Eve on stop shop! Prices start at £5.95 and includes delivery to anywhere in the world and are available from Santa himself via Lapland Letters.

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Gingerbread House Recipe & Templates

Anna — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 14:49:43 +0000

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Gingerbread House. Fact. Making gingerbread houses is the perfect pre-Christmas activity to do with the kids (or alone if you’re a perfectionist) As you know, I am a BIG fan of all things Christmas and a Christmas gingerbread house is on my list of things to make each year. I am really fussy about how I like my gingerbread (quite gingery) I found the Mima Sinclair recipe to be the perfect balance. Some years, if I’m particularly well prepared, I make both a big house and smaller houses to gift to others. The smaller houses are cute and can sit on your coffee cup too whilst watching a Christmas film. Parfait! This is the recipe I now use for my gingerbread houses, it makes two large houses and a few biscuits or around 20 small houses – the templates for the houses can be found at the bottom. Gingerbread House Ingredients 200g unsalted butter 200g dark brown sugar 80g treacle 60g golden syrup The zest of 1/2 an orange 4 rounded tsp ground ginger 2 rounded tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves A level tsp bicarbonate soda 500g plain flour 1 medium egg, lightly beaten Royal Icing Sugar for decoration Gingerbread House Method Put the treacle and syrup into a large saucepan with the sugar, butter, zest and spices. Melt it all together over a low/medium heat, stirring until the sugar has all dissolved. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the bicarbonate soda. It’ll all fizz up, panic not (just watch your hands), mix until it’s all combined then leave to cool for about 15 minutes. Sift the flour and salt, fold it into the mixture in small batches. You can use a wooden spoon unless you have one of those big fancy mixers. I don’t. Once the flour is folded in, beat in the egg until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture. Scrape the mixture onto a clean surface and knead until smooth. The dough is really sticky but don’t add more flour – it’s meant to be like this. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. Heat oven to 160°C/140°C fan assisted/Gas mark 3. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper or silicone tray liners. Use the printable templates to create card versions. I have included templates for small houses and big houses. Roll the dough onto greaseproof paper to a depth of 5mm. Use the templates and a sharp knife (I use a small craft knife) to cut out the pieces to create a house. Place on a lined baking tray and repeat until you run out of tray. Place the tray into the fridge or freezer for few mins and then pop them in the in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Use the your sharp knife to carefully straighten any edges that may have spread whilst baking. For smaller houses, make sure the doors are wide enough or they won’t fit on your mug. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. How To Build Your Gingerbread House Make up the Royal Icing as per the instructions on the box. It needs to make soft peaks in the bowl. You could make your own but I’m not the person to ask about how to do that! Put some of the icing into an icing bag with a small nozzle. Pipe icing along the side edges of the wall pieces and stick them to the end wall pieces. Pipe a little extra icing on the joins INSIDE the house for support. Ice along the top edges of the end wall pieces, where the roof will sit. Stick the roof pieces in place and hold for maybe a minute while it sets. On small houses, stick the chimney on. Use the remaining icing to decorate. If your roof doesn’t quite meet at the top, use icing to disguise it as ‘snow-lined’, icing along the roof edges can look like icicles. I sometimes use smarties for the roof and jelly sweets for windows – stick whatever you want on it! Leave to set for a couple of hours before moving them. Note – if you have made gingerbread biscuits too, they are lovely dipped in milk or dark chocolate. Gingerbread House Templates Just click the button and download your Gingerbread House templates here. Gingerbread House Template Mini Gingerbread House Template Why not check out my Christmas Cookie recipe and my perfect Christmas Cake recipe.

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The make-it-easy guide to Christmas dinners

Anna — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 17:16:13 +0000

With December’s chilly arrival, the Christmas countdown is well and truly on and festive songs are in full flow! But this year, whether you’re cooking for a family of four or a bumper festive feast for 10 peeps or more, making the Christmas dinner a quick winner is up there on my festive wish list this year. The perks of an easy Christmas dinner are many; less time in the kitchen equals more family time (and more mulled wine) – a sure winner this festive time! But where to start? There’s so much to prepare, so many mouths to feed and aunts and uncles to keep happy. Don’t worry: we’ve got your Christmas dinner in the bag right here. But yule need to get planning early with our make-it-easy, no-stress guide… Prep I like to take a leaf out of domestic goddess Nigella’s book and invest in a handy pack of foil trays when cooking dinner for many. A bonus for a busy day of cooking lots of meat and veg, these handy trays can be easily discarded after cooking; avoiding having to face that dreaded mountain of washing-up later in the day. For the starter, main and dessert consider replacing your usual stoneware with natural wheat fibre bowls and plates. I love these environmentally friendly fabulous little bowls and plates which are made from fibrous wheat residue and have natural caramel colour. Inexpensive, they offer a great alternative to cheap, floppy paper plates and are much more robust. Perfect for serving up Christmas dinner and an eco-friendly winner! Sensational starters Make starter a tasty but tempting treat by offering your guests a choice of warming and tempting soups. Easy and quick to cook, serve your soup with par-baked bread rolls from the supermarket bakery for delectable doughy softness. These take no time in the oven – and think about the amazing aroma of freshly baked bread; your guests will never guess it wasn’t homemade! Keep aside some of the bread rolls and serve hot, layered with a special pâté or two. Choose favourites such as duck-liver parfait, chicken liver or smoked mackerel – all will go down a treat at this time of year. For vegetarians, try Sainsbury’s mushroom pate and for a simply but tasty vegan version, make this simple but delicious red pepper and butternut squash version. The main event (plus the trimmings) When choosing a turkey, opt for a crown rather than the whole bird. In doing so, your cooking time will be shorter and easier to manage, increasing the chances of ensuring your meat is perfectly cooked (avoiding the risk of dryness) which can be notoriously difficult to avoid when cooking a full turkey. To make the veg an effortless task, choose frozen varieties. As well as being inexpensive and quick to cook, you’ll save time and effort by avoiding the faff of prepping, washing, peeling and cutting. Or if you prefer, go for a mix of fresh and frozen veg; choosing easily choppable fresh varieties, including broccoli and cauliflower. And who doesn’t love roast potatoes with their Christmas dinner? Opt for a bag of pre-frozen beauties to get your roasties on their way in no time. Grab yourself a bag or two of McCain’s oven roast potatoes, ready in 30-40 minutes. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the customary trimmings, chestnuts included. But no need for a roasting fire (phew) – pick yourself a few packs of sweet chestnuts from your local supermarket. Merchant Gourmet’s whole chestnuts are a great choice – mix a few into your stuffing mix before cooking to add a touch of seasonal sweetness. And not forgetting the cranberry sauce; there are plenty of pre-made brands to choose from. There’s no need to make the stuffing and gravy from scratch, either; buy a pack or two of Mrs Crimble’s stuffing mix and a pack of gravy granules. For the stuffing, the only extra ingredients you’ll require are 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 300ml of hot water. It’ll be ready in 20 minutes at 190°C. Christmas pud (it’s so good) The pièce de résistance of Christmas dinner, you know everyone’s waiting to tuck into their fruity Christmas pud served with lashings of sweet custard and brandy butter. But two hours to wait for the puds to steam? I find pre-made fruity supermarket varieties a dream – enough to feed your whole party and ready in super-quick time. Sainsbury’s six-month-aged pud serves up to eight and only takes five minutes in the microwave to bowl. Follow this Christmas-dinner guide and you’ll not only be cutting out unnecessary time over the stove this festive season, you’ll also free up time to relax and spend some quality time with friends and loved ones – which is, after all, the whole point of Christmas. This is a collaboration.

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Portable North Pole PNP Magic Pass

Anna — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 21:47:31 +0000

Advent is upon us! Not only does that mean chocolate for breakfast – yum – but for many households the Christmas traditions begin in the form of ‘That Bloomin’ Elf’. Now, I’ve said before how I have neither the time nor the imagination to create 24 different elf scenarios so instead, we use Portable North Pole (PNP) for our pre-Christmas bribery. I’ve spoken before about PNP as I’ve used it for years and last year we received their Do-Good Elves so this year we have just signed up for the Magic Pass. What is Portable North Pole (PNP)? PNP is an online platform used by Santa and his elves (with a little help from yourself) to send personalised video messages and calls to loved ones no matter where in the world they are. You help Santa collect all the information he needs about your recipient in order to create a tailor made video message or phone call that really is magical. Although the platform can be used online, the best way to access it is via the app which is split into two areas. PNP Magic Pass Parent’s Corner This is where you make the magic! It is pin protected so prying eyes can’t peep behind the curtain. Here you can find a variety of videos and calls that can be personalised, from the Magical Carousel to The Elves Magic Door your child will be addressed by Santa, who will not only know their name but what they’ve asked for for Christmas, their friends name and what they’ve done this year – complete with pictures. He will also let them know whether they are on the Naughty, Almost Nice or Nice list. Just a word of warning, one particularly trying year we briefly put Aoife on the ‘Almost Nice’ list, I felt awful as I saw her heart break when Santa told her this. On the plus side she DID improve her behaviour and move on to the nice list but I still felt terrible. A Magic Pass lasts a year, so you can also create a special birthday message throughout the year from Santa. The videos take about five minutes to set up and are easier done on a laptop, you can also prepare them in advance or for a few children as they will only be visible in the Kid’s Corner once you’ve ticked a box. This is a great idea as you can create a few for throughout advent, with them moving from one list to another if you can deal with that heartache. Once your videos are all set and ready to go hand your phone or tablet to your child and set them free in the Kid’s Corner. PNP Magic Pass Kid’s Corner Once in the PNP Kid’s Corner there’s a lot of fun stuff for the kids to do. There’s an advent calendar, they can listen to Santa’s Voicemail messages, play games, take Elfie’s and, most importantly, retrieve their messages from Santa. The look of joy on their face really is heartwarming and they can watch the videos repeatedly. Even though Aoife is almost 8 and maybe a little unsure as to HOW real Santa is (thanks Grinch kids at school) these videos seem to give her a bit more belief for another year. What you get with the PNP Magic Pass The Magic Pass costs £11.99 and lasts until 30th September the following year (though good deals can be found pre-December). For this you receive…. Unlimited Premium Videos and Calls for Unlimited Kids Includes all Premium videos and calls The Reaction Recorder with the mobile app only HD Downloads of all your Premium Videos The Verdict Update Get a phone call from Santa during the video! Video Calls from Santa You can see and hear Santa on a face-to-face video call The videos WILL delete from the account once the pass expires but you can download them all to your device. Over the years, the cost of PNP has risen, but the quality and material available has too. These aren’t just crappy videos with naff actors, they truly are beautiful to watch and, in my opinion, worth the money. Besides, you can create for unlimited children so get your nieces and nephews on there too! It’s also worth pointing out that 5% of every purchase on PNP, whether a pass or a toy, goes to Children’s hospitals too. We received a Magic Pass in exchange for an honest, review. As I mentioned previously, I’ve used PNP for years and we love it. Now here is Seth’s reaction cam this year. I feel I need to point out he isn’t picking his nose, that’s chocolate on his face and he has more flattering angles.

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The Spirits of Christmas…

Anna — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 17:56:04 +0000

I want to start by saying I am neither a Grinch nor a joy vacuum. Those of you who know me and read my stuff regularly will know that I love Christmas, probably more than you. I love so much about Christmas. Spirit of Christmas Past The family time. The slower pace of life. The food, the wine. Being snug in front of the fire. Creating traditions for my children, making and baking. It all makes me positively giddy. In my head, Christmas is exactly like those made for TV movies. Soppy, romantic, full of love, snow, a quickly resolved misunderstanding and gingerbread houses. It makes me feel all fuzzy and warm, and I make no apologies for this. When I think back to Christmases as a child, I remember spending loads of time with my parents. I remember family and friends visiting, and playing games. When I think back to Christmases past I remember a warmth – it really felt like a special time, and that’s what I want my kids to remember. However, despite having a complete love of Christmas (and quite possibly being part elf) there is one little thing I’m not a huge fan of … Spirit of Christmas Present(s) Now. That is NOT to say I don’t like giving or receiving presents – I do. I just don’t think THAT’S what Christmas is about. Let me explain. More and more these days it feels like people are just buying gifts for one another out of obligation. Because they should do rather than because they want to. We have to buy great Aunt Pam a gift despite never seeing her because…Christmas! Well, if we buy her something we must get something for Geoff and Max. Where is the festive joy in that? We shouldn’t be getting hung up on cost or quantity, we should be buying something we know the recipient will really appreciate. This is something I am trying hard to get my children to understand and it’s difficult. They are very lucky. Due to the nature of blogging they get a lot of things throughout the year and they get lots of gifts from family members. And now, as children do, they expect it. All. The. Time. Last Christmas, I felt really sad (and if I’m honest – a bit of a failure) as I watched my children unwrap gifts and just cast them to one side. They had no idea really what they had received and who got it for them. I decided we’d do something about it. My children are not going to grow up to be entitled, they are going to grow up thankful with what they receive…if it kills me. This year, as well as getting them to do a reverse advent calendar, we have set a one present rule. Not one present in total (that’d be harsh, even for the mum who cancelled the birthday party!) rather everyone to only buy one present for each child. No one will need to fret that they haven’t bought Seth quite as much as they have bought Aoife. People will save lots of money, the children will actually know and play with what they have, and I won’t be donating unopened, unused things from previous years to the charity shop. Don’t get me wrong, a massive pile of presents will make them all wide eyed with glee but once the unwrapping is done and half the stuff is broken by Boxing Day the joy swiftly diminishes. Spirit of Christmas Future? I would much rather teach my children that really thinking about someone and what they might like and carefully choosing just one gift means a lot more and is more special than just buying things for the sake of it. I also want them to consider how just because you ask for something you don’t get it. It’s not a right, it’s a privilege to get presents and one that’s not afforded to all children. I want my children to expect little and truly appreciate it rather than expect lots and then become disappointed with it. I want them to realise that even with fewer presents they still have much more than some people. Most of all, I really want my children to love Christmas for the time spent together rather than the money spent on them. Maybe I’m asking too much for Christmas…I’ll let you know in the New Year!

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Santa Baby – A Mum’s Christmas List.

Anna — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:08:42 +0000

‘Santa Baby’, that Christmas classic outlining what lies on every woman’s letter to Santa. Furs, cars, pretty things from Tiffany’s and a yacht…that’s what we all want right? Wrong. Maybe 10 years ago when I was child free I’d have asked for all those luxuries. Now my Christmas list is very different… I wouldn’t say no to a yacht though. Unleash your inner Eartha and sing along! Santa Baby, just slip a short break under the tree, for me. Just a night will do, Santa baby, I’m so bloody tired tonight. Santa baby, a meal without a kids menu too, Will do. And a babysitter, Santa baby, send Spanx down the chimney tonight. Think of all the horrific play dates, Think of times I used to have grown up mates. Next year I’ll cope reluctantly, PLEASE just grant one Christmas wish, Santa baby, I wanna bath, And really, that’s not a laugh, Been a mother all year, Santa baby, send bubbles down the chimney tonight. Santa honey, one little thing I really do need, A wee, Alone without a song. Santa baby, send earplugs down the chimney tonight. Santa cutie, and fill my glass with some spiced rum Such fun. But don’t forget the lime. Santa cutie, send ice down the chimney tonight. Come and trim my Christmas tum, Maybe liposuction now that I’m a mum, I really do believe in you, Please, please, please believe in me, Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, A ring. It’s been ten long years now. Santa baby, send an offer down the chimney tonight, Hurry down the chimney tonight, Hurry, tonight.

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Portable North Pole – Do Good Elf

Anna — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 18:00:08 +0000

Despite being the biggest fan of Christmas and creating lovely little traditions to celebrate the festive period, I never succumbed to a certain Elf on a ledge. If I’m entirely honest, it’s because I am far too lazy to think of 24 new and unique scenarios to play out. I have that much going on in the run up to Christmas, I don’t need to add 24 more items to my ‘To Do’ list. Over the past three years though, I have used Portable North Pole to create personalised videos for Aoife. Just to let her know where she stands with the big man himself. One year, when her behaviour was particularly ‘challenging’ she found herself,briefly, on the ‘undecided’ list. I felt terrible when she realised what Santa was saying. She looked like her heart had been ripped out BUT her behaviour improved and the next video confirmed she was indeed on the Nice List. Peaks and troughs. This year, we were asked to take in some visitors on behalf of old Saint Nick and the Portable North Pole. Buddy and Holly the Do Good Elves. The baby Do Good Elves are sent from Santa’s Village to live with a child who’s job it is to make sure that they grow up to be a good elf and a valuable part of Santa’s team. The child looks after their elf and teaches it the difference between naughty and nice. Throughout the course of the month your child tracks their new elf’s journey in the passport provided and Santa checks in with personalised videos. The Do-Good Elves are really cute, they have a plastic face but soft body that can be moved into different positions. Their clothes can be removed and washed (always handy). They come with a small passport for your child record their adventures together and a code to access four videos from Santa that you can personalise for your child. The Do- Good Elf is a lovely idea and slightly less hard work than other elves on the scene. It is a little time consuming personalising the videos, you need to have photos of your child and their elf for example. Once the video is done it really is magical. Their faces when they realise Santa knows their names! You can also access a number of the other free videos on the website. As I mentioned, I have used Portable North Pole for a few years. There have been some changes this year though. Previously, whenever you created a video for your child an email was sent addressed to them. It explained Santa had recorded a message and they could click a link to receive it. This doesn’t happen now. Instead you receive an email saying the video is ready and if you access the video via the website it’s all a bit ‘behind the scenes’. You need to make sure the video is ready to play in full screen mode so they can’t see that you’ve made it. Viewing via the app is a lot better as you can store the videos to the ‘Kids Corner’ section and they can’t accidentally stumble behind the curtain. There isn’t the magical anticipation as there was before though. At £20 the Do-Good Elf isn’t cheap. S/he comes with a passport and the code to unlock four personalised videos. If you want to use the reaction cam, download the video or access the Big Book video you need to purchase the Magic Pass as well. It would be a nice touch to include this with the Elf. The Do-Good Elf is about encouraging your child to consider their behaviour as there are little elves (and a fat man in a red suit) watching. However, there is nothing to say that they can’t get up to mischief on occasion! Your child can just tell them that playing cards and drinking all night is not good elf behaviour! The Do-Good Elf can be purchased from John Lewis, it really is a good quality little thing. My two are smitten with theirs. Seth takes Buddy everywhere. Under Seth’s guidance he might not grow up to be Santa’s Elf material but he will be well loved. Why not head over to Portable North Pole to see what magical videos you can make for the believers, big or small, in your life. Those in power at Santa’s Village (Santa?) have given me the chance to spread some festive joy. You will receive 20% off a Magic Pass if you enter the code PNP7BLG20 at the checkout or click this link. This will unlock all of the premium videos, calls from Santa, the reaction cam and enable the downloading of videos. With the magic pass you can make unlimited videos for unlimited recipients until November 2018. I am still a big fan of Portable North Pole. Watching them take care of their Elves and teaching them to be good melts my heat. It really is lovely seeing their faces light up when Santa acknowledges them by name and they really do want to get on that Nice list. Who doesn’t?? You can find the Portable North Pole website here PNP Santa can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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Spectacular Speculaas recipe with a cup of Christmas Tisane.

Anna — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 12:15:58 +0000

I really love Christmas, have I mentioned that? Part of what I love is the side of me that becomes possessed by Martha Stewart. The bit that becomes obsessed with the unattainable ideals of Christmas that are presented to us via Christmas 24. I imagine a Christmas with snow lying deep and crisp and even outside my gorgeous lodge type house. I plan for house guests to entertain in front of the great, roaring fire. Maybe even a singsong of carols around the piano. Obviously none of this happens. It never snows, our house is a ‘new build’ Lego type thing. We don’t have an open fire. Or a piano. Or guests for that matter. Every year I like to make and bake lots of festive things. I’ll make spiced red cabbage, gingerbread houses, Christmas cake, mince pies, chocolate bark, eggnog and Christmas biscuits. Rory has asked me more than once why I do it all, I always say “So we have lots of lovely things to offer when people visit” He then points out, correctly, that no one ever visits! ALL THE MORE FOR ME THEN! This year I decided to try the Dutch classic, Speculaas (or Speculoos). A spiced biscuit traditionally served on Saint Nicholas Day (December 5th) which is the main gift giving day of the festive season fact fans. To the not very festive amongst you, it’s a bit like the biscuit you get with a cup of coffee in a fancy caff. The speculaas are pretty simple to make, just have to remember to make the dough in advance as it needs to chill overnight. I use this Nativity silicon mould to make mine which means I can only bake six at a time but the mould can be put in the oven. You can actually buy the traditional wooden moulds. They are beautiful but pretty expensive and you can’t put them in the oven so it’s a bit of a faff, alternatively you could try a cookie roller (though I’m not sure how easy that would be). Speculaas Recipe Ingredients 100g softened butter 150g soft, light brown sugar 1 medium egg Zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed) 200g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp ground white pepper 2 cardamom pods, peeled and seeds ground. 50g ground almonds 30g flaked almonds Speculaas Recipe Instructions Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the flaked almonds) and bring together in a dough, Wrap the dough in cling film and chill over night. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan assisted/Gas mark 3. If you’re using a mould to make your Speculaas, dust with a little flour, otherwise line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Press a small piece of dough into each mould section the sprinkle flaked almonds on the back. If you’re not using a mould, roll the dough to no more than 5mm thick, the thinner the better. Cut with biscuit cutters and press flaked almonds into them. Bake for 12-15 mins, leave to cool for 5 mins then transfer to a wire cooling rack. When stored in an airtight container, the speculaas will stay fresh for a good few weeks! Steenbergs Organic kindly sent me some Christmas Tisane and a jar of Speculaas spice blend to try. I replaced the individual spices in the recipe with 3 big teaspoons of the spice blend and they are bloody good. We enjoyed the biscuits with a cup of Christmas Tisane, a caffeine free hot drink, like a herbal tea. The blend of redbush with festive flavours including orange, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and rosehip complimented the Speculaas beautifully. These may be my new favourite festive flavours, the tisane also makes a nice change from coffee too. Just on occasion mind you! The Speculoos spice blend and tisane were provided by Steenbergs for purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post contains an affiliate link to Amazon, if you click it and buy anything I might get 1p. Diclosure is available here.

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