http://adserver.adtech.de/?adlink|3.0|311|1072359|1|16|AdId%3D6699352;BnId%3D1;link%3Dhttp://www.askamum.co.uk (They love my blog, ooo-errr how exciting!)

We’ve been enjoying all things Christmassy in our little part of London this week, from going to the local ‘lights switch on’, which was just beautiful, to watching Christmassy themed children’s films on television. Florence has had a bit of a cold so huddling up warm together and watching cosy things on television has been just the ticket. I know it’s absolutely ages away until the big day but I can’t seem to help myself this year. It’s funny because we’re not even giving or receiving big presents this year and it will be the first time in my life I’ve not even had a stocking! I am 32 I suppose and we just decided that money was tight and we wanted to make it about the time spent together as a family rather than the presents and the money spending. For some reason I’m more into it this year than ever before so it’s obviously the way to go! We are giving presents to each other but they are all going to be hand made, we are having what we are calling, a Walton’s Christmas. Jonny and I are major fans of the show and watch them again and again on DVD all the time and we just love the way they make each other small things for gifts rather than spending money they don’t have; we’re taking a leaf out of Olivia and John Walton’s book and giving it a go! Although I’m not sure some of us have the creative know how to make the presents amazing, I am sure they will be received gratefully and everyone will be appreciative of each others efforts! The children will still have ‘normal’ presents mind, it is the children, after all that Christmas is most magical for and it may very well be slightly ruined for them when they see exactly what creative skills their Mother/Aunt has! So I do still get to go shopping for a few bits and pieces! If you’re struggling for some present tips for the little ones this year, read on further because I have some great ideas further down the page!
 
Before Florence got her cold, we were lucky enough to have a preview skate at the Tiffany & Co sponsored rink at Somerset House and boy did we have a good time! There’s nothing more Christmassy than a skate in front of a huge decorated tree with Somerset House as the back drop and even though Florence isn’t quite two yet, she too had an absolutely superb time on the ice. Wearing ice skates 3 sizes too big for her, Florence and I braved the main rink, which you have to skate over to get to the children’s area, and with help from the staff made it over there in one piece. Florence had a ball being escorted by one of the officials, sitting on the front of his boot as he skilfully slid over to the children’s rink. I, on the other hand, had to hold on and feel my way round and meet her there, somewhat more out of breath than everyone else around me! Once there Florence was given a sturdy little penguin with handles to hold onto (I held on too) and that gave her the ability to skate up and down to her hearts content. Barely able to see over the top of her penguin, she loved every single minute of it and when I was worn out from bending over while stopping myself from tumbling to the ground (she was just fine) and said we would have to go, it was met with a giant ‘Awwwwwwww’! It was so magical and even though I didn’t think it would be possible for a nearly two year old to skate, it was miraculously easy (with the help of the lovely staff and the sturdy little penguin)! Florence had an absolute ball and I felt like crying watching her have such a brilliant time because it was so grown up for her yet she did it with ease. Pride oozed out of me as I saw other people looking at this tiny little girl coping, frankly, better than a lot of the adults! She’s been asking to go again and although I’d love to, I think in my condition it might be best left for her Daddy to take her but if we get the chance again I will certainly take it for her because it was brilliant! You don’t have to be little to enjoy it of course and Somerset House are having all sorts of different events with the ice rink including DJ’s playing in the evening, so it really could be whatever you want it to be: romantic, family fun, clubbing with pals! Anything! But make sure you have a hot chocolate while you’re there cause it’s delish!
 
Book on line (with Ticketmaster) or call 0844 847 1520. (A limited number of tickets are sold at the box office, which opens at 09.30, before each session) Sessions run for an hour starting at at10am till 11.00am (with fifteen minutes to clear the ice in between each session) and finishing with the last session of each day running at 22.30- 23.30. Tickets start at £7.50. Visit www.somersethouse.org.uk for more info.
 

 
As some of you may know, I also write for the website www.kidsfunlondon.co.uk and this week I have reviewed the production of ‘Stick Man Live On Stage’ which is playing at the Leicester Square Theatre in London’s West End from now till Sunday the 8^th January 2012. It’s absolutely brilliant and at just £40 for a family of four it’s a real treat for the little ones this Christmas that won’t break the bank! For my full review, do visit kidsfunlondon’s blog and read all about it there! I’ve also had a real boost for my writing this week by coming runner up in a writing competition in conjunction with Silver Cross and Junior Magazine! I entered a piece I wrote reviewing Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford and not only have I won a great prize but my piece is going to be published in Junior Magazine’s January 2012 edition. I am over the flipping moon and can’t wait to see it in print, I work really hard with my writing and it’s a real confidence boost for me too!
 
Now, enough of my shameful boasting and onto the really important part of this (and next) week’s blog! The present ideas for children! We’ve been testing out toys like Billio with our friends and family and I would like to tell you about our top favourites for this year plus some stonking stocking filler ideas and terrific presents for newborns. What do you get the person who has just been born?! I’m presenting this section in two halves, this week and next, so read on for the first instalment as I bring you reviews of our top children’s presents for Christmas 2011! (In most cases I took pictures before the presents were out of their boxes)
 
Stocking Fillers:
 
Munchkin Star Fountain
 
We LOVED this! Such a simple bath toy but with absolutely loads going for it. It spins around and sprinkles water from its blue flashing light nose in the middle of the Stars face and kept us entertained all bath time. The fountain sprays really quite high and surpassed my expectations. I expected it to do something similar to the description but not quite as well and actually it did more! Easy to dry off, doesn’t harbour water when removed from the bath and easy to switch on and off for little fingers – for the price, it’s superb and quite little to store away too!
 
Requires 3 x AAA batteries (not included), on and off button to save battery life, rinse and dry before storing. 12m+ £7.99 RRP www.munchkin.com 
 

 
Baby’s Very First Noisy Book Christmas
 
What a lovely book this is! I never doubt an Usborne book for little ones and this is no exception. It is, as the title suggests, for a baby who is having his or her first Christmas and is old enough to push the buttons creating the electronic sounds that go with each page but not so little they don’t need a substantial book! Five different festive sounds accompany different Christmassy pictures which are bright, beautiful and engaging. What’s best is that this book can be brought out season after season as the older ones like it too! Just the ticket to bring Christmas alive to a very little one!
 
£9.99 RRP www.usborne.com
 

 
Munchkin Disco Tub Lights
 
In our pack we received one green fish and one red star although I do believe different colour combinations are available. These chunky little light up toys can either flash or stay lit up as decided by the touch of a button. They float and in addition they also have a sucker on one side meaning you can stick them anywhere you like in the tub! Fun and interesting and with an automatic shut off after 100 seconds the battery won’t run out easily either!
 
12m+, non replaceable batteries, priced at around £6 www.munchkin.com 
 

 
Presents for Little Ones:
 
HappyLand Goosefeather Farm
 
This farm really is exceptional value for money. It is a ‘big’ present without a ‘big’ price tag and the quality is superb! It’s also extremely hard wearing accepting kicks, tramples and bashing very gracefully! It comes with everything you need to play ‘farms’, Farmer and Mrs Shepherd, a barn, tractor and trailer, fencing, pig sty, pig, cow, sheep, dog, horse and chicken figures! As with all Happy Land characters, they are chunky and easy to hold. There are engaging animal noises and the toy provides ample opportunity for imaginative play. It’s worth mentioning that we have also played with one at our local playgroup and it shows no sign of wear and tear from constant use.
 
18m+, £19.99, www.elc.co.uk

Laugh and Learn Say Please Tea Set
 
This tea set is brilliant because it’s not delicate, can be played with by a baby as young as six months and then lasts for as long as your child is interested in making tea (a long time if you’re like I was as a child)! My only criticism is that it is very pink which does kind of deter buying the product for a little boy. Saying that, I do know a little lad who loves his and plays with it all the time so it’s not a definite no, no! It has a realistic pouring sound which makes little ones feel very grown up and in addition to role play provides other opportunities including problem solving with the cakes and plate shape sorter. It can also assist with teaching other skills such as numbers, greetings and opposites via songs and sounds. A lovely set at a nice price too!
 
 6-36m, £16.00 (includes 3aa batteries) www.fisher-price.com
 

 
Wooden Rings
 
Gorgeous classic wooden toy that is not only an interesting toy for both babies and toddlers (Florence is super pleased with herself when she stacks them up and even more so when she creates her own pattern and doesn’t follow convention – littlest one first for instance) but is also pleasing on the eye for adults too. I understand that little ones love the bright plastic toys which make noises but sometimes a bit of peace and quiet and something that doesn’t look too garish can be just as fun! This one is sturdy and brightly coloured without being too ‘in your face’. It’s a classic toy and one that all babies will love!
 
12m+, £10.00 www.elc.co.uk

 
 
Everything’s Rosie Sweet Dreams Rosie ‘n’ Raggles

Ahh Rosie! We’ve often sung along with the theme tune to the programme, it’s extremely catchy and now we have our very own Rosie to sing to us at bed time! The soft toy, just like the programme, is gentle and entertaining and even though she has sounds and will sing when you press her tummy, she is very quiet and soothing. She also has light up cheeks and her rabbit Raggles has a glow in the dark zip making them the perfect pair to take to bed if you’re little! For families like us, sleep training and trying to introduce self soothing and sleeping on your own, I think this Plush Rosie and Raggles is a great present for any toddler! It’s worth mentioning that even though Rosie is a dolly, she does come with her rabbit and girls and boys love this CBeebies programme so I’m sure it would appeal to either.
 
2+ £29.99 RRP (Batteries included)
 

 
Wooden Click Clack
 
Another classic wooden toy from The Early Learning Centre. A good, old fashioned toy that time tells is a winner! The advantage of buying from this particular brand is that they do know exactly what they are doing and this is why they are so successful. It comes with two cars which when you let them go at the top roll and flip down to the bottom. This provides endless entertainment and before we had this one to play with Florence would make a bee line for something similar when we were at play groups so I knew it was going to be popular. It’s strong and, like everything from ELC that I have seen, well made and nicely coloured. A definite must have toy!
 
12m+, £15.00 www.elc.co.uk
 

 
Roll ‘n Racers Spinnin’ Sounds Speedway
 
Wow! This is just absolutely fabby! Most toys of this ilk are not suitable for little ones which leaves them out a little bit when it comes to the really exciting and noisy toys. This one, however, is perfect for a 6 month old and upwards meaning it is great as a joint gift; babies and toddlers will love it equally. You pop one of the two cars provided at the start, bat, flip and watch them whizz round and round then come out the other end. It makes loads of noise which the children adore, has flashing lights and is fast and frenetic! Just what you need to entertain a couple of boisterous children. It also has beads to spin on the side for the littler ones and the cars make an appealing additional toy on their own too!
 
6m+, £38.00, requires 4 C (LR14) Alkaline batteries (not included).
www.fisher-price.com 
 

 
Something Fun for an Older One:
 
Tomy GX Buggy
 
How about this super remote control car to get your older children’s pulses racing? It can be used with up to nine other cars so friends can have races or playing solo you can learn some of its many tricks; believe me, they are hard! I’m sure the deft technical mind of an 8 year old will be far more superior at perfecting these tricks than mine but I still had fun giving them a go and even though we only had one car to trial, I actually enjoyed just whizzing it up and down! It’s SUPER fast and for such a tiny little thing you’ll be amazed! Switch between fast and slow, steer with the steering trim and use this as the ultimate stunt vehicle. Weighing just 42 grams it can perform its stunts, tricks, back flips, soldier flips and launches up to 85cm in the air. Being so small and light it is perfectly safe for indoor play and with a speed of 22kph, to scale equivalent a staggering 770kph, it leaves all other micro cars in the dust. According to my research it’s been an absolute hit in its native Japan and is bound to follow suit here.
 
8yrs+, charger requires 4x AA (LR6) batteries (not included), charger plugs into the car and a 20 minute charge will give 10 minutes running time. Controller requires2xAA Batteries (not included) Not suitable for children under 36m. www.tomy.co.uk 
 

 
Well that’s it for the gift guide until next week when I will be including some newborn treat ideas as well as some more firm favourites from our trials.
 
If I’ve given you the Christmas shopping bug then it will be worth knowing that at the moment the company Savvy Mummys are offering an exclusive Christmas Cracker of an offer, especially for Mums, with stocking fillers for just £1 to find out more read on!
 
Savvy Mummys, the daily deal site for mums, is helping mums to make merry this Christmas with a huge sale on stocking fillers. From socks to skipping ropes and Rubix cubes to crayons, Savvy Mummy members will be able to purchase each and every gift in the promotion for as little as £1!  Free to join, Savvy Mummy members receive exclusive access to daily deals – so you’ll never miss out. To become a Savvy Mummy member, sign-up for free at www.savvymummys.co.uk.
 
Specialists in sourcing the best deals both locally and nationally, the Savvy Mummys features a different offer every week in the run up for Christmas! The sales is now on!
Members can look forward to exclusive deals on all the must-have gifts for Christmas including

• Football Gripper Socks
• Juggling balls
• Toy story double ended crayons
• Glitter bounce ball
• Animal head skipping rope
• Christmas colouring carry case
• Mega Rocket Ball
• Make your own paper planes
• Mega Lolly contains 8 lollies
• Rubix Cube
• Wooden Yo Yo
• Toy story 6 piece eraser set
• My 3 pack hi bounce balls

 
Simply log on to www.savvymummys.co.uk to purchase a voucher for this years Christmas must-haves then redeem it online to receive your gift in time for the big day! What’s more, delivery is free to anywhere in the UK!
 

 
MY PREGNANCY DIARY WEEK 17
 
Pregnancy all going well this week. I had my 16 week check a few days before I reached 17 weeks and everything seems good. My lovely midwife, who is just fantastic, reassured me about my results from the 12 week scan and listened to the baby’s heart beat which is always reassuring to hear. I had started to worry again about the 1 in 4,100 result from the Downs Syndrome screening. Everyone I speak to seems to have a much higher number even if they’re a lot older than me and with Florence it was 1 in 32,000 so it has played on my mind from time to time. The midwife told me that my result, although not as remote as last time is still very good odds and that they would consider it very low risk. She said they would only be truly concerned if it was 1 in 150 which is good to know. I do worry about everything and she knows this so is very kind and gentle with me. She brought a student with her so having two of them giving me their same opinion left me feeling far happier. I have put on only a couple of pounds so far which is also good news! I appreciate I was still a stone over what I was before I had Florence when I fell pregnant this time so I’m incredibly grateful not to be piling on the pounds so far… There’s still time though I guess, but fingers crossed! The thing is that even though usually I can eat for Britain, I’m just not as hungry this time round – I’m not complaining believe me! Even though I’ve not gained much weight I am showing quite substantially. With Florence I put on weight but didn’t look pregnant until I was about 26 weeks or even further meaning I just looked fat, but this time, thankfully, I seem to be showing in my tummy and have not got lardier anywhere else, long may it reign!
 
Because my tummy is definitely getting bigger I have had to readjust my wardrobe somewhat and I have been loving wearing my striped scoop neck jersey top from Crave Maternity. It fits perfectly and makes me feel really womanly and lovely and it’s so flattering. When I took it out of the box it came in it looked really good but it’s wasn’t until I actually put it on that I realised quite how lovely it really is. The scoop neck is sewn in a way which then lets the material float out over your tummy, getting tighter again at the bottom making it look great with either jeans or a skirt. It also has ruching at the sides to accommodate your growing baby bump while still maintaining a flattering line. Being 96% Viscose and 4% Elastane, it is stretchy and soft and feels lovely on the skin which for me, is now feeling tight and often itchy, so something soft is just what I need! I don’t know what it is, because usually horizontal stripes are such a fashion faux pas if you’re anything over a size 6 but it just works. I loved wearing stripes last time I was pregnant and think for the pregnant figure they’re just uncharacteristically right! I have realised that I am wearing this top far too much and must wear it less often but it really does go with everything and I absolutely adore it! It washes super well and dries really quickly and I would imagine will be great post pregnancy too. As I am STILL breast feeding Florence, I have on the odd occasion when I let her have some in the day time, found it really easy to get access via the scoop neck. Great top and great value as its lasting potential for beyond pregnancy is wonderful! It’s great to find an item that will work for both pregnancy and breast feeding and for this reason, amongst everything else I’ve talked about, it has to be my ‘Pregnancy Product of the Week’! It’s worth knowing that Crave Maternity are offering a fantastic 20% off when you spend £75 or more before midday on 30^th November when using the code NOV20P at the checkout.
 
£46, Sizes 8 – 20, www.cravematernity.co.uk
 

Looking forward to another busy week and getting closer to Christmas!
 
(All opinions and words, apart from those in green, are my own. I have not been paid for this article although I did receive some products to keep after I had reviewed them.)