If your child is anything like mine, they are a magpie and delight in anything sparkly or shiny! Since she started ballet and tap class back in September she has adored having her hair styled in different ways for dance and much more in every day life now too, so I’ve bought a couple of these amazing Beaded Hair pins which once I have popped her hair into a bun, pony tail or pile of curls, just slots in without any fuss and stays there all day. Plus obviously they are oh so shiny and come in loads of colours. There are also some gorgeous hair slides too for older girls, teens and of course us mums too!
Shop Kerrie Davis Jewllery Here
Grab a friend and get ready to experience a NERF laser battle like never before! The NERF LASER OPS PRO ALPHAPOINT 2-PACK blaster gives players everything needed to face off in an epic head-to-head laser battle. Firing a single-shot IR burst, players can select to face off in teams or in a free-for-all as they send an unlimited supply of shots at opponents using the quick-reload button to replenish the supply at any time. Light and sound effect will notify players when they have been hit, while lights on the back of the blaster display current health status and ammo capacity so you never miss a beat. Players can amp up their laser battles with the NERF LASER OPS app by using the included armbands to attach a smartphone device (not included) to their arms. Use the app to access real-time battle intel allowing players to customize the blasters, track their performance, earn power-ups, and locate opponents during battle. NERF LASER OPS PRO ALPHAPOINT 2-PACK includes two blasters and two armbands. Requires 8 “AA” alkaline batteries, not included
Buy Nerf Laser Ops Pro Alphapoint here
FURREAL RICKY, THE TRICK-LOVIN’ PUP is the ultimate BFF companion for kids who will have a blast showing off his cool tricks to family and friends. Kids can help this clever pup to do fun tricks, from flipping his bone, to shaking “paws”, and even shuffling eagerly for more! Feed him treats to reward him for his tricks, or pet his back for a job well done, but be careful…he might need a bathroom break! This adorable pup responds to sound and touch with 100+ sound and motion combinations, and features sensors on his cheeks, nose, mouth, paw and back making interactions with this talented pup awesome! After a day full of fun, FURREAL RICKY, THE TRICK-LOVIN’ PUP pet loves to cuddle and give great doggie licks. His poseable legs make him the perfect pup for endless snuggles! RICKY, THE TRICK-LOVIN’ PUP pet includes a bone accessory, 18 doggie treats, and a treat pouch.
You scream, I scream, we all scream for PLAY-DOH ice cream! For the first time, kids can simultaneously create two soft serve PLAY-DOH ice cream swirls with the PLAY-DOH KITCHEN CREATIONS ULTIMATE SWIRL ICE CREAM MAKER set! Press down on the handle to fill the cones and dishes with magnificent PLAY-DOH ice cream combinations. Then serve it your way by adding a colourful addition to each creation with the whipped cream station, topping molds, and sprinkle maker! The PLAY-DOH KITCHEN CREATIONS ULTIMATE SWIRL ICE CREAM MAKER set includes ice cream playset, 6 cones, 4 spoons, 5 dishes, 2 recipe cards and 6 standard cans of PLAY-DOH compound.
Buy the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations here!
What can you get away with? In this updated version of the classic MONOPOLY game, players are permitted to bend the rules and “cheat to win” as they travel across the gameboard in an effort to own it all! For the first time, “borrowing” money from the bank, skipping spaces, and avoiding rent are welcomed in this hilarious version of the iconic MONOPOLY game. Complete the “cheats” as assigned by the game and get a reward, but get caught and you’ll pay the consequences! Pretend handcuffs will leave offenders “chained” to the board until they are released.
Buy Monopoly Cheaters Edition now!
The hilarious Crazy Blender game lets players test their luck as each fruit card is put into the blender! Players take turns feeding the blender matching fruit cards. The blender will randomly spit cards back out, the game ends when a player has no more cards! I am so looking forward to having a game to play with Alyssa as a lot of board games she simply can’t do so it is nice to have one for her age that we can play all together!
Buy Little Tikes Fruit Blender Here
When I was a kid I remember that every single year my mum would ask me what my favourite current TV show, singer or band was and sure enough under the tree each year would be a calendar to pop on my wall. I may not have used it much as a calendar but I always looked forward to having it because I loved seeing the new picture… especially if it was the latest good looking boy band. Times haven’t changed all that much, except that the calendars have gotten bigger, brighter and better than ever. I took a look around and found Danilo who do the most amazing Paw Patrol calendar which Alyssa will love as it even has activities inside. We also have a few older children in the family who are total Potterheads (yup, counting myself in that) and Danilo have the most gorgeous Collectors Gift Set which has a wall calendar, diary and pen in a collectors box – perfect for all of us magical fans. They have every character, brand, band, show you can think of so take a look!
Shop Danilo Calendars and Diaries now!
Like playing games but don’t like waiting around for your turn? With Smart Ass, you don’t have to wait! This is a game all about shouting out and having fun. In the quick-fire game, each question has 10 clues and the first player to shout out the correct answer wins the round. Could you be the ‘Ultimate Smart Ass’? This is perfect for our family as we all think we know the answer to everything!
You know when you’re a child and you read a book that you remember for the rest of your life? I was fortunate enough to have loads of them and was an avid reader. One of my favourites and actually one I still enjoy today as an adult is Roald Dahl. My copies of Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr. Fox were thumbed to within an inch of their lives and obviously my sister and I adored sitting there watching the movies too…to this day I am still scared of The Witches and find it really tough to watch. So I am bringing a touch of nostalgia to my gifts this year by including presents from the amazing Roald Dahl Story Company. Did you know they teamed up with Rococo to make a Chocolate Story Library with specially created flavours from all the classics including “Bruce Bogtrotter’s Chocolate Fudge Cake Dark Chocolate Bar” and many more. For those without a sweet tooth, they have also teamed up with Bloom and Blossom to create some magical smellies including “Matilda’s Bath, Book & Bedtime gift set” which includes a special edition of the story with an unread chapter! So many gifts to choose from… I must remember they aren’t for me!
Shop The Roald Dahl Story Company now!
I think I am just going majorly nostalgic this year because I am loving some of things they have on offer. Were you one of those kids who played practical jokes or tried your hand at magic as a kid? My sister and I were. We learnt how to change the colour of a plastic coin, offered snapping gum to unsuspecting family members and even managed to get a hold of a pretty realistic looking fake poop and of course we thought we were hilarious… cos we were! Well, it looks like with the rise of Harry Potter and the return of many 80s and 90s trends this year, practical jokes and magic tricks are back in the form of Box of Shocks! It’s a collection of some of the most shocking tricks and practical jokes all in one box including squirting ketchup on your friends and drawing on clothes without leaving a mark. Guaranteed to make your audience, or victims depending on how you look at it, gasp!
Continuing on with the Harry Potter theme, those that follow me will know I am a huge Potter fan and I am not the only one in the family, there are a few of us. A couple of months back we were at the opening of the Order of the Phoenix exhibition at the Warner Bros. Studios and I have read the books a bajillion times already and plan to read them probably a bajillion times more. You either love it or you don’t and we LOVE IT! So, I thought these amazing Harry Potter Training Wands would be perfect! It teaches you how to cast 11 of the most iconic spells from the story and the wand can actually detect the users motion. It has 5 different play modes to practice, duel friends or even ZAP opponents when playing Wizard’s Tag. I’d recommend buying at least 2 and letting the fun commence!
Buy Harry Potter Training Wands now!
I am actually starting to think that if you sliced me open, instead of blood running through my veins you’d see Tinkerbell’s fairy dust and the words from each and every Disney song and film. I can’t help it… I love it and it would seem I have passed on my love to Alyssa. If you’ve seen us on Facebook and Instagram you’ll have enjoyed videos of using singing songs together from Frozen, Tangled and Moana and I am now starting to get her into the classics. One such classic is The Little Mermaid and so when I saw the amazing Sing and Sparkle Ariel I knew that this would make an amazing gift for Alyssa this Christmas. Her tail is holographic and when you rotate it you can see the glitter floating and when it goes underwater it makes the most amazing spectacle. If you press her necklace she also says key phrases and sings which Alyssa will love now that she is learning all the words and songs too. Looking forward to being under the sea with Ariel this Christmas.
Buy Sing and Sparkle Ariel now!
I always try and look for new companies to buy from each year for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, if there is something I need to get from my favourite brands, I have no problem getting it but I do think it is nice to step out of our comfort zones and find different brands and in turn toys for our little ones. I had never heard of Mudpuppy or Crocodile Creek but I was delighted when I came across them. I got a beautiful little Animal Memory Match game for Alyssa’s stocking and a beautiful Rose Princess Floor Puzzle that she will absolutely adore and will help to stretch her mind too – can’t wait!
My daughter has never fit into a box of what she likes to play with. She’s never fit into a stereotypical box either – she may be girly and adore all things pink and sparkly but she has no qualms about getting muddy, pretending to be a dinosaur and going on adventures. Nothing will stop her. Something like the My First Scalextric which is suitable for ages 3+ is perfect for boys AND girls especially those who like fast cars, excitement and a little healthy competition. Super easy to assemble, easy to use and responsive with the lightest of touches, I cannot wait to set it up and race her on Christmas day!
OKIDO is a monthly art and science publication for young children, building the next generation of scientists through creativity, discovery and lots of fun. It is also now a popular TV show on Cbeebies too and Alyssa is a huge fan. We actually knew about the TV show before I knew the magazine even existed. Now thanks to my blogging life, my little one loves each day when the postman arrives. Currently she likes it less because she cannot see what’s in the parcels but she still loves opening the door to the delivery men each day…yes it is each day but Sunday! So, when I found out I could get her an Okido magazine subscription I thought it would be a great gift to get her that will last all year long and also give her some mail of her own!
Shop for an Okido Subscription now!
Now, I don’t know if you have noticed but thus far I have stayed away from anything too technological or computerish – I have no problem with them at all, but I think perhaps because I spend all the hours in the day (and night) working on them I kind of don’t always think of them as gifts… but they are. I am a closet gamer, or I would be if I had time to play ANYTHING anymore but it seems to be a trait within your family because they all, even Nonna, play some game or other. Now Rowan absolutely loves his Nintendo Switch and at times it is hard to tell where he ends and the switch begins… funnily enough, my other half has one too! I thought a switch was just a switch but now there’s Nintendo Labo which can make them so much more. These are the most amazing cardboard construction kits that can turn your switch into a piano, a crane, a fishing rod or even a virtual reality style robot that you wear! Incredibly cool and going to be an amazing surprise for Rowan this Christmas…. got to try and convince the other half NOT to cry about not getting one!
I don’t know about you but I LOVED the Tv show Robot Wars when I was a kid. It was great to see the robots the teams had come up with and even better to watch them totally destroyed. Some of the capabilities and weapons on the robots were insane and made for great viewing. Rowan was super excited when he discovered that Hexbugs had teamed up with Robot Wars which has made a bit of a come back to make some pretty cool new toys. You all saw our video review of the Hexbugs Nano Discovery Station well you haven’t seen anything yet! You can actually get a Robot Wars arena and then these amazing Hexbugs Head to Head battle robots to compete with. Probably a little less messy than the original TV show but it’s still going to make for hours of amazing fun. I can’t wait for Rowan to open them so we can battle… if one of the boys doesn’t beat me to it first!
You know how when a baby is born they almost have a kind of theme to their room/life for the first few months/years or so. My baby shower had a tutu theme (hence the blog name) and Alyssa has always owned a minimum of 2 tutu skirted outfits at any one time. My mum even found her one in a preemie size right after she was born and man did she look cute. Well, a popular theme for a baby’s room and their toys when they are born is Winnie the Pooh and this is exactly what Lily Bean had/has from curtains to bed spread to toys and more. The old school Winnie the Pooh is so cute and she has really grown to love all of the characters. So when Hallmark told me they were bringing out new Itty Bittys which were Winnie the Pooh themed, how could I not grab the set for Lily for Christmas. They are tiny little cuddly toys, perfect for little hands and they have beanie bums meaning they can sit up and are slightly weighted meaning you can stand them up to. I cannot wait to see her face on Christmas morning.
Shop for Hallmark Itty Bittys now!
One thing that is part of our everyday routine is that we always read a book at bedtime. We go into her room, get her snuggled in and then we choose a book and read it together – someone, not naming any names, often adds her own little twists but then that’s what an imagination is for. She really does love stories so why wouldn’t I get her a whole host of new books in time for Christmas and I did that buy looking on The Book People. They have so many books for kids and it’s really easy to search through. I got some books we have never heard of, sets of books and a set from one of her favourite TV shows too.
Shop for Children’s Books with The Book People
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