Christmas

The Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel Recommended by Anne Fine, author of Madame Doubtfire, Goggle Eyes and Flour Babies The Frog and Toad books are perfect gifts. Children of three to five adore these wry, intelligent and gentle stories about two very different friends. Frog is patient and modest. Toad is not. But together they face the problems any child will recognise: ice‑creams that melt too fast, an overpowering inability to get out of bed, lost buttons, failure of will power, and all the myriad misunderstandings, anxieties and triumphs of small busy lives. The illustrations are a restful, greeny-brown delight. There’s nothing brash and cartoony about these stories. Though written as simply as fables, the wry humour makes them appeal to a wide age range. No adult I know ever tires of reading them aloud. I’ve seen grown men reduced to tears of laughter by Frog and Toad’s confusions. Crongton Knights by Alex Wheatle Recommended by Nick Shaw, English … [Read more...] about Authors and teachers pick a children’s book for Christmas

Your Christmas tree could be harbouring hundreds of bugs - as some festive fans have discovered to their horror. People are being urged to look for brown, hard walnut-sized lumps, which look like pine cones, as they may in fact be a sac of 100-200 praying mantis eggs. The lumps are usually found on the end of branches and your toasty living room is the prime environment for the critters to hatch. Molly Kreuze, from Springfield, Virginia in the US, was stunned to find her Christmas tree had smuggled hundreds of bugs into her home. She found them crawling up her walls, ceilings and even in her bathroom and bedroom. “They’re fast. They jump,” she said. To catch the bugs, veterinarian Molly used a box and an envelope, as well as feeding them fruit flies before they were removed from her home. “In my Googling, I discovered that people really like praying mantises,” she said. “They are useful, they eat other bugs. People use them for organic … [Read more...] about Bin your Christmas tree immediately if you spot brown walnut-sized clump

Jackie O Henderson hired a professional 'tree stylist' to decorate her daughter's mermaid-inspired Christmas tree.  The 44-year-old KIIS FM host took to Instagram on Friday to show off the small-but-elaborate blue, silver and purple showpiece.       'Loving our new mermaid Christmas tree this year,' Jackie wrote in her caption, alongside a photo of her daughter Catalina 'Kitty' Henderson, eight, with the tree.  That's different! Jackie 'O' Henderson hired a professional tree stylist to create a mermaid-inspired Christmas for her daughter Kitty, 8 (pictured) and shared a snap of the results to Instagram on Friday  'Thanks to Alana from Dancer and Dasher for the install.  At night it is even more spectacular.  RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next 'So proud of the girl you are': Jackie 'O' Henderson shares... 'The best gift ever!' The moment a young couple WIN a... Instagram star and Kyle and Jackie O … [Read more...] about That’s different! Jackie ‘O’ Henderson hires a professional tree stylist to create a mermaid-inspired Christmas for her daughter Kitty, eight

Still have Christmas shopping to do? You're in luck, as Disney has slashed prices across a huge range of products for babies, children and adults on its shopDisney online store - and prices start at just £5.59. Everything from toys to homeware has been marked down in the seasonal sale, with discounts of up to 50%. There are some adorable outfits for babies are among the discounted items - including the Minnie Mouse baby dress, down from £22 to £11. Shoppers can also stock up on Christmas tree decorations inspired by popular Disney characters, such as Frozen's Elsa and Mickey Mouse, at great prices. There's free delivery on orders over £50, or you can pay £3.95 if you're shopping haul is less. Shop our top picks below. Mickey and Minnie Holiday Cheer Christmas Sack - £15.49 (was £31) Young children will love the idea of Santa leaving them behind this delightful sack on Christmas Eve. It boasts a fluffy trim and appliqué artwork with embroidered … [Read more...] about Disney slash the price of toys, clothing and homeware in huge Christmas sale

ARGUABLY you can't have Christmas dinner without Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets - but now Greene King pubs has combined the two for its new festive menu. The pub chain's "Jingle Bells Hound" dish sees two giant pigs in blankets wrapped in large Yorkshire puddings. On the side are roast potatoes topped with more chopped pigs in blankets - because you can't get enough - with crumbled stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a boozy cheese sauce. If that wasn't enough, there's a jug of gravy to wash it all down with. Greene King has also introduced a limited edition festive wings challenge featuring two kilograms of crispy chicken wings, topped with chopped pigs in blankets, crumbled stuffing, boozy cheese sauce and cranberry sauce. The dishes are both being served at Greene King's 141 Flaming Grill pubs around the UK.Prices start from £12.99 although they do vary by location, so check with your local first. Given they're on the large side you could share the dish with friends, or … [Read more...] about Greene King pubs launch GIANT pigs in blankets wrapped in Yorkshire puddings for Christmas