MUMS JUST LOVE! 

The Best recommended products for Mums!

Illustrate My Name now feature in the mumsjustlove product directory.  mumsjustlove.com find the best products, retailers and offers online for mums and their little ones. everything promoted on the site is hand-picked by their editorial team, no listings are paid for which means they are really showcasing the best! 

We are thrilled to be part of the mumsjustlove range! 

We put the 'Yummy Mummy Factor' into our local event in Oxfordshire!

Are you a Yummy Mummy? Do you like everything Yummy? We sure do, so look our for future Yummy Mummy events coming soon in Oxfordshire and to the web!

Pictured above from left to right: 

Laura Hardwick of Choochee Comforts and Jodie Gaul of Illustrate My Name. Photography by Studio 8 Photography

Myself and a very good friend, Laura Hardwick worked extremely hard in organising and promoting the recent 'Yummy Mummies' event which took place in Oxfordshire on 26th March 2009. We were lucky enough to get some great press coverage locally prior to the event and with our own hands promoted the event around West Oxfordshire to get as many mummies through the doors. The event was held between 10am till 2pm, allowing mums of older children to come along while their children were at school and the younger children to enjoy the crafts we had on offer!

We had a huge table for easter crafts, ranging from easter cards to easter puppets and more, as well as The Pottery Place attending which allowed the children to paint easter cups and more. I am so please The Pottery Place are designing a selection of exclusive ceramic products from cutlery sets to name plaques, all made exclusively for Illustrate My Name. 

As this was our first event, myself and Laura were delighted to see a huge amount of people come through the doors, who not only enjoyed our own products, including personalised children's gifts and toys. A selection made by our very own hands, but also on the day visitors got to enjoy health care products from Forever Living; fair trade jewellery and accessories from Sago Jago and much more. It was great to have Studio 8 Photography at the event, they displayed a range of their contemporary family photography and also took photos on the day. The venue we chose was Carterton Community Centre which is a brand new purpose built community hall, with its own cafe area, we received lots of positive feedback from the day about the event and the venue itself. Our next events our in the pipeline, we are hoping for a 'Summer Yummy Mummy' event and a 'Winter Yummy Mummy' event so we will keep you posted.

YUMMY MUMMY BLOG - Coming soon will be our very own Yummy Mummy Blog bought to you by myself and Laura Hardwick, working together for all you yummy mummies out their who love everything 'yummy'! Lots of treats and tips coming soon from great ways to prepare your body for summer to places to enjoy just with your friends, perhaps a lunch out or a day at a spa. We all need some time out from the children, but of course we will also bring to you adorable treats and gifts for the children.

MORE NEWS - Not only have we exclusive gifts from The Pottery Place coming soon to Illustrate My Name, we are delighted Precious Parcels, who produce beautiful handmade gift and decorative treats are supplying us a selection of their adorable gifts to add to our store, with thanks to Natalie Hickey. 

Christening Season is Here!

With Spring in the air here at Illustrate My Name, it puts a smile on our faces to know that the most popular times for christenings has arrived! From now until late September there is an evident trend that people decide to have their child's christenings, its always nicer when the sun is shining, or should we say when we expect the sun to be shining and garden parties and outside parties are becoming more popular. Within this extensive marketplace we love bringing beautiful Personalised Christenings Gifts to your fingertips! 

Having been trading now for over 3 years,  we have seen a common trend in sales for Christenings between these months. What with the current financial climate on top of us all, we are becoming more and more selective of what we spend our pennies on! Thats why we pride ourselves with bringing to you such a wide selection of gifts handmade in the UK by talented individuals and businesses selling through our site. Some of which start at only £10 so something for everybody's pocket in these difficult times.

Not to mention as an individual, I myself began Illustrate My Name from illustrating a piece of art for my son's nursery, 3 years on my very own Illustrated Framed Names are our biggest seller and very well received by our customers. This is why we have been searching for something else for our customers, something that doesn't cost anything, is absolutely free and also lots and lots of fun.....I had the idea back in 2006 but as you can imagine, running the business, bringing up my son, then having my second son and not to mention all the other things.......

So now we are delighted to be working on a new BABY NAME GENERATOR APPLICATION which will soon be available to use within our site. You will be able to search the alphabet for any name and find out the meaning of the name and the country of origin. Its will be something nice for 'mums to be' when looking for some different or unusual names and also for all of us with little ones already. Although lots of these generators are on offer on the web, at least we will be a one stop shop to use applications such as this and also buy beautiful gifts, so we really hope you will continue coming back to see what we can offer you.

The amount of people who don't even know what their own name means! Are you one of them? Well soon we will have this great application for you to come and use, and of course tell your friends about! You will be able to search our database and find almost any name! Please bear with us we will keep you posted, it will arrive soon :o)

With Easter here I must get back to my beautiful boys, come back soon.

DAY FIVE - Personalised Children's Bunting

Half way there on bringing to you the Top Ten gift ideas for personalised gifts for children and babies! Today's feature is Personalised Bunting, from letter bunting to beautiful hand knitted bunting, there are so many types of personalised bunting out there to choose from. Not just your ordinary bunting from high street stores, but lets find something unique and different that cannot be found everywhere. 

Add that extra special touch to any child's bedroom or playroom, or even a great piece to use in the garden when entertaining for someone's birthday (pictured above). With some adorable bunting handmade in the UK you can't go wrong. Why not be creative and give it a go by making your own!

The Easiest Way to Make Fabric Bunting

You can make fabric bunting using scraps of left over fabric, perhaps some adorable pieces of your children's old clothes (recycling stuff you would usually throw away) or an alternative is cheap cotton sheeting - a small amount really goes a long way if cut very carefully! For lasting bunting use pinking shears to cut out your triangles, then either use the drinking straw sewing method or sew a simple channel in the top of each flag.  An easy to make guide can be found here.

or Get Creative with Knitting

Enjoy some creative time and perhaps if you have younger children you can teach them to knit, I remember so well my grandma teaching me and I still know how, its a special memory of mine! If you can knit then help your little one knit some little triangles and neatly piece together with some wool. Some lovely handmade knitted bunting all made by yourself to give as an easter gift or birthday gift for anybody to keep. We have an adorable range to offer but also believe its fun to get creative and have a go yourself, like I said a memory of mine that will never be forgotten, give your little ones some 'making' memories to cherish.

Our Personalised Knitted Bunting range as seen below really is delighful if you want to impress. 

Please visit us tomorrow for another entry into the TOP TEN personalised gifts for children and babies. As well as bringing to you adorable gifts, as an illustrator and designer I love bringing you ideas and simple ways to make beautiful things, with a personalised touch! During the easter holidays we all need some creative ideas so keep coming back for more.

DAY FOUR of the Best Personalised Gifts for Children and Babies!

Its a real quick one today as I have lots of preparing to do for my little one's 4th birthday next week, how time flies by! It was 3 years ago now when Illustrate My Name was started by myself and now my little boy is turning 4, a moment of inspiration for some art for his bedroom and now 3 years on we are bringing to you an array of personalised children's gifts as well as our exclusive Illustrated Name Art produced by my very own hand.

So today our feature is Personalised Children's Ceramics, why not take your child out for the morning or afternoon to a ceramic centre in your local area and have fun some and come away with a beautiful ceramic piece to keep! We will soon be bringing personalised 'Exclusive' ceramics to our site but until then have some fun with your little ones! Its easter so go and paint beautiful egg cups or duck ceramics and give as gifts to your family, what more could someone receive than something handmade from their grandchild or child! 

Come back tomorrow for DAY FIVE of our TOP TEN personalised baby gifts and personalised children's gifts!

DAY THREE of the Best Personalised Gifts for Children and Babies

Today we are featuring Personalised Greeting Cards as one of the top ten personalised children's and personalised baby gifts you can buy! Obviously its not a gift in itself, but why not choose an adorable handmade personalised card and buy a frame to go with it, then the child has a beautiful card to display on their special day as well as framing it to make a piece of art for their bedroom or playroom! 

 

Personalised Fabric Initial Cards Only £2.50 each

We are about to launch our EXCLUSIVE range of handmade personalised greeting cards (as seen above), all lovingly made by our own hands here at Illustrate My Name. Our cards feature beautiful fabric and felt letters, with beads and embroidery on a plain white card, very contemporary and could be used for any purpose not just greeting cards. 

Personalised New Baby Card -  A beautiful baby arrives what better card to receive than the babies initial, it will sure make pride of place in their keepsake box! 

As these are being lovingly handmade, please bear with us to get them online, with the full alphabet, so which ever initial, boy or girl design you will be able to see before you buy!

These cards plus more designs will sit alongside our delightful range of children's invitations, thank you cards and baby announcement cards we already offer. We will keep you informed of when these are live on our site, but for as little as £2.50 per card, what a bargain! Leaving you more to spend on indulging in a really special picture frame to accompany your card, all wrapped in some beautiful coloured tissue paper and sealed with a giant bow and ribbons, it couldn't be easier to impress a little one! If you are interested already then just CONTACT US.

We feel something handmade and personalised is a beautiful gift or special way to say thank you! Why not get creative and try making some cards yourself! It really is lovely to just play around with craft and fabrics and design your own thing, grab some quiet time if you can and have a go - The best place to go is Hobbycraft  as its got everything you could want at such reasonable prices. 

Have fun getting creative and don't forget to come back tomorrow for another personalised gift idea which has made our top ten personalised gifts for children and babies!

DAY TWO of the Best Personalised Gifts for Children and Babies

Today we are featuring Personalised Children's Cushions as one of the top ten personalised children's and personalised baby gifts you can buy! But lets not forget we all want something that you can't find everywhere, something not on the high street! We are pleased to bring to you a selection of adorable personalised cushions that really are different in lots of design choices.

Whether it be an initial or the child's full name, cushions are great, suitable for all bedrooms and can grow up with your little one so really can be treasured! Even our letter cushions are soft enough to cuddle, and the giant ones really make an impression in any child's bedroom.

Children grow up so fast so why not choose them a gift which can last and has so many uses! Whether you dress your child's bed with lots of scatter cushions and then a real statement cushion which is personalised; or place on a shelf, or hang our hanging cushions on a hook. My favourite thing is placing a beautiful cushion on my grandma's old rocking chair, a real centerpiece in the nursery! 

Please come back tomorrow for another personalised gift idea which has made our Top Ten Personalised Gifts for your little ones.

Top 10 Personalised Gifts for Children - The Best Personalised Baby Gifts

When looking for personalised gifts for children and babies we must remember why. The dictionary states that 'Personalised' means: made for, to a particular individual, make personal or more personal than usual. 

We also believe personalised should be to treasure thats why over the next 10 days we will bring to you ten of the best personalised children's and baby gifts. Our first entry has to be the one and only:

Personalised Children's Art - Whether it is a framed piece of artwork, a canvas or embroidered artwork; personalised art for children is something so intricate and timeless, which is why we have featured it as our number one today for a child or baby personalised gift to treasure. 

Something to remember, if its been created or made by someone special, for example Mummy makes them a piece of art using fabrics or Grandma sews them a piece of art, it has that extra special appeal and is priceless!

We are happy to bring to you some of the best in Personalised Children's Art that have all been lovingly made by hand in the UK by extremely talented individuals. Below are our Fabric Name Pictures which are so beautiful for only £30.00.

ILLUSTRATE MY NAME prides itself in bringing to you the very best in personalised children's and personalised baby gifts. Please come back tomorrow for another suggestion of a personalised gift which will really impress!

Personalised Easter Bunnies are a great Children's Easter Gift! 

Soon to be featured at Illustrate My Name, what a beautiful substitute to the traditional Easter Egg! Its so evident that we are trying to gear our children away from eating too much of the wrong foods, too many chocolate and sweets just are not right, not the best easter gift and surely something we need to change when thinking of Easter Gifts for children?!?!?

The future we may have found - this beautiful easter bunny, personalised with your child's name, available in pink or neutral, is a must have! Visit us soon to purchase yours!

The Very Best Children's Personalised Gifts - Where are they?

Adorable Lavender Name Stars just £23.00 - Coming Soon! 

I think from being in the business now for over 3 years, its apparent that there is a lot of personalised gifts and products available which are flooding the market; products which are appearing on every website going. Its a real shame that such adorable products are appearing everywhere online! This is making certain products less appealing to people looking for that 'different' gift, a gift which will impress! 

The question is 'I want to find something that isn't on the high street, on the average baby/children's store; something that really has that 'wow' factor, can you help?' 

Its also clear in the current economic climate that people also seek affordable gifts, and although we have recently launched a 'Premium Gifts' section (which has been put in place due to customer demand for something to impress!), we do also have a great range of gifts for Under £20 or within this reasonable price range! 

Here at Illustrate My Name we will answer all your needs, we are passionate about maintaining a baby and children's store of superb quality, of which the majority of our products are hand-made in the UK by mummy's like myself. 

I began Illustrate My Name specialising in just my own Illustrated Name Art, now my site has an adorable range of products for any occasion! I remember first being approached by an online store wanting to stock my product, it really was fulfilling to get approached like this, and now I am the one approaching people who are producing personalised products of the same intricacy and appeal to sit alongside my very own product at Illustrate My Name! 

We are keen to hear feedback from customers, visitors to our store and any one who has any comments about what we are offering, what you would like to see. We really do take our customers comments in to account, and we do hope you will visit us soon! Especially if someone special has just entered the world ..... a new baby needs something to Treasure! 

Alternative Therapies for Jade Goody

The recent media coverage over Jade Goody's condition really brings to life the faith that individuals can have in alternative medicine and therapies. I am a true believer in anything natural and alternative, having had experience of being treated by these means for problems such as back problems after labour and panic attacks; it really is a breath of fresh air to recently read that Jade has been taking this route in her stages of such an awful illness. Even if to extend a persons life expectancy when suffering from cancer, or give the person hope, natural means sometimes can help your body fight and recover better than anything.

Acupuncture, osteopathy, cranio-sacral therapy are just some of the many natural routes you will find at a natural healthcare clinic. These means focus on major parts of your body to help fight certain conditions and illnesses. Its believed children with hyper activity problems and cerebral palsy have benefited from cranio sacral. 

I must admit my heart goes out to Jade Goody and her family, I think every mother, and women of her age will sit and feel so much for what they are all going through. Being a mummy to my two children really brings to life how precious life is. 

Why not treat your little one to an adorable gift from my website, not for any reason just to spoil your precious little ones:

http://www.illustratemyname.com

Please come back soon as adding useful information and blogs daily :o)

Kind Words of Thank You!

Its very important to maintain a quality image amongst our customers, thats why when we are personally thanked it really does make our day!

Margaret Paterson recently sent this thank you card above to us, which we would like to share with you her kind words in regards to her recent www.illustratemyname.com purchase.

'Dear Jodie, Just a little note to say thank you for the beautiful frame you made for our Goddaughter Sophia - we are delighted with it. Having shown it to many friends, I'm sure you will be kept busy over the years. Thanks again Margaret Paterson P.S It arrived at 7.30am Sat morning - fab service!!'

Please visit www.illustratemyname.com to see how we can produce a personalised gift for you.

Christening Gift Ideas - For Godparents to be!

Christening- Baptism - Naming Day

Whatever the occassion there are various gifts you could choose from, here are some ideas to make your gift extra special! We all search endlessly, and admitedly leave it till the last minute:
What is the best gift to celebrate the child's birth and life?

Some things to consider:

1. We strive for a gift which can be cherished, treasured and will remain with the child as they grow. Although special, its becomming more common that gone are the days of silver this and that, most of it ends up in a box until the child is older and then is shown its christening gifts. What child as it grows up wants silver money boxes and silver birth certificate holders on their shelves? Instead we need to consider something which will be able to last a little longer and perhaps not age! As does so many of the 'silver' christening gifts in our shops today.

2. Nowadays parents are much more conscious about their baby/childs bedroom/nursery, the way they decorate will depend on their chosen theme. Princesses, Nautical, Neutrals, the list goes on, bear in mind you may buy something you feel will look nice, but it could well stick out like a sore thumb their chosen theme. Perhaps ask the parents what their theme is, at least then you can buy something that will be perfect for them!

3. Personalised gifts seem to be major sellers now for christening, naming day and baptism celebrations. Search for a gift that will be personalised but still bear in mind the factors above. Something contemporary, and stylish, something that will last! There are so many products which are personalised but so 'tacky' and surely its better to buy something that will make the parents smile than say, "that can go in the loft!"

4. Once you have the perfect gift, add that extra special touch by making your own card! We all say it, and then time becomes the better of us and we rush down the shop and buy a 'normal' card! It really doesn't take that long to perhaps print a small picture of the child, black and white always look real stylish for something like this and place it on a card, with perhaps a ribbon or some words like below:

'I am so very special, I have been from the start. Before they held me in their arms, my family held me in their hearts. And like a single drop of rain that on still waters fall, my life and love will ripple, make and touch the lives of all.'

Just search the web and find something, type in christening poems or rhymes, its so simple but so special for the parents and the child when it grows to read and see what effort you made!

5. The quickest and easiest answer to all the above, let www.illustratemyname.com do the work, not only do we hold a christening theme, featuring intricately illustrated bibles, crosses, doves and baby booties, we also have various other themes to suit the child you are buying for from princesses/faires through to toys & games! Visit us www.illustratemyname.com see how we can answer all the above in one perfect gift!

Remember its a celebration of life, make sure YOUR gift is a celebration in itself!

www.illustratemyname.com

NEW PRODUCT RANGE

Children's Invitations, Christening Invitations, Thank You Cards and Baby Announcements now available online at www.illustratemyname.com

Get that Beautiful Summer Look! EARLY

With the warm weather approaching fast, and the thought of shorts and vest tops appearing out of the closet, its time to do a few quick things to perk up the way you look and feel, get that sunkissed feeling NOW!

1) EXFOLIATE - Make sure you do a full body exfoliation, best once a week, but if not time, then once a month should be fine. Get a body scrub pack and spend some time pampering yourself, get your partner or close friend to do your back, its important you don't forget that. Once exfoliated, use some extra special body cream to really make you feel special.

2) SPOIL YOURSELF - Pedicure and Manicure! Either go and book some time in at a local beautician or spend some time giving yourself a proper Ped and Man! In the summer people see more of our feet, so nice to have them all healthy and well looking!

3) WATER - Drink pleanty of water, this is vital all year round, but the hotter the weather you will dehydrate quicker and its great for your skin, nails and every part of you!

4) LOOSE WEIGHT - Make sure you diet is a healthly planned one. Summer is the best time to shed some weight. As our appetites are not the greatest when the weather is warmer, spend time preparing some extra yummy salads, even with BBQ season already upon us, prawns on skewers, or salmon steak in foil! Add some lemon, chilli, coriander and pepper and you have a yummy dish! Much better than a burger or sausage! Its very important you have 3 substantial meals a day, with pleanty of fruit and veg! You are more likely to loose weight eating 3 healthy meals, than missing meals here and there.

5) SUNKISSED LOOK - Its easy to get that sunkissed beautiful tan if your lucky enough to be travelling abroad, or have pleanty of time to sun yourself! Not that I would encourage too much sunbathing, as its bad for you skin and aging! BUT for those of you like me, who don't have time to spend sunning yourself, then just do the next best thing. Splash out on some holiday skin products, Johnson's Holiday Skin is the best for my skin colour, it builds up a gradual SAFE tan, that doesn't look like its out the bottle! But remeber to wash your hands throughly, you don't want streaky hands! I will say this product has never left my body with streaks! So 10/10

6) TAKE CARE - Make sure you have fun in the sun, but always take care and always apply sun tan lotion everyday, especially to your face, nose and ears, these areas are constantly in the sun so be careful. And remember the higher the factor the safer you are, it doesn't affect your body's tanning process, just protects you for longer!

7) ENJOY - Whether you have kids or not make sure your outside enjoying the sunshine, its great for a mental boost and physically, you will notice how much more awake and fresher you feel from being in the fresh air.

Oh and if summer babies are due or birthdays are coming up, whatever time of the year, www.illustratemyname.com has the ideal personalised gift!

COMING SOON - Invitations, Birth Announcement Cards and Thank You Cards!

Please keep an eye out for www.illustratemyname.com new product range of Birth Announcements, Invitations and Thank You Cards!

Square contemporary invitations/cards which will be available in packs of 10 for £4.99!

For now, if your searching for a something different for a new baby, christening, birthday gift, then try www.illustratemyname.com for our personalised product range!

Illustrate My Name News!

Its always nice to keep customers and viewers updated of recent news. As Spring is upon us and we reach April already, with the sun shining for what was a record Easter, its nice for us to announce our recent partnerships with a number of online mail order shops!

We partnered our product to Aspen and Brown back in February this year and continue to have a successful working relationship with them! Check out their great range of products, such as gifts, kids stuff and home ranges online at www.aspenandbrown.com

We are also featured on Bundles of Joy, which went online back in March this year. They provide great gifts for any occassion! Please take a look at www.bundlesofjoy-shopping.co.uk

Are framed illustrations are due to be featured on both www.morelloliving.co.uk and www.keke.uk.com within the next week, so please keep an eye out and check out their fantastic range of children's interiors and gifts!

We continue to deliver the best personalised gift of all at www.illustratemyname.com, from a christening gift, to a new baby gift, we cater for all! Enjoy the sunshine

New Year! New You!

Tips to help you achieve your resolutions

As 2007 dawns upon us, so does the thoughts and aspirations of a new you! Whether your resolutions are to lose weight, get fit, or simply change your lifestyle here are some simple easy steps to helping you to stay on track!

1. Losing Weight: Join a weight loss club, the enthusiasm and motivation you gain from others around you will really help your self-confidence and goals! My friends and I, after having our children, all joined as a group, made it a night out, weighed in, and then had a drink somewhere, something healthy of course! And always gave one another goals, like who would lose more the week after. Existing friends and new friends will help you in your battle to lose a few pounds or more!

2. Getting Fit: Even if its a simple stroll or walk, make an effort to do something physical a few times a week, either meet a friend for a walk or jog, or even a game of something, I must admit I find a bit of competition gives me more motivation to do something. Badminton is good as its fun and physical, but you can take it easy too! Go on go book a badminton court for you and a friend, or you and your partner! New mums out there why not go on lots of buggy walks and check out your local buggy clubs they are great for exercise and meeting new people in your area!

3. Lifestyle Changes: Quit smoking, cut back on alcohol, control your finances..... all the things which will change you and your lifestyle, even if its not something people can see its what’s inside that counts. You are the only person who can achieve lifestyle changes, make plans of how and when you will change things, its hard for me to give advice on smoking as I never have smoked, but from seeing my father recently quit, its been 8 months now, I reckon anybody can if you put your heart to it!

If its alcohol, just limit yourself to no alcohol in the week and a few at the weekends, I know how easy it is to get home from a hard day at work or a hard day with the children and open a bottle of wine, but again its just controlling it! There are some great healthy teas out there now, which are good for your body and also will make you feel better the next day, a lot fresher and brighter than after a few glasses of wine!

We all promise to sort our finances out, save money or cut back on the clothes and accessories, but just plan ahead and be in control, whether its you or your partner who controls your finances, just make sure you have your month by month planned, whether you have meals out, or weekends away, or just peoples birthdays, at least then you can work out extra expenses and where you can cut back! One great idea whilst the sales are still in town, grab some great bargains for presents for people, or just buy well in advance rather than leaving things to the last minute, or end of month when extra cash is low! Little things like this really do make the difference!

Well good luck with these resolutions, which may or may not be yours this year! But whatever your resolutions just remember you are the only one who can really achieve your goals! Live life to the full but remember be healthy, keep fit and plan ahead!

If you are lucky enough to have had a new arrival in your family at the beginning of 2007, why not check out the personalised baby gifts available at www.illustratemyname.com

Bye for Now

SIMPLE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS CHECK LIST

Not long to go now, is everyone ready?

Every year I say to myself, I will be prepared early! But Christmas always creeps up on me and before I know it, its Christmas Eve and I still have presents to buy, food to prepare! I am sat here today even with a list as long as my arm of what I still need to buy, cards I still need to write! How about a simple essentials checklist to make sure the small touches are not forgotten! And you still have 4 days to go, so I suppose you could say we are slightly in the lead this year!

This list will add to the magic to put a smile on everyone’s faces!

1. Make your own Table Cards, just simply make some cards on the computer with the name of the guest, little clipart pictures, or their photo on and then on the reverse a joke perhaps! Always a nice personal touch for your Christmas table!

2. Make sure the camera and camcorders are fully charged and close to hand on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Before you know it you will have all eaten your Christmas dinner and no photos will have been snapped, make sure you ask a member of the family to do some pics, you will be too busy with the food, drinks etc!

3. Music, don't forget that essential Christmas music to be on in the background, we all like a bit of Wham and Mariah to get us in the Christmas spirit! Either get the CD ready or download on to your IPOD well in advance!

4. Pre-Christmas Tidy Up! We all do it, have a 'spring clean' just before, make room for presents etc, make sure your ready and tidy for guests, well do this the day before Christmas Eve (Sat 23rd), then it won't take away any of the magic on the Eve before Christmas! In fact I started doing some cleaning just last night!

5. Magic Touches for the children - Don’t' forget the ringing of the bells when they are in bed! Also the hoof prints in the lawn, and please don't forget to nibble the mince pie left for Santa! Although you never know he may do all that himself!!!!!!

6. I know it sounds silly but bear in mind everyone is using their oven at the same time and although marginal it may effect the oven's performance (very slightly), just make sure your checking things regularly! Keep a close eye on the roasties!

7. FINAL point, make a list of when you’re cooking everything and where, in what way, order, it makes it so much easier, especially if you’re a virgin to Christmas Dinner cooking like me!

LASTLY, enjoy the festivities and remember to tell the world after Christmas about your experiences, I am sure you will all hear about mine!

Don't forget for any special arrivals in your family, you may want to buy a special gift from www.illustratemyname.com, something that can be treasured for years!

The Magic of Christmas!


Do you believe? I certainly do, I believe in the magic, and all that goes with it! I remember as a child, I was a little scared of the big man, me and my sister used to lie in bed whispering "is it him" over and over again, any slight sound would make us hide under our quilts, but with excitement and apprehension combined!

I think nowadays children grow up far too quickly and become wise to what they think isn’t real! When deep down if you truly believe it will always be magical. Now that I have a son and the magic for him is just beginning it brings back all those wonderful memories of how special Christmas is, not just for the magic and the presents but the real reason!

I think we all get consumed by the massive media explosion of Christmas that the little things like why are we celebrating and what’s so special about Christmas can be lost, especially in children! I recall my parents reading me The Nativity Story as a child and watching animations of Baby Jesus and understanding, whereas I really do think this has been lost in recent years. Its only now that I want to educate my son about the magic, but also the real reason we celebrate, and that its not just about presents!

Remember to look up to the stars on December 24th and truly remember why we are all here celebrating!

Everyone has their own beliefs, and that’s what makes each of us individual, I just hope a little bit of my belief will be handed down to my Son and then his children in future years, I really do hope the true magic of Christmas doesn’t fade away like so many things nowadays!

And for an extra special Christmas gift for a newborn or a child, why not try www.illustratemyname.com for a unique personalised gift!

Just remember, things are never as special to those who don’t believe in the magic! Enjoy