Christmas Decorations and Christmas Birthday

I love Christmas, in case you didn't know by now. One of my favourite things to do is to decorate the tree and put out the other decorations.

Here is some of the decorations we have up this year.

Giveaway - Win New Year’s Eve costumes with AllFancyDress!

Celebrate this New Year’s Eve in style with the help of All Fancy Dress, who are offering the opportunity to win two costumes of your choice for New Year’s Eve. You will find an extraordinary amount of costumes ideal for New Year’s Eve and all you need to do is answer a simple question.

AllFancyDress is the UK’s leading online discount fancy dress retailer, with an amazing array of fancy dress costumes that are ideal for any occasion and special event. You will also find a great range of accessories to match every fancy dress outfit found on the online store.

This is a great opportunity for you to take a look at what New Year’s Eve costumes are available online for you and your friends. Here are a few that we think you will love and have the chance of winning yourselves:

THe Gallery 40 - Love

This week's Gallery Prompt at from the lovely Tara over at Sticky Fingers is Love.

When I look at this picture, I see me looking at my baby the love in both our eyes for each other. Unconditional, pure and simple love for your child.

Check out the rest of the entries on Tara's Blog.

ToysRUs Review - Tomica Big City Set

Description:- Explore the world of Tomica in this all-action figure of 8 track set. The Big City Set is packed with things to do. Ride the rails, and then drive around Tomica’s roads. If you happen to break down, call the pick up truck to help you get to the repair garage and back on your journey.

Discover a place where road a rail connect together and watch as high tech trains speed around the track, or travel around the city by car visiting all that the town has to offer. Tomica brings together a network of trains and cars, and allow the freedom to build your own Tomica Town. The possibilities are endless.

Silent Sunday

A Steam Engine.

This is a Silent Sunday post as inspired by Mocha Beanie Mummy

Galaxy Chocolate, Books & A Giveaway = Heaven

My two favourite things to do in life is to eat some yummy chocolate and read a good book. There is nothing better than curling up on the sofa on or your bed, with a book and chocolate, my idea of heaven. So when I was asked to review and run a giveaway from Galaxy on my blog incorporating both, I jumped at the chance.

Galaxy are doing a promotion at the minute, where they are giving people a chance to win books with special promotional packets. They are giving away a whopping 1 Million books.

The books are:-

• Audrey Niffenegger – Her Fearful Symmetry

• Katie Fforde – Wedding Season

• Lisa Jewell – The Truth about Melody Browne

• Jane Green – The Beach House

• Ian Rankin – Knots & Crosses

Writing Workshop - Childhood Christmas

This is my entry for the lovely Josie's Writing Workshop over at Sleep is for the Weak.

This week I choose a Childhood Christmas from Josie's list of prompts. This is a poem about what stick's out most about my Christmas' when I was little.

Rudolph Bites Your Toes

The Gallery 39 - Sparkle

This week's Gallery Prompt at from the lovely Tara over at Sticky Fingers is Sparkle.

You might think this is a strange picture, but it's what I thought of when I was thinking of a photo of something sparkly.



 I was sitting in the living room having a think about what to use or take a picture of, when the sparkly pipe cleaners caught my eye. I started arranging them to take a photo and before I knew it, I was making a spider web out of them. After the web was complete I had to make a little incy wincy to go with it. What do you think? Am I going mad?

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Description: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

 

Review: I read this book in record speed, I just couldn't put it down. With each page I turned, I kept wanting more. Then it seemed like the story was winding up, for another curve ball to be thrown into the mix and they just kept coming.

The Winner of Miss Bohemia's Giveaway is.....

Thank you very much to everyone who entered and commented on the very talented Miss Bohemia's Winter Wonderland Giveaway.

Thank you also to Jen aka Miss Bohemia for guest posting and doing the giveaway.

So on to the winner.

And the winner is Gaby. Well done. I have sent you an email.

If you didn't win, don't worry you can still purchase these gorgeous pieces as well as others over on Miss Bohemia's shop.

Silent Sunday

This is a Silent Sunday post as inspired by Mocha Beanie Mummy

Happy 15th Birthday MSN

To mark MSN’s 15th birthday, MSN UK surveyed the nation to find out what we think life will be like in another 15 years. The findings have just been released and there are some very interesting results:

· Over half of Brits predict they will be richer in 2025 but 74 per cent think they will be working for longer, with an increase in retirement age to 70

· 49 per cent think unemployment levels will have risen by 2025

· 48 per cent think Prince William will supersede Prince Charles to be King

· 22 per cent think humans will have set foot on Mars

· 40 per cent of men think ‘Moob’ surgery and genital enhancement will be commonplace

· 41 per cent of women think they will be able to try on clothes virtually before purchasing them online

What is your vision of life in 2025?

Book Blogger Hop - Follow Friday

If you become a follower, leave me a comment and I'll go follow you back!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.

Thank you for stopping by!

 

 Just leave me a comment, letting me know you are a new follower, and I'll follow you back!

Hope you have a great weekend and happy reading!

Children Believing in Santa

I remember the year that I stopped believing in Santa. I think I was about 8 or 9. I found out from someone at school. They were talking about how they saw their parents putting the presents under their tree the year before. The cogs in the brain started to turn and I started to put 2 and 2 together.

At the time I thought I was a big girl, to young for silly notions of Santa, fairies, etc. How wrong was I. I wish I had help onto those beliefs those dreams forever, because once you loose them nothing is ever the same.

Christmas day is still fun, you still get presents, a huge dinner and get to see lots of family and friends, but it's not magical anymore.

Once you have children, you get some of that magic back. You get to see it through the eyes of a child and there is nothing more special than that.

Video from Santa - Portable North Pole

One of my favourite things about being a parent is seeing a child get excited on the lead up to Christmas. Getting them to write a letter to Santa, going to visit Santa, putting up the Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs and carols and many many other lovely traditions.

For the past two years we have created a new exciting tradition. Each of the boys has received a personalised video from the big red man himself, no not Gordon Brown after walking but Santa Claus.

The Gallery 38 - White

This week's Gallery Prompt at from the lovely Tara over at Sticky Fingers is White.

White, white, white, that is all I see right now. We are currently snowed in. We were snowed into work on Monday. The street has been covered in snow for almost two weeks now. It is very picturesque but it is becoming tiresome. Never thought I would get fed up of snow but I am. Please go away. I no longer want to live in this beautiful snowglobe. Well not this week anyway, feel free to come back at Christmas time.

Here are my photos from today.

Book Preview & Creative Writing e-course - Tiny Acorns

Dotterel Press has launched a charity anthology featuring the work of several regional writers - including XXX from YYY - and raising money for this year's Children in Need appeal.

All the items were inspired by a free on-line Creative Writing e-course run earlier this year by Tim Atkinson. The course itself came into being after one of the students - having signed up for an evening class in writing - was disappointed to find that her lessons has been cancelled due to lack of interest.

Book Review - Alien Storm by A.G. Taylor

Description: Superpowers and conspiracy collide in this unmissable action-packed sci-fi thriller, sequel to 'Meteorite Strike'. Granted superpowers by the mysterious Fall virus that has put so many in an irreversible coma and chased by the rogue international agency HIDRA, mind-controller Sarah and her band of super-powers kids are in hiding. And they're not the only ones. Given the power of invisibility by the virus, Alex has committed one bank robbery too many - now the police are on his trail. And somewhere out in the desert an old enemy is biding his time. But from the distant wilds of Russia comes an unexpected offer to help. A mysterious stranger claims to know the truth about the virus. But the truth can be a very dangerous thing. Introducing mesmerizing heroes with mind-blowing powers, this roller-coaster read of chilling conspiracies and secret organizations is the perfect escape for anyone who's longed to be just a little bit special.

Book Blogger Hop - Follow Friday

If you become a follower, leave me a comment and I'll go follow you back!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.

Thank you for stopping by!

 

 Just leave me a comment, letting me know you are a new follower, and I'll follow you back!

Hope you have a great weekend and happy reading!

Miss Bohemia Guest Blog Post And Giveaway

I am lucky and honoured to have a wonderful guest post on my blog today. I would like you all to give a warm welcome to the lovely Jen aka Miss Bohemia. She is a lovely person and creates the most amazing and stunning jewellery. I will now hand you over to Miss Bohemia....

Miss Bohemia Winter Wonderland Giveaway

When Susan invited me to write a guest post on her blog featuring my jewellery, I jumped at the chance! Not only is she a wonderful person, we also share a love of reading (especially paranormal books) and sparkly jewellery! Susan is also the owner of several pieces of my jewellery and has kindly featured my designs on her blog, as well as hosting a previous giveaway! This post allows me to introduce you to my new collection and celebrate the up-and-coming festive celebrations with another great giveaway!

Writing Workshop - Song or Lyric

This is my entry for the lovely Josie's Writing Workshop over at Sleep is for the Weak.

This week Josie's prompts is a Song or Lyric. I went with a song, which is all I can sing right now as it's everywhere. It hasn't stopped for several days now, but I still love it.

The Gallery 37 - Celebrations

This week's Gallery Prompt at from the lovely Tara over at Sticky Fingers is Celebrations.

I had lots of pictures of celebrations, which I looked through. But one stood out more than the others. This one was taken at the end of a very special year. I had been trying to get pregnant for a long time, so had my sister in law. We both fell pregnant a month apart. My sister in laws gorgeous twin girls were born in the October and my baby boy was born on Christmas eve.

This picture was taken on Christmas day at my mother in law's house not long after I had gotten out of hospital and was there with another 22 people for Christmas dinner. There was a big celebration that year.