Wed. Dec 25th, 2024

Tile Bluetooth Tracker

You’ve lost your phone again, your keys are playing hide and seek with you? But you are in a hurry and about to miss the train……Tech is at hand you can track them down. Bluetooth trackers from Tile will now help you and your kids find those misplacing belongings.  The £30 Tile Slim is a small square-shaped tracker that can slip neatly into your wallet. If you misplace something you’ve attached the Tile to and it’s within 30 metres, you can find it using sound with the Tile app for Android and iOS. The Tile Mate works in the same way as the Slim, but it’s a little smaller and a fraction lighter. If you use the tile with your mobile and then lose your phone, you can log on to the Tile website and see its last known location. From the desktop site, you can make your phone ring or send a lock-screen message – handy if somebody has picked it up and needs to know how to return it.

Every year, parents spend nearly £175 on uniforms and equipment for the upcoming school year, so it’s important to ensure those new items don’t go missing. Tile Bluetooth trackers are purpose-built to help you keep track of all your child’s essentials. Attach it to their rucksack, jacket, kit bag or anything else you want to keep safe.

Tile lets you ring your things when they’re close by -ideal if you’re rushing out the door to make the school drop off. And if they’re further away, you can check where they were last seen on a map, or tap into Tile’s community, the world’s largest lost-and-found network, which will anonymously help find the lost or stolen items almost anywhere in the world.

Tile Sport features a unique tread-like design and dark slate finish.£30 TheTileAppJohnLewis, AmazonArgos, Currys PC World

Espresso Martini Set

For the adults in the family how about Espresso Martini Set, which including a stylish martini glass, chocolate-flavoured syrup, decorative coffee beans and chocolate truffles. This is a gift cocktail masters and coffee lovers alike will love. They can impress their guests and show off their skills with this on-trend Espresso Martini Set.  £12.00  www.tesco.co.uk

Prosecco Flutes, Bucket & Truffles Set

Kick off the festive celebrations with the Prosecco Flutes, Bucket & Truffles Set – designed for the fizz-lovers in your life.Each set contains a hot pink ice bucket, a pair of glass flutes decorated with gold metallic bubbles and prosecco-flavoured chocolate truffles. £15.00 www.tesco.co.uk

Escape to the Chateau with Dick & Angel Strawbridge

We all fell in love with Dick, whether its his handlebar moustache or his can do attitude in Scrapheap Challenge, hes someone you’d like to meet and invite to dinner. Now it’s “Escape to the Chateau” that endears us to him, and now we have two people who are industrious and passionate.
We are now also captivated by Angel’s beautiful design. They have invited us on their journey to discover the Why, How and What they did to create a new life in France with the launch of their first self-published book The Chateau: The Beginning.

Dick and Angel decided to share their story after receiving thousands of requests from fans desperate to take a little piece of Chateau life home with them. Now in its fifth series ‘Escape to the Chateau’draws UK audiences of over 2 million per episode (and is broadcast in countries worldwide), all of which is set against the seductive, ethereal beauty of their home Chateau de la Motte Husson.

 Dick and Angel set out to find a publisher to share their story, but were disheartened to hear that the book was too different and did not fit onto a specific ‘shelf’.  That turned out to be a blessing, when they met a high-end printing team of energetic entrepreneurs who saw their vision and saw the opportunity.  Together they formed a partnership and have decided to give the big boys a run for their money – enter ‘The Chateau Publishing’. An exciting on demand self-publishing company that makes stunning books,100% made in Britain, and as each book is printed to order, it will never be out of stock!

This unique, thoughtful, and beautifully illustrated,100-page coffee table book has a hard, linen covered, embossed gold-leaf jacket. You can even go on to Dick & Angel’s interactive website and write your own personal message to a loved one, or simply mark your claim ‘This book belongs to ….’ This is a must have present for the industrious and passionate person in your life.

After the elves have been busy making your personalised book, a package will arrive at your home in a rather fetching Chateau tote bag, and for a limited time only* a beautifully illustrated keepsake bookmark personally signed by Dick and Angel. The unstoppable pair think of everything.

‘We are aware of environment issues, but we also wanted our book to arrive safely packaged, and not damaged, so wrapping it in something of quality and, of course, re-usable, was the way forward’.

The Chateau: The Beginning is priced at £40 (plus £6 delivery) and is available to order exclusively for international delivery at www.chateaudelamottehusson.com *on all orders before 31st December 2018.

Unicorn Travel Mug and Earmuffs

A fun and on-trend unicorn print ceramic travel mug with anti-spill lid for those who like to drink on the go. This set comes complete with a pair of playful earmuffs featuring a rainbow print headband and soft, fluffy turquoise ear muffs to keep cosy during the colder months. £10.00 www.tesco.co.uk

Multi-angle Screwdriver

The Multi-angle Screwdriver is an upgrade for any DIY-lovers toolkit. Containing an assortment of 12 steel attachments and with an ergonomic and adjustable head, this is a must-have tool for any jack-of-all-trades this Christmas. www.tesco.co.uk 
 £10.00

Gin Glass and G&T Sweets

A trendy gift for gin lovers, each set contains a stylish gin goblet featuring a playful Gin O’clock slogan and gin & tonic flavoured sweets http://www.tesco.co.uk£8.00

Dog and Cat Lovers

How about the softest, snuggest bed for your pet this Christmas. Manchester-based pet bed specialists Scruffs®have announced that their new ‘Ellen’ collection of bedding ready to order from www.petslovescruffs.

 “Scruffs® Ellen dog bed collection is produced using a textured faux fur, with a contrasting tweed outer cover. The beds sleep area has been lined with a luxurious plush fur, providing warmth & comfort.Each bed is finished with a soft feel Scruffs logo on the front of the bed. 

The Scruffs® Ellen donut bed is filled with 100% recycled green fibre filling, combined with a fixed centre cushion for improved support. The mattress is made using an integral 100% recycled green fibre filling, secured in four places, this provides greater cushioning characteristics and enhanced durability. Both styles of bed have a non- slip base and the complete bed is machine washable at 30 degrees.

You will be jealous of your pet at bed time….you could buy the biggest one and share – I suppose!

The Very Merry ChristmasGame –

The Very Merry Christmas Game is the Family Game of Presents, Crackers, Christmas Songs… and Sprouts!

Move around the board collecting presents (present cards) to put in your stocking. Presents have a value depending on whether they’re nice… or naff.

Presents can also be given to other players –particularly the bad ones! You can take other players’ gifts off them and this is decided on the pull of a cracker.

All players’ presents are placed face down in the stocking so nobody knows what they’ve got but there are opportunities to take a sneaky look to find out which ones to get rid of and which ones to keep. Landon the singing space and you have to sing a verse from a Christmas song or carol to avoid losing one of your gifts!

Watch out for the two dreaded sprout cards as they could have a bad effect and make you lose out… The player with the best presents at the end of the game is the winner. All the joys of Christmas in this one box!

For 2 to 4 Players or Teams, Ages 8 to Adult JohnLewis for £20.00

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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