Yes, I know it is technically still October but we aren’t big Halloween fans in my house and working in a primary school means Christmas starts pretty much as soon as October half term holidays are over; nativity/play practise and learning songs brings out my festive spirit quite easily if I am honest and so Christmas starts as early as I bloody well can! This year Christmas started at the end of September for me when I started compiling my first ever Christmas Gift Guide. I’ve never imagined doing something on this scale however I enjoy blogging and I’ve already told you how much I love Christmas and I wanted to join my two loves together…and so the gift guide is born. My aim for this year’s gift guide was to share some items from smaller brands/businesses and promote items that may not be the first thing people have thought of. Some of these items are things we already own but love and others are items I have been sent to review but absolutely love. I do plan on updating this guide as and when I find new and exciting items that I buy.
All items are linked through their picture to either social media or to shop websites so please feel free to head on over to these fantastic sellers to see what else they have to offer ❤
Christmas Eve!
Isabella & US – Milestone Cards
The Milestones cards come in a set of 15 in A6 size. They are beautifully designed and feature milestones for those Christmas memories. They aren’t just for “first christmas” as Isabella & Us have carefully thought about including a black “My …. Christmas” card that you can write on. They also include santa visits, decorating the tree, Christmas morning and lots more! I absolutely love these as they really do help capture those precious moments on camera and look great too!
Real Santa Letter – Personalised Santa Letter
When Ellie’s personalised letter arrived I was instantly filled with the excitement of Christmas! As a parent I guess I never want her to lose the magic of Christmas because I never have and this is a great way to keep the magic going for another year. I am quite lucky that Ellie is only 2 and for her the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus is only just beginning but for those whose children are starting to not believe this letter might just keep the magic a little while longer. The letter is printed on high quality paper and can be fully personalised; name, favourite toy, what they have done to be on the good list, the possibilities are endless. I kept Ellie’s quite simple as she is only 2. Each letter also comes with a “good child certificate” that proves they are on Santa’s good list.
We Believe Mummy Makes – Plate
Isn’t is magical leaving a mince pie and a carrot on the side for Santa and Rudolph on Christmas Eve? This plate is beautifully hand painted and personalised and does have the option for any changes you may wish. It also comes with a mini Santa’s drink mug which is a lovely addition.
Sparkles Christmas – Plate &
Reindeer Hot Chocolate
I love Christmas Eve ideas and always wanted to have a plate for Santa’s treats for my own children. It’s not something we did when I was a child but I do believe it is a lovely tradition for families. I have another plate design which is also beautifully hand drawn and made to order. With lots of options these plates are a great addition and would fit in perfectly with a Christmas Eve box.
Christmas Eve wouldn’t be the same without a cup of hot chocolate before bed and this personalised Cadbury Hot Chocolate Reindeer is another great addition to Christmas Eve boxes. They come with a personalised gift tag and melting snowman marshmallows!
Santa Sack Co – Santa Sacks
Last year our living room was full of toys, it was Ellie’s first Christmas and everyone had gone mad! We couldn’t see the floor and even Ellie was finding it hard to not feel overwhelmed. I know these Santa Sacks will come in very handy this year to help keep the presents tidy when Santa delivers them (and to keep them hidden before hand!) Each sack is personalised and each letter is heat pressed on to the hessian sack. The quality is absolutely amazing and I can tell they will last longer than just a couple of years. Sack measures 80cm x 53cm!
Handmade Christmas Co – Santa Sack
This particular sack is the Bancroft Christmas Sack and I love the simplicity of the design. It looks like an actual postage sack and it beautifully made. These sacks are quite large in size measuring 80cm x 53cm and are hand finished in the UK!
Little Picture Company – Baubles
These baubles are made from hard pressed ultra gloss MDF hardboard and look so beautiful! They are a great size at 7cm x 7cm and are ready to hang straight on to the tree. With so many beautiful designs to choose from it was hard to decide on which ones would be perfect for us. For me, the postcode bauble was so personal. We plan to stay in our home for as long as physically possible, I’d want to live here when I am old and grey so hopefully a very long time and having our postcode on a bauble for Ellie to grow up seeing will hopefully keep the magic going for as long as possible. Children seem to stop believing at such a young age and I want her to stay this innocent and child-like as long as society will let her. The other bauble can be personalised with any family name and is great for joint Christmas gifts or for those larger families.
Inspired By Evelyn – Lego Baubles/Decoration
These Lego Man Wooden Decorations are hand painted to order and can be personalised in any way you could imagine! They are 10cm tall and 6mm thick and are perfect decorations for the Christmas Tree as they aren’t heavy. They can be painted in various colours and Jemma has even done rainbow ones too. You can also have them personalised for free to make them special gifts this Christmas.
2 Year Old!
Happy Hedgehog Crayons – Crayon sets
These lovely crayons are a wonderful stocking filler! They are made in many different shapes suitable for any occasion or completely personalised with the letter cubes! All crayons are made from 100% non toxic wax so completely safe and hand poured into the moulds. The letter cubes are slightly smaller than I expected however the christmas characters are a perfect size for Ellie to grip. While I say they are small, the seller does state they aren’t suitable for under 3’s so the size would be just right for those older toddlers. I love the bright colours and that they vary from the generic colours you get in the crayon box. They come packaged beautifully too (I couldn’t bring myself to take the bow off the cellophane) and the quality is fantastic too!
Golden Bear – Sleepytime IgglePiggle
Ellie absolutely loves In The Night Garden and squeals whenever she sees IgglePiggle, this bedtime Sleepy-time Igglepiggle is perfect for anyone over the age of 10 months and for Ellie who still doesn’t sleep through the night, will hopefully help ease the bedtime routine and make her want to stay! Press Igglepiggle’s hand to activate his soft glowing cheeks and watch as his head sways from side to side while a soothing lullaby plays. He is soft enough for her to hug to sleep but also very calming.
Golden Bear – Nursery Rhymes Mr Tumble
Nursery Rhymes with Mr Tumble is based on the wonderful Mr Tumble from Something Special and as a person who has lived with a brother with DS and had a Son with DS I know how important it is for children to be able to communicate and Mr Tumble is amazing for helping children learn basic Makaton skills to communicate with those who may find it more difficult to do so. This Mr Tumble features 5 well-known nursery rhymes which is activated by pressing Mr Tumble’s hand. It is easy to use so toddlers can activate it themselves and sing along with him. I am a strong believer in nursery rhymes play such a huge role in early learning by helping them to recognise rhythm and understand simple language. Nursery Rhymes with Mr Tumble is suitable from 10 months and at 2 is a great addition to the toy box as they are able to sing along with him.
Fisher Price Game and Learn Controller
We are huge gamers in this family and Ellie is already showing an interest in wanting to play alongside Mummy and Daddy too. Whenever the PlayStation is on she grabs the spare controller and starts pushing buttons and laughing as she knows she probably shouldn’t be doing it! The Fisher Price Game and Learn Controller is perfect as not only will she feel like she is playing with us but she will also be learning at the same time. The controller promotes fine motor skills by moving the analogue stick and the switch at the top while also teaching the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colours!
Quirk And Foible London – wipeable learning mat
The wipeable learning mats are suitable for ages 2-6 and are available in 6 different designs. I chose the princess design however you can choose from aeroplanes, dinosaurs, cats and jungle animals too! They are A4 size and completely wipeable meaning they can be used again and again and again! They are colourful and hard wearing which makes them perfect for Ellie seeing as she has already tried to bend and rip hers! It amazes me that she is already recognising the numbers on the back and I know with practise she will soon recognise her own name too.
Did I forget to mention they are completely personalised, they can be made is cursive or precursive text depending on your child’s own learning and can even include the alphabet on reverse rather than numbers.
The Sensory Box LTD – Sensory box
I was absolutely thrilled when our Fidget Box arrived. I have always found it difficult to find sensory objects at a reasonable price that weren’t shipped from other countries so when I came across these boxes I got very excited. The main reason we love our Hartbeeps sessions is because of the sensory play and Ellie loves listening to different sounds and feeling different textures. We opted for the fidget box as it is designed with toddlers in mind so contains some items that need a bit more watching however even at 2 there is nothing in the box I wouldn’t let Ellie play with under supervision.
Gifts For Little Hands – Snap-n-Learn Alphabet Alligators
Ellie may have found these a little earlier than Christmas so has had them early, she loves taking the alligators apart and putting it together again. We are in the early stages of teaching her the alphabet (Okay she doesn’t know it at all yet!) but these will be so useful once she is more aware. Right now we are using them to match the correct colour head and tail and telling her the letter that matches too. The alligators are printed with uppercase and lowercase letters which helps with recognising they are the same (I work in Year 2 currently and they still find it difficult knowing the Uppercase letters sometimes so this is something I want Ellie to know before she goes to school.)
Clothing!
We Believe Mummy Makes – Dungaree set
We Believe Mummy Makes – White Hoody – Ellie Believes
Beautifully handmade clothing, can be personalised. Both come in sizes up to 5-6years and in different colours. Both items are incredibly well made and have been carefully printed for the best quality.
The dungarees show a unicorn however this can be changed to other options (eg dinosaurs) too!
The white long-sleeved Christmas hoody is light weight and beautifully made. Any design can be printed on these however I love the Christmas tree and the text.
Adults!
Little Lenny Co – Family print
These prints are fantastic gifts and they are so popular at the moment. I chose to have a shoe print because there were so many options, from over 80 different show illustrations that can represent every member of the family.
For me, these prints are worth so much as they allow me to include Jason even though he isn’t here. You can go one further and include any quote or wording you wish along the bottom. They come framed or unframed too making them perfect as Christmas gifts for every member of the family.
Mama Jewels – Liberty Initial Bracelet
The Liberty Print Initial Bracelet is beautifully made from authentic Liberty print fabric and is adjustable. It comes in a range of colours/fabric and features a personalised hand stamped silver steel heart with the initial of your choosing. The first initial is free and then is £1.50 extra for any other initial stamps wanted. The bracelet is beautifully hand crafted and is a perfect gift for someone; I chose to include Ellie and Jason’s initials on this one which makes it completely personal.
Sweetpea Scribbles – Pea Illustration
Just look at how beautiful this Peas in a Pod Family Illustration is? It works perfectly for our family with us being Phillips’ and we are all little P’s haha! These illustrations are hand drawn to order and comes in three printable sizes or a digital download in high resolution to be printed bigger.
Mothering A Rainbow 