Children's Book Gift Guide - From Tots to Teens

If you haven't heard about the Icelandic Christmas Eve Book Exchange and why it's such a great idea for a Christmas tradition, you can read all about it in my previous post. Whether or not you will be taking part in this tradition, or if you subscribe to the 'something you want, something you need, something to wear something to read' mantra of gift giving, there are lots of reasons to buy a book as a gift for a child. This list was compiled using recommendations from our brilliant readers and other parent bloggers, so you can be sure they've been tried and tested by enthusiastic youngsters!

Blogging, Advertising and Sponsorship

I've seen a few posts on social media recently talking about advertising and sponsorship in blogging. A few things came to light, from reading the posts, that made me feel it was time to write about it, from a personal perspective. One of the overriding points that came from comments I saw, was that there is some confusion and negativity around the role of blogs in advertising and media. I thought this might be a good opportunity to explain a bit about the different types of blog advertising and why I, and possibly other bloggers too, sometimes advertise products or services through my blog.

Icelandic Book Exchange - The Spirit of Christmas

In Iceland, there is an amazing appreciation for books and reading. This tiny island produces a disproportionately high number of not just readers, but also writers. 1 in 10 Icelandic natives will write and publish a book and in Iceland it is believed that everyone has a book inside them. The best part about the Icelandic book culture, is the tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve. This tradition is so respected, it gives rise to the annual Jolabokaflod, or Christmas Book Flood, which begins in September, when book sales climb as families begin selecting the perfect books for their loved ones to enjoy. Here is why I think this is one of the best Christmas traditions to adopt.

UK Small Business Gift Guide - Supporting Independent Traders

This year, there has been a lot more emphasis on supporting small businesses, instead of always buying from high street chains, or big internet names. To support this initiative, I have compiled a list of independent traders, who have either been recommended, or who I have nominated myself, so that you can see what's available to buy from great sellers. This is not just a Christmas gift guide, I hope it will be relevant at other times too, and I intend to keep adding to it, so do get in touch via my contact page if you would like to be featured or know a brilliant small business that deserves to be featured.

Win a Pile of Christmas Presents in our Epic Giveaway!

Christmas is coming and it's time to start thinking about shopping, but what if you could win your Christmas presents? No standing in line, no thinking what to buy, definitely no spending any money, just a lot of lovely gifts, delivered to your door, in time to be handed out on the big day. Or kept all for yourself, I won't tell. Enjoy a walk through all the lovely gifts you could win, contributed by some of our favourite companies, then please enter via the Rafflecopter below and don't forget to come back for your daily free entry (no social media required) and one via Twitter. The giveaway will end on Friday 7th December at midnight and I wish you the very best of luck.

How to Make Social Media and Blogs Accessible for the Visually Impaired

Reading is something most of us take for granted, but if you are visually impaired it can present a challenge. Traditionally, braille, or audio books, have been relied upon, but this can be a problem. Not everyone who is visually impaired can read braille, and not everything you may want to read is available in this format. What if you are visually impaired and just want to browse the internet in a more spontaneous way, without waiting for a more accessible translation to come along? This post explains what we can do to help the visually impaired access social media and blogs.

Jersey Boys Theatre Review: Bristol Hippodrome

Last night my daughter and I went to the Bristol Hippodrome for a free press showing of the internationally acclaimed stage production, The Jersey Boys, which is currently touring the UK and tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It's a surprisingly intricate tale, with many twists and turns. We knew very little about the group, although we loved many of their songs, so this was a journey of discovery for both of us. And what a journey! We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more and we learned a lot. There's really only one way I can describe the whole experience; Oh, what a night!