Santa's Secret Cottage Review, Kuusamo, Lapland

Travelling to Lapland to meet Santa is something many parents dream of for their children, so it's really important to find out as much as you can before booking your Lapland trip. If you are  planning to make the journey, or even thinking about it, here is the low down on what to expect when you visit Santa's Secret Cottage, which is about a 30 minute drive from Ruka, Kuusamo. We visited Santa there in March, as part of our trip to the Ski resort in Ruka and wanted to share our experience, to help you know what to expect and to prepare for this exciting part of your Lapland adventure.

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.