Christmas is a time of year that we get to cherish and treat our loved ones. That we can spend quality time with friends and family and truly appreciate the gift of giving. Working in retail, we don't get much time to spend with family, so what time we do have we try and make it that bit more special. This Christmas, Fenetic Wellbeing who provide customers with healthcare and mobility products to suit their needs, challenged me to think outside the box and treat a loved one to something that they would love but never buy themselves or ask for. I went one (well two) further and treated three people.

It's a tradition to go and visit Santa in our family during November. It gets us into the Christmas spirit, which is what we need when both me and Scott work in retail! It also means that we have a really wonderful family day together that is full of festive memories. In previous years we have headed to local garden centres, but this year Marwell Zoo invited us to experience their Christmas at Marwell event to meet the man himself.

We've done a fair few Christmas shows this year and thought that the last one should end with a bang. Which is why we picked to see Christmas Spectacular at the Regent Centre in Christchurch. 

There's nothing better to get you in the festive spirit than to go see a show. Each year since Max was little we've made a conscious decision to either see a panto, play or concert to get that festive feeling, and this year was no exception. We've packed this year with more Christmassy shows that I can count and this was the first, (and the one I was most excited about!) Peter Pan at the Lighthouse in Poole.

We love Christmas in our house. Not only do we get to spend time together, buy gifts and see family, but there's always so much going on. I'm always a bit gutted when I realise things have happened and we missed the chance to see them. Here's some things happening in the Bournemouth and Poole area that aren't to be missed! I've we've headed down or been to watch it then I'll be sure to list the review's below.

• Peter Pan - Lighthouse Poole (read my review here)
• Otto and the Robin - Lighthouse Poole
• Snow White - Bournemouth Pavilion
• Christmas Spectacular - Regent Centre, Christchurch

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Christmas Crafting.

We are making a few handmade presents this year for christmas. I normally do homemade flavoured vodka and then sweets and treats too but this year we are making canvases, calendars and loads of other things.

I love these canvases me and Max made today. We just used masking tape to mark off what we wanted to stay white and then we painted over them (well Max did all the painting)

I love books, especially christmas ones. Theres nothing better than curling up on a cold night  with some festive books or two. So I thought I would share some of my favourite christmas books for you to read with your little ones.

I think I need to write this post. I've had a host of shit boyfriends, ones that have cheated, and hurt me beyond belief in more ways than one but this man is the best one ever.
I remember when we first got together we got loads of stick from people that were supposed to be my friends saying we wouldn't last. But pretty much 3 years on and we are still going stronger than ever.

He's my best mate, the guy who I talk to about everything and the guy who I made an amazingly adorable kid with! And also the guy I honestly want to spend the rest of my life with.

One problem with him thought. He's always so hard to buy presents for! So this Christmas I decided to plan early and try and force him not to buy the things he would normally get himself!

He's in his final year of scriptwriting for film and television at BU, so I thought I would get some stuff that was related to the course and some stuff that would be a nice treat. He's already been given the Dark Knight Trilogy scripts.

• Star Wars Moleskine Diary (he's ALWAYS forgetting what he's supposed to do)
• Moleskine notebooks (perfect for writing script ideas)
• Yo Gabba Gabba x Volcom top (designed by Dave Grohl and his daughter. Need I say more?)
• Scene It? Comedy edition (I buy him a board game every year. Every family needs board games!)
• Stephen K Amos's Autobiography (it's actually a signed copy that I picked up when he came into my work - did I ever tell you how much I love my work?)
• Tales from the script book (Scott saw this on Amazon and mentioned he liked it!)

I'm also going to buy him some American sweets from the sweet shop around the corner and a DVD or two, probably of a comedy we've seen together. Max is making him a canvas with I (heart) dad on it and probably giving him one of the above.
I'm ashamed to say I've pretty much done all my Xmas shopping!

So I hope you have all had a good week. Ours has been eventful of some sorts.

• Max spent his weekend with Scotts parents as they hadn't seen him for a few weeks. It meant that me and Scott could go out on Friday night to see his friends that had graduated that day. It's crazy to think I have known them for 3 years and it's highly probably that we wont see most of them again. Sad as they have seen Max grow up this far and he loves them just as much as he loves us (nearly) Thankfully the cocktails flowed as well as the gossip and the few that are still in Bournemouth will be coming over for dinner soon!
• We have been spending most mornings letting Max walk to nursery, he's hating being in his pram and the weather hasn't been too dire meaning that the leaves on the ground are crisp and he can still wear his Gruffalo hat and gloves with style. He's telling us all about the leaves falling from the trees and the cars driving past. Since when could he talk so well?!
• I'm trying to clean the small flat we have from top to bottom, with birthdays and christmas coming up it means that the place needs to be spotless before we fill it up with new toys! Not the easiest thing with a nearly 2 year old.
• Max has discovered our wardrobe and treats it like Narnia squealing as he rummages through all my summer dresses and shoes!
• I'm keeping busy at work with some photoshoots, blog posts to write for different companies and of course working at Waterstones. After our recent signing with Olly Murs I'm thankful that it's a bit quieter in the run up to christmas. At least I have loads of gorgeous new gifts to pop out in my section (yes I'm the lucky girl that spends her shift putting out those amazing pieces of stationary and gifts!!!)
• We bought Max a Yo Gabba Gabba Dj Lance costume. We wanted it for Halloween but it turned up too late, so he's been playing in it ever since. Problem with Max loving american shows is that you can't get any merchandise here!
• I've finished buying everything for christmas. I wanted to get it all done before Max's birthday so I'm glad all I have left is wrapping and some crafting. 

So Max is a lucky lucky boy. His birthday is the 1st December meaning that by the time Christmas rolls around he has had loads of gifts from everyone. A party month kind of.
Being a well prepared mum I've actually finished getting all of his presents, though I'm not too sure what he's going to get for his birthday and what he will get on christmas day!

I'm such a bargain hunter so many of these things I have got for a fraction of the cost. Some I even bought in the christmas sales last year (yep I'm one of those mums)

Max is obsessed with any thing Toy Story. His room is adorned with a duvet, soft toys and he's always asking us for the dvd on so I knew that he would be getting his own Buzz and Woody that he can have. The Rex and Mr. Potato Head just fell into my hands at the same time too.

Max has a pretty impressive Happyland collection growing and I love these characters that The Early Learning Centre have made as they promote role play and hand eye co-ordination. I've picked up the post office to add to his dinosaur and olympics sets.

Every child loves the Gruffalo and when my work put this adorable breakfast set in the sale last year at 75% off I had to snap it up! I don't think he's old enough for a china set yet but hopefully by the time his third birthday rolls around he will be making use of it.

Sesame Street is a show that Max loves so I picked him up some adorable Cookie Monster PJ's to go with his Elmo ones.

The DVD's are just there to get into the festive spirit and add to our ever expanding Disney collection.

And the scooter. I picked up this bargain from Zulily UK. One of my favourite websites that hosts deals on kids clothing, toys and accessories. But only for a few days. I snapped this up and I can't wait for Max to play on it (nanny is buying him a Mickey helmet - complete with ears! - to go with it)

I know I'm super prepared but what are you guys getting the kids/family for christmas?