Our pick of awesome gifts this Christmas

Cotcotte hen pull along Cosy crinkle book
Toadstool rattle Forest stacking blocks Rainbow animals
Bear bamboo zoo hand puppet Baby's first organic doll
Squish the yellow odd duck Wild animal lift out puzzle Turtle natural wooden teether

Princess daisy jewellery box set Astro blue space hopper Monsters collage kit
Bubbles before bed to do book Purple flower felt crown Splat floating ring toss bath toy
Fish xylophone Blue robots & trains messenger bag Pirate & his treasure puzzle
Animal stickers Birthday party tea set
White flower felt ball Construction set with tools 101pce Spin me a rainbow puzzle game

Magnetic battle ship game Baking kit in a tin Watercolour nail polish
IOU vouchers Origami aeroplanes
Red french knitting doll kit Hug badge Tricks & magic activity tin
Space man craft kit Anorak kids mag yearly subscription Daisy lane swap cards
Gift vouchers Bella felted wool doll Green crochet kids backpack

C2C - 5 more sleeps to go!

If you have time to think about how you are going to 'wrap' up the present, you'll make the gift extra special!

Use re-usable packaging:
* fabric bags that fold up into small wallets
* nice strong boxes (decorated or covered in paper or fabric)
* tea towels
* canisters, baskets, funky pencil case

Paper:
* re-cycled paper, exotic newspaper (other languages)
* sheet music (Christmas tunes!)
* decorate butchers paper (big white sheets from the butcher!) get the kids to draw pictures on it

Personalise presents:
* hair ribbon wrapped around present into a bow
* biscuit cutter with name tag attached to gift

The ideas are endless! Just look around your home for inspiration.

C2C - 6 more sleeps to go!

Print out onto white card and cut out. Just write and stick onto gift, or hole punch a hole in one corner and thread ribbon through so it can hang instead. Enjoy!

Countdown to Christmas.... 8 more sleeps!

It's the joy of getting lots of little presents that make Santa Sacks such a hit! Both the girls, mummy and daddy get one in our family (a good excuse to get all the little things you need, plus some extra spoils!)

Hard and fast rules:

* decide here and now who gets one!

* find a sack for each person. It can be anything really.... pillow case, knitted sock / stocking, gift bag.... look, as long as it's big enough to fit everything in, you can't go wrong!
* set a total $ ($50 or $100) you want to spend per person.

* fill the sack with small gifts up to $5 or $10 per gift only (so, yes, some presents may be big, it's up to you whether you look at sizes too)

* think about what they need for school or work... hobbies and interests....

* food snacks and treats are great too (stuff they maybe don't always get to eat!) Good quality chocolates for the grown ups...

* activities for them to do on Christmas day... games, books, novelties (great for when grown ups are busy, resting, car trips etc)

* not a must, but you may want to wrap each present 1. exciting to unwrap 2. can make the sack last all day! 3. plus helps them concentrate on one gift at a time (good for littlies) Use left over scraps of wrapping paper, or tissue paper that isn't up to scratch for normal gift wrapping.

* decide now when they get to explore their sacks... Put at the end of their bed for them to do first thing when they wake up? Or under the tree with the other gifts? Do you do it together as a family or let each person secretly go through their sacks and compare later?

Handy tip: With kiddies, it's a great idea to take their sacks with you (where ever you will be going) for the day.
*** we do this every Christmas with our little ones and it was a hit... plus it keeps all their pressies together.

I'm sooooo excited now!

Countdown to Christmas.... 9 more sleeps!

It's the personal touches, the thought and time involved that make gifts from the maker worth giving. You don't have to be an artist or a craft nut to use the resources around you!
Need some inspiration for handmade gifts?

* handmade produce (jams, pantry stuff, veggies, fruit from your garden, a cutting or seeds from a favourite plant)

* handmade crafts (stuff you've sewn, carved, knitted, scrap booked, anything you can make with your hands!! Or your feet, if you're that way inclined....)

* Check out this great idea to make.... it's a CD case calendar!

* Got kids? Use some of their drawings from earlier in the year, laminated or framed... or made into place mats or as wrapping paper.

This year, I bought a cute cake tin which leaves heart impressions on the top of the cake (thanks Ikea!) and will be baking flourless orange cakes, using oranges from our prized tree! Then giving them out to family in re-usable cake storage containers. Chai and La (both still under 5) will be painting pictures on mini canvases for family gifts. On Mat's side of the family, they are the only grandchildren / nieces .... so everyone should get a kick out of those.

Countdown to Christmas.... 11 more sleeps!

The idea "Kris Kringle" is also known as "Secret Santa" ...

* great for large/ extended families (usually for the grown ups, as they get older, they don't need or want anything anymore!), so it helps with the dilemma of what to buy for every single person you know, just because you are related.

* each person draws a name out of a "hat" , they buy a gift for that person only.
Set a dollar limit, so it's fair for everyone. That way you can buy a fantastic present for only one person and you'll get a fantastic present too! (hopefully...)

* you can also have a list of needs/wants attached to each name, so it helps the giver with gift ideas!

*** We tried to get this idea going this year with both sides of the family, but apparently you need to plant the seed much earlier than November.... say, the Christmas before!
Here's to next year!!

Oh yeah, unless there are dozens of little kids in the family.... don't include them in the Kris Kringle, that's just mean! hahaha

Countdown to Christmas.... 16 more sleeps!

Why not support local talent and give gifts that are unique.
There are heaps of craft markets on every week.
You can have fun in the evening too, with the various 'twilight' markets now on during the Summer!

Look up your nearest with these links:
* What's On Victoria
* White Hat (this link will take you to the twilight markets page)
(sorry only Vic. ones here, do a search on Craft Markets if you are in a different area.)

Here are a few of my favourite markets that are worth checking out:

Rose Street Artists Market
60 Rose Street, Fitzroy
11am to 5pm, Saturdays & Sundays

St Andrews Market
Kangaroo Ground Rd / St Andrews Rd
St Andrews (Mel ref 250 E11)
8am-2pm. Saturdays

The Suzuki Night Market (formally 'Gaslight')
Only from November 25, 2009 - February 24, 2010.
Queen Victoria Market, Cnr Queen & Therry St, Melbourne
Wednesdays 5.30am - 10.00pm

Kris Kringle Night Market
The Northcote Town Hall is hosting a Night Market with a focus on hand-made products
Thursdays 5.30pm - 10pm
27th Nov to 18th Dec. 2009
189 High Street, Northcote, VIC

Countdown to Christmas.... 17 more sleeps!

Cringe when someone asks you this question?
Why not set up a gift registry or wish list for everyone in your family?

* list all your wants/needs and let others know about your list- if they ask, you can give them the list / link.
Every member in our family has a registry and we treat it as a wish list. We add to them all the time through out the year and when an occasion comes up, we have ideas at the ready!
It's also been great for buying something in secret, without giving anything away... and knowing they're going to love it.

* suggest this to "hard to buy for" people.... you know the ones.. they have everything! What could you possibly give them??

* Here are some links for you to check out:
Both lets you add products / services from anywhere.
myregistry (this is the one we use for the shop)
amazon.com

Poppies For Grace... new stuff!

Just got a top up of Poppies stuff today.... always a pleasure!
Two Willows writing set is back in stock!!! (and it's on sale for Christmas too!)

Little gift tags for topping off the perfect present in Charlie (boyish animals) and Isobel (girlie animals). Only $3.50 each.
Also got recycled plain paper notebooks with brown craft covers. There's a tree design (below) and a flying birds one. A folder to slide little notes into is inside the back cover. Great for drawing, doodling, journal writing, to do lists....... I could fill a whole notebook with ideas! $9.00 each.

Now offering LAYBY baby!

...well, we aren't really offering to layby a baby for you.... you kind of do that yourself (in the mummy's tummy), it's a good one, lasts for about 9 months.

At bpab, we have added the Layby option at checkout, in time for Christmas!
We will wrap, label and keep all your goodies until you want them sent (close to Christmas), so you don't need to do anything with them (like hide them!) and get on with all the other stuff you need to do.... or just sit back and relax.

"Lay-by is a good alternative to using credit.
There are no interest payments, the service is free and your goods are reserved while you pay them off."

We've listed a step-by-step how to and terms on the info page at the web-shop.
Here are the Terms:

* No minimum purchase

* deposit of 20% required to secure products for Layby
- payment choices: direct deposit into our bank account or Paypal invoice emailed to you

* regular payments made weekly or fortnightly
- after deposit has been made, you will be emailed according to your payment plan, when payments are due

* Layby life of 3 months
- if you have been making regular payments, we can look at extending it.

* you will loose your deposit (20%) if you cancel your Layby, same applies if you don't make payments after we have contacted you and have had no reply (yes, we will telephone you too!) . We will give you 14 days.

* there are no Layby fees (yay!!)

So there you have it.
Any questions, etc. let me know. Otherwise, get to it!