Merry Xmas and A Happy New Year 2010!

I am getting sooo excited about Xmas this year as we are leaving London tomorrow, flying to the Czech Republic, to see all my family and friends. Isabelle will be delighted to see all her cousins, family and friends, and will be practising her Czech language all the time. As some of you might know, we get presents on Christmas Eve, not in the morning like in England. I have to say that the evening atmosphere is just magical, the lit up Xmas tree, snow outside and traditional Czech Xmas carols in the background. Our traditional dinner would be fish soup, fried carp with potato salad, Xmas Czech cookies and open sandwiches. And how do you usually spend your Xmas?

I would like to wish you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year 2010!

GOSH Children's Charity Xmas Shop!

At Christmas time more than ever people think about donating or somehow contributing to charities. Why don't you buy your presents from GOSH Xmas shop and that way contribute to the famous children's hospital? There are loads of lovely things there, gifts for children or adults and all profits go to the charity. Just have a look at the cute ladybird collection!

Would you like to be kinder to nature?

Most parents use wet wipes to clean their babies' delicate skin. Jackson Reece biodegradable wipes and natural flushable wipes use only natural ingredients- organic Aloe Vera, organic tea tree oil, organic lavender aromatherapy oil, and high purity water. What I like the best is that the wipes are bio-degradable and the packs are degradable (specially designed to keep the wipes moist and fresh). Also the flushable wipes degrade in water within 8 days.

Congratulations to the lucky 5 winners of All Baby Advice Xmas Organix Competition:

1. Cornelia van den Bremer
2. Sandy Calico
3. Natalie Cooper
4. Dean Reynolds
5. Amanda Morison
   

Traditional Czech Xmas Cookies!

When it comes to Xmas, there is one tradition I cannot imagine Xmas without. Baking Xmas cookies. Even when I used to live in Sydney, and it was summer and very hot, I used to bake my favourite Xmas cookies called "vanilla crescents". They are quite easy to make and people just love eating them! Why don't you try my recipe and let me know what you think?

You will need:
240g plain flour
200g unsalted butter
120g icing sugar
110g ground almonds
1 vanilla sugar sachet

Mix all the flour, butter (cut into small pieces for easier mixing), 70g of icing sugar (only!) and ground almonds, and leave the dough in the fridge for 1.5hours. Preheat the oven ( 150 Degrees Celsius) and use your hands to make crescent shapes out of the dough. Bake them slowly for about 10- 15 minutes and then put the hot crescents into a mixture of the rest of the icing sugar & vanilla sugar and leave them to cool down on a separate plate or tray.

My special tip!
They should be stored in a box in a cool place for about a week and then they are even tastier!

Xmas with new Trunki

Have you seen the latest two designs of Trunki? Gruffalo would be probably more appreciated by boys, but there is also Harley, the ladybird design, that could be a perfect gift for your little princess.

Best deals on Stokke® Sleepi™ Packages!

Another award winning Stokke product. There are many great features, functions and benefits that put this product among one of the best nursery products. Available in five colours, this beautiful and stylish crib can be later expanded into a small and full- sized children's bed. What a great idea, which can save you a lot of money and time when looking for the right sleeping solution for your little one!

Features:

• Oval in design- prevents getting “stuck in a corner”
• Mini bassinet- a comforting, round and more compact crib for your infant baby
• Full sized crib and toddler bed
• Full sized children’s bed and sofa
• Easy to adjust- requires an umbraco key and standard screwdriver to assemble and adjust
• Adjustable bed base- can adjust to four different heights
• Strength and stability- made from strong and resilient beech wood
• High quality foam mattress
• Protective coating- easier to maintain and clean
• Wide range of accessories
• Bedroom chairs- can be transformed into two stylish bedroom chairs