The Christmas Tag

I have been trying to write this post for a few days now. But as usual there has been so much Christmas stuff to do that time has been short. Anyway I was tagged by the wonderful Claire from The Pramshed to answer these questions about my Christmas.

Christmas is a very special time of the year for my family as my older sister comes home from Canada where she has lived for 10 years now. My mum has always said that we need to always get together at Christmas. That one special time of the year when we make family memories. Catch up. Eat lots of great food. Not forgetting the family tradition of always watching Top of the Pops and the Queen’s speech while stuffing down Christmas pudding.

The Christmas Tag

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Keep In Closer Contact With Loved Ones In The New Year

A good support network is crucial regardless of what stage of life you’re at. For children, spending time with family teaches them key socialisation which they need to succeed in the world, as well as comfort and stability. For adults, friends and relatives can offer advice and assistance during hard times; these are the people you will both laugh with and cry with. For older adults and seniors, friends and family might be their only contact with the outside world. The people in your life are far more important than money or possessions, so make the time to maintain connections with them. We all lead busy lives, but try to find the time where you can. If you know you’ve not made as much effort as you should make 2017 a year to change that!

A brand new year is the perfect time to reflect and make changes, and what better change than to spend more time with the people that matter most.

Family Gatherings

Birthdays and Christmases are the perfect excuse to get everyone together. Whenever there’s a special occasion, you could host a get-together and invite all of your loved ones. Celebrations are so much more special when you’re surrounded by your favourite people! It’s at times like these we tend to think about the people who are no longer with us. For those who have passed away, you could light a candle in their honor and say a few words about them to keep their memory alive. If there are family members you have lost contact with, you could consider using a family tracing service to get back in touch. If there are a lot of children in the family, you could put together days for them, hire a bouncy castle and some inflatables when the weather is nice or host an Easter egg hunt at Easter for example.

Family Gatherings

Image from Pexels

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Will You Be Celebrating New Year’s Eve With fireworks?

I know it’s not quite Christmas yet, so New Year’s Eve may still seem a while away. But in fact its less than 2 weeks away!

A lot of people celebrate seeing the New Year in with fireworks. But are you aware of the dangers associated with fireworks?

Celebrating New Year's Eve with Fireworks

The NCC Home Learning website has produced a quiz to help you sharpen up on your firework home safety skills. I have tried it and only got half right! It really is helpful to take and know your dangers.

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A Last Minute Christmas Can Still Be A Cracking One

Christmas has a habit of sneaking up every year. If you’re a little behind on the Christmas band wagon this year, you’ve come to the right place. It can be scary if you haven’t considered preparations or presents at this stage, but you still have time. The trick is to stay calm and think through what you need to do. Make a list and get going as soon as possible! No one ever needs to know you left things to the last minute. These pointers should help set you off in the right direction.

Last minute christmas shopping

Image from Flickr

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Your last minute Christmas shopping behaviour will be slightly different to your usual. At this late notice, it’s risky to order online. Some sites provide last delivery dates before Christmas. If you’re feeling brave, order from these. Though, bear in mind that items sometimes take longer than expected to arrive! If you can’t find dates on a site at all, it’s safest to assume that they won’t come in time. The only thing for it is to hit the shops! Plan your shopping carefully, to ensure you get it done as fast as possible. Plan where you need to go. Bear in mind that those shops are bound to be full now. Most towns have late opening hours over the two weeks before Christmas. Check if your chosen town does this, and take advantage. It may still be busier than you expect, but you won’t have to fight the crowds quite so much as you would during the day.

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Shopping for Wide Fit Shoes

I have always had large wide feet. When I left Primary School my feet were a size 6. It wasn’t much fun. All my friends had cool shoes but mine were just big and clumpy.

Now I’m a size 9. It’s not much fun as an adult trying to find shoes that fit either.  Most high street shops stop at size 8. At work I have to wear safety boots and mine are the men’s ones. I couldn’t squeeze my wide and rather long feet into the women’s safety boots.

I know there are women out there like me who dread the high street shopping for wide fit shoes. But lucky nowadays with online shopping, it’s opened up a whole new world that is so much closer to home. With just a few clicks you can find the perfect pair of wide fit shoes in an instant, and have them delivered straight to your door.

Shopping for Wide Fit Shoes

I always look for comfort when buying shoes, more than what they look like.

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Things To Consider Before Buying A Pet

Christmas is coming and we’re all racking our brains about what we can get our children, partner and family. Pets always prove popular gifts, especially to the children. But there are many things we need to consider before parting with cash.

Space

If you’re buying a dog it needs to have a good amount of space. Of course, it depends what type of dog you’re buying, but still it needs to have a good space in your house, preferably a space for its own bed, and a decent sized garden to explore. You need to consider how far away parks are too, if they’re miles away are you prepared to travel everyday to give your pet a runout? If you don’t have hardly any space then perhaps you can consider buying a cat, who can go out on their own. Or if you don’t fancy that something tank based like fish or a hamster. These can be placed in an almost decorative fashion and will delight the children too.

Money

Pets are like humans, they get ill, they need food, and they need equipment. You might be able to afford the initial outlay for the pet but can you afford the monthly outgoings for food and healthcare. You may need to buy medication like trifexis tablets or even fork out for operations. You’ll need to pay someone to look after your pet when you go on holiday. The costs are less with other animals, but they should still all be considered before purchasing an animal of any kind.

Things to consider when buying a pet

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Time

If you’re an incredibly busy person with little time for hobbies and relaxation then you should really reconsider buying a pet. Primarily because they will take time out of your day. If you enjoy going for walks then a dog could be for you, because it’s something you need to do every single day. Of course other family members can help, but depending on how old your children are, they may not be able to take your pet for a walk themselves. You need to consider you time constraints, particularly if you’re thinking of buying a dog.

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