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...... a guest post from Chantelle who blogs at Mama Mummy Mum

Silent Crackers

If you've read the title, you're probably thinking that I'm going slightly mad, I mean how can crackers be silent?? Let me enlighten you……….

The kids and I have been making our own silent crackers, instead of the traditional pulling of the crackers to open them, you unwrap them instead and you make them without a crack snap inside of it.

To make you will need : 

* an empty toilet roll

* a square of wrapping paper

* ribbon

* scissors

* sellotape

* some sort of sweet to pop inside

1. Roll the wrapping paper around the toilet roll and sellotape it in place. 

2. Scrunch one end up and tie it up with ribbon, fanning out the end once secure. 

3. Place whatever sweets you have chosen inside of the cracker, in this case I have chosen lollipops. 

4. Tie up the other end with ribbon, again fanning out once secure. 

And there we have it, your very own silent cracker.

If you have younger children helping, you can make it easier for them by using pipe cleaners instead of ribbons to secure the ends. A simple alternative and a great idea if your kids don't like the banging sound that a normal cracker makes.

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...... top tips from a savvy lady!

Hi - I am Afra from http://www.madmumof7. delighted to be guest blogger here today. Yes we have seven children. Yes- we have a TV. 

One of the perceived downsides of having seven children is the fact that every year you have not just seven birthday presents, cakes and parties to organise, but at Christmas Santa has to sort out seven stockings too! I say perceived because it’s not as bad as you’d think! 

I’ll admit, once I got past four children it became increasingly difficult to help Santa with the little gifts that my children love to unwrap on Christmas morning. (He’s getting on a bit - he needs quite a bit of help!) 

It was hard to avoid repeating gifts, year on year. And to be honest we have toy boxes already filled with the “usual” stuff and there really is only so much Lego and Brio you can play with. And only so much room for new toys in our too-small-for-7-kids home! 

So I abandoned my usual system, became a bit creative and thought I would pass on some of my top tips to you lovely readers. 

Firstly - disposable is good. Not all gifts have to last past Christmas. Think how much children love the tat from fast food restaurants and out of crackers. Cheap and cheerful is a good way to go for all ages.

Bubbles, chalks, nail varnish, bath crayons, scratch-away picture kits, lip salves, face masks (even very young girls love a bit of a pamper.)

Novelties like this will keep them happy and entertained over the festive period and you won’t have to make loads of room for new stuff. 

Food is another good choice. We live on quite a tight budget and I felt guilty that even at Christmas I couldn’t really afford to buy the tins of chocs, biscuits, fizzy drinks and snacks that were being paraded across the TV screen more and more frequently the closer you get to the big day.  You know -“It’s not just a sausage roll, its an overpriced, gaudily wrapped, cranberry-scented sausage roll being caressed by a C-list celeb....”

So now in their stockings they each have a few of their top treats. A pack of “luxury” biscuits, a couple of bottles of their favourite fizz or milkshake (or beer for my older boys!) 

And the normal rules are suspended for the days over Christmas and the children are allowed, within reason, to eat and drink their treats when they fancy them. I bought my 8 year old a couple of those mini cans, like you get in mini-bars, and I seriously think they were his favourite gift! 

Don’t underestimate how much children love new clothes. Mine always have a new outfit, to wear on Christmas day (including socks and knickers/pants) in their stockings and generally a new pair of PJs too!

And lastly - think outside of the box. High street shopping is fun and I love any excuse to indulge in a creamy flavoured coffee out present-hunting with my friends, but don’t forget to look at your little local stores and check out online for smaller retailers offering unique imaginative gifts- If you are lucky they might even wrap your gifts saving Santa a job! 

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...... a little selfish wish for yuletide beauty.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a grown up. I wanted to be taller, have a bigger bust, longer eyelashes and less spots! Now I am a "grown up" (or so my birth certificate says), I want to be younger, I may be a little bit taller but my beloved heels definitely help, good mascara improves my eyelashes and the spots .... well they come and go.

I never really thought about my skin as I was growing up and when my friends and I went in search of the best sun beds to get a tan (I know, I know), some of us got piercings, the others tattoos, we never gave much thought past the following weekend, let alone the long term affects on our body.

Now I see my girls growing up and I want to hang onto their innocence and childlike beauty but I know they won't listen. I know that they will be as stubborn as me but I hope that they are strong like me too, otherwise I can see me frog marching them for tattoo removal before they are 21 and showing them images of tattoo removal before and after just to make my point.

I remember writing a post a few years ago, after my daughter asked why I had lines on my head and I suspect that those lines are as much to do with not looking after my skin as they are to do with laughter. So while I want laughter to fill my girls lives, I hope that this is the only filler they consider for their faces (which is more than can be said for me).

So this Christmas time, eternal youth is a bit of a tall ask for Father Christmas but I tell my eldest daughter if she doesn't believe in Father Christmas she is never going to get any presents from him, so for the record .... I believe!

This post was brought to you in association with Sk:nclinics

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Learning to ride a bike has been one of the topics on the Lilypad this year, so we are delighted to bring you this post from Argos about bikes for all the family this Christmas.

There’s no present quite like your child’s first bike. For one thing, it’s probably going to be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to wrap! Of course, the hours you’ll spend covered in sticky tape are worth it when you see their faces light up as they tear the paper off and discover the shiny new bike lurking underneath.  

Is this the year you’ll finally get them their first pair of wheels? There’s a whole range of kids bikes at Argos, as well as a whole heap of accessories and bikes for grown ups too! Below we’ve put together some ideas for great Christmas gifts for children who’re discovering bikes for the first time, as well as adults who already love them… 

Bikes for Kids 

If you don’t think your young one’s quite ready for a pedal bike, a cute wooden pushbike will get them used to balancing – but they won’t have to worry about keeping their feet on pedals while they learn. 

Meanwhile, older kids will love this Zinc Void bike; its specialist frame and front and rear brakes means it’s perfect for practicing tricks. Don’t forget matching pads to protect elbows and knees! And while we’re talking protection…

This Moshi Monsters helmet is a must for any Moshling fans; it’s bright and colourful, too, so you’ll never lose them in the park. If you want to keep your little one extra close, you can attach the tow bar to the back of your bike and create a mini-tandem! 

Bikes for Grown ups

There’s plenty of storage in this elegant bike, but if you’re gifting for a commuter they’ll always have files and office kit to haul about with them – make sure it’s all safe and secure in this water-resistant back pack. When they’re not using it, they can scrunch it down into its stuff bag and pop it into their basket. 

And all bikers, off-road or on-road, will appreciate a few pieces of safety gear. A set of lights, pumps and other clip-on accessories will keep their bike in good working order, while this understated helmet can be found here; it’s a stylish, but functional, piece of kit. 

So no matter how old you are, a bike is not just for Christmas .... it is for all the family.