It’s that time of the year again. The holidays are once again upon us, which means it’s time to bring out your favorite party dresses, get them dry cleaned and head out for a night of fun and enjoyment. Or, (as I love to do) you can go shopping for a new one. There are many great places to shop for a party dress and it never hurts to have an additional one in your closet should the need arise.

Whether you’re getting dressed up for your office Christmas party or letting it all hang out for New Year’s, there’s something to be said about having a party dress (or party dresses) that makes you look and feel fantastic.

Of course, on of the best things about heading out to parties for the holidays includes making the decision about what you’re going to wear. It doesn’t hurt that you get to treat yourself to a new dress in the process. Holiday parties are the ideal excuse for spending a little extra on a few special outfits that will make your family, friends, and co-workers sit up and take notice.

Our top tips for finding the perfect party dress:

1. Try it on, things ALWAYS look different on a hanger
2. Know your body and what suits you.
3. Make sure you know the dress code
4. Accessorise .... where necessary.
5. Be bold .... it is Christmas after all.

It’s fun to dress up for parties, but finding the perfect outfit can be a painful process. There is no shortage of options from which to choose, and you want to make sure you select the one that looks best on you. Don’t forget think about the location and theme of your holiday party. It won’t do you any good if you’re under or over dressed. The most important thing, however, is to have a good time while you're picking out party dresses. Keep a watchful out for any dresses you think will be great for your holiday parties.

And don't forget, while shopping for everyone else this Christmas, you could also be on the lookout for your own perfect party outfit.

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Christmas is officially around the corner and having now seen a certain Coca Cola advert at the weekend, the holidays are definitely coming.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you can't have escaped the build up to Christmas with Elf posts all over social media last year and this year is destined to be even bigger and better with the introduction of the Magical Elf Door and personalised letters!

If you honestly haven't heard about the Elf, it is the perfect way to create a modern family tradition, ‘Elf for Christmas’ is an enchanting toy and reward kit perfect for girls and boys aged two and over. You can choose from a girl or boy Elf and this charming toy brings fun and magic to your home throughout December – while promoting good behaviour and family engagement.

We LOVED seeing the Elf mischief last year and cannot wait for our very own Elf, Pip to make his appearance on the 1st December. The Magical Elf Door is the perfect way for your Christmas Elf to travel back and forth from the North Pole to your home – the Magical Elf Door is new for 2018 and is sure to get the magic started this winter. 

One of the favourite things from last year was that Pip brought a letter with him every day and I was a little worried about re-using them again this Christmas but Elf for Christmas have thought about that too and added the bonus of having them personalised this year too. 

The Elf for Christmas Personalised Advent Letters are written directly to your child or children, from their very own Elf, and mention their hometown and the other people in their house throughout. How amazed will your little ones be when they see their Elf pal has written special letters just for them!

Our Instagram feed is due to be filled with Elf for Christmas mischief from the 1st December and if you would like to join in the fun, we are delighted to be able to offer you an Elf for Christmas Magical Light Up Door to our readers. All you need to do is enter below >

 Elf for Christmas Magical Door

Good luck! 

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Elf for Christmas Magical Light Up Door
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Gleam and notified within 2 working days by email
Elf for Christmas will make every effort to provide this by the 1st December but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 25/11/2018 12am

Halloween is out of the way and we are into November, which means that we can mention the C word without fear of too much reproach. Seeing your children’s eyes light up at Christmas keeps the magic of the season alive — but away from the tinsel and crackers, it can be a testing time.

So some of us are opting to spend our Crimbo cash on a sun-kissed break rather than presents and party food — according to a British Airways survey, 45 per cent of Brits would rather head for the horizon than spend big on gifts.

If you’re tempted to get away from it all, here are five reasons why a festive break is the best Christmas present.

1.       Expense

Christmas figures from stats gurus Statista show that the average spend per British household was £821 in 2017.

And since many of us spend considerably more, perhaps this hard-earned cash would be better invested in a flight to take us on a revitalising winter break?

With bargains available in a range of destinations in Europe and beyond, no wonder we’re rejigging our festive priorities.

2.       Choice complexity

Choosing an appropriate gift for friends and loved ones feels tougher as we get older and research from US clothing brand Trunk Club suggests that this struggle is real.

Apparently, someone aged 55 or over is twice as likely as someone in their 20s or 30s to consider themselves poor at giving gifts and 26 per cent of all age groups find festive shopping frustrating.

So perhaps it’s worth abandoning those trips to source socks and soap-on-a-rope in order to stay calm and composed?

3.       Cheap holidays

Destinations like Tenerife and Lanzarote are perpetually popular with Brits looking for an affordable winter break to top up their tans and sink some sangria.

But according to info from travel experts Lonely Planet, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is the cheapest place to fly to this year for a Christmas adventure.

With a week-long break coming in at just £923, it’s not much more than the average household Christmas bill, and a reasonably small price to pay for experiencing an exciting culture.

4.       Disposable gifts

If you’re worried about waste and the environment at Christmas, cover your eyes — a study by retaildive.com last year revealed that a staggering 5 billion pounds of unwanted Christmas presents end up rotting away in landfill sites.

So if you want to save the planet and avoid wasting your cash, it might be appropriate to cut back or consider a charity donation as an alternative.

5.       Stress

Christmas is officially stressful — a survey from discount app Zeek reveals that 15 per cent of us find it worse than moving house and ten per cent report that it’s more nerve-wracking than a child’s first day at school.

So you’ve got to ask yourself if your time’s not better spent booking airport parking from comparison specialists Looking4.com and stashing your car at the terminal before sashaying to check-in for a chilled-out winter break.

There’s no reason this season should be nerve-shredding — perhaps a change of scenery’s all you need.

That’s our list! Are you flying abroad this Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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I know that there are some parents that hear the world ‘Halloween’ and their stomach automatically fills with dread. Let’s be honest: PTFA school discos; the mad costume hunt; extreme YouTube face paint tutorials; B&M Bargain decoration battles; £30 trick or treat sweet shops… I could go on. That’s along with the doorbell going every minute on a Wednesday evening when you’re trying to enjoy a glass of vino and catch up on Tuesday’s Bake Off Final.

That is of course, unless you did successfully complete the £30 trick or treat sweet shop. Then you’ll have no one come to the door. Because. Sod’s. Law.

Sure, it’s a bind when it falls mid-week, but need we be such a Halloween Grinch? I say us adults milk it for all it’s worth. Sure, it’s commercialised. Sure, it’s full of tack and tat. Sure, it’s costing you a fortune in wear-once costumes and sugar. But, heck, let’s cut loose and live a little. Enjoy the sugar high. Here’s five reasons why Halloween isn’t only for kiddiwinks.

A good reason to dress up

Those costumes you’re complaining about? Don’t pretend you don’t like to dress up, too. Come on, get online, have a browse. Go full Morticia Addams. Channel your favourite retro horror characters from Freddy Kruger to Beetlejuice and all that’s in between.

Spooky cocktails

While the kids are getting their kicks on all the sugar-loaded 10p cartons, get creative and conjure up some spooky cocktails in the garden. Zombie Punch, Morgue-a-rita, Spooky Sunrise. Go on, let your hair down. See how things go. It could get really scary.

Eat sweets without feeling guilty

No matter how you try, if you just cannot persuade yourself to get into the spirit of things, at least take this one thing away from the evening. Get home, put your feet up and tuck into to some sweet treats minus the guilt. After all, all that leftover chocolate isn’t going to eat itself. It would be rude not to.

Socialising and getting to know your neighbours

Speak to strangers? Well, that’s sure to be the scariest thing you do this Halloween! But, seriously. In lots of places, there isn’t a sense of community on the street as there used to be once upon a time but we are fortunate to live in a secluded croft and we have a Sloane and Sloane garden bench under our kitchen window and the neighbours regularly sit and have a chat. So whether you’re new to the area or you just usually keep your head down, Halloween is an excellent opportunity to break the ice and be good neighbours. And, we all know, everybody needs good neighbours.

Couldn’t resist. Sorry.

Absolute film fest

Everyone’s got a TV subscription these days, whether it’s Sky Box Office, Netflix, Prime, whatever. You may not like horror, but that doesn’t detract from greats such as Hocus Pocus, Addams Family, Ghostbusters, Rocky Horror… light an orange clove scented candle, grab a blanket, grab some Halloween treats, and go wild. Rock and roll.

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