Minxtures for Christmas - Giveaway!

Carrying on with our Christmas theme, please take a look at Minxtures on Folksy for lovely handmade gifts, the lovely Maria is also offering a giveaway right here for our readers, so I will hand you over to her to tell you more!

Hi, I'm Maria owner of the Folksy shop Minxtures . As well as filling my online shops, tweeting and Facebooking, I do dressmaking and alterations from home. I make my own patterns and mostly love to make useful things.  My 2 children are where most of my inspiration comes from which may explain a lot of the items I sell.

I've been selling online for over a year now, and figured it was about time I did a giveaway.  So after thinking long and hard about what to offer, I decided it had to be something different, something you probably don't have already, something one-size-fits-all.

Woodlice!

We call them Cheeselogs, no idea why. Whether you call them slaters, monkey peas, doodlebugs, they do fit my useful theme I have going on. Since making them for my daughter, I no longer find 'rescued' ones in her jeans pockets from the garden and my son now finds them fascinating rather than creepy.

To win your very own PAIR of cute furry Baby Woodlice all you have to do is....

Take a look inside my Folksy shop and tell me (by commenting below) which item is your favourite, or what you would like to see in my shop.

The Competition will end 8pm on Saturday 27th November.

and the winner is..............

........Danielle Baker (@dizzidanni84) 

Congratulations

Terms and Conditions

• Competition will run until 8pm on Saturday 27th November 2010
• Winner will be randomly picked from all vaild entries
• Entries must include a contact method (twitter, email), if there isn't a way to contact you, you can't win
• Prize will be sent our direct from Minxtures
• Organiser
• Piddley Pix decision is final

Poppy Sparkles for Christmas!

Back in September it was my Mother-in-laws 60th birthday, we had a very clear idea of what we wanted to buy her and thanks to the lovely world of Twitter we found the perfect thing (I am a bit late in showing it off, but hey, better late than never!)

We knew we wanted to buy a necklace with a Cross charm, but we also knew that MIL wouldn't want anything too chunky, so our search began.  Very quickly we came across Poppy Sparkles and this little gem.........

You can choose the birth month of the stone and the lovely Viv was also more than happy to put it on a slightly longer chain to make it the perfect gift for the Mum-in-law - who incidentally loved it!! We were so pleased with it and would definitely recommend the service!

So I will tell you a little more about Poppy Sparkles, it is owned by Viv; Mum to two and a self-taught jewellery artist with a love of Freshwater pearls, Swarovski Crystal and sterling silver, in her shops you will find handcrafted jewellery, including a special range of jewellery featuring charms that can be removed (you can also see some lovely handknitted items!!). Oh and you can always place a custom order!

The items are gorgeous and I would definitely advise you take a look for potential Christmas gifts, but hurry - don't leave it too late!  

Visit Poppy Sparkles on Folksy and Kiddiebase

Dog Inspired Christmas

After my Cat Inspired Christmas, I had some requests for a dog version, so, the blog number two in my 'Christmas Inspired' posts is just that!

Lauren Barkall Sock Dog

Available from Hot Dog and Me

I love sock animals! The dogs I found over at Hot Dog and Me are adorable, so ickle and cute it is hard to pick a favourite, just look at that lovely smile and those floppy ears - perfect for Christmas (especially as reasonably priced too)!

Pawprint Charm

Available from Little Silver Touches

For those who love their dog you can have their paw print put on a charm to keep forever, such a unique and dainty gift perfect for any occasion! (Priced at £40.00)

Small Wooden Pull Along Dog

Sold by Grand Baby on Kiddiebase

Another fab little wooden toy from Grand Baby, perfect for little walkers who fancy their own pet! 

Simple yet funky and so cute! (Suitable for 12 months plus)

Dog and Bone Cruet Set

Available from Novelty Gifts for You

The perfect Stocking filler to add to the Christmas Dinner Table for any dog lover! 

And a Piddley Pix for you..................

Please meet Darryl 

So that wraps up my Dog Inspired Christmas! These are by far not the only doggie inspired gifts out there - just some of my favourites! 

Cat Inspired Christmas

As the first of several Christmas inspired posts this may seem a little random, but as I have two sister-in-laws who love cats I thought I would search around for cat associated Christmas Presents, so here is some of what I found!


Colin the Tea Cosy
Available from House Knutsford
Now to be honest we are more of a 'bag in the cup' family, but if you have a teapot and are a cat lover this is a must.
I can't imagine anything cuter keeping your pot warm!
Colin is so cute I am tempted to buy a teapot just to put him on!

The Mad Catter
Sold by The Other Mousie on Etsy
If you are looking for something that little bit different definitely check out this Etsy Store - it is full of original handmade items that are great for Christmas! The Mad Catter is so dapper in his top hat and comes with his own cup of tea as a bonus!






Black Cat Cushion
Available from Hunkydory Home
This beautiful retro cushion would be a lovely addition to any house! You also have a choice to display One big cat or lots of smaller ones, alternate for a slightly different look!







Wooden Cat Mini Puzzle
Sold by Grand Baby through Kiddiebase
....and finally a little something for the kids, a perfect stocking filler, I am always looking for wooden toys for my children and i love the look of this, it has three chunky pieces so is perfect for little hands (suitable from 12 months old)!

So there you have it, four lovely products for those who love cats!

Organix Christmas Selection Box - Review!

Well we all like receiving free stuff and treating our kids don't we, so I was delighted when Organix offered to send me one of their new Christmas Selection Boxes to review! 

Now, I hear some of you cry 'Christmas, it's too early' but for me it's not, the shopping is well under way to try and spread the cost a little, so I need ideas for presents and food and i need them now! 

The box is very clear and a lovely size, it gives the feel of a Christmas selection box and contains, 3 packs of biscuits and 2 oaty bars from the 'Goodies' organic range - they also come with a 'No Junk promise!' which means there's no hidden nasties - just 'guilt free, delicious snacks!'

As the snacks are suitable from 12 months old, it was going to fall to our two and a half year old to be tester, Legs (as he is known here) was very happy that he was the designated taster for this, and happily picked from the box when snack time came! First to be gone was the Raspberry and Apple soft oaty bar, there was only one word that came out of Legs' mouth as he polished it off -- 'De-Lic-ious!', he enjoyed it so much he asked if he could have the other bar (Apple and Orange)!

The snacks were eaten one by one (over several days I would like to add!) and all went down a treat! Legs loved them all, but his favourite was the Raspberry and Apple bar! One dinner time, Legs was given the choice of a chocolate cake or something from the box for his pudding - the Alphabet biscuits won, I would never have believed anything would have been picked over chocolate!!

As a bonus there is also a 'Create your own winter farm' scene inside, and Legs had a lot of fun sticking that too, every now and then he says 'Daddy, lets see what's in here' and shows him the picture he made! 

From the toddler's point of view he got a box of treats which was fab, and from Mummy's point of view - he got a box of healthy (No junk) snacks, fantastic, and at the bargain price of £2.99 (available from Ocado online and Boots) these will be replacing the chocolate selection boxes that would normally be bought for my son, nephew and friends (I now get to keep the chocolate for me)!

So from the Piddley Pix household, this gets a big Thumbs Up!!