This time of year there is nothing better than curling up under a blanket with a hot chocolate or a mulled wine, reading a festive story with the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree in the background.
There are so many wonderful Christmas reads on the shelves this year so I've picked a selection of the best festive reads to help you decided what to pick.
The Postbox at the North Pole - Jaimie Adams*
I adored this book. it's everything you'd expect from a festive story and more. It certainly put me in a Christmassy mood and I felt wrapped up in magic.
The story is about Sasha who finds herself heading to the North Pole Forest to help her dad after hearing he had a heart attack. Sasha and her dad have a strained relationship. He is usually travelling the world and avoiding ever going home, especially at Christmas time. At the airport she is greeted by Tav (a handsome man who works for her dad) who strongly believes in Christmas magic and spirit. One of his many jobs is to care for all the reindeer in the forest. Sasha can be described as a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas but could all that change when she spends time with her Dad, Tav and from responding to Santa letters at the post office?
This is such a heart-warming novel. The characters are perfectly written, flawed but relatable. There is fantastic chemistry between Sasha and Tav. The backdrop of this wonderful story is amazing. I literally want to stay in Candy Cane Lodge. I was able to conjure up the most serene images of the North Pole Forest. I felt the cold, I saw the snow and I smelt the cinnamon. This may be my first Adams novel but it won't be my last. 4.5/5
The Christmas Bookshop - Jenny Colgan
Carmen works for her local department store but is made redundant. Her mother coerces her perfect, can't do anything wrong, very successful sister Sofia to allow her to live with her in Edinburgh. There, Sofia finds Carmen a job at a run down bookshop that needs saving before the end of the year. Can she use her design skills to save the shop and save its owner Mr McCredie from bankruptcy. It's a story of love, family and hope. It also has the most gorgeous cover.
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Baby it's Cold Outside - Emily Bell*
Norah Jones is known for two things; she shares her name with a famous musician and she us always single. Facing another Christmas alone she remembers a promise that her and Andrew (someone she previously fell for) made to each other 10 years earlier which was that if they were both still single on Christmas Eve 2019 they'll wait under the clock at Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin. If fate is on their side and it's meant to be then they'll meet each other there. Her best friend Joe is there to support her every step of the way. Will Andrew be at the clock? Will there be a few Christmas surprises along the way?
Underneath the Christmas Tree - Heidi Swain
Wynter Trees is the home of Christmas but for Lyza Wynter, it's a millstone around her neck. The Christmas tree farm was her father's pride and joy but now he's gone, she can't have anything to do with it. Her father's business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned. When Liz arrives she discovers the business is flourishes under Ned's stewardship and she's happy to help him for the Christmas season but then she has other plans. Will the place where she grew up make her change her mind?
The Arctic Curry Club*
Maya has to uproot her life and accompany her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic. She soon realises it's not all busy rides and northern lights. She's in sub-zero temperatures, 24 hour darkness and has a distant boyfriend. In her loneliest moment she opens her late mother's recipe book and cooks Indian food for the first time. Soon her confidence grows, she makes friends and gains a job as a chef. Life suddenly seems to be looking up. However, the aromatic cuisine reminds her of her enigmatic mother and memories of her childhood in Bangalore. Can Maya face the past and accept a future in the Arctic? With a demand for a curry club and her being the one to run it, will she stay?
A Winter Wonderland - Isla Gordon
Myla might be the world's least festive person because everything bad happens to her around Christmas time. She ends up losing a bet and finds herself committed to a seasonal job in Lapland. The job entails 10 weeks in below zero temperatures and lots of Christmas spirit. Even though she's cynical she soon realises that Lapland has more to offer than Santa Claus including a very good looking elf. Will a little love under the northern lights be enough to change Myla's mind about Christmas?
You can find all of these books at all good book retailers.
I am currently making my way through reading all of these books. To read my reviews once they are published, make sure you are following my book instagram account by clicking here, Kerry Louise Norris Reads
What is on your bucket list?
We recently had a festive Disney day which started with us decorating the tree and living room, doing some Disney Christmas crafts and ending the day watching The Muppets Christmas carol.
This year we were sent some fantastic products from shopDisney who have a huge range to choose from.
If you follow me on social media you will know that I love twinning so I was over the moon with the pyjamas that we received. The girls changed into them for our festive day and were amazed by the fact that they were allowed to wear pyjamas so early in the day. They adore the fact that their names are on the back. It's great to see shopDisney offering so many products that can be personalised. It makes gifts and items much more unique and special.
One of our traditions is to buy a new Disney bauble for our tree every year, so we were delighted to receive two new ones in our package. We had Chip and Dale and a stunning Gold Mickey. The girls loved the Chip and Dale ones as they have a Christmas bell on making them jingle. I'm hoping Santa will leave me the Aladdin socks hanging ornament on our tree this year.
Under the tree we placed their Minnie Mouse sacks ready for Santa to fill on Christmas Eve. They have also been personalised which I think is a lovely touch. I've actually asked hubby to buy me one as I was insanely jealous when I saw them.
We also received a fill your own Disney advent calendar. We much prefer having one that is reusable so this is a great addition to our house. Ophelia hasn't stopped playing with it. She likes to pull the drawers out and stack them up to make towers and then pop them all back.
The kids love a bit of crafting so they really enjoyed the Create your own ornament kit which you colour and shape them into cubes to hang on the tree, nothing beats a bit of hand made decorations from your kids to make a tree more personal and special. Eva made some for her teachers and family members.
After our busy day making and decorating we headed to the sofa to snuggle up and watch a Christmas film. We are now massively in the Christmas spirit. The girls enjoyed crafting so much that we are going to attempt to make a Disney themed wreath for the house.
Have you put your decorations up yet? Do you have any Disney decor up over the festive period?
*Thank you to shopDisneyuk for gifting us with a Christmas bundle of products. All opinions and photographs are my own*
If you are heading to The Great Skate there is a separate car park which is clearly signposted. If you are there for a certain amount of hours there is a small charge but we were there for a couple of hours and we didn't need to pay anything. The car park is a short walk to the hotel along a path surrounded by Christmas trees.
It is open until the 6th January and prices start from £5. There are various tickets and packages available.
Even though The great Skate is actually outside it is all enclosed which is perfect as it means it's slightly warmer than being fully outside and that you can attend even if it's raining.
One thing that really stood our for us and enhanced our skating experience was the fact that they have 3 different skating aids for children depending on their age and size. There was a polar bear, penguin and even a sit on seal. Eva had a penguin which I was eternally grateful for as it helped me around the rink too!
We had an hour on the rink and Eva didn't want to get off. She absolutely loved the experience.
We then headed into the food and drink area which was lovely. There were a few different food options which was great to see. You could have burgers, hot dogs and there was even a halloumi option which sounded yummy. The only downside was there were no children's sized portions which I would like to have seen. There was also a sweet treats stall serving things such as popcorn, waffles, chocolate, candy floss etc which my children thought was amazing.
There was a huge range of drinks on offer. We were really spoilt for choice. There were hot drinks, soft drinks, festive cocktails, mulled wine, beer, cider, wine and prosecco.
After our experience we had a wander around the lobby area of The Celtic Manor resort to look at the Christmas decorations and soak up the atmosphere.
We had a fantastic evening and we are already looking at when we can return again in December. We'd highly recommend it.
*Thank you to The Celtic Manor resort for having us as your guests. All words and opinions are my own*
Tickets cost £14 per child and £5 per adult. I must admit as a parent, I find that price quite off putting. However, the cost can certainly be justified by the experience. The price includes a 30 minute journey through Santa's Candyland (5 different rooms in total) to eventually meet Santa. It also includes a surprise tasty treat to take home, a toy and a discounted hot drink.
It's advised to book online before visiting to ensure you get a spot. Once you arrive you can wait in the waiting area where you can write a letter to Santa. An elf then calls you in to start your journey to Santa.
You then go through to a room to board a train. This was my favourite part of the experience. It's very realistic and certainly unique. The video is also quite comical for the adults which is always a bonus.
Next up you head to the gingerbread factory where you have to help power things along by throwing balls through holes. Both my girls loved this part.
Then you head to Mrs Claus' kitchen which is beautifully decorated. It looks incredibly festive and cosy.
You then wait in a forest before visiting Santa. Your group visits Santa together but your child has individual time with him for a chat and photo opportunities.
Once the journey ends your child gets to pick their own toy from a wide selection. I think this is a great idea as you know your child will like their gift. I can't tell you how many times we've been to visit Santa in other places and the gift has not been up to scratch.
Overall, the experience was wonderful. The kids thought it was amazing and so did we. There are so many special touches that make Santa's Candyland truly magical and stand out from any other experience in South Wales. I can't recommend it enough.
My only negative comment was the parking. We went on a weekend and the car park was utter chaos which was incredibly stressful. It took us over 45 minutes to park the car. If you are going to visit on a weekend please keep this in mind.
Have you visited Santa this year? Where are your favourite places to visit him?
*We were invited to experience Santa's magical Candyland in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own*