Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 87
December 30, 2011
So, that was Christmas...
Well, not quite of course. As all good students of the church calendar will know, the season ('to be jolly, fa la la la la' etc.) doesn't actually end until January 6th (first of Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men finally get to give their gifts). And as that is also, in fact, Orthodox Christmas Day it's an excellent excuse to do the whole thing all over again should you want to. And if you should (want to do the whole thing again) here are a few things you might want to do differently. Especially if you're me.
Christmas Eve
Lovely as it is to listen the the Nine Lessons and Carols on the wireless broadcasting machine, simultaneously tweeting the lessons and the words of carols can be something of a distraction. Mind you, being on Twitter did reveal the most enormous, presumptuous arrogance of the BBC Radio Four feed in allocating the hashtag #BBC9LC - thus appropriating the entire event rather than the mere transmission of it to my living room. Now this is serious. If merely broadcasting something to the nation entitles one to take the credit for the event and assume kind of ownership then we should all worry, from the grandest to the humblest. I did search the twitter feed for #BBCHMQSpeech the following day but to no avail. The pinkos at BBC HQ must've got cold feet after my warning tweets the day before.
Christmas Day
With three children in the house ranging in age from thirteen years to a little under twelve months you'd not expect the eldest to be the one sitting at the foot of your bed at six-thirty in the morning drumming her fingers and impatiently waiting for the others to wake up. Top tip: take the eldest to Midnight Mass the night before. That way he or she will be as knackered as you are at six-thirty not having got to bed until two-thirty that morning.
Christmas Lunch
If you plan to play an excellent practical joke on your ex (having invited her round for lunch) ensure it doesn't get forgotten in the kitchen chaos of Christmas cooking. Having enjoyed a starter of prawn cocktail washed down by a suitably impertinent sauvignon, it had been my intention to put this before the mother of my eldest while simultaneously filling everyone else's plate with generous slices of goose. But I forgot.
Christmas afternoon
It's a mistake to leave the bulk of the present-opening until Christmas afternoon - especially after spending all morning in the kitchen. Inevitably the effort expended and alcohol consumed will result in a postprandial stupor of immense proportions and one will miss the kids opening most of their presents as well as completely forget who sent what to whom, making 'thank you' notes a tad difficult to write.
Boxing Day
(Otherwise known as the Feast of Stephen.) A walk is essential. Indeed, any form of exercise is de rigueur. Just be careful how much and how vigorous and for how long. Especially after all that Christmas pudding. The day after Christmas Day isn't the celebration of the first ever Christian martyr for nothing. Oh, and while we're about it, Wenceslas wasn't even a King (a Duke merely, or Earl. But that doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?)
The Third Day of Christmas
Your true love might or might not have gifted you three French hens (...he or she might not have given you anything at all - mine didn't. But then, I didn't give her anything either. We agreed in advance we'd go to the Opera instead next year!) but if the pile of presents beneath our tree is anything to go by, there'll still be plenty to open. In fact, staggered opening can be useful for a variety of reasons (see Christmas Day, above) and gives the recipient of tender years time to get to grips with each new toy in turn (and onlookers of more advanced years time enough to extract from all the packaging, install the batteries and retire to a quiet corner with another beer).
The Fourth Day of Christmas
By now, your goose (in our case) will be well and truly cooked. So for goodness sake take it out of the oven and start eating it!
The Fifth Day of Christmas
Five Gold Rings? Really? That's one for each finger. Lucky you.
The Sixth Day of Christmas
Did you know all swans in this realm of ours belong to Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Elizabeth? The self-same whose Christmas Day address to the Nation next year will almost certainly be appropriated by the BBC in its twitter-feed? So here's another Yuletide tip from the top - no swans whether a-swimming or otherwise on pain of a summons for High Treason and incarceration in the Tower (a fate only slightly worse than the one to befall certain members of this family yesterday after a long-distance journey to bestow season's greetings on a group of far flung relatives - followed by the late-night relay truck ride home in the small hours of this morning).
If anyone knows how to fix a nearside front electric window, I know a man who'd like to hear from you.
Christmas Eve
Lovely as it is to listen the the Nine Lessons and Carols on the wireless broadcasting machine, simultaneously tweeting the lessons and the words of carols can be something of a distraction. Mind you, being on Twitter did reveal the most enormous, presumptuous arrogance of the BBC Radio Four feed in allocating the hashtag #BBC9LC - thus appropriating the entire event rather than the mere transmission of it to my living room. Now this is serious. If merely broadcasting something to the nation entitles one to take the credit for the event and assume kind of ownership then we should all worry, from the grandest to the humblest. I did search the twitter feed for #BBCHMQSpeech the following day but to no avail. The pinkos at BBC HQ must've got cold feet after my warning tweets the day before.
Christmas Day
With three children in the house ranging in age from thirteen years to a little under twelve months you'd not expect the eldest to be the one sitting at the foot of your bed at six-thirty in the morning drumming her fingers and impatiently waiting for the others to wake up. Top tip: take the eldest to Midnight Mass the night before. That way he or she will be as knackered as you are at six-thirty not having got to bed until two-thirty that morning.
Christmas Lunch
If you plan to play an excellent practical joke on your ex (having invited her round for lunch) ensure it doesn't get forgotten in the kitchen chaos of Christmas cooking. Having enjoyed a starter of prawn cocktail washed down by a suitably impertinent sauvignon, it had been my intention to put this before the mother of my eldest while simultaneously filling everyone else's plate with generous slices of goose. But I forgot.
Christmas afternoon
It's a mistake to leave the bulk of the present-opening until Christmas afternoon - especially after spending all morning in the kitchen. Inevitably the effort expended and alcohol consumed will result in a postprandial stupor of immense proportions and one will miss the kids opening most of their presents as well as completely forget who sent what to whom, making 'thank you' notes a tad difficult to write.
Boxing Day
(Otherwise known as the Feast of Stephen.) A walk is essential. Indeed, any form of exercise is de rigueur. Just be careful how much and how vigorous and for how long. Especially after all that Christmas pudding. The day after Christmas Day isn't the celebration of the first ever Christian martyr for nothing. Oh, and while we're about it, Wenceslas wasn't even a King (a Duke merely, or Earl. But that doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?)
The Third Day of Christmas
Your true love might or might not have gifted you three French hens (...he or she might not have given you anything at all - mine didn't. But then, I didn't give her anything either. We agreed in advance we'd go to the Opera instead next year!) but if the pile of presents beneath our tree is anything to go by, there'll still be plenty to open. In fact, staggered opening can be useful for a variety of reasons (see Christmas Day, above) and gives the recipient of tender years time to get to grips with each new toy in turn (and onlookers of more advanced years time enough to extract from all the packaging, install the batteries and retire to a quiet corner with another beer).
The Fourth Day of Christmas
By now, your goose (in our case) will be well and truly cooked. So for goodness sake take it out of the oven and start eating it!
The Fifth Day of Christmas
Five Gold Rings? Really? That's one for each finger. Lucky you.
The Sixth Day of Christmas
Did you know all swans in this realm of ours belong to Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Elizabeth? The self-same whose Christmas Day address to the Nation next year will almost certainly be appropriated by the BBC in its twitter-feed? So here's another Yuletide tip from the top - no swans whether a-swimming or otherwise on pain of a summons for High Treason and incarceration in the Tower (a fate only slightly worse than the one to befall certain members of this family yesterday after a long-distance journey to bestow season's greetings on a group of far flung relatives - followed by the late-night relay truck ride home in the small hours of this morning).
If anyone knows how to fix a nearside front electric window, I know a man who'd like to hear from you.
December 24, 2011
An eco-friendly very merry Christmas to you all!
As you know, I've not sent any Christmas cards this year and have made a donation to charity instead. But that doesn't prevent me wishing everyone the compliments of the season. Oh no. So, here's an environmentally friendly animated audio-visual e-card for you all...
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
December 23, 2011
Macmillan's Biggest Thank You
Macmillan's Biggest Thank You campaign encourages people to say a heartfelt 'thanks' to anyone who helped them during their cancer experience. The unique micro site gives people the opportunity to come together and thank the people who drove them to a hospital appointments, listened when they needed to talk, or to an unforgettable nurse who gave them their treatments; it's the perfect way to remind them how much they mattered.
The film below features six people affected by cancer, shot from the point of view of a webcam, reacting as they read poignant and touching messages of thanks, on the Macmillan Biggest Thank You microsite, received from friends and loved ones.
Personally, I think the campaign is missing something - a heartfelt thanks to all the people at MacMillan. Let's not forget, this Christmas, those whose needs are great and the dedicated people who devote their lives to meeting them.
This is a sponsored post
The film below features six people affected by cancer, shot from the point of view of a webcam, reacting as they read poignant and touching messages of thanks, on the Macmillan Biggest Thank You microsite, received from friends and loved ones.
Personally, I think the campaign is missing something - a heartfelt thanks to all the people at MacMillan. Let's not forget, this Christmas, those whose needs are great and the dedicated people who devote their lives to meeting them.
This is a sponsored post
December 22, 2011
Tesco Christmas
The clock is ticking, but there's still time - plenty of time - to get those last-minute jobs done and if they involve spending time in the kitchen, there's help on hand in the form of the Tesco Christmas Zone, with all the information you could possibly need to cook the perfect Christmas dinner. There's a turkey timer, cocktail finder and leftovers recipe search to take some of the hassle out of the big day. They've also released videos to help you carve the turkey perfectly, make the perfect roast potatoes and bake your own edible Christmas gifts to name but three. Personally, I'm quite tempted to have a go at something like this. She makes it look easy, doesn't she?
December 21, 2011
Are you ready?
Got the turkey ordered? Sprouts sorted? Presents wrapped and cards posted?
No, me neither. Never mind. Help is at hand and I'll be guiding you in the direction of some useful tips for Christmas Day tomorrow. Today, though, Christmas has come early for *drumroll* Adventure Mother, winner of the Green Giant 'Five-A-Day' challenge and author of this handy tip for getting kids to eat their greens, on Christmas Day and every day:
Blending vegetables and mixing them into gravy has always worked for my kids. It works particularly well for cottage pie. I make it with lean beef and finely chopped onions, then add whole peas (the only green thing they will eat whole) and blended carrot and spinach. You could even mash swede or parsnip into the potato topping for an extra dose of your 5 a day!
Pretty crafty, eh? Runners up included Sarah Hague who wrote that 'making a nice vegetable soup always works. You can throw in all the stuff they don't like and it'll come out magically delicious. Especially with croutons.' And Expat Mum suggested we 'puree them (the veggies, not the kids) and add to pasta sauce. Since most kids like pasta, it's fairly fool proof. If yours won't eat red sauce, you can add spinach to pesto and Voila! With red sauce, you can puree a ton of different veggies in there and it doesn't really change the taste. Spinach adds a lovely nutty taste though. Best to do it a tablespoon at a time to get them used to it though. Wink!'
Thanks for all the tips and - believe me - they will be tried and tested and tweaked and then tried again. You can find more five-a-day tips on the Green Giant Facebook Page and, talking of the jolly Green one, here's his Christmas message to you all...
No, me neither. Never mind. Help is at hand and I'll be guiding you in the direction of some useful tips for Christmas Day tomorrow. Today, though, Christmas has come early for *drumroll* Adventure Mother, winner of the Green Giant 'Five-A-Day' challenge and author of this handy tip for getting kids to eat their greens, on Christmas Day and every day:
Blending vegetables and mixing them into gravy has always worked for my kids. It works particularly well for cottage pie. I make it with lean beef and finely chopped onions, then add whole peas (the only green thing they will eat whole) and blended carrot and spinach. You could even mash swede or parsnip into the potato topping for an extra dose of your 5 a day!
Pretty crafty, eh? Runners up included Sarah Hague who wrote that 'making a nice vegetable soup always works. You can throw in all the stuff they don't like and it'll come out magically delicious. Especially with croutons.' And Expat Mum suggested we 'puree them (the veggies, not the kids) and add to pasta sauce. Since most kids like pasta, it's fairly fool proof. If yours won't eat red sauce, you can add spinach to pesto and Voila! With red sauce, you can puree a ton of different veggies in there and it doesn't really change the taste. Spinach adds a lovely nutty taste though. Best to do it a tablespoon at a time to get them used to it though. Wink!'
Thanks for all the tips and - believe me - they will be tried and tested and tweaked and then tried again. You can find more five-a-day tips on the Green Giant Facebook Page and, talking of the jolly Green one, here's his Christmas message to you all...
December 20, 2011
Cheers!
Further to my Pot Noodle post the other day I know that several of you were concerned about my dietary well being (ok, a couple of people said something on Twitter). So, I thought I'd tell you what I've had to eat this evening: salmon linguine, cooked especially for me by my wife (she who promised to obey) and accompanied by a light, refreshing blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc courtesy of Stowell's of Chelsea.
Now, I don't think of myself as a wine writer (although I'm always open to offers!) but I do enjoy the stuff, never more so than when accompanying a plate of wonderful food. I could go on about the melon, pear and apricot aromas or the balance of fresh acidity with a hint of sweetness but I won't. Because - believe it or not - that isn't the most important feature of this new range. Because at just 60 calories for a 125ml glass (30% less than a typical glass of wine) and with an APV of just 5.5 per cent, Stowell's Light (in red, rose and white) offers an opportunity for sensible seasonal and all-year-round drinking at a fraction of the usual alcohol levels - but without the usual compromise on taste.
They sent tonight's bottle therefore this is, of course, a sponsored post. But what they don't know is that I've been searching for something like this for years - not least at this indulgent time of year. Soft drinks just don't 'do it' at the office party, so the idea of something full of flavour but light on calories and alcohol is intriguing. Suffice to say, this won't be the first bottle we'll be having.
So, let's raise a glass of Stowell's Light, chink glasses and say 'Cheers!' And know that, in the watches of the night when the kids wake up, or when the the first sounds of morning are heard far, far too early, there'll be none of the usual groaning and gnashing of teeth (to say nothing of steering the porcelain bus). You'll wake up with a clear head, ready to face the morning.
Now, I don't think of myself as a wine writer (although I'm always open to offers!) but I do enjoy the stuff, never more so than when accompanying a plate of wonderful food. I could go on about the melon, pear and apricot aromas or the balance of fresh acidity with a hint of sweetness but I won't. Because - believe it or not - that isn't the most important feature of this new range. Because at just 60 calories for a 125ml glass (30% less than a typical glass of wine) and with an APV of just 5.5 per cent, Stowell's Light (in red, rose and white) offers an opportunity for sensible seasonal and all-year-round drinking at a fraction of the usual alcohol levels - but without the usual compromise on taste.
They sent tonight's bottle therefore this is, of course, a sponsored post. But what they don't know is that I've been searching for something like this for years - not least at this indulgent time of year. Soft drinks just don't 'do it' at the office party, so the idea of something full of flavour but light on calories and alcohol is intriguing. Suffice to say, this won't be the first bottle we'll be having.
So, let's raise a glass of Stowell's Light, chink glasses and say 'Cheers!' And know that, in the watches of the night when the kids wake up, or when the the first sounds of morning are heard far, far too early, there'll be none of the usual groaning and gnashing of teeth (to say nothing of steering the porcelain bus). You'll wake up with a clear head, ready to face the morning.
December 18, 2011
Philips Airfryer Review
And talking of food (as I was, here) let me tell you about this - the Philips Airfryer healthy frying machine.
Using 80% less fat this little beauty will create the perfect chips in just twelve minutes. But there's more to it than chips. You can make all sorts in it, from home-made fish-cakes to puff-pastry mincemeat parcels. And I have. I'll post pictures and recipes shortly.
But first, chips. (Or if you prefer, as it's Sunday, roast potatoes - only the shape need change.)
First stage, of course, is make your chips. That's easy enough. You don't need a picture for that, do you? Ok then, they look like this:
Ok then, once you've done that, simply add half a tablespoon of oil and get your hands in the bowl and mix.
Next, set the temperature and time.
And in just twelve minutes (depending on quantity) using the patented Rapid Air technology (think very hot hair-dryer) you've got what Philips claim are the 'tastiest chips containing 80% less fat.' And you've got them at a fraction of the cost (with a fraction of the fat and none of the salt) of bought ones. Ok, it takes a little bit of time. But not much - minutes, really. Time well spent to have your chips and stay healthy!
Using my new favourite price-comparison site Idealo.com you can get one of these for as little as £120. The perfect Christmas gift for your chip-loving loved ones!
Mmmmm![image error]
Using 80% less fat this little beauty will create the perfect chips in just twelve minutes. But there's more to it than chips. You can make all sorts in it, from home-made fish-cakes to puff-pastry mincemeat parcels. And I have. I'll post pictures and recipes shortly.
But first, chips. (Or if you prefer, as it's Sunday, roast potatoes - only the shape need change.)
First stage, of course, is make your chips. That's easy enough. You don't need a picture for that, do you? Ok then, they look like this:
Ok then, once you've done that, simply add half a tablespoon of oil and get your hands in the bowl and mix.
Next, set the temperature and time.
And in just twelve minutes (depending on quantity) using the patented Rapid Air technology (think very hot hair-dryer) you've got what Philips claim are the 'tastiest chips containing 80% less fat.' And you've got them at a fraction of the cost (with a fraction of the fat and none of the salt) of bought ones. Ok, it takes a little bit of time. But not much - minutes, really. Time well spent to have your chips and stay healthy!
Using my new favourite price-comparison site Idealo.com you can get one of these for as little as £120. The perfect Christmas gift for your chip-loving loved ones!
Mmmmm![image error]
December 16, 2011
Bon appetit!
It was the works Christmas lunch today. As the only employee I wasn't about to cook the whole shebang just for myself. So I had one of these instead. It was rather nice.
Until recently I hadn't had a Pot Noodle for something like twenty years and I probably shouldn't have done for at least another twenty. Claims earlier this week that over 20,000 people in the UK die every year due to type 2 diabetes were shocking enough, as was the claim that eating as few as two takeaways a week runs an increased risk of developing the disease, especially for women. As a 'born-again' healthy eater on the TescoDiets £s for lbs campaign recently, I certainly know what I should be eating. And the tasty, simple menus linked to online shopping make all the usual excuses irrelevant.
But, well... It was jolly tasty I can tell you. And after all, it's only once a year.
I think I'll organise the office party next.[image error]
Until recently I hadn't had a Pot Noodle for something like twenty years and I probably shouldn't have done for at least another twenty. Claims earlier this week that over 20,000 people in the UK die every year due to type 2 diabetes were shocking enough, as was the claim that eating as few as two takeaways a week runs an increased risk of developing the disease, especially for women. As a 'born-again' healthy eater on the TescoDiets £s for lbs campaign recently, I certainly know what I should be eating. And the tasty, simple menus linked to online shopping make all the usual excuses irrelevant.
But, well... It was jolly tasty I can tell you. And after all, it's only once a year.
I think I'll organise the office party next.[image error]
December 13, 2011
Season's Greetings!
I've threatened this before. (Threatened? Promised?) A couple of years ago I was being all Scrooge-like about the one Christmas tradition I really don't understand. Almost every year I say I'll stop it at the same time as grumbling about the time it takes, the expense of it and the sheer pointlessness of it all. I'm not dreaming of a White Christmas. Well, perhaps I am. But not with every Christmas card I write. Because this year - finally, at last and long overdue - I'm not writing any.
Now I love Christmas, I really do. I love (almost) everything about it. I've already told you I like shopping for Christmas presents (and would still like to know what you'd add to my list). But the sending of cards to those you're going to see personally, to those you see at work every day, to those you're going to wake up next to on Christmas Day...
Don't get me wrong; I'm still wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas' at every available opportunity. And that's the point. Why send a piece of cardboard which may or may not get there and spend a fortune on the postage to do something I'll be doing either personally, or through the medium of technology (and I'm talking telephones here) anyway? I suppose there is still a case for sending cards to those far-flung friends and rellies not on Facebook or connected to the internet. But that isn't many. Really it isn't.
So here's the deal. This year, everyone will be getting their very own e-card. And I don't just mean the kind of thing you sign up for online and cut-and-paste your face into. If you're on twitter, I'll send you a #twittercard. Facebook, likewise. And I'll be giving the money I've saved to a local homelessness charity. It's quite liberating, really. And it's not at all related to the fact that I seem to be so disorganised this year I'd probably not have written my cards until New Year anyway.
Ok, well maybe it is a bit. But that's really only nudged me into doing something that I've wanted to do for years. Namely, this...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Now I love Christmas, I really do. I love (almost) everything about it. I've already told you I like shopping for Christmas presents (and would still like to know what you'd add to my list). But the sending of cards to those you're going to see personally, to those you see at work every day, to those you're going to wake up next to on Christmas Day...
Don't get me wrong; I'm still wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas' at every available opportunity. And that's the point. Why send a piece of cardboard which may or may not get there and spend a fortune on the postage to do something I'll be doing either personally, or through the medium of technology (and I'm talking telephones here) anyway? I suppose there is still a case for sending cards to those far-flung friends and rellies not on Facebook or connected to the internet. But that isn't many. Really it isn't.
So here's the deal. This year, everyone will be getting their very own e-card. And I don't just mean the kind of thing you sign up for online and cut-and-paste your face into. If you're on twitter, I'll send you a #twittercard. Facebook, likewise. And I'll be giving the money I've saved to a local homelessness charity. It's quite liberating, really. And it's not at all related to the fact that I seem to be so disorganised this year I'd probably not have written my cards until New Year anyway.
Ok, well maybe it is a bit. But that's really only nudged me into doing something that I've wanted to do for years. Namely, this...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
December 10, 2011
Christmas List
You're going to hate me for saying this, I know. I hate myself. (Especially this year, when I've never been so unprepared for Christmas!) But... but. I have a Christmas confession, a December disclosure, a mid-winter mea culpa. It is this. I actually like buying presents. I don't find it a chore. I enjoy taxing my brain cells every year in an effort to think of what to buy.
Let me just make one thing clear. This isn't one of those holier-than-thou better-to-give-than-receive type missives, although I do believe - especially as one gets older - that that latter assumes an importance ever greater.
No. What I mean is that the creative energy expended in thoughtful present buying can be immensely satisfying. And bears absolutely no relation whatsoever to the monetary value of the present purchased. Indeed, some of the best, most well-chosen, most satisfyingly given and most gratefully received presents can sometimes be the cheapest. And - just to make it absolutely clear that this isn't some kind of sanctimonious pre-Christmas sermon - allow me to confess to occasionally delighting in giving some of the most impractical, incongruous presents ever. I'll spare yours (and my sister's) blushes by telling you what.
But I digress (of course). The point is I - we - like giving presents. We like receiving them too, of course. And although money's nice (of course it is) it's never quite the same is it? It's never quite as special merely opening an envelope on Christmas Day (or one's birthday) no matter how generously stuffed with lucrely largesse. Because a present - however small - implies an element of choice, an effort made to understand or second-guess someone else's wishes. No matter that it can sometimes go spectacularly wrong (I'm sorry, Nic, for that indoor fountain); it's the thought that counts. Really it is.
But oh, the thinking takes up so much time and energy to say nothing of the shopping. And at this - the busiest - time of year too. Well, dear readers, help is at hand. As a daddy blogger of three years standing I've been asked to look at a number of things this year, and I'm happy to share some of them with you now in the hope that it provides you with some present-buying inspiration. There's something for everyone here, with prices raging from almost £90 to under 90p. So don't just give cash this year - have a bash at your own entirely gift-wrapped open-and-be-amazed Christmas.
Starting at the upper end of the price range, the Scalextric James Bond C1254 Race Set (£88 from Amazon, via Idealo) is the kind of gift guaranteed to get some parent-child bonding on Christmas Day. But be warned! It's addictive, which might be to the detriment of the turkey. Charlie and I were invited to a Scalextric PR event earlier in the year, and Charlie did me proud by opting to play not with the McClaren Jenson Button/Lewis Hamilton race set, nor the Disney Pixar cars track, but with this little beauty. He's quite good at it, too, as you can see from this short video. Which is why I'd better get practising before Christmas Eve.
But what if you haven't got the floor space for a Scalextric? Well, Hot Wheels have come up with an ingenuous solution whereby you attach track to the wall. This also has the advantage of keeping it out of the reach of younger siblings, something Charlie has had to contend with quite a lot just recently. A Hot Wheels Wall Track Starter Set can be had for just £29.99 either on Amazon or Play.com via Idealo.
Next, you all know how difficult it can sometimes be to get a bit of inter-generational bonding going on at Christmas? Well, this next gift idea might give a positive spin to any 'it weren't like this in my day' comments from older generations as they watch your offspring opening their presents. Record their Stories costs just 69p on iTunes and despite having a built-in edit suite and more than a 100 scrollable questions to help keep conversation flowing, it really is child's play to use.
And we all know that - whatever we've spent, however long we've thought - those presents aren't going to keep the kids' Christmas attention indefinitely. So downloading this app and appointing them 'in dulci (jubilo)' interlocutors for the day might be a wonderfully effective way of keeping everybody happy, as well as recording some wonderful memories.
Finally, a couple of things for the grown-ups. My good friend and fellow-blogger Tom Briggs has just - literally - launched this upon the word: an anthology of the best of daddy blogging.
If the Christmas telly palls, you cannot fail to find some entertainment between the pages of this carefully crafted volume. If you're a blogger, come and have a read of what we dads are writing; if you're not (yet) come and have a look and see if you can't do any better.
And talking of books, James Corden's autobiography May I Have Your Attention Please is another entertaining. We quite like James Corden here. He is, after all, the voice of the mouse in The Gruffalo animation (as you can see in the behind-the-scenes film The Making of The Gruffalo). And I enjoyed his performance in The History Boys enormously. He's a very talented actor. As well as writer. But oh, what a performer! This warts-n-all book certainly doesn't fight shy of his attention-seeking tendencies (hence the title) nor does it shirk the laddish excesses that accompanied Corden's rise to fame and it can be had for just £8.99 - a saving of £10 - from W.H.Smith.
So, there are just a few of my ideas to save you from the dreaded 'money' option for this year's Christmas stocking. No doubt you'll have your own, too. In which case, please add them to the comment box below. Go on - let's make this the biggest Christmas present list on the 'net this year. Let's get creative with our present giving. And give no-one an excuse to send anyone any money.
Let me just make one thing clear. This isn't one of those holier-than-thou better-to-give-than-receive type missives, although I do believe - especially as one gets older - that that latter assumes an importance ever greater.
No. What I mean is that the creative energy expended in thoughtful present buying can be immensely satisfying. And bears absolutely no relation whatsoever to the monetary value of the present purchased. Indeed, some of the best, most well-chosen, most satisfyingly given and most gratefully received presents can sometimes be the cheapest. And - just to make it absolutely clear that this isn't some kind of sanctimonious pre-Christmas sermon - allow me to confess to occasionally delighting in giving some of the most impractical, incongruous presents ever. I'll spare yours (and my sister's) blushes by telling you what.
But I digress (of course). The point is I - we - like giving presents. We like receiving them too, of course. And although money's nice (of course it is) it's never quite the same is it? It's never quite as special merely opening an envelope on Christmas Day (or one's birthday) no matter how generously stuffed with lucrely largesse. Because a present - however small - implies an element of choice, an effort made to understand or second-guess someone else's wishes. No matter that it can sometimes go spectacularly wrong (I'm sorry, Nic, for that indoor fountain); it's the thought that counts. Really it is.
But oh, the thinking takes up so much time and energy to say nothing of the shopping. And at this - the busiest - time of year too. Well, dear readers, help is at hand. As a daddy blogger of three years standing I've been asked to look at a number of things this year, and I'm happy to share some of them with you now in the hope that it provides you with some present-buying inspiration. There's something for everyone here, with prices raging from almost £90 to under 90p. So don't just give cash this year - have a bash at your own entirely gift-wrapped open-and-be-amazed Christmas.
Starting at the upper end of the price range, the Scalextric James Bond C1254 Race Set (£88 from Amazon, via Idealo) is the kind of gift guaranteed to get some parent-child bonding on Christmas Day. But be warned! It's addictive, which might be to the detriment of the turkey. Charlie and I were invited to a Scalextric PR event earlier in the year, and Charlie did me proud by opting to play not with the McClaren Jenson Button/Lewis Hamilton race set, nor the Disney Pixar cars track, but with this little beauty. He's quite good at it, too, as you can see from this short video. Which is why I'd better get practising before Christmas Eve.
But what if you haven't got the floor space for a Scalextric? Well, Hot Wheels have come up with an ingenuous solution whereby you attach track to the wall. This also has the advantage of keeping it out of the reach of younger siblings, something Charlie has had to contend with quite a lot just recently. A Hot Wheels Wall Track Starter Set can be had for just £29.99 either on Amazon or Play.com via Idealo.
Next, you all know how difficult it can sometimes be to get a bit of inter-generational bonding going on at Christmas? Well, this next gift idea might give a positive spin to any 'it weren't like this in my day' comments from older generations as they watch your offspring opening their presents. Record their Stories costs just 69p on iTunes and despite having a built-in edit suite and more than a 100 scrollable questions to help keep conversation flowing, it really is child's play to use.
And we all know that - whatever we've spent, however long we've thought - those presents aren't going to keep the kids' Christmas attention indefinitely. So downloading this app and appointing them 'in dulci (jubilo)' interlocutors for the day might be a wonderfully effective way of keeping everybody happy, as well as recording some wonderful memories.
Finally, a couple of things for the grown-ups. My good friend and fellow-blogger Tom Briggs has just - literally - launched this upon the word: an anthology of the best of daddy blogging.
If the Christmas telly palls, you cannot fail to find some entertainment between the pages of this carefully crafted volume. If you're a blogger, come and have a read of what we dads are writing; if you're not (yet) come and have a look and see if you can't do any better.
And talking of books, James Corden's autobiography May I Have Your Attention Please is another entertaining. We quite like James Corden here. He is, after all, the voice of the mouse in The Gruffalo animation (as you can see in the behind-the-scenes film The Making of The Gruffalo). And I enjoyed his performance in The History Boys enormously. He's a very talented actor. As well as writer. But oh, what a performer! This warts-n-all book certainly doesn't fight shy of his attention-seeking tendencies (hence the title) nor does it shirk the laddish excesses that accompanied Corden's rise to fame and it can be had for just £8.99 - a saving of £10 - from W.H.Smith.
So, there are just a few of my ideas to save you from the dreaded 'money' option for this year's Christmas stocking. No doubt you'll have your own, too. In which case, please add them to the comment box below. Go on - let's make this the biggest Christmas present list on the 'net this year. Let's get creative with our present giving. And give no-one an excuse to send anyone any money.
