Playpennies

Last week, fellow PlayPennies writer Tamsin wrote a feature post on Make Your Own Christmas Wrapping Paper. To be honest, I thought that sounded a bit easy. Get some paper and have your child crayon a bit. What I didn't realise was that in actual fact it would be the best crafty fun we'd have together pre-Christmas AND the end result looked fabulous!

I have a roll of paper - it's fairly low quality I guess, kind of like wallpaper liner but thinner and smaller. It cost very little from Ikea, and has the massive advantage of being able to pull as much off as you want. I couldn't find it online, on the Ikea website, but I did find these rolls of drawing paper on Amazon.

My son (5 and a half) asked for his crayons and glitter. I also had some ribbon (I keep all the odd bits and pieces of ribbon you get throughout the year in a container).

The first lot of wrapping paper was particularly special. This was for his class teacher, who he has a wee crush on, and he put a lot of thought into every picture he drew on there, and the exact mix of glitter colours used! It might look like just random blobs to the untrained eye, but trust me, there was a lot of method in that madness.

He'd run out of creative steam on the next piece of wrapping paper, this was for his teaching assistant (who is lovely). He just wanted to draw stars and Christmas trees.  This is when I had a brainwave. I am useless at drawing stars (as you can see from above), and besides I wanted it all to be his work as much as possible. Minimal input from mummy!

So I had the idea of using a cookie cutter. This came from the Salter Kids In The Kitchen baking set we were lucky enough to review back in the summer. I don't think that a week goes by where we don't get this set out although this is the first time we weren't able to eat the end result!

I got the star shaped cookie cutter, and he was able to hold it on the paper, fill it in with PVA glue, and then when the glitter was shaken off he had a near perfect star.

He loved using the glitter. I keep old plastic containers from when we have Chinese takeaways, and he used one as a sort of palette for mixing up some of the colours. But also, he poured the glitter right from the containers - I took the shaker part off the top. This was of course risky! But he wanted to have the stars half one colour, and half another colour, and that wasn't possible using the shaker. I bought the glitter shakers from The Early Learning Centre over a year ago now - they are lasting well! Several birthdays and two Christmases and I still have about a third left in the pots.

This was a massive hit! He loved that he was creating something that looked so good, and very carefully planned out six stars across the paper. Although after he was a bit critical and thought he'd perhaps done too many stars! Interspersed between the stars are crayoned Christmas trees.

What we used for this project:

• Roll of drawing paper
• Crayons
• Glitter
• PVA Glue
• Scissors
• Ribbon

It usually gets to a point just before Christmas, around this point actually, when I feel overwhelmed with the materialism of it all. Too many presents, too much food, all the Christmas shows and parties. It also feels important to help the offspring know more about the other side of it all. Even in the most austere Christmas the recession can throw at us, there are others who are far worse off.

Charity is an important part of Christmas.

Giving Presents

Operation Christmas Child is run by a Christian organisation called the Samaritan's Purse, which aims to get a shoebox of gifts to children in some of the most deprived parts of the world. It is already too late to participate though, as the scheme stopped collecting on the 18th of November. But if you would like to have your children put together some shoeboxes next year you can find out more here, and also where the drop off points are. Schools and other organisations can arrange for collections too - my son's school did.

The organisation does send religious material along with the shoeboxes, although it says it does so in a way appropriate to the child's own religion and country of origin. Still, the material is evangelical in nature and that's not to everyone's taste.

How about Oxfam's Unwrapped? You can sit down with the kids and choose a gift. It will perhaps help put things in perspective when they realise that for the same price as a Buzz Lightyear or Zhu Zhu Hamster playset they can send a child to school, or feed them by buying a goat.

There's an eclectic array of charitable gifts to by at The Good Gifts Catalogue. You can save a bluebell wood, help destroy weapons or buy a donkey-drawn library, for example.

For something a little closer to home, each year, the Salvation Army runs its Christmas Appeal. This finished on the 18th of December but is well worth keeping in mind as well for next year. You can take an unwrapped present to any of its stores and other drop off locations (look on the website to find the closest to you). This year Superdrug also collected toys for the charity.

At this time of the year, Women's Refuges around the country are looking for donations of gifts and food. There's no single coordinated effort. Do a google search for anything that is being organised in your area, like this one in Wolverhampton.

Other ways to give

Give as you earn. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has a website that will tell you more here. This is tax-free and is deducted from your salary before tax is calculated so could cost you less to give more.

Have you looked in charity shops for your Christmas gifts? Not for giving second hand items, although this might be possible. Especially when a child is younger - they don't know what the packaging is meant to be like or are bothered if it has already been open. I bought quite a few of my son's toys from a charity shop when he was younger - all his Duplo sets came second hand. But I digress. Most charity shops now also sell a wide selection of really lovely crafty sorts of items that make great presents. Have a look on the Chairty Retail Association's website to find a shop near you.

Open a savings account with the Charity Bank! This works the same as any other savings account but the interest earned goes towards the charitable organisations supported by the bank.

Earn money for charity while you do your shopping online. Everyclick's Give As You Live is a scheme to help you do that. You download an app onto your computer, pick the cause you want to support, and send about 2.5% of every pound you spend online to that charity.

Consider swapping from the usual cashback site you might be doing your shopping through for one like Froggybank. You can buy through them at all the major retailers like Tesco, Currys, Comet, WHSmith, M&S and HMV.

Volunteer

Your time can make as big a difference as your wallet at this time of the year - or any time of the year. Not everyone can give their time on Christmas day itself, especially if you have family. But there's plenty still to do before and after, such as cooking, providing company, or wrapping presents.

Volunteering England is an "independent charity and membership organisation, committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity."

While some charities will wind down over the holidays, or even close up shop altogether, for others it is the busiest time of the year. Crisis, the charity that supports the homeless, needs 8,000 volunteers for its Crisis at Christmas.

The Food Chain provides nutrition services including home delivered meals, essential groceries and nutrition advice to men, women and children who are chronically sick as a result of HIV related illness.

Age Concern drafts in extra helpers at this time of the year. Have a look on the website to find your local branch. Other organisations that provide additional support and events during the Christmas season include the Alzheimers Society, and Parkinsons UK.

And More ...

This is just the tip of the iceberg. When I started researching this, I had no idea how many different ways there were to support charities at this time of the year. Don't forget your local causes too. Does your local church run any special events or lunches that they might need a hand at? Last year I spent an afternoon helping to make scones for a special children's tea performance of the Church's Christmas show, and I don't even go to church. It felt nice just to be doing something. And it really does make Christmas more, well, Christmassy!

What unusual ways have you found to give at this time of the year, particularly where you've been able to get the children involved?

photo credit: Crisis archive

Christmas wrapping paper may be selling for as little as 50p a tube in some stores, but it can be far more fun to make your own.  You can also save money in the long term because, once you have all the relevant ingredients, you can also branch out into making wrapping paper for birthdays, christenings, weddings and more.

Now, I am not necessarily talking professional style paper here. No, this is the kind of wrapping paper that your kids get involved in making, that looks kind of crazy and cute, and that should only be used to wrap presents for family or friends who also have kids.

You will need paper – now this can be printer paper, recycled paper, brown paper, reams of cheap white art paper, butcher paper, anything that takes your fancy – sequins, glitter, glue, paints, scissors, feathers, and sparkle shapes. You can even get away with only paper, paint and scissors – it’s up to you and your budget.

One of my favourites for Christmas is this site – Make-a-Flake. You can design your very own snowflake, download it and then print it. This will keep the kids busy while you panic shop online, or drink a relaxing cup of tea, and will look fabulous when printed out in bulk and used to wrap Grandma’s present.

Potato printing has to be one of the few things that really does stick in my childhood memory banks. I used to love hacking out designs and splodging them potatoes into paint and then onto paper to create awesome designs. Potato shapes are cheap and easy to make, they allow for endless creativity.

You can either be all professional and serious, or you can be random and whacky. For the more artistic parents and children you can draw your design onto the potato with pen, cut out the shape and then go forth. For those of us who need a bit more help, go online and find the shapes you like, print them, cut them out and use them to trace onto the potato half. I tend to cheat because I can only draw stick men.

Once you’ve finished printing with your potato you can do something utterly bonkers and cut off the back of the potato to lessen the weight, repeat the pattern on the fresh side, smother it in paint, leave it to dry, and then hang it up on your tree. This looks really funky if you use bright colours and real Christmas tree.

If you don’t fancy mauling your favourite potatoes in the name of art, there are other options. Get some bin bags and plonk them onto a work surface or kitchen floor. These are to limit the amount of damage caused by children wielding paintbrushes. Then, print out designs from the internet – there are some fabulous links to different sites with Christmas patterns here – colour them in and stick them to the paper. Use a pencil to poke holes for eyes in snow and gingerbread men/people.

Splattering paint is also fabulous fun and looks awesome. Spread out your paper and ensure that all surfaces are covered to avoid arduous cleaning later. Then arm your offspring with paintbrushes of varying sizes and tubs of paint and show them how to dab and flick paint all over the paper. Once you’re done, just leave it to dry, then roll it up and use it whenever you need it.

I have also used other alternatives – only when using water soluble paint – such as letting the kids walk in the paint, slap hand prints all over the paper and so forth. They have so much fun it is almost criminal and judicious use of green, red, and gold glitter Christmasses it up in seconds.

Once you have created your paper you will probably want to make the matching gift tags. This is really easy to do and you can use old Christmas paper that you’ve kept even though it is too small or weirdly shaped to wrap anything, your own created paper, or just some plain coloured card.

Whip out your cookie cutters – it doesn’t matter what shape they are – trace them onto your chosen material, cut them out and then unleash the kids on them. If you used paint to create the paper, then consider using crayons or pencils to decorate the tags. The contrasting inks will look really lovely together.

There you have it, creating your own wrapping paper couldn’t be easier. And, it is highly likely that you already own half the materials (if not all of them) to make the paper already. Have fun, and please come show us your finished products!

Images

Macro Snowflake by Petr Kratochvil
Christmas Gift by Petr Kratochvil
Potatoes by Vera Kratochvil
Christmas Present by Anna Cervova

It's that time of year again. Actually, when you have children at school it's that time of the year, twice a year. Christmas and the last day of school year. Along with writing out cards for all the children in your child's class, making 50-odd cupcakes, and getting a costume together for the Christmas show, there's also the gifts for the teacher and teaching assistant.

In the US, this is a small industry. There's half a dozen online retailers alone dedicated to gift ideas for teachers, teaching staff and related workers like school bus drivers. Thankfully things aren't as over the top in the UK.

So, what can you buy or make for the teacher that's inexpensive (if necessary), but still useful? Facing this dilemma myself, I have spent a lot of time online. And here's a round up of the best ideas I found! I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. Some people are amazingly creative. Thank goodness they are willing to share that creativity with the rest of us!

Do or don't?

First off though, do you or don't you buy a gift for the teaching staff at Christmas? I have missed this one before, simply because it didn't occur to me! But the truth is, it means a lot to my son. Last year he went in beaming away, almost over whelmed with the pleasure of giving Miss a gift. She'd put in such a lot of hard work, it felt important to at least say thank you.

The good news, for parents anyway, is that as your child gets older, they're less likely to want to do anything other than simply die of embarrassment if you tried to give the teacher a gift for Christmas.

And then there's always that nagging feeling, it isn't necessarily wanted. How many bubble bath mixtures, body lotions, or plates of cookies does one person need?  The teacher will get a shed load of gifts anyway, so one less isn't going to make a difference. Earlier this year the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) found that 93% had received gifts.

Heartfelt thanks in a card will mean as much. So never feel bad about not doing the whole gift thing!

Idea 1: The big bake

A plateful of Christmas cookies, cake, gingerbread, chocolate brownies. A little bit of presentation with some cellophane and ribbon, and you've got a lovely gift. This idea is one of my favourites. Although make sure you do a taste test before you wrap it all up. One teacher comment I came across while trying to find out if they really do like all this home baking was about how she'd been given a plate of cookies where clearly the butter or margarine used had gone bad. Yuck!

Idea 2: Theme basket

This one came from an American site. The idea is that you get a basket, or a wicker type box, and put items in it according to a theme. So, it could be a hot chocolate theme - mug, marshmallows, hot chocolate.

Other cool ideas include an ice cream sundae kit - a nice tall glass, ice cream scoop, toppings. I also really liked the 'Day at the Beach' theme that included sunscreen, sand bucket, and one of those 'magic' beach towels that are really tiny but sort of expand and mop up a lot of water. But perhaps that's one for the summer term.

Idea 3: DIY Christmas Cracker

This one ticks all the boxes! It adds the personal touch from the children by getting them to help make and decorate the cracker. It's also inexpensive. You can just put in a few items inside the cracker, but really its the presentation that makes it special. So this one is ideal if you're feeling the lack of funds this year. I really liked this guide on the BBC website to making one. I don't think I'll try to put a 'snap' inside mine, but it is a nice way to make it looks personal.

Idea 4: The whip around

If you can get organised with the other parents in your class, you can all club together to buy something. I think it is important when doing this not to set any minimum amounts. Some people will be able to afford a lot, while others will have less. A whip around is a way for parents you might only have a pound or so to spare to put their money into the pot and get something significant for the teacher. Gift certificates or cards are always a good one. The cards you can get from places like Sainsburys or WH Smiths that can be used in a number of different shops will mean that you can be sure the teacher will be able to get something they really want.

Idea 5: Giving for the school

This one is the most popular in the US, where state funding for schools is a lot lower than it is in the UK, and a significant proportion of the school's financial support comes from the local community. So gift certificates that can be used in places like office supplies stores are quite popular. A recent survey in the US found that nearly three quarters of teachers buy all their class supplies themselves! Things aren't quite the same in the UK but even so, all the forums I looked at suggested that books for a class book corner are always a good idea. So a gift certificate for Amazon perhaps, or other book seller.

Idea 6: Christmas decorations

This is almost two ideas, buying and making. Either you could buy a nice bauble, maybe something special from the Christmas shop in your department store. Or you could get your offspring to make something. Salt dough decorations are always good. We also looked at making your own here.

Idea 7: Booze

You might not feel comfortable giving alcohol to a teacher, and it is possible that the school has rules against it. But really, you can't go wrong with alcohol. And personally, if I had spent the last three months in a class with 30 five year olds every day I'd really want to have a drink. BOGOF deals in the supermarket are good to keep an eye out for. Sainsburys recently had Baileys on offer for half price!

Idea 8: Notepaper or stationary

This isn't something I'd have ever thought of myself! But it came up several times in posts by teachers when I was researching this post. Personally, I'm not so sure myself. But some teachers like it for writing notes or letters to parents, for example.

Idea 9: Poetry

This seems to be very popular. Teachers loved receiving poems or stories that the children have written about them. They love the personal touch, and the effort involved. And the way it makes them feel particularly appreciated!

Idea 10: Chocolates

And last but apparently, by no means least, the good old standby - a box of chocolates. It seems a bit of a cliché but teachers find them very handy especially for re-gifting purposes. A nice box of biscuits also goes down very well if they're going to a large family gathering for Christmas!

Today's guest post comes from the pen of Rob Clymo who writes on behalf of Broadband Genie, the independent comparison website for finding broadband and mobile broadband deals.

Having a broadband supply is becoming an essential way of life for most of us now, although if you’re still in the market for it or wish to change from an existing supplier then it’s a great time to get yourself a great deal too.

The key to making sure that you have secured yourself the best deal possible is to ensure that you do a little bit or research prior to signing on the dotted line. There are a wealth of providers out there who offer many different package options, but you can hone these down by doing a little bit of homework first.

First up; try looking at availability in your area because not all services are available everywhere. Even if they are you may well find that some broadband providers offer a better deal than others based on your geographical location. There are useful online tools available that will enable you to check the availability of products and services using a postcode checker tool.

Another thing to do is also take a look at the line speed you can hope to get in your locale. Again, use free tools on the internet to help you ascertain whether or not you’ll be best off going for ADSL or cable based broadband services.

Prices change all the time too, so use an online comparison tool that will enable to you scan all available broadband deals and then fine-tune them so that they match the sort of criteria that you’re looking for from a broadband supply. That could include price, but speed is also a large factor – the faster the connection the more you generally pay.

Data limits are also something to watch out for, because if you’re a heavy internet user who downloads lots of content, such as movies, then you’ll want a service that gives you the freedom to do this without penalties. You may pay a little more for the extra capacity and speed but this is better than being told off by your provider for overstepping their limits.

One of the best ways to get a great deal is to try the option of bundling services. This could mean adding together broadband, landline phone and also a TV package into one deal that should allow you to get much better value for money. Broadband providers always have special offers on these too, and they’ll often throw in the kit that you need for free or at a reduced rate.

Getting the right broadband package at a decent price is often about timing, so pick your moment to sign up for a deal. However, top deals come and go all the time, so even if you miss out on one this week you’ll be sure to find another the next week.

Thanks to Bruno Girin, KIUI staff.

There are some utterly genius human beings out there who’ve devised some totally awesome Christmas fun online. From Santa’s blog to NORAD to turning yourself into an elf, there is a lot of fun to be had online in the lead up to Christmas.

So, pull up a chair, pour yourself some tea and haul your kids into sofa cuddles, and enjoy the pick of the best Christmas websites on the web.

1. Santa’s Blog

From the moment you read the headline which reads: Regular Updates Throughout the Holiday Season From North Pole, Inc. Chairman & CEO Santa Claus, you are giggling. I snorted and chuckled my way through his Black Friday shopping bonanza on 26 November, and the various announcements and headlines. Definitely a great read.

2. Send Santa An Email

This site may not be the prettiest site on the web, but the idea is really cute. You can write to Santa Claus and he will respond! Admit to your year of naughtiness and perhaps he will find it in his heart to forgive you… You can also get your cat (or dog) to email Rudolph, play trivia games and get in on the countdown to Christmas.

3. Ugly Christmas Lights.com

Tell me the title alone isn’t enough to make you start sniggering. This website has been created to show all the houses that have the absolute worst Christmas lights ever. Enjoy clicking through the 2010 collection or their impressively lengthy archive. These are genuinely funny and my personal favourite is the Christmas Elephant.

4. Say Merry Christmas…

…in any language you can pretty much think of. From Afrikaans to Yoruba, this website has most languages for you. You can just copy and paste the language of your choice into their Christmas cards, or just write it out yourself. Rehus-Beal-Ledeats.

5. The Christmas Day Truce

One of the most heartwarming stories around – the Christmas of 1914 where enemy troops came together in no-mans-land to share Christmas. This website offers an account of the event and goes into excellent detail. Educational, fascinating and heartwarming, it is well worth reading.

6. The Best Christmas Lights

Well, there’s no point mentioning the worst if you’re not going to offer up something comparable at the other end of the spectrum, is there? Here you will find the seven best in the world as rated as far back as 2008. While not the most up-to-date site, I agree, these lights are beyond awesome to behold.

7. Merry Christmas.com

The site does pretty much what you’d expect it to – it covers the festive spirit in abundance. You’ll find games, recipes, music, gifts, and a special kids section and every ounce of the site is dripping with good cheer. If your inner Grinch has come out this year, this site will have him drinking mulled wine and singing along in no time at all.

8. Christmas Recipes

All Recipes.com have an entire web section dedicated to the food that surrounds Christmas. Just looking at the landing page has made me start to drool on my keyboard. Plum Bread, Christmas cookies, roast duck, apple pies…the list goes on and on. You will even find a section on Christmas Breakfast ideas. Utterly scrumptious.

9. Christmas Cookies.com

While we’re on the subject of food, why not take a gander at this site. Yes, they do have lots of those annoying Google ads scattered about the place, but they also have more cookies than you can shake a flour shaker at. From bar cookies to no-bake cookies to refrigerator cookies and more – there is something here to whisper to your inner cookie lover.

10. Christmas Urban Legend

If you haven’t seen the lights that were synchronised to Wizard in Winter then you seriously have not lived. It is almost tragic that the phenomenal display was filmed on such shoddy quality video. This website documents the actual creation of these lights and proves that they were genuinely done by a man called Carson Williams.

This is only a fraction of the websites I uncovered while I was looking on the web so if you have seen all of these, or find them boring, just type in “Christmas websites” and you’ll lose many hours to Christmassy fun.

Image:  

Snack For Santa by Vera Kratochvil

Just in case you didn't notice, we're now well into the month of December. The first week of Advent Calendar windows have just about been opened. You're either feeling smug because, thanks to forward planning, nearly everything for Christmas is sorted, or you're starting to feel the onset of panic as you realised just how much you need to do.

Here at PlayPennies, Tamsin  looked at ways you can save money at Christmas, and I've considered how you can start to plan and organise for it. I've even covered saving for next Christmas!

Now here's the leftovers, random top tips our PlayPennies parents have learnt over many years of making every penny count during the Yuletide season. And please do stop by and leave your own Top Tip!

Baking

Mum of five year old Sarah reckons the key to a successful Christmas is baking. "Bake, bake, bake. I make cakes, and Christmas cookies, pies, and crumbles, and more cakes in the week before Christmas. Just easy stuff. Nothing like mince pies. House smells great, and there's always lots of feel good stuff for the family to tuck into at any time over the hols." Her favourites are sponge cakes (Sainsburys Basics mix for 22p a pack), Christmas biscuits from BBC Good Food, apple pies and banana bread.

Christmas tree skirt

This one comes from ex-pat Cara, who has lived in the UK for 20 years now but originally comes from Maine, in the US. She explains that a Christmas tree skirt is something that covers up the ugly stand under the tree. She makes her own using cheap material, or odds and ends from remnants bins in material and haberdashery stores. "Last month I got a length of red crushed velvet on sale for £2.99 per metre. This should last me a few years yet. I wrap it around the bottom of the tree, and buy enough to also cover the floor under the tree. Presents look good on it, and it is easier to keep clean."

Theme boxes

"One year,  my mum made  my sister, my dad and myself movie boxes. These had a video inside, along with popcorn, chocolates, crisps and a bag of pick 'n mix." remembers Sarah. A fun and inexpensive alternative to stocking fillers. Sarah does the same, coming up with different themes each year.

Juicy Turkey

Brine your turkey so it stays plump and juicy when cooked. If you get a frozen bird (Lidl sells one for £9.99) make sure it isn't already pre-basted. Also, you can't use a kosher turkey for this. Both types are already salted. Mix up a salty solution - about 1 cup of salt to 4 litres of cold water. And cover the turkey in an appropriate container - a large thoroughly cleaned bucket (don't forget to cover it) or a large cooler. Do this the day before you want to cook it. In this recipe, they've also added brown sugar and peppercorns. Maybe I'll try that this year.

Wrapping Paper

Trey, mum of three aged six and under, saves up the glossy inserts from newspapers and magazines like the Radio Times. "Often they have large wall posters, which are particularly good to use" she advises. I don't think I'd quite be able to do that actually. I'm not sure it would look that good under the tree! I rather like Shelley's idea. "When I was growing up, presents always came in brown paper festooned with lots of different coloured ribbon. Now I'm continuing the tradition!"

Charitable Christmas

Hopefully even in these recessionary times you'll still be making a charitable donation this Christmas. Regardless there are a few things you can do to still make a difference. Make sure you tick the gift aid box when you do donate - the Inland Revenue contributes 28p for every pound you give. The shop can also claim gift aid on items sold in shops, so if you give unwanted gifts to charity make sure you stick around to give your details. Download free charity apps for your phone! Try ToiletFinder UK for your iPhone from Water Aid. You'll not be caught short again!

Use Faresharemusic to give new music releases as a gift. The site will send them for you via email. Half of all profits go to charity.

Play the Christmas Game

Instead of all the adults buying gifts for each other, you could do the Secret Santa thing. But that puts pressure on people to find something that suits the recipient, and can lead to hurt feelings as inevitably someone gets something so unsuitable they question their entire relationship with the giver.

It is far more fun to play the Christmas Game. Every adult has to bring a gift with them, with a price limit of £5. Then you need a pair of dice. Set a time limit, based on how many people there are present. Twenty minutes is good for half a dozen people. Then take it in turns to roll the dice. When you get a double, you either pick a present from the pile if you don't have one. Once you do have a present, rolling a double means you HAVE to swap your present with someone else. Once all the pressies are open you'll find that there will be at least one that EVERYONE wants desperately and the competition can get tough as the last minutes count down. A double 1 allows you to skip swapping if you want, and if the dice add up to six the game direction reverses.

I bet you’ve all been attacked by one bug or another so far this winter. Coughs, colds, sneezes and sniffles leap out at unsuspecting humans as the chill sets in and long walks in the cold drop down our defences. So here are some ace ideas to keep the colds at bay, or soothe them away, without spending a fortune on expensive medicines or risking strange chemicals in their little systems.

Damp towels are a fantastic alternative to expensive humidifiers. No, they are not as steamy, sure, but unless you’re fighting croup or whooping cough, they are a great way of keeping the air moist in your child’s bedroom. Drape them over the radiator and remember to change them when they dry out.

Honey is another great soother for a sore throat and a cough. Just make sure that you don’t give it to children under a year old. A spoonful of honey by itself will coat the throat and ease some of the symptoms. Alternatively you can mix it with lemon juice (three to four lemons nicely squeezed), some hot water and then sip it slowly. Lemons have a fabulously high Vitamin C ratio which make them great for helping your body to repel the germs.

If you and your kids are suffering from a blocked and stuffy nose one of the best ways to hasten the cold along is to (wait for it) blow your nose regularly. It sounds terribly obvious and, if you’re a parent of a child under five, somewhat impossible to achieve. My child just can’t get it right which is very frustrating! There are some great tips here at Netmums on how to teach them to do it.

 Hot drinks are also a proven way of easy nasal congestion and preventing dehydration (well, obviously). The warmth of the drink will ease your inflamed membranes in your nose and throat, and it is a fantastic excuse to drink copious quantities of hot chocolate. Avoid drinking coffee and other caffeinated drinks, though, as those will actually make it worse, instead grab some herbal teas (like Chamomile) and enjoy their health benefits at the same time.

If the damp towels are not really helping with a heavy cough and nose, a steamy bathroom will do the trick. Run a very hot bath, seal the windows and doors – try rolling up a towel or two to block any exits – and sit in the bathroom with your child and show them how to breathe deeply and slowly. You can then use the water to have a nice hot bath once it’s cooled down sufficiently!

Another fab tip that was given to me by a doctor friend of mine is to take a damp cloth and bung it in the microwave for a bit. You don’t need those fancy microwavable packs, just take the cloth, ensure it isn’t too hot, and then place it on your nose to ease the pressure and congestion. If the heat doesn’t work, try using frozen peas instead. Cold can be just as effective as heat in this case.

Chicken soup. Oh yes, this is no old wives tale. Chicken soup has scientifically proven properties that ease the symptoms of a nasty cold. Whip up a batch of home soup and freeze it up for using when the colds strike, or get in some tins if the idea of cooking makes you cry. Tinned chicken soup does the job just as well, amazing but true. Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory powers and helps to speed up the movement of mucus, easing congestion for a short period of time.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, or if baby has colic, chamomile is the way to go. It is a mild relaxant and sedative that can help you to sleep, plus it is great for upset stomachs – easing the symptoms gently. For yourself, make a strong cup of tea and drink it while it’s hot, for little ones, check with your health visitor as to the best way to prepare and dilute it for their little systems.

Garlic is one big (and very smelly) cure in one. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties that will help to reduce the symptoms of colds and flu and give your body much needed tools to fight off infection. Whip up a very garlicky dinner and get it down everybody’s throats. Or, if you’re the tough sort, chomp a clove or two every day. Possibly warn people if you’re going to do that though…

Then whip your ginger out, slice it, and pour some hot water on it. The amount of ginger you use is up to your personal taste (and the age of your child) but it is great for easing head and chest congestion. In fact, you can find a bunch of great recipes using garlic, ginger, lemon and salt on the web – all of which combine powerful natural remedies to create one big cold killer.

So if you’re stuck in the snow and nowhere near a chemist, and your family is coughing and sneezing and feeling vile, then you probably have all the ingredients you need to help everyone feel better right there, right now!

Images

Child With Laptop by Alan-toniolo-de-carvalho alan161169
Honey Bee by Peter Griffin
Chocolate by Petr Kratochvil
Peas by Anna Cervova
Mint Tea by Petr Kratochvil
Garlic by Petr Kratochvil

Suddenly you remember - tomorrow is the cake sale at school/party at Brownies/your turn to bring cakes for the PTA morning. Please allow me to introduce you to the Lamington. This cake is a staple of every cake sale/birthday party/gathering in New Zealand, Australia and, I'm told, South Africa.

I don't know why Lamington cakes aren't more popular in the UK. They're easy to make, and quick too. In brief, a Lamington is a small square of sponge cake (or butter or pound cake) dipped in a liquid chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. The end result is as pictured above. And even the more inexpert cook will be able to come up with something similar. My effort is below; it has been YEARS since I made any. But I think they still looked pretty good.

I took a shortcut. For my Lamingtons, I used three packets of Sainsbury's Basics Sponge mix (22p a packet; 66p in total). You'll also need three eggs (Iceland 12 for £1 = 8p each; 24p in total). By this stage I had spent 90p, overall I'd estimate it cost £1.50. Just follow the instructions on the packet. Use a timer - it is amazing how long 3 minutes actually is when you have to hold a heavy handheld mixer.

For baking, I used a large, crockery baking dish. Do use greaseproof paper to line the dish, even if you're using a non-stick tin. I have made that mistake before. If you butter the dish first, the paper will stick down to the shape of the tray and make it easier to pour the mix in.

One tip I came across while looking for Lamington recipes is to refrigerate the sponge for at least two hours, and up to 24 hours. You don't have to do this, but I did found the dipping process a lot easier after it had been in the fridge a few hours.

Once you've got your sponge, you need the icing to dip the cakes into. The Edmond's CookBook (bestseller in NZ since 1927) has this recipe:

• 2 tablespoons of cocoa
• 6 tablespoons of boiling water
• 25g of butter, melted
• 2 1/4 cups of icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence

But then I found that I had no butter! So I used this recipe on Taste.com.au. It worked just fine although without perhaps that rich gloss you get from the butter.

Cut your sponge into squares, about the size you'd consider a portion for one person. Dip the squares in the icing. Now for this, I used another tip I found while researching this post. I used two forks. One holding the sponge from underneath, and the other fork to hold the sponge in place. For the coconut I had two plates. One to put the cake on while I sprinkled generous handfuls of the coconut over it, turning the cake around with the forks.

And that's it. The dunking part takes a while, but otherwise it is pretty quick. My son had a great time with it as it doesn't matter if you drop the cake in the icing mixture. Just fish it out again. Nor does it matter if the sponge cake happens to come apart. You just have two slightly smaller cakes. Be warned though, this is hugely messy when little fingers are involved.

What is your favourite quick and easy cake recipe? I'd love to hear them, and we had great fun swapping ideas on the Pumpkin Recipes post written for Halloween! Although, I bet you can't get much quicker than the three-minute cake in a cup.  Check it out here. Perfect for those times when you just NEED cake but possibly not the sort of thing you can take to the cake sale...

I keep seeing all those adverts for things like Park Christmas, and every time I open a newspaper there's an article about the come-back of Christmas savings accounts. It seems to be the big thing, for next Christmas at any rate. So worth taking a look!

First though, you need to decide if this is the right thing for you.

The main benefit is that you can't access the money until just before Christmas so won't be tempted to dip in during the year.

The main drawback is that you can't access the money until just before Christmas so you won't be able to dip in to buy items during those massive half price sales, or pick up bargains in the summer.

That's a huge sticking point for me but I also know I have very little willpower. When it comes to say, a special outing in the Summer holidays I may very well be tempted to take money out of an ordinary savings account. When it comes to bills to pay well, it is no contest. I'd use the Christmas savings of course, as would anyone.

On the other hand, I do so like to pick up the bargains I see posted here on PlayPennies when they come up during the year. My son always writes his Christmas list in August, and he always sticks to it! So I am able to save money this way.

It is a pickle of a doozy and no mistake, to paraphrase Ned Flanders! The only way to decide is to really look at all my options.

Savings Accounts

You can open a special Christmas savings account. These accounts are generally only for a specified time and you can't get your money out until a specific date. Yorkshire Building Society, for example, says that it will be opening its Christmas 2011 accounts from next month. Here's what you might have got if you'd used one of these for 2010's Christmas (courtesy of the Daily Mail).

The interest rate was 3.5 per cent gross so £100 a month was worth £1,218 after tax at maturity. Funds are available for withdrawal from the 1st of December.

Here's a fantastic resource, and of course it is one I found right at the end of my research for this post. Yes, I had already painstakingly found every possible source of Christmas savings schemes from bank accounts to my milkman when I came across this site listing them all in one handy place. It is a comparison chart compiled by Consumer Direct and the Office of Fair Trading - A Quick Guide To Paying For Christmas.

Clubs

These use savings cards or stamps that you buy each week. They don't pay tend to pay interest but are often far more convenient and useful for people who just want to put aside a small amount each month - typically from £2 to £10.

I do remember the collapse of Farepak though. Even though I didn't use it, the devastation left in its wake just before Christmas meant I didn't even have to look up the name. Although Farepak went bust in 2006, I still remembered it. So, what I'd want to know is, how safe would my money be in one of these schemes? First, read the Terms and Conditions. What happens to your money should the firm collapse should be clearly spelt out there.

Helpfully there's now the Christmas Prepayment Association (CPA), an independent body set up in the wake of Farepak that guarantees clubs, which in turn must adhere to a code of practice. The CPA keeps the funds in a trust, thus offering protection for savers' money. There are only three clubs in the CPA, but they do hold the majority of this particular market. They are Park Christmas Savings, Variety Christmas Savings Club, and the Post Office Christmas savings Club.

Stamps

There's a lot of crossover between the 'stamps' style of schemes, and the savings clubs mentioned above. The Post Office scheme falls into this grey area.

But the ones you'll be most familiar with are the ones run by your supermarket and other retailers. The terminology, ie 'buying stamps', is a tad old fashioned harking back to the days when you did do just that. And the scheme is pretty much the same today.

With Iceland, for example, you can get a Collect & Save Stamp card, and collect £1 stamps, which you then stick to the card. However, it isn't specifically for Christmas. You can redeem the card at any time, so you may be tempted to use it during the year. In addition, you've no protection if you lose the card.

Other supermarkets run schemes and it is worth looking into what your favourite one has to offer as you'll be restricted to using the card in that store. For example, Asda has a Christmas Savings Card, which will take up to £144. Before Christmas (this year it was on November 22nd) you'll get a bonus based on how much is on the card. "If you have the full amount of £144 then you'll get a £6 bonus.  A balance of £49 to £96 gets you a £1 bonus, and a balance of £97 to £143 gets you £3."

This is I feel just the tip of the iceberg! What are the rest of you planning to do, or what have you done? Has anyone tried the hamper scheme from their milkman? Or used one of the savings clubs? What did you like or didn't like about it?

The Christmas fever is well and truly upon us with everyone rushing out to buy gifts and get everything ready for the big day. The thing is, the best shopping you can do is in January when the sales are in full force so, this year, why not save for the sales and get more bang for your buck?

I’m not trying to be a Scrooge here, a present or two under the tree is definitely still in order, but why not have some cash as the main gift this year? I love being given money to spend on stuff I love in the sales, it means I can buy something I really like and, if I am clever, I can get far more than I would have if I had bought them in December.

Your children want one of the Dream Dozen? Or perhaps a super awesome toy? Save it for the day after Christmas. They still get their present but you get to spend quite a bit less. Most of these toys will be sitting on shelves with a discount tag on them before the 24^th is done and dusted.

However, the sales can be addictive and crazy. I’ve often fallen into the trap of spending far more than I planned to because I got so swept up in the madness of it all. Before you leave, make a list. Whether it’s to stock up on food and necessities or to nab some scrummies for fun, draw up a list of the items that you want first. This way you are less likely to come home with a strange purple jumper that you will never, ever, wear.

The next step is to check out what those items cost before the sales. Yes, I know this is lots of hard work but it can be kind of fun. And one thing I hate is buying something I want and then finding it somewhere else for half the price. One way to avoid that kind of frustration is to know exactly what the cost normally so you can assess how much you’re saving.

Once you’re out there in the thick of things check out items that you will use again next year and nab them at a discount. This includes things like linen, towels, Christmas décor and wrapping, and other such banal products. They aren’t exactly “fun” purchases (although I love buying new linen) but you’ll be so pleased with yourself next year when you realise your wrapping cupboard doesn’t need stocking up.

This is also a great time to snatch up those little gifts that you can pop into your Present Cupboard for the whole of 2011. Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary presents – all these things can be bought and stocked so you don’t have unexpected expenses throughout the year. Trust me, you’ll love yourself when you need a present in a pinch.

When you are shopping for items always check that the one you buy doesn’t have any damage or look faulty. Sale rules usually mean “no returns” and if it doesn’t work, it is a waste of money. That’s really upsetting and has happened to me on more than one occasion.

Going online is another big thing. Actually, I very rarely venture into the stores nowadays. The idea of traversing a mall packed with people as frustrated and bloody minded as I am, while dragging a child and reluctant husband along with me, fills me with dread. Now I just stay at home, pour a glass of wine, and amble through the sales at my leisure.

While there are deals you can only get instore, there are also deals you can only get online. Also, you can try and sneak in some great voucher codes while you shop online for that little bit more of a discount.

If you have your lists, your prices, and your determination, you can find pretty much most things you like for substantial savings. I would also strongly suggest that you don’t go hungry, tired, or grumpy. If you are any of those things on the day, then you won’t have an ounce of fun and will probably spend money on tat you don’t want. Well, I do. You may be made of far sterner stuff than me.

Another fabulous tip I got from a shopping expert (she is quite amazing in the sales) is to set aside an amount that’s just for fun. She said, “You can plan to get certain things, sure, but always keep money for something that’s silly, crazy or unexpected. Think of it as your reward for all your hard work.”

Images
A Credit Card by Petr Kratochvil
Woman Enjoying Sales by Petr Kratochvil
Twenty Pounds by Petr Kratochvil
Gift by Anna Cervova
Gift Bag by Petr Kratochvil

Or, about as close as you might be able to get to making your own porcelain! But this stuff is a lot hardier, as I found out when I dropped my son's precious ornament on our (not-carpeted) floor. Making this stuff is a lot harder than making salt dough, and I probably shouldn't have tried it as a novice 'crafty mum'. But it is also one of those crafts that, the more you do it, the better you'll get.

Just to fill you in a little bit, my son has a physical problem that makes it very hard for him to do anything with his fingers. He's always avoided doing things like colouring in or painting. It is something that can be easy to miss because you think, well my child's not artistic, or doesn't have an interest in art. But when they can't write either it becomes more of a concern. I'm not at all a crafty person, in fact I am pretty useless at it. But as part of my son's therapy, we have started to do crafts at home. So hopefully, you'll get to learn from my mistakes!

What I've discovered is that far from having no artistic interest, he absolutely loves it. The problem was that before, he just couldn't do it. Now he can and it makes a huge difference! In fact I'm beginning to wonder just where he gets his eye for design from as it is remarkably well co-ordinated and neither of his parents have an eye for colour.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about having a Crafty Christmas. In there I came across a site by Earthenwitch, and I loved the cornflour clay ornaments she made. I used her recipe but unfortunately she hadn't said how to put the dough together. No matter, I figured you just mixed it up right? No, not right. Not at all. The result was a horror of a bizarre compound that hardened almost straight away but turned into a liquid as soon as came into contact with the air. So what you got was a hard-as-wood bit underneath and gloopy stuff on top!Actually, as far as a science lesson goes, this was a pretty good one. You can see that first attempt pictured on the right!

If you're going to have a go at making cornflour clay, I would recommend following this recipe here. One change I might try next time though is that Earthenwitch used essential oils in her recipe. This stuff has a rather unpleasant odour when it is cooking.

After our first attempt, I waited until the boy had gone to bed to try again. This isn't really the sort of dough that you can make with a small child. He had asked for a diamond so that's what I made him.

On Sunday he decided he wanted it to glitter like an icicle. So we got the PVA glue out, and the glitter. I was suprised at the colours he mixed together. A little bit of blues and purples in there along with the silver actually did make it look more like an icicle than just silver!

I have to say that this was one of the scarier crafts I've tried. I didn't quite get the same polished white porcelain effect that Earthenwitch did, but I think I had my oven set at too high a temperature. As suggested in the recipe, the rest of the mixture I made is stored in an air tight container so I think we'll have another go this weekend. He wants to make a Christmas star next!

Have you worked out a plan for Christmas? Written up a Christmas Budget? Really I should have started doing this a month ago but I've been a bit lax this year. I made up a Christmas budget last year, and found it an enourmous help. Not to mention a money saver. It's like anything else. You write up a list and stick to it, and you find you spend a third less than you'd normally spend. For more money saving tips for Christmas, check out Tamsin's post here.

However, in researching this post I found that it is just as important to at least work out a rough schedule for Christmas too. It isn't just about making more effecient use of time, although that's important, but also about not forgetting anything thus resulting in a last minute dash that costs you three times as much.

So, from what I could find, there's three aspects to spending less and getting more at Christmas time. Planning: what do you need? Budgeting: how much do you have to spend? Timetable: what do you need to do?

I don't mind doing all this, if it helps me have an enjoyable Christmas without breaking the overdraft. It just seems so mindnumbingly boring! Surely someoen, somewhere has already done all this and I can just learn from their research? Well, yes! And so can you. It is what the Internet does the best. Here's what I found, online.

Budgets & Planning

Last year, which was the first time I had done this (shocking I know! But pre-redundandancy, work was so busy at that time of the year I simply never had the time to do any sort of planning), I just wrote out a plan for Christmas dinner and presents for the kids.

How naive and simple that seems now! If you're going to do this, do it properly. Factor in decorations, wrapping paper, cards, sundries like extra tin foil, and all the regular stuff you'll be using a lot more of over the holidays like sandwich loaf (with everyone off work and eating at home).

On the US blog Simple Mum you can download a simple, single sheet budget/planning form in PDF format. This is designed for parents, so it includes stuff you might not think of like craft supplies (so you can save money on decorations by getting the kids to make them but don't forget to factor in the expenses involved), and ingredients for Christmas cookies.

If like me you love nothing better than a good spreadsheet, try this one. Created by Melbourne mum Andrea, you can download it from her blog Planning With Kids. You'll need either Excel or a programme that can open Excel spreadsheets. One idea of hers that I will definitely be nicking is to include the previous year's worksheets in the same spreadsheet. Handy for quick reference and undoubtedly there will be a lot that doesn't change.

However you decide to do it, one important feature for your worksheet or planning list will be the column for costs. Make sure you list everything. Candles for the Advent Candle? Fake holly for making a wreath for the front door? A nail for hanging up the wreath? I've learnt the hard way over the years that it is the pennies that you spend that soon add up.

Which ties in with the third part of our Frugal Christmas Masterplan. Working out a timetable.

Schedule

Underpinning your budget and planning sheet, and tying both together, will be a good timetable. I don't say this from my own experience because I'm still such a novice at this sort of thing. But according to the experiences of every good frugal blogger on the internet, it seems to be quite crucial.

I guess that it is all well and good telling you to factor in everything for your Christmas budget, but if you don't work out exactly what you're doing or are likely to be doing over Chirstmas, you're more inclined to forget something.

It seems that there are two aspects to any Christmas schedule. First, write down all the events you need to plan for. Factor in seasonal events like advent calendars ready for December 1st, nativity plays, school Christmas productions, panto, as well as the obvious stuff like Christmas dinner, stocking fillers, decorations.

Then give yourself some deadlines.  You could, for example, plan to have bought all the non-perishables by the end of October like nuts, napkins, extra/disposable cutlery, table cloths. Sainsburys and Tesco, and other stores, always have huge toy sales in October or early November. Have a look here on PlayPennies - when did Toys R Us have its big sale last year? Chances are good it will be around the same time every year. They've got some great tips on budgeting for food at Christmas over at Netmum's, and I particularly like their advice on making use of the freezer.

I know that there's a lot to be said against freezing meat, particularly red meat. It degrades the structure of the meat fibres so it isn't quite the same as fresh meat. Personally though I've never noticed such a big difference. Sure it is nice to push out the boat and get something really that little bit more special for Christmas. But at the end of the day, if you're on a tight budget, you've got to think about what you're going to spend and where. Last year, I bought a leg of lamb, and a huge lump of beef to roast, in advance and kept it in the freezer until shortly before Christmas (don't forget to factor in defrosting time). And no-one noticed that my pot-roast wasn't quite as good as the previous years'.

Got a top tip?

Here's another thing I learned last year. I went to the local Sainsburys as soon as it opened on Christmas eve, to buy fish for Christmas dinner. I was trying not to look at the last remaining plump and succulent sea bass, as sadly at £15 it was WAY out of my budget, when the fishmonger said "How about the sea bass? It is the last one so I'm able to sell it for half price". Bargain!

So please, if there's any little secrets like that you've learnt over the years, please please do share here. I really do need all the help I can get!

Today's guest post comes from the pen of Maggy from Red Ted Art, where she regularly crafts with her toddler and bring you weekly How Tos. She loves doing things with her children that are fun, creative and do not cost a fortune. Here on PlayPennies, we're going to be posting lots of great craft ideas in the workshops tag.

My post today, will be short and sweet and only cost pennies (if that):

My favourite kid’s craft materials are paper rolls (also known as loo rolls, but you can make these with kitchen rolls too). Today we are going to make SNAKES. These are great, as you can make them as simple or as elaborate as you like and they will always look great.

Materials: Loo roll, paint, scissors, googly eyes (optional), glue. Instead of paint (or as well as) you can also use paper shapes you have cut out or bought, glitter glue, stickers, whatever you have lying around the house!

1. Paint your loo roll. If you do horizontal stripes (unlike our loo rolls in the photos), you will get a stripy snake.
2. Using a small pair of scissors start cutting diagonally into the roll cutting a spiral all the way round.
3. Cut the shape of the head (see photo)
4. Stick (or paint) on eyes

Done!

We made a paint version at home (pictured above) and a sticky shape version at playgroup (pictured below) where there isn’t time for the paint to dry. So these really are very versatile and can be enjoyed by different age groups.

Play and have fun for pennies!

Tis the season to be expensive, tra la la la la… The way I feel about Christmas can often be dictated by the way I feel about my bank account. If I have a nice nest egg cuddled inside my account that can afford to go out to the shops and enjoy some lovely shopping, then it’s a fabulous adventure. I just love buying people presents.

However, if my account is glaring at me, then Christmas can feel a bit glum and gloomy. I spend a lot of time thinking about everything I can’t have, or get, for other people. Obviously this isn’t a very good way of approaching the Christmas season so this year I’ve decided to revamp my ideas and make a budget Christmas the more exciting version.

So, how can you save money over Christmas when every single street corner, advertisement and person is telling you to shop, shop, shop?

These tips will not only help you to save money over the silly season, but they will also have you facing January with a grin. Say goodbye to 31 days of scrimping after Christmas, and hello to enjoying the sales and a good month.

List it

Seriously, write a list of everything you need and don’t deviate for one second. Unless you find an awesome deal that can replace one of the gifts, of course. By having a list to hand when you scour the internet for the latest sales and deals, you can scoop up all your items for brilliant prices and sort everything out efficiently.

Idea: Watch out for three for two deals, voucher codes, one day sales, and other such bargains and nab your goodies as they get price slashed.

Consider cashback

There are quite a few credit cards that offer you a cashback incentive for the first three months of their life in your wallet. Brands like American Express have a 5% cashback on their platinum credit cards, or you can try out other Amex deals, Halifax or the Co-Operative for other options. Use these cards to pay for your gifts and make money off the back of them. You won’t get the incentives straight away, but they will be a nice treat when they do finally arrive.

Warning: Pay your credit card in full every month. You’ll still get the rewards but there’s no point it having that lovely cashback only to have to use it on paying off your interest.

Voucher It

We are huge fans of vouchers here at PlayPennies HQ and there has never been a better time to use these. Amble on over to HotUKDeals for pages and pages of tasty vouchers, or search PlayPennies for some of the awesome exclusive’s we’ve found.

Warning: Visit price comparison sites to ensure that the product you’re buying is actually the cheapest. No point in getting £5 off but paying £20 more than another store.

Make it yourself

Lynley has already offered up some awesome ideas on how to make your own Christmas presents and the brand spanking new Workshop Wednesdays will definitely provide you with some brilliant ideas.

If getting messy with papier mache and other such crafts daunts you, why not make yourself some Christmas cookies, get your kids to decorate some boxes, wrap them up, and give people delicious homemade biscuits. The ideas are endless and people really do appreciated things that have taken time and effort to create.

Idea: You don’t have to be a master chef to create your own preserves. Save those bottles, nab a recipe off the internet, and make your own chutney, jam, or pickles.

Do it yourself Décor

Christmas decorations cost a bomb. They do. And then they shed all over the floor, get broken, disappear into a dusty attic never to be seen again, or fall to pieces halfway through the month. Ignore the fancy magazines telling you how to decorate your Christmas tree with all sorts of fancy materials, and do it yourself.

Old fabric converted into strips and chains, popcorn strung through string and draped across the tree, painted conkers, sweets tied to the branches. All these things can create a magical tree without spending a fortune.

Idea: Create the Gingerbread Tree from Hansel and Gretel by making the entire tree edible. All the décor can be nibbled on and appreciated and kids will utterly love it.

So, here are some tantalising ideas on how you can really save some money over Christmas while still amazing all your friends and family with your thoughtfulness and ingenuity. Who knows, maybe you’ll have so much fun creating all these lovely things that you’ll never go shopping for mass produced again!

Image Credits: Christmas Biscuits by Petr Kratochvil | Christmas Decoration by Anna Cervova | Christmas Baubles by Petr Kratochvil | Christmas Mushroom by Petr Kratochvil | Christmas Still Life by Vera Kratochvil

Welcome to a new regular feature for PlayPennies. Workshop Wednesday! We often talk about all the sorts of things you can make to save money, have fun or cut down on food bills. Each week we'll also be showing you one of these projects in full glorious detail so you can learn from what we do, and, er, our mistakes!

At half term we got a little notice in the homework book. Please do an African mini-project. Do they not know how big that continent is?! So I took my son to the Horniman museum's African hall for inspiration and we decided to make his own interpretation of an African mask. You can see the end result pictured above. All his own work too - I have no eye for design or colour at all! Back in April I wrote a post about things to do with Papier Mache, and I used one of the ideas that I found there.

I used a 2 litre plastic milk bottle. I cut it in half, so that the handle bit then forms a sort of nose. The 'recipe' we were following called for three layers of papier mache, and to cover the inside of the bottle too. But we just layered enough to cover the plastic and didn't worry about the inside. I used her recipe for the flour and water paste.

This was the messiest bit! While my son's friend carefully layered his bottle in one strip of newspaper at a time my son gunked the paste all over the table and layered newspaper all over it until I think it was about to turn into a mushy pulp! At this point, they looked more like Easter Island statues than masks though.

It took just one day to dry, and even though we'd only done one layer and one side, the papier mache adhered to the plastic like, well, glue. My son covered his in blue paint - we used acrylic paints - because he wanted to make a shark. Or something based on a shark! His friend used a number of different colours, as he decided to make his based on an alien theme (hence all the eyes).

It took hardly any time for the paint to dry on the newspaper. We helped it along the last bit of drying with five minutes of hot air from a hair dryer. Then we just let the boys stick whatever they wanted on the masks using PVA glue. And this is what they came up with! The sticks are cut up bamboo poles that had been meant to tie up plants in the garden. It took a bit of gaffer tape to secure it, so maybe papier mache-ing in the sticks would have been better.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this, and any other ideas you might have!

I am credit crunching this Christmas. It is the new 'in' thing. Co-ordinated decorations bought ensemble from department stores' Christmas shops are sooooo last year. Home-made is the hot look for this year. Which is just fabulous news because frankly, that's about all I can afford!

In fact it was what I was planning anyway. Having kids is the perfect excuse for covering your home in stuff that's been cut up with scissors and pasted together with PVA glue. It is cheap, it helps occupy the kids during the build up to Christmas day itself and this year at least, it'll mean you're keeping up with the latest trend! Here's a little secret for you though and PLEASE keep it to yourselves. I love making all this tat but honestly I am so useless the end result looks like a child made it. So I can just pretend that the child did make it!

Inspiration

As we get closer to Christmas, keep an eye out in magazines and newspaper supplements/lifestyle pages. They'll be full of ideas for decorating, and as I've mentioned, the homemade look is in this year. The internet is of course full of fabby ideas.

"I make paper chains every year out of Christmas wrapping paper. I got the idea from a magazine, although it is a simple enough idea," Audrey, mum to four boys, told me. It is also her secret indulgence. "What I like to do is to splurge on a roll of really expensive wrapping paper from a posh shop. By expensive I mean, say, £5 for a roll. It is such gorgeous stuff and I'm never going to spend that much on wrapping up presents. But for a single roll it is OK, it makes wonderful paper chains, and you get to enjoy the lovely patterns for a lot longer than you would if you'd just used it for wrapping a pressie!"

Even though we're only half way through November, the time to start planning is now. You can look out for cheap deals on all the stuff you'll need like card, glitter, sparkly bits, paints, fake snow etc. I'm not covering homemade Chisrhristmas cards here as really there's not a lot to say! You get some card and then let your child's imagination roam free. It is surprising what they come up with. However, depending on how many cards you want to make for family and friends, it is a good idea to get the little ones started now. I know my son has the attention span to do about one card at a time!

Gift Idea

Here's one for gift giving though, that's really lovely, easy to do and inexpensive. Something for the grandparents maybe, or god parent. Or you could help your children do for the other parent! I can't claim any ownership of this idea, it all belongs to PlayPennies mum Ellie. Pictured is a plaster  cast of my son's hand that we made in her back garden. The idea is actually really simple.

Before you start, get some strips of firm but flexible cardboard. Cut a notch at each end and slot it together, so that it forms a circle. Next, choose a piece of ground in the garden that's been dug up, and is suitably wet but not too soggy. Get each child to press their hand into it firmly. Tag each hand with the child's name or write it on the cardboard circles.

The cardboard mould is placed around the handprint in the mud. Now pour in the plaster mix. Stick a ring in the back so you can hang it later, and let it dry.

When we got them out of the mud, they were, well, muddy! Very very muddy with a lot of it stuck in the plaster itself. A good scrub removed most of it. I used plaster paints from a set my son was given to let him decorate. In hindsight though, I think a nice bit of primer and some gloss paints would be better. We might still do that - have a few months to go!

Decorations

"Cranberries and popcorn" recommends PlayPennies mum of one  Sarah. "The perfect decoration for adding Victoriana to your home. Just need a thick, large needle and thread it through the popcorn and cranberries." But wouldn't the cranberries go a bit, well, mouldy? "Not at all" says Sarah. "They dry on the line. Probably wouldn't want to do it too far in advance of Christmas though."

Then there's the tree decorations. Salt dough has, apparantly, been around since the time of the Egyptians. It's kind of like play dough in the way it can be moulded. Then you bake it, and you've something hard enough to be painted and kept for years. I found this site on making dough ornaments for kids. Which is similar to the recipe I found on EarthWitch's website here. Plus she has what looks like a really fabulous recipe for making shiny sparkly decorations using cornflour, as pictured here. I think I 'll definitely be giving that one a try. Will update you on how it turns out! Don't expect any artistic masterpieces from me, although my son is showing a surprisngly good eye for design in the last few projects we've done!

The other really Christmassy things you can make for yourself are a wreath for the door and an Advent candle wreath. Using far safer fake candles or tealights, naturally. But we've run out of room here, so if it isn't too much craft for one month I'll take a look at that next week.

Untill then, what else can I make in the way of Christmas decorations/interior design? You tell me. This is the first year I've seriously got into this so please, any help you can give on the cheapest ways to make your house as festive as possible are more than welcome!

I don’t know about you, but I am finding school quite hard. Every other day there’s a leaflet telling me about this activity or that developmental milestone. Then there was the Parent Teacher evening where all these goals were laid out for us to try and help our children achieve. It is all very intimidating.

So what better time to investigate the thousands of free resources on the internet that have been designed to help us help our kids? I’ve gone and done all the hunting, downloading, checking and finding for you, all you need to do is click and enjoy.

Zing Education has a bunch of free Reception Year worksheets on their site, along with a global index to free educational resources for parents. The site doesn’t look like much but there is a veritable smorgasbord of stuff in there.

Primary Resources is a site that is really for teachers but there’s nothing stopping parents from going onto the site and having a look. I really like the layout of the site and the volume of material is impressive. This site is just as helpful for other years with subjects listed along the side and then further broken down into years and ages.

For free resources and reviews on all things related to Maths, visit the Maths Blog. They have counting games, maths games, free worksheets, links to leading maths sites, and reviews of maths software and books. I am terrible at maths so this is utterly brilliant for me.

The BBC Schools website offers you lots and lots of free resources. You get activities, radio shows, programme guides and games in a wide range of topics and subjects. It’s pretty easy to find the right activities for your child’s age group, and you can visit the Parents section for helpful advice on all aspects of education and learning.

Top Marks is an educational search engine – a nice and unique service. You can find teaching resources, advice, homework help and other such scrummy educational things by using their sytem. They have also provided some great resources themselves and these are broken down nicely in the left-hand column. They also provide resources for parents who have children with special needs.

Child’s Eye Media have free films and worksheets available to watch and download. There isn’t a massive amount of material on their site, but it is definitely worth popping over for a visit. At the moment they have all the resources for the Safer Strangers, Safer Buildings campaign which teaches children how to identify trustworthy adults and what buildings they should go into in an emergency.

Colouring pages (spelled wrong), kids crafts, home school resources, puzzles, printables and other free activities for kids are all available at Activity Village. I really liked the stuff they had on the site, there is so much to do and it actually made me quite excited about doing things with my child. The only down side was the US English.

You can nab a free trial from Education City at the moment. They have educational games, online activities, whiteboard resources and special needs facilities. The site has won awards and is, really, one of the best places to go for extra school help. However, once your trial has expired you’re going to have to pay.

The National Schools Partnership is divine. I love this site. It is for teachers and schools but nobody’s going to hammer down your door and demand that you stop teaching your child cool stuff, are they? Here you can download lesson plans, notes, resources and more. They are free, they are fun, and they are seriously good.

Another spot to visit for maths help is MathSphere. The aim of the site is to help children with maths with worksheets and more. They do charge for some of their services, but they have sample worksheets and games and resources available for free.

Communication 4 All is a hideous looking site. It is. But don’t be put off because they have LOADS of ace stuff for you and your kids. You can get flashcards, songs, activities, phonics, literacy guides and so much more here. I really enjoy this site, even if it does mean painstakingly right-clicking on every image to make it visible, and scrolling for hours to find resources.

The Guardian has a long and very helpful list of websites for children with special needs. The links will take you to sites that are designed to provide parents and teachers with additional help and ideas to support their children.

Hopefully this fairly exhaustive list has given you some great ideas to help you support your kids at school. Many of these activities are such fun that children won’t realise they’re learning and you can finally find the time to wash those dishes…

Images: Bored Woman Studying by Petr Kratochvil, BBC Schools, Activity Village,

Hope, Coffee, And Melody by Barb Ver Sluis

The short answer is yes, you can get paid to do surveys. Just don't expect to give up the day job anytime soon! They really do pay pennies. However, if you've got a few spare minutes a day and don't mind spending it answering marketing type questions, then why not?

I started doing this around two years ago, mostly just to see what it was like. I joined one online survey site, Panelbase. It pays you in either vouchers, or in a donation to your chosen charity. It pays out the vouchers in sums of £10, so you need to have earned at least £10 before you can make any withdrawals.

My biggest disappointment really was that there was only Iceland on the list of shops that used the vouchers that I wanted to shop at. My plan had been to use the 'savings' I made doing the vouchers to spend on the food for my son's birthday party each year. Still the large Iceland stores do sell a lot of groceries, so it came in handy anyway. But my advice is to look at what you'll get paid, and how you'll get paid, when you first join up.

Survey and market research sites pay anyway from 10p a survey to £10 or more. It depends on the company, the type of survey, and what they're after. General rule of thumb is that, the harder it is to register with a market research company, the more they pay or the more surveys they offer.

What do you have to do?

With Panelbase, I get sent email invites to surveys that fit my profile on the site. Don't lie or  try to exaggerate as you don't know what they'll be looking for. It could be that most of their surveys are aimed at household earning £26K a year and you might put yourself out of the running if you claim £50K.

Likewise there's no point in trying to fib your way through the surveys, or answer randomly so you can get through quicker. They have software programmes designed to spot this sort of thing, otherwise the results would have little value for their customers, and you won't get paid. Payment on most sites is dependant on verification.

It took a while to set up my profile properly, as they do ask a lot of questions. But it is worth doing this on these sorts of sites as it increases the number of surveys you might be eligible for.

I click on a link in the survey and it takes me to the site's questionnaire. You have to be quick, especially if you live in a well populated area like London or the South East. I find that if the survey invite is more than a couple of hours old, I'm too late.

Next you'll be asked a few questions about your background, some of which might eliminate you from the survey. I've also been restricted on the surveys I can answer since I lost the sound on my computer! Many of the ones that come through Panelbase ask you to listen or watch adverts and give an opinion on what you see. So I can't do those. And there's no point in trying to wing it - the survey weeds you out at the start by asking you to identify the sound in a test file such as a dog barking.

Who's out there?

Doing a google search for 'Paid Surveys' is actually not the best way to start. It's full of rubbish, and you don't want to end up on a  disreputable site that at best deluges you with junk mail or at worst infects you with malware. Keep in mind that none of the reputable market research companies that offer paid surveys charges you to register.

I got my start on Mumsnet. Do a search or browse in the Legal and Money section. Today, for example, I found this discussion under Credit Crunch - Paid 4 Surveys. It was here that I also found the other survey site I signed up to, although I haven't actually done anything with them yet. Simply haven't had the time! If you're interested, the site is Ciao Surveys.

There's the, apparently, from what friends have told me, potentially rather lucrative YouGov at the 'top' end of the paid-survey market. The downside is that you have to earn £50 before you can withdraw the cash. Other sites in operation include New Vista, and Valued Opinions. I haven't tried these last two sites myself, and I don't know anyone who has. All I know about them is that they exist and they're active, so it would be worth doing a little bit of homework on their background first. At least a Google search to see what people are saying.

But Beware

There are real companies out there willing to pay you to do surveys, go shopping and rate products. However, like all things in life, there are also scamsters. Avoid any company that asks you to pay money to access their services. It doesn't work that way. You don't get a database of clients looking for people to do surveys. The job of the market research company is to find people for their clients, not the other way around. They give  you the survey if you fit the profile, and there's never a charge for this. Not to you anyway.

This ones a nasty sting, as reported in the Guardian. Although it dates from 2006 I wouldn't be surprised to find it is still doing the rounds. The fake survey company, known in this article as Paid Surveys, says "it wants you to mystery-shop Marks & Spencer and - here alarm bells should ring - test money transfer service Western Union by sending cash overseas."

So have any of our intrepid PlayPennies readers tried these sites out? What has your experience been like? Earned any money - or found it not worth the hassle?

There is one thing that I think most parents haven’t planned for when they have kids, and that’s the effect that the clock changes have on their sleeping patterns. Hands up all those parents who’ve spent a week staggering out of bed at an ungodly hour because the clocks may have changed, but our children’s body clocks have not?

I have to admit that the week before the clocks change I tend to be filled with trepidation. How tired am I going to be? Will it be a series of 5am starts? You see, my child is a verrrry early riser anyway, so when the clocks change I feel a bit like I needn’t bother going to bed in the first place.

Interestingly, Hallmark cards recently commissioned a study on child sleep patterns and how they are affected by the clocks going back. They questioned over 1,000 British mums and dads with preschool children and the research showed that almost two thirds of parents said that their kids sleep routines were strongly affected when the clocks went back.

Now, that bit is pretty self evident, I know but the amount of sleep time we lose is quite significant and this then makes us crabby which then means everyone in the house gets a bit ratty around the edges. How many of you ended up having a pointless argument with your partner because you were tired and grouchy?

Yeah, me too.

So what are we supposed to do? How do we prepare for the inevitable clock drama and how it affects our lives? Well, children’s sleep expert and Channel 4 psychologist, Chireal Shallow, said that, “It is key to keep your child’s routine as regular as possible when the clocks go back as it can throw sleep routines out of kilter. Stick to the same time you begin your bath, book, and bed routine, and this will help you stay on the right path to slumber.”

I have to agree. I have implemented, and stuck to, a night routine since my child was born. I have no idea if it is the reason why she was sleeping through from six weeks old, but she did and so I have been faithful with the routine. The same applies when I am faced with Clockgate.

The survey said that eight out of ten parents questioned believed that a regular bedtime routine was important. Although, and this is interesting, ten percent of the parents questioned have never read their child a bedtime story. Now, research done by Chireal has shown that reading a bedtime story can have a really positive effect on your child’s sleep.”

“A routine would not be right without a bedtime storybook as it gives many parents the chance to spend some quality time with their children, and puts both you and your child in a good mood before bed,” said Chireal, “Such simple measures can make a massive difference.”

Another expert, Jessica Alexander from The Sleep Council, said that bedtime issues could be avoided with simple steps to get children in the mood for sleep. “As well as a good bedtime storybook and a warm bath, parents should also ensure that their child has plenty of fresh air, exercise and a healthy diet.”

“You should also try and keep bedtime around the same time each evening – remember young children don’t know when they are tired so will try every excuse to stop you from putting them to bed,” she concluded.

It makes me smile, though. I remember wanting to stay away all hours just in case I missed something, and having the energy to keep on going for hours. It seems a bit about-face doesn’t it? We should have that energy now, while we are battling babies and poor sleep patterns. Now, all I want is to sleep at every available opportunity!

There are plenty of resources out there designed to help you develop a sound bedtime routine. Books like The Baby Book: How To Enjoy Year One by Rachel Waddilove, or (for the more hardcore parent) Gina Ford’s series, will set out routines for you. Or you can just ensure that you stick to the same times and patterns over the night time period.

A bedtime story, a dark room, a warm and toasty bath, a comforter or favourite toy, and soft voices and cuddles are all brilliant ingredients for baking up a successful sleep time. For parents really struggling with sleep issues there is a wealth of information on the net, including support forums with other parents and experts to help you through the dark times.

Hopefully some of you have managed to escape from the clock changing relatively unscathed. For those of you still staggering about at horrible hours, use this research, grab a gander on the net, and I’ll see you online at 4am…