Funky Giraffe Christmas Stocking Review

Funky Giraffe are best known for their fantastic range of baby bibs, socks and other delightful accessories sure to make your baby look like a star but this year they have a new Christmas 2013 range featuring these wonderful stockings!

The stockings are absolutely gorgeous. You only have to feel them to know they are made from high quality material and are super thick, not like the thin cheaper stockings which you can find on the high street. They are deep enough that Santa will have no problems in fitting in all those little treats on Christmas eve.

Aalliyah has already got hers ready for the big man. I think I need to follow the pattern here and get the rest of the decorations up now! These stockings start from only £8 and you can even get a personalized one from as little as £10. Perfect for making those first Christmas's extra special.

Why not head over to Funky Giraffe and see all the wonderful things they have to offer. From dribble bibs to socks, you are sure to find something you'll love.

Holidays Are Coming

You cannot look at Facebook or Twitter without being reminded that Christmas is on the way. With Christmas being 95 days a short time away, I decided that today would be the day I sort out my "Christmas Drawer". I'd like to think of myself as fairly organised and like a magpie do spend most of the year collecting little things perfect for Christmas gifts and hide them away. The main advantage of starting early is the money you save. I haven't got as much as I had this time last year so I need to play a bit of catch up. What I did get so far, was stashed away and forgotten about so needed sorting, and in most cases unwrapping as they were still in the packaging from when I received them in the post. I had forgotten about some of the things until I opened them.

Whilst I was sorting the things out I got thinking about Aalliyahs Christmas list which she had written a few days ago (Early bird) and how much it had changed from last year. It was like I was looking at the list of a teenager. Gone are most of the toys and games requests and in their place are things like an iPod, a mobile phone and a laptop. Rather than wanting roller skates she wants a pair of Converse shoes. Granted she will always be grateful for whatever she receives and will always love her yearly hoard of board games she accumulates every Christmas but when did she grow up so quickly? When did she start caring about having the latest mobile handset, designer footwear or stylish clothing and accessories. It seems like only yesterday she was asking for a Scooby Doo teddy and a mystery machine! If anything I have realised how quickly they grow up and I should treasure every moment as pretty soon she will be asking me for driving lessons, a car or money for uni! 


What have your children asked for this year? Are they early birds like Aalliyah? If not, what are you planning on purchasing for Christmas 2013? I'd love to know.

*This post was in collaboration with John Lewis

How To "Really" Bag A Bargain On eBay

I am a total eBay addict and I must admit that 9 times out of 10 I will find what I am looking for on there. If not then I'll pop over to Amazon. I swear eBay, Amazon and Paypal are the 3 most frequently printed words on my bank statements. Whether its for Christmas, birthdays, back to school supplies or even a new fridge freezer, eBay has always been my first port of call. But how do you know if you are in fact getting a good deal? I have a few tips and tricks which I use myself to ensure that I am getting a bargain because lets face it, it's not really worth it if you are not getting a good deal is it?

1. Take advantage of spelling mistakes!
   You would be surprised at the amount of adverts listed on eBay everyday that contain spelling errors. The ones that we can take advantage of are the ones in the main title. For instance if you are looking for a Mr Krabs teddy just take a few seconds to search instead for Mr Crabs. It doesn't take up any extra time and you could find yourself a hidden gem which isn't getting the bids due to a spelling error.
2. Look locally!
   This is especially handy when looking for larger items. I recently purchased a fridge freezer on eBay. It was immaculate and a very large family style one. When you are presented with your search results, sort them by distance nearest first and you will be presented with all the results in your local area first. When things need picking up it leaves a lot of people with no transport looking elsewhere so there are lots of chances to pick up a bargain if you can collect. When I first moved in I didn't have a vacuum cleaner for ages and ended up having to purchase a budget end one that did nothing! Seriously, It left my carpet looking dirtier! For the same small price I ended up winning a fantastic Hetty hoover on eBay which is by far one of the best hoovers around and at such a small price (£19) was one of my best bargains so far.
3. One bid maximum!
   When bidding for something, I always find that people tend to leave the bidding till the last few minutes and If you continue to bid up in small amounts it can turn into a bid war which when something is ending is time consuming and you may end up paying over the odds for it. Have your price in mind. A set price that you wont pay no more than and bid that amount. Whether its 10 days o 10 minutes left on an item just make one bid. If you win it .. great! If not then it has gone for more than what you would have paid so don't worry look elsewhere.
4. Category searches!
   OK So most of the time when we go on eBay we are looking for something in particular and so will put that into the search bar, but when I like to browse for Christmas presents I leave the search bar blank and will just search a certain category. For instance Aalliyah loves games so instead of searching for a certain game I will leave the search blank and just search in the toys and games category. I will be presented with absolutely thousands of search result so I will break it down by clicking on sub categories on the left (Games and Puzzles - New Items Only) Then I am free to look through thousands of brand new games, some of which I wouldn't have even heard of but thanks to category search can find lots more games.
5. BNIB!
   So in eBay language this means Brand New In Box, Its a way to describe something to immediately let the buyer know its not second hand. Another less common one is BNAS (Brand New And Sealed) and with clothing BNWT (Brand New With Tags) Much like the previous one, just simply putting BNIB in the search bar will bring up hundreds of thousands of results, but by simply clicking the toys and games category on the left I am presented with thousands of potential gift ideas for Christmas. This is a brilliant way of finding things I wouldn't normally search for but so many things pop up and I think "Oh that's good for Christmas" and at a fraction of the cost who can complain?
6. The early bid catches the worm!
   It goes without saying that purchasing things early on saves money, especially with Christmas. I personally always start my shopping early on. Most of my early purchases are eBay. The price of a simple board game can change dramatically from August to December. Last week I won around 5 different games, each one brand new and sealed and each winning bid being no more than £1! I know without question, that if I were to bid on the same 5 items in December or even November the winning bid would have drastically gone up. There are many of us who start our Christmas shopping early but the vast majority of us are not even thinking about it, which makes now the perfect time to grab bargains on eBay, especially when it comes to the toys and games category. 
7. Postage costs!
   Even if you think you have got a good price on something. Always take the postage costs into consideration. Your winning bid might be nice and low, but if they hit you with a huge postage charge then you might find its cheaper to shop elsewhere somewhere which maybe slightly higher but offer free shipping or other incentives. Always weigh up all the buying options to ensure you get the very best deal. Unfortunately there are people on eBay who like to keep there listing fees down by selling cheap and charging massive postage costs. Yes postage has gone up but come on.. You know it's not going to cost 12 pound to post an eyeliner out! Think smart when it comes to postage.
   
   There are lots of bargains to be found on eBay you just have to find them. Spend time researching your product and other online prices for it. Hopefully by following these handy tips you can grab a bargain for yourself :)

Clean Up By Clearing Out

When it comes to buying gifts, weather its for a birthday or Christmas, I much prefer buying for younger children. I loved it when Aalliyah was younger, say 4 or 5 years old as she was so easy to buy for. Anything pleased her no matter how small. I have to say I am very lucky to have such an appreciative daughter. Even though she is now ten years old she is grateful for any and all gifts received. Obviously as she has got older her taste has gotten a little more expensive and her wishlists now always seem to include the latest gadget or game. Her most desired item right now is a mobile phone. It seems she is one of the few poor deprived children left in the school that doesn't own one! What will social services think!! ;-)
I never really buy Aalliyah many expensive gifts throughout the year or for no particular reason which is why she is so appreciative on her birthday or at Christmas when she gets something extra special. I love this because so many children are brought up not wanting for anything. I know kids younger than ten who have the latest Iphone, laptop and more, which in turn makes them unappreciative with anything they receive. 

Anyway.. With all the technology that's out there there will always be a new phone or games console coming out. I am sure that I am not alone when I say how frustrating it is to buy a games console only to learn of an updated model being released just a few short months after I've purchased it. I have come to learn that these sorts of items never completely lose their value and there will always be a market for them. I sell things regularly and games, consoles, mobiles phones etc are the easiest thing to sell.

I can guarantee that nearly all of us will have at least one old item laying around the house somewhere gathering dust. Maybe an old mobile phone or computer game? So if you;re thinking "Where can I sell my DS?" or "How much is my old PlayStation worth?" Don't just leave it there in the back of the cupboard , clear the cobwebs, dig it out and make a few spare pennies for yourself. There are places in your local high street, like cash converters who can offer on the spot cash for various items, especially electronic items, so if you're looking for some quick cash then these places are your best bet. These places do tend to give you a slightly lower rate than selling online. If you are not in a huge rush for the money i'd recommend getting online to sell your items. How about listing them on Ebay? (Take the listing/sellers/paypal fees into account when selling on Ebay)

Another great site to use us Music Magpie who offer decent rates for things like computer games, consoles, mobile phones and more. Which ever way you choose to sell your items just make sure you do! There must be thousands of pounds worth of old, unused electronics, just laying around, forgotten about and unused in peoples homes. It's not always easy for us mums and dads to get our kids the latest things on the market, but at least if you cash in on your old gadgets and gizmos you can put a little extra cash back into your pocket!

*Please see individual websites for selling details/regulations.