Sharing The Love

I know a lot of you will have completed your Christmas shopping by now and to those of you who have, I bow down before the altar of your organisation. I’m mostly done, but I’ve yet to get stocking fillers and it’s all just a bit much.

So I present to you, a bunch of things that you might like to get your children, or yourself, if you are so inclined.

Stocking Fillers

Chuggington Magnetic Board Kit:

These are all over my fridge at the moment and I keep finding Isaac quietly rearranging them, playing. Bonus points for the fact that they will stick school notices to the fridge at the same time.

RRP $12.95

Barbie Glitter and Sparkle Craft Box.

This had A LOT of glitter in it. Amy was practically in heaven, with the sparkles and the stickers and the glitter glue and etc. Isaac was also a fan, making himself a mask and then shouting at me all day.

If you’re a slightly pedantic parent (like Nathan) this craft box has the potential to be very messy. You’ve been warned.

Funky Fun Minis

I haven’t tried these myself, but they look like something Amy would love. And at RRP $6.99 each, they’re definitely affordable.

Presents

Chuggington Die Cast Training Yard Set with Loop

Because while the title is a mouthful, the toy is actually really awesome. We were sent one to review and Isaac played with it steadily for nearly two days and it has been in high rotation since. Anything that has a loop and a battery powered spinny thing to shoot trains is going to be a winner here though.

For parents of children with sensory issues based around auditory processing – this toy with batteries in is quite loud. Isaac coped well with it (better than I expected once I heard how loud the spinning wheels were), but for children who are more sensitive, maybe not the best toy.

RRP $59.95

Zhu Zhu Pets

I know that a lot of people told me that they hated Zhu Zhu pets because of the noise, but I can’t say that they bother me. Both kids love them and thankfully, we’ve now got two Zhu Zhu pets for them to play with.

I know that they were voted best toy for girls, but Isaac loves the wheels and the fact that they change directions, so who am I to argue?

These are almost cheap enough to be considered a stocking filler, but with the accessories provided, can be a large present in themselves.

RRP $19.95 – but I’ve seen them at Big W for $9 lately.

For yourself

Kindle

I bought myself a Kindle for my birthday, knowing that I needed something lightweight to read books on. My hands and wrists are painful and sometimes holding a book isn’t something I can do.

Honestly, I always thought that I would hate it. I love books, the smell and feel of them and to replace my beloved paper with something electronic? I thought it would be awful. Instead, I found myself a chapter into the first book I bought, having fallen in love with the small grey device. It is brilliant.

As for some people who were worried about book choices and prices, I can say that so far, prices at Amazon are just about the same as my much loved Book Depository, sometimes better. And I LOVE that I can carry around a small library in my handbag, without worrying about the weight dislocating my shoulders. Love.

I bought mine for $139 at Big W.

Busby Pure Tissue Oil

I’ve been using this on my stomach and arms for a few weeks now and it’s gorgeous. I love how it feels and smells and, the most important part, it hasn’t given me a rash. As someone with skin that has a hissy fit over the smallest things, it’s nice to have a product that doesn’t cause issues.

RRP $17.95

 And there you have it!

The Sleepless Nights Gift Guide to Christmas.

Disclaimer:

I received these products in the mail to review. I’ve only shared the ones I liked here, so that I’m not recommending things I didn’t enjoy.

I did not receive a Kindle in the mail, I bought it myself for my birthday. I thought I’d tell you what I liked about it, because I couldn’t find any decent reviews online prior to buying one myself and had to ask Twitter what e-reader they liked. Kindle won, which was nice, as it was the easiest one to find and buy.

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I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview performance of This Uncharted Hour today, which is set to be playing at The Theatre Royal this weekend. Once I got over my excitement that there were THINGS happening in Tassie and inviting interested people from twitter to attend, I RSVP’d and got quietly excited.

“While driving, a young man kills a dog. This accidental event steers him unexpectedly to the house, now abandoned, where he grew up. As he moves from room to room, he releases memories and ghosts of the lives lived within its walls and exposes a long held family secret.

A secret which stopped time – leaving a woman trapped by memory; a son groping for answers; a husband with his lover; and a revelation that blasts their world with light.

This moving drama is written by the astounding young Tasmanian-based Finegan Kruckemeyer who in 2011 will have 14 productions playing on five continents.

Complemented by a live performance of Matthew Dewey’s original musical score, and elegantly staged by eminent Tasmanian director/designer Robert Jarman, this graceful and profound play will resonate with you long after you leave the theatre.”

The lighting and cello combine to make this a hauntingly beautiful production, and there was not one word spoken by an actor that was unbelievable. The writing was sublime and served to draw you into the story and keep you there.

We had been warned previous to the performance that this was a dress rehearsal only and to expect scenes to be re-run, or things to be tweaked mid-performance, so I was a little stunned to see a perfect run through, with everything going to plan.

It was truly a spectacular way to spend an afternoon and I urge you, if you’re in Tasmania, buy tickets and go along. You will NOT be disappointed and I dare you not to cry during it.

You can download the program here, which has ticket prices and times, or you can book tickets online here.

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I was not paid for this post and while I was asked to tweet about it, I wasn’t obliged to write a blog post. I’m writing one anyway, because the play is truly worth seeing and I’d like to share that with you.

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I really like this song.

And because I really like you guys, I even managed to work out how to turn autoplay off. Aren’t I nice?

You can help support them too.

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