Archive for March, 2012

Introducing Abigail…..The Perfect Easter Gift for Your Little Bunnies

Friday, March 23rd, 2012


When it comes to interactive storytelling, Abigail is the perfect gift for your little bunnies this Easter. Abigail the toy bunny is a real girls’ girl. She loves tea parties and playing dress up and through her adventures learns the vital life lesson that being herself is the absolute best she can be.

Abigail the bunny comes with her own story book, ‘Abigail and the Balance Beam’ which follows the chatty bunny trying to make her mum extra proud of her by performing gymnastics. As passages from the book are read aloud, Abigail springs to life and joins in the story!

For more exciting adventures with Abigail there are additional reading books available including, ‘Abigail and the Tea Party’; a tale of a special tea party hosted by Abigail’s mummy and ‘Abigail and the Lost Purse’ which follows the discovery of some dress up clothes that later turns into a fun girlie game.

Children will love listening to the adorable floppy-eared bunny join in with the new exciting narratives as, page by page, a new phrase is unlocked for Abigail to say. This interactive book, as well as the delightful toy bunny itself, makes the reading experience a magical one for the whole family to share!

There is even more story time fun to be had with Abigail, with a downloadable app suitable for use on iPhones and iPads, to accompany the playful bunny. The free app includes a short animated story that can be played aloud through the app’s internal narrator or recorded by a loved one to add a personal touch to the tale. The app also includes child-friendly puzzles and an interactive game that lets your child play dress-up with Abigail, just like in the book!

Priced at £19.99 Abigail is available from April 2012 in our stores and at www.Hallmark.co.uk. The additional interactive stories for Abigail are also available from the same outlets priced at £5.99 each.

Further cuddly characters are set to join Abigail and the rest of the Story Buddy crew later in 2012.

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Things to do for mum this Mother’s Day on a budget

Monday, March 5th, 2012

Celebrating Mother’s Day can be a heart-warming experience for the whole family, not just the matriarchs. It’s a time to get together and appreciate our mother figures. Mothering Sunday usually sees most families making visits to each other’s homes, going for meals out and really spoiling all of the mums in the family. Money is still tight in many of Britain’s households but that doesn’t mean you have to scrimp on the celebrations. We take a look at how you and the family can enjoy Mother’s Day for less in 2012…

A meal

Getting the family together for a meal can be a rare occasion; busy lifestyles can mean that get-togethers are few and far between, so make this one count. Like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day is one of the restaurant industry’s busiest days of the year, so this could hike costs up considerably. Consider celebrating on the Saturday instead, the day before Mother’s Day. This will mean you’re not confined to set menus and inflated prices.

Even better, cook a meal at home. Ask each family member to bring a bottle or a small contribution to the overall meal and the celebration will cost a lot less. You can cook your mum’s favourite meal and won’t have to worry about booking a table, cost or transport.

Short break away

There are many families which would love to go on a short break together but never think it’s financially possible; however you can get some really fantastic deals if you shop around. Using vouchers and deals you can create your own low budget getaway and make some fantastic savings. You can also get big discounts if you book last minute, especially at this time of year when demand is low. You can get really cheap flights to European city destinations like Paris, Madrid or Berlin, or you could get a really good deal on a beach holiday to Spain or the Canary Islands.

Alternatively you can stay here in good old Blighty. You should be able to get good quality deals for quite cheap when booking last minute on hotels. A UK city break to cities like York, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle can be very diverse and would be suitable for the whole family. You can have a great time exploring museums and the history of each city. You could opt for the seaside break too, choosing destinations like Blackpool or Bristol.

It’s not just the actual break away you can save money on; you can get great deals on family travel insurance if you use a comparison service. You can also get discounts off holiday accessories with voucher codes and deals, for things like clothing, food supplies and holiday extras.

Gifts
Don’t forget to buy your mum a little something to show you care. Never forget to buy her a Mother’s Day card. You can currently get 10% off Hallmark Mother’s Day cards with MoneySupermarket.com, so make sure you don’t pay over the odds.
Flowers are also a Mother’s Day staple and florists will be hectic at this time of year. To save some pennies why not buy her a nice plant for the garden instead? This should be a lot cheaper than a bouquet of flowers and can last a considerable amount longer. The plant will also remind your mum of the occasion every time she looks at it.

Things you can do for free

You don’t have to spend a penny to make your mum feel special. It’s the little touches you can do which really sets this day apart from the rest. Here are a few little ideas that will be sure to make her day wonderful:
- Do her chores; including running any errands she might need doing.
- Walk the dog.
- Do any odd jobs around the house that she needs doing, like mowing the lawn or putting up a shelf.
- Be her waiter; if she wants a cuppa be on hand with the teapot!
- Make sure she relaxes- ensure she puts her feet up and leave her with a good read.

All of these ideas are completely free and will help to make Mother’s Day very special.

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