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Toys"R"Us is making another comeback and this time it will do it with help from Macy’s. WHP Global, which acquired a controlling stake in the beloved toy retailer in March, has partnered with Macy’s, Inc. to bring Toys"R"Us shops into the department store’s brick and mortar and online locations, according to a Thursday press release. The deal between the two retailers comes seven months after Toys"R"Us shuttered the two locations it had in New Jersey and Texas due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both locations had been opened in late 2019 and were the only Toys"R"Us stores in the country following the company’s chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2017 and its U.S. and British store closures in 2018. For the article -> Macy’s, Toys'R'Us partner to bring the toy store back into physical locations WWW.FOXLA.COM Toys"R"Us shops will be opened in 400+ Macy’s stores.

Mum turns house into a huge Santa's grotto more than three months before Christmas Source - Wales Online By - Nathan Bevan Date - 06-09-2021 The woman who became a internet sensation last year by putting up a grand's worth of Christmas decorations three months early has done it again. Caroline Gabe, from Neath Port Talbot, made headlines as far away as America in September 2020 for the elaborate festive display which saw her house and garden festooned with 3,000 fairy lights, giant inflatable snowmen and sparkling snow. When asked why, she explained that she did it to cheer up her neighbours after "a horrible and surreal year" under Covid. Read more:The best Christmas decorations in Wales - from yarn bombing to an entire street of lights "And things haven't really improved much this year either, have they?" said the former health worker and mum-of-three, who lives in Heol y Felin, Caewern. "If anything it's been just as bad, what with coronavirus case figures back on the rise - what is more, I also lost my cousin Julie to cancer back in the spring and she was always such a lover of Christmas. It took Caroline 12 hours to set up everything (Image: Caroline Gabe) "So this time round I've put up the decorations in her honour too. They remind me of her and I know she's looking down right now and loving it all." The 47-year-old added that she's even managed to up the ante with her latest display. "I've got lots of new additions - an 8ft blow-up Santa, a huge illuminated Father Christmas and about 4,800 warm white lights, to name but a few. "Don't ask me how much that will all cost to run, I daren't look," she laughed. "I was hoping to plug it all into the next door neighbours' house so they can help with the bills." Caroline added that the seasonal scene took her 12 hours to set up, with the grand switch-on taking place on Saturday night. How Caroline's house looked this time last year - "You wouldn't believe how many people have come to see it already - they've been driving all the way down from the Rhondda. "It's nice to put a smile on others' faces and it also brings me and my kids a lot of joy." And 2021 won't be the last time she does it either. "No, I've got the bug now, so - pandemic or no pandemic - every September from now on is going to be Christmas come early."

You can now buy a light up snow globe gin liqueur Source - Good House Keeping By - Susanne Norris Date - 09-09-2021 If you're looking for an alcohol gift to buy a loved one for Christmas, we've found the perfect one that combines delicious gin with novelty. Move over ordinary bottles, as you can now buy an Orange & Gingerbread Gin Liqueur that comes in a decorated snow globe design. The best bit? It even lights up! This bottle features beautiful illustrations and real edible 23kt gold leaf. For that extra wow factor, give the globe a gentle shake and turn on the light at the base of the bottle to illuminate the gold leaf cascading around the Christmas scene inside, which features woodland creatures, a snowman and Christmas wreaths. Flavour-wise, the gin sounds totally delicious. Expect an indulgent orange and gingerbread flavour made with cinnamon, spice extracts and Seville oranges, that come together to create a subtly sweet and indulgent taste. The Snow Globe Orange & Gingerbread Gin Liqueur will be available to buy from Harvey Nichols, Firebox and Gravity Drinks in the near future and is already available online and in-store from Costco. It costs £22.99 for a 70cl bottle, making it the perfect gift for the gin lover in your life.

Wonder if they will have this in the USA? I still buy my daughter a snow globe every year and I think she would love one of these.

Worth every $

Christmas movie channel launching this September will air festive films 24/7 Source - The Mirror By - Jasmine Allday Date - 01-09-2021 Christmas movie lovers rejoice! UK viewers are set to get a brand new channel that will play your favourite Christmas movies, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The channel will launch on Thursday, September 23 and will run into January and it promises to show some of the biggest Christmas hits including Home Alone, The Polar Express and Elf. It will be free to air and available to people on Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat, temporarily replacing GREAT! movies classic for the festive season. There will be a huge range of movies for all Christmas fans to enjoy as well as exclusive channel premieres for the likes of A Christmas Melody, starring Mariah Carey and Just In Time For Christmas featuring Christopher Lloyd. Home Alone has been a Christmas movie staple for three decades On Strike For Christmas, The Christmas Sitters, Beaus of Holly, Call Me Claus with Whoopi Goldberg, A Husband for Christmas, and Crazy for Christmas will also make their premiere on the channel. You can get into the festive season early by tuning in from late September, with the movies set to get their final play for the season on January 4, 2022. The Polar Express is one of the most popular Christmas movies Home Alone celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and as part of the celebrations, director Chris Columbus spoke to Insider about the famous mirror scene, where Macaulay Culkin's character shows off his morning routine in the mirror. Speaking about the famous scene, Columbus said: "It was kind of [improvised] on set, because he wasn't supposed to do that. "If you put something on your face that burns, most people move their hands right away. "So my direction to him was when you pat your face, move your hands and scream. And I think it was the first take, he kept his hands on his cheeks. We all started laughing hysterically. "We did it a couple more times with his hands off his face, but my editor, Raja Gosnell, he cut that take into the first cut that I saw and it was in there forever. It's funny, the iconic moment from Home Alone was an accident."

Im at the point now where Im not even attempting to predict whats going to happen this Christmas. Im pretty sure it cant be much worse than last year, so I will take it as it comes and enjoy every moment!

We have a brand spankin' new podcast ready and rarin' to go! It will be posted as of late tomorrow evening/early Wednesday! I hope you enjoy it!

Chevy Chase headed to Detroit for 'Christmas Vacation' screening Source - Detroit News By - A Graham Date - 15-09-2021 The comedy star will appear at a screening and Q&A session for his 1989 holiday classic at Detroit's Masonic Temple on Dec. 9th 13 hours ago Chevy Chase will be spending part of his Christmas vacation in Detroit. The comedy legend will appear at Detroit's Masonic Temple on Dec. 9 for a screening of his 1989 holiday classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and will participate in a Q&A session following the film, promoters announced Tuesday. Tickets for the event go on sale at noon on Friday. Pre-sale tickets go on sale through Axs.com at noon on Wednesday. Proof of vaccination is required for the event. VIP tickets will also be available and may include a photo-op with Chase, although those details are COVID-dependent and are still being hammered out. "Depending on the state of the pandemic, CDC recommendations and in consideration of both artist and public health, this may be substituted with another exclusive benefit of equivalent value, to be determined," reads a message on the event's website. "Christmas Vacation" follows family man Clark Griswold's (Chase) attempts to have a great Christmas with his family, despite all of his attempts falling short. It hit theaters in December 1989 and grossed $73.5 million at the North American box office, and over the years — thanks in large part to repeated showings on cable TV — it has become a Christmas favorite for audiences. The Masonic Temple event is part of a touring series of "Christmas Vacation" special screenings with Chase; there are also events planned in Atlanta and outside Boston. Ticket prices for the Masonic event have not yet been announced, but tickets for the Atlanta event rage from $45-$75.

This movie is still one of my favourite Christmas comedy's. Mind you, I'm guessing Mr Chase may be short of money

There was a family who came to see me one year. The kids gave me a long list if things that they wanted. The Dad, looked at the list and said, "Baby Jesus only got three gifts..."

Me too!!!

Methinks thou dost think too hard I find no problem with a big early Christmas display - I see it as a fun and good thing that is all carry on

I wish I had all of that in my front yard right now, I'd plug it in tonight.

New LEGO Christmas set spotted in store Source - Brick Fantasic By - Jackie Davies Date - 03-09-2021 Summer is officially over, so apparently it’s time for Santa to take his reindeer onto LEGO Store shelves in China. Various Christmas sets have been popping up both online and on the packaging of other sets. Now, Instagram user brickfinder has shared a picture from a Chinese LEGO Store showing that Santa Claus might be coming to town in brick form. With product number 40499, the set includes a buildable sleigh, four reindeer, and the big red man himself. His sleigh is packed full of toys and presents, ready to give to all the nice children this year. We can also spot a price of 349 Chinese yuan, which converts to about £39. We could reasonably expect the set to retail for £34.99. As we haven’t got any confirmed information from the LEGO Group on this set, we’ll have to wait for some official listings online until we can confidently state prices for other areas of the world. We’re expecting other festive sets for Christmas to come online in October, two months ahead of the season itself, so 40499 will probably land online at a similar time. Keep an eye out for confirmation from the LEGO Group on exactly where LEGO Santa Claus will be flying off to and how much he will cost. SOURCE: https://www.brickfanatics.com/new-lego-christmas-set-spotted-store/

I shall have the Lego Board of Directors and design team thrashed and snowballed fine Sir lol

There is a rainbow to be found amid the dark cloud of health issues plaguing the transportation industry. People will have to shop and buy locally. Dad might even have to make little Timmy a gift for Christmas instead of buying something from China! Not having the shelves stocked with the most popular gift means folks will have to shop local and that’s a good thing. I also think it’s a good thing for the children NOT to get the biggest and fastest gift they asked for but instead to be thankful for whatever it is they do receive. Being in the transportation industry myself the “Golden Week” is long gone. As of the end of August there were 31 container ships anchored outside of Long Beach. The docks have empty container ships that are waiting for containers to take west. Most of those containers are on trains that can’t move due to manpower shortages. No crews available! The carrier I’m with cutoff over 1000 operating personnel last summer in response to business slowing on account of the shutdowns. They created this manpower shortage to save money. They’re hiring now but only 5-10 men for each class. At this rate it’ll be a few years before we’re back to line capacity with operating personnel.

Covid: Jason Leitch ‘hopeful’ Christmas won’t be cancelled in 2021 amid rising cases. Source - The Courier By - Alistair Clarke Date - 31-08-2021 Professor Jason Leitch says he is “hopeful” a traditional Christmas will not have to be cancelled again in 2021 amid rising Covid-19 cases in Scotland and fears over how the NHS will cope. People were allowed to gather in small groups on Christmas Day last year before the country went into another lockdown – but were encouraged not to mix at all where possible. The national clinical director – who warned Scots to prepare for a “digital Christmas” in 2020 – was fielding questions on BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday. He told host Stephen Jardine: “The headline is that [in 2020] we cancelled Christmas; of course, no one can cancel Christmas. “What we cancelled was the family gatherings around Christmas, which was horrible. “I am hopeful that we won’t have to do that again. Scots were encouraged to have a “digital Christmas” last year. “There is a bit of a storm coming in the winter. We’re not sure what flu will look like. “The southern hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand, has had a relatively mild flu season. “We’re hopeful that we will also have a mild flu season, but we cannot guarantee it. It will be stopped by the same things that stop Covid. “But the winter for infectious disease is always tough. Our hospitals are prepared for that, we’re ready. “The vaccination programme is about to begin, and I would encourage everybody to get their flu vaccine.” Jillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, says modelling suggests worse is still to come in terms of the virus. She told Radio Scotland: “There’s every chance, and very likely, that case numbers will continue to rise unless there are some changes to restrictions.” Ms Evans says there are limited ways now to keep the virus under control – such as self-isolating, testing and vaccination. “I am really worried that things are going to get worse before they get better,” she added. Scotland has seen record numbers of new daily cases in the last week, with nearly 38,000 new positive test results reported in the last seven days. Nicola Sturgeon has refused to rule out the need for restrictions to be reintroduced. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the country is in a “fragile” place, refusing last week the rule out the need for new lockdown measures. Prof Leitch was also quizzed about the isolation rules in force in schools, which relaxed to allow close contacts to remain in class. Describing the decisions for politicians as “finely balanced”, he said: “The risk we’ve chosen to take is to remove the positive cases but not the contacts. “If there are some exceptions to that, local public health leaders can make different choices if they are worried about a particular school.”

The title of this article is ridiculous. I think the author was just hoping to startle folks into reading the piece. Christmas will not be canceled…ever. As to the shortages and workforce situation, it is a wonderful opportunity for those looking for work. It is an even greater opportunity for those local entrepreneurs (small businesses), that think outside the box, to find a way of providing a new product where there is demand. Don’t go global. Keep it local!

Sure will I might start my Halloween display this weekend we'll see

Yep me too! Our house is always the favorite of our neighborhood, so they say, but we have had several homes turned over in the past two years so we shall see!

I really love this sort of stuff. There is a really small village a few miles down the Dale from me and every home owner set up illuminations, including the Church and the bus shelter. I'll get some pictures this year

I use a line from that movie when my wife says what was that Noise? I say you couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin factory. That was the squirrel jumping from the tree scene

Actually, although I dont drink alcohol, theres nothing stopping me buying one as a gift!

It would look festive in your home without opening it. I'm not a gin drinker, but I have to appreciate the company trying to promote the Christmas Spirit of giving and sharing amount adults. If they earn a profit, fine.

According to Encyc Brittania: Grotto, natural or artificial cave used as a decorative feature in 18th-century European gardens. Grottoes derived from natural caves were regarded in antiquity as dwelling places of divinities. Grottoes were often constructed from a fanciful arrangement of rocks, shells, bones, broken glass, and other strangely assorted objects and were commonly associated with water (see nymphaeum). Well-known garden grottoes were the Grotto of Thetis at Versailles, Fr., Alexander Pope’s grotto at Twickenham, Middlesex, Eng. (now part of Greater London), and the grotto at Stourhead, Wiltshire, Eng. I will try and find the origins of Santa using a grotto and post it up

am I missing something ??? I don't see a problem here . . .

Oh Deer

ROB! WE GOT TO GET A HOLD OF LEGO, The are MISSING 5 of the Reindeer! Rudolph, Dasher & Dancer for sure & by the size of those 4 I'm guessing Prancer and Vixen are the MIA. But I do see they have Donder and Blitzen on the SAME SIDE?!?! Who DOES THAT?!?!?! ROOKIES! The children will be SO UP SET when the set doesn't fly correctly, THEN IT WILL BE OUR FAULT FOR DELIVERING "A BROKEN PRODUCT"!!!

The Repair Shop is looking for Christmas items to fix and this is how to apply Source - Wales Online By - Megan Nisbitt Date - 04-09- 2021 We may only be in September but The Repair Shop is getting ready for Christmas well in advance. The BBC One show, which sees craftsmen and women take beautiful but broken family treasures and bring them back to life using incredible skills and expertise, has opened applications ahead of its Christmas special. Presented by Jay Blades and filmed at The Weald and Downland Living Museum, just outside Chichester (you can read more about the location of The Repair Shop here) the heart-warming series sees cherished items restored. And now BBC viewers have a chance to get their festive treasured fixed as applications for the Christmas episodes are now open. In a statement posted on The Repair Shop's official Instagram page the team reached out to those in need of a "Christmas miracle". The post read: "The Repair Shop team want to make your Christmas very special this year! "We are accepting applications now from people who have objects with festive significance. "If you have an item in need of a Christmas miracle, please get in touch." Those with a damaged heirloom or a prized antique just need to fill in the online application form to be in with a chance of getting it restored. However, due to the volume of interest, The Repair Shop has shared how to get yours to stand out: "We receive a great many applications, so please do help yours stand out by giving as much detail as possible about the item and what it means to you.

Really looking forward to this programme. The craftsmanship and restoration is simply incredible. All the items brought back to life have wonderful back stories too, Unlikely this will be aired over the pond but you may be able to access via other platforms. Here is a snippet of a previous show -

Can ABBA claim the 2021 Christmas Number 1? Band reveal their new album Voyage includes a festive song Source - Official Charts By - By Rob Copsey Date - 04-09-2021 Pop fans rejoiced this week as ABBA announced their comeback with a virtual concert and new album - their first new material in 40 years. If that wasn't exciting enough, member Benny Anderson revealed during the livestream announcement that the record includes a Christmas song. Perhaps surprisingly, it will be ABBA's first ever festive song. The group never officially recorded a Christmas song, but members have recorded festive music outside of ABBA - notably Benny and Bjorn, who released a Christmas album in their pre-ABBA days as part of rock band The Hep Stars. In 1981, singer Agnetha and her daughter Linda recorded Christmas album Nu Tandas Tusen Julejus, the title track of which is a traditional Swedish language festive song. Of course, odds are already on for ABBA to score this year's Official Christmas Number 1 with the track. Luke Tarr, Head of PR at bookmakers Star Sports, said: "ABBA delighted music fans with the announcement that their new album is due to be released in November, and punters have been taking a chance on them reaching the top of the Christmas charts at 8/1." If they manage it, ABBA could be the latest icons to join the Christmas music hall of fame - previous acts to claim an Official UK Christmas Number 1 include The Beatles, Queen, Cliff Richard, and Spice Girls. Things are shaping up nicely for ABBA's upcoming ninth studio album Voyage, with a reported 40,000 UK pre-orders since yesterday's announcement. The group launched their comeback with two new songs, I Still Have Faith In You and Don't Shut Me Down. Other songs on the record include I Can Be That Woman, No Doubt About It, and the curiously-titled Keep An Eye On Dan. To date, ABBA have nine Number 1s on the UK's Official Singles Chart, plus nine chart-topping albums.

Lego makes available a couple of Christmas sets every year. Here’s what they’re showing on their website now, but I suspect that’s all last years. I’ve considered asking my wife for a set each year of the houses/buildings and building a display over time on our mantle. Just need to make sure not to melt the lego 😉

7 Disney Advent Calendars To Help You Countdown To Christmas With A Little Extra Magic Source - delish By - FELICIA LALOMIA Date - 02-09-2021 The magic of Disney is everywhere all the time. But with the holidays just around the corner, it feels like there’s a little extra magic in the air. To start feeling that childlike wonder December 1 alllll the way to Christmas, get yourself an advent calendar. Each morning you’ll get a little gift—Disney-themed, of course—to give you a little serotonin rush. Luckily, Disney has a lot to offer, and their wide selection of advent calendars reflect that. From the princess lover to the Cars fanatic to the Mickey-obsessed, every Disney fan can find an advent calendar to make their dreams come true. Behind each numbered door is something to remind you that Christmas is but a few weeks away and the way to celebrate is perhaps by watching (or bingeing) every movie on Disney+. Here are seven Disney advent calendars to help bring out your inner child before Christmas. Now you just have to figure out how to resist cracking into them before December. 1 Disney: Storybook Collection Advent Calendar 2021 $29.99 This year's official storybook advent calendar from Disney is already up for pre-order. You can get your hands on it late October to unwrap the 24 books that comes inside. 2 Disney Pixar Cars Advent Calendar Disney Cars Toys For the Disney Pixar fans and fans of Lightning McQueen, speed over to Amazon to get this Cars advent calendar. Each day up until Christmas, you'll get another piece of this track set until you have all the mini vehicles and accessories. 3 Disney Princess: Enchanted Christmas For the Disney princess, this popup advent calendar is on preorder. Open it up to reveal a popup Christmas tree with 25 compartments each with a removable ornament. Think Cinderella’s glass slipper, Tiana’s water lily, or Rapunzel’s frying pan. 4 Disney Frozen Olaf's Frozen Adventure Advent Calendar If you have a Frozen fan in your life (we know you do), this 25-piece advent calendar is perfect. Each day leading up tp Christmas, they will get a new figure, from Olaf or Anna to Sven to make a whole winter adventure scene. 5 Disney Animators' Collection Littles Advent Calendar It's hard to pick your favorite Disney movie, and with this advent calendar, you don't have to. Each day, you'll get a different Disney Animators' Collection Little, from Cheshire Cat to Lilo to Belle to Pascal. 6 Disney Junior Advent Calendar This Disney Junior advent calendar may be from last year, but it will still countdown the days to Christmas with just as much magic. Inside, you'll get 11 mini surprise figures, five card decorations, five sticker sheets, five stickers, and three stickers in three gift boxes. 7 Disney Minnie Mouse Advent Calendar Dress Minnie Mouse up in all sorts of different fashionable outfits each morning in December with this advent calendar. SOURCE: https://www.bloodpressure.company/holiday-recipes/g37348822/disney-advent-calendar-2021/

Is a platform for this in North America?

Over the moon with this news, some big movies for free. Now that makes a pleasant change

Marvel’s Hawkeye TV Series is a Christmas Show Marvel's Hawkeye TV series on Disney+ will explore the MCU at Christmas. By Mike Cecchini|August 30, 2021 Superhero movies and TV shows set during the holiday season are pretty rare beasts. Sure, we’ve had the occasional vaguely holiday themed episode of an Arrowverse show from time to time (since those shows, at least pre-pandemic, tended to operate more or less in “real time” with their broadcast schedules), and of course both Iron Man 3 and Shazam! were set around the Christmas season. But it’s rare that they really revel in the atmosphere of the season. That’s going to change with Marvel’s new Hawkeye series coming to Disney+ in November, which according to executive producer Trin Tranh is “grounded and funny, packed to the brim with Christmas spirit.” Fans had already suspected that Hawkeye could be set around the holidays when the first official image from the series, featuring Hailee Steinfeld as aspiring superheroic archer Kate Bishop hanging out with former Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). That image, seen above, included some prominently placed Christmas lights among the various trick arrows and targets scattered around a basement. Tranh’s remarks come from the latest issue of TV Guide, in which she sheds a little light on both the setting and flavor of the next MCU live action show. While we’ve already glimpsed the MCU at Christmastime in Iron Man 3, this will be the first holiday season we spend there after the events of Avengers: Endgame. In other words, it will be the first time we see how the citizens of the MCU are enjoying the holidays after they’ve been reunited with many relatives who had been “snapped” away by Thanos at the climax of Avengers: Infinity War. “[New York City] has, in many ways, recuperated and continued thriving,” Tranh told TV Guide, “but the same can’t be said for its citizens.” We’ll leave any current real world parallels there to your imagination. Tranh also spoke about how Kate ends up in the orbit of Clint, saying that she has put in years of training specifically so that she can become a superhero. “Kate is looking for ways to implement those skills,” Tranh says. “That’s when she runs into Clint, who has no clue who she is and doesn’t really understand her obsession for him.” Hawkeye is taking at least some of its inspiration from the celebrated Matt Fraction and David Aja comics that kicked off in 2012. Those stories are an absolute riot, and fans of them may note that the friendship between Kate and Clint isn’t exactly without its hurdles. It’s easy to imagine Kate becoming quickly disillusioned with an exhausted Clint who might just be hoping to put the chaotic events of the last five years behind him so he can spend time with the family that had been taken from him. The Hawkeye cast also includes Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop, Fra Fee as Kazimerz Kazimierczak, Tony Dalton as Jack “Swordsman” Duquesne, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova (whose involvement was teased during the Black Widow post-credits scene), Alaqua Cox as Maya “Echo” Lopez, and Zahn McClarnon as Willie Lincoln. We wrote more about all these new characters here. Marvel’s Hawkeye premieres on Disney+ on Nov. 24. Just in time for the holidays! Source: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/marvel-hawkeye-tv-series-is-a-christmas-show/

Maybe Santa Claus will show up as a super hero?

Limited edition plant advent calendar launches for Christmas Enjoy the Christmas countdown with some new plants... BY OLIVIA HEATH AUG 28, 2021 The world's first plant advent calendar has launched just in time for Christmas. The Urban Botanist has launched a very special, limited edition advent calendar filled with succulents, cacti and Christmas decorations for a festive December countdown. So what's inside? You'll find air plant Christmas baubles, potted Christmas succulents and potted Christmas cacti, along with fairy lights, rustic 'Merry Christmas' wooden messages and much more. Each item will continue to thrive long into 2022, making it a great sustainable offering, too. The team spent months researching and tweaking the design to include discreet light holes on the back of the calendar to ensure the hardy desert succulents and cacti receive the little bit of light they need to thrive and prosper. Additionally, each item comes individually wrapped in tissue paper. It's placed on the bottom to ensure no movement or soil spillage during transit, but the plant itself is left open above soil level to receive the light it needs to thrive. 'We are delighted after many months of trials to launch our totally unique and striking plant advent calendar. After eight years selling, packing, handling and posting these amazingly strong plants, we know that this is a fantastic calendar for all plant lovers,' The Urban Botanist said. You can get your hands on the limited edition advent calendar for £174.95 now direct from theurbanbotanist.co.uk. Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/plants/a37413340/plant-advent-calender/

Lovely story, but a tad naughty opening mail thats not addressed to you

Here where I live and work, we have businesses with "Hiring Now" signs outs. I work at a local Sports and Outdoor store and we are having problems employing enough staff. Some of those we hire only work a week and then are gone. One young lady went through the hiring process, then the training, began work the next day, went out for her lunch break and did not return. Some of the people leaving us are finding jobs with set hours and better pay. I can't fault them for that. Three of my local fast food places have had to close early on several days due to lack of employees to run the operations. One of the fast food places is advertising pay up to $14.50 an hour. There are plenty of jobs, just no one wants to work these.

Entrepreneur launches a reusable Christmas cracker with the traditional bang Source - Stuff By - Marta Sheerman Date - 17-08-2021 Emma Conyngham has launched a reusable Christmas cracker which she hopes will eventually displace the disposable, single-use cracker containing junky plastic toys. Her social enterprise, Waste Free Celebrations, had huge success last year with its reusable Christmas gift bags selling hundreds online and now has more than $25,000 of orders for the eco-friendly Christmas cracker, and it’s only August. A reusable cracker is a bit of a mind bender. How do you reuse it and get it to re-crack when you’ve already pulled it apart? It took her some time to work that out after looking at lots of patterns of crafted crackers like those with toilet rolls or napkins with Velcro. Nothing came close to the traditional cracker. Conyngham reckons she has cracked it with her crackers that pull apart with just the right amount of tension to ensure they go off with a bang and look beautiful. Reusable Christmas crackers made by Waste Free Celebrations have cardboard interlocking tubes and cotton sleeves. She worked with a tube company in China to develop a custom-made interlocking tube with a patent for that pending.All the business advice she had received was to get the products made in China, and “I find that a bit soul-destroying, not just from a business point of view, but I am a crafter”. “I wanted to turn the cracker experience on its head. Instead of a disposable cracker with a hat that falls down your face and filled with plastic junk, I wanted something that is beautiful, entirely reusable, supportive of local business as well as charity.” Statistics provided by Customs showed cracker use was declining. Last year 1.7m were imported, down from 4.5 million in 2016. The reusable cracker is made of two cardboard tubes, one a tiny bit smaller than the other. The smaller cracker is pushed into the larger cracker just a few centimetres to create the tube. A 305 millimetre-long (12-inch), and 5mm-wide “snap” is placed down the centre of the tube and snaps with a bang when the cracker is pulled from both ends. Getting sufficient “pull” took a lot of time and money. The crackers were tested by an engineer who verified her “Re-Crackers” snapped with the same force as a disposable cracker. .A cotton Christmas party hat that comes in the Re-Cracker, a reusable Christmas cracker, can be washed and used over and over again. The Christmas wrapping on the outside of the cracker has been replaced with washable cotton sleeves which cover the cardboard tubes. The fabric features traditional Christmas designs and themes by graphic artists in Taranaki and Otago. Living in Wanaka, Conyngham has a circle of local women in Central Otago who work on a per-piece basis to sew the cotton sleeves and reusable gift bags. In Auckland a group of Afghan women do the same sewing work. Conyngham said from her time working in Afghanistan she knew Afghan women were great seamstresses while a relative was a volunteer at the Afghan Refugee centre in Auckland, so together they found several women who wanted to do the work. Each cracker is filled with a party hat made of cotton and wadding in bright colours, so they can be used over and over again, as well as jokes and mini gifts made by local businesses, like tiny soaps, key rings, fridge magnets, solid shampoo, and candles and donation tokens towards a local charity. Each year the business will sell refill packs that will include the snaps, jokes and small gifts. So not only was the cracker saving waste and environmentally friendly, it also supported local businesses and charities, Conyngham said. Trees That Count chief executive Adele Fitzpatrick offers her advice on how to have a lower-carbon Christmas. “We don’t have to give up all of our traditions. We can just refine and redefine how we do things. “We’d love to see the end of the disposable cracker in New Zealand by 2030 and to make reusables the new normal.” “It’s our first year. If it works well we would like to expand the types of products that go into the refills, so you can really tailor it to your family and your group.” “These are lifelong heirloom pieces, so you invest in them, and you have them for many years, so you want them to be good quality.” And she hoped to have the tubes made here next year. A cracker box of eight costs $199.95 and a refill pack $39.95 and are sold online. Customers receive a sheet of instructions and a video of how to reload the crackers.

We love Christmas crackers. I received my first from a Brit when we were in Iraq. The next Christmas I ordered some for my kids and every year they love opening them. Their affordability is what makes them winners. This reusable one?.... I agree with Rob...cost may kill it.

I wonder if this will take off. It does make sense, but seems quite expensive, and thats generally a blocker to mass purchase.

This is so true. collective worship has always been part of education curricular and to remove it, in my opinion is not a very good idea. Thee are so many children who really dont know the origins of Christmas, in essence, Christmas being nothing more than a time to receive gifts etc. Whilst I appreciate, social norms have changed radically since I was a child and religious denominations/ faiths and beliefs are many and diverse now,(Certainly in the UK), but to remove religious teachings in school, is somewhat lacking and thoughtless to say the least. Sorry!

I have no idea Bruce, I think this one is UK based. I do believe Sony may be running a dedicated Christmas channel over there, not sure though

It's a spin-off from a sit-com that was popular here in the 1990's called "Family Matters. The main character was Urkel.

Can't wait!

That's what we have hounds for.