Category: Christmas

New Christmas books on the Little Gulliver book shelf

 

We love children’s books here at Little Gulliver and believe that books are an important part of a child’s daily routine. We extend this routine into our travel with kids and have therefore integrated some of our favourites into our on-line stores ‘Book Shelf’.

As parents we give our children a new Christmas book each year on Christmas Eve. That way we are able to open a present and read something new (in the midst of our excitement of waiting for Santa)! The kids Christmas books sit on a shelf in our bookcase the rest of the year and come out again December 1st when when we decorate our Christmas tree. Its become a lovely tradition and we are getting a lovely book collection!

If you are looking for a Christmas book for your children or for a Christmas gift, here’s our selection of  Christmas books for 2012. All are in stock and available now (double click on any of the books to be taken to it in store).

For young children

Some more in the classic Usborne “That’s not my…” series. ‘That’s not my reindeer’ and ‘That’s not my Santa’ are two festive board books with lots of pictures for kids to touch and feel. A lovely series of books from 0+

  • A delightful touchy-feely book with simple, repetitive text.
  • Bright, colourful illustrations with textures to touch and feel on every page.
  • Helps very young children develop language and sensory skills.
  • Series awarded “Best Buy” by readers of Prima magazine.
  • A perfect gift for young children.
I’d recommend either of these as the ideal babys 1st Christmas book and for any fans of the ‘That’s not my…” series from Usborne   Beautiful quality and robust enough even for the most active toddlers! ‘That’s not my reindeer’ and ‘That’s not my Santa’ both in stock.

The Christmas Star

This gift book uses changing pictures to tell the story of the first Christmas “from the point of view of a special  star who has an important role to play”.
The book has pictures (as can be seen on the cover if you look closely) that turn as you lift the page and others that move as you lift a flap. Its lovely and interactive, while telling the story of the first Christmas. The illustrations are traditional and beautifully drawn.
It is a good quality, hard cover, Christmas keepsake and would make a lovely gift for children of all ages.

A Classic Christmas Treasury – Carols and Stories

This is a classic family Christmas book.

It is full of a lovely assortment of Christmas pictures and stories, while introducing the traditions of Christmas to the young (and reminding mum and dad of some too)! It begins with the very first Christmas, tells us how the Christmas tree came about and why is mistletoe a Christmas tradition? Lovely Christmas carols are listed throughout, such as ‘O’Come all ye faithful’. The book finishes with everyone’s favourite, ”twas the night before Christmas’ and (spoiler alert) finishes with a pop up Christmas tree and the words “Happy Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.”

 

~ Just a reminder that we post twice daily ~ Orders made before 3.30pm leave same day ~ Express/overnight options are available to metropolitan areas within Australia ~ Last day for posting prior to Christmas is Friday 21st December ~ And why not take advantage of our flat postage rate ~ pick up all your kids travel items for the one low postage rate ($6.95 regular delivery) ~ Any questions? Give us a call 03 98246770 business hours or email sales@littlegulliver.com.au any time ~ 

Take care and have a marvellous Christmas!

Donna, Ben & the team at Little Gulliver

Colour the Nativity Scene

With Christmas concerts coming up, talk of the Nativity has become a common occurance at our place. Our daughter is very excited to be playing ‘Mary’ and is taking every opportunity to tell everyone about this. We have also found she is a bit of a method actor, testing various dolls for ‘baby Jesus’ worthiness and practicing her scene (picking up the baby Jesus).

I was suprised to see so many Nativity Scene colouring pages available. These are free to print out, so if you’re like us and very interested in the wise men, the star and such – lay out some pencils and print out some colouring pages. Fun!

Nativity Scene Colouring Pages

 

What’s in your basket this Christmas?

Yesterday we spoke with the lovely Gail from NSW. She has used Little Gulliver to sort out some of her Christmas shopping and grabbed some other gifts along the way. Recently her family has been suffering from the flu and she admitted she “couldn’t be bothered to think about getting out to the shops”.

Gail was looking for some practical and good quality gifts and was also happy to take advantage of our *flat rate shipping (*except on some bulky items). For Gails total basket she has paid only $6.95 shipping! (Our low shipping rates are our way of passing on a little discount – to thank you for shopping with us).

Here’s Gails basket (with her kind permission) and who she bought it for. (For more information about any of the items simply click on the picture to be taken to its location in Little Gulliver);

 dreambaby stay put

Stay Put Cutlery & Bowl Set 

mothers group baby

Suction bowl, spoon and fork. Handy for travel (wont slide off the tray table) and home too!

$19.95
 t_heinz disposable bibs_12pack

 Heinz Disposable Bibs – 12 pack 

niece

Handy to keep them in the change bag – use and loose. No mess, no fuss.

$4.95
besyway baby bath

Inflatable Baby Bath

work colleagues baby shower

Packs flat to use at home or on the road. A soft place for baby to splash!

$12.95
 BDG70-thomas-and-friends-wooden-railway-exploring-sodor-travel-case-d-1

Thomas & Friends Storage Mat

 friends grandson

Keep all their Thomas gear in here and he’s always ready to go. It also folds out to be a Thomas themed play mat!

$39.95
   t_moki kids safe pink & yellow hpkspy-cropped-162

Moshi Kids Headphones – Pink

friends grand-daughter

Volume restricted and gorgeous. (Also in red and blue). One of our latest and most popular items this Christmas.

$24.95
   babyu_disposablechangemat_large

Baby U Disposable Change Mats

friends new baby

Another use and loose option. A clean surface for dirty bottoms where-ever they may be.

$5.95
   applique_pirate_front2

Appliqué Pirate Back Pack

son

Easy wipe-clean, zippered top and pouch. Adjustable straps and hanging hook. And is that Captain Jack Sparrow?

Agggrrrhhh me hearties!

$29.95
   ftg-sm-black-155x135

Fridge to Go Lunch Box – Black 

nephew

Fridge to go has a unique flat cooling block, so no more trying to fit one in. Large carry strap, zippered sections and pouches.

$27.50
t_retro-pinkdiva-162

Retro Baby Banz

daughter

Comfortable retro lenses, neoprene strap and storage sack. Offering style and protection for sun and snow. *price currently reduced*

$24.95*
   04-5054_displayed on white

Crayola Mini Travel Coloring Pages

play group friend

The travel sized folder opens up to reveal 6 Crayola washable markers on the left and a framed colouring picture on the right (80 in total). Cars, Toy Story and Disney princess available.

$9.95

Thank you Gail, your order has been posted out today. It was lovely talking with you!

Just a reminder…orders received before 4pm are posted the same business day. Orders received after 4pm are posted the following business day.

For these and all of our other fabulous travel gear for kids please visit www.LittleGulliver.com.au today. Phone us on 03 98246770 or email us donna@littlegulliver.com.au with any questions or comments. At Little Gulliver personal service is guaranteed – we’d love to hear from you.

Christmas markets cruise for kids?

Andrea said: July 17 2011 4:55 PM

Christkindl Markt

Just wondering if you know of any cruise lines in Europe that do the Christmas Markets and will take children aged from 2 and 3 quarters to 8?

Thanks

Andrea

Donna @ Little Gulliver said: July 22 2011 4:29 PM

Hi Andrea,

its lovely to hear from you again. We hope your last European trip went well and are really pleased to see you’re planning another (also a little envious)!

The Christmas markets sound like a ‘must do’ activity for the bucket list and I think experiencing this when the kids are young sounds like lots of fun. However, I’m  unsure of a specific cruise line to recommend.

History of the Christmas Markets

For those of us who know little of the Christmas markets, I’ll give a brief rundown of their background…The Christmas markets are a tradition believed to have

started in Germany in 1434 and are now held all over Europe. There are genuine market stalls where visitors can search for handcrafted gifts while soaking up the Christmas traditions (such as Santa, nativity scenes and carolling). And for us in the southern hemisphere it is a way of experiencing the best of a European winter Christmas.

I love the tradition of the Christmas markets and it seems those in Germany may be the best to check out, with Nuremberg being the most famous. They run from late November to the third week of December or later, depending on the location. Another thing about sticking to a German cruise is that you may be able to select a shorter option (and can make an exit if it isn’t suiting the kids) while still able to see the ‘best of the best.’ Some families prefer a longer cruise and incorporate sight-seeing with the Christmas markets. Parents report they are able to have some adult time on shore, while leaving the kids in the care of experienced workers.

Cruises for Families

I would suggest checking the Cruises for families website (type in destination Europe, date November or December 2011) and have a look at the types of cruises it suggests. It will allow you to get a feel of your ‘ideal’ Christmas markets family cruise. If you find one you really like, it is then a matter of tracking down this or a similar through a local (Australian) agent ot tour operator. (Generally you cannot book with an overseas operator. Australian cruise enthusiasts are constantly unhappy that this invariably means paying more for the same cruise than our European counterparts).

Further Reading

Europes best Christmas markets

Taking teens to the Christmas markets

Christmas market cruises

Christmas market tour search

Australian Operator

http://www.globaljourneys.com/river_cruises/europe/europe/uniworld/uniccm.php

 

I hope you find this information useful. Let us know how you go, I’ve loved reading about these cruises and would love to go on one!

Thanks again for contacting us and sorry we can’t be of more help.

Kind regards,

Donna

15 Gift Ideas from Little Gulliver

Stuff It Christmas Stocking

Ben has put together a category of gift ideas. They are some of our most popular items, many of them great everyday items to use at home or on the road. There are things here to suit ever member of the family – from mum and dad right down to baby!

1. Aquadoodle Travel n Doodle – great drawing mat, no mess, just add water.

2. Banz ‘Retro’ sunglasses – fashion and function, maximum UV protection, unique strap.

3. GAIA Baby Bath Time Fun Pack – body wash, shampoo, face washer and rubber ducky!

4. Little Beetle Backpack – the best backpacks I’ve seen – drinkbottle, plenty of pockets and great quality.

5. The original Stuff It carry bag – folds out to a sturdy carry bag and folds back inside itself.

6. Stuff It Retro Tote – an extra large tote, with a hidden expansion pocket.

7. Zoobie Pets – they’re a soft toy and a pillow, which fold out to a cuddly blanket. Perfect for long haul.

8. Stuff It Christmas Stocking – a huge stocking which folds up small, great to throw in the suitcase.

9. Banz Swim Goggles – same great banz quality.

10. Play Doh Squish and Stamp Scenes playset – I love this! Crayons, stampers, activity mats + Play Doh!

11. Leapfrog Scribble & Write – LED learning and games in an all in one electronic activity.

12. Artist backpack/harness – small, comfy backpack, with harness, whiteboard and markers in one!

13. Banz hats – great for swimming, they dry quickly and have UVF 50+ and adjustable sizing.

14. Cheeki stainless steel drink bottle – great size, price, quality and designs.

15. Cheeki drink bottle Insulated Pouch – insulates your Cheeki drink bottle and adds a handy clip.

 

Just a reminder, last day for Little Gulliver pre-Christmas post is Wednesday 22nd December 2010.

 

We post twice daily – please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about any of our products. We are always happy to help!

 

Christmas colouring!

If you’re needing some time to do some kid-free Christmas preparation, why not get the kids colouring? We set them up outside with some water colours, paintbrushes and some Christmas colouring pages. It went remarkably well with our 3 and 4 year old. They didn’t even want to stop for lunch! But best of all – there were no arguments! The water colours are easy to use and surprisingly muck-free.

When the paintings are dry we think they’ll make great presents for family, rolled up with a ribbon. They would also make nice wrapping paper or cards. Best of all, they will make some great print outs to take on the road these holidays, just add crayons…Christmas colouring pages here. Crayons and other travel activities available at Little Gulliver here.