Tag: 2018

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Weird Christmas food trends for 2018

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Following on from our previous take on Christmas food 2018, let’s look at some more weird Christmas food trends. First up is Aldi’s salted caramel Christmas pudding which comes with salted caramel vodka. Aldi says the vodka is to be poured over the pud and then set alight. Iceland is also offering salted caramel Christmas tree cheesecakes and Asda literally takes the biscuit with a Wensleydale cheese with white chocolate and salted caramel. Halloumi fries are set to be popular with Aldi stocking them in its frozen aisle and they are also available in Tesco with a breadcrumb coating. There is no doubt that competition between the supermarkets has never been fiercer and Christmas could be a crucial battleground for many. This gives an opportunity for the discounters such as Iceland, Lidl and Aldi to catch a customer’s eye. The latest Christmas food trends It’s also a way of showing people that they appreciate the latest Christmas food trends and offer interesting alternatives. A spokesman for Iceland explained: “Customers tend to want traditional food – but sometimes with a twist.” Another trend this year is that many turkeys will, for convenience, come in oven-ready bags. This may be a big help to many people who struggle on Christmas Day to deliver a turkey in time and at the right temperature to ensure it is cooked properly. Another interesting trend could be caviar which some are saying is the new lobster. Lobster used to be for those with deep pockets and then Lidl introduced cheap lobster from Canada which took away the shine. Ethically sourced caviar from Yorkshire Now Aldi is offering ethically sourced caviar from Yorkshire – which food critics say is of a good quality and will cost around £30 for a 10g tin. We’ve already mentioned on the Christmas.co.uk blog about the impressive foot long pigs in blankets from Aldi and Asda and there are other super-sized offerings, as well. For Prosecco lovers, Aldi is offering a methuselah which is, apparently, the equivalent of eight bottles or six litres of the fizz. Waitrose is also offering a methuselah of Bollinger but it will set you back £363. While it may look impressive, it’s something of an impractical offering because you’ll need two people to pour just one glass. Christmas food trend you’ll find hard to avoid Another Christmas food trend you’ll find hard to avoid is the pairing of chocolate and sour cherries for a Black Forest combo – a classic 1970s dish. Aldi is offering Black Forest mince pies, while Iceland has a Black Forest Pavlova. Tesco has got in on the act with a Black Forest meringue wreath and profiteroles. For cheese lovers, be prepared for the appearance of Époisses de Bourgogne which will undoubtedly be making an appearance on cheeseboards around the country. That’s despite the cheese being banned on French public transport this year because of its pungent odour. Waitrose is also offering cheese that’s injected with blueberries, cranberries or caramelised orange. Tesco has a ‘Christmas pudding truckle’ Tesco has a ‘Christmas pudding truckle’ which is essentially a white Stilton with raisins, cinnamon and rum. And let’s not forget that vegetarians will be properly catered for this year at the dinner table with many homes having to meet some form of dietary requirement – Asda says 60% of Christmas meals will need to deal with a dairy allergy, gluten intolerance or having a vegetarian or vegan. To reflect this, Waitrose has unveiled 500 Christmas food lines, of which 200 are aimed at vegetarians and 21 are vegan, including a delicious beet Wellington. For those who enjoy festive flavour crisps, then there is a lot to enjoy including chocolate tortilla and salted caramel from retailers. We are sure that the Christmas.co.uk team will be back with more unusual Christmas food trends in the …

Will we be having a white Christmas for 2018?

What will the weather for Christmas 2018 be like?

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The demand on weather forecasters to produce forecasts for Christmas increases as growing numbers of us hope for a white Christmas. But what is the weather forecast for 2018 going to be like? That’s a difficult question since most weather forecasters will struggle to predict the weather several days beforehand but they can study weather charts and plans to make a fairly good guess. One interesting aside is that bookmakers are reducing the odds they offer on the UK having a white Christmas in 2018 – which means they stand to make a big payout should just one snowflake fall on London’s weather centre on Christmas Day. So, while the country is predicted to have the coldest winter ever on record this year, will there be a snowstorm? Arctic blasts from the beginning of December Some weather forecasters have been predicting arctic blasts from the beginning of December, though the Met Office has had to step in and set the issue straight. At the time of writing, the bookmaker Coral is offering odds on the coldest winter since records began of 6/4. They are also offering 1/4 that snow will fall in London before November’s end. A spokesman for Coral said: “We may be enjoying autumn sunshine for now but the signs are pointing to a bleak winter and there are weeks of snow being forecast for the Christmas period. “I would suggest there’s a real chance that this winter could enter the record books as the coldest ever.” One forecaster told a national radio station that between Christmas and New Year we are likely to see low-pressure systems building-up from the Atlantic. ‘Marking Christmas as bringing some potentially hazardous weather conditions’ He explained: “These systems will clash with cold air that has pooled over the UK and will bring crippling snowfall, though we must allow for deviation as it’s some time away but we are marking Christmas as bringing some potentially hazardous weather conditions along with widespread snow.” Indeed, the Met Office says it’s too early to predict whether Christmas Day will be a white Christmas. The last time it was officially a white Christmas was in 2010 when there was widespread snowfall across Scotland, parts of Wales, Northern Ireland, the north-east and the Midlands. Even the far south-west of England received some snow. The Met Office says that if you’re planning a journey during winter, but particularly at Christmas time, then it will be worth spending time being prepared. That’s because there’s nothing worse than breaking down in cold and wet weather and you’ll need to have your vehicle prepared and it may be a good idea to have hot drinks and snacks in the car wherever you are travelling. Regular weather updates It’s also important to have regular weather updates to ensure you’re never caught out. However, a visit to the weatheroutlook.com site highlights that a seasonal computer model helps give an idea to weather trends and they will be regularly updating their prediction and they offer a countdown to their Christmas Day forecast. Essentially, for anybody who is interested in knowing whether we are going to have a white Christmas, then you’ll need to wait until the second week in December when the professionals will have a better idea of what the weather will bring but it increasingly appears that the end of December will be cold and very probably …

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Weird Christmas drinks to enjoy in 2018

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The festive season makes us do a range of unusual things, including being attracted to weird Christmas drinks and it looks like 2018 will be a bumper year. For those with a sweet tooth, the Marks & Spencer’s Millionaire Shortbread Cocktail arrives just-in-time for Christmas lovers to sample a boozy concoction for the festive period. It costs just £8 per bottle and is part of their Christmas drinks range, which features a festive gin plus the retailer’s now famous Mince Pie Martini, which is inspired by one of the all-time favourite festive snacks. There’s also a Jaffa Cake cocktail for those who like other sweet treats. However, the Millionaires Shortbread Cocktail is a 350ml bottle which contains 17% alcohol. Christmas drinks designed to be enjoyed And since it’s one of their Christmas drinks designed to be enjoyed, M&S says it is ideal for pouring over ice to create a great winter tipple. They have also put together premixed bottles of Espresso Martini, which is ideal for cocktail fans. While slightly more expensive than the Millionaires Shortbread Cocktail, the Espresso Martinis cost £10 but they make for an interesting twist at any Christmas party. We’ve already seen on this blog that gin lovers can now enjoy a gin-filled advent calendar and gin-filled baubles when decorating their Christmas tree while others can send gin-filled Christmas cards to their friends and family. For those who like the unusual, Aldi has also released a chocolate wine that has apparently won awards and may be worth trying. Hotel Chocolat’s vodka chocolate cream liqueur Another interesting addition for a liqueur with chocolate is Hotel Chocolat’s vodka chocolate cream liqueur which costs £25. The new drinks from Marks & Spencer’s are part of their Christmas food and drink range, which they’ve just unveiled. Among them is a Mince Pie Flavoured Cream for £12, a dry Christmas gin that features cinnamon, cardamom and spicy ginger, which costs £25. The popular shop is also offering crème Brulee white hot chocolate at £6, a winter ale that uses leftover M&S bread plus there’s a crate of 12 beers of Christmas for the beer and lager fans in the house for £20. Among the beers are a salt caramel Porter, a blood orange wheat beer and grapefruit IPA. The trend for sweet Christmas drinks Asda is also cashing in with the trend for sweet Christmas drinks with a glitter gingerbread gin, which will find fans among gin lovers. Everybody likes a cheeky Christmas tipple now and then and the offering from Marks & Spencer’s is impressive but there are also interesting selections from other …

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Christmas posting dates for 2018

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For those who are writing cards and sending parcels to family and friends in the UK and overseas, then the Christmas posting dates for these have been published. It may help to keep these dates handy so you can get your cards, letters and presents sent in time to be received for Christmas. As should be expected, there’s a list of dates which will depend on where in the country you are sending your cards and presents to and which post service you use. Last Christmas posting dates 2018 For anybody who is sending their letter or card by second class post, then the deadline is Tuesday 17 December. For first class, the deadline is Thursday 20 December. However, Royal mail’s Tracked 24 service has Friday 21 December as the last date for posting. For anybody who misses these dates, for whatever reason, and you really must get something to arrive in the UK then the very latest date for sending anything is to use Special Delivery Guaranteed with a deadline of Saturday 22nd December. After this date, your post will miss its Christmas delivery. Last international Christmas posting dates 2018 Since postal services differ around the world, there are a number of dates you will need to appreciate depending on the country. Some of these dates are probably sooner than many people are expecting them to be. If you’re posting to the Middle East and Africa, then the deadline is Tuesday 4 December. Letters and cards being posted to Cyprus, Asia, the Far East and Malta plus Eastern Europe, except Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the deadline is Friday 7 December. Posting to the Caribbean and South and Central America is Saturday 8 December. Letters to New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and Greece have a deadline of Monday 10 December. If you want to post cards and presents to the US, Canada, Italy, the Czech Republic or Poland, then you need to do so by Friday 14 December. The deadline for the post to Sweden and Finland is Saturday 15 December. There’s a deadline of Monday 17 December for letters and cards going to Austria, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. For mail going to France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland, the deadline is Tuesday 18 December. Armed forces last Christmas posting date For anyone sending items and presents to someone who is in the armed services and posted overseas, they can use HM Forces mail service which is provided by the British Forces Post Office (BFPO). BFPO offers a discounted mail delivery service and there’s no charge for a letter that is being sent to any personnel currently on operational duty. The last date for sending mail to operational members of HM Forces is Monday 26 November and for mail and presents to static HM Forces is Friday 14 …

It's that time of year when people begin shopping for Christmas albums for 2018 and here we have a look at what's on offer.

Christmas albums for 2018

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It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas and there’s a veritable feast for the ears with the Christmas albums being released in 2018. Among the crop of holiday hopefuls hoping to dominate speakers this Christmas are records from Elvis, Daniel O’Donnell, Gwen Stefano and Tom Chaplin from Keane. Other Christmas albums include: Jessie J Jessie J is bringing out an album of Christmas classics to enjoy. An impressive voice gives many of these tracks a great interpretation and she gets to team up with Boys2Men to knockout Winter Wonderland and teams up with Babyface to sing The Christmas song. This Christmas Day is a well-produced and impressive festive album. John Legend John Legend has a smooth and famous velvet voice and he’s produced a cracking festive treat with ‘A Legendary Christmas’ album with some great tracks and an excellent interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s Purple Snowflakes among the highlights. William Shatner As an actor, he’s more famous for being the original Capt Kirk in Star Trek but he’s released lots of albums over the years as part of his musical efforts. This year, he’s releasing a Christmas album that builds on his reputation as something of a crooner. Mr Shatner is 87 years old now and the album ‘Shatner Claus’ is impressive. He covers tracks such as Jingle Bells and Rudolph and the album features several music heavyweights including Iggy Pop and Rick Wakeman. Most of the songs are a guitar-heavy imitation of many popular Christmas hits with Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer getting a Shatner-makeover. Gwen Stefani This Christmas Album offering from Gwen Stefani is a reissue but includes festive favourites including Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Another new track for 2018 is called Secret Santa. Guitarist Eric Clapton is also issuing his first ever Christmas Album for fans to enjoy and he covers White Christmas, Jingle Bells and Silent Night. The Monkees also join the fray after their reunion two years ago with a number of festive favourites and some new songs on Christmas Party. Engelbert Humperdinck also has an album out called Warmest Christmas Wishes which follows – after a fairly long break – his first Christmas album that was released in 1980. He also covers a number of festive favourites and some alternative …

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Unique Christmas flavours for 2018

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Christmas flavours added to ordinary groceries have a habit of dividing the nation. Some love them and welcome the quirkiness, others hate it with a passion and wish it would all just stop! Mince Pie flavoured peanut butter Discount retailer B&M have recently started selling mince pie flavoured peanut butter at £1.99 and claim it tastes just like the real thing. Now I haven’t tasted it but I’m unsure if peanuts and sweet mincemeat pies mixed together should ever be a ‘thing’ but I’m willing to be convinced. The company behind this new option for a festive breakfast, Funky Nut Co, are convinced that their product will fly off the shelves like Rudolph on Christmas Eve.   Christmas Pudding flavour Unicorn Tears Gin Online retailer Firebox have been selling their Unicorn Tears gin for a few years and the shimmery pearlescent tipple has always been popular as a Christmas gift. This year they are exclusively selling a Christmas pudding flavour version with “warming flavours of dried fruit drizzled with cinnamon, cloves, sugar and treacle”. It has a snow-like shimmer which magically and prettily mixes when you shake the bottle or pour. Magical! Chocolate Brussel Sprouts Don’t panic! No-one has been ‘Ugh!’ enough to produce a chocolate flavoured Brussel sprout. Google it though, you’ll find lots of options for chocolates shaped and wrapped in green or handmade chocolates coated in green candy or fondant. Some of them are exquisitely made and would make a fantastic gift for any member of the family. Mince Pie Martini Marks & Spencer Mince Pie Martini is presented in a gorgeous orange bottle that would make a sophisticated addition to a festive drink cabinet or as a gift. Wondering if a buttery, sweet, fruit martini would work? It’s M&S! They practically invented modern Christmas food … they wouldn’t mess this up, would they now? Christmas Tree flavour crisps There’s no excuse for these ‘crisps’ that Iceland has launched as part of their ‘luxury’ range. They have to be a marketing gimmick (which we just fell into!) or someone in their development kitchen just won a bet. Ready salted with a ‘hint of pine’ is how the crisps have been described, just wrong. Iceland must be hoping that these crisps are being bought by the curious, people with no taste buds and those cheeky ‘wagsters’ looking to play a joke on a mate with the …

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The best tasting mince pies for Christmas 2018

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What’s your favourite Christmas nibble – mince pies, perhaps? There’s so much lovely stuff to choose from isn’t there? Delicious food and the excuse to indulge is one of my favourite parts of Christmas and it’s the reason I’m scared to stand on the weighing scales come New Year! Boxed own brand mince pies Mince pies. The arrival of a single shelf of boxed own brand mince pies is the first sign that Christmas is coming. It’s usually just after I come back from my summer holidays that they appear and makes me hate them slightly. But then as the weeks move into Autumn and someone at work, a Christmas lover, has one on their break that’s when the craving for spiced fruit and sugary pastry kicks in. Now I’m a little bit fussy about my mince pies. I like a gorgeously warm, homemade one slathered in cream. Sometimes Christmas time gets a little busy and baking just isn’t practical and so I’ll turn to shop bought treats. We all need a break from being a full on domestic goddess even at Christmas time! Taste test of the best mince pies on the market BBC Good Food Magazine is a great source of Christmas food inspiration, their November edition is the go-to for all things tinsel, turkey and treats in our house. They have kindly (though I imagine it wasn’t VERY hard work) conducted a blind taste test of the best mince pies on the market this year and in doing so have saved us all the sadness of a disappointing shortcrust or a gritty fruit filling and we present to you the results. When you think of delicious festive food it’s likely that Marks and Spencer or Waitrose will be at the front of your hungry mind. Glossy adverts, interesting flavours and higher price point make you assume they would be the best at everything. Not so!! Morrisons’ All Butter Deep Filled Mince Pies won the taste test and at £2 for a box of 6 we think that’s amazing news. ‘Free From’ Mince Pie category Morrisons also won the ‘Free From’ Mince Pie category and the Christmas Cake category. The Yorkshire based supermarket really know how to create a tasty treat that is perfect with a cup of tea on a gloomy December afternoon. The judges described the winning mince pies as having a ‘buttery, almost shortbread-like pastry’ filled with ‘whole raisins and sultanas’ with a ‘nice balance of sweetness and booze’. Well, don’t they …

It's one of the most popular shopping days in the year and Argos is gearing up for a great Black Friday 2018 – and the PS4 will be a popular choice!

Black Friday 2018: This is what Argos will be offering

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The rapid growth in the popularity of Black Friday shows no sign of slowing down this year with Argos already unveiling they will have great deals for shoppers. While shoppers went crazy for popular high-street deals last year, Argos did particularly well and they are already flagging up some of the great offers buyers can expect. For those who may not know, Black Friday 2018 will fall on Friday 23rd November. That’s when most high street and online retailers will be offering great deals and it’s a great opportunity for people to snap up their Christmas present bargains. Last year, Argos racked up 53 million visits to its website during Black Friday with the busiest hour coming on Thursday night before the Black Friday deals were officially launched. Enjoy big discounts on top-selling toys Last year, parents rushed to enjoy big discounts on top-selling toys such as LOL Surprise and Hatchimals. But will Argos establish a sales record again and what can we expect from their big sale this year? It is going to be easy since all of the Argos Black Friday deals can be viewed online. Argos will also be using social media to promote its early bird promotions with feeds on Facebook and Twitter. Indeed, they’re offering is so popular that the firm has also launched its Black Friday shopping tips to help its customers bag the bargains they are after. Attractions for Argos Black Friday deals One of the attractions for Argos Black Friday deals is that buyers can collect their orders in store and there are 1,200 locations to choose from. The top five bestsellers for Argos Black Friday 2017 were: PS4 slim black, 500 GB console bundle with Fifa 18 iPad 9.7 inch, Wi-Fi, 32 GB gold iPad 9.7 inch, Wi-Fi, 32 GB space grey LG 43 inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR PS VR with VR Worlds Mega Starter bundle. Other items in the top 10 include other PS4 bundles, a silver iPad, the Xbox One and another LG 4K Ultra HD TV. However, the top most viewed lines for the Argos Black Friday 2017 deals were: LG 43 inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR PS4 slim black, 500 GB console bundle with Fifa 18 Acer 15.6 inch i3 4GB 1TB laptop iPad 9.7 inch Wi-Fi 32 GB space grey PS VR with VR Worlds Mega Starter Bundle. Other lines include the Amazon Fire TV stick with Alexa voice remote, a gold iPad, the Xbox One S and a Philips wireless headphones. Snap up a bargain If you really do want to snap up a bargain, Argos says that the quietest period on Black Friday 2017 was between 3am and 4pm. This means having to set your alarm particularly early to pick up online deals so it may be a good idea to have a Black Friday shopping list already put together and …

The top Christmas 2018 gifts have been revealed by Argos.

Argos reveals the top Christmas 2018 presents list

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If you are struggling to decide what to buy for Christmas this year, then it may help to read the top gifts from Argos. That’s because the high-street retailer has unveiled its Christmas hub which features gifts and decorations plus much, much more. Among the collections being highlighted are top games such as Call of Duty and Fifa 19 and family favourites including Strictly Come Dancing gifts. Nostalgia fans may find that Polaroid cameras are a good choice this year. Argos says there’s still lots of time to find the perfect gift, though they do recommend striking early to buy the presents your loved ones will enjoy before it’s too late. ‘It’s never easy finding the perfect Christmas present’ A spokesman for Argos said: “It’s never easy finding the perfect Christmas present, so we’ve collated the top products across toys, tech, gifting and home to help customers who are Christmas shopping for everyone from colleagues, to those hard to buy for family members.” Among the top toy trends being predicted for 2018 include everything to do with unicorns, including Poopsi the Unicorn and My Lovely Unicorn Electric Ride On. Argos is also predicting that a major bestseller will be the Harry Potter Sorting Hat, which will tell participants which Hogwarts’ House they will be in along with Hatchimals and LOL Surprise, which were big sellers last year. And for gadget lovers, the Forza Horizon 4 game could be topping wish lists and Argos is also offering an exclusive Xbox One X console bundle. Wide selection of fragrance products available There’s also a wide selection of fragrance products available plus the retailer is stocking trendy accessories including gold flecked dinnerware. Argos has also recently revealed that more people own an Alexa smart speaker then own a pet rabbit. They are also predicting that smart lighting systems and security products will also prove to be popular this Christmas. The firm also reveals that the popularity of the free game Fortnite has also led to a boom in the sales of gaming chairs, headsets and controllers over the past year. Also, there have been growing numbers of those shopping for jumbo sized TV sets, that’s those with a screen of at least 65 inches, to enjoy Netflix and other streaming services. As for the coming year, Argos says that smart tech will become more prevalent, enabling people to have more control over how they manage their home lives, so they can focus on …

Here are our tips for Christmas decorations in 2018, with woodlands being a particularly strong theme this year.

Christmas decorations – our top tips for 2018

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It’s coming up to that time of year when many of us begin to consider our Christmas decorations and the themes we may be interested in for 2018. Thankfully, professional designers and retailers have improved their offerings in recent years to make this task a lot easier. For example, John Lewis and Partners have unveiled the Amber collection, which is one of eight festive decorating themes they have for this Christmas. The retailer says that each collection represents a different place on earth with the Amber collection being inspired by British woodland. Biggest trend likely to be the rainbow Christmas tree John Lewis has also unveiled an impressive range for their Christmas tree decorating collection with the biggest trend likely to be the rainbow Christmas tree which will be a hit, the firm says, on social media. Essentially, the idea is to offer a spectrum of colours from the top to the bottom of the tree to create a showstopping centrepiece in every home. The retailer says that customers should experiment with different colours to be more adventurous with their Christmas tree decorations. It does appear as though the countryside will be one of the big themes for Christmas decorations this year, along with colour schemes and table settings. Indeed, all of the big brands have taken inspiration from the countryside for their new collections. Sainsbury’s also has a woodland theme Sainsbury’s also has a woodland theme, as do Tesco with the retailer saying that their Christmas in the Cotswolds offering recreates a nice country Christmas look with a classic seasonal colour palette. This consists of green, red and gold to deliver a timeless festive statement which can be added to every year. Though there is also a trend for Christmas decorating ideas to go back to the 80s with bold, bright colours for the festive season. Christmas decoration lists There’s no doubt that one of the hot trends for the 2019 spring and summer fashion collections was for neon and it’s already made its way onto Christmas decoration lists. This means that eye-catching wall lights, bright, wrapping paper and fluorescent baubles will help to highlight our homes and deliver enjoyable festive surroundings. While that may not be everybody’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt that there’s going to be a lot of choice among the retailers and the traditional woodland feel is a great way to create a nice festive environment though many will also be tempted by the unusual rainbow collection from …

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