I bought one of these amazing lens pets from Mandee Franee in the US earlier this year and it is a great way to help your children look at the lens instead of gazing over the top at you! They are great for distracting little ones and if you use bright colours or black and white for newborns, they can focus a child's attention towards the camera. There are lots of versions on Etsy and you can make a basic one with an ordinary old hair scrunchie. Who knew you could recycle an old hairband into something so fab! You could make a mini one for a compact camera by using a smaller scrunchie.

Simply tie your pipe cleaners around the top of the scrunchie into antler shapes. I used 2 pipe cleaners per antler.

Glue your wiggly eyes and pom pom nose to the space between the antlers and you are good to go!

I would definitely recommended the more professional versions though, I made a reindeer especially for the festive period but have my eye on this little baby on my new year wish list if I get some Christmas money!

I found this great photo checklist on Simple as That blog. Wow - I know I take a lot of photos but I think there may be a few I have missed! If you want to download it go to the blog post here.

Don't take any notice if family members roll their eyes when you are constantly snapping away over the festive period. You can't get these times back and photos are the most wonderful way to capture those happy memories!

An easy and quick idea for your little ones Christmas party! The hard bit is separating the Oreo's without breaking them!

Take a chocolate Oreo cookie, slice the top from the bottom carefully with a sharp nice. Squirt some icing in the middle and stick 2 pretzel halves in as antlers.

Lay the top of the cookie back on and add two chocolate button eyes and a red cherry nose. I used a black icing pen to finish the eyes!

There is an old, very traditional fabric shop in the back streets of Weston super Mare. It has no frills but has plenty of fabric including a fab selection of off cuts ready for patchwork. I buy a few occasionally for craft projects and photo back drops and recently bought 3 to make a scrappy wreath, along with some I had left over at home. I am useless at sewing so this is as seamstress like as I get!

Cut your fabric into approx 6 inch lengths, 1 inch wide. The rougher the better so don't worry about any stray ends of some being slightly wider or longer than others.

I tied mine in simple knots to a large twig wreath in a repeated sequence. 5 strips per group with the ends being the same fabric.

Dig out some off cuts as a cheap and easy but very effective holiday wreath!

I was going to add some battery operated fairy lights but it looked perfect just as it is.

I love the front of the house. Big, bold and very festive! I have reused the $1 bows I bought in America last December and filled the lanterns in the porch with festive dried fruit and bay leaves so it smells sweet for visitors!

The big bunch of mistletoe completes the porch for me, even if you do have to duck when you come in!