Christmas time means fairy lights and chocolate in this house. A time when it is more than acceptable to have bowlfuls of chocolate on the coffee table and to help yourself every time you are passing.

So can you imagine our faces when the postman delivered the most wonderful hamper from Lindt, bursting with chocolate. All your chocolate dreams come true! 

Almost bigger than the boys, we are now armed with a Christmas (and well into the new year) supply of the most delicious chocolates and I just had to share with you a few ways we have eaten it!

Chocolate is not just for children, it’s for grown ups too and even if this takes me straight to Santa’s naughty list, here is a hot chocolate cocktail recipe for you to try. Naughty but seriously nice!

I love caketails and this is like a chocolate trifle. Mixing together the creamy Lindt chocolate with white chocolate liqueur, milk, vanilla and a raspberry garnish. The world’s best hot chocolate!

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 100ml milk
• 1 mini Lindt chocolate figurine
• I shot white chocolate liqueur
• Ground vanilla 
• Raspberry to garnish

Recipe.

Heat your milk gently in a pan and slowly add the chocolate figurine, stirring continuously. Break it into little pieces as you add it to the milk for an even melt. When fully melted and mixed, add your shot of liqueur and take off the heat. Pour into cocktail glasses and add a sprinkle of ground vanilla. Garnish with a single raspberry.

This is the ultimate Winter warmer and heavenly for all the chocolate lovers out there.

The boys love to make chocolate bark, it’s simple to make but looks so effective, and you could easily break a slab up and give it away as Christmas treats for school teachers and friends. I always used to make chocolate crispy cakes with my Mummy, but I think bark might be the tradition with my boys. 

Makes approximately 10” by 8” slab of bark. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Lindt chocolate bears
• Handful fresh raspberries
• Handful fresh cranberries
• Edible gold star sprinkles
• Figurines to decorate

Recipe.

Melt your chocolate bears. Either break and melt over a pan of simmering water, stirring continuously, or melt slowly in a microwavable bowl at 20 second intervals, until smooth.

Whilst the chocolate rests, line a baking tray with cling film or baking parchment. This helps the chocolate to set to the shape of the tray and easy to release once firm.

Pour your melted chocolate into the tray. Tip your tray from side to side to let the chocolate evenly cover the base of the tray. Tap gently on the work surface.

Let your little ones add the toppings. We chose raspberries and cranberries and an extra chocolately layer of figurines, which we lay flat into the chocolate. Finally sprinkle over your edible old stars for a touch of sparkle and festive cheer.

Set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Lift the paper or cling film gently to test if solid.

Remove from the fridge and break into smaller pieces. Wrap in cellophane bags and gift to loved ones, or eat it all yourself!

The boys love making bark because it’s quick. Nothing needs hours in the oven, or time to cool. Plus they get to lick a very chocolately bowl!

How about trying yours with pistachios and flaked almonds for more crunch?

And the last idea I want to share with you is the best Christmas decor you could get. Edible decor!

A Lindt chocolate bauble wreath! This is so simple to make but looks beautiful.

Take your Lindt baubles or Lindor chocolate balls and a single figurine.

Melt the figurine until the chocolate is smooth. Leave for a minute to cool slightly. If the chocolate is too runny it will be messy!

Take your balls and lay out in a circle shape to ensure you have enough for your wreath.

Attach each ball to each other with a dab of melted chocolate and hold in place for 30 seconds whilst the chocolate sets. When complete, transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes to ensure the wreath will stay in place. 

Use a length of ribbon to secure to your door.

What a way to welcome your guests to the festive season!

Now tell me, what would you do with a hamper full of chocolate? Let me know your ideas, chocolate gravy anyone?!!!

Thank you to Lindt who treated us to a magnificent hamper.

When we were younger we always celebrated Christmas with my cousins. On Boxing Day or on Christmas Day itself, we would either head to Oxford, or impatiently wait for them to arrive at our house and welcome them, and my Granny and Grandpa, with a rousing "Compliments of the Season!"

My Auntie and Mum took it in turns to host, with my Granny putting together a beautiful hamper, mostly full of goodies that she'd collected in her larder (some of which may have been past their sell by dates), as their contribution to Christmas. I thought this was such a lovely gesture and there is something about a hamper that feels so luxurious and special. 

So it was a complete treat to find one of Harrods Christmas Hampers arrive at our door.

Even the unveiling to discover what's inside made my husband ooh and aah like we were watching a firework's display. I love that the lid explains exactly how you feel. Like lifting the lid, is akin to opening the doors to the Harrods Food Hall.

There is everything you could need for a pre Christmas afternoon tea party or a perfect sweet round off to Christmas Day.

Tea, coffee, wine and Champagne to serve with 2 delicious cakes, biscuits and the most sumptuous box of chocolates I have ever eaten. 

There's sweet chutney and jam to drizzle over the essential cheese and biscuits as well as Apple and Damson jelly and mustard for the Christmas table. 

You feel spoilt.

This was a serious after school treat! I have saved a few of the goodies for Christmas Day as I am hosting for my family! 

Thank you so much Harrods, your hampers are the ultimate Christmas present!

I have a complete obsession/weakness for stationery and anything office related.

There are several wooden boxes on my desk bursting with cards for friends, pretty notelets, prints that inspire me and little pots of your everyday office supplies. But what I have always lusted after is a peg board.

I read a lot of American craft and DIY blogs and every now and again they would feature this beautifully holely piece of wood and I would despair about where I could source one over here. No longer confined to a garage wall, a peg board is a sleek and elegant, functional, modern noticeboard.

I have always used a noticeboard as a mood board for inspiration. And a peg board takes that concept to a new level. 

So when Red Candy kindly offered to send me one of Block Design's boards for my new home office I said ooh yes please!

I couldn't wait until my office was ready to share it, so I will save my office makeover for another day. At the moment the barn above the garages, which is divided into three, has one end set up resembling an office for Richard, albeit with no flooring or heating, and the other side looks like a car boot sale!

Over the next few weeks I am going to repaint and carpet my office under the wooden beam and clean up the store room next door to use as a prop room.

And this peg board is going to have pride of place above my desk.

I love the multicoloured pegs and with two sizes, so you can hook to your heart's content or slip over the ends of bulldog clips and collate your latest inspiration.

I love how just 2 pegs make a shelf for your favourite card, a mini cork peg board tile or a pencil holder! Perfect for your phone too. And the best bit is you can reconfigure the pegs at any time.

I adore the symmetry a peg board gives you and its makes an awesome backdrop! You may have seen it creeping into blog posts and my Instagram photos ;)

Thank you Red Candy - I think the Block Design product is awesome. Now if only I could have one in every colour...!