Advent Post #4: Keeping warm, whatever the weather! Aldi Ski Wear Review

The start of the ski season is upon us and some of you may be lucky enough to be hitting the slopes either before Christmas or for a well-deserved New Year break.

Aldi have a new range of superb quality ski wear suitable for all levels of skiers at great value prices. We were sent a girl's ski outfit to road test this week ready in time for the range to be launched tomorrow! Sadly, we didn't get to jet off to the Alps, but we did visit a local Christmas market in the cold!

The children's ski trousers and jacket have lots of pockets including a handy ski pass pocket (or a secret, special pocket as my daughter liked to call it!), detachable trouser braces, side leg openings and snow (and cold wind breeze!) protection at the waist, leg and inner cuffs. The outfits are available in sizes 5-14 years and retail at £14.99 which in my opinion is an excellent price for a really good quality skiing coat and trouser set.

But don't be disheartened if you're not planning on embarking on any skiing this winter - this outfit is perfect for family walks in the snow, which I'm sure will hit us at some point. My daughter felt really warm wrapped up for the evening and so now there's no excuse for not wanting to walk the dog with me over the holidays when it's 'too cold'!

We have our sledges at the ready, along with our warm and cosy coats - all we need now is the snow! This is a photo from a couple of years ago... maybe we'll get a white Christmas again this year....

There's many more items in the range from just £1.99 so pop down to your local Aldi from tomorrow when the full range is available in store!

We were sent a two-piece children's ski suit for the purpose of review on behalf of Aldi.

Advent Post #2: Christmas Gift Ideas - Bellucci Chocolate from Turin

With Christmas now just literally around the corner, it's a present-buying frenzy in most households (mine, anyway!).

Some people are really easy to buy for because anything suits and some gifts seem to jump off the shelf towards you when you realise they are perfect for a particular family member. But... there's always the time when you're really stuck and you feel like a box of chocolates are a bit of a cop-out as a gift!

Well, let me introduce Bellucci Chocolate to you all! Bellucci Chocolate is a new brand of speciality chocolates from Turin in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. With the 'Tonda Gentile delle Langhe' hazelnut at it's heart, the brand showcases traditional glanduiotti, cremini and other gianduja products; a rich velvet smooth hazelnut praline that melts as it touches the tongue.

The 'Bella' selection boxes contain a combination of praline, nougat and traditional chocolates. And great news for those who have a dairy and/or gluten free diet - the traditional gianduiotti are gluten-free AND dairy-free! So when the box of chocolates get passed around, you'll be able to say 'Yes please!' instead of looking on longingly, wishing for some chocolate!

We were sent a sample of each chocolate that goes into the Bella Box Grande. Let me tell you that you needn't be sheepish about buying these chocolates as a gift for a loved one! They look exquisite and almost too good to eat! But don't let that hold you back! They are absolutely delicious and taste as good as they look. The flavours are subtle but classically beautiful, in fact I don't think I'd want to share them with anyone!

Have a look around their website here or pop over to their Facebook page here. You won't be disappointed with their range of gift ideas! With next day delivery available, you've no excuse for running out of time this December (subject to courier/Royal Mail restrictions, that is!).

I'm off to enjoy some more luxurious chocolates!

This blog post was written after receiving a sample selection box of chocolates from Bellucci Chocolate.