Counting down to Christmas

Can you believe there is only a little over three weeks left to Christmas! Usually I have been a little more organised with my Christmas shopping, but I have to admit this year has gotten away from me a little, arrgh!

So let me help you feel a bit more organised as we head into the festive season, with some geekalicious book suggestions for making gifts, decorating, Christmas Day meal planning (lets face it, the food is a pretty important component of the day) and entertainment.

First up has to be getting those gifts ready. Harry Potter fans are sure to love anything you make them from The unofficial guide to crafting the world of Harry Potter : 30 magical crafts for witches and wizards by Jamie Harrington. From Butterbeer Lip Balm to your very own golden snitch necklace, this book is a treasure trove of gift ideas.

Another excellent book to check out is Bonnie Burton's Star Wars craft book, with ideas such as an AT-AT herb garden, an Ewok flower vase, and my personal favourite, the Chewbacca sock puppet - every household needs one!

And now to the decorating, what could be cooler than Lego themed decorations! The LEGO Christmas ornaments book: 15 designs to spread holiday cheer by Chris McVeigh has a stunning array of Lego plans for you to build the most gorgeous tree decorations, you'll be looking truly festive in no time at all, and have fun doing it.

Now, if you are a bit of a The Great British Bake Off fangirl like I am, you will totally love The great British bake off: Christmas by Lizzie Kamensetzky. What better way to plan your Christmas menu! This gem will make you look like a true Christmas goddess with recipes from a variety of contestants and judges Mary and Paul. If someone feels like whipping me up some of Mary's ultimate Christmas Pud, I will forever be in your favour :)

Now that we have made some gifts, got the place looking festive, and cooked up some amazing Christmas noms, you'll be about ready for something nice and relaxing to do.
Personally, I love a good wee Christmas story and every year the lovely Debbie Macomber kindly provides one that really warms the heart. Some of my past favourites have included Dashing through the snow, Starry night and Call me Mrs. Miracle. I'm eagerly awaiting her latest for this year 12 days of Christmas.

Another one of my favourite things to look forward to at Christmas time is the Dr Who Christmas specials. I may still be getting over last year's Doctor Who: The husbands of River Song, which made me laugh and cry in fairly equal portions. The previous years installment Dr Who: Last Christmas kind of terrified me (along with making me want to laugh and cry), guess that is just the magic of Doctor Who!

Righty, I think we're looking pretty organised now - back to finishing that shopping :)

Thank you Lego!

I’ve recently been playing two of the biggest comic book franchises this earth has ever known; DC comics’ LEGO Batman 3. Beyond Gotham and Marvel Comic’s LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. I have to say that it has been pretty good effort on both.

First off, if you’re a big fan of Batman, like I am, you will love the fact that you will get to see 150 characters from the DC Universe waiting to be unlocked. The game play is what you would expect from other LEGO Games but the effort they put in to immersing the player in the world of Batman is great. Each Lego game is a world unto itself and this game is no exception. If you’re into co-operative play and puzzles then this is for you. I think kids and adults will get a kick from playing it.

Secondly, Marvel Super Heroes is equally as good. You get to play as the entire cast of Avengers: Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Captain America and other superheroes from Fantastic Four to X-Men. If you love Marvel Comics you will pretty much encounter and unlock all the characters you recognize and love. I think there is nothing more fantastic than seeing Bruce Banner turn into the hulk or flying through the air doing a whirly as Iron Man.

If you’re a fan, or not a fan, play these games and it will enrich your knowledge of DC comics and Marvel Comics, while seeing the lighter side of the two franchises. Thank you LEGO for making these two games.