Christmas is on its way - Essex Mums December Newsletter

On Essex Mums this month
Hello! Hope you're all starting to feel a little Christmassy, whether you've already got your decorations up and your shopping done, or are planning on leaving it until later in the month. It's a busy time of year for us parents, so hopefully Essex Mums can help bring a little sanity to your lives, whether it's by providing you with lots of ideas to keep the kids busy or just giving you an outlet for a seasonal vent!

Let it snow!
Love it or hate it, Essex is covered in snow and kids all over the county are enjoying days off school and snowball fights. In honour of this, there is a slideshow of your snowy photos on the homepage. You can submit your own pictures by posting here or by sending them to me at louise@essexmums.org. All will go on the homepage, but the best one will win his or her choice of one of the lovely festive goodies I've selected from the Essex Mums Alternative Christmas Gift Guide.

Christmas Events
There are so many fun, wintry events going on across the county throughout December, so make sure you check out the Things to Do section for what's on near you. In the next week or so I'll be making sure I have the calendars nicely full with fun Christmas events, and will be making a homepage feature so that they are easy to find, so make you keep an eye out for that.

2000th Member Giveaway
We're coming up to 2000 members on Essex Mums and to celebrate I would like to give away a prize when the 2000th member joins. All you need to do is post in this thread to say you'd like to enter - it's open to all members of the site! As well as that I would like to give away another prize to the person who gets the most new people to sign up so get inviting your friends and make sure they let me know you recommended it to them.

Problems Logging in to the Forum
It has come to my attention that many of you have had problems with loggin in and being unable to reset your password. Please let me know if you have and I will reset it for you.

Guest Bloggers
We've had some great blogs from new guest bloggers this month. If you haven't already, please have a read and let me know if you would like to write something yourself.

Christmas Shopping
If you're still looking for those last few gifts, make sure you take a look at the Alternative Christmas Guide for everything from lovely little stocking fillers to enormous main pressies.

Run a shop or business?
Looking for ways to spend your 2011 advertising budget? Email me for a rate card and I'll be sure to help you out (with great benefit to your business, of course!)

And of course...
Make sure you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Here's hoping 2011 is tantrum-free and full of sleep and lovely family time. If you have a spare moment, please do come and wish a Happy Christmas to all the other Essex Parents on the forum!

New on the Shopping Guide
New this month on the Essex Mums Alternative Shopping Guide. Later in the month I'll be putting together the Alternative Shopping Guide for 2011, so get in touch if you would like to be featured:

Gifts
Bob by Post: Covetable Goods

French designed baby and childrens'
clothes from newborn to 12 years

Everything else
As always, please send any events, feedback, ideas etc. to me at louise@essexmums.org. I love hearing how people use the site and ways I can improve it.

I hope you have a lovely month and that I'll get to see you at a meet-up soon.

Kind regards
Louise