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Hap-PEA Christmas

Hap-PEA Christmas

A gift from the Pea Family to you...Vlogmas, Black Friday highlights, what to wear on Christmas Day and the ultimate Gift Guides for stressed out shoppers!

Caroline Parker
November 29, 2025

Where the halls are decked, the kids are feral, and on 10th December Kyle is on my podcast Don’t Touch It tasting his first ever mince pie. It also happens to be his birthday. We talk all things moving to the UK, being a social media husband and the big debate of UK vs USA. It is going to be a gooden.

This is our second Christmas living in the UK, and Charlie and I kicked off the season with a trip to Harry Potter World where we got to see Hogwarts in the snow. Charlie did not understand much about Harry Potter, which is fair enough, but it proved the whole place is magical no matter your age or fandom level. He was obsessed with the giant dragons and the goblins in the bank.

It is also our first Christmas in our new house and I am absolutely buzzing for it. I shall be cooking, I shall probably be stressed, but I shall also be having a fabulous time. There is nothing quite like wearing a paper hat from a cracker while the kids argue over presents and the baby is thrilled to be chewing on an empty box.

Now… what is everyone eating?

I am torn between lamb and turkey. I want to be the woman who produces a moist and majestic turkey, but I am simply not that woman. I am a dry turkey merchant. Lamb, however, I can do. Lamb, I can nail. But turkey feels traditional, does it not?

A big thing coming up this month is that I am attempting my first Vlogmas.

I will be posting Monday to Friday on YouTube at 5pm, which means five videos a week all the way up until Christmas Eve. Now I know, I know, it is meant to be seven days a week, but girl… I have three kids and currently one dog. I need to breathe a few times. So please forgive me. It is still a lot, but I think I am organised enough to pull it off.

Do not forget to take that family photo before Christmas Day. That day itself is a bit hyped to be honest. For me, it is the whole month that matters and all the little moments and joy along the way.

A tip for getting a great family picture is to take it as a video. Make sure your phone camera is on 4K and wipe your camera lenses first. Then just screen grab the perfect moment. Another thing I always do is show the kids the photo we took the year before and say we are doing this again, look how happy we are. If this is your first one, feel free to show them our photo.

We have been taking a family picture in our Christmas PJs in front of the tree for years now and it has been the most amazing thing watching our family grow. And it might be growing even more soon.

You will find out on Vlogmas…

Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LTK | ShopMy

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I’ve been doing some Christmas shopping and here are some of my favourite discounts!

For the homebodies, you know how much I love my Casserole Dish. Any cute kitchen decor, I’m obsessed with these Flower Plates and Dog Glass. And as for the tech in our lives, Black Friday is an excellent opportunity to find some great discounts on gifts for the tech lovers, like this Amazon Echo and Kitchen Screen.

It wouldn’t be a shopping spree without a little mooching for some items that Mummy Pea would also like for Christmas - yes, Daddy Pea, I hope you’re clicking on the collage below!!

Nobody’s Child have 25% off with code BF25. I love this Pink Jumper and how beautiful is this Trench Coat?! Anthropologie also have 25% off site wide and Abercrombie 30% off - I have included my FAVOURITE jeans here.

Yoto has an amazing Black Friday Sale on until 1st December, and the good news is that my discount code AFF-DONTTOUCHIT10 will get you a further 5% off on their great deals (highly recommend you check out their bundles!).

Don’t worry if you miss it - from 2nd December you can use my code to get 10% off normal prices too!

Minimum spend £59.99/€69.99/$69.99/AU$129.99
Code can be used once per customer

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First things first - the Elf on the Shelf. It’s all good fun until you remember you have to do it every night. We do it because they love it and we love them. Here are some fun and easy ideas for your Elf...

❄️ We always start ours with Elf bringing the chocolate advent calendars
❄️ Elf sailing in the sink in a Tupperware boat
❄️ Elf did tiny bites into an apple
❄️ Elf in the car ready for school
❄️ Elf toilet roll slide off the tree - attach the end of the roll to the top of the tree and let it fall down onto the floor, have Elf at bottom
❄️ Elf taped to the wall
❄️ Elf brushing his teeth with their brush
❄️ Elf with mums lipstick on
❄️ Elf drew moustaches on the family pictures - use post it notes…no sharpies haha

One thing we do NOT do is put Elf in their bedroom. For me as a semi anxious kid this would have scared me thinking there was something creeping in my room at night.

Enjoy and good luck!

As parents, we all know how tough Christmas is - there’s a lot of pressure! So feel free to call me Mrs Claus. From the kids to parents, friends and family, stocking fillers to Secret Santa (good and naughty!), shop my gift guides here! I’ve even covered all things hobbies, foodies, and doggies too.

Christmas can feel overwhelming, but the most magical moments are the simplest ones.

This season, we’re here to help families slow down and enjoy time together. From the CBeebies Panto: Cinderella on BBC iPlayer to Bluey Christmas Specials, the Julia Donaldson collection, and Dodge’s Pup School Christmas Special, our shows bring joy and create those special family moments that matter most.

Looking for easy ideas? Click here for our website, packed with simple crafts, recipes, and fun activities, plus free apps, festive playlists on BBC Sounds, and the CBeebies Parenting Helpline podcast for extra support.

This Christmas, you don’t need to do it all. You just need to be together. CBeebies Parenting: We bring the simplicity. We bring the magic. Here when you need us.

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I want to say something to all of you out there on your phones looking at me…yes, you.

Christmas can be joyful, but it can also feel heavy for some. So be gentle with the people around you. Check in on your friends. Remember, we’re the ones shaping our children’s story now; our past doesn’t have to define theirs. And those picture-perfect moments you see online? There’s often a bit of sadness, drama, or someone crying just out of frame.

A huge thank you to the emergency services working through the busiest time of year. Many of my friends in the NHS take turns working Christmas Day. Let’s all promise to try not to get hurt - or burn the house down with the turkey this year.