As you search the internet for Christmas gift ideas and last minute bargains or sales you need to be aware of the last posting dates for Christmas recommended by the Royal Mail.

To ensure you get that Christmas present for someone special actually delivered before Christmas you need to ensure that the online retailer will post it in time (if Royal Mail is a delivery method for your Christmas gift).

Royal Mail recommends that last posting dates for delivery before Christmas are as follows:

• 4th December - International Airmail (depending upon destination)

• 15th December - Standard Parcels
  

• 18th December - 2nd Class
  

• 21st December - 1st Class
  

• 23rd December - Special Delivery (guaranteed next day)
  

Just as a reminder there will be no collections or deliveries from 25th to 28th December inclusive. More details can be found on the Royal Mail website at royalmail.com/greetings.

How do you keep the kids occupied during the school holidays without having to spend a fortune? Where to find free activities for children (and adults) is always a challenge when you need to keep the cost down.

If you really want to try something different this year why not visit the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta! It runs from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th August 2009 and best of all it’s FREE ENTRY.

However, as very few of us will be able to walk to the event you will have to pay for parking. But the top tip to cut down the cost is to book in advance and pre-pay online (here) where charges range from £7 for a car and £14 for a minibus or camper van.

The mass balloon launches are scheduled for 6am and 6pm on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday so you have two opportunities per day to get the full benefit and excitement of the hot air balloons getting under way.

The rest of the festivals events include displays by the EXIT, RAF Falcons, and Royal Signals Parachute Display Teams, the Royal Marines Band, the Red Arrows, Avon Fire and Rescue, Lee McCrory Yak 54 3D Aerobatic Display and flypasts by both Navy and RAF aircraft. It is worth checking the full schedule to see which day is best for your visit.

If you are going to be on site for the dawn or dusk balloon launches you may want to make sure you use insect repellent as these are the times of day when the insects are more active. Also, don’t forget to be Sun Aware and take your sun lotion with you.

Do something different with the kids this summer holiday – Visit the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta!

Looking for a gift for Dad on Fathers Day and do not want to by yet another tie? Why not try some travel size toiletries?

Fathers Day falls on the 21st June this year and is always celebrated on the third Sunday in June in UK, USA and Canada. So time is running out – only a couple of weeks to go!

Buying Dad a Fathers Day gift is always a tricky problem though! Exactly what do buy him apart from the usual socks, hankies and ties? Well, here are our Top 10 suggestions for Fathers Day Gifts for you to choose from. These travel size toiletries and accessories are ideal for Dad to slip into his laptop bag or suit bag for when he is on his travels:

1. Davidoff Silver Shadow Mens Travel Kit – A Davidoff toiletries bag containing a Silver Shadow EDT and After Shave Balm.
2. Wallet Size Bottle Opener – This credit card size stainless steel bottle opener is a must for every Dad’s wallet.

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We’re half way through week already, so if you’re looking for ideas for days out to keep the kids occupied during half term here are some suggestions.

If you know where to look you’ll probably find that there are lots of activities, relatively close by, where you can spend some great days out. Keeping the travel to a minimum reduces the cost of journey, never mind the expense of booking accommodation and the hassle of packing overnight bags with travel size toiletries for the family.

So once you’ve saved a few pennies by reducing the amount of travelling you are going to do, the next step is to save money on admission fees to attractions. Two of the best money saving offers for the discerning traveller or tourist are the “Kids go Free” or “2 for 1” offers. With some of these deals you can probably save the cost of the travel fare to the attraction itself!

“Kids go Free” Offers

There are a whole host of attractions that offer a “Kids go Free” deals ranging from Botanical and Zoological Gardens, Museums, Stately Homes, Science Centres and Boat Trips to good old fashioned swimming and playing. There is a fairly good list with a comprehensive search facility at www.enjoyengland.com where there is a section devoted specifically to “Kids go Free” offers.

“2 for 1” Offers

Click on the links below to go straight to the pages where you can print off your very own “2 for 1” coupons.
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Today the owners of the London Eye (Merlin Entertainments Group) has announced an investment of around £12.5 million to upgrade one of London’s most iconic attractions on the capitals South Bank.

Each of the 32 capsules will be removed for upgrading and replaced with a “dummy” capsule one at a time. Work will start this summer and will be completed in time for the London 2012 Olympics and will not interrupt the normal operation of the attraction. Each capsule will travel down the Thames to Silvertown in London’s docklands from where it will be transported by road to Worcester and upgraded before returning to the London Eye.

Changes include upgrading the heating and ventilation system to a more efficient, environmentally friendly one, cutting down the London Eye’s carbon footprint. In addition, the advanced capsules will include display screens, multi-media and Wi-Fi capabilities enhancing the whole experience for London’s tourists and visitors.

The London Eye has an average of 10,000 visitors a day and has already welcomed over 33 million tourists and visitors, providing them with unique panoramic views of London. The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per 30 minute “flight” and at 135m high is the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, with views across London of up to 40km on a clear day, as far as Windsor Castle.

Don’t forget to come prepared with your London City Visitors Kit and an absolute must, just to get to the London Eye, is an iPod Tube Map for either your iPod Touch or iPod Classic.

Bournemouth – a town on the way up!

Traditional beach huts have been a part of the UK beach culture for over 100 years but today Bournemouth Council launches the 21st Century version – Super Surf Pods.

Designed by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, 50 units have been built as part of the £11 Million regeneration project of the Boscombe beach area.

The Overstrand was a 1950’s neglected wooden and concrete building although with some nostalgic architectural features. However, after the refurbishment of the complex, it now offers the most desirable beach huts in the UK, complete with all the mod-cons expected by the 21st century surfer and holiday maker.

Around 36 Surf Pods will be made available for purchase on a 25-year lease, with the remainder reserved for casual hire from Bournemouth Council. The single Surf Pods are £65,000 and the double Surf Pods are £90,000 but are for day use only.

Each fully equipped pod has a feature wall, using a vintage, coastal artwork from Wayne Hemingway’s personal collection. As well as coming complete with designer beach furniture, the Surf Pods feature mains electricity, hot and cold running water, and French doors leading onto private balconies with views over-looking the beach, the newly refurbished Boscombe Pier and Europe’s first artificial surf reef.

The Overstrand complex also features a Sorted Surf shop, a surfing academy and the glass-fronted Urban Reef restaurant, offering fantastic panoramic views of Bournemouth and the Solent. There is also take-away food from Reefside catering, along with changing rooms, toilets and hot showers, all contributing to the major transformation of Boscombe seafront.

Always remember to be Sun Aware! and use adequate sun protection when on or around the beach.

Well it’s here at last ! According to Met Office forecasters, the UK is “odds on for a barbecue summer”.

Temperatures are forecast to be warmer than average this summer across the whole of UK, sometimes topping a “sizzling” 30C.

Although the “odd” heavy downpours cannot be ruled out, rainfall should be “near or below average” for the three months of summer.

To make sure that the only thing “sizzling” is the food on the BBQ, it’s even more important to use appropriate sun protection. There is a whole range of Sun Care Sprays and Lotions to choose from but perhaps some of the best products are the “once a day” lotions.

Typically a “once a day” lotion does “what it says on the tin”. For example Riemann P20 gives up to 10 hours protection from just one application. So even if the day looks as though it will not be a scorcher and you do not intend to take any sun lotion with you, it’s worth applying a “once a day” lotion if you’re going to be out and about for the day.

It’s not worth being caught out!