Father Christmas is coming to Marwell on Saturday 2 December, Sunday 3 December, Saturday 9 December, Sunday 10 December, and every day from Saturday 16 December to Saturday 23 December. He will also be visiting on Monday 4 and Monday 11 December for our Quiet Glow nights. Use Leftovers: have a plan for your leftovers. Think of meals that could use up excess (e.g. risotto for meat, patties with leftover veg). Ensure you use up the stuff that will go off first, and then use up the things that will happily sit in the fridge for a few more days. Worst case, if making meal plans overwhelms you, commit to freezing your leftovers and make a plan once they are safely frozen.

Preheat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Lightly grease and line a round cake tin (20cm/8in diameter, 7.5cm/3in deep) with greaseproof paper.

Pharmacies can be closed on certain days over the Christmas period. So if you take medication, make sure you have enough for thewhole period. Christmas is a magical time of year, but for some families, the pressure to provide presents, decorations, new outfits, Santa visits, and all the other festivities that come with it can be a huge financial burden. Christmas Help I normally don't condone the use of loans, but if you're really struggling and worried about Christmas, the zero-interest loan provided by the government is a choice. If you're on benefits and have been for 6 months, you will be eligible for a budgeting loan. Churches often provide help over the Christmas period to families in need. Ring around some of your local ones to explain your situation and find out how they can help. Salvation Army

Put the raisins and sultanas in a large bowl. Finely chop the prunes, dried apricots and dried apple, then add to the bowl with the orange zest and grated apple. In a large mixing bowl mix together the prunes and apple. Add the sugar, then beat in the eggs a little at a time. How you cope with the costs of Christmas will depend on your circumstances. You might not find all of these tips realistic. But it may help to try some of them: If you're in hospital or a care home, see what activities might be running over Christmas that you might want to take part in. If Christmas is your thing, but not putting too much stuff in the bin is also your thing, there are plenty of solutions. Here’s the result of 20+ people putting their heads together to come up with ideas for a low waste Christmas.Suggest an activity or an easy way to move on, if you want to help end an unwanted conversation. For example, this could be playing a game, or taking a screen break if you're on a video call. As well as the charity and organisations listed below, there are also plenty of other ways for you to budget and get free items for Christmas, Here we will help you to learn how to survive Christmas with no money... If pine trees don’t really grow where you are, consider a different type of plant altogether. You can hang baubles off of any tree with branches. Figs, yuccas, whatever you have and suits where you live. Our presence IS a present. Creating memories is free! Whether it's going to see the lights, cooking a budget roast dinner together, playing board games or watching Christmas movies, there is nothing children love more than family time. Everyone wants to shower their kids with gifts and of course, children love to receive them but there are so many ways to create the most magical day for absolutely nothing. Glow family favourites such as snow machines and our magical Wishing Tree will return. Plus, see new fun-filled LED see-saw photo opportunities and light-up stepping stones!

This Low-Fat Christmas Cake reaches a whole different level of deliciousness! It tastes less greasy and more fruity than traditional Christmas Cake and benefits from being made at least one week before you intend to serve it. Calories are excluding any icing or marzipan. Choose things that will keep for at least a week, or tell people that you’ll be making dessert as their Christmas present in advance so they can plan around it. Alternatively make a “voucher” and say what you’ll make and when (e.g. a chocolate cake in the first week of January). Can't afford Christmas this year, and looking for what help is available? Whether you're on a low income, or have had some sort of financial disaster such as a loss of job and are struggling to afford Christmas this year, there are some wonderful organisations out there that can help you. Furushiki: the Japanese art of wrapping items in cloth. The cloth can be scrap fabric, a scarf, a tea towel, or whatever it is you have. There are lots of great tutorials online.

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Our quiet nights will be on Monday 4 December and Monday 11 December 2023. We will reduce the volume of the music around the event and reduce capacity so guests can enjoy a calmer and less crowded environment. Plus, on the Marwell Hall drive and dotted around the park, we’ll have festive food cabins with delicious hot chocolates, doughnuts and “Glownuts”, loaded fries, bratwurst sausages, nachos and more! Gluten free, dairy free and vegan options will be available. Offers