Dave and Darcy’s Advent Calendar of Giveaways!

I have been so excited to share this with you and after a lot of hard work, many emails and help from some brilliant businesses, I can finally reveal all! Throughout December, Dave and Darcy will be giving away 24 fantastic prizes in their Advent Calendar of Giveaways! Check back on Facebook and Instagram every day for your chance to win products from amazing small, local and independent businesses.

With prizes from children’s clothes, accessories, books and toys, to pet portraits, food and drink, and well-being gifts, you don’t want to miss this exciting event!

The prizes will be announced on Facebook and Instagram each day at 8am and you’ll have until 5pm that evening to enter the competition. The winner will then be announced and details passed on to the prize giver to arrange delivery.

Don’t miss out – turn on post notifications on my social media pages to be notified every day when the competitions are live!

I’ll be keeping the prizes a secret until the competitions start, but I’m delighted to announce the businesses involved with the Advent Calendar of Giveaways and on which day you can enter to have a chance of winning an amazing prize from them.

Tuesday 1st December – International Elf Service

An award-winning business, the International Elf Service creates personalised letters from the North Pole, as well as from the Tooth Fairy. Emily is passionate about allowing children this time of make-believe and encouraging them to enjoy the magic of Christmas for as long as they can. Her products are handcrafted and printed on special recycled paper, so they look truly authentic.

Wednesday 2nd December – Cotswold Baby Co.

Cotswold Baby Co. is an independent business, owned and run by two friends – Kate and Rachael. They were inspired to start their company when they had their own children, and their love of children’s clothes and picturesque surroundings led them to create their original ‘Fantastic Fox’ range. They have four seasonal collections, as well as stocking a variety of other popular brands.

Thursday 3rd December – Becci Murray

Becci is a fellow author from Gloucestershire who has published 7 books, including her popular StoryQuest Collection where you get to decide what happens in the books! With lots of twists and turns, and so many different endings, they’re the perfect way to keep your child entertained.

Friday 4th December – The Sweet Cabin UK

This is a traditional sweet shop, offering a great selection of treats from retro and novelty sweets to special occasion gifts and vegan sweets. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, why not satisfy your cravings and take a trip back in time to a classic sweet shop vibe.

Saturday 5th December – Animurals

Catriona started Animurals 20 years ago and her product collection has just grown and grown ever since. She creates beautiful personalised pictures for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, as well as decorative prints for your child’s nursery or bedroom.

Sunday 6th December – Lucy Ellie Bailey Art

Lucy is a professional wildlife and pet portrait artist based in Gloucestershire. She graduated from University with a First in Illustration and has turned her passion of drawing into a career. She predominantly colours using pencil, but has worked in watercolour on commissions and greetings cards.

Monday 7th December – Gingerbread Fox

Offering a wide range of luxury children’s clothes and gifts, Gingerbread Fox was founded by mum of five, Vikki. She handpicks quality toys, clothing and other bespoke items from small retailers to create a blend of products for customers to browse all in one place.

Tuesday 8th December – Baby Prints Cheltenham

Victoria creates beautiful framed casts of your child’s hands and feet for you to treasure forever. She also produces gorgeous decorations and gifts, including framed plaster imprints and seasonal products such as Christmas trees and hangers for you to add a festive touch to your home.

Wednesday 9th December – Hannah Russell

Hannah is an award-winning author from Yorkshire who rose to fame with her book about her miniature Shetland pony, Little Alf (read my review here)! He stands at only 28 inches tall, but his mischief has inspired Hannah to write a series of children’s books about him. She also has a selection of Little Alf merchandise, and runs several businesses up in the Yorkshire Dales.

Thursday 10th December – Just Add Milk

Just Add Milk is run by Vicky, a mum of four who was inspired to curate a collection of baby products that are ethically sourced, not mass-produced and are made to last for generations to come. She only adds to her collection when she finds a brand she truly believes in, so you can have peace of mind that you’re buying high quality, lovingly made products.

Friday 11th December – Eco Able

Lots of us are becoming more eco-conscious and Eco Able is the perfect place to shop for items to make you and your home more environmentally friendly. Dani is passionate about helping us live a less wasteful life, while still being able to use and enjoy quality products. From kitchen and bathroom products to items for your children and pets, she has a fantastic range on her website.

Saturday 12th December – Peaches Bambino

Peaches Bambino is another mum-run business that offers a stunning range of hair clips, headbands, bibs and clothing for the special little person in your life. Over the last couple of years, Ruby has expanded her range to include tie-dye clothing and shoes, and works really hard to bring seasonal designs throughout the year.

Sunday 13th December – Kimeleon Kreations

Using beautiful fabrics and unique designs, Kim creates cut-out art that is bursting with personality. Whether you’re looking for something to decorate your child’s bedroom or nursery, or you need to add a splash of colour and fun to your living area, Kim is bound to have a design to suit you.

Monday 14th December – Joanne Hutchinson

Joanne is a fellow author who currently has three brilliant children’s books in her collection. They have all received high praise for their clever rhyming and fantastic illustrations.

Tuesday 15th December – Nom Nom Kids

This business probably doesn’t need much introduction, as everyone seems to know and love the Nom Nom Kids products! Suzanne created her snack pouches to try to minimise the amount of waste she was producing from pre-filled shop-bought pouches. Now she has a selection of products for both children and adults, which offer great storage solutions for snacks, leftovers and bulk-cooked meals.

Wednesday 16th December – Zimbolic

Zimbolic offers a stunning range of bird and wildlife recycled metal sculptures. Made from reclaimed scrap metal in Zimbabwe, meaning each piece sold is completely unique and supports small communities in Africa, providing stable, long-term work for the artists. Zimbolic also support wildlife charities through the sales of some of their products.

Thursday 17th December – The Local Answer

The Local Answer is my family’s business – a local advertising magazine, distributing 180,000 magazines every month across Gloucestershire. We put a lot of effort into making it more than an ad-mag, with a variety of interesting editorial features each month, as well as puzzles, competitions, event listings (when they’re back up and running!) and much more.

Friday 18th December – Molly and Lola

Since 2018, Sue has been producing handmade drum lampshades in children’s and liberty fabrics from her studio in Oxfordshire. She also makes bespoke lampshades and cushions, and sources gifts to compliment the lampshades.

Saturday 19th December – Lois Kingscott

Hopefully you’ll know who I am if you’ve been following my blog or social media for a while, but for those of you who are new, let me introduce myself. I am a children’s book author from Cheltenham and I’m writing a series of children’s books based on my real horse, Dave. I have published two stories so far, with more to come next year. If you’d like to get to know me better, you can read this blog post!

Sunday 20th December – Silk Jasmine

Silk Jasmine is a success story from the Covid 19 lockdown of 2020! Nicola produces luxurious, minimalist, 100% silk accessories such as eye masks, hair scrunchies, face masks and pillow cases. All her products are handmade and are perfect as a gorgeous gift for a special occasion, or just a little something to treat yourself.

Monday 21st December – Me again!

Yep, I decided to be super generous and put up two prizes myself – you can probably guess what one of them is but the other should be a surprise that a lot of you will enjoy tucking into... any guesses?!

Tuesday 22nd December – B Gifted

Fi has worked in the gift industry for many years and launched B Gifted to allow her to source and sell products from small and independent businesses while juggling family life. She also offers product development and sales strategy consultancy to other independent businesses, to help them get their products from concept to store.

Wednesday 23rd December – Re.Scrunch

Yes, scrunchies are back in fashion! This business only launched in August 2020 and has already become very popular. Ellie creates gorgeous scrunchies made from old materials including shirts, charity shop finds and off-cuts from fabric printing companies. She regularly updates her materials and showcases them on her Instagram Story Highlights.

Thursday 24th December – Qwerty Beer Box

Another business that only started this year, Qwerty Beer Box is a company that curates carefully selected craft beer boxes using produce from local, independent breweries across the country! They currently have three collections, including one which champions our local Cotswolds breweries!

I really hope you enjoy joining in with these fun giveaways! The businesses involved are ones that I’ve connected with on my author journey over the past year and the people behind the brands work very hard to bring you fantastic products all year round.

Small businesses have been hit very hard by the pandemic this year so even if you’re not lucky enough to win one of the prizes on offer, please check out their websites and social media pages, and consider purchasing your Christmas presents (or future gifts) from small businesses. They really need your support during these tough times.