On the Fourth Day of #12DaysOfParenting 2015

"On the Fourth Day of Christmas - Our Family Traditions" is the today's topic for #12DaysOfParenting. Welcome to my blog if you are hopping over from Life with Baby Kicks.

Before I had children, I visited Harrods during the Christmas Time and was very curious about the Santa Grotto. Unless you have tickets, you are not allowed to wander around this magical place. It was not a hard decision when my daughter's first Christmas was approaching that we would be visiting Father Christmas at Harrods.
This year was the 4th time that we went to Harrods to experience the Santa Grotto. Every year the decorations theme changes so it is new and exciting for children and parents alike. The 2015 theme was "Toy Workshop". There were lots of elves (mice) that were very busy getting ready for Christmas. There were several activities to keep the children busy while waiting to see Father Christmas including: Present Throw; Naughty or Nice Test; and a large piano to dance on. For a sneak peak at our time in the Toy Workshop visit the video below:


We were invited into Father Christmas' Library to visit with him. The room was filled with toys and a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree. Santa asked Little Ladybug lots of questions about what she would like for Christmas and general questions about her life. Bumblebee Boy and I admired the Christmas Tree and toys until it was time to get our photo taken. This is our annual family photo and it is wonderful see how Little Ladybug has grown over the years. Father Christmas gave Little Ladybug and Bumblebee Boy a bag with personalised gift tag and an age-appropriate gift.

Then it was time for Christmas Dinner in the Disney Cafe. There was plenty of food to keep the whole family happy. Little Ladybug wrote Father Christmas a letter and put it in the mailbox. We purchased a new Harrods Bear (30th Anniversary) and headed home.

We have always had an magical experience visiting the Santa Grotto over the last four years. To reserve your visit you need to signup as a "Rewards Member" and pay £10 per family but this is put back on your rewards card to be used in the store the day of your visit.

We honestly normally only visit at Christmas time so we have the lowest level of Rewards Member. The online booking system starts in September and you are able to book based on your rewards level. The only option that has been available in 2014 and 2015 for my rewards level was tickets that included a pre-determined dining option. In 2014, the only option we had was to book "High Tea" in the Georgian Room. The food and tea were very special but my almost 3 year old did not truly appreciate it. She was extremely well-behaved but did not eat much. This year, we had to purchase tickets with Christmas Dinner in the Disney Cafe. This does mean that our visits cost around £100 the last two years for the experience to see Father Christmas.

We will cherish the family photos and experience for years to come. We did receive a magical surprise the other day when a letter from Father Christmas arrived addressed to Little Ladybug from Harrods.

Please head over to Parenthood Highs and Lows for her Forth Day of Christmas post.

Enter daily the below giveaway for the "Christmas Giveaway Grand Prize" from the #12DaysofParenting sponsors. Today's Sponsor is Bambini & Me. They are giveaway a sleeping bag. (Sizes: 0-6 months OR 6-18 months)

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