Cora Lydon

About Cora Lydon

With a passion for inspiring her children, Cora is a journalist with a Bachelor's degree in Literature from the University of Suffolk. She is also a children's book author living in Suffolk. She enjoys seeking out creative activities and places for her family to explore, often resulting in messy crafts at the dining table.

Family interest

Language & Literacy

In house speciality

Literature

Education

University of Suffolk

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Literature

Follow Cora Lydon on Social Media

Recent Work

11 Best Vegan Christmas Gifts For Eco-Conscious Teenagers

Buying for a vegan teen doesn't have to mean a headache.

There are plenty of gift ideas out there for a cruelty-free Christmas gift - from earrings to technology. But why not opt for a gift for a loved one that also celebrates their vegan status.

While following a vegan diet means cutting out dairy and animal-derived products this is also extended to ensure that items that they use or buy are equally as animal-friendly.

So, not only do you need to avoid falling back on the trap of picking up that supermarket tray of chocolates or beeswax candle you'll also want to avoid anything that is made from leather or wool.

Your best bet is to make sure you read the label of anything you buy very carefully.

For example, while Oreos - that much-loved by teens biscuit - are made with soya and do not contain any animal products, milk is listed as a cross contact meaning it's made in a factory where milk is used and so there is a slim chance of cross contamination.

Only you will know how acceptable this is to the teen in question.

We've rounded up the best vegan gifts out there to bring you the definitive guide to eco-friendly, cruelty-free presents for teens with principles. So whether you're buying for a chocoholic, an animal lover, a gadget fan or someone who just misses cheese we've got plenty of ideas to help you out.

All of these present ideas will work well for anyone who cares about the environment too – or for more ideas check out the best sustainable Christmas gifts for kids and teens.

If you want your ethics to extend to your dining table, then maybe it's time to ditch the turkey in favour of a vegan option and don't forget about hunting down the most eco-friendly Christmas crackers - we've already picked our favourites.

Community & Giving Back

Ages 13-18

Child Christmas shopping with parents for gift for teacher.

10 Best Teacher Christmas Gifts That They Will Love

If bottles of wine or boxes of chocolates are your usual fallbacks for teacher gifts, think again.

This year break the mould with heartfelt Christmas gifts for teachers that really speak volumes about how much you appreciate them. You certainly don't need to spend a fortune but some careful research will show how highly you think of them.

Teacher gift ideas can be expensive and while we're sure they'd totally love a brand new coffee machine, your bank balance probably won't.

There's also the issue of what to do if your child has more than one teacher, or there are classroom TAs you'd also like to buy for. For this reason, it really is best to make a token gesture that's had plenty of thought behind it rather than splashing out on something expensive.

If you do decide to do teacher gifts then a budget of around £10 should give you plenty of gift ideas and provided you only have a couple of presents to buy shouldn't harm your pocket too much.

Teachers would probably be the first to tell you that they genuinely don't want or need a teacher gift at Christmas and that the best thing they can receive is a handwritten Christmas card from their pupils.

However many parents like to make the gesture and we think items like good wines, boxes of chocolates or smellies would always be appreciated. Personalised items are great too and a lovely reminder of your child, however, do consider what you're personalising.

There's only so many 'Mrs Smith' mugs or prints that one home can take.

Try to find the balance between making a gesture and finding an item that is genuinely useful. We've put plenty of thought into these gift ideas so that you don't have to. You'll find lots of teacher gift ideas whether you're buying for a man or a woman, as well as suggestions for personalised teacher Christmas gifts.

If present-buying for the festive season is beginning to feel like a slog we've got tons more inspiration for you to find the perfect gifts for your kids to deliver - from the best presents for grandparents through to what to buy for sisters from newborns up to teens.

Community & Giving Back

Ages 0-99

10 Best Christmas Eve Box Ideas For Adults To Buy Now

If you've decided to start a new tradition for Christmas Eve we've got some great ideas for Christmas Eve box contents.

All you need is a festive box to fit everything in and then a selection of small gifts to spread a little magic on Christmas Eve. It's thought the idea of the Christmas Eve box originated from the German tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve rather than waiting for the big day itself.

There are all kinds of fun and unique Christmas Eve traditions that are celebrated around the globe: over in Denmark, families pull their Christmas trees into the centre of the room and dance around them while singing carols, while in El Salvador the highlight of December 24 is a vibrant firework display.

Food features heavily in Christmas Eve celebrations in Poland, where families share unleavened religious wafers known as oplatek, while the Fins have the right idea; friends and families gather the day before Christmas and leap in the sauna!

Here in the West, the idea of the Christmas Eve box is becoming more popular, with many parents painstakingly making up surprise boxes for their children.

But, why stop there?

Why not make up Christmas Eve boxes for the adults too – after all enjoying the contents of the box sure beats hastily wrapping presents, preparing the turkey or indulging in one too many chocolates from the Christmas stash. But, what to put in a Christmas Eve box?

We think the best approach is to keep it cheap and cheerful with the contents and try to find items that they will genuinely use that evening and beyond.

Try to get some items that can go in all of the adults' Christmas Eve boxes, such as hot chocolate, snacks and something to drink. Then for the women think along the lines of pampering treats, while men may enjoy novelty socks and a quiz.

While films are usually a popular option if you're making Christmas Eve boxes for the family, why not buy just one Christmas family film for everyone to watch together, rather than individual movies.

Of course, men tend to be harder to buy for naturally so if you need some help we've got some great Christmas gift ideas for dads, and more general inspiration with our guide to Christmas gifts for under £10.

Community & Giving Back

Ages 18-18

8 Best Disney Christmas Decorations To Bring The Magic Of Disneyland Into Your Home

There is no better way to bring some magic to your Christmas than with some delightful Disney Christmas ornaments.

After all what could be better than hanging Christmas decorations that resemble old friends from the world of TV and film. Whether your favourite character is Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse or one of the newer creations, you can be sure Disney will have created a Christmas ornament of it just perfect for your Christmas tree.

Of course even your Disney-clad Christmas tree may struggle to compete with the real deal over at Walt Disney World.

This year, they say visitors can expect Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios to be decked out in their Christmas best by November 6; that's right, just one day after Bonfire Night. And they'll be up until about the second weekend of January, so if you're happy to travel there's plenty of time to see them.

If you can't get to Disney World, at Disneyland Paris the timings should be similar.

If you're home for Christmas, as many of us are anticipating, then pull all the stops out with Christmas decorations like no other. There's nothing like a Disney Christmas bauble to showcase your personality, or decking the halls with a Christmas decoration or three to please the kids.

If you fancy going all out don't forget to decorate the front of your house with [outdoor Christmas lights] too.

So whether you're after the perfect Disney tree topper, a Mickey Mouse Christmas ornament for your tree or special Disney baubles, it is easy to have a Walt Disney Christmas courtesy of some fantastic ornaments for the festive season, just don't forget to pop your Disney-inspired gifts under the tree when you're done decking the halls.

So get your Christmas decoration box (or should we say boxes?)

down from the loft, browse our list to add some new Disney Christmas ornaments to your collection and get ready for a very merry Christmas.

This list features Tinker Bell, Little Bo Peep, Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse (of course!), Belle from 'Beauty And The Beast' and even Groot; there is sure to be something to spark every member of the family's attention!

Arts, Crafts & Design

Ages 18-18

50 Bike Puns That Are Wheelie Good

Are you looking to make your next cycle session wheelie great?

Why not team it with some terrific cycling puns and you'll be pedalling along nicely. You'll also save yourself some energy as you can travel three times faster on two wheels than walking without using up any extra energy.

You certainly won't be alone if you take to two wheels: there are over one billion cycles being used around the world. But if your friends and family still need some encouragement to take up cycling you can be the one to champion the case.

While you can't force them to love cycling you can encourage them.

Make sure they're as comfortable as possible, so the right size bicycle, a comfy seat and starting out on quiet routes to build confidence. To make it more fun why not suggest a pedal to somewhere new for an adventure, a family trip out on the bike or joining a cycling club together.

For more laughs take a look at these climbing puns and these car puns.

Sports & Active Play

Ages 0-99Sports & Outdoor Fun

40 Milk Puns That Are Udderly Great

Milk, whether regular, almond, soy, oat or other, is consumed world-wide; its appeal is universal.

Whether drunk cold as a refreshing drink, added to dishes or creamy puddings or used in your hot drinks, milk is an important part of our diets. And thanks to its well-loved nature, it's also just the thing to raise a smile with a word perfect pun.

Over the course of a year the average cow will produce 350,000 glasses of the white stuff. But, there's always room for improvement. One study found that cows who listened to relaxing music were able to produce more milk than their non-musical cow-nterparts. Yoghurt to be kidding me!

We've got 40 puns about milk to start your day, and why not keep the laughs going all day with these cow puns and egg puns?

Arts, Crafts & Design

Ages 0-99Food & Cooking