We are proud to announce.....

So there’s a new arrival in our house. I am aware that many of you will have already been through this experience. Some may read with a glow of recognition and nostalgia.

Others might find yet another gushing account of how in love we are with our latest addition rather tedious – if so I do apologise.

But I can report that our new baby is settling in very well. We all enjoy interacting with the little thing.

What are your top five children’s books of 2012?

With all the Father Christmases among us thinking about stocking fillers, ideas for re-stocking the bookshelves can be a very useful way of avoiding too much tat. Likewise, books make good gifts for other people’s children and help maintain peace on earth with parents who are dreading even more plastic toys invading their homes.

I'm always really interested in recommendations for children's books, so please, if you have a moment, share any books that have been a hit with your wee ones as a comment below. To get the ball rolling, here are the top five books that I think my son, who turned four in October, most enjoyed in the past year......

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

I must say I felt very festive picking up my latest copy of Families Leeds with Father Christmas on the front cover.

My column on page 6 documents the recent fourth birthday shenanigans in our house, a wake-up call if ever there was one of the realities of Christmas morning with small children.

Yet again there are some really great articles (my Imperfect offering aside) and a thorough round up of what's going on over the Christmas period. Oh yes there is....

You can also check out the online magazine here: Families Leeds Online

WIN: A pair of Clean Heels

Being a mum has changed me – physically, mentally, socially. To name but a few of these changes:

• I can no longer live without wet-wipes.
• My attention is always piqued by the sight of a digger.
• I receive my own body weight in Boden catalogues each year.

Among the many tell-tale signs that I have a child, perhaps, are the heels of my shoes, or to be more specific, the height of them.