Hello again! Can someone tell me where November went? I think I blinked once or twice and then it was over!

And now - well it's December - which means that Christmas is nearly upon us. So how are you doing? All set? I wish I was, but sadly I seem to once again have broken my promise to myself to have everything done and dusted before 1st December - still there's always next year, eh?

Before you fling yourself headlong into the party season proper why not take a few minutes to check out my pick of the posts from the parenting blogsophere this month. Hopefully here you'll find something to make you smile, some inspiration for things to do and perhaps most importantly, something to make you think...

First up is a post from ReadyForTen with an awesome selection of Autumn Recipes - just reading it makes me hungry :)

Then head over to Mostly Yummy Mummy for a very thought-provoking post about Homework - fantastic comments here too.

You could also visit The Alexander Residence for a double dose of cuteness in There's Nothing Like Having Your Pom-Poms Tickled (it is suitable for work - don't panic!)

If (like me) you long for a simpler, more 'home-made' Christmas and you're in need of some inspiration, Who's the Mummy has pulled together an awesome blogging carnival with tons of ideas in Simplify your Christmas

With Christmas in mind, pop over to Rosie Scribble and drink in the moment of pure joy she's captured in Silent Sunday Snow.

Then go giggle along with 3 Bedroom Bungalow with Dear So & So... This One's for LaLa - just fabulous.

On a more serious note, Scottish Mum asks Eat too Much? Or Just in the Genes? - I think genes definitely play a part, it's a tough one to deal with.

I was shocked and saddened to read Racism Once Again from MummyTips, it's a horrible situation and raises some very tough questions but I think it's important to acknowledge that this sort of behaviour still continues today if we've any hope of making things better in the future.

Jessica Milln highlights a similarly difficult issue in My Angel in Gum Boots - sometimes as a parent it's very difficult to know what to do for the best.

So what did I miss? Please do let me know via the comments. Likewise if you have any suggestions for future 'this month in the blogosphere' round up posts please do let me know either via email - lucyquickk (at) googlemail (dot) com or message me via twitter xxx

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