Well this has flown by and I am very much not ready for Christmas. I’ve forgotten the elves more days than I haven’t, I still have gifts to buy and generally feel ill prepared and anxious. With that in mind I’ve pulled together a bit of inspiration for you all, hopefully you’ll find it useful.
The gift you should get for yourself
So I started this gift guide by mentioning I felt anxious. That is because I am a busy working mum, with way too many balls in the air at the best of times, let alone at Christmas when there are so many extra challenges to deal with. I know I am not alone in feeling entirely overwhelmed so I would like the first gift I feature to be one you treat yourself too, Jo Bevilacqua’s best-selling self-growth guide ‘No Longer Last on the List’!
Jo Bevilacqua is an experienced, award-winning multi-business owner and best-selling author, she is a mother of two herself and well versed in juggling too many balls. No Longer Last on the List dives deep into the many pressures, expectations, and standards that women and mothers experience on a day to day basis. She uses her own experiences to help others that struggle to prioritise their own needs, set boundaries, overcome limiting beliefs, and have a total shift in mindset so they can live their dream lives. The powerful guide contains an amalgamation of helpful activities throughout, designed to help readers make small changes with a huge impact.
This is something True Pheromones could help with too. The TRUE Radiance infused candle has a blend of three pheromones designed to make you unstoppable with the perfect balance of trust, authority, communication and dominance.
The stocking filler
I wasn’t going to do a stocking for L this year. Not really a conscious decision I just hadn’t given it any headspace. Then the other day he mentioned his stocking from last year and how excited he was when he woke up and found that Santa had snuck into his room. I also remembered the extra 20 minutes it gave us between hearing him wake and him actually coming in to get us up. So stocking it is! I’m loving the modern twist on the classic yo-yo from Wicked Vision. The Saturn features a super smooth ball-bearing axle providing ultra-long spin times so you’ll yo-yo like a pro in no time! It also has super bright colour changing LED lights to really make your tricks light up the room! It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s perfect for stockings.
The sweetest gift
HARIBO are back with a Christmas range that is sure to delight. You’ve got HARIBO Starmixmas with its iconic pieces and festive flavours. A strawberry candy cane flavoured bear, a marshmallow egg and an apple strudel and custard ring have joined this new-look, Christmas edition sharing bag. You’ll also enjoy a rhubarb and orange flavoured bear, a cherry crumble flavoured ring, an apple strudel flavoured bottle and a cherry trifle flavoured heart. Starmix and Christmas all rolled into one!
Can’t decide, don’t worry just get an assortment of HARIBO’s favourite treats all in one box. Perfect for sharing amongst friends and family and including a handy tray to present each delicious mix of sweets, HARIBO Sweet Medley includes Starmix, Tangfastics, Supermix, Giant Strawbs, Jelly Babies and Jelly Beans. But for me there’s no real decision to make it has to be Giant Trees and they have now joined HARIBO’s range of festive tubes. Perfectly presented and ready to wrap for under the Christmas tree, this tasty treat is perfect for vegetarians and those that love strawberry flavoured sweets!
To keep you out of trouble
Batteries, batteries, batteries. A Christmas must have that every year, however hard I try I mess up with. Not enough, the wrong size, run flat in 20 minutes. You name it, we’ve had the issue. So this year I am determined to be prepared with the newly-released Recyko Charge 10 Ultra-Fast battery charger, I’ll be ready to charge up those toys and not suffer the wrath of a child who has a new toy that he cannot use!
It’s perfect for getting gifts, gadgets, and toys up and running quickly on Christmas morning and beyond, as the Recyko Charge 10 Ultra-Fast Battery Charger fully charges its batteries in just 10 minutes, making it not only the world’s fastest, but somewhat of a seasonal saviour for families and keeping the kids quiet. Available for £59.99, you can get yours by visiting the GP Batteries Store.
The Adventurous gift
So me and the boy love a bit of adventure and the gift tins from BCB are a really lovely way to celebrate that at Christmas. These are definitely to be used under adult supervision only but the My First Adventure Tin (Winter Edition) has everything you need for some good outdoor exploring, dog tags, camouflage face cream, emergency whistle, mini torch and more I know L is going to be over the moon with this. There are a lot of different gift tins to choose from, for all types of people. For the geocachers out there I would go for the BCB Adventure Survival Tin. There are a few bits in there you don’t need for caching but a lot of things that are very useful indeed! The torch, mini work tool, sewing kit and compass are all great for finding, retrieving and fixing caches. Couple it with a waterproof notepad for replacement logs on the go and you’ve got a great gift.
A bit of family fun
Slippers and PJs are what Christmas morning (and a good chunk of the day) are all about in our house. And nothing says Christmas like novelty slippers for the whole family. Wynsors have a great selection and we were spoilt for choice. Massive monster claws for the husband, sausage dogs for me and slightly smaller football slippers for the kid. I chose more sensible slippers for L as I thought having the big old padded ones would ended in disaster as the excitement of opening gifts got to him, he’d be bound to trip over his own feet! It’s just a fun little gift that will make us all giggle and keep our toes toasty warm.
A really useful gift
The CLCKR phone grip is one of the most useful gifts you could send this year. They have a phone case with stand or universal grip and they are absolutely one of those gadgets you don’t know you need until you use it. It stands your device in landscape or portrait. It allows you to video call handsfree, watch Netflix, see your favourite recipe or workout at home without propping your phone up against a water bottle! It makes it easier to hold, especially if you are trying to multi task or take a photo at an awkward angle. It’s stylish and easy to use. It is perfect! They have cases with the stand built in for most Apple and Samsung Phones, or you can just go for the universal grip like I have. It attaches to your existing case or direct onto the phone.
A little something extra for the Husband
I have always been a big fan of a hat but no one else in the house seems to enjoy them as much as me, that is, until we are out on a walk and they have a cold head and all of a sudden my hat is getting borrowed. So this year I headed over to Trendhim to pick out the perfect winter hat for my husband, so he can have one of his own. I went for the stylish Frencis Black & Brown Montagna Beanie, but they have loads to choose from and they know how to select a good hat over at Trendhim with the weather often being lot colder than over here!
A fun game for Secret Santa
Top Trumps is a classic game that everyone knows how to play. With hundreds of different versions you can find something for any interest, making it the perfect Secret Santa gift. When we selected our work giftees I immediately knew that the Friends Limited Edition would be perfect, when you can quote every episode the Top Trumps cards are the perfect way to spark a healthy debate! At £10 I was perfectly on budget too.
A bit of pampering
You can always rely on thebeautyworX for a little bit of pampering and they have so much to choose from. With lovely gift boxes perfect for Christmas and new palettes ready for the Christmas nights out that will fingers crossed still be happening. There is something to suit every budget and every taste. I’m loving the new Tequila Sunrise eyeshadow palette, the colours are very me and the 3 Step Skin Solution with Facial Cleanser, Collagen Boost day cream, Retinol Recovery night cream is perfect for feeling a little bit boosted day and night.
A cosy blanket for mum
Although there has been a lot more social interaction this year I still feel as though quite a lot has been missed out on, who knows what the next few weeks will hold. So I gathered together pictures of all the grandkids and headed over to ASDA photo to create a beautiful, soft and luxurious blanket for mum. Featuring all her favourite little people. I love how easy their website is too use and the finished product is superb. Thick and snuggly with an excellent print quality. There are loads of designs to choose from so you’ll definitely find something you like.
A delicious treat
The Island Bakery offer a delicious selection of baked treats. Some, like the delicious Lemon Melts I tried, also come in beautiful gift tins. The tins are inspired by the seas around the island of Mull where the bakery can be found and is a lovely size to be kept and used again and again. The organic treats will never contain any preservatives, palm oils, GMO’s or artificial colours & flavours. Try not to scoff them all down at once, they are very moorish!
Something different for the hard to buy for
I have a few people I find it difficult to buy for, getting age appropriate gifts for growing teens is always tough. Both because I struggle to remember that they are grown and are no longer little, and also because I am so incredibly uncool! An NFT, or non-fungible token, is a digital asset that is bought and sold online using crypto-currency and AlphaBetty is the first family focused NFT available to buy.
If you know someone who is interested in owning a digital asset, or dipping a toe into the cryptocurrency space, NFTs are a great way to start. It’s also the perfect gift for someone who is difficult to buy for. Buying them an NFT is an ultra-modern, yet personal gift, which can ultimately make the recipient more money down the line. It’s like gifting them a little (digital) investment. NFTs are still something I don’t fully understand but I love the concept of them.
For the person who always loses things
I have been a big fan of Tile for several years now. I first discovered them at a Christmas event many years ago and got my first Tile tracker. When the battery on my original Tile gave up the ghost I bought myself two new Pro trackers, with replaceable batteries. I have also been given a branded Tile through work. So my three devices mean I can always keep track of my house keys, car keys and purse. Not that I ever misplace them, not ever. When I saw they were doing Limited Edition gift packs in some brand new colours and designs I knew it was the perfect time to share the gift of never losing anything for longer than the click of a button. Available in Vinyl Vibe, Sunny Outlook and Jewelscape you can choose to just get one of the Pro Tiles or combine it with the ever handy Slim Tile, the size and shape of a credit card, so perfect for purses and wallets.
Disclosure – I received PR samples or payment for some of the products mentioned in this guide. I have not included anything I wouldn’t genuinely buy as a gift myself.