Countdown to Christmas: Gift Guide for Him

Whether it’s a boyfriend, husband, brother or father buying for the men in our lives can be one of the toughest shopping challenges. Here’s some gift inspiration for the guys!

 

£10 and Under…

Magic 8 Ball, £5. Everyone should have a Magic 8 ball, great fun to play with and perfect for the indecisive!

FCUK Urban Body Duo, £8. I love the fresh citrusy smell of French Connection’s Urban bodycare range combined with its contemporary masculine packaging. This set features a 200ml bodyspray and a 300ml hair and bodywash, a bargain at less than £10. 

£25 and Under…

Topman Cream Shawl Collar Jumper, £26. Such a great staple piece, this fine knit ecru jumper would suit any man whether he’s 18 or 80!

Rocha by John Rocha Grey Striped Wool Scarf, was £25 now £17.50. When the temperature drops everyone needs a cosy scarf. It doesn’t hurt that this grey and petrol blue striped version is incredibly stylish too!

Gerber Bear Grylls Multi-Tool, was £16 now £12. This amazing multi-tool has ten components and folds up to an incredibly compact 2.5’’. Perfect for the outdoor enthusiast in your life…or the man who just likes to be prepared for anything.

Perfect Push Up Handles, £19.99. Created by a former US Navy Seal, these handles are designed to alleviate the strain exerted on your wrists by regular push ups (or press ups to most Brits) and work a greater range of muscles, I can’t vouch for that personally but having kicked off my stilettos and tried a pair of these out a while ago I can confirm they give a very intense workout and -even better- are fun to use.    

£50 and Under…

Maca 2200 Power Case, was £60 now £38.40. Nearly £40 may seem excessive for a phone case but this ingenious design incorporates a 2200mah battery that can be used to charge your iphone when it’s running low on power, providing an amazing 300 hours extra stand-by time. What’s more it’s housed in a gorgeous brushed aluminium shell. I can’t think of a guy who wouldn’t love this!

The Walking Dead Season 1 & 2 Box Set, £34. AMC’s hugely popular series is a story of survival, loyalty and betrayal set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. A must-watch for the boys! 

Casio Chronograph Watch, £44. I love the sleek and sporty-looking design of this watch. With its chunky stainless steel strap, backlit dial and alarm and chronograph features it feels a lot more expensive than the £44 price tag.

Countdown to Christmas: Gift Guide for Her

One of my favourite things about Christmas is shopping for presents for friends and family. This year I’ve been spoilt for choice with all the gorgeous gift sets and stocking fillers abounding on the high street. These are some of my favourites ranging in price from just £3.50 to £49.    

£10 and Under…

Paperchase Well Being Journal, £10.This beautiful journal is perfect for anyone adopting a healthy lifestyle. With sections to write about food, exercise, recipes, goals and inspirations, it will help keep them organised and motivated into the new year and beyond.

Paperchase Hootsweet Jewellery Tree, £6.Also from Paperchase, this quirky jewellery organiser is fun, functional and will brighten up any space.

Ikea Lonsboda Candle in Glass in Light Green, Pink and Blue, £3.50 each. I spotted these gorgeous little candles in glass cups the last time I was in Ikea and immediately thought what perfect gifts they would make. The candles are scented with apple (green), cherry blossom (pink) and lilac (blue), and once they’ve burned themselves out the glasses can be used as tealight holders.

£25 and Under…

Ted Baker Dafine Large Wash Bag, £25. Ted Baker routinely do the most gorgeous prints and patterns and this wash bag with its distinctive birds-and-branches motif is no exception. It is spacious and has a wipe-clean vinyl finish.  

Accessorize Plain Cable Short Slipper Boot, £16. It may be a bit of a cliché but I don’t think you can go wrong giving slippers as a gift especially when they’re as cute and cosy as these! I love the cable texture and the fur-lining.

Estella Bartlett Twinkle Pendant Necklace, £18. Jewellery is always a good choice when it comes to gifts. This delicate silver and cubic zirconia necklace is so simple, chic and elegantly packaged.  

River Island Beige Borg Earmuffs, £18. Earmuffs are a fun alternative to the classic hat/scarf/gloves. I love the suede and the fake fur, and the buckle detail adds a designer touch.

£50 and Under…

Molton Brown Pink Pepper Shower Gel & Body Lotion, £36.  Molton Brown products are so luxurious and smell divine I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love to find this gift set under their Christmas tree. 

Bare Minerals Get Started Kit, £49. Bare Minerals make-up is famed for its natural and weightless coverage and skin enhancing mineral based formulations. This kit contains everything you need to achieve the perfect complexion including two shades of Original SPF 15 Foundation, Mineral Veil Finishing Powder, Warmth All-Over Face Colour, an instructional DVD and all the brushes you need to get started. The contents are worth over £100, so as well as being a lovely gift it represents great value for money too.

 

Birthday Goodies

Last week it was my birthday and I just couldn’t wait share some of the lovely gifts I received from my friends and family. Among the pressies I was treated to were a pair of tweed shorts from Miss Selfridge, a dramatic Accessorize collar necklace, candles aplenty –including a pink union jack Colony candle, a Yankee tart burner and a tea light stand with adorable teapot snuffer- pens, pencils and stationary (I can never have too much stationary), indulgent bath and body products and lipgloss from Bare Escentuals, ballerina slippers and a pair of lovely floral mugs. I also was given shopping vouchers, copious amounts of chocolate (which I promptly demolished) and this a-mazing white chocolate and raspberry cake! I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for making my birthday so special.

 

Happy New Year & Some (Belated) Christmas Photos

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and 2012 is getting off to a great start for you all. I wanted to upload a couple of quick snaps I took over the festive period and to thank everyone who helped to make it such a magical Christmas.

Christmas Tree in Red & Gold- this took nearly 5 hours to put up and decorate!

An adorable pull-up Santa I just had to have

Baubles on the tree

And another…I really think I need to invest in a macro lens…

My Christmas engineering project- a gingerbread house

My awesome pile of Christmas pressies! A huge thank you to everyone who bought me a gift, I feel so spoilt!