A Nice Cuppa Char!

One of the things I love is a nice cuppa char! Or in English, a nice cup of tea. I love a good traditional milky English tea with two sugars but I'm also really into mint tea, green tea with lemon and lemon and ginger tea. I like the calming/relaxing and cleansing/detoxing properties of these teas and they work wonders in my opinion.

Twinings is one of the most well known premium brands of tea and definitely one of my favourite. I mean don't get me wrong we have a good old box of PG Tips in our cupboard, but when it comes to speciality teas, Twinings have it all!

You might not know this but back in 1706, the most popular drinks in England were coffee, gin and ale. Tea had been drunk in China for thousands of years, but it had only just been imported to England. The man that found Twinings: Thomas Twining, of course, loved tea himself and started selling it from his coffee shop in London, much to the suspicion of people. However, he promised to sell only the finest qualities and varieties. His pledge soon won him and his tea a lot of fans, including Jane Austen and Charles the 2nd. By the 1750's, tea was the most popular drink among the working classes. Thomas kept selling tea and opened the first tea shop in London.

Twinings have a huge range of tea and are always bringing out new varieties regularly. They have a free samples section on their website where you can request two different flavours of tea to sample. I have done this several times, especially when they have new varieties, so I can try them and then often I have gone out and bought myself a full box :). I think it's great that they offer this on their website as sometimes you might like the look and sound of a certain tea, but instead of wasting money on a full box and the taste not being right for you, you can request a sample first to make sure you like it...perfect!

My favourites from their collection are the Lemon Green Tea, Green Tea has a lot of benefits but the British Journal of Nutrition has revealed that drinking more than three cups of green tea a day was found to protect against cell deterioration as we age. DNA tests showed the equivalent of five extra years on the tea drinkers lives. I think this is pretty amazing and I always find that I feel good after a cup of this, the lemon makes it more refreshing and I find it relaxes and calms me. Another of my favourites is the Lemon and Ginger Tea, the spicyness of the ginger and zestiness of the lemon compliment each other perfectly. I'd recommend this if you're feeling a bit 'bleurgh' as I like to call it (basically if you're feeling a bit low or tired) and need a bit of a boost! I love the flavour of this it's gorgeous. The last favourite of mine is Pure Peppermint Tea. This is a really good detox tea, it's light and refreshing and is also used to help with digestion. I do have a little bit of sugar with the green tea and mint tea, just to add a little sweetness to the drink, which makes it much more enjoyable, especially with the green tea as it can be a little bit bitter. I have found with the green tea you have to learn a certain knack to making it. When I first started trying it out, I was doing it all wrong and I'm not going to lie, it tasted wrank! I had to look into how to making it more, which sounds ridiculous, but trust me, now I know how to make it properly, I'm always drinking it, it's lush! I know some people would disagree with me though...I ordered it in a cafe once and I could hear all the women behind the counter talking about how it smells and each smelling it as they were making it...how rude ha, ha. My tip for making it though is make sure there is fresh water in the kettle and once boiled leave for about a minute. Then pour the boiled water over the teabag into your cup and leave to steep for about 30 seconds to a minute...to me this is the perfect taste (with a little sugar). If you leave it to steep for too long, it will taste bitter and not very nice!

                       

                                                     

Pictures courtesy of Twinings.

As I said above, Twinings have a huge range of teas and aswell as their Everyday Teas, it is worth checking out their White Teas, Green Teas, Fruit and Herbal Teas and the rest of their range (they have a lot!) to see if any of their tea takes your fancy. If you need help relaxing, need to be revitalised, need help getting to sleep or want a bit of a detox, then they are sure to have something to suit you. That's the joy of speciality teas! I want to try their Camomile, Honey and Vanilla Tea next. It sounds so nice and Camomile is great for bringing a sense of calm and just relaxing you and I can imagine the honey adds a lovely subtle sweetness to the tea, so there might not be any need for added sugar. I'll drink the rest of the teas I have at home first before I buy any more otherwise I might aswell open a Twinings Tea cafe ha.

Twinings do deliver to the UK and internationally, but it's best to take a look at their delivery information page to find out more about this :). You can buy their tea online and in the following supermarkets: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda. You can of course also buy Twinings tea from their historic shop at 216 Strand, London, WC2R 1AP. The shop is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.

Are you a fan of Twinings tea? What is your favourite type of tea? I'd love to hear what kind of tea you drink (if you drink tea at all) and if you drink speciality teas, whether you find that they work for you :).

Gem XxOo
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Christmas Food and Drink Guide...

I hope you have all been enjoying my Christmas gift guides :). You'll see that I did one for females and one for males, so I hope there were plenty of ideas for you all! I have decided to do a Christmas food and drink guide because there are a few items out there that I'd love to share with you all, products I've spotted myself, products I've bought myself and some that I've received as samples and think they are worth sharing. Some are even great to buy as gifts! After all, food and drink is a big part of Christmas and celebrations, so I hope there is something in here that takes your fancy and tickles your taste buds :).

First I'd like to start with the Christmas food that Tesco have to offer this year. Now, of course they have the usual basics for Christmas dinner and other Christmas occasion dinners for example turkey, beef, ham, vegetables, potatoes, Christmas pudding etc...but the items I thought that were worth sharing further with you are the items they have for Christmas parties. They have some lovely food items, that come in packs and would look lovely amongst a buffet or a small get together with food. Another thing about these items are that the prices are really inexpensive, so you don't even have to have a large budget. Here are some of my favourites:

From left to right: Spanish Potato Selection 425g £3. 12 Mexican Mini Tortillas £3. Finest British Cheeseboard £15. Pictures courtesy of Tesco.

From left to right: Hot Cheddar and Cider Dip 150g £4. 26 Piece Mexican Selection Pack £3. Fresh Cream and Strawberry Compote Gateaux 735g £5. Pictures courtesy of Tesco.

So, the above are some of my favourites from their Christmas collection, but they have chilled party foods, chilled desserts, speciality meats, pates and cheeses, meat, fish and poultry, frozen foods, bakery items and sweet temptations that will mean those impulse buys. See what I mean about the prices though...do you think they are reasonable? You can see what else they have in their Christmas collection here, but it might be best to pop into your local Tesco to see the full collection that they have, otherwise check online to see what they have available :).

Next up is something that is nearly always at any Christmas party...crisps! The crisps I am featuring, I thought were worth mentioning as they have unique flavours and the brand was launched by a husband and wife team who grow their own potatoes for the crisps on their farm and source all the flavours from local producers. Fairfields Crisps was launched in 2006 and has since won several awards including many great taste awards. The husband and wife team Laura and Robert Strathern also store, wash, grade, slice, hand-cook and pack their potatoes and crisps. With the exception of Wicks Manor Smoky Bacon, all Fairfields crisps are 100% natural, non GM and are suitable for coeliacs and vegetarians. I have tried all of their flavours, but my favourites are Sea Salt and Aspall Vinegar and Sweet Chilli. I like crisps with a lot of flavour and tang to them, but I love how they have unique flavours like Butter and Mint and Parsnip Crisps with Essex Honey and Black Pepper. The crisps are available from farm shops, delicatessens and branches of Co-op in the East of England. They can also be ordered by mail order via their website (contact them). 40g bags are 70p and 150g bags are £1.75.

From left to right: Fairfields Sea Salt and Aspall Vinegar crisps and Fairfields Sweet Chilli crisps. Pictures courtesy of Fairfields Crisps.

Another snack product that can be popular at Christmas parties or even just saved as a treat to eat whilst snuggled up on a cosy Christmas evening is...popcorn. Not ordinary popcorn though may I add, this is gourmet popcorn that is hand-made, air popped (as opposed to basted in oil) and comes in a wide range of quirky, moreish flavours that will just leave you wanting more. They have flavours such as Strawberry Cheesecake and Peanut Butter, but the flavours more relevant to Christmas are Brandy Butter and Mince Pie! My favourite of the two is Brandy Butter (I'm not a fan of mince pies in general), with rich buttery caramel followed by brandy overtones. The popcorn is available nationwide in independent grocers and delis, aswell as Wholefoods, Harvey Nichols, Lakeland, Selfridges, Harrods and online via their website. 70g packs are £2.99 in stores, gift jars start from £24.99, kilner jars start from £9.99 and gift tins start from £10.99. Individual packs on their website have a bigger amount in them, so they retail at £4.00 each, which I feel is still great value for a hand-made pack of popcorn, that is big enough to share and has a unique flavour. Online they also have special offers where you can buy 6 taster packs (set flavours) for £12 including p&p. Or you can buy 3 regular pouches of your choice for £12 or 6 for £19.95, including p&p.

                         

Pictures courtesy of Jose&Seph's.

I wanted to briefly mention an item that a lot of people love at Christmas...mince pies. I personally don't like them, but my mum does, as does my Fiancé within our household. I received some mince pies from Riverford to sample, so my mum and Fiancé ate them, within like 2 days pretty much ha! They said they were absolutely gorgeous, the pastry was really creamy and buttery and melted in the mouth. My mum thought the pastry was the best bit! They said the filling was full of flavour, rich and that there was enough filling to match the pastry, so it didn't feel like you were just eating pastry. You can see the main ingredients within the hand-made mince pies here. They seem to have a lot of good reviews/testimonials on the website aswell about them and they are just £4.95 for 6.

Picture courtesy of Riverford.

I'm going to move onto a drink product now that I think is perfect for a Christmas party/treat over Christmas for the family, a couple, amongst friends etc. Monk's Delight Strong Spiced Cider from Biddenden Vineyards is a cider spiced with a blend of honey and cinnamon, which is ideal for mulling. If you love mulled wine or drinks such as hot Pimms, then you will love this! Or if you know people that enjoy that kind of drink, this would make a lovely gift. I have tried this and it really is delicious, it's lovely just cosying up with a hot mulled cider and it reminds me of being at a Christmas German market, I love it! It's just £4.72 for a 1 litre bottle and you can buy it from the Biddenden Vineyards website. You can also buy it from their vineyard shop.

Picture courtesy of Biddenden Vineyards.

Lastly are a few hampers that can either be bought for Christmas parties, to share amongst the family or as a gift. Firstly is a Sloe Gin Hamper. Katharine Hook, the founder of Sloe Seduction uses fresh Sussex Sloes (from her parents farm) to make her Sloe Gin, Sloe Gin chocolates and Sloe Dreamers (perfect for dropping into a hot chocolate and leaving to melt, mmm!). You can buy such items individually, but I think the Sloe Gin Hamper that she sells is perfect for the Christmas season. For £29.95 including p&p, you can get a wicker hamper filled with Sloe Gin products: a box of 6 Sloe Gin chocolates, a box of 4 Sloe Dreamers, two 'S' shaped bottles of Sloe Gin (4cl each). The Sloe Gin itself is made from a branded gin and has a nice sweetness to it from the Sloes, but it's not too much. The chocolates have a Lindor chocolate texture inside, which I love! You can taste the alcohol, but it isn't overpowering and they just melt in the mouth.

Picture courtesy of Sloe Seduction.

The last two hampers are from a company called Gift Inspiration. They have a LOT of hampers to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice. They have hampers for men, women and children, but below are a couple of my favourites. First is the Pink Hamper, which comes complete with a full 75cl bottle of Pink Fizz (Italian Pinot Noir Rose), which tastes like strawberries and forest fruits, a 220g box of English handmade chocolates and a 6cm tall rose candle that has a 9 hour burn time and a light rose fragrance. This hamper is £34.95. The second favourite hamper of mine is the Winter Warmer Hamper, which comes with a hot water bottle with a knitted cover, a hand warmer that you click to activate, it stays warm for 30 minutes and is re-usable, a 113g of crumbly butter fudge, a 300g pouch of organic drinking chocolate, a hot chocolate mug with spoon and a 150g box of chocolate chip shortbread cookies. This hamper is also £34.95. Those are my two favourites, but take a look through their range of hampers, there is sure to be something to suit everyone :).

Pictures courtesy of Gift Inspiration.

Let me know if anything here takes your fancy or if you go ahead and buy anything, I'd love to know :). I love talking about all things Christ-massy!

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked it!

Gem XxOo

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Male Christmas Gift Guide 2012...

It can be hard to buy for the males in your life (partner, dad etc), but it's often the easy options we go for, for example: their favourite scent, a game or CD they've been talking about for ages, underwear, t-shirts etc. Sometimes it's nice to find something different to buy and I hope that's where this gift guide comes in. This gift guide is going to be slightly different and not as long as my female one, because I want to focus on a few bespoke items and hopefully you will find something that you think your loved one(s) will like :).

First up is quite an inexpensive item from a website called THABTO (Two Heads Are Better Than One). Buckle Up Key Holder is £14.95 and is a fancy but effective way of holding and keeping your bunch of keys secure and in one place until you need them next. The wall mounted key holder is produced using discontinued car seat belt buckles. When I first saw this I could think of a few people this would be ideal for and it's a little bit different, which I love!

Picture courtesy of Two Heads Are Better Than One.

Next up is a subscription service for men! ScrubBox is a subscription service for men's toiletries and essentials. Most men that I know don't particularly enjoy shopping, especially for those toiletries that run out too quickly like deodorant, toothpaste, shaving gel etc. This service starts from £7.99 per box and allows you to choose a monthly, six-weekly or quarterly subscription and there are a LOT of boxes to choose from, depending on what grooming routine a certain male might have. The subscription can be changed, paused or cancelled at any time (unless you have purchased a discounted annual package), so you don't have to feel like once you're signed up, that's it. You also have the option to include items like underwear, socks and more! ScrubBox try to base their prices on those that you see in shops (but this of course does depend on where you shop) and postage is free, but your loved one(s) have the luxury of not having to walk round shops to keep stocking up on these items. The box that the items come in, is a letterbox sized box, so the recipient doesn't even have to be at home! You can even contact the company to suggest products that they don't currently stock, to be in future boxes. They also have specific gift packages, where you can make some great savings.                        

Picture courtesy of ScrubBox.

A lot of people say that a dog is a man's best friend, well if the males in your life have a beloved pet, be it dog, cat, bird or any animal for that matter, then why not get them a painted portrait of their pet! Andy Bridge is the man behind It's Painting Cats and Dogs. To order, simply email Andy using the email address on the order page and tell him some information about the pet you would like to be painted. He will then get back to you and request picture(s). You can email or post the picture(s) to him and he will hand paint what you have requested and aim to have it delivered within at least 14 days of receipt of the picture(s). You can send one picture or a selection, depending on whether you would like a certain picture painted or want to give him a selection to work from. He can also create more than one of the same painting, but on different backgrounds, which will look great hung together or separately in different rooms of a house. Prices start from £110 + p&p for a 20 x 20 cm painting, painted onto lightweight wood and framed in a way that looks original and can be hung or stand freely. Any size is possible, so any specifications you might have or ideas, just let him know when you first email him and he will strive to meet any specifications/ideas you might have. They also do gift vouchers, but if you have a picture of the recipients pet, Andy can gift wrap any painting and send it on to another address for you, along with a personal message. Take a look at the website, where you can see the average sizes and prices that they do, see how it all works and take a look at the gallery of paintings he has already commissioned amongst other things.

Picture courtesy of It's Painting Cats and Dogs.

Alex Garnett designs a variety of highly unique well produced interior objects, lighting and furniture. I can imagine the items he sells will be right up many men's streets. I love how unique everything is and when I first saw this site, I knew I had to mention it within my male gift guide. My favourite items are the spray cap stool and the cone lamps, but they have lots of other items to choose from including a bollard light and foot (ball) bowl. Take a look, some of the items will make you think "wow"! Prices range from £1 for a sticker, all the way up to £4,000 for a whistle chair/sculpture, but if you're looking for something different and have a good budget to work with, there is sure to be something on this site that catches your eye for a loved one.

 

 

Pictures courtesy of Alex Garnett.

Aswell as unique items, there are some gift ideas for men that could be considered as essentials but have that something a little bit special about them...

You might have a male loved one in your life that likes a particular TV/film/book character or a TV show/film. Well there are some fab bath robes at Boys Stuff that represent such things. One of the bath robes is a Dr Who Tardis for £44.95 and there are many to choose from. Like I said a bath robe could be considered an essential item and many people have them, but instead of them being a plain colour, I think these designs are a lot more colourful and make for fantastic gifts!

                                             

  Picture courtesy of Boys Stuff.

Lastly, why not make an essential casual pair of shoes last a little longer, make the recipient feel more stylish and do something good for others whilst purchasing. TOMS are a high end brand of shoe, with many different designs to suit many different occasions/styles and what's better than when you purchase a pair of shoes, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need! This is their One for One movement! They have so many styles but they have a range of new styles in at the moment that I feel are perfect for the Winter season (aswell as others) and I think a pair of these would make a great gift! They have designs for everyone, whether you want something classic and simple or something that's a bit more jazzier, there is sure to be a pair to suit any male loved one in your life. Prices start from under £45, but vary, so it's best to take a look at the website and see what takes your fancy :).

Pictures courtesy of TOMS.

So, there it is! I hope there are some male gift ideas within this guide that catch your eye for your loved ones. I didn't want to bombard you with the usual male fragrances, clothing, underwear, toiletries and I hope you like the uniqueness of some of the items above :).

Let me know what you like and if you go ahead and purchase anything...I'd love to know!

Gem XxOo

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Female Christmas Gift Guide 2012...

Well...it's that time of year again! I can't believe it to be honest and I know people say this every year but I really don't know where the year has gone. Very very fast, I know that much!

So this year I have decided to do two different gift guides: one for females and one for males, so you will see the one for males shortly after this one :). There will be something to suit all budgets and ages. I hope you like my gift ideas, I do try to look for gifts that are a little different, personal and of course all time favourites from brands that I know you guys love. Enjoy...and please please comment and let me know if you like any of my ideas and if you are going to or have bought any of the items that I feature. I love receiving your comments :).

Up to £20...

Animal, the UK sports adventure brand has launched a new beauty and accessories range which would make great gifts for females who like a bit of adventure in their life! They have items ranging from nail files, lip balms, nail polishes and even some cool pink headphones. The Colour Blast Nail Polish Collection (£10 see picture below) is one of my faves as it has four gorgeous metallic colours which will be perfect for the Christmas period and beyond. It has a burgundy, silver, gold and gorgeous blue included, aswell as two nail files. You can take a look at the Animal range at Boots online or in store.

Also from Boots and exclusive to Boots for Christmas is the new limited edition Wild Party trio set (£4.99 see picture below) from Batiste. I'm a huge fan of Batiste and always recommend it to people, so I think this set or a can or two of Batiste would make a great gift. The set includes three limited edition fragrance minis of extrovert and bold Savannah, sassy and daring Wild (a bestseller) and sassy and striking Mamba. The trio comes in a handy see-through bag which can be re-used and is always ideal as you can see right through it, so you know where everything is! There is also a chance within each pack to win a £300 wardrobe from Motel Rocks and you can get 20% discount with your first order. They don't seem to be on the Boots website at the mo, but keep checking or if you're interested pop down to your local Boots :).

I had to include a 'perfect for Christmas' nail polish set from Nails Inc, I couldn't resist! They are perfect colours for the Christmas season. The After Party nail trio (see picture below) consists of a black holographic effect polish, a party glitter polish and a full coverage glitter polish. Disco Lane, Soho Street and Covent Garden Market are the three beauties that make up this trio set. Absolutely perfect for Christmas, parties and feeling all festive! This set is £25 and you can buy it from Asos.

                  Picture courtesy of Boots.             Picture courtesy of Batiste.

Picture courtesy of Asos.

       

Most people associate Aveda with skincare, haircare and make-up. Well I found a lovely alternative to a traditional Aveda gift...their holiday warmth candle (see picture below). The candle has the most amazing Christ-massy smell and consists of ginger, ginger lily and clove. I have one of these myself and can't wait for Christmas time, all snuggled up, warm and cosy with this burning...bliss. It's £20 and burns for over 40 hours! You can buy it from Aveda salons, spas, stores (find your nearest) and online from November 2012. I have checked today (2/11/12) and it isn't online yet, but just keep your eyes peeled if you're interested :).

Another idea along the same lines is a massage candle from Laughing Donkey (see picture below) for£14.99. Candles to me and I imagine most people means chilling out and relaxing. Being at a spa and having a massage also means the same to me. This product combines both (you will need to find the masseuse yourself mind ha!), you allow the candle to burn for up to ten minutes, extinguish the candle and check that the oil it has created is an ideal temp. Then you can find your masseuse, or massage the oil in yourself as a moisturising treatment. There is a little lip on the candle holder, which will make it easy to pour the oil out :). The candle is made from ecological shea butter, scented with lavender, which means it is really moisturising for the skin and will relax you beyond belief...lavender is a god send to me!

Talking of lavender, I sometimes have to rely on this scent to get me to drift off at night. I have cushions filled with lavender and essential oils that I use most nights. If you have the same problem as me, I would definitely recommend trying out lavender oil or products filled with the scent as it can really help and will save you having to go to the doctors for sleeping tablets. Celia Lindsell sells some lovely items filled with lavender, such as her large Lavender Bags (see picture below), which are £15 each and you can get them in lots of different designs. It will sit nicely on your bed and then just lying by it at night should naturally relax your body and mind so you can drift soundly off to sleep :). Highly recommended!

                Picture courtesy of Aveda.       Picture courtesy of Laughing Donkey.

Picture courtesy of Celia Lindsell.

Moving onto something a bit more personalised now...a his & hers calender. When I first saw this I thought it was so sweet and could imagine buying it for couples I know and seeing them smile/laugh at the different pictures for each month. The 12 month calendar is from Getting Personal and is £9.99. You can enter the names of the couple and choose a start month. You can also preview it before you purchase. The pictures are so adorable, there's a gingerbread man and woman page, his n hers pillows, two bears with their arms around each other and each name printed on their backs, rubber ducks, cheese on toast and much more! Each picture has both names featured. *Links removed June 2015 by request.

Picture courtesy of Getting Personal.

Lastly in this section, I'd like to show you some jewellery from a couple of online jewellery sites that I've found recently. I love the style of the jewellery the companies sell and I think they would appeal to a lot of people. First up is a company that sell wrap bracelets. They come in many different designs and layers (3 wrap, 4 wrap, 5 wrap etc). The bracelets are created using leather, beads, semi-precious stones and pearls, to make stylish, on-trend bracelets. The company is called 345 wrap and their items are sold through independent websites such as Reba Boutique. One of my favourite bracelets and one I actually have is the 345 wrap purple bracelet for £12 (see picture below), I love how it sparkles and shines when it catches the light and it definitely jazzes up an outfit, perfect for Christmas party season I think! There are lots of designs to choose from so take a look at that website, or take a look at Not On The High Street, Treasure Box or John Greed, where they are also sold.

The next site is one I have mentioned in a previous blog post of mine...Celliana. I think they have so much on-trend, stylish jewellery to offer, that it would be a shame to miss them out. They have recently had a new A/W collection launch so it's definitely worth a look if you know people who are into their stylish costume jewellery. A couple of my favourites are the Smooth Torq (£8 see picture below) and the Statement Collars (from £2.75-£30 see picture below) that they sell. I especially love the statement collars as gifts, as I think buying someone a couple of them, so that they can swap and change with simple black dresses/tops is a great idea!

Lastly, sticking with fashion, I'd also like to share a watch gift idea with you, but this is a watch with a difference. Ever worn a watch and thought it didn't go with your outfit, so taken it off and gone without? Well now there is a chance you might not have to do that. Find Me A Gift are selling a watch called a Ribbon Watch (see picture below). It's £12.99 and comes with 11 differently designed and coloured straps. You simply choose which one you want, loop through the watch face and tie into a bow! Such a unique way of wearing a watch and something a little bit different. I have seen watches like this in Primark before where you can tie them into a bow, but they didn't come with 11 different strap designs! I think this would make an amazing gift for any fashionista and would jazz up any outfit, making a change from that standard coloured strap.

Picture courtesy of Reba Boutique.

Pictures courtesy of Celliana.

Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

£20 to £50...

The first thing I want to share with you is a company/concept called U Star Novels. The basic concept is that they sell books which you can personalise with your own name, your loved ones name, your families names, your friends names etc...depending on the book and how many characters there are in the book, you can personalise it :). I think it's a really clever and interesting idea that could appeal to a lot of people and it is something a little different. Imagine receiving a book at Christmas (which I don't mind, but some people might) and thinking it's just another book, then reading it and finding out all the character names are of those that you know. If you choose a classic book, it will be clear straight away that it's personalised, as most people will be familiar with the characters in classic books, but with the romance novels, it might not click straight away until you read further into the book and realise there are more and more names that you know. Like I said you can choose from classic books such as Romeo and Juliet or you can choose a romance/vampire novel. They start from £16.95 for a classic novel and go up to £24.95 for other novels. Take a look, you'll have fun typing in names of people you know and reading a preview...I know I did!

Picture courtesy of U Star Novels.

Next is another item I think a lot of people will be interested in...something called a 'Shlomper'. Now this concept is very similar to a onesie but it doesn't fit you all over, it's best described as a house-coat/dressing gown without the tie as it is zipped. It's perfect for lazy mornings or just being cosied up and chilling at night. You can choose from a kimono or kaftan style and prices start from £25. I have one of these myself and it is seriously as comfy as my onesie. These, onesies and snuggies all have the same kind of idea, but they each have their own USP!

  Pictures courtesy of Shlomper.

I'm not sure how widely advertised the next items are, I suppose it depends on whether you go into certain shops, but I only found out about them from a press release. Hasbro...the game company, has partnered with the social gaming giant Zynga to launch physical versions of games played online or on mobile phones. Games such as Cityville, Farmville and Draw Something (see pictures below) have been launched along with others. I know of a few people who are always playing Cityville and Farmville on Facebook as I'm always receiving requests from them to play...too many requests ha, but I have had a go on Draw Something on Si's I-phone (couldn't upload it on mine as it's too old ha ha) and I can see the hype as it can get quite addictive. I can imagine these kind of games are going to go like hot cakes once people know about them enough. You can purchase them from stores such as Argos, Tesco, The Entertainer, Play.com, Toys R Us and Smyths. Draw Something is priced at £19.99, Cityville is £21.99 and Farmville is £19.99 - the prices may be different in each of the before mentioned stores, but those are the approx prices. Take a look at the range, I'm sure you can think of a few people that will like these games :).

Pictures courtesy of Hasbro.

Lush is an all time favourite shop of mine and I love how at different occasions they have products to suit that occasion, so of course they have plenty of Christmas products and gift sets! They have soooo many Christmas gift sets to choose from aswell as individual Christmas items, but all are fabulous and it'll be good if you have a budget as it will be easier for you to choose :). One of my favourite gift sets is 'Merry Christmas' for £23.95, which is an uplifting box of luxury and sparkle featuring: Sunnyside Bubble Bar, Golden Wonder Bath Bomb, which spits out stars! Creme Anglaise, Snowcake Soap and It's Raining Men Shower Gel...such gorgeous products and a gorgeous box for it all to come in!

Picture courtesy of Lush.

Next is a haircare set/range for those that need a little bit of TLC when it comes to their hair. Macadamia Natural Oil products are great to enrich, nourish and rejuvenate the hair. They have many sets that are suited to different hair types/styles, but my favourite gift set is the Macadamia Canteen/Maintenance Set, which is best suited to dry/damaged hair and when you use styling appliances a lot, this can happen and I know a lot of people that do, so if you have a higher budget or want to treat a female to something really nice...this is an ideal gift. The Macadamia Canteen/Maintenance Set comes with 1 x 4.2 oz Healing Oil Treatment, 1 x 3.3 oz Rejuvenating Shampoo, 1 x 3.3 oz Deep Repair Mask and 1 Oil Infused Comb. All of these products are presented in a carry case with a carry strap. This gift is £49.99, so your budget would need to be slightly higher, but I can guarantee the recipient will be thoroughly happy with her gift and will thank you even more when she sees the results! They do have other gift sets available at lower prices, so take a look at their range. If you're wondering why Macadamia Natural Oil is different from other oils, here is what the company said about this on their website...

'Macadamia Natural Oil is extremely light weight and highly absorbent. The oil's unique composition is remarkably similar to our body's own natural oil. It also has an extremely high concentration of Omega 7 acid, which is our body's own natural moisturiser. These two factors enable Macadamia Natural Oil to promote healthy hair growth, not just healthy hair maintenance'.

Picture courtesy of Lavish Soul.

£50+...

The only gift idea that I thought was worthy of being in my over £50 section this year is what I can imagine to be most girls dream. A website that allows you to design and purchase your own shoes! You could give the gift of letting someone design their own shoes or design a pair yourself to give as a gift, knowing how unique and special such pair of shoes are. Shoes of Prey is a website that allows you to choose the shape, colour, design and height of a pair of shoes. Prices start from £100 for sandals up to £210 for ankle boots, so there are going to be some people who want to use this site but can't (like me for example ha!) as their budget isn't big enough. However, if you do have the budget, can you imagine being able to design an original pair of shoes for someone you think a lot of! They do a range of sizes aswell from a tiny child's 12.5 to a much much larger, ladies size 13.5. They can also make one shoe bigger than the other, adjust widths and much more! They also do gift certificates, so if you don't want the pressure of making a unique pair of shoes for someone, give a gift certificate and let your loved one have a field day designing their own shoes.

Picture courtesy of Shoes of Prey.

I hope there is something that catches your eye within my gift guide for females. I'd love to know if you go ahead and buy anything for any of your loves ones :). Many of the companies mentioned/linked above ship to other countries aswell as the UK, so take a look at the websites linked and see what options they have available :). Bring on the Christmas cheer, celebrations, Christmas markets, cosy nights and hopefully fingers crossed...a Christmas morning full of snow!

I hope you all have a fab run up to Christmas and an even better Christmas and New Year :). Look out for my male Christmas gift guide and Christmas food/drink guide coming soon...

Gem XxOo

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Celliana Fashion & Costume Jewellery...

Celliana is an online jewellery boutique specialising in unique, bespoke fashion and costume jewellery. They sell exclusive pieces that bring any outfit to life. Celliana have a dedicated team of 15 designers who aim to create pieces that match seasonal trends and appeal to all ages and tastes.

I first came across Celliana after they showed an interest in appearing in my Christmas gift guide this year. There are some jewellery websites online that I take a look at but the jewellery just isn't my thing. However, when I looked at this website, the jewellery was matched to my age and taste perfectly. I didn't bother looking through each section individually, I just clicked view all and took time to look through everything they had available. It's definitely a website that could be lethal on pay day ha ha! The prices of the jewellery are reasonable, so it will be easy to get carried away, but hey we all need a treat now and again! :).

They do deliver worldwide. They deliver to the UK for as little as £2 and a maximum of £5. They deliver to Europe for as little as £4 and a maximum of £12. They deliver to the USA for as little as £7 and a maximum of £15. They deliver to the rest of the world for as little as £7 and a maximum of £20. They do have UK free shipping available for orders over £8 and they have free UK returns.

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from their website:

                                                     Spike and Peace Bracelet £4.        

                                                                                             

Irregular Semi Precious Ring £12.     Metal Ball Knotted Necklace £5.

I love wearing my spike and peace bracelet, it's perfect for stacking with other bracelets. A look I'm loving at the moment!

This is definitely a website I will be checking back with as like I said above the jewellery is so suited to my age and taste, so I can imagine it will be suited to a lot of you too!

Take a look at the website and let me know what your favourite pieces are :).

Gem XxOo

(The white background pictures and the logo are courtesy of Celliana).

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