BLOGMAS Day 2: Secret Santa Gift Ideas...

Welcome to Blogmas Day 2 lovelies! Secret Santa gifts can often be hard to buy. You often have a price limit and although it's just a jokey kind of thing, if you're anything like me, you'll want to get something that the recipient will get some use out of rather than it just going to the back of a cupboard/drawer, to someone else, or in the bin!

I've taken part in a few secret Santas over the years, mainly within a work environment, but some of you might be doing it amongst friends if there are a lot of you. I've experienced the limit to usually be between 5 and 10 pounds (excluding postage), so I've done a bit of research and thought I'd share a few ideas with you...

Secret Santa Gifts For Girls

1 - These Chocolate And Salted Caramel Marshmallows sound delicious and are handmade in Edinburgh, Scotland! Toffee d'or caramel and dark chocolate are swirled into 6 extra large marshmallows and solar dried with Isle of Sky sea salt. Salt and caramel or chocolate is actually a really nice combination. It can put some people off because they hear 'salt' and just think it's going to taste really salty. However, the truth is that it's often just a subtle saltiness that comes through and you'd be surprised at how nice the flavour actually is. This would be a lovely gift for someone with a sweet tooth and someone who doesn't mind trying something a bit different. You can buy them for £8 from Not On The High Street.

2 - Most people are familiar with Liz Earle and this Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Christmas Edition Mini Drum would make a lovely secret Santa gift. Plus, it's such good value! It contains a 50ml Cleanse & Polish and a cloth. It's all packaged in a Christmas edition box, with a beautiful blue flower growing out of what looks like a bed of snow. It's a really peaceful and calming image. You can buy this from John Lewis for just £9!

3 - This Twinings 9 Tea Selection with 45 teabags would make a great gift for a tea lover! There are 5 of each teabags in the set and some of the flavours include, Lemon & Ginger Infusion, Peppermint Infusion and of course, good old English Breakfast. There should be something to suit all moods and even help you feel better such as the Orange & Lotus Flower green tea which contains antioxidants. This selection of teas is just £10 from Boots.

4 - These Get The Hint Wish List Sticky Notes are such a cool, novelty idea! These would be good for those beauty lovers or fashionista's who like flicking through magazines and staying up to date with the latest beauty or fashion products. Included are 5 sets of 20 sticky notes that say, 'I want this', 'love these', 'buy this', 'and this' and 'yes please'. You can buy these from Amazon for just £3.72.

5 - The Happy Jackson Headphone Case is one of my favourite products for the girls. I love how funky the case is and I'm sure any girl that uses headphones would love to own this! There is a cord wrap included within the case, so headphones can be wrapped around that to prevent the wires getting all tangled up. The cord wrap then fits nicely inside the press studded, stripy lined case. You can get this from John Lewis for just £8.95.

Secret Santa Gifts For Guys

1 - I think this Driver's Glovebox Kit is such a good secret Santa gift for a driver, especially a male driver as they won't have to worry about remembering anything essential for the car. All handy little bits will be inside this box and the recipient can just pop it in their glovebox for whenever they might need it. There are 10 useful items within this kit, including a snap light, plasters, mini pen and pad, plastic gloves and an ice scraper. For just £8 from Boots, I definitely think this is one of those gifts where the recipient will be glad to have it, even if it's in the glovebox for ages, when they're looking for something and they find it in this kit, they'll remember who got it for them and be chuffed!

2 - I think this Life Hacks Book is definitely something that would keep a man amused for hours. There are 130 hacks which help to solve everyday dilemmas. It includes everything from electric cable management to ingenious cooking methods and much, much more. It even shows you how to enhance your music listening experience with a toilet roll tube! This book is just £5 from Amazon.

3 - I had to include a sweet treat for the guys too and this Belgian Biscuit Selection is sure to please. This is a lovely selection of biscuits that are different to the normal biscuits that you might have all year round. It's suitable for vegetarians and contains 800g of biscuits and wafers in milk, dark and white chocolate coatings. It's making my mouth water just writing this! The biscuit tin is reusable and features a snowy town with a general store, a church and houses. You can buy this gift for £10 from Boots.

4 - I think the Large Biscuit Pocket Mug is my favourite product for the guys. This would be fab for someone who works in an office or has their own desk and has regular cups of tea at work. Or it would be great for someone to just use at home, due to the handy biscuit pocket! The mug is made from ceramic and is dishwasher safe, so it's a well made mug and not something cheap that will break easily. You can buy this mug from Amazon for £8.99 and there are also images on there so you can see what kind of biscuits will fit in the pocket.

5 - This Teatool Teabag Squeezer is a handy little gadget that I can see men loving and it is likely to prevent those drips as you transfer a teabag from a mug to the bin. It really squeezes the teabag out and is one of those novelty gifts that actually has a job. I think this is a gift that will definitely be appreciated by a tea lover. It's just £6.99 from Find Me A Gift.

Have you got a secret Santa gift to buy this year?

Don't forget to like, comment and follow to keep up to date with the rest of my Blogmas posts :).

Thanks so much for reading lovelies!

Gem XxOo

Images are courtesy of Not On The High Street, John Lewis, Boots, Amazon and Find Me A Gift.

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

*

Father's Day Gift Guide...

Another occasion is fast approaching..."Father's Day", which means more money to be spent! I'm hoping this gift guide will give you some inspiration when it comes to buying a gift for your dad. I will be doing this gift guide slightly differently and splitting ideas into price categories, so there should be something to suit every budget. I hope it helps!

£10 or under...

I always find that Tesco have a good range of Father's Day gift ideas and they are quite inexpensive. I feel most of their gifts would be great for those younger daughters and sons who are maybe buying their gifts out of their pocket money and don't have that much of a budget. The kind of gifts I am talking about are mugs, aprons, tool kits and gardening gifts. I received a press release recently where these kind of gifts were really inexpensive with the dad mugs ranging from £0.97p to £3.52. Aprons from £3.96, dad drink glasses from £2.43, tool kits from £5 and gardening kits from £7.97. I can't find these online, but if you have a Tesco store near you that sells more than food, I'd definitely recommend taking a look. Browsing the net, I also noticed that Tesco have other gifts that are just as pleasing when it comes to the price. Here are a few that took my fancy:

 Gillette Fusion Proglide Shaving Set £6.

                                                  Nivea Shave Gift Pack £3.50.

  Lynx Africa Body Spray and Shower Gel £2.50.

                                                Adidas Man Ice Dive Duo £2.50.

David Beckham Instinct EDT Spray £10.

All pictures are courtesy of Tesco.

See what I mean...how reasonable are those prices?! There are a range of gifts with similar prices, so I'd definitely recommend having a look in your local Tesco or here. I live near a Morrisons and I always notice they tend to have a similar range of gifts at decent prices. I think most supermarkets do to be honest, so if you aren't sure what to buy but want to have a browse at a few things, pop into your local supermarket, they are bound to have a "section" dedicated to a few ideal gifts for Father's Day.

I also found some cards that I thought were a little different. They are from Find Me A Gift, which is an amazing website, you can guarantee to find a gift on there for any occasion. The cards are called "custom cards" and the basic jist of them is that they are cards with lots of different words on them and you can blank out the words you don't want on the front of the cards to reveal a custom made message for any occasion. For those of you that like to buy things that are a little different, I think these are fab! They are currently £3.74 for a pack of three.

Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

£20 or under...

I came across something that I think dads would get a lot of use out of, it is a shower shaving mirror with radio. This looks amazing and I'm sure if there are females in the household, they will also get some use out of this, he, he. Share and share alike! It has a fog-less mirror, an LED light, a universal razor holder, a clock and an FM radio...love it! It also has suckers attached so you can attach it to bathroom tiles for example, but it does have an extendable support for free standing use. It is £15.99, but if you find some items you like for Father's Day on Find Me A Gift, they are currently offering 20% off everything.

Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

Buy A Gift also have some fab gift ideas. They do have some bespoke gifts, but their website is based on experiences for any occasion. You can find Father's Day gifts ranging from up to £25 to over £250! So whatever budget you have, there is sure to be something you think will be ideal for your dad. A few more inexpensive experiences that I feel would be ideal are:

                                 Winery and Brewery Tour for Two £13.50.

Afternoon Tea for Two £15.

Pictures are courtesy of Buy A Gift.

There are a lot of experiences to choose from, so whether you have an action dad, a foodie dad, a sporty dad or a cultural dad you are sure to find something perfect :-).

£20 +...

I love websites that have a lot to offer and Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous is another fave of mine. I love the hampers that they sell and if you're looking for something a little different for your dad, I'm sure one of the hampers will put a smile to his face. You can find sweet hampers, chocolate hampers, retro hampers, 80's hampers, comedy DVD hampers, pampering hampers and more amongst the range with a few being under £20 but most being just over or more.

Deluxe Men's Retro Hamper £44.99.

80's DVD and Snacks Hamper £28.99.

Pictures are courtesy of Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous.

The hampers come with a variety of items in them and some even let you choose certain items, for example those with a DVD included, allow you to choose from a list of DVDs so you can really match the hamper to your Father's personality. I think this kind of gift is unique and maybe something that your dad won't expect but it'll sure bring a smile to his face...especially if he is a child at heart with all the sweets! A free personalised gift card is included with each hamper so you can send it straight to your dad if you wish. Imagine his face when he receives a big box and opens it to reveal a load of goodies!

For those Father's who have a bit more of a grown-up taste then you might want to try something a bit more luxurious at Fine Food Store. They offer hampers and gifts and a couple of my favourites for a Father are:

 Ravenous Delights Vintage Box £39.95. Gents Vintage Gift Chest £89.99.

Pictures are courtesy of Fine Food Store.

I absolutely adore the boxes that come with these, definitely my cup of tea, I'd have to use my daughter charm on my dad to let me keep the box he, he. I love their vintage design! With a mixture of sweet, savoury and a nice wine I think these gifts are fab and definitely ones I feel dads would be really grateful to receive. The more expensive of the two (above) comes with some pampering goodies from Clarins (for men), which I think is a perfect little touch. They have a lot to choose from so take a peek, I'm sure you will find something to suit your dad :-).

Last but not least, I thought I'd add a bit of clothing into the mix. Luxurious, comfortable pyjamas and robes! At The Pyjama Store there are some gorgeous robes and pj's to suit most men. I know some men don't like to sleep in full on pyjama's, but for those that do these are made with cotton and the price reflects the quality. It's worth taking a look as obviously you will probably know what your dad likes, whether it be full on pj's (top and bottoms), just bottoms, just a top, robes, slippers etc. There is sure to be something on there if you have more of a bigger budget.

Bonsoir Men's Classic Retro Pyjama's £78.

Bonsoir Men's Navy Blue Robe £42.

Pictures are courtesy of The Pyjama Store.

So, there it is. Some Father's Day gift ideas that have caught my eye recently. I hope I have covered most budgets and don't forget the websites that I have mentioned have a lot more gift ideas than those I have shown, so take a look at what they have to offer :-).

To all Father's out there...have a happy Father's Day!

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Disclaimer: The only item that has been sent to me for review consideration is the shower shaving mirror with radio, but I definitely thought it was a fab gift for Father's, so added it to my gift guide :-). Please see my disclaimer tab for more information.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012...

As you are all probably aware by now, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is fast approaching. I know of most celebrations taking place around an extended weekend at the beginning of June (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th). Some people like to go all out for things like this and hold street parties, house parties etc. Me or us as a family aren't having anything like that, unless something comes up, but we will probably watch some of the celebrations on TV and might even raise a glass or two, he, he.

I have been sent quite a few emails and press releases with items that you can buy to help you celebrate the Jubilee in some way or another. I have also found quite a few items myself, just casually searching the net. You'll be surprised what people think of to sell at times like this, but hey, if there's money to be made...

I thought I would share a few of my favourite items that I found, just in case you are looking for something to buy to help you celebrate at a party, at home, or simply want to purchase something that you can look back at in the future and remember buying such item for this occasion.

Beauty:

Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

If you are going all out and want to make yourself up to be ready for a Jubilee celebration, then this is a great little item to make you stand out from the crowd. It's called a Union Jack Lip Tattoo and it's really inexpensive at £2.99 for one tattoo. I have worn lip tattoos similar to this before and you will be surprised as to how long they actually last. You can eat and drink and it will stay on. It is easily removable at the end of the day with a baby wipe :-).

Picture courtesy of Feel Unique.

I don't personally use nail wraps for the simple reason that I can't seem to get them right on my nails and it always looks silly. So, I thought I would include these for those of you that like nail wraps. However, I did create this look last year for Kate and Will's wedding and I just used regular nail polish. I may try to re-create it again this year but I am going to have to get a white nail polish as my last one has run out. I just wanted to express that it can be done both ways; with nail polish for the more artistic amongst you and nail wraps for those that don't feel they can do nail art or need something quick and easy. The nail wraps have a lot of advantages: they require no drying time, they don't chip and they are easy to remove. With nail polish you have to be patient and steady handed to do the nail art, you have to wait for each colour section to dry before you do the next, there is a possibility of the design chipping and then you have to have nail polish remover to get it off. The option is yours :-). These are £7.99.

Fashion:

Picture courtesy of Sainsbury's.

I thought this earring trio was soo cute and perfect for the occasion. I am loving the heart and crown ones the most! They are £3.50 from TU at Sainsbury's. If you have a local Sainsbury's that sells clothes and jewellery, head down there and you should be able to find these :-).

Picture courtesy of Not On The High Street.

As soon as I saw these bracelets I fell in love with them. They are Limited Edition Jubilee bracelets and priced at £24.95. They are so my style and I adore them! I say 'them', because you can choose from different fabrics and different charms. You can even have more than one charm for a little extra. In regards to the charms, you can choose from the Queen's crown, the Queen's carriage or the iconic double-decker bus. Simply gorgeous!

Decorations:

Picture courtesy of Noo Noo Design. Picture courtesy of Snugglebox.

The above two decorations are ones that have taken my fancy from the huge amount of decorations there are out there for the occasion. These are ones that I would choose if I were having a party to celebrate the Jubilee. I love the style and simpleness of the bunting. For 3 metres of this it is £12.50. I am a huge lover of cushions anyway and have a few different ones on my bed just for decoration. The above cushion is one I could see fitting nicely among my collection he, he. I was thinking it might also be nice if you are having a garden party and have the budget to buy a few of these and scatter them amongst the chairs you have for guests to sit on :-). I thought it might add a nice touch. They are £15 each.

Food and Drink:

Pictures courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

If you're not having a party or celebration as such but still want to feel involved, I think these Royal Family Tea Bags are ideal to have a lovely cuppa whilst watching the celebrations on TV :-). I'm a sucker for cute, unique things like this. They come in a pack of five for £6.99 and are a classic tea blend with Assam.

Picture courtesy of Sourz.

If you're over 18 and drink alcohol then this might be something you'd want to buy at any time, let alone to celebrate the Jubilee, he, he. Sourz have bought out a Limited Edition flavour to coincide with the Jubilee and London Olympics...Spirited Summer Berry! Yum! Aswell as drinking this as a shot, you can also make cocktails out of it, see here for some recipes :-). I know in Asda it is £9 at the moment, but it is available at the majority of large supermarkets, where the price usually differs in each one.

All of the major supermarkets seem to have offers on aswell for the Jubilee, so if you are having a party or a get together with food, you should be able to get some good offers from your local supermarket :-). I know Morrisons have an offer on where you can get 12 burgers, 24 sausages, 36 white baps and a bottle of ketchup all for £10. I know this as it's my local supermarket. They also have other party food ideas and Union Jack printed plates, cups, napkins and bunting for really reasonable prices. Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose all have offers on to name a few supermarkets. However, I am sure all supermarkets are going to try and get in on the act, so I'm sure you'll find some good bargains whichever supermarket you go to :-).

I hope you like my favourite Jubilee celebration ideas and there's just one last thing to say...let's hope it's gorgeous weather and happy celebrating!

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Mothers Day Gift Guide...

With Mothers Day just around the corner, I have a few gift ideas that I think are perfect for the day or any day to be honest, if you want to treat your mum :-). These gift ideas aren't going to be the traditional flowers, chocolates, perfume or taking your mum out for lunch. So, if you are looking for something a little different that your mum will definitely appreciate, I think you have come to the right place :-).

Lets start with gift ideas for homely mums:

   

Pictures courtesy of Dot Com Gift Shop.

  Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

Here we have two lovely Mothers Day items from the Pantry Design collection online at 'Dot Com Gift Shop' (top two pictures). First we have a girly rolling pin, perfect for any woman who likes to bake/cook in her home. The rolling pin is made from wood and the handles from plastic, making the product really sturdy and solid. Perfect for rolling out pastry or dough to perfection! It's also an absolute steal at just £8.95. The second item from this collection is a set of 3 cake tins. They are described as cake tins but are labelled as cake, biscuit and sweet tins. I suppose you could store anything (that doesn't need to be chilled or frozen) from the kitchen in these. These are so pretty, in pastel colours, they are well made and would look gorgeous shown off on any work surface! They almost have a vintage feel to them and have a cute little bird on the top of each tin. Be aware that if you look at the picture on the website, they appear to be quite large, so if you don't read the size/measurements of these they might not be what you expect when you receive them. Don't get me wrong they are perfect for storing treats, but I just thought I would mention this as it was the first thing I noticed when looking at the picture and then looking at them in real life (as I didn't read the measurements properly, naughty me!). They are still perfect though! They are only £12.95, so again won't break the bank and I am sure any mum would love these for her kitchen.

The third item is a recipe journal called 'Cooking Up Memories From You To Me'. It is from an online company called 'Find Me A Gift'. This journal is no ordinary recipe book. It includes a number of questions, designed to capture anecdotes and stories about someone's love of food. There is also plenty of space for someone to record recipes so that they are never forgotten :-). This is perfect for anyone that loves food and cooking but I think it will be a gift that will add and be a special touch for a mum. It is designed as a gift you give...and then get returned to you with an amazing collection of recipes and stories. Even though I am not a mum yet, this is something I would love to fill in for my future children and keep it until they are old enough to be interested in food/cooking and know what the journal is about. It is definitely a special gift and once it has been filled in, will be something you will want to keep and treasure forever. Some of the questions include: 'what are some of the most unusual foods or drinks you have ever tasted?' and ' what were some of your favourite childhood foods?' For such a sentimental item (once filled in), this only costs £11.99.

Lets move onto gift ideas for mums who love fashion:

  

Pictures courtesy of Not On The High Street.

Here we have some lovely Mothers Day Gifts from an online company called 'Not On The High Street'. First is a Bailey shoulder bag by a brand called Hive & Co Accessories, priced at just £15. That's the thing about this website, they have products from all types of different brands! The bag is quilted with stud detailing, has a zip top closure and a feature side padlock fastening. The handles are a perfect length to fit comfortably on your shoulder and not be rubbing right underneath your arm. There is also a zipped pocket inside on the side of the bag and a section to hold your mobile phone or other bits and bobs. The bag is a really good size without being massive for day to day use! There is definitely a lot of room for everything you would need day to day, without it being too much. It is a really sleek bag and I can't imagine many mums not liking this :-).

Secondly from 'Not On The High Street' we have a vintage postcard purse, priced at £14. This is by a brand called Grace and Favour Home. For mums that love anything vintage this is going to be perfect and something that's a little bit different. You can choose from 5 different designs, so if your mum has a favourite colour for example you could base your choice on that. It is made from cotton and lined with a blue spotty design. This purse is perfect for carrying loose change in your handbag or bits of paper and receipts. It can also be used as a coin purse if your mum goes out of an evening, instead of carrying a large purse with everything in, she can just take her evening bag and then slip this purse inside with any money or cards that she might need. I love this purse and think any woman would love it, whether you're a mum or not :-).

Lastly from 'Not On The High Street' is something that I absolutely love and something that I can honestly say I have never seen before. So the brand that sells this (Not a Jewellery Box), in my eyes are genius! The item is called the little books of earrings, priced at £26. It's such an innovative little item and is available in four gorgeous colours. The book is designed to hold any earrings that you may own. There are four pages in total and each page holds 12 pairs of earrings. I think this is a lovely item to keep all of your earrings together in one place and with it being able to hold 48 pairs of earrings, it is going to serve a purpose rather than just being a showy little item that just holds a few pairs. I love this! As it looks like a book, it is easily disguised amongst other books in a bookcase or on a shelf, if you have valuable/expensive earrings that you want to keep safe. It is also perfect if you are going away, whether for a weekend or longer you can keep all your earrings safe and they won't get mixed up or tangled up with each other. All types of earrings are suitable for this book, which is also a bonus as you may be able to hold your entire earrings collection in here. The book is covered in soft faux leather and has a sturdy clasp to keep everything enclosed. Each page is also padded to protect your earrings. Such a quirky little gift, I'm sure any mum would love!

Lastly, lets move onto gift ideas for mums who love a bit of pampering:

  

Pictures courtesy of Treat Her.

  

Picture courtesy of Find Me A Gift.

Firstly, we have some lovely gifts for mums from an online company called 'Treat Her' (top two pictures). To start with is a happy feet gift box, priced at £16.99 (originally £19.99). This gift set is described as being perfect for a lady that is on her feet all day and is from the Grace Cole Lavender Apothecary collection. Inside the gift box (which would make a great keep-sake box) is a polishing foot scrub, a smoothing foot cream (scented with lavender, which is great for relaxing) and some gorgeous fluffy white slippers (which are really soft!). I love how this set includes the slippers, which are one size. Many sets include lots of foot products but don't think about after you have applied them all. These slippers are perfect to care for your feet, even after all the products have been applied.

Secondly from 'Treat Her', we have another vintage style item: a shower me with love wash bag, priced at £26.99. I love anything vintage, so if you have a mum that's the same, she is going to love this! The wash bag has a distinctive postcard design with a pretty vintage style stamp design all over the back. You may have heard of the brand 'Disaster Designs', well known for their quirky postcard/travel style items. Well, this is one of their designs and the bag is so stylish it definitely won't blend into a crowd of other wash bags. I also think this could double up as a make-up bag and is perfect for at home or to use whilst travelling. The postcard section at the front is a large pocket that closes with a press stud and the lining within this pocket and the main compartment is a black and white dotted design. I love this brand as they always think of everything down to the last tiny detail. Even the zip is a comb charm!

We also have another mothers day gift from 'Find Me A Gift'. These are called mooncandles and they are 3 flame less LED candles (made with real wax) with a remote control! They are priced at £19.99 (they were £29.99). I have some of these and I think they are fab. Don't get me wrong I love scented candles and how they can fill a whole room with fragrance, but these are convenient if you are relaxing in bed and just want a nice subtle candle (or a light as you can set it to stay still instead of flicker) flickering in the background that won't be dangerous even if you fall asleep. The same with a relaxing bath, the candles won't be dangerous and your mum can just totally chill out! The remote control that comes with the candles (complete with 2 AAA batteries) are my favourite bit ha ha! It's a bit lazy but there's nothing worse than being totally comfortable in bed and then having to get up to blow a candle out :-/. With these, there is no need to get up ( the remote control has a range of 20ft so they can even be put on high shelves or chandeliers) as the remote allows you to turn the LED candles on and off, adjust the brightness, set a timer of 4 or 8 hours and choose between them looking like candles or just lights, all from the comfort of your bed, the bath, the sofa or anywhere you choose to use them! For mums with younger children these are going to be a lot safer than normal candles, so that of course is an added bonus! The three candles also come complete with 2 AAA batteries in each. They look so realistic and I think they would make a perfect gift! I already have some of these but if someone were to have bought me these, I would love them, as I know I would get a lot of use out of them and they have so many benefits.

Lastly, Soap and Glory have recently launched a new collection called 'Fruitigo'. The collection consists of three new products which all have a lovely fruity scent and have notes of frozen yuku, orange oil, green fig and jungle pomelo essence in them. I think this collection would make a perfect mothers day gift, ideal for pampering!

Pictures courtesy of Soap and Glory.

First up in the collection we have 'Foam Call', which is a super moisture-suds body wash. It is infused with grapeseed and peppermint oils, essential fatty acids, fruit liquid fig and orange waterjuice. Not only is this going to provide your skin with a lot of moisture and gorgeous oils, but it also doubles up as a bubble bath and smells divine! This is priced at £6 for a 500ml bottle and trust me (I have used Soap and Glory products before) it will last for ages. Secondly is 'Pulp Friction', priced at £8 for a 250ml tube. This is a fruity, fresh clay based foamy skin-smoothing body scrub, formulated with polished pumice, fig seed powder, vitamin balls A, C and E and peppermint essential oil, to give you dewy, smooth skin and perk you up! This is so invigorating and fresh and feels really cool on the skin. Lastly in the collection is 'Butter Yourself', priced at £10.21 for 300ml (going to last agessss!). The base of this cream consists of their famous ORIGINAL 'problem dry skin' body butter, with resurfacing skin-perfecting five fruit A HAs, super nourishing shea butter and fruit liquid fig. This reminds me of Soap and Glory's 'The Righteous Butter', but with a slightly different smell. The consistency is still the same and it still provides so much moisture, with the scent staying on the skin for a while after use. A great set for any mum who likes quality bath, body and skin care products :-). These products are available in bigger Boots stores in the UK and Ireland (or online at Boots.com) and Harvey Nichols in Beyond Beauty.

So there we have it, a few unique, quirky and special gifts for the lovely mother in your life! I hope you like my ideas and maybe find something that you would like to buy for your mum or even yourself hehe.

Let me know if you have any of these items or have bought them as gifts, I would love to know your opinions :-).

Happy (nearly) Mothers Day to all the mums out there!

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Disclaimer: I received a couple of the above items as samples/to consider for a review and decided to put such items into my gift guide. All items are ones I have picked/chosen myself to include within this gift guide and my opinions are and always will be 100% honest. See my disclaimer tab for more information.