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.

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.