Dear Santa, For Christmas I would really like…

So my favourite time of year is almost upon us and after compiling my picks for both the boys and girls in your life, I thought I would share the top items I’m hoping for Santa to put in my stockings this year.

I am a massive fan of mugs, to the extent that I could probably have every single person I know round for tea and have the perfect mug for each of them, but that doesn’t mean I need to stop now, does it? This is to cute and as a suck for a fairy tale love story I can’t help but fall for this adorable H&M mug and who knows it might bring me my own Prince Charming in 2015!

Having maintained this blog for 6 months now (where has the time gone?), I have realised just how much I have been enjoying it and now really want to get my hands on some proper hardware to take it to the next level. I have everything crossed that I’m super lucky and find this awesome Sony under my tree, especially just in time to take some great photos in New York!

Now every year in my family we have a tradition that on Christmas Eve we get a new pair of pyjamas and these Christmas pudding ones are the best I’ve seen to make sure I wake up on Christmas morning in the most festive mood ever! Not to mention I will definitely be dropping hints that they’re now on sale!

Ever since I saw these on a Zoella video a few months ago I have been completely in love. I think they are the classiest, prettiest, girliest most beautiful headphones I’ve ever seen, and if it wasn’t for the (ahem) slightly steep price tag I would’ve been the proud owner of these for a very long time. But hopefully I’ve been a good enough girl to receive these this year, especially as they would make that 8 hour to New York so much nicer and stylish!

As you can probably tell travel and comfort presents are a bit of a recurring theme in my list this year and this gorgeous Mango jumper fills both of them. I am an absolute jumper obsessive during the winter months and although I put myself on a jumper ban this year, this totally doesn’t count as a) it’s cream and I don’t have a cream one and b) definitely doesn’t count if you don’t buy it, yes?  Pretty awful excuses but if you can’t be ridiculous at Christmas when can you, plus it’s also on sale (cough).

As a reknowned foodie but also beauty junkie this book seems like the perfect mix not to mention it will hopefully make 2015 a healthy one. Everyone I know who has this absolutely raves about it plus there’s always something nice about chilling out with something to read on Christmas day after you’ve eaten your weight in food.

After I have literally just admitted to my beauty junkie ways it’s probably no surprise this has surfaced on my list. One of the must have makeup kits of the year and adored by beauty bloggers everywhere this has had a firm place on my list since I first heard about it. As a massive fan of the Naked palettes, this to me is the perfect combination of everything you need on a night out in one cute little package and considering how much you get in it I think is incredibly good value as well!

Stereotypical girl present right here but who doesn’t love a candle and even better an adorable initial candle! From Kate Spade’s Saturday brand (which is somewhere I’m definitely heading when I’m in New York) it’s super cute and the perfect addition to add to my new house when I move next year!

Another one in the way of planning ahead to moving is this adorable tea towel, which at £2.99 is by far the cheapest item on my list, and although is incredibly boring, is hands down the cutest one I’ve ever seen. I hope you all get everything you want and more for Christmas and if you’ll excuse me, I’ll now resign myself  to my tea towel spinsterhood 2015. 🙂

Stocking Fillers Under £10 for Guys

For the thinker: Who’d have thought the rock and roll, Katy Perry marrying comedian Russel Brand would be the next controversial celebrity political activist to grace our screens (and pages)? Having read snippets of his previous autobiographies I have to give it to him he’s certainly got a great vocabulary, and having seen snippets of his protests on his “The Trews,” channel, I can’t help but be intrigued by his ‘revolution‘. As well as it having received rave reviews from two of my male flatmates, I think it’s the perfect alternative to the usual autobiographical offerings at Christmas for those that fancy a bit of a change.

For the Big Kid: There’s always that moment as an adult where one of the children in your family gets an amazing toy that you secretly spend the rest of the day trying to steal. Well this nerf gun is the perfect alternative for the big kid in your life, although I can’t be blamed if you end up spending the rest of Christmas day as a moving target!

For the TV junkie: Who hasn’t spent the majority of this year mourning the end of Breaking Bad? I know I most certainly have, and I think this figurine provides a awesome alternative to the standard DVD boxset gift, not to mention these POP figurines come in pretty much every theme possible from Buffy to Star Wars, to Halo, so you’re bound to find the perfect one for each person in your life.

For the man who steals your beauty products: We all know the guy, he professes to not being interested in beauty products and yet when you go to use your expensive moisturiser or shower gel, you find there’s just a little bit less than there used to be. Well this Molton Brown bauble provides the perfect replacement, with a glorious frankincense and all-spice smell and this beautiful seasonal packaging is a great classy stocking stuffer at a fraction of the usual price.

For the lounge lizard: Christmas is the perfect time to curl up and get cosy by the fire, (or TV if you’re like me) and these slippers mean your loved one can look delightfully festive while they do so. They’re perfect for making sure you’re keeping warm and comfortable all Christmas.

For pretty much everyone: I know it’s not actually for everyone, but is it just me or does pretty much every guy love Nandos? There’s something about it that appeals to pretty much everyone and this gift means that you can have it just as good at home too. Quite literally the gift that keeps on giving.

For the fan of the novelty tie: I’m pretty sure there’s some sort of convention or group for dads, uncles and teachers who love a good novelty tie and this is one of the best of the bunch. Not to mention it provides a great alternative for those who aren’t a fan of the Christmas jumper.

For the mechanic: This is the perfect adult version of those who were  a fan of k’nex  or mechanix as a child, as well as a gift for the motorhead in your life. With no need of glue or scissors it’s even great as a stocking stuffer for the slightly older kids in your life, not to mention it’s so cute and will give you a great procrastinating desk toy at the end all for £5!

For the gent who likes to take care of himself: This is the perfect gift for the gentleman in your life you likes to take care of himself, as well as those who are constantly on the go. With the four mini sachets ranging from a hair mask, cleanser, foot cream and eye pads it’s the perfect thing for the guy in your life who always like to look his best. And did I mention the packaging is some of the smartest I’ve seen!

For the tech savy: Gloves are a staple part of any winter wardrobe but one of the giant problems is the inability to do anything whilst wearing them! But with these bad boys the man in your life will be able to use any tech product thanks to their special finger pads which work on the screens.

For the chef: There’s something about people who cook in that they are always on the look out for the next new book or product to add to their collection and these are perfect. I am a massive fan of Jamie Oliver’s product as they’re always reasonable priced (this set comes in at £10). really good quality and these oils are no exception. There’s one which is rosemary, one extra virgin and the other is chilli, great for those who cook regularly and even for those who don’t but fancy a change.

For the teenager: This hat is perfect in terms of I think it is the great combination of being cool  as well as classic enough to put a smile on any teenagers face. Not to mention it’ll save any moaning from parents during the colder winter months that they’re not keeping warm enough!

For the football fan: As an alternative to the usual shirt or football I think this is a cute choice, especially great for those who don’t have the space for a full sized table. It’s a great desk addition as well as a form of entertainment to get the family together on Christmas day itself!

For the party animals: Another alternative to the usual Christmas book gift this is perfect for those who love to party as well as the fans of the comedy gift. This is perfect as it pinpoints the type of hangover you have and recommends the perfect recipe cure for it which is the age old struggle. Not to mention it’ll be even more appreciated the morning after when nursing the Christmas hangover!

For the well dress man: This is the perfect classy, staple present for the well-dressed man in your life. The traditional white and black pattern means it goes with pretty much everything and the classic look means it’s one of the most multi-appealing gifts of the lot!

For the musician: The majority of us at one point or another in our lives have dreamed about being a rock star. While that’s an impossible reality for most of us, you can still carry on living the dream with these awesome drum stick pencils which will also provide the perfect distraction at work or school for the procrastinators among us.

A Christmas Gift With A Difference

I think pretty much everyone in the world by now has heard about monthly boxes in one way or another, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably a bit bored with them by now as well. It’s not that I don’t think they’re a great idea, I’m just not really a big fan of the fact that you have no control over what you get, and always have at least one item that you don’t really like. But that all changed when I opened this birthday present from one of my friends from this adorable little company called Bookishly. They’re an independent company that can be found on their website as well as etsy or Not on the High Street, (which by the way are two of my favourite places to shop for thoughtful, cute Christmas presents) that specialize in book based products. They do everything from prints to noteboooks to necklaces, but their absolute best is this little monthly box, which from the get go differs from the usual run of the mill boxes as it’s the same themes every month! It comprises of a selection of teabags (the flavour of which changes every month), a stationery item, a book and a handmade bookmark so you can write what you thought of it!

Already I was sold as tea and books and stationery are pretty much the top three things that I will continuously and regularly buy, and oh my goodness these offerings are just the cutest.  As I was lucky enough to receive two months worth of boxes for my birthday I have had one delivered just in time for Christmas, which has provided a great relief in the middle of essay writing season. I just think it’s quite literally the best gift ever for any like minded book lovers and at £13 it’s perfect for a Secret Santa or some slightly bigger bits to add to a stocking. Or if you need a little treat yourself to get you through the cold winter months, there is nothing nicer than curling up with your cup of tea, a good book and writing down some reflections at the end of your day.

Needless to say I’m pretty enamored with this gift, so much so that I’m carrying on the subscription myself. I couldn’t recommend it enough that you guys give it a try and I just hope you enjoy it as much as I do!