Every single year I wonder how on earth I am going to possibly narrow down gift ideas for my other half Luke, and each year by some grace of God I manage to think outside the box and find something that he doesn't already own. Buying gifts for people in this day and age is substantially trickier than back in the day, I say this because when someone want's something, we are all guilty of just going out and buying it? We may save up for months and months to buy it, or we may just think 'what the heck' and splurge, but then when Christmas and Birthday's roll around and we are asked what we would really like, we have more than likely already made that purchase.
Christmas Essentials
Neither my partner or I are really beer consumers, but when it comes to Crabbies Ginger Beer it is a staple item in the fridge. If I ever find myself in the dog house, then I know I can redeem myself by popping a bottle to chill and it helps to soften the blow when I tell him that the puppy has eaten another one of his shoes... I like to buy them ahead of Christmas and wrap them up to go along with Luke's gifts, it's always a well received idea and helps to bulk out the gift front.
We are both big fans of Yankee Candle, and I have seen Luke eyeing up my candle collection over recent months, so I was thinking how nice it would be to bestow a selection of the Christmas line up on him this year...
Socks. Socks. Socks. I will tell you a funny fact about socks, and I am sure you will relate. Socks get devoured within the home. One second they are there, you pop them in the wash and as soon as the cycle ends, you know that there is only one sock left. It's a sad fact of life, socks don't like to stay together, and that is exactly why they have made it onto my Christmas Essentials list. Socks are always a great thing to buy for someone, because you just know that they are most likely wearing odd socks underneath their perfectly suited and booted foot. I love Pantherella, they offer a bespoke service where you can monogram the pair of socks that you purchase, making them a great gift for that special someone.
If you are thinking of essential items this Christmas then you have to add pyjamas to the list, and if you are thinking of PJ's then I have to recommend Cyberjammies. Cyberjammies have kitted our entire family out this year, as I type this I am sat in my very own pair munching on a bag of Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons... Luke has been admiring my very soft snugly PJ's this week, and he did look a little envious, little does he know that he has hhis very own PJ bottoms waiting for him.
Luke doesn't usually wear pyjamas, he's more of a go to bed in your boxers kind of guy, but with the temperatures dropping over the recent weeks, even he has been looking to wrap up warmer at night time. I decided to go for the Rhythm and Blues Woven Check Long Sleeve Pyjamas, they are absolutely gorgeous and I love the majestic colours that have been used. They are made entirely from cotton and have the same luxuries soft touch as mine do.
If you really wanted to get a personal gift though, you needn't look any further than Snapfish. I have used them a number of times over the years and I couldn't resist getting the perfect acrylic photograph made up for the other half. Luke has just moved into his own flat, and he doesn't have anything up on the walls really at the moment, so I thought it would be nice to help him put his mark on the place with one of his favourite photographs.
Thinking Fitness?
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| Schiek Cross Training Fitness gloves |
Both Luke and I are massively into our fitness, we might be taking a break from it at this precise moment in time, but as soon as the festive period is over and January arrives, we will both be working hard to shed the Christmas weight. I like to include fitness ideas within my Christmas guides because it is a time where we are all indulging, and with the New Year just around the corner, we will all soon be setting our resolutions for 2017 (if we haven't already that is!).
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| Bowflex® SelectTech® super heavy dumbbells |
Whether you work out in the gym or at home, you cannot go wrong with a pair of Schiek Cross Training Fitness gloves (pictured above), especially if you have treated your better half to a set of the incredible Bowflex® SelectTech® super heavy dumbbells. I may have included these in my 'For Him' gift edition, but if he thinks I will be sharing these babies he will be sorely disappointed.
The Bowflex free weights are a fantastic addition if you are working out from home like I do, they have an adjustable weight range of 4-41kg, all in one single pair of dumbbells. This has been a huge turning point for me as I have been at a cross roads of wanting to up my weight but not wanting to buy additional dumbbells as my home was slowly being over run by them. So having one set of dumbbells that I can add additional weight to is really amazing.
All you have to do in order to adjust the weight, is turn the dial to the weight resistance that you want for that particular workout. There are 17 different settings with the top weight being 41kg per dumbbell, this makes them a great investment for couples who are looking to get fit from home, as it means that both male and females can get what they want and need out of one set of dumbbells.
I will be talking about the Bowflex free weights even more in the New Year when I get this fitness train back on the tracks, I will be showing you my home gym set up and getting some vlogs together demonstrating how I incorporate them into my personal work out (I will even let Luke have a go so I can show you just how different our workout regimes are, and how we can both get on with the Bowflex!)
Of course however you choose to work out, whether it be at home, or at the gym (or not at all), you always, always need a good pair of headphones, and in my experience it is always best to go for wireless headphones. Personally for me I like to avoid earbuds in preference of full size headphones, I find that these are best when I am out running.
If you are regular readers of this here blog, you will know that we have a Dalmatian Puppy, so a lot of our exercise regime is cardio based. This pup needs a rather extravagant walk in order to burn off his widely sourced energy! We like to go off the beaten track and see some scenery, it's nice to see some different places on our travels and we are very lucky to live on the outskirts of the Cotswold's, so there is always great scenery to be admired.
Of course it's now Winter and we still need to get this pup of ours walked, so when I saw the Scruffs Expedition Tech Jacket I knew that my other half would be over the moon. I knew it was a 'him' coat right away, and I hid it under the stairs (he NEVER goes in there!) before I flew out to New York back in November. So you can imagine my surprise when I arrive back from the States and he looks a little sheepish. He accidentally found the coat while I was away and he was trying to determine whether or not it was for him...
Of course the coat had been hidden away from Luke, so when he realised it was for him he was over the moon. Luke has a number of work items from Scruffs so he was already very familiar with the brand, but he was really pleased by his latest addition.
The jacket has taped seams and a waterproof membrane which helps to provide the ultimate protection from the rain when you are outdoors (perfect for walking the dog when it is wet outside!). It is breathable up to 10,000g and lined with 3M Thinsulate. What we both really loved about this jacket is just how many little extras are included within the many pockets! Luke is especially pleased with the clear PU torch pocket that he just cannot stop playing with.
For The Groomed Gentleman
In 2016 it has to be said, the men have stepped it up a notch on the grooming front. I know men who take better care of their skin than I do, if you have one of these men at home (or in your family) then why not have a look at this really lovely Bluebeards Revenge Eau De Toilette and Shower Gel Gift Set?
Now I might get in trouble for what I am about to say in this next part... But I am willing to bet that if Luke does happen to start reading this post, he won't make it down this far, so I am going to go ahead and say it anyway. Over the years Luke has tasked me with one religious job, and that is to shave his back hair, because that rugged man of mine can get pretty hairy. He has always said how much he would like a body trimmer, and over the years I have looked into this for him but wasn't really sure what I was looking for... This year Luke is going to find a Braun Body Groomer under the Christmas Tree.
The groomed gentleman likes to look after himself and enjoy the finer things in life, so if you are looking for a great accessory that should be in every gentleman's wardrobe, then this Ted Baker Hoffman Reversible Leather Brown Belt might be just what you are looking for.
Gadgets and Tech
- PAIR FOR STEREOCombine two JAM DOUBLEDOWN speakers for rich stereo sound.
- SPLASH PROOFRock out by the pool! A little water won’t hurt this tough speaker.
- RUGGED CONSTRUCTIONFeatures a rubberized body for maximum durability.
- BLUETOOTH™Connect wirelessly with any device in a 30-foot range.
- RECHARGEABLEProvides up to 6 hours of play time on a single charge.
- SPEAKERPHONEAnswer calls directly from your JAM DOUBLEDOWN speaker.
- AUX-IN PORTCord it up and listen on any device — Bluetooth™ or not.
We have been trying to get my office space together over recent weeks, and as a busy family having a printer was an essential for all of us. We have the Ricoh SP 150 SUw Printer set up in the little office space now and it has been a god send.
December has been a particularly unlucky month for my poor little car. At the beginning of the month while it was parked up at the in-laws, it was hit and left with a dent in the front and a cracked number plate, which they very kindly left hanging off my Mini. I was kicking myself when I got back to the car, all I could think was how I should have installed my new MiVue 618 Dashboard Cam.
This handy camera becomes your personal eye witness on the road, and it is something that would have proved invaluable when this collision occurred when my car was left to it's own devices. It means that even when you are not there, you will always have proof of what really happened. It starts to record as soon as you start your car, but it also has the option of a motion detection element, which would make the camera start recording if something happened while you were parked up. This can be made available by installing a constant power supply accessory Smartbox which is available separately.
I have been really enjoying the MiVue 618 (now I have it installed), it not only acts as your eye witness on the road but also records your journey in stunning HD which is great if your hoping to venture into vlogging a little more in 2017! You can even use the integrated GPS, meaning this can replace your old SatNav!
Christmas Day really is all about family time, so if there is something that you can gift that is going to get everyone having fun (up and dancing is better!) then you may want to divert your attention to the Electric Jukebox.
The Electric Jukebox turns your television into the ultimate music player, it gives you instant access to over 29 million songs and hundreds of mix tapes just to keep you on your toes. It takes minutes to set up, and literally just plugs into your television.
The stylish controller can be controlled just by using your voice, no more smartphones and having to type what you are looking for.
Hopefully this has given you a little bit of inspiration if you are still trying to find the man in your life the perfect gift.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us here at Life Unexpected!
Disclaimer: I was issued samples of the above products in exchange for this feature (unless otherwise stated). All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.
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