Christmas 2014

As Christmas morning arrived Leo awoke. It was still early when I heard the plodding of his size 11 feet coming along the landing. He had awoken and made his way straight to my room, completely missing the stocking full of presents hung on the inside of his bedroom door. It didn't take Leo long to clamber into bed and ask for the Lego Movie to be popped on the television, but it was a nice quiet half hour as we all came around and woke up slowly. Eventually I fetched the stocking of gifts so that Leo could sit quietly in bed and open them, to my surprise it became apparent that he wasn’t in the mood for presents quite yet.

Once we had all managed to keep our eyes open we made our way downstairs, only to come face to face with an abundance of Christmas presents. Santa really had been in the night! The excitement bubbled in Leo and he raced towards the Christmas Tree to find a present to open, but as Daddy was not yet downstairs, Leo was informed he had to be patient and wait a little bit longer to open his gifts. Of course informing a 3 year old to ‘wait’ when it comes to opening presents went down like a lead balloon… And somewhere between then and Daddy making his arrival in the living room we had lost Leo to a rather bad mood. Even when instructed that he could now begin opening his gifts, Leo was not interested, he did not want to play ball. Leo strode over to the lounge door and said ‘I don’t like you! I slam the door!’ and proceeded to do just that, before having a cry on the stairs… It wasn’t exactly the morning of excitement I had in mind!

I happened to know of one special gift that Santa had brought for Leo, a gift that he had set up on the landing all ready for one very lucky little boy, and at this point it seemed like the only way to put a smile back on his face again. Taking him in my arms I carried Leo back up the stairs to where there was a rather big present, I began to help him remove the wrapping paper until we revealed Leo’s shiny new train table! Of course as soon as he saw the tracks lay in wait, he couldn’t un-wrap the rest quickly enough.

This was where Leo spent the first few hours of Christmas, and I suddenly remembered why we had wanted to wait until later to show him where Santa had left this present… Once Leo’s mood had made a complete U-turn and those dark grey clouds had cleared from over his head, we knew it was safe to head back downstairs and begin opening some more of Santa’s gifts.

The morning quickly dissolved into the afternoon and as usual Christmas was running on full speed ahead. Presents were slowly opened and then played with before moving on to anything else, which of course is why it took Leo a good few days to open all of his gifts, but it was so lovely to see him enjoying and appreciating each of his new possessions.

With such a busy morning behind us we were all really pleased to sit down for Christmas lunch, Roast Turkey and all the trimmings, Pigs in Blankets, Roast Potatoes and Stuffing. A feast fit for a king, Leo had been talking about Christmas Dinner for weeks on the run up to the big day, but I knew he was going to take one look at it and refuse to eat it… I was right. He did. So while the rest of the family tucked into a delicious lunch… Leo decided he would sit and eat Brioche before discovering a love for Cheese and biscuits and feasted away on many of those!

We pulled crackers…Leo almost went flying on more than one occasion, but he spent the entire time chuckling away. He even wore his cracker hat with the rest of us before quickly running away back to his train table at the end of the meal.

The evening was spent over at Leo’s Granddad’s partners house, where even more gifts were bestowed upon him, more food was consumed and Mummy may have had one or two glasses of bubbly! With the moon high in the sky and Christmas day coming to an end, we let some fireworks off into the night sky to see a final dazzle of glitter before Christmas was over.

Leo received some lovely gifts and I am still trying to sort through his toy boxes in order to make room. His favourite gifts by far were his Nintendo 2DS which is proving a luxury on car trips and meals out in order to keep him entertained, and of course the Train Table that is getting daily play action.

Another Christmas has shone like a shooting star and twinkled away for another year, but seeing Leo enjoy the magic and listen out for Santa Clause was such a beautiful experience, and this is just the very tip of the magic to come.

Ice Skating at Webbs of Wychbold

2 weeks ago Leo and I hopped into the car on a cold and dark Wednesday evening, and turned up Michael Buble’s catchy Jingle Bells rendition as we started the engine to begin our journey over to Droitwich for the Webb of Wychbold press day.

By the time we arrived we were both full of Christmas cheer and I had one very excited toddler on my hands, he had been so pleased when I had told him about our ice skating adventure, and had told everyone at nursery where we were going. This was to be Leo’s very first ice skating experience and I was un-sure as to how he would react…

Just as we were nearing the end of our journey and pulling off the roundabout, we saw Webbs in all its glory, and it was suffice to say that Christmas had well and truly arrived in all of its spender.  Welcoming us off the roundabout was an abundance of Christmas Trees full of twinkly lights, and with Michael Buble’s ‘White Christmas’ playing in the background, we were certainly ready for a night of festive fun. 

Of course as I had expected, Leo’s excitement had begun to fade as tiredness set in, and he had already point blank refused the idea of wearing ice skates. When the time came to put his skates on, there was quite a lot of screaming and a few crocodile tears and I worried that he was just quite simply not going to get as far as the ice…

The kids skates were really quite impressive, little ones can keep their own shoes on just like you would with a pair of roller skates, and they are double sided so that they don’t need to worry about balancing on a single blade. They can be adjusted to the size of your child’s feet which means you don’t need to worry about the sizing.

With our skates on and one very un-happy 3 year old in tow I placed him onto the ice, holding his hand tightly… All the while hoping that he would realise just how much fun he could have if he just gave this experience a chance. But he refused to give in, and creating a rather big scene on the ice he decided enough was enough. Luckily there was one more option… A ice skating aid that Leo now refers to as a ‘Ice Boat’. We traded in the ice skates for the skating aid and finally that cheeky smile began to return to Leo’s face, all be it a nervous one to start with…

The skating aid meant that Leo didn’t have to ice skate himself, he sat down on one of the two seats and was perfectly happy with being pushed around the ice. The faster we went, the bigger the smile and he had the best time. The ice rinq is just lovely and this year even boasts a cover over the top so that you can skate whatever the weather, and with the weather being a mixture of drizzle and showers that night, this was a very welcome addition.

The rinq is a great size and with timed sessions going on it was never over crowded with people, this gave us the opportunity to get the most out of the experience. Leo and I decided to really put some speed into our skating and that proved interesting with the skating aid, especially around corners…Although I only crashed a couple of times in the grand scheme of things, and this didn’t bother Leo one little bit. In fact I vaguely re-call him laughing even more when we did crash!

Skating around with Christmas lights all around you on a crisp evening, with your family is exactly what Christmas is all about. It’s magical and memorable and despite Leo’s rocky start, a great time was had by the both of us and we couldn't wait to go back again and take Leo's Daddy, so that's exactly what we did!

I had never been along to Webb’s of Wychbold before and being as local as I am, this is madness. It is such a beautiful place, especially at this time of year. There is so much attention to detail, and they even have Santa around if you want to take the little ones to say hello.

Once you have finished on the ice you can warm up in the café right next door with a hot chocolate and a cake, that’s exactly what we did and it was the absolute perfect end to the perfect evening.

We are already planning on returning in the next week or so, and Leo is so excited to get back on the ice. Maybe this time he will even don a pair of his own ice skates… The jury is still out on this one.

Disclaimer: We were invited along to the Webb’s of Wychbold press day and provided with complimentary entry to the ice rinq, hot chocolate and a cake. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Christmas 2014 - 'For Him' Gift Guide

Men! Whether we like it or not, and whether we care to admit it… We love those men of ours… Most of the time! But with Christmas now only weeks away, you may be wondering how we can shower them with the Christmas presents that they deserve (Lump of cole anyone!?). I always look around at what those men of ours already own and think ‘What do you buy the man that has… Well.. EVERYTHING!?’

I have been busy grafting away ideas for the men in our lives, and here are a few ideas that reflect a variety of different budgets.

Stocking filler ideas…

Stuck to find a little something special to include in their stocking this year? Look no further than the Spotify gift card, which will allow you to upgrade their standard Spotify account to a Premium. You can purchase the gift card for 1,3,6 and 12 months so you can choose to purchase within any allocated budget that may be in place. A month gift card costs £9.99 and the gift card can be emailed straight to your loved one’s inbox for them to use straight away. You can also pick up physical gift cards to wrap up at The Cooperative, Homebase, Argos, Morrison’s and Tesco.

 Looking to get your better half a little something from the children? The McLaggan Smith Daddy Rules Mug could be the perfect stocking filler for the avid coffee/tea drinker in your life. Award winning artist Rebecca Winter has made this mug really stand out thanks to the rather fancy crown, and it is sure to put a grand smile on Daddy's face this Christmas. The McLaggan Smith Daddy Rules Mug retails at £14.90 but you can pick it up from Wayfair.co.uk for £10.90.


Avon Elite Untailored Eau de Toilette Spray is fresh and boasts refined cypress and heated cashmere woods. A real stocking filler treat for a bargain £7.00.

Stocking Filler Ideas for the Tech Savvy Man...

Xqisit Mini Speaker is a Portable speaker for your smartphone, laptop or media player. It's Small and lightweight and delivers incredible sound all at the same time. The Aluminium housing offers great protection and even boasts up to 4 hours external audio from a single charge. It retails at £29.99 but is currently on offer at £26.58 at Amazon.

QDOS Saffiano Case offers great protection for your iPhone, while at the same time offering a practical solution to taking a wallet out alongside your phone. It is bound in beautiful hand-finished textured leather, holds a handy inside pocket and rigid protection all at the same time. It retails at £24.99 and comes in Purple, Brown and Black.

Gauntlet iPhone 6+ Case - Cover your iPhone 6 with a case from the company that knows how to transport your equipment safely, easily and in style. Slim profile slides easily into and out of pockets, Molded texture and easy grip contours provide secure grasp when in camera or gaming mode. The Gauntlet retails at £24.99.

For the man who hates to ask for directions...

CoPilot may just be the one essential app that you need, and is a must for people on the go. What is really handy about this reliable Sat Nav that you can use directly from your Smart Phone is that it works offline, so this eliminates the worry of data charges that may be applied, or even the annoyance and worry that can occur when you run out of signal and your standard directional app decides to give up the ghost.

CoPilot was voted by Which? as ‘ only best sat nav app’ and that is hardly surprising with all of the really handy features that have been jam packed into this one app. One of the stand out ones for me is the ‘ Find my Car’ –  Which has actually proven invaluable to me when I have parked miles away and completely forgotten how to get back to the car! 

CoPilot v9.6.2  is available immediately as a free update for existing iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 users.

CoPilot apps are available from £19.99 for the UK & Ireland version and from £34.99 for the European version and are available on all smartphone platforms.

Give the gift of taste…

Who doesn’t love chocolate? Even the men in our lives like to indulge at Christmas and quite rightly to. It is the time of year where eating too much is expected! Why not send some Guylians Seahorses this year? With a great selection of different flavours from Original, Caramel, Milk Truffle and Biscuit to Vanilla, there is something to appeal to every chocolate lovers taste palette. With prices starting from as little as £1.00 (great stocking filler ideas!) ranging up to £4.00 for the bigger collections, budgets won’t be broken this Christmas!

Who doesn’t love a Christmas Hamper full of treats over the festive holiday? An excuse to sit back and relax with a number of delicious goodies that really do make it feel like Christmas. This year Smith & Kinghorn have put together two luxurious hampers for their customers, the Festive Hamper and the Yuletide Hamper, and what’s more.. When you buy the Festive Hamper, you will receive the Yuletide Hamper FREE!

The Festive Hamper is full of special treats, Walkers Glenfiddich Mince Pies, Thorntons Truffles and Mrs Darlington’s Cranberry Sauce with Port. It all comes presented in a lovely presentation box making it that extra special. They retail at £49.99 and are available to buy up until the 20^th December 2014.

Why not treat your other half to a bottle of something special this year? Glenfiddich have a selection of premium gift boxes each containing a bottle of exquisite Glenfiddich Whiskey. The gift boxes range from 12 and 14 year old Rich Oak, or 15 year old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey.

The range available has a taste to suit all Whiskey drinkers tastebuds, from the subtle oak flavours in the 12 year old signature malt to the vanilla, toffee and soft nutty notes of the Rich Oak, or the spice, honey and rich fruit flavours of the 15 year old bottles.

The prices for the different gift packs are as follows:

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey - £34.00

Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Rich Oak Whiskey - £36.00

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey - £38.00

 For the Nature Enthusiast...

Does your better half love getting outside? Have a feeling that really… He never got around to growing up? Then why not treat him to a day out at Go Ape!? Where big kids become tree swingers and really get to unleash their wild side. Go Ape is great fun for the entire family, and it was only a few weeks ago that I myself popped along to Wyre Forest and dared pluck up the courage for the Tarzan Swing! In fact we visited last year and you can read all about that right here.

You can purchase Go Ape Experience Vouchers online that can be used at any of the Go Ape establishments, and they are valid for a year after purchase, so plenty of time to make use of them! You can choose a gift voucher balance from £5.00 right up to £100.00, so this is great to tie in with a budget.

For the male who likes to groom…

The men in our lives don't just like to take care of themselves now do they? Think about that lady he keeps out on the drive or tucked away in the garage. His most prized possession. His car...  Autoglym have the perfect treat for your man... And the other lady in his life. 'Perfect Bodywork, Wheels and Interiors' is a high end collection featuring 9 products and accessories that will aid in cleaning, polishing and protecting their pride and joy!

'Perfect Bodywork, Wheels and Interiors' retails at £60.00.

The Braun Waterflex Wet&Dry Shaver offers amazing skin comfort and a brilliant close shave thanks to it’s contour-adaptive swivel head. This latest shaver combines the highest ergonomic Braun design with non slip grip and the highest German Braun design quality standards. This shaver has been specifically designed for use in the shower and/or with foam to provide you with the best experience. The Waterflex transforms shaving into gliding leaving the skin refreshed and healthy. What a treat for that special man of yours this Christmas?

The Braun Waterflex Wet&Dry Shaver retails at £159.99 but is currently on offer at Amazon for £105.00.

Give the gift of kick starting the New Year…

The Fitbit Flex is great little device that you wear on your wrist, it tracks your daily movements from how many steps you take, to how many calories you have burnt through those movements. It can pair up with the My Fitness Pal App and automatically shows your calorie deficit for the day. You can set yourself goals via the Fitbit App to help you achieve your fitness goals, and even keep track of your weight. They come in a range of different colours and retails at £79.99.

The Sage Adjusta Grill is another great example for the health conscious man in your life this year, with 2015 creeping around we all turn our thoughts towards eating better and getting in shape (at least after all of the turkey has gone…). This nifty grill can cook a number of delicious meals, from eggs, pancakes, grilled sandwiches to your favourite pieces of meat, it’s an appliance with a great array of functions that you will love having in the heart of your kitchen. You can adjust the feet of the grill to tilt the grill, you can cook flat keeping all of the juices on the grill plate for extra flavour, or you can tilt the grill so that the juices run into the drip tray. 

Retailing at £99.95 this baby is set to help you cook lean food for the rest of the year!

The Nutribullet will help you kick those Christmas puddings to the curb and set you on a healthier path for 2015. The Nutribullet completely breaks down the food you choose, it liquefies and pulverizes fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, a great way to make sure that you are taking all of the goodness out of absolutely everything. What is really super about these machines is you can sneak things that you wouldn’t ordinarily eat inside, for me Spinach and Beetroot.. There are so many recipes to follow for delicious outcomes and all so good for you.

The Nutribullet retails at £99.99.

Disclaimer: I was sent the above products for the purpose of this gift guide. Prices correct at time of publishing. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Christmas 2014 - 'For Her' Gift Guide

Christmas shopping seems to become more tedious each year, who do we buy for? What would they like? What is our budget? I think sometimes us ladies can maybe even be the hardest people to buy for, so why not use some of these ideas for the ladies in your lives?

For the perfect stocking fillers, take a look at the Vaseline Lips Christmas selection. With the cold days taking its toll on everything it touches, it’s only right that we give our lips some extra TLC this Winter.

Here are a few stocking filler suggestions:

The Vaseline Make Up Bag Collection includes Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips and Vaseline Hand and Nail Lotion. (Retailing at £6.00).

The Vaseline Rosy Lip Pouch Gift Pack includes Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips in a lovely presentation box. (Retailing at £4.00).

The Vaseline Pink Crest Lip Tin Gift Pack comes in a Pink tin along with the full Vaseline collection: Vaseline Lip Therapy Aloe, Vaseline Lip Therapy Original and Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa. (Retailing at £6.50).

Avon Luck For Her Eau de Parfum Spray is a lovely light fragrance that is ideal for everyday use. It is presented in a beautifully cut glass bottle. (Retailing at £15.00)

Highlight your surroundings!

Nothing beats snuggling down under a blanket when the cold winter nights draw in, closing the curtains and lighting a few candles to really enhance the cosines of the room. Well unless of course those candles possess the very best Christmas scents of course! The Country Candle Wonderwick Christmas Collection will make a great gift idea this Christmas, the set contains 3 medium jar candles with wooden wicks that emit a soothing crackle while dispersing the scents of Alpine Lodge, Manor House and my personal favourite Gingerbread! Retailing at £32.50 over at QVC they will make a great gift for any candle lover, or multiple gifts if you decide to split each candle up!

Dazzle someone special!

Who doesn’t love a little bit of sparkle? I know I do and I am sure I speak for women far and wide when I say that every lady loves a little bit of bling! With the sparkliest month of the year upon us, we dust off our dancing shoes and find the prettiest of outfits for those parties that we WILL be attending! Warren James have a beautiful selection of jewellery on sale right now in time for the festive season, and it won’t break the bank. Feast your eyes upon the Rachael Real Sterling Silver DiamonFlash Cubic Zirconia Cluster Ring! Beautiful isn’t it!? With an RRP of £54.00… Warren James have reduced it so a bargain £22.00. Now wouldn’t that look fancy this festive season? And why not pair this ring up with this dazzling pair of Roweena RealSterling Silver DiamonFlash Cunbic Zirconia Studs for only £7.00!?

Prepare a beauty bag full of treats!

This one is a great gift idea for anyone on a budget, all you need to do is purchase a beauty bag and include a few beauty products. You can be as creative and adventurous as your budget will allow, but it’s sure to be a winner no matter the budget. This kind of gift highlights the thought that has had to go into it, sneak a few of their favourite items inside and you really are on to a winner.

The bag featured here is the Victoria Green Polka Dot Vanity Case and retails at £14.00 (currently on offer at £12.60) exclusively to Debenhams, it’s a lovely sized bag with plenty of room for everything you could need. I have filled it with a number of goodies:

Olay BB Cream with a touch of foundation  (Retailing at £14.99)

Olay Regenerist Luminous Moisturiser (Retailing at £29.99)

Avon Gel Finish Nail Varnish in Envy, Very Berry and Glamour (Retailing at £7.00 per bottle)

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Glosses in Glowing Peach, Radiant Rose, Lustrous Sand and Pristine Nude (Retailing at £7.99 each)

ANEW Clinical Beauty Heroes Collection (retailing at £20.00 from Avon)

Planet Spa Pamper Treasures Collection (Retailing at £8.99)

If you are looking to really treat a makeup enthusiast then look no further than Avon’s Master Collection Palette. In all it contains 55 eye shadows, 10 lipsticks and four blushers. It comes packed with three applicators and even boasts a built in mirror. It makes the perfect addition to any lady’s makeup collection this festive season and even has some festive glittery addition’s that you just won’t be able to resist! It is on sale exclusively with Avon and is retailing at £28.00.

Give the gift of pampering!

What better time of the year can you give someone the excuse to pamper themselves and encourage them to put their feet up?  The Spa Gift Box by Sandy Bay has everything you need to have a relaxing night in, forget the big party nights out. This is where the fun is at! The set includes 1 Rose and Jojoba Bath Salts and Scrub, 1 Lavender & Chamomile Multi Balm and 2 Blushing Rose Candles! This really is a special treat for someone special this Christmas, and it retails at £35.00 over at QVC.

The Eden Project Wine & Chocolate Gift Bag is a lovely treat for someone special, this set comprises of a bottle of Eden Project wine and one of their delicious chocolate collections. 

The Jute Bag contains:

- A Bottle of Eden Project wine – choose from red, white or rose
- Chocolate Collection

If the appeal of Chocolate and Wine paired together in a set is not enough to tickle your taste buds, wait until you hear about the Chocolate treats enclosed inside. 

The chocolate collection contains five chocolate bars, in an array of mouth-watering flavours! 

This chocolate set is handmade in Cornwall out of carefully selected fairly traded cocoa. 

Each bar in the chocolate gift pack and the outer casing has been thoughtfully designed here at Eden by our team of in-house artists. They've illustrated the wrappers beautifully with unusual facts and the story of chocolate.

The Wine & Chocolate Gift Bag retails at £22.50 from the Eden Project.

This next gift is something I had never come across before, but is a real treat! The Jamela 24K Gold Facial Masks is the lifestyle of the rich and famous! That’s right I said 24K Gold face mask, Gold has always been known for its beautifying benefits to the skin and they really are as unique as they come. The mask is one piece that you simply slip onto your face. It instantly feels soothing and I happily lay around for an hour while it did it’s thing! I was really pleased with the effects of the mask, my skin felt smoother and it was just a very relaxing experience. The face masks come in a pack of 5 and cost £49.50.

Sometimes getting to the salon for a parent is hard, but we all like to look our best, and when you are juggling a child and daily life, you don’t really want to be sitting in the salon pulling your hair out because of the little one’s getting bored do you? The Rokit Nails Kit may be the answer, salon quality nails that you can do yourself in the comfort of your own home. This set is exactly what it says on the tin, and being someone who cannot paint their nails to save their life… I have been very impressed with this nail set.

Retailing at £99.99 and coming equipped with absolutely everything that you need for THE perfect nails, it really is a great buy. Included in the box you will find the Professional LED Curing Lamp, Rokit Lint Free Cleansing Pads, Nail File/Buffer & Cuticle Stick, Rokit Ready, Rokit Remove and Rokit 1 Step Pink Polish. It really is as simple as preparing your nails, applying one coat and setting the Gel with the UV lamp!

The Scholl Velvet Smooth Luxury Pedicure Set is another great way to help a loved one pamper themselves this Christmas. The set is packaged up inside a pearlescent beauty bag and contains all of the foot care essentials that will get your feet looking like a Million Dollars this festive season!

Inside the kit you will find:

The Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi – This is an electrical hard skin removal device that will leave your feet beautifully soft in minutes.

The Scholl Velvet Smooth Intense Serum – It has been designed to provide intense hydration for the feet. The Serum contains Hyaluronic Acid that actually penetrates into the skin, the acid has the ability to retain water which helps to improve the density and structure of the skin. The serum also contains Pentavitin which acts like a ‘moisture magnet’ creating a durable bond with the body’s own Keratin in the uppermost layer of skin. This is so that the water molecules stored in the skin remain there!

The Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi retails at £40.00 exclusively from Boots.

 

Who doesn't love a massage? Especially with the harsh reality of Winter upon us, and staying in is a much more attractive idea than going out. The Scholl Muscle Therapy 2 in 1 Precision Massager has been created for that exact reason, and also helps aid muscle injuries and aching backs, legs and shoulders. This clever massager is hand held and comes with three interchangable heads that provide the user with a selection of different massage options.

Each detachable massage head performs an individual function:- 

The Percussion Node works hard for a deep tissue massage, with the smooth massaging node working at 900-1200 pulses per minute.

The Reflexology Node is more relaxing, using rubberised pinpoint accunodes to leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed after a hard work-out.

The Infra-Red Node which acts fast to soothe aching muscles by using an adjustable heat sensor which varies between 35-70 °c , ideal after a long session at the gym or working in the garden. 

The Scholl Muscle Therapy 2 in 1 Precision Massager retails at £39.99 but is currently on offer at Amazon at £32.57.

Shaving for women is one of those tasks that never seems to be done. You can shave and the very next day the first signs of re-growth is back and it’s far from glamourous. I am one of those people who has fallen out of love with the traditional razor and I had high hopes that something new may come along, and it did in the form of the Braun Silk Epil 7 Bonus Edition Epilator. This rather swanky Epilator can be used in both the wet and the dry, so if you are a little nervous about the prospect of epilating for the very first time, don’t be! Run yourself a nice hot bath, get in and relax. Then give the Braun Silk Epil 7 a whirl.  It comes with a number of different attachment heads, including a shaver head and a smaller epilator head for those sensitive areas. This bonus edition even comes with the new facial cleansing brush, which means you can now look after your skin from head to toe.

The Braun Silk Epil 7 Bonus Edition Epilator retails at £159.99.

If epilating is just not for you then maybe you would be intrigued by the HoMedics Duo, I know I was. The HoMedics Duo isn’t a razor, and it’s not an epilator. It works by pulsing intense light  (IPL) and used Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT) to actually reduce the hair growth. You can use it practically all over, except for your face which you need a separate attachment for. I have just used the second treatment on my legs, and I have found the process simple and easy to use. I don’t find it uncomfortable and I am looking forward to seeing the results. In the long run this could make a great alternative to shaving completely!

You can pick the HoMedics Duo up for £179.99.

Fancy rejuvenating your skin in time for Christmas? The HoMedics NEWA is a clinically proven skin rejuvenation system that actually removes up to 1/3 of wrinkles while lifting and tighting your skin! The treatment is safe, comfortable, pain free and non invasive! The system can be used on all skin types and promises to be a real treat! The NEWA retails at £199.99.

Following on with the pampering theme, how is your fine ladies hair tools looking these days? Could she do with an upgrade? The Diva Chromatix Intelligent Digital Styler has ceramic plates infused with Argan Oil and a top temperature of 220C, with an adjustable temperature dial allowing you to work between 120C upwards. They have a 10 – 30 second heat up time depending upon the temperature you are working with. They come in a  rainbow of different colours and retail at £69.99.

Diva Chromatix DYNAMICA 3400PRO is lightweight but powerful and has been designed for expert results. It boasts ionic conditioning for faster drying, reduced static and frizz for healthy shiny looking hair. It features 4 heat settings and 2 different speeds. They come in a variety of bright appealing colours and don’t cost the earth at £49.99.

Give the gift of the get up and go for 2015!

The New Year is creeping up and it won’t be long before we are cursing all of that Turkey and delicious Chocolate that we just couldn’t get enough of over the Festive Season… And reaching for our gym pass and trainers. We will be vowing to make this year, the year that we do lose a few lbs and get in shape! I know that for me I say this every year, and although I didn’t start in January.. I did eventually give myself a kick up the bum and do it. This Christmas give someone the gift of the get up and go, a helping hand in getting healthier with the PhillipsViva Compact Juicer. This compact model can sit on your work top without getting in the way, and is always on hand when you need a refreshing drink. The QuickClean extraction system allows you to make up to 1.5l of healthy, fresh juice in one go without needing to empty the pulp container.

The Phillips Viva Compact Juicer retails at £70.00.

Disclaimer: I was sent the above products for the purpose of this gift guide. Prices correct at time of publishing. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

The Art Nouveau Amber Pendant

As we begin to look forward to the festive season the mind starts to ponder the gifts that we will be purchasing for those closest to us, and let's face it the gifts we may hope to receive. With October now in full swing, the days growing colder and the nights having truly drawn in, it really is starting to feel a lot more wintry around these parts, and it is only natural that we look to fill our dark dismal days with something sparkly and beautiful.. Or is that just me?

I was recently sent a rather beautiful pendant that I have been really excited about sharing with you all. It is certainly an item that I will be making the very most of over the upcoming festive period, I expect that there will be a number of nights where I will be able to show case the Art Nouveau Amber Pendant.

The pendant is set on a Silver chain and there is no denying the varying hues of Amber that run through the stone. I have always admired Amber but never added any to my jewelry box until now, and it is defiantly a stand alone piece within my necklace collection. For me personally I usually opt for something more simple, and I can usually be found wearing my Silver finger print pendant that I had cast of Leo when he was 7 months old. This is a very special piece for me and is usually something I wear daily. The Amber Pendant will be an item that I wear for special occasions, and is going to look rather dazzling when it makes it's debut over the next couple of months. 

The pendant retails at £99.99 and would make the perfect stocking filler for that special lady in your life.. Don't you think?

I know that with each year we talk about Christmas that little bit earlier, but whether we choose to accept it or not we are officially on count down to the big day. I know that I like the idea of beginning my shopping that little bit earlier than the masses, and I would be telling porky pies if I said that I hadn't already tucked one or two things away, and over the next few weeks I intend to get a list together and beginning to strategically work my way through it.

This year I intend to be one step ahead of the game, I don't want to be sat up on Christmas Eve running around like a headless chicken. I want to be prepared, in my PJ's before 9pm and snuggled up with a good Christmas film accompanied by a rather large glass of Mulled Wine. 

When do you start Christmas shopping?

Disclaimer: I was sent the Art Nouveau Amber Pendant.for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.