Happy Monday #18

It's Monday, it's the start of the week, which means it's time for a lovely, positive start to the week. Katy and Jasmin inspired me with their cheery posts each week, and now, when schedule allows, I join in with a happy Monday of my own. Originally I updated weekly, but as the year has progressed and life has changed (and will continue to do so as we move into 2017), I will be doing these on a more ad hoc basis - when I've time and things to share I'll be here :).

1. A very happy birthday

On Saturday I turned 36 (36, man!) and had a lovely, lovely day. Cards and cakes and messages and wine and wonderful people meant I entered a new year on the planet feeling happy, lucky, and surrounded by love. I'm so fortunate to have the people I have in my life.

View Post

Gift Guide Bonanza - a gift guide for everyone!

I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I set out to arrange my guides around themes, so I set up boards to address a certain interest, area or passion. I've really enjoyed sharing the posts I've written so far, but as we've galloped through the month of November I've come to realise I won't have time to do a post per board - with 21 still to go I wouldn't be able to write about anything else! 

So today this is my bonanza post with links to all the boards I've created. Whether you're looking for a gift for a Harry Potter fan, a baker, a child or a puppy - I've got you. Clicking on each title will take you to the board full of gift ideas. 

Gift Guide: The Baker

Gift Guide: Bathing and Pampering

Gift Guide: Beauty and Makeup

Gift Guide: The Blogger

Gift Guide: The Book Lover

Gift Guide: The Cheese Lover

Gift Guide: For Children

Gift Guide: The Coffee Lover

Gift Guide: The Cook

Gift Guide: The Country Set

Gift Guide: The Disney Darling

Gift Guide: The Dog Lover

Gift Guide: The Entertainers

Gift Guide: The Gardener

Gift Guide: The Londoner

Gift Guide: For Pets (Cats and Dogs)

Gift Guide: The Potterhead

Gift Guide: Stationery

Gift Guide: The Travellers

Gift Guide: Typography and Colouring Books

I'll be adding to all of these boards as we approach the big day - I hope you might find at least one of them useful. Happy shopping!

View Post

Gift Guide: For The Tea Lover

I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I'm arranging my guides around themes, so the lists will address a certain interest, area or passion. Each post has an accompanying Pinterest board too, so I can keep adding great finds as I come to them! I hope these prove useful and that you might find an item or two that works for you.

Today's guide is all about tea - the drink that keeps us Brits fueled up and ready to go. In a year where what it means to be British seems to be in utter turmoil, it's nice to be able to point to a few universals, and the people of Britain love a cuppa.

For the person who enjoys an unusual and innovative flavour, how about this Eton Mess Tea (£8.25, Postea at Not On The High Street)? There are so many varieties and blends around, you'll be sure to find something your friend or relative will enjoy. For the tea drinker who like to be proper about such things, how about a beautiful cup and saucer (£13, John Lewis) to enliven the daily ritual?

View Post

Gift Guide: Cocktails, Beer and Wine, oh my!

As I mentioned last week, I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I'm arranging my guides around themes, so the lists will address a certain interest, area or passion. Each post has an accompanying Pinterest board too, so I can keep adding great finds as I come to them! I hope these prove useful and that you might find an item or two that works for you.

Today's gift guide? Is for the people who know their Merlot from their Malbec, the budding mixologists, and the beer fans - I know I have a few of these on my Christmas list! Of course a great choice is drink itself (I'm crossing my fingers for some Tanqueray 10), but I've looked mainly at accessories and additions.

This 'cheers' sign (£24, West Elm) would look fabulous is any home bar - love the gold tinge of the brass! I love being gifted unusual spirits and mixers to develop cocktails - how delicious does this Blackberry Gin (£22.50, The Ely Gin Company on Not On The High Street) sound? Also on Not On The High Street, how fab are these drink-inspired teatowels (£31, Hey Holla) - a very chic way to keep things neat and tidy!

These cocktail-inspired soaps (£6, John Lewis) would be a lovely stocking filler or a hostess gift - I've actually bought one of these for a friend already and can confirm they smell amazing! For a beautiful wine rack, look no further than this beauty (£30, Habitat) - I love the pretty honeycomb design.

View Post

Gift Guide: For Babies and Toddlers

As I mentioned last week, I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I'm arranging my guides around themes, so the lists will address a certain interest, area or passion. Each post has an accompanying Pinterest board too, so I can keep adding great finds as I come to them! I hope these prove useful and that you might find an item or two that works for you.

As a proud auntie and godmother, selecting presents for the little folk in my life is a real pleasure. Whether it's adorable outfits, great books or fun toys, there are so many wonderful things for little people to enjoy!

I love the book The Fox and the Star (£6.99, Waterstones) - it's a very sweet story and the illustrations are beautiful.  I have a soft spot too for this gorgeous polar bear romper (£22.50, Boden) which looks lovely and cosy for little folk in the December chill!

View Post

Gift Guide: For the Cat Lover

As I explained in my first post on this theme on Wednesday I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I'm arranging my guides around themes, so the lists will address a certain interest, area or passion. Each post has an accompanying Pinterest board too, so I can keep adding great finds as I come to them! I hope these prove useful and that you might find an item or two that works for you.

Today, I'll be sharing some gifts for the cat lovers amongst us (dog-folk, fear not, I have some great finds for you coming up soon as well). Here are some gifts that would be great for a feline fan - I'll share a few here but there are also loads of options over on my Pinterest board (and I'll be adding more finds over there throughout November and December).

I adore this 'If I Fits, I Sits' teatowel (Woah There Pickle on Not On The High Street, £9.50). If like us the recipient has cats who are obsessed with boxes, this is a great gift!

View Post

Gift Guide: For the Happy, Hygge-filled Home

I'm going to be doing my gift guides a little differently this year. By nature a planner, I really enjoy having a good think about what to gift and for me the months of October and November are a fun season of thinking about presents and planning what to give. Add in all the fun that I had at various 'Christmas in July' events earlier in the year and I am just full to bursting with inspiration!

Rather than doing gifts guides for him, or gifts guides for her, this year I'm arranging my guides around themes, so the lists will address a certain interest, area or passion. Each post has an accompanying Pinterest board too, so I can keep adding great finds as I come to them! I hope these prove useful and that you might find an item or two that works for you.

Today's gift guide is for the happy, hygge-filled home. Hygge, long a tradition in Denmark, has really had a moment here in the last eighteen months, and the nation seems more than ready to curl up and hibernate! My board is full of gifts for those who like a cosy, welcoming home each winter. From beautiful homewares to guides to hygge living; sweet treats to bath-time delights, this is a group of gifts for the hibernators amongst us.

My pinterest board is at fifty items and growing, but I also wanted to share a few of my favourite items here on the blog.

View Post

A Father's Day Gift Guide

As someone who's a fan of celebrating, it fits that I love Mother's Day and Father's Day. It's so nice to have a chance to celebrate our parents and to take a moment to thank them for their love and support. We live at the other end of the country to our parents but we always make sure to get a nice gift and a card to them, and call to wish them a happy day too.

Buying gifts is one of my favourite things to do, so I thought I'd put together a quick gift guide for Father's Day in case you're still seeking some inspiration! I actually find our fathers easier to buy gifts for than our mothers, so this was a real delight to put together.

1. Tickets for events can make a lovely gift, particularly as they can often give the gift of time and shared experiences. Whether it's football or tennis, music or cricket, darts or rugby, there are so many great events for fathers who like sport, music or culture.

2. A boxset* of a favourite show is often a great choice - we have lots of boxsets and love them in the winter for long, dark evenings.

3. If you're lucky enough to spend time with your father on the day itself, a homemade cake or a homecooked meal can be wonderful.

4. A bit of a go-to for boy gifts has to be ties or cufflinks. I love the cute ones you can find everywhere, from etsy to House of Fraser!

5. Books are a great gift (always). I'm loving this biography* of Alexander Hamilton at the moment, and there are some other great, dad friendly reads on the market just now. Brian Blessed*, anyone?

6. It's peak gardening season and there are so many gifts available for the green-fingered.

7. If your father likes a tipple, that can make a great gift. I  especially love the selections at Fortnum & Mason, such a festive way to say thank you.

I hope this has given you some inspiration for your Father's Day celebrations.



Disclaimer: Where you find this symbol (*) affiliate links have been used.

View Post