With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sneaking up on us, this seems to be the weekend that people really throw themselves into their Christmas shopping. And sometimes, when there’s a big discount on offer, it can be so tempting to splash the cash – and really difficult to stick your usual ethos of shopping ethically […]
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If you’re wondering what to get your youngsters for Christmas this year, or are planning to donate to a charity Christmas gift appeal, I’ve put together a wonderful collection of fun and educational gifts for all ages – from toddlers to teens. Plus, you can win a kids’ microscope kit in my festive giveaway so read on to enter…
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Whether it’s a post-exams treat, a birthday present or a celebratory GCSE-passing gift, you’ll probably need to think outside the box the next time you’re buying a gift for a teen. The usual toys and games just aren’t going to cut it anymore, are they? Here are some ideas that you might not have already thought of:
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Straight off the back of Mother’s Day, let’s chat about Father’s Day! Let’s face it, when it comes to buying your dad a gift, you probably need to think a bit more out of the box than a traditional tie. But don’t panic – Father’s Day isn’t until 16th June, so you’ve got plenty of time to make some plans. What are some affordable alternatives for Father’s Day this year? Here are 7 gift ideas for your favourite fella…
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Sustainable present ideas to help you stay eco-friendly this Christmas while shopping for gifts and stocking fillers…
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It’s Fathers Day on Sunday but don’t worry if you haven’t sorted out a gift for Dad – here are 4 ideas for great last-minute gifts that you can make or organise yourself…
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Valentine’s day isn’t just about new couples or married folk; if you’ve got family and friends you want to celebrate with, go ahead and give them a treat this Valentine’s day with these alternative gift suggestions…
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Yes, you may have been rather disorganised and got into the Christmas spirit too early this year – but even if you haven’t done all your present shopping, there’s no need to panic. The Christmas countdown is well and truly on, and with just a couple more shopping days until the big day itself, there’s […]
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I’ve been DIYing again, and this time I’m making Christmas gifts. After the fun I had making my Christmas jumper bunting for Emmaus, I jumped at the chance to join in with their Second Hand Santa Challenge again during gift week. I decided to made gift boxes and frames that could be the ‘wrapping’ for […]
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Okay, I admit it. I’ve not bought a single Christmas gift for my husband yet. I’m guessing that next week will be a busy one for me as I scramble around to fill that stocking. You would imagine your husband is one of the easiest persons to shop for, but it might take longer to decide […]
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This year, I’m planning to treat my family and friends to some meaningful gifts. Sure, I could head out onto the high street and get sucked into all the hustle and bustle of buying presents on a grand scale. But often this results in me not quite finding the ideal gifts for the people I […]
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Some people are just naturally good with gift buying, whereas others are just not that gifted (excuse the pun!) It’s always a tricky time when a loved one’s birthday is coming up – you’ve bought them everything you can think of in the past, so what do you get them this year? The new trend […]
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There are lots of quick and easy ways to give your home a unique and highly personalised look. One of the easiest, and often the most affordable ways, is using your own photos. Most of us take a lot but rarely do anything with them, apart from maybe posting a few online. You can take […]
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Giving someone a personalised wedding gift is a great way to show family, friends and loved ones how much they mean to you. Many people are turning away from traditional engagements and weddings, and asking for gifts from a wedding list is less popular than in recent years. Even though most people will already have […]
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When the sun is shining, and the house is getting unbearably hot (and I’m scoffing Twister ice lollies just to keep cool) I take a look at my cats and feel sorry for them. Okay, I know they’re supposed to have fur but blimey they look really fluffy right now.And seeing as shedding season for […]
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With Valentine’s Day coming up next week on the 14th February, I thought I would share some ideas with you for an inexpensive night in with your other half.If you want to avoid the crowds in busy restaurants and don’t fancy filling your home with heart-shaped mugs and pink teddy bears, this could be the solution […]
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Shopping for Christmas gifts need not be an expensive activity, in fact it it an opportunity for a having little thrifty fun. It’s often the case that the best presents are not very expensive, but are chock full of sentimental feelings; something that can help to bring up funny memories and remind you of beloved relatives. […]
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Over the past month I’ve been busier than an elf in Santas workshop – yes, I’ve been DIYing lots of festive projects ready to share with you on the blog this December. And what better way to kick off the month than with a simple gift project – a felt camera case.This easy-sew project lets you […]
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I know you’re all thinking about Christmas shopping by now. Well, I’m ready to get started on my annual gift hunt – I’ve even bought the wrapping paper! In my search for special gifts and thrifty treats I stumbled upon Discovered. This online marketplace recommended to me and I’m glad I took the time to check […]
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What better time to celebrate your best friends than on Galentine’s Day? Yes, that’s right, I said GALentine’s Day. If you’ve not heard of it yet, it’s simply putting a name to what we’ve all being doing for years; celebrating our friends. I’ve seen so many more Galentine’s-related treats being shared on Pinterest this year; in […]
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Did you ever read ‘The Christmas Book’ as a child? I am reading it right now! I’ve been treated to a couple of pre-Christmas gifts so that I could enjoy them before the big day, and this vintage book was one of my Christmas eve presents. I’ve taken some quick snaps to show you just how […]
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It’s that time of year again – gift guide time! I know you’ll all be shopping for presents this week (I know I am!) and if you’re not already ‘all shopped out’ after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I’m sure you’ll appreciate a few ideas I’m sharing today. First up is a gift for everyone […]
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In our house the countdown to Christmas has begun. Not only am I super-excited that my favourite time of year is less than 10 weeks away, but I’m preparing myself in a thrifty sense too. We all know that the cost of Christmas can soon add up so this month I’ve started buying gifts to spread […]
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There’s just one week to go until Father’s Day – did you know it was coming up on the 21st June? I always feel like this occasion sneaks up on us, so I’m often vastly underprepared. But this year is different; I’ve been doing my research and have come up with some ideas for the dad […]
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With only one week until Mother’s Day it’s time to get organising some treats for mum. I’ve been thinking about what to do for mum for about a month now and I can’t wait to take her out for the day (but it would be spoiling the surprise if I told you where we are going!). If […]
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If you’re as crazy about your pets as I am about my cats you’ll understand why I feel the need to share this information with you today. Okay, okay, I know I’ve already bought Christmas stockings for my cats and I’ve shared a festive gift guide for pets a couple of weeks ago, but that was […]
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I’ve pretty much finished all my Christmas shopping and am pretty sure that I’m going to be spending all weekend wrapping gifts, so long as all my deliveries arrive today. Yes, I’ve been doing most of my festive shopping online this week and I want to quickly discuss just how very convenient it is to shop this […]
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It’s Father’s Day next weekend and for once I have remembered this special occasion in advance, so it won’t be a mad dash to the shops to find a suitable gift. I usually find present-buying rather stressful because it’s hard to know exactly what someone else would want and I don’t want to ask them […]
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This is a thrice-yearly problem for me. I have a husband who doesn’t want anything. For birthdays he insists he’d rather no-one celebrated it, at Christmas he claims he doesn’t want a stocking, and thinks that Valentines Day shouldn’t warrant any effort. Actually, make that 4 times a year: even on our anniversary he starts dropping hints […]
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It’s the big day! I’m busy giving gifts (I can’t wait to see hubby’s face when he opens his present!) and I’m currently opening my stocking from Santa so I just wanted to say a quick Merry Christmas and I hope you have a magical day!
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I’ve been thinking about last-minute Christmas shopping and what you can do when you receive an unexpected gift right before Christmas. There might not be time to pop to the shops to find a little something, and there certainly won’t be time for online stores to deliver before the big day. And what if your gift recipient […]
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This week I have been in the kitchen making my very own stash of preserves ready for the winter. But I’m not only making them for my family’s table, I am also making a few jars to give to my foodie friends as gifts! I’ve had a huge harvest of apples on my tree this […]
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I’ve spotted a trend for festive interior decor this year – framed Christmas prints. I’ve seen them popping up in interior design magazines and DIY hacks are all over Pinterest so I’m certainly going to be following this trend and creating my own festive artwork this year. I love this idea for Christmas decorating because it takes up no room, just […]
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I love looking at catalogues at this time of year. There’s just something special about Christmas gift guides that gets me in the mood for the festive season – even if I don’t ever buy anything from them! Although I try hard not to get excited about Christmas too early, I am a bit of a […]
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I’ve received fantastic news that my little lifestyle blog has been honoured by REXLondon.com as one of their favourite blogs. They contacted me to let me know that I’d won this little award for my crafty sewing projects and that they had shared details of my blog on their ‘beautiful crafting blogs’ page. Here’s what they said about […]
Read MoreIf you’re a long-term follower of my blog, you’ll know how much I love lucky cats and oriental design, so it’ll come as no surprise that I’ve chosen my collection of lucky animals as the starting point for July’s Inspiration Challenge. And I’m delighted to say that the lovely Joanie from Joanie’s Gifts shop has […]
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This week I treated myself to a book that I’ve had my eye on for a while called Crafting Christmas Gifts. I know it’s a little early to be thinking about Christmas, and usually I wait until after bonfire night before starting to get excited about the big day, but this year I’m going to […]
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