Christmas 2021 - Gifting

The point of this post is to inspire you. We've all been through enough following last year's lockdown Christmas and the challenges of spending time with family and friends so I know we are all studying the art of gifting, we want our gifts to be surrounded by an invisible ball of hugs and happy thoughst and most importantly of all they need to bring a smile, a moment of joy to our recipient. 

This year I have reached for gifts which I feel invoke joy and inspiration.

This is a rolling feature so remember to revisit for new additions - this gift guide is also best enjoyed with a hot chocolate.

Plantable Greetings Cards by Shroot - Such a refreshing take on traditional cards, the Christmas wildflower wishes are a set of plantable seed papers onto which you write your dreams, wishes or goals and then plant them to see your wildflowers grow whilst the Greens and Greetings are a postable plant pouch with a festive message one the front and postcard style design one the reverse so you can add your message. The pouch contains everything you need to grow some edible pea shoots.

The Gift of Joy by Big Pot Little Pot - I named this as the gift of joy because mine brings me a lot of joy! These are such a lovely gift, handmade cement plant pots available in lots of colours and designs, this one is Navy and will be home to a little christmas tree as part of my festive table scape but I have my eye on a neon one!

The Gift of a Starburst by Sweet Marie Jewellery - Designed in the UK with the perfect blend of vintage meets rock n roll Sweet Marie boutique offers precious gemstone pieces inspired by Victorian design and rock music icons. The stunning Ophelia stardust pendant featuring Diamond and Ruby gemstones is a unique gift.

The Gift of a Project by Craftiosity - You can choose between one off craft kits or subscription options with a fun project suitable for everyone! I'm enjoying the Marbled Candle Holder Project, I've never marble painted before and the instructions are simple. I love that the kit came with some marble pattern inspiration post cards in addition to everything you need including gloves and a plastic tray. 

The Gift of Dewy Skin by The Dead Sea Co - The mineral mask jar claims Purifying, Hydrating and Brightening and after the very first use, I can confirm this is the best face mask I have ever used. I applied the mineral mask with the brush and as mentioned on the jar, I did experience a slight tingle and after gently removing the mask my skin felt well hydrated and looked good enough to skip foundation. I have dry and reactive skin and I'd recommend The Dead Sea Mineral Mask to everyone!

The Gift of Strength by Licensed to Charm - The handcrafted detail on this Frida Kahlo sugar skull is absolutely exquisite with the strength and beauty of Frida's symbolism radiating from the beautiful design. This is such an amazing find, something truly special. When I first saw this, I was wowed by its delicate details. Licensed to Charm have wonderful collectable jewellery all hand crafted their UK studio.

The Gift of Statement by Licensed to Charm - The High Line Vertical Bar necklace is a statement piece  whilst retaining an elegant delicate look. Handcrafted in London, beautiful detailing makes it the perfect item for someone special.

The Gift of Sun by Lusso Tan - I love the story of Lusso Tan, created by three talented Irish sisters with a promise of a sunless tan using nourishing and healing ingredient via a gentle process. Simple to use with a beautiful scent and glowing results. The Love Your Skin gift boxes make a wonderful touch - Summer Meadows will transport you in an instant - with a moisturiser to prolong your sunless tan and a magical bath bomb to remove your tan when you are ready. 

The Gift of Luscious Fur by Poochiful - My dog Rocket the miniature schnauzer loves this ethical and vegan luxury brand. He always smells amazing and is super fluffy after a bath in Itchy and Scratchy and we love a quick spritz refresh with Pawfume or Furfresh which is a great odour neutraliser.  We can't help but pamper our little fur buddies.

The Gift of Creation by Paraffle - A stunning embroidery kit, Paraffle have the most beautiful embroidery gift kits which come with everything you need, including stitch instructions and very clear step by step guides. The selection includes mini sets perfect for stockings and larger kits which make a truly thoughtful gift. Paraffle kits are all created by Sammy in Scotland.

The Gift of You by Myri at Engravers Guild - A beautiful heart shaped pendant engraved with your recipients name (or a meaningful word) select a Swarovski birthstone crystal to add an intimate touch. I've chosen aquamarine and the colour is stunning. Presented in a perfect box.

The Gift of Miffy by Licensed to Charm. These delicate handmade Miffy sterling silver stud earrings are simply perfect for Miffy fans. Licensed to Charm have a wonderful Miffy collection if you wanted to add a matching necklace or bracelet too.

 

The Gift of Love from LoveLox Lockets

Lockets are such a thoughtful gift and Lovelox have a beautiful collection, the website tool guides you through creating the perfect gift from selecting your locket design, choosing if you would like an engraving and one of my favourite steps - you can upload up to two photos and choose their position. Lovelox carefully handcut the photos and fit them for you so your locket is ready to gift. Your locket comes perfectly presented in a gift box along with care instructions and a cleaning cloth. 

The gift of Sleep from The Ives  

Founded by a parent during the 2020 lockdown with the aim of supporting both physical and mental health. Using both scientific knowledge of magnesium's effect on sleep combined with ancient knowledge of essential oils The Ives Dreamer roll on for feet and calves will help your body relax and calm your mind from stress, whilst the Courage day dreamer pulse point roll on will help ease anxiety. Sustainable vegan handmade gifts beautifully presented. 

The Gift of Light by The Sustainable Candle Co - Beautifully scented hand poured in Yorkshire soy wax candles. A vegan friendly brand with a tree planning scheme creating perfectly scented candles from paraben and silicon free fragrance oils. The quartet of festive votives are arranged in black and white glass holders and each has a different festive scent.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Emma x

* Disclaimer - Everything in this article has been selected and chosen by myself, it does contains some press gifted items for the sole purpose of describing or photographing them.

This Is Halloween

 Halloween pumpkin ideas for this year include picking your own, carving great designs or turning pumpkins into vases!

Did I Just Lose Myself?

 I don't know if it's because of the covid pandemic, the lockdowns, the tricky challenges and curveballs life keeps throwing my way or because I'm trying to find a secondary school for my youngest child (already!) but I'm feeling a little lost. I'm not sure where I sit in life anymore and I don't feel like there is any part of "me" left.... it's like "where did I go?" 

Midlife Crisis or Wanderlust Gone Wrong?

When I was little, I daydreamed of travelling the world, I loved globes, atlas' and maps - many of my favourite books had a map in them - even if it was of Middle Earth. 

I'm not your usually sunny beach in Spain sort of tourist, I'm by no means at all an adrenaline junkie but I do have an explorer spark -  when we went to Vegas for our tenth wedding anniversary, one of the highlights was kayaking down the Colorado river and honeymooning in the Maldives meant I was usually snorkelling in the sea with reef sharks and giant turtles. 

Where most of my friends are eagerly anticipating European beach holidays, I'm hoping for an icy trek to a remote Icelandic waterfall, a conservation holiday to the Galapagos, visiting the city of Petra, indulging my spiritual side in Bhutan, Hugging trees in an eco resort in Costa Rica (Luxury eco resort of course)  keeping my fingers crossed for an untouristy Inca trail to Machu Picchu, taking the train with the glass roof through the Rocky Mountains, learning to cross country ski through a Finnish forrest, loosing myself in a small Greenland village or pushing myself to my limits crossing a wobbly wooden bridge on a hike to base camp, Everest.  One of my all time favourite Movies is the Secret Life of Walter Mitty and in it he visits many places on my destination wish list and his imagination is very much like mine.

I have wanderlust and it's bad, an itching desire to explore the world. Our children are almost 12 and 10 and have never been abroad - if we are ever lucky enough to all have time off from school/work at the same time, we have such a large family scattered across the UK that holidays abroad keep being shelved so we can see our wonderful family, with Covid I anticipate it'll be over two years since we last saw some of our family. 

In the 12 years of being a parent, I have managed to travel to Verona for two short weekend breaks and Las Vegas for a 5 day epic celebration, believe me when I say they were wonderful trips and I really don't mean to sound ungrateful, It's just I envisage more travel than that in 12 years. 

Summer 2020 was supposed to be the first year we were taking the children abroad - it seemed like the prefect opportunity to celebrate our eldest finishing primary school ... but covid happened and like all middle class families on the outskirts of London, we got a puppy instead. 

Summer 2021 looks like a write off to - if the pandemic reaches a stage where we are safe to travel, the chances of us all having time off from work and two schools at the same time, having someone look after our puppy and finding a European holiday are slim. 

I can't help but feel a bit deflated, as I'm getting significantly older, I can't actually see a moment in my life where I go to any of the places on my destination list, I think it really hit me when I watched the Sherpa documentary - firstly - it was an eye opener just how exploited some of the Sherpa's are, I would not expect someone to risk their life so that I could have a hot towel or fizzy pop (and how dare the Everest tourists who do, demand that!) and I can't believe that it costs an eye-watering  £100k to climb but the documentary said Sherpa's aren't even paid enough to cover their own funeral costs (if they perish on the mountain it would cost £400 for their funerals)

I think the biggest realisation was that for me, my Everest ambition has passed my by, apart from it being a totally unaffordable sum of money, my goals slowly shifted, I used to think I had as good a shot as anyone at reaching the summit (when I was about 13 I remember conquering Striding Edge on Helvellyn and thinking Everest was totally accomplishable)  then I used to scale it back to camp one and then I started to think I'd probably die just trying to get to camp one but I still wanted to have a go and now base camp isn't even an option! I cannot see a point in my life where I would be fit and healthy enough to do the challenge now I'm a mum in my forties, life has simply passed by quicker than I was able to realise that dream. It was enough for me to go and have a little cry in the bathroom, Its just hit me quite hard that I am indeed a mum in my forties who is never going to climb Everest or even just reach base camp ... so in reality is my wanderlust actually evolving into some sort of weird midlife crisis?  

I tried to give myself a reality check, after all I definitely wouldn't swap my children for anything, not even Everest and crying in the bathroom because I'm not going to explore the world like I thought I would back in 1987 is a little over indulgent ... and not to mention utterly ridiculous when there are literally millions of people loosing their lives to covid right now. 

Get a grip Emma, you can do better. 

Easter 2021 Inspiration Guide

With Easter coming this week, I feel a little unprepared and I know I'm not alone so I've popped together a little last min inspiration guide.

Decorate

Add an instant sprinkle of spring with a window cling, we love the ones from Stickers4Walls a family run company,  because they are super easy to apply and not at all sticky making them easy to remove and reuse too. An absolute winner.

Treat

I love the "Wildlife in Spring" print from Victoria Eggs and it just sits perfectly with Easter - a new British made tea towel, something for me and a nod to spring - this print puts a smile on my face and reminds me of growing up in the countryside.... I might just need to go back and add a tea cup to my collection too!

Chocolate

In the past it has been difficult to find vegan Easter eggs (Especially ones that aren't just dark chocolate) but then the last few years have brought a wonderful choice unfortunately this year I've really struggled - I had 2 online grocery deliveries where neither had any vegan eggs left and the few shops that are open are really lacking, my local Holland and Barrats this year only had a choice of 2 so It's been like a massive step back - I've had to go online, my go to online vegan shop didn't have much choice left at all so I had to try harder to find something good and I'm excited to have discovered a new brand -  HiP Chocolate (Created by John Cadbury's great, great, great grandchild)

Make

With 2 weeks off for Easter and we are still limited to where we can go, or what we can do I suggest grabbing a den kit - I particularly love the simplicity and tactile nature of the Wooden Den Kit currently on offer for £20 from Hobbycraft Everyone loves a den - if we are lucky with the weather - maybe we can put it up in the garden but if it just rains everyday (As is the norm for school holidays) then we can watch a movie from our dens!

Hoppy Easter xx

* I have received non-returnable press samples of some of the items shown for the purpose of this post content and photography. 

Preparing for Easter

Easter is really close but nobody is really talking about it, maybe its because it'll be another lockdown easter - another easter without a big family gathering or cousins playing together, perhaps it's because the schools have only just returned - with only 2 full weeks of school before the easter break, we haven't really had that chance to breathe, think and plan yet or could it simply be the lack of retail presence? 

Easter is usually so heavily commercialised but most of the shops you would pop to for egg hunt supplies (I'm looking at you Hema) or crafting inspiration, chocolate treats or home decor are all closed - whilst some are still doing online shopping - not everyone is and its so hard to browse for inspiration and I can't be alone in feeling frustrated by "out of stock" messages every time I click on something. 

I've also noticed a lack of chocolate goodies in the few shops which are open, it feels like there is less variety, I had my eye on the Nomo Caramel egg which is exclusive to Tesco - I've tried 3 branches and online and it just isn't available... and the vegan creme egg is no where to be found - H&B said they aren't stocking it this year! 

Wondering what the secret is? where are all the goodies? is it possible to shop in only a few places rather than so many bits here and there? 

It looks like we will be doing a very small family of 4 roast dinner, a small egg hunt around the house and I'm struggling to see how we can fit any Easter crafts in, I'm hoping to at least make a spring wreath!

What has everyone else planned? 

Finding Craft Love in 2021

I've always loved crafts, I've attempted many and I'm always drawn to them. I can cross stitch, I can do a very basic knit, I can sculpt things from air drying clay and I can make a pretty beaded bracelet but if we are being honest here, I'm not very good at completing a project, I always get distracted by parenting needs ... and I know I shouldn't say this but ... I'm also a bit rubbish at crafts - I love them, but I'm not a natural. 

The thing is, I've recently been incredibly drawn to crafts, I don't know if part of it is pandemic boredom - There isn't really a whole lot we can do in a pandemic and I need to keep my mind busy and my children busy.

Or is it just that very brutal confrontation of our own morbidity and wanting to leave something to cherish behind? Being fortysomething with only one kidney really makes you contemplate survival odds.

I started making my daughter a scarf using just basic knit, I attended a Hobbycraft press event and there was an amazing knitter there who refreshed my memory on the basic technique my nana had taught me when I was somewhere around 8 but this particular event was back in 2017 and between serious building work on our home and the wonderful chaos that comes with parenting, this partial scarf got left in a box until just a few weeks ago when I rediscovered it and with a mixture of both boredom (these days I tend to feel a bit 'meh' if you know what I mean?) and the curiosity of my children - "what is it?" "How do you knit?" and the predictable "can I have a go?" I picked up that partial scarf and it is now a bit longer partial scarf that may become a snood because it takes me forever just to do one row, this is the most imperfect scarf you can imagine, full of holes, mistakes and quite bobbly for something that isn't even close to completion!  BUT most importantly I have (almost) successfully taught my two children the basic knit! 

I purchased wooden knitting needles and a small ball of multi-coloured cotton yarn for them both - I think for children, the tactile combination of the wood and the natural yarn is quite grounding, I read somewhere that it's very calming for children suffering from anxiety (which most children in a pandemic are facing) and it's great for childhood OCD, it's also a much needed screen free task!

So now I am so full of creative ideas I feel like I could burst! My children also want to explore "off screen"  - I want to try new crafts and expand on the ones I can already do, but most of all I'd like to make things to gift to the people in my life. 

We are entering a weird stage where schools are returning but nothing else is back to normal, not to mention the schools are only back for a couple of weeks before a 2 week easter break. 

I know I'm not alone with feeling a little worried about the children going back and I need to keep my mind occupied so it's the perfect moment to pick up a few new skills.

Have you tried a new craft or rekindled an old skill during lockdown?

February begins with happy news

 It's like there was this crazy rush in December - all the focus was on preparing for Christmas, adapting plans to coincide with the latest, ever-changing  covid rules. It was intense, focused a mission completed. 

Then there was January - a month known for its "blues" but with the chaos of distance school learning January was insane, every day felt like the same long battle of trying to co-ordinate devices, internet access and schoolwork - at times we had 3 live meetings on the go at the same time with Blake's year 7 meaning his love lesson has up to 180 students, Meg's year 5 live lessons grew from 30 to 60 participant where one teacher was off and then there was my husband on his live calls too. My days were spent rushing around - literally feeling like I was pulled in every direction making sure everyone was logged onto the right thing at the right time, both children heavily relying on my assistance to be able to do the work. and of course keeping everyone quiet whilst hubby was working from home - including the puppy. 

If I'm brutally honest, January felt really low for me, we the worry of an elderly relative in hospital and my sister's pregnancy, to the fear of people getting ill - I find it hard not to panic on the days hubby has to go into London (once or twice a week) with the heavy restrictions it sometimes feels like we are just surviving, it doesn't really feel like life all that much sometimes. I have a reoccurring nightmare which I get at moments of stress and its just waking me up most nights at the moment. I know I'm not really ok but the important thing is that I know I will be!

February started with the best of news - we have a new niece! Niece number 7 (and 2 nephews) I feel blessed to have such a lovely large family and so many nieces and nephews to fuss over - It's just frustrating that it would be a 12 hour round trip to see her (and lets face it, I'd be terrified of going near a newborn right now!) 

What happened to January

 You know me, for years now my January tends to revolve around the London toy fair so with it being cancelled it seemed to leave a bit of a massive gap - It seems such a shame to have not been able to see or share with you all some of the wonderful toys to look forward to - after all I think it would be a welcome boost right now. Last year I remember how crazy you all went when I shared the video footage I took of Playmobil's Back To The Future range!

I feel like most of all though, this January I have just kinda stumbled through it. 

Theres been a roller coaster of emotions, there's been moments where I feel literally broken and moments where I feel so extremely lucky. 

Most of you are parents so I know you will all appreciate just how exhausting it is to Home School/ Distance Learn our children - like many others, I'm constantly darting from helping my primary age child and my first year secondary - neither are quite yet at the stage where they can sit unassisted and simply get on - both need my help/advice/assistance whether it be from teaching quadrilaterals to helping visualise the life cycle of a rock to the impromptu science experiments the year 5 teacher likes to hand over. Like you, I have a daily chart so I know which child needs to be doing what and when. My eldest has 6 classes a day - some are live, some not - its hard going trying to fit them all in and even if he stuck to the time table he would be sat at a desk in front of a screen from 9am to 3pm but he always has work left over to go back to so it usually takes a few more hours on top. It's such a long time for a child to be in front of a screen. My 9 year old has 4 live video calls and 3 independent learning sessions after the calls each day.

It's exhausting but I feel lucky that it is my only major complaint.

I had planned 4 posts fo this month and I just haven't been able to write them. I'm sorry. Please check in soon, I will have more to share in February.

Emma x

Outdoor Sparkles

 This winter season more than ever, we need extra sparkles and I know every single time we see a house with festive lights, it puts a miles on our faces. 

I really wanted to add a little sparkle to our garden, I'm a keen advocate of solar energy and used it as an opportunity to wrap one of our trees in a set of fairy lights - 100 led solar fairy lights set on a copper wire gifted to me from Koopower to be exact. The ones I used have different settings for various flashing and twinkling or a solid light. 

Some solar lights come with a back up battery source so they can run off a standard AA battery if its been a dull day and the solar panel hasn't charged enough. 

The first evening I had these set up, they were lit from dusk at about 4.30pm until 10pm and they were amazing but since then, we are lucky if the lights stay lit for 90 minutes - the solar panel is in the brightest part of my garden but I think this must be the realistic expectation for December in the UK.

They're very pretty and I'm keen to see them perform on sunnier days in warmer seasons - I might just add a reserve AA battery for December as festive lights really do make everyone feel happy!

Have you tried any solar garden lights this festive season?

Emma x

Disclaimer: This article contains gifted solar lights for the sole purpose of this piece.

Stocking Fillers 2020 - The Perfect Stocking Recipe

Coming up with unique stocking fillers can be challenging at the best of times, but lockdown, different tiers and isolation is making it just a little harder.

Under usual circumstances you would probably be picking up a little item here or there with other shopping and with most stocking fillers tending to be a lower value item, it can sometimes be hard to justify the postage for just stocking filler gifts so this year I think we are all going to need to be a little savvy in our approach. 

Remembering that stocking fillers are just a little added fun and not the main gift so there's no need to go crazy but at the same time I think Christmas 2020 is going to be all about the little things - so no pressure!

I find the best method is to pick an item from a few of the categories I think mean the most to the recipient - flowing and combining feelings like a little recipe of Christmas love!

The Perfect Stocking Recipe

A Moment of "Me Time' - it's all about a great big dollop of self care. 

Smile Factor - a spoonful of something to induce the giggles.

Spark Joy - add a dash of glitter, sparkle and joy. (not to be confused with thanking your items before donation)

Just for Them - blend it into something personal.

Foodie - there just has to be an edible element.

Keep it Handy - a pinch of something useful.

For the Planet - remembering our home, something eco friendly or a gift that gives back. 

Inspiration Section:

Neom travel size candle in Real Luxury - Scent to De-Stress is just a magical scent. like a big deep breath and a hug all in one. (plus, there's no artificial head ache inducing scent - just pure essential oil goodness)

L'Occitane Hand Cream suitable for everyone, this is a decent, repairing cream to combat the drying side effect of hand gels, cold weather and heating!

Worry Eater - an absolute game changer for little ones, even more so with the curve balls the world is throwing right now. 

PLAYin CHOC - Think eco-friendly, sustainable, vegan alternative to a kinder egg - Cardboard themed play cube filled with two really tasty cruelty free chocolates, a fact card and a thick card toy to build. Themes range from Christmas to Animals and Dinosaurs - enjoyed by everyone. 

Guy Martin Proper belt made from rescued RAF firehose - Handmade in the UK using retired RAF Fire hose, rescued from going to landfill.

Hey Pots, the sweetest little personalised handmade plant pot - you can choose from so many designs to be laser etched on alongside your personalised message with a choice of plants or vegan candles from such a lovely sustainable gifting company. 

Carfume - premium fragrance designed for your car, presented in a luxury painted and wooden bottle. Lots of fragrances to choose from, including leading perfumes and scents such as Sauvage. 

Lego NutCracker Brickheadz 112 something fun to create for the festive season. 

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Emma x

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links within this article and some items in this piece are gifted.

Father's Day 2020

We're in a limbo state at the moment where we might be slowly coming out of lockdown and some shops are starting to open, most of us are still keeping distance and some are even still shielding so what exactly does that mean for Fathers Day?

This year more than ever we are going to be relying on ordering gifts online or thinking outside the box for ways to make the day special.

Father's Day gift guide for 2020.

Neve's Bees Hand Salve with a masculine Cedarwood and Vetiver scent, this is a hard working natural hand balm (to combat all the extra hand washing!) Neve's Bees are including wild flower seeds with purchases over £10 and can include a handwritten note on their Happy Vibes postcard on request. A lovely small business with a great ethos. 

Small Beer Gift Set  A collection of 4 beers to create the ultimate Small Beer journey through the malt spectrum. Deserving of its award winning status and another wonderfully run small company.

Box Wild Dad's Bird Feeder Hamper
Whilst our Dad's are all enjoying the garden during lockdown, this special Dad's blend bird feeder hamper is the perfect gift. You can see the care that has been put into each gift from Box Wild - a small company who's goal is to give our wildlife a boost. 

Star Wars Droids Egg Cup Set - about as much fun as you can have with a boiled dippy egg.

Flash Gordon Illustrated Guide Full of facts and photos, this guide reflects on the original Flash Gordon (Pre 1980's movie)




Tiger Gin with earthy notes, the perfect way to unwind on Father's Day. 




Back to the Future Delorean Art Set A nod to the classic Back to the Future movies, this set of 3 prints showcases the Delorean in each era. 




London Lego Architect Set Looking for a challenge 



Create an online Video VidHug montage 
Get all your siblings, grandkids and next door's dog to contribute a video to your video montage on vidhug - a great surprise to create. 

Emma in Bromley 

Please note, this article contains some affiliate links, however all items in this gift guide have been carefully curated.