Last minute Christmas presents with Smiggle

I have been following Smiggle for quite some time now, just like any child (at heart) I love anything bright, colourful, trendy and this is what "the world's hottest stationery brand" is all about! 

"The world’s hottest stationery brand. Born in Australia in 2003, and now in the UK! The ultimate creators of colourful, fun, fashion-forward stationery!"

Have you ever noticed that stationery is colour coordinated in Smiggle shops?! It's fascinating to see and I think this is what makes a shopping experience at Smiggle more exciting!

With just few days away from Christmas and New Year celebrations I was pleasantly surprised to receive some great goodies from Smiggle: a5 reversey sequin notebook (£13.50) and dippy safe money box (£16.50).

I have seen sequin reversible items online but only got the pleasure to "play" with one thanks to Smiggle. If you just like me don't know how it works- stroke/flipp the sequins up or down and see them change the colour! The notebook has elasticated loop for a pen or pencil and elasticated closure. It almost changes with your mood and keeps you organised and unique as well! 

Money box has been a hit in many households- it keeps your pennies safe and helps you or your child motivated towards a nice goal or a gift. 

"Make sure your money is as safe as fort knox with our fantastic safe style money box made from coated metal featuring fun prints. with a working dial combination lock, you'll never have to worry about losing your money again!"

No matter if you are a teenager (or buying for one), teacher, friend, parent these funky, colourful items (available in few colour choices) could make a great stocking filler or present! 

If you are a big fan of sales, Smiggle have an online SALE with up to 50% off hundreds of goodies, hurry! 

Disclaimer: I have received the items mentioned above for the purpose of this feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gift guide for avid gardeners and cooks: Elho herb station

Until recently I thought that my father-in-law is one of the hardest people to buy gifts for. I have previously bought him a collection of stamps to pursue a new hobby (just like my dad) but that didn't work, since then we have been buying something more practical and useful, something that will be used and appreciated, something that would make his hobby "bloom" literally- garden related gifts. 

If you know someone who likes to cook tasty meals from scratch or even create their own mini garden in the kitchen Brussels herb station by Elho (£9.49- £10.49) could be just the right gift! 

"Using fresh herbs is more popular than ever. With this in mind, elho has extended its brussels collection with a brussels herb station. A spacious planter to mix and match all your favourite herbs of different container sizes and shapes together. Everything together, close at hand, ready to use. Of course there is a pair of handy herb scissors included. The herbs can be quickly and easily cut, without losing any of their flavour".

The moment I saw the herb station I knew it would fit in nicely in a kitchen full of different spices and plant pots. It has a holder for herb scissors (included) and 2 holes on either side for hanging if you choose to do so and ideally can fit in 2 small plat pots of different shapes.

The herb station comes in 3 colours: white, anthracite and nude, which could be ideal for any interior and is made of a sturdy, heavy duty material. 

I just cannot wait to see what my father-in-law thinks of it, should be a hit! 

"Elho pots and planters are widely stocked at all good garden centres and are available online at Amazon and The Worm That Turned website".

Disclaimer: I was sent the product mentioned above for the purpose of this feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide for parents struggling with bedtime: Children’s meditations in my heart book by Gitte Winter Graugaard

The "Children’s meditations in my heart" book by Gitte Winter Graugaard (£14.95) has arrived perfectly on time as L was going through yet another developmental leap struggling to calm herself down, getting overstimulated due to lack of day nap and loads more. It was a really tough period for us as no matter how hard we tried to help L with her anger and tiredness nothing worked until this magical hard back book turned up! 

"The Children’s Meditations in My Heart is a collection of meditations designed to help children drift off to sleep within minutes.

A collection of four meditations for parents to read to their children, Graugaard’s book shows parents how to teach their child the importance of self-esteem and self-love, enabling them to drift off into calming, reparative sleep, their hearts full with love".

The book is designed in such a way allowing a parent to interact and read stories (4 stories overall) that help a child to create vivid pictures in their head all related to love, heart, warmth, being loved and sharing the love with others.

The book's paragraphs are divided and mostly start with interaction where you ask how the child's day has been, how's the heart feeling right now or holding hands activity that is helping to send love from one to another and laslty 2 endings to each story for day time story or night time story.

When reading the book for the first time L showed lots of interest and answered all questions I have asked her about her heart and how the day has been. It was interesting to watch but perhaps made L more lively than asleep, so once I have realised that each story involves a question and answer scenario I started to skip them.

I have noticed that L is interested in the book, every evening she asks to read a book about heart, likes to listen to my heartbeat and asks me to listen to hers, she became calmer ( I don't know if this is a coincidence), she follows the instructions from the book telling her to close her eyes, breath calmly and listen to the story. 

I do think this book made a difference in my child which is a sole reason why this book was written on the first place.

I have mentioned this book at L's nursery as one of the stories works not only as a bedtime story but also may help with separation anxiety which L in particular has at drop offs at nursery. I do like this story but try not to read part that involve or mention death or dead people as find in unnecessary at this age plus after losing my father at such a young age I am just not prepared to explain what that means.

In few words the story is about a cloud that lives where the mountain is that leads to L's (your child's heart is) lovely heart, this cloud is full of love-the love from loved ones and every child has it even though they may not be aware of it. The cloud is attached to a string and when I am away from L she can move the string closer to remind her that I'm always there and my love for her will keep her safe and warm, once I am around L she can release the string until the next time she needs it closer. 

It seems a very symbolic story that reminds L that I am always there, as nursery staff mentioned to me it may be a little bit to difficult for her to understand the full meaning of it but I believe the more you read it and the more you mention it, it can make a different long term!

"Children’s meditations in my heart" book is a new, gentle take on a book that will relax or send your child to sleep.

"Now available in the UK “The Children’s Meditations In my Heart” is available from www.amazon.co.uk priced £14.95 for a hard copy, £4.97 for a kindle copy, and £5.09 for a pdf download from www.roomforreflection.com".

Disclaimer: This product was sent for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide for children: Buddies electric toothbrush kit

Brushing teeth has always been a little hit and miss with L. On some days she would happily do it by herself, on other days I would have to take over. Having said that, I have never made a big deal out of L not being able to do it or not wanting to do it as I thought that the more we push it the more she might rebel!

A couple of weeks ago I came across a fun electric toothbrush kit (£34.99, suitable from 3+ years) from a range called Buddies, which makes brushing easier, independent and fun!

"In my personal experience, my eldest son hated brushing his teeth because he couldn't stand the taste of any toothpastes, especially mint. I got frustrated by the lack of good fluoride alternatives available and wondered whether I was the only parent in this situation. My research through an agency showed that approx 15% of the 200 parents questioned had kids with similar issues. Hence Buddies toothpaste was born.

Buddies is an innovative range of oral care products designed by a mum for children aged from 2 years and above".

Once L saw funny green character on the packaging I knew it would be a winner!

The kit contains:

- vibrating toothbrush (very gentle introduction to movement in the mouth)
- base charger (also a nightlight)

- UK plug

- USB charger

- face stickers

- instruction leaflet

- 3 Buddies mint toothpaste cartridges

My husband and I used to have electric toothbrushes so when L received her own it made her feel just like us as it's so comforting for kids to be able to copy parents and be able to do things like a big girl or boy.

What makes Buddies toothbrushing products different? 

- toothbrush works as a timer as vibrates for 2 minutes giving your child an indication of a start and finish of the brushing time; 

- toothpaste cartridge (supplied in the kit) can be inserted into the toothbrush and releases the right amount of toothpaste directly onto bristles of the brush once the green collar is pressed down (you can of course opt out and use the toothbrush as it is);

- individual toothpaste pump dispensers come in 2 flavours allowing fussy kids to choose which one is the yummiest: apple or mint flavours; 

- the toothpaste tub has a pump dispenser, which once pressed delivers the right amount of paste ("portion controlled dispensing") that allows your child to independently use the pump dispenser (please remember to supervise brushing to minimise swallowing);

- Buddies fun character used as lid on both toothpastes and a nightlight aka toothbrush base or charger, make brushing fun and more entertaining (L has been playing with her apple toothpaste lid for ages) if you add a funny smiley face from the sticker set included in the kit.

"When developing Buddies toothpaste, we worked hard to make the best product we could, whilst avoiding ‘nasties’ such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and certain sweeteners. Our toothpaste is made in the UK, by a company that also manufactures toothpaste suitable for babies".

My 3 year old would insist on pumping toothpaste by herself and likes alternating zingy apple toothpaste flavour with gentle buttery mint flavour. I am yet to work out which one she prefers the most but for those kids who are fussier in that sense it is certainly a nice choice to have. 

Toothpaste itself  (£4.99 for 100ml pump dispenser) is not too foamy comparing to the competitive brands. The night light charger could be an intriguing factor for those learning about day and night/nocturnal and diurnal. L has been using the pump dispenser toothpaste every other day for about 3 weeks now and it still feels full, even though I think I would prefer to have a see through line along the height of the toothpaste to know for sure.

Buddies products could be a great alternative, fun and practical Christmas present for children. If you wish to support and learn more about the brand or to buy Buddies product please visit the store here.

Disclaimer: We have received this product for the purpose of this review/feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide for Foodies and Health & Wellness concerned: JML Nutri Blitzer

For the passed year all our family members have tried to improve their well- being. I personally had many days where I would enjoy my new lifestyle and days where I wanted to "spoil" myself to something that I have craved so my journey and progress perhaps was slower than I wanted. 
I decided to cut down on carbs and swap brown rice for boiled broccoli and cauliflower as I felt bloated in the evening and then few days later, I have tried to stay away from bread and other wheat products and introduced some gluten-free products, one of them is my new favourite gluten- free vegetable lasagne that even L enjoys eating too (proud moment as L normally wouldn't eat vegetables at all) and my last change- lots of freshly made fruit smoothies with the help of my new gadget- JML Nutri Blitzer (£49.99) courtesy of Superdrug.

I have previously used a basic jug blender which was poor in comparison to Nutri Blitzer. To start with Nutri Blitzer has a shiny black base, comes with 2 different type of blades (for smoothie making or grinding nuts and even leaves), power base can be used with either 1 large 900ml cup with the handle and or one of the 2 small 650ml cups with handles, all 3 can be used with resealable lids. Seems too perfect for a little clever machine! But I think I have found my new little helper and my motivator for yet another healthy year (or years) ahead of me! 

If you ask me " Should I invest in Nutri Blitzer for Christmas or any other occasion for that matter?!" I would say a definite "YES". It has been an eye-opener how technology has moved on and how easy it is to "receive" nutrients with a nifty gadget such as Nutri Blizer! 

 "So if nutrition and healthy living are at the top of your wish list for a new, happier, healthier you, look no further than the incredible Nutri Blitzer. The original nutrition extractor to get the essential ingredients your body needs".

Disclaimer: I have received the product mentioned above for the purpose of these review/feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift for GIN lovers

I have never been an alcohol enthusiast but I do like to see what's trendy and why people are having obsessions over a certain alcoholic drink! The latter would be more referred to the sparkling beverage which seemed to be quite popular but I want to talk about a slightly different drink, some would call it even more sophisticated and modern- Gin! 

Believe it or not, I have tried gin for the first time about a year ago or so which was served with tonic water and a rosemary in my glass, which was a really nice touch and a delightful drink in general!

Once the "C" word started to slowly creep into our lives I came across a unique gift idea for gin lovers, for those who appreciate the drink, perhaps for those who like novelty drinks or those looking for an alternative presents. Would you like to know what it is? It's Gin Baubles from Master of Malt (£29.95)! 

Gin baubles come in a little themed cardboard secured into a foam style insert. Six colourful baubles come with a red ribbon attached to the top of the plastic bauble, which makes it a safe and a thought through gift! 

I have received compliments about the gin baubles and according to feedback/comments from Master of Malt website the gift set was sold out last year within minutes! I would certainly be over the moon with the present like that- unique, stylish, practical and tasty!! 

Disclaimer: I received the product mentioned above for the purpose of this feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide: Fabulous Christmas Hamper by Prestige Hampers

Since L started pre-school I always had an idea in mind that one of the best gift's for a teacher could be a hamper full of useful and delicious treats! 

Now that we are heading towards Christmas I have few gift guides scheduled and I wanted to begin the series with a lavish Luxury Hamper from Prestige Hampers. 

"Prestige Hampers are a leading online retailer of hampers & gifts with an enviable reputation in the industry for quality & service".

I have received Fabulous Christmas Hamper (£49.99) which comes in a tall wicker basket and contains:

- Founders Stone Merlot (187ml)

- Founders Stone White Zinfandel  (187ml)

- Founders Stone Pinot Grigio (187ml )
- Natural Sea Salt Yorkshire Crisps
- Pumpkin Seed and Cranberry Biscuits for Cheese
- Matthew Walker Luxury Gold Christmas Pudding
- English Afternoon Tea 20 Teabags
- Honey Blond Chocolate Bar
- Belgian Marc de Champagne Fancy Truffles
- Belgian Chocolate Caramel Thins
- Mackays Scottish Strawberry Preserve
- Mackays Dundee Orange Marmalade 

Delivery took around 2 working days from the moment of first contact to delivery to the door which is a really good for those rushing to make last minute arrangements. You can also add personalised message on a card and choose preferred delivery date. Hampers are being delivered by Royal Mail so if you are not home it can be left in your safe place if you have such an agreement with a postman or can be collected from the post office.

I could resist and tried Honey Blond Chocolate bar which was a very tasty white chocolate bar with a bit of honeycomb crisp to it, I have also tried Belgian Chocolate Caramel Thins (I am guilty of not sharing it with anyone) and found the chocolate to be rich but not too much. I can only assume that the rest of the items from the hamper are as delicious as the ones I have tried! 

I can envisage that this Luxury Hamper could be popular amongst those who want to buy a shared present for teachers and teaching assistant as a snack or stress time snacks or perhaps could be perfect for a larger family as the hamper included 3 mini bottle of wine which could be shared between grown ups.

Once all treats are shared and eaten the wicker basket could be a great storage container for arty supplies or even make up products, as it's such a useful and a very practical item!

Visit Prestige Hampers website to view the full range of hampers.

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this feature. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. 

Christmas gift guide: Bathing Bunnies hooded towel review and giveaway

When L was newborn my mum brought large offcut of towelling fabric for me to cut into large strips. Since then I have been using this fabric to catch L's sick instead of musling cloths, used to put towelling strips on a sofa when L was playing next to me (hygiene reasons) and of course used to dry L after bath. 
As L is getting older I thought it would be the right time to introduce her to a cute toddler towel, courtesy of Bathing Bunnies. 

"Bathing Bunnies prides itself on designing and manufacturing high quality, luxurious towelling gift products for babies and children. Our range includes baby and toddler towels, bath robes, bibs and bath mitts".

Bathing Bunnies toddler range offers a great range of animal and novelty characters featured on bath towels or robes. I have opted for bunny toddler hooded towel in pink (£27.49). The towel arrived nicely and neatly presented with a cute, freckled bunny being a centrepience of this package. 

From just a simple touch I could tell that Bathing Bunnies hooded towel will absorb water well (made of 100% cotton velour terry towelling material) we just needed to wait till L's next bath time session to test this in practice. 

But firstly I wanted to see L's reaction when we both unwrap the "present" (that's how I call every new item L gets). L was absolutely delighted with the bunny character, perfect features with big floppy ears, big eyes, freckles and even a bow, what more can a little girl wish for..to try it on of course!

L absolutely loved the hood, which she called "a hat" and after every wash she would insist on putting her bunny hat on and would wrap herself in the towel as the size of it allows to do so. I am not quite sure about the exact measurement but the hood covers the head very well, both sides of the towel are wings alike and give enough "coverage" for the little grown body to feel wrapped up warm. 

Bathing Bunnies products can certainly make a great Christmas present for a special little one/s. For that special occasion Bathing Bunnies are offering embroidered personalisation for up to 9 letter for additional £8 and a gift box £3.50. 

Fancy winning Bathing Bunnies Giraffe toddler towel? All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below (the competition ends on 12 December 12am):

a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide: Aroma Home products

Aroma Home has a great variety of products- from aroma scented hot water bottles to novelty slippers and much more.

"Aroma Home Ltd design and manufacture an innovative range of novelty gift items, personal body warmers and fun slippers".

We were kindly provided with Soothing You microwaveable back warmer suitable for men or women suffering with back problems and a cosy mini hot water bottle and slippers gift set (£19.99) for her.

I am very thankful for being offered the opportunity to review and feature the back warmer, simply because my husband has been struggling with frequent back problems for quite some time now and we found that using hot and cold compress can be a little fiddly when you don't have right "equipment".
                              
The first thing you notice is how beautifully the back warmer is presented and looks (available in sky blue or lilac).

There are instructions on the reverse of the box, but it is self explanatory regarding the heating procedures. The back warmer strap is a very comfortable soft material (velvet) and is very easy to fit with velcro within, allowing simple adjustments regardless of size (although it fits up to 44” waist).

                                
It takes approx 2 minutes to heat the internal inserts and they simply require refitting into the allocated compartment on the strap, then push the velcro together and you are done.

You can immediately feel the gentle warmth soothing your back as well as lavender aroma gives that relaxing feeling too. I personally had to flatten the inserts better to avoid any pressure from the pads as they are bulky and weigh a bit, so may need adjustments based on preference. 

                               
The weight of the strap is not too heavy and therefore allows you to continue doing things around the house without knowing a belt is strapped around your waist!

The fact that the heat retention is good and that the warmer can be reused are excellent features making it a great treat for yourself or a nice and thoughtful gift.

Mini hot water bottle and slippers is another great gift for any female in your family. 

"A great gift combination for those who like to get cosy. Both the soft grey or pink slippers and soft grey or pink hot water bottle are in the same matching cable knit. The combination of soothing warmth and cosy fleece lined slippers is perfect for helping you drift into a restful sleep or simply for snuggling up with on a sofa".

Even though it is called mini bottle it seems sufficient enough to keep you warm, save to say that you will be warm not just from warm water inside the bottle but also from a cable knit bottle cover, which provides additional heat and insulation. 

The gift set may look a little simple from the pictures but it does look much better "in person" and will certainly keep you or your loved one warm during those dark, dull days and nights. 

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review and feature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide: Baby Annabell doll

For quite some time I was rejecting the idea of buying L an interactive doll purely because she had a basic one and secondly I thought that it might be a little bit too early for her. When L hit potty training stage I thought it the perfect time to try out Baby Annabell doll (£36.99)who will be helping L to master potty training at home or at nursery.

Little Baby Annabell is very realistic looking, even though it has the soft body it can fall asleep, cry, go on a potty, babble and much more.
Before L got her hands on the doll I wanted to have a little play myself which was a good decision as it saved us some real tears due to L's anticipation. Baby Annabell doll is dressed in a fleecy, baby pink romper and a hat that comes off easily, it also comes with bottle, dummy, bib, nappy and cute pendant.

Batteries are not included, to bring Baby Annabell to life you would need 3 AA batteries. Once batteries are in and the switch is turned to "On" little doll starts to babble and giggle every now and then. As the doll comes with instructions it makes it easier to understand how to respond to her noises and needs. 

What to expect from Baby Annabell: little interactive doll will make cute babbling noises, as well as cry and fall asleep, it will close and open it's eyes when given a dummy or a bottle as well as move her mouth/lips (you may also hear her inner mechanism working), it will yawn and make loud sleeping noises, will fall asleep when lying horizontally and rocked back and forth, can wet the nappy (re-usable) or do a wee in the potty.

L seems caring when playing with Baby Annabell (and that's how she calls her too) but does need my help when wants to feed the doll or put her on a potty.

What mummy likes: the noises that come from the doll are not loud enough to annoy a parent and the doll will cease making any noises if not played with for a while, which means there won't be any sudden noises in the middle of the night! It's great for imaginative role play and helps develop good, caring qualities.

What L likes: playing and looking after the doll and repeating what mummy does on a daily basis- offers the bottle, gives dummy, changes nappy, goes on a potty.

I did notice that sometimes the doll doesn't understand that she is offered a dummy or a bottle and to make sure she respond you need to firmly (but not too much) push any of these 2 accessories in her mouth. 
To make Baby Annabell cry with real tears or go on a potty you would need to fill her up with water, you cannot use anything else apart from clean, pure water. Once the bottle is in doll's mouth squeeze the bottle allowing the water to go down "inner tube". Before placing the doll on a potty take the romper off and press pink heart (you will feel the button under the fabric) which will release the water from the back of the doll. This is something that makes L impatient as you do have to press the button few times to release all of the water but I try to do it myself.

Space for improvement: I would have liked it even more if it didn't have soft, fabric body for practical reasons so that L can do whatever she likes with it. 

Baby Annabell is not parent proof as I have noticed that it will babble or cry even though the dummy is still in the mouth or her eyes are closed and she is laughing away. It maybe of course my batteries, but for an innocent, young child not knowing all parenting hacks it's a great basic interactive doll which will make any boy/girl happy for Christmas or birthday!

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas gift guide- VQ Mini Retro DAB radio and giveaway

When I was little I remember my mum getting ready to work whilst listening to DAB radio, I have followed this tradition until moved to the UK as physically couldn't take everything with me. I may not be a night club goer or a follower of recent charts but I do love to listen to music, new and old dance hits are my main choices. 

Few months ago I started to notice lots of advertisement for colourful yet retro designed VQ DAB radios which caught my eye straight away.

"No matter how you look at it we’re British to the core, VQ is a British owned and managed business. We take our inspiration from the fusion of iconic British sound and style. And all our DAB+ radios and Bluetooth speakers are born in Britain with British designers and high quality British components.

VQ DAB+ radios and Bluetooth speakers are crafted to match your style and let you express yourself through colour and design".

When VQ offered to review one of the models I didn't know that it will be a love from the first sight! Mini Retro DAB Radio  (£59.99) looks sleek in deep purple colour (originally wrapped in a dust bag), incredibly easy to use and makes a great centrepiece in any room.

When you first power up the radio it starts auto scan for radio stations available, for those who are too excited to wait you can also carry out the search manually by accessing the "menu".
Once you have found your favourite radio stations you can save them (up to 30 presets ) by pressing and holding "star" button and choosing the right present. To play saved stations you need to press "star" button once and then "arrow" buttons indicating left or right depending where in the list your favourite station is.

What's very interesting as well the radio sets up date and time automatically too, no need to faff about with buttons, it's all done for you! The signal and quality was very consistent in almost every room apart from kitchen when I had to use aerial attached to the Mini Retro.

Now to my favourite feature- bluetooth, I had a little bit of the "blonde moment" when tried to pair up the devices for the first time, but then eventually I remembered that I need not only to choose "bluetooth mode" via "mode" button on Retro Mini but to select the device I want to pair on my phone too. When this was done it was a matter of seconds until my new funky radio was playing my favourite tunes. You can be in any room in your house with your phone or other smart device and change the music or volume on Mini Retro.

Other features:
- clear, rich sound ( you will not hear any glitches or any other background noises apart from the tune itself)
- alarm
- personalising sound ("MyEQ")
- recalling presents saved
- can be powered into mains or with 4 AAbatteries (not included)
- telescopic aerial at the back of the Retro Mini 
- headphones, Aux-in and USB ports
- up to 15 hours of on the go entertainment 
- comfortable little handle for easy transportation from room to room
- can be connected to smartphone, MP-3 player or tablet via Bluetooth or Aux-in
-  the smallest VQ DAB radio (224 x 147 x 105 mm)
- dimmed display
- premium leatherette wrap in a variety of colours (19 to be precise) to choose from
- you can mute the radio by pressing "play/pause" button
- easy to read and understand quick start guide

VQ Mini Retro DAB Radio is a very clever and useful device, suitable for any generation or gender and will make a perfect Christmas or birthday present!

Fancy winning yourself or your loved one one the the stylish VQ Mini Retro DAB Radios?  All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below (the competition ends on 9 December 12am):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The post in written in collaboration with guest poster- my other half.

Christmas Gift guide: Fairy Tale Gourmet

I would like to finish my Christmas gift guide on a sweet note, literally. Few weeks ago I came across Fairy Tale Gourmet chocolate company and their eye-catching fairy tales sweet collection.

 "Fairy Tale Gourmet is an award-winning, London-based company leading in innovation of high-end chocolates, desserts, and other original gourmet creations, offering a unique experience inspired by the literature of fairy tales.

Based on extensive research on international cuisines our team has developed exclusive recipes, transforming fairy tales into a new adventure of flavours. Each product has a story to tell, through contemporary designs and sophisticated presentation.
We have worked with Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and retailers in Europe, in the USA and the Middle-East".

                     

"Our cakes vary from rich and moist brownies to soft and fluffy sponges, including an egg-free recipe with one the most powerful antioxidants in the world: Fo-Ti. This ingredient is prepared from a rare plant that grows in the mountains of central and southern China. Health benefits surround this incredible tonic herb and it is known for reversing grey hair. Also, the Himalayan Pink Salt used in our recipes has a rich mineral content".

These are just few of their creations:

So cute and I bet so tasty!!

Christmas Gift guide: Macy Boo Gifts freestanding reindeer

Last weekend I started to decorate the house for Christmas, we have a tin Christmas tree, few plain wooden decorations courtesy of my mother in law and a cute freestanding reindeer courtesy of Macy Boo Gifts on our fireplace.

"Hayley is a mum to little Macy Boo who will be 4 in February. Originally started to make a few things to sell when Macy was 1yrs old to help buy her clothes, take her on little holidays etc. The business just grew and grew and now Macy Boo Gifts have around 10,000 followers!!! Hayley still works at the local hospital 3 days a week and works at Macy Boo Gifts in between".                                   
I have picked to review a freestanding reindeer as they can be personalised with the name or a small message for example "Merry Christmas" and will be a great decoration for a shelf or a fire place. 

Freestanding engraved reindeer is made of MDF, hand painted in red, finished with golden polka dots and gold or silver engraving and a dust of glitter to sparkle.

This cute and not so little reindeer has a button nose and jingle bells decorations on his neck and comes in 2 sizes 15cm tall (£12) or 20cm tall (£15).

Macy Boo Gifts make great decorations for any occasion, if you are a last minute person give Hayley a nudge and maybe she will be able to sort something out for you, but hurry!

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review/gift guide. All thoughts and opinions are my own.