Gifts for the Foodie/Baker

At the more expensive end of the scale is a Stand Mixer, though these can be bought for between £50 to £300+ depending on the brand you choose. Kitchenaid mixers are very popular because of how pretty they are but Kenwood mixers are just as good for a fraction of the price from what I hear. To go with that, you could also purchase a Recipe Book or two to start them off. If your friend has a specific diet or allergy such as vegan or gluten free then finding them a recipe book designed specifically for this will be much appreciated I'm sure. For someone who's planning on moving away from home in the new year essentials such as Tea and Coffee Canisters, Mugs or a set of Mixing Bowls would be a lovely practical but also pretty idea. A Cute Novelty Timer would be a useful present and would look lovely in a set with some Cookie Cutters and a Cake/Display Stand to make a little baking themed hamper for a young child. Alternatively a ready made Macaroon Making Set is a simpler way of doing that. For a coffee lover a Cafetiere is a good option as it allows them to make freshly brewed coffee from real beans rather than instant coffee. For those that love the smell of freshly baked goods in their home how about a Food Scented Candle, loads of these can be found at christmas time. A more novelty idea such as a Donut Maker would be a nice gift too as it's not really the kind of thing someone would buy for themselves. 

Two other ideas I've just had whilst writing this are 1) a gift card for a cooking masterclass/experience type thing or 2) Put together a ready made mix (loads of recipes are available on pinterest) so that all the recipient has to do is add butter etc and bake.

This is the final of my gift guides, so I hope I've sufficiently inspired you to find beautiful and practical gifts within your budget no matter what it might be!

Gifts for the Gardener/ DIY-er

Mini Succulents and a Terrarium are great gifts for people who like plants but don't necessarily have any outdoor space to plant lots of flowers etc, plus they are easy to look after. However for a more intense gardener, Tools or a Potting bench would be a great gift. A pretty Garden Sign to decorate an outdoor wall would be a nice present for anyone who takes pride in their garden as would the obvious choice of Seeds to brighten up the garden with flowers. A Seed Box is also a very useful idea as my mum always has envelopes of seeds all around the house getting lost. A nice Hand Scrub or Hand Cream such as this one from the Body Shop is also a great idea to help keep the recipients hand soft and smelling lovely after a gardening session as wearing Gardening gloves and frequent washing can dry them out. A cute Punny Mug is also a lovely idea as they can drink their tea or coffee from it whilst outside and it will remind them of you every time they do. A Personalised Hammer off Etsy or Ebay is a great gift for a family member who does DIY, me and my sister brought my dad one for Fathers Day this year.

I hope this Gift Guide helps you out, particularly with parents or grandparents!

Gifts for the Creative One

I think this is my personal favourite gift guide as the bright colours and copper accents just make it very aesthetically pleasing to me.

An obvious gift for creative friends are supplies like Sketchbooks, Colouring Pencils/Pens, a Calligraphy Pen and Watercolour Paints as these type of basic supplies are always necessary. TKMaxx is a great place to find cute and quirky slogan Notebook's which make wonderful gifts, as do Pastel Post It Notes or any type of post it notes really as we all know that creative people often have more ideas than places to keep them. I have some great speech bubble ones from Ikea. This super pretty Copper Bowl or cute jars would be a great way to make a creative space look a little tidier, I know that when I'm making things, I make quite the mess. Plus it's so lovely when everything's organised and you know where to  look when you need things. Another great gift idea to keep them organized is this gorgeous Sighh Designs To Do Desk Pad, which I could definitely do with myself. Other stationary such as this Kate Spade Stationary set would make a great gift too, I always find that it's so nice when the day to days bits and bobs of your life make you smile. For the more serious artists out there a Drawing Tablet would be a great or for a cheaper alternative a Stylus to be used on a normal tablet is a great way to venture into digital art, I know my sister draws this way. Finally Art Prints from Etsy or small business like Little Pencil Co and Sighh Designs would look great in this Copper Frame from H&M.

3 Gift guides down now, so how are you liking them?

Gifts for the Geeky/Techy One

I tried to get a mix of presents that would suit males and females as I think most geeky/techy presents are usually aimed at men. A great option for just about anyone nowadays is a phone case or Tablet Case/key pad  as they protect your all important devices, whilst making them look stylish and being totally useful. Another great useful product would be Portable chargers as phone batteries just don't last anywhere near as long as they used to because we use them constantly. Who hasn't realised 10 mins before going out that they only have 15% battery? An equally useful but perhaps more boring option is Memory Cards/External Hard Drives  as I constantly have the issue of not having enough memory on my phone and it's always a good idea to have everything backed up incase your laptop or tablet gets a virus or something. Headphones are another great gadget accessory that everyone would use, similarly a gorgeous leather Laptop Case and Organiser like this one (Though this one is ridiculously expensive!) would be very useful, personally I would love to be able to keep my stuff this organised (I definitely wouldn't though).  A cute novelty gift such as this Storm Trooper Soap Dispenser or Darth Vader Mug would make a great secret santa gift too. A TV Boxset or Movie DVD so that they can relive the experience again and again is always a safe bet too. Another option is Batman Pajamas or other apparel such as this very unusual Captain America Bra so that the recipient can show off their love of their favorite movie/book/comic franchise. A great tip is literally just to type in the name of their fave show/book/movie/comic into etsy and scroll tough all the lovely handmade items till you find something you love. Finally this Slytherin Wall Piece is a great example of room decor so that the recipient can surround themselves with the things they they love at home. Places like RedBubble or Etsy are brilliant for art prints, canvases and hand paintings.

Hope you enjoyed gift guide no.2, my gift guide for the creative one will be up soon...

Gifts for the Sporty One

To kick of my series of  gift guides I'm starting with that friend or family member who loves exercising, going to the gym, playing sport and eating healthy AKA the one you are always jealous of! 

A yoga mat and yoga mat bag would be great for anyone who does yoga (obviously) or pilates, both of which are great for busy people who don't necessarily have the time to get to the gym as both can be done at home  by watching online videos such as Blogliates. A Water bottle is an essential for anyone really but especially for people who are very active as they need to rehydrate and this VS one is super cute too. At the more expensive end of the scale is a Fitbit or similar gadget for tracking activity, I'd love one personally as I think it would really encourage me to be more active. A Gym Membership for a month or two is also a great present for someone who has everything and it would definitely be appreciated. For pre and post workout many people enjoy protein bars or snacks like Nak'd Bars so buying a wholesale box would be a great way to help someone to stop unhealthy snacking. Some more obvious choices are a Motivational Tank, Sports Bra, Trainers, Leggings or Running Jacket because there is no such thing as too much activewear. Reflective gear is also really great for runners in the winter months as it gets dark so early.

Hope these ideas are useful...

Day 10: Boys Gift Guide

After last weeks female gift guide it's now the boys turn. I don't know about you but I find my Dad impossible to buy for. Neither of my parents ever want anything, so Christmas and birthdays are rather hard! So far all I have come up with for my dad are his favourite chocolates from thorntons (Alpini). My brother already has slippers covered, my dad doesn't wear ties or cufflinks, already has far too many watches and we already have Netflix so box sets are no good, so basically I'm gonna have to buy him some aftershave I think. Other good options are obviously clothes like shirts or belts and beauty products aren't just for girls, Boots have a really nice selection of male grooming kits from Ted Baker and FCUK too.

I hope those are some useful suggestions...

Day 2: Girly Gift Guide

So here's just a couple of ideas about what to get all the females in your life, whether thats your mom, your nan, your sister or  your friends.

Above I have included links to all the specific things mentioned in case anything takes your fancy but this is more for broader gift ideas. All these gift suggested are under £20 and most are under £10 so there should be something to suit everyone! 
Every girl loves Make-Up, right? Whether it's an expensive brand like MAC or a highstreet one like Models Own, most girls would be happy to find lipstick or nail polish in their stocking. Plus every girl needs a place to store it so a slogan Makeup Bag will come in useful. If you're looking for an even more practical gift how about a Phone Case, it could be custom made with photos of the two of you together or be themed around their favourite movies/book. Which brings me to another idea; Books are a great gift for all ages and there's no better time for curling up with a good book than in the Winter but if they're more into writing than reading how about a cute Notebook. Christmas is always the time for parties and glitter so Jewelry's perfect at this time of year too. If she's more of a homebody though, what about Candles or Cushions to spruce up their living room or bedroom. And finally, Christmas can be a stressful time of year for all of us, so a nice relaxing bath with some Lush goodies will help any girl feel a little more ready for the festivities.

I hope I've given you a couple of ideas, look out for the boys gift guide soon!