Mother's Day - Jewellery Gift Ideas

It's Mother's Day on Sunday this weekend and if you're still looking for a special gift for your mum, then look no further.

I'm going to be honest here - I'm not a huge jewellery wearer, and don't tend to wear jewellery every day other than my watch. It isn't something I'd typically buy for myself, but this makes it extra special when I receive a piece as a gift. I am making more of an effort to wear jewellery on a day-to-day basis rather than just on special occasions - why save something you love just for special occasions? I don't know how I got into this mentality; probably the fear of damaging expensive and delicate items. But no-one will benefit from the beauty of them if they're tucked up in a box never to be seen! My sister got me a gorgeous sweetie bracelet from Links of London for my 30th birthday and I have little charms attached with the kids fingerprints. I absolutely love it. I also have another Links of London bracelet, this time from Rick, and it's a mixture of silver and rose gold. However I'm reluctant to wear them day-to-day and as a result they rarely get worn. Another set back is my littlest, who is obsessed with all things sparkly. If she saw my jewellery collection then she'd probably want to claim it for herself! Anyway, I digress...my point was that I despite me not wearing much jewellery, I do think that a well chosen piece can make an ideal gift.

I was sent a gorgeous pair of rose gold earrings from Chisholm Hunter to celebrate Mother's Day and they are just beautiful - I'm feeling very lucky. Here was me thinking I'd be buying my own Mother's Day gift! They will be perfect teamed with my rose gold bracelet. I've been drawn to rose gold lately, not only for jewellery but also home accessories. Definitely on trend right now.

Bronzallure Rose Gold plated Aqua drop earrings, £79

Chisholm Hunter have a variety of jewellery gifts that are just perfect for Mother's Day. You'll find the boutiques in Glasgow's Argyle Arcade, The Fort and Silverburn shopping centre or online at www.chisholmhunter.co.uk. There are a variety of options at various price points, this heart charm is great value:

Thomas Sabo Double Linked Hearts Charm, £25.95

 

If you want to push the boat out, you also can't go wrong with a watch in my opinion - I'm sure most mums would happily receive this gorgeous Michael Kors Rose Gold plated timepiece:

 

Michael Kors watch, £259 (available for express delivery)



Share the Love this Mother's Day

Chisholm Hunter have kindly shared a discount code with me for 10% off; at the checkout, enter the code BLOG10. Terms and conditions apply - see www.chisholmhunter.co.uk for details.

I received a pair of complimentary earrings in exchange for this post. As always, opinions are honest and are my own.

 

My Christmas Wishlist

I thought I'd share with you my Christmas wishlist, as it may inspire some of you that are still searching for the perfect present for someone special. It may also help R if he happens to read this ;-) You can find the rest of my Christmas gift guides here. 11 days to go people!!

Sewing Machine

I had been using my MIL's sewing machine but her daughter needed it for a project so I had to return it, which leaves me without. I should have given it back ages ago, as it's not really my place to keep such things now that I'm not really a part of their family anymore. Anyway, I've got curtains still to take up in my son's room and a few other projects on my to-do-list. This berry coloured one from John Lewis caught my eye:

John Lewis JL110 Sewing Machine, £99

Loungewear

I have a batman onesie that I bought for myself last Christmas but it's getting tired looking now and I could be done with some nicer, more grown-up loungewear (I'm 33 in January!). I love Mint Velvet, and this Dark Grey all in one looks super cosy. Definitely one for the wishlist! The model in this photo is 5'10" so I'm not sure if it would be long enough for me as I'm just under 6'.

Mint Velvet Dark Grey All in One, £99

Jelly Belly

These sweeties are a must and feature each year in my stocking. My mum used to buy them for me and my sister, and we've carried on the tradition. Each Christmas Day you'll find us stuffing our faces with our favourite flavours. Toasted Marshmallow for Ali and Buttered Popcorn for me! You can buy a 1kg bag at John Lewis for £25!

Vlogging Camera

I've been really getting into filming vlogs for my YouTube channel, and up until now I've been using my iPhone 5 to capture the footage. The quality isn't brilliant and I keep running out of memory. However my lovely little sister is buying me a vlogging camera as my Christmas gift. Thank you very much Ali - I can't wait to try it out :-)

Cosy socks

What with my Raynaud's Disease, cosy socks are a must for me. I bought a few pairs from M&S last month but you can never have too many.

Cable Thermal Ankle Socks, £8 M&S

Thermal Underwear

And whilst at M&S, some thermal underwear would be well received. I'm always freezing! (I'm turning into an old granny!)

Thermal Long Sleeve Top, pack of two for £25 at M&S

Electric Blanket

On the topic of cold, my last item to warm me up is an electric blanket. Just to reinforce my granny status!! I actually remember going to stay at my gran's house when I was younger and she'd put on the electric blanket for me. I loved it and don't know why I haven't ever bought myself one.

This takes 5 minutes apparently to heat up your bed. Yaaas!! 

Dreamland Intelliheat Electric Fleece Mattress Cover from John Lewis, £64.99

Woollen Tunic

I've been struggling for outfits lately and have been living in my jeans. I quite fancy a cosy tunic that I can wear over leggings for the school run and days with the kids. But equally it would be good if it could be versatile and be dressed up a bit for going to work.

This Ribbed Roll Neck Tunic from The White Company looks perfect:

The White Company, in the sale just now for £94.50 (was £135)

Portable phone charger

I'm continually running out of charge on my mobile phone, so a portable charger would be the perfect stocking filler for me.

This one is £9.99 from Currys

Personal Planner

I quite fancied a FiloFax, but I've also discovered Personal Planners and they look ideal. Might buy this for myself as the cut off for Christmas delivery is today (14th Dec). You can choose the size, personalise the front cover and even personalise each page. Right up my street!

Under eye concealer

One under eye concealer that I've not tried is Bobbi Brown. I'm constantly trying to hide dark circles, and would love to find one of these under my Christmas tree.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener, £20

Hopefully I've given you a few more ideas if you're yet to finish your Christmas shopping.

I'm yet to get R's gift, so I'm not quite finished myself!

Christmas Gift Guide - For the Pets

So, I've got two kittens that are going to need Christmas gifts!! You may laugh, but I think it's only fair that they have a little something under the tree (that they will never see as they're not allowed in the living room!).

Anyway, here are my selection of gifts your pampered pet and their owner too...

I used to have this fish bowl for Onion when we were in the old house and I loved that it was stylish so I didn't mind it being out on show. It's expensive but it was really practical (non-slip, easy to clean and each dish is removable so you can top up the bowls without too much fuss) as well as looking good.

Cat Fish Bowl, approx £19 at Amazon

Similarly, this is the same radiator bed that we have for Rhubarb and Crumble (it used to be Onions!). It's practical (for example it opens up and flattens out so it can be hoovered/cleaned) but it also looks good so I don't have to compromise on my interior style.

Jolly Moggy Bamboo Cat Radiator Bed, approx £23 at Amazon

If you really wanted to go all out on a bed, then this dog bed from Joules is just beautiful and it looks so comfy (plus being stylish so will appeal to the owners too I bet!).

Square Dog Bed in Navy Floral, £36.96 for medium sized bed at Joules

I don't have space in my house for a scratching post, so when I saw this hanging scratch mat I thought it was ideal.

Rosewood Jolly Moggy Hanging Scratch Mat, £7.99 at John Lewis

After my chat last week about finding the perfect Christmas wreath, then how about this dog biscuit version from BHS?

Bonio Wreath, £10 at BHS

Or how about a personalised treat jar? I thought this one from Not On The High Street is super cute!

Personalised Pet Lovers Treat Storage Jar, £8 by JG Artwork

With the weather becoming pretty cold now, most small dogs will need a wee jacket to keep them cosy. I love this quilted one from Barbour. Isn't it so cute!

Barbour Quilted Dog Coat, £34.95 at Outdoor and Country

I love these white animal coat hooks from Rose & Grey. This would be ideal for hanging up a dog lead (or a cat harness, if you're so inclined! I remember as a child we had a wee harness so we could take our pet rabbit out for a walk down the street. Crazy huh! Just a shame there isn't a cat version!! You can take your pick from dog, cow, elephant or horse.)

Animal hook, £16 at Rose & Grey

I  have mentioned Snapdragon before in the children's gift guide, but I do just love their mugs. They have an ideal one for dog lovers - you can buy a personalised mug like this one and there are a few other dog breeds to choose from too:

Personalised Pug Mug, £12.50 at Snapdragon

And it wouldn't be Christmas without a squeaky turkey!

Christmas Noisy Turkey Dog Toy, £10 at Marks and Spencer

Christmas Gift Guide - the Gentleman Edition

Again, I've got another Christmas Gift Guide for you. This time it's the Gentleman's Edition...

A bottle of your finest...

For the drink connoisseur, then why not choose a bottle of whisky or a nice bottle of wine. There is The Whisky Shop at Buchanan Galleries where you can head for some advice on what to go for. Knowing very little about whisky, I'd probably choose one on aesthetics (like how I pick wines by the label!!) and this bottle of Haig Club looks super stylish.

Haig Club, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, £45

My tipple of choice is gin, so for me it'd be a bottle of Caorunn. Just in case you're wondering ;-)

GoPro

I've seen one of these in action and it's a fab little camera that would be an ideal gift for a gadget lover, male or female! This would have been ideal to capture my antics as I swung through the trees at Go Ape (instead I used my phone and dropped it in the process!).

This one is top of the range at £369.95 at John Lewis, but there are cheaper versions.

Watch 

I got R a Sony SmartWatch last year for his Christmas and he really likes it. He's on his phone a lot with his work, and this means he can check who is calling him or view texts on it without lifting his mobile. A bit lazy and very extravagant but might be a good gift for the man that has everything!

Sony SmartWatch (compatible with Android 4.0 or later)

Coffee machine 

My sister & her boyfriend recently invested in a Krups Nespresso machine with Aeroccino and have been really happy with it. I'm personally not a coffee drinker, but I do like a frothy hot chocolate. Definitely one for the coffee fiends!

Nespresso Coffee Machine and Aeroccino by Krups

Moisturiser

You can't go wrong with some face products. I think most men will use a moisturiser of some sort; although they may not admit to it!

I've not used Kiehl's before, but heard great things about their range

Also heard good things about Clinique. There is free shipping on all purchases on their website just now; and if you spend over £40 you get a free Clinique Treat Trio worth over £23.

iStubble

Sticking with the grooming, an iStubble might be a good choice. I do enjoy a bit of stubble on a man!

Babyliss iStubble is on offer just now at Boots where you can save £15

Pants & Socks

A pair of boxers or a pair of socks are an ideal stocking filler & if you want to go all out then you could choose a designer pair. I love these socks from Paul Smith and these 'Lucky Dick' boxers.

Paul Smith London Stamp Stripe Sock at House of Fraser

Lucky Dick boxer shorts from Dick Winters - they come in a few different colours. You can have a peek at when I met Lucky Dick here!

Aftershave

I think that aftershave can potentially be a hit or a miss, but if you stick to a well known name, then I don't think you can go wrong.

Hugo Boss Red EDT, The Perfume Shop, St Enoch Centre

Slippers

I can't remember where I spotted mahabis slippers, I think it might have been Facebook, but I love the look of these. You can buy the upper with or without detachable sole. But the sole means you can wear the slipper inside and outside. I popped out of the house this evening into the garden in my current slippers and the sole got a bit ruined :-( wouldn't have happened if I'd have had these on!! They're unisex, and would be a great stylish slipper instead of the usual granddad ones! The sole comes in a few different colours too.

Larvik Dark Grey Classic Bundle with grey sole

Jumper

It's certainly jumper season, so why not invest in some knitwear. I love this teal coloured v neck jumper from Ted Baker:

Bose SoundLink Mini bluetooth speaker 

My sisters boyfriend Robin has one of these and it's fantastic. It's portable so you can easily move it from room to room or equally it's great for travelling (we took it to the log pod with us when we were glamping!).

Bluetooth Speaker at Bose, £169.95

And if that list isn't enough, I have a few other older posts with gift ideas for men here, here and here.

Christmas Gift Guide - the children's edition

Following on from my 'for the ladies' and 'home' Christmas gift guides, here's the Children's Edition. Hopefully you'll get some ideas from my list of 10 suggestions...

Sticker Book

You can't go wrong with a sticker book. My kids absolutely adore stickers (as do I!) and we have so many sticker books. My favourites are the Osborne ones. My daughter is currently obsessing over weddings and brides. So I might get her the Sticker Dolly Dressing Weddings book for her stocking.

Colouring pens

We go through colouring pens like there is no tomorrow - these are a staple for our Christmas stockings. My favourite brand is Crayola. I have great memories of a Crayola crayon carry case that I got as a child for Christmas. Last year I got my kids a similar case but with pens, and it's seen us through the year. The kids love to draw in the car when we're on longer journeys (no in-car DVDs for us!) and so I think this carry case with a space for paper will be ideal. My son is always complaining he needs something to lean on!

Smyths have 3 for 2 on selected Crayola just now, and this set is included.

Frozen doll

My littlest is obsessed with Frozen and is very keen for Santa to bring her some Frozen toys this year.

I reckon I'll be heading to the St Enoch Centre to the Disney Store soon for some inspiration!

Elsa Winter Soft Toy Doll

Role Play Post Office

And whilst I'm there, I guess I should visit Hamleys! So many toys there to choose from. I love to encourage role play and I think that a Post Office would be an ideal gift for a pre-schooler.

Playmobil

I love Playmobil! My sister got a set of Playmobil for Christmas one year and the story goes that she was so excited she ended up vomiting all over it. I can remember her being in the bath with the whole set on Christmas Day and we were worried about the smaller parts going down the plug hole. Not to worry though, as we've got most of the pieces today and my kids (& I) still enjoy playing with it.

My daughter got this Playmobil Princess Secret Play Box last year and we love it.

Pillow pets

These are just adorable aren't they! My kids are huge fans of cuddly toys at the minute, so these pillow pets would be a great gift and can double up as a pillow when we go on holiday. I reckon they'd be ideal for snoozing in the car! The lion is reduced to £9.99 just now, and if you buy 2 or more then you get a hat for free.

Personalised Lego minifigure

Did you know that you can create your own Lego minifigure? Head on over to MiniFigs to find out more. I could go wild on this website...

Unfortunately the personalised Monopoly game that I was going to recommend next seems to be discontinued :-(

Personalised mug

My kids are getting to the age where they can be trusted with a proper 'grown-up' cup.

Snapdragon have some lovely gifts, including these personalised mugs that I love:

Question a day book

I bought this book for me & my kids, although I'm yet to start filling it in. Plan is to start on 1st January next year. It's such a great idea and it's something that I'll treasure when they grow up. Just need to make sure I stick to it and ask all the questions!

Dominoes

My son has been enjoying some retro board games this past month or so, and I thought Dominoes might be a good shout for his Christmas stocking. Toyday have lots of traditional toys that I love.

Christmas Gift Guide - Home Edition

Continuing with the Christmas Gift Guides, here are some home ideas for you...

Shearer Candles

I love that Shearer Candles is a local family business who manufacture their products here in Glasgow. The packaging on the V&A Collection candles at Shearer Candles is gorgeous. Have a look at this Ebony gift box candle:

V&A Ebony candle

Amber Noir candles and diffuser

Stag Head

My sister has a stag head in her formal 'adults only, no children allowed' living room which looks amazing as she has the ceiling height to pull it off - it's called Errol. I have a cardboard stag head in my hallway, but I have discovered this fabric patchwork fabric stag head at Marks & Spencers and thought I'd share it with you. It won't be to everyone's taste, but I love it!

Or this standing deer from Cox & Cox is also fab:

Stocking & Holder

I spotted these beautiful Christmas stockings in John Lewis, aren't they gorgeous! This would make a lovely Christmas gift for someone, and they could use it year after year...

My living room is silver themed, so these Star and Tree Silver Stocking Holders would be ideal too:

Subscription to home magazine 

Magazines are a rare treat for me, and so a magazine subscription is an ideal gift. My choices would be either Livingetc or Sainsburys magazine.

Blanket

I love a blanket to curl up under at this time of year, but it's not something that I would normally buy myself as there are always other things that are more important. This is a luxury item that would be perfect as a Christmas gift. For me, it has to be something snuggly, so I've picked this faux fur beige blanket from H&M Home. Another lovely gift is a bath robe. Just putting it out there! There are loads of great home buys on the H&M site... have a peek here to see all the new arrivals.

Snow globe

I've done a separate post on snow globes. They are becoming a new family tradition.

Tea towel 

Wrap a bottle of wine in said tea towel to create this lovely gift...

For the tea towel, go for something humorous and festive, like this:

Or perhaps a cool print like this kissing stags tea towel from John Lewis (can you tell that I love stags!):

Set of Mugs

Most people I know love either tea, coffee or hot chocolate... so a mug to me is another 'can't go wrong' gift. Also at this time of year a nice mug of mulled wine is delightful! I like these Mulled Wine Mugs from Wayfair.

Christmas bunting

I love this 'Deck the Halls' garland from Violet and Percy.

Digital radio

This has been on my wish list for a while. How cool is this Roberts Revival Mini DAB Radio from John Lewis! Love it!!