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Christmas Gift Guide 2022

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Once again I cannot believe how quickly this Christmas has approached. I am nowhere near as prepared as I normally am and I have to admit it’s stressing me out a little. Hopefully if you are in the same boat this gift guide will inspire you a little bit.

Just to be clear with you as always items in this guide have been gifted for inclusion.

Starting off with an essential for every kitchen, a coffee machine. I would be lost without mine and good coffee is pretty much the only luxury I allow myself right now. This Melitta Aromafresh Grind and Brew machine has an integrated coffee grinder for maximum freshness.

Next up for the stylish football fan in your life I chose this jacket from Toffs. Toffs have a wide selection of clothing for pretty much every football team you can think of. My dad loved this jacket:

La Gent have a great selection of designer gifts and I spotted a few whilst browsing that I love including vintage style glassware which would be perfect in any home bar!

Perhaps you want a gift that’s useful for the hoarder or DIYer in your home. BiGDUG have a Christmas mega deal including a corner unit, matching workbench, 15 storage boxes and 24 plastic bins all in a very festive red. It’s now only £186.70 which is a bargain for what you get.

If you are think the person you are buying for doesn’t need more things then why not get them an experience instead? Buyagift have a selection of vouchers from meal experiences, hotel stays and even beauty box subscriptions!

We are all looking for ways to keep cosy without popping the heating on and I absolutely love these cosy new hoodies from Snoody. 100% organic cotton material, generously sized with a built in snood. I have worn mine so much since it arrived, they also have matching beanies and if you know me I have a beanie on my head from October to March!

If like me you love candles, diffusers and anything which just makes your home smell delicious then Arran Sense of Scotland have beautiful gift sets for your home and also various toiletries which are just a little different to the usual lynx sets!

Perhaps you need gift ideas for kids? For the littlest ones we love this Alphablocks Phonics Fun. Makes learning to read lots of fun!

For the older kids I find something that keeps their mind and hands busy and away from a screen is always a plus. This Science Mad! Crystal growing lab is perfect for my girls.

Lottie Shaws have some really cute items which are perfect as stocking fillers or to make up hampers. We loved their luxury hot chocolate and the Christmas gingerbread kit.

Whilst on a sweet treat theme, why not get a Christmas chocolate bundle? Cadburys have a lovely Christmas Eve box set and Green & Blacks have a box full of their best selling chocolate bars.

If you do decide to make up some foodie hampers then Opies have really stylish jars of fruits soaked in alcohol. Think black cherries in kirsch and forest fruits in cassis. Delicious and they look pretty fancy too!

Sous Chef are another great option for foodie gifts, they stock items perfect for hampers but also great kitchen ware that’s a little bit different to what you can get in the high street. They also stock my favourite liquorice from Lakrids and quirky alcohol items like this delicious Limoncello.

Fancy a little adventure without leaving your home? Epic Escapes offer just that with an Escape room in a box!

If you have gamers at home then Outright Games have a great selection of PlayStation and Xbox games to suit all ages. Perhaps Paw Patrol Grand Prix for the littlest ones, DC Pets The Adventures of Krypto and Ace for the slightly older and Star Trek Prodigy Supernova for fans of all ages.

A good bottle of wine is always a nice present and Independent Wines have a great selection. From the Corte Pavone, Brunello do Montalcino DOCG to the Mirizzi “Ergo” Verdicchio die Castelli di Jess Classico Superiore DOC 2018. Lots of wines to suit all budgets.

Silver Circle Distillery have released some amazing premixed cocktails for the festive season. I like the sound of the Lan Y Mor ( an ode to the Welsh coastline). It combines kelp, samphire, elderflower and dill with their award winning Aquavit to create an enticing long drink.

Still on the boozy theme, XMuse vodka have the first Scottish blended Barley Vodka inspired by the spirit making traditions of Scotland.

Trendhim is a lovely website for accessories and special gifts for the man in your life. I love this Lava Rock and turquoise skull bracelet.

And finally PenHeaven have some gorgeous gifts for any stationery lovers in your life. I almost drool when I look through the site. I am a sucker for a good pen and a luxury journal or diary. They also offer an embossing or engraving service which is great for making your gift a little more personal for Christmas. I chose this beautiful leather diary for myself as a little treat:

*All items have been gifted for the purpose of this guide.

Just One Day

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Remember a few days ago when I was said I was taking a blog break? Technically I still am. However you do find as a writer ( I have only recently accepted it is totally ok to call myself that..if I don’t use the word totally too much ) that words will sometimes just come to you. Often it will be on the subject matter that you don’t need to write about but the words still come and you find you just have to get them out.

I have drafted more blog posts this week than I have in the past month. You will see more content here in January, that’s for sure.

Most people start a blog as a hobby as I did nearly 5 years ago, because they like the idea of it or they want somewhere to pour their thoughts. If you continue with it and it becomes a job as well as a hobby then it is fairly inevitable that at some point you will get a day or a week or a month where you just can’t write. The words feel forced. The content is boring, to you if nobody else. Nobody loves their job every day. Everyone has a bad day at work every now and then. I know that in my other job, my office job, I have days like that most week. It’s rare that I feel like that about the blog but when I do, I take a step back. Obviously I finish up any commitments I have but I take a step back, I breathe, I refocus.

And sure enough when the pressure was removed I wanted to write again. I’m still taking a break, I’ll be back soon enough I am sure but I had to just spill out some thoughts I have had this week, as next week they will no longer be relevant.

I went Christmas shopping today along with probably 90% of the population of Wales. I saw people, stressed and clamouring for the last decent turkey and the biggest boxes of chocolates they could find. I saw myself, already sure of having enough gifts for the girls yet still looking and wondering how could I make it even more special.

How to make Christmas more special for a 3 and 5 year old? Two girls who have people who love them, a warm , safe and comfortable home, food to eat and a pile of gifts just waiting to be opened on Christmas Day. Really?

I could wrap their gifts in kitchen foil and give them beans on toast for their Christmas lunch and it would still be special. Who are we all actually trying to please?

Do we need 5 different relishes, umpteen varieties of cheese and every kind of chocolate covered treat under the sun to enjoy that one day? We really don’t. I mean…Christmas is most definitely centred around food and drink and there will be lots of it enjoyed by my family alone I am sure but the trollies I saw stacked high today did make me wonder.

Because it really is just one day. JUST one day. I managed to get talking to an elderly lady outside a large local supermarket who said this to me:

People in there ..they just don’t realise..it’s one day. The stores re open on December 26th. It is just one day.

She’s right. Don’t get me wrong, it is an important day and I have food in my fridge to last a week if necessary..who knows we could get snow? We all know the world stops in the UK if we get a dusting of snow. But let’s not go too crazy.

Don’t panic if you can’t find the exact brand of treats that you buy every year or the most elaborate decorations or favours for your festive table, tradition doesn’t have to focus on things like that.

Zoom in instead on your family and your friends. If you are with people who love you in a warm place with food in your belly, be mindful of how lucky you are. I admit that I don’t always think about how lucky I am when it comes to my family and friends, it is easy to forget that during hard times and stressful situations. This year has also seen me become more aware of how much of a lottery it is in this world in terms of where you are born, for most of us in the UK we have been untouched by the atrocities that many parts of the world has seen this year- it’s good to take a minute occasionally and dwell on that.

On a final note, remember to reach out to those you know you may be struggling with this season for whatever reason big or small – it is a tough time for so many people. Wherever you may be think about the ones you care about and if you can send them a message or call then do so. It may be just what they need at that very moment.

Merry Christmas.

Photo credit Jez Timms.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe – Hob & Sous Vide Versions

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I picked up a pack of fresh cranberries last week and since then I’ve been trying to decide whether to make something extravagant with them or just try making homemade cranberry sauce. Today I went with the lazy option but made it in two different ways. I used the same recipe and cooked one batch of it on the hob and the other batch in my sous vide supreme with very different results.

Cranberry Sauce

You will need:

150g of fresh cranberries
60grams of soft brown sugar
50ml of fresh orange juice
15ml of Port ( I used Cockburns)

For the hob:

Place your orange juice, Port and sugar in a pan and bring to boiling point. Now add your cranberries and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. You want the cranberries to pop and soften. The liquid will thicken even more as it cools.

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For the Sous Vide method:

Heat your Sous Vide to 80C.
Pour your orange juice, port, sugar and cranberries into a ziplock food grade bag and give a shake to combine. Now extract as much air as possible from the bag before zipping shut and place into your Sous Vide Supreme for approximately 30 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. After you have removed the bag, mash it slightly with your hand. Cool immediately using the quick chill method unless serving that day.
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Both methods worked really well. The hob method gives a more Cranberry jelly type result whilst the sous vide gives a more typical sauce. They both taste incredible! Looking forward to having them to accompany my Turkey next week.

Stocking Fillers.. For me.

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Maybe you are past the age when you can be satisfied with a few chocolate coins and a tangerine but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still have a stocking. I know that opening up Christmas stockings as a family all squished up in our big bed is one of my favourite things and I always insist that Andrew gets me some stocking fillers – I’m a big kid at heart.

Here are my favourite stocking gift ideas for women:

Proper Chocolate for grown ups:

With lots of options around for really good chocolate these days you are a bit spoilt for choice but here are some of my faves:

Hotel Chocolat – how about some of their salted caramels for pure indulgence or perhaps a pot of their salted caramel and pecan spread…mmmmmm.

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Potash Farm: Single origin chocolate with cobnuts for something a little different. In dark or milk .. Dark for me please.

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Butlers Chocolates: Totally gorgeous and very festive looking boxed and bagged chocs. I love the Marc De Champagne Truffles:

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If you aren’t a chocolate lover what about a sweet novelty treat like this Travel cup filled with jelly beans from The Jellybean Factory ?

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Or even some gourmet popcorn from Love Popcorn

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You can never go wrong with a little boozy treat and how about something you don’t normally buy:

Licor43 – this slightly nutty and sweet liqueur is perfect added to hot chocolates or just alone.

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Maybe try a different wine? Both Lindemans and Waitrose Cellar have some fantastic options whatever your taste may be. I love the Bin 45 reds From Lindemans:

or the Prosecco from Waitrose Cellar

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I’ve recently tried Raspberry Gin and Damson port from Raisthorpe Manor and they would make delicious additions to a stocking…and these miniatures are the perfect size too.
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Something bath or smellies related is normally in my stocking and it’s a firm tradition. You could give some pretty little sets from Sanctuary, Champneys, Vaseline or Lynx depending on your budget:

I’m a bit obsessed with the Sanctuary bath relaxer and the 2 day moisture shower oil so either of those in my stocking will make me a happy girl.

I like the lip balm gift set tins from Vaseline. I always, always, always have a tin of Vaseline in my bag and so I love having a set of them in my stocking.

Did you know Lynx did female deodorants and gift sets? I didn’t. They could make a great little gift for older teens or for women of all ages as they smell really good!

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You could also add a little notebook set or desk caddy – I LOVE stationery and so do most of my friends. I think it goes back to school days when you just weren’t cool if you didn’t have a fountain pen or a multi coloured pencil. Life Canvas have a lovely range.

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I’m sure I’ll think of more over the next few weeks but for now I hope that gives you all some ideas on stocking fillers for the women in your life.

* Some of the products included in this guide have been gifted to me for review purposes.

Easy Peasy Mincemeat Recipe

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You can buy perfectly amazing jars of readymade mincemeat these days and fairly cheaply too. I use a jar from Aldi quite a lot and it’s delicious.  There is however something special about making your own, I normally use quite a fancy, shmancy recipe to make mine but this year I tried something super simple and this easy mincemeat recipe works just fine.

You will need:

375g of mixed fruit ( with peel)
75ml of French Brandy ( I used Aldi)
150g shredded suet
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
125g Dark brown soft sugar
1tsp of ground nutmeg
1 apple, peeled and grated

This may just be the easiest mincemeat recipe you will ever try.

Simply soak your mixed fruit and lemon zest in your brandy and lemon juice for at least 1 hour so they plump up. The drain and set the juice/brandy mixture aside. Add all of the remaining ingredients in and then pour the liquid back over. Spoon into sterilised jars and cover for at least 2-3 weeks before using. Will then keep in fridge for 6 months or longer.

This recipe made two jars.

easy mincemeat recipe

 

Christmas Gifts From Joules

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We love Joules here at our house. From wellies to gilets and soft socks to winter coats they always have the most stylish but super functional products for both adults and children.

Here is a little look at what you can expect from them this Christmas and the products that I would love to add to our festive wish list.

First up for babies and children:

How about these cute fleecey slippers for your baby who is learning to toddle and this beautiful bunny comforter:

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Maybe you have an older child as well like me so why not check out my favourite picks for young girls:

I love these ear muffs and pretty floral pyjamas:

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Slippers for Christmas are a must in our house and Izzy is just starting to understand the concept of money and paying for things so the purse is a cute stocking filler and ideal for her to keep a little loose change for when we pop to the shops:

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Grown ups:

I do love a festive jumper and this one below is a little different to the normal ones which is nice and I could be seriously won over with this weekend bag full of indulgent bath and body treats. I also already know that one of my New Years resolutions HAS to be to be more organised and this family organiser will help as well as pretty up my kitchen a little. I also love new PJs for Christmas Eve as it’s a family tradition:

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Would be rude not to buy him anything at all soooo.. Why not these comfy lounge pants or this rather stylish shirt?:

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What are your favourite traditional ( or not ) gifts for Christmas? Are you a Joules fan like me?

You can check out LOTS more gift ideas on the Joules website.

*This post is in collaboration with Joules.

Clementine Drizzle Cake

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I’ve started planning my Christmas menu early this year and this recipe came about by the desire to not have a traditional Christmas fruitcake but also fancying an alternative to the chocolate cake I’m planning to bake 🙂

Clementines always remind me of Christmas. The smell, the juiciness and the vibrant colour and I wanted to capture that in a cake. Lemon drizzle cake is one of my favourite bakes so it didn’t really require a massive amount of effort to think this one up.

I’m going to be sharing a few recipes using clementines so if you end up with a big box leftover this winter you can be sure to find ways to use them up.

Clementine Drizzle Cake

You will need:

For the cake:

225g margarine or butter ( I used Flora baking block)
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
4 medium free range eggs
60ml of whole milk
Zest of 3 clementines and 1 lemon
2 tsp baking powder

Drizzle topping:

175g sugar (granulated)
juice of 3 clementines and 1 lemon

Preheat your oven to gas mark 4 and grease a 23cm round cake tin ( I use cake release spray which is so easy and effective)
Combine all of your cake ingredients and blend in a food mixer for 3 minutes until smooth or beat well with a wooden spoon.

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Bake for 25 -30 minutes or until golden and will spring back when pressed lightly.

Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Mix your drizzle topping together. When still warm to the touch but not hot slowly spoon your topping over the cake being sure to get an even cover. Leave to cool completely until you have a crunchy sugary top.

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I also added some candied clementine peel to my cake to decorate. I will be posting the recipe for candied peel later this week.

Now try not to eat it all at once. This would be lovely on a Christmas Day in the afternoon with mulled wine a cuppa tea.

Slow Cooker Tomato & Chilli Chutney

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I hate waste. We were recently given a lot of tomatoes from a family member and as well as making Sundried tomatoes I decided to give Slow Cooker chutney a whirl.

I love chutney, I’ve made it several times on the hob and it’s always delicious. I really wanted to try and make some tomato and chilli chutney as it’s my favourite but I didn’t have the time or the energy to spend standing at the stove so I decided to give it a whirl in the slow cooker and woohoo it worked. Now I don’t normally abide by strict quantities for making chutney but I wrote down what I used this time and you can probably be a little flexible with it. This makes a fairly sweet chutney perfect for pairing with a strong cheese or in a nice ham toastie. Next time I make some I will change to red wine vinegar instead of sherry for a milder taste. You could also increase the chilli content for more of a kick – this is quite a subtle heat.

Slow Cooker Tomato & Chilli Chutney

You will need:


2 large red onions diced
750g of tomatoes, roughly chopped ( any variety you like or have a lot of)
3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped ( I used Gala)
1 cube of frozen ginger or an inch of fresh ( the frozen dissolves but fresh needs to be diced)
200g dark brown sugar
200g light brown sugar
175ml sherry vinegar
1 small dried or fresh chilli diced finely or 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes
150g of sultanas diced

Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and stir well. Place the lid on and cook in high for 5 hours. Don’t peek. Open up and stir again and leave on low for 8-10 hours. To thicken it more you can leave the lid off for last 30/40 mins of cooking but otherwise just spoon into jars leaving most of the liquid in the slow cooker. This made 2 large jars of chutney and it’s absolutely delicious.

You can eat it straight away as it’s a slow cooked chutney but it will be even better after storing for a few weeks.

I re use my jars so I wash thoroughly then sterilise in a hot oven.

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These would make fabulous Christmas gifts..if you can keep your hands off them for that long!

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And So This Is Christmas..

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Sorry. No really I’m sorry. Posting about Christmas in October? I am really sorry.

Go away now if you aren’t quite ready yet. I won’t be offended.

Arrgghhhhhhhh where did you all go?

Last week I asked on my social media channels if people were ready for some festive posts and I was surprised. A few of you said woah there but most of you are more than ready for a glass of baileys and Fairy tale of New York. I went with the majority..

Ok so I’m excited about Christmas this year. More so than last year.

Izzy is at the absolute best age for Christmas. Three years old.

Full of wonder at everything and still too young to doubt Old Santa Claus.

I’m already planning EVERYTHING I want to do with her and Chloe.

Chloe will be too young to participate in a lot of things but I’m excited to see her face around the Christmas lights and at the carol concerts – she loves a good singsong.

It’s also something positive, something fun and something to aim towards. I need this.

Not at all scary that I will be back in work then. No not at all. Really. Hmmmmmmm.

So you can expect lots of Christmas on the blog this year.

Recipes, Gift ideas, crafting fun.. Thrifty DIY hampers.. Festive photos and more….

I’ve nearly finished my Christmas present shopping for my (rather large) family. Now onto planning our Christmas menu. The best part hey?

And I’ve already made the chutney 🙂

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Have you started planning Christmas?

A letter to you ..

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Dear You,

My lovely blog readers.. Just a very quick note to wish you a very Merry Christmas. I know my blog has been a little down in the dumps at times this year but so many of you have been so supportive and I appreciate it very much.

Next year expect lots more foodie content, travel post and stories about how we are coping with parenting two small children!

Hope you all have a great time with your families and friends and get everything you want from Father Christmas 🙂

I already have everything I want this Christmas.

You won’t hear much from me this Festive period as I plan on enjoying every minute of it with my family but I will be back soon enough…

Lots of love to you all

Xxxx