Gift Ideas: It’s that time of year again ladies!

October 29, 2021

This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.

You may be groaning when you see this – eeeeek! not the C word already!! I’m sure there’ll be enough drivers to delivery all the festive goods we usually require and there won’t be too many shortages. But the truth is I’ve always advocated buying Christmas gifts early. Perhaps I’m rather too organised but I always feel happier/more relaxed knowing the presents I’ve chosen for family and friends haven’t been bought in a bit of a rush 4 days before the Big Day. Anyhow, we’ll be doing regular articles on gift ideas in the lead up to 25 December which, over past years, have been extremely popular with A&G readers. So here is my first selection for your perusal…

FOR THE COFFEE LOVER I bought this cup and saucer for my son recently. He likes cycling and he loves his espresso. It’s good quality bone china and this particular design – L’Alpe d’Huez – is based on the iconic Renault team jersey. £19.50 and arrives in a smart card box (and is easy to wrap!) The Handmade Cyclist MORE INFO

FOR EVERYONE This Perfect Night’s Sleep Neom candle smells sooooo good. Just wish we had smellovision so you could enjoy it while you are reading this. I honestly don’t there can be anyone who wouldn’t love this fragrance. It’s a really special complex blend using only 100% natural ingredients with 19 of the purest possible essential oils including English lavender, precious jasmine & sweet basil plus little touches of other expertly blended natural essential oils. Hand poured using 100% natural wax it will burn for up to 20 hours. £16 MORE INFO

FOR THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE Men often either seem to wear no fragrance or way too much, so I’m pleased to report that two new fragrances from Arran Sense of Scotland really hit the mark. Both are gently masculine -Machrie is clean and crisp and Lochranza has an awakening yet comforting scent. Must admit I’ve been pinching my son’s Machrie shower gel – it foams beautifully giving your skin that totally clean feeling. The Shave Stone & Soap would, I think, make a wonderful gift: modelled on a pebble it is as heavy as one – £25. Anyhow, why not browse the Arran Sense of Scotland website as their men’s best selling washbag kits are also definitely worth consideration.

FOR THE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE Beauty expert Lisa Armstrong’s tip that the most youthful polish is pink makes me think that her suggestion of Chanel’s Le Vernis in Daydream would make a welcome gift. Often costing £24, the best price I’ve found is £18 at Boots. SHOP NOW

LETTERBOX GIFTS – SOMETHING HERE FOR EVERYONE If you are struggling to think of a gift for a friend check out Letterbox Gifts. Annabel loved her Pamper Box filled with bath salts, black pomegranate tea lights, luxury chocolate, a soap bar and face mask. The products are made in Britain and fit straight through the lucky recipient’s letterbox. You can add a personalised greetings card with your message and even select the delivery date. There are many choices of gift box including Xmas Brownies or one for Gin lovers, but whichever you choose it’s bound to be appreciated. SHOP NOW

FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES LISTENING ON THE GO I recently treated myself to some Ear Fun Air Pro wireless earbuds. If I’m not walking with a friend, I pop these into my ears and listen to music I’ve downloaded or one of the BBC Sounds’ programmes as I march along admiring the wonderful West Sussex countryside.

I used to have a pair that had wires, but these wireless ones are so much easier – they have three different size ear tips so you can choose which are most comfortable and they don’t fall out. I took some time researching the best ones to buy and these get excellent reviews and are a fair price at £69.99 from Amazon

FABULOUS NIGHTWEAR FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Not only is the selection of pure cotton nightwear a very pleasant surprise – no fuddy duddy stuff on the Classic Cotton website – but the quality is superb. We featured the pale pink pyjamas in a recent fashion post.

The white cotton nighties are truly pretty, great quality and reasonably priced and are made using fine cotton using cotton thread (most brands use synthetic) and which are even softer after washing. Great as a gift for menopausal women who want to look great in bed as well as being comfortably cool. Also, as you can see from these pix, there’s nightwear for the whole family. GO TO CLASSIC COTTON WEBSITE

FOR KEEN COOKS I am happy to admit that I have a bit of a crush on Jane Lovett, the cook whose recipes we often feature on this website. She is so personable, so good at explaining recipes and I have learned so many brilliant tips and tricks from her. She stocks some excellent products on her website – couldn’t do without the super sharp tomato knife (£8) for example – so definitely worth a look if you know someone who loves cooking. Check out the dusting wand (£12) and her professional mandolin (£45) or how about a signed copy of her bestselling book? (£25) GO TO WEBSITE

FOR WOMEN There are some things that we’d love to use but seem a little too indulgent to buy for ourselves. So here’s one for your own Christmas wishlist or that will make a brilliant gift for any of your girlfriends. Margaret Dabbs has almost cult status when it comes to treating hands, feet and legs – she is the no.1 podiatrist for A-listers. Although it’s almost impossible to get an appointment with her, we can still enjoy the sought after products she has created. She only uses high-quality, efficacious ingredients in her luxuriously textured formulas…

  • Intensive Hydrating Hand Lotion £24.90 BUY NOW
  • Fabulous Feet Discovery Kit £38.90 BUY NOW
  • Festive Feet and Hands Duo £24 (save £4 on RPP) BUY NOW

FOR WOMEN I recently wrote about face yoga which takes just a few minutes each day and is so beneficial. Research supporting the benefits is mounting – the exercises promote healthy glowing skin, lift and firm the muscles under the skin and help boost circulation and improve lymphatic drainage. Danielle Collins is the world’s leading facial yoga expert and she has a new book out that would make an excellent stocking filler. In the form of a journal, it offers daily motivation for a younger-looking face and a calmer mind in just two minutes a day. £11.29 SHOP NOW

Best stocking filler ever is this classy looking Lime Basil and Mandarin diffuser from Aldi. It smells really good. Unbelievable value at £3.49. BUY NOW

To end this first article of festive gift ideas, I thought you might be interested to hear that Montezuma – the makers of extraordinary chocolate – has six equally delicious advent calendars that you can start enjoying on 1st December – bound to help you and your family get in the mood for Christmas! £9.99 GET YOURS NOW

Do hope you found some of these gift ideas useful – more coming over the next couple of months. In the meantime, happy shopping online…

If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission for which Annabel and I are very grateful and use to fund the running costs of this free-to-all website.

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