So Here It Is, Merry Christmas, Everybody's Having Fun!

 When I think of what makes a truly special gift, there's one thing which straight away springs to mind. Thought. If a gift has been given some thought it is immediately more special, as the person giving the gift clearly has put some time and effort into choosing it. We can all just pop to Tesco and get a Dove body wash for our friend and throw some christmassy wrapping paper around it, but it doesn't say much. Except maybe 'you need a shower'. And nobody wants to be told that.

 For some, it's all about the price tag. As long as it's expensive, that's all that matters. But that's not what Christmas is about. And certainly if you're expecting anything of the sort from me then I'm afraid I shall only disappoint you as once I've paid off all my bills for the week there's very little to spare! A good gift can't be measured by cost, but by how much it'll mean to the person recieving it. There's nothing better than watching someone open a present you've bought for them, and seeing their face beam with happiness because they genuinely love it. It makes all that shopping worth it.

 And so here it is, just a few weeks away from Christmas. Some of you reading this will be quietly quite smug because you have either finished your shopping already, or are just about done. But others, well, you haven't even started have you?! They very thought of Christmas shopping is probably getting you into a tizzy. You have no idea what to get for who, and where to get it from in the first place. Well my dear baffled friends, I have been searching for some lovely gift ideas for you. So I do hope that this helps.

 If you're after a good book for someone, Keith Richards - Life, might just be the way to go. My friend James is always coming to work and telling us about all the things the Rolling Stone got up to, and says it's an amazing read. His life has definitely been an interesting one, so I doubt very much that anyone could get bored with this read.

The first website to try is http://www.bathandunwind.com/brands/rose-co/. For the packaging alone these gifts are brilliant. Rose and Co are a company which uses traditional recipes in all of their products and vintage styled packaging to give you the ultimate nostalgic beauty products. If there is someone in your life who does a lot of work with their hands (cook, gardener etc), treat them to one of their fine hand creams, or salves. The salves are utterly gorgeous, I highly recommend the Rose Salve. I use this as a lip balm on a daily basis and it does wonders, but it is equally as good at healing dry hands. There is also a salve specially designed for gardeners too. At just £5, this is a real bargain. Their gift sets are slightly more expensive (but not at all pricey) starting at £7.50. These consist of four bath products designed to look like pretty cupcakes (best not to eat them though, however good they may look!). These are perfect for a best friend.



A great website to try for unique gifts is Etsy. They have some really delightful jewellery and at very reasonable prices. I picked a few of my favourite pieces to show you. This is also a great site to try for men's gifts too. They have some really lovely vintage cufflinks, perfect for a dad, uncle, or grandad. For a brother or a younger man, these t-shirts are great. This seller has some really unique designs that would make a perfect gift, and they aren't expensive either. My final idea from etsy is a quilt. Although a lot of these don't come cheap, they make wonderful presents in the wintertime. Search through though, if you look hard enough you can find some under £40, like this beauty which features a lovely rose design. Perfect for your recipient to snuggle under in the cold winter evenings. This is ideal for grandparents (could even be a joint gift to gran and grandad) or really anyone special in your life.

                                            Cufflinks from Volovintagejewlery

jewellery by lunashineshine

tshirts by Critter Jitters

quilt from violetlux

 Then there's the people who have everything, isn't there? What do you get for them? Well, why not go onto a charity website or into your local charity shop and do just this. Get a charity gift. Oxfam, for example, do gifts for £5, £10, £20 and so on. Just £11 can go towards buying mosquito nets and you get a card to say what the money was donated to so the person you're giving it to knows how they've helped. You can also add a box of fairtrade chocolates to the gift to make it that little bit sweeter. That way, the money which you would have spent on something the person really didn't need has gone to a good cause, and they'll feel good about their gift. Win win situation. Go to http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped for more info. 

 Muji is another great website. I often go to their store in Covent Garden. They are a japanese company and they sell just about everything! From beauty to stationery, furniture to fashion. I particularly like these playing cards which double up as jigsaw puzzle of London. At £5.95, they make a great gift. Click here for the muji playing cards

 Another really unique gift is a book of photos hand picked by you. At Blurb.com you can upload photos, add text and compile together a really special book of memories to give as a present. Prices start from £8.95, so it's well worth looking into. Even a simple idea like compiling photos from Christmasses past with your family to give to your parents. If you go for a slightly more expensive book you can always club together with brothers and sisters (if you have some). It'll mean a lot, and it's something they can keep, and even be passed down through the generations.

 And finally, if you're still not sure what to get for a certain someone, well how about this. Home baked cookies. And don't worry if you aren't a whizz in the kitchen or if you never have a lot of time. This recipe is so easy and quick to do, you could even do it on Christmas Eve and wrap them up ready for the next day.

What You'll Need:
150g (5oz) butter
150g (5oz) caster sugar
1 egg
250g (8oz) plain flour
baking trays (grease them with butter/margerine to prevent sticking)

 Heat the oven to Gas 5, 190°C, 375°F. Beat the butter and sugar together
until soft and a pale, creamy colour. Gradually beat in the egg. Mix in the
flour, making a smooth dough. Once the dough is made, simply split the dough into several pieces. Roll each piece into a ball in the palm of your hand. Place on baking tray and squish the ball down so it's flatter (make sure the dough is atleast 2cm deep or it won't bake so well) and put the trays in the oven for 8-10 mins until golden brown. Once you've let them cool you can either decorate them if you're feeling particularly creative or leave plain. Then put them in nice boxes or tins and voila! A perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth!

I hope these ideas have helped you with your christmas shopping, or at least given you some inspiration. Make sure you check out my next blog, since I'm going to see The National on Wednesday, I do believe it will be all about that gig! Kez xxx