Gift Ideas For The Adults

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

I love buying Christmas gifts and I am always looking for inspiration so if you are like me then you can browse our Gift Ideas For Adults featuring a range of gifts perfect for even the hardest to buy for.

A few years ago if someone was to give me anything with anti-ageing or wrinkle in the title I would have be offended but now I embrace it and accept it with a huge smile on my face! This Christmas give the power of age-defying skincare and wrap up the Renewal Power Couple Gift Set. With an eye cream to instantly blur and brighten the look of the eye area and a serum for dramatically smoother, plumper and firmer-looking skin, it restores years of collagen loss and they'll see the difference in just 7 days!

You are never too old to enjoy an advent calendar and I am loving the Self-Love Wellbeing Advent Calendar, featuring 12 ways they can show themselves some much-deserved attention. It's the perfect way to count down to Christmas! With everything from skincare that bestows a glow to super-relaxing bodycare, this gorgeous gift set will pamper them from head to toe. Featuring bestselling Planet Spa Sleep Ritual Pillow Mist and Anew Lifting Dual Eye System, and the award-winning Anew Renewal Power Serum, you need this on your radar this Christmas.

A leading festive flavour, the Orange Sharing Box contains 12 mini bars infused with the zing of juicy orange and crunchy cocoa nibs.  

Whether you want to add a pop of colour to your living room, create a cosy glow in the children’s bedroom, give your gaming room some edge, or wow your friends and family with a spectacular Christmas display, Twinkly Candies bring endless fun for all, no matter the occasion. Available in four fun shapes, including Pearls, Stars, Candles and Hearts, each comes with either 100 or 200 app-controlled, addressable LEDs designed to project limitless, high-quality vibrant patterns, gradients and animations at just the simple touch of a button.

Find Out Who Killed Mia? When Mia Star gets murdered during a livestream, millions of fans wonder who did it. It's up to you to figure it out before it's too late. It's a murder mystery game for the modern age. If you love murder mystery kits and you're looking to take your murder mystery game night to the next level, this one's for you.

Forever’s Nourishing Hair Oil combines aloe and a blend of six silicone-free botanical oils.Each of the six oils packs a nourishing punch, while enhancing your hair with a lightweight feel. it is ideal for all hair types and textures with nutrients that help give hair a healthy-looking appearance. 

Clean Co gives non-drinkers the character, quality and complexity of a proper grown-up drink. With five flavours to choose from you can enjoy your favourite drinks or cocktails without the alcohol. 

Clean G Rhubarb is bursting with fruity aromas of London dry gin, rhubarb and red berries. Enjoy notes of fruity rhubarb, juniper, and citrus with a subtle hint of coriander, mint and cinnamon.

Clean T is Clean Co's take on blanco tequila; opening with soft, fresh blue agave and new oak aromas and hints of olive, complemented perfectly with a medley of sweet melon and subtle fruit flavours, all culminating to a classic peppery dry finish. 

Christmas Grace, from Serenata Flowers is a celebration of regal hues and festive joy. Crafted with simplicity and care, this arrangement is more than flowers; it's a reflection of the season's grace and the language of winter's enchantment. Include in the bouquet is silver Ozo Jubilees, burgundy Antirrhinum, purple Chrysanthemum Blooms, red Spray Roses, red Rose Intermediates, burgundy Carnations, burgundy Safari Sunset, green Pistachio and green Scots Pines.

I have naturally frizzy hair which is a nightmare at times however I have found the Revlon SmoothStay Straightener has really helped to control the frizz. It boats visibly shinier and smoother hair and features triple-coated ceramic plates infused with coconut oil for long-lasting results! Effortlessly create sleek, straight styles or loose curls that are long lasting with the SmoothStay straightener. Ideal for all hair types and lengths. 

Love In Winter Wonderland tells the story of Trey Anderson is popular and handsome, and he works at his family’s beloved bookshop, Wonderland. Ariel Spencer is quirky, creative, and in need of a holiday temp job to cover her tuition for The Artists’ Studio. An opening at Wonderland is the answer . . . and the start of a hate-to-love journey for Trey and Ariel. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of shutting down, can they get over their differences and team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline?

Only For The Holidays tells the story of Tia and Quincy who don’t see eye to eye, until they realise they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up the pretence and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?

Both books from Abiola Bello are perfect for the holidays.

There is nothing better than putting on fresh bed sheets. Panda 100% bamboo bedding set featuring fitted sheet, duvet cover and pillowcase are made from silky bamboo fibre and has amazing natural properties that soothe your skin and sustain your sleep. Cocoon-like cosiness in the winter. Unbelievably cool and breathable in the summer. What’s more, as their bamboo is completely sustainable and organically grown, you can rest assured that you’re being lovely to the planet as well as lovely to your skin. Sensational sleeping, naturally.

For anyone that takes their slumber seriously, the Panda Bamboo Sleep Eye Mask is the ultimate accessory to shut out ambient light and set you up for a lovely long sleep. The most thoughtfully designed, light-as-air creation, it’s made from 100% bamboo, inside and out. Naturally breathable and hypoallergenic. Silky-soft on your skin. No matter what time it is, this sleep mask will bring on the night! And you’ll sleep right through it.

Double your Glo with the Advanced Whitening System Kit, including; 14 day treatment of Advanced Whitening Strips to lift your smile, and the Advanced Whitening Stilo for on the go whitening.

Give your smile a Glo with the Advanced Whitening Toothpaste, designed to be used as an everyday essential of your whitening routine. Whitens teeth by gently reducing surface stains and discolouration.

Advanced UV Serum with Coconut Oil.  Formulated with water-soluble purple dyes to neutralise yellow undertones Brightens teeth by utilising colour theory technology, counter-balancing the yellow hues in your teeth. A non-invasive brightening treatment designed to be used as often as needed to give the appearance of brighter whiter teeth.

ExpressVPN Aircove is the first Wi-Fi 6 router with built-in* VPN protection. Now with parental controls and other advanced protection features, Aircove helps secure all your devices—even smart home appliances and gaming consoles that can’t install VPN software. Smart TV? Voice assistant? If it’s connected, it’s protected.

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Michelle

Michelle

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Gift Ideas For The Kids

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links.

I love buying presents for family and friends and I love seeing their faces when they open their presents and get a nice surprise. I do sometimes turn to google for some gift inspiration as some children are impossible to buy for. Over the last few months I have been gathering lots of gift ideas for the kids so if you are looking for a little inspiration then hopefully this post may help.

Unbox your Gel Blaster and get blasting! The rechargeable Gel Blaster Surge shoots water based beads or “Gellets” that burst on impact. This innovative blaster is ready to blast straight out of the box – fully charged with a hopper full of hydrated Gellets. Think airsoft but with no pain, stain or clean up, bring the battle to the garden, park or anywhere else you can think of.

Double your dart blasting fun with the Nerf Elite 2.0 Double Punch motorised blaster that has double barrels and double clips! The Double Punch dart blaster features 2 rapid alternating barrels that move back and forth as you blast darts. The Nerf automatic blaster includes 2 clips, each with 10-dart capacity, so you can unleash 20 darts in a row. This blaster includes an amazing 50 Nerf Elite 2.0 foam darts, giving you more than enough darts to reload both clips twice, with darts to spare.

Squad up with Squishmallows Take4, the family game for any Squishmallows-lover! Looking for a fun group game? In this fast-paced, quick-thinking game, you'll race to collect 4 of a Squad before your opponents. Choose which of the four cards you want from the ones in play—but watch out. If you reach for the same one as someone else, you'll have to race to grab the exclusive Benny The Bigfoot Squishmallow in the center! Perfect game for game night with your friends, family, at school or at home—no matter where or when, you're bound to love it.

Grab a card, read the question, then start the timer! Players only have 5 seconds to name 3 answers to the question—resulting in hilarious goofs, silly answers, and lots of laughter! This Harry Potter-themed game is perfect for fans of all ages.

If you loved Screwball Scramble, you’ll be itching to Level Up and reach for the top of Screwball Scramble Level Up. As you lunge and stretch up the cliff edge, timing and dexterity are tops as you mix patience with speed and cat-like reactions. Play solo to set a time and then beat it, or go head-to-head with family and friends

Word Poppers from TOMY Games is the loopy letter juggling game where fingers scramble to grab letters and make up words before it’s too late. Round by round, players turn over their Word card as the timer starts to tick. The first player to score 25 points is the Word Poppers winner!

With My Very Own Solar System from Brainstorm Toys, you can explore the wonders of the universe from the comfort of your own room! This amazing remote controlled, motorised mobile has eight detailed, colour, planets that orbit the full sun. By day, an impressive and educational addition to any room and by night the illuminated sun is an attractive night light making it perfect for bedtime.

The magnetic Megasketcher Classic drawing board has a unique special screen that allows budding artists to draw clear, crisp pictures. The pictures magically disappear with one sweep of the eraser ready to start again. There is a pen to draw with and four shape stampers are also included.

NOMO’s Choc Fudge Reindeer is brand new and exclusive to Sainsbury’s. Filled with rich, decadent fudge, it makes a perfect treat or stocking stuffer for all chocolate lovers—kids and adults alike. 

The Cookie Dough Reindeer is filled with delicious cookie dough filling and coated in creamy plant-based chocolate. It was the top selling vegan and free from chocolate product in 2022

The festive Kids’ Selection Box contains two Crispy Mos, two Nomster Lollies, and a Cookie Dough Reindeer. This follows the success of NOMO’s new Crispy Mo product this year, designed to ensure that no child needs to miss out on delicious treats. The colourful packaging and Christmas activities on the inside of the box make it perfect as a gift or stocking stuffer for kids.  

Reindeer Hollow is made with delicious creamy choc and free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts, the adorable Reindeer Hollow makes the perfect stocking filler or gift for a loved one (or yourself) this Christmas. 

Bops N Tops range features collectable characters from some of the world’s most-loved franchises, including PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Disney, My Little Pony and the Marvel Universe. The character pencil toppers are the perfect way to personalise a pencil, whilst the Bops each have a unique stamp design to decorate stationery, providing the ideal way to leave your mark.

Puzzle Palz, the 3D jigsaw puzzle eraser, is an award-winning pocket money toy which offers collectable fun for kids aged three years and over. Exclusive to Sambro, they make perfect stocking fillers  for little collectors. Puzzle Palz™ erasers are built using the puzzle pieces, creating characters or vehicles from popular licenses, including PAW Patrol™, Lilo & Stitch, Marvel, Disney Princess and more.

Oilatum Junior Sweet Dreamz Bath Bubbles which contains 'DreamScentz’ sleep enhancing technology are gentle enough to be used from day 1 and contain specially selected naturally derived cleansers and moisturising ingredients. Oilatum  Junior Sweet Dreamz Head to Toe Wash for dry and eczema prone skin soothes, moisturises and cleanses delicate skin. Leaves hair soft and shiny

Have you seen the New Forest unicorn? You may be lucky enough to see the unicorn the next time you’re in the forest! It may be hiding behind the Gorse by the Stone Water Trough at Wootton. Maybe Willow was right... it may go to Setley Pond for a drink! It could even be visiting the Trolls that live under Wootton Bridge. The New Forest Ponies all roam free and wild within The New Forest, if you visit, please remember to look and to admire them, but never ever touch or feed them.

Teddy and the Tygers, explores how Teddy adjusted to the arrival of new kittens in the family, showcasing the importance of acceptance and love when welcoming a new family member. Ideal for young children who may be experiencing similar situations, the book has been praised for its gentle and positive approach to change and adaptation.

Teddy Versus the Underwear takes readers on a hilarious journey of intrigue when the family’s underwear mysteriously disappears. Everyone in the household is baffled, but little do they know that their beloved Teddy might be behind the missing undergarments.

Mister Mishkins' Apothecary, features Mister Mishkins a magical cat, who runs an Apothecary on Mosaic Street - a mysterious place that mysteriously appears in town overnight and is only visible to those in need. Whenever anyone enters the Apothecary, MisterMishkins listens as they share their troubles and fears, before turning to the rows of wooden drawers where, hidden within, is an eclectic mix of cats. These cats take whoever needs them on a magical journey of transformation,

replacing negative emotions with hope, optimism, and just a small sprinkling of magic.

Little Brian Christmas Window Kit includes 6 Window Paint Sticks, 12 Christmas Stencils, 1 Santa Stop Here Sign Stencil. The perfect kit to paint your own Christmas window decorations! Use your stencils to paint and discover your Christmas themed designs easily!

Little Brian Paint Sticks Classic are super silky paints in 12 bold vibrant colours, perfect for painting without the mess. Just twist up and down like a glue stick. Paint Sticks can be used on a variety of surfaces, paper, card, wood and even glass and it dries within less than 60 seconds.

What gifts are you buying this Christmas?

Michelle

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17 Light Trails In The North West To Enjoy Christmas 2023

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We love a light trail and this year there are so many to choose from in the North West and surrounding areas. Over the years we have done a few but they have become so popular that this year we already have three booked in and hopefully will book a few more over the next few weeks. As you can imagine tickets sell fast for these events so take a look below for some inspiration on which trail to choose and don't hang about, grab your tickets before it's too late. 

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Ideas To Help You Save For Christmas

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Last updated January '23

Saving for Christmas for most people starts in January. Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of year so it's sensible for us to get a head start and start preparing for Christmas as early as now. The January sales is a great place to start as you can get some amazing bargains on gifts, decorations or homeware that you can put away in preparation for Christmas. Every year I say I will start saving for Christmas as soon as possible and I never do. This year I have decided I am going to start saving for Christmas now and I have a few ideas on how to help you save for Christmas if you want to start now too. 

1p Challenge

The 1p challenge is probably the most known saving scheme as is quite a popular choice. It's very simple to follow and if done correctly by Christmas you will have over £600 in your saving pot. 

So here's how it works

On 1st January you put 1p in to a savings jar

On 2nd January you put 2p in to a savings jar

On 3rd January you put 3p in to a savings jar

On 4th January you put 4p in to a savings jar

On 5th January you put 5p in to a savings jar

On 6th January you put 6p in to a savings jar

On 7th January you put 7p in to a savings jar

and so on adding 1p on to your total each day. 

By the end of this challenge you will have saved well over £600 in time for Christmas. 

This challenge can be done in reverse if you wanted to save larger amounts at the beginning on the year.

On 1st January you put £3.65 in to a savings jar

On 2nd January you put £3.64 in to a savings jar

On 3rd January you put £3.63 in to a savings jar

On 4th January you put £3.62 in to a savings jar

On 5th January you put £3.61 in to a savings jar

On 6th January you put £3.60 in to a savings jar

On 7th January you put £3.59 in to a savings jar

and so on until Christmas. 

It's a simple saving challenge which would certainly give you a head start towards your Christmas Spends. 

The 52 Week Challenge

This idea is similar to to the 1p challenge however you don't have to remember to add your pennies to your savings jar each week you add each week and it's a pound challenge rather than a penny challenge so by Christmas you will have saved over £1300.

So here's how it works

Week one add £1 to your savings jar

Week two add £2 to your savings jar 

Week three add £3 to your savings jar

Week four add £4 to your savings jar

By the end of the month you will have saved £10 now this won't seem much but it soon mounts up as you head in to months 6,7,8 and finally in to December when your pot will have well over £1000 in it. 

You can also do this challenge in reverse too

Week one add £52 to your savings jar

Week two add £51 to your savings jar

Week three add £50 to your savings jar

Week four add £49 to your savings jar

Doing this challenge in reverse means that at the end of the month you will have £202 in your pot. 

Save With Your Supermarket

Asda offer a savings reward card which is perfect if you shop at their store. The cards are usually found in store or you can order one online. Every time you shop you can add an amount to your savings card. You have full control so can add as much or as little as you like and as often as you want. The amount you save on your card can be put towards your shopping in store, online and also on George online.

At the end of the year they usually offer a small reward to say thank you for saving with them each year.  These rewards were for 2021 but assume they will be similar for 2022. I will update when the 2022 rewards have been confirmed.  

Savings on card £30 - £79

Bonus reward £1

Savings on card £80 - £129

Bonus reward £3

Savings on card £130 - £179

Bonus Reward £6

Savings on card £180 - £229

Bonus Reward £9

Savings on card £230 - £279

Bonus Reward £12

Savings on card £280+

Bonus Reward £15

If you are a regular shopper at Tesco then you can will know that Tesco offer a reward scheme in the form of Tesco Club Card Points. These points are converted in to vouchers throughout the year and are a great way to save to help towards your Christmas food shop. 

You could also buy gift cards throughout the year which are usually by the checkouts to save for Christmas. Unfortunately Tesco gift cards can only be loaded once so they cannot be topped up so not as easy as the Asda Christmas Saving card but still worth it if Tesco is your regular supermarket. 

Money Saving / Cash Back Apps

We have been using money saving apps now for quite a few years and the amount of cash back we earn really does build up. This can be left in the app or you can withdraw and add to your saving jars. There are so many money saving and cash back apps out there but these are a few of our favourites. 

Checkout Smart

Checkout Smart is a cash back app that offers you cash back on certain products when bought at certain stores. 

Every day new offers are loaded and the more you use it the more the offers refresh. All you need to do is..

Check the app each day for offers

Choose which offers you want to redeem

Head to the supermarket and buy the products

After purchasing take a photograph of your receipt

Await confirmation of your cash back

Once your cash back has been confirmed it will go on to your balance. You can cash out your balance at any time however no fee will be charged if your balance goes above £20.00. Cash back can be paid to your bank via BACS or PayPal.

The amount of cash back on products does vary however sometimes the app offers you the chance to receive 100% cash back making it completely free. 

Shopmium 

Shopmium is very similar to Checkout Smart. It offers you cash back on certain products and usually refreshes every 1 to 2 days with new offers. 

To use Shopmium all you need to do is

Check the app each day for offers

Choose which offers you want to redeem

Head to the supermarket and buy the products

After purchasing take a photograph of your receipt

Await confirmation of your cash back

Shopmium doesn't give you the option to save up your cash back within the app, it is sent directly to your chosen payment method once validated. 

There is a reward scheme with Shopmium called Shopmium club. It gives you the option to upgrade to Gold level free of charge by completing easy steps. 

Share your referral code

Every member has a refer a friend code that not only benefits you but your friend too. If you friend signs up using your code ( KFYYKYGQ - This is mine) your friend will receive a free gift. At the moment it's a tube of Pringles. You as the referrer will also get a reward of £3 which will go as credit against future cash back offers. 

Redeem Offers

Submit at least 10 cash backs to reach Gold level then submit at least 1 per month to maintain in the Gold level. 

There are lots of benefits to being in Gold level including

Exclusive challenges

Previews of offers before they go live

Special gift on your birthday

Momentarily reserved offers

Quidco

Quidco is an online cash back app that offers great rates of cash back when shopping online. 

There are hundreds of retailers including well known stores such as Argos, B&Q, H Samuel this list is huge. You can also earn cash back on holidays such as TUI, Easyjet, booking.com. It's also great to earn extra cash back when switching telecom, gas, electricity providers. There is so many options to earn. 

Refer a Friend Scheme

Quidco offer a refer a friend scheme that unlocks a bonus of £10 for your friend once they have signed up and had at least £5 cash back confirmed on to their account. As a referrer you will be notified once someone signs up using your referral link or your referral code (6857695 - this is mine) you will then be credited with £30 cash back.

We are just a few pounds shy of £600 savings since we started. Cash out is available via PayPal or bank transfer. You also have the options to buy vouchers with your cash back instead of taking cash. The vouchers are available with an added % bonus on top and differ depending on the store.

For example if you had £20 to cash out you can 

Take £20 cash

Buy a voucher for Amazon with an added 2% on top 

Buy a voucher for JD Sports with an added 10% on top

There are plenty of vouchers available and the added bonus ranges from 2 - 25% extra. 

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Tips To Help You Prepare For Christmas

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post. The idea for this post, thoughts and opinions are our own. 

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. Everything builds up to Christmas day and if you are not prepared it can make Christmas the most stressful time of year too. There is plenty you can do to help you prepare for Christmas day and make it as stress free and enjoyable as possible. Here are our tips to help you prepare for Christmas. 

Decide Who Is Hosting

If you have a family Christmas it is wise to decide who is hosting as soon as possible. Making Christmas dinner is a big task and if it falls on you to host you will want to know sooner rather than later. 

Buy Christmas Food Early And Book A Home Delivery Shop Just Before Christmas

In December we start adding a few food items and treats to our weekly shops. It helps spread the cost of Christmas and it saves panic buying a few days before when all the shops are running low on stock levels. We always make sure we book a supermarket home delivery a few days before Christmas too as supermarkets are always so busy stressful on the days before Christmas. A home delivery takes the stress away all you need to do is order online and wait for it to arrive. 

Christmas Present Shopping Early

Hopefully by now you will have started your Christmas shopping but if you still have some Christmas gifts to buy start browsing online now. It's so much easier to shop online as you can find lots of gift ideas and inspiration from the comfort of your sofa. A great way to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the high street shops. 

Watch and Wrap

I actually like wrapping presents but when you have a lot of wrapping to do it can become a huge chore. We always pop on a Christmas movie that we have seen many times before and have it playing while we wrap. It makes the time go so much quicker.

Fill In Your Calendar, Planner Or Diary

December is a busy month and you may be out an about more than usual. Make sure you use a planner or calendar to fill in your social events, school activities, days out and get togethers. There is nothing worse than double booking.

Stock Up On Batteries

Buy extra batteries so you have spares in case any friends or family members give your children battery powered toys. Most small to medium children’s toys will require AA or AAA batteries. Larger toys may require C or D batteries. Having spares to hand will also mean that there are no tears if batteries do end up running dry before the end of the day. There are some toys can drain batteries very quickly too if played with continuously.

Enjoy The Day 

We all spend so much time preparing, planning and waiting for the big day to arrive that its easy to get to the point where you actually miss the entire day through trying to make sure that everything runs perfectly. Remember that Christmas is about spending time with family and friends so make sure that is what you do. If you have children then these will be the days they remember the most. They will remember the time you spent with them more than the present they forgot about years ago. 

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