Tag Archives: gift guide

The Perfect Tea Gifts: Christmas at Mariage Frères

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Stepping inside Mariage Frères is like being transported into a bygone era. Mariage Frères is exclusively one of France’s oldest tea shops and we are fortunate enough to have their flagship store open on our doorstep in the heart of Covent Garden. This is also the brands largest tea emporium to date, boasting five storeys of tea history. The ceiling to floor tea wall is filled with all the teas you can imagine and is definitely worth a visit just to marvel at the longest tea wall in the World featuring over 1000 varieties of tea. The shop also features a Tea Museum on the second floor showcasing tea antiques from around the World as well as providing you with a lowdown on the history of tea and of course, the pièce de résistance has to be the Salon de Thé. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner each dish is expertly created to feature, you’ve guessed it… tea. We heavily recommend their tea infused cocktails! There really is something for everyone here. 

The emporium is a stunning addition to Covent Garden and like everywhere else at this time of the year, we thoroughly recommend paying this place a visit over the festive period. Tea lovers will be blown away by the quality of the products and we promise you will not be disappointed by their incredible collection of luxurious and stunning Christmas gifts and cakes to impress your guests! 

Our personal favourites had to be…

Mariage Frères Gold Cake £66

Not only is this completely show-stopping, but the Gold Cake is scrumptious. Covered in shimmering gold, this chocolate marbled cake is infused with Marco Polo black-tea and flavoured with festive spices with a core of gianduja and hazelnut. The Gold Cake will serve around ten guests and if you’re in my house, will last about 5 minutes! 

Noël Fruit Tea: £49

This stunning fruit tea comes packaged in a hand-blown glass bauble design. The tea itself is fruity and spicy and festive and can be enjoyed hot or cold and like any, would make a great infusion  perfect for a Christmas cocktail. 

Opera Musical Tea-Box £65

Now this really is a unique and extraordinary present. A beautiful, illustrated musical gift box is filled with four packets of tea and when opened, each plays a different operatic tune. This really is the kind of gift one would have been presented with many years ago and we are so thrilled to see that it is still possible to buy such a traditional gift. 

Soho Bohème Teapot £299

For the tea-lover who has everything. We guarantee they won’t have such an exquisite teapot. This expertly hand-blown glass teapot is sculpted into a soufflè shape and can be bought with a gold or silver lid. This teapot really oozes class and sophistication. 

NOËL SUBLIME® £39

Nestled in an elegant gift set, painted in black & gold and decorated with silver stars, this NOËL SUBLIME advent calendar beholds 25 tea-inspired Mariage Frères treats to make the countdown to the holidays all the more pleasant.
The clock, symbolised by a hanging Christmas ornament, ticks while imaginary windows, opening day after day, glimmer under the guiding light of the Star of Bethlehem.

All gifts are available to buy in Mariage Frères flagship store in Covent Garden or in Selfridges London.

www.mariagefreres.com 

Festive Cocktail Guide Vol. 1 ft Italicus

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It’s that time of the year again… and to kick it off, we bring you our favourite festival tipples guaranteed to wow your guests and to top your Christmas lists. 

Impress your guests this Festive season by creating a cocktail using a fine and majestic liqueur. Italicus is made from Rosolio di Bergamotto and was actually the main Aperitivo drunk by the King of Savoia.

This exquisite liquor is made from Bergamot from Calabria, Cedro form Sicily, Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Melissa Balm, Yellow Roses, Gentian. 

The result; a finely aromatic and floral flavour with light notes of citrus which certainly mixes well with a number of mixers, garnishes and other spirits.

Italicus has already won numerous awards including a few for the packaging which is utterly show-stopping, another reason to grab a bottle this Christmas. The beautiful design will certainly wow sitting atop your bar or drinks cabinet. 

Italicus can be served in a number of ways

Negroni Bianco:

35ml Italicus

35ml London Dry Gin

35l Dry Vermouth 

Served: In a tumbler with 3 olives.

Italicus Cup:

50 ml Italicus 

25ml Pink Grapefruit

Top with Soda add a Pinch of Salt and 3 Olives

Italicus is priced at RRP £29.95 for 70cl bottle ABV 20%

https://www.rosolioitalicus.com

Christmas Gifts for Wine Lovers

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We have selected a few unique and innovative gifting options this Christmas for anyone who loves to receive wine. From subscription boxes to wine days out you can’t go wrong with our versatile selection.

Your Sommelier : French Wine Box

This subscription service offers you 3 stunning French wines each month. Ccarefully selected from independent vineyards, Your Sommelier will provide tasting cards and key info to help you learn all about your wines which will be presented in your own Your Sommelier folder, free with each subscription. The subscription options will be for 1 month, 3 month or 6 months ranging from £36-£60. There is no minimum contract and you can cancel anytime making it perfect for a one off gift or for something a little bit more special.

yoursommelier.co.uk

sipp

Designed for Millennials, this wine club comes with a difference. sipp is the World’s first Augmented Reality wine club which comes with it’s own app. You pick a box online and whichever wines you receive you can scan with your smartphone and receive your very own private tasting experience. sipp helps bring to life all the knowledge of the wine as well as offering up adequate food pairings. sipp was designed to get rid of all the snobbery associated with wine tasting and creating a fun and easy to learn guide on the wines you love. Through sipp you can either purchase a one off gift or their subscription. Join sippClub for just £29 per month and you will receive wines worth up to £45 with no minimum contract and free P&P making it the perfect gift for someone who loves wine already and wants to learn more about the World of wine. Other specialist gift boxes are available and for a limited time, they are running a special Christmas discount on all gifts. We tried it out and thought that this was by far one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand hacks into the World of Wine.

sippwine.co.uk

WWW.WineCellarDoor.co.uk

Offering you a comprehensive guide to all of the visitor friendly vineyards in the UK, this website has an array of experiences and tours for anyone who loves their wine. With a gift for absolutely anyone, winecellardoor.co.uk offers events and tastings at a number of wine estates, giving you a chance to curate your very own wine day out. Through their online shop you can purchase wines produced in the UK’s finest vineyards or you can even check the events page to see what wine related events are happening around the UK from free events to taking part in official wine courses. Our top picks are: Yoga in the Vineyard priced at £85 at Hambledon Vineyard, Christmas Wreath making course also at Hambledon Vineyard and Denbies Cellar Sparkling Wine tasting and Gallery Restaurant Dinner at the Denbies wine estate in Surrey.

www.WineCellarDoor.co.uk

Cheers!

Two For Children

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Children can be hard to buy for at Christmas but we think we have it sorted with two great gifts below.

Reindeer Cashmere Mix Jumper
£24.00

You need a Christmas jumper. It just would not be Christmas without it. This beautiful Reindeer jumper is made with cashmere for a very soft feel but is also machine washable. What more could you want? So adorable. .

Picnic Basket with Wooden Food
£32.00
The Frost toddler loves this picnic basket which comes with gingham fabric, a gingham blanket and wooden food. The sweet wicker basket is lined in gingham fabric and contains a selection of wooden food including cakes, fruit and bread, as well as plates and cups to dish up the picnic. It also has a little wooden knife so children can cut up the food. Perfect for hours of imaginative play.
Both available from http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk

Get Stunning Results with the Revolutionary ‘A-Lift Facial’ by Nouveau Skin Therapy

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A Lift 2
A firm, facial favourite with Celebrities and Beauty Therapists alike, Nouveau Skin Therapy focus on bringing the most effective, natural and scientific developments in anti-ageing skin rejuvenation to consumers and salons across the UK. They’re committed to cater for a wide range of skin goals and with their revolutionary £30 A-Lift Facial, you’ll be stunned by the A List results.

What sets the A-Lift Facial a bar above regular facials is that it pretty much gives you the results of a surgical procedure without the need for any needles or scalpels. Yes, it is completely non-evasive and such results are achieved by the use of machines designed for sports injuries to increase ATP production in the cells. In short, this promotes skin regeneration, improves muscle tone and stimulates the skin to act younger by using a series of nano-currents. This also produces an increase of collagen. No wonder why it’s a firm favourite with stars such as Sadie Frost, Ellie Golding and Lisa Snowden.

B&ACheekAL

We were lucky enough to try out the A-Lift facial and even though The Anti-Ageing effect is not personally what I’m after at present, it was still the best facial I have ever had. My skin was instantly brighter, tighter and rejuvenated. Perfect for this brisk winter weather, we would definitely recommend it as the ideal skin therapy. One of the best things was that I didn’t have a single breakout after, nor was there any sign of skin redness. The facial lasts up to 50 minutes and includes lymphatic drainage which effectively rids your skin of toxins. Perfect if you’re in need of an overall boost and some down time. Priced at £30 this facial really is a no brainer and we would recommend it as the perfect lunch-time treat, pre-party pick-me-up or Mother’s Day Gift.

IMG_6529

You can look up salons nearest to you where they offer this treatment here;

To find out more visit www.nouveaubeautygroup.com

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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Mother’s Day is on the 15th of March this year and It is time to spoil the most important women in your life. Here is our handy guide to gift-buying for Mother’s Day.

Ringtons loose tea and infuser gift box

We love this. The tea is absolutely amazing and the infuser is easy to use and looks great.

The fantastically presented loose tea infuser sets come in a stylish Ringtons cream and gold gift box, decorated with the famous Ringtons crest.  The sets include a Ringtons tea infuser – a simple device designed to take the fuss out of preparing loose tea and bring out the full flavour of the leaves – and three full size packet of expertly selected loose teas as well as three x 30g sample blends.

 

The Luxury Great British Tea Infuser Gift Box (top image) • £22.99

Includes: Traditional English Breakfast loose tea (125g), Afternoon Blend loose tea (125g), and Classic 1907 loose tea (125g), and 3 x 30g samples.

ringtons tea set

The Luxury Taste the Exotic Tea Fuser Gift Box

• £22.99

Includes: Bird of Paradise loose tea (50g), Samavor Orange Spice loose tea (125g), and Mint Marrakech loose tea (125g), and 3 x 30g samples.

 

The Ringtons Signature loose teas featured and Ringtons gift boxes are available via mail order at www.ringtons.co.uk or via customer care on Freephone 0800 052 2440.


Some Flowers.
buy flowers

Try The Fantastic ‘Summer Memories’ Bouquet – Fresh Flowers with free Delivery

The Notebook  on DVD

notebook

 

Mother And Daughter Message Bangle from notonthehighstreet.com

mother's day gift ideas

 

 

Personalised Thank You Print by Rosie Robins from notonthehighstreet.com

normal_personalised-thank-you-print

Mum’s Measure Wine Glass by Becky Broome from notonthehighstreet.com

normal_mum-s-measure-wine-glass

 

Personalised Family Tree Cushion by A Type Of Design from notonthehighstreet.com

family tree, mother's day mothers day , gift, guide, ideas

 

Cocktails are always a good idea….

cocktail recipe

Quintessentially Vodka Rhubarb Rickey

35ml Quintessentially Vodka

12.5ml Rhubarb liqueur / syrup

12.5ml Fresh lime

Soda (top up)

 

Method: place the Quintessentially Vodka, rhubarb syrup and fresh lime in a tall glass, adding ice and a spritz of soda.

To finish, stir a few times before adding a wedge of lime.

 

What will you be doing for your mother?

 

 

Father’s Day Gift Guide

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Haven’t got your dad anything for Father’s Day yet? Fear not, we have some excellent suggestions. It’s on the 15th of June so read on and hurry up!

wildgeesewhiskey

The Wild Geese whiskey collection comprises four different variations to suit the whiskey novice or discerning Dad.
Classic Blend Irish Whiskey (£19.50) is a great entry-level whiskey and ideal for whipping up a Father’s Day cocktail such as an Old Fashioned or Amaretto Sour. Rare Irish Whiskey (£34) and The Single Malt Irish Whiskey (£54) can be enjoyed straight up or on the rocks and the Limited Edition Irish Whiskey (RRP £44, 70cl). We reviewed this whiskey (hard job but someone has to do it) and can confirm it is amazing, top-quality stuff. If your father has been especially good this year, get him some of this.

gameofthronesdragon

Game of Thrones Dragon figures £40

A must-have for supporters of the House of Targaryen, choose from baby Drogon, Viserion or Rhaegal, or collect all three! Each dragon figure is amazingly crafted and finely handpainted, standing at 11.5cm high. 

Dragon –  Baby dragon, Drogon tail raised, lifts his wings about to take flight 

Viserion – Viserion reaches his head to the sky

Rhaegal –  Craning his neck in interest and featuring a curly tail, this baby Rhaegal is both cute and menacing at the same time!

 

From www.hboshopeu.com and Tresor Paris

 

belugavodkareviewBeluga Noble Russian Vodka is a particularly good Russian vodka. We tried it, we liked it. Available here.

 

footballpuzzlewasgijThis Wasgij Original Puzzle combines games and sport. Perfect for dads. It also includes a free Wasgij football wall chart.

Wasgij Original 21: Football Fever! offers two 1000-piece football themed puzzles in a single box, sure to bring Dad hours of entertainment in preparation for England’s kick off this summer in Brazil.

In addition to piecing together the image on the box of a family cheering on their beloved national team, the second puzzle follows the Wasgij Original concept of piecing together what the characters in the box image are looking at.

A FREE football wall chart is also included so you can track the progress of all the teams participating in this summer’s international football tournament.

toneteeThis is a revolutionary body toning fit-wear specifically designed for men who want to look slimmer. This Tone Tee is comfortable and gives all-round compression. It works on paunches and moobs. Women have spanx and now men have Tone Tee. It has 360 degree tone technology and has built-in temperature control breath-in technology. Our male writers who have, erm, overindulged recently loved it. From tonetee.com

triventowineTrivento Malbec Reserve for wine-loving dads. We reviewed this and it is a very good red wine. Plum and rasberry flavours combine elegantly with vanilla notes from the oak. Well balanced exhibiting sweet tannins and a velvety finish.

 

steamingtovictorybookreview

Steaming to Victory: How Britain’s Railways Won the War is a brilliant book about how Britain’s Railways won the war. Excellent for dads who love trains or history.

 

pocketsquareAmazon Fashion Men’s Oxford Circus Handkerchief These pocket squares are perfect for fashionable dads. They come in a range of different London landmarks. Cool and unique.

conversebags
Converse Accessories have launched a collection of bags inspired by the football World Cup. The Prem Sport range is available in a selection of colourways that support footballs’ most iconic international teams ahead of the World Cup finals in Brazil next month. With a retro styled Converse logo emblazoned across the bag, the range celebrates some of the world’s top national teams including England with a bold red and white colour combination as well as colourways for rivals Germany, France and of course the green, yellow and blue of host nation, Brazil.

Stockists for this collection include Next, ASOS, and USC. Perfect for sporty dads and those who love Converse.

 

fossilwatch
Fossil Men’s Aeroflite Watch

A really beautiful watch. Perfect for the main man in your life.

Stockist:  www.WatchShop.com

 

 

What will you get your dad?

 

 

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

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Don’t know what to buy for Valentine’s Day? Here is our handy guide.

igiveyouwood

Timbergram, the original wooden postcard company, are offering a whopping 25% off orders through their website in the lead up to Valentines Day and beyond through their ‘I GIVE YOU WOOD’ campaign. Discerning lovers out there can also now upload any image to be printed onto the front of the woodend cards, as well as having a personalised message etched onto the back.

What’s more, Timbergrams supports the charity TreeAid who plant trees throughout Africa’s drylands to help communities escape poverty. In 2013 Timbergram alone helped TreeAid to plant over 1000 trees, making these little products one of the most eco-considerate ways to tell someone you love them.

As well as being able to upload any of your own images onto the front of your card, you can choose from a huge range of Timbergram’s own designs. Timbergram promotes and collaborates with a wide range of UK-based artists and illustrators, so you’re bound to find something different that your partner will adore. If you can’t find a design that catches your fancy, we can etch your own message on the front – just like the old days when you engraved your initials in tree bark.

Spread the love this Valentines Day… give someone wood with the original and best wooden postcards from Timbergram.

Simply use the code: “GIVEWOOD” at the checkout for your 25% discount.

 

austenland
Austenland is a great film. Perfect for Valentine’s Day.

I love you to the moon and back coaster.

I Love You To The Moon & Back Wooden Coaster Super cute.

heart shaped baloons

Valentine’s Day Heart Shaped Balloons

Alessi Big Love Ice Cream Set, Blue £29.95

Alessi Big Love Ice Cream Set from John Lewis

230453783

Name A Star Gift from John Lewis

230509133

Cowshed Knackered Cow candles from John Lewis