Christmas Gift List: Stocking Fillers

Ah, the Christmas stocking. It may be filled with satsumas but that is all part of the charm. Along with a dose of vitamin C, add these great gifts.

Milk_Shake Daily Duo Gift Set.

milkshakeshampooandconditoner

A bestselling environmentally conscious brand. Professional hair products which combine the benefits of milk and fruit. From www.milkshakehaircare.co.uk

Dearest Margarita: An Edwardian Love Story in Postcards
dearestmaghertia

dearestmagheritabook

Smart and original. This is a great present with hours of fun to be had. In 1900, aged twenty and travelling from Havana to Europe, Margarita Johnson met and fell in love with the dashing gold prospector Charles Lumb. Her father disapproved, and after three years of secret postcards, the couple eloped to London. Cut out of her father’s will, Margarita was never welcomed again in Havana.

Margarita treasured her postcards from Charles, her family and friends, who wrote from England America and Europe. They remained with her until she died in 1959. Years later they were found by her granddaughter, tucked away in a cubby hole, and are here seen for the first time.

Dearest Margarita: An Edwardian Love Story in Postcards is available here.

 

Billington’s & Paul A Young’s Golden Sugar-Coated Caramel Bombs

Billington's & Paul A Young's Golden Sugar-Coated Caramel Bombs

So delicious, so amazing they might actually be worth diabetes. Okay, maybe not. But these exclusive truffles are definitely something to look forward to. If you really love someone, slip them into their stocking. £15.50 at Paul A Young’s stores.

 

 Sugru Home Hacks Made Easy Guides.

Sugru 11sugruhomehacks

The guides are as great as the Sugru. Okay, maybe not: it would be hard to match up to what Time Magazine listed as no. 22 in their Top 50 inventions list in 2010 (the iPad was no. 34). For mums who love to mend, dads who like to organise or colleagues who like to be up on the latest trends, the Sugru Home Hacks Made Easy guides designed to help with everything from misplaced keys and fraying cables to broken parts and even some genius shoe storage ideas. It’s the perfect gift for anybody who loves a good idea.Compiled by mouldable glue Sugru (often described as the love child between Play-doh and superglue), the guide comes complete with booklet, dinky storage tin and five mini packs of Sugru to get you started – all for £10.00 and available exclusively at Sugru.com.

 

Accentuate.

accentuate

This rather cool game got funding from Peter Jones on Dragon’s Den. You guess movie quotes, accents and the year the film was released for triple points. A great game to make boxing day more fun. Accentuate Party Game is available here.

Wine For Dummies

winefordummiesbook

Wine For Dummies, 6th Edition by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan

Wine For Dummies, is essential reading for anyone who enjoys drinking wine and wants to stay up to date with today’s wine scene. This easy-to-follow guide will help readers understand different grape varieties and varying wine styles, decipher wine lists and labels, and understand how to use them to make the right purchases. It also explains how to match food with wines that will bring out the best in both and how to select, store, open, pour, and enjoy wine. Wine For Dummies is available here. . A great book that tells you all you need to know about wine.

The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company Belgian Chocolate Pizza Slice

gourmetpizzacompany

Belgian Chocolate Pizza Slice – £2.99 from family run thepresentfinder.co.uk

Delicious pizza slice made with a thick base of chocolate, topped with vanilla fudge pieces, chunks of chocolate brownie cookie and white chocolate curls.

 

Walk Mill Botanics

soap

Naturally beautiful handmade products. Walk Mill Botanics do homegrown, handmade products for body and home. Their products are unique. Their handmade soap comes in recycled cloth embedded in flower seeds. You tear it, plant it and then watch it grow. Smart, unique and innovative. These natural products are amazing and smell divine. They are also SLS and paraben free. We tried there Blackcurrant & Honey With Ginger Handmade soap and Lavender bath bomb and loved them. Available from http://walkmillbotanics.com

 

One4all Remote

universalremote

One4all remote+

Great, easy-to-use universal remotes. Perfect for those who are technically challenged. The new One For All TV Zapper is a simplified, easy TV remote featuring only the keys you actually need but still performs the functions of a universal remote control.  And it has a really comfortable grip and guaranteed stability on your or your loved one’s side table – so it’s easy to pick up and use. For something a little more advanced, the  Zapper +  has the ability to use One For All SimpleSet for advanced functionality, including menu navigation and number keys for direct Channel selection. With big buttons for channel and volume controls, these remotes have been twinned with an optional wrist strap so it doesn’t go missing down the side or back of the easy chair or sofa.

At very affordable prices, the One For All TV Zapper (URC 6810) retails at £12.99 and the Zapper + (URC 6820) at £17.99 from electrical retailers, selected grocery multiples including Currys (URC 6820) and online from the One ForAll web shop and Amazon.

 

Gin & Tonic flavoured Lip Balm 

gin and tonic lip balm

Gin & Tonic flavoured Lip Balm – £4.99 from family run thepresentfinder.co.uk

A great idea and beautifully packaged. This luxury Gin and Tonic flavoured lip balm is simply gorgeous. Made in the UK, by Bath house, the moisture-rich shea and cocoa butter balm, made with natural butters and extracts, will leave your lips feeling smooth and soothed.

 

Eat 17 Bacon Jam

eat17baconjam

Eat 17 Bacon Jam .Set of Four – £14.99 from family run thepresentfinder.co.uk

Delicious and something a bit different. The set of four is a great gift for a foodie friend or as a stocking filler! Each of the jams go well with a huge range of dishes and can be eaten as a spread so there is a place for Eat 17 Jam on the table all the time! Included are Bacon, Onion, Bacon Chilli and Chorizo Jams.

 

More Mindfulness Colouring. 

mindfulnesscolouring

Adult colouring books are huge at the moment and More Mindfullness Colouring is perfect for relaxing and taking care of your mental health, something that can definitely be tested at Christmas.

More Mindfulness Colouring: More anti-stress art therapy for busy people is available here.

 

Raisthorpe Manor’s Sloe Gin and Damson Port.

Raisthorpe Manor’s Sloe Gin

Dreaming of a white Christmas? If the weather doesn’t oblige, you can create your own sloe-storm with a gift of Raisthorpe Manor’s Sloe Gin – a Great Taste gold winner. Carefully matured for eight months on the Raisthorpe Estate in the heart of Hockney’s Yorkshire Wolds to an old (and secret) family recipe, Raisthorpe’s Sloe Gin offers that unmistakably complex combination of bitter-sweet London Gin and the tart tang of sloes, and is at home in the flute as it is in the hip flask.

Damson Port

Damson Port, hand crafted in Yorkshire, is one of the UK’s most unique bottled liqueurs and was rated top of its class for taste, winning three gold stars from the Great Taste judges in 2014.Only the finest hand -picked local damsons go into each bottle and are gently steeped in Port with a dash of sugar to a secret family recipe. Its wonderful balance of sweetness, luscious fruit and hint of damson stone is the perfect foil for a cheeseboard, turkey and all the trimmings, or on its own after dinner. It’s sure to leave any recipient in good spirits. Available in 5cl, 35cl or 70cl bottles: £3.95/£16.95/£24.95

We tried both of these delicious liqueurs and were very impressed. Delicious beyond words and a truly brilliant present. Frost loves.

Raisthorpe Manor Liqueur is available here.

 

Grumpy Cat No-it-All Book

grumpycatnoitall

Fun and hilarious. We loved this. It really puts a smile on the face. Grumpy Cat: No-it-All: Everything You Need to No is available here.

 

Heir & Grace Mulled Oranges Candle.

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Created just for Christmas but can be used all year round. This is beautiful, just absolutely stunning. It smells divine and is just so christmassy it can’t help but make you smile. The ideal gift for anyone. Has warming noted of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, a glazed orange heart underpins the festivity. This is a Christmas classic.

http://heirandgrace.co.uk

 

 

Get smart for hearts with Alfa Romeo charity pocket squares, support Heart Research UK

–          Alfa Romeo and fashion house PPQ create limited edition charity pocket squares for Heart Research UK

–          The Italian-made silk accessories were designed by Alfa ambassadors, including Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones, Chris Tomlinson and fashion label PPQ

–          On sale for £14.99 each from www.alfaromeo.co.uk/pocketsquares and participating Alfa Romeo dealers

–          Tweet this: @AlfaRomeoUK & @PPQClothing with @DragonJones design pocket squares to support @HeartResearchUK bit.ly/P3utV8 #GetSmartforHearts

 

Alfa Romeo has launched a new campaign in aid of Heart Research UK, encouraging fashion conscious members of the public to ‘get smart for hearts’ by wearing one of six specially designed pocket squares to support the charity’s fight against heart disease.

 

The limited edition pocket squares, priced at £14.99 each, are handmade in Italy using 100% Italian silk and designed by some well-known faces from the worlds of sport, business and fashion.

 

Design contributions have come from Dragons Den star and entrepreneur Peter Jones CBE; Team GB long jumper Chris Tomlinson and actor Tom Ellis,  together with fashion label PPQ and 2012 Alfa Romeo Young Designer of the Year Janine Clark.

 

Marking a landmark anniversary for Alfa Romeo, a sixth pocket square design celebrates 50 years of the Giulia. Launched in 1962, the Alfa Giulia was renowned for its style, performance and innovation, selling over a million examples during its 15 year production run.

 

Pocket squares, the fashion accessory à la mode among the sartorially inclined, have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity thanks to the likes of the Mad Men wardrobes and dapper Brit style icons such as actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Matt Smith, and musician Tinie Tempah. Major fashion labels including Dolce & Gabbana, Dunhill, Hermes and Louis Vuitton have all produced pocket squares as part of their recent collections.

 

Percy Parker, co-founder and designer at PPQ, says; “Pocket squares add colour and individuality to any formalwear. From business suits to black tie, they’re a must-have accessory for any well-heeled gentleman. With these limited edition Alfa pocket squares, now you can look the part, whilst benefitting a great cause.”

 

Just 6,000 Alfa pocket squares have been produced, going on sale from 3 September and available online from www.alfaromeo.co.uk/pocketsquares in participating Alfa Romeo showrooms. September will also mark a dedicated month of fundraising for the campaign, with nationwide support from Alfa’s dealer network.

 

Peter Jones CBE says; “This is a great project to be part of and I’m delighted with how my design has turned out. These accessories are beautifully made, stylish, sophisticated and they benefit a fantastic charity. So ‘tailor your ticker’ and show some heart for the great causes being helped.”

 

Damien Dally, Head of Brand, Alfa Romeo UK says; “Alfa’s brand strapline is ‘Without heart, we would be mere machines’ and that’s a poignant message for this campaign. We’re delighted to be supporting Heart Research UK’s important cause with a project that raises money and awareness through fashionable style. So get smart for your heart and wear a pocket square with pride this year.”

 

For more information on Alfa Pocket Squares, visit www.alfaromeo.co.uk/pocketsquares

 

To find out more about Heart Research UK, visit, http://www.heartresearch.org.uk/

BBC Dragons’ Den star Kirsty Henshaw takes on the UKs top selling ready meals

BBC Dragons’ Den star Kirsty Henshaw takes on the UKs top selling ready meals with a new range launching in Sainsbury’s, July 2012

Working mum Kirsty Henshaw, 26, shot to fame when her allergen-free dessert range – inspired by her food intolerant son, Jake – won over Dragons’ Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne in 2010.

Today, Kirsty is taking on the UKs top selling ready meals, introducing her range of healthier, irresistibly delicious and naturally nutritious chilled everyday meals.

The new range is super-charged with goodness; each meal is lovingly made up of nutrient-rich ingredients such as quinoa, aduki beans, brown rice and lentils to help you live life to the full.

Kirsty has created natural food swaps to provide healthier alternatives, and uses brown rice instead of white and sweet potato instead of white potato mash. Sugar has been replaced with natural Agave syrup for fewer calories. The meals are also free from wheat, dairy, lactose and nuts so they are suitable for everyone.

Kirsty adds: “A lot of ready meals on the market appear healthy however they are often packed with high levels of saturated fat, sugar or artificial flavours.”

“This new range is about providing people with something that is genuinely healthy as an alternative, and most importantly the meals taste fabulous!”

The meals have a low ‘green light’ for saturated fat and sugar content and have been designed to give a happy balance between salt levels and taste, they use natural sea salt and will at most register an ‘amber light’. At least one portion of your five day is provided for and the meals are low in calories (ranging from 276 to 420 for a Chicken Tikka Masala).

Kirsty’s chilled everyday meals will be available to purchase at Sainsbury’s nationwide from July 2012; the range includes:

ü Moroccan Vegetables with Brown Rice and Quinoa

ü Sausage with Onion Gravy and Carrot, Sweet Potato & Potato Mash

ü Chicken Tikka Masala with Brown Rice

ü Cottage Pie with British Beef mince and topped with Sweet Potato, Carrot & Potato Mash

The kirstys.co.uk website, which Kirsty has designed with her father, Darren a nutritionist and homeopath who runs health shop Aphrodite in Penwortham Lancs.