Blogmas Day 10: Christmas Cookies

Two weeks today it will be Christmas Eve.....how scary! This year has flown by so quickly, I've had such good memories in 2015 but i am so excited for whats to come in 2016!! Anyways today I have decided to make some Christmas cookies, the inspiration for this idea came from the Christmas cookie cutters I bought from Sainsburys, they are super cute and i just knew I had to make some festive treats with them! I made the cookies from scratch with just a simple plain cookie recipe I found on the BBC Good Food website. I am not a good cake/cookie decorator at all, it isn't one of my forte's haha but I thought I would give it a go. Baking and cutting the cookies was the easy part, it didn't take long at all and they are so delicious. 

The cutter's that I bought from Sainsburys were only £4 and you get 3 different sizes in each pack. 

The cookies baked for about 10 mins and then I left them to cool.

Once the cookies had cooled I then made my icing, I just used icing sugar and then added food colouring for the colours I wanted. This was such a fun & cute activity to do and didn't take long what so ever and, best of all, didn't make too much mess. I would really recommend baking over the Christmas period, it puts you in a great mood & taste's yummy!! What is your favourite thing to bake?

Blogmas Day 8 & 9: Stocking Filler's for her

Hi Everyone

This is my second to last week of work before christmas and it is so so busy its unreal, unfortunately i didn't write a post last night for Blooms day 8 so I thought I would link today's & yesterday's together! I've decided to do a quick post listing some stocking fillers for her that are under £10!! The items I have picked are simple but always cute and handy to receive, I hope you enjoy my picks! 

Pink Unicorn Print iPhone Case £4.99

Christmas Pudding Mittens £8

Alphabet Scented Candle £4

Socks In A Box £5

Starbucks Festive Mug £8.50

These are just a few quick ideas that would be great to give to friends or family! Hopefully these 5 have helped you out if your struggling to find some affordable stocking fillers. Happy shopping! 

Blogmas Day 7: Beauty Bauble's

This year I have found it quite hard to find unique beauty gifts to give to friends, but I have noticed that lots of different brands are selling christmas beauty bauble's. These baubles include products from the brand and it can be a really good and affordable way to buy as a gift because you sometimes get more than one item, and can work out cheaper! After having a look around I thought I would share my favourite christmas bauble picks!

Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Festive Bauble £10.00

Soap & Glory Belle of the Bauble £12.00

Body Shop Soft Hands, Warm Kisses Coconut Bauble £7.00

Christmas Mini Nail Pyramid - Jem £5.00

I think these gifts would be perfect for any beauty lover or could be a cute stocking filler for your mum! They are also extremely affordable! I hope you like my picks, whats your favourite christmas beauty bauble?

Blogmas Day 6: My top 5 Christmas Candles

Christmas scented candle's are a must in my house throughout the festive period, as well as keeping your house smelling amazing, they can be so pretty as well. I buy a lot of candles throughout the year, especially Yankee Candle's - they're my favourite & I wouldn't but any others. As well as having a great range of scents all throughout the year, at christmas time they have some amazing festive candles so I thought I would share my top 5 tarts. 

Christmas Eve Tart  

Winter Glow Tart 

Christmas Cookie Tart 

Christmas Garland Tart

Snowflake Cookie Tart  

All of these tarts are only £1.20 each from Temptation Gifts. I hope you like all of my picks, they are really worth a try! What is your favourite Christmas candle?

Blogmas Day 5: My Christmas Jumper Picks

"Its beginning to look a lot like christmas"..... Its the 5th of December and I am very much in the festive mood! I have spent all day christmas shopping for friends & family, it was such a hectic day but I got some lovely bits for everyone so was well worth it. I thought for my 5th Blogmas post it would be a good idea to do My Christmas Jumper Picks seeing as though christmas is right around the corner.

1. New Look - Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe Jumper £14.99 

2. F&F - Santa Chimney Christmas Jumper £12.00

3. New Look - Sparkle All The Way Jumper £14.99

4. New Look - Merry Little Xmas Jumper £24.99

5. Sainsburys TU - Be Merry & Bright Jumper £13.50

These are my top christmas jumper picks, I think all of them are super cute & festive but my favourite one has to be the Sparkle All The Way jumper from New Look. It is so lovely and the main thing I love about this product is that it is now a tight fitting jumper, it is quite relaxed and baggy, perfect to throw on for a chilled out day. What are your favourite christmas jumpers? 

Blogmas Day 4: My Favourite Christmas Films

It's the 4th December and there are only 21 sleep's until christmas day *eeekkkk*!! Today I have been working from home which is not always successful when there are christmas films on all day, so I thought for the fourth day of blogmas I would share my absolute favourite christmas films to get everyone in the festive mood. 

The Holiday

This has to be my number one favourite christmas film, everything about it is so magical and festive, not to mention that two amazing actresses star in it - Cameron Diaz & Kate Winslet. I have watched it about a million times already because it is always on TV throughout the year and it still never gets old, it makes me laugh, cry and just really makes me feel christmassy! Love love love this film. 

Christmas with the Kranks

the first time I watched this film was about 2 years ago, one December's evening when I was flicking through the channels finding something decent to watch when I came across Christmas with the Kranks, at first i didn't know what to make of it but I put it on anyways and Im so glad I did! It is so so funny all the way through & to me its not just a typical christmas 'rom-com'. I would really recommend this film because it is great for all of the family to enjoy. 

Elf

Well where do I start with this one? Elf is just an all time christmas classic. If you haven't yet seen this movie then you really need to, it is hilarious and heart-warming all at the same time! Will Ferrell plays the part of Buddy the elf and does an amazing job at it too, if you are a fan of his, this would be the perfect christmas film for you!!

Home Alone

Every single year without fail I always watch Home Alone, whether it is the beginning of December or on Christmas Day this film really spreads the festive spirit. I have grown up watching this film and is an extremely popular choice in my house, it is full of laughter and is also very different to other christmas films. 

I could probably go on about loads more but these are my top four choices. What is your ultimate Christmas film? 

Blogmas Day 3: Christmas Homeware Haul

Hello Lovelies

So its the 3rd December and it is really starting to feel like christmas is just around the corner. This week has been very hectic with work & trying to buy all of my christmas dec's & put them up has been a mission, but I have finally done it, and to make it feel a little bit more christmassy I always decorate my room with festive homeware. I have been looking everywhere over the weeks & trying to find affordable & unique items has been tricky, until I went to Asda. As soon as I got into the shop I headed straight for all of the homeware and just as I thought all f their christmas items were so lovely and AFFORDABLE. So lets get on with it shall we?

Christmas Tree Duvet Set

As soon as I laid my eyes on this duvet set I knew I had to get it, it was just what I was looking for, not overly christmassy & red, but instead it is a gorgeous white with grey & black christmas trees. The duvet is double sided - one side has bigger christmas tree's and the other has smaller ones, I love this part of the product because if you get bored of one side, you can just turn it over without changing your bedding - love it! The next thing I love about this item is the pillow cases, they are the same white cotton with gorgeous christmas tree's with snow & are also double sided, they are so pretty and christmassy but in a minimalistic way. This duvet set costs £12.00. 

Duvet Cover (Side 1)

Duvet Cover (Side 2)

Pillow Case (Side 1)

Pillow Case (Side 2)

White Cushion's

Now that I got the perfect duvet cover, I had to purchase something to go with it, and of course that was going to be a cushion! In my local Asda store they have quite a lot of variety in terms of pillows/cushion's which is not always the case, but I was lucky enough to grab two white fluffy ones, they are super soft, just the right size to pop on top of my bed & were only £7.00 each!!

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Cushion

I purchased this lovely pillow when I went to my local Matalan store to grab some christmas baubles for my tree, when I saw this cushion I absolutely fell in love with it. I think this item is so classic and not over the top at all, I just knew I had to get it & I'm so glad I did as it was the only one left! This item was £10.00. 

Christmas Tree & Santa Cake Tins

As I was wondering around the homeware section of Asda I came across these cake tins, I have seen other items like these such as cookie cutters & other types of tins in different shops & I just love the idea of baking christmassy treats and this is just the item to use! They are so fun & I am so excited to try these out (look out for a baking post coming soon). Each cake tin was £2.00. 

Fairy Lights

A festive bedroom would not be complete without a set of fairy lights. There were so many to choose from but these ones stood out to me because they are unique and minimalistic, I also like the tone of light they give, its not too bright and gives a real festive feel to the room. Another feature that I love is that they are battery operated so they can be used anywhere throughout the house! This pack of fairy lights was £5.00. 

I am so glad that I decided to get into the christmas spirit by decorating my room & I absolutely love all of my items. Unfortunately I couldn't find links to all of the items but the ones that I did find are listed below. Will you be decorating your room for christmas? 

Christmas Tree Duvet Set | Santa Cake Tin | Fairy Lights 

Blogmas Day 2: Christmas Gift Guide For Her

Hey Everyone! 

As we all know the Christmas season is well under way and everyone will be buying gifts for family, friends, partners & colleagues, but deciding what to buy can be the tricky part, but don't worry I have got some great ideas that any female would love to receive. 

Fragrances

Smelling amazing is one of a female's top priority, so why not buy one of her favourite fragrances? I have chosen Gucci's new scent called Bamboo, I bought this fragrance on the way back from holiday (of course it was duty free hehe!) with some left over money I had and I do not regret it one bit! It is a soft, fruity scent which is not overpowering at all and is nice to wear during the day or at night-time. There are loads of websites such as Feel Unique, The Fragrance Shop or even Boots have great fragrance gift sets this time of year, from lots of different brands and some sets can also include body lotions! 

Eyeshadow Palettes

Every girl's best friend is her trusty eyeshadow palette, it is an essential item in anyones make up collection and having the newest one is a must! I know I love receiving a make up palette at Christmas and I have chosen the one,  the only, Naked 3.  I know for sure that this gorgeous palette will be on my xmas list this year, there is such a variety of colours and can be worn with so many different looks, day or night. Like the fragrances you can also find palettes in any drug store's e.g. Boots & Superdrug or online. 

Yankee Candles

For me candles are super important, they are a quick and easy way of making any room smell amazing while looking pretty. My absolute favourite candles are Yankee's, I have so many different favourites from Vanilla Cupcake to Snowflake cookie or even Christmas Treats, whatever time of the year they always make sure they have amazing scents available. Yankee are known for having amazing xmas scents and also great candle xmas gift sets, there are so many to choose from and their packaging is super cute! I found this set from Temptations, they also have a massive selection of all different types of Yankee's. 

2016 Diary

I thought of this gift idea because every year I forget to by myself a new one, and any female needs a diary to remember all of her fabulous dates. Paperchase is one of my favourite stationary shops, they have loads of amazing and quirky styles and patterns and their stationary is really good quality. Of course you can also get an annual diary from any stationary retailer such as WHSmith's or Rymans etc. 

Pandora Charms/Jewellery 

Diamonds are a girls best friend, or so the saying goes. Most if not all of my female friends have an item from Pandora, they do amazing Christmas charms at this time of year, they are so detailed and unique. Most charms are not too expensive but the more detail that is included, obviously is going to cost more, but purchasing this for your female friend would be amazing, it gives them loads of sentimental value and gives them a memory when they look at their charm bracelet. Pandora don't just sell charms, they also sell rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and much more. I have chosen this classic xmas pudding charm, I chose this item because it is super cute and is extremely christmassy! 

Gift Cards

If you are like me and get super confused at what to buy someone, then gift cards can be a great route to take. Virtually any shop does gift cards or evouchers so you can go to their favourite shop and load a card with some cash for them to spend it all on lots of goodies. 

Christmas Mug

In my household it is a tradition to buy/receive a christmas mug during the festive season. I have seen some great mugs around so far but my absolute favourite (I have seen so far) is this Mickey & Minnie Xmas Mug from the Disney Store. It is so pretty and classic, this would be an ideal present for any Disney fanatic and is really inexpensive. 

Beauty Gift Sets

As I mentioned before, lots of different shops sell beauty gift sets around this time of year (especially Boots), and purchasing one of these is a good way to get quite a few items in a special christmas packaging. Some sets can also include travel bags for all of your beauty essentials, so is a great way to give multiple presents in one! The item I have chosen is Soap & Glory's In the Bag Gift Set, you can get this product from boots and includes the following items; 

>Clean On Me Moisture Shower Gel

>Heel Genius Foot Cream

>Hand Food Hand Cream

>The Scrub Of Your Life

>The Righteous Butter

>Glad Hair Day Shampoo

>Gorgeous Toiletry Bag

So thats all of my gift ideas for her, I hope you have enjoyed reading my pics as much as I have choosing them! 

Blogmas Day One: November Favourites!

Merry Blogmas to you all! This month I will be posting everyday up until christmas...how exciting!

I thought I would kick off blogmas with my November Favourites. Unfortunately throughout November I didn't find myself purchasing that many make up/beauty products, it seemed to all be about my skincare, so that is why I  have picked a small selection of skincare goodies that I have been trying and loving throughout the past month. 

With the cold weather upon us my skin was becoming dry and unloved so I thought I would treat myself to a trip to The Body Shop, I have used some of their products before, especially towards the festive season but haven't purchased or used anything in quite a while, so I thought I would give it a go with some basic products. The first thing I knew I needed to pick up was some hand cream, I have heard some amazing things about The Body Shop's hand lotions so I thought I would give it a go. The product that I purchased was the Shea Hand Cream  it was only £4.00 and it is the perfect size to keep in your bag. I am so impressed with this cream, it smells and feels gorgeous and is extremely affordable. 

The next thing I treated myself to was the Coconut Body Butter I decided to purchase this product because it smelt amazing and is just what I need to keep my skin in great condition throughout the cold wintery days. This butter is one of Body Shop's best seller's and I can see why, it is super soft, silky and smells exactly like coconut, the is not too thick and blends into your skin so easily. This product was only £5.00 and like the hand cream, it is not too big and is a perfect travel size. 

Carrying on with the skincare theme the next product I decided to pick for one of my favourites was The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick, although I have been using this for a few months, over the past few weeks I have felt myself going to use it more and more and I have been loving it. This stick was £4.00 and worth every penny!

  

The fourth and final skin care product which has also made the cut in November was The Body Shop's Shea Sugar Body Scrub. For months I have been dying to find a decent body scrub that leaves my skin soft and smelling lush, other scrubs I have tried in the past have not worked as well as this one. This scrub is super easy to apply because it isn't to thick and you don't need to apply a lot of the product, it goes a long way. I would highly recommend this scrub, it has not irritated my skin one bit and has left it smelling amazing! This scrub was £14.00 for 200ml. 

My last item I have selected to be part of my November favourites is my Disney Tsum Tsum iPhone 6 Phone Case. As I have mentioned before I have a massive disney obsession and while I was online shopping I came across this case and just had to get it. I bought it off this lovely lady who has her own Depop shop (@iprotect) selling all different types of phone cases, they are such amazing quality and are super affordable! This case has been so durable, it has not scratched or marked at all (thats a big deal considering I'm not that delicate with my phone) and the Tsum Tsum print is just adorable! This case was £3.89 with postage. 

Well thats all of my November Favourites, I hope you have enjoyed my picks for this month. I would lvoe to hear what your November Favourites in the comments! :)