Christmas Haul

 

I've bought a few new Christmas bits and bobs over the last few months, from Christmas decorations to wrapping paper, so I'm here with a Christmas haul post today to show you what I've been buying.

Please excuse the quality of some of the photos in today's post; I'm so unprepared this year, and we haven't had a decent day of daylight for photo-taking over the last few weeks. I had to take the missing photos yesterday in gloomy, grey light, and I don't have the editing skills to make photos taken in low-light look good. As we're running out of time, I'm having to make do, and will replace them with better photos after Christmas.

I don't know what it is about the Jellycat Amuseable soft toys, but I love them, and I find their little faces so amusing. When I was out shopping in Oxford a couple of months ago, I spotted the Amuseable Yule Log, and it was so ridiculously cute, I had to take one home with me. It's so random, but it makes me smile every time I look at it. I really want to add the Amuseable Christmas Pudding to my little collection next.

I love mid-century-style deer decorations, and have added a few to my collection again this year. I bought the little pink deer tree ornaments from Paperchase a couple of months ago, which were on 3 for 2 at the time, and then went back for the larger deer, when it was added a few weeks later. I love them! Six big retro deer ornaments, and ten deer tree ornaments isn't too many deer ornaments, right?

This Christmas, I also bought my Christmas cards from Paperchase, and picked out these pretty wreath cards. There's a little robin hiding behind a door in the centre of the wreath, and they're lovely. I bought a book of cute Christmas present stickers from them, too, but never managed to take a photo before I used most of them up.

I decided to go with pink wrapping paper again this Christmas, after enjoying my pink and mint theme last year. I found some gorgeous Emma Cooter Draws gingerbread-house-print wrap online at 1973, and picked up the sweetest Cath Kidston puppy print wrapping paper from Penny Black. They're both made from thick, great-quality paper, and everything looks so lovely wrapped in them.

Just after Christmas last year, I got myself the coolest Muppets Christmas Carol Christmas cards from Jenny Grene Illustration on Etsy. If you haven't seen my post already, I recently blogged a review of them here. They're the best Christmas cards ever!

Another item I bought after Christmas 2020 was this beautiful present sack from last year's Festive Party Animals Christmas collection. I've wanted a Cath Kidston present sack to put presents in for years, so I was really pleased to pick this one up cheaply in the Boxing Day sales. This design is obviously no longer available, but Cath Kidston has a new Festive Poem present sack this year which looks just as lovely- and it's currently on sale!

When I visited the Appleton Christmas Barn at the start of the month, I came away with these beautiful Gisela Graham iridescent frosted baubles. They don't look like much in my photos, but when the fairy lights hit them on the Christmas tree, they shimmer and shine in so many different colours. They're really beautiful. I've had some large spherical baubles just like them on my tree for over fifteen years, and they're some of my favourite Christmas decorations ever, so I'm happy to have found something similar in a new shape. 

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without some new festive books to enjoy, and this year, I added two new titles to my library. I bought A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories by Louisa May Alcott, and The Puffin Book of Christmas Stories, which is filled with short stories from dozens of great authors from the past. They're both beautiful little hardbacks, and perfect for some festive reading. I haven't started the Puffin Book yet, but A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories is one of the loveliest collections of Christmas stories I've ever read.

My Christmas jewellery collection grew a little bigger last month, when I added these beauties to my collection from Erstwilder's An Australian Christmas collection. I chose a beautiful kookaburra snowglobe brooch, and some koala and Christmas tree earrings, and have been wearing them to death so far this Christmas. I wrote a review of them here if you want to get a closer look.

This year, I've been counting down the days to Christmas with the OPI Celebration Collection Advent calendar, which I recently reviewed here. It's filled with gorgeous mini nail polishes, and I'm currently doing a daily reveal of what I find inside over on Instagram.

And last but not least, I also treated myself to a simple Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent calendar because I'm greedy. I like to get one every year as I often had one to count down to Christmas with when I was little, and the taste of the chocolate takes me right back to childhood Christmases now.

And those are some of the festive things that have come to live with me this year.

Have you bought any lovely festive things this Christmas?

Christmas Haul

I've bought quite a few festive things lately, from Christmas decorations to yuletide slippers, so I thought it would be fun to do a Christmas haul, and show you the things I've been buying this season.

I love checking out Paperchase's Christmas decorations, stationery, and gift wrapping supplies every year, and have added a few things to my collection already this Christmas. Taking advantage of their 3 for 2 offer, I bought a couple of packs of bright mini baubles and multi star decorations- mostly to use for present wrapping and as blog photo props. (Although, I like the pink and mint decorations so much, I might need to go back and buy another box of each to keep). 

I also bought a set of three retro reindeer tree decorations to add to my fifties deer collection. They're super cute, and are going to look great on my Christmas tree this year. Sadly, they're sold out online at the moment, but they might still be available in store. 

As well as decorations, I also bought a Sugar Plum Fairy sticker book for labeling this year's presents, and a box of 24 assorted charity cards. The designs are all bold, modern, and fun, and buying a pack support a number of different worthy charities, including Mind, WaterAid, Hearing Dogs For Deaf People, cancer and disability charities, and many more, so they're definitely a worthwhile purchase.

I know I just said I bought my Christmas cards from Paperchase, but I also couldn't resist these adorable Forever Friends Christmas cards, which I found in my local Thornton's card shop just before the country went on lockdown. I used to love Forever Friends when I was growing up, so it was impossible to resist them. It's a set of sixteen cards in two designs, and they're printed on thick 100% recyclable card.

As Cath Kidston hasn't released Christmas wrapping paper this year, I had to look elsewhere for this year's gift wrap. (The horror!) I was hoping to find either something mid-century-style, or colourful and modern, but couldn't find anything I liked- until I came across these from T K Maxx. The pink one is covered in cute Santas, snowmen, deer, and Christmas trees, with a polka dot background. and the cream ones feature retro Santa faces on a gold polka dot background. The cream paper is so thick it's almost like wallpaper, and they're so long you can easily wrap two big presents from one length! Not bad for £5.99 a roll! I've already started wrapping presents in the paper, and they look beautiful. I only wish I'd bought more. They're sold out online now, but perhaps I'll have to check in store to see if I can find a few more rolls to stockpile now that shops are open again.

A couple of months ago, I treated myself to these awesome Pusheen slipper socks from Truffle Shuffle when I was shopping for a couple of t-shirts for my brother-in-law for Christmas. They were only a fiver, and are so soft and fleecy. I got them to put in my Christmas Eve box, but I'm not sure I can resist them much longer! They're sadly now sold out from Truffle Shuffle, but I found a similar pair with the colours reversed on Amazon here.

I love collecting beautiful books, and added this stunning copy of A Christmas Carol to my collection in September. I'll be reviewing it for you on the blog tomorrow, so be sure to pop back if you want to know more! 

Of course, I also bought the OPI Shine Bright Advent calendar to count down to Christmas with this year, which I reviewed for you guys a few days ago here. I'm doing a daily reveal of what I get inside each day of Advent over on my Instagram here.

Even though I splurged on a nail polish Advent calendar, I had to get myself a cheap and cheerful Cadbury Advent calendar as well. I usually get a Dairy Milk Advent calendar because I often got one when I was growing up, and the taste of the chocolate takes me right back to childhood Christmases. Call me sad, but I like the nostalgia.

And I also picked up some of the new Cadbury Jingly Bells to put away for Christmas- but not before I bought a couple of bags to try at the same time. Have you guys tried them yet? They're amazing! They're individually-wrapped hazelnut flavoured chocolates about the size of a Lindt truffle, and they're soooo good. There isn't a lot of difference in taste between the two- and I'm confused as to why they made two hazelnut varieties instead of another flavour- but I think the Hazelnut Creme ones are ever so slightly nicer. 

I've also acquired some new Erstwilder Christmas brooches and Body Shop festive products, which I haven't been able to photograph yet, but will hopefully find time to review for you before Christmas. And last week, I ordered some Christmas cracker kits, and more craft materials from Hobbycraft, that aren't really interesting enough to blog about.

So, that's what I've been buying so far this festive season. (Y'know, apart from presents for my family and friends).

What festive things have you been buying lately?

What I've Bought My Dog For Christmas

I love to spoil my friends and family with presents at Christmas time, but that generosity isn't just reserved for my human family; I like to shower my four-legged family members with gifts, too.

My Tibetan terrier, Rosie, is as much a part of the family as my parents and siblings, so why wouldn't I include her at Christmas time? She deserves to join in on the fun, too. I love any chance to spoil her rotten, and as it's still a novelty having my own dog at Christmas (this is her second Christmas with us), I may have gotten a little carried away and bought her loads of treats and toys this year. I just couldn't help myself. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves spoiling their dog(s) at Christmas time, so I thought it would be fun to show you what I bought Rosie for Christmas before I wrap everything up and put them under the tree. (Yes, I'll even be wrapping her presents; she always has so much fun ripping open the paper to find out what's inside!) Keep reading to find out what I got her. Apologies for how plain the photos are today; I'm struggling to mobilise at the moment and haven't got the energy for pretty flatlays, so these were the best I could do.

I've always loved finding a chocolate selection box under the tree on Christmas morning, so when I came across the Armitage Good Boy Pawsley selection box on Amazon, I knew I had to get it for Rosie. It's filled with five 40-50g bags of bite-sized treats including Doggy Chocolate Drops, Mini Marrow Bones, Turkey and Cranberry Flavour Bones, Yuletide Yummies, and Beef Bonies, along with a packet of five rawhide Munchy Rolls, which is pretty good value for £6.99. She's not sampled any Armitage Good Boy treats before, but I think she's going to love trying all of the bones, biscuits, and chocolate for the first time. I might avoid giving her the Munchy Rolls, though, as I'm not sold on feeding dogs those dyed rawhide treats.

I also picked out some meaty treats from Armitage's Good Boy deli range on Amazon, including Succulent Pigs In Blankets, Succulent Festive Bangers, and Chewy Chicken Stars, which I know Rosie is going to go nuts for. She'll be high-fiving me all over the shop to get these out of my hands. They're all made of at least 69% real meat (mostly chicken breast), and they're the perfect treats for spoiling the dog at Christmas without giving them human festive foods. A lot of our Christmas food can in fact be really dangerous for our four legged fur babies, as many of our festive treats are toxic to dogs, or too high in fat and salt for a dog's digestive system to process, so it's best to stay clear of human food when treating our dogs at Christmas, and reach for dog treats like these instead.

Petface always have the loveliest Christmas gifts for dogs, and I couldn't resist picking up one of their reindeer toy and treat gift sets when I was in Sainsburys a couple of weeks ago. It features the most adorable corduroy reindeer toy, and a big packet of grain free, oven-baked Turkey & Cranberry biscuits, and it's fantastic value at just £6. I actually bought one of these sets for Rosie last year, too, and she loved it. She enjoyed chewing the reindeer to pieces, played with the box, and wolfed down each bone we gave her, so it seemed like a no-brainer to treat her to the set again this Christmas.

Rosie loves playing with toys (and when I say 'play', I mainly mean 'chew to pieces'), so I had to buy her some new soft toys to murder this Christmas. I bought her a squeaky Petface corduroy reindeer with rope legs for £5, and a tweed gingerbread man for £4 from Sainsburys, and also picked out a cute Armitage Good Boy squeaky reindeer with rope legs from Morrison's for £4. They'll probably all be trashed by New Year's, but she'll have so much fun tearing them apart, so even if they are short-lived, I won't feel like the money is wasted. Plus, they were all inexpensive compared to most plush dog toys, so they didn't break the bank in the first place.

To give Rosie a real treat this Christmas, I decided to pick up a couple of things from Lily's Kitchen for her to try for the first time. When I saw that they do a Three Bird Feast wet dog food for Christmas, I just had to get her a tin (£1.99 for a 400g tin) for Christmas Day so she can have her own dog-friendly Christmas dinner. It's been specially created with turkey, goose, and duck, plus parsnips, organic carrots, cranberries, broccoli, organic apple, and a variety of minerals and herbs to give dogs a wholesome Christmas feast. It's free from soya, wheat and grains, and contains none of the bad stuff like artificial additives or GMOs, so as dog food goes, it doesn't get much better than this. I'm reassured that I'll be feeding Rosie a healthy, natural Christmas meal, and I'm confident she's going to love it. She'll probably have the bowl licked clean in minutes.

I'm also giving her a Lily's Kitchen Christmas Cracker, which is filled with heart-shaped, bite-sized biscuit treats made from turkey, cranberries, thyme and cinnamon. To be honest, they don't look like anything special, but it's what's on the inside that counts- they're packed full of goodness, and the cinnamon works as a wonderfully warming anti-inflammatory that helps boost energy, circulation, and brain health. Rosie definitely doesn't need any more energy, but I'm all for treats that look after her health. Plus the packaging is adorable, too. The Christmas crackers are £3.49 each, and currently on promotion with two for £5 on their website.

Now I just need to wrap up her presents, and put them under the tree ready for Christmas morning. I'm looking forward to watching her open everything, and seeing her play with her new toys in a few days. Naturally, I won't be giving her all the treats over Christmas; they'll be occasional rewards and the stash will hopefully last her for months, but she'll certainly get spoiled a little more than usual if she behaves herself this Christmas. She deserves a merry Christmas, too.

I'll leave you with this photo of Rosie sitting like a person, which I took on Saturday, and absolutely cracks me up...

I don't always sit like this, but when I do...

Do you buy your pets presents for Christmas? If you do, what have you bought for them this year?

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50 Money Saving Christmas Shopping Tips

With just over six weeks to go until Christmas Day, I'm sure many of us have started our Christmas shopping already, or at least started thinking about it. If you haven't, it's never too early to start.

I know Christmas shopping can be an incredibly stressful task, especially if money is tight and you're worrying about how to make the pennies stretch as far as possible, so I wanted to share some of my money-saving tips to help make shopping for presents this Christmas that little bit easier. I've put together a list of fifty of my money-saving Christmas shopping tips and some other helpful shopping advice, to help take the pressure off, and get you through your Christmas shopping without a breaking a sweat. I hope you find them helpful.

Here are my fifty Christmas shopping tips...

1. Set a budget for each person and stick to it.

2. Don't spend more than you can afford; your loved ones won't want you to go in to debt just to give them a Christmas present. Remember: Christmas is only one day of the year.

3. Start Christmas shopping as early in the year as you can to spread the cost. A present here, a present there, and you'll barely notice a dent in your finances, and come December you'll have more money left in your purse for enjoying the festivities or shopping the sales.

4. Begin Christmas shopping as early in the year as you can for the best selection of presents to choose from. If you wait until the last minute to shop, all of the best gifts will be gone, and you could miss out on this year's must have gifts.

5. Shop around for the best price. The price for the exact same product can vary from store to store, so always do a search for the cheapest price before purchasing.

6. Try to do as much of your Christmas shopping during sale time as you can. Whether you take advantage of sales throughout the year, Black Friday, or the pre-Christmas sales, it could potentially save you a small fortune. You'll usually find the best deals and discounts during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales which immediately follow American Thanksgiving at the end of November, so be sure to check them out if you want to grab a few bargains and save yourself a few pounds.

7. Shop in outlet shops to find a bargain, or to afford something higher-quality for your money. You could be able to afford something that was originally out of your budget, and even treat your loved ones to a designer gift. I recommend Bicester Village in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and Gunwharf Quays outlet village in Portsmouth.

8. Don't be afraid to shop in pound shops / dollar stores for little presents for hampers, gift baskets, and stockings. You can find some real gems amongst all that tat for less than the price of a coffee.

9. Use auction sites like eBay to bag a bargain. You can find brand new items for less than they cost on the high street, and the perfect second hand gifts for your friends and family's varied interests.

10. Don't be afraid to shop in charity shops, or at boot sales. You can often find brand new items for next to nothing, and you could find the perfect gift for your loved one- perhaps a gorgeous vintage dress for your vintage-loving friend, or the first edition of your partner's favourite book.

11. Shop discount beauty websites like Fragrance Direct, The Beauty Store, and Cult Beauty for beauty product bargains at a fraction of the price. They're great for inexpensive gifts for stocking fillers, hampers, and gift boxes.

12. Take advantage of '3 for 2' and 'buy 1 get 1 free' multi-deals to save money, and get an extra present for your money.

13. Split 'buy 1 get 1 free' multi-deals with a friend to each save fifty percent on gifts.

14. Always search for a discount code before ordering online. You can usually find one for most online stores. Enter '[insert shop name here] discount code' in to a search engine, and it will lead you to all of the available codes. If there isn't a code available, perhaps hold off purchasing for a couple of days, and then try searching again. New discount codes appear all the time.

15. Follow your favourite shops and brands on social media to keep up to date with sale news, flash sales, offers, and discount codes.

16. Sign up to newsletters from the online shops you plan to purchase from- you'll often get a discount code for signing up.

17. If you have a birthday coming up before Christmas, remember to add your date of birth when you create accounts with online shops- you'll often get sent a discount code on your birthday.

18. If you have a store card, take advantage of the discount codes and special offers that they send you with your monthly statement.

19. Take advantage of the heavily discounted deals on websites like Groupon and Wowcher, who offer daily deals on gifts and experience days for a fraction of the original price.

20. Use the loyalty cards points you've collected over the year towards presents or the Christmas food shop. Your Boots points, for instance, could help you buy some great beauty gifts for your friends, while your Nectar points could bring down the cost of your Christmas food shop at Sainsburys.

21. Use cash back websites to find vouchers and get cash back on your purchases. You can get cashback with most popular online shops (depending on the company you sign up to), and it's super easy to do. Once you've signed up, all you need to do is log on to the cashback website, click through to the shop you want to purchase from, and shop as normal, and watch the pounds roll in! The amount of cashback you will receive will vary from shop to shop, but it's usually between 1-10% of your order total, and sometimes more. I personally use and swear by Quidco.

22. Place an online order with a friend or loved one and split the delivery charge between you. Combining your orders might even help you qualify for free delivery so neither of you have to pay a delivery fee!

23. Collect your online orders from store or a designated collection point to save money on delivery. Collecting your parcel is usually cheaper than the delivery charge, and often completely free.

24. Buy all of your presents from one shop, or as few shops as possible, to save money on delivery fees.

25. If you're placing an online order but haven't reached the free delivery threshold, and are likely to purchase from the website again soon, hold off ordering until the items in your basket build up and qualify for free delivery.

26. If your purchases haven't reached the free delivery threshold, perhaps hold off on ordering until the shop in question hosts a free delivery promotion, or you find a free delivery discount code.

27. Sign up to a free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime for a month of free one day delivery on millions of products. It could save you a fortune on delivery costs for all those presents you need to buy, and you don't have to continue the membership after the 30 days are up- just remember to cancel the membership before the end of the trial month so you don't get charged!

28. If you're buying presents for friends and family you won't be visiting until after Christmas, perhaps wait for the Boxing Day sales to buy their gifts.

29. If you're creating hampers, gift baskets, or stockings for multiple people, buy items in bulk and split them. It's usually cheaper than buying the products separately.

30. Buy a couple of extra gifts to put in the present stash in case you forget someone or you have an unexpected guest over Christmas.

31. If you're travelling before Christmas, make good use of the Duty Free to buy presents for less than on the high street.

32. Pack shopping bags in your handbag or carry bags in the car to save you paying 5p for every carrier bag you'll need. Okay, 5p isn't much, but it soon adds up. Every penny counts if you're on a budget, right?

33. If you have a big friendship group or work with a large group of colleagues, why not do a Secret Santa? Everybody buys one gift and everybody receives one gift, and everybody's happy for saving a small fortune.

34. If money is really tight, just buy presents for the kids this year, and make an agreement with the adults not to buy each other gifts. Why not spend some time together instead?

35. Don't stick all your Christmas shopping on your store cards or credit cards unless you can pay off the bill quickly. If you don't pay it off straight away, you could find yourself having to pay back a lot more than what the purchases originally cost you. It's not worth it.

36. If it's expensive to park in your local high street or shopping centre, use the park and ride to save money. It'll likely save you time on finding a vacant parking space, too.

37. If you're a skilled crafter or artist and have all the supplies you'll need, why not make gifts for your loved ones instead of buying them this year? Your friends and family are sure to love the unique presents you make just for them, and appreciate the time and effort you put in to their gifts.

38. Save money on impersonal boxes of chocolates or expensive hampers, and make your own foodie gifts from scratch. Whether you want to gift cookies, Christmas cake, or even your own home brewed sloe gin, everything tastes better when it's home-made, and will go down a storm with your loved ones.

39. Remember to pre-order or buy the must-have Christmas toys / gifts on release day to avoid disappointment because they will sell out fast. 

40. Make sure you keep all receipts in a safe place in case anything needs to be returned. 

41. When shopping for presents at Christmas time, always ask for a gift receipt. A gift receipt works just like a normal receipt, except it doesn't reveal the price of the items listed, so you can pass along the receipt to the recipient in case the gift needs to be returned or exchanged without them knowing how much you spent on their gift.

42. Always double check the returns policy before purchasing, especially if you're unsure whether the recipient will like the gift, or if it will fit them. It will vary from store to store, so double check how long you have to return it, and whether they offer a full refund, exchange, or store credit only.

43. When ordering online, remember to advise the courier or postman where to leave your parcels if you're not home. It'll save you having to pop to the sorting office to retrieve them, or the parcels being sent back to the warehouse for redelivery.

44. Save yourself the hassle and stress of Christmas shopping on the high street, and do all of your Christmas shopping online from the comfort of your sofa. 

45. Do your Christmas shopping during the week, early in the morning, or late at night for an easier, and less stressful shopping experience, when the shops will typically be much quieter than during the day time on the weekend.

46. Be patient when you're Christmas shopping. It's Christmas; the shops are going to be hectic, and the staff will be working as hard as they can to serve everyone as quickly as possible. It's not their fault it's so busy; that one's on Christmas, so give them a break. They're human, just like you.

47. Wear a cross-body-bag to keep your hands free for all of those shopping bags. You'll be glad you did when your arms are aching under the strain of twenty shopping bags.

48. Try to keep your bag as light as possible to minimise the strain on your back and shoulders. Just bring the essentials- you'll thank yourself for it when you're weighed down by heavy shopping bags full of gifts.

49. Wear comfy clothes and shoes. You'll only regret wearing six inch heels when you've been standing in the same place in the queue for half an hour.

50. Wear layers you can add or remove if you get too hot or cold, because most shops will have the heating on full blast, and you're likely to get overheated while you shop and queue to pay. You'll be going in and out of the cold a lot, too, so you may find wearing layers far more comfortable than dressing in a single chunky knit jumper you can't remove in public.

Have you got any Christmas shopping tips you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments below!

50 Christmas Shopping Tips 2014

With just nine weeks to go 'til Christmas, most of us will have started our Christmas shopping by now, or at the very least, started thinking about it. If you haven't, it's never too early to start.

I know that Christmas shopping can be an incredibly stressful task, particularly when you're worrying about how to make the pennies stretch as far as possible, so I've put together 50 of my Christmas shopping tips to help make your shopping as stress free as possible this year.

In the list, you'll find dozens of money-saving tips, and a few words of advice for getting through your shopping in one piece. I hope they help!

1. Set a budget for each person on your gift list and and try to stick to it. 

2. Only spend what you can actually afford. Remember, Christmas is only one day, and your loved ones won't want you to get in to debt just so they can receive a gift from you. 

3. Spread the cost over the next nine weeks.

4. Starting next year, spread the cost of Christmas throughout the year. A gift here, a gift there, and you'll barely notice a dent in your bank balance by the time December comes around.

5. Alternatively, leave your Christmas shopping until a few days before Christmas, if you can, so you can take advantage of pre-Christmas sales. 

6. If you're not seeing some friends and relatives until after Christmas, don't buy their presents before Christmas; wait for the January sales.

7. Take advantage of sales throughout the year to snap up presents for less.

8. Shop around for the best price. Can you get that perfume, DVD box set, or tablet cheaper elsewhere? For example, when I shop for books, CDs, and DVDs online, I always compare prices between Amazon, Play, Tesco and ASDA, and then buy the cheapest.

9. Take advantage of 'buy 1 get 1 free', and '3 for 2' promotions, etc. You'll get an extra present for your money, and one less gift to worry about paying for.

10. Go shopping with a friend and split the buy one get one free promotions. It's a sensible way to save yourself 50% on a present or two.

11. Search online for discount codes before every online purchase. There is almost always one knocking about for every popular online store. Just enter "[insert brand / shop name here] discount codes", in to a search engine, and it will lead you to the appropriate websites. If you can't find a discount code, perhaps wait for a couple of days before you make your purchase, and search again.

12. Look out for discount codes in your favourite magazines. They even pop up in daily newspapers from time to time as the festive season nears.

13. Sign up to website newsletters; you will often get a discount code as an incentive to join them.

14. Follow your favourite brands on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with promotions, sales, and discount codes.

15. Keep an eye on social media and newsletter emails for flash sales.

16. Shop in outlet shops. Stock is usually heavily discounted, meaning you could potentially save yourself a small fortune, or even afford something high quality that was originally out of your budget. My favourite outlet villages are Bicester Village near Oxford, and Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.

17. Take advantage of free delivery options and offers. You could save five or six quid or more each time, depending on the shop.

18. Place orders online with friends and split the delivery costs to save each of you a couple of pounds.

19. Shop with cash and not cards- it's easier to see how much you're spending, and you're more likely to stick to your budget.

20. Don't be tempted to stick everything on credit and store cards, especially if you won't be able to pay the bill off in full by the end of the month. If you only pay the minimum amount, you'll end up having to pay back far more than what your purchases originally cost you.

21. Use your Nectar Card points towards presents or your Christmas food shop n the supermarket.

22. Use your shop loyalty cards (which collect points with every purchase) to pay for presents. All those Boots Advantage Card points your make up addiction has earned you come in handy at this time of year!

23. Shop through a cash back website, to get cash back on your online purchases, (and find the latest discount codes). I swear by Quidco, and use it every time I shop online with popular high street stores. Cashback rates can vary from brand to brand; some offer 2% or 3% cashback, but some may be 10% or more. Just last week I got 8% cashback on this year's Body Shop advent calendar, saving myself £4 off a £50 spend! Not too shabby!

24. Grab a bargain on eBay or other similar auction-style sites. There are millions of brand-new items just waiting to be snapped up for bargain prices.

25. Amazon is also a fantastic website for finding brand new things for less than the RRP- and they sell almost anything you can think of.

26. Buy beauty products from discounted beauty-websites like Fragrance Direct. Direct Cosmetics, Cosmetics Fairy, and All Beauty.

27. Shop from websites that stock a range of brands, and buy everything in one place with one delivery cost.

28. Don't rule out shopping in charity shops. You never know what brand-new things you'll find, or what vintage treasures await. You might come across a first edition of your friend's favourite book, or a beautiful vintage dress your stylish bestie would go crazy for.

29. Remember to leave instructions on your online orders so delivery people will know where to leave your parcels if you're not home to accept them. You don't want to be running down to the sorting office to find your parcels when you've got a million other festive things to do.

30. If you're planning on making purchases close to Christmas, make sure you know the last guaranteed delivery dates (online and in store) to avoid disappointment on Christmas Day. It will vary from shop to shop.

31. Also find out the last postage dates if you need to send anything through the post office or by courier.

32. Make sure you find out what the return policy is for gifts you purchase, and always keep your receipts. Most stores can give you a gift receipt which doesn't show how much you paid, so you can pass it on to the recipient in case they need to return or exchange the gift.

33. Bring your own shopping bags with you. It may only save you a few pence on carrier bags, but it all adds up, right?

34. Popping in to the city centre for Christmas shopping? Take the park and ride to save money on expensive parking, petrol, and public transport fees. 

35. Bare in mind, things are often cheaper online than on the high street. If you're looking for the best price, use your phone to do a quick search online to compare prices when you're shopping in brick and mortar shops.

36. Books, DVDs and CDs are often cheapest in the supermarkets

37. Buy those perfect gifts as and when you see them, because they're not always there when you go back!

38. Only buy presents for the kids.

39. Only give presents to your immediate family and closest friends.

40. If there are a lot of people in your friendship group, family, or work place, suggest doing a Secret Santa. Everybody will buy and receive one gift, and everybody will save a small fortune!

41. Go shopping on weekdays; they will generally be quieter than weekends.

42. Do your Christmas shopping first thing in the morning. The shops will be quieter, the shelves will be fuller, and the staff will usually be a lot happier to help before they're stressed, tired, and over-worked. 

43. Be patient with shop staff. Yes, the queue may be a mile long, but the cashiers will be working as fast as they can to serve everybody. Remember they're only human, and they'll probably be exhausted from working so hard. Have you ever worked in retail during December? It's exhausting!

44. Don't wait until a minute before closing time to head to the tills, whether you have one item or a trolley load of purchases to pay for. Don't be that guy; don't be a jerk. The sales assistants won't get paid to stay late to ring up your purchases. They'll probably be exhausted after working a long shift and dying to get home to put their feet up. Put yourself in their shoes: would you be happy to stay an extra half an hour or more after closing time for free to serve lingering customers, after working a full 9 hours already? Didn't think so.

45. Let the person behind you in the queue jump ahead if they have less things to pay for.

46. Don't even think about queue jumping. See that long line of people at the tills? They're queueing for a reason; to be served when it's their turn. If they can queue patiently, I'm sure you'll get through it, too.

47. Don't wear thick, heavy clothes for Christmas shopping; you're likely to get hot and flustered in busy shops. Wear layers you can easily remove if you get too hot.

48. Wear comfortable shoes. You're likely to be doing A LOT of queueing.

49. Carry a bottle of water in your bag. Christmas shopping is thirsty work and you might be shopping and queueing for some time before you can stop to refuel.

50. If you're still struggling to make ends meet, why not sell your unwanted stuff on eBay, at a boot sale, on your blog, or through local or national classified pages / websites?

And those are 50 of my Christmas shopping tips! I hope a few of them help you as you do your Christmas shopping this year. Will you be using any of them?

Do you have any Christmas shopping tips I haven't included in this post and would like to share? Let me know in the comments below!

Christmas Gift Ideas: Goody Boxes

With less than two weeks to go until Christmas, and just eleven shopping days left before the twenty-fifth, there's no better time to get started on your Christmas shopping. Apart from maybe yesterday, but hey, there's still plenty of time left to shop, so why bring that up?

I'm here to help today, with a few ideas for putting together a box of goodies for the girlie girls in your life this Christmas. It's a bit of a long one today, but I hope you'll bare with me!

First, imagine it's Christmas morning... 

Your best friend or perhaps your sister wishes you a merry Christmas, and hands you a gift box. You excitedly untie the ribbon, and open the box; inside are lots of little gifts, wrapped beautifully in festive paper and tissue. You spend some time unwrapping each present, slowly savouring the Christmas magic, and marvelling at all the little things you've been treated to... She sure does spoil you!

Wouldn't you be thrilled to receive something which has been put together with so much care, love, and effort? Something filled with frivolous, but lovely things you've always wanted to try but haven't because money only stretches so far? I know I would.

I love putting goody boxes together for friends and family and although they require a little bit more effort than a pre-packaged set, they always go down a storm! It's worth it to see the smiles on their faces on Christmas morning, believe me!

Sounds perfect, but I have no idea where to start! What should I put in it?

Well, that's really up to you! There are millions of items to choose from out there, and no shortage of possibilities; it really depends on your budget, what's available to you, how creative you can be, and of course, what the recipient likes. (Remember to think about any allergies, too!) The better you know the person you're shopping for, the easier it should be to put something fantastic together.

Here's a few ideas to get you started:

Bath and body products- Bath and shower gels. Face masks. Bath bombs. Skin care products. Body lotions. Body scrubs. Lip balms. Shampoos and conditioners. Lovely scented and novelty soaps.

Make Up- Eyeshadows and eyeliners. Lipsticks and lip glosses. Blushers. Nail polishes. Manicure sets. Nail wraps and other nail art items. Samples from magazines and beauty counters.

Entertainment- A book, CD, or film; perhaps one special to them or you. Gig or theatre tickets. Cinema tickets. Mix CDs. Bookmarks. iTunes gift cards.

Fashion- Hair accessories such as hair clips, and hair bands. Costume jewellery, such as earrings, rings, brooches, pins, bracelets, and necklaces. Cheap scarves.

Something Edible- Little boxes of chocolates. Fancy chocolates or truffles. Favourite sweets. Foreign treats- particularly great for sending to friends in a different country. Christmas themed sweets. Christmas cake, yule log, stollen, panettone. Unusual teas. Something homemade.

Make it Yourself- Edible treats like cookies, cupcakes, or truffles etc. Mix CDs. Hand written letters on pretty stationery. Photos. Postcards. Art.

Other- Pretty letter sets. Postcards. Cards. Notebooks. Stickers. Cute post it notes. Candles. Seeds (for the gardeners). Prints. Keyrings. Shot glasses. Mini bottles of alcohol (for those of legal drinking age). Random souvenirs. Something to add to their collection.


I hope that little lot has given you a few ideas to work with! How about something a little more visual?

Here's a few examples of gift boxes I've put together over the last year...

I packaged these up in pretty tissue paper for my family and friends in the last twelve months for birthdays and Christmas...

 Based around red-berry scented bath and body products.

A Paris Survival Kit comprised of mini toiletries to take on holiday.

A birthday parcel full of goodies for under £30. The make up were bargains from Fragrance Direct and Amazon!

Some goodies to spoil my best friend with this Christmas. I shall also be adding a bunch of mini beauty products in which I have stored away, unused.

And a big care package for the bestie last year.

That looks expensive. How can I do this on a budget?

It's true that putting a box of goodies together can quickly become costly, but with a bit of creativity, it's also possible to put one together on a tight budget.


Here are a few of my tried and tested tips for sourcing low priced trinkets for a goody boxes.

Shop at outlet shops and during sales- these days sales aren't just made up of the junk nobody wants. You can snag some amazing bargains on everything from cosmetics to stationery.

Take advantage of promotions and deals like 3 for 2 and buy one get one free- this one's a no-brainer, really. Take advantage of these offers throughout the year. Only need a new mascara? Buy the extra product or two in the deal, and add it to a present stash ready for Christmas! It'll add up in no time.

Shop at the supermarket- You can usually find everything from books and DVDs to toiletries and sweet treats much cheaper in the supermarket than elsewhere.

Shop on the high street- The high street is your oyster. 

Split multi-packs of the same or similar items between gift boxes if you're filling more than one.

Make things from scratch if you already have the tools or ingredients- It will save you money and show your loved ones you care.

Shop throughout the year to spread the cost- A bit here, a bit there... and you'll barely even feel the pinch.

Shop through cash-back sites like Quidco- It may not save you money straight away, but if you shop via them, you'll be given a percentage in cash back at a later date. The percentage given back varies from brand to brand, but it all adds up! You can often find discount codes through them, too.

Compare prices online before you buy- Whatever it is you're planning to buy, do a quick search of the web before hitting checkout. Can you find it cheaper elsewhere? Check eBay, check Amazon... check, check, check!

Always look for a discount code when shopping online- The bonus of online shopping, is the regular stream of discount codes you aren't offered on the high street. Before you buy anything, always do a quick search for a discount code. Just type in '[insert shop or brand name here] discount codes' in to a search engine and you'll find dozens of sites that will list all the latest codes, if there are any to share. I always do this, and more often than not, I find one. If you don't, perhaps leave the purchase a day or two as one is bound to pop up!

Shop with Fragrance Direct- If you're looking to add make up or beauty products, go check out Fragrance Direct, who sell thousands up on thousands of products at bargain prices. I swear by this website. It's a great place to source Opi, Sally Hansen, Essie, Dainty Doll, and Jemma Kidd pieces from as little as 99p!

Shop with Amazon- Oh Amazon, how I love thee! A website where you can buy almost anything for less than the RRP is always a winner in my eyes. It's a great place for everything from make up to stationery.

Keep an eye out on ASOS's sales, and promotions- ASOS have regular promotions and fantastic sales, and they stock a gazillion brands, and offer free delivery worldwide! It's a bargain hunter's dream. Just this week I bought some Barry M nail polishes for £1.60 each!

Take advantage of free delivery days- As any online shopper will know, delivery charges rarely come cheap, so keep an eye out for free delivery offers to save you a few bucks! 

Then all you need to do is collect all the goodies together, wrap them up, and give them to your loved one! I guarantee you'll make her day!

And those are my tips for putting a box of goodies together for your loved ones this Christmas! 

If you want a little more inspiration, why don't you check out a similar post I wrote last Christmas "How to Create Christmas Beauty Boxes for Family and Friends" and another I wrote in the summer "How to Create Beauty Boxes For Family and Friends".

Will you be giving your loved ones a big box of goodies this Christmas?