Christmas Gift Ideas 2021

I wasn't going to do one this year but there are lots of things I keep seeing and thought maybe it would help those of you who are stuck for ideas. 

Blue Bowl - as always I do a lot of my shopping for here as I can usually find something for everyone. This year I've gone for a glug jug for my mother in law and I always get some hexagon earrings for someone. 

Zoeva Brushes - these are some of my favourites (though I haven't used the whole range) and there are some great deals on sets at the moment and my go-to for contouring or foundation on my clients is the 110 Face Shape - I must have at least 5!

Atticus, Beetle & Bop - my own online stationery shop I started in lockdown and have yet to mention on here which seems a bit silly but if you need some stocking fillers, a puzzle or lovely matches (which make a fantastic house gift!) then go and have a look. 

Nkuku - I always seem to find something either I want (always useful if you find you get asked what you want and have a mind blank!) or great presents for my family. The things I've got from here have been fantastic quality. 

Fraser & Parsley - I love this brand, they are just a joy to follow on social media and their products are beautiful. I would love the Five Year Christmas Planner as I'm always so chaotic at this time of year and it would make a fantastic gift but I've also had my eye on the Meal Planners for ages. Try as I might to use my phone for things I still find my brain works better when I put pen to paper. 

Ruby & Dot - one of my favourite small brands that I've discovered this year. I have my eye on the black sweater with gold eye jumper (because it has lightning bolts of course) 

Fizz Goes Pop - another great small business and I spent a lot of time nearly buying myself these lovely lighting hoops (in green thanks!) 

Spacemasks - I get these for everyone every year as they are not just an eye mask they are a ticket to some relaxation. Lie or sit down and give yourself a 10 minute break. That's what these say. 

Mama Designs Quilted Playmat

It's hard to know what to get a 5 month old for Christmas, especially if that 5 month old is the third child. We were just going to count his monkey music classes as his Christmas present. He'd never know, we don't need any more plastic and he loves monkey music. But then Mama Designs came out with this luxury quilted play mat a couple of weeks before Christmas and it looked so good I pre-ordered it.

Mama Designs is a company I've been aware of for sometime but only since having Jim (in the middle) so I've had to just resist its lovely temptations. But the playmat spoke to me. And for so many reasons.

It's a great size. It doesn't take up vast amounts of room, it's not so much fabric that someone of 5'2" struggles to lift it, you can pack it in a bag or the back of the car and it barely takes up any space. It comes with a storage bag with a drawstring so you can pack this away and store it somewhere - it will stay clean and ready for use and fits easily into the bottom of a suitcase.

We have 2 dogs, a metric ton of lego and quite a lot of jewellry making beads. Before Jack was mobile it was so nice to be able to put this down on the floor and know that he was sitting or lying somewhere clean and that was just his. Even the big brothers learned that this was a lego-free zone. When it arrived, before he could sit up it was so great to be able to put this down on the floor and lie him on it without having to worry about how clean the floor was.

Play Hooray

Claire at Play Hooray is a friend in need to tens of thousands of mums on Instagram - providing much needed inspiration and encouragement to keep the TV off and find a creative way to play with children aged 0 to 8 years old. What she does, and especially her Play Prompts, have been massively helpful to me so I wanted to share my experience. With a pack of her play ideas in my nappy bag or a print offs stuck on the fridge, I'm never at a loss for something to do on a rainy day.

Like a lot of other people I first discovered the lovely Claire via Giovanna Fletcher's Instagram feed. Some may think that being a mother of three means I know what I'm doing with children and in some ways I do but my god entertaining even one of them is so difficult sometimes, two even harder, two whilst pregnant and trying to have some semblance of a normal life was just incredibly frustrating and almost impossible. Now I have three at quite different ages 5, 2.5 and 8 months and so quite often I feel like I'm aiming at three different levels.

Which is where Play Hooray comes in and frankly, saves the day (whilst making you a little bit angry that you didn't come up with it first). Claire is an Early Years Teacher which in terms of nursery and pre-schools in the UK is the be-all and end-all. As a mother of one she decided to create some prompt cards for those days when you are stuck in the house with no idea how to entertain your child without switching on TV. She decided to get some cards printed to see if they sold, they did and she now has a full range of different prompts and products available some of which I've bought and have been using.