So, Christmas shopping! I know there’s an abundance (a plethora, a myriad!) of Christmas gift guides out there in the ether already this year, but I’ve been finding them so helpful in doing my Christmas shopping that I decided it was high time I put together my very own round up of what’s hot in the shops! And let me tell you, doing this sort of dreamy Christmas shopping is even more fun than the real thing ;) I’ve decided to group things thematically instead of by gender, mainly because I tend to see as many things I’d love for myself on traditional men’s gifts lists as I do women’s, and also because hey! Why limit ourselves!
1. Pyjama set || 2. Embossed stoneware mug || 3. Christmas wish candle || 4. The Simple Things subscription || 5. Breakfast tray || 6. Handwash || 7. Moisturising balm || 8. Sheepskin rugs.
First up, the nest featherer. The home maker. The lover of all things cosy and indulgent and plush. And, if you ask me, the easiest kind of person to buy for! Think candles to brighten up dark corners, a sheepskin throw for their favourite armchair, indulgent skincare to fancy up the kitchen sink, and of course, pyjamas. New pyjamas go with Christmas just as beautifully as do mince pies and twinkly lights and cheese! I happen to be wearing a pair right this very second, and can’t think of a nicer ‘special something for a special someone’ parcel to unwrap on the morning of the 25th.
1. Wire trug || 2. Woodland bird guide || 3. Wooden handled knife || 4. Recycled wood blanket || 5. Waterproof walking boots || 6. Cashmere aran knit beanie || 7. Enamel camping mug || 8. Check flannel shirt.
For country-dwellers, practicality is king. Natural, hard-wearing fabrics. Waterproof and rugged. I’m particularly fond of that sweet woodland bird-spotting guide (the others in the series are gorgeous too!), for bringing along on walks in the forest and playing ornithologist. And can’t you just imagine throwing out that checked wool blanket and pausing for a quick hot chocolate break during a long weekend walk? For allotment-tending friends and family, what better duo of gifts than a trug for carrying their homegrown bounty, and a beautifully-crafted wooden handled knife with which to cut said bounty all free from branches and stems and roots? And of course (of course!), the softest of brushed cotton tartan shirts to do it all in.
1. River Cottage avanced bread making course || 2. Six month gourmet coffee subscription || 3. Seasalt + cocoa nib chocolate || 4. Chilli + lime chocolate || 5. NutriBullet blender || 6. The Curious Bartender mixology book || 7. Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi || 8. Stone pestle and mortar || 9. Painted handle wooden spoons || 10. Yellow honey pot and dipper.
From the simplest stocking stuffers (pastel-handled wooden spoons and gourmet chocolate bars) to splash out gifts (NutriBullet anyone?), there’s always something fun to buy for those who love their food. You can’t ever go wrong with a new recipe book (The Curious Bartender is a must-read for wannabe mixologists!), and if you ask me, a six-month supply of coffee is possibly the greatest gift ever to be invented. For an all-out, showstopper Christmas present, the River Cottage advanced bread making course is for the baker who’s been extra-specially good all this year. Having done the basic bread making course back in summer, I can tell you it really would make the most wonderful Christmas present. Bonus points if you book a stay at one of Dorset or Devon’s most charming hotels whilst you’re at it, and turn the whole thing into a mini-holiday…
Christmas twenty-fourteen? Sorted.
