THE PERFECT MOTHERS DAY GIFT FOR AN ADVENTURER

Are you ready for Mother's Day? Yes it's time to be pampered/get a last minute panic purchase *delete as appropriate* and with another celebration just around the corner I've decided to get organised for once and opt out of the classic chocs and flowers gift. Instead i'm going to treat my gorgeous mama to something a little bit special with a homemade hamper full of wonderful goodies that suit her down to a tee. 

When I was a kid I used to love creating special hampers, taking time to pick out things I thought my family would love with my weekly saved £2.50 pocket money. Ok to be honest they might not have appreciated the hubba bubba gum and stickers but the thought was there and this time round I wanted to create something that celebrated the adventurer in my mama, as she taught me to always want to see the world and explore.

A JOULES CHRISTMAS GIFT LIST FOR HIM

When it comes to the kiddo I'm never short of ideas for Santa, but when it comes to the big ones in my life I need a little help. So when I was asked to make a Joules Christmas Gift List for Him I thought it would be easy, but with so many great products in the accessories, underwear and nightwear ranges, it was hard to narrow it down to create one stocking full.

I'm quite a fan of Joules women's range – you can always find me rocking their rather gorgeous wellies and Raincoats – but it was rather fun shopping for the men in my life instead, and bring them Christmas goodies this holiday season c/o Joules. I had to make sure I didn't get distracted with the new arrivals full of stylish shirts and festive knits!

So here is my top for him selection:

1. Everyone needs some cosy Lounge Trousers for kicking back and relaxing in. I can imagine these Plum Plaid lounge trousers looking good on Paul beside and open fire, book in hand and leaving lots of room for his post Christmas feast belly. Plus they're made from brushed cotton making them soft and warm for those cold winter months.
2. Treat the man in your life to this Manton Tweed Wash Bag, perfect for those weekends away or keeping all his thing together at home. I can imagine a romantic getaway to the highlands with this sitting in the washroom, and for all those business trips away he can travel in style.
3. I love cosy toes and can see myself sneaking off with these, even if they are for him. I think these blue Homesteadm fluffy slipper socks are super fun with their stripy patterns would make a great stocking filler for the one you love.
4. Whether he's into winter walks or a man about town, then this beautiful wool blend Grey Fleck Travishat Knitted Hat is just what he needs, and will be making an appearance under our tree *shhh* it would look great paired with a chunky knit, distressed jeans and walking boots.
5. You can't have Christmas without gifting a pair of socks, right? Especially ones with stags on! In fact it’s become a bit of a tradition in our house to get at least one pair for Christmas and these Brillbamboom Bamboo Socks will definitely fit the festive mood, especially as they are hypoallergenic and thermo-regulating...oh so good.
6. It's not only the girls who like to feel good in their underwear. Made with super soft cotton and added stretch for comfort, the Crown Joules Stripe pants even come in a gift box making them the perfect package.

Now all I have to do is get all my presents ready with the perfect gift wrap and this year we're making our own; think traditional brown paper, paint and mess and you get the general idea. F is super excited to help out and is feeling very proud at making gift tags for his daddy! Are you rushing to find some last minute stocking fillers?

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR GIN LOVERS

There's a reason why the phrase Mothers Ruin comes into play after a hard day with a small new person, and when F was tiny my news feed was full of the cry for glasses of wine or gin to numb the sleepless nights and long days.

A sophisticated Gin & Tonic was my tipple of choice in my mid-twenties and after arming myself with a concoction of celebratory cocktails and fun nights out, the classic G&T is making a come back in my house and gracing the drinks trolley at my Christmas parties.

So I'm excited to share with you the perfect gift for gin lovers in your life with this beautiful Gintuition Set.  I love the presentation box that contains three glasses; a classic highball, anon-trend copa stem and the always stylish martini cocktail, which will have you feeling all James Bond.

Endorsed by makers of premium mixers Fever –Tree, the set comes with an expert guide to each glass with mixing tips and gin cocktail recipes. Making it the ultimate accessory to your gin loving nights and if you want to switch it up why not try a winter version using Sloe Gin?

What's your favourite tipple? Do you find yourself reaching for the glass when the little ones are asleep?

*This is a collaborative post.

INTERIOR GIFTS WITH HOMESENSE

I've been writing a list and checking it twice, ticking off presents from family and friends wish lists. Yep just call me Santa! I've even started wrapping a few gifts which is very unlike me as I'm more of a Christmas Eve type of gal. This year I'm eager to get organised so when school breaks up on Friday I'm ready to have fun with my beautiful boy is oh so excited. If there's one thing I love as much as choosing gifts for people, it's choosing gifts for the home.

To give you ideas for the design lover in your life,  I've created my top interior gifts with HomeSense. If you have one of these stores near you it's so worth popping in, it's like Aladdin's cave with so many treasures to be found at super affordable prices. I tend to go there once a month and even picked up F's Eames kid's table there.

From cute and quirky, to being on trend, I'm loving this selection of affordable gifts and wouldn't mind finding them under my tree on Christmas Day. 

I love the packaging of this Hazelnut Coffee - £3.49

This beautiful copper lamp would look great on any desk - £49.99

Who doesn't need a doughnut Christmas bauble? - £7.99

I love these slim glass storage jars with copper lids for the kitchen - £5.99

This handwoven rug would be cosy under wriggling toes - £49.99

Jot down all your ideas in the A5 Winston Church Notebook

How about snuggling down in this grey and pink Aztec throw - £24.99

I really love the geometric shape of this vase -£12.99

This cute boxed Pearl Lowe candle would make the perfect stocking filler -  £7.99

Swooning over this copper and glass lantern - £14

Have you got your Christmas wish list wrapped up? I've only a few things left to buy and it's not long now until the big day *exciting*!

*This is a collaborative post. 

FIVE GOLD RINGS // MAMA STYLE

How could I not sneak this one in? Just like the old Christmas song, everyone like a bit of bling and I am totally coveting these five gold rings for Christmas. Why not dress up your digits this festive season with these beauties, ranging from the inexpensive to rolling in dough, these will make any hand happy... *ahem and I may have snapped two of these beauties up already, all in the name of advent of course*.

1. You'll find these tiny Baguette Rings in my new favourite jewellery store, plus I'm swooning over their Instagram account!
2. The perfect accompaniment to Christmas dinner, this dainty Wishbone Ring will look ace at the table.
3. Good old H&M providing us with some affordable eye candy with these stacking rings, three for the price of one!
4. I have to admit to snapping up this Cocktail Ring as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love the perfect combination of gold and blush and now it's on the sale too!
5. Not for the faint hearted, this jaw dropping piece of jewellery comes at an eye watering price but it is OH so good; from the very talented Polly Wales.

So are you going for gold this Christmas? Or are you hoping for something else in your stocking?

CHRISTMAS STOCKING FILLERS FROM THE KID WHO

As you might remember I'm collaborating with the fab independent store The Kid Who to showcase some of their super gifts for kids and now that December is less than 24 hours away, I've started pulling together some ideas for the big day and thought I'd share my Christmas Stocking fillers list. For me being able to put a few small presents at the end of the bed can potentially buy at least 20 minutes of shut eye before we all get into the day's festivities – although *shh* secretly I'm normally the first up due to all the excitement.

Whether buying for children of friends or family, I've found these five super gifts for £15 or under, all channelling great design and style, perfect for little ones. First off is this stunning book In The Forest, at £15 this will delight any child with beautiful illustrations that literally pop off the page. The story shows a lush green vibrant jungle full of animals and what happens once it's destroyed. Children will love searching for the Sloth hidden in the tree tops and the beautiful lesson on taking care of nature and seeing a forest reborn.

Jigsaws are always a big hit in our house, F will spend ages on the floor working on a puzzle and what's more fun than the bright lights of New York City! This fab Mouk Jigsaw Puzzle at £14 will get little minds racing trying to piece together the vibrant picture and pour over all the quirky details in Marc Boutavant's illustration.

If a you fancy hanging your stocking fillers at the end of the bed but you want something that lasts longer than a day, how about this gorgeous Kids Landscape Gym Bag from Ferm Living at £12. Made from 100% this soft drawstring bag is the perfect size to fit a few gifts in doubling up as a great present in itself. F has already sneaked this one out from it's hiding place and has promptly started using it as a teddy bear carrier. I love the Nordic inspired design from Ferm Living and I think it makes the perfect accessory for an adventurous day out with little ones.

Do you have a small space fanatic in your family? I do so this Studio Roof Totem Kanika pop out Space gift couldn't be more perfect for a stocking filler at £5. Made from card, you can pop out a space station, rockets, radar, astronaut and space related illustrations, and slot them together to create small toys for budding astronauts. Once played with just un-slot the pieces and carry in your bag ready for some emergency fun on the go.

Lastly this cute Bunny Night Light at £4 will be a hit with any animal or nature lover. It gives of a small a warm cosy glow with an internal LED light and a nice fuzzy feeling inside due to the cuteness factor, and would look perfect on any kids shelf for those who want a little comfort at night.

Oh and as it's Cyber Monday The Kid Who have a fab range of gifts that are on sale until midnight today so don't miss out! Have you got your stocking fillers ready? What would be under your tree? I love these 5 products for under £15 and think they are a great addition to any Christmas day.

*A huge thanks for The Kid Who to ask me to collaborate with them over the next six months as a Gift & Interior Advisor and sending me these wonderful products in exchange for a review.

TIGERLILLY QUINN SHOP AND A £50 VOUCHER GIVEAWAY

Is it too early to start stock piling those all important Christmas gifts yet? I know we've only just stepped into November but unlike every other year I'm determined to get organised and ready for the crimbo madness, so I can enjoy spending quality time with F rather than a mad last minute present shopping spree.

I've always tried to shop independent where possible and I love picking up quirky gifts for friends and family. Well luckily for me and you, the lovely Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn is expecting a rather special little Christmas bundle all of her own with a new addition to her family *yay* and will be closing her lovely shop for December. That means you can grab some wonderful gifts in the sale, like this Salvador Dali Travel Mug or a super cute paper plane stamp perfect for addressing envelopes.

With so many cool pieces from homeware to jewellery, prints, stationary and much more, I've chosen a few goodies that have caught my eye. To celebrate my festive spirit *shhh I've teamed up with Fritha to offer one of you lovely readers the chance to win a £50 voucher to spend online. I've pulled to together this stocking filler ideas edit from the shop to give you some fun crimbo inspiration for under your tree.

1. Studio Matryoshka Christmas Nesting Dolls 2. Shining Star Cushion 3. Metal Star decoration  4. Mix and Match Game  5. Intellectual Woman Travel Mug  6. Yellow Tassel Horse Necklace  7. Scandi Folk Horse Decoration

That's a whole lot of goodness right there. All you need to do is enter via the options below for a chance to win. Good luck!

*T&C The winner will be drawn by random using rafflecopter on the 15th November. All entries will be verified. Prize will include a voucher worth the value of £50 to spend at Tigerlilly Quinn shop. This is non refundable or exchangeable. By entering you are signing up to the Wild & Grizzly E-newsletter. Open worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER BISCUITS AND THE KID WHO

As you might remember I'm collaborating with the fab independent store The Kid Who to showcase some of their super gifts for kids and last month I focused on all things school related. Well with Halloween creeping up I've picked out some fun products that I thought would inspire our spooky side and creative play.

One of my favourite things to do with F is create biscuit recipes – you can see some of our favourites here and here. So as soon as we found these Halloween cookie cutters I knew we'd spend a morning baking at home, and what better way to display our Butter BOO Biscuits then on these cool Fox and Wolf plates by Helen Dardik! With such a huge range of fun characters to choose from you can make any meal time fun.

We made Gluten Free biscuits due to Paul's intolerance and they are so super easy to make with only three ingredients needed!

To make your Gluten Free Butter Boo Biscuits you'll need:
• 225g Gluten free white bread flour
• 85g Caster sugar
• 170g Organic unsalted butter

To make:
1. Sift your flour into a bowl and add in the sugar and soft butter. Mix together until combined – you might need to get your hands stuck in to make a good dough.
2. Roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Take your dough out the fridge and roll onto a floured surface and cut your spooky shapes.
4. Place your biscuits shapes on a grease proof baking tray and into a pre-heated oven at 180°C.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and remove. Allow to cool before getting stuck in!

As well as making spooky biscuits F loves wearing temporary tattoos and picked out some fun Fruit & Vegetable tatts. I'm not sure why he thinks this is a spooky carrot but anythin that helps get stuck into fruit is a great idea in my mind.

This next product has provided a perfect solution for a storage issue we've been having in F's room. This boy loves LOVES dressing up and has a huge amount of costumes to choose from, as you can see they're starting to spill out of his storage basket. With Halloween coming up and a Frankenstein outfit joining the collection I thought this Kolor Paper Bag would be perfect for keeping the clothes contained.

The reinforced paper bag is printed in neon and can be shaped to create a sculpture like storage solution in your room, plus you can choose from paper, stuff and toys depending on what you're using it for. I love the cool scandi style feel to this bag and how it hides all the clutter.

The last item we chose was Endless City New York, this fab game engages your child's imagination by creating a different street scene depending on the order of the cards. In fact we love this so much we have the Endless City London edition. The New York version is atmospheric showing the characterful NYC at night. We both take turns to make a street scene and explore it by making our hands take a walk. F loves this version saying it's fun to be out at late at night, just like trick or treating and I'm secretly hoping to take him there next year for a stateside adventure!

What fun things do you have planned for Halloween? Are you going out Trick or Treating or staying cosy at home?

*A huge thanks for The Kid Who to ask me to collaborate with them over the next six months as a Gift & Interior Advisor and sending me these wonderful products in exchange for a review.

GET YOUR CHILD SCHOOL READY WITH THE KID WHO

As you might remember from this post I have been tasked with the awesome job of Interior Advisor for the wonderful award winning online children's lifestyle and gift store The Kid Who. Each month I've been asked to choose some of their fab products to share with you and as I love design and cool kids pieces I couldn't think of a better brand collaboration!

As you can imagine this month has been all about starting school, and what with parents evenings, washing uniforms and a kiddo old enough to be in school I'm suddenly feeling officially old. So to get myself prepared for this next huge step I focused this months items on things that will get my child school ready.

Already last week we've had four letters, yep let's just count that again, f-o-u-r letters from school, two gold smiley stickers for good listening – which F is oh so proud of – and my attempt at decoding his descriptions of his new friends and potentially identify them at the school gate with the class name list to hand. Who knew it would be so complicated! So to help us/me get better organised and let F have a bit more independence I chose this Pegboard by Block in light blue. I thought this would look great in either his room or the kitchen – A.K.A keeper of letters/notes/vouchers/general paper information  – and be solely dedicated to school stuff. So any badges, stickers, drawing etc can be displayed and he can feel proud of himself knowing he's got a dedicated display space. I love the light blue colour and the wooden pegs each with contrasting colour ends.

Next I chose this super cute Meo & Friends keyring from Danish designer Cristine Crebas, at £3 I'm hoping this friendly little character will keep F company at school while giving his school bag a bit of personality. He's already super keen to get some more fun badges to pop on their too and jazz up his navy bag.

Lastly I chose this fun kids book, Stargazers, Skyscrapers & Extraordinary Sausages, I'm a huge fan of kids books and have been collecting book filled with beautiful illustrations and great design since my early twenties, so knew this had to be added to our shelves. F was so excited to have a book to put in his book bag – even though that's not quite how it works – and I'm happy he's excited about school. The book unfolds the imagination of Henrietta and her dog Frank, and while she's dreaming of all the things she wants to be when she's older, there's only one thing on his mind.

What do you think? Can you imagine any of these beauties in your home? I'd love to hear what your favourite prodct is from The Kid Who.

*A huge thanks for The Kid Who to ask me to collaborate with them over the next six months as a Gift & Interior Advisor and sending me these wonderful products in exchange for a review.

PERFECT KIDS GIFTS FROM THE KID WHO

What better way to celebrate my love for design and independent stores that combine an eye for detail with beautiful products, than to share with you the awesome online shop The Kid Who. Yep this award winning online children's lifestyle and gift store make for browsing heaven with a huge range of contemporary brands all under one virtual roof.

I'm super excited to be working with them over the next six months as an Interior Advisor to showcase some of their fab products making a perfect gift for those big and small kiddo's in your life! I'm hoping to pick out pieces that I think would spruce up a kid's space, giving their room and interior that special touch, and F starts school next week I'm focusing on giving his room a little makeover which I can't wait to share with you. I'm so grateful for these opportunities that allow me to work with such wonderful brands and treat F in the process.

My first choice were these Friends From New York Mini Prints by Ingela Arrhenius, I've had my eye on for these while now and this pack of 7 large postcards are a great to use as notes sent to friends or as mini prints to brighten up a room, plus  I love the cute characters illustrated on top of photographs of NYC landmarks. In fact I love these cards so much I'm keen to add Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam to my collection and F's walls.

My next choice were these super cute Helen Dardik In The Woods Nesting Dolls, we have quite a few Russian dolls dotted around the flat and F loves playing with them, spending time stacking them and including them in his games. So as soon as I saw these animal nesting dolls I knew they would make the perfect gift, not only do they act as a great display piece in his room but he loves acting out scenes from fairy tales with them and making up stories, I particularly love the squirrel don't you?

I totally fell for this super cute Red Dog & Wolf Cup also from the talented Helen Dardik, I really wanted to get a stylish yet functional product that would look good is F's room and he would enjoy using. I love how it looks on his Eames kids table, the cute illustration and the way the colour pops, plus it's a steal at £5.50!

Finally what better way to give a room an instant face lift than this cool giant Ideas Poster by Stephanie Wunderlich, I love the illustration and quirky style promoting big ideas and creativity. It will spruce up any wall and inspire little minds at the same time.

What do you think? can you imagine any of these beauties in your home? I'd love to hear what your favourite is and if you have any suggestions of any fab products from The Kid Who would help transform F's room.

*A huge thanks for The Kid Who to ask me to collaborate with them over the next six months as a interior advisor and sending me these wonderful products in exchange for a review.

A GOOD BOOK // The Book Of Everyone

As you know I'm always on the look out for a good book, especially as gift giving season is upon us. There's nothing better than ripping into a great read, be it a novel, an art book, biography or something  beautifully illustrated.

So when I found The Book of Everyone I knew I had found the perfect gift for a friend who has everything. This personalised gift book is super easy and quick to make, high quality and brilliant fun, which celebrates that special person whether it's a gift for their birthday, anniversary, celebration, Christmas or just because they're pretty awesome.

Thankfully this friend is always crazy busy and rarely reads blogs, so I'm taking a small risk sharing it with you but it would have been rude to keep this gift idea under wraps. Available in a variety of colours as well as formats – digital, paperback or hardback – it looks great with your loved ones name on the front.

Making it couldn't be more simple, on visiting the website you select the colour you want, enter their details such as name, gender and date of birth, then start getting creative. The book is made up of well designed pages full of fun facts and weird wisdom based on their date of birth, such as: who won the Nobel prize, what was the most popular sweet and how much of your DNA is shared with a banana. You can customise it by adding text and photos truly making it a unique book, after all, it's totally about them right?

*I was offered to try out The Book of Everyone for review purposes only, I loved it so much that I've ordered more as Christmas gifts. So yep 100% my own opinion.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HIM / FOR HER

Okay so the kiddos are sorted and fingers crossed there'll be no tears on the day, but how about your other loved ones? You know the grown up ones. Here are a few last minute Christmas gift ideas to help get that perfect gift for under the tree.

For Him //
1. London Crumpled City Map £7 / Amazon
2. Freja Copper Table Light £199.99 / Bodie & Fou
3. Hay Brass Scissors £9 / Something Else
4. Herschel Charlie Cardholder in Chevron Print £20 / Urban Outfitters
5. Humans of New York £16.49 / The Book Depository
6. Bloc Notes £7 / Something Else

For Her //
1. Oh Comely Magazine Subscription £22 / Oh Comely
2. Rifle & Co. Botanical Rose iPhone Case £30 / Papermash
3. La Sardinia Camera and Flash Cubic £99 / Lomography
4. Touche Eclat Radiant Touch £25 / House of Fraser
5. Non Je Ne Regrette Rien Poster £25 / Sarah & Bendix
6. Stag Brooch £12.50 / SketchInc

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS

The clock is ticking and soon it will be time for the jolly fat man in a red coat to drop the presents off under the tree, except I haven't quite managed to organise any of my Christmas list yet. Don't get me wrong there have been a few evenings of button clicking in front of the computer and at least three failed trips into town – who knew toddlers weren't keen on the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. So to clear my mind I have pulled together a few last minute kids gifts, with a For Him/For Her to follow.

1. Sally Nencini - Scandi Doll £37 / Archies Boutique
2. Endless City London - Gwen Lee £14.95 / The Pippa and Ike Show
3. Quad Roller Passion €70 / My Little Square
4. *A to Z Magnatab lowercase letters £26.99 / Toyella
5. Mama Bear Print by Jana Klouklova Kudrnova £14 / Sarah & Bendrix 
6. Feiyue Delta Mid x Milk On The Rocks Tiger Trainers €70 / Feiyue Shop
7. Astronaut Costume White £50 / Hedgehog
8. Around the World Matching Game - Micah Player £10.99 / Scout & Co
9. Wooden Camera with Interchangeable Lenses £32 / Egg & Yolk
10. Plan Toys Green Dolls House with Furniture £135.11 / Play
11. Man / Woman Cushion Cover by Depeapa £25 / Southwood Stores

Don't miss the deadline for online orders, so best get clicking ay x

*Images differs slightly to that sold by Toyella