We're onto day two of five days of gifts! If you didn't see yesterdays, then please do have a little look at all things girly and pampering, but today we're gonna talk about some lifestyle goodies! If you have to buy for someone who's not really into beauty or clothes or jewellery, then this is the guide for you!
I personally love getting books (especially cookbooks) for Christmas as there's nothing better than sitting down to a new read. The other items in this list, along with a few extra faves I've picked out, would make great gifts or stocking fillers for someone! On with the guide...
As I mentioned in my previous gift guide, tea has now developed into a major thing in my life. Even if it's just one cup per day, I genuinely look forward to drinking it at the perfect temperature.
So, if you know someone who is a bit of a tea connoisseur, then the offerings from Jing Tea may be perfect!
The gold packaging is already festive, so you'll get an extra point there, but the actual tea and glassware themselves are absolutely gorgeous!
I've always had a think for tea served in glass cups and the glass cup and saucer above would make the most gorgeous gift all by itself! This coupled with the tea timer, so you could make the perfect brew, and you've got an ideal stocking stuffer for the most tea-addicted pal.
Onto the teas themselves, I have the Jing Chai Tea and the Jina Earl Grey Tea and they're both just lovely. I'm definitely going to bake something with the Chai tea (or put it in hot chocolate!). There's lots of different varieties available on their site though and they really do source excellent quality leaves for all of their brews!
I feel like Christmas is the perfect time to get a good dose of kitsch goodness. Whether this is some perfect vintage home item or novelty treats, they do make excellent presents - I mean, who doesn't love a bit of a throwback every now and again?
Let's start with the sweet selection. I don't know about you, but I always get the usual: a box of Lindt Lindors or a tub of Celebrations or Heroes and, while I do love those chocolates, it's nice to get something a bit different. The amazing wooden box above comes with nine different retro sweets, from my favourite blue and pink bottles to fried eggs to refreshers! You can add a personalised note to it too, if you like, so it would make a great gift that's a bit more than a box or packet of something off the supermarket shelf.
There's something so cute about novelty kitchen items, I think. The Russian doll measuring cups are so adorable and perfect for someone who likes to bake. Plus the white colour is so non-offensive, so even your most minimalist pal would probably be a-ok with these lil cuties.
I spoke about mugs in my last guide, but I wanted to include one in here as it definitely falls more into the kitsch category. This Oh K! Cat Mug has cheeks that glow when you pour in a hot drink - how adorable is that? I think this one would be a cute gift for someone of any age, too.
I love cookbooks. I'd have them on every shelf of the house if I could because food photography is genuinely one of my favourite things ever, plus I adore cooking (and eating!) so whenever someone gets me a nice cookbook as a gift, they get a high five.
I've got a few to suggest here, as they're in totally different categories. Let's begin with a starter, of sorts, with this amazing Very Good Soups zine by Sighh. I love everything Polly does and this is no exception. She's meticulously hand drawn and photographed a range of easy soups, from french onion to the amazing sounding chilli style soup (opposite). I am obsessed and shall be making everything! If you can shop small this Christmas, then definitely do as you can pick up utter delights like this and support a talented gal like Polly.
Next, for main course, check out The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer. This would be a great choice for someone who is a bit of a lazy cook and just wants to shove everything in the oven and forget about it. I can relate. There's a whole host of recipes, from veg to meat to fish but with lots of different influences from around the world, so there's something for everyone.
Finally, we have dessert, Mug Cakes by Lene Knudsen is a cute little stocking filler of a book to get someone with a particularly sweet tooth. It features a whole load of cakes that you can make and eat in five minutes, using just a microwave, so would be perfect for students or people who just love cake (me, I'm keeping this one).
