Christmas Treats for the Interior Lovers in Your Life

If you’ve got an interior design aficionado in your life, then you’ll know how hard finding them the perfect Christmas gift is. From picky friends who have their own individual style, to self-confessed interior snobs who only want the best name brands in their home. Here are some amazing present ideas to make sure that you put a smile on their face this Christmas:

Scandinavian Style

A huge trend throughout 2016 which looks set to continue into 2017, Scandinavian design is so hot right now when it comes to homeware. Something from any of the leading brands will be a big hit with any interior lovers. Take a look at the offerings from Muuto at Skandium, where you’ll find amazing quality interiors ranging from bowls, to tables, shelving and light fittings in the cool and minimalistic traditional Scandinavian style.

Copper

Coppers has taken over rose gold as the favourite metallic hue and is great for adding a warm glow to the home. Interior lovers will probably already be on the back of the trend so a copper present should really go down well. Depending on your budget there’s scope for all different types of gifts from copper cutlery to martini glasses, vases and light fittings. If your interior lover is a bit of a stationary enthusiast

Marble

The Instagram lovers favourite surface, marble is a real interior staple right now. Whether you’re looking to gift someone a marble iPad cover or other marble accessories as a smaller gift, marble themed items make great stocking fillers. If you’re wanting to find that dream gift for someone really special, a marble round table for their kitchen or a marble and gold light fitting makes a perfect expensive interior gift.

Novelty Interiors

When it comes to those really picky interior loving friends and family members sometimes it can be a good idea to go for a novelty themed item which can be a bit of a gamble. From the pineapple themed candles and ornaments that dominated 2016, to quirky photos and hanging plant pot holders, there’s an array of affordable novelty interior gifts for those people who are too hard to please.

With all these great gift ideas for the interior lovers available for a range of different budgets, you’ll be sure to pick up something special when it comes to finding the perfect gift.

- This is a guest post.

My Sunday Photo - 51/52

Project 365 - Week 50

11th December - 17th December

11/12/16

12/12/16

13/12/16

14/12/16

15/12/16

16/12/16

17/12/16

Another week, another Project 365. This week has flown by in a hectic blur despite not even being that busy really. The start of the week was a pretty lazy one as I've been taking it easy as I'm currently struggling with pregnancy related pelvic pain. On Sunday we did visit Gordon Riggs which is a local garden centre which goes really over the top at Christmas, it's fantastic. Monday my Mum took Noah out for the afternoon so I spent the free hours catching up on some blogging. Tuesday Noah had nursery and he cried when I left him again, I almost cried too! When I went to collect him his new key worker said that he'd had a great time though, which is a relief. Wednesday was Mummy and Noah day and when Daddy came home from work we all went out for a nice dinner at one of our favourite places, The Ramm Inn. I won't tell you what I ate because it was a lot, it's so good through! Thursday was nursery again and thankfully Noah didn't cry! I think it had to do with the fact one of his favourite members of staff was in charge of his group, as soon as he saw her he went and sat on her lap. Friday and Saturday seem to have gone really fast even though Noah is unwell again, with another epic cold. I've spent the last few days trying to have a clear out for Christmas and although I've gotten rid of a lot of things you can't really tell! I think the rest of the weekend will be spent wrapping presents and trying to prepare for Christmas.

What have you been up to this week?

Superhero Shoes – Pumped Up Powers & Heeled Heroines

In the world of superheroes, power comes in many forms. Whether it’s super-strength that enables a hero to hurl cars over their heads, the ability to fly, or to run faster than the blink of an eye, the array of feats that we see on the silver screen is impressive.

With all those flashy powers, glitzy lifestyles and heroic antics, the humble aspects of a hero’s life are sometimes overlooked. For instance: consider the demands of a superhero’s routine - dashing to and from crime scenes and kickboxing with villains - what kind of shoes should they wear?

Think of The Flash – and then imagine him wearing a pair of sandals. Super speed and flip flops wouldn’t end well, would it? No. Superheroes wear footwear that aids their abilities – but has also become iconic in its own right. Footwear retailer Brantano has gathered some of their favourites…

Wonder Woman’s Battle Boots

The heroine everyone recognises, Diana Prince, a.k.a Wonder Woman, is one of the longest-serving female superheroes. The daughter of Zeus, she made her debut in 1941 and is back in the public eye thanks to a new look for her role in the DC cinematic universe. Her classic look is one of confidence and colour. Alongside her iconic bracers and tiara, she wears red knee-high boots with a signature white stripe. In a practical and much-praised move, many of her comic boot appearances have eschewed high heels in favour of flat boots.

In her latest iteration, Gal Gadot’s heroine is clad in armoured knee-highs that have sandal-style straps and a wedge heel. Impractical? Maybe. Stylish? Yes.

Star Lord’s Rocket Boots (Guardians of the Galaxy) Peter Quill, or Star Lord, was portrayed by Chris Pratt in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. His guile and charisma helped lead a team of misfits against super villain Ronan, whose forces were threatening the galaxy.

While doing so, he stays on-trend thanks to a space cowboy inspired look — a pair of reddish-brown walking shoes that are topped with knee-high greaves. The kicker? These boots have rocket boosters in them, enabling Star Lord to cross large crevasses and thrust through the non-gravity of empty space.

Superman’s Iconic Red Boots

Think of Superman and you immediately think of blue and red, a pair of red spandex and cape over the famous blue costume. However, the look wouldn’t be complete without the boots to match. Superman, when not hiding behind the Clark Kent alias, wears his just below the knee greaves with style. Even in his latest, more realistic portrayal by Henry Cavill, which has removed the comic-book briefs, Superman still wears his bright-red boots. Proof you need to stick with your signature style.

The Power Rangers

The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers were a TV phenomenon in the 90s, but are set to launch themselves back into the public eye when their new action film is released in 2017. Combatting lord Zed, the team of heroes take their instruction from Zordon – but seem to take fashion tips from more famous superheroes, as they also wore colourful knee-high boots.

Captain America’s Combat Boots
The latest version of Captain America, played by Chris Evans, is a no-frills superhero that mixes patriotism with strength. Styled to portray a man who withstands no nonsense, the ‘cap’s’ costume is a jumpsuit style military get-up that doesn’t mess around. Like his outfit, his boots are all about utility. Combat boots with a thick sole, they’re perfect whether he’s pursuing crime on foot or on his motorcycle.

The Joker’s Knife Boot (The Dark Knight)

The clown prince of crime isn’t just the arch-nemesis of Batman, he’s also a challenging role for any actor to take on. In what is arguably his most famous on-screen appearance, the Joker was immortalised by the late Heath Ledger as a dark, psychopathic villain. Interestingly, in this entire list, he’s the only character to not wear knee-high boots. His iconic purple suit caught the eye, but it was a hidden knife in his brogues that surprised Batman in a melee combat. Plus, they looked great with brightly-checked socks.

Ultimately, there’s a lot to be learned from superhero fashion. A longer length pair like knee high boots must grant some sort of secret super power – considering almost every superhero there is confidently sporting such footwear. Maybe the real secret to heroism and fame is a pair of knee highs?

- This is a PR Collaboration. 

aden + anais Cosy Muslin Buggy Blanket - Competition

Once upon a time, a new mum found herself searching high and low for the muslin swaddle blankets her mother and grandmother and generations of Australian women before them had used to comfort their own babies. When she couldn’t find them anywhere in her adopted home of the USA, she made them herself, and aden + anais was born.

aden + anais are a brand that is close to my heart. I used their swaddles, muslins and towels with Noah and now with baby number two on the way I'm excited to use their products all over again. I find that aden + anais are always improving and adding to their already amazing range of products and a new collection which has just been released is called cosy muslin. 

The cosy muslin range is made from a completely new fabric to aden + anais. It's made with an open weave brushed cotton, which is snugly warm but still breathable so babies and toddlers don't overheat. The fabric is also the softest ever to feature in the aden + anais range, even better than the merino and bamboo collections and that's saying something! The range features swaddles, muslins, crib sheets, sleeping bags, dream blankets and buggy blankets. 

This is the first time that aden + anais have released buggy blankets and products made from this material so to celebrate the occasion I have one to give away. If you'd like to with a cosy muslin buggy blanket in your the colour of your choice then please use the Gleam form below! Good luck and don't forget to enter my other blog competitions!   

aden + anais Cosy Muslin Buggy Blanket

Terms & Conditions.                                                                                                 
1. There will be 1 winner who will win the prize mentioned above.
2. Prize sent directly by the PR. 
3. Competition ends 08/01/17
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified. 
5. UK entries only.

Num Noms Advent Calendar #NumNomsAdvent

As soon as Noah was old enough to eat solids, he was old enough to have his first chocolate advent calendar. It was his second Christmas and he was around 13 months at the time. He's now three years old and every year his advent calendars seem to get more and more adventurous as the years go by, much to his delight. 

We've been working closely with Num Noms over the past year and a few weeks ago Noah was asked if he'd like to receive a Num Nom advent calendar. I didn't really know what to expect in regards to the opportunity and in my mind I imagined Noah opening a Num or a Nom a day. I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting a huge box filled with all sorts of individually wrapped Christmas and Num Nom themed gifts, I was very impressed! The Num Nom advent calendars were put together especially for bloggers so we felt very happy and privileged to get a hold of one. 

Choosing a gift out of his Num Nom advent calendar is one of the highlights of the morning for Noah and he usually asks to select one after he's had his breakfast. We are now almost two weeks in and have discovered some fantastic surprises inside, from Num Nom mystery pots through to sweets and even Num Nom deluxe packs! Our #NumNomsAdvent has certainly made the countdown to Christmas even more exciting! I wonder what we will discover tomorrow? 

Do your children have advent calendars this year? 

- We were sent this product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.