The No Fuss Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I think this year it’s really crept up on us, I feel wholly unprepared and will spend the next few days with my boy making little cards and gifts. Handmade presents from little ones always go down well, but I can’t help but feel if I presented a homemade pasta necklace to someone as a gift it might raise an eyebrow or two, so off to the (online) shops I must go!

Here are some of my favourite things right now, so this list can also double as a shopping list for any relatives who fancy treating me (hint)…

Olverum Bath Oil – I recently encountered this little bottle of herbal scented joy. This is an invigorating and relaxing bath oil which contains Siberian fir, lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, lime and geranium. A little goes a long way and it leaves my (sensitive and hard to please) skin feeling really soft and fragrant and I feel wonderfully relaxed and renewed afterwards. I love this bath oil and I’ll be sad when I eventually run out! Olverum Bath Oil is sold in Harvey Nichols and is available online too.Mother's Day Gift GuideDrop Dead Chocolates – we love these chocolates. There’s something to suit all tastes and budgets. They’re a bit special, not available in the shops and probably the best chocolates I’ve ever had. I love the macarons and their salted caramel chocolates are beyond amazing. They’re letter-box friendly so they’re perfect and convenient if you need a speedy delivery.

Nelson’s Arnicare Arnica Bath & Massage Balm – as the owner of a particularly achy back I use this a lot. You can use it as a bath oil, but I think it is rather excellent to massage in. On the rare occasion I get a massage at home, this is perfect for the job. The balm is made with Arnica combined with evening primrose, sweet almond oil, lavender and grapefruit. It’s not heavily scented, but fragrant enough to relax you. The oil sinks in beautifully and leaves no residue, I love this for soothing aches and pains and it’s excellent value for money too. 

Mother's Day Gift Guide

I’ve recently joined a craft group, so these days I’m never happier than when I’m folding bits of paper, painting plant pots or sticking and glueing. I loved making these tissue paper flowers from Baker Ross, and they look so pretty too. You can read my full write up here, but I’m itching to get my hands on another pack of them. A carefully chosen selection of craft goodies is my idea of Mother’s Day heaven right now!

Mother's Day crafts

And last, but by no means least, if money is tight or inspiration is low, you can print off the voucher below and slip it into her card, you will have to make her breakfast in bed, so make sure you don’t burn the toast!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Happy Mother’s Day!

Gift Guide: A Very Mancunian Christmas

It’s widely documented that I hate Christmas shopping, I shun huge shops and enormous shopping centres. I much prefer pottering around small shops and markets and at a push doing an online shop. As a Mancunian and owner of a small, home based business it makes huge sense to me to support my fellow entrepreneur where I can. So here’s my round up of fabulous things to buy for Mancunians this Christmas…

The Manchester Bee Company
The Worker Bee is the symbol of Manchester and its industrial heritage (hive of industry). The Worker Bee symbol is all over the city, from the beautiful mosaic floor of Manchester Town Hall to simple street furniture. The ManBeeCo range includes mugs, cards and prints – all available online. They also pop up at various markets across the city with beautiful crochet and knitted cushions and hats as well as their brilliant bee products. Proper Manc.

Manchester Christmas

MOSI Manchester Collection
The Manchester collection from MOSI is a lovely typographic range of gifts inspired by Manchester’s proud industrial and cultural heritage. Gifts start at £10 for a Mug, £12 for the tea towel collection and £20 each for the adult T-shirt, tote bag and cushion. It’s all pretty gorgeous and would make for a great present proud Mancs like me.

Drop Dead Chocolates
We love these chocolates. There’s something to suit all tastes and budgets. They’re a bit special, not available in the shops and probably the best chocolates I’ve ever had. I love their salted caramel chocolates which are beyond amazing. They’re letter-box friendly so they’re perfect and convenient if you need a speedy delivery.

Duerr’s Manchester Marmalade
Specially made for Mancs (and only available in Greater Manchester) this is a firm set, fine shred, bitter marmalade for proper grown ups. I love it, it was first made in the 1950s and since then they’ve updated and slightly sweetened the recipe, but fear not, if you’re a proper marmalade fan then this is a proper marmalade. It would be great in a little homemade hamper of proper Manc goodies, available in Tesco stores across Greater Manchester.

Manchester Christmas

Harriet & Dee
If like me you’re a Didsbury local, then you’ll love the specially commissioned Didsbury Christmas baubles, only available from Harriet & Dee in Didsbury, South Manchester. These beautiful baubles are just £10 each and you can choose from The Clock Tower, Didsbury Library or The Eagle Gate at Parsonage Gardens. The baubles are a lovely thing for any Didsburyite to hang on their tree.

Red Box Inc
Another Didsbury business who I love, Red Box Inc have a range of products you can personalise with your company or personal message, including coffee & latte mugs, tote shopping bags, mouse mats, coasters, uniforms, t-shirts, work-wear, sports & leisure wear & more. They can personalise mugs and other products with family photos or your children’s drawings from just £8 for a mug.

So whatever your buy Our Kid for Christmas. Keep it Manc. Sorted.