With Christmas just around the corner, I was so excited for December (despite the poll on I’m a celebrity, with the majority of the public saying that is isn’t the most wonderful time of the year) which I still can’t believe. Everyone seems happier, you can make your house all cosy, take some time off work, R&R time to put those feet up, christmas music, excuse to spend your morning eating an advent calendar & all the lovely festive food that there is. It is also the time to make plans with loved ones & a chance to show how much you love someone. This doesn’t have to be about lavish presents, I always feel the thoughtful ones are the best, the time spent writing a card or just the effort made & the most precious gift you can give someone will always be your time & being present!
A few gift ideas to help you out if you need some inspiration …..
- A dressing gown (who doesn’t love a fresh, cosy dressing gown) I recently brought this one from John Lewis & I am finding it hard to get out of it!
- Primark & H&M have some lovely, super soft PJS at the moment, I also find their socks & pants are great stocking fillers too.
- Neom – wellbeing gifts. I am in love with this brand & everything it stands for! Possibly one of the most dreamiest brands ever created. Everything from helping you to relax from candles, skin care, to bath & body products. Focus on less stress, more energy & mood boosting! The wellbeing pod essential oil diffuser makes my house smell devine & the pod is so relaxing with the light & steam.
- There are lots of brands now that offer ‘clean beauty’ products which are better for you, the environment, cruelty free & containing only natural ingredients, made without the unnecessary chemicals, synthetic ingredients & preservatives that are often found in cosmetics. You can buy most online.
– For make up, Nude by Nature & Bare Minerals offer an amazing yet high performance range.
Also stores such as Holland & Barrett (I recently worked with this company to promote their clean beauty box) which makes a great intro to anyone wanting to clean up their beauty regime. - A brand I have recently discovered is 1001 Remedies – which is Vegan, Cruelty-Free, natural skin & body care for your overall ultimate wellbeing. They have a range specifically designed to help with wellbeing problems for new & expecting mums. Such as lack of sleep etc. Their products are completely natural & so pure they are suitable for your bump & for the baby too. The Good Night stress & anxiety relief lavender sleep balm is the perfect gift & I am sure will be very much appreciated.
Food: Why don’t you create a little food hamper, filled with all the healthy (& not so healthy) treats. Most supermarkets (especially wholefoods & planet organic) & shops online such as Ocado offer all the goodies, e.g nut butter jars & vegan chocolate like Ombar. You could also create a cheese & wine box such as crackers or Rana’s bagels, Nush vegan che*se spread, some chutney & Thomson & Scott alcohol free bubbles – my taste buds are currently telling me this is the dream! Whether it is a dietary requirement or health preference no one should feel like they are missing out!
My lovely friends & entrepreneurial sisters have the most gorgeous brands Tiff’s Three Six Five vegan leather accessories. I am obsessed with my cross body bags & the bespoke initials are so cute. Lucy’s Creature Jewellery brand offers quality & unique pieces that at make amazing gifts or present to yourself.
I also love supporting start ups & local businesses especially at Christmas.. Etsy & Not on the high street are a great way to find these too. Don’t feel ashamed to recycle gifts that you may have got that have been sat in your cupboard untouched, they could be perfect for someone else & a lovely stocking filler too!
On a slightly different topic but it is my day of posting my #pregnancydiaries
Week 31 Pregnancy Update
For my fellow pregnant mammas I found some pregnancy friendly (sparkly) Christmas party dresses in H&M which fit really well with a bump! Also Zara too had some nice floaty dresses; I was just buying size large which had enough room for a loose fit.
I have been experiencing the braxton hicks also over the last few weeks & a lot of movement from her (which is great) but this catches me off guard sometimes & makes me jump haha. My scan last week showed that she was currently head up, but I am having all faith that she will do her thing & move head down when she is ready. This usually happens from week 35 anyway, as my hospital appointment the week before this said she was head down. I have been told sitting as up right and on the ball etc as much as possible will help. Also moving around & getting those steps in makes me feel better. Paola’s Body Barre I am still doing a class once a week now which is their baby barre class & I hope I can continue to do so right up until she is here & also once she arrives I can exercise again post birth.
I had my first session with Carly a maternity reflexology specialist which was so relaxing, a treatment that I have always loved. Carly was lovely, I felt her experience & knowledge was brilliant. I will continue to see her from my house once or every other week right up until the birth as she has a great pregnancy package which I recommend looking into too.
A few other products I was super excited to receive this week that were kindly gifted were from JoJo Maman Bebe Their clothing is gorgeous & I fell in love with the gold star newborn baby sleepsuit which I think would be a lovely first outfit with the matching hat 🙂
And Bumbo changing pad; which will be ideal for me to keep downstairs & saves going up to the changing unit in the nursery when I am downstairs. Their Elipad is such a good idea too, I didn’t even think of this but to save our knees on most stone, hard & cold floors, this sounds wonderful!
The Nursery is slowly coming along so I hope to be able to share some photos with you in the next few weeks.
Lots of love,
Tess x
