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Sunday 8 December 2019

Convenient Christmas Shopping with Moonpig | #heartfeltwithmoonpig *Ad

#heartfeltwithmoonpig

Christmas shopping...It's one of those things that can start of as a joy but slowly become a stress, especially when you have people to buy for that you won't be seeing and/or they're quite hard to buy for. Am I right? Well this year I've teamed up with Moonpig to show you a perfect Christmas shopping night in. So leave the queues, the hustle and bustle and cosy on up as I talk you through how I shop from the comfort of my own home.

I've been doing my Christmas shopping solely online for the past three years. As a person who hates shopping in the crowds, I find it far more relaxing and enjoyable to search online for the perfect presents. Moonpig very kindly sent me a "Christams Shopping Night in care package" filled with everything I'd need to get my shopping done stress free. Inside I found a gorgeous personalized Christmas sack, a Christmas themed T-shirt, a scented Christmas candle, Champagne, a Christmas DVD and more! I was all set to get gifting and enjoy the process too!


First things first I popped on my Christmas tee (which I freaking love!) poured a glass of bubbly and lit my Christmas Spiced candle- one I would highly recommend from the Moonpig website; be it as a gift or for yourself. The smell of spiced warm ginger and orange zest was perfect for getting me in the festive mood!

moongpig christmas

I've bought many a card from Moonpig over the year but truth be told I didn't realize how many gifts they provide! There's not just flowers and cards oh no- there's so much more! They stock jewellery, hampers, gadgets, experience days and more which is perfect for finding a unique and thoughtful gift.

Of course I picked up a personalized card which arrived in a flash. If you order your personalized cards by 7:30pm Monday- Friday, you'll catch the next days post- perfect for anyone who's looking to do some last minute card sending!

moonpig personalised card

So aside from personalizing cards, you can also personalize gifts! I always find a personalized gift is thoughtful and that extra bit more special. It shows you're thinking of the one you're gifting for and adds an extra special touch.

moonpig christmas gifts

In my experience, a gift that always goes down well is treating someone to their favourite tipple. From gin, to craft ales, wine to fizz, there is something for everyone to toast to the festive season on Moonpig.

moonpig gifts

I opted to get my Dad and his partner a lovely bottle of Prosecco to toast with on Christmas day. Had I not been seeing them before, I'd have opted for letterbox wine which is pretty perfect for anyone you may not see before the festive period!

moonpig christmas gifts

To match a personalized bottle, why not accompany it with a glass too?  I couldn't resist this rose gold flute glass for my Nan so she can sip in style! I love a special glass when it comes to drinking a treat like champagne and it's something that your loved ones can use time and time again.

moonpig gifts

I'm also obsessed with the Moonpig personalised sacks. With trying to be more eco friendly and kinder to the planet, these natural cotton bags really are the gift that keeps on giving as they can easily be used year after year plus they're perfect for eradicating badly wrapped gifts! Being 75cm long by 50cm wide they certainly can hold lots of lovely gifts and give an extra dose of wintertime magic. I adore mine and Chris is chuffed that he now doesn't have to wrestle with the wrapping paper.


She's A Gentry Christmas Shopping

Shopping online truly takes the stress out of Christmas shopping and you can definitely make a lovely indulgent night in of it like I did! Take your time! There's nobody jostling you in queues, panic buying, grabbing the last thing off the shelf and you're not crawling out of car parks. Why make shopping more stressful than it needs to be? Gifting should be a joyous experience and I've found that feet-up Christmas shopping is definitely the way forward.

So after I was shopped out, it was only right to pop on The Grinch and celebrate with  another glass of champagne in the knowing that my shopping was done and would be dispatched in no time. (When you order your gift by 7pm Mon-Fri you get same-day dispatch!)

Moonpig Christmas shopping

I'd have loved to have shown you the rest of the gifts I bought through Moonpig as I picked up some absolute corkers! Unfortunately those they are gifted for read my blog. You know who you are!



Will you be shopping at Moonpig this year? I'd really recommend it and would love to know what you go for gift wise! Thank you to Moonpig for inviting me to be involved in their #Heartfeltwithmoonpig campaign and gifting me the items in this post.




Monday 2 December 2019

DIY Christmas Crackers

I can't quite believe it's the festive season once again but here we are and I have a Christmas cracker DIY for you this year! I've been thinking for the past few years that pre-made shop bought Christmas crackers are just a bit...well...crap! The gifts inside are naff- who needs a tiny tiny photo frame or a set of minuscule spanners!? I also find the jokes just offensively rubbish so I took to my craft room and came up with my own!

easy diy christmas crackers


For this DIY you will need:

easy diy christmas crackers

  • Toilet-rolls
  • Crepe paper (or wrapping paper that isn't too strong so you can pull your cracker apart)
  • A decorative pen- I went with a copper one to draw on everyone's names and do a little design.
  • Sellotape
  • Cracker snaps (you’ll find them on Amazon, eBay etc)
  • Scissors
  • Thin card, at least 20cm long
  • Decorative string or ribbon
  • Small but exciting things to put inside the crackers- I went for nail varnishes, flower seeds, beard oils and bath bombs!
  • Paper hats (again from Amazon, eBay etc)
  • Jokes! I found some online and had some lovely people tweet me some original ones too!
  1. Step 1
  2. On your crepe paper/ paper of choice, draw out your design and name for your cracker
easy diy christmas crackers

easy diy christmas crackers
  1. Step 2
  2. Place a toilet-roll on the long edge of your paper, in the centre, and hold it in place with some sticky tape. Measure the length of crepe paper you need and cut off the excess.
easy diy christmas crackers


  1. Step 3
  2. Roll the tube across the paper, then secure with 3 bits of tape along the seam, in the centre and ends.
easy diy christmas crackers
  1. Step 4
  2. Thread a cracker snap through the toilet roll and tape it down to one side of the paper.
easy diy Christmas  Crackers

  1. Step 5
  2. Cut two 20x5cm strips from the thin card. Curl each one into a circle and place one inside each end of the cracker, leaving roughly 2cm sticking out of the end. Hold the card in place with a little sticky tape.
easy diy Christmas  Crackers

  1. Step 6
  2. At one end of the cracker, squeeze the crepe paper around the gap between the toilet roll and the card. Gently squeeze and twist a little with your thumb and forefinger, while using your other hand to hold the card in shape. Keep squeezing until the cracker has a nicely defined neck to it. 
easy diy Christmas  Crackers

  1. Step 7
  2. Tie a piece of string or ribbon around the neck of the cracker. Cut off any straggly bits or make a bow.
easy diy Christmas  Crackers
  1. Step 8
  2. Insert your Christmas hat, joke and gift in the open end of the cracker.  Seal the open end as before.
Easy DIY Christmas Crackers

Easy DIY Christmas Crackers

Easy DIY Christmas Crackers
  1. Step 9
  2. Cut off the excess crepe paper from the ends and ta-da! You have just made your own homemade Christmas crackers!
Easy DIY Christmas Crackers

Easy DIY Christmas Crackers

Easy DIY Christmas Crackers

 I am so pleased with how simple and easy these crackers are to make yet they look really effective and are a great to make crackers personal to your guests on Christmas Day!



Will you be trying this DIY out for Christmas and what else are you planning to make home made?

For a step by step video on these crackers, check out the Youtube video below!




Monday 28 October 2019

Bringing in Autumn with the Bumble Biggie in The New Forest *Ad Gifted

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. The leaves are turning, there's a chill in the air and it's still a great time to go camping. So when Bumble Campers asked me if I'd like to try out their "Bumble Biggie" I jumped at the chance.

Bumble Biggie

I've worked with Bumble Campers on a gifting basis twice before, using their traditional Bumble Bus 2 sleepers to travel to The Peak District and to The Lake District for a wedding. Both trips were brilliant so I was keen to road test the Bumble Biggie and see how it compared.

Bumble Campers Bumble Biggie

It's safe to say this camper is more than comfortable for two people, having a large living area inside equipped with kitchen, area, sink, cupboard storage, shelving and a seating area converting into a full size double bed. You can also stand up fully in this van which is great for moving around and the built in lights are perfect for the darker autumn evenings.





So with the perfect place to call home for the weekend, we set off to The New Forest in search of autumn colours, wild ponies and tasty food.


I got the inspiration to visit The New Forest from travel blogger Jess who had said how beautiful it was and that she'd plan to go back again in autumn sometime. I'm so glad I took her up on her recommendation as the forest did not disappoint when it came to beautiful burnt oranges, red and yellows of the falling leaves and wild mushrooms growing everywhere.



There was also talk of wild ponies being about. Before travelling down I did wonder if we'd be lucky enough to see any roaming about but it turns out there are lots of them and they're dotted around all over. We came across plenty on our walks through the forest as well as driving to our destinations.



She's A Gentry, the New Forest




You're advised not to feed or go near the ponies but as you can see some of them are rather friendly and inquisitive!


Whilst in the New Forest we visited a lovely village known as Burley. This picturesque village in set in the heart of the new forest with ponies and cattle grazing and roaming freely and its stooped in history also, having a pub dating back to the 16th century which was used by smugglers and highwaymen. It's also where the famous white witch Sybil Leek lived and there's even a gift shop called "Coven of Witches". It's the perfect place to visit around Halloween. Whilst we were there they had lots of Halloween themed stalls, fancy dress competitions and more which definitely helped to get you in the Halloween mood.



We also ventured to another place on Jess' recommendation known as The Pig. This beautiful hotel and restaurant is tucked away in Brokenhurst and is the perfect place to relax, unwind and have impeccable food.

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

 The dining of The Pig is known as the "Conservatory Restaurant" full of beautiful rustic charm with herbs and plants growing throughout. All of the food is locally sourced, making the menu contemporary and ever changing with whats in season in the area. The Pig has it's own kitchen garden and greenhouse which make up the produce for the days menu and the food is just divine.

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

They also have a commitment to source their produce from within a 25 mile radius of the restaurant, meaning they support local suppliers and the ingredients are always what is in season at that time.

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

The Pig Hotel, New Forest

The food tasted absolutely gorgeous and incredibly fresh and it was well worth a visit.

She's A Gentry

We had a little wander around the grounds after lunch and I couldn't help but have a little look in the greenhouse! I'd definitely like to visit The Pig again and perhaps even stay. They have spa treatments, accommodation and lovely walks which would make for another lovely weekend away!


So that was our trip to The New Forest! I'm definitely going to hire the Bumble Biggie in future. It's my favourite camper van from Bumble Campers to date and made our camping trip comfortable and cosy for autumn getaway/ The New Forest was also a great place to visit and definitely got us in the autumn mood. I definitely want to return and explore more of the area as it's so lovely and I'd highly recommend it for this time of year!

Have you tried the Bumble Biggie or been to the New Forest?


* I was kindly gifted the use of Bumble Camper's Bumble Biggie for the weekend in exchange for social media coverage. 
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