Every year I say it but why break tradition! Yes, it is that time of year again where all my thoughts are consumed of Christmas! Family meals, juicy turkey, mince pies and of course presents!

Presents, presents, presents! I love giving people presents but more often than not I have no idea what to get them. Usually I plan to go shopping with my loved ones a few months in advance of having to find gifts, I listen intently and take note of everything they say they would like and what they don’t buy so in the end it makes it that little more special too. I try not to ask what people would like but in the end if there has been no inspiring light bulb then this is the only way forward for me!

I hate getting presents for the sake of presents. I would much rather spend my money on something that will be treasured or used to capacity! I hate consumerism and cards and wrapping are another topic entirely for me where I get worked up about the waste! So instead of trying to give you my own guide on what to buy your loved ones and where from, this year I have decided to give you a guide on gift guides! Where to look for inspiration and what I discovered on the way! I won’t keep you long as I’m sure there are preparations to be done, and please feel free to add your own suggestions and places to go to find your own light bulb moments!

There are only 32 working days until Christmas! And this year I can honestly say I am prepared…well, to my standards! And here is my little run down of where I went for inspiration! As you know, I am a bit of a creative crafter at heart so the places I visit may be very different to where you like to look, if that is the case, then please add your links in the comments box below.

Notonthehighstreet.com is one of my favourite places to browse online; it is unique, warm, welcoming and offers hand crafted opulence. Every seasonal event they produce a beautiful print and digital catalogue showcasing many of their sellers who have poured their hearts into something that you definitely wouldn’t find on the high street! This year their Christmas catalogue is oozing with ideas for family and friends and categorised into different personalities; from food lovers to eco warriors, helping you to choose the perfect selection of gifts.

The Shop Floor Project is another of my favourite haunts, it essentially showcases artists. From jewellery to tea towels, each item is unique and if you are looking for something incredibly wacky for the art loving friend then this is the place to visit.

Blogs are an excellent place to find inspiration, there must be a, if not 1000’s of blogs for each subject matter, so when searching for my Christmas shopping list I came across, From Britain With Love, which is a glorious blog written by Nicky Sherwood. She trawls the nation to find the best of British, a girl after my own heart! And she has published several posts that I think offer great inspiration on what to buy as presents.

The other places I like to visit before the gift buying begins are the department stores that publish a Christmas gift guide, making it easier for you to decide what to buy and where to buy it from, it also lets you calculate where will be the cheapest place to purchase from.

If you have friends that love their home and anything to do with making a home, there are plenty of places to get inspired when it comes to creating gifts that will be treasured in the home. Living etc magazine has just launched their new blog LifeStyleEtc so you can get similar chic ideas and inspiration that is featured in their magazine.

So that is where you will find me, where do you go and how far have you got with your Christmas shopping?

I adore the winter, layering to stay cosy and warm, soft knits and Wellington boots! This Autumn the key colour is camel but that doesn’t mean you need to obtain all your items in this shade, pastels are still very much at large and deep dark colours are still on trend to see you into the winter months.

My key pieces that are getting me prepared for the winter months are:

A beautiful trench coat, I have always wanted to own one of these. They are a classic staple and sadly it has never been a part of my wardrobe. I intend to buy a camel coloured one as I think it will be a colour to last me through many cooler seasons to come. If I go with this one from ASOS, it has the trench style but is made of wool, so will see me through winter too.

I can’t get enough of cosy knits. I just bought a beautifully knitted vintage style two tone hooded knit ready for wrapping up and going for long walks in the forest. I also have my eye on a long line cardigan that also has a vintage look about it from the ASOS Curve collection. (above right)

Emerald  green is one of my favourite colours and this ASOS Curve dress makes an ideal Autumn dress, to be worn for the office with shoe boots or going out for dinner in the evening with a lovely big coat. The ASOS Curve collection has some wonderful dresses to take you through the season.

My final picking is a formal jacket, again from ASOS Curve, and it wasn’t until this moment that I realised all my choices are from ASOS, but if I am honest, I like ASOS – it delivers the styles I am looking for at the moment and all their clothes are displayed on real people rather than mannequins or just photographed, which I find to make my shopping experience a lot easier, I can see the different body shapes used which helps me decide how it will look.

Here’s the jacket. Tell me what you think, what will you buying for your new season wardrobe?

Matte is so last year when it comes to make-up. Right now it’s all about experimenting with high-shine hues. The great thing about going for gleam is that it’s instantly anti-ageing. While dull powder shadows on eyes and cheeks can emphasise fine lines and under-eye bags, high-shine textures catch the light, taking attention away from those unflattering creases.

There is a balance to be struck, though – too shiny can look downright sticky. With eyes in particular it’s best to think glassy rather than glossy. Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in 03 lends a lovely wet-look sheen to lids, achieving that all important smoky effect without looking claggy. A good alternative is Illamasqua Cream Eye Shadow in Thief which comes in a soft pewter shade. A make-up artist’s trick is to dab a little clear lipgloss in the centre of the lid once you have applied shadow to catch the light. It makes the whites of your eyes appear clearer and opens up the entire lid area.

Glosses on the lips give the illusion of a plumper pout. Take a tip from Linda Evangelista and use a lip pencil in a nude tone to outline and then fill lips in with gloss rather than lipstick. If you are wedded to your trusty lipstick, try the new formulas which lacquer lips with highly reflective color. Lancome’s Lacque Fever range is great or, if you are on a budget, go for Elf Super Glossy Lip Shine. If you fight shy of too much shine, try Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Gloss sticks. These provide an intense color stain along with the requisite flattering sheen.

Shiny nails equal healthy nails so a glossy polish will add natural glamor. Bourjois has a fabulous Ultra Shine range that comes in 11 shades. An alternative is to sweep a high-shine topcoat over your favorite polish. Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat is excellent and has the added benefit of making your manicure last longer. Keep nails short and rounded if you’re going for this look as shiny talons equal gloss overkill. For color that lasts, steal a manicurist’s trick and paint over the nail tips to create a seal. And don’t forget toenails -pretty feet are paramount, particularly during the summer months.

Lastly, get those cheeks gleaming. The key here is to strike a balance between gloss and grease. Apply a highlight only across the top of the cheek bone to reflect light up into the eye socket area. A creamy highlighter such as Benefit Moon Beam will provide instant definition but don’t forget to blend well. As for base, use one of the light-reflecting mineral foundations which are so fashionable as well as being excellent for your skin. The idea is to end up looking healthy rather than sticky. Follow the tips suggested here and you, too, can be queen of sheen.

About the Author

For more great makeup tips go to http://MakeUpTricksandTips.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Go Glossy This Summer

ASOS Curve city shorts – perfect for keeping cool whilst exploring new places, team with a fitted vest top or dressed up for an early evening meal with heels and a sparkly top. These are the kind of shorts that will serve you well on any type of holiday, and even deliver when the time comes for summer office wear, to go with pumps and a short sleeved smart shirt.

Dress your shape

Long dresses are the instant outfit, and if you are lucky enough to have a long frame, you can most certainly get away with living in these beautiful prints and patterns for the whole of your holiday. If like me long cuts will only smother your body even with heels on then go for a dress that is vintage inspired – falling above the knee for classic summer style.

Best Swimwear buys

Simply Be have a stunning range of swimwear with styles suited to different occasions. For example take their suit or try a swimdress when lazing on the beach and going from sand to surf.

I simply cannot get enough of ASOS Curve for a complete collection. Their relatively new range is inspired by those who wear it and those who demand more from it. They have listened well and I would definitely recommend going there for swimwear also. They only offer two swimsuits at the moment, both lovely but they also have a small collection of brightly coloured beachwear.

Summer accessories

Accessorize is always going to be my number one place for finding those perfect accessories to go with everything. So I admit that I may be biased straight off but I will endeavour to find a selection of places that you can visit online!

I recently bought my first ever summer hat, it is my first because I have never managed to find the exact style I am looking for in the right fit and without making me look like a boy! And yes, it was from Accessorize! I was so happy that there was no need to make any more purchases that day, I elated that the search was over! This is the famous hat!

Beads and Bangles look beautiful in the summer – my only advice would be to keep accessories to a minimal with a softer colour palette. With shades that are pastels choose delicate beads, if you are going for the bohemian look the more the merrier! Check out this selection from Evans.

Sunglasses are still big. Big but not bug big or they are retro vintage with more pastel colours and old school reflective mirror lenses. I reckon it has never been so easy to buy sunglasses as anything goes. I love the aviators.

My absolute favouritist purchase is Bags! I am fussy with them but I love to buy them! They last me years on end because I buy the ones made of quality material – soft leather satchels or small body cross bags are the ones being carried everywhere! It is no longer about the oversize statement but more of practicality and comfort, pick a brown leather classic like this one from Zara.

Enjoy your summer and tell us what you are buying for your holidays this year!

Take a look below at our Perfect for Dad gift ideas, or if you have decided what to get Dad but not sure who supplies your idea or where to get the best price then we have all that too!

A magazine subscription is a fantastic gift that lasts all year round, they can be catered to hobbies, specialist interests like fishing or gardening and general interest or men’s mags! The best place to visit for competitive prices is greatmagazines.co.uk. They offer a fantastic range covering all topics from motoring, photography and golf to walking and gardening.

It may seem like an obvious choice when I say go for all things electrical but that is what they were made for!  Check out Firebox.com for all that is made for amusement purposes, okay so some of it is a little silly but that can be fun, the site also has lots of funky gift ideas.

CD’s and DVD’s have always been a winner with everyone I know! Take a look at CDWow for fantastic offers and some of the best value prices around. There is a whole section of DVDs for under a fiver, take a look at the new releases and pre-order area for that film Dad has been raving about. CDWow even have the latest in books.

Are you are looking to get a number of gifts or has your Dad said he would like something smart for Fathers Day? Then Marks and Spencers is the place to visit for gift sets. They have an extensive amount of gift ideas for Dad this Father’s Day; if it is a shirt and tie you would like to get, M&S have gift sets already assembled to make our jobs easier! No matching of colours necessary – it is already done! They also have a whole host of stylish accessories including cuff-links, bags and briefcases. Why not give a new smell this Father’s Day, Marks and Spencer have an extensive collection of toiletries perfect for Dad.

Still not sure what to get Dad then take a look in our extensive shopping directory, it’s jam packed with retailers including entertainment, travel, clothes, health and beauty!Are you looking for a gift that really says something or maybe you want a present which is totally different from the norm, then look no further- we have collated a list of retailers with the mostest!

Why not give Dad an experience of a lifetime? Has he always wanted to learn to fly or is he a thrill seeker? Then get him in the front seat of a Ferrari for the drive of his life. If you’re looking for an activity you can do as a family, why not give paint-balling a go? All this can be achieved with Virgin Experience Days. There are many more activities to choose from to make Father’s Day special. Take a look online for the latest deals and offers and book your experience.

If you are looking for something that no other Dad will have then the best place to pay a visit is notonthehighstreet.com, and it delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Browse the gift ideas for Fathers Day which has been especially created for the forthcoming celebration to get inspiration on what to buy. I love the fact that all the gifts are separated into specific areas like gourmet and motoring enthusiasts to make the search all that easier! I adore the selection of gourmet and wine gifts; this website offers designers the opportunity to sell their ideas and independent stores a place to advertise what they have on offer from their corner of the world.

No matter where you go this May, there will be all sorts of festivities happening; take a look at some of the festivals which I think sound like fantastic days out. I have selected a few that are happening during May which will cover all tastes and interests I guarentee you! There are even some unusual festivals thrown in just in case you think yourself a worm charmer!

City Festivals

Luton International Carnival
The town centre comes alive with a burst of activity and colour during the May bank holiday. This one day only carnival hits the streets with extravagant costumes, music from around the globe, street entertainers, and mouth watering food from every corner of the world.

The carnival offers a mix of craft, fundraising and trade stalls. There will be music stages and sound systems sites at the carnival, there’ll be music to suit all tastes, so listen out for the world music; including South American, Caribbean, Asian, Irish and Afro-Jazz sounds and so much more!

Look out for the stilt walkers, jugglers and street entertainers who will be entertaining the crowds throughout the day in The Mall, St George’s Square and George Street.

To get your taste buds tingling, there will be a variety of refreshment stalls featuring finger licking Caribbean and Asian foods rubbing shoulders with more traditional meals and snacks including Jerk chicken, curries, sausages, donuts and fresh fruit.

Go along to the event and enjoy a free day out in the sunshine. If you need any further information ring 01582 87 81 00 or email carnival@lutonculture.com. Have a look at the website here.

Bath International Music Festival
This exhilarating festival runs from the 26th May – 6th June this year. The Festival takes place annually over 12 days when the weather is hopefully getting warmer, and showcases a rich range of high quality events featuring orchestral and classical, jazz giants, folk, roots and world musicians, and electronica artists. It has historical grounding and started over 60 years ago, the festival always offers a wide variety of entertainment and activities, each year it carries a different theme and project.

“2009′s programme was the biggest and boldest yet, featuring Jazz greats Branford Marsalis and Maceo Parker; classical music from BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Charles Hazlewood; South African vocal music from Sibongile Khumalo; Appalachian folk from country legend Ralph Stanley; plus our usual panoply of internationally renowned musicians.”

For more information, to book tickets and get your brochure of features for the festival visit bathmusicfest.org.uk. Tickets range in price dependent on which day and events are being held.

Countryside Festivals

Stilton Cheese Rolling in Cambridgeshire

The Stilton Cheese Rolling Festival is one of the year’s highlights in the small Cambridgeshire town of Stilton. The festival celebrates the origin place of Stilton cheese. Every May Day participants compete in rolling large rounded blocks of wood along the high street for a prize of cheese and bottles of port.

Many of the teams compete in fancy dress and although the sport has become better-behaved in recent years, you will still see a fair amount of tumbles and falls. It’s a knockout competition with quarters, semi’s and a grand final, so you’re in for a full day’s entertainment. You can watch the teams roll the cheese for the title of Stilton Cheese Rolling Champion! And this year is the 50th Anniversary of the famous festival so it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

If you fancy entering the competition, or if you would like more information on what else will be happening on May 3rd in the area, then head to the village website. There will also be stalls with local trades and food, the website also provides the history of the event.

Special Events

Chelsea Flower show
Described as the ultimate event in the gardening year, this show allows garden lovers to see the latest in gardening trends, the newest and most desirable gardening products and cutting edge garden design.

This year the event will run from the 25th – 29th of May. You will expect to find “Cutting-edge garden design and thousands of perfect blooms; top growers and world class designers; scents and sights and shopping galore. Chelsea will be crammed with leading lights, big name designers and the spectacle you’d expect at the world’s greatest gardening event.”

To find out more about this world renowned show, visit the Royal Horticultural Society website for detailed information.

The Strange and Wonderful

I thought it only right to include reference to the wonderful weirdness that I came across when searching for festivals around the UK. Here are two that I thought sounded bizarre and quite possibly the most interesting events that I have came across in a long time.

International Worm Charming Festival in Devon

The Devon area website explains the festival: “Adults and children compete to extract the greatest number of worms from their dedicated one metre square patch of grassland but they have to do it without digging up any of the turf! The annual festival was started in 1984 when two locals decided to try it as a means of banishing the winter blues. Favourite tools to bring the beasts to the surface include questionable liquid combinations of water, beer, gravy and sugar – which contestants are required to sample themselves beforehand, just to prove that it won’t do the worms any harm.”

The festival will take place on 5th May from 12 noon until 4pm, for more information on the location and the event itself visit the website or contact 01803 832207.

Spitstickers, Scorpers and Sandbags

If you love crafts and art, then this festival is for you. The festival will be staged at Nature in Art in Gloucester early May.

“It is an exhibition celebrating etching and engraving that gives the visitor the chance to discover the techniques used. From early prints to contemporary copper wheel glass engravings, black and white prints to coloured images, traditional methods to modern techniques, the show brings craftsmanship and artistry together.”

Take a look at the website for further information on opening times and the tariffs for entry. It price is very reasonable and the dates are not restricted to one weekend which means you can visit throughout the week.

To be honest there are so many festivals and events celebrating the Month of May, that I have included a resource for you to find the event most suited to you and your family or friends. Choose from a whole list of places to visit at this website.

If you’re planning on booking your summer holiday then take a look at our selection of great offers available for the summer months.

I have sourced a wide variety of holiday deals, including far away lands, countryside escapes and European fun.

FlyThomasCook and bronze yourself for between £10 – £20 less on all summer flights up to 31st May. Thomas Cook fly far and wide, fancy Faro in Portugal in May? Take a comfortable flight to any destination in Greece, Portugal or why not try something different and go to Bodrum in Turkey?

Virgin Holidays is the largest and most successful transatlantic tour operator, offering long-haul holidays to mainland USA, Canada, the Caribbean, the Far East, South Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Mauritius, New Zealand and Australia, as well as an established Ski programme. Why not demand the world and have a life changing holiday, have you always wanted to go to the Caribbean? or visit the streets of New York and shop yourself silly? Then there has been no better time to do it when the holiday companies are giving flights away! You could go to Chicago for £554!

To cut the cost, why not cut out the middle man? If you take your break away with Direct Holidays they guarantee your money and provide great value deals that you cannot find anywhere else. They have some fantastic summer deals; visit Costa Dorada at a 4 star self catering resort from £152 per person, or get your summer sun in Zante for £220. Direct Holidays provide a huge selection of holiday packages, you can choose the best combination for your requirements, they also have a new all inclusive search facility on the homepage.

I understand that not all of us will be going far from home this summer (I being one of them) but do not despair, I have been searching the net to find countryside escapes and cheap deals this summer.

Hotel Shop UK are specialists in last minute short breaks in the UK. Have a spring break away as a couple; 4 star bed and breakfast with free upgrade, dinner, complementary wine and little extras is only £260 per room! Every week there will be new offers and deals to be had, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get away this summer, even if it is in your own country – whats wrong with that!

Warner Leisure Hotels offer that special experience for a well deserved indulgence just for adults. Click on the link to view their short breaks at stunning locations across the UK and Wales. They are currently running some fantastic offers; the May bank holiday breaks start at just £119 per person and include breakfast and dinner, leisure facilities plus a swimming pool at every location, the late lounge and usually specially organised entertainment.

Don’t forget about your travel insurance this summer; Essential Travel is a leading UK Travel Extras provider, they not only offer tailor made insurance packages but help make the best start to your holiday by providing airport parking and airport hotels.

Whether it’s adventure, something totally away from the norm, a luxury holiday or keeping the kids happy this Easter, I have all the answers for what you are looking for.

And if I don’t, join in the conversation and tell all of us what you have planned!

For something completely different this Easter, why not go along to a park, and make a sculpture or learn pottery with your child, or even sewing! Activities are extensively listed in this article from the Guardian and are family orientated, paying special attention to kids learning.

Take a look online and search for activities that are taking place near you; look out for woods, parks and local walking areas for things to attend. Have a look at these sites to find local information:

Trip Advisor – For holidays, weekends away and places to go for the day. This site will advise you on the best places to visit suited to your needs, there is even a forum to find out what others recommend and interactive games to play.

The Good Food Guide – for all you need to know about the best restaurants in your area, including non bias reviews.

For specific information about what is going on in your area, take a look at your local council website for the best places to visit. Most councils provide a site dedicated to the county and its best features!

If you’re planning to escape this Easter, be it with the family, on your own or just the two of you, have a look at these holiday sites that have packages catered to every detailed need.

Kuoni specialise in destinations in far away lands, on beautiful beaches, in exotic landscapes and at award winning standards. They have over 100 years experience and pride themselves in being the UK’s best tour operator. If you are not planning a long break away on luscious sands then they also offer a selection of city breaks, perfect for Easter’s long weekend. Choose from any destination in the world for your holiday, they have it all. I must warn you now though, these prices are not for the faint hearted, why not make the excuse ‘it’s a special treat’ and it will be, with the amazing hotels and locations!

Warner Leisure Hotels offer that special experience for a well deserved indulgence just for adults. Click on the link to view their short breaks at stunning locations across the UK and Wales. They are currently running some fantastic Easter offers; three night breaks start at £158 and include breakfast and dinner, leisure facilities, the late lounge and usually specially organised entertainment.

For family holidays and great value packages, Direct Holidays are the UK’s leading direct selling package holiday tour operator. They provide you with their own holidays so as to cut out the travel agent and pass that saving onto you. With two weeks off school, it is a lovely time of year to take the family away. Why not have a Greek escape or have a look at their late deals to find a great offer.

Activities for the kids
The Internet has so much good stuff for all ages that I couldn’t resist looking for kids’ activities for the Easter holiday. I found some fantastic websites; take a look at these;

Kaboose has a huge selection of craft ideas, including pintables for the kids to enjoy colouring in or solving while you make the lunch. This is a family orientated website and also offers recipes specific for Easter and egg decorating tips for adults and for kids!

Raising kids is another website full to the brim with inspiration on how to entertain the children this Easter, including helpful suggestions from members of the site on what they do when it’s raining outside and you’re driving one another mad!

Activity Village is an area for, well…just as the title indicates! There is a whole variety of craft and activity ideas, these appear in the form of recommended websites to specific tasks; like making chicks and rabbits, decorating eggs and creating lovely Easter cards for the family.

Are you looking for inspiration on what to buy your friends and family for Easter? Fancy doing something different in the way of gifts? Have a look below for hamper madness, sweet treats, a Sunday roast menu and gifts galore!!

I have chosen a wide range of gift ideas and our recipe book has just been updated with some tasty Easter baking treats and Sunday Lunch ideas. If you can’t find what you are looking for, we have an extensive shopping directory. Let us know what shops you like to visit and give us a link below with your own comments and recommendations.

First for hampers: The number one hamper site offers gift hampers and specially designed Easter hampers that are ideal for friends and family, you can even make your own; catering exactly to who you send the hamper to. They are all beautifully wrapped in a great big Easter Basket!

Cadbury Gifts Direct is a fantastic way to treat your family, Cadbury have four gift sets for Easter; the Super Egg Pack is £18, this includes five large eggs, lots of mini treats and an Easter egg trail pack, it is huge and fantastic for the whole family!

For gifts for the whole family that aren’t made of chocolate, have a look at John Lewis, they have a wonderful selection of gift ideas for all ages, including the cutest and softest rabbit cuddly toy for the little ones, I particularly like the V&A collection for those that are green fingered, or have a look at their new range of brightly coloured mugs and special tea time pottery perfect for spring.

If you fancy doing lots of baking or are holding a traditional Easter Sunday Lunch, have a look in our recipe book for a range of meals and baking treats to make your day easier. I have found a recipe for a lovely roast lunch of braised lamb. If you enjoy baking, then a cost effective and caring way to save cash is to give goodies as gifts. Take a look at the recipes in our recipe book for inspiration and yummy treats.

Present your home made luxuries in a traditional basket filled with colourful shredded paper and wrapped in ribbons for a fantastic finish. Try the hot cross bun muffins or chocolate fudge Easter cup cakes that will fit perfectly into a basket to take to your family and friends…how quaint! And think how yummy your kitchen will smell! If you’re feeling really ambitious try making your own Easter eggs, that will definitely impress your family and you can make them as healthy or as naughty as you like with your own input into the recipes.

If you’re going to struggle to get to the shops for Mothers Day this year, PLEASE don’t go to the petrol station at the last minute to retrieve whatever is left of the flowers. They won’t last as long and they look pretty awful! I have a whole host of online shops to offer beautiful bouquets and reasonable delivery, and an array of traditional gift ideas too.

Flowers Direct has a range of bouquets specially designed for Mothers Day starting at £25, they are presented in wrapping suited to the style of flowers, and if you do leave it till the day before, they will still get the flowers to your mums door!

Serenata Flowers have some small priced deals on currently, with Mothers Day arrangements starting at £19.99.

Interflora can deliver flowers on the same day of purchase if ordered by 2pm, there is literally no excuse anymore!! They work internationally to provide the best service possible with their huge selection of flowers. They even have a section starting at £19.99.

Jewellery is a present loved by all, especially women! Pia Jewellery has just launched their spring collection of silver and brightly coloured gems. The website is full of unique jewellery ranging in type and price, but don’t be overwhelmed, you can filter your selection into categories and then pick your mum’s favourite colour from the list. Simple!

Jewellery Love is a dedicated store offering the latest fashion accessories and costume jewellery, they have a whole host of ideas from funky and fun to floral jewellery. They even have a gifts area for mums and set categories to make it easy to find the items that are loved by your mum. If your mum wears chunky take a look at their boho selection of costume jewellery. It’s cool and won’t cost you an arm!

Is your mum a chocolate lover? Check out Chocolate Buttons or Chocolate Trading Co for sweet treats. Chocolate Trading Co specialise in chocolate from around the world with 15 specialist chocolatiers, they do world wide delivery on all their products, from gourmet to special gifts.Yum!

Chocolate Buttons is full of fantastic sweet treats; they are the largest online provider of sweets. I love this site; it has gourmet sweets, old fashioned treats and sugar free! They also specialise is various dietary requirements, including gluten free, Halal and vegetarian. With such a vast amount, you can’t go wrong! Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the choice – you can do pick ’n’ mix too!

Alternative Gift Ideas for Mothers Day

I understand that some mums may have all they want and thinking of a gift that is different and will surprise them is difficult. So I have had a look in the shops and on-line for alternative gift ideas.

The National Trust offer the perfect gift for those mums that like history and heritage. The gift package includes:
Free entry and parking at over 300 historic houses and gardens and free parking at their countryside and coastline locations. The Members’ Handbook – with full details of all the places they can visit. Newsletters packed with details of special events at locations nearby. Three editions of the beautifully illustrated magazine exclusively for members only.

At only £34.50 for a year’s membership, it’s a wonderful idea to celebrate your mother. It even comes gift wrapped ready for you to give or they will deliver it directly to your mum with a personalised gift tag.

The Royal Horticultural Society offers a superb amount of inspirational gift ideas for those that love horticulture. You could go that extra mile this Mothers Day and treat your mum to a years membership for only £49. This includes a whole year of free garden visits, personal gardening advice, a monthly magazine, and discounted tickets to the world famous RHS flower shows. Or give the gift of beautiful flowers at any one of the four RHS flower shows that happen around the country, the perfect present for flower and innovative design lovers.

I Care gifts are a wonderful way to help those in need; giving a gift that gives a gift!  Choose from 18 gift types to help poor communities to overcome the problems they face every day. A pair of goats is not just a novel present – for a poor family a goat provides milk for hungry children and manure to help grow crops. Care International is one of the world’s top aid agencies, fighting poverty and injustice in nearly 70 countries around the world, helping over 65 million people each year to find ways out of poverty. The gifts range in prices, once decided upon, a beautiful gift pack will be sent to your loved one showing how much you care for them and those that need help. Many charities have similar ways to make changes to our world, you could give the gift of life to the charity your mother is most in touch with or feels greatly towards.

Does your mum have a creative spirit and enjoys the arts? How about a gift membership to The British Museum? A single membership is only £45 and if you want to add an extra member card, it is only £15. You are not only supporting the museum but the gift also offers free entry into all exhibitions, three issues of the British Museum Magazine, plus four Members’ Open Evenings where the Museum can be explored after hours. The British Museum is not the only museum to look out for, for membership opportunities, the Victoria and Albert is another fantastic place to explore, they have a wide variety of membership deals.

When it comes to looking for something a little different don’t limit yourself to wrapping paper, a gift should represent the person receiving it. Good luck!

Something Special for Mum

It’s hard to buy something for someone that has everything, have a think what their interests are, does she enjoy cooking? Or travel? Tailor your gift around these questions, here are some gifts that are ideal.

Have a look at Great Magazines; they have every type of magazine for all interests and hobbies. I think a magazine subscription is the perfect present; it is an ongoing gift throughout the whole year. They have over fifty-five titles to choose from to suit all tastes, and if you’re not sure what to get, they even have a tool to help you choose!

Along the same lines as this is Love Film, ideal for those that love movies. Buy a subscription and you can have as many movies as choose to watch each month; they deliver and provide a pre paid package to send it back too! There are 3 main types of subscriptions, ‘unlimited’ or ‘light’ depending on how many movies you want to watch, starting at £3.99 per month. And a Pay As You Go option.
Virgin Experiences offers a site full of all the inspiration you need for Mothers Day, if you want that extra special something to show your mum you care take a look online. They have a wide selection of ideas, from gourmet gifts, afternoon tea and short breaks to something a little more adventurous including pleasure flights in a hot air balloon and sports car driving experiences. If you want to make it special but have a smaller budget, Virgin also has special offers on Mother’s Day Gifts starting at £19.50.

Take a look at Feel Unique for all the brands loved by women. They offer an extensive selection of beauty products including cosmetics, hair care and perfume. So find out what’s on your mum’s shelves to see what she loves and order all brands and product types under one roof.

Go ahead, celebrate Mothers Day in style, let 100% People know what gift ideas you have for this year, we all want to know your secret!