Christmas Gift Guide for Parents 2020

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2020 has been a tough year for us parents. We’ve survived home schooling, juggling childcare whilst working from home, and 2 periods of full lockdown and its getting to that point of the year, where quite frankly, we need a bit of a break!

My Christmas Gift Guide for parents 2020 is focused around some of the key themes of 2020, Self Care, Pampering, Exercise, Home Life and Treats.

For the one who’s embracing their daily exercise:

Whether they’ve taken up couch to 5k during lockdown, took part in a number of virtual running challenges or simply found a way to get out for their daily walk, exercise has become a big part of many people’s routines during 2020, largely as a reason to get out of the house, away from your desk and the kids and have some much needed time to yourself. For many, it’s also been a great excuse to try and get fitter and healthier.

When running in winter it’s all about wearing the right gear! If you’re buying for someone who’s embraced their inner runner, then why not treat them to some new running outfits or accessories?

These thick sports leggings from Love Leggings are completely non see through (even with the Joey Tribiannni standard of squarts), and have a handy easy access pocket for storing key / accessories in the move. They have a high waistband, are made from breathable fabric and are created with comfort in mind. This gorgeous Mulberry Plum shade is also a great way to add some colour to your winter running wardrobe. Available in regular tall and petite in sizes 6 – 28 – these leggings suit all shapes and size with a flattering V shaped waistband.

Tog 24 also have a some great running gear for men and women. The Newland Women’s Tech Vest pictured below in a gorgeous Sangria colour is ideal for working out at the gym, yoga or running.

With anti chafe seams, a small breathable vent at the nape of the neck and a super soft lightweight fabric that not only looks great on but is super comfortable too, keeping you cool and dry whilst you exercise.

You can check out all the running and exercise gear at Tog 24 here.

For the book lover..

If you’re a parent with young children or babies at home it can be exhausting having to make different meals for yourself and your kids – wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could find some meals that the whole family can enjoy without having to spend hours chained to your kitchen?

What Mummy Makes has you covered! If you haven’t heard of Rebecca Wilson, she runs her own hugely popular instagram account at @whatmummymakes where she regularly shares quick, easy recipies to help make the weaning stage exciting and delicious.

This new book What Mummy Makes has 130 recipes which can easily be adapted for different ages and dietary requirements, meaning you can introduce solid food to your baby with meals that can feed the rest of your family at the same time!

From breakfast, lunch and dinner to Freezer stash, food for fussy eaters and snacks and puddings, LOADS of inspiration to help make weaning stress free and fun. What Mummy Makes is available at Amazon now (hardcover) for £8.

During lockdown we’ve definitely eaten out less and had far less takeaways than usual; partly because they were less accessible (in the March lockdown at least) and secondly because money has been a little tight. We’ve attempted before to recreate some of our favourite Chinese and Indian takeaways at home and failed miserably, but maybe this is what we have been lacking.

Fakeaway Chris Bavin features 120 recipes including low-calorie curries, stir-fries, pasta dishes, pizzas, and the classic fish and chips as well as a variety of options for vegan, vegetarian, dairy and gluten-free too!

With ingredient swaps and savvy shopping ideas Fakeaway is a great help if you’re looking to make delicious family meals from scratch on a budget.

If home cooking is your thing and you like a bit of spice in your meals, then the New edition of CURRY will be right up your street, containing 10 new recipes from chef Vivek singh Curated by top chefs and experts from around the world. .

Each recipe comes with an indication of spice rating, organised by key ingredients 200+ recipes Asian, Caribbean, African and South American. We may be missing Birmingham’s Curry Mile at the moment but with Curry by Vivek Singh we can create some of our favourite dishes from home!

For pet lovers, What’s My Dog Thinking is a great gift idea. Drawing on the latest research in dog psychology, this book reveals the secret meanings behind more than 80 canine behaviours, including the seven types of dog greeting and why some dogs eat your underwear!

Packed with dog watching tips and positive reinforcement training advice, this book will help you keep your dog happy, stimulated – and adorable!

For the well earned tipple….

After the rollercoaster of 2020, we all deserve a good tipple this Christmas.

How amazing are these bottles of Mermaid Gin and Mermaid vodka?

From the Isle of Wight’s only distillery, Mermaid Gin was created by long-time friends Xavier Baker (a brewer) and Conrad Gauntlett (a winemaker). A smooth yet complex blend, Mermaid Gin features fresh of organic lemon zest, the peppery notes in grains of paradise and a hint of sea air from fragrant rock samphire (foraged from the Isle of Wight’s cliffs – and known locally as “Mermaid’s Kiss”, hence the gin’s name). It also uses Boadicea Hops grown in Ventnor’s botanical garden.

The gin is presented in a highly tactile bottle with sculpted scales that reflect and refract light. The similarly presented Mermaid Vokda is infused with island sea salt for a uniquely smooth finish and flavour!

Mermaid Gin and Vodka is available at Tesco and Waitrose now.

For the one who deserves a pamper…

If your man is starting to look at little bit like Tom Hanks in Castaway, why not treat him to the brand new premium Shave Collection gift set from Bull Dog. The set contains an Original Bamboo Razor, Original Moisturiser (100ml), Original Face Scrub (125ml), Original Bamboo Shave Bowl (100ml) and Bull Dog Original Shave Brush, all of which comes in a bespoke drawstring cotton bag. It makes a great change from socks for sure and is far more practical!

The Bull Dog Shave Collection Set retails at £40 and is available to buy at the Bulldog Skincare shop or at Boots.com.

With the amount of handgel we are all using this year, it can leave our hands feeling red, sore and sensitive.

SEAMS makes a great practical and thoughtful gift this Christmas. A hand cream that absorbs instantly, is non-greasy and has a light, calming unisex scent to help hands feel soft, supple and smooth, fast. SEAMS is made with natural ingredients and a Biomimetic Lipid Complex to help lock in moisture and was originally created for backstage make-up artists and seamstresses to help mend and moisturise their dry, hardworking hands without leaving a greasy residue!

For best results, massage into hands & nails throughout the day and at night before you go to sleep. SEAMS handcream is available to buy at seamsbeauty.co.uk

We may not be leaving the house very much at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep ourselves smelling on point! With top notes of rhubarb, almond and magnolia, Amelia from Ted Baker fragrances is an absolutely gorgeous scent to gift at Christmas and retails at just £24 for 50ml. This limited edition fragrance is exclusive to Superdrug and comes in a gorgeous navy gift box.

Perfume Direct also have some great perfume and aftershave deals on the run up to Christmas. If like me you’re a fan of Scandal, something like the Jean Paul Gautier gift set is ideal, with a 50ml perfume and body lotion included in this pretty epic reuseable tin. For men, we love the Tom Ford Black Orchid which is available in 30, 50 and 100ml bottles. You can check out all the deals at Perfume Direct here.

For the home…

Perfect for the whole family, this personalised Christmas candle from Kindred Fires would make a great gift this season. The really pretty festive candle made from scented natural wax burns for up to 40 hours and features an intricate penguin illustration with ‘Christmas with the ___ family’ displayed in a soft handwritten inspired font. (please note ive edited ours out in the pic but you get the idea!)

You can personalise the sign post with up to 6 individual names and a matching number of penguins feature within the scene to represent each family member! With the engraved message letting the candle light ‘glow through’, this scented candle is a thoughtful gift for friends and family.

The candle pictured below retails at £24.

For a festive touch that can be enjoyed all year round, these Christmas Supersize Copper Gem Rustica Terrariums from the Urban Botanist make a really unique centrepiece and accessory for your home. I love this Gem shaped terrarium which creates a stunning festive scene with pine cones and branches and optional fairy lights.

This winter Urban Botanist are also offering a new added option where they will send three plants and natural reindeer moss for your terrarium in January, so that even once the Christmas decorations are packed away, you can make use of your terrarium all year round!

You can check out the full range of Christmas Eco systems and Terrariums here.

After working from home since March; many of us are getting slightly bored of looking at the same four walls. Why not gift something to brighten up someones home this Christmas? Yorkshire Fabric Shop have a HUGE range of fabrics to choose from so you can complement your existing living space whilst adding a splash of colour, texture or pattern into your home. With a variety of cushion sizes including small, medium, large and rectangle size, you can really overhaul your space for a modest investment.

You can check out the wide range of fabrics on offer here. Yorkshire Fabric Shop are still processing orders as normal.

For a luxurious treat to share

For the ideal treat for parents to share (once the kids of gone to bed or even hiding in the pantry) these NEW Truffles de Luxe from Lindt are a must have treat for 2020.

This impressive collection of delicious Lindt truffles is available in sets with or without alcohol. The alcohol box includes marc de champagne, bourbon vanilla, almond, dark and dark caramel whilst the non alcohol box includes dark, vanilla, almond nougat, salted caramel and raspberry.

The Lindt Truffles Deluxe are available exclusively in regional LINDT Chocolate shops and online and retail at £22.

Looking to the future

If 2020 has proven anything – its that traditional diaries and planners don’t always go quite according to plan, and that buying a planner with pre printed dates, days and years might not always be the best approach to planning some positive things to look forward to! (We could all do with a positive 2021 after this year that’s for sure!)

The Positive Planner Bullet Diary makes a really lovely gift this Christmas. This 12-month undated diary is the ideal place to organise your day-to-day life and appointments, events and commitments. It’s a great diary to use in conjunction with either The Positive Planner or The Positive Wellness Journal to help support a true self-care and wellbeing mindset. With plenty of space for bullet journal style doodles and creativity, bringing your bullet diary to life is also a great way to reduce stress and anxiety!

Thew Positive Planner Bullet Diary retails at £20 and is available here.

Whatever you decide to gift this Christmas the one thing we all deserve is to spend some time not thinking about COVID. Whether we are still restricted to our own household, or get to mix with one of two others; lets turn off the breaking news; enjoy each others company and hope that 2021 has a bit more positivity in store!

Have a good one!

Lucy x