Gadget Gifts, Gift Reviews, Teenage Gifts
Cat Rugged Cover for iPhone 5
If you are shopping for the man in your life this Valentine’s day this Cat rugged cover for the iPhone 5 would be the perfect gift.
My husband has just moved on from his first phone which was over 10 years old and the face was in bits! He now has an iPhone 5. I have chosen this phone cover for him as it looks and is pretty tough!
‘The new Cat protective phone case is ideal for anyone who loves sport, as it protects your phone from dropping, knocking & scrapes:
Made tough: Made exclusively from SAIF, an active material with unique shock and impact absorption properties.
Drop proof: The case protects your phone from drops of up to 1.8m, preventing the dreaded cracked screen.
Rugged yet stylish: Despite the tough reputation the accessories are surprisingly light weight with a slender, stylish design.’
(Cat press release)
There are times I have given my 4 year old son my iPhone 5 to play a game because I have been very busy, under pressure, or even trying to talk on the landline. I have cringed inside – is it really worth the risk – 10 minutes peace in exchange for a cracked or broken phone? However, we still do it – millions of mums with iPhones have apps and games specifically for toddlers and young children, and millions of mums have a lovely phone with a not so lovely cracked face.
This Cat phone cover seems to be the answer to lot of these common problems, offering protection against the everyday strains a working man’s phone can suffer from and also from his kids!
Available from Kondor in the UK; UK online retailers including: amazon.co.uk; mobilefun.co.uk; O2.co.uk; phones.4.co.uk and totallygadgets.co.uk.
RRP £24.99
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Swanky Maison Personalised Prints for Valentine’s Day.
I added Swanky Maison to my ‘favourites’ as soon as I had a browse around and I found I couldn’t tear myself away. I was delighted with page after page of unusual and personal home-ware items. Swanky Maison is the perfect site for all types of gift shopping from Valentine’s Day gifts to New Home and even new Baby.
I have always wanted a personalised print capturing the essence of my family and now I have it! Thank you Swanky Maison. This Valentine’s day I will be presenting my hubby with a beautifully framed print he will absolutely love.
The centre of the print has a picture of my family on our last holiday. This is one of my favourite pictures and it is just great to have it as the centre of the print. Around the image are words and phrases, some I selected and others selected by the Swanky Maison expert designer. Words such as forever, love, joy and fun are brought together with familiar dates and phrases with special meaning – family holidays, walking in the forest, cycling, our wedding date and the names of our three children. I have our little doggie featured as well – something I am sure will amuse my hubby – he is not really a dog fan!
I would urge every family to order a personalised print from Swanky Maison. It is so special and when times are ‘less than perfect’ our family life and the good times are on the wall to remind us of how ‘fabulous’ our life really is.
As for the overall design of the print and the frame, several different background shades are available and I selected a natural colour. The print is framed in a white wooden frame and I have to say it is perfectly framed. I am delighted with this and it rates in the ‘top 5’ of all the items ever reviewed on Pampered Presents EVER!
http://www.swankymaison.com/gifts/valentines/personalised-print-for-a-partner.html
RRP (A bargain giveaway price!) from £29.50
Visit www.swankymaison.com for a whole range of swanky home and garden gift ideas. Various other personalised prints are available like the image below:
The cushions are well worth a look and I am saving for a few garden accessories I simply must have as well!
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Hungryhouse for Valentine’s day
Did you know you are more likely to ‘get lucky’ this Valentine’s day if you don’t have to leave the sofa? !! (Hungryhouse)
Hungryhouse offer a solution to the problem of wanting a tasty meal delivered to your door without having to look through lots of menus from takeaways.
‘Hungryhouse is the UK`s premier online platform for takeaway and food delivery. With more than 10,000 restaurants on our platform, ordering food delivery from your local takeaway has never been easier. From Birmingham to Glasgow, London to Manchester, Hungryhouse has partnered with the finest takeaway restaurants from across Britain so you can find and order a delicious takeaway in minutes’ (Hungryhouse)
I love the Hungryhouse app. We can order our favourite takeaway in seconds with no looking for numbers and calling individual restaurants. The app allows for instant access to a brilliant choice of restaurants, easily found when you submit a postcode and search.
With new restaurants added daily, the choice is vast and they have all tastes covered. Choose from Asian, Chinese, Indian, Pizza etc. Hungryhouse have it all at the touch of a button.
Payments are online so no looking for cash to give a delivery man when he comes to the door!
Vouchers are available from £5 to £75. The perfect gift for a quite Valentine’s night in together.
For further information visit www.hungryhouse.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Guylian Chocolates for Valentine’s day
If you are thinking of purchasing chocolates for Valentine’s day this year you are probably thinking of taste, familiarity and choosing something well packaged and nicely presented. The last thing on your mind would be conserving sealife? Yes, thought so.
This was news to me too, but when you buy a box of Guylian Belgian Chocolate Sea shells, you will have all the qualities you are looking for. However, you will be helping save seahorses and the seas. (RRP £10 for 375g box)
‘Project Seahorse is dedicated to preserving seahorses and other marine life throughout the world. Guylian provides vital long term support for this crucial work and has been a major partner since 1999. Seahorses function as flagship species for a wide range of marine conservation projects. These magical but fragile creatures are a good indicator of healthy coastal ecosystems, meaning that saving the seahorses = saving the seas! See more atwww.projectseahorse.org.’ (Guylian)
Another favourite of mine would have to be the hazelnut praline hearts. Presented in a heart shaped box, these will definitely be well received on Valentine’s day. I adore praline and these are delicious. A combination of mouth-watering chocolate and crunchy hazelnut praline, these are the perfect combination of taste and romance.
Available from all major supermarkets. RRP £3.99 125g box or £1.49 for 50g box.
Guylian produce excellent quality chocolates in Belgium and import these all over the world. They have been in the chocolate business since 1960 and still use traditional recipes from those times. When you choose Guylian you won’t be disappointed.
To keep up to date with Guylian news, competitions and offers on a daily basis see http://www.facebook.com/GuylianChocolates?ref=ts
Visit www.guylian.be for further information.
Gift Reviews, Health and Beauty
Bronnley for Valentine’s Day.
When I think of Valentine’s Day I immediately think of Bronnley, they have some of the nicest fragrance’d toiletries ever. Only the finest natural ingredients and essential oils are used to create luxury items you will love to give and receive.
Bronnley products make great presents as they are brilliant value and they look a lot more expensive than they really are! In particular, I can recommend the Pink Bouquet range – perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Whether you opt for a body wash or bar of soap, Bronnley have it covered with these two fantastic cleansing products.
Pink Bouquet – Triple Milled Soap
Bronnley’s soaps are tripple milled and last much longer than your average soap. The Pink Bouquet soaps are beautifully presented and perfect to give as a gift.
Containing gentle cleansers, this soap will not dry the skin nor cause irritation. Skin is cleansed with sweet almond oil, shea butter and geranium oil therefore no moisture will be lost and skin is left super soft. The familiar Pink Bouquet fragrance lingers on the skin and lasts and lasts. Gorgeous!Can be purchased individually or as a boxed set of three RRP £10.25
Pink Bouquet – Cleansing Body Wash 250ml
A perfect companion to the soap, Bronnley have produced co-ordinating Cleansing Body Wash. This contains sweet almond protein and witch hazel, both cleaning and softening the skin.
I love to see ‘Free from Parabens and SLS’ on skincare products. This indicates that the company have thought of what is good for the skin and have taken steps to eliminate what is not recommended from their products. Well done Bronnley!
RRP £9.95
Pink Bouquet – Moisturising Body Lotion 250ml
This fabulous body lotion can be used as part of your daily beauty regime. With the added benefits of sweet almond oil, shea butter this will leave your skin super soft and beautiful. Rose petal extract contributes to the delicate scent, making this one of my favourite lotions.
RRP £9.95
Pink Bouquet – Dusting Powder 75g
Perfect to follow the body lotion, this silky dusting powder screams luxury. The packaging is gorgeous – I love the look these products add to my ‘other wise boring’ dressing table.
This talc does not dry the skin, but adds a silky yet matte feel, with the scent of rose, carnation, orchid, violet and lily accompanied with the muskiness of amber and sandle-wood. A firm favourite!
RRP £8.95
For further information visit www.bronnley.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
La Signorina Chocolates
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching with a reflective rise in the sales of both flowers and chocolates. However, if you are looking for something which stands out from the crowd, have a look at La Signorina Chocolates.
Founded by Maria-lola, a chocolatier and successful business woman, these are sure to impress. The chocolates can be bought for individual occasions and also for large functions such as weddings and birthday parties. The choice is pretty unusual, have you ever held a life size chocolate shoe in your hand? Cinderella, eat your heart out!
The chocolates shoes come in different styles and are made from a variety of different chocolate. The heels are finished in different colours and flowers are used to embellish. My sister is a shoe fanatic and I have one of these shoes to give to her on her birthday. The shoe arrived beautifully presented in a gift box and I was speechless when I opened it. I was not expecting the shoe to be as big – almost full size!
My shoe is moulded from white and dark chocolate with co-ordinating flowers on the front and to finish the heel. It looks absolutely amazing! I have also had the luxury of sampling these chocolates at a wedding recently. Each place setting had a little box with 2 La Signoria chocolates inside. The chocolate is like none other I have tasted and I like to think of myself as a connoisseur – I adore chocolate! I always choose fair-trade chocolate as making this simple choice makes a huge difference to people’s lives. All La Signorina chocolates are from a fair trade source, thus adding to the appeal for me.
Along with wedding favours and shoes, there are Chocolate Chess Games. The chess pieces are expertly moulded in white, milk and dark chocolate. These are guaranteed to impress.
Have a look on the website www.lasignorina.co.uk for further information.
‘Diana’ Chocolate Shoe RRP £40.00
‘Chocolate Chess Game’ RRP £60.00
Gift Reviews, Health and Beauty, Pampered Foods, Teenage Gifts
FTN : Wholefood Stem Cell Recovery Drink.
Blue-green algae, green tea and blueberries are just a few of the highly nutritious super-foods you will find in a 60ml bottle of FTN. This new nutraceutical wholefood drink is taking the world by storm. One fitness enthusiast after another are recommending this drink which has its backing in very convincing research. Fans can be found world-wide, and I simply have to mention a few of the more famous fans – Cardiff Blues Rugby, Adrian grant, Michel Salgado and Nicola Hobbs! Not only is FTN an exceptional drink for athletics, but it is also perfect for people on the go.
FTN will reduce fatigue and speed up recovery following exercise.
‘Free from artificial chemicals, stimulants and fully NSF and WADA approved, FTN is a patented blend of five wholefood ingredients designed to provide your body the protection and nutrients it needs to support its natural repair and renewal process.
Developed by a team of top researchers over six years, and backed by a wealth of published independent research data, a single 60ml shot of FTN is jam packed with all the essential vitamins, amino acids and nutrients that your body needs to support it’s natural repair and renewal process. Rich vitamin D and super nutrient rich blue-green algae, the proprietary blend only found in FTN has been shown, in five independent research papers, to help support the body’s natural renewal process of stem cells, aiding in promoting quicker recovery throughout the body, slowing down ageing and increasing overall vitality and health’ (FTN)
There are many supplement drinks on the market which claim to boost energy and contain the vitamins our bodies need. However, not many can also claim to be totally free from artificial chemicals and stimulants. FTN contains natural ingredients which work in harmony with our body nurturing, repairing and supporting stem cells.
‘The wholesome and natural ingredients in FTN work together to support the life and growth of the body’s adult stem cells, providing the nutrition which stem cells need to flourish:
Green Tea extract helps support the health of the digestive and respiratory systems and enhances the proliferation of cells within the skin
Wild blueberry extract further promotes maintenance of healthy brain, cardiovascular, vision, joint and urinary tract function
Vitamin D supports adult stem cell renewal and helps these cells become immune cells for naturally fighting infection
Organic blue-green micro-algae contains protein, essential fatty acids, chlorophyll, beta-carotene and a vast array of micro-nutrients that supercharge the body’s ability to maintain superior overall well-being
Organic fruit juice to help deliver the healthy daily dose in a refreshingly cleansing taste’ (FTN)
But how does this taste? Very good actually! I enjoy my FTN in the morning and find from I have been taking this daily, I no-longer crave sweet treats between meals. I have tried both citrus and raspberry flavours and could not pick a favourite, they both taste fresh and super fruity.
Pampered Presents readers have the opportunity to win a month’s supply of this natural wonder drink. Visit the link on Facebook to enter.
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
Vintage Playing Cards.
‘Vintage Playing Cards have created a collection of unique Valentine cards and gifts that will make hearts flutter this February’ (Vintage Playing Cards)
This is surly recycling at its best! Vintage Playing Cards re-use playing cards and 1920’s parlour game cards individually sourced to make iconic cards, pictures and stationary. They are individual, original and very pleasing on the eye.
The company began in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength with their retro/vintage range. The company are constantly introducing new items and for Valentine’s Day 2014 they have pulled out all the stops with their show-stopping loveheart frames. This Valentine’s range is a great place to start if you are shopping for a special someone and puts your ‘gift’ way ahead of flowers and chocolates!
As the title would suggest, the frames are modeled on the classic ‘Love heart’ sweets and spell out messages of love and fun such as ‘heart throb’ and ‘sugar lips’.
These frames are sure to bring back memories from young days – in a good way! RRP £75
The ‘Vintage Playing Card Frames’ are my favourite. These are so ‘on trend’ with both vintage and recycling themes rating highly with everyone these days. The cards come framed in black boxed and double mounted frames. They would make an ideal valentine’s gift or even an extra special wedding gift. Choose words like ‘Love’, ‘Kiss’ or even ‘Cherish’ or select an individual card from hundreds of vintage cards and have one individually framed.
Framed words (5 letters) RRP £45
Framed words (10 letters) RRP £55
Framed individual cards £29
Supersize Frame £195
Vintage Playing Cards can be purchased directly from www.vintageplayingcards.co.uk or for your nearest stockist call 01284 728930
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Give Plenty – Hampers, Boxes and Bags.
I have searched high and low for this years Valentines gift for my hubby. After 15 years together I am finding it hard to surprise him with a special gift and after 3 kids, I am finding it even harder to afford a special gift!!
When I first spotted ‘Give Plenty’ I scanned through the site and soon found the Valentines suggestions for men.
This box retails at £20 and looked well. A beautiful red box full of goodies I know hubby will love:
Fairfields Farm Lightly Sea Salted Potato Crisps 40g
Great Uncle Cornelius’ Ginger Beer 25cl
Greek Olives Marinated and Mixed Olives 220g
Linden Lady Rum & Raisin Fudge 200g
Linden Lady Milk Chocolate Buttons 100g
Joe & Seph’s Smooth Goat Cheese & Black Pepper Popcorn 90g
The box arrived a few days later and the presentation was a treat for the eye. The red box looked even better in reality, closed with a red bow at the corner. The items were presented well and supported by crinkle paper, exactly as described. I think I have found a brilliant solution to my problem of buying for hubby. I can’t wait to present him with this on Valentine’s day and believe he will be delighted with all these luxury ‘manly’ foodie items.
The ‘for her’ box looked just as impressive, as does the other boxes and hampers on site.
Give Plenty use the finest locally sourced ingredients many of which are produced by family run businesses. A real pleasure to feature on Pampered presents – thank you!
For further information visit www.giveplenty.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Homeware Reviews
On a Wick and a Prayer – Ebony Orchid Reed Diffuser.
Love candles and scenting your house? I do, but with 3 small children and a dog I have to take extra care when lighting a candle. I have been described as a ‘sieve head’ in the past and I will admit there is some truth in this – I am a little forgetful! I tend to veer away from candles as I have left the house and raced back many times forgetting to blow out a candle!
It is for these reasons I favour reed diffusers. ‘On a Wick and a Prayer’ have a great selection of both candles and reed diffusers and with UK shipping included in the price, their website is one of my favourites. An added bonus is the reassurance that all the products are made on site by the team in the Peak District.
The Diffusers all come as a wooden corked bottle, diffuser reeds and oil. There are 18 different fragrance diffusers to choose from. This took me some time as there are some really beautiful diffusers on show and I couldn’t make up my mind! The oil can also be bought separately.
My present diffuser is ‘Ebony Orchid’. The scent is quite manly with a black diffuser bottle. Maybe this is originally intended for men, but I really like the scent. Sometimes I feel like a change from the usual feminine scents and prefer something a little more masculine.
Ebony Orchid sits in the windowsill of my little downstairs toilet but the scent travels through the house. This can last for 6-8 weeks and for an extra boost, just flip the reeds the other way around. Simple, and no worries of burning the house down!
The scent is available as a candle also, within a beautiful black gloss container.
Visit www.onawick.co.uk for further information. RRP £14.95
The website has a good selection of scented container candles, reed diffusers, natural wax candles, original wax bars and china garden candles. If you are looking for an extra special gift, this is the website for you!