The Really Useful Gift Guides {Part 2}

Independent, edible and charity guides (plus Chris's edit!)

I have not watched one Christmas movie yet (although after reading many reviews - including this one - of ‘Hot Frosty’ on Netflix, that may change this week) but I have finished editing the Christmas Hub on my site! So it’s only right that I do another gift guide round-up, because despite what social media would have us believe, we haven’t all finished buying our presents (have we?)!

I must admit I’m an early starter with Christmas, mainly for budget reasons, and I try not to go overboard. I attempt to go secondhand where I can: the kids’ stockings are mostly charity shop finds (would you be interested in seeing what’s in them?), and although I’m stil mainly a High Street shopper, I also like to support charities and independent stores for family and friends. So these guides are very special to me, as they are the kind of things I like to gift (and some of my favourite small brands).

Oh and sometimes the prices will be slightly different, due to Black Friday discounts etc - I’ve tried to be as accurate as I can but as with the internet, please remember prices are changeable. * denotes an affiliate link.

1. Stocking: £25, Raspbery Blossom at National Portrait Gallery Shop

2. Paperchain: £12, Cambridge Imprint

3. Pyjamas: £26, Sleepy Doe

4. Enamel mug: £13.50, Harbour & Tide

5. 2025 Diary: £22, The Stationer (this is the one I use and I love it)

6. Travel bag: £26, Ace & Prince

7. Limited Edition Palmarosa & Vetiver hand soap: £22, Austin Austin

8. Hand-illustrated gift voucher card: from £50, Kip Hideaways

9. Matchbox: £14, The Colour Emporium

10. Bow candleholders: £28, Tooka

11. Socks: £11.96, Etsy*

12. Iron on patch: £3, Molly Meg

13. Set of 4 candles: £22, British Colour Standard at Trouva*

14. ‘Letters From The North Pole’ £16.99, Magic Cat Publishing (pre order, back in stock 7th December)

I’ve been wanting to do a gift guide for food lovers for so long, it’s one of the most truly used gifts you can give (if you get it right!).

1. Tree decoration: £7.50, Sass & Belle

2. Serving/baking tray: £27, Falcon Enamelware (I have this and it’s my most reached for baking tray!)

3. 20 compostable coffee pods with tin: £11.21, Grind

4. Ceramic oil bottle: £15, Oliver Bonas*

5. Papa Yeoh’s Sambal: £6.95, Two Hot Asians

6. Bag of mini chocolates: £5, Tony’s Chocolonely at John Lewis*

7. Mandarin biscuits: £6.99, YiaYia and Friends via Cissy Wears

8. Salt or pepper mill: £60, Addison Ross*

9. Pink soda (pack of 8 cans): £3, Schweppes at Asda (I have worked with Schweppes recently, and now addicted to this pink soda)

10. Cutlery set: £10, Dunelm*

11. Cups (set of 2): £19, Arket*

12. Interactive kids recipe book: £16.95, Phaidon (code HOLIDAY gets 30% off and free shipping)

13. Korean BBQ sauce: £8, Chimac at Selfridges*

14. Speckled serving plate: £12, H&M Home*

Illustrations: Charlotte Ager

I finally convinced Chris to do an edit! Here’s what’s on his list (yes, he’s 41 and still wears hoodies and rides a skateboard):

1. Dressing gown: £55, Marks & Spencer*

2. Vinyl stand: £22, Urban Outfitters*

3. Reusable film camera: £35, Camera World

4. Skateboard: £27.99, Rollersnakes

5. New Balance running trainers: £35, Sports Direct*

6. Curzon cinema membership: £50, Curzon

7. Hoodie: £34.90, Uniqlo*

8. Moisturiser: £8.25, The Inkey List at Boots*

9. Beanie hat: £20, Fat Face*

10. ‘The Creative Act: A Way Of Being’ by Rick Rubin: £22.99, Waterstones

And then onto charity gift guides. These are new, physical gifts you can purchase through each charity’s websites (I bought these tees for my kids when I volunteered at Choose Love last year - and they have another pop-up on Regent Street this xmas), but do check out charity shops in general for brilliant secondhand gifts too (books and records are great for the hard to buy for).

1. Tinned olives mini jigsaw puzzle: £6, Crisis

2. Sean The Sheep Xmas Jumper iron on patch: £3.50, Save The Children (such a sweet nod to Christmas jumper day without buying a festive knit)

3. Designed by Refugees Vanilla Soy candle: £25, Ohros x British Red Cross (I bought this for my sister last year)

4. T shirt: £20, Choose Love

5. Gingerbread milk chocolate bar: £3.99, Oxfam

6. Personalised letter from Santa: £8, NSPCC (this just triggered my memory to organise for my kids!)

7. Shampoo bar: £8.95, Arthouse Unlimited

8. Wooden Snakes & Ladders: £11.99, Barnardo’s

9. 50 compostable Nespresso compatible Fairtrade coffee: £17, The Big Issue Shop (a great link for someone who wants to get you a useful gift that will get used!)

Most charities offer virtual gifts, too, a donation of £15 to Centrepoint can help gift a Christmas dinner. Supermarkets offer drop-off ponts for food donations, we like Morrison’s pre prepared bags you can add to your food shop.

And have toys/gifts to donate? Local foodbanks do collections of food and often toys at this time of year (you can also donate to Trussell Trust here). And The Salvation Army do toy collections (my local shopping mall has a drop off point), you can find your nearest one here.

The sincerest thanks for shopping our gift guides, we’ve raised over £1500 so far (and still going!) this month for Save The Children UK.