Mother's Day Gifts ft. Ocean Loans

Mother's Day is almost here and I actually can't wait - I love buying gifts for family and friends and watching their reactions *yes, I'm that person*. If there's one person I love to treat and surprise, it's my mum even though she drives me crazy sometimes, she always puts everyone else first and Mother's Day is a day where she can relax, open presents and not worry about a thing!

So when the lovely people at Ocean Loans got in contact about treating my mum to some extra gifts this Mother's Day, I couldn't say no! I was very kindly given a budget to buy some gifts for my mum, which was harder than I thought, firstly as some gifts can be quite pricey and secondly, there is so much choice.

My mum is one of the easiest people to buy for, she loves baking, reading, Cath Kidston, penguins, bath and body products, homeware and personalised gifts so you see my problem when it comes to choosing and if I could I'd buy her everything then I would but sadly I can't. Here are my picks for Mother's Day:

- Barnes and Noble Leather Cover Jane Austen Novel Collection: The photographs above of this *mahoooosive* collection of seven Jane Austen novels really don't show how incredibly beautiful and luxurious the cover is. The cover and page edges are gold, the floral pattern is simplistic but so pretty and the feel is very fancy! My mum does love to read and I think this will be a great collection for her as not only does it contain some of the most famous novels of the regency period but it also looks stunning.

- Royal Albert Polka Dot Teacup and Saucer: Last year my mum started collecting vintage teacups as she loves afternoon tea and hosting dinner parties *she's actually used her various sets quite a lot already* so I thought I would add to her collection with this adorable mint green teacup and saucer from Royal Albert. I didn't want to unbox it as I know I wouldn't be able to put it back as it was but it looks so adorably vintage *if that is even a term*.

- Cath Kidston Hand Cream Trio: I think I have developed my love and constant need to buy more and more hand creams from my mum as she loves them too. She also loves anything from Cath Kidston so I thought a combination of the two would be perfect and they are good handbag sizes so she can use them on the go although I might end up 'borrowing' one from her!

Overall, I'm really happy with my purchases, especially the gorgeous book and I know my mum will be so surprised when she open these extra gifts on Mother's Day. A big thanks to the lovely people at Ocean Loans for helping to make this Mother's Day even more special!

What will you be getting your mum this Mother's Day? What do you think of the gifts I have chosen?

*gifted

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Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is almost here, well next weekend so if you don't have a gift then I hope my gift ideas will help! I have already posted other ideas on my blog such as a personalised canvas from Posh Canvas, my Mother's Day gift guide for all budgets and Snapfish photo gifts. Today I have a post featured gorgeous bags, pampering face masks, an amazing watch, pretty flowers and a equally spring like fragrance.

- *Talented London Large Tote (£14): I have seen these adorably cute tote bags all over social media for a while and I have always wanted one so I'm so glad I now do! The tote bags are made from 100% cotton canvas and it is part of the Cityscapes range created by Julia Gash. The range features tote bags with gorgeous illustrations from various cities such as New York, Paris, York, Yorkshire, Glasgow and many more! I wish they had a Manchester tote! The illustrations are so cute, I love the design of the tote and the fabric feels durable - the strap is cute too. I think this would be a great gift as it is cute, practical and you can use it as an alternative to a paper gift bag. I definitely know that my mum will get so much use out of it!

- *Annie's Closet Dotty Floral Messenger Bag (£14): I LOVE this bag, I think it is so cute and spring appropriate - it is a Cath Kidston look-a-like bag which is probably one of the reasons I like it and definitely one of the reasons why my mum will love it! The bag is a fantastic size for everyday, it has numerous zipped compartments and pockets and I think it would be a perfect gift. The fabric is durable, the adjustable strap is colourful and I just adore the overall design - it makes me wish it was spring now! Also I think the price is fantastic especially for the size and quality and I can't recommend it enough for yourself or as a gift!

- *Masque Bar Sheet Masks (£9.99 per pack): Sheet masks have been everywhere recently and I don't know about you but face masks are the one pamper product that I always go to as they are so quick and easy to use and face masks instantly make me feel pampered. The Masque Bar Green Tea Sheet Masks are great for minimising the appearance of pigmentation irregularities, dark spots and it soothes, moisturises and refreshes the skin. There are three masks per pack so they work out to be just over £3 each which isn't too bad and I've heard nothing but good things about this brand and sheet masks in general.

- *The Library of Fragrance Cherry Blossom Cologne (£15, 30ml): If you have been following my blog for a while then you will have seen this brand as I've included the colognes in gift guides and favourites posts for a while. I have the gorgeous Cherry Blossom cologne which isn't my favourite *that would be the lavender cologne* but it is a very close second. It smells so fresh, light and floral as you would expect but it isn't an old fashioned floral scent, it is light, young, sweet and refreshing - perfect for spring and it won't break the bank! They have so many gorgeous and incredibly unique fragrances to choose from, I can't recommend the brand enough. You can currently get two for £25 at Boots.

- *Daniel Wellington Ladies Classy St Mawes Rose Gold Plated Brown Leather Watch (£107.10): That has to be the longest product name ever! I have wanted a Daniel Wellington watch for years, I follow them on Instagram and I get a twinge of envy when I see their gorgeous instagram photos *and all the bloggers OOTD photos featuring these beautiful watches*. I have the rose gold, brown leather and Swarovski version which has to be the most stunningly beautiful yet minimal watch I have ever seen. I adore it and I have been wearing it non-stop since I received it. It came in a beautiful box as well from Joshua James Jewellery and I think it would make the most amazing and luxurious Mother's Day gift! There are so many Daniel Wellington watches to choose from and they all look incredible and they are slightly cheaper on Joshua James Jewellery.

- *Blossoming Gifts Cinder Rose Bouquet (£24): Myself and my mum love bouquets in the house all year round so a bouquet of gorgeous flowers is an easy and safe gift for my mum and I think all mums would love to receive a beautiful bouquet this Mother's Day as flowers can have such a brightening effect on a room and the occupants. I chose the vibrant Cinder Rose bouquet which features bright pink roses, subtly scented white anastasia alstroemeria and dainty gypsophila. The bouquet is so fresh and spring appropriate, it looks gorgeous on the fireplace and brightens the whole room. I adore the bright pink roses especially as they are so vivid, pretty and a bit unusual, in my opinion - also on a blogger point of view, they look so pretty in photographs #BloggerProblems - I can't switch it off, I just can't. There are so many Mother's Day flowers to choose from and in my opinion the prices are fantastic! There are also gifts on the site including cute vases, balloons, chocolates, hampers and incredible personalised gifts. I definitely have my eye on the personalised tricolore stars necklace which looks amazing *heart eyes emoji*. Also the lovely people at Blossoming Gifts have provided a discount code - you can get 33% off bouquets *only excluding the flowers by post range* using the code: BGIFTS33 and I don't think it has an end date so you should be able to use it whenever you want but the last date for delivery in time for Mother's Day is Saturday 5th by 4pm at the latest so go, go go! Also there is free standard delivery with selected bouquets and free chocolates with selected bouquets. 

Now onto my video showing closeups of the products I've featured in this post: 

What do you think of my Mother's Day gift ideas? 

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Mother's Day: Posh Canvas

Mother's Day is almost here and I think some of the most valuable and special presents you can give are personalised gifts. I love giving and also receiving personalised gifts and I know my mum does too so when Posh Canvas asked if I wanted to review one of their canvases, I couldn't say no.

I chose the *Posh Canvas House and Heart Personalised Family Canvas (£25) in the grey and white colour scheme but if you don't like this one, there are two other colour options. The canvas size I chose is A4 but again there are numerous sizes to choose from.

The canvas arrived very quickly and I was surprised at the quality - the canvas feels very durable and sturdy which I wasn't fully expecting especially as I haven't ever ordered anything like this before - I expected it to be fairly flimsy and thinner. I love the design, it is minimal *which you know I love* and I love the layout. I think my mum will absolutely love this canvas when she opens it on Mother's Day as she won't be expecting anything like this. The canvas will look great in our kitchen or hallway, particularly as it is quite neutral and simple so it matches our decor.

Overall, I'm really happy with the canvas and I think it would make such an amazing and memorable gift for Mother's Day, birthdays or anniversaries. The quality is fantastic and I love the design. There are lots of other canvases to choose from and I also really liked the family tree style canvas available on the website. The canvas doesn't have a hanging point on the back *whatever it's called* but you could buy one or the canvas would love great on a bookshelf or sideboard too. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

What do you think of this canvas? Will you be giving any personalised gifts this Mother's Day? 

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Mother's Day Gift Guide For All Budgets

Up to £10

Mother's Day is almost here *6th March* and as always I have a gift guide to help you choose the perfect gift for your mum, grandma or guardian. This time round I have split up the gifts by the price range. This first selection is all about gifts on a budget!

Tea Lights  -  Travel Card Holder  -  Colouring Book  -  Mug  -  Set Of Mini Tins -  Flowers  -  Biscuits  -  Lush Bath Bomb

Between £20 to £50 

The next price range is between £20 to £50 which contains some of my favourite products. I know my mum would love everything in this section...and I would too!

Cook Book  -  Watch  -  Cake Tins  -  Teacup  -  Luxury Body Set  -  Scarf  -  Neom Set  -  Bag  -  Cook Book

Up to £50+

The final selection is all about luxury and very expensive gifts that I'm sure every mum will love! This selection also contains a few gifts that I would personally LOVE to receive, especially the Ugg slippers, Lush gift set and L'Occitane set!

Dressing Gown  -  Shirt  -  Makeup Bag  -  Handbag  -  Lush Set  -  L'Occitane Set  -  Slippers

What do you think of my mother's day gift guide? 

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Mother's Day: Snapfish Gifts

Personalised gifts are some of the nicest gifts you can give and receive, in my opinion. If you have been following my blog for a while then you will have seen the brand Snapfish before as I have been lucky enough to work with them a few times and I have bought some items myself from them over the past year or so. I cannot recommend Snapfish by HP enough as the products always turn out so well, everyone always loves their personalised/photo gifts and the process of creating memorable gifts is so easy.

Today's post is all about Mother's Day and the gifts I have made for my mum this Mother's Day via Snapfish. There are lots of gifts to choose from including prints, posters, magnets, mugs, cards and many many more. I have previous reviewed their Acrylic Prints and the Photo Calendars and Christmas Cards, all of which were loved by the recipients. This time round I chose:

- *Snapfish Photograph Notebooks (£5.99 each): I am a massive stationery lover and I can't get enough of notebooks and my mum is the same, we use them almost everyday for notes and lists. I made two for her, one with photos of myself and my sister as teeny tiny babies which she can use at home and another with mostly holiday photos that she can keep in her bag and use at work. The photos turned out really well, even the older, more blurry photographs I used. I think photo notebooks are a fantastic and special but also practical gift for Mother's Day.

- *Snapfish Photograph Flipbook (£5.99): I chose the 6" x 4" soft flay lay custom cover photo book which includes 20 photos. I think the price is amazing and the photo book turned out better than I was expecting. The photos are clear, vivid and it is quite compact too so it would be great if you didn't have a lot of space for large photo albums. It's a flip book style so the pages are thicker than normal and it's such a nice little gift that I'm sure any mum, grandma or guardian would love. I filled this one with photos of myself and my sister growing up.

- *Snapfish Photograph Acrylic Keyring (£2.99): I didn't know what else to get as we already have wall prints and other photo gifts so I chose a cute little keyring as she doesn't actually have one. It is acrylic and the photo appears on both sides of the keyring. I chose a photo of myself, my sister and my mum in Centre Parks, as we always used to go there on holiday.

I did also order a personalised photo card for Mother's Day but there was an issue so I had to re-order and I didn't have time to photograph it - as a way of saying sorry, Snapfish gave me credit to order 50 free photos which is fantastic as that's another little gift for my mum which we can be put in our holiday photograph album. You can check out the Snapfish Twitter or Facebook for gift ideas.

Lastly, I thought I would share some baby photographs of me as I don't think I've done anything like that on my blog before and I was a pretty cute baby/toddler if I do say so myself...it all went downhill from there!

What do you think of the Snapfish gifts I chose? Have you ordered from Snapfish by HP before? 

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Pre-Mother's Day Treat Ft. Bonmarche

Mother's Day is tomorrow in the UK and the lovely people at Bonmarche have treated my mum to a lovely early Mother's Day gift and my mum has the chance to feature on my blog for the first time! Bonmarche very kindly allowed my mum to receive a dress and I think I picked well. 

My mum has the *Bonmarche Ladies Black Linear Stripe Side Tie Dress (£30). My mum loves the dress, she said that it is lightweight, comfortable and a great length on her. Also the dress is very slimming and smart; I have to agree as it looks smart and well designed but not too formal. The dress is a soft stretchy jersey fabric but usually clothing made of this material is clingy and shows lumps and bumps that you would like to be disguised; however the dress is fairly loose fitting and flattering. My mum is petite and it is a good length on her but it will be knee length or shorter on taller women. I think it would be great for so many occasions, formal or causal, especially with spring on the way. 

Overall, my mum is really happy with the dress - the perks of having a blogger as a daughter! Thank you to Bonmarche for my mum's pre-mother's day treat! Here are some of my mums favourite spring picks from Bonmarche:

What do you think of the dress and my mums Bonmarche picks? What are you treating your mum to this Mother's Day?

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Mother's Day Gifts Ft. Joshua James Jewellery

Mother's Day in the UK is just around the corner (15th March) so I have some lovely gift ideas to help you pick a gift that mothers, guardians and grandmothers will love! Jewellery is a special gift and Pandora is one of the brands that everyone seems to love. Everything from Pandora looks so beautiful; not just the bracelets, charms, earrings and necklaces but the packaging/presentation is going to cause some serious swooning!

The lovely people at Joshua James Jewellery very kindly allowed me to pick a few products to review and obviously I decided to pick products from the much coveted Pandora! I chose the *Pandora Silver Bracelet (£55, 17cm), *Pandora Silver Clip (£25) and the *Pandora Openwork Silver Stars Charm (£20) all of which I adore. The packaging is just gorgeous, each item comes in its own Pandora branded box and my order came with a Pandora bag so the products come with everything you need to package up the gift. Also if you spend over £125 on Pandora at Joshua James Jewellery, you will received a pretty Pandora heart gift box. 

Before choosing my items, I had to decide which size bracelet would fit my tiny wrists and thankfully Pandora has an online size guide which was so helpful. It suggests to measure your wrists tightly and then add on 2cm to get your Pandora bracelet size. My wrists are only 15cm so I chose the 17cm bracelet and I am so glad I followed the Pandora guidelines as the bracelet size is perfect even with my charm and clip on the bracelet. 

The bracelet I have is silver with the original Pandora locking clasp; it is a little stiff but it's not too difficult to put on even by myself. The next decision is clips or no clips; Pandora suggest you buy the clips as they section the bracelet into three parts so the charms can be separated and the bracelet is evenly balanced and symmetrical. I chose the plain sliver clip which I love and the clip is sterling sliver as is the bracelet and charm. 

Now onto the charm, I chose the openwork silver stars charm which looks even more beautiful on my bracelet than it did online and even in the pretty packaging. I love the openwork cut outs and I definitely want to get another openwork charm! The clip and charm were both very quick and easy to attach onto the bracelet and I love the way they look together. 

Overall, since receiving the bracelet I haven't taken it off! The bracelet is so beautiful and it is so comfortable to wear - this is coming from someone who never wears bracelets. I know my mum would love the Pandora pieces I have as she has her own Pandora bracelet which has a lot of charms on it already! I am definitely looking at more charms and clips for my bracelet, here's my Joshua James Jewellery wish list of just some of the Pandora pieces I'm lusting after:

Joshua James Jewellery also have beautiful Pandora gift sets, necklaces and rings as well as gorgeous gifts from other brands such as Links of London, Thomas Sabo, Lovelinks, Swarovski and more! They also offer free UK delivery on all orders and free next day delivery on orders over £100. 

Pandora charms may be my new obsession! Do you have a Pandora bracelet? What do you think of my Pandora mother's day gift ideas?

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Mother's Day Gift Guide #2

I have already created a Mother's Day gift guide which is more lifestyle/home themed so I wanted to create a beauty gift guide. I love fragrance, makeup and gift sets and my mum does too, it is a great go to present if you are a bit stuck for ideas. Here are my picks from Fragrance Direct, this is not a sponsored post.

 1. Orla Kiely Geranium Bath & Hand Set (£9.99): I am a fan of Orla Kiely prints/products and this set looks so cute and expensive! It contains four (50ml) bath/body/hand products. A great all round gift set that definitely looks the part.

2.  Prada Infusion D'Iris Perfume Set (£45.99, 50ml): I actually have this fragrance - I bought the 100ml EDP while on a Royal Caribbean cruise a couple of years ago for....$100, I can't believe I spent that much money on one fragrance but it is my favourite fragrance of all time. It is gorgeous, fresh, floral and I think everyone would like it. This set comes with a 50ml fragrance and a body lotion. 

3. Rose & Co Patisserie De Bain English Tea Room Bath Melts (£4.99): How cute are these bath melts, I have been lusting after these sets for a while as an alternative to Lush bath bombs. I think this set would make a really nice relaxing gift. Also the price is fantastic in my opinion.

4. Macadamia Natural Oil Canteen Set (£34.99): A bit more of an expensive gift, this gift looks like a really nice substantial set. It contains the shampoo, mask, healing oil treatment and the oil infused comb. I have heard so many good things about the Macadamia Oil brand/products. The box it comes in looks pretty amazing too, great to keep afterwards as a storage box. 

5. Lancome La Vie Est Belle (£36.99, 30ml edp): I have a mini bottle of this fragrance from Lancome, it is one of their most recent fragrance releases. Firstly, the bottle is gorgeous - even the mini bottle I have has the cute bow. It is a feminine, sweet and fresh but musky fragrance - quite unique, girly but sophisticated. 

6. Ciate Mini Mani Month Set (£16.99): Now this would be a fantastic Mother's Day gift - they could open all of the advent calendar set in one or they could spread out the Mother's Day joy through out 24 days. Also who doesn't love Ciate polishes, I have at least six at they are great! The colour range and selection in this set looks like there will be something to suit everyone. 

I really want all of these sets for myself....daughter's day anyone? 

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Mother's Day Gift Guide #1

Mothers day in the UK is just around the corner, it's Sunday 30th March so I thought I would create a gift guide, suggesting items for you to give your mother/guardian or grandma. This is not a sponsored post, the items featured are from Jasper Jewellery, Lush, After Noah and Joules. 

1. Jasper Jewellery Platinum Swarovski Crystal Necklace (£18, €22): I actually have this necklace, I was very kindly sent it to review and my mum really likes it so I think it would make a nice dainty, sophisticated present for mothers day. And Jasper Jewellery items come in boxes and they are already gift wrapped for you! Don't forget you can use my code to get €5 off your order, valid until 31st march - ofbeautyandnothingness5

2. Joules Floral Patch Dog Keyring (£6.95): A cheaper but still cute option. I love this adorable dog keyring, it is a cute and fun present which definitely doesn't break the bank. Great for dog/animal lovers. 

3. Joules Yellow Floral Handy Hand iPhone 5 Case (£19.95): For those techy mums (not my mum!) here is a gorgeous floral iPhone case, it comes in an iPhone 4 size too. As well as this lovely floral design there is also a cute nautical style design. A similar floral design is also available for other tech items and luggage tags etc. Joules is a fantastic place for gifts, in my opinion. 

4. Lush Mothers Day Rose Bubble Bar (£2.95): The cheapest bubble bar and in my opinion, the cutest. Lush bring out new collections for monthers day and other holidays, they are limited edition. Ths one looks and sounds, well, lush!

5. Bougie Artisanale Parfumee Petit Madeleine Candle (@ After Noah, £24): Who doesn't love candles (well my mum is quite paranoid about candles) but I think candles can be so relaxing and cosy especially at this time of the year when it is still really cold outside. I actually won this candle yesterday on Ahem it's Emme's blog giveaway - I can't wait to try it! 

6. The Guilt Free Gourmet Book (£16.99): This recipe book contains gorgeous sounding recipes that do not contain wheat, dairy or sugar - great for a health conscious mum or a cooking mad mum like mine! I really want to have a look through this book, it sounds great, especially as a vegetarian I eat practially the same food all of the time - the grilled polenta with mushrooms and swiss chard sounds great! 

There are my picks for mothers day gifts, well I like all of them for myself too...

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