Christmas Ideas for Mums 2014 *

For me, the 1st of November means the start of Christmas. Yes, I like bonfire night on the 5th, but as of November it’s acceptable to write Christmas cards, wrap presents, burn Christmas candles and enjoy Christmas music. Everyone is in good spirits. The run up to Christmas is actually so much more exciting than the day itself once you’re an adult and I try to make it last as long as humanly possibly. Including putting my tree up on the last weekend of November.

To celebrate the festive season, I’m kicking off my Christmas Gift Guides today. These were hugely popular last year and I ended up doing 5. So for the next 5 weeks I will be posting one each week starting with one for mums.

In our family my mum is by far the hardest to buy for. My dad it’s t-shirts and dvds, same for my sister’s boyfriend. My sister likes expensive make up.. but my mum? She has everything! It took a lot of brain storming for my sister and I to come up with gifts. Thankfully she asked my dad for an iPad so he’s at least he’s sorted because otherwise we usually have to find gifts for him to get her too!

On the plus side, in my search for the perfect gift for my mum I have come up with loads of ideas to put into this gift guide to help anyone else with a similar problematic mother!

This year I’ve divided the presents into price brackets. I know everyone has a different budget when it comes to their parents, but for me, it’s usually £30 – £60 depending on how broke I am! In the past I have even staggered over the £100 mark but that was when I wasn’t single and the gift came from two people..

ANYWAY, starting with the over £50 ideas. Jewellery is always a good one, especially a statement piece that can be worn on special occasions. I really like this Heart Chakra Bracelet by Daisy London (RRP £129). If your mum isn’t really into jewellery, why not get her this Kingswood Rose Overnight Bag Gift set from Cath Kidston (RRP £55) that comes with a fold away bag, wash bag, passport cover an luggage tag. The pattern is gorgeous and it’s a great value for money set. If she’s more into her gadgets, I really recommend a Kindle from Amazon (RRP £59). We got my mum one a few Christmases back and she loves it as she can make the font big enough that she doesn’t have to wear her glasses in bed to read. Finally, for mums that like to be in the kitchen but has everything, why not go for a Breadmaker like this one from Panasonic? We can all agree the smell of freshly baking bread cannot be beaten!

For anyone with a mid range budget I can’t recommend a beautiful photograph album enough. I always splash out on one for holiday photos and they’re so pretty and such good quality. This one is the Dark Romance Large Traditional Photo Album from Paperchase (RRP £25). Or how about a gorgeous quality Joules scarf, my favourite is this Striped Knit Scarf (RRP £24.95). Joules products are such good quality you just know they’ll last a lifetime! Going along the same lines as the photo album is this Rustic Collage Frame from Next (RRP £35) but why not add a personal touch by filling it yourself? Finally, if your mother already owns a Pandora bracelet (and if not, there is another idea for you) a really simple idea is a new charm for her. I really love the Family Charm from John Greed (£35), my sister actually bought it for my mum a couple of Christmases ago.

Finally, some lovely ideas under the £20 mark include some healthy truffles by Sweet Virtues great for any health conscious mums out there. Or The Body Shop has some really gorgeous gifts this year, one of my favourite is this Hand Cream Collection (RRP £16) it would be perfect for my mum who is always washing her hands while at work. It contains a whopping 5 hand creams and is great value for money. One of my favourite brands for funky patterns is Betty & Walter and they do an amazing range of aprons and half aprons ranging from £18+ I really like the SGT Pepper Half Apron and it would match my mum’s colourful kitchen perfectly. Finally, my fall back favourite a Yankee Candle. I bought my mum the above Black Cherry Large Jar Candle from Boots (RRP £19.99) because they’re part of the famed 3 for 2! Bargain!