Merry Christmas 2016

Hi Christmas wishes,

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope you got everything you asked for and more. I will have a 'What I Got For Christmas' coming up later this week (it may not be tomorrow, sorry) so look forward to that and more coming from my blog in 2017!

Merry Christmas and thank you for reading throughout 2016✨

xmollymaex 

The Best Christmas Songs

Hi mistletoe sprigs,


This is my last blog post before Christmas and it's definitely going to get you all in the Christmas spirit and ready for the big day! I hope you enjoy reading and listen to some of my recommendations because in my opinion, they're truly wonderful.


Every song is linked to a YouTube video for you to listen to it.


WHAM - LAST CHRISTMAS

Okay, so this ones talking about 'last Christmas' but if you don't hear this one before the 25th - are you really celebrating Christmas? I love this song and everybody and their dog knows it so you better turn up the volume and scream every lyric with all your loved ones.


MARIAH CAREY - ALL I WANT FORCHRISTMAS IS YOU

Again, this song is a classic and if you don't here it over the festive period, you're doing it wrong. A bit cheesy but who can resist the urge to sing along to a Mariah favourite


BOBBY HELMS - JINGLE BELL ROCK

The Mean girls classic which is bound to get you up and dancing along. When all your friends are round, Mean Girls is one of the films which is always on in the background and who can blame you? Everyone loves it and rightly so!

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

I sing this song all the time even if I get it wrong every single time. I love this song (well I love every song in this post) but this song is going to annoy everyone when you sing it everyday up until Christmas but you're going to LOVE it.


AWAY IN A MANGER

I went to a Church of England school so I sung this song all the time in the Christmas period - especially in the nativity. It such a nostalgic song for me so I had to mention and recommend it.


SILENT NIGHT

This song, again, is a song that brings back so many childhood memories. I remember so many times in the nativity where I sung this so it was impossible for me not to include it in this list.


DEAN MARTIN - LET IT SNOW

So this song may not be relevant to the southern hemisphere on any non-cold country but it's definitely one to get you in the Christmas spirit. It's catchy and everything you need in a Christmas song.


MICHAEL BUBLÉ - WHITE CHRISTMAS

I know, its not an original song from Michael Bublé but I wanted to include one of his songs since he is the King of Christmas (don't argue with me on this one). Everyone should listen to this song, despite whose singing it but trust me, once you listen to Bublé, you never go back...


THE POGUES - FAIRYTALE IN NEW YORK

A true classic. You've got to listen to this at least once every year. It's a wonderful song and definitely one to check out from this list.


FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

I LOVE SNOW! This song is all about a snowman (obviously) but it makes me so happy as I associate Christmas with snow. It's a nostalgic song for me and one of the best in my humble opinion.




RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER

How could I do a blog post without this song? It's a classic which is sung every year in honour of Rudolph - the main reindeer himself.




I hope you all have a FABULOUS Christmas which is spent with friends and family.


xmollymaex

Last Minute Gift Ideas 2016

Hi nutcrackers,

This post for the ones who may or may not have forgotten to buy a gift for someone. We've all been there and I'm here to (hopefully) save the day! This post is in 3 sections for women, men and teens. I did three gift guides in November so check them out here:

GIFT GUIDE: For Women

GIFT GUIDE: For Men

GIFT GUIDE: For Teens

FOR WOMEN:

NOTEBOOK

I was looking through the the Paperchase website at all the notebooks and I found this to be one of the nicest (in my opinion). Everyone needs a notebook (not just women) but I thought I'd put it in this section. Since the new year is coming up, being organised will be helpful and make the new year a lot better.

ELEPHANT MUG

So this may be the cutest mug I've ever seen... Elephants are my favourite animal and tea is my favourite drink! Perfect. It may be pricey for a mug but receiving this would make any girl happy. I've also seen a 12 days of Christmas mug on the Paperchase website which is cheaper but just as good for a gift.

FOR MEN:

FITBIT

There's a few choices on the Fitbit website. I chose the Charge HR to show but you can pick and choose depending on the man you're buying for. A Fitbit is a nice gift for fitness fanatic. It connects to your phone and monitors your steps, heart rate and other factors. It also doubles up as a watch and would be good if you know someone who wants to start a healthy lifestyle as a New Years resolution.

MULTI-TOOL

A multi-tool is a small device which has loads of handy things all in one. For example, it could have some tweezers and a bottle opener - little things which always come in handy. The Leatherman website has loads of multi-tools but they can be quite expensive. I've linked one of the cheaper ones which is around £35 but they can easily go up to £100. Look around, maybe buy one off amazon or another website if you are looking for something slightly cheaper.

FOR TEENS:

ONE LINE A DAY

The most memories are made as a teen and no one ever has time. Time is also precious so wasting it writing in a diary is not ideal but with this one, all you need to write is one day. It's great to store memories and to look back in what you've done for the past five years (it's a five year diary).

PORTABLE CHARGER 

Every teen needs one of these! For anyone who uses there phone 24/7 (which is pretty much every teen), these are perfect. There small and perfect to fit in a pocket or handbag. They are so useful if your out and about and you'll never know how handy they are until you have one!

I hope this has helped your last minute search - make sure to not leave it this late next year....

xmollymaex 

Gingerbread Man Recipe

Hi gingerbread people,

Today, I'm sharing a family loved gingerbread recipe! I've been making these for years and I've already made them so many times this year too. Everybody loves them so I'm going to let you in on the secret.

INGREDIENTS:

350g plain flour 

175g light brown sugar

125g unsalted block butter 

1 tsp baking powder/bicarbonate of soda

1 medium free-range egg

4 tbsp golden syrup 

2 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 

METHOD:

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices and pulse or stir until combined.

  2. Add the butter and use the rubbing-in method until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. 

  3. Sift (light brown sugar is lumpy and this will prominent in the dough so make sure to sift) and stir in this sugar. 

  4. Beat the egg and golden syrup in a separate bowl or measuring jug with a fork. Add the the other  mixture and stir to form a dough.

  5. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth. Wrap in cling film (I like to flatten it so it's easier to roll) and put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (I usually leave it for 1/2 an hour).

  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.

  7. Flour the surface and rolling pin and roll out until half a cm thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the gingerbread and place on the lined baking tray. Leave a gap between each one as they will spread.

  8. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

TO DECORATE: 

I didn't photograph the decorated gingerbread men but if you check my Instagram, I will definitely post a picture when I make them again!

To decorate, I usually:

  • Draw a face on them with white, writing icing. (I buy this from the supermarket because it hardens).

  • Place a dot of the icing just under the head in the centre and place an m&m there. 

I don't over decorate them because I personally don't think they need it. 

If you do make these, please tag me on Instagram (@thingsinourhearts) to show me. I urge you to make these because they are delicious and you definitely won't eat just one!

xmollymaex

GIFT GUIDE 2016: For Teens

Hey fairy lights,

This is the last instalment of my 2016 Christmas Gift Guides! I've already posted the gift guide For Her and For Him so click on them to see what gifts I've recommended. 

I've broken the Gift Guide into 3 sections and I've recommended two products from each. There are some websites linked at the bottom of the page for you to continue your search for the perfect present! 

BEAUTY

SEVENTEEN MATCH MY MOOD MAKEUP SET

This gift is perfect for the makeup lover! SEVENTEEN products are usually always good and won't let you down. This set is amazing as it comes with 3 quad eyeshadow palettes and three blushers. It also comes with an eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss and brush which all fit in one palette. The idea is to 'Match your Mood' so you can have an on-the-go palette and swap the eyeshadow quads and blusher for when you're out. It's a smart idea for someone who wants to create their own palette but also the shadows in it to be corresponding.

BENEFIT BESTIES SET

This is another makeup gift set but totally one worth recommending! It comes with all of Benefits best-selling products as well as a makeup bag and tips&tricks guide. For someone wanting to try the best products from Benefit, this is a perfect way. It contains minis of the POREfessional,  Hoola and Gimmie brow, all the products loved by many in a handy set. Perfect for a teen starting out in the world of makeup.

SENTIMENTAL

PANDORA RING

I know a lot of teens love Pandora and the rings are no exception. The rose gold princess ring is a cult favourite and I believe if someone was to open it they would be a very happy person. They aren't the cheapest but for something which will be kept and cherished forever - why not spend a little more?

HP SPROCKET PRINTER

This may not be a sentimental gift but I do think it's great to print off the memories made by that person so therefore the pictures will be sentimental... Anyway, this little longer is connected via Bluetooth to your phone and you can print any photo from your phone. It's great for the people who never print photos and just have thousands on their phone. It doesn't use any ink which confuses me and all you need to but up after that is the paper refills (£9.99 for 20 so 50p for one photo and cheaper than for a Polaroid camera).

NOVELTY

UNICORN SPEAKER

I know it's a unicorn item but this one is great. Of course you could get different animals but who doesn't want a unicorn? It's a Bluetooth speaker which you can use throughout the house or wherever you go - an essential for a teen on the go.

I hope I helped with my six top picks for Christmas gifts! I've linked a few websites below for you browse, these have some really nice gifts for you to pick from.

PET SELFIE KIT

 For anyone who has a pet, this is the perfect novelty gift. Yes, it may only be used once but that's the best part, it brings enjoyment for a short period and makes Christmas Day more fun. If I had a pet, I would love this but I'm probably gonna buy it and then use opt on my friends pets! 

OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES:

URBAN OUTFITTERSBOOTS

VERY

NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET

That's it! All of my 2016 Christmas Gift Guides are over! Let me know if you found these useful and if they helped your Christmas present search.

xmollymaex

GIFT GUIDE 2016: FOR MEN

Hi snowflakes, 

I'm back with a men's gift guide to ease your Christmas shopping this year. 

GROOMING 

BEARD OIL ADVENT CALENDAR

I mentioned beauty advent calendars in a post a few weeks ago but this is a mans advent calendar which contains 24 beard oils. If you want to give someone an earlier present, this is a good one. A man with a beard would definitely love this!

ORIGINS GROOMING TREATS

An amazing brand which has created a grooming set for men. It contains shaving cream, body wash and more. It also comes in a wash bag so perfect for travel! The shave cream is full size and is usually £15 so having it in this set with 3 other minis, helps you save money on the products!

SENTIMENTAL

PERSONALISED BAR NECKLACE

I love this idea for buying something a man can wear but also for it to mean something. You can engrave it with whatever message you choose to make it extra special.

A WATCH

A watch can be a very personal item in a mans wardrobe but they can make awesome gifts. I've just chosen a Ted Baker watch to show you as I like the watches with a leather strap but it's a very personal gift so make sure to think about the man you're buying it for. It may help by choosing it with him or asking his close friends what they think he'd like as you don't want him hating it!

NOVELTY

SHED MAN PAINT TOILETRIES

This is a little gift that which has a few essentials like a bar of soap, face cloth and body wash. It's a great little gift which is also useful for every man.

SCRATCH MAP

A man who travels will love this to mark all the countries he's been to. It's a nice idea for someone who aspires to travel the world or someone who already has. 

I've linked some websites for you to to make your search easier:)

USEFUL WEBSITES:

ASOSNOTONTHEHIGHSTREET

DEBENHAMS

MENKIND

xmollymaex

GIFT GUIDE 2016: For Her/Women

Hi Christmas puddings, 

(Yes, you will get a new name every week)

In this post, I'm going to get you all prepare for Christmas by offering a gift guide for women! I will be doing one for men and teens in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for them or subscribe for email updates. 

BEAUTY

TOO FACED CHOCOLATE BAR PALETTE

This is one of my favourite palettes ever! The colours suit everyone and blend like a dream. To top it off, it smells like chocolate!  Every woman would love to receive this!

PERFUME SET

Estée Lauder has some amazing scents (and makeup/skincare) so I wanted to show you this set of 4 travel size perfumes. If someone is unsure of which perfume they want, get them all 4! Lots of brands do these sets, so choose one which the woman you're buying for might want.

SENTIMENTAL

SOUND WAVE PRINT

I love these! If you know someone's favourite song or if you have a special song which is meaningful between you and them, this is a prefect gift. These are great for anyone, women and men! They're a sentimental gift which would make anyone happy if they were to receive it. There's loads of these on the website so take a look to find your favourite style and one in your price range.

PERSONALISED MIXED BIRTHSTONE LOCKET

This is one of the priciest items I'm mentioning but I do think it's a nice idea. It's a necklace where you can put up to 4 different birthstones in. It's ideal for your partner or if you have a family, you can make one for her too. It's a beautiful idea of you're willing to spend s bit more. 

NOVELTY 

UNICORN SLIPPERS

Everyone loves unicorns and everyone needs slippers. These are a great novelty gift but also turn out to be quite handy as well. A fun woman definitely would not mind receiving these.

KNOWLEDGE IS BEAUTIFUL BOOK

This is a book which I found on the John Lewis website contains facts and information about the world and its history. It's kind of a "coffee table" book but it looks so interesting and I think anyone would appreciate it.

I hope I helped with my six top picks for Christmas gifts! I've linked a few websites below for you browse, these have some really nice gifts for you to pick from.

ASOS

SELFRIDGES

JOHN LEWIS

NOTONTHEHIGHSTREETDEBENHAMSVERY

xmollymaex 

The Perfect Beauty Advent Calendar 2016

Hi festive friends,

I am a lover of all things Christmas and want you all to be prepared for the start of December so I am going to be sharing some of the best beauty advent calendars I've seen this year. There's some for everyone and a variety of prices so take a look.

PERFECT FOR TEENS

TANYA BURR £25 (on sale for £15)

A beauty advent calendar post without mentioning Tanya Burr? I think not! This is a 12 door advent calendar but does contain all beauty products. It's the cheapest I'm recommending but I do still think it is a gorgeous calendar which should be mentioned in this list as it looks the part and is also worth the money.

TOPSHOP £28

This has 24 doors and contains all jewellery items. I wanted to include it as it is one of the cheapest I've seen and some people may not want beauty items but jewellery which you can keep for longer periods of time. It is by Topshop's FREEDOM range which is all good quality jewellery. It is costume jewellery though so if you have sensitive skin, I would stay clear. I do think it's a nice idea as at a good price so definitely check it out!

BENEFIT £35 (10% off today at £31.05)

Benefit always have amazing packaging and I'm always intrigued to find out what they put in their advent calendars. This year, they've put in some skin care as well as makeup which gives you a good mix of the brand, especially if you've never tried their products before. The calendar only has 12 days which is a slight drawback but does contain the best sellers like hoola bronzer and porefessional primer.

JACK WILLS £35

This is perfect for someone who wants loads of bath and body minis as well as essentials like hair grips and emery boards. The price is low to medium for this type of advent calendar but does have the full 25 days which some Flanders are lacking these days. The packaging could be used as storage as well as it's drawers instead of doors.

MAKEUP REVOLUTION £40 (on sale for £25)

A full 25 days which is pleasing to see! This contains a lot of full size products and is a very good sale price! There are some brushes in the calendar which I haven't seen many do before. I wouldn't pay £40 for it purely because of some of the products not being to my taste as well as the packaging being poor but £25 is a great price of you're looking for a packed beau advent calendar.

PERFECT FOR WOMEN 

BOMB COSMETICS £20

If you love soaps and bath bombs this is a great calendar for you! It has 24 mini Mallows, Creamers and Soaps which I'm sure will all smell amazing. This is a great, inexpensive calendar for anyone who loves a bath!

CIATÉ £50

This is everything a nail enthusiast would ever want. 23 gorgeous nail varnishes (22 are 5ml and one full size 13.5ml) and a nail file (a bit of a filler day but everybody needs them). This calendar has every nail colour you could possibly want and need. If you love nail varnish, this is the calendar for you because you will not be disappointed!

THE BODY SHOP £60

A medium price for a great advent calendar. It has 24 drawers so it can be used as storage afterwards and it contains a mixture of their bath and body products as well as their makeup. I love The Body Shop and truly recommend this calendar if you are looking for a mixture of skincare, makeup and body stuff! If you want more from The Body Shop, they have three sizes if the advent calendar ranging up to £80!

SELFRIDGES WORKSHOP £65 (out 9th November)

This is amazing! It has 24 amazing products carefully selected to give you a great calendar. From BeautyBlender to Too Faced, this has everything you will ever want to try from Selfridges. It's amazing for those starting out in the high end makeup and skincare world!

LIBERTY LONDON £165

(It's sold out so there's a link to the general website)

If money is not an object, GET THIS! This is a medium to highly priced calendar but totally worth the money. Brands such as NARS and Bobbi Brown feature in this calendar which make it so much more special. It's gorgeous packaging makes it even more special but if you're looking for that perfect calendar, this may be it!

PERECT FOR MATURE LADIES

NO7 £39

This is one of the most budget friendly advent caldera I've shortlisted. It's a medium price with many skincare products (lots of which are anti-ageing, not that any of you need it). It also contain brushes, nail varnishes and some makeup items. This is a great brand and this is a total steal! It has 25 doors and one of the gifts a 'Match Made Blusher invitation' which is worth £9. This is for you to go into store and have a skin analysis to find your perfect blush shade. 

L'OCCITANE £42

24 doors with minis of hand creams and body washes. This is mainly body orientated but is still gorgeous. I definitely recommend it as it has a great price and packaging!

CHARLOTTE TILBURY £150

Heavily priced for only 12 days but it does include 5 full size products. If you have extra to spend on good quality makeup, definitely give this one a go. It's gorgeous to look at and gorgeous inside too!

DIPTYQUE £250

It can only be bought in store and the race is ridiculous but this does include a full 25 days of perfumes, face creams and candles. If you want to explore the brand or you've loved it for years, I recommend this! If you want to spend this much, there's nothing stopping you, especially not the full size candle of Christmas Day! 

JO MALONE £280

Again only in store and £30 more than Diptyque's but if you're a lover of the brand and want to spend an awful lot, then do it! This has 24 drawers which are filled with the signature Jo Malone scents in body washes, perfumes and many more. This is a definite if you have the money.

Some others I recommend (TOTALLY WORTH A LOOK):

NYX £60

LUSH £52.95

ASOS BEAUTY £50

SANCTUARY SPA £25

BARE MINERALS £75

ESTÉE LAUDER £205

CLARINS £95

KIEHLS £95

CLINIQUE £65

I hope this narrowed it down and helps you find your perfect beauty calendar!

xmollymaex