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AD: Christmas Gift Guide 2019 – The Perfect Gifts For Bookworms, Foodies, And Travellers

Christmas has come around quickly this year, don’t you think? I find that each year it arrives faster than last year, meaning that I get increasingly flustered about buying all my presents in time. Part of it is that I’m completely disorganised with all things festive (and that’s totally on me), but the other thing I find hard is knowing what to get for people I’ve bought countless presents for in the past. That’s why I’m super excited to share with you what I’ve been working on for the past couple of months… My 2019 Christmas Gift Guide!

As my blog focuses primarily on books, food, and travel I’ve coordinated most of the gift ideas to fit around these three categories, however there’s also a miscellaneous section at the end with some completely different ideas included! Some brands have provided discount codes for all you lovely readers as well, so make sure to use these if you purchase anything from them!

And now, onto the gifts…

Books & Stationery – Gifts For The Bookworms

There are plenty of great things to buy the book lovers in your life – books, of course, but also some wonderful gifts that are just made for those that never stop reading. Read on for a great selection of bookish presents!

Handmade earrings from For The Love Of Books

I absolutely love wearing my handmade earrings from For The Love Of Books – I chose these beautiful romance fiction-themed ones however there are several other options including a wonderful pair for crime fiction lovers and AZ and IQ pairs. I love that I can showcase one of my interests through my jewellery! All designs are either silver-plated or gold-plated and are for pierced ears. You can buy any of these options from Sarah’s Etsy shop.

Heady Mix subscription box

There’s one thing that bookworms are guaranteed to love and that’s a regular supply of books! Heady Mix offer a brilliant book subscription box with a difference – each month has a theme based around underrepresented writers and characters, for example women, race, disabilities, LGBTQI+ and more. I received Afrofuturism, a fascinating collection of books focused on African-themed fantasy and sci-fi. Each subscription box comes with two books plus an anthology of other stories that fit the theme (something that other book box subscriptions don’t include). If you’d like to purchase a subscription (the Christmas theme is Feminist Fairytale) then you can do so here.

Use discount code FIVER to get £5 off orders over £30!

Poetic Gratitude by Harmeet Kaur Bharya

A book of poetry makes for a lovely, thoughtful gift for those that love reading, and Poetic Gratitude by Harmeet Kaur Bharya is an excellent choice. Written from the perspective of someone who has survived and eventually flourished after dealing with significant mental health issues, the author uses poetic verse to explore the struggles of every day life and how gratitude and perspective can help one get through the very worst of times. You can buy a paperback copy of Poetic Gratitude from Amazon.

The Design Trust Diary Planner 2020

If you know me then you’ll know that I love planning, and any creative planners out there will adore such a comprehensive and interactive present as this diary planner from The Design Trust. With over 50 pages of practical planning tools, goal-setting tasks for every week and month, and 90 day review pages for ever quarter, the 2020 diary planner will make a massive impact on those looking to get their business organised. Purchase of the planner also includes online training, online Q&A sessions, and a private Facebook group for professional creatives – what more could you want? I’m certainly looking forward to getting my blog and business together using it over the next year. To purchase the diary planner just use this link.

Worn On This Day by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell

Worn On This Day is the perfect gift for bookworms who also have a love of fashion as it showcases a whole year of important fashion pieces, with each day taking us back to a different point from the past. Not only are gowns and other glamorous items featured but also space suits and armour, giving the reader a rich variety of fascinating history. It’s also filled with beautiful images so you can really see how iconic each piece is. If you’d like to buy Kimberly Chrisman Campbell’s book then you can do so from Amazon as a hardcover or from Kobo as an ebook.

The Book Lovers Journal by Stationery Geek

The Book Lovers Journal by Stationery Geek has been such a wonderful tool since I’ve been using it, and will surely be appreciated by all book bloggers and hardcore readers. Featuring sections where you can rate each book, write your favourite quotes, compile your TBR, and list your favourite authors, the Book Lovers Journal makes reviewing books both simple and fun. Read my full review here, or purchase from this link.

Food & Drink – Gifts For The Foodies

Foodie presents are an idea I always gravitate towards because they make such great gifts – even if someone isn’t particularly culinary, it’s a given that there’s a particular type of food or drink that they just love. Here’s a great range of different products for the budding chefs and tasters!

Cookery School cooking classes

I attended the Meat & Poultry class with Cookery School this month and it was an incredible experience – I learnt so much in the first hour, let alone the whole day! Expert chefs teach students a variety of different meals and techniques within their classes, and they also offer longer courses for those that really want to hone their skills. Take a look at the different classes they offer here.

Use discount code CHRISTMAS19 to get 10% off all classes or courses (excluding the Professional Cook’s Certificate course)!

Summerton Whisky Club subscription

Regardless of who you are, you probably have at least one family member who knows their stuff about alcohol and has a signature drink. If that drink is whisky then Summerton Whisky Club will make for an extra-special subscription gift. By buying someone a subscription the recipient is able to receive a bottle of rare and unique whisky every two months straight to their door, which is excellent value and much more exciting than your standard bottle of Jack Daniels from the supermarket. To join the club visit the Summerton Whisky Club website.
N.B. Bottle shown is sample bottle only – subscription contains full size bottles

The Hawkshead Relish Company recipe book and food products

The Hawkshead Relish Company are a small, family-run company who produce a range of over 100 artisan relishes, pickles, and preserves that use locally sourced ingredients and are all free from nuts, gluten, and meat. Many of their products are quite original – I tested the black garlic ketchup and the sour cherry and prosecco jam, for example, which were both full of flavour and different to anything I’d had before. I used the black garlic ketchup combined with passata to make a gorgeous pizza sauce, and the sour cherry and prosecco jam took scones with clotted cream to the next level (and I bet it would be wonderful in cakes, too). The Hawkshead Relish Company also sell a brilliant cookery book, Embellish With Relish, with loads of recipes using their signature products – you can buy this and anything from the foodie range from their online shop.

Vie Gourmet Coconut Bowls by Global 1st

I reviewed these gorgeous coconut bowls from the Vie Gourmet range earlier this year and just had to include them in the guide as I love them so much – they’re perfect for eco-conscious people who want something quirky in their kitchen. I’ve got so much use out of mine already and they’re my favourite bowls for pasta, salad, and rice dishes – check them out, along with their other eco-friendly products, on Global 1st’s website.

Safety Food Peelers & Kutters from The Cool Food School

Kids generally love getting involved in cooking but it’s understandable when parents are worried about their safety in the kitchen. The Cool Food School’s Kiddie’s Safety Food Peelers & Kutters help eliminate that fear – the tools are designed to allow children to participate in food preparation without the worry of hurting their delicate hands. You can buy the safety tools, along with more great products, on The Cool Food School’s website.

Use discount code HANNAH to get €2 off any orders over €10 in 2019!

Patisserie Valerie Afternoon Tea

If you’re buying gifts for someone that is more into eating food than making it then afternoon tea is always a winner! Patisserie Valerie offer a great afternoon tea experience that’s accessible across the UK (plus you may even get to be the person that attends with them!). Read my full review here and then purchase the vouchers from Patisserie Valerie’s website.

Travel – Gifts For The Travellers

People who travel a lot always end up with really cool stuff because they visit so many places, so buying for them can sometimes be tricky. As a person who loves to travel I really appreciate gifts I can use whilst abroad, so hopefully the following selection will pique your wandering friends’ interests.

Travel Cutlery Set by BRIGHT

Got a friend who loves travelling but is also concerned about the environment? This travel cutlery set by BRIGHT is perfect – it’s made from a BPA-free blend of wheat straw and PP and is super lightweight and small, making it really easy to travel around with. The set includes a fork and spoon, chopsticks, a stainless steel straw, and a nylon straw-cleaning brush… Food on the go has never been so eco-friendly. You can purchase the set in three different colours from BRIGHT’s online store.

You can get BRIGHT’s travel cutlery set for free if you subscribe to their magazine!

DAIO GO by AOK Design

The DAIO GO is a great piece of kit that makes hair straightening so easy… Especially when you’re abroad! There’s always the worry of igniting everything around you when using hair straighteners but DAIO products ensure this won’t happen. Made with high quality silicone able to withstand 300 degrees centigrade for up to three weeks, the DAIO range help to prevent burns on users, children, and furniture whilst also being fully portable, meaning that you can travel anywhere with them. Since receiving mine I’ve used it pretty much every day and it’s honestly made straightening my hair so much easier! You can buy the DAIO GO and other products from this website.

Use discount code PPP19 to get 20% off all orders!

Stow Away Travel Kit by Atlantic Folk

I always find that men are much harder to buy for than women (generally), so discovering Atlantic Folk was like a breath of fresh air! All of their products are geared towards men who love travelling, and one product in particular that would make a great gift for such recipients is the Stow Away Travel Kit. This particular kit contains face wash, face cream, a travel-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, and those ingenious little “pills” that turn into a face towel when you put them in water. Essential for travelling, and great for saving that precious luggage space! If you know a travel man that’s usually difficult to buy for then you can buy this and other great products on the travel section of the Atlantic Folk website.

Use discount code PAGESPLACESANDPLATES to get 15% off the Stow Away Travel Kit!

Zap-It

I’m not usually one to suffer from mosquito bites when on holiday, however we live near the marshes which makes late summer almost unbearable in our house. The Zap-It became my saving grace this year – by pressing the piezo device (which is super small, so easy to travel with) against the bite it releases a small electric impulse which helps ease the pain and itchiness. I’m so glad I had it to hand as it made a difference, and without it I don’t think I’d have had any skin left from all the scratching! You can buy the Zap-It from Amazon and it will help up to 1000 bites per device.

Culture Smart! travel guides

I was given the opportunity to review a travel guide of my choice from the Culture Smart! series this year and I chose their guide on Colombia. I can honestly say it was the best guide I’ve read in a long while – not only does it inform the reader on culture and important things to know when in the country, it also elaborates on the history of the country and how to approach travelling there as both a tourist and a businessperson, making one of their books a great gift for anyone looking to travel to any of the 100+ countries they have covered so far. You can find out more information on individual guides on their website.

Photo from BeEnhance

Miscellaneous – Gifts For Everyone Else

If you’ve got friends that aren’t big on either books, food, or travel (there’s always one awkward one, right?) then here are some completely different ideas to give you some inspiration.

Skin Care by Skin Shop

Many of us, including myself, suffer from dry skin during the winter but Skin Shop are here to help. They offer a range of different skin products – I tested out the Hydrosil turmeric butter and hypoallergenic milk salve (based on Cleopatra’s skincare routine) along with an Oat Soak bath sachet. The salve has been really useful in combating eczema patches on my hands (see pictures below), which flare up the most in winter, plus has also lessened the dryness of some areas on my legs affected by medication. The oat sachet was also great – I have actually had a real oat milk bath before which was wonderful but very messy, so these are the perfect way to get the skincare benefits without ending up covered in a load of wet oats (not a good look). You can purchase these products and more from Skin Shop’s website.

Bamboo Toothbrushes by Blue Rock

Since switching to a bamboo toothbrush from Blue Rock I’ve felt much better about the impact of keeping my teeth clean – the toothbrushes are made from Mao bamboo, meaning not only are they biodegradable but also naturally antibacterial. Blue Rock offer tailored subscriptions for their toothbrushes on an annual or monthly basis, and these arrive in low-impact and recyclable packaging which makes them the perfect gift for your eco-conscious friends. If you’d like to sign up with them then you can do so here.

Use discount code XMAS15 to get 15% off any 4-packs and/or 15% off the first delivery of your monthly subscription!

The Princess And The Pickle

Another sustainable option, The Princess And The Pickle offer art prints and clothing all made and packaged using eco-friendly materials. I’m completely in love with their vibrant animal prints which I reviewed back in July but they also have a fantastic range of printed clothing and other items, all with stunning original photography and designs. The three prints I received from them have really brightened up my house – you can read my full review here, or visit The Princess And The Pickle to check out more of their products – their cards are perfect for Christmas.

Art By Lena

Art By Lena is a small art business owned by Lena from the blog Lena’s Notebook and her art is absolutely gorgeous! I won the piece below in a giveaway and I absolutely adore it – it’s taken pride of place in my dining room so I get to see it everyday. Along with gorgeous prints that feature subjects such as plants and skyscapes Lena also sells bookmarks, stickers, and even hand-painted ornaments that would look stunning on your Christmas tree. You can view more beautiful designs from her shop using this link.

Sjofn Candle

I was blown away by Sjofn’s signature candle when I reviewed it earlier this year – it’s high-quality and vegan with a gorgeous floral scent, yet surprisingly affordable considering it has a burn time of around 45 hours. This one makes a perfect gift for any friends or family you have that need a little more Hygge in their life, and you can buy it from Amazon.

Planning A Festive Event?

You may remember a while ago that I reviewed Paperless Post, an innovative company taking the environmental damage out of events by allowing you to design and send your own virtual invitations straight from their site. If you’re hosting a festive event this Christmas, whether it be a wedding, dinner party, or simply a family gathering that you want to add a bit of sparkle to, Paperless Post are a fantastic option for producing high-quality, affordable invitations that make a wonderful alternative to traditional invites (as we all know how unrecyclable and wasteful things can get around Christmas time!).

If you want to make a change for the better then you can check out their website using this link.

And now… It’s time to get shopping!

I hope you’ve all managed to find something useful within this gift guide – I’ve really enjoyed putting it together myself and have got some great ideas for Christmas pressies from it! If you decide to buy something from the guide then please let me know how you get on with it as I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Which featured gifts had you intrigued? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and pin!

20 thoughts on “AD: Christmas Gift Guide 2019 – The Perfect Gifts For Bookworms, Foodies, And Travellers

  1. Ooh I really love that idea of Coconut bowls! They are such a cute and useable gift for friends and family. And the other one that caught my eye was the Bamboo toothbrushes – I love to find new things that are environmentally sustainable and that is a very interesting one to gift!

  2. You have something here for everyone! The Coconut bowls are something I tried to win once in a giveaway, so you can imagine I like them. 🙂

    Love that you have eco-friendly options here to, with everything being well-made and something you yourself would like to receive or give.

  3. Such a fab range of gifts here! I love Art by Lena – I bought one of her Christmas ornaments and I absolutely love it. I also worked with Heady Mix this year and I’m excited to start some of their books! Love how many sustainable gift options you have in here too xxx

  4. This is comprehensive list Hannah. There is something for everyone, and it is great that you’ve included eco friendly options too.

  5. Wow, what a bumper mix of gift ideas you’ve given us! It’s really got me thinking and I’m definitely coming up with a few ideas (helpful, seeing as I haven’t even started shopping yet!). I love that you’ve got so many eco-friendly and sustainable options, such an important part of the gift buying process! Some of your art pieces are so beautiful, but I personally *really* want the Love of Books earrings! They’re amazing!

  6. I am overwhelmed by your blog – I want to read ALL of your blog posts. These gifts are such lovely ideas. I still haven’t thought about Christmas shopping yet, but you’ve given me some great ideas. I absolutely love art prints, and the ones you have here are really neat. 😊💖

  7. What a comprehensive list, Hannah! I think all of these would make perfect gifts for people who are hard to shop for!

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