Gemma 
Welcome to Day 2 of Blogmas At Home 2024! 🎄🎅🏻✨
Last year, I created 3 separate gift guides for the festive season, each with a different theme. I still love all of those picks, so, if you’re looking for something specific, I’d recommend checking them out! You can find those posts here:
- 2023 Gift Guide for Bullet Journalers
- 2023 Gift Guide for Knitters and Crocheters
- 2023 Gift Guide for Bakers
This year, I’ve opted to make one, bumper gift guide. In this post, you’ll find a chaotic mix of things that I’ve been loving this year, which will hopefully give you some new and interesting ideas for your own gift-giving. To help you navigate through the list, I’ve organised all of the items by price.
A quick disclaimer:
This post contains no sponsored items, affiliate links or items otherwise gifted from brands. I'm just a small town blogger (at the moment)! Everything listed is something I have purchased for myself, received as a gift from a family member/friend, or have tried out. All comments/reviews are my own personal opinions.
All prices listed are correct at time of writing, but please be aware that they may change over time.
Table of Contents
Gifts Under £5
The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson – Wordsworth Poetry Library – £4.99
I recently picked this book up for myself and I was just so impressed by how beautiful it is, especially given the low price point! I think this would make a perfect stocking filler.
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Books by Melissa Nathan – from £3.50
Okay, so this one’s a little more vague because these books can be tricky to source, but I really love them so I wanted to include them here! You’re more likely to find them from second-hand booksellers, such as World of Books, but I promise they are worth the faff of finding them (and buying secondhand is a great way to keep Christmas slightly more sustainable!).
Melissa Nathan (who very sadly passed away from cancer in 2006), wrote 5 witty, rom-com style books: Acting Up (a modern take on Pride and Prejudice), Persuading Annie (a modern take on Persuasion), The Nanny (my personal favourite), The Waitress and The Learning Curve (which was published posthumously). They are all super comforting, lighthearted reads that I think any rom-com reader would love. If you have any friends/family members who are big Jane Austen fans, the first two books would make especially great gifts!
Buy them from World of Books here.
Gifts Under £10
White Mausu Peanut Rayu – £6.99
This is a rogue entry, but this Peanut Rayu from Dublin-based White Mausu would make the perfect, unusual gift for any foodie. It’s essentially a condiment, made with peanuts, sesame oil, chilli and all sorts of other delicious things, but you can essentially treat it like a tasty chilli oil: it can be used as a dipping sauce, a finishing drizzle, a seasoning— the possibilities are endless!
Buy it from Sous Chef here.
Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Gemstones – £7.95 (or 2 for £14)
I love these Chocolate Gemstones— they’re basically just little chocolate drops, but extra fancy. According to the Hotel Chocolat website, individual white and dark chocolate drops are fused together to make these shiny morsels, so you never know whether each one will be all white, all dark, or a delicious combo of both. Again, these would make a great stocking filler!
Buy them from Hotel Chocolat here.
When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke – £9.99
Another book from way back when (2004, to be exact), this children’s book was one of my favourites when I was growing up. It features a slightly different take on Christmas, where there are multiple Santas, invisible reindeer and the very real threat of being turned into chocolate. What more could you want?
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – £9.99
I read this book earlier on this year and absolutely LOVED it. It’s very different to any fantasy book I’ve read before, so it felt really new and exciting, while also being a very gentle, comforting read. It’s written like a scholarly journal, which sounds a bit dry, but it’s infused with a dry sense of wit and humour that makes it thoroughly entertaining. It’s an unusual book and, from the reviews I’ve read, people either loved it (like me) or just weren’t into it at all, but if there are any readers in your life, I’m sure they’d love to give it a go! The second book in the series (Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands) was released earlier this year, while the third book (Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales), is due to be published early next year.
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood – £9.99
Ah, another book, but a completely different vibe. Firstly, this book is much more… adult than the other books on this list (she’s spicy), so it’s definitely not one to be buying for children! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book— I’ve enjoyed all of Ali Hazelwood’s usual, romcom-style novels, but this is a different direction for her, which I loved. This would be a perfect gift for readers, fans of Twilight or just lovers of the supernatural in general!
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Gifts Under £15
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett (illustrated by Jon Klassen) – £12.99
Anddddd we’re back to the child-friendly books with this gorgeous, illustrated, festive pick. This book would be the perfect present for families with young children, where reading it every year can become a fun tradition.
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber – £13.99
I read the Caraval trilogy for the first time this year, which is a whimsical, fantastical story full of romance and plot twists that I really enjoyed. In October, Stephanie Garber released a holiday novella set in the same world and featuring the same characters, called Spectacular (which I haven’t read yet, but am so excited to!). If you have any friends/family members who have already read the Caraval series, this would be the perfect, festive present for them. If they haven’t, consider buying them the whole series: you can buy the books individually, or, if you’re feeling particularly generous, there’s a special edition box set of all 4 books, including Spectacular (but it is a rather staggering £91.99…).
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Herbivore Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Mist – £14.00 for 60ml
This is a holy grail product for me— I use it basically every day: it’s great in the winter to rehydrate dry ski, and in the summer to cool yourself down when it’s hot. It smells SO good and it feels so hydrating and refreshing on the skin, it really is one of my favourite skincare products. It’s available in 2 sizes: 60ml and 120ml, but I’d recommend buying the 60ml one. Not only does it work out cheaper (the 60ml one is £14, the 120ml one is £29), but I have found that the product starts to discolour quite quickly— it doesn’t impact the functionality/smell of the product at all, but it does look slightly less pretty and pink.
Buy it from Cult Beauty here.
Face Halo Pro Makeup Remover – £14.99 for a pack of 3
I swear by these reusable makeup removers— they’re so easy to use AND they’re a more environmentally friendly alternative to regular, disposable cotton pads. You don’t need any cleanser (just water), they take your makeup off so easily (even heavy stuff, like black eyeliner and red lipstick) and they give your skin a little bit of exfoliation as you use them, which is an added bonus.. I like the black version, because you can’t see any makeup stains on them, but they are also available in white.
Buy them from Amazon here.
Gifts Under £30
Baa Baa Brighouse Literary Sock Set – £22.50
If there any knitters in your life who also love to read, these literature-inspired sock yarn sets would be the perfect gift. Each set comes with a full, self-striping skein and a plain mini skein for the heel/toe, and they’re all inspired by the Penguin Clothbound covers of classic books. My particular favourite (and the one I bought my mum for Mother’s Day this year!), is this beautiful teal set, inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma.
Buy them from Baa Baa Brighouse here.
Sushi Go Party! – £27.99
This is a cute card game that makes a great addition to a family game night— it’s pretty easy to get the hang of and a lot of fun to play.
Buy it from Waterstones here.
Gifts Under £55
Crocs Classic Lined Clog – £54.01
Okay, let’s be real. Crocs went out of style years ago, but they seem to be having some sort of renaissance. I vowed to myself that I would never wear a Croc again, but, after untying and re-tying my shoelaces for the hundredth time during a hospital visit, I began to see the appeal. Coincidentally, I had also seen someone at my local surgery wearing a pair of mushroom-coloured, fleece-lined Crocs and had thought to myself, ‘Wow, they’re nice’. Anyway, I decided to splurge on a pair for myself and they have been so helpful for hospital visits, particularly when I’m having long treatments, because they’re so easy to slip on and off, but still comfortable because of the lining. I recognise not everyone needs a pair of hospital shoes, but if you happen to have any chronically ill friends/family members, or if you just know someone who’s constantly slipping their shoes on and off to go outside, these could be a really great, thoughtful gift.
Buy them from Amazon here.
Wingspan – £45.95
This might just be one of the most complicated games I’ve ever played, but it’s also one of the best. Once you get past the (rather steep) learning curve and figure out how you’re supposed to play it (I recommend watching the online tutorials), it’s such a fun, family board game. There are also numerous expansion packs that you can purchase to expand the game even further (perhaps an idea for next year’s Christmas gift). This would make a great gift for bird-lovers, but it’s not a requirement to play this game that you know your birds (I definitely do not, and I’ve been fine!).
Buy it from Amazon here.
Gifts Under £80
Glossier You Perfume (50ml) – £62.00 for 50ml
Okay, full disclosure. The product I really wanted to include in this gift guide was the Glossier You Rollerball perfume, which has been a firm favourite of mine since I bought it as a little Christmas treat for myself last year. Unfortunately, Glossier seems to have discontinued the rollerball version and now only sells a full size perfume (100ml, £112), a smaller perfume (50ml, £62)) and a travel size version (8ml, £32). I still absolutely love this perfume— it smells very clean and fresh, but also has a subtle sweetness to it. I do find that it can smell a little bit alcohol-y at first, but that dissipates super quickly. I’ve listed the smaller perfume here, because it is a pretty expensive purchase, but it’s nice to have different options, so you can spend whatever you’d like. I do feel like the 8ml travel size version is a bit of a swizz, though? Why is it over half of the price of the smaller one that contains nearly 7x more product? Who can say…
Buy it from Glossier here.
Lucy & Yak Harper Fleece in Jasper Red – £79.00
Okay, so this is the most expensive product on this list, but it’s also one of my absolute favourites! I purchased this fleece for myself (using a discount code, thank goodness) in September and I have basically been wearing it non-stop ever since. Sometimes Lucy & Yak’s designs are a bit too patterned for my style, but I just love the warm red and brown colours in this version. It’s super warm and cosy, but the full zip means you don’t need to worry about overheating in it (a big plus for me, because I often feel stifled by warm clothes).
Buy it from Lucy & Yak here.
And that’s it! My 2024 Christmas Gift Guide— a random amalgamation of all of the fun things I’ve been loving over the past year. I hope you’ve found this post helpful, or perhaps been inspired by some of my picks for your own seasonal gifting!
Gemma
xxx
