Christmas Special - For Pets

Here at The Amazing Blog we all are big pet lovers. Our lives would be half empty if we didn’t have our little furry friends with us. Dogs, cats, rabbits; they’re all part of the family and naturally, when December comes, we put all the effort we can into finding them the best present ever. With our suggestions, your best friend will be totally spoiled this year.

I think we can all agree that Christmas is a snuggly time of year, but why should that just apply to us humans? Help your pooch to get cosy with a new blanket from The Stylish Dog Company.

They have a huge selection and we’ve never seen anything more stylish and comfy for our pets. Their collection of Fur Dog Blankets are available in a range of colours, from the lightest cream to a darker chocolate, offering an option to match your decor. Whether you own the smallest Chihuahua in the world or a mastiff, The Stylish Dog Company created 4 sizes of blankets to suit every dog. We didn’t mention cats but we are 100% sure they’ll love it too. All the blankets are available here for £49.

If accessorising is more your thing, this year you can do something special for your dog and for hundreds of other puppies by customising a unique identification tag from Hashtagdogtag. They support Pup Aid, which helps to fight against puppy farming.

With an impressive array of tag styles to choose from, including various shapes, hashtags, materials like  brass, aluminium or copper and sizes from small to large, you're sure to find something to suit your pup. Find out how to create a bespoke treat for your pet here, from £14.50.

We all know that dogs aren't just for Christmas, and Ruby and Duke offer the perfect year round present for your canine pal in their monthly boxes. After all, why should we be the only ones to enjoy the fun of subscription boxes?

On Ruby and Duke's website you can activate the best plan for you. If you’re not sure, start with a 1 month subscription and once you realise your dog loves it, you can go for a 3 month subscription or even 1 year (that's next Christmas sorted too!). Every box is packed to offer the right amount of fun, with products always safe and created for your dog welfare. Usually a box includes 4-6 food items and toys approved by professional…dogs. The price is very affordable, from £20 for a month, £18.50 per month for 3 months and £17 for the whole year. Sign up and order your box of canine goodies here.

This year, it seems as though we're going to have more of a 'Wet Christmas' than a 'White Christmas', and Long Paws offers the perfect gift for those fussy pets who would rather not get their fur wet - MacPaws. Special raincoats that can be easily folded and kept in a small bag, they're practical and look super cute too.

Pack it up before a long walk, just in case, and once dirty, just pop it in the washing machine. Available in 6 sizes, their colours are so pretty, we’d love to have some human sizes as well! Keep your dog warm and dry, and pick up your own MacPaws here for £7.99.

It's all weel and good buying your dog lots of material treats, but understanding their needs is also crucial to having a happy pooch. Thankfully, Tony Cruse, dog lover and dog trainer, wrote a little manual to help us out. With ‘101 Doggy Dilemmas’ he teaches how easily we can misunderstand our dog’s signals. 

From the reason they destroy the garden, to why they like to chase the postman, this book is a valuable support not only if you’ve just decided to get a puppy, but also to improve the behaviour of a long time family dog. It is available in kindle edition and paperback for £2.99 or £7.99 here.

With these sweet gift ideas, Christmas is sure to be a wonderful time for all of the family, even our lovely canine companions.

Christmas Special - Drinks

At this festive time of year there’s nothing better than cracking open a bottle of the good stuff with family and friends. Here at The Amazing Blog we love nothing more than a cold glass of Baileys in the evening, or warming mulled wine, but we wanted to go on the search for some fun alternative Christmas drinks. These were the ones that came out on top.

Firstly we moved away from traditional festive beverages, to introduce Juniper Green Organic Gin. This is a refreshing and versatile spirit to give you a break from all the rich and heavy foods that we will no doubt consume too much of.

The strong yet smooth spirit is perfect for a delicious, crisp gin and tonic, but also allows for some creativity. We loved trying it out in Cocktail recipes, one named Strawberry Basiltini combined the gin with strawberries, syrup, lemon juice and basil. If you prefer a burst of citrus, add some lime or grapefruit juice to the gin with crushed ice. It was so refreshing to try new flavour combinations and a fun festive activity with our friends. If you want to get your hands on a not so traditional Christmas drink, Juniper Green Gin is available here for £16.90.

Next, we have a drink that will get every chocolate-lover excited. Rubis have created a Chocolate Wine. That’s right, combining two divine flavours to enjoy at once. This incredibly indulgent wine is the ultimate Christmas treat, blending tempranillo wine and rich chocolate that contains hints of cherry and red fruit. The flavour combination is typical of Christmas, it could be enjoyed as a light dessert or reserved for those special occasions. We couldn’t get enough of this beautifully rich and fragrant wine, it was truly delicious and luxurious.

We found it could be enjoyed best when chilled over ice, but it can also be served at room temperature. If you want to pull out all of the stops this Christmas, treat your guests to this ultimate chocolate experience, Rubis Chocolate Wine is available here for only £13.

Not quite chocolatey enough for you? Maybe try out the delicious Chocolate Rum Liqueur from Demijohn .

Distinctly unique, and perfect for chocolate and rum lovers alike (all the better if you love both!), this delicious blend of cacao and Golden Caribbean Rum is the perfect digestif, or even nightcap come Christmas Eve. Not as sickly sweet as some chocolate drinks, it certainly warmed us up.  Certainly a more adult way to enjoy a chocolate treat at Christmas, we’d be happy to see this delicious beverage in our stocking. Grab a custom bottle here , with prices starting from £4.92 for 40ml.

For something a little fruity, British Cassis is the ideal candidate this Christmas. This is a highly versatile alcoholic fruit mixer can be combined with our favourite spirit;, white wine, and Champagne. The mixer is inspired by the French liqueur, but given a modern British twist by using the blackcurrant crop. We thought it made a decadent after-dinner drink to provide some fruity refreshment after the heaviness of a meal. It added excitement to the dullest of spirits, sweetening up the bitterness of vodka, and contrasting the sharpness of gin. Our favourite combination was without a doubt British Cassis and Champagne, it created the most fragrant, luxurious and sweet sparkling beverage.

Get fruity this Christmas with your own British Cassis, available here for £15.

Lastly, Christmas isn’t the same without a warming, spiced beverage. Friary Liqueurs have created a delicious and fitting Christmas Liqueur, combining honey, French brandy and Christmas Spices. I can almost feel the liquid warming my belly just thinking about it. Best served warmed in a brandy glass, this festive drink makes a perfect evening tipple accompanied by a mince pie or two.

The fragrant liqueur sparks memories of Christmas’ past and present, the spices encompass everything we would associate with this time of year. If you want to enjoy a more traditional Christmas beverage, Christmas Liqueurs is the one for you. It’s available here for only £15.  

Christmas Special - For Her

You should know the one you love or your best friend better than anyone but Christmas frenzy can be pretty overwhelming and stress you out. The Amazing Blog is here to help because we know how important it is to pick up the right present.
Today’s post is dedicated exclusively to her; to all the boys out there open your eyes, focus and take notes!

Let’s start from something, in a way, a bit different from a typical female gift.
At least 99% of us is secretly in love with our aspect even when we moan about frizzy hair and wrinkles; why otherwise we take so many pics?

If you don’t think it’s a good idea to get for the queen of your heart a selfie stick, we have a better alternative. We’re talking about Lomography Lomo’Instant – San Remo Camera, available on Prezzybox for £99.95. It looks exactly like a 70’s analogue camera, so retro and nostalgic but with modern results thanks to three different flash modalities and colour gels.
 Watch your shots in real time in wallet size on a Fuji Instax Mini Film and bring with you the best moments of your life.

This year nothing will say Christmas and “I care about you” more than a Warm and Woody Gift set from Noble Isle. Beauty rituals will always be a must in a girl bathroom so warm her heart or simply spoil your bestfriend with a body lotion and two different bath and shower gels.

 Their names are so inspiring and tell us stories about hot chocolate, a fireplace and countryside. Fireside suits a spicy personality with its hint of cinnamon and beets extract, where Whisky and Water is tailored on an enigmatic soul, donating a distinctive vanilla, Scottish barley and aged single malt scent to the person who wears it. Get a personalised gift box with your message here for £19.50.

Aiming to surprise her with something classy? Roger and Gallet has the answer: Beauty Crackers. These Christmas beauty crackers are the perfect stocking filler for your loved one, beautifully packaged in a beautiful detailed box in a variety of colours.

Inside the cracker is a 30ml hand and nail balm and a 1.5ml Fraiche Fragrance, easy to carry around in your handbag. A deeply hydrating scented cream that nourishes and protects your skin from the cold winter mornings. Blended with extra virgin argon oil, shea butter and primrose oil, giving you soft and beautiful hands. The collection comes in many different fragrances and we particularly love the Fleur de Figuier, cracker available here at a bargain price for £4.20.

It’s essential for a woman to get her beauty sleep and we have found the perfect accessory to help give you your full eight hours snooze. Yolke eye masks help keep that dreaded light peaking from your curtains out so you can enjoy your much needed nap.

Made with 100% silk, Yolke ensures you are fully comfortable with no distractions around you letting you fall deeply into dream bliss. With a choice from every letter in the alphabet to give a more personal touch, YOLKE ensures you look fabulous even when sleeping the night away. Grab yours here for £25 and start enjoying your beauty sleep.

What’s better than receiving a book full of hidden beauty secrets? Not much. The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible is the perfect gift for your spouse this year.

A Best seller by Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley, this book gives you everything a woman needs to know about feeling and looking gorgeous, all day, every day. You will find top tips form inspirational women as well as sections on nails, make up, and sleep. Grab this essential here for only £11.99 and look beautiful every day. 

One thing you can’t go wrong with for a Christmas present is a Luxury Bath Set and Crabtree and Evelyn have got you covered. Inside is an explosion of Rose, Bergamot Spice and Vanilla extract and it smells divine.

Included in the Nantucket Bria Fragrance Trio Gift set is a bath and shower gel, scented body lotion, Eau de Toilette and cute porcelain bird ornament to hang in your home or on your Christmas tree. The festive packaging is enough to get you in the Christmas spirit and the scent of the trio is heavenly. At box value for £53 you should definitely grab this for your loved one at only £43 here.

Christmas Special - For Him

We don’t know why but all the amazing girls at The Amazing Blog find it tough picking the perfect gift for a man. We might have found the way that can save you from buying your boyfriend just a pair of socks this Christmas due to last minute struggles.

Let’s start from the inner artist that every man masks in his core. If in the past months he’s been bagging you to visit Dismaland, Banksy’s theme park, or his main talent is drawing on walls, L&S Prints Banksy cushions will keep his creativity alive and satisfied.

Signature pictures and Banksy’s quotes replicated on a black, white and red base collection. Young choice on a not too serious sofa, these cushions are the extra touch of folly a stylish house always needs. The fabric is so indulgent and soft it can easily be considered as the best company for sweet dreams. they’re all completely machine washable, the colour won’t fade and will stay bright and vibrant as the day you bought it. Available in two sizes here for £10.99 and £12.99.

From Ross&Ross Food arrives something that – we still cannot believe it – has never seen before: The Homemade Curing Kit. Imagine having for breakfast free range eggs and bacon? Not so difficult, is it; but what if we say that for your bacon you can go better than your local grocery shop?

Finally awakening the farmer in you, curing and producing your own personal bacon becomes possible with this kit. Everything you need is inside, included gloves, a little hook and mixes for smoked, sweet and original flavour. The instructions are pretty clear but some extra help can be found on their YouTube video. The entire kit is available here for only £20, just improve it with your favourite piece of pork!

Question. What’s men best ally and personal pride? Not his car as many could think but his beard. For Christmas you can show him how much you care about it with Annabel James  Shaving Gift Set.

It contains all the essentials for an impeccable shave. After using the pre-shave treatment, one of the famous Edwin Jagger brushes, made with natural badger hair, not too rigid and soft enough to caress his skin, will evenly spread the shaving cream. Indispensable to avoid redness and dry skin, the aftershave lotion also included. All the products are in a practical sample size and wrapped up with an elegant Edwin Jagger ribbon. Let him feel like the groomed king of the manor every day, this fantastic set is available at £18.50 here.

We all love a man that takes care of himself, however, when they take longer than you to perfect their hair, it becomes a bit of an issue. Which is why Jamie Stevens has created the MR collection designed to combat hair loss, grooming for men couldn’t be easier.

We tried the Thicker, Fuller, Stronger collection and within days, the girls were envy of the men in the office’s new hair locks. The MR Collection features three categories, Thicken, Style and Disguise and can be bought here individually from £10- £18.

We have the right gift if your Mr. Right thinks that a perfect Christmas night means sitting around the fireplace and the taste of great whisky in his hand

Formahouse  selected from SPARQ Home the newest and most unusual whisky rocks; the collections we love the most are the Holiday Set and the Man’s set, of course, keeping your whisky cold enough, for the perfect drink.

They are all made by recycled soapstone and will keep your drink nice and cold without water. They can also be used with hot drinks as they’re microwave-proof. The Holiday Set (snowflake, Christmas tree and ginger-man) is available here  for only £15; same price for the Man’s set available here.​ 

Christmas Candles

Glitters and sparkles are only half of the path to a perfect Christmas. We need colours but the smell of Christmas is half the appeal. With this in mind, we love a good festive candle around the holidays, so we’ve compiled a list of our favourites for those of you looking for some inspiration.

We are thrilled to introduce this little gem from  Sandy Bay , the Nutmeg & Ginger Candle that will make your house fragrant like a biscuit. The black opaque glass contains a good size candle that already smells really Christmassy once you open it.

The spicy nutmeg will catch your sense at first, quickly followed by the gently piercing ginger - a mix of scents that bring to mind family, Christmas pudding and custard.  Buy your 75g Nutmeg & Ginger Candle here for £9.99 and enjoy it during more than 15 hours. 

Something that looks like something out of a fairy tale is the Midwinter Candle from Kenneth Turner. This is the perfect item if you’re dreaming of a candle that doesn’t only have a great scent but also a chic design. We decided to go for Midwinter fragrance because it tells us stories about enchanted forests and frosty villages. But from Kenneth Turner Christmas collection you can also find Winter Berries and Masquerade.

The candle is housed in a delicate vase revealing all its crispy and minty fragrance. The whole product has such a delicate design, from the box to the silver, metal tag around the vase. The candles are in different size; the 200gr at £42 is available here.

Next on our wishlist is the rather art deco style Noel Candle from Annick Goutal. Luxuriously scented with pine and mandarin, this would make a decadent gift for any candle lover, and gives of an aroma of the more sophisticated style of Christmas.

We love the gold striped packaging, and thinks that it looks perfectly Christmassy in the most subtle way.  Treat yourself or a loved one to this decadent looking candle here for £39.

Another positively lovely candle offering is from Voluspa. Looking like they’ve come straight from the Three Wise Men, these cute little decorated tins would look wonderful on a coffee table, to fill the air with the scent of Christmas.

Part of the Maison Holiday range, we love the Spruce Cuttings scent, which has already got us excited about buying this year’s Christmas tree. The subtle scent isn’t as sweet as most holiday candles, but smells every bit as Christmassy! It’s perfect for adding a scent that isn’t too overpowering come Christmas Day. Grab these beautifully packaged candles here for £13.00.

If you are looking for something different, Pure Quality Temerity Jones Bourbon Oak Smoked Candle is right up your street. A perfect gift for your Father, Brother or Grandad this whisky infused candle has a manly twist, great to put in their man cave.

Presented in a whisky style glass, this hot ginger scent will remind you Christmas has arrived.Purchase yours here for only £8.95 and smell the Christmas Spirit.