Christmas In July

I am part of  a lovely group of bloggers called 'Bloggers Who Bless'. We meet once a month to encourage one another and to strengthen the bonds within the blogging community. I have met such amazing girls and I really look forward to our meet-ups each month. 

This month we are doing a "Christmas In July" themed evening and we are doing a secret santa. We have been given the name of the blogger we have to buy a present for, with R200 as our limit. To ensure we all get something that we like we have decided to put together a wishlist of about 10 items.

Whoever is shopping for me has a very easy task as I consider myself rather easy to please because I like such a wide variety of things and really am grateful for any gift that I am given! 

1. Nail Polish
   
   
   
   
   
   

Nail polish is a super easy gift that most girls would love to receive! The only tricky part is getting the colour right! With so many colours to choose from and countless trends out there it can be a bit of a daunting task trying to select the right colour for someone.   

Personally I love neutral tones and then on the opposite side of the colour chart I also love all the very dark colours such as a deep purple or plum. Of course metallic is gorgeous too and if you throw in some glitter, even better!! 

You also can't beat the classic french manicure! 

2. Scarves

It's winter, scarves are one size fits all and are always on trend! They make a great gift for all ages and are a great option for any budget! I love printed scarves and these 2 from Woolworths are just gorgeous.

3. Bath Stuff
Anyone that knows me knows how much I love my bath time! I literally spend hours in the bath and so absolutely anything bath related will be a much used and loved gift by me! 
The Body Shop always has such lovely things! 

4. Pj's 

My standard sleep wear is usually just an over-sized t-shirt ("borrowed" from my brother) and some boxers - real lady like! In winter I just wear as many layers as I can and don't care much about matching sets of anything. That said, when I stay over at friend's place it's always nice to take along some respectable pjs. Size wise can be a bit of a pain but I like loose fitting things to sleep in so even if something is too big, it will still get used! 

There are matching bottoms for this,

Mr Price have started to cater for us crazy cat ladies and have such cute pj sets at the moment! I would say I am I medium but Mr Price sizing can be very strange at times unfortunately!

5. Sweat Tops

In staying with clothes and Mr Price, they also have some really nice casual sweat tops. 

These are on my wishlist because it's something I need but never end up buying for myself. When I go clothes shopping I would much rather spend my money on beautiful outfits that I can wear at social events than sweat tops which are something I would wear casually at home or to the shops. However, when I find myself looking for something to wear on a day where I don't have much to do, I never have anything in my cupboard!

I thought this 'single' sweat top was pretty cute and funny!  

6. Kitchen Stuff

As a foodie you can pretty buy me anything for the kitchen and it will make me happy! Unfortunately kitchenware isn't cheap so with a R200 present budget it makes it a bit more difficult to find something in this department. I did find some nifty egg things on Yuppiechef which are within budget and make a super gift! 

7. Handbags & Wallets

Can you ever have too many handbags? Probably! But I certainly don't, so here they are on my wishlist. I'm a little fussy with handbags but if you stick to simple classic colours and styles then you will be safe. I don't do clutch bags or any bag that isn't practical to be carried around. I'm a small girl so I can't have a bag that is too big or else I just look silly! 

<- I LOVE this Mr Price Bowler bag! It's in a classic brown shade and will go with nearly every outfit!

 If my list of 'don'ts' has put you off then maybe opt for a wallet? 

They're cheaper and I am a lot less fussy when it comes to wallets. All I ask is that there is ample card and cash space. That's not too difficult right? 

Spree

Example of 'ample space'

8. Vitamin E

I love the vitamin E range from The Body Shop or any brand really. We need to pamper our skin, especially in winter and vitamin E is a nice gentle way to ensure our face and body gets enough moisture! It may seem like a less personal gift but it really isn't! 

9. Cook Books

As I said earlier I am a big foodie and anything for the kitchen would be much appreciated! I love reading and experimenting with new recipes so recipe books are always welcome in my home! Do remember that I am a diabetic and do not eat carbs so you would have to buy something that would be suitable for my diet! 

An example of a suitable book would be Tim Noakes' ''real meal revolution". This is a very popular book right now and is pretty difficult to find! For that reason I am not 100% sure on the price but I did see it somewhere for R220 so it may be a little over budget! 

There are other diabetic friendly cook books but if you are struggling then you could also buy a reference book of herbs, spices, different food cultures etc. I love anything to do with food so get creative! 

10. Flowers

My wishlist would not be complete without flowers! Flowers make me happy and having them in my home always brings a smile to my face. Potted plants or flowers are best as freshly cut flowers don't last very long. Orchids are a good option, everyone loves them and they are very easy to keep alive - it's getting them to re-flower the following season that's the hard bit! Woolworths always have orchids in store but for a wider selection (and better prices) I would go visit a flower shop or a garden centre.

And there you have it - My Christmas in July Wishlist. 

Good luck to my secret santa, I know I will love anything that you get me, whether it's on my list or not =)