A Christmas gift guide - day four, men

Ok, so socks are NOT a very original gift idea. A pair and a spare though? That's a brilliant idea. Makes you wonder why they're not all sold in threes!

Buy here

It appears we now live in a world where To Instagram is now a verb. If you know someone who's a fan of the dreamy, retro style shots (is there anyone who isn't?!) then this makes a great gift.

Buy here

Love the look of a mounted animal head on your wall but want a humane alternative? Look no further. We have Bucky the deer on our wall at home and it's always a conversation piece (not to mention a great place to hang some Christmas baubles!).

Buy here

A classic messenger bag for those on the go. This one's also on sale, quick!

Buy here

Some may say that scented candles are a teensy bit girly (not us!) but this one smells of bourbon and brown sugar. To be precise, Double Oaked Bourbon and Salted Brown Sugar Caramel. Very manly. 

Buy here (US only I'm afraid)

This one isn't particularly cheap but Etsy is an amazing source of mens watches, old and new. The tricky part is buying gifts without getting distracted by all the vintage fabric for sale....

Buy here

A Christmas gift guide - day three, magazines

Magazines for me are a real luxury and I don't think there's anything better than an unread magazine and an hour to yourself (that's a mother of two small children talking!). I've been given subscriptions as a present before and it was the gift that kept giving - quite literally, every month. You can get subscriptions to most of these but even one issue would make an amazing present. 

Apartamento

Wrap

Frankie

Another

Lula

Oh Comely

Selvedge

A Christmas gift guide - day two, children

Since having children, Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning. There's slightly fewer festive cocktails and slightly more noise.... but shopping for presents is lots more fun!

These lovely hand printed blocks are made from environmentally friendly rubber wood. There are masses of different faces and patterns to make so this might buy you an hour or two of peace while you get the turkey on. 

Buy here

For those cosmopolitan children who've grown up drinking babyccinos! Their very own coffee machine so they can host their own coffee mornings. 

Buy here

Teeny weeny cherry red DMs - possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen! For all those mini punks out there. 

Buy here

Some great stocking fillers, albeit noisy ones. 

Buy here

This set of t shirts might be a bit summery but they're brilliant for confusing the grandparents over the course of Christmas day...

Buy here

This pillow case is so perfect for those that can't sleep without their precious bear. 

Buy here

A Christmas Gift Guide - day one, cosmetics.

Remember when Christmas smellies meant a Body Shop basket with Dewberry scented bath salts? Well those days are long gone. We're now obsessing over luxe, grown up skincare and make up with extravagant packaging. 

This is my absolute favourite product at the moment and it's amazing value for money. It feels divine and makes my skin look smoother. All for under a tenner!

Buy here

These Chantecaille palettes are not cheap but HELLO? Wild horses! Coral Reefs! What's more, a percentage of the proceeds from each one go to specific conservation charities. So not only are you looking gorgeous but you're helping to save the planet. What's not to love.

Buy here (Elephants, sharks, horses) or you can buy the full range here (US only)

Giving soap at Christmas time is a given really but this one is so delicious you'll want to keep it.

Buy here

Tromborg is a brand new Danish make up and skincare line which uses organic essential oils and plant extracts. I love the sound of a Recover Mist, could be an essential for after the Christmas party….

Buy here

This is my favourite and most Christmassy set from Butter London. It includes The Full Monty which is worth it for the name alone.

Buy here

A list for Santa

Really? Is it that time of year AGAIN? It seems like no time ago at all that we were prepping for last Christmas. Not that I'm complaining - I absolutely adore the festive season. And as we're feeling pretty smug, with most of the xmas shopping complete, it's time to think about what's going on our xmas wishlists. You know, just in case anybody feels the need to buy us armfuls of presents...

Some might say that the ombre trend has had its day, but these tights by Virivee are AH-MAZ-ING. In my naivety I tried to make myself a pair of these in the summer, only to discover that lycra doesn't dye that well...

A sweet acorn necklace by Antonia Ross, to wear on wintery walks in the woods with loved ones.

Obviously not for me (although if they came in bigger sizes I would be tempted - even if I'd look mad), this lobster hat and mittens would make any little dude in your life look more adorable than they already are.

It's pretty chilly out there and apparently it's going to be the coldest winter for years, so wrap up in one of Bless the Weather's cosy cowls. The lady who makes these also has a wonderful blog featuring
beautiful photography of London life - a lot of it South London based (whoop!)

Oh, I do love the V&A. I could spend HOURS in there. Ok ok, so a lot of that time of it would likely be in the shop, but when I'd managed to prise myself away from the retail therapy, the Hollywood exhibition looks sumptuously amazing.

So, that's what we're wishing for this Christmas - what's on your wishlist?

All we want for Christmas...

With Christmas only 5 days away (5!), we thought it high-time for a roundup of what's on our wish lists this year. Of course it really is FAR too late to be ordering any of these goodies in time for the big day but anybody who really needed to know what to buy us has obviously already got piles of fabulous gifts wrapped and ready. Ahem.

Send a photo of your abode to Holly's Houses and she'll make a rubber address stamp from a beautifully drawn illustration of your home. A reason (if one is needed) to get back into letter writing again.

A blue bike! A BLUE bike! Is any rationale needed? The beautiful Birdie from Bobbin Bicycles.

Customisable necklace from Return to Me. You get the necklace and yarn and it's up to you to design and make your own. How fab is that?!

Gorgeous screen printed bag from Bookhou on Etsy. A good way to carry the knitting around methinks.

Silhouette Cross Stitch kit from What Delilah Did. A nice little project to keep your hands busy while watching The Muppet Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time...

So, that's it. We're off to frantically panic buy the last (first?) of our Christmas presents and eat our body weight in mince pies. We got a busy time up ahead with lots of things planned for gather in the new year, so keep coming back here to find out what's going on and/or follow us on twitter @gatherkits. Merry Christmas!