Daniel Wellington Bundle for Christmas

Did you know that Daniel Wellington are offering a 'make your own bundle' this Christmas?

All you need to do is head over to Daniel Wellington by clicking here.

They offer designs for both men and ladies and are just the perfect timeless design to carry you through all seasons.

You choose the watch of your choice; then add either another watch, a strap or a cuff bangle.

It makes the perfect gift for Christmas. The gift sets come in beautiful gift boxes wrapped in a bow which are just gorgeous for under the tree.

DW are offering you 10% off any two items purchased plus using my unique discount code MICHELLEANNA you will receive an extra 15% discount. So that's a lot of discount for some beautiful jewellery. 

Enjoy shopping and Merry Christmas! 

xxx

**Disclaimer: This is a collaboration with Daniel Wellington but all opinions are honest and my own.

When Pictures Speak Louder Than Words - Winter Wonderland 2017

A few pictures from Sunday 10th December 2017. When pictures tell a story, you do not need words.

Thanks for stopping by! 

xxx

All SHE Wants for Christmas - Budget Friendly Gift Ideas 2017

Candles and Diffuser Dupes

Candles are always a lovely gift to receive. They can be used over and over again and I always think that certain scents trigger memories, so each time the candle is lit it will be a reminder of  Christmas 2017.

Aldi have a great dupe selection of Jo Malone candles which are a fraction of the price. There are a few different scents to choose from, my favourite is No.3 Pomegranate.

The candles are beautifully packaged in a large glass with a metallic silver lid, with the black and cream label, they look so elegant. They would look perfect on any dressing table or sitting on the coffee table in the lounge.

They have also released a special buy over the Christmas period, which includes a set of three candles or diffusers for £9.99.

The diffusers are also a great gift, beautifully packaged and have a gorgeous scent that fills a room without being too overpowering or offensive, and gives a very light fragrance to the air.

My favourite diffuser is the English Freesia and Pear, it is so pretty and delicate.

To compliment all of the candles and diffusers, Aldi have also released Room Fragrances, which come in a variety of scents which all smell amazing. And again the price is perfect a £3.49 but the quality is high end.

A Timeless Watch

I believe that a little box under the tree, immediately makes the person you are giving it to, feel extra special and loved.

If you are looking for something that she will love you can't go wrong with a gift set from Daniel Wellington this year. They have the perfect watch and bracelet set all wrapped up in a gift box with a bow to finish it off beautifully.

Their watches are elegant, timeless and classic in design, so suitable for all girls who love a beautiful piece of jewellery on their arm. 

For 15% off your order use code MICHELLEANNA at the checkout.

Unforgettable Fragrances

If I am stuck with what to buy someone as a gift I always head to the fragrance department.

There is always something suitable and although some believe it is a personal choice when it comes to perfumes, I think it is nice for someone else to pick something out and make a change.  

If you are wanting to play it safe, have a nosey on the dressing table, I am sure she would appreciate the half empty bottles, topped up!

Olympea by Paco Rabanne is one of my all time favourites and wore it on my wedding day, so it triggers lots of happy memories.

I hope these give you a few ideas for finding something special for the ladies in your life. 

Thank you for reading. 

Merry Christmas

Michelle xxx

**Disclaimer: This is a collaboration with Daniel Wellington but all opinions are honest and my own.

Elf on the Shelf - Poundland Ideas

I thought as it is the 'eve' of December, and the Elf on the Shelf time of year, that I would let you see what I picked up in PoundLand for this years antics.

Just in case you don't know the story behind the Elf on the Shelf, the Elf turns up on 1st December and is there to watch your little one(s) to see if they are being naughty or nice.

Each night he flies off back to the North Pole to report to Father Christmas. He returns to your house each morning. He is a very mischeivious Elf, and on his return he usually doing something funny or naughty, for your children to find. On Christmas Eve he returns back to the North Pole to assist Father Christmas with his present dropping and then won't be seen till the following December.

So here is what I got for our Elf on the Shelf shenanigans this year!

Elf House Stickers 

These are perfect for sticking on to the skirting board or a wardrobe door. Magical for children to find he has built his own house whilst they've been sleeping. There's even a little washing line to hang out his clothes.

The Postman Elf - Message in a Bottle

I loved this little bottle, and I think little ones will too. It has a little message inside from the Elf too..so cute!

Elf Swing Seat

For some naughty pranks in the middle of the night - I am thinking of putting the swing on the curtain rail for Ella to find one morning.

The Christmas Countdown 

This is pretty self explanatory, but nice for a bit of excitement - and a good way of learning numbers in a Christmassy way.

Candy Canes

I am going to use these as a little treats from our Elf throughout the month, around the house.

Gingerbread Decoration Kit - Christmas Trees

I picked these up for a little gift to be left by the Elf on Christmas Eve, and something fun and crafty  for Ella to do the night before Christmas.

If you want to do something fun with your children in the run up to Christmas then Poundland is definitely the place to go and get some Elf on the Shelf goodies and props.

I will be posting some of the mischief our little Elf gets up to over the next month on my Instagram, so make sure you are following me for some updates. 

xxx

The Ultimate Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving!

It's safe to say I don't find it easy when it comes to finding the perfect Christmas gift for the man in my life.

Its not that he is fussy, its the fact that he doesn't ever really ask or want for anything. So when it comes to finding a gift that's perfect for him, I struggle most years.

I don't know about your other half, but my husband has a busy life. He works in an office, plays different sports throughout the week, and is a Daddy too, so he is always doing different things throughout the week.

When I was asked by Daniel Wellington if I'd like to take a look at  their range, there were so many beautiful watches to choose from.

I found the perfect gift idea! I decided on the Dapper Durham 38mm. I loved the timeless look, the genuine leather strap, the roman numerals, along with the added date feature to give it a little more added sophistication.

I personally love that one of the perks of Daniel Wellington watches is the versatility to change the style of one watch by adding another strap. When you have an ever changing lifestyle it has the ability to compliment any style of outfit, and a gift that keeps on giving. Fantastic!!

I am completely obsessed with how the watch is packaged. It is just the most perfectly presented gift for anyone.

Over the Black Friday weekend (23-27 NOV), Daniel Wellington are offering all my readers 25% off the Dapper Collection and a free strap of your choice (free straps are offered with any watch from DW's collection between 23-27 Nov), PLUS by using my discount code MICHELLEANNA you will receive an extra 15% off of that too!

And if you thought it couldn't get any better - they're offering free delivery and returns too.

If you too are hunting for a bit of luxury in a gift this Christmas, then look no further than Daniel Wellington. 

Disclaimer: This is a collaboration with Daniel Wellington but all opinions are honest and my own.

 

Say Hello to Hello Fresh - Special Offer

I don't know about you, but I get really bored of the same meals every single week.

We buy the same stuff and never really mix it up.

So when I saw HelloFresh boxes, I was really curious to see one for myself and ordered one for the following week to try.

How it works?
The idea around HelloFresh is you are given all the fresh ingredients to make a dinner within around 30-40 mins, from preparation to plate.

There is nothing you will need to leave the house for ingredients wise, because it is ALL provided in the box. You are provided with step by step cooking instructions for each meal, which are thorough and easy to follow. And everything is colour coded to the meal, so for example a bag with the purple label will have all the ingredients needed for the cooking instructions with the purple tab on it. 

My HELLOFRESH Experience

ORDERING

I downloaded the app, signed up and found the menu options.

You pick between 3/5 meals for the week ahead, and then all the meal options are then listed, you can make choices like, meals for two, a family etc and also choose vegetarian options too. Pick your meals and then make your way to checkout.You are asked for delivery instructions, so if you are not going to be at home on the day of delivery they will leave the box in a safe place or with a neighbour. They also text you on the morning of the delivery with a two hour time slot which I bloody loved!!

One ASPECT I liked about the whole experience was menu choices can be changed within a certain time frame (cut off a week before delivery), you are not tied into the meal choices religiously until the cut off date, which meant if needed it could be amended really easily.

DELIVERY and PACKAGING
I really didn't know what to expect from a 'deliver to door' food subscription as I hadn't ever used that sort of service previously, but, I was overly impressed with not only the delivery administration (ie: the text messages with a time slot) but also the packaging. It was fantastic.

Perishable goods, (chicken, chorizo, cream, etc) came packed in an insulated bag stuffed with large ice blocks to keep them fresh on the delivery.

And as I mentioned before all the ingredients for the meals are contained in a brown paper bag, colour coded to the cooking instructions. 

All the ingredients are packed in a rather large cardboard box, which is fine by me, as it can be recycled. 

Hello Fresh Cooking instructions

Meal Prep
Preparation of the meals were simple and easy. The instructions are so clear and easy to follow that it makes it a pleasant experience, and both myself and my husband enjoyed making the dinners together. 

We both were impressed that  the ingredients were for a meal for two, but the amount given was really generous and could have probably fed 3 (so maybe good for a family of 3). 

The Taste Test
All of the meals we cooked actually tasted so fresh, which was good as it lived up to its name. 

The ingredients were all high quality and tasted so flavoursome.

Overall
I think that the concept of HelloFresh is a great one. It is great for busy people.  It is a fab way to explore new foods and ingredients, and improve on your culinary skills.

One of my tips is to make sure you have plenty of room in your fridge for the day of delivery, and then enjoy the flavours! 

If you would like to try HelloFresh for yourselves you can use my discount code MICHEL799 to get £20 off your first order. 

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have tried HelloFresh.

Michelle xx