Valentine's Gift Ideas for a gay dad

 

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I thought I would list a couple of ideas for presents that I would have on my wishlist in case it helps give you inspiration to buy gifts for the special person in your life. 

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am candle-mad and always have a range of candles around the house. Sadly, my obsession does not simply feature budget brands. I do love Diptyque candles, and they do carry a hefty price tag. However, they smell incredible, and I somehow manage to make them last quite a while, so I find them good value for money. If I am splurging on one of these candles, then I do my best to buy them in SpaceNK, as then I can collect points that I can trade in for other luxury goodies to spoil myself. 

My favourite scent is Feu de Bois, which literally translates to wood fire. It has a deep, rich, smoky scent as though you are sat by a log burner or open fire. I love how the scent lingers in the room, and it is perfect for those dark, dreary February nights curled up on the couch with a box set. At £58 its not a cheap purchase, but its a treat on a special occasion and definitely worth it. 

Now, my other obsession is skincare, and I do love treating myself to a range of lotions and potions to try and fight the signs of ageing. No need to comment to let me know whether or not I am wasting my money. 

I used to travel internationally regularly for work, and I was introduced to Summer Fridays and their jetlag mask, which is like a thick moisturiser to use at night and leave on. It's rich, creamy and ideal after a hot bath to make skin feel really moist and soft.

Traveling, I would carry a small tube of this (£26) in my carry-on luggage, along with other travel essentials, and it always made me feel refreshed after a long-haul flight. At home I have the large tube (£49) and I have had the same tube for almost a year and a little goes a long way.

Again, I always buy this in SpaceNK to collect points and use them for more goodies, and when I am in the shop, I always ask if they can throw in some samples of new products for me to try. The sales staff are always so generous with their samples and freebies. Plus, the idea of a freebie does make spending quite a bit on a cream worthwhile. 

Finally, the way to my heart is via stationery, and I have a large range of diaries, notebooks and other office paraphernalia. Too much if you ask some people. But my absolute favourite has got to be Papier and their range of notebooks. The style of the books combined with the quality of the paper are second to none. Now, if I was treating myself to a Valentine's gift, then I would definitely consider the monogrammed leather-bound notebooks, but at £50, they are not cheap. The cheaper range is simply cheaper in price but not in quality, and my go-to is usually the hard-backed and lined notebooks that are usually around £22, which I do not think is too bad for a statement notebook. Plus, if you sign up for their newsletter (then unsubscribe later), you can get 10% off your first order.  I love their two-tone books as they look unique, and people often ask where they are from when I am out and about. 

If all else fails and you are running out of time to buy a Valentine's gift, then be sure to simply grab a nice bottle of wine, some nice chocolates or other goodies that you can share with your loved one. In the comments, why not let me know what your favourite Valentine's treats are? And when it comes, I hope your Valentine's is spent with special people and is filled with love. 

Five Birthday gift ideas under £20 for a 7 year old

 

I cannot believe that my son is going to be 7 at the end of the month! 7! Where has the time gone? I am not sure about you, but kids are growing up so quickly these days, and all they want is technology, and this is a subject area that I am constantly battling with. I know it can be so beneficial to kids to learn but at the same time, there are so many dangers out there with technology not to mention the amount of crap content on platforms like YouTube, Tik Tok and the like. 

This year, I have found turning seven to be a bit of a challenge when it comes to deciding on a birthday present. It is a sort of funny in-between age when kids are beginning to develop their own personalities, tastes, and preferences, not to mention aspiring to be more mature than they really are. Not to mention Christmas hasn't long passed and he got so many great gifts then. 

My son is very popular at school and has been invited to several Birthday parties, and I always find choosing gifts quite the challenge, and I often contemplate what to buy then panic buy at the last minute. With lots of parties throughout the year, it can also be quite costly.  So, I have noted five quick and easy gifts under or around £20 that we have gifted in the past and that have been well received. I have posted links also - and these are not affiliate links so I do not get any commission should you click through. I am still learning how to set that all up so any guidance would be welcome. 

I hope this little list helps you with your kid's gift dilemmas. Please comment with any further suggestions that you may have as I always love to hear other creative ideas. 

Arts and Crafts

I've really noticed that Ryan's interest in arts and crafts has bloomed in the last few months and he is keen on colouring, painting, playing with clay, etc. and for Christmas, he got quite a lot of craft activity sets. I find The Works fantastic for craft activity sets and they always have deals on such as 2 for £15.  My son is obsessed with dinosaurs and he just cannot get enough of them so when we were in The Works recently buying a gift for one of his friends, we just had to buy this WoodWorx T-Rex kit for an absolute steal at £12. 

not only do you have to build it you also have to paint it, and although we tried to encourage Ryan to copy the colours on the box his own creativity took over and he did it his own way. 

Board games

Growing up, I remember playing a variety of board games with my parents and spending an entire rainy afternoon eating snacks and laughing. I think this is where my competitiveness came from, as I am now very competitive and determined, not to mention a sore loser. 

B&M stock a great range of games that are suitable for all the family to enjoy and they are always a good price too. Some childhood games including Buck-a-roo, Kerplunk and Mousetrap, plus Guess Who have been welcome gifts that have brought hours of fun and laughter. Now and again B&M have great deals including two for one or two for £12. 

Reading books

I feel really lucky that my son loves reading and is very competent in it. One of his favourite times of day is his bedtime story. Over the past year, I have noticed that he is the one reading the story, and I am simply listening to him and correcting him where he may be making mistakes or where he perhaps hasn't come across the word before. His confidence has soared, and he thrives on praise for tackling challenging words. I want to continue to build on his reading skills, and I love a day out at the charity shop buying new books for us to read together. 

My love for the bargains that can be found in The Works continues to grow and I can always be guaranteed to find a decent bargain or excellent birthday present for the many parties my son is invited to.  Currently, there are box sets of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid 8 book set, and Pokemon 15 book set that are a steal at only £15.

Day out experience

If you are looking at picking up something a bit different as a present, I always find vouchers for days out are worthwhile or vouchers for somewhere you know kids love to go. We recently received vouchers for soft play, and during the winter when the weather has been awful and in January when everyone is a bit tight for cash to spend, using these vouchers has been a total lifesaver.  We received vouchers for Wonder World as it's the soft play we go to most. Vouchers can be bought in amounts ranging from £10 to £100 and can be spent on entry, food and drinks too.  I'd always recommend vouchers if you are not too sure what to get, as they can always be used on a rainy day.

I hope you find these gift ideas useful, and if you have any suggestions, then please feel free to share them in the comments as let's face it, parents are always keen to receive tips and ideas for presents.