The Last Minute Easter Shopping Guide: What to do When All of the Chocolate Has Sold Out!

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Anyone who has worked in retail (specifically a store that sells chocolate) during Easter will know that it's a silly move to leave Easter egg shopping to the last minute. However, I'm sure we have all had that one seasonal occasion that was forgotten about only to be remembered the day before the stores close. Today I decided to write this post to help out these few forgetful unfortunates (trust me, I'm not dissing here, I often fit into this group) and to also remind everyone, that once upon a time, Easter was not all about chocolate and that there are alternative gift ideas (especially if you know someone that can't eat chocolate).

ALTERNATIVE SWEETS:
-baked goods (donuts, biscuits, cakes)
-other candy (take note of this Chronically Vintage post and toss a stick of lifesavers in an Easter basket)
-Marshmallows!

BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
-Nail polish (you could get candy colours...)
- Super cute lip balms or glosses (ones in vintage style tins or a cupcake style tub.
-Scented hand lotion (I try to go with a natural one if the person has sensitive skin).
-bath bombs or cute shaped soaps

FOR THE HOME:
-Sweet scented candle
-Bunny mug
-Nice hand towels

ACCESSORIES:
-A Simple Scarf
-A pair of costume earrings
-A pretty hair accessory
-Fluffy socks or slippers might be handy for the coming winter if you live down under.

A GIFT FOR CHILDREN:
-A small plush toy
-A Cheap doll or figurine
-A bouncy ball making kit
-Toy cars

A GIFT FOR A MALE:
-A casual hat or cap
-A stubby cooler
-A car air freshener
-A nice body wash, body spray or shampoo/conditioner

SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE:
If you usually spend a fair bit on Easter, you could buy more than one of the above items or you could buy one of these things:
-A Book
-A Movie
-A Nice Toy
-A Video Game

easter baby by quirkichik featuring stud earrings

Pretty much anything that is Candy coloured, sweetly scented or just downright adorable would be a good Easter gift.

I hope you all enjoyed the post and that it was helpful. I spent so much money on chocolate last year that I thought I was better off buying things that people could keep because we don't really need all that chocolate anyways..

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Bookish Gifts (Part 3)

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I've had a few more ideas floating around in my head for another bookish gifts post and thought seeing as Christmas really isn't that far away and the shops are starting to put out all their gift sets, that now would be the perfect time to write this post. If you missed them, here's Part one and Part Two. And, for those crafty ones, here are some handmade gift ideas.

I've decided once again to break this one up in to categories based on what the person may also be into. I've found that not only is "bookish" a very open non-select selection of people, but it is also a very narrow selection if you separate the other adjectives that can be used to describe the person. I apologise if any of these come off as a little too stereotypical. I understand that every person is an individual and that just because someone likes to write (for example), they don't necessarily want a cute computer mouse...

THE BOOKISH BEAUTY:
This is the sort of girl (or guy) who likes to read, but also likes to spend a lot of time playing with their hair and applying make-up. I thought that the perfect gift for someone like this would be a time consuming product that they can use whilst they read.

Examples:

-Rollers or Pin-Curl Clips:
If your friend is into retro hair-styles this is one gift they'd definitely appreciate. Whether she likes to style her hair hot/cold pin curls do take a while to set (the longer you leave them in the better the curls are) which means she can sit back and read whilst she's waiting. You could add more items to the present depending on your budget and the curling method your friend prefers. If she likes to do wet pin curls a can of hair mousse and some sort of hair wrap/net would be appropriate. If she likes to do hot pin curls a can of hair spray and a cute hair accessory would be a cool gift. If you're feeling really generous a travel curling iron or a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment would probably go down pretty well too.

-Pedicure Kit:
She can do her pedicure and then sit back and read whilst the toe-nail polish dries.

-Face Mask:
Really? Do I even need to repeat myself? A fabric headband would go well with this present.


THE LITERATE CRAFTER:
That person who has to split their time between reading and crafting. I think craft projects/kits that incorporate a bookish theme are the perfect way to mix both activities. You can purchase kits for DIY projects at department stores or create your own.

Examples:

-Custom Book Bag Kit:
A kit with one or two plain canvas tote bags and some decorative tools. Fabric markers, glue, sequins, lace...

-Make your Own Book Mark Kit:
Metal bookmark pieces, string, beads, charms.

AN ATMOSPHERIC READER:
The person that likes to have everything just right before delving into a fictional world. Or you know the person could just be stressed out and want more out of the relaxing experience called reading. The right gift for this person would be something that helps them achieve this.

Examples:

-Cute headphones or ipod speaker:
I like to listen to music while I read and I know a few people who also do. A cheap ipod speaker or a pair of cute earphones (you can get ones with miniature animals and such on them) could be the present they were hoping for.

-A nice candle and/or candle holder:
Like a lamp (mentioned in a previous post), A candle can add light (always handy when reading), and a nice scented one makes the house smell pretty.

THE OBSESSIVE BOOK-NERD:
The person that likes to know everything they can know about the book. They like to read parody books written by other authors or books that reference that book (for example, the many books about Jane Austen and/or Mr Darcy ruining some 20-something woman's life). The perfect gift for that person would be a present that incorporates objects/themes from that book. You could include the book in question in the gift if the person doesn't already have it.

Examples:

-A Movie Adaptation:
A DVD of The latest Jane Austen Mini series might be just the thing for a Jane Austen Fan.

-A guide or handbook for an old author or popular fantasy series that you friend is into:
Be sure to have a quick squiz at some reviews of this guide online first. Some of them tend to be very repetitive and include a lot of revision about what has already happened.

-A themed present to go with a book they haven't yet read (you'd have to include the book in the present) or a themed present based around a book that they have read and owned:
A little bit of research or thought may be required. A smart choice is to go by what's on the cover or to have a bit of a google (maybe some merch site might pop up). An example of this idea is a tube of red lipstick, some black lacy gloves and a copy of 'Vampire Kisses: The Beginning' by Ellen Schreiber.

So, there you have it; My third list of gift Ideas for the bookish people. I hope you enjoy!

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Gift Ideas for the Bookish (Part II)

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For something fun, I decided to write another post about gift ideas for people who like to read. Here's the first post. The objective of these posts is to write a list of things that bookworms would potentially like as presents. If you're a bookworm and your parents or friends are harassing you about what to give you for your birthday (especially if you don't even know what you want) you could send 'em the link to this post.

Obviously not all "Bookish" people are the same. There are so many other things that define who we are, rather than just the fact that we are bookworms. I decided to break this post up into two categories 'Bookish Homebodies' and 'The Creative Bookish' to help people choose the appropriate gift for their bookish friend. The last post was full of very obviously bookish things, but this time I wanted to talk about items that weren't necessarily considered "bookish". These gifts are specified for "bookish" people due to the likeliness that they are a. a homebody or b. creative. Maybe this person is both?

Please note:

 I'm not trying to offend anyone with the stereotyping. I'm just trying to help people find presents for their friends :)

FOR THE BOOKISH HOMEBODIES:

People who like to read inside a lot.

1. Cute Teacups:

-Most people, that I know of who like to read also like to drink large quantities of Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate.

-You can often get cute gift sets with mugs in them around Christmas time and you can buy personalised mugs online.

2. Cute Slippers:

-Here's another stereotype. I understand that not all homebodies wear slippers, but regardless of whether or not they do whoever said no to a pair of comfy slippers?

-Obviously you'd need their shoe size.

3. A Lamp:

-If you know someone who likes to read till late at night a lamp is a great gift.

-You might want to check with the person you're buying for (or whoever they live with) to see if they already have a lamp first.

FOR THE CREATIVE BOOKISH PEOPLE:

I know of a lot of readers who like to blog, write or both.

1. Cute pens or stationary:

-Things like a pencil holder, pencil case, fancy pen...

-Will get plenty of use and inspire your friend to continue to create.

2. Cute computer accessories:

-A fancy mouse or a fancy USB stick (you can get ones with R2D2 or Hello Kitty on them, Example: Here)  are both useful items.

There's five ideas for you!

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie