Hello Mellissa's readers - how are you today?!

Ah, I see that look on your face! You're thinking "Who is this? And what has she done with Mellissa?!" Well, I'm Louise, and I'm here to fill in while Mellissa takes a well deserved break. I promise to be nice ;)

Mellissa knows that I am just a little obsessed with beauty products so she kindly asked if I could share some Christmas gift inspiration for beauty lovers with you. And I said yes. I hope you don't mind? You don't? Then let's go ...

First up I've chosen the Festive Bath & Shower Collection from Aromatherapy Associates. I absolutely adore this brand because each little bottle smells absolutely divine and is designed to target specific things such as back pain, headaches, stress etc and I've always found that it does exactly that job. I picked this particular collection to show you today as it has 10 of their bath and shower oils in, including the new 'Inner Strength' one (which is just gorgeous) and, as you can see ... it's shaped like a Christmas tree. I couldn't resist. Each little bottle should last for one bath or shower but I find that you can usually get two out of them.- £35.00

In my 2 years as a Beauty Blogger, I've noticed that lots of ladies are partial to a little bit of O.P.I - and I'm no exception! My favourite collection of theirs at the moment has got to be the Mariah Carey Christmas Collections, with my favourite being this trio of Liquid Sand polishes. There are two pinky shades and a purple and they have a lovely, textured finish. They are truly gorgeous and I can't recommend them highly enough! £11.55

If there's one thing any beauty lover is happy to receive at Christmas time it has to be fragrance. The one I have a 'test' at every time I'm in a department store is Midnight Rain from La Prairie. Just look at the bottle ladies - isn't it beautiful? Imagine that sitting all beautifully on your dressing table! Stunning. Aside from its prettiness, it also smells delicious. Now, I'm useless at describing fragrances (true story) but it's definitely quite a woody scent to it. I can only describe is as being quite sexy. I feel that this could easily be the women's equivalent of the Lynx effect! You'll have to trust me on this one ladies. £76.00

Ok, I have a confession to make. I've gone on and on and on and on about wanting this mirror. My poor family have heard nothing but "I wish I could afford that mirror". So guess what? My lovely mum has bought it me for Christmas. Aww. The reason I've been after the Illuminated Make-up Mirror from No 7 is that it helps you see your skin in better light. I often find that I apply my makeup in the bathroom and it looks great, but when I look in a mirror somewhere else it doesn't look as good. I always hear such good things about make-up mirrors and this one is often found at better than half price which I think makes it the best value one on the market. £49.99

I have to admit, I love it when brands make little gift sets of their best selling products. And this year This Works have done just that! Eek. This little duo contains two of their products to promote a better night's sleep. Aptly called the Dream Team, this set contains a Deep Sleep Pillow Spray which has a divine French Lavender scent and a Stress Less rollerball, which you pop onto your pulse points. I often use the full sized version of this and find that it helps me relax and just forget about the day I've had. It's wonderful. £10.00

Another fragrance gift? Oh yes! I treated myself to this little beauty last week and it's amazing! If you've ever smelt any of the Benefit fragrances before you'll know that they are just gorgeous, and this limited edition Crescent Row Gift Set includes 4 mini versions. Each set has a lovely dinky bottle and comes with a box - so if you have 4 friends to buy for you could actually split them up and give them individually. Again, I can't recommend these highly enough. They're all just delicious. £29.50

I'm pretty sure that the Curl Secret styler from Babyliss will be every beauty lover and fashionista's wish list this Christmas! This unique styling device actually draws your hair into a special chamber and when you release it you have the perfect curl. Amazing! This is definitely going on my Christmas list this year. £120

I remember posting about the Naked 3 Palette from Urban Decay on my own blog a few weeks ago, and lots of my readers replied to say that this little beauty would be on their Christmas list this year. And I can totally see why. Although this is another neutral palette, it contains more pinky shades than the others. There seems to be a nice mix of shimmer, satin and matte shades within it and as a girl can never have too many neutral eyeshadows, I really think this is the perfect gift.

(Due for release sometime in December).

Beauty lovers are often candle fanatics, and I love this little Christmassy trio from Diptyque. It has 3 mini candles, each of which has a nice festive fragrance. They are designed to be used either all together or separately. Either way they will smell great! A smashing gift set for anyone who loves scented products. Can I have this one as well please?£60.00

And last but certainly not least we have the Ciate Tree Trinkets. I love this product because it contains 6 mini Ciate paint pots (nail polishes) inside baubles! How unique?! Just imagine these hanging on your Christmas tree! Each bauble also features the iconic Ciate Bow as a finishing touch. What an awesome gift £30.00

And there you have it - my gift inspiration for beauty lovers.

What do you guys think? Be sure to let Mellissa and I know by leaving a comment :)

Thanks for reading

A guest post by Karen Lancaster

These gorgeous little cakes are great to make with children. Decorate with shapes cut out of ready rolled icing, such as Christmas trees, stars and snowmen. Easy to adapt for all occasions.

Ingredients

I have a confession to make, come closer, let me whisper in your ear... I haven't spent much money on my flat at all and it's in serious need of a makeover. My flat is lovely and a decent size but in the time I have lived there we have never spent that much money on it and it really needs a lick of paint, some new furniture, a new bathroom and a new kitchen. 

We went looking for bathrooms this week. They were reasonably priced but how much did they want for labour!? I was shaking in my boots when I heard. So that is one thing on the back burner for now.

We have been in our house for 12 years and in that time we have painted a few walls and carpeted some rooms but I have to admit we would rather go on holiday. But now we have decided we should do something about our living room.

My sofa is in a right state, I cover it over with a throw and it hides the ripped material, but I really need a new one and my living room has blinds that are the beigest of beige and that are quite austere for a living room. I want to soften the windows with some curtains and bring some life back into the room. Some new soft furnishings would be the icing on the cake.



So to look for a sofa, I have seen a few nice ones on the Furniture Choice website. I like the classic contemporary look and this Mission sofa below, ticks all the boxes. I think I may order a swatch of the material, and if do place an order soon I could have it in time for Christmas as well. When I bought my old leather sofa 12 years ago it was over £700 and this sofa below is half that price.





For the curtains I want a weighty pair and I like these natural and black luxury velvet curtains from Next. They also fit into the black, brown and cream colour scheme of my lounge. These curtains look beautiful and what I save from buying the sofa I can spend on these curtain for a touch of class.









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At this time of year I have great difficulty finding that special gift for my dad. He doesn't play sport, he doesn't read, he has almost everything he needs. One thing I know he would love though is a hip flask. Buy A Hip Flask is a speciality site with the widest range of flasks I think I have ever seen.

From contemporary to traditional hip flasks, Scottish and Welsh hip flasks, pewter or leather wrapped hip flasks and personalised hip flasks, they are all there on their website. It's a one stop shop for all your hip flask needs!

I am keen to support British business and this business has been around nearly 10 years, in fact they say they are "made with pride in Sheffield". With a range of nearly 400 flasks and free shipping, why don't you have a browse and see if you can find that perfect gift for that awkward man (or woman) you know? 



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When I was asked to pick my Thorntons Christmas Hero and bring a smile to someone's face I immediately thought about my friend Lynn.

Lynn is like a ray of sunlight, always cheery in the face of adversity she really makes me smile. However recently she has been having a tough time. She is a single mum and has always looked after her mother herself. Her mum couldn't be left alone for long and Lynn was always there for her and her son Evan. Evan helped his mum out as best he could but it was difficult on times for Lynn.

On a rare day out with her son, her mum passed away. Lynn was devastated and took it really badly. Since that day Lynn has been really low, and the worse thing is due to circumstances she may have to vacate her house by Christmas.

We have a small group of Facebook friends who look out for each other and Lynn in one of them.

I chose this - Christmas gift bundle for her, a gorgeous selection of treats, besides a massive selection box, and advent calendar for her son.





When I asked some of the others to sum Lynn up these are their words.

"She inspires me to help others with her kind & generous nature, helping others is second nature to her which she does without a second thought"

"She's a huge heart, full of laughter, witty and lights up any room with her beautiful smile"

"Despite whatever personal problems Lynn is having she always puts others before herself. She is a truly selfless person and I feel honoured to know her."

I love Chicken Tikka Marsala but I try to avoid oil and cream when I can. So this is my version of a low-fat Chicken Tikka Masala. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

Sunflower oil
4 tablespoons Tikka Masala Curry Paste
2 Peppers (a mix of colours is nice)
1 Onion (optional)
4 Chicken breasts or thighs chopped into chunks
1 large tin of Chopped tomatoes (400gms)
100 ml of hot chicken stock
4 tablespoon Tomato Puree
2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
3 tablespoons of Natural Yogurt

Some chopped coriander for serving

I have a new slow cooker, a Morphy Richards slow cooker at a bargain price of £24.95. So here is my first recipe.



One Pot Roast Chicken With Lemon

Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 5-6 hours.
Serves 4 (if you have any leftovers you can make soup the next day)

Ingredients

1.5kg (3 lb) chicken
2 tablespoons of sunflower or olive oil
1 large onion cut into 6 wedges
500 ml of dry cider
3 teaspoons of mustard (I used Djon)
2 teaspoons of caster sugar
900 ml (1 1/2 pints) of hot chicken stock (I used 2 Knorr stockpots for 1 litre of liquid but then used only 900ml of liquid)
3 carrots cut into chunks
1 large leak (or you can use celery)
1 lemon cut into 6 wedges
handful of tarragon or other herbs (I used rosemary)
honey to taste
3 tablespoons of creme fraiche
1 tablespoon of cornflour
Method

Preheat the slow cooker to high.
Wash chicken with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
Add some oil to a pan and fry the chicken browning it all over.
Put the chicken breast side down in the slow cooker pot. add the vegetables, lemon wedges and herbs.
Fry the onion wedges in the same oil until lightly browned and add mustard, cider, sugar. 
Bring to the boil and pour all over the chicken and vegetables. 
Add the hot stock and pour all over. 
Make sure the vegetables are covered .
Cover with the lid and cook for 5-6 hours or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife at the thickest point. 
You can turn the chicken after 4 hours if you like.
Lift the chicken out of the stock, drain well and transfer to a serving plate. 
Discard the lemon.
Remove the vegetables and add them to the serving plate. 
Measure out 600ml (1 pint) of hot cooking stock from the slow cooker into a pan. 
Taste and add seasoning and if too sharp some honey to taste. 
Add some chopped fresh herbs and whisk in the creme fraiche. 
Mix the cornflour with some cold water until it's a smooth paste. 
Stir in the cornflour and continue to stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to the boil. 


Serve with roast potatoes, peas, and broccoli or any vegetables that take your fancy!

One of my lovely friends Lucy is trying to raise money for a little boy called Noah. Every day she sees him on the school run and his beaming smile brightens her day. As you can see below he looks a happy chap!



Noah is 4 years old, and this poor little boy spent the first 5 weeks of his life in a special care baby unit. Born 9 weeks early he had a shaky start to life. Unfortunately, he was born with cerebral palsy and each day he has massive challenges just to get through the day. He has great difficulty with walking as balancing and mobility is impossible unaided.

His family are clinging onto a dream to see this little boy walk one day. They have a glimmer of hope. Noah has been accepted by a leading American children's hospital to have a life changing operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). 

This time of year in the cold and wet I dream about the sun shining on my face, and holidays on the Florida coastline.  We have some stunning coastline in this country too and I love visiting Cornwall and Devon as well, soaking up the beach vibe and laid back style. My husband is a windsurfer so beach holidays feature high on the holiday agenda and I'm always on the lookout for cool laid back chic beach wear.

When I'm not dreaming of holidays I love looking for new surf wear and beach style, and that's where I came across Roo's Beach.  Roo's Beach - the shop, was created by Roo Cross and opened in Mawgan Porth, North Cornwall in June of this year. This lifestyle beach brand quickly ventured online with the website Roo's Beach. With a range of cute, fun, beach products and clothing, Roo's Beach is certainly a shop to check out. Products are sourced locally and also internationally from areas such as Australia and Hawaii.

The website is like a breath of fresh air. Everything is so colourful and bright and cheery - I recommend a browse when it's dark and depressing out there on a typical November day.





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Three healthy recipes to get you in the Christmas spirit!

Christmas is the perfect time of year to visit family and friends, and indulge in all those traditional festive treats but between all the selection boxes, pudding and stuffing, it can be easy to slip back into unhealthy eating habits and gain a few unwanted pounds. Eating well will help you watch your waistline, as well as help to prevent too many unexpected trips to the doctor. It’s easy to convince yourself that one little treat won’t matter, but don’t forget that all the calories add up if you don’t burn them off! Why not try some healthy festive recipes to help fight off the winter bugs without having to face the dreaded January crash diet trend? 

Daxon the fashion company have some great outfits for the Autumn/Winter season.

Part of the third largest home shopping network in the world their tagline is "The secret to flattering style" and you can see that in their clothes.

As a VIP Daxon blogger, I was asked to pick an item to review for my blog. I like the padded jackets that are so popular at the moment so I picked this navy jacket available in standard and petite length.




When I first got the jacket out of the packaging I was impressed with the softness of the fabric and the style of the coat. Being lightly padded but still warm for an autumn's day it looked like it would be a great staple to my wardrobe. So often coats are not cut flatteringly but this jacket with the belt gives you the illusion of a waist and nips you in, even if you are an apple shape like me. I like the gold coloured buttons and the pockets whilst not large are a very useful addition. The press stud storm flaps and the metallic looking zip all add to the detail.

Last month I was invited to The Glee Club, Cardiff to review their stand up comedy shows. I have to admit I am a big fan of The Glee as it has a great selection of stand-ups, the organising is spot on and you can almost always guarantee a good night. Did I say how cheap it was too? On certain nights tickets are only £9.50 and with headliners going from £15 it's great value and Christmas party nights are from only £14.




Over the next few weeks, they have some great shows on.

Firstly they throw some great Christmas parties and have been doing so for almost 20 years. If you are looking for somewhere different for a work do, or just a group of family and friends The Glee Club is great for a fun night out.

The Christmas party nights come complete with a two-course meal including turkey, beef or roast butternut squash with all the lovely trimmings and a choice of desserts including fruit salad, cheese and crackers or mini chocolate desserts. Of course with the Christmas food comes a knock out selection of all the best in new and established stand up talent. Bar service is quick and efficient and last time I went they even came around with ice cream in the interval, a fab addition I thought.

Then there is the New Year party celebrations. At £25 for advance booking, it certainly is a bargain for this time of the year. 

You get

4 premier comedians
The chance to pre-order food and drink
Disco and bar open late
Reserved seats
and the all important midnight countdown

Why don't you combine it with a stay in a Cardiff hotel? 

The line up for this New Year's Eve at Cardiff consists of two stand-ups I have seen before Mark Olver and Mike Bubbins. Mike Bubbins intercedes his stand up with being an Elvis impersonator. You know he will make you laugh but don't step on his blue suede shoes or he won't love you tender. Sorry, it had to be done! Mark Olver is a well-known compare on the circuit, always guaranteed a laugh, this is one show you won't want to miss.

Of course, The Glee Club has other venues besides Cardiff - They also have venues in Birmingham, Nottingham and Oxford.

I'm going to The Glee Club next week to see Tom Stade. This Canadian comedian has been a smash hit at The Edinburgh Festival and is a regular on Live At The Apollo. Check out his appearance here on YouTube. I think it will be a great night!



Have you been to any comedy nights at The Glee Club? Would you visit at Christmas or New Year? Who is your favourite comedian?

* I have been given tickets to The Glee Club for an honest review