With Christmas just around the corner, you are probably already wondering how you are going to pay for the gifts and items for everyone on the gift list. With this said, there are a number of ways to spread the cost over the holiday season so that you aren't burdened with one giant bill to pay off at once.

These are the top 5 tips for spreading the cost this Christmas, and affording everything you want (and need) to buy.




1. Catalogue shopping

With many online catalogues offering to finance for up to 36 months (or longer), you can truly spread the cost out. Not only that, but most catalogues sell a variety of items so you can buy several gifts on the shopping list, all in one place, rather than having to visit several department stores. Some offer interest-free credit too.

2. Online Surveys

Ever done online surveys? Seems foolish to many, but many companies are willing to pay you for your opinion or enter you for a prize draw. So, if you get a survey after shopping, consider doing it. Survey sites are worth signing up for and not only will many companies gift you gift cards or money back options, they will also offer free gifts in many cases as well.



3. Credit cards

Sure, you don't want to use them, but for many, this is an option they need. Many credit cards will offer the option for 0% interest-free financing, especially for a balance transfer. So, if you qualify for free financing, and pay off the entire balance by the promotional period, you won't have to worry about high-interest charges looming over you either. Watch out for an arrangement fee though.

4. Department store cards

They are typically very easy to qualify for, and most stores offer free promotional periods, meaning no interest if you pay the item off (typically 6 to 12 months with most stores). Some department stores offer an additional percentage discount (5 to 10% off) when you use their store card too. So, it is a double bonus as you don't have to worry about interest, and you receive an additional discount simply for using the store card.

5. Layaway

Many retailers offer the 'layaway' payment option for their shoppers. If you are purchasing a large gift, like a gold necklace, a gaming system or pricey electronics, you can pay it off over time. Some retailers offer weekly payment options, others offer monthly options. If you visit stores now, not only do you have about three months to pay off the entire purchase, most retailers offering the layaway payment option do not charge interest as long as you pay off the entire item prior to picking it up. I know when I had my own jewellers we did this and it is often seen in independent stores.

These are a few simple, and creative ways for you to go about holiday shopping this year. Not only will it allow you to buy all the items and gifts on your holiday shopping list, but it also allows you to save on interest, and receive great promotions and discounts when shopping. Consider shopping early, and getting these purchases out of the way now, so you can take advantage of these different methods of spreading out the cost of holiday shopping this year.

Do you use any of these methods wisely to spread the cost of Christmas?

Edinburgh is a beautiful historic city, and one with such a variety of amazing things to do and see. From the Georgian elegance of New Town, to the preserved medieval Old Town and the world-class shopping of Princes Street, history buffs, foodies, shoppers and lovers of culture and fun all love Edinburgh equally.

If you have never been to Dubai, I urge you to go. It a melting pot of cultures and traditions, with incredible architectural styles both old and new, amazing shopping from the designer malls to bargains in the souks and many fun activities for both young and old. 


I was asked recently by Travelbag to come up with an itinerary of what to do if I only had 24 hours in Dubai. This is my post.

10.00am - Visit Atlantis The Palm Waterpark, Aquaventure



2pm - Afternoon tea in the Burj Al Arab hotel


This incredible iconic hotel is a feat of engineering, being built on an artificial island and designed to mimic the sails of a ship. This is Dubai's self-proclaimed '7-star hotel'.  On the roof, there is even a helipad for the millionaires that stay here. 

I am one of those people that have hard skin on my feet. It's not a pretty state of affairs down then I can tell  you. I actually feel embarrassed to have a pedicure when I do, a couple of times a year. I really should take more care of my feet, so when I was offered the chance to try the Micro-Pedi Limited Edition manicure and pedicure set I jumped at the chance.



I tried something similar from a competitor last year and was really dissapointed as it hardly took any hard skin off my tootsies, so I was hoping the Micro-Pedi lived up to it's promises.


In the Micro-Pedi limited edition you get a range of items for a complete pedicure or manicure. The only thing that you need is nail varnish for a complete look.

Now using the Micro-Pedi roller I didn't expect a miracle cure for my feet, but I thought I would give it a try. Firstly the instructions say to wash your feet and dry them thoroughly, after inserting an AA battery, I then remove the protective protector on the device and switched it on. 

The Micro-Pedi roller is a buffing device - it feels coarse like sandpaper. As it rolls you run it over the hard skin gently rotating as you go. I used this continuous, rolling it and rotating it over my heels for approximately a minute, taking care not to use it in the same place too long.  Superficially it worked on my feet and took off a fine layer of skin. I could see this wasn't an instant cure but that a gentle course of treatment was needed. At this point I thought that I would tackle the hard skin over a course of a few days, and would see what they would be like after a 3 day course of treatment.

After I finished using the Micro-Pedi I then smoothed the Ultra Finishing Foot Cream into my heels. This specially formulated product with coconut extract felt very nourishing on my feet and had a pleasant fragrance with top notes of coconut and an underlying floral tone. 

So what did my feet feel like after my first go you may ask? Well they were definitely smoother and softer but I can still feel hard skin on my heels. 

The next day I used the Micro-Pedi again. I took the device and rolled it over the hard skin on my heels for the same length of time as before. The skin comes off in a fine dust, so I recommend doing it on a towel or over a hard surface that you can clean easily. Again I applied the nourishing foot cream after treatment. I really rate the cream, as it glides on the skin and feels like it is penetrating into my heels. It feels like it is actively make them softer.

The last time I used the Micro-Pedi was the next day. After repeating the steps again as above, and smoothing in the foot cream I checked my feet for the final result. Before I give you my final verdict I felt it was important to show you the rest of the set too.


This Micro-Pedi Limited Edition also comes with a manicure and pedicure set. This includes toe separators, mini scissors, and nail clippers as well as a range of tools to cut, buff, polish and shine, it makes a great gift. Unfortunately the nail clippers broke, and I don't know why, I can only imagine a manufacturing fault.



I'm no expert in the manicure and pedicure department but the instructions were simple and easy to understand.  I buffed my nails with the tools that attach to a different roller. I particularly liked the cuticle tool to push back the cuticles. 



My verdict:- Beautiful feet in seconds? Not quite, however, if you have a problem with hard skin and want a gentle solution to removing it consider a course of treatment with the Micro-Pedi. 



In my opinion it is just as important to use the Ultra Finishing Foot Cream after treatment as this softened and nourished skin.  In the future I will use the Micro-Pedi to keep my heels soft and prevent hard skin developing. The manicure and pedicure attachments are a nice addition to the range, however I did have a fault with the nail clippers which broke. Overall that let the set down which was disappointing.

My rating 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

* I was gifted the item by Pedi Reviews

Today is World Rhino Day. World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010. Everyone knows about the fact that elephants are killed every day for their tusks. According to National Geographic, over 100,000 elephants have been killed in the last three years, but rhinos are killed too for their tusks, which some cultures believe have medicinal properties.


Of the two types of rhino in Africa, the black rhino and white rhino -  there are only 20,000 remaining of the white rhino and only a handful of the even rarer northern white rhino. The black rhino is even more endangered being on the critically endangered list with a population of only approximately 5,000. As you can see these magnificent creatures are under major threat.

The very real risks of both elephants and rhinos face in Africa will be around for as long as there is demand for their products. Rhino horn is used in some traditional Asian medicines for a variety of conditions from a high fever to blood disorders and even as a hangover cure whilst in Vietnam where some people believe rhino horn cures cancer. It is important to note that there is no scientific basis for these claims.

Organisations that focus on saving these beautiful creatures should, in my opinion, be applauded. Tusk is one such charity that funds conservation and community development in Africa. Tusk has set up important surveillance projects to monitor the black rhino population, and protect them from poachers. 

So what can we do in the UK on a simple level? We can donate to Tusk through their website and also through initiatives where companies donate their profits of a product to this worthwhile charity.

One such company is Asimi Silver. Asimi Silver feel so strongly about the cause that they have pledged 100% of the profits from both their silver elephant necklace and their silver rhino necklace to Tusk.
These beautiful pendants are full of character and very unique like the animals themselves and come complete with sterling silver chains, beautifully presented in a lovely Asimi presentation box, and tied with a bow. Inside is a silver care card as well as a note confirming your support of these animals through the charity Tusk.

Rockface for men is a really cool brand that my husband buys regularly. He loves the way that each product works effortlessly to keep him well groomed and smart, and I like the way that the citrus fragrance makes him smell, totally fresh and yummy. That's the beauty of the Rockface products - they are multi-tasking, performing like an aftershave as well as a toiletry. He has been given a selection of products to try from the wide range and these are the highlights below.
Win a selection of Rockface products

One such design that has come back into fashion and is popular with Names 4 Ever is the name necklace like the 'Carrie' necklace. Made popular by the series Sex In The City, the 'Carrie' necklace was worn by Carrie Bradshaw who was played by Sarah Jessica Parker and was acquired when she went shopping with her best friends in the show. It symbolised being single and free.  The popularity of it grew and before long it became worn by women of all ages, single, in a relationship and married - women that adored the personalised scripted jewellery.

A design that is similar to the 'Carrie' necklace is the 'Petra' necklace. In a beautiful script, what makes this necklace stand out is the heart bottom right of the design. It is particularly popular as it is often gifted by a partner due to the symbol of love in the design.

Another popular necklace by Names 4 Ever is the 'Infinity' necklace. The 'Infinity 'sign is used for ultimate bonds, like love and friendships - heartfelt concepts of eternity. A lovely gift for your first love or perhaps for your partner on your wedding day, the unbroken bond of the 'Infinity' necklace is forever.
The 'Bar' necklace is a design made by Names 4 Ever, that is simple, chic and stylish. If you want a classic look that won't date consider this necklace with your choice of engraving. If you do not want names engraved, a heart felt message or words that you live your life by can be lovingly scripted on this beautiful necklace.
Today I am giving you the chance to win a name necklace in silver only. Entry is through the Gleam application below which picks the winner at random. It's easy to enter honestly, for a guide on how to enter check out this post by Super Lucky Di!

If you like the competition why don't you bookmark it as you can enter daily. If you enjoy entering competitions, I have more competitions running on my competition page here. Good luck!
Win a silver name necklace

UK competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Orlando, Florida is the fun capital of the USA. I have been to Orlando on a number of occasions with my family, visiting the theme parks and enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Candles come in a huge range of shapes and sizes and are often used to mark special occasions such as birthday parties and romantic first dates etc. According to the National Candle Association, candles are most frequently burned in the living room (42%), followed by the kitchen (18%) and the bedroom (13%). They also stated that 7 out of 10 households use candles on a regular basis, which shows just how popular they have become in recent years. 

K Jacques are a family owned business that are known for their fabulous gladiator sandals. At the heart of this third generation business in St Tropez is fabulous craftsmanship and stunning design.





Producing sandals for men, women and children one aspect of their business that is unique to them is the customisation process. Here a pair of sandals can be customised in a few easy steps. If you are not sure which design you want, you can browse the 'Inspiration Gallery'.





From flat sandals, wedges, stacked heels and moccasins, there are many choices of style you can have. 



To customise a style you have two ways of doing this. 

By using 'Customise All Style' you click on a design you like and go from there. By clicking 'Let's Choose' you select a style and size then click on 'Customize This Model'.

Then every part of the sandals can be customised. The sock or insole and each part of the leather can be chosen in a different design and material. Colours range from black, navy and brown to floral prints, metallic golds and even snake skin and animal prints.



This process can be tremendous fun and very therapeutic.  I urge you to have a try and unleash your inner fashionista! I particularly liked the soft suede materials in a vibrant blue colour. If you are not sure about your design, then you can save it until you decide what you want to order.

Using the customisation process you can produce something beautiful that are made to your specifications and at a fraction of the cost of a handmade pair.

Although the company is based in France, delivery is in 10 working days and is easily tracked. My sandals were delivered to the UK within this time by Fedex. I chose a two tone pair of wedge sandals made with a beautiful soft blue suede and a dark sole.