Tag: 2018

Christmas decorations – our top tips for 2018

It’s coming up to that time of year when many of us begin to consider our Christmas decorations and the themes we may be interested in for 2018. Thankfully, professional designers and retailers have improved their offerings in recent years to make this task a lot easier. For example, John Lewis and Partners have unveiled the Amber collection, which is one of eight festive decorating themes they have for this Christmas. The retailer says that each collection represents a different place on earth with the Amber collection being inspired by British woodland. Biggest trend likely to be the rainbow Christmas tree John Lewis has also unveiled an impressive range for their Christmas tree decorating collection with the biggest trend likely to be the rainbow Christmas tree which will be a hit, the firm says, on social media. Essentially, the idea is to offer a spectrum of colours from the top to the bottom of the tree to create a showstopping centrepiece in every home. The retailer says that customers should experiment with different colours to be more adventurous with their Christmas tree decorations. It does appear as though the countryside will be one of the big themes for Christmas decorations this year, along with colour schemes and table settings. Indeed, all of the big brands have taken inspiration from the countryside for their new collections. Sainsbury’s also has a woodland theme Sainsbury’s also has a woodland theme, as do Tesco with the retailer saying that their Christmas in the Cotswolds offering recreates a nice country Christmas look with a classic seasonal colour palette. This consists of green, red and gold to deliver a timeless festive statement which can be added to every year. Though there is also a trend for Christmas decorating ideas to go back to the 80s with bold, bright colours for the festive season. Christmas decoration lists There’s no doubt that one of the hot trends for the 2019 spring and summer fashion collections was for neon and it’s already made its way onto Christmas decoration lists. This means that eye-catching wall lights, bright, wrapping paper and fluorescent baubles will help to highlight our homes and deliver enjoyable festive surroundings. While that may not be everybody’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt that there’s going to be a lot of choice among the retailers and the traditional woodland feel is a great way to create a nice festive environment though many will also be tempted by the unusual rainbow collection from …

The best drink and food advent calendars for 2018

Advent calendars have come a long way since children enjoyed opening a calendar with a chocolate behind every door in the run-up to Christmas and 2018 and now there’s a wide range of Food & Drink options available. For those who are even older, advent calendars usually consisted of opening a window to reveal a Christmas character. The official countdown for Christmas is about to start and there’s an advent calendar for everyone. Some of them are downright bizarre while others are more traditional, so here’s our rundown to some of the better ones. Snaffling Pig pork crackling advent The Snaffling Pig pork crackling advent calendar. Why not buy that someone special in your life a packet of pork scratchings with a beer to wash down with every day before Christmas? That’s the opportunity being presented by the Snaffling Pig Company with its £65 one metre tall advent calendar. Inside, there are 12 packets of premium pork scratching plus 12 bottles of Meantime beer – there’s a choice of pale ale or lager to choose from. While there are 24 doors, each will offer either a beer or the pork scratchings but not both. Gin and tonic advent calendar Yes, that’s right there is a gin and tonic advent calendar available. While there are whisky advent calendars available, it’s also possible now to enjoy a range of gin and tonics with this advent calendar from Amazon. Costing £99, the recipient gets to enjoy a 70 cl bottle of gin from the award-winning Lakes Distillery and then every day there is a new tonic behind every door to enjoy a range of favourite combinations. Among the brands are Fentiman’s, Double Dutch and Fever Tree while the makers may be repeated, the flavours are not. Also recommended: That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar. Carluccio’s Luxury Advent Calendar For the foodie lovers out there, the Carluccio’s Luxury Advent Calendar offers a great taste of Italian foods with a fresh offering behind each of the 24 doors. The offerings include sauces, truffles, oils and pasta so there’s a wide range of tempting goodies to indulge in. The Carluccio’s Advent calendar costs £85. Also recommended: So Wrong it’s Nom Cheese Advent …