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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HER

With Christmas only a few weeks away, it’s this lovely time of the year again where we buy gifts for our loved ones, and share the holiday spirit! I love getting gifts for all my family and friends more than getting stuff for myself. Although many of you like to get your gifts quite early and have a stress-free countdown to Christmas, I am quite naughty and I always end up getting my gifts on the very last-minute, which completely stresses me out. Therefore, this year I decided not only to get my presents earlier than usual but also to suggest some pretty cool gifts for your favorite ones! I am so excited since this is my very first Christmas gift guide post and I really can’t wait to share with you guys some lovely things I have picked out.

Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge/?lang=2&menuid=14&id=114&page=2 — Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge

A perfume set is always a lovely idea for a present. I absolutely love perfumes! Who doesn’t right? Valentino’s Valentina Eau de Parfum set is perfect! I am quite picky when it comes to perfumes but I am in love with Valentina. It is such a sexy and feminine yet fresh scent, that you can’t go wrong with. This set is great as it also contains the body lotion. Layering the perfume on top of the body lotion will make the scent last longer and be more intense. And how cute is that box right?

Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com/new-arrivals/sweet-temptations-ambre-vanille-luxe-body-collection-12615222.html#start=2 — Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com

In the whole spirit of layering and smelling amazing, another great gift and personal favorite is Laura Mercier’s Sweet Temptations Ambre Vanille Luxe Body Collection. I actually got this set for myself and it is amazing! The set has a body wash, body lotion (or soufflé), perfume and honey bath, all with the Ambre Vanille scent. Everything is so pretty. You can use the body wash for a quick shower or the honey bath, which is a best-selling product, for a more relaxing bath. Then layer the body soufflé (which is brilliant!) and the perfume. The scent is quite sweet but not in a sickening way. Such an amazing gift!

Photo credit: http://www.net-a-porter.com

Since we all know how important skin care is to girls – and it should be to guys as well – I find that a luxurious skin care set would be a great gift to your special someone! There are so many out there that I can’t wait to get my hands on, but Sarah Chapman’s Facial In a Box set has really stand out to me. It is a lovely set of 5 products, including a 3-D mask and 2 professional cleansing mitts. It is such a lovely introduction to the brand and such a luxurious set. Using these products will make you feel like you are being pampered in a spa.

Photo credit: http://shop.lomography.com

In an era where we capture every moment on our phones and cameras, what a better gift than a lovely camera that ties the old with the new. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is a wonderful present for everyone; boy or girl. I have the bigger one and I absolutely love it. However, it is quite heavy and big which makes it really hard to fit it in my purse and carry it around all the time. The Mini 8 is a cute camera that immediately develops the pictures taken. It has a vintage vibe combined with modern design. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors. I personally love the powdery blue one! Don’t forget to get a pack of film!

Photo credit: http://www.diptyqueparis.com

As a proper candle-addict, I believe that Diptyque’s Seasonal Candle Set is another amazing gift. Diptyque’s candles are just wonderful. They smell amazing and last forever, plus they are perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere. This seasonal set includes 5 mini candles with different scents which is amazing. It is a perfect introduction to the world of luxurious candles. I have a review of my favorite Diptyque scent, that you guys should check out!

Photo credit left to right: www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.amazon.com, www.anthropologie.com

The last gift I would recommend is a little bit more complicated. Personally, whenever I get gifts for my people I always like to get a couple of gifts instead of just one. I don’t know why but I just love the moment when the present is unwrapped and there are more presents in it. Like the babushka dolls! Therefore, I believe a big stocking filled with many small gifts would be a great gift itself. You could fill the stocking with a book, like Madeline Shaw’s Get the Glow book for the healthy eater, or Jemma Kidd’s Jemma’s Makeup Secrets for the makeup addict one! Great stocking filler could also be a cute little journal like Urban Outfitter’s Oh Snap leather journal, along with some cute stationary. This Gold Monogram Mug from Anthropologie would also make a lovely stocking filler. You can add any bits and bobs you like and personalize the present which makes it even more perfect! Don’t forget the Christmas candy!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year! The holiday spirit is just everywhere and everyone is happy and cheerful. I love that is a gift giving period, because buying presents for my loved ones is ony of my favorite things and it makes me very happy. On my Christmas gift guide for her, I am sharing some ideas of presents for your favorite girls; mom, aunt, sister, bff or loved one!! I personally love all those things; I even have some of them and the ones I don’t have, I really want to get! Following this post, there will be a Christmas gift guide for Him, with some nice gift ideas for the special guys in your life, so stay tuned! Are any of those gifts on your wish list or do you even have any of these and if so what do you think of them? Also don’t forget to pop over Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and Instagram (@blueberrylover) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

MY FAVORITE HOME WORKOUTS

αρχείο λήψης — Picture on https://www.creatorsclubhouse.com/creativeflow-spot-1/

As autumn has set in for good, I begun to realise that although summer has definitely left the building, the kilos I put on during those three months are still around keeping me company. Following a proper diet and leaving the ice cream days behind, is not enough to get my self back in shape. I also need to exercise quite regularly. However, being a bit lazy, hitting the gym is not really my thing at the moment. Therefore, I decided to exercise at home because in that way I can adjust my workout to my needs and be at my own environment where I feel the most comfortable.

I always thought that exercising at home requires spending lots of money on gym equipment, but I was wrong; exercising at home can be quite cheap yet as effective as going to the gym. There are many different types of workout that are easily performed at home without any equipment or maybe some affordable props

Weight lifting

From left to right: Dumbbell and weight cuffs, both from Tiger stores — ***From left to right: Dumbbell and weight cuffs, both from Tiger store***s

Lifting weight is a great workout for many areas of our body; not just for the arms. A pair of light dumbbells between 1.5 kg and 3 kgs, is quite cheap – I got mines at Tiger stores – and the simplest way to firm up your arms. But what about the legs? Going through workout videos online, I found out about weight cuffs. They are some sort of dumbbells that you strap on your cuffs or ankles. You can wear them while doing your everyday choirs or while working out. In that way even the simplest exercise or task will be much more difficult to perform. My weight cuffs are also from Tiger stores!

2. Aerobic

Now this is a great way – if not the best one – to burn those nasty calories and seriously firm up. It seems like aerobic has been around since the beginning of time, however it’s not necessary to be on a treadmill to lose a few kilos. Who needs it anyways when you can jog around your neighborhood or simply going for a nice long walk. A plain old jump rope is another cheap yet effective prob. You can get an electronic one like I did and count down the calories in the process. Apart from that, there are tons of videos online with full aerobic programs that will literally knock you off your socks – literally!

3. Yoga – Pilates

2500062_picture_8073_1 — ***Pilates ball from Tiger stores***

This is my new favorite type of workout. Perfect not only for slimming down but also for stretching your body and becoming more flexible. I love pilates as it helps me with my lower back and shoulder problems while yoga also helps me calm down and remove all the negative thoughts from my mind. All you need is a yoga mat which is quite affordable and you can find it practically everywhere – even H&M has one – and a pilates ball. I got both of these props on Tiger store. I know I know, it seems like it’s a Tiger sponsored post but honestly it is a great store with everything in such low prices! If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry; there are so many videos and apps available that it will be hard to choose from!

It’s amazing what you can do at home with just a few cheap gym pieces and some will power! All you need is some videos or apps and you are ready to go! Here I am sharing my favorite workout videos from Youtube as well as a couple of apps I absolutely love:

An amazing aerobic 30 min workout with mixed exercises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcN37TxBE_s
I love this mixture of pilates and cardio exercises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9TSbIrp8qQ
This is a perfect 20 min yoga session to help me relax and de-stress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0kNeOyH98
Love this mini workout just for the nasty arm fat:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAGfBjvIRFI
I absolutely love the 30 Day Butt Challenge app! It is a little hard however, you definitely get results quite fast:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teerstudios.buttchallenge2&hl=en
A very cool app is also the 7 Minute Workout; it has a high intensity combination of exercises, done in just 7 mins:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.popularapp.sevenmins&hl=en

Last but not least, in order to exercise wherever you are, you will need a proper outfit. Something comfortable and suitable for all these different types of workout. I have fallen in love with H&M’s gymwear range as it is the perfect combination of good quality at low price. From bras to leggings, the variety is huge! Many designs and in different prices. My favorite leggings are the plain black ones (only 20 euros) or the black/pink ones (30 euros). These even have a pocket in the back for your valuables (phone, money, keys). Also the bras are amazing! Lovely colors with a great hold and just for 10-15 euros! I can’t praise this range enough!

1-horz — ***From left to right: H&M Sports bra, H&M Running tights, H&M Seamless sports bra, H&M Sports tights***

Exercising at home can be easy and fun! Without spending a lot of money you can achieve the same results by simply getting some props and watching some videos! Now let’s burn those waffles up! Do you guys like to exercise at home? And if so, which one is your favorite workout?

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky