It's November, we're in lockdown but we're still edging ever further forward towards Christmas and if you're at my house, well Christmas is already here and my home is a festive wonderland, today I'm unveiling my ultimate 2020 Christmas gift guide which I started compiling in early September and scouring the internet for the best ideas for your loved ones in Christmas 2020.  Many thanks to all of the companies who have gifted me with their items, some of which will be donated to local charities.

Gifts for foodies

Rubies in the Rubble Christmas Relish Giftset - Christmas isn't Christmas without a panoply of cheese, cold cuts, chutneys and relishes, I'm fairly sure Nigella would approve if you opened these with your boxing day leftovers or your Christmas party tea.

Mermaid Salt Vodka, you may already know of the Isle of Wight distillery which excels at making both the blue and (my personal favourite) pink gins, well this year they've released Mermaid Salt Vodka which is infused with island sea and is described of having a flavour like the subtle kiss of a mermaid and there's no time like Christmas for a kiss under the mistletoe, I'll toast a sip to that.

Christmas is of course also a time for indulging in what I like to call "the good wine" and the lovely people at Independent Wines have premium wine by the bottle full and this year they're keen to tell me that they also have their own gift wrapping service so whether it's a red/white/rose or you'd like to indulge in something deliciously sparkling, that's where I'd go to purchase something lovely.

If ales are your thing then head on over to the independent Park Brewery, a microbrewery, who make stand out ales to be savoured.  They sell pale ales, IPA and my favourite, Isabella (the name of my granny) an American brown ale.  They've also been working with the Friends of Richmond Park to produce Tread Lightly, a pale ale which encourages us to enjoy our local parks but to leave nothing and take nothing.

Blog favourite Willies Cacao who happen to make my all-time favourite hot chocolate have once again excelled themselves to bring a range of the chocolatiest hampers, amazing chocolate gifts as well as a brand new chocolate subscription service, I've actually been working on another article with them which I'll be publishing soon but for now, go check them out and gift your friends (or yourself).

For people that favour a cider over wine, have you checked out Cider is wine, I think we all have one view of what cider is but really, this cider is intended to be savoured just like a good glass of wine they have quite the selection of cases of premium cider

I fell in love with Iberico Jamón on my first visit to Barcelona when you could buy it in a cone as a snack, honestly, pass me a Jamón cone over a cone of chips every single week.  I'm fairly sure that this Bellota Jamón from Cinco Jotas is the best you will ever taste, with an incredibly intense flavour you will remember forever.

Vegan friends popping over at Christmas, Oggs have the loveliest vegan products and as my serious journalistic job is to taste test these goodies, I can tell you from this non-vegan, I absolutely loved the vegan mince pies and a couple of friends also agreed that these are simply just tasty bakes whether vegan or not.

If you love your Nespresso but you're also concerned about the environment I recommend Lost Sheep coffee who's Nespresso compatible pods are all compostable and their coffee is so good, my personal favourite is the funky camper variety and I also love the decaf for those times when I want coffee but I also don't want caffeine.

I absolutely adore this fantastic Highland Cow chopping/serving board from Just Slate, a Scottish made family run company, I've long been a fan of the hairy coo's and saw a few on my recent trip to the Highlands.  Suffice to say this is going to be treasured and one would look great in your favourite foodie's kitchen.

For the gin lover in your life, and who doesn't like gin? Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin is named after Jacobus Alfons, also known as Bob to friends and family and it contains 8 different botanicals which are all separately distilled, Bobby, you had me at gin!

Gifts for Pets

Forthglade has, as ever made a selection of festive meals for dogs this Christmas and it's only right that our furry four-pawed friends get their own Christmas feast, Holly Bobbins loves Forthglade food although she's currently on a special vet diet so this large pack has gone straight to our local dog shelter so that our local homeless dogs can eat well this Christmas.

Of course, Holly and the cats still deserve a few treats this Christmas and if you're looking for gifts for your pets you'll find something for all of them amongst the brands of Mikki Pet, Nylabone and Pet Love, I already know that she's going to love the flat squeaky badger and I won't end up with any stuffing all over my floor!  Oh and wait until you see Iris with catnip, I actually grow it in the garden for her and she sits on it and won't let anyone else near it!!

If you have a pampered pet like mine you might want to buy them some  top dog grooming products from Sniffle and Likkit, they have everything from Whippet wipes for muddy paws to dry shampoo, you know how stinky beagles can get so these are definitely going to come in handy.

Gifts for those who love their homes

Gus, isn't just a gorilla, he sits on top of a beautiful half bottle of wine made into a candle by Marokka, you only need to buy one lid and then you can get refills of the candle, this one smells of an evergreen forest so it's perfect for Christmas and in buying it you know it's sustainable and good for the planet.

Gifts for music/tech lovers

If you need some power in your life, of the tech variety then you need Juice power, they have everything from chargers to wireless speakers so you can blast those festive tunes and really, don't tell me you're not listening to "Step into Christmas" right now, shame on you if you're not ;)

If you're looking for someone who loves music of a more personal variety then you can't go past something like a pair of Edifier Bluetooth earbuds, I speak with some authority and say if your young adult is at Uni they will really appreciate a pair of these and confirm that they're great for sound too

Gifts for Beauty Lovers

For the beauty lovers in your life, why not get them some luscious lip balms as the ultimate stocking filler from Dr Paw Paw, perfect for the Christmas party season even if it is more of an intimate gathering for one this year!

If you'd love something of the anti-ageing variety I can really recommend the products from Slow Ageing, I don't think anyone would say no to a firmer body whatever age they are and it's a bath that also feels like a treat and smells good too

2020 has been rough and January promises to be a hard month so having something like this Alphagreen rejuvenate bundle in your armoury might just be the best present to yourself or someone you really care about.  I've been using CBD products now for a couple of years and find that they really help me personally, I find they just calm me a little and with the hectic life I lead running 2 busy businesses, a gift like this really is just the ticket.

Gifts for art lovers

For the art lover in your life, please check out Ink and Drop for quirky art prints and canvases they have so many varieties that I just love, this one was going to be for Looby and it's now hanging in my livingroom where she tells me that it definitely looks best!

For Christmas lovers

For lovers of Christmas and quirky gifts you really can't go past Philomena's Boutique, I hear the owner is the queen of Christmas and she's put so much thought into making her online gift boutique a real aladdins cave if beautiful quirky gifts you just won't find anywhere else.

Gifts for Travel Lovers

Okay so 2020 was not the best year for travel but with a coronavirus vaccine on the horizon I don't know about your but I'm already planning next year's travel adventures and a gift like a Red Letter Day's voucher is a great way to start the excitement of planning your next trip!

Educational Gifts for Kids

If you'd like to treat your kids to a fun educational subscription box which comes under the disguise of fun why not get them a year-long subscription to Our Little Globe, this one pictured above teaches kids about Christmas around the world and there are lots of fun activities and crafts which the small people in our lives love to do, just don't be surprised when they give you a Christmas card written in Japanese.

Fun stocking fillers for adults

If the special person in your life likes peanut butter then this must surely be the ultimate gift, Jackpot peanut butter is strictly for the over 18's in your life but there is a non-sweary version,  I just preferred this one as it reminded me of Bruce Willis in Die Hard and no, Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie! 

It's Christmas, why not have yourself a cocktail, you don't even have to purchase ingredients as. they come in their own little pouches, Disco cocktails come from the good people at Ladies and Gents cocktail bar and they're big on taste and low on the effort you have to make them.  Glass, Ice, maybe a flourish and you're good to go!

Gifts that give back

Finally, the good people at Treedom gifted me my own tree,  she's a cacao tree and she's called Mildred, she's in Cameroon and she's helping to offset my carbon footprint and well as being splendid, wonderful and producing cacao, when you gift someone a tree, you're literally helping the planet.

Foodies Gift Guide 2019 {Ad - Gift Guide}

My favourite gift guide of the year, the foodie edition, mostly because I'm a foodie myself and Christmas is that time of year when you can eat whatever you want, no matter how odd it might be, nuts for breakfast, peaches in brandy for lunch and cheese, cheeseboards for every meal if possible, (or is that just me?)

Cotswold Green No 1, if you like gin but you don't like the headache afterwards then this particular botanic spirit is completely alcohol-free and it's perfect for parties where you may have lovely friends who don't drink or who are maybe driving, much better than the standard offerings of soft drinks.

Lost Sheep Coffee, 100% compostable capsules to fit your Nespresso machine, lots of gorgeous flavours to take you on a journey, the Funky Camper was my favourite out of the ones I tried and they also come in decaff so you can drink coffee in the evenings too.

Jo & Sephs Popcorn advent calendar from The Present Finder,  Okay so not technically for Christmas but what's not to like about having popcorn every day in advent, I'll be saving this one for myself.

Masha, the Masha potato masher claims you can make lump free mash, the best mash ever in seconds and if you have a foodie in your life, well they're going to love this, it's also great for new mums as you can use the Masha to make babyfood, you can bet mine will be reserved for mashed potato and maybe some creamed swede.

Opies, various amazing jars to make Christmas that little bit brighter, Opies make the best things and put them all together and you have a little foodies hamper for your favourite friends, this year they've released mixed berries with prosecco as well as apricots in Jim Beam as well as their tasty pickled walnuts, cocktail cherries and sliced lemons, this selection is perfect for a party night over the festive season

Rhubarb Balsamic Vinegar from Demijohn, we are firm favourites of Demijohn and their fabulous products and this year they've released a rhubarb balsamic vinegar, now I love a good balsamic vinegar and I double, triple, love Rhubarb so this is going to be amazing!

Truffled Risotto set from Sous Chef, one of my favourite companies because it's all about the foodie, this truffled risotto set is sure to make a warming evening supper during the festive season, rich, luxurious and utterly gratifying, it's like Nigella came and cooked it herself.

Beeches Chocolates Christmas selections, it's not Christmas if you can't indulge in chocolate and the Santas and snowman go perfectly with a big mug of hot chocolate whilst the chocolate selection makes the perfect small gift for teachers.

Due Vittorie Apple Cider Vinegar, we all know how amazing apple cider vinegar is, this beautiful bottle is sure to make a foodies Christmas day, just don't forget to tell them about the health benefits too

Wild Mulberry Jam, also from the Artisan Olive Oil Company is a great little stocking stuffer or you could combine the items to make a lovely foodie hamper

Kinglas Fillet, Loch Fyne, okay so I might be stretching it a little when thinking about gifts as I don't think you're going to want to put this under the tree, however, it's going to be amazing as a starter, perfect as sashimi and I can vouch for the fact that it tastes absolutely amazing, just remember to keep it in the fridge and not under the tree.

Mermaid Gin, The Isle of White Distillery.  Now have you ever seen a more beautiful bottle of gin?  I actually haven't, I literally oo' ed when I took it out of its packaging, this is a thing of beauty and will look amazing on your festive drinks trolley, oh and yes, I have a drinks trolley, don't we all these days?  Mermaid Gin is a small batch handmade gin which uses 10 botanicals including samphire and elderflower amongst other things, a suggestion if you want to really experience it as it should taste is to garnish it with sea vegetables, well that makes me want to be Ariel on a rock with a glass on the rocks!!

Truffle duo set from Aix and Terra, Christmas is a time for indulgence after all so if you want to get your truffle on, Aix and Terra have produced this duo set, small but perfectly portioned, just make sure you hide them and then you can have them all to yourself!

Last Minute Gifts and Stocking Fillers

Who can believe we're already hurtling our way to Christmas day?  Whilst it's true that I've been celebrating Christmas since at least September there's no doubt that soon, very soon, it will actually be the big day!  With that in mind, here's my last gift guide of the year featuring stocking fillers and last minute gifts you can buy right now and they'll definitely be with you in time for Santa coming down the chimney.

1. (featured above) it's Christmas for pets too and Holly Bobbins got extremely excited when a small package from her favourite food company, Forthglade, arrived, Holly eats Forthglade anyway so I was happy for her to dive in and she definitely gave 10 barks out of 10 to the whole selection, it's got to be good if Holly Bobbins likes it!

2.  Fancy gifting someone some posh beer this Christmas?  King Cobra have that sorted, one of the only beers to come in a champagne bottle it's double fermented and with an alcoholic content of 7.5 vol, it's probable that you'll only need the one bottle this Christmas.

3. Whilst we're on the alcoholic section of the gift guide, here's some delicious Campo Viejo Cava sent all the way from Spain, the Spanish love this stuff favouring it over Prosecco and you know what, I've had it accompanying Jamón and Manchego, it's not as soft a taste a Prosecco, it's sharper and drier and it will certainly go down well at any party you're having this festive season.

4.  If Cava and Prosecco aren't your think then you need to get yourself some well rounded Barefoot Bubbly, made from Pinot Grigio this is one of my favourite aperitifs in summer and if it's good enough for summer then it's good enough for Santa.

5.  Reusable cups are the big thing at the moment as we all turn our attention to saving the planet.  rCup is the UK's first reusable cup made out of paper cups, it's also completely leak free and I have one on my desk right now!

6.  Now if you've been around on this earth for any great length of time you will know that Christmas just isn't Christmas without a selection box in your Christmas stocking and so this year why not grab a Haribo selection box and remember the classic days of Christmas past.

7. Sparkly, super protective and when I say super protective I mean that, whilst I wasn't going to test the dropping capability I managed to drop my iPhone S Max down the stairs and it was saved by this wonderful Speck case.  I've been using Speck cases now for over a year since they first introduced themselves to me and I really rate them as one of the best protective phone case companies out there.

8. Can't remember where you left your keys, phone, sunglasses?  A Tile which is Alexa enabled will help you to find it,  now I wonder if it's Holly Bobbins proof?  Not that we lose her but she does like to go on wanders for sniffs.  As the website says, "ring your things" just don't expect a full on conversation with your water bottle!

9.  Derwent have lots of ideas for Christmas including this stocking filling hand lettering set, oh how you'll swoosh and sweep when you write out cards and presents for the next 365 days, Calligraphy is the new black you know!

10.  Oh it's a backpack, well not just any backpack, it's a Riutbag this is the perfect backpack for people like me who like to travel and explore new cultures but get a bit scared about pickpockets, especially in Italy and certain spots in Spain, actually even London can be bad for this and if you're carrying your phone/camera and purse, well they're not things you want lifted from your backpack unawares.  This backpack opens inwards, i.e. all of the zips are on the back so there's no chance of anything being pickpocketed and I for one shall be using this on my solo travels in the future.

11.  As 2019 beckons you'll find yourself needing a diary and why not have one with recipes throughout, I remember the Dairy Diary from many years ago and it's still going strong, I reckon mums and grannies everywhere would love this in their Christmas Stocking 

12.  Whilst you're shopping for your dairy diary why not pick up a copy of cook it slowly, essential reading for those of us who find slow cooking  a necessary element to get us through the winter, this recipe book will be well used in my house!

13.  Smith and Sinclair make the most genius gifts that I can promise you'll want them all, from edible fragrances to alcholic gummies and little round disks that will transform a simple glass of Prosecco into the most envied drink at the Christmas party you can be utterly sure that these unique gifts will delight the recipient.

14.  Face masks used to be big in the 80's but now we're in the new century and not only are they still there but there's a huge market for them, my favourites are sheet masks because they're just so easy and convenient to use, great for mother/daughter bonding, couples date or just if you want to feel a little more pampered Skin Republic sheet masks are perfect for this.

15.  Fancy some guilt free chocolate, Eat Your Hat chocolate is organic, free trade and 95% cocoa in this instance, the perfect stocking filler for the chocolate gourmand.

16.  More alcohol, there's kind of a theme but I have to give mention to Mini Vino because if you're like me and can only manage 1 glass on a Friday evening then these single serve cups are amazing, perfect for picnics, parties and dates for one.

17.  The end of the year is for me about reflection and planning for the next year, it's rare I get a lot of time off work being a self employed single mama so this book from Project Love couldn't have arrived at a better time, if you're looking to reassess all that's gone before you and all that's still to come, go pick up a copy of Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019 and start planning your future today.

18. In previous guides you may have noticed, Whisky and Vodka amongst other things, well move over guys because it's Gin's turn and not just any gin, Biggar Gin from the borders of Scotland, perfect with Lime, Lemon or even cucumber, the perfect drink for a night in watching a Christmas movie or too.

 19.  Having white teeth has certainly become a huge industry in the U.K. over the last couple of years and activated charcoal seems to help those of use who have not the most perfect teeth, Procoal activated charcoal teeth whitening powder is 100% British and 100% natural, now don't forget to admire my whiter teeth when you see me in January.

20.  Well Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without sweets and sweets are what Swizzles do best, this year there are large tubs of sweets, large packets of your sweet shop favourites and you can even get your own favourite selection, if anyone wants to know, you can make mine a double lolly, I've been a fan since childhood.

 21. If you are practically perfect in every way then you'll have something in common with the most beloved Mary Poppins, I for one am the biggest Mary Poppins fan and so you can imagine my delight at being able to own her umbrella, I'm fairly sure that this is her actual umbrella but if you would like one which looks exactly the same (maybe with as much magic in it as mine) then you'll find it at blog favourites shop Paladone, home of many mystical and amazing products for the people you love!

22. Odlo make amazing base layers for women and Looby being a rider, needs this so badly to get through the winter, I can't imagine quite how cold she gets out riding horses all through the coldest weather but base layers like this definitely help and you'll find a full range at Tiso, the outdoor store
Thank you so much to all of the companies who've been involved with this years gift guides, it's a process which starts during the summer months and takes many hours to get to publication, all of the items featured were gifted to me and I'm so very grateful because a gift guide without gifts just isn't fun at all.  This article also features some affiliate links.