Mother's Day is right around the corner and you're probably scratching your head wondering what to get for your modern Insta-mum.  Living in the Instagram generation, we know so much more now about aesthetics, we have worked hard to have beautiful homes, (although mine is still a work in progress).  Without further ado here's my Mother's Day gift guide for the modern Insta-mum.

I think we can all agree that cake is never a bad thing and I for one truly enjoyed this box containing a luxury chocolate truffle cake selection by post from the Original Cake Company, and of course, the best thing is that they're just so instagrammable too!

My daughters both know that they can buy me candles anytime, I absolutely adore a good candle and this peony and rhubarb candle from the Copenhagen Candle Company is truly the most wonderful and evocative scent which reminds me of the best time of year in late spring.

This Edifier portable speaker is perfect for lazy days outside in the garden but it's also waterproof so no worrying about having it next to the pool or taking it to the beach, it also stays charged for 9 hours making it perfect for impromptu adventures in the campervan.

An Indian spice tin from Spice Kitchen is perfect for the mum who loves to cook, it's also run by a mother and son team giving the Mother's Day vibe a whole new meaning.  I love cooking and experimenting with flavours and I can't wait to create something amazing with this.

Blog favourites Red Letter Days came through once again with their vouchers for an extensive range of experiences and travel adventures, look out for my future adventure spending a luxury night away somewhere in the UK, whenever I see these wonderful red envelopes I get excited by the possibilities.

The wonderful people at Arran have once again pulled it out of the bag for this Mother's Day, my favourite scent "After the Rain" is now available as luxury bath salts and as ever, all of the fragrances are inspired by the scents of Scotland.

Since this personal iPhone charger arrived from iWalk arrived a few weeks ago I've had time to review it and I can tell you that it charged my iPhone twice from one charge.  I also like that goes into the bottom of the phone rather than making the back bulkier, it's small, compact and perfect for travel

Cranes Cider sent this gorgeous cider gift pack and it's the perfect gift, the promise of being able to enjoy a glass of the best-flavoured cider as the sun sets over your garden on the long spring evenings, I can already feel myself rocking gently in my egg chair planning my next adventure whilst sipping on a cold glass of raspberry and pomegranate cider.

Thanks to all of the wonderful companies who got involved with this year's Mother's Day Gift Guide, it would be impossible without all of their contributions and I hope that you can use this gift guide for some inspiration of what to buy for your Insta-Mum this Mother's Day.

11 gifts your mum will love this Mother's Day (AD, GIFTED PRODUCTS)

Mother's Day is just around the corner and this year, it's a lockdown edition. Lots of you may not have seen your mum for quite a long time or maybe you've been stuck at home with the tiny ones and are actually itching to get out for a spa day.  Whatever the situation I have tried to curate a Mother's day gift guide with something for everyone.  I quite luckily will be able to see both of my daughters for Mother's Day and that's all I need really, I mean, I won't complain if they buy me a new houseplant child or a gorgeous bottle of gin I'd love but having them here, by my side is everything to me.

So, without further ado, here are 11 gifts your mum will love this Mother's Day.

A houseplant gang from The Little Botanical

If your mum is anything like me she will adore a brand new houseplant or two and The Little Botanical can send you one plant, two plants or a whole little pretty pink plant gang, from easy to look after succulents to people-pleasing cacti, I promise if mum loves plants you're destined to find her something to make her smile.

A tweed recycled blanket from Glencroft

Who doesn't love a good blanket or throw, I have so many of them, great for changing the mood in the living room or for taking on picnics, I have an entire collection of tartan blankets so it was time to grab something to co-ordinate and this wool weave up plain travel blanket coordinates perfectly in my living room, if you have a mum who loves the countryside or has a passion for interiors then this is the gift for her.

Metal Artwork from Narla

If you have an outdoor mum who loves her garden then you cannot ignore this amazing steel artwork from Narla, I have to admit that if we were not in a lockdown this would be on my garden wall right now but I have to wait until a friend with a drill can come around to affix it for me as I am dreadful at drilling and suchlike, I do know this is going to look amazing hanging on my brick wall in my lovely tiny garden, these amazing works of art can be personalised and you can hang them indoors or outdoors.

Customisable Travel Bracelet from El Camino Bracelets

If your mum, like me, loves to travel, she will absolutely adore her very own customisable travel bracelet from El Camino, choose a country you love or an ocean that you've stood next to and create a bracelet which every time you look at it, brings back gorgeous memories of those travel tales. I chose the Atlantic Ocean along with my favourite countries Spain and France, Spain is my go-to with the canaries and of course Barcelona and France, well that will always hold a special place in my heart after spending time travelling around the Cote d'Azur with Abigail a couple of years ago.  Now that she's fluent and doing a degree, I expect many more trips to France where I breathe a sigh of relief that I don't have to try and communicate with my awful french language skills.  I would like to also say that I've already ordered another 2 steps to remind me of my beloved Scotland.

A Gift Certificate from Red Letter Days

I've always had a warm place in my heart for Red Letter Days, I have featured them quite often in gift guides and it's really because it's a gift that is a promise of something wonderful to come, Red Letter Days offer vouchers for exciting trips and special experiences all over the UK and beyond and yes, the first day I can book to go to Scotland you can guarantee that I will be, there's nowhere that I've missed quite so much during lockdown than beautiful Scotland.

A Mindful giftbox from Mindful Gifting

As many of you know, I struggle with anxiety, I read a quote a friend sent me which said that if you live in the past you'll have depression and if you worry about the future you'll have anxiety.  If you truly want to have better health you need to live in the present and we can achieve that through practising mindfulness.  I'm not sure if a gift box is a whole answer but it's a pretty good start, for a start, journaling can be hugely helpful and this box contains the perfect journal, I also love the pillow spray, anything that can help me get a good nights sleep is a good thing.

Friends Bath Salts Pizza from Mad Beauty

A fun and inexpensive gift but guaranteed to raise a chuckle, I was a huge fan of Friends the first time around because yes, I am that old and I love this little set from Mad Beauty, it's just fun and you know what, a fun gift is sometimes all that is needed.

Dior, Miss Dior from Perfume Direct

Perfume is never a bad gift, in my opinion, I have a large collection of scents which make me happy and I love that perfume can remind you of a time or a place, I love Chanel and Dior most of all and Perfume Direct have all of my favourite scents and often with discounts so it really is the perfect place to buy a gift for your gorgeous mum.

Cranes Cranberry Gin

Did someone say gin?  I love gin, it's been a constant in my life over the last year, I promise that's not a dodgy statement, please don't worry about me, I just love collecting beautiful bottles of gin, I like a glass or two a week, sometimes not even that much but I know it's there if I want it and I love exploring the many different types of wonderful craft gins on offer.  Cranes cranberry gin is my first and only cranberry gin and oh my, it's absolutely delicious, I love the taste of cranberry all year round, it's not just for Christmas you know!  This is going to be an easy drink with a Mediterranean tonic whilst sitting outdoors on a light spring evening.

Longtooth Gin

Whilst we're on the subject of gin, how would you like to buy your mum a gin which also saves the tigers, Longtooth Gin a London dry gin, perfect with a light tonic and a slice of your favourite citrus and 10% of their profits goes to the WWF to help protect our endangered species around the world, it's great gin and it's a fabulous cause, your mum will be delighted with this gift.

Candles, Wax Melts and Burners from Philomena's Boutique 

Finally, at Philomena's Boutique, I have spent the last year curating the perfect collection of gifts for every occasion and as a mum myself, I think I've curated the perfect "mum shop" for mums just like me, our wax melt, candles and burner collection is perfect for those with even the smallest budget and I can promise that the wax melts are so good and last for ages that your mum will be over the moon and you might still manage to keep some cash in the bank to spoil mum with on a day out when we finally leave lockdown forever.

Mother's Day Gift Guide for the Modern Insta-Mum {AD-Gift Guide}

Mother's Day is fast approaching and given that I spend half my life on Instagram I thought I would profile the modern Insta-Mum, mums like me, we're juggling, life, work, business, we love technology, we are renovating our houses and we love memories above all other things.  You don't have to look too far on Instagram to find thousands like me.  So here without further ado is my ultimate gift guide for the modern Insta-mum.

Ember, the world's first temperature-controlled mug, the internet of things has come along way since it's first inception and I for one could not be happier, I honestly never thought I would need a wifi enabled mug which keeps your drinks at the perfect temperature but since I've received this one I use it every day, long cups of tea in bed, coffee that doesn't go cold whilst I'm running around in the mornings, it's an actual miracle in a coffee cup!

If you, like me, love a good hot chocolate, then Cadbury's has the perfect gift for that hot chocolate loving mum with it's amazing hot chocolate gift hamper, just don't put it in the cupboard and expect the box of flakes to last when your teenage children get to them before you 😉

Gtech Myo Touch - an adjustable automated massaging bed isn't something I would ever have thought I couldn't live without but after having one now for the last couple of months I can tell you that this is the most amazing thing since sliced bread!  You lie on top of the bed and the massaging mechanism runs up and down a track massaging you in your chosen zones, you can go from a whole-body massage to adjusting on concentrated parts of your body.  Put on a candle, dim the lights and download a meditation and I promise you will never need a masseuse ever again.

Posterhaste Dual Star Map, I absolutely love this, when I renovated my kitchen it was the first thing that went on my walls, my star map has the constellations at the time of both Iain and Looby's birth and so every time I look at it, I'm taken back to a happy place, and isn't that what wall art is about, no matter how stressed or anxious you might be, one glance at something lovely and you feel a little better.

Beautify quilted storage stool, it's just not okay to be messy in today's aesthetically beautiful Instagram world and that's where clever storage solutions like this quilted storage stool come in really handy, it's comfy to sit on, it makes a great little poufee and it's roomy inside so you can store all of the clutter!

Mermaid Pink Gin, you may have seen my Christmas gift guide with the original Mermaid Gin direct from its home, the Isle of White distillery, well now it's younger sister, the Mermaid Pink Gin has been released and isn't she glorious, I quote "Fresh Island strawberries, grown in the rich and fertile microclimate of the Arreton Valley, are steeped in our signature smooth gin for four days, before being redistilled to create Mermaid Pink Gin, with its intensely aromatic, fresh flavour. Infusing fresh sun-kissed strawberries with our smooth yet complex gin creates a refreshingly layered serve, with a hint of sea air from fragrant rock samphire."  Now I know you're going to want to try that!

Every mum wants Tom Ford perfume, if you've ever been to their perfume counter and drooled like me then you'll wish for this to be gifted this Mother's Day, Tom Ford Noir Femme is a divine evening smell which lends it's self to high-end nights out as well as the Insta-Mums next most fabulous dinner party and unlike some perfumes, it does not fade, I absolutely love this. Available from Perfume Direct.

For the mum who has everything, why not print a year of memories with just a couple of clicks, printable from social media, I received a whole year of my Instagram in a book from My Social Book and what a delight to have it as a coffee table book, as a photographer, I enthuse often that we should be printing as many of our photographs as we possibly can so for me this is just perfect.

Exercising is one of the things the Insta-mum wants to do but never seems to find the time so this little gadget, the Active 5 is like having the gym in your pocket, it's a portable strength training and coaching app and it fits in the palm of your hand, it contains all you need to exercise at any time from anywhere and that to me is amazing.

Thanks to all of the companies who helped with the making of this year's Mother's Day guide, a lot of time, research and communication goes into compiling each gift guide and I'm so grateful to the amazing PR's and companies who make everything run so smoothly.

Christmas Gift Guide - The Stocking Fillers Edition {ad - gift guide}

Popcorn Shed Jingle bell pop, features 6 different varieties of popcorn and although this is more of an advent gift than a stocking filler, I'm sure your popcorn loving family member will love this thoughtful gift, who wouldn't love to have popcorn for breakfast every day.  They also have lots of other fabulous popcorn based presents for all of the family this Christmas

Haribo Christmas Giftsets, is it even Christmas if you can't eat your whole weight in Haribo before breakfast?  Haribo make the best stocking fillers and little gifts to make everyone happy this Christmas

Blog Favourites Derwent have released a whole new range with Christmas gifting in mind like this tropical gift tag colouring set suitable for adults or older children, a perfect time filler for the long Christmas holidays.

On Christmas Eve, one of our family traditions is to burn a Christmas Eve scented candle and this year it's going to be this amazing Willow and Finn candle which, take it from me, smells just like Christmas Eve should

another returning company to the blog and the 2020 cooks diary is sure to offer up some hearty recipes as well as keeping you organised in the new year

Sometimes you just need a little lift which isn't chocolate-based, Gregory's Tree have that in mind with their organic strawberry fruit twists, perfect for stocking fillers which aren't sweetie based.

Every year we purchase a new board game  to play after Christmas dinner, with the hope we'll manage to stay awake enough to see out the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, this year it's Relative Insanity from Interplay and as they say on the box, you can pick your nose but you can't pick your family

If you don't know what to get for your nearest and dearest, why not get them this stocking filler from Red Letter Days, it's filled with 2625 experiences they can choose from, no complaints if you're choosing your own gift!

I had hoped to get Holly Bobbins to pose next to this Christmas stocking from Harrow and Green but unfortunately, she was too busy sleeping after a busy day greeting her public, you can be sure however that she will be delighted to find this personalised stocking on Christmas morning.

I can confirm I tested the Samsung galaxy buds the moment they arrived and without a doubt the sound is amazing, the clarity of the sound is pitch-perfect and they're going to make a lot of people very happy if they find these in their Christmas stocking on Christmas Day

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without good wine and this south African sauvignon blanc from the South Africa House of Wine is the perfect wine to accompany the festive season

Christmas is of course, also a time when we like to have a little liqueur after dinner or maybe mix it with our favourite champagne and this Cranes Liqueur is going to be perfect for that, it's cranberry and  blood orange flavour is sure to make the best cocktails at this years Christmas Party

High-tech Welsh firm Litelok has launched the world's lightest secure bike lock, ‘Litelok Silver’.

Coming in three wearable sizes, it’s a premium, durable, bike lock that’s been engineered for security using a unique patented material and hardened aerospace-grade steel alloy.  Perfect for when Looby cycles on her various adventures.

The Design Trust Diary Planner 2020 is the perfect present for your entrepreneurial friend to help them smash business next year, it's the diary which helps you focus on the things that matter and with this by your side you can focus on the most important things in your business next year.

This mini tree is the stuff that Christmas dreams are made of, I love, living presents, ones you can keep forever and this mini Christmas tree from Blossoming gifts will be planted in the garden at the end of the festive period to live out a long and happy life in my green border.

It is the party season and to help you to shine, we hope you'll find one of these T-Zone glitter masks in your Christmas stocking from Santa this year because great skin is everything and you deserve to sparkle!

If you're a dog owner like me you'll know all about misplacing the dog leads, I leave them everywhere but thanks to this beautiful slate lead holder from I Just Love It losing Holly Bobbins leads is no longer an issue.

So that's it, the last of my Christmas 2019 gift guides and I hope that you've more than enough ideas for gifting the most special people in your lives this Christmas, if you've missed my previous guides, you can see my bumper guide here and my foodies guide here

If like me you are always losing things and you need some way of finding them without calling upon the finder of the lost things, you can get Tile in sticker form this year, just stick it to your valuable possessions and then call them if you lose them, gotta love technology!

13 presents perfect for the hard to buy for this Christmas {Ad, Gift Guide}

{Ad, Gift Guide} It's the festive season and everywhere people are planning what to buy for presents to please and delight so here without further ado is 2019 Christmas gift guide with 17 presents to please everyone this Christmas no matter who they are, even if they're usually hard to buy for.  From the foodie to the planner to the lover of luxurious things, this gift guide has everything.

1. Onaie bespoke handmade sheepskin slippers, if you like me, always have cold feet, these are perfect.  Any friend or family member will love the cosy toe feeling as these slippers envelop your feet and give you the toastiest of toes.

2.  Black Spade Nightwear, for the lover of luxury this Blackspade nightwear is just the ticket, silky yet comfortable and stylish, the person who receives this gift at Christmas will love you forever

3. Norma and Dorothy advent calendar candle, we have advent candles every year, it's a wonderful thing to burn one for an hour a day and contemplate, life, Christmas and everything else.

4. Homedics Stretch XS, for those who would love to do Yoga at home whilst lying on a mat which does the stretching for you, this product is something I've already tried and it's actually amazing, I felt so much better doing a 10-minute programme every day, you can also meditate for added mind clearance

5. The Amazing Mystery Box, Doctor Who.  The Amazing mystery box comes in several different varieties but it's filled to the brim with so many goodies, I absolutely love this Doctor Who one.

6. Constellation Hoodie from tentree, as if the thought of a hoodie featuring a beautiful constellation which glows in the dark isn't enough to tempt you, what about the fact that for every item sold by tentree, they actually plant ten trees?  Go, quickly, sustainable gifts are the best.

7. Stabilo Stationery products, I have been an ambassador for Stablio for a while now and I love everything that they do,  I am a stationery addict so this Christmas, why not get the stationery addict in your life something fabulous from Stabilo this Christmas.

8. Nads Cruelty-free hair remover products, if you want to be party-ready this festive season check out Nads for their cruelty-free hair removing products, hopefully, a few moments waxing and you'll be smooth and silky the whole festive season.

9. The ridiculously rude plant's mug, I bet you didn't know there were so many ridiculously rude sounding plant names?  This gift is perfect for the good-humoured gardener and promises to raise an eyebrow or two upon unwrapping!

 10. Meater + meat thermometer We’re all looking for ways to make our lives that bit easier, what better place to start than in the heart of the home, the kitchen. This smart kitchen gadget will not only ensure juicy cooking results, but it also allows the chef to step away from the oven. Just connect the MEATER+ to any smartphone or tablet and using patented technology, MEATER+ provides estimated cooking times, monitors meat whilst it’s cooking, sends alerts to mobile devices such as notifications when meat is cooked to perfection and ready to enjoy, saving time and effort. If not for someone’s stocking, then an absolute must-have cooking tool this year to ensure the Christmas turkey is at its yummiest, while you focus on all the trimmings!

11. The Max Glo Ball from Chuckit, let's not forget our four-pawed family members this Christmas with a ball they can play with all year round and when they lose it, with luck it will be easier to find as it glows in the dark!  Holly Bobbins will be delighted.

 12.  Parrots and Palms Water Bottle from Kambukka, Kambukka are a premium drinkware brand and they have the most beautiful water bottles you've ever seen, perfect for hydration on the go at all times and this one is small enough to fit in your handbag, bonus points as it's also thermal!

13. candles from Pyropets, for the someone who has everything I bet they don't have a candle which melts down their pet and then you are left with the metal skeleton, it's definitely different and might be just the present for the hard to buy for friend

So I think we've got something for everyone here, even those hardest to buy for relatives and friends and if you gift some of these, I'd love to know how friends and family react, I personally would love all of them, that's why I spent so much time choosing the items.