GIFT GUIDE Featuring over 100 - independents and tons of inspiration for artisan gifts this Christmas and beyond - Girl About
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
GIFT GUIDE Featuring over 100 independents and tons of inspiration for artisan gifts this Christmas and beyond www.girlabout.co.uk | #PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs WELCOME... THE GIRL ABOUT BLOG SQUAD ...to the Girl About Gift Guide, a round The first nine pages of our gift guide feature small businesses up of our favourite small businesses and recommended by the Girl About local enterprises across the country. Blog Squad in their local areas. Find out more about us at: We think Christmas is one of the best times of the girlabout.co.uk/about-us year to #makeamazingmemories, either at home or away. And although we can’t be travelling right now we can still seek out those special, personal moments that this collection of businesses excel at offering. But not only does this gift guide of innovative independents help you make amazing memories, it also helps the owners through this most testing of times (every purchase you make from a small business this Christmas will put a big smile on someone’s face). And as a small business ourselves, we know how much of a struggle it is right now. So this is our guide to our favourite online shops, experiences and businesses, as chosen by the Girl About blog squad of women across the country. It’s our way of showing our support to all the self-employed creative spirits, to the entrepreneurial kitchen-table start-ups and the family-run community cornerstones who are doing all they can to survive this upheaval. This ethos of championing the authentic and empowering the independents runs through everything we do at Girl About. Our website is full of ideas to help you make amazing memories with your loved ones, and we find those memories are all the more memorable if they’re from places with personality. We hope you find lots of inspiration for Christmas gifts this year. We like to think of this as 101 reasons why you don’t need to shop at Amazon. Instead, view this as your new favourite local high street, full of independent shops and businesses offering the perfect gifts for your loved ones. We’ve put this together quickly because these businesses need our help now. So it’s probably not perfect, but it’s done, and that’s more important. So please share with your friends, have a browse through it, and explore all the incredibly beautiful things these small businesses offer. Lyndsey and the Girl About team Lyndsey x PS For when we’re able to travel again, here’s our suggestion for the perfect gift for With thanks to Jo Swann - the wanderlust woman – a gift voucher, redeemable up to six months later, for a year’s Founder of Chocolate PR - for membership to the Girl About Travel Club. It offers effortless travel planning for incredible helping to spread our message holidays that can’t be Googled. Find out more at: www.girlabout.co.uk and this guide far and wide instagram.com/jochocpr @GirlAboutOfficial @GirlAboutBlogSquad girlabout.co.uk | women inspiring women to #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs WOMEN WARRIORS These are just some of the faces of the women featured in our Girl About Gift Guide, a celebration of the depth and breadth of the incredible small businesses across the country. By supporting local, we’re supporting women, and they don’t get more inspiring, diverse and creative than the women featured in this guide. Their entrepreneurial creative spirit is strong, and we love the work they put into making the world a better place. And at Girl About we love nothing more than the authentic and the personal. The #ForgottenLtd So please think twice when you’re shopping for gifts this year - we’d bet good money on Campaign was launched in the fact these women can meet your needs far better those faceless online giants. April 2020 as a direct result of the exclusion of small limited companies from the government support schemes. Our aim is to raise awareness of the lack of meaningful government support for the small business community across the UK. We call on the government to address this disparity by extending COVID- 19 support packages to those of us left behind. As so many of us within the #forgottenltd campaign have been, well, forgotten – we need to consider a multi-pronged approach to our situation. Campaigning and lobbying for our voices to be heard, acknowledged and for action to be taken is our main aim. We want to be given financial One mum’s mission - teaching children self-confidence parity with others who have Yorkshire woman and inspirational female Entrepreneur Nompu Mahlangu has just published her first children’s book project. Nandi’s had help. Magic Afro is an incredible story that teaches self confidence through taking care of each other inspired by a fearless woman. The ultimate However we can also, each Christmas Eve read for any child this Christmas. within our own communities, Order your copy: nompumahlangu.com seek to help each other where The proceeds of this book will be going to a Dyslexia Project in Africa we can and therefore we have launched ‘BUY LOCAL, SUPPLY LOCAL’. One mum’s success story - from warpaint to pompoms Naomi Fraser has been a make-up artist and lash technician for over If we all try to help each other seven years. Like every beautician out there, Covid wiped out her where we can, more of us will business. Refusing to succumb to boredom, Naomi got creative... have a chance of survival. “Summer is my busiest time of year and this is the first year I’ve just had to sit and wait. I got bored of sitting and waiting and I decided to make pompoms to pass the time by... I made a wreath from wool I had www.forgottenltd.com at home and an old metal wreath I found from Christmas last year, took it all apart and added some bright wool pompoms, added it to my insta page and someone asked me how much I was selling them for! I instantly went to my local wool shop, bought everything I needed, made up a few @ForgottenLtd wreaths in colours that I loved and sold them, I’m now The Pompommom! instagram.com/the_pompommom/
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Brighton Wine Company GRIND Coffee t-shirts, wall prints, mugs, aluminium bottles and sweatshirts. The designs are Spoil your loved ones this Christmas all inspired by her love of travel. Featuring For all the coffee lovers out there, this with a festive hamper from Sussex 15 designs on different destinations, from well established London coffee jaunt store, Brighton Wine Company. The London to Hawaii, Vegas to Thailand. We serves up its coffee for all to enjoy Chocaholic Hamper combines two LOVE this yellow Christmas jumper! nationwide. Get your hands on it’s delicious red wines from the Rioja dreamerswhotravel.com Nespresso-compatible fully compostable region in Spain, with two delicious pods in very stylish iconic pink tins. Tablettes of hand-made chocolate from Shoreditch Nails - East London grind.co.uk Sussex-based chocolatiers, Noble and Stace. Vegan hampers are also available Dipidi Do Dye including a bottle of Rami’ Falanghina, a citrus apple and cream pie, and vegan dips and sauces. thebrightonwinecompany.com Lumen of Lewes - Sussex The ‘go-to’ nail place in East London has launched its own fabulous range of nail polishes named after iconic areas For big kids and small. Dipidi Do Dye is of the city we love - think ‘The Victoria a tie dye fashion company offer a range Park’, ‘The Islington’ and ‘The Liverpool of festive ‘do it yourself’ home dye kits Street’. or order from their bespoke lounge shoreditchnailspolish.com/polish wear range. Perfect for all the family this Christmas Light up your Christmas with an eclectic Box42 Dates mix of high quality, handcrafted items dipididodye.co.uk from Lumen of Lewes, East Sussex. Offering a range of gifts to enlighten Westmoreland Sheepskin your lifestyle, this Sussex store sells unusual, often individually crafted items including olive wood bowls, copper place mats and beautifully etched slate serveware, together with established brands like St Eval candles and room fragrances. During lockdown, Lumen is offering FaceTime viewings of the The ultimate date night in - with shop and a Covid-safe ‘call and collect’ everything covered! Different themed service, so you can order your items in boxes available for you to pick from and plenty of time for Christmas. In a gorgeous little shop in Harrogate, comes delivered to you with step by lives gorgeous little things for your home lumenoflewes.co.uk step details of how to have a successful and for your feet. Westmoreland Sheep- date night! Includes snacks, drinks and Dreamers Who Travel Boutique a themed menu. skin sells slippers, rugs, hats, bags and Online travel-inspired boutique founded boots - it’s really worth a look. thebox42.co.uk by our very own Girl About Bradford - westmorlandsheepskins.co.uk Caroline Towers, offering great quality girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Fodder Baba of Mine Carnival Brewery Fodder is the home of tasty, local food Baba of Mine have a range of beautiful This fantastic local brewery is relatively based on the famous Great Yorkshire gifts for bumps, babies and beyond - perfect new to the scene but are doing some Showground in Harrogate. Fodder for sending new parents a little something amazing flavour combinations that sells the very best food and drink so they know you’re thinking of them. may very well blow your mind. Brewed from across Yorkshire and have some Beautiful gifts for children too. and shipped from Liverpool’s historic delicious hampers for the taking. babaofmine.com docklands – check them out. fodder.co.uk carnivalbrewing.me/shop Merseyside Made Otter’s Fine Foods Amy Harwood An emporium of local artists, creatives Otter’s Fine Foods in Oakham offers a and producers all under one roof! Not Amy Harwood is a Southampton based delicious takeaway menu and gorgeous letting the man (Covid) get them (lock) illustrator whose art workshops would hampers for Christmas or even just a down, there’s a whole host of lovely goods make a great gift for a creative person. sumptuous weekend treat (check out available online. Check out their Liverpool Her shop has some great stocking the new breakfast box with everything Hamper, the perfect gift for Christmas. fillers, especially for any dinosaur fans. you need for Eggs Benedict!) merseymade.uk/shop amyharwood.com/shop www.ottersfinefoods.co.uk CSaw Hair Rose and Lewis collection The Kitschhen Cat’s vegan, zero-waste salon is an Mary creates gorgeous resin The Kitschhen offers you the oasis of calm across the Mersey and the decorations and jewellery inspired opportunity to send someone a “hug in perfect antidote to 2020. Vouchers for by local flora and fauna. You can a biscuit” for a special occasion, or just treatments in the New Year available. commission a bespoke piece for your because. home, or choose from one of her pretty csawhair.co.uk Christmas collection. the-kitsch-hen.co.uk etsy.com/shop/roseandlewis girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Two Birds Style mother, Red Lion Books has got the are currently holding a new offer every answer. Run by a team of passionate day of Lockdown calling it ‘28 Days of experts who live and breathe all things Lockdown’ on their instagram! literary, you’re welcome to email them lovethelakes.net for bespoke book recommendations and you can also subscribe to their - Same Read Bookseller sounds the Great Christmas Present Alert alarm - monthly book bundle, too. Whilst their shop is closed, you can contact them to purchase books online. redlionbooks.co.uk Claire and Stephanie have set up their own accessories and jewellery brand, selling Pirates & Princesses an affordable range of contemporary pieces. There are some great stocking fillers including earrings, mugs and notebooks, starting from just £4! Established in Grasmere in 1887 in the twobirds.style same building it’s always been in the shop or onlne you could lose yourself H Gunton for hours perusing the books from local poets to curious non-fiction and children’s books. Still selling online over lockdown, you can find the best books Home to toys that will inspire play and to inspire you, your cousin, your niece ignite imagination, Pirates & Princesses and your nan for whatever adventures is filled with the games and gadgets are inside these books. that the little ones in your life will samreadbooks.co.uk actually want. Whilst its IRL premises are situated within a stunning 500- The Veg Patch year-old building, its online store is A local business that’s been in the just as easy to navigate. They also sell family for decades (doors first opened quirky gifts, traditional board games over 80 years ago), Gunton’s is a foodie’s and so much more - but be warned. treasure trove. As well as stocking a Your inner child might just want to huge range of treats and tipples that come out and play, are guaranteed to make your winter that bit tastier, it’s also home to gift baskets piratesandprincesses.co.uk galore: ideal for crafty types who are planning to create hampers for their Love The Lakes loved ones this Christmas. A family owned business that are all guntons.co.uk about the kids, whether it’s activities to do together, educational packs Red Lion Books or equipment to inspire your little adventurer. They even have free packs online for you to download and enjoy on a rainy day! They are all about being green. thevegpatch.uk An independent retailer that supplies the very best in gorgeoous Lake Pennine Cycles District, hand selected gifts for A Bradford bike shop which has been everyone. They are passionate about shortlisted as one of the Best Small everything that is local and everything Shops in 2020. They are passionate Whether you want the perfect picture they sell is designed and, for the most about cycling and helping you ride book for your toddler or the latest part, made, in the Lake District. They with confidence. Alongside repairs and unputdownable novel for your grand- girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Yorkshire Heart Cookery School, The Grand York servicing they sell high-quality and safe bikes for the whole family. penninecycles.com A family run vineyard and brewery, Cook with your child at The Cookery based in Nun Monkton, near York. School at The Grand, York. Based in one Mason and Rose Headed up by a husband and wife of York’s finest and only 5 star hotels, team, the Spakouskas family produce The Cookery School offers classes for fine English wines to be enjoyed in the all skill levels, with 16 well equipped comfort of your own home. Choose cooking stations, a dining area and an from beautiful tasting reds, whites, outdoor seating area. Choose from a roses and sparkling wines. Or why not range of exciting courses designed for buy a gift experience? Join them for children to lead the way. Tea and coffee one of their guided tours as they take breaks are provided throughout the you on a journey through the history day with tasty treats alongside. From of Yorkshire Heart as you enjoy a festive bakes to the ultimate burger wonderful tasting experience in their class, it is the perfect way to create Mason and Rose sell home fragrances beautiful vineyard. An experience to amazing food whilst making amazing and artisan candles which are hand- look forward to! memories at the same time. Reopening made and poured in small batches, on the 3rd December. yorkshireheart.com using fine natural ingredients. They thegrandyork.co.uk/cookery-school/ have an online store, alongside their Monk Bar Chocolatiers Bingley premises. masonandrosehomefragrance.co.uk Famous Victorian Christmas Shop Modo One of York’s longest established chocolatiers with a stunning selection The famous Victorian Christmas shop of sweet treats and exceptional has been in Bourton on the Water for handmade chocolates. To this day, all Modo is situated on Haworth’s famous over 30 years. A gorgeous shop full the chocolates are made in their lovely cobbled main street where they of wonderful Christmas gift ideas, shop based in The Shambles. With specialise in personalised gifts. They complete with a selection of hanging “Create your Own” boxes and chocolate create lovely and unique products ceramic ornaments that can be dated bars in a variety of delicious flavours, which are never mass-produced. and personalised ready to wrap for a you are sure to find a sweet treat for Alongside their physical shop, you unique gift to both young and old. If a loved one this Christmas. Monk Bar can make purchases online. I love the you can’t visit then you can also order are continuing to take orders online Stunning hand-painted artwork made via telephone! for delivery and collection through with your child’s own drawings. lockdown. thevictorianchristmasshop.co.uk modocreative.com monkbar.com girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
Interview with Rachel Marshall - Founder of Uniquely Local - Yorkshire What does Uniquely Local specialise in? Uniquely Local specialises in gift experiences run by small, independent Yorkshire businesses, artists and makers. We like to feature experiences that are a bit different or a little bit quirky and will make memorable gifts. We are proud to support dozens of small businesses across Yorkshire. What made you decide to start Uniquely Local? I started Uniquely Local four years ago when our children where just starting school and we wanted to work together in a business that we could get passionate and excited about. We both had families abroad who often asked us for ideas for gifts that they could send for us and our families. Postage was getting prohibitively expensive so ideally we wanted them to buy us experiences. We searched the internet and realised that there were loads of amazing small businesses offering fabulous experiences locally and the idea for Uniquely Local was born out of a desire to have a central website to collate them all. We knew that we could take care of the marketing, search engine optimisation and social media and the companies that listed with us would benefit from our expertise without having to pay upfront. They only pay when we make a sale for them. Who is Uniquely Local for? Uniquely Local is for anyone! We have experiences to suit all tastes, ages and budgets. We have people in Australia buying gifts for family back in Yorkshire; companies clubbing together to buy leaving gifts and individuals wanting to treat themselves to a workshop or activity. If the gift buyer is overwhelmed by the choice we also offer our own gift vouchers which can be redeemed for any experience on the site so that the gift recipient can choose for themselves. Why should people opt for Uniquely Local when buying a gift? When you buy a gift from Uniquely Local you are not only choosing a thoughtful, hand- picked experience that has been carefully selected by us but you are also helping support our local economy and spending your money with a small business, artist or maker from Yorkshire. What is your favourite product/service provided by Uniquely Local? That is such a difficult question! There are so many fabulous experiences to choose from. I have tried and tested a fair few of them but I have to say that, as confirmed cheese lover, the cheese making course in the Yorkshire Dales was so much fun! I also have a particular soft spot for the alpaca walks – the alpacas all have such unique personalities. Has Covid-19 affected your business at all? If so, how? Covid-19 had such a huge effect on the business and all the other small businesses that we work with. Overnight we went from being very busy and selling lots of experiences to making almost no sales at all for most of lockdown. We were desperately worried for our experience providers who nearly all had to temporarily shut down and lost their entire income stream. We tried to diversify by offering online experiences and gifts that could be enjoyed at home and found that those were popular and complemented our experience offering. Find out more at www.uniquelylocal.co.uk ENTER TO WIN A £200 UNIQUELY LOCAL VOUCHER! Uniquely Local are giving someone the chance to win an INCREDIBLE £200 Uniquely Local voucher to spend on a Yorkshire Experience of their choice! From Craft & Creative, Food & Drink, Outdoor Adventures and MORE, there is such an amazing range to choose from to treat you or a loved one. CLICK CLICK HERE HERE TO TO ENTER ENTER (Competition ends on 15th December 2020. Terms and conditions apply).
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Betsy Ben Two Ducks was born from Claire’s Murray and Me passion for discovering and sharing unique treasures. Claire wants to inspire a lifetime of love and use from her diverse product range that includes fashion, homeware and gifts. Two Ducks is located in the bustling Surrey village of St John’s as well as online. two-ducks.co.uk Natural Baby Box The Betsy Benn story started in 2010 After Selina’s daughter Lexi was and is now an award winning business tragically born sleeping, she made with a fabulous range of gifts to her own necklace with Lexi’s initials suit all budgets. The studio is based on so they could always be together. in Cheltenham and the focus is on From this, Selina then went on to sustainability and environmentally launch her own beautiful bespoke friendly practices. From personalised jewellery business so that everyone can notebooks to map cushions you’ll be carry a loved one’s name with them. sure to find that perfect gift for that Additionally, £1 of every sale is donated hard to buy for family member. to Tommy’s baby charity. betsybenn.com From her studies in child development murrayandme.co.uk together with becoming a mum herself, Crocodile Toys Hannah created The Natural Baby Box Mollie & Oli to demonstrate the importance of play to support development. She makes luxury stage based play boxes, gift boxes and keepsake boxes, all of which are carefully hand packed with love and attention to detail. naturalbabybox.co.uk One Mama One Shed Toys is a wonderful traditional toyshop Rachael launched Mollie & Oli as a based in Cirencester that has been luxury online mum and baby gift store, trading over 35 years. If you love to gift then opened her first store inside her quality ethically sourced, plastic free unique hair and beauty salon, Mama toys then this is definitely the shop for Sanctuary, a year ago in Stockport. you. If ordering online the website can You’ll find it hard to choose from a be browsed by age suitability so it’s large choice of gorgeous clothing, really easy to find an appropriate gift homeware and accessories crafted by without trawling through pages and small mum-owned businesses, many of pages! them based in Manchester. Siobhan and her husband Sam run this www.crocodiletoys.com sustainable family business together in mollieandoli.com North Manchester to create beautifully Two Ducks personalised vintage cutlery and enamel wear, which they hand-stamp and laser engrave themselves in their workshop. Think pretty teaspoons stamped with a sweet messages, or cool engraved enamel mugs and popcorn bowls with customisation of your choice. onemamaoneshed.com girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Tineke Flower school Squidge & Peg or outside of the top bestsellers. Drawing on their close relationships Join award winning florists Tineke Sell beautiful, often cheeky, hand with independent publishers and small in their beautiful studio in historic painted items, including personalised presses, they will be curating a selection Haarlem Mill, Wirksworth. Tineke are pet baubles for just £7 plus delivery. including the latest translated fiction, also selling luxury Christmas wreath The original concept started a few rediscovered modern classics, and cult kits from £45 including everything you years back when Emma’s mum became authors. need, and a video tutorial, to create an very ill. She told Emma to quit the job themargatebookshop.com elegant fresh Christmas wreath in the she hated and to do something she comfort of your own home. loved, so she did! That lead to Emma Grain and Hearth following her passion of painting and tinekefloraldesigns.co.uk running a gift shop in Chesterfield, which has now sadly closed due to the Sauced Here pandemic. Emma is continuing to paint her way through life, painting anything from shoes to jackets, bags to baubles. All in the memory of her lovely Mum . etsy.com/uk/shop/SquidgeandPeg Margate Bound Grain and Hearth is a family run, artisan bakery in Whitstable specialising in sourdough bread and viennoiserie. Offers supermarket convenience yet Sharing their passion for sourdough is artisan quality. Everything is hand at the heart of what they do. Grain and sourced from 40 Peak District farmers, Hearth offer a range of workshops for food and drink producers and local beginners and more experienced folk businesses. Even items not made here alike. Come and spend time in their are bought from village shops where beautiful space learning their craft. possible. They have a range of hampers grainandhearth.co.uk and gift packs starting at just £8.99. Grace creates colourful statement Sauced Here also sells gift vouchers for jewellery from her home in the seaside Sunny Jar Eco Hub the very best activities and experiences town of Margate. Grace slow makes in the Peak District. Learn how to cook big and bold, small-batch polymer clay traditional Afro-Caribbean food with statement earrings. Grace is a full-time local legend Stella in the comfort of graphic designer and began making your own kitchen, buy wine tasting earrings for fun, she now spends her experiences or learn about wine pairings weekends experimenting with different or go guided mushroom foraging. There techniques and creating exciting new are also a range of creative, wellbeing styles. Grace sells her beautiful designs based and physical activities. on her Etsy store saucedhere.co.uk/ etsy.com/shop/margatebound/ Sunny Jar Eco Hub is a social enterprise The Margate Bookshop that aims to make low waste and The Margate Bookshop is offering a sustainable living easy and accessible for book subscription service. Perfect all. This Christmas, they are launching for anyone wanting to broaden their their DIY cleaning and beauty workshop reading with titles from diverse authors kit - the perfect gift for those who are keen girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs to be green. Want to get into the festive Cam and Harry set up their business mood? Why not book an experience earlier this year when their theatrical you can do together? Virtual Christmas careers were thrown in to an abrupt workshops are a great way to catch up lockdown. Their love of gardening with friends, as well as learn all the tips and sprung forth, and they wanted others tricks on how to be green this Christmas. to benefit from the well-being benefits of cultivating and enjoying their own sunnyjarecohub.com garden areas, however large or small your space is, and however green- Jo Davies Ceramics Thames in Marlow, Bucks, have a range fingered or inexperienced you may be of experience vouchers for sale for as a gardener. They offer both outdoor Christmas gifts; for example, a full day and indoor plants, either as planting of SUP/paddleboard hire for £46, or a options or ready-to-go displays and full day Canoe rental to hold a family of have teamed up with local florist Chloe four for £62.50. There are lots of great to offer handcrafted bouquets too. You ways to experience the river from next can even sign up for a subscription to spring onwards. Easy online booking. get a seasonal delivery every month. moosecanoehire.com www.plantsontheporch.com Jo hand-makes a fine porcelain design Jen Roffe Three Wrens Gin range of vases, vessels, lighting and unique objects, all individually wheel-thrown by the artist in her studio in east London. Her distinctive approach to porcelain makes each piece appear soft, as though the hard-fired ceramic could be wet clay, balancing movement with rigidity, smoothness with weight and tactility. jo-davies.com Jen Roffe is a hand-lettering design Award-winning Gin distilled locally in East London Liquor Company artist living in St. Albans. In her modern Cholmondeley. Distillery tours and gift calligraphy style, she illustrates the vouchers also available to purchase. most beautiful and quirky maps of Gins, gift hampers, and candles towns, cities and counties across the available through their online shop. UK, with some of her designs making it threewrensgin.com/shop/ on to mugs, tea-towels and bags. She produces fine art digital prints of her Tilly Wonka work, and does plenty of other print designs based around hand-lettering from greeting cards to wedding invitations. Her designs make a lovely A whisky and gin distillery in east gift, bringing a touch of your local area London, they make their own brilliant in to your home. gin, whisky and vodka, and have recently launched a couple of rums www.jenroffe.com plus a range of ready-to-drink mixed cans, including G&T, rum and ginger, Plants on the Porch and lime and vodka seltzer, all available from their online bottle shop. Also Handcrafted chocolates created by available are gift vouchers for distillery Matilda, born in Sweden, now living tours and tasting sessions. in Northwich, and produced in her kitchen. These beautiful chocolates, eastlondonliquorcompany.com including Vegan options, are available as bars, selection boxes, hot chocolate Moose Canoe & SUP Hire stirrers, and advent calendars. Moose Canoe & SUP Hire, a small family-run business based on the tilly-wonka.co.uk/collections girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Papertown Crafts Jobos Bows perfect luxury gifts for every occasion. Sophie is proud to stock the very best Gemma has designed ingenious kids independent luxury brands and she Jolene started making bows for her craft kits and boxes that are the perfect supports small ethical, environmentally daughter and fell in love with designing stocking fillers and suitable for postage conscious independent businesses. You and sewing. She wanted to find a way to family members near and far. Faff really can build the perfect gift with to show her daughter that it is possible free crafting for parents across the land Sophie at The Gifting Experience. for women to work and have a family. this Christmas! thegiftingexperience.com She now has her first range of dresses papertowncrafts.co.uk/shop/ together with traditional style bows. The Incredible Twins Sweet Box Every dress and bow is handmade to order. Blonde & Brown jobosbows.com Love2Graze Head to the Instagram page of twin 13 Blonde & Brown is the creation of 2 year old boys who started their small sisters from Menston in Yorkshire, who business in the first lockdown and buy brought this fabulous new pamper Sima is an expert in platter presentation, a sweet box! Great idea for a stocking box and subscription service to life, elevating the tasting experience by filler (or just for a Thursday night!) in lockdown after the doors to their feasting the senses. The Love to Graze instagram.com/ platters are fantastic for a celebration, salon were forced to close. A focus theincredibletwinssweetbox on self care and an opportunity to whether festive or something special be pampered, when many are feeling at home. As Sima says, “Nothing brings Lord & Lassie - Lindsey people together like nice platter.” overwhelmed, and run down, they have joined arms with other independent Instagram.com/love2graze businesses in and around Yorkshire, to collaborate with and handpicked Harrogate Organics the contents, sourcing as much from artisan makers as possible, alongside Blonde & Brown products and bigger well known brands. With a pamper box, luxury box, skincare box and subscription box there are lots of ways to show the women in your life you are How could we even forget about our thinking about them. beloved pooches at Christmas? Well blondeandbrown.co.uk treat them to some luxury handmade accessories from Lord and Lassie. They Harrogate Organics Company believe The Gifting Experience even have vegan leather accessories everyone deserves a healthy and happy Sophie curates beautiful bespoke gift too. life. They are on a mission to demonstrate boxes from her studio is Menston in Lordandlassie.co.uk/shop the incredible healing powers of pure, West Yorkshire. Letterbox-friendly natural and organic ingredients. boxes and luxury gift boxes provide harrogateorganics.co.uk girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
Women giving back Raindrops on Roses - raindropsonroses.org.uk Independent gift shop - Support local and combat cancer. Lovely selection of gifts for men, women & children, as well as homeware, jewellery, artwork, and Christmas goodies. Currently during lockdown you can click and collect from their St. Albans store, or shop online for delivery to the whole of the UK All profits go to Action Against Cancer Emms Choice - emmschoice.com Emms Choice is an ethical business that supports many independent UK businesses. You’ll find some great natural, sustainable and personal gifts for your loved ones. Natural, ECO, Non-Toxic Gift Ideas - Gift with a difference. We plant ONE tree for each order of £20 and over. Boo Boo Photography - booboophotography.com Christmas doorstep portraits based in Harrogate - I will come to your door and style up your doorstep, I can bring all my props, Christmas jumpers at the ready! Each 30 minute session will provide a minimum of 5 images with a complimentary black and white version of each. 10% going to Leeds Cares, the charity of Leeds Teaching Hospitals milipili - milipili.co.uk Manchester-based brand selling ethical and unique tie dye loungewear. All our cosy unisex t-shirts & sweatshirts are one-of-a-kind and hand dyed with love. So if you buy your holiday gifts from milipili, not only are you kindly supporting our small creative business, but you’re also making a donation to incredible, worthwhile causes that need our help now more than ever. 10% of profits go to 1 of 4 UK-based charities. Comfort & Joy Limited Edition Charity Sweatshirt from The Cap- sule by Natalie Anderson - thecapsule.co.uk Around 1 in 3 children across the UK are living in poverty, and the events of this year are making things even more difficult for families that were already struggling. Actress, presenter and a good friend to Lyndsey - Natalie Anderson - is making it her mission to help the appeal make sure no child wakes up on Christmas Day without a visit from Santa. She’s on as mission to help give some much needed ‘Comfort & Joy’ to those who need it most this Christmas. “The design has been in my head for ages....I wanted something people could wear during the Christmas period that was festive but classic. It’s the perfect Christmas morning jumper as it’s cosy but Christmassy. With the added donation to Mission Christmas, customers are also helping to bring some much needed ‘comfort & joy’ to our most vulnerable families & children this year. “ The jumper is certified vegan & organic and is ethically manufactured so Natalie is spending kindness all round. Natalie is donating £5 from every jumper sold to Cash For Kids girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs MY STORY My tourism marketing business has suffered immensely as a result of Covid. The travel industry is on its knees and it will take a long time before we are anywhere near where we were pre-Covid. I lost all my tourism board clients in May. Every last one of them. And as a small limited company working from home I’ve had no government support whatsoever. But Covid has given me the gift of time, and I set out to use it wisely. My vision? To launch a people and purpose driven travel brand powered by Girl About’s brand values. The mission? To build the first female-only online travel club. A safe place for wanderlust women and mums who want more than a fly-and-flop holiday from a brochure. A place to dream, plan, design and book holidays with a strong community at its core. Set up by travel industry experts, we offer unrivalled access to destination experts, bespoke holiday itineraries and ATOL-protection for all your bookings, plus events, exclusive holiday deals, travel chat and more. I’ve spent the last six months putting all my energy and expertise into building this club and when the time is right, I know that like-minded women like us, who put experiences before things and holidays before handbags, will love it. So my inclusion in this guide is an annual membership to the Girl About Travel Club gift voucher. If you’re a woman who wants access to expert travel planning for incredible holidays that can’t be Googled, as well as an amazing online community of like-minded travel-loving women to bounce ideas off, you’ll love our community. No more faceless websites and contradictory review websites. No more ‘not knowing’. No more hours spent scrolling multiple websites for information and inspiration. Plan with fun and confidence with like- minded women who put travel and memory-making at the top of the agenda. Purchase a voucher - click HERE We’ve taken everything our audience of women and mums love about Girl About, plus all our insider travel knowledge and expertise and rolled it up into one big kick-ass, wanderlust-focused, women-only travel club. The Girl About Travel Club is for women who are serious about travelling our way. Members get access to our curated step-by-step itineraries, special offers, a community forum and lots more. With an affordable annual membership, you’ll join forces with a community of women and mums across the country who want to swap and share travel ideas and CLICK HERE TO inspiration, just like you. With Kate’s extensive travel knowledge and advice on- FIND OUT MORE > hand you can look forward to tailor-made, perfect-for-you, family holidays. girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Bethlehem Baubles new minimal shapes and textures in etsy.com/uk/shop/ my pieces. My jewellery is perfect for RadiantOccasionsLtd Ideal as gifts or for your own everyday wear and make wonderful celebrations, these beautiful Christmas thoughtful gifts for a loved one, or as Cositas St Albans baubles are each individually hand- a special treat for yourself! Shadow & blown in the glass workshops of Line officially launched in Summer 2020 Hebron, a centre for glass blowing for shortly after Covid-19 hit. My workshop over 2000 years, then hand-painted is in the heart of my home and in and finished in Bethlehem. The 2020 between home-schooling my two boys, collection this year offers three I discovered the joy of designing and choices, Silver, Blue and Habibi. creating my own bespoke pieces. bethlehembaubles.com shadowandline.co.uk Jeweller’s Loupe Love, Luna Independent retailer in St Albans selling gorgeous and often quirky home furnishings, homeware and lovely gifts. Two weeks before lockdown 2 they opened up a second store in a prime location in St Albans opposite the clock tower dedicated to gifts so now more than ever they need our support to keep their two shops going. They also do workshops to bring the creative out in you - there’s over 40 different Lockdown saw the launch of the Love, Luna started out of frustration workshops from furniture painting to Jeweller’s Loupe - an online service back in October 2016 when a three brush lettering, so these would make a providing gorgeous British handmade week American road trip had been great gift experience too. ethical jewellery. Designed exclusively planned across several notebooks and I knew I couldn’t be the only one. I swore cositas.co.uk by Yorkshire jewellers, the launch collection, called Hope, is a beautiful never to struggle the same way again Hugg Designs range of stacking rings and pendants, and our travel planners were born. using coloured gemstones, made up So, if you’ve got big dreams for that ‘believe’, ‘hope’ ‘wish’, ‘faith’, ‘desire’ 2021 road trip, honeymoon, or want ‘dream’ ‘joy’ ‘promise’ and ‘trust’ - so to travel across Europe and explore you not only get something that looks all it has to offer but you’re not even fabulous but something that can help you sure where to start with this once in a feel fabulous too. When you buy from lifetime trip and want somewhere to them, they also pass on a contribution to make a note of your ideas and keep it all Martin House (Hospice Care for Children organised, not to mention store all the and Young People) so you are making a memories, then we’ve got you covered. difference to the lives of others too. loveluna.co.uk I’m an award winning graphic designer. ww.jewellersloupe.co.uk While money is very tight, my lovely Radiant Occasions daughter who is 10 years old came Cake and cupcake toppers to add the Shadow & Line up with Hugg Designs it’s her baby. finishing touches to your celebrations. Handmade contemporary jewellery Selling poster prints, stars, hearts, Seasonal, personalised or bespoke with inspired by urban architecture, personalised letters. beautiful art work these really do add reflections and shadows. I often use instagram.com/huggdesigns/ some class and sparkle to your cakes, photographs I have taken to inform whatever the occasion. girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Serenely Sorted cake boxes, treat boxes and our very popular brownie boxes. The brownie boxes are topped with a edible printed art work, designed by us also. passionate about creating beautiful and unique cakes and gifts. wheretheribbonends.com Chrys Chapman in luxury tissue paper and presented in either a gift bag or box for no extra cost. The Gift Of Serenity - The perfect gift thebobbypin.co.uk of calm in this chaotic year. By giving The Gift of Serenity you are taking care Le Tee Paris of them, giving them a way to get more peace in their lives, more time to relax. We have printed vouchers or pdf for all our Steps to Serenity online courses, from the Taster course at £9. International, published makeup artist, pages.serenelysorted.com/ hairstylist & beauty therapist. My giftofserenity passion is empowering my clients to harness the power of their own beauty. How Fine Designs I offer a range if makeup & skincare lessons & bespoke, personal beauty le tee Paris is a small independent buying - all available socially distanced, brand designing and making women’s online. clothing and accessories. Inspired by chryschapman.com my time spent previously living in Paris and seeing the everyday effortless chic Style Heaven that radiates there. This is classic and long lasting wardrobe staples that you will love and use for years to come. Everything is made ethically in the UK Sustainable jewellery designed by and Europe, and all our wool is certified Sally. Her collections use eco silver at by the Responsible Wool Standard. her workbench in Harrogate, North Please do get in touch if I can help in Yorkshire. She has a Limited Edition any way. Thanks for supporting my Christmas Silver collection of jewellery small business! and everything is packaged in recycled leteeparis.com and Fairtrade eco packaging. She can also create bespoke one of a kind I know what it feels like to open my jewellery using Fairtrade Gold and Where the ribbon ends ‘bursting at the seams’ wardrobe, sustainably sourced gemstones. with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Wishing I had something in there for howfinedesigns.com the person I want to be that day. I couldn’t be more passionate about Adorn by the Bobby Pin helping women to dress for success, to Adorn by The Bobby Pin is the place impress themselves, day after day. So, as to hit for all your fashion accessories. well as offering personal styling services We bring on trend jewellery and hair the Style Heaven Boutique was created accessories for any occasion. Our and is full of beautiful clothes in limited accessories will add colour, style and stock. We have some amazing faux fur class to any outfit, and create the look Making and creating multi award- coats and a special Christmas collection you want for this Christmas season. winning wedding and celebration which we will gift wrap for you too. We have so many great gift ideas too including jewellery sets, hair pins, cakes. This year we have diversified style-heavenonline.co.uk headbands and our new silk scrunchie to create a range of postable treat range. All our pieces are gift wrapped i boxes. For Christmas we have festive girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Quaintly Kate I make Quality bags from textiles the colours of land sea and sky. Bespoke products so beautiful you will say WOW and treasure it for years. Sourced and made in the UK with UK weavers where possible such as Harris Tweed and Linton Tweed. My large Tote bad is suggested instead of a plastic bag and my gadget bags are sized for either ear buds or such do, it helps me stay at home with my as mouse, cable and USB sticks. beautiful daughter and every order www.alldaybags.co.uk We are a local studio based in Bradford, means the world to me. All items are West Yorkshire designing and fully personalised with words and colours of your choice. Just like our Deb Jones Willow manufacturing Occasion Stationery. Christmas Eve Boxes here, or the Small independent workshop offering Our key products for this season are colouring cards now with a Christmas a wide selection of beautiful handmade Personalised Christmas Cards with a theme and the Letters from Santa items made from willow, wood significant focus on ‘First Christmas’s’… featuring your child’s name and fabric. I also offer workshops so first Christmas as Husband & Wife in basketry and willow sculpture, or First Christmas as a Daddy or etsy.com/uk/shop/ vouchers and lots of different ‘Make at Mummy. All our items are individually AliceVictoriaShop Home Willow Craft Kits’ hand crafted with a great attention to embellishment & detailing Green Leaf & Bee Fine Dine-In Leeds debjoneswillow.co.uk/ Etsy.com/Shop/QuaintlyKate Rockahoot Capikooa Twice master chef contestant, Anna, has converted her most loved main course recipes into lighter versions, Rockahoot is a small business in At Capikooa we make kids wooden so you can eat delicious food and not Oxfordshire selling homemade hair balance boards and covers with integrated feel guilty about having a pudding! clips and bobbles. With over 150 cushion. Our balance boards are open- Due to restrictions the supper clubs designs available there is something ended toys that encourage imagination, have changed to a weekly fine-dine-in for everyone! From Liberty prints creativity, and movement. They can be service. The menus are packed with to mermaids and from rainbows to used by a wide age range and as they are flavour, seasonal and change weekly dinosaurs. All pairs are priced at just made to a high quality and at different and packaged sustainably. The perfect £3.60 and make the ideal stocking filler. ages will be used for different things, they gift for a foodie lover! It’s 19.50 for two Gift wrapping is available and items can will be enjoyed for generations to come. courses, click & collect or £4 delivery be posted to the recipient complete We have three different sizes so it’s good greenleafandbee.co.uk with your message, making them the fun for the whole family! We strive to perfect gift for those you might be reduce waste in toys and support child All Day Bags unable to see this Christmas. development in the early years. Instagram.com/Rockahoot capikooa.com Alice Victoria Designs Alice Victoria Designs is the perfect place to find personalised items for yourself or as that lovely gift. Run by Alice (and her soon-to-be two Little Helpers) it’s the personal touch that makes all the difference. I love what I girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs Silhouette London Boutique We are vegan friendly, cruelty free and promote zero waste. All of our packaging is recyclable too! wildflowersandbeyond.com Your Favourite Song which can be set at a denomination of your choice and put towards a session Through my boutique, Silhouette or any products including digital London, I’m on a mission to help as images & wall art. many young girls and teenagers as I lumierephotographic.com can to find their confidence and their style while filling the gap in the UK Captured Keepsakes market for teen fashion and gifts. My A3 Personalised Spotify / iTunes Wall range includes a fabulous collection of Art, Capture your favourite memories, gifts targeted at teens and pre-teens alongside your favourite song. Bespoke silhouette.me.uk Spotify/iTunes Wall Art prints. You can have any song you like printed on A3. Frame not included Luxe Beauty Lounge etsy.com/uk/listing/883232344/ your-favourite-song Flair Boutique UK Captured Keepsakes create bespoke handcrafted jewellery using your own handwriting, drawings, fingerprints, paw prints, hand and footprints. If you’re looking for something extra special this Christmas, either for yourself or a loved one, they have so Trouble switching off? Forget counting many options to choose from. Each sheep, take an intergalactic approach unique piece is made by hand, using to relaxing with Spacemasks. Inside only the best quality materials and each cosmic box you’ll find five using sustainable, environmentally Flair Boutique UK puts the flair into individually wrapped, single-use friendly options where possible. fashion. Style shouldn’t be restricted Spacemasks. Simply slip the elastic www.capturedkeepsakes.co.uk by age, it’s all about attitude. With loops over your ears and wait for the that ethos, Flair Boutique UK offers air-activated, self-heating mask to Wildflowers and Beyond affordable fashion for style-conscious transport you to another (relaxing) women. Our hashtag – #getyourflairon dimension. Each cosmic foil mask – represents women’s freedom to is infused with jasmine to help lull express their individual style. Alongside you to sleep, ease tired eyes, tension our fabulous choice of mix and match, headaches and reach a new found level versatile outfits, Flair Boutique UK also of bliss in the evenings. offers gorgeous accessories which luxebeautylounge.co.uk make perfect gifts. From clutch bags, scarfs and gloves to cosy knits, Flair Lumiere Photographic makes gifting simple. High quality photography across a flairboutique.co.uk range of avenues including wedding, Feel awesome from your head to your families, babies, cake smash, pets, toes, with our eco-friendly, handmade Sassy Shop Wax boudoir, and more. Offering location or natural pamper gift boxes. Made in Sassy Shop Wax make handmade, studio photoshoots in and around West the UK, our products are natural and beautifully scented wax melts in our Yorkshire with a natural and relaxed handmade. From soaps to shampoo Bristol workshop, using a unique approach. I also offer gift vouchers bars to feed your mind, body and soul. blend of wax which gives our melts girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs positive spoken language and increase confidence, (resilience), kindness and a positive mindset. affirmationcardsforkids.co.uk Saronti an amazing scent throw. We have a fantastic range of Christmas gifts, Little Munchkins including Christmas scents, Christmas Crackers & our best selling Sassy Starter Pack - we pride ourselves on offering affordable luxury for your home. Give the gift of home fragrance this Christmas! We make personalised books, card sassyshopwax.com games, activity colourings and fun characters to print on water bottles, Stars and Back clothing posters, wrapping paper and more. The difference with our products is, we put faces and names of whole families (up We are a little boutique stocking big to 14 members) and pets into books brands such as Frugi, Toby Tiger, Lelli / card games. We have different skin Kelly, Dr Martens and many more! Our tones, same sex families, wheelchair shop is in the heart of Otley where we bound characters too. are fully qualified to measure and fit shoes too. saronti.com littlemunchkinsofotley.co.uk Ollie Belle Creations SEW So Eco Handprinted hoodies and sweaters using styled fun graphics in contemporary and fresh colour schemes. It’s my nod to my dad up in the stars! starsandback.co.uk Affirmation Cards For Kids Personalised Building Block Trays. They can come with a green, blue or SEW So Eco is a small family run grey board, have any name/names business based in North Yorkshire. added, have room in the back for the We stock a range of beautiful eco gifts instruction manual or tablet and the for you, your home and your loved legs fold under for easy storage. These ones. We have recently launched a make lovely presents for Lego and local doorstep delivery service selling Duplo fans. a range of planet friendly ‘Made in Affirmation Cards For Kids help Yorkshire’ cleaning, laundry and olliebellecreations.co.uk children to improve their language hair/body care products. These are with positive words and vocabulary delivered in glass bottles which are Printed Chocolates for everyday communication in both washed and returned for reuse- zero At Printed Chocolates we handmake Welsh and English. There are 51 waste! and print images, names, logos and unique affirmations and positive words messages onto chocolates. These are sewsoeco.co.uk on each card. With a further 704+ ideal for all occasions and have been alternative words in the ‘how-to-use’ popular for client gifts and staff gifts booklet, you will find an abundance of over the years. information to understand and create w3designs.co.uk girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs MyType for your loved one Anna guarantees children. Available in a variety of colours, a VIP experience that they will never consumers can choose the wool colour forget. Not only that but all the advice as well as the small cuddly toy attached they receive will last them a lifetime to the blanket. These soft comforters and instil in them the knowledge and make the perfect snuggling companion confidence to look and feel their very and are an ideal choice for baby’s first best every day. Christmas this year. annamewes.com Lennie.belles@gmail.com Flo & Ted Melt With Me MyType is a small business set up by artist and photographer Sarah Lorrimer-Riley, selling high quality fine art photography, photography collage with precious metals (inc 24 carat gold) & typography prints. etsy.com/uk/shop/MyTypePrint Luna Rose Botanicals An online boutique offering a gorgeous An independent wax melt company range of products, gifts & clothing to providing homemade wax melts and promote comfort & relaxation; both a range of ceramic burners; I have mentally & physically - all hand-picked different sizes and shapes with scents with love. All our packages are sent to suit all tastes. Our Christmas range with our deluxe wrapping service so has the perfect choice of stocking make gorgeous, thoughtful Christmas fillers, small gifts or large gifts to suit gifts too. Select our featured gift sets any recipient; perfect for secret Santa, or create your own from our selection. a friend or a special person in your life! floandted.com meltwithme.co.uk Luna Rose Botanicals aromatherapy menstrual cycle skincare, which I Backwards Brain Leading Lady Cakes created to help me to track my cycle. Handmade with essential oils to support the hormonal, skin, emotional and energetic ebb and flows each month. loveyourcycles.co.uk/skincare Anna Mewes - Personal Stylist A new street clothing brand born from Monthly subscription boxes are the a Mother’s frustration, seeing her perfect treat to those who love to son’s self-worth nose dive due to him create in the kitchen. Every month, not fitting the ‘average’ size clothing. you will have a box delivered to your A small 14-year-old forced into ‘kids door. The contents will inspire you clothes’ because the designer labels he to create, and possibly try a new aspired to didn’t cater for his size, Leo bake. Contents may include cutters, inspired the birth of Backwards Brain piping nozzles, sprinkles as well as Anna offers a beautifully packaged gift after finding that none of the big brands handy accessories such as notepad vouchers for all her personal styling cater for more individual young adults. and pencils for you to jot down those services, from colour analysis at her backwardsbrain.co.uk/ important recipes or shopping lists. luxury style studio in West Yorkshire leadingladycakes.co.uk to wardrobes weeds, signature style Lennie Belles sessions and online styling options. Hand knit beautiful, bespoke comforters Fennec & Darwin Whichever style service you choose and blankets for babies and young Leeds-based Fennec & Darwin are a girlabout.co.uk | #MakeAmazingMemories
You can also read