Pressies Galore!

Here's a little picture-based run down of the lovely gifts I received for Christmas this year. Please don't think that I'm showing off and saying 'Ooo, look what I got', this is just my way of documenting the kindness of my family and friends and a way of helping me remember where/who the many lovely items came from.

Firstly, some of the fabulousness from hubby. These gifts were a combination of Christmas and birthday pressies really, since we were away in the USA for my actual birthday.

At the top a selection of books, including the auotbiography of my boyband crush, John Taylor from Duran Duran, which hubby bought with absolutely no prompting from me - good woork, hubby!

In the middle some new sheepskin liners for my Ugg boots (not the slouchy suede-y ones you see yoofs trolling round shopping centres in, but proper leather ones that us old folk know to be sensible footwear), a leather birthday book so I don't have the excuse to forget anyone's special day again (unless I forget to put them in the book...), a Christmas tin, and a 2013 Cath Kidston diary.

And at the bottom some lovely Cath Kidston velvet trainers and a box of chocolates.

More gifts from hubby - a glass cake stand and trifle bowl; the trifle bowl had to be given to me early so it could be used for the Christmas trifle, as seen in the next photo.

Super Joules gilet, so that when DC starts school in September, I can hang around the school gates like a proper yummy mummy (yep, like that's going to happen.)

A slouchy cardigan from M&S. And a terrible photo of it.

And, last but not least, my favourite gift from hubby: a set of Beswick flying ducks, so I can come over all Hilda Ogden in the snug. Can't wait to get these hung on the wall.

My lovely Mum spoilt me, as usual. A voucher for the local beauty place, a DAB clock radio, lots of smellies, some bedsocks, a candle from one of my favourite home shops in the USA, and some chocolate biscuits that can only be found in Starbucks in the US.

Plus the traditional bags of goodies for the whole family from Mum. This all started when I was a student and Mum & Dad used to give me toiletries and food to take back after the Christmas holidays, and the tradition continues twenty-plus years later.

Yes, that's right, Mum buys us ketchup and soup, just like we are poor, starving students again!

Enough toiletries to open my own shop; is Mum trying to tell us something?!

And my in-laws were also very kind, giving me a large box of Santuary goodies

Some new bathroom scales (as requested - they weren't dropping hints!)

And a dustbuster; of which I seem to have not taken a photo. Again, as per request and not a hint that our home is messy (even thought it is.)

As you can see, I was spoilt rotten, but I'm not a brat (well, not much...) I hope Father Christmas was kind to you all, too.