Dad Blog UK

UK dad blog: Fatherhood, parenting, family and lifestyle.

  • Home
  • About Dadbloguk
  • Categories
    • Childcare
    • Dadbloguk Q&A
    • Days out and travel
    • Family finances
    • Family Life & parenting
    • Fatherhood
    • Health and fitness
    • Flexi working & Shared Parental Leave
    • Home Improvement
    • Male fertility
    • Men’s style & grooming
    • Motoring
    • Online safety
    • Parenting and technology
    • Photography
    • Pregnancy, birth & toddlers
    • Recipes and cooking
    • Reviews
    • School Days
    • School run dad
    • Stay / work at home dad
    • Teenagers, puberty & periods
  • In the media
  • Media kit
  • Work with me
  • Contact

November 12, 2015 By John Adams 10 Comments

Dadbloguk Christmas Gift Guide for him and her

In case you need reminding, Christmas is 42 days away (as at 12 Nov, 2015). Hopefully you’re being organised and are already planning your Christmas shopping.

On the off-chance you need some inspiration, here are some suggestions of gifts for him/her. I have only recommended products or services that I have used myself, none of it has simply been copied from a media release. I will follow up next week with a post of gift ideas for the children. I hope you like my suggestions, but please do leave a comment at the end with your own ideas.

Brewbarrel home brew beer kit

Beer Barrel, home brew, home brewing. Brewbarrel

All the ingredients you need to make Brewbarrel beer.

 

An amazing introduction into home brewing. This kit contains all you need to brew five litres of beer in a week. It is incredibly simple and ideal for the beginner. I thoroughly enjoyed the brewing experience and you can read my detailed review here. I went on to invest in some brewing equipment so I could brew at home on a bigger scale and my wife often returns from work to find an obscure ale fermenting in the kitchen cupboard! The Brewbarrel kits start at £20 but you can pay more depending on the ingredients you select.

Serene Surprises relaxation subscription service

Serene Surprises, Christmas Gift Guide

The contents of Serene Surprises launch box.

This is a monthly subscription service that provides organic, natural products with the aim of supplying some guilt-free relaxation (although this assumes chocolate does not make you feel guilty!). It’s a newbie to the gift market having only launched last month. I was provided with a sample and it contained some amazing organic drinking chocolate, two different body oils, a bath soak and a mimosa and mandarin soy candle. Although the marketing is very gender neutral, I think this will appeal much more to the woman in your life. That said, I’m sure most couples would appreciate putting the body oil to good use by candlelight, but I shall stop there before I get myself in trouble. A one-off box costs £15 while a yearly subscription costs £162 and there are various options in-between. See the Serene Surprises website for further information.

Dickies Welton Work Boot

Dickies, Kanye West

The Dickies Welton Work boot.

Not something I was going to include on this list, but so many people commented on my recent Kanye West and I blog post saying they’d make a great Christmas gift, I felt I had to! This is not just a gift for the guys; both Rhianna and Kanye West have been seen sporting this look. They cost £54.95 a pair and are available from the Dickies online store. Ideal for the building site and the fields of Worthy Farm in Glastonbury (did you see what I did there?).

The Library of Fragrance

Christmas, gift guide, Christmas gifts

The Library of Fragrance scent Christmas in New York

The Library of Fragrance has been in business in the US for almost 20 years but is a relative newcomer to the UK. It’s discarded the aspirational approach to marketing perfume and aftershave. Instead it has a range of 400 scents that will be familiar to the wearer, such as gin and tonic, orange blossom or even grass. You can wear one on its own, or layer it and create your own unique scent. In case you think this is just for the girls, it features some masculine scents such as sandalwood and also chocolate-themed varieties so boys can play with the range too. Some scents are available from Boots, starting at £15.99 a bottle but the entire library can be purchased online from The Library of Fragrance website.

 

Old Street Barber Co. grooming range

Christmas Gift Guide, Christmas Gifts, Old Street Barber Co.

The Old Street Barber Co. Ultimate Beard Grooming Kit.

Definitely one for the boys this. I’ve used a number of Old Street products. They’re high quality and well designed. I know the team behind the brand and they are passionate about their range. The beard oil is a particular speciality. In time for Christmas these chaps have expanded their product range to include combs, hair styling products and so on. There’s something for every price range. Combs start at £3 but the Ultimate Grooming Kit featuring beard oils, beard and moustache combs and hair styling product,comes it at £65. All products are available at the Old Street Barber Co. website.

Olverum Bath oil

Olverum, Christmas gift guide.

Olverum bath oil. Great for relaxation and relaunched this year.

Containing extracts of 10 aromatic plants including juniper, lavender and lemon peel, Olverum is a great bath soak. You might imagine Mrs Adams has made use of this higher-end bath oil but it’s actually been me after long, demanding days looking after the kids (I am a stay at home dad after all). The product has been relaunched this year and is available from Olverum.com plus Fenwick and House of Fraser. Expect to pay £23.50 for a 125ml bottle.

Old Pulteney 1989 single malt whisky

whisky, Old Pultney, Christmas gift guide

Old Pultney single malt, 1989 expression

If you wish to splash out a bit, you could do worse than get someone significant a bottle of Old Pulteney single malt, 1989 expression. In whisky-talk, an expression is basically a variant, this particular whisky having been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels that had previously held heavily peated malt. I concede I have only had the one dram, but it was beautiful colour, with a peaty smell. As you would expect for a whisky of this age, it was incredibly smooth. Old Pulteney is distilled in Wick and is only the second peated whisky to be added to its range. Expect to pay £135 a bottle. Old Pulteney 1989 is available direct from OldPulteney.com or other specialist whisky retailers.

Flavourly craft beer club subscription

Flavourly, flavourly.com, craft beer, beer club, ale

The Flavourly Craft Beer Club.

I started with ale, so let’s end with ale! a subscription to the Flavourly Craft Beer Club will no doubt go down well with the “selective” drinker. I had the good fortune to test out this service over the summer and was very impressed. You can read about it in this blog post. Each month you get a great selection of amazing beers that have been chosen with great care. Tasting notes and nibbles are also included. It costs £20 plus £4 postage and packing but there is a special offer for Dadbloguk readers (follow the previous link for info).

You Baby Me Mummy

Interested in this blog post? Well have a read of these...

  • Christmas gifts from Samuel WindsorChristmas gifts from Samuel Windsor
  • A foray into home brewing with BrewbarrelA foray into home brewing with Brewbarrel
  • Some Christmas gift inspirationSome Christmas gift inspiration
  • Exotic Tipples? Don’t mind if I do.Exotic Tipples? Don’t mind if I do.
  • Making my own aftershave with The Perfume StudioMaking my own aftershave with The Perfume Studio
Tweet
Pin
Share1
1 Shares

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas gifts, Dickies Welton Work Boot, gifts, Gruffalo, Kano, Old Street Barber Co., Serene Surprises

Previous Post: « Our new kitchen, and a spectacular failure to plan for it
Next Post: Getting your child on their bike »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura's Lovely Blog says

    November 13, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    I am so stuck on ideas for my husband, but he doesn’t drink so that makes things harder! Thanks for the list 🙂 #thelist

    Reply
    • John Adams says

      November 14, 2015 at 6:37 am

      Ah yes, I see your dilemma. In that case, I would seriously consider something from Old Street Barber Co. As it’s now a styling and grooming range I suspect there’s something he’d use.

      Reply
  2. Sian - The Mama Story says

    November 16, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    Thank you – you have given my some ideas for my husband’s present (s)! He’s grown a lovely beard this year so I’m definitely looking at a grooming kit for it.
    #TheList

    Reply
    • John Adams says

      November 18, 2015 at 5:15 am

      Good louck buying your presents. Glad you’ve had some inspiration.

      Reply
  3. You Baby Me Mummy says

    November 18, 2015 at 2:47 pm

    Oh my hubby would love the beer things. Great selection! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x

    Reply
    • John Adams says

      November 22, 2015 at 6:18 am

      The Brewbarrel is truly amazing. Your other half will not be disappointed.

      Reply
  4. Sarah MumofThree World says

    November 26, 2015 at 6:32 am

    I never know what to get my husband! Just like my dad, he says ‘I don’t really want anything’, which isn’t helpful! There’s plenty of alcohol to choose from here, but I really like those boots! (For me as well as him!)

    Reply
    • John Adams says

      November 26, 2015 at 10:30 am

      What are you saying about me??? As it happens, I’ve got quite attached to the boots. Great choice.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Christmas gifts for the children | Dad Blog UKChristmas gifts for the children - Dad Blog UK says:
    November 18, 2015 at 6:42 am

    […] week I published a list of Christmas gifts for the grown ups. I promised one for the children, and here we […]

    Reply
  2. Contemporary kilt style to mark Burns Night - Dad Blog UK says:
    January 25, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    […] by having the haggis and maybe a drop of the water of life. You can, by the way, see my write up of Old Pultney 1989 Expression in this gift guide I wrote a couple of months […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

LET’S CONNECT!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to my newsletter

* indicates required


About me

 

I’m John Adams and welcome to my award-winning blog. Since 2011 I’ve been the main carer for my two daughters and run the household while my wife has worked full-time. This blog tells our story. Follow this link to find out more about us.

Instagram

dadbloguk

Instagram post 2197984947629147223_1418399145 Are you wearing a spangly, sparkly jumper to mark @savechildrenuk’s #ChristmasJumperDay ?? We may be part way through the day, but it’s not too late to donate or take part. I hope the following shopping list may inspire you: £1 will buy a set of pens and pencils to help a child write and learn £2 could pay for enough antibiotics for eight kids with pneumonia (one of the world’s biggest killer of children) £5 could buy a winter jacket for a child in Syria £20 could buy vital supplies for a new mother and baby.

Go take a look at the @savechildrenuk feed to find out how you can help. 
Oh, and the message this year is to re-use or decorate an old  jumper and reduce the impact on the environment. That bad-boy I’m wearing, I decorated that myself! Honest, I have witnesses from @hobbycraft who are backing the day and helped me out while I was using a glue gun!
.
.
.
.
.
#SaveTheChildren #Saverhechildrenuk #christmasjumperday #christmasjumper #jumperday #nonuniformday #charity #charityfundraiser #fundraising #homemade #artsandcrafts #crafting #charityevent #charitychallenge #charityfundraiser #charityfundraising #dadbloguk #charitycampaign #fundraisingevent #fundraisingfriday #hobbycraft #jumpers #gluegun #glueguncrafts #Christmas #Christmas2019 #ootd #wiwt #wiwtmen #bloggerstyle
Instagram post 2197164680346502651_1418399145 Well this came as a surprise! A local paper put my recent win at the @Vuelio #OIAwards19 on the front page (see my grid for more, it’s all there). The headline of the article was an absolute classic. I just had to share it.

Question is, should I get this printed on a t-shirt???
.
.
.
.
.
#oiawards #oiawards2019 #onlineinfluenceawards #vuelio #vuelioawards #dadoftheyear #newspaper #newsstory #media #mediacoverage #influencer #socialmedia #socialmediainfluencer #influencermarketing #dadbloguk #blogger #dadblogger #ukdadbloggers #video #parenting #family #familytime #dads #dadstagram #igdads #dadtribe #newsheadlines #localnews #localnewspaper
Instagram post 2196515413898489126_1418399145 AD - Helen engrosses herself with a copy of kids’ news magazine @theweekjunior  There was a news story in this edition involving Harry Potter that she was particularly interested in.

As a former journalist, I have always encouraged my kids to show an interest in current affairs. I’m always amazed at the opinions they express and how considered their opinions are. 
If you are still looking for a Christmas gift for a child between the age of eight and fourteen, there’s a special Christmas subscription deal available for The Week Junior. 
Visit the blog and sign up (link in bio) and you will receive 19 issues for the price of 13. 
That aside, do you talk to your kids about current affairs? Do you think it’s a good thing or do you steer away from such discussions?
.
.
.
.
.
#theweekjunior #TheWeek #newsmagazine #currentaffairs #newsmonkey #family #familytime #dadbloguk #parenting #Christmas2019 #Christmasgifts #magazinesubscription #magazinesubscriptions #familylife #parents #newspaper #newsforkids #currentaffairsforkids #pbloggers #blogger #influencer #newstory #worldview #education #educational #learning #Christmasgifts #Christmaspresents #HarryPotter
Instagram post 2194925799735718883_1418399145 Do you spend enough time in the great outdoors?

I’m very big on spending time outside. It’s health benefits are instantly apparent to me but over the past couple of months I’ve let myself down.

I’ve been active, using our gym equipment at home, but I’ve not been getting outside enough. Despite us having had several, glorious, sunny days, family life and work have conspired to keep me at home.

Not getting outside definitely impacts sleep quality and saps energy. I simply knew I wasn’t getting out enough.

Last week I rebelled. I took myself off on Friday to nearby woodland with my camera and did some photography. This is one of the pictures I took. It’s maybe not the best, but is was a lovely, crisp, winter’s day and I think you can see it in this landscape. 
I’ve written more about this aspect of self care on the blog (link in bio) so please have a read. Feel free to also add a comment below, with your own thoughts on spending time outside.
.
.
.
.
.
#selfcare #greatoutdoors #health #care #lookafteryourself #family #familylife #worklifebalance #mentalhealth #sleep #familyhealth #dadbloguk #selfcaretips #selfcarematters #selfcareroutine #selfcarefirst #selfcareisntselfish #metime #photography #landscape #winter2019 #farmland #influencer #pbloggers #parenting #parents #timeout
Instagram post 2194240337224380194_1418399145 How amazing is this? A frozen spider’s when I spotted between a fence post and a tree. It just looks so haunting and I love the detail. It’s so amazingly intricate.

The spider was nowhere to be seen though. Hopefully it was keeping warm elsewhere!
.
.
.
.
.
#spidersweb #web #frozen #cold #decembermorning #mysundayphoto #photography #fotografia #eyecatching #picsoftheday #canonpics #canonshots #blackandwhite #bw #bandw #spiders #dadbloguk #blogger #influencer #photoblogger #igpics #picsoftheday #monochrome #winter #winter2019 #cold #icycold #morningwalk #morninginspiration #outdoors #outside #nature
Instagram post 2193472480144169837_1418399145 If your child is a reluctant reader, don’t panic! It could be that they’re simply not into books. Try magazines, newspapers or websites instead. There’s a good chance that eventually you’ll find something that does inspire them to read.

Don’t take my word for it though, take it from @tompalmerauthor He has, after all, just received the Ruth Rendell Award, a prestigious award given to people who have gone out of their way to promote literacy. 
Tom has written many books for children and often visits schools to talk to the students about his career as a writer. Some of his books are focused on sport, some are focused on history or have a war-theme like Armistice Runner, the book I’m pictured with here. He has also published a range of books for children who struggle with reading to give them confidence.

There’s a full interview with Tom over on Dadbloguk. Link is in the profile.

If you have struggled to get one of your kids to read, how did you deal with it? We’ve had a small issue recently persuading Izzy to read her school books but the solution has been very simple. I take her to the library where she’ll sit and read for ages. She simply doesn’t like being told she’s doing homework so when she has the choice to chose what she reads, she does it.
.
.
.
.
.
#TomPalmer #tompalmerauthor #literacytrust #nationalliteracytrust #nlt #ArmisticeRunner #RuthRendell #RuthRendellAward #reluctantreader #reading #readingwithchildren #readingforchildren #childrensauthor #childrensbooks #readingdifficulties #readingconfidence #education #schooling #dadblogukqa #dadbloguk #blogger #dadblogger #dadblog #parenting #family #familytime #schooling #reading #readingtime #readingisfundamental #inspiring #inspiration
Load More...

Awards and accolades

In the media

Printerest

Recipes, baking and cooking

Family days out

Pregnancy and birth for dads

Online safety & digital resilience

Childcare

Men's grooming

Footer

PRIVACY POLICY, DATA USE AND REGULATORY INFORMATION

Copyright © 2019 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2019 · Dad Blog UK

7ads6x98y