Christmas Gift Guide 2015

My favourite time of year is upon us. Nothing beats Christmas, especially when you have little kids. But if the thought of battling with the hoards on the high street for hours to find perfect Christmas gifts leaves you feeling queasy, do not fear! I have compiled a Christmas gift guide bursting with fantastic  gifts for the whole family. These products have all be road tested by me and my family.

For Kids

Top row:

Wannabees role play packs
Play for real. These kits are fantastic for imaginative play. There are lots of exciting forms to fill in on perforated pages so little hands can easily remove the sheets from the pack.  It is the perfect gift for youngsters who love to play at being grown ups! You can choose from the Doctor pack, Teacher pack and Café owner pack. £14.99 each. wannabees.co.uk

Kano computer kit
Kano is a computer kit that kids can make themselves. Unlock your super powers, building a computer from scratch in under 5 minutes! No prior knowledge required. Designed for 6-14 year olds, it's as simple and fun as LEGO and comes with the step-by-step Kano Book to guide you. Great for curious kids with big imaginations looking for new and creative ways to make, learn and play. Usually £119 but currently £89.99 until 31st December. uk.kano.me

Jelly Belly lip balm gift set.
These scrummy Jelly Bean inspired lip balms are the perfect stocking filler and a great alternative to make up for younger girls who are desperate for their own 'lipstick'. The flavours are just like the Jelly Beans with flavour like Tutti-Fruitti, Very Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry Jam, Bubble Gum and Green Apple. £12. jellybelly-uk.com (The gift sets are also available on the high street from Claire's Accessories.)

Middle row:

Kudleez
Every child loves to be comfy and warm in the winter and what better than to cuddle up with a snuggly, soft, warm toy. Kudleez characters contain a microwavable wheat pack which provides gentle warmth and soothes little tummies. There are three gorgeous character to choose from: Elephant, Hippo or Monkey. £10 each. theheatpackcompany.com

The Great Cream Robbery children's book
A criminal cat, clever cows and Cornish clotted cream come together in this imaginative children’s tale, created by Rodda’s to mark its 125th anniversary.‘The Great Cream Robbery’ tells the adventurous story of Merryn the criminal cat and the lengths she will go to have just one lick of golden crusted clotted cream. Beautiful language and illustrations throughout the book bring to life a passion and love for cream teas in fun-filled pages. Suitable for kids age 5+. £7.99. roddas.co.uk

Twirlywoos jigsaws
Little I loves Twirlywoos (and I find myself singing the theme tune all day!) These fun jigsaws will keep the little ones entertained whilst stimulating their cognitive development and helping with co-ordination. Suitable for children 18mths+. £4.99. Smythstoys.com

Bottom row:

Lost My Name personalised book
A child wakes up to find his or her name missing! What can be done? They can go on a magical adventure of course to find each letter and retrieve their name. This beautiful, personalised story teaches children that with courage anything is possible, even finding a lost name. The interactive ordering process allows you to fully personalise your book with full page previews. You get to choose fun characters to help your child find the letters of their name. £19.99. lostmy.name

LEGO Juniors Pony Farm
Nothing beats a bit of LEGO construction on Boxing Day. Lego have created the easy to build Lego Juniors range for those younger master builders to learn the trade. This design is a Pony Farm - perfect for horse obsessed Little E. LEGO is for everyone and should away feature under the tree! £24.99. Tesco.com

My Little Pony Rainbow Dash Style & Groom
It's a pony. It's a styling head. Basically it is the perfect gift for any budding young hairstylist obsessed with braids and beads. Style Rainbow Dash's rainbow mane with glamorous hair accessories and pink mane brush to create an incredible masterpiece, use the fun colourful stickers and dazzling gems to glamourize her body. Little ones can even create real jewellery with the beautiful beads and rainbow dash's cutie mark charm. Check out how much fun Little E had with it at the launch party. £24.99. Argos.co.uk (You get a free My Little Pony DVD when you order before 15th January).

For Him

Clockwise from top left

Art of Football t-shirts and prints
Got a footie mad relative? Art of Football create fantastic illustrations that capture the energy, emotion and euphoria from split second moments in football. You can buy prints or t-shirts depicting iconic moments from your team or country's footballing history. There are only a limited number of each design, so your t-shirts are exclusive and completely original  Prints from £9.99, t-shirts from £22.00. art-of-football.com

Hunter Gatherer steak branding iron
Buying for King of the BBQ or a steak connisseur? This branding iron comes with a full set of letters that can be slotted into the frame to personalise your steaks. Simply heat on the BBQ or grill and press into the steak and the message will be seared in. £32. notonthehighstreet.com

Cafédirect Handpicked subscription
For the coffee lover why not give them a taste of the finest coffees from around the world with a Cafédirect Handpicked subscription. Each month they will receive a different coffee specially created by experts who have unearthed hidden gems from the finest farms across the world. They will also receive a tasting guide so they can learn all about their coffee and see their personal taste profiles emerge. Subscriptions start at £24 for 3mths. handpicked.cafedirect.co.uk

Braun Cruzer 6 Face
This sleek 3in1 shaver turns facial hair into a slick beard, stylish stubble or a clean shaved baby face. Husband loves this shaver as he can trim his stubble to 4 different lengths whilst using the twistable mini trimmer to give a sharp edge. £69.99. amazon.co.uk

Standeazy
Watching video clips, sports and TV programmes on your phone when out and about just got a whole lot easier with the nifty Standeasy device. Fitting snugly into your wallet, the credit card size plastic stand is perfect for turning smartphones, mini tablets and e-readers into handsfree devices. No more balancing the phone in the fruit bowl while you follow that recipe or watching the football in the pub one handed. And it also keeps kids sticky fingers off your phone when keeping them entertained. £2.99. standeazy.com

BeetsBLU pagertag
Do you know someone who is forever loosing their key, phone, bag? This little pagertag helps you keep track of your valuables by wirelessly detecting their proximity. It pairs to an app on your phone and an alert sounds when your item shifts outside of connection range and you can track the location of your possessions - no more valuables left on the bus! £18.95. beetsblu.com

For Her

Clockwise from top left

Bakedin Baking Club Subscription
A Bakedin Baking Club subscription is the ideal gift for anyone looking to start up home baking in the New Year, supplying everything needed to bake delicious cakes from scratch at home – with just a few additional fresh ingredients required to get started. Perfect for a GBBO fan! The Baking Club subscribers will receive exclusive baking kits including dry ingredients, recipes and baking tips through their letterbox each month.  Gift packages available for three (£28.99), six (£54.99) or twelve (£99.99) months. bakedin.co.uk

Garmin Vivofit 2 activity tracker watch.
This little activity tracker watch is a fantastic gift for fitness fans or those wanting to up their activity. It learns your activity level and sets a personalised daily goal. It shows steps, calories, distance, time, date, monitors sleep, activity timer and reminds you to stay active with move bar and audible alert. I'm loving mine and it really is helping me be more active. It also comes with a spare strap. Available in a range of colours including bright pink. £79.99. Maplin.co.uk

'Popred' framed print by Sarah Ezekiel
Sarah is an artist who paints using eye tracking technology, due to suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. She has partnered with the Matt Hampson Foundation and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this print will go to the disability charity. The print is an A2 in a clear-waxed oak frame. A stunning addition to the home. £180. Available at your local Furniture Village store.

Boobie Beads
I hated not being able to wear jewellery when my babies were little. These fab soft silicone teething necklaces are a great way to look glamorous without the worry of hurting baby (or baby breaking your jewels!). They are 100% toxin free made from food grade silicone. They make a great gift for mums-to-be and new mothers. £8.00. facebook.com/boobiebeadsx

Paul Frank manicure set
This retro cassette shaped manicure set contains everything needed to keep nails looking fantastic. A nail file, clippers, nail scissors and a cuticle stick. Julius the Monkey has always been one of my favourite motifs. This is the perfect, compact stocking filler. £8. Boots.com (yes, it is part of the 3 for 2 gifts promotion!)

TIGI giftsets
Stand out from the crowd with brilliant product combinations selected by the TIGI creative team to answer every hair care need, for the fearless fashionistas and thrill seekers on your list. With sets from Bedhead and Catwalk, get looks from a fast fix style mix to a post party-pick-me-up, volume that shouts to shine that sparkles. With at least 30% off on every pack, TIGI’s gift sets allow you to break the rules and wreck the halls this Christmas! From £16.95. Lookfantastic.com

And if you are still stuck why not take a look at last year's gift guide for more great ideas!