Mae (Kind of) reviews the latest Purrfectbox

“Never work with children or animals” the saying goes- and although I can’t speak for the children side of things I’ve never had a problem getting Mae to cooperate when it comes to getting photos of her for the blog. That is until last week when we set aside a morning to explore the latest Purrfectbox*. Despite getting really excited upon first spying the box and trying her hardest to get in to it, as soon as the camera came out my feline fiend went on strike and refused to anything remotely interesting or cute. That’s the thing with my Mae, she is very much her own cat and no amount of coaxing, bribery with treats or offers of human food will get her to do anything unless she wants to.
Eventually we managed to get together enough photos to construct this post and despite her reluctance to show any form of enthusiasm for the most part she really did love this box- the toys in particular which have been carried, chased and thrown all over the house often turning up in the most random of places.
We’ve been lucky enough to receive a few Purrfectboxes now and despite turning her nose up at most of the toys I buy for her somehow they always manage to pack in a selection that become her new favourite things ever. This month Mae was particularly taken with a little pirate creature (which happens to be my favourite too) as well as the selection of catnip filled mice which I keep finding strewn all over the house.

It’s not just toys that you get in Purrfect box though, there were a couple of bags of treats which were swiftly devoured- the cheese chicken cubes from Trixie went down especially well! The deodorising litter crystals were also a nice touch, Mae doesn’t have a litter tray but I used these when I lived in my flat with Tobias and they really do make a massive difference.

Chances are if you’ve read my blog for any length of time you’ll know a bit about Purrfectbox but just incase you don’t then For those that don’t yet know the Purrfect Box is a monthly subscription which costs £19.90 a month with options to subscribe for longer periods of time which will reduce the monthly cost slightly. The contents of the box are guaranteed to be worth at least £30 with 4-6 premium products inside so it’s a pretty sweet deal, especially as each box is catered to your feline’s needs and preferences. Let me know if you decide to treat your feline friend to a box- we’ve had a few of these boxes now and are yet to receive one that hasn’t been well worth the money and Mae has amassed a huge collection of favourite toys- most memorably a dolphin that we frequently find in the bath. At the moment you can also order a Christmas box for £29.90 which contains a massive 8 products and would make for the perfect gift for any well behaved pet (which I have to say Mae really isn’t, but I can’t resist spoiling her regardless!)

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Gift Inspiration: Sealed with a Kiss by Dower & Hall

So we’ve established by now that I think jewellery makes for the perfect gift come Christmas time- or any time and most of my gift guides this year have featured it heavily. I just can’t help it though, my inner magpie has been well and truly seduced by all the beautiful launches that have come out in time for the festive season and the new “Sealed with a Kiss” range by Dower & Hall is no exception.
The pendants in the collection (and there are far more than I’ve shown above, these are just a few of my favourites) are set with crystal glass at the front and back and hold delicate floating treasures and loose gemstones. There’s a symbol or six for every possible occasion and they make for a wonderful keepsake gift that has both the personal and sentimental touch that is so important when choosing the perfect present.

If you’re as captivated by the collection as I am then you can shop it both online and in store. The pieces are available in sterling silver and 18ct gold vermeil with precious gemstones and crystal glass. Small and large sizes are available with several chain length options. Prices range from £148 to £195.

Which one would you most like to receive as a gift? I’m really rather taken by the triple star and white sapphire one myself.

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No money or goods changed hands for this post, I just really, REALLY love the collection!

Gift Inspiration: Going for Gold with Filofax

If there’s one brand I’ve always had a soft spot for then it’s Filofax (see here) so when they got in touch to tell me about their amazing selection of Rose Gold organisers not only was I smitten I also knew that they’d make for the perfect gift guide post…can you think of a better gift for anyone who loves stationery, rose gold or both? Actually, there are some utterly divine gold pieces by Filofax too which I’ve popped in for good measure- what can a say? I’m a total magpie!

A5 Saffiano Organiser, special edition | Saffiano gold wrap iPad case (various sizes available) | Saffiano Rose Gold personal organiser, special edition | Saffiano zip gold tablet case (various sizes available)

Is this not the chicest set of lifestyle accessories you’ve ever seen? I was lucky enough to be sent a gold wrap case for my iPad which if you keep an eye on my social media you’ll be seeing plenty of and it is every bit as gorgeous in the flesh as you’d expect. I don’t expect any of these products to hang around long so make sure you act fast if you want to snag one- treat yourself or a loved on ASAP, I urge you.

If metallics aren’t your thing then of course there are plenty of other highly covetable products on the Filofax website. If you’re picking out presents then do feel free to drop one of these for me- thanks!

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Gift Inspiration: Hello Harriet

Today’s gifting inspiration post is one that combines some of my very favourite things- accessories, supporting a small business and CATS! I you’ve all been wondering when a purely cat themed gift guide would crop up…well, it’s here and it’s a good one!
Hello Harriet belongs to artist Harriet Gray and was set up in 2012 mainly as an excuse to create cute accessories for herself! Harriet’s products are inspired by the internet, half hearted feelings and all things cute- something I can really get behind! I first found Hello Harriet via Instagram, wonderful platform that it is for enabling endless wish lists and my interest peaked further when I found out it was also a fairly local brand to me (all of Harriet’s work comes direct from her home studio in Bath). Actually, after writing this post I’ve since popped along to a Bristol Etsy sellers pop-up shop where Hello Harriet products were for sale. I can confirm they are every bit as covetable in real life and I couldn’t resist a cheeky purchase of a rather sweet cat pin.

I’ve popped together just a small selection of some of my favourite wares in the image above (and they all feature cats, of course) but even if felines aren’t your thing then be sure to check out her shop for cuteness and sass galore!

A couple of my favourite products from Hello Harriet have to be the advent calendar (although you must order it this weekend to get it in time for December 1st) and the super quirky cat collar tags and matching necklaces. I’ve asked Santa for a necklace for myself and I did briefly consider getting a tag for Mae until she lost her second collar in the space of a fortnight, complete with tags and I realised she just couldn’t be trusted with something so cool!

Price wise you’ll find everything very purse friendly and the temporary tattoos and nail decals especially would make amazing stocking fillers for any cat lady (dog ladies too for that matter).

I strongly suggest dropping some serious hints by leaving laptop screens open on the Hello Harriet shop, I don’t think there’s anything on the site that I wouldn’t be delighted to receive and I know I won’t be the only one who feels that way…

Which items have caught your eye?

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Sparkle Season with Rare Pink*

One of my favourite things about the festive season is that it becomes universally acceptable to wear a serious amount of sparkle from dawn to dusk. From glittery eyeliner and sequin skirts right through to upping your bling game and sporting some serious stones, people everywhere suddenly start to embrace their inner magpies determined to have some fun before the doom and gloom of January envelops us.

Today I’m bringing you a wish list from Rare Pink a London based jewellers that specialises in bespoke rings and wedding bands. In 2014 they were awarded “Best New Jeweller of the Year” by the British Jewellers Association so whether you are planning to pop the question over the festive period, hope to land a ring on your finger, or like me just fancy a browse (and dream) of something utterly gorgeous then rest assured you’re in safe hands.

This collage is just a teeny tiny selection of some of my favourite pieces by Rare Pink, the website provides some serious jewellery porn! You can browse through a range of classic rings or go down the bespoke route where the team will work with you to create your perfect piece.

What I really like about Rare Pink is their ethics. They operate a zero tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds and all of their stones and metals come only from sources that meet strict human rights, social and environmental criteria.

Obviously I’m now further away than ever from settling down to plan a wedding but should someone ever decide they’d like to make a wife of me I know I’ll be leaving this website open, dropping some not so subtle hints!

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