Gift Guide For Men || CHRISTMAS

Aloha Louise's Sprinklerinos! 

I love men. I love men because they’re soothing to look at, especially if they resemble Ryan Gosling. I love men because stubble is God’s gift to women and I love men because they are useful for a variety of needs. Granted I also think they’re big meanies, but in general they’re not so bad. You know what I hate about men though? They’re impossible to buy for and it is literally the bane of my life. If you think a university degree or climbing Everest is challenging you've clearly never had to buy Christmas presents for man folk.

Having said that, I love a good challenge (hence why you’ll see me at the Chinese buffet more often than is socially acceptable to admit) and therefore I have taken it upon myself to seek out twelve stonkingly good presents for the men in our lives, for their use and enjoyment in the hopes that it will one day lead to a ring on our finger, a kiss under the mistletoe or a chance to rub our faces against their jaw stubble. I'm easy to please, can you tell?

(Original image from Pinterest)

Have no fear, if you’re having an Amazon panic and contemplating asking Father Christmas to cancel Christmas this year, I am here, in all my glory. I shall be writing a separate gift guide for dad folk later on in the week, this guide shall provide more suitable gifts for male companions and brothers. Are you excited? Are you sitting on the edge of your seat? (I also now have Queen stuck in my head, ‘another one bites the dust’ anyone?)

Gifts Up To £25

Shaving Set

 It makes me quiver slightly when I think of men with just the right amount of stubble, and you know what they need to achieve said stubble? A handy dandy shaving set. I think THIS one looks pretty impressive and very manly. It’s like a makeup brush for men, I wonder if PixiWoo will consider designing one of these bad boys any time soon. I'm almost tempted to rub those bristles across my face.

iWallet 

I've noticed a lot of my male friends use an iWallet, as the name suggests it's a handy iPhone case with built in slots for all your cards. Personally I love a good purse full of money receipts but I imagine men folk like to keep things simple. THIS iWallet from Debenhams is pretty standard, but it would do the job nicely! They can protect their phone and keep their cards intact, what more could you want from a wallet! 

101 Sandwiches 

Men love food. This is just a fact. And if they’re at all similar to Joey from Friends then they’re most likely a lover of a good meaty sandwich or two. Granted I also love a good sandwich, given that they’re usually almost entirely made up of carbs, but I'm going to pretend to be lady like and act as though THIS book doesn’t excite me. If your man can open a few bits of packaging and butter some bread, then I’d recommend the sandwiches book.

The Projecteo 

The Projecteo is a gift suggestion that Louise has been raving about, and I have to confess it is pretty hunky dory. A projecteo allows you to reminisce over your snaps on the big screen (THIS is a pretty bloomin’ brilliant blog review of the Projecteo in case your mind is baffled) Louise has also said “When you place an order, you are given a little code to share with friends. If they use your code when you order, you are gifted $5 off your next order so that's a little bonus! My code is FRIEND05Y3 so if you do decide to shop with them and fancy using it, feel free. I don't think you get any money off but it's nice to share the love if you want to (please don't feel pressured). For those wondering what I bought, I ordered the Projecteo and a couple of wheels of Darcy snaps for Matt's stocking this year. Hope he doesn't read this post! Eeep!!!"

Gifts Up To £50

Breaking Bad Boxset

If you haven’t heard of Breaking Bad by now then I salute your resistance from social media and I wish I was ever so slightly more like you. Breaking Bad has without a doubt been one of the most talked about television shows this year and I have to confess, I am in love with it. At first I was sceptical and only began watching to see if it was worth the hype, and within 3 episodes I was hooked. If your man person hasn't yet been sucked into the world of Walter White I recommend you buy him the boxset HERE. He will love you forever. Although I do apologise if he ignores you for the duration, I will not be responsible for arguments.

Man Perfume

 Of course you want your man smelling beautiful, I love a good whiff of boyfriend, they always smell so manly and it’s usually down to the cologne, given that I’m not a fan of the au natural smell. Cologne is a pretty standard present for men, but one that we can all enjoy. Debenhams have a vast range of men's fragrances HERE which are worth virtually sniffing. I’m a lover of Gucci fragrances for me, so if you’re reading this and currently smelling of Gucci, line up so I can have a whiff. Single file please.

Call Of Duty

I shall confess, I HATE war games. I think they’re too violent and unnecessary. However I am aware that they’re hugely popular amongst the male species and therefore you’ll most likely win girlfriend of the century award if you indulge their fantasies and pop a copy of Call Of Duty under the Christmas tree. You can buy the latest game on Amazon HERE. Why can’t men just play Sims or Crash Bandicoot in their spare time? I don’t understand them.

Engraved Watch

I’m actually a huge fan of this gift. Many man folk wear watches in order to know when it is socially acceptable to eat once again and I genuinely think THIS watch is very charming and attractive. It could make any wrist look sexy, no matter how hairy the hand attached is. I love that you can have it engraved, it adds a nice personal touch whilst not screaming ‘this is the male version of an engagement ring, run.. run a mile’ Subtle yet serious, no?

Gifts Up To £100

Swanky Electric Razor 

Similarly to the shaving set I shared earlier, men do enjoy a good electric razor or two. Partly because it makes them feel rugged and manly, but also because they know it means their girlfriend won’t be stealing it to shave her legs. THIS razor from John Lewis looks pretty snazzy, and I certainly won’t be putting it anywhere near my legs in fear that I’d chop them off. An everyday essential that’s a little bit swanky (and gives you exclusive access to their manual boring old Gillette)

Gift Experience

 In my Student Gift Guide I recommended concert tickets as a desirable gift, and I feel this could also apply to men, if not a concert than certainly a gift experience. Debenhams have a range of gift experiences HERE. You can either send your man off roading or racing in order for him to feel like Lewis Hamilton for the day, or for a nice massage and glass of bubbly in the hopes he’ll invite you too.

 Sexy Suit

Men in suits are sexy. Fact. I’ve never bought a man friend a suit, I’ve not quite reached that stage of adult life, plus they’re pretty expensive. Having said that, I reckon if I left a boyfriend to buy his own suit it certainly wouldn’t ooze as much sexiness had I of chosen it for him. Therefore, do your fella a favour and make him look swanky this Christmas. Asos have pretty eyelash futtering worthy suits; which you can have a browse at HERE one. I’ll have one of the models too if they're on sale also.

Cosy Hoodie 

This is an entirely selfish gift idea I must confess. I'm a lover of the boyfriend hoodie look and currently I am in need of a new one. Therefore so is my boyfriend. I think I’d look good in THIS Superdry hoodie, as I'm sure many of you fellow females will also. Let’s all match this Christmas in man hoodies whilst feeling generous and economical. Sharing is caring!


That concludes my gift guide for men! I hope this has been vaguely useful for you! Men are notoriously difficult to buy for, but there is actually a pretty immense selection out there. That being said, I still don't enjoy shopping for men. It was fun having a browse for this gift guide though, I really do want that hoodie.

Toodlepip!

xx

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Student Gift Guide || CHRISTMAS

Well hello there, this feels a lot like an awkward date given that I now have to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me. Have no fear though, I've not shaved my legs especially or done my hair therefore not making this a date. You can relax once more. My name is Hannah and I am a blogger. I write the blog Student Life which is pretty immense, and I'm not bias in the slightest. I am however heavily sarcastic. I have been asked by Louise to contribute a gift guide or two for Sprinkle of Glitter, let us all spread the generosity together! 

Ooh la la, I feel like one of those ladies on the QVC shopping channel with all my recommended gift knowledge. If only I too had beautifully manicured hands and a questionable Christmas jumper. Sadly I am not a rockin' QVC lady, rather I am a third year student with much knowledge of university life. Such knowledge definitely provides useful for this gift guide as we're discussing ideal gifts for students, the magical necessities Christmas can provide for your average university attendee. 

Of course I could include all the gifts I 'want' for Christmas (I'm looking at you Bobbi Brown 'Old Hollywood' collection) however for a lot of students, including myself, university is not a stage of life in which you are able to live in materialistic galore, rather it is a time for appreciating what has previously been taken for granted and kindly asking Father Christmas your nearest and dearest for gifts of which will provide a useful necessity in student living, perhaps slightly 'boring' but much appreciated none the less! 

Are you ready to excite a student this Christmas and earn yourself an extra glass of Eggnog? Then let's go! 

Student Gifts Up To £25

Toiletries Gift Set. 

Something of which I used to refer to as 'boring bath stuff' but now consider a holy grail in student living. Usually getting a Sanctuary gift set off your Nana and every other relative at Christmas isn't overly enthralling, however once you're confined to student living and are unable to spend precious pennies on fancy shampoo and body products then 'boring bath stuff' becomes an essential on the gift list. I'm telling you, when you're poor and unable to afford a night out, exfoliating becomes one of the only pleasures in life. I personally like THIS gift set from Soap and Glory. It includes a few minis of their much loved products and ensures your student friend/relative smells good during lectures. 

Student Recipe Book.

Once again I come recommending a gift of which is not overly exciting, however I do consider it a student essential, especially if your student loved one lacks basic cooking skills. I own the recipe book 'Nosh For Students' of which you can buy HERE. Nosh For Students details exactly how much the preparation of each meal will cost you as well as serving estimations and nutrition content. Owning a simple student recipe book allows you to plan ahead for mealtimes and set a food budget, essentially avoiding the "I only have a tin of baked beans to last 5 days because I bought Dominos on Friday" diet. Preparing meals also makes for great flatmate bonding time, not to mention splits the cost if you're all eating together. 

'Fun' Journal/Diary.

Since beginning university I have documented my student adventures through blogging. I think it is important to capture all your thoughts and feelings throughout university, as a person you change immensely and these years are certainly worth remembering. A diary would make a great student gift, although not your standard "deary diary, I'm not going to keep this up", rather an alternative journal which offers something a little different, such as 'My Future Listography' which you can buy HERE. As quoted on Amazon, My Future Listography "encourages users to think not only about memories/places/things of the past and present, but to think about future goals and aspirations." Sentimental, don't cha think?

Scrapbook.

Similarly to a journal, a scrapbook also allows for documenting student memories and would make a lovely, thoughtful gift. Whilst having pictures saved to my phone and laptop is great, I also like to have them in print and display them. A scrapbook allows you to store photos as well as tickets, letters and cards that become incredibly sentimental during your student years living away from home. I really like THIS scrapbook from Paperchase (partly because I love the design, but also because it reminds me of the Burn Book in Mean Girls.) Maybe consider purchasing fancy stationary to go along side the scrapbook also, I'm thinking old school scented gel pens and patterned paper. The possibilities are endless with scrapbooking! 

Student Gifts Up To £50 

Printer.

Depending on how often your student loved one is topping up their printing credit at the library or travelling home to use and abuse the family printer, then having a printer at their disposal may provide very useful. I am forever printing off lecture notes and reading material so having my very own printer is handy dandy. Whilst printers can be expensive, I have seen a few online that fall below £50. THIS Inkjet printer does lots of fancy things and is pretty inexpensive (for a printer) Of course the cost of ink will have to be factored in also, but a printer is definitely a useful investment for student study! 

Good Quality Bedding. 

When I began accumulating all the necessities for university I bought everything as cheap as possible. Only in hindsight this was not an overly wise idea and I ended up repurchasing items of better quality. One of these repurchases was bedding. Good quality, thick and comfortable bedding is an essential, more specifically the duvet and pillows. Student house mattresses aren't always comfortable so having exceptional bedding does allow for better sleep. John Lewis has a great range of good quality bedding HERE. If you're feeling really generous I would consider popping a mattress protector under that Christmas tree also. A really squishy one.

Laptop Bag.

I take my laptop to every lecture (the ones I actually attend anyway) and as a result it has suffered a battering or two after having been shoved in my tote bag with keys and other vicious items. Therefore I recommend investing in a bag or sleeve for your student loved one and their computer companion, especially if they're joined at the hip. THIS Cath Kidston laptop sleeve is a particular favourite of mine, and something of which would protect my laptop whilst still allowing me to carry it in my usual bag. 

Concert Ticket.

Experiencing Beyonce perform earlier this year at the O2 is something of which I shall always treasure. However had I not of received a ticket as an early birthday present then I would never have been able to go. The majority of students enjoy listening to music and I'm sure would love to go to a concert or two during their time at university, but the tickets are expensive and definitely not something student loans can stretch too regularly, therefore they make great gifts. You can check out Ticketmaster if you'd like to see which performers have upcoming dates. A concert ticket would certainly soften the blow of getting pillows for Christmas at least! 

Student Gifts Up To £100

Camera. 

This one is rather self explanatory. We've all seen the hideously inappropriate photos students have been tagged in on Facebook, and these beauties usually require the use of a camera. If you would like to see hideous photos of your student loved ones, then consider buying them a digital camera. Obviously cameras do vary in price immensely, but there are a fair few under the £100 price tag and are of decent quality. THIS FUJIFILM looks fairly promising and it's nice and compact so can be fitted easily into a handbag. Let the tagging commence! 

Hybrid Bike.

The need of a bike does depend slightly on the type of university campus that your loved one attends. Many university students cycle to campus as public transport and owning a car can be expensive. I considered buying a bike this year, then I remembered I have a fat bum, thus making bike seats hideously uncomfortable. However if fat bums aren't going to be an issue, then a bike makes for a very useful student gift! I have struggled to find one under £100, but I'm sure independent shops will sell them, or you could even browse Ebay. THIS bike from Halfords is £119.99, so should they have an offer pending then it is likely to fall below £100 and I can feel less guilty about cheating. Problem solved. 

'Fashionable' Backpack.

I've suffered a fair few hip aches during my degree due to carrying around excessive weight in my book bag, and by 'book bag', I mean handbag which is not appropriate for university use. Whilst the thought of rockin' a backpack doesn't exactly appeal to me, it would provide far more useful and I wouldn't walk round lopsided. THIS backpack from Asos would be perfect for carrying around my university books and it looks pretty too! Probably a lot more durable than my tote bag too! 

Suitcase.

Okay, can we all just take a second to appreciate how bloomin' beautiful THIS suitcase is? I travel back to Wales quite frequently during the university term and recently I broke the handle on my suitcase, meaning I am now in need of another before I trek home once more. All students require baggage to get from point A to point B so why not buy them some beautiful baggage that will last them? They'll need a swanky bag to bring all their Christmas presents back to university in anyway, two birds with one stone? I think so. 

I hope I've offered some useful student gift ideas for you. Students can be difficult to buy for and whilst endless makeup palettes are great, they're not a necessity and certainly aren't a student essential. I am yet to meet a student who attends every lecture with a full face of make up, they do however always have need for the above. Do let me know if any of the above float your boat! If you'd like to sneak a peak at my student blog then you can click HERE. I'm quite friendly, as well as slightly inappropriate and Bridget Jones like. You'll learn to love me I promise. 

xx

Toodlepip!

xx

To find new ways to stalk me or learn about my disclosure policy, click HERE. 

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Meet Hannah Bobannah

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Some news today. I rather enjoy newsy blog posts because after offloading all my 'stuff', I feel all relaxed and like the world is caught up. Granted not the entire world is reading (imagine!!), but yanno, Sprinklerino world at least.

As avid readers may have seen, my blog has been suffering a little of late. I love her so much but I also love my homelife, my YouTube channels and all the other gubbins that pack themselves into our lives. December is going to be my most insanely busy month of the year work wise (2 main channel videos a week as well as daily vlogging, multiple collabs and various events and dates in the diary- yikes) and I can see that keeping up with my blog is just going to be too much.

Not wanting to leave it empty and sad, I have a plan. MEET HANNAH. 

Hannah Bobannah (as I like to call her) is a blogger I met a few years back when she bought one of my first ever advertising packages. I developed and unhealthy addiction for her blog and we clicked in personality instantly. We've chatted about everything under the sun, eaten far to many sweet potato chips, online window shopped together and lol'd (yeah) about life dramas. She is a good egg. 

Hannah's blog is a refreshingly honest take on student life, men, relationships and carbs. What more would you want? Tiny warning (I personally love it but I know we are all different), Hannah is not afraid of a cheeky swear word and some posts have chat of a sexual nature. Little minx. If you want to check it out here is Student Life. Follow her HERE on Bloglovin. 

Over the last few months Hannah has been helping me out with a few blog bits but the time has come for me to say, 'Hannah help!! My blog needs you!!'.

With my crazy few weeks and her amazing writing skills, Hannah is going to be hopping aboard the good ship Glitter to write a few lovely posts for you to enjoy. It's taken me over 4 years to find a guest writer that I feel comfortable with so you can know that Hannah is clearly the biz! 

I hope you will welcome Hannah here and give her LOADS of support in the comments because I know she'll be reading and smiling from ear to ear so, Hannah, see you tomorrow!!

Toodlepip!

xx

To find new ways to stalk me or learn about my disclosure policy, click HERE. 

Ultimate Advertiser - A Midnight Wonderland. Click HERE for more info.