Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, which means it is time to get ready.

I am not planning anything extravagant but some little surprises during the day are very much in order.

First thing first – Setting the scene

Human Touch – Love Pillow Cases sent me one of their lovely pillow case sets. They will be perfect for setting the scene for a romantic evening / night plus I am sure they will put a smile on our faces every morning we wake up and look at them.

There are 12 lovely, cute and extremely adorable designs to pick from. Human Touch – Love Pillow Cases are a great way of extending the magic of Valentine’s Day for longer.

To make a day even more special why not start it with a nice cup of coffee from a Love Mug?

Cook that special breakfast

This part still needs some thinking and planning. I have a few options on the short list. The Valentine Breakfast Pinterest board was very helpful but I still couldn’t decide: sweet or sour.

Hide a little surprise in their lunch box

Did you hear about Joy Maker? The Cadbury website offers an option of making your very own chocolate bar. The process is easy and very straightforward and as a result you get a chocolate bar with a personalised message of your choice (on the wrapper only to be precise). I think that this would be a very nice touch, which would definitely put a smile on Marks face, so I am getting it made.

A special gift which will last a lifetime

I am still stuck for ideas and would consider any help you can offer. I don’t plan on getting anything huge (budget wise) but something special and thoughtful would be ideal. I found a Name A Star kit, which allows you, among other things, to name a star (surprise, surprise…). I think that Mark would really like that.

How is your preparation going in the run up to Valentine’s Day?

Are you planning something special that’s out of the ordinary?

Thank you Secret Santa

Yes, you guessed right; this is a heartfelt thank you post to the blogger who was my Secret Santa 🙂

I totally love the idea of the Secret Santa – you get the name of the blogger and a budget and off you go… read, and then read some more and then go hunting for the perfect gift.

This year I took part in Twin Mummys Newbie Bloggers! Facebook group Secret Santa. We all were allocated one blogger each and given a budget of £10.

I think sometimes it is not so easy to find the right thing. I struggled a lot with the choice of my gift… I’ve read post after post… changed months… dug deep into the archives but I was still not an inch closer to finding something personal about my gift recipient that could guide me to a nice gift… Finally there was one post which gave me some insight into their likes and dislikes and this was all I had to go on… I hope I did well with my choice… or at least partially good…

I think my Secret Santa did a fantastic job… here are my gifts…

We use coasters a lot as we have wooden stained furniture and I even featured some on the blog and of course we love our pets so it works out perfectly.

The coasters are really well made and I am very pleased with them but my favourite part of the gift is by far the key ring…

I normally don’t use key rings as I have my keys on a lead around my neck just to make things easier but this one I will use for sure. It will be joined by my car keys.

I love this key ring and I totally love the quote on it.

Home is where your Dog is!

This is so true!

Secret Santa, you where spot on with this gift; it is just right for me and it put a huge grin on my face; Thank you!

Did you ever play Secret Santa to someone?

A gift guide for that person who appears to have it all

Men, women, teens, kids – there is always someone who seems to have it all and when asked what would they want or like the answer is always the same – nothing.

This is not necessarily the truth. I personally don’t believe they have it all but this type of person may just not have any immediate needs which need fulfilling, so… buying for them is kind of a nightmare.

We can always pick the easy way out and go with a pre-boxed gift from our favourite store or we could try to find something which will actually suit them and they might actually need or even want, even if they don’t know it yet.

I was wondering about some gift ideas for “those” type of people. So I created a list, in spending order, which might give you some ideas.

Experience Days

There are a lot of options for picking something suitable from experience days. I’ve looked at Virgin Experience Days and prices start from just £5 and go up and up and up all the way to space soon… so I am putting it on top of my list. Driving, flying, days out, spa days, photo shoots… there are literally 100s of different options to suit any budget and of course to suit any person we are buying for. Last year I won a driving experience and gifted it to Mark; he totally loved it even though they wouldn’t let him keep the car despite Hollywood levels of pleading.

Dyson Hot + Cool

Unless the person you are buying for has an air-conditioned house they will love the new Dyson Hot + Cool. I personally don’t have one (I wish we had) but I’ve seen it in action and it is amazing. It looks amazing and it performs just as described. It isn’t cheap though as prices starts from £359.99 but if you have that amount of “spare” money I can guarantee a smile on the recipient face.

Redmond Multicooker

Reading different blogs I see that a lot of people are using a multicooker. These smart appliances can fry, steam, cook, stew, bake… they can reheat food or keep it warm until you get home… pretty clever. It is like all your cooking requirements in one piece of kit. The price does vary depending on which model you opt for – the basic 6 program multicooker will set you back £69 going up to an amazing 55 programs in one model for £184.90.

Personalised Gifts

With personalised gifts the choice also is almost endless – bags, mugs, frames, chocolates, clothing… whatever you want I am sure someone will personalise it for you. ToxicFox have a huge selection of personalised gifts. I particularly like their wine or champagne selection – personalised of course – as they might just be the perfect gift for a fussy adult.

They also offer a full ClaireaBella collection – cushions, stationery, suitcases, bags to name a few things plus a lot of clothing including PJs, hoodies, zoodies, t-shirt, onesies. With ClaireaBella you can not only personalise with your name but the whole Mr or Mrs ClaireaBella 😉 Prices starts from £4.99 for a personal bar of chocolate going up to £134 for a suitcase.

Water Pillow

Yeah, I know, it sounds awesome, doesn’t it? £39.99 will give you a Mediflow Waterbase Fibrefill Pillow; clinically proven to improve quality of sleep and reduction of neck pain. They can be adjusts to fit the shape of any person and continuously responds to changes in the sleeping position. I actually have one and it is a pleasure to sleep on. People might have a lot of things but I bet most of them haven’t thought about getting themselves a water pillow 🙂

“Posh” Candle Collection

Candles aren’t only for the older women. They have a practical use of course but they might also be used as a decoration, a mood enhancement or just a nice reminder of something or someone special. The Country Candle Company offers the most beautiful range of British, highly scented candle collections to suit any preferences. Prices start from £6.50 and go up to £22.50 for a lovely gift pack.

So, what do you think?

Are any of my ideas useable for you?

What would you add to the list?

RockFace taking care of your man – Review and Giveaway

If you like to look good and smell great with a minimum of effort and fuss leaving you more time to work hard and play hard, then Rockface is the range for you.

RockFace is a brand designed for a real man. All their products have the same citrusy woody fragrance so you can streamline your grooming and fragrance regime in one easy step.

Currently there are 8 products in the range:

• Shave gel – priced: £3.95 for 200ml
• Shave butter – priced £4.99 for 75ml
• Post shave balm – priced £4.95 for 100ml
• Moisturiser – priced £5.49 for 100ml
• Shower wash – priced £3.95 for 100ml
• Face and body scrub – priced £4.99 for 150ml
• Deodorant spray – priced £3.45 for 150ml
• Active body spray – priced £3.49 for 150ml

Recently Mark was kindly sent a range to try out. I must admit I was a little surprised by his reaction to this giant gift packet.

Normally he is a quite fussy “client” when it comes to skin care – he has a few products he likes and it is not easy to even get him to try something new. I think it is all about the fragrance – yet he liked RockFace and he was more than happy to give them a try, including the face and body scrub… which I tried to make him use for years with no positive outcome.

So what were Marks findings: “Good selection of useful products though I still haven’t figured out the need for an active body spray. The fragrance is indeed very attractive and I like the green colour of some products; not sure why but using them makes me happy”.

From my point of view I wanted to check if a “male” version of a face and body scrub is any different to the girly ones I know, so I tried it. To my giant surprise it was an amazing experience. This is one of the best scrubs I’ve used. It is quite gentle yet does its job perfectly well and it leaves your skin unbelievable smooth… no wonder Mark’s forehead doesn’t feel like a sheet of a sand pepper any more.

Mark likes it, I liked it, therefore with some confidence I can say I am sure you would like it too.

Now there is only one question left: when is the after shave or a perfume with the same scent coming out to complete the routine?

Now Rockface whose generosity has no bounds has very kindly offered 3 products to one of my lucky readers. The winner will be able to pick what they fancy to try out and if they are fast, it should arrive just before Christmas, so you will have one gift less to worry about.

To be in chance of winning the three RockFace products of your choice please follow me and RockFace on Twitter and RT the following tweet:

Follow me and @Rockface4Men to #win 3 products of your choice from http://t.co/tOnmhypGTa Full T&C on: http://t.co/DbEwR2fXhg #RockFaceXmas

— Agata @ BarkTime (@AgataPokutycka) December 9, 2014

Good Luck!

T&C:
1. Open to UK readers only.
2. One obligatory entry per reader – follow me and RockFace on Twitter and RT the tweet as stated above. Any extra RT will be counted as an additional entry.
3. There will be 1 winner in total.
4. The winner will receive a bundle of 3 RockFace products of their choice. The prize will be provided by RockFace.
5. Winner will be picked at random and informed within 7 working days via Twitter.
6. Winner will have 7 working days to claim the prize, after this time, a new winner will be selected.
7. Closing date is Wednesday 17-12-2014 at 23:59pm, any entry made after this time will not be counted.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
Loquax – Home of The Lucky Duck
SuperLucky Blog Giveaways Linky

***

20/12 WINNER UPDATE

Well done Laura ‏@LAFhusky

My Personal Beauty Wish List

As a blogger from time to time I get to try something nice… and all is good in the world but then comes the time when I want to try a bit more… or maybe try them all… or even try a slightly different variation…

Last week as it was Black Friday I was browsing various websites in search of the perfect “something” for myself and thus I bookmarked a few things that I would really love to try.

So with no further delay, in no particular order, this is my very own Personal Beauty Wish List!

This might be considered a little bit greedy but I would as I said really love them all! I was lucky once enough to try some Botanicals Balm and I totally loved it… now I am hooked and want them all. So lucky for me, they have a special Christmas gift selection, which I think actually represents good value for money; especially with their current special offer of “Purchase any two gift collections and get a facial collection for free”.

To make the offer complete there is also the Footcare Trio and Handcare Essentials set 🙂

Next on my list is a Madara set. In the past I’ve tried a few face cleansers from this brand and I was very pleased with them. I would really like to try the whole dry skin range; I wonder if I used all the products together if it will make a major difference.

Natural perfumes? I’ve never tried any, so I am intrigued and would love to give them a go. I like the patchouli scent so Pure Patchouli from Acorelle seems to me like a good starting point for a journey into natural perfumes.

Lately I have been having some problems with my sleep pattern… again… I have had some Deep Sleep Dream Cream before and I really liked it, so the whole collection of therapeutic products, designed to enhance a peaceful sleep sounds perfect to me right now.

Finally…I need something for my hair. They are still dry and I am still looking for the perfect “something”. Until last Friday I didn’t even know that a company like Rahua existed, but I really liked the description and now would love to try it. 100%, free from gluten, synthetics, parabens and sulphates – sounds perfect on paper.

Have you tried any of these products?

What’s on your beauty wish list?

Thank You Teacher

Not long now and the kids will break for summer holidays, which means it is time to thank the teachers.

There are a 100 different ideas and crafts project around in order to show appreciation to our teachers – I particularly like this Pinterest board – Teacher Gift Ideas. We can chose from handmade cards, lovely notes printed and stuck into small gifts, flower pots, pencil pots etc etc but what about the kids who aren’t into crafts so much?

We are all different and some kids simply do not enjoy crafts – they hate drawing, they aren’t good with colouring and don’t even get me started on any work involving scissors.

So what is the perfect gift idea for those children? The ones who can’t just work their magic and create something nice? What should they give to the teacher as a thank you for looking after them all year long?

When I was a child we always gave flowers… at the time I didn’t question it, I was given flowers by my parents and I gave them to my teachers, it was something that everyone around me did, so it was ok. But as I got older I started to question this weird, to my eyes anyways, tradition. Flowers are beautiful I agree but if you get 50 or so bunches of them in one day you simply can’t appreciate them all. I remember in my secondary school we used to help some teachers to carry all their flowers home, as there was so many of them that they couldn’t do it by themselves. By the end of secondary school I didn’t want to give flowers any longer, I thought that this is simply a waste of money. I remember asking my parents to get me a small box of chocolates and a rose for each teacher. Yes, I stuck out a bit from the crowd but I am sure most of teachers had more pleasure from a lovely piece of chocolate that yet another bunch of flowers.

Sorry I got a bit carried away there with a trip down memory lane, so back to the topic at hand… teacher thank you gifts for none crafting kids…

Flowers might be a nice idea, especially if you can take a nice walk the day before and pick them up yourself… a small bunch of wild flowers from the fields… oh this would be a lovely gift.

Cards – they are always good in the UK it seems. If you can’t make one just buy one.

Or my favourite choice – chocolate.

There are a lot of chocolates on the market. You can pick a straight forward bar of chocolate or try to surprise your teacher with something more sophisticated. Lately we were sent a box of Guylian Sea Shells Selection. They look amazing and taste delicious (creamy, light Belgian chocolate) and you can get a small box for just a £1. Wouldn’t they make a perfect thank you gift? And there is a plus; at such a low price kids can use their pocket money to get them for their favourite teacher.

What is your idea of a perfect Thank You gift for the teacher?

Do you thank your teachers? Or do you think they are doing the job they are paid to do?

Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Mark

June the 15th will probably be a stressful day, or rather one of the days just before. Its Fathers day again and like all the other “days” in the calendar it’s a construct of the people to celebrate a good thing. Father’s Day was founded in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd. It has grown somewhat since those humble origins, designed principally to compliment mothers’ day.

Now the card industry and the flower growers and even the wonderful people who make chocolates have marketed their wares and been most successful in growing their business through Mothers’ day but they have struggled (barring the card industry) to make the same impression On Fathers’ day. This problem is everyone’s, there are no handy go to presents for dads (there are only so many socks an ties a man can need) especially when dads tend to have collected all the everyday objects they really want and let’s face it not many of us can afford the Aston Martin he really desires. Even if we could the problem will rear its head once again in 365 days, so what then!

Fear not my lovely reader for I have compiled a list of potential ideas you may not have considered before, or even if you have maybe it is time to consider them all over again.

Perfumes / After Shave

This is one of the obvious choices but in my opinion it is a good one. They are not always cheap; even so, they always will make a nice treat… even for a male. The only really important thing to remember whilst picking the perfume is to pick the right one, which these days might not be so easy. If you know at least one scent your dad is enjoying but he already has some and you want to go with something slightly different you can use Mr. Google to find a similar one which will have the same ingredients in the base notes for example. Don’t be tempted to get him the new 1D perfume, just because you like it, after all, the gift is for him and not for you.

A special drink

This is yet another example of an obvious choice but again I would recommend it. If you dad enjoys a nice drink every now and then Father’s Day make for the perfect occasion to get him a nice bottle of “something” unusual. Even if he isn’t a big drinker there must be something he enjoys on the odd occasion. Personally I like to have a quiet drink with my friend Jack (if you don’t, I am happy to take it off your hands).

Something he always really wanted but mum doesn’t approve

In my case it is a lava lamp. I always wanted one but Agata is not a huge fan of them. I finally got one… a friend of mine gifted me with it. It is not new but it does its job well and I can tick “owning a lava lamp” from my list. Despite my lamp not being a Father’s Day gift I know how it made me feel – happy! Something I always wanted finally appeared in my life. I am sure your dad has items like this on his list as well.

Something for everyday use just in case

This one is a new for me but I think it might make a perfect gift for more than a few fathers out there – a headlamp aka head torch. The idea is simple – you have a torch and still two empty hands. Can you imagine how useful this is during late night dog walks… two dogs… two leads… two hands busy… one torch on my head lighting up the path ahead… Don’t have a dog? Not a problem, there is still use for it… what about the car breaking down in the middle of the night… you need two hands to fix it but you also need to see what you are doing… pop the headlamp on and you are ready to do what needs to be done. Or the loft, the back of the garage, the garden shed… or even late at night when you want to read a book but your OH is not so impressed with a side light on… the uses are endless.

Some special menswear

As I have already mentioned, there is a limit to the number of socks and ties your dad might need or even want… but there are other clothing options. Think hard and remind yourself about conversation with your dad when he mentioned something he really wanted… maybe a wool sweater or a funky pair of boots…

If you think hard enough you will find some nice menswear except for socks and ties which will bring a smile on dads face. Failing this, ask mum for help 🙂

LifeProof Phone Case

In this busy and hectic life we now all lead there is not always the time to take the due care we would all like to, it’s called being in a rush we have all experienced it, some of us experience it on a daily basis. At times of rushing it is all too easy to drop something, to knock it over or have that awfully expensive brand new Samsung Galaxy S3 effortlessly slide off the table and bounce across the floor all because your sleeve caught it as you reached for something at the far end of the table, I know I have that T shirt! Yet fret not a solution exists, I now discover. Boasting “out of this world” protection for your “out of this world” expensive smart phone the nüüd phone cover from LifeProof is really quite impressive. The list on the box says your protected from all accept a direct tactical nuclear strike though if that happened I doubt the phone will be first thing in your thoughts.

Something for bonding over with the kids

A recent discovery, but I think intriguing none the less. A present that dads can enjoy with the kids or on their own as many adult versions exist. It’s an interactive adventure that does not require a plug socket or a computer or gaming console screen. It comes in that quaint old style, a book. A huge range exist of books that have a branching story line based on decisions you make, you don’t start at page one and read to the end as in the traditional sense rather you read from page one till the first decision and then you will be instructed where to carry on reading based on your answer. In this modern world though were everything seems to be augmented you can even get them with smart phone add on apps to enrich the experience even further. Bed time stories will never be the same again. I have Jack Hunter – The French Connection by Martin King set in 1392AD and my smartphone, so off into the castle we go to save the universe and hopefully some damsel in distress, oh and some gold; can’t have a good castle adventure without some gold for the taking!

Something to show him you really do care…

This might not be the sexiest of the gifts ideas but it is a practical one and it will show you really do care…

There comes a time in a man’s life when it dawns on him he is not as he once was. Lifting things becomes an effort, moving quickly is slowing down and various body parts that where once toned are starting to travel in all the directions like belly’s growing out or jowls forming. It’s usually around this time in life that a new order is brought into his life. One of eating right and yes exercises! Now whether you find it roll on the floor hysterical or it makes you nervous watching your father run off in his lycra shorts on foot or on that flash new bike he just bought there is something you can get him that will make everyone have peace of mind. There are many of them but the one that caught my eye was the Ozeri CardioTech from there premium series. It is a digital blood pressure monitor but with a potentially lifesaving feature, it can detect irregular heartbeats and hypertension! Grab him whilst he is collapsed on the sofa proclaiming to be fine whilst looking anything but.

Of course this does open up the endless possibilities of health supplements to help in his new found self. One that springs to mind which will probably come up quite quickly as “needed” is Padma Circosan, a herbal remedy that is amongst other things, very good at helping with cramping in the calf’s. Ever think you would see the day that your father was happy to receive some pills as a present, well it can happen. I am a biker and there is not a lot scarier than getting cramps whilst riding at 100 miles per hour the speed limit of 70m/h. I take Padma to help me with my cramps and it works well. Another one is Iron FitalF – it is a liquid iron which can help with constant tiredness and lack of energy. Observe your dad for a while and I am sure you will be able to notice the small changes and thus pick the correct health remedy to aid it.

So, this is my gift guide for incoming big day.

What’s on your Father’s Day gift list?

* This post is a brand collaboration.
We received some of the items mentioned for free in order to try them out.

Today is the day!

Today is the day we finally were able to order a new oven!

Oh happy times!

For a few years now, every few months we have debated whether to buy a new oven or not… as we really do need one. Every time we undertook this discussion we ended up thinking “oh, maybe sometime in the near future we will have enough money to do the entire kitchen all together…” and that was the end of it… end of the discussion and thus the old oven stayed in place and struggled on, every time Mark is cooking or baking I have to listen to him moaning about it, he does it under his breath but I hear him.

But something happened… a few days ago my lovely parents called and told me that they are going to buy us a new oven as it looks like we are not able to make this decision. At first we went straight back to our usual chain of thoughts… “nah, this will do until we can get something we really want”, but my dad wasn’t happy with this train of thinking and he wouldn’t accept it, so… here we go – we are getting a new oven.

Some research on the net and we finally settled for a lovely red one from New World. Luckily for us I was able to find one on a great offer, delivery, installation and recycling of the old one included 🙂

Our new oven!
Picture source

All monies have now been paid and so we are in the awful waiting stage. It should be arriving on our door step within the next 21 days!

The kitchen is not my favourite place in the house but I am so happy! No more leaking oven and undercooked bakes because it didn’t keep the temperature as it should. I can almost visual all the lovely food we will create in it once it is here… there will be totally no excuse for not baking no more!

It is good to wait for things sometimes and hope and dream… but like my dad said “sometimes you just have to take what life gives you”… at this point, in our case we are getting a new oven!

Thank you Dad!

Thank you Mum!

We will bake you proud 🙂

Xmas presents Hide and Seek #hudlxmascheer

A subject that does not receive any publicity of note but plagues us all unless you live alone, it is the subject of hiding the Xmas presents from loved ones. Now disregarding Lottery winners and footballers, the majority of people living in the UK occupy a modest compact living space and as such every square inch of the space is both occupied and visited on a frequent basis. Traditionally, you would be thinking well in advance of Xmas what you would like to buy your loved ones, as for the kids that is usually a no brainer as they will have been pleading for weeks about the latest must have plastic Chinese import, as seen on TV or at a friend’s  house. So there you are armed with your list at the next hurdle you encounter is how too surreptitiously sneak away to buy them undetected. Again traditional life means we all have routines that we loop through daily, consequently any noted deviation to this routine stands out and arises suspicion or worse, questions. So purchases are made in plain sight days and sometimes even weeks ahead. You may wonder about using the internet but alas that raises as many problems as it solves. Sure you can happily click away and purchase to your heart’s content with absolute certainty of not being discovered, it is easy. However can you be as sure about being the one to receive the parcel from Mr Courier or Mr Posty? And let us not forget about the wonders of delivery dates being accurate, especially around the Xmas rush, Wednesday morning as often as not will turn into a Friday afternoon arrival.

However the obstacles you have over come so far are nought to the next one. What to buy, where to buy and how to get away with it are all common problems and can be discussed with friends and work colleagues in a general forum so the acquisition of tips and tricks is natural and inevitable. That said, no one really knows your house like you do, its potential hiding spaces, the routines and who goes where and what for or able to judge the associated risk of a present being discovered.

So here we are, present under arm, a slightly heightened sense of urgency causing an increase in heart rate and adrenaline levels, you need to act fast. We have all been that soldier, we all have the T shirt and we are all still usually clueless as to a solution and I for one have had enough. I think it’s time we pooled our ideas for solutions to this situation.

What have you done in the past to survive this horror scene, do you in fact have a well oiled idea that just flows easily and extinguishes the worry of discovery? Then share…please!

So to start the thread, here is my strategy that has worked for me in the past.

Wrap the presents in alternative packaging and simply place it under the tree.

Simple but very effective and it also teaches kids and other family members (points at Mark) to be patient.

For example next time you empty a jar of coffee, don’t through it away just pop it in a cupboard. Ideal for hiding a small present in and even of any caressing of the package is only going to raise a quizzical frown as the present hunter tries to work out why on earth you have bought them a jar of coffee for Xmas, what a wonderful YouTube clip it would make. I collect boxes and then over package most of the gifts to change their shape. This way my prezzies can be left out there in the open and it is unlikely that their true identity will be revealed before its desired time.

What is your strategy for hiding gifts?

 This post is an entry into the Hudl Christmas cheer competition.

A Hunter Wish List from BushWear

And yet again we are returning to the topic of Christmas Gifts. This time let’s talk about something for outdoorsy people; people who like nature and adventure and need something more rugged and specialize then your standard supermarket equipment.

One of persons like this in my family is my dad. When I was growing up I always had a problem with Christmas, birthday or a fathers’ day gift… now this problem has gone. About 10 years ago my dad took up hunting and now whenever an occasion comes, there is a long list of stuff needed waiting for us to pick from. He is a very active hunter so yes, he has quite a good collection of equipment and gear in general, but there is always something new on the market he wants, something broke and needs replacing and so on…

Dads current wardrobe

Some of dad current equipment

Doing my Christmas gifts list preparations I came across BushWear. BushWear was born in 2003 in Scotland due to frustration regarding the lack of quality products for hunters and other likeminded people who wanted and needed more than the current market was offering. Currently BushWear stocks a huge selection of clothing including waterproof clothing, clothing accessories, footwear, gun care, stalking, knives, larder, books, DVD and gifts. They have it all in one place… and if there is something they missed, you can always ask and if possible they will source it for you.

Dads current rifle with scope

The first thing on my dad’s wish list this year is a new rifle scope. I was told not to buy anything below 2.5-15×56 specification. Apparently 56 is a very important parameter as it marks lightness of the scope. My dad’s eyes aren’t as good as they used to be so he requested something which will help him hit the target easier, which is the main point of hunting as an activity 🙂 I did find the perfect scope, but it is way outside my price range, so unless we can get some help from other family members, a new scope is out of the question for this year.

Oooo that looks comfortable…

Next item is a rifle rest… and this is where I hit my first bump… there is so many of them… and they are all very different… I always thought that a wish list is supposed to help you make a good decision regarding gifts, but sometimes all they give you is a bigger headache. After making some additional sneaky enquires I found out that ideally he would need 2 of them – one for the shooting range, as the bags of sand he currently uses are not ideal, and a second one to take with him whilst out hunting… with this information at least I can realistically pick something which hopefully will be of use to him.

Dads current knife.
Classic case of form over function.

The third item on my part of the wish list is a new knife (there is much more to the list than this portion. The full list is huge but we split the list between all our family members and everyone received three options to choose from). I know what dad is currently using so I am opting for a multi tool pack. I especially like this one,

New multi tool pack

which seems to have everything; it includes a 12 component multi-tool, flashlight and fire starter rod. Every tool in the kit is outfitted with durable rubber handles for easy gripping, even with gloved hands. All of the multi-tool features are locking – needle nose pliers, wire cutters, wood saw, pierce, scissors, partially serrated blade and more. It really looks like a perfect tool. Actually the more I am thinking about it, the more I want one for myself as well. You never know when you might need it. Even though the last thing I hunted was a tissue.

Do you have any outdoorsy people in your life you are buying Christmas gifts for?

If so, what are you going for this year as the perfect gift idea?

* Post written in collaboration with BushWear.