Next Christmas blogger challenge

So, let’s be honest. How did you get on with your Christmas shopping this year? Did you trek from shop to shop, amongst the buggies and pushing and shoving and general madness? Or, did you pick up bits and bobs online from the comfort of your sofa? Or maybe you haven’t *whisper* actually done any yet… 

No doubt at all, it’s a stressful but magical time of year. I’ve been worried about money, not having the time to get it all done, and also the guilt of loosing sight of what this holiday is actually all about. I’m not religious, but the biggest priority for me is getting to spend some quality time with my family (and the friends who are pretty much family ♥) But in my Ode to more ‘themed’ and ‘feature’ blog posts from me, heading your way in 2011 (hopefully) – Next contacted me again and asked me if I was up for taking on their Christmas Blogger Challenge, which I have accepted. And this is where I need your help my dearest readers!

Next have devised a range of a dozen festive icons based on the Twelve Days of Christmas. The aim of the challenge is to encorporate these into one blog post, or two, or twelve! Whatever your creative brain can come up with – and something that appeals to your readers too obviously! Cause let’s face it, you guys are the reason this blog has the little life and soul that it has – and I wouldn’t jeopardise that, or reduce the quality or sincerity of my writing for the sake of a prize or ‘free stuff’ (a subject in the blogosphere which has been tackled, debated and discussed by quite a few fellow bloggers)

So, my blogging present to you this Christmas and attempt at this blogger challenge is a Twelve Days Of Christmas Gift Guide. Starting today, and taking in one person per post whom we generally buy for at christmas. A ‘general’ 12, in my opinion, from mummy dearest down to the dubious secret santa! Each day I will give you 3 gift suggestions from the Next.co.uk website (which doesn’t just stock their own brand items by the way – Everything from designer perfumes, to Lipsy, Diesel, and even St Tropez) To suit all budgets, and to show to you that Next is actually a one stop shop for all things gift related.

My challenge will be to prove to you that even if you are only about to start your christmas shopping the second you finish reading this post, you would be able to do it ALL online, ALL to fit whatever your budget may be, ALL in time for final Chrismas delivery, and with plenty of variety in brands – not just Next own (I am actually now kicking myself for spending my 4 days off a couple of weeks ago, walking from shop to shop in Glasgow aimlessley, and I now have a separate purse JUST full of reciepts. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Viva la online shopping, people!)

I hope you like the idea of this challenge. To be honest it is just a bit of festive fun, and you may not like the gifts that I choose but I they are all going to be genuine and thought about selections which I would choose if I had to redo all my christmas shopping tomorrow. So I hope you enjoy this little festive feature, and all I ask in return is that if you are going to buy anything from, or visit the Next.co.uk website, could you please do it through the linkage on my Blog? Next doing a daily Christmas Giveaway on their website, with a different prize every day. It’s a prize draw and all you need to do is enter yer name and email address 🙂 and the reason why I’m asking you to visit Next.co.uk through my blog, is that they are also offering prizes to any christmas challenge bloggers who generate any traffic to their site (monitered via good ol’ analytics. Cheeky and clever PR eh!) So to help me be in the running, I’d appreciate your clickity clicks, lovelies ♥

Something for my favourite lady ♥ Mum.

Supersoft Robe – £22 to £26

Let’s face it, who doesn’t love a big fluffy dressing gown? Especially in these cold winter months when coming out of the shower/bath is a mad rush to get warm and dry.