Yankee Candle True Rose - the scent of love

Love and romance are sure to be in the air this Sunday when Valentine's Day comes round for another year. Most of us enjoy being swept along with the sentiment, and I personally enjoy the excuse to make a special meal, decorate the living room with red balloons and buy little gifts for my loved ones - I say loved ONES because Valentine's Day is also extended to our children, because they enjoy joining in with our celebrations too. We've had many a candlelit dinner for six, complete with heart shaped cakes for dessert! 

If you are looking for a gift for your significant other or if you want to set the scene for romance, Yankee Candle has a gorgeous range of floral and fruity fragranced candles, which perfectly capture the sentiment of Valentine's Day. I was sent a beautiful True Rose jar candle.

The rich red coloured wax has an incredible scent of alluring, velvety rose petals.  The fragrance has a good strength that fills the room and is really authentic - very much like the smell of a freshly cut bouquet of red roses. It gives the air a romantic and passionate ambiance that lasts long after the candle is blown out. With 150 hours burn time, the True Rose candle will keep smelling sweet, long after a bunch of flowers will have wilted.

As it is fragrance of the month at Yankee Candle,  you can currently buy one for the reduced price of £16.49 for the large size jar (usual price is £21.99).  Express delivery is available online.

Yankee Candle also have some other lovely gift ideas for Valentine's Day. There is a five votives gift set which includes Fresh Cut Roses, Red Raspberry, Pink Hibiscus, Sweet Strawberry and True Rose for £8.99. They also have a lovely gift set featuring a large Red Raspberry Jar Candle and an Illuma-Lid in a heart design for £29.99.

With a range of jar candles, votives, melts and accessories, and with a load of different fragrances and designs, it is easy the perfect gift whatever your budget, making it simple to share the love this Valentine's Day.

Money Saving Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

My Valentine's Day planning is underway.  Although currently riddled with a really heavy cold, I have my fingers crossed that I will feel well enough to celebrate the day according to our family tradition - a romantic dinner for the whole family to enjoy together!  It's a great excuse to do something special and we enjoy extending the remit to include the children, and not just focus on myself and Ian.  We'll have plenty of years when it's just the two of us when the kids leave home, so we prefer to include them while we still can!

I have got a load of Valentine's Day decorations to decorate the dining room and a planned menu for a three course meal with Red Velvet Cupcakes to follow.  

It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to give token Valentine's Day gifts to my loved ones. But I still like to retain my thriftiness and like to get a bargain.  Homemade cards, framed photographs or home baked treats make wonderful and thoughtful gifts.  Even if you have a budget of just £5, there are some lovely bargains to be had this year.  Here's a few suggestions.

If your other half is a film fan, then why not add a DVD to their collection?  Whether you think they'd enjoy a good rom-com or if they'd prefer an action film, Aldi has a great range of films starting at just £2.99.  Perfect for a Valentine's Movie Night.  Just add popcorn, chocolates and a glass or two of wine for a great budget night in.

Don't forget the kids!  There are some lovely films in the Aldi range for little ones too.  So you can enjoy a family film night, or let the kids watch a movie in bed while you  enjoy some uninterrupted time together!

For a sweet toothed loved one, how about this chocolate heart from Asda?  Just one of a range of confectionery gifts starting at just £1.  A lovely way to show someone that they make life sweet!

This net of chocolate bees are perfect for your honey!  They make a really cute decoration when scattered across the dining table.  Tastier than table confetti!

These bricks from Asda are a fun way to get the message of love across.  They are a novelty gift that could double up as a quirky alternative to a card.  Simply write your own message on them with Sharpie marker for a personalised keepsake. They are just £2. 

Make breakfast in bed for your loved one and start the day with a smile.  These toast stamps are a playful way to say 'I love you' and start the day in a romantic mood.

For just £1 you can treat someone you love with a gift box of HARIBO Heart Throbs.  They also make  brilliant and cheap toppers for homemade cupcakes.  

Instead of dining out this Valentine's Day you could save a fortune by eating in.  If you don't feel like cooking

something from scratch, you could get in a Valentine's Meal Deal.  Lots of supermarkets have meal deals allowing you to dine at home in style.  Asda have a deal on their Extra Special range for two to dine for just a tenner, available online and in store in selected stores.  It's so much cheaper to eat at home and you also save on transport costs and babysitting - plus no one has to be the designated driver!

However you decide to celebrate, I hope you have a really happy Valentine's Day!

We received the items featured from Aldi and Asda to review.

Valentine's Gifts in Unusual Places

This Valentine's Day, if you are looking for some cute, quirky and great value gifts to treat the man in your life, then it's time to defy convention.  Forget about looking for tacky toys or novelty presents in expensive gift shops, florists or jewellers...check out Sports Direct.  With hundreds of products available online or in store, you'll find perfect presents for your other half...even if he isn't that sporty!  Many of the items are under £20 so you'll find some top bargains too.

Here are my five fab finds that Ian would love to receive on Valentine's Day.


Lee Cooper Hi-Top Trainers £12.99

I love a man in a pair of canvas hi-tops.  They are playful and bring back memories of being young and carefree.  They remind me of summers spent having fun, being impressed by him doing tricks on his skateboard whilst looking casually and effortlessly cool.  You're never too old to embody the inner skater boy! Give these to a guy to let him know that you love him heart and 'sole'!!

Superman Classic Folded Wallet  £14.99

Let him know that he is your superhero with this fun take on a sensible gift.  Wallets are always a really acceptable present because, after all, we always need somewhere to keep our cash and cards safe!  This one is perfect for fans of comic books, embellished with classic comic strip artwork and bearing the Superman logo.  With the resurgence of DC and Marvel, many man have a secret (or not so secret) hankering to be a superhero...and this Valentine's Day, I'll happily be Lois Lane to Ian's Superman!

Arsenal Mini-Football Table £17.00

Whether he supports Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool or Arsenal, re-enacting on pitch action with a mini-football table can be most cathartic.  The near misses, the great saves and the goals will never be as much fun than when played out together through the medium of table soccer.  It's a chance to embody the Premier League players and get a bit competitive.  What's not to love?

 DC 3 Pack of Pyjama Bottoms £11.00

I love lounging around, snuggling on the sofa and watching a good film together.  In fact that would be my ideal way to spend Valentine's Day evening, after enjoying a delicious meal for two.  Cracking open a bottle of red and settling down with a movie, feeling all comfy and cosy is a wonderfully relaxing way to round of the evening.  If you throw these super cool DC PJ bottoms into that mix, the night just gets even more chilled.  I love the Iron Man, Thor and Hulk, Spidey & Captain America designs.  And as previously mentioned, many men love the whole superhero thing, making these a fantastic gift idea.  Perfect to cuddle up in!

Calvin Klein Two Pack boxers £19.99

They are classic, sexy, snug fitting and something that every man should have in his pants' drawer.  The hot pink trimmed CK's are the perfect Valentine's Day underwear.  The waistband peeking out over the top of his jeans is a designer fashion statement boldly declaring that this guy is confident, smooth and isn't afraid to flash his pants in public. A great gift that is practical, while still be a little frivolous and cheeky!

Find these gifts and more at SportsDirect.com.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Launches Joyville Made

Customise Cadbury Dairy Milk bars and send them to your friends and family

I love personalised gifts.  There is something so special about seeing your own name, a personal message or photograph emblazoned on a gift that thrills me much more than it should!  It transcends an ordinary gift into something that often generates far more excitement than the actual gift itself!   I'm not sure if it's because it takes a lot of thought from the gift giver, or simply because I'm a narcissist!

Almost everyone enjoys receiving chocolate as a gift.  Now, thanks to Joyville Made, you can personalise Cadbury choccie bars too!  Cadbury have just launched Joyville Made, which is an innovative online experience where you can customise two different sizes of Cadbury Dairy Milk, add a name or message on the front of the wrapper, and add a message to the back of the wrapper.  However, the customisation doesn’t stop with the packaging.  If anyone wants to make the present even better, they can add a unique web card, which displays more photos from Facebook and videos, all included in the cost of a bar.

Check out these screenshots for more details:

Go to www.joyvillemade.com

Choose the size bar you want to customize.

Use the online tools to add text and pics.

Create a unique webcard (the URL is included on the packaging)

Joyville Made allows us to put our own spin on this popular brand by creating deliciously unique gifts to send to friends and family.  I was over the moon to receive my very own 200g customised Cadbury Dairy Milk bar through the post.  The front had my name on it and the back included a photograph from Facebook and a link to my very own unique webcard.  When I opened the box I actually squealed a little bit, seeing my name on the iconic packaging. 

Anyone for a Wendy Bar?

Include a memorable photo on the back!

These bars would be great for Valentine's Day, birthdays or for any occasion. Or simply to let someone know that you are thinking of them.  It's a great and innovative idea from Cadbury.

Find out more at www.joyvillemade.com