Cheer Yourself Up Post-Budget With a Splurge in Snixy Swoon's 70% off Summer Sale

I featured Snixy Swoon a fortnight ago, and I've been wearing the samples she kindly sent me for review ever since. There were a couple of other pieces I wanted to buy for myself, so I visited her Etsy today to buy them. Turns out I visited on the right day! The store has just added a 70% & a 50% off, summer sale catagory, with little cat necklaces for just £2. I picked some of them and one of the huge, floral, statement necklaces I was after for £12.50 rather than over £20, which they are definitely worth.

Have a visit yourself and scoop up a bargain  

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SnixySwoons

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Loads of tiki pieces starting from £3.50

Cook For Your Mum This Weekend With the M&S £20 Mother's Day Dine In Menu. Is It Cheating If You're Sort of Treating Yourself Too?

Everyone in their right mind loves the Marks & Spencer Two Dine for £10 Menu. You basically buy a bottle of wine and get a free three course meal with it. I even know people stock up when the deal is on and buy multiple variations of that weekend's choices. I might also be including myself in that statement. 

The past two or three years, M&S have put on a special Mother's Day version of the dine in menu. At £20 you choice a roast joint, two large sides, a large sharing dessert and included is a bottle of wine, or non alcoholic alternative, if Mum doesn't like a tipple. 

The full list of options are here http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/food-and-wine/dine-in And I snapped some of my choices in store at their Sprucefield store.

I chose the beef joint, potato cubes, beautiful summer roasting veg and a coconut pudding. Without the £20 deal the total would have been close to £30 so it's a great saving. 

As for gifts, M&S can supply you with all sorts of floral, sweet & scented presents for Mum. Beyond the food hall there is also a up to 50% clothing sale just starting this week. Even a gift card for Mum to have a hoke through that for a bargain herself would be a thoughtful present (hint, hint). Really though you can never go wrong with flowers. I buy myself a bunch of flowers every week now I'm in my new house. Perhaps this weekend little Michael will buy me some. I've dropped many hints, but for some reason he has his heart set on buying me this kitchen gadget that heat seals plastic bags to keep food fresh. Sigh.

Beautiful blooms at a range of prices. 

Daffodil cake £12

How blue are these?? 

Adoring this neon orange frame, and would love one of these patchwork stag heads so much! 

I do love these but £79 is out of my range

So, my picks. I love these pastel tins M&S are packaging their sweets in this spring. I already use the similar, yellow tin to store my sugar, so when I have finished the fudge I'll use this as my tea bag tin. £5

Violet creams are an old fashioned sweet, but one of my absolute favourites. At £4 this box of a violet and Rose mixed chocolates was a 'well done for being a mum' gift to myself. 

Cute little orange tin this time, for my coffee to complete the set. £5

The teeny little box of truffles is only £3 and great for tiny ones to buy for their mummy. 

Finally, this is going to my own Mum as part of her present this Sunday. A £13 gift of mini shortbread in a pretty tea cup. Wouldn't mind this one myself either. 

So a big Happy Mother's Day to all my mummy readers, and any single fathers who do both jobs. Enjoy your special day. 

The Gift for Someone who has Everything- Their Own Personalised Cartoon

Cartoon This is an illustration and design company founded in 2012 by Jordan Hodge.

"I strive to give all customers fun and high quality illustrations at great prices.  I will illustrate any person or group of people in my cartoon style. The sky is the limit on what I can illustrate!"

Want a movie or TV themed portrait? A sports team themed portrait? Funny outfits? Or normal everyday outfits? No problem! Jordan has already done over 300 unique Cartoon Portraits for customers around the world. Star Wars, Walking Dead, Wizard of Oz, themed portraits in whatever style you can dream up. These would make great gifts or nice prints to hang in a home or office.

Jordan even cartooned us- it's scarily accurate!

Museum Selection Shares The History of Garden Gnomes, plus Win a Hare Garden Ornament

Gnomes are one of the top ten answers that pop up when you ask the general public what a kitsch item is to them. Weirdly though I don't feature them on www.TheWorldofKitsch.com often. Why? I don't know, I just don't like them. I think they are tacky in a bad way. 

I mean I have plastic lawn flamingoes, and they aren't exactly middle class norms, but I just don't like gnomes. The front garden needed a little spruce up and something new, so I've ordered an ornamental fox on Museum Selection, which I will blog about when he arrives. 

Until then how would you like to win your own ornamental hare for your grassy patch? It's a little different from a guard dog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Museum Selection for this gnome infographic.