The festive season is in full swing and unsurprisingly there’s been much chat between my friends and I about presents — or to be precise — Christmas gifts for the hard to buy for.
We all have them, don’t we?
The father who has everything, the mum who doesn’t want anything and various other relatives — and friends — who have specific hobbies and aren’t really interested in anything beyond that.
It gives me a headache usually.
But this year I have managed to do all my ‘hard to buy’ present buying in one place. One stop shopping — minimal fuss and effort — with some fantastic results to boot!
I recently popped down to our local HomeSense store for some Christmas decorations and was blown away by the ‘non-home’ items they’d got in stock. I can say with some certainty that HomeSense have some amazing home bargains (if ever I need something for the house or garden it’s always my first port of call).
In fact, my friend and I have ‘HomeSense missions’ and regularly treat ourselves to an afternoon’s shopping in our local store, followed by a posh coffee.
Sorry, I’m digressing.
Anyway, they had SO many fab gifts — the shelves were literally rammed — with fabulous goodies for all the hard to buy for people in my life. Buoyed with renewed Christmas shopping vigour, I went back a week later, armed with my list of names.
Quick View of What You'll Find on This Page
Here’s what I bought for the hard to buy for people in my life:
For the cyclist
For the Gardener
We have a few keen cyclists — and gardeners — in our family, so to find appropriate and unusual gifts, for lovers of these hobbies, was fantastic.
Everything was so reasonably priced too — the little bicycle mug was just £3.99.
For The Glamourpuss
For the Gourmet
For The Vintage Loving Hostess
I’ve got a little confession to make here.
That gorgeous calendar may *not* actually be going to its intended recipient after all. It seems to have found it’s way on to my desk!
Oops.
And actually, I’ve decided that it might as well stay there, seeing as it looks so lovely ;) Anyway, on with the gift guide.
For The Man About Town
For The Newlyweds
The man about town is SO difficult to buy for, I always think.
HomeSense had some amazing gifts in this department; everything from cool earphones to the quirky little box of assorted shoe-laces in the pic above.
For The Little Princess
For The Stationery Addict
So that’s it. A veritable treasure trove of lovely bits and pieces, to delight and surprise even the most difficult person in your life to buy for.
As Gordon Ramsey would say:
Christmas gifts for the hard to buy for — done.
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
Some lovely pressies here. Now, if you could just persuade the lovely people at Homesense to open a store in Belfast! Reading this is reminding me that I still have a few hard to buy presents remaining….#MarvMondays
Aaah it’s SO gutting when there isn’t one close by!! I was absolutely thrilled when we moved here and found out there is one less than half an hour away!! Hopefully they’ll read this and grant your Christmas wish ;) xx
This post is gorgeous. I love the way you have styled it and put it all into separate categories. There is so much here that it is hard to pick favourite items. I adore HomeSense and find that I always come away with so much. I have done a lot of Christmas shopping there. There stationery stuff is fab and each time I go in I have to remind myself that I don’t need anymore notebooks. Hugs Mrs H xxxx PS. I think that I would have stolen that calendar too. It is gorgeous.
Thanks so much lovely. I really did have too many pics to be honest but I didn’t want to leave any out!! I probably could have split it between two posts. And YES! The notebooks in there are just fabulous aren’t they?! And the calendar — love it :)
Caro I was literally swooning all the way through. Such great gifts and your photos are just gorgeous I love the stationery, the Stationery in HomeSence is amazing, In fact I could spend a fortune in there x
Aaah thanks chickie!! That means a lot — I was panicking as the light was so poor — photography at this kind of year is awful. They’ve got some great suff haven’t they?! I need another little mission, before Christmas is upon us ;)
There’s some really lovely gift’s here! And I love how you’ve put all your ideas into separate sections, made it much easier to read! #Love2Blog
Thanks Ashleigh — I did think that it perhaps was a little bit much at first — there are SO many things to look at!! So nice that you think it’s easy to read :) Thanks so much for stopping by xx
Beautiful pictures as always! Such great little collections as well – I’d be after the vintage lover’s set or the stationery lovers selection for myself. But that’s typical isn’t it when Christmas shopping, coveting everything for myself?!
Thanks so much Robyn!! That’s so nice of you to say — was struggling with awful light so it’s lovely to et a good comment on the pics!! Totally with you — I love the vintage and the stationery gifts — would like to keep them all for myself!! ;)
I love the categories and the styling on this post, you really have thought of everyone! I love the photo frame and the cookbook would be good for Ian who never cooks because he says he doesn’t know how to!x
Aaah the cookbook is AMAZING Sian!! Lots and lots of lovely recipes!! I’m no chef either — my boy does all the cooking in our house!! I should buy it for myself!! Then I could perhaps cook like my man ;)
What a fantastic group of items, you have picked out some great gifts and I love the pictures! We have recently had a HomeSense open in our town and I love it! I have picked up a few presents in there for Christmas too.
Aaah Steph!! So fab that you’ve got a HomeSense nearby!!! It’s brilliant but dangerous in equal measures!!! I’ve spent a small fortune in there over the last few years ;) xx
So many lovely things, I love the travel journal and I think you are quite right in keeping the calender, you deserve a treat too! I just love Homesense, we were so close to one in our old house and it was great for having a good look around, you can always find something different in there. Lovely gift guide Caro, your photos look amazing xx
Aah SO many lovely things!! It was a real struggle to narrow everything down — they had LOTS of gorgeous gifts!! I love it too — it’s my favourite place to spend an afternoon shopping! I’ve never been one for trawling round clothes shops but I LOVE shops that sell homeware!! And thanks so much for your lovely comment re the pics. I was panicking last week cos the light was atrocious. I didn’t think I was going to be able to take any at one point!! xx
You have some fabulous ideas there Caro, I love that the calendar is staying with you ha! That might have happened to me with Nigella’s new book. I love your pictures, so pretty xx
Ohmygod — I LOVE Nigella!!!!! I’m hoping someone *might* have put her new book in my stocking this Christmas!! ‘Feast’ is my absolute favourite — I bet this new book is just as good. If that had been in this little selection, I would have *definitely* kept it!!!! :)
Gorgeous photos Mrs. I really like the his and hers mugs (good anniversary presents too I reckon) and I love the marmite plate!!
Aargh — I LOVE the Marmite plates too!! I reckon even a non-marmite lover would like those!! ;)