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Father’s Day Gift Guide 2023

This post contains gifted items:

If you have been a reader for a while you will know that I love putting together gift guides.

With Father’s Day approaching, it can be difficult to decide what to buy, especially if you have multiple people to buy for.

For me, I usually have to decide on presents for my dad, my step dad, my father in law and my grandad. It can get difficult trying to pick what to buy everyone and I don’t always have time to go shopping so I like to source things that can be purchased online and delivered to my house or direct!

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

CORE PROTECTION AERO GLOVES – NEON GALAXY

£23.95

These gloves from skates.co.uk would be the perfect gift if he is into skating or biking as they provide a good amount of protection and come in a wide range of designs and colours. My husband loves this brand for mountain biking gloves!

Skates.co.uk have such a great range of protection as well as skateboards, skates, scooters and shoes. They are all priced really well so it’s worth checking them out.

DC PURE LOW RISE SKATE SHOES – WHITE / BLACK / GREEN

£19.95

These trainers are also from skates.co.uk and are perfect to wear when skateboarding. They have a good grip on the bottom and I personally love this brand for skate wear. They are well made and a great price!

FRAGRANCE

DOLMA PERFUMES – DISCOVERY BOX SET

4 x 9ml Aftershave / Cologne

£25.95

Dolma have a good range of scents for men, they are all vegan fragrances and are in nice looking bottles. I have tried their female range before and was really impressed with them.

They have four men’s vegan aftershaves, each of which has its individual hints and tones. The classic Sirius is a timelessly masculine blend while Freedom offers a fresh and woody smell. Kwame is fresh and fun, making it perfect for daily wear in recreational settings while Imagine is fruity and uplifting.

This is a great way to try all of their four fragrances before committing to buying one in a larger bottle. If you struggle to pick a scent for someone else then this is a really good idea.

DOUVALL’S – PRE AND POST TOILET SPRAY

£14

I find this spray to be quite heavily scented which is good as you don’t need to use much so will last a long time. It’s in a good size bottle to keep in the bathroom and doesn’t look too unsightly when left out on the side.

I like how all of Douvall’s sprays are all made with natural oils so they don’t include nasty chemicals.

FOOD & DRINK

WARRIOR CRUNCH BARS

£16.99 for a box of 12 bars

These bars come in a great range of flavours, the newest ones being peanut butter cup and peanut butter & jelly.

They are packed with 24 grams of high-quality milk protein and less than 4 grams of sugar, making them the perfect snack for anyone simply seeking a healthy treat, without compromising on taste and enjoyment.

A perfect gift for someone that likes a treat but is more health and fitness conscious.

VIRGINIA HAYWARD – FATHER’S DAY GIFT HAMPER

£27.50

This is a great hamper for your dad this year. It has such a good selection of gifts in and it comes packaged really well.

It contains:
‘Busy Being a Dad’ mug
Mighty Fine Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Bar
GNAW Milk Chocolate Buttons
Salted Caramel Popcorn from Popcorn Shed.
Desert Salt and Vinegar Potato Crisps from Savoursmiths
Jar of The Dormen Caramelised Peanuts

Virginia Hayward have a great range of hampers to suit any recipient and any budget so they are always worth checking out.

GOURMET COCKTAIL – GINS

£8 each

Gourmet Cocktails are either gin or rum based and I tried out their variety of gin ones. They come in a few different flavours:

Strawberry crush, Gin eclipse and Blue raspberry.

I love the blue raspberry, it’s like an adult slush puppie! They are all really refreshing, just simply pour over ice and it’s as easy as that.

Each recyclable 330ml bottle contains enough for 2.5 cocktails so they are great for sharing!

These are great for anyone that likes to enjoy cocktails but doesn’t want the faff of making them themselves or having to buy all the different ingredients separately.

SWEET BOX – JELLY SWEET BOX

£6.99 for 400g

The jelly sweet box contains a great selection of more than 10 different jelly sweets. This is a must have for those who aren’t as keen on sour or fizzy sweets and it contains a wide selection of the nations most loved gummy and jelly sweets.

It’s really good value and you can pick from different size boxes or can go for a fizzy option if you prefer.

It arrives in airtight polythene food-grade packaging.

Use code SARAHSWEETS for 15% off 🙂

SIMPLY CAKE CO – MONTHLY SPECIALS

£16.49

This box has a nice range of treats in. It includes:

Brookie, Amber Toblerone Brownie and Raspberry Bakewell Blondie

This is the perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth and they have change the flavours monthly. You can pick from different size packs and there really is something for everyone. They do vegan options too.

SIMPLY CAKE CO – FATHER’S DAY COMBO BOX

£13.99

Simply Cake Co have a great range of treats which you can buy in lots of different variations of boxes.
This combo features a slab of chocolate brownie and a giant cookie. It stays fresh for up to two weeks and you can personalised the brownie with your own photo as well.

I have had these brownie slabs before and they are one of the tastiest brownies I have ever had and they fit through the letterbox!

SIMPLY CAKE CO – FATHER’S DAY PHOTO BROWNIE SLAB

£9.99

This giant brownie slab taste so good and you can either have a picture on there or pick text. All of their options are letterbox friendly and they stay fresh for two weeks and taste so good!

CLEANCO – CLEAN W

£16

CleanCo is a premium non-alcoholic spirit brand, who offer a selection of premium non-alcoholic spirits that taste just like the real thing across gin, rum, agave spirit, vodka and whiskey.

Clean W is their Bourbon Whiskey, but without the alcohol. A characteristic Bourbon nose with classic notes, oak and sweet vanilla, underpinned by rich spice, apple and figs, with a smooth finish.

It has a great taste and is ideal for someone that doesn’t drink alcohol, maybe due to health reasons or they can’t drink with medication or something but they really miss the taste.

SKINCARE

COSRX – SALICYLIC ACID DAILY GENTLE CLEANSER

£18

This cleanser gently removes impurities and excess sebum while fighting acnes and blemishes, leaving skin soft and smooth without the stripping feeling.

A great gift for anyone that likes to take care of their skin but wouldn’t usually splash out on skincare themselves.

RUBIS – CLASSIC SLANTED TWEEZERS

£25.30

I love my pair of Rubis tweezers and they are my favourite ones to use as they are sharp and precise as well as being easy to use so I would definitely recommend this brand.

They are made from rustproof stainless steel and are tested individually for balance and performance. These would be a great gift idea and they come in a range of different colours.

DOUVALL’S – MOISTURISING ARGAN STICK BALM

£23

This multi use balm can be used on dry areas on the face, under eyes, lips, body, as well as calloused feet, cuticles and even sunburn.

It smells really good and you only need a small amount to hydrate the skin without leaving it greasy.

SOS SERUM – SOS ESSENTIALS TRAVEL COLLECTION

£25.00

This set includes six travel size products in a handy little pouch. It is a great way to try their range of products before committing to buying full size or it can be good for anyone that travels a lot.

It includes: SOS Cleanse, SOS Serum, SOS H20 Day Cream SPF 30, SOS SPF 50 Sun Cream, SOS Night Cream, SOS Protect Hand Sanitiser

MVRCK BY MITCH – COOLING AFTERSHAVE

£17.95

This Paul Mitchell aftershave is a great way to prevent ingrown hairs and razor burn. It’s cooling as well as moisturising and soothing.

This would be a good gift for anyone that likes to groom themselves and maybe wouldn’t usually splurge on something like this for themselves.

HAIRCARE

MANTA – CLASSIC BLACK BRUSH

£30

Not only is it important to use good quality products to wash and style your hair with, it’s also important to use a good brush.

This is my new favourite hair brush as it really helps to get tangled out whilst being gentle to your hair. It is comfortable to hold and glides through my hair well.

A must have for anyone that likes to take care of their hair.

MITCH – REFORMER

£11.69

This hair texturizer helps to hold your hair in place whilst making it appear thicker and with more volume. It’s easy to you and you only need a small amount. It has a matte finish and smells really good too.

A must have for anyone fussy about styling their hair as it does everything you need from a styling product for short hair.

MVRCK BY MITCH – DRY PASTE

£23.80

Another great hair drying product is this Paul Mitchell styling paste. This also has a matte finish but has a medium hold and is really manageable to apply.

This new MVRCK range is a great addition to Paul Mitchell’s ever growing portfolio.

MITCH – CONSTRUCTION PASTE

£9.99

If they prefer to be able to adjust their hair throughout the day or don’t like the feel of a stronger hold then this paste is a must have. It has a great scent, it’s easy to apply and even once dried it can still be manipulated.

HOMEWARE

ASDA PHOTO – PHOTO SLATE

£11

I wanted to get a nice photo of my cats for my husband to display.

I have used Asda before for personalised products and have always been impressed with the price and quality. The picture is printed on a piece of slate with a stand and you can have it made in various sizes. I thought this would look really nice on display.

ASDA PHOTO – PERSONALISED MEGA MUG

£10

The delicate porcelain mug is a personal and unique gift for yourself or a loved one. It comes in different sizes and the image is centrally placed covering a wide area for maximum personalisation, you can add photos or text and really make it your own.

I hope I have inspired you and given you some good ideas 🙂

Sarah x

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Why Your Hamstrings Are So Darn Tight

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Tight hamstrings are a common affliction in the modern era. For many, bending over and touching their toes with straight legs is a distant dream. 

But what makes hamstrings tight? In this post, we find out. Warning: it’s not what you think. 

Tightness, Stretching, And Short Muscles

Most people try to deal with muscle tightness by stretching their muscles and hoping that this will elongate them over time. However, lack of stretching isn’t a cause of tightness. And simply putting the muscle under load won’t make it get longer. That’s simply not how the body works. 

Tightness is often the result of failed stabilizer muscles in the hip. When muscles involved in rotating the hip don’t get used, they start to atrophy and weaken. The hamstring then takes over the role of stabilizing the joint, causing the muscle to feel tight. 

The result of tight muscles can be both embarrassing and painful. They are embarrassing because they make it hard for you to put your body in certain positions. And they’re painful because they make it difficult to move in the right way. 


In most cases, tight hamstrings are the result of lifestyle factors. If you spend a lot of time sitting down or just moving forward, instead of backward, side to side, or rotationally, then the likelihood of tightness goes up. The brain begins to send different types of signals to the hip joint, reducing reliance on regular hip muscles, and increasing reliance on the hamstring. 

Tight hamstrings are not the same as short hamstrings. If you have short hamstrings, it means that the muscle is physically shorter than normal. However, if it is tight, it means that it is bunched up and not close to its full potential length. 

How To Solve Tight Hamstring Issues

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Unfortunately, tight hamstrings don’t just make it difficult to bend over and touch your toes. They can also lead to back pain. When the hamstrings don’t work biomechanically in the way that nature intended, the body compensates. 

The trick to solving tight hamstring issues is to start moving your hips in different ways. You’ll want to internally and externally rotate them, depending on the problem that you have. Regular yoga mats are good for this. They provide a supportive cushion that helps you get into new positions. 

You can even do yoga postures that encourage healthy hip rotation. The more you can activate the small stabilizer muscles of the hips, the strong they will become, and the less tight your hamstrings will feel over time. Eventually, you should be able to touch your toes like everyone else you know. 

What’s great about these fixes is that they work on people who’ve had hamstring issues for many years. Even if you have been living with tight muscles at the back of your legs for decades, hip rotation exercises can help. The more you practice them, the more supple your body becomes. Other parts of the body stop overcompensating and you begin to use your hip joint as nature intended.

Sarah x

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How To Increase Your Fitness Level In The New Year

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The New Year is a time for resolutions and goals. One of the most popular resolutions is to get in shape, lose weight, or be healthier. The problem with this resolution is that many people don’t know how to reach their fitness goals. This blog post will discuss some ways you can increase your fitness level in the new year so you’ll be able to achieve all your goals.

Photo by Karl Solano from Pexels

Set Realistic Goals

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To have a successful fitness plan, you need to set goals. Make sure the goals are realistic and achievable promptly. For example, trying to lose twenty pounds within two weeks will not work out well for most people because it is too fast of a turnaround time. However, losing four pounds in one month is much more reasonable and will help create momentum that can be maintained throughout the year until your overall goal weight has been reached! Like a Compass your goals will guide you to where you need to go.

Be Consistent In Your Workout Routine

One thing that contributes greatly towards any workout routine not being effective will be if someone does not stick with it over an extended period. Exercise should always go hand-in-hand with proper dieting and a healthy lifestyle. The longer you stick with the same routine, the more likely your body will be to adapt to it – which would make any exercise much easier for you!

Take Advantage Of Group Fitness Classes

Group fitness classes are one of the best ways that people can get involved in an effective workout plan because they offer not only motivation from instructors but also other participants as well. It is always helpful if someone who has been working out for a while or even years can help show newcomers how things work, so everyone receives a fair chance at reaching their goals!

Get A Designated Spot For Training

Get a designated spot for training. If you don’t have one at home, go to the nearest gym or park and just start working out there instead. Companies like Compass can help you find the perfect home with a designated area for training. It’s important that you’re able to feel comfortable, as this will help motivate you even more than usual when it comes time for your sessions. 

Burn More Calories Than You Consume

If there was ever a great way to lose weight fast without going through too many difficult changes in life, this would be it! All you have to do is burn more calories than what you consume daily. Easier said than done, right? Wrong! There are plenty of ways to start doing this – even if it is just by making small changes each day, for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work or parking further away from your destination so that you have to walk farther. Every little bit helps in the long run!

In conclusion, there are many ways to increase your fitness level in the new year. By following some or all of these tips, you should be well on your way to a more fit and healthy you. Remember to start slow and build up gradually, as this will help reduce the risk of injury.

Sarah x

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What Are The Benefits Of Watching Sports?

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Playing sports has a lot of obvious benefits, including meeting like-minded people and being fit, healthy, and active. Watching sport can also have a few benefits, which often get overlooked. 

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Whether you follow your local football team or look out for Lions tour news, what are the benefits of watching sports?

Improved Relationships

Following a sport can bring people together from all walks of life, and can be a great way to meet new people. You can strike up conversations in the stand, knowing you already have something in common. If you already have friends who enjoy the same sport as you, you can attend games together as a bonding activity. 

The social side of watching sport is a real bonus, and watching a game together is a lot of fun. You can go to see live games, go to the pub to watch a game on TV, or take it in turns to host a viewing night in your homes. 

More Confidence

Being a sports fan can actually build your confidence. If you’re chatting to people in the stands or in the pub about your sport and engaging in debate about the sport, such as potential starting line-ups or strategies, you can build your confidence. Whether or not people agree with you, it’s good practice to talk to strangers, justify your opinions, and express yourself. 

By practising these skills like this, you can build your social skills for your everyday life or for at work, and become a more confident person. 

Makes You Smarter

Sports fans might not seem like the smartest people while they’re shouting at the TV, but in fact, watching a sport can make you smarter. Everyone knows a sports fan who can recite every statistic about their sport, team, or player of choice, or who can predict the outcome of a game. This isn’t always down to luck. 

Watching sports activates parts of your brain that enhance memory and language abilities. This comes from analyzing gameplay and studying the sport, without even realizing that you’re doing it. If you’re watching sports on a regular basis, you are watching all the details of the game, including things like referee choices, the crowd response, and how the manager is reacting. All these elements add up to a bigger picture, and doing this can make you smarter. 

Prevents Low Mood

Sports can be an escape, which improves your mood. When you feel as though you’re part of a team and have a network around you, you’ll feel happier. Noone’s team can always win, and even if this makes you feel sad for a short time, you can soon put it into perspective. Losses are a part of life, and having a supportive group of people makes you feel as though you’re in it together, which can lift your mood again. 

Of course, when your team are winning you’ll feel even better. The feeling you get when your team wins is amazing. When this happens, your brain releases endorphins that improve your mood.

Sarah x