Christmas Gift Guide - Collaboration with Contrado*

Ever wanted to create your own Christmas jumper or garment? Looking for a gift that would suit those who “have it all”? When I was contacted by the company Contrado, I was intrigued as to what they had to offer. The company Contrado is a creative customised printing company that collaborates with artists and designers.



I went on the website and saw that you can literally design and customise almost everything. From pyjamas to hoodies, jackets and leggings as well as home ware items such as tea towels. I thought it would be quite apt to design a Christmas jumper seeing as this product was going to be shown off in my Christmas Gift Guide. Contrado are experts at printing, especially on fabrics. I loaded up the website and couldn’t believe how easy it was to choose a design. You could change the colour of the arms, front and back of the jumper with ease. There was an option to add text, clipart or your own images to the garment.

Their products are sustainable and do not print using water. I decided to design my jumper using Photoshop. I simply cut out photos of my cat, added Christmas hats, snowflakes and then made sure the background colour matched the colour I had chosen for the jumper on the website then saved this as a JPG file. I then added the image to the jumper and cropped it to make sure it fit on the front. It looked amazing on the website when it was designed. This cost just over £50. When the jumper arrived, I was nervous to open it. I had hoped it met my expectations after seeing the preview on the website.

I needn't have worried as the jumper was even better than I expected. I have received many compliments on the jumper and when people realise it is actually my very own cat on the front they can't quite believe it! I have even had people say they want their own ones done with their pets! If you too are intrigued by what fantastic gifts you can create, head over to Contrado - you won't regret it!

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

My Purrfect Gift Box Review*

As you may be aware from my blog, I am a cat lover. I have one bundle of fluff called Biscuit and he loves the camera so it’s always nice when I can involve him in blog posts. I was recently sent the April box from a brand called My Purrfect Gift Box. This subscription box is the first of its kind, a box for cat lovers! You don’t need to have a cat to take part in this box, just loving cats is enough. The box I received is perfect for Spring and each item shows that. The box is made up of items from around the world including some handmade goodies, keep reading to see what I got.

The box I received had some cat treats which is an optional feature when choosing your box. There is something for every budget and you can either opt for a standard or a lite box. With subscriptions starting at only £15.95 per month, you deserve a treat! Firstly there was an extra treat of a cat toy, some feathers, a bell and some beads on a bouncy metal wire. Biscuit absolutely loved this! He’s 11 years old now so not as playful as he used to be but when I got this out he was bouncing around like a kitten!

Each box comes with a welcome card which is really useful as it explain what items you have received and also gives you the retail price if you’re interested. I love receiving cards like this with subscription boxes as its always handy to see where things came from and that way I can look into individual brands if I want to purchase more.

The first item I saw when I opened my box was this adorable Temporary Tattoo from Siideways. This fun design of a cat and flowers is so cute and dainty and the perfect size to transfer onto your wrist or other small area such as an ankle. I haven’t used mine yet as I am saving it for when the time is right but I really love the design which retails at £3.95. Get 10% off using the below code.

The next item which is perfect for the Spring is these adorable plantable seeded papers in the shape of cats. Each cat is infused with seeds and comes complete with handy instructions to grow some beautiful May flowers. I have planted mine already and I can’t wait to watch them grow. I think these make such a nice gift or would even be perfect for wedding favours at a spring themed wedding don’t you think? You can buy these on Etsy in many different designs, shapes and sizes. These retail at £4.50.

I love this framed print from the artist AmyLyn Birhle available from Etsy. This has been signed by the artist on the back and came complete in this white frame. It’s such an apt piece for spring and I love the cat holding an umbrella. The bright colours in this piece are striking and this looks great in any room of the house. Visit the artists website here.

I also received a FreakMEOWt catnip fish which can be bought on Notonthehighstreet for £4 excluding delivery. This contains super strong catnip, Biscuit was going crazy for this fish! We also received some Green&Wilds Cat Niblets in Plaice flavour. These treats are 100% natural and made right here in the UK. Considering these treats don’t look like the most exciting thing in the world I can’t believe how obsessed Biscuit is by these treats! The website says my local vets stocks these so I’ll have to pick up some more when these run out. They are the only treats that Biscuit has climbed up my shelves for!

The umbrella I received fits right in with the April theme and I cannot tell you how happy I was to receive this. My umbrella broke a few months ago and I haven’t had a chance to replace it. I have been caught in the rain too many times to count and thankfully this umbrella arrived right before the start of the April showers – which seem to be extending themselves to May too! I love the modern and colourful design based on an oil painting - it is sure to turn heads. The quality of this umbrella feels strong and sturdy. The material is of good quality and comes with a matching cover for when its folded down. It fits perfectly (or should that be purrfectly) in my handbag and the bright colours mean it’s easy to find. This retails at £15.99.

The final item in my box was another Etsy find. These cute and colourful pack of notecards each come with an envelope and are blank inside so have multiple uses. The cat themed design was illustrated by Valerie Hart. These retail at £9.99 and can be found on Valerie Hart’s website and Etsy shop.

A portion of each of subscription box goes to support UK cat charities, rescue centres and animal shelters.  So while you are giving a gift yourself, know you are giving to the cats that need us across the UK. I really think this box is a great idea and a lovely treat for either yourself or a cat loving friend! Would you consider purchasing this box?

*I received this box free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.