A Creative Lifestyle Blog By Zoe-Lee Skelton

Zoe-Lee Skelton

15 Christmas Gift Ideas For Cat Lovers

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Stuck for gift ideas for a friend or loved one who likes cats?

As a crazy cat woman myself, I have a pretty good idea of the types of gifts a cat person would love to unwrap on Christmas day. And some of these gifts aren’t just for humans because, what better way to get to a crazy cat person’s heart than through their cat, right?

1. Cat-olpoly*

In my family, playing a board game is the only thing we can bring ourselves to do whilst in a Christmas dinner induced coma. So if you’re looking to buy a board game for someone who owns a cat, Cat-opoly is the purrfect choice,

cat-opoly

Cat-opoly is the cat version of Monopoly. Instead of buying houses in London, players can buy their favourite breed of cat, collect litter boxes and trade them in for fish bones and land on cat nip to win everything in the middle of the board. I got mine from Presents for Men who sell all sorts of quirky and fanciful gifts for men and for women.

2. Cat slippers*

To complete the look of any crazy cat lady, cat slippers are a necessity.

cat-slippers

I love these knitted cat bootie slippers from Find Me a Gift. They’re warm, colourful and the soles don’t feel like it’s going to wear away in a week!

 3.Cat grooming products*

It’s unfair that  cat owners are stereotyped as smelling of cat wee and tuna! OK it’s partly true, partly fiction.

But with these delightful smelling cat grooming products, you’ll be giving your chosen cat person the gift of sweet scented fur babies.

cat grooming products

I love the Pet Head range. I got the fizzy kitty mousse and de-shed me shampoo from The Company of Animals. Both made Mick smell lovely – once I eventually managed to coax him into the bath!

4. Cat scotch tape dispenser*

Anything that’s cat shaped and useful is essential for me. I love this cat scotch tape dispenser that I got from 3M Scotch

cat-scotch-tape

It’s been really useful at this time of year, what with wrapping dozens of presents and it’s made a great addition to my harem of kitty trinkets!

5.Cat tea tray*

If your loved one has a lap cat, a lap tray for their prime puss will stop the transfer of irritating cat hairs onto their favourite clothes. I love these cat print lap tray from Bobbin & Co. It’s available to buy from Amazon

cat-tray

As I do a lot of crafting and sewing, this lap tray is ideal for getting things done whilst binge watching my favourite TV series on Netflix.

6. Cat bed

If your cat crazy friend is tired of sharing their bed with their moggy, give them the gift of a good night’s sleep with a brand new cat bed.

Hooded-Igloo-with-cat

I like this black and grey hooded igloo from Pets at Home. I find that cats prefer cave like spaces they can crawl into, so a bed that allows them to hide in is perfect.

7. Cat tights

There’s an assortment of crazy cat lady tights out there. What better way for cat lovers to show their appreciation for the species than adoring their pins with these fancy feline prints. I’ve listed a selection of my favourite styles:

Lazy cat illustrative cat tights

lazy cat illustrated tights

I love the style of the cats on these. And the way that they’re draped down the leg. You can buy these from here

 Cat heart print sheer tights

cat print tattoos

 

These tights are great for warmer days. And they kind of look slightly tattoo-esque. You can buy these for £6.38  from ChicaNova ! Might have to buy these myself.

Stripy cat print tights

stripy cat tights

These stripy tights are so cute. The cats even have their own bow ties. You can buy these from YesStyle

8. Cat clothes

What do cat people like to do when they’re not playing with their cat or talking about their cat? They like to dress up as a cat. Treat your pal to a pretty cat-inspired party dress this year.

velvet cat party dress

I love this velvet bodycon dress from MissGuided – perfect for the party season.

9.Gourmet Organic Cat Food*

A happy purring cat puts a smile on any cat owner’s face. Why not treat their favourite feline to some fine dining – organic style.

Mick absolutely loved this natural salmon & chicken cat food from Fourthglade, who have been making delicious cat food in Devon for over 40 years.

Mick-eating-forthglade

forthglade cat food

 

Unlike regular cat food these actually smell appetising and it’s good to know that nothing artificial has gone into the manufacture.

10. Cat toys

If your friend or loved one’s cats are anything like Mick, I imagine they get bored of their toys very quickly.  Why not buy their pet something interesting to play with. I like this Kitty City Mouse Hunt from Pet Planet:

10_Kitty_City_Mouse_Hunt

This toy promises to drive kitty crazy with jingle balls and a plush toy to stimulate a cat’s natural hunting instincts.

11. Cat bag

You can never own too many (cat) bags. I’ve got my eye on this beautiful black sleeping cat cross body bag from ASOS.

sleeping cat cross body bag

The ears and silver eye details are so cute! This bag is the ideal evening bag for the recipient to wear with their favourite festive frock.

12. Cat craft

An observation I’ve made over the years is that cat owners tend to be crafters too. Why not get them a new project to keep their paws busy. This pawsome Grumpy cat cross stitch pattern from MooseTreeStitches on Etsy is funny and it will impress instagram followers once finished.

grumpy cat cross stitch

13. Cat donation

If you’re really stuck for ideas (or if the person you’re buying for couldn’t possibly need anymore cat) a donation to a local cat shelter will make a great gift.

You can find your local cat shelter via the Cat’s Protection search page
cats protection make a donation

Cat’s Protection carry out tireless and thankless work for the UK’s cat population. As well as donations, they also offer the alternative of sponsoring a cat. You can sponsor a kitty from as little as 19p a day.

14. Cat art

If the cat lover in your life still has wall space left to display more cat pictures and art, then this Grumpy cat print will be the perfect addition to hang in their home.

grump cat geek print

This print is available to purchase from one of my most favourite online stores in the world, Ohh Deer

15. Cat jewellery

Buy your mate some cat themed jewellery to cover up all of the kitty scratches. I particularly love Tatty Devine’s Cat Bangle (I’ve already got the matching ring):

tatty devine cat bangle

It’s £30, so a little on the pricey side. But it’s made in the UK so it’s good to know that you’ll be supporting British business.

If you’ve got any other awesome Christmas present ideas for cat lovers, let me know in the comments below and I’ll add them to the blog.

Merry Christmas!

A * indicates whether product has been gifted to review.

Life Lately: Autumnal Walks

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I’ve been so busy lately with launching my Etsy store and trying to sort out a claim for damage to my car (don’t ask – very long winded story). But I was lucky to fit a walk in at the weekend.

Naturally, I took my SLR with me and caught a couple of dreamy autumnal shots. And I finally made it to the chapel ruin hidden away in Millbrook woods. It was spooky as hell, but if anybody has any information about the place, I’d be very interested to know more.

Ampthill Park Pigeon-feather-2

Leaves-2

Conkers-1

 Millbrook Chapel Ruin

Chapel-landscape Chapel-left Chapel-sideways-1 Front-view-chapel-ruin Nettles-chapel-ruin

Made Bread & Butter Pudding

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Some of the stuff I get to do at work is pretty awesome. Like visiting my local Sunrise care home in Esher to take pictures of this beautiful creature:

Cat-in-box-2

Not only does Sunrise Senior Living let their residents have pets, but they’re also famed for their delicious food. So whilst I was there I picked up a free recipe card to make bread and butter pudding.

Bread and butter pudding recipe card

I bought all of the ingredients locally and even managed to use up some of the white bread that was going stale.

This really is one of the easiest puddings I’ve ever made so it’s scored big points with me (aka, someone who dislikes slaving over a hot stove when they get in from work).

Anyway, here’s how I made mine.

Stage one: prepping the bread

I started by cutting the crusts off of 8 slices of bread (two more than stated to fill my baking dish) and buttered each slice. I then laid enough bread to cover one layer of the dish and sprinkled raisins evenly over each slice. I then repeated this with the second layer until the dish was full:

2nd-layer

Stage two: creating the sauce mixture

In a separate bowl, I whisked together two eggs and 20g of caster sugar until a golden/pale yellow colour.

Into this mixture I poured 60g of milk and 20g of (half fat) double cream. Once folded together, I poured this over the layered bread:

with-cream

Stage three: cooking

Once you’ve done this, it really is just a case of putting it in the oven and playing the waiting game. I set my cooker alarm for 30 minutes because we have a fan assisted oven, but you might need to cook your pudding for the full 40 minutes.

And voila! Here is the bread and butter pudding fresh out the oven:

fresh-out-the-oven

It really is that simple to cook.

My pudding was all puffy and gooey when it first came out the oven. But don’t worry if it deflates; it’s supposed to do that.

Don’t forget to serve your pudding with vanilla custard. I had Alpro Soya Vanilla Custard with mine because I still prefer the taste to dairy custard.

The verdict

The eggs gave the mixture a souffle texture which was yummy, and the brown sugar added a sweet crust to the top layer and outer edges.

For a pudding which took little effort to produce, this is a pretty good week night pud to whip up for your friends and family.

October Fashion Wish List: Moon Dweller

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This month I’m digging:

Moon Dweller Fashion board

Although Halloween is a mere few days away, I’m feeling a lot less spooky and more inspired by the moon and the starry nights. I’m crushing hard on moon and stars prints and nomadic inspired skirts and long-line cardigans. I’ve called this collection “Moon Dweller” because it brings together my love of the twinkling sky and enduring wanderlust.

Here’s where you can buy my Moon Dweller wish list.

1. Luna Sunglasses

The sun has well and truly disappeared, but I desperately need these shades to shield the low winter sun. And, what else can I say, I’m a stargazer. You can buy these shades by Wildfox couture from Dolls Kill here

2. Sun Moon Stars Crop

I already have the dress of this print, but I think this strappy crop will look beautiful under the chunky knit cardigan. You can buy this from Motel, here

3. Crochet Black Astra Duster

Delicate crochet and longer than your average cardi, if I was feeling wreckless, I would definitely buy this. It goes with absolutely anything and the wide sleeves hark back to the 70s. You can buy this from Dolls Kill, here

4. Silver Glitter Flatform Sandals

I still have so much love for platforms. The flatform sole on these look dangerous but I’ve always found wedges and platforms so much easier to walk in than other heels. And, they’re glittery. Shoes imitating the stars. Life imitating art. I need these now. You can buy these from ASOS, here

5. Lace Embroidered Maxi Skirt

I’m not overly keen on boho chic because I think it creeps into too many high street stores in the summer. But, I’m willing to make an exception for this skirt. When it gets colder, I tend to live in trousers, but this skirt is so versatile and would look awesome with the sandals and crochet cardigan over the top. You can buy this skirt from ASOS, here

What’s on your wish list this month?