Features

VALENTINE’S GUIDE
Looking for wonderful gifts for Valentine's Day? Look no further than this delightful selection, including special offers for HBCP readers.

WONDERFUL CHOICES FOR HIM AND HER FROM THE HANDPICKED COLLECTION

Find something inspired and thoughtful this Valentine’s Day from The Handpicked Collection’s selection of gifts chosen by their Expert Panel of journalists. They’re also offering FREE standard DELIVERY for any order over £25 until 12th February quote HBCP.

http://www.handpickedcollection.com/

CRUMPET


For Valentine’s this year think pink at Crumpet......The sumptuous cashmere ‘Chelsea’ cardi in bubblegum can be worn on its own or over the ‘Daisy’ mini jumper dress with some and accessorised with a gorgeous patterned Ikat stole in pink. Crumpet’s signature printed cashmere scarves are highly sought after as iconic additions to every fashionista’s wardrobe. www.crumpetengland.com

If you long for a romantic escape to get away from it all, here is a delightful selection of what’s on offer both at home and away.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR AT THE RADISSON EDWARDIAN MANCHESTER
Indulge a loved one this Valentine’s Day at the Radisson Edwardian Manchester. Choose to dine in Opus One with its vibrant red surroundings and soft sensual lighting, or enjoy a laid back, cosy evening in the Alto Restaurant & Bar.

With a stunning Valentine’s menu created by executive head chef Russ Brown served in both restaurants, whatever ambience you desire, you can guarantee love will be in the air!

The Valentine’s menu offers a wealth of flavours to tantalise your taste buds. Inspired by the finest British produce, the menu brings together the finest ingredients for your special day. Fresh and Smoked Salmon Terrine, served with Chard salad and citrus crème fraiche or Carpaccio of Smoked Venison, in a juniper and orange dressing served with textures of celeriac, offers the perfect start to the evening,

The main course offers choices of Goosenarge Chicken Supreme, served with mini field mushroom and leek pie, vanilla creamed potato and baby carrots, or a stunning Chateau Briand of Beef for Two, served with game chips, honey roast seasonal vegetables, duck fat roast potatoes and red wine gravy. For vegetarians and meat eaters alike A Trio of Pasta Dishes includes ratatouille cannelloni, goat’s cheese and sun blush pepper ravioli, butternut squash and cumin tortellini

NOUGAT BODY TO HOME


Nougat Body to Home have a wide range of beautiful and luxurious products which make ideal gifts for Christmas. From stocking fillers and secret Santa's to showing that special someone that they deserve to be pampered, Nougat Body to Home makes for the perfect gift.

Heaven Scent
Envelop yourself with this stunning gift set. Presenting Nougat’s fabulous Eau De Toilette with a selection of travel sizes. Containing a Nourishing Cream Bath enriched with Chamomile extract known for its ability to soften, stimulate and brighten the skin and Vitamin E to soothe and moisturise as you relax away the cares of the day. Moisturising Shower Gel enriched with Mallow extract, Vitamin E and Wheatgerm Oil. Nourishing Body Wash creates a soft cleansing lather that delivers long lasting moisture. (£40.00)

My Body
This divine gift set includes a collection of Nougat’s most beautiful products to completely pamper and indulge yourself leaving you with soft and subtle skin. Moisturising Body Wash is enriched with Mallow extract, Vitamin E and Wheatgerm Oil creating a soft and moisturising lather. Sumptuous Sugar Scrub is a unique dry scrub which gently exfoliates and hydrates when massaged onto wet skin. Moisturising body Butter contains over 35% Cocoa Butter blended with Organic Italian Olive Oil to completely hydrate your skin. (£36.00)

If you are looking for inspiration, here is a wonderful collection of books for Christmas Presents, or as a special gift for yourself !

SNOWFLAKES & SCHNAPPS
Jane Lawson

Synopsis:Join Jane Lawson as she takes you on a culinary journey through the magnificent cold-climate cuisines of the snow-cloaked regions of northern, central and eastern Europe. From the seaside towns of Scandinavia, to the alpine villages of Austria, from the ski fields of France, to the fairy-tale castles of Germany, and as far afield as the white-blanketed cities of Russia and beyond, comes this enticing collection of traditional recipes with contemporary flair.

Celebrate the season of winter and enjoy this irresistible selection of simmering soups, hearty meals and indulgent desserts that will warm you to the core. From humble and satisfying classics to glamorous feasts worthy of a celebration, you are sure to be inspired by the mythical winter wonderland of Snowflakes and Schnapps.

http://www.murdochbooks.com.au/snowflakes.htm

Hot Brands Verdict

What better way to open our Christmas Guide than this beautifully produced book. The photographs are absolutely stunning, the Dreaming of a White Christmas section will have you wanting to book a trip to the snow immediately! Full of warming recipes for nibbles, soups, main meals, desserts and piping hot drinks, this is a book to inspire winter cooking at its best.

Christmas at LINLEY: luxuriously indulgent gifts; imaginative designs; meticulous detailing; unique pieces - the perfect place for your Christmas gift shopping. As the time for Christmas shopping is approaching make sure that you are prepared for everything with perfect gift ideas from LINLEY.

Host the perfect Christmas Dinner party with LINLEY Backgammon and chess placemats and Celebration shakers. Christmas drinks will be complete with the new swirl martini glasses and dice coasters, and the perfect gift for the man who has everything; a crystal ashtray or stacking desk drawers in macassar, walnut or rosewood.

http://www.davidlinley.com/

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A GIFT FROM VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
As the time for Christmas shopping approaches, make sure you give your loved one a gift that will truly make her stand out from the crowd. These iconic rings from the High Jewellery House of Van Cleef & Arpels caress over and around the fingers with luxurious gold frosted with seasonal diamonds. The love story between the founders of the House – Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels – lingers on through the beauty of today’s pieces, which are always designed to flame with an everlasting tale of romance.
Choose from the beautiful Deux Papillons, Envol, Lotus, Socrate, or Ruban rings.

And for the man in your life

Don’t forget the House’s stylish watches, a must for any man. Choose from Tourbillon Vêndome, PA49, or the wonderful Midnight in Paris.

www.vancleef-arpels.com

If you are looking for inspiration, here are some fabulous ideas for Christmas ! In the first of a series of Christmas collections we have gathered presents for all ages, to suit every budget. Keep checking back, many, many, more ideas to come in the weeks leading up to Christmas !

CHRISTMAS BY ELISE!

Elise Compson, the UK designer, launched her jewellery brand "By Elise" in 2002 before founding her first pearl boutique a few years later followed by her online store in 2008. Her reputation for outstanding style, glamour and originality has been achieved through her "Signature Range" of pearl jewellery where each item is created by Elise and is entirely unique in its design.

Texture and shape is paramount to each design and at times she creates pieces that have a sense of drama making them truly eye catching. The media have described it as "Classic with a Twist".

Whilst the "Signature" pieces have been individually created and designed by Elise the "Diffusion Range" is a limited edition which has been sourced by her to best reflect the By Elise integrity.

Each pearl necklace, pearl bracelet and pearl earring is handcrafted from the finest stones and is intended to capture a woman's individuality. Her silver steering wheel clasp allows for infinite variety with or without detachable pendants so as to best suit your mood and preference. The pearl collection is ideal for gifts for Christmas and any special occasion.

STOP PRESS By Elise have just launched their Couture Jewellery which are fashion accessories and are an extension of the Handmade Pearl Jewellery and is called “Couture By Elise“. Each one is unique and they are designed and created in conjunction with the customer. A wonderful on trend Christmas gift !

Available from www.byelise.com

The Autumn half-term is a great opportunity for exploring books with your children and here is a collection for all ages.

Look Again! The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Synopsis:This is a very special gift that will appeal to all children – and many adults too! It draws on the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, presenting some fifteen famous works of art in a fun and novel way.

Each reproduction is prefaced by a page with a cutout circle:
that gives an intriguing glimpse of the painting that lies beneath,
… encouraging the reader to cast aside preconceptions and ensuring that they get really interested!

Hot Brands Verdict
Here at Hot Brands we believe it is never too early to interest children in art and our junior reviewers love the Thames & Hudson art books for children. This is an intriguing book which is not only fun as children try to guess the picture behind, but also encourages observation and could prove a great starting point for half-term visits to local art galleries and museums. Or equally encouraging children to use the technique themselves with two pieces of paper.

It’s that time of year again, when before the autumn, we try to grasp the last rays of summer sun. This August, like many previous Augusts, hasn’t started well, the promise of continuous sun is still elusive, so if you are waiting for the sun to break through now could be a great time to start thinking about looking after yourself more. New Year Resolutions often don’t work in the darkness of January, but September is a great time to start a rejuvenation plan to take you through the winter and into the spring, when if it is like this year we will have our summer again!

Becoming the person you have always wanted to be
The important thing is to make a start; inertia, apathy and even slothfulness are all the enemies of us achieving our goals. Many self-motivation books encourage you to overcome these enemies through positive visualisation, but it is all too easy to start with good intentions and then to slip back. Here are some ways to overcome this.

Summer is a great time to start exploring your options- lying on the beach, even taking time off from work and being at home can give you a chance to think differently. If you are thinking about a new career, or achieving an ambition, gather together a collection of old magazines, glue and scissors and a large piece of paper, and choose a time when you are relaxed without any pressures. The secret is to encourage your mind to wander, just go through the magazines selecting the words and images as they appeal. At first just cut out the images, but do not attempt to put them in any order at first. Take your time; let your thoughts take their own path. When you have gathered enough start laying them on the card, see if you can also find appropriate words, look for positive, upbeat words or statements. Don’t stick them down until you feel that you have started to create a ‘mood’ and you are happy with their positioning.