Personalised Christmas Gifts For Women

If you are searching for the perfect Christmas gift for her this year, well look no further! Our range of fabulous Personalised Gifts For Women will make sure that you are kept out of the doghouse this year. From Personalised Christmas Baubles and Christmas Aprons to our very popular Personalised Glasses and Chocolate range there is something for every girlie.

The great thing about choosing a personalised present for her this year, is that it shows you really have put time and thought into selecting a unique gift for her, she will love it and keep the present forever and with our great prices they will ensure you are left with a few quid to enjoy the Christmas period with..hic! So, go on buy your loved one the perfect gift... our Personalised Gifts For Women are for Life... not just for Christmas!

Perfect Sign For Women Home Owners

For women home owners out their who have teenagers this fabulicious sign is a must have! I have a teenage daughter and love the fact that all her friends feel welcome in our home, in fact I actively encourage it as I would prefer them to all have a safe space to meet and socialise. Having said this, and I am sure all Mothers out there would agree, I do have to make sure that visitors realise that this is our home and that they should respect it and its contents. Hence the brilliance of this plaque, the wording on the funny house wall sign says, 'Our House Is your House *not in terms of actual ownership'. I think this is a polite way of make the point, and has been well received by all who have seen it.

We are bats!!!

Well, what a morning! We came into work today to find the most unusual visitors to the warehouse! We had not one, but four baby bats chilling on the floor outside the office! They were all so cute, and in need of assistance, so we scooped them up and placed them gently in a cardboard box and then went about contacting a local bat rescue team. The team we contacted were the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Bat Group who gave great advice and promised that they would be with us to take over the care of the babies by lunchtime. The bats are now in safe hands with 'Batman' and we have been told that if they are not reunited with their mummy that they will be hand-reared and well cared for, which is great news. Check out our Fabu-licious.com Facebook page to see a picture of the bats... they are just soooo cute!

A Message To All Visitors - Keep Calm And Come In!

"Keep Calm and Come In" doormat

It may have been a day for sopping wet feet, but ours were kept nice and dry in the Fabu-licious offices today as we all made sure we made good use of this must have doormat that has just arrived. This hardwearing coir doormat will make all guests smile as they enter your home or workplace; we just love the slogan! This fabulous retro doormat makes a fabulous girlie gift for women or why not just treat yourself!

Keep Calm and Come In Doormat

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Hope you had a fantastic weekend! What fabu-licious weather we had, and even though it was a Monday morning we all had smiles on our faces this morning when we saw the sun still had his hat well and truly on, this beautiful weather makes tea breaks all the more delicious.

Well, with all this great weather in mind, and knowing that although we may have a slight dip in the sun during the week it will be back with a smile this weekend, we thought we should bring to your attention our great range of candles and candle lanterns which look gorgeous inside the house, but also add a magical touch to the garden as the sun goes down.

Check out the link above to view the whole lantern collection... I am sure you will agree that they make the perfect addition to anyones garden and make great gifts for women who love to entertain.

Star Glass Hanging Lantern

Gifts For Women - NEW IN!



Personalised Photo Keyring



NEW IN! Why not buy her a  Personalised Silver Photo Keyring Gift. This silver finish keyring can hold two photos (sized 3x3cm) to keep a reminder of your loved ones at all times, and by adding an engarved message makes an extra special gift idea for women.

Great Girlie Eye Mask



'Does my nose look big in this?' This great girlie eye mask will make a great novelty gift for her. The navy padded PU eye mask has the with Waldo Pancake funky lettering depicating the great slogan and the soft navy towelling inside has a topstitched fabric bound edge to enable a comfortable fit.

Make your Valentine feel really special...

The Fabu-licious team have tracked down a whole host of goodies so that you can theme the day of love with thoughtful, finishing touches and treats that will surprise and enamour your lover...

Start the day

the way you mean to go on, by waking your love with a nice cup of steaming tea, served in a pretty heart decorated mug served up with a heart shaped fried egg or pancake fresh from the pan accompanied by some 'I Love You' Toast. Or why not go Italian with a cappuccino - don’t forget to stencil a heart in the froth!

For afters, sprinkle your whole body with Raspberry Kiss Honey Dust and then check out your kissing compatibility (go on- you’ve got all day to work on it).

After dark

If you’re going out, then it’s time to slip into a warm bath (not too hot or you’ll doze off) spiced up with our Valentine’s bath fizzers and imagine the night ahead. If you’re staying in, then why not share your bath with your loved one? Ditch the lights; light up the candles add a 'I Luv My Duckie' for a touch of fun and for romance add a scatter off heart shaped bath confetti as a finishing touch.

Loved one relaxing?... be the dish of the day and serve it from the heart, with our great range of Valentines table items. Heart shaped napkin rings, ice cubes and candles will add those finishing touches that say you really care!

Bedtime

Now’s a great time to whip out your Valentine Seduction Kit or Love Essentials Gift Set! Keep the lights down low, light an aphrodisiac candle and wind your way to the bedroom. You can even light up your bed with heart shaped lights and scatter silk rose petals in the shape of a heart.

Start off with our our Amazing Hot Heart Massager that reaches the part other's cannot reach... then if you’re feeling naughty (but nice) why not get the fluffy handcuffs and soft blindfold out and add a touch of excitement... the rest is up to you!

Everyday lovin’

Don't forget Valentine romance doesn't have to happen just once a year, keep your love light shining brightly all year round with our 52 weeks of romantic nights kit, naughty I.O.U's, Lovers Lottery scratch cards and other fun items.

And... if you don’t have a loved one to share Valentine’s Day with this year... so what! We all know you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a 'handsome Prince' so, if you’ve not found him yet, pamper yourself anyway. After all, it’s important to love yourself and we think you’re fabu-licious!

Bank Holiday Competition

Pink USB World Travel Adapter

This must have travel companion enables you to safely plug your UK devices (e.g. iPod, mobile phone, hairdryer etc.) in the sockets of America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. And that's not all, if your device came with a USB charging cable, you can safely plug it into the top of the World Travel Adapter when you've no USB-enabled laptops around. Oh... and did we mention its fabu-licious pink!

To win this fabu-licious prize, CLICK HERE - and just answer this easy-peasy question…

Mothers Day Gifts - A Present Mum Really Wants!

She brought you into the world, looked after you when you where poorly, comforted you when you where sad, laughed with you when you where happy and encouraged you to make most of your life - she did all this with, as the song says, 'No Charge' ... and then each year you forget to buy her a Mother's Day gift, how could you!..

Beware - this year, Mothering Sunday in the UK is early and falls on Sunday 2nd March.

The Fabu-licious.com girlies believe that all Mum's deserve a special Mothers Day, and wanted to find out what would really bring a smile to her face this year. They decided to survey their Mum's on how they really felt about Mothers Day, and what would make it Fabu-licious for them.

One comment from our esteemed mothers was '"Well I really don't like Mother's Day. I don't like to think of my child having to save her pennies to buy me a gift just for being her Mum! A goodnight kiss and a cup of tea in bed would make my day!"

OK, fair enough we thought, although having questioned the adult child concerned it seems until now the gifts she had offered her mum in the past where poor to say the least.

So, we then question Hayley Rogers, owner of Fabu-licious.com and Mother to a 10 year old daughter, what her opinions of the day where. This is what she said, "My daughter is very thoughtful, and as long as the money for a gift doesn't come out of her piggy bank, she would give me the world! To be honest I do agree, to a certain extent, with what the other Mothers have said - in that a kiss and a cuppa would be fab; However, I would be a liar if I said I didn't like receiving a small thank you gift! Personally, I think any Mum would love to receive a gift that has been chosen with love, didn't cost the earth and was something to be kept and cherished - a nice cuppa and kiss would just make the gift perfect!"

So, there you have it, according to our small survey, the general consensus is to buy with care, not to spend too much - extravagance doesn't work on Mum, and to always ensure it arrives on time.



A Short History of Mother's Day

Throughout history there have been a number of ceremonies based around the idea of mothers. One of the first seems to be traced to the ancient Greeks who celebrated Rhea, Mother of the Gods, with a festival of thanks in early spring.

In 16th Century England, the Church is believed to have diverted the idea of the pagan festival to a celebration for the 'Mother Church'- the spiritual power that gave life and protected from harm. This ceremony was held on the fourth Sunday of Lent, and called 'Mothering Sunday'.

Over time, people began honouring their mothers as well as the Church on this day. It was during this time that many of the poor worked as servants. Most servants would live at the houses of their employers, however on Mothering Sunday the servants would be given a days leave and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the Mothering Cake, was often taken home as a gift of thanks. Other traditional cakes used at this time of year throughout the UK also included Simnel; a rich fruitcake, a dish called Furmety and in northern England and Scotland a type of pancake was also offered.

A little romantic history

At various stages of my life, I have as a woman, adored the day when cupid offered both a secret admirer the opportunity to slip out of the shadows and reveal himself, and the excitement and kudos of receiving mystery cards and gifts. Equally, however, I have hated it and observed the madness with a more cynical eye, wondering why romance can't take place all year round and not just once a year - to be honest though, these feelings usually arose when I was seemingly the only girlie in the world not to have an admirer!

To try to make sense of this, now commercial, festival and help us create a new meaning for the day we must start at the beginning. So, let's look into the real history behind Valentine's Day, and see if together we can re-capture some of the essence that once was…

There are many stories of how this celebration started, too many to mention, and each version seems to be a mixture of history, tradition and hearsay.

One version stems from a pagan celebration, the 'Feast of Lupercalia', where Roman shepherds paid homage to their God, Lupercus. On the 15th February each year the shepherds would gather to praise Lupercus in the hope that he would protect their flocks. At the same time a great celebration was held in honour of Juno, wife of Jupiter and Queen of the Gods and Goddess of women and wedlock. During this fertility festival, women would write billets, known to us as love letters, and leave them in an urn. The men of Rome would then take it in turns to draw a note from the urn then ardently pursue the woman who wrote the message for the coming year; the couples would also exchange gifts.

As the Church became more influential this pagan festival, along with many others, was stopped. But the Romans where still keen on the idea of the annual love lottery, and continued this part of their tradition. In a final attempt to stop the love lottery, Pope Gelasius in 496A.D. changed the 15th into a day to honour Saint Valentine. To further sever all remaining connections he then moved Saint Valentine's Day, as it was now known, back a day to the 14th of February, which was the alleged day of Valentine's execution (see below). Citizens were now encouraged to use the lottery to pick out a Saint's name and to emulate that Saint for the following year.

Despite the best efforts of the Church's, this Saintly Lottery didn't capture the imagination of the people and Valentine's Day still echoed Lupercalia in at least one respect - the love lottery. This appears to have continued well into the eighteenth century. Gradually, however, a shift did take place. No longer did both parties exchange gifts; instead, gift-giving became the sole responsibility of the man! (Hurrah … I hear you cry!) It's no surprise then that this is where the traditional-style lottery came to an end. Many men were unhappy about having to give gifts (often expensive) to women they were not attracted to. Instead, freedom of choice came into play and the 14th February became more like the Valentine's Day that we know today.

Some experts insist that pagan festivals had nothing to do with the creation of this day. They say that it originated from the death, and subsequent martyrdom, of a Roman priest named Father Valentine who is said to have been executed on the 14th February 269AD by Emperor Claudius II. At this time Rome was under attack by many rebel factions and the unpopular Emperor was finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new soldiers to sustain his dwindling army. He decided the main reason for his recruitment problems was the increase in Christian marriages. He reasoned that once married, men would not want to leave their families to fight in battles, so he passed a decree that outlawed marriage and cancelled all engagements. Father Valentine refused to submit to this new law and continued to perform secret ceremonies. When he discovered the loving priest's activity Claudius immediately arrested him and tried to convert the priest back to the pagan way. In return the priest tried to convert the Emperor to Christianity, neither succeeded and Valentine, a kind and wise man that had many friends, was condemned to death by club beating and decapitation. His friends vainly begged Claudius to free him and sent the Father many letters and flowers. Many think these were the first "Valentine" letters and flowers ever sent.

Another school of thought suggests that Valentine was actually a Roman citizen who was martyred for refusing to denounce his Christian faith. Legend has it that during his incarceration he healed the sight of the jailer's blind daughter through the power of his faith and they fell in love. Before his execution, he sent her a farewell note signed "From Your Valentine."

Back in England a popular theory of how Valentine's Day was first linked with romance, is through Chaucer and his dream poem ' The Parliament of Fowls' which he apparently wrote to honour the engagement between Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. In this medieval period it was believed that birds chose their mates on February 14 and it is with this in mind that Chaucer based his ode. He wrote: "For it was on St Valentine's Day, when every fowl cometh to choose his mate." Chaucer was not the only one to make this connection, Shakespeare also made mention of it in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Theseus awakes the lovers in the woods and asks, "Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past: Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?"

Superstitions have also sprung up around the bird theme. Apparently, If you spot a goldfinch, you will marry a millionaire. If a robin flies overhead, you will marry a sailor. If you see a sparrow, you will marry a poor person; but be very happy. Alas to see a single crow…it's a wedding of woe

So, with all this in mind, what should Valentine's Day really be about in these modern times?

Looking back on past Valentine Day rituals I am not sure I'd be keen on the revival of any of them. The Love Lottery idea could mean you end up with someone completely unsuitable for a whole year! However, it does have its merits, for one thing no one would ever be alone on the 14th. The option of picking a Saint for the year would not such a bad idea if it meant that people started to care more and fight less, I doubt it would help locate a suitable partner though. So then there is the bird superstition… although it's a nice idea that if you spot a goldfinch you will marry a millionaire, with my luck… relying on this option would mean that a single crow would follow me around all day, so I think I will give it a miss.

Personally, I think we should move forward not back, looking at the world today it is clear to see that although we all have excessively busy lives, love and romance is still something we crave. I am a firm believer that there is a Mr or Mrs Right out there for everyone; it's finding them that's the problem. Nowadays there are many ways to search, be it on-line dating, speed dating or simply having an active social life. However, I feel that one great big opportunity is currently being missed - Valentine's Day. So, don't just wish someone a Happy Valentine's Day, declare your love and make sure a happy Valentine's Day is had by one and all. If everyone, male and female, stopped worrying about embarrassment and sent a Valentine card or loving gift to that special person they secretly fancy, who knows, there may be fewer singletons searching for a mate and the new age of people saying 'I hate Valentine's Day' banished forever. For those of you who are lucky enough to have found the right one, remember, never, never take them for granted, using Valentine's Day to bring fresh romance to your relationship and re-light a dwindling fire can make the rest of the year so much more fun! So what are you waiting for, make sure that you don't miss out on your chance to connect this Valentine's Day.