Way back in 2018, I posted my first Christmas Wishlist. This featured a selection of products from beauty to trainers to perfumes, and much more, and to be honest, nothing has really changed since then. This year, I still have some beauty gift sets, fragrances and trainers on my Wishlist and below are what I'm hoping to get for Christmas.

When it comes to footwear, trainers are definitely my thing. I love being comfortable in the shoes that I wear, and trainers are the perfect everyday shoe. This year in particular I've built up quite the collection of trainers and two pairs that I would love to receive as presents are the White Nike Air Force 1s and the Adidas Ozweego's pictured above.

Is it really Christmas if you don't receive a beauty gift set of some kind? Two of my ultimate favourite brands for Christmas sets are The Body Shop and Soap and Glory. Every year they offer some of the most gorgeous and affordable gift sets, it makes choosing some for Christmas extremely hard. This year it's been hard to pick a couple to save into my Wishlist, but somehow I've chosen a couple that would make great Christmas gifts.

The Body Shop Festive Berry Little Gift Box - This box includes a good selection of products including Festive Berry Shower Gel, Festive Berry Body Yogurt, Festive Berry Hand Cream, and the Festive Berry Body Scrub.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Collec-Tin Christmas Gift Set - The Sugar Crush scent is my ultimate favourite from Soap & Glory. I don't actually remember the last time I bought anything from this range. It's definitely been a while so I'm hoping to get this for Christmas. This set includes Body Buttercream, Bath Fizzer, Hand Cream, Miracle Moisture Mask, Under-Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches, all encased in a beautiful decorative tin.

I like to put some more luxurious and expensive haircare products on my Christmas wish list as these can be a real treat. Two brands that I would love to try out are Kerastase and Moroccan Oil - both of which I've heard such great reviews about. Throughout 2020 I've really tried to take much better care of my hair, and make sure it stays healthy and strong, and sometimes you definitely need to splurge on some great products for great results.

Gift 2 - The perfect gift for any time of year, but especially as a Christmas stocking filler. Carfume air fresheners* are a very unique gift and inspired by fragrances and perfumes, to keep your car smelling 10/10. Featuring some of the most popular women's scents including Lady Million, Black Opium and Alien. The glass bottles with bespoke, carved wooden tops look so elegant & will add a classy touch to your car whilst giving you a long lasting aroma. If you're unsure of which scent to pick, Carfume offer some gift sets where you can purchase 3 fragrances from the website, and it comes in such a stunning, luxurious box so there is no need to wrap. 

Gift 3 - Everyone loves chocolate. Milk, dark, white or even flavoured chocolate, there is just such a huge range of choices. Christmas just wouldn't be the same without a sweet treat in your stocking. Lindt chocolate is my ultimate favourite and these flavours pictured above would be the best chocolate boxes to receive - as well as a selection box!

What stocking fillers will you be getting the women in your life this Christmas?

AD| The common cold is, well, one of the most common illnesses in the world! People get it all-year-round, but it mostly comes to bite us during winter. The worst thing about the cold is that there's no cure for it and it keeps adapting. This is why nobody is immune to it, and also why you might get multiple colds in a year. 

However, another illness often gets mentioned in the same breath as a cold: the flu. You see the two paired together all the time, but what's the difference between them? How do you know if you have a cold or the flu?

The flu is considerably worse

Firstly, you'll know if you have the flu because it is considerably worse than a cold. While you might get a cold a few times a year, they may only put you out of action for a day or two. Bad colds can last longer, but you tend to recover very quickly. The main symptoms are a blocked nose, cough, sore throat, and general tiredness. They can also be treated quite easily - ginger is very effective at killing the cold virus, which is why it doesn’t last that long.

In contrast, the flu will floor you for at least a week. It has many of the same symptoms as a cold, but it's a lot stronger. You won't feel better for a good few days, and the symptoms will linger on well into a second week. The flu virus is highly contagious, which is why your best method of treatment is to stay at home and recover. You might be able to get some flu treatment from a doctor, but it depends on how severe your symptoms are. 

The flu causes intense muscle aches

I lived my whole life without having the flu, until about three years ago. To be honest, I assumed that the flu and a cold were pretty similar. In fact, I may have even told people I had the flu a few times. But, it's not until you actually suffer from it that you realise the stark contrast in the two illnesses. 

The biggest difference is that the flu causes intense muscle aches. This doesn't mean your muscles feel a bit sore and weak - it means they properly hurt. I had a severe pain in my back that felt like a really tight muscle knot. The same sort of thing happens in other areas of the body - it's like the day after an intense workout! For me, this is one of the tell-tale symptoms that help you differentiate between the two diseases. If you have cold symptoms and some serious muscle aches, you probably have the flu. 

The flu gives you a fever

Another common difference is that cold will very rarely give you a fever. Generally, you just feel a bit run down and tired. This comes with the usual congestion issues, but your temperature isn't too hot. Weirdly, one of the treatments for a cold is to induce a fever at night. Some people suggest that wearing wet socks triggers a fever, which sets your immune system to peak efficiency. The idea is that the fever drives out the cold. 

Anyway, the flu will give you a fever as one of the main symptoms. Again, this is an easy way to determine if you have a cold or the flu. Check your temperature, and if you keep sweating through your covers, you probably have the flu. 

The flu can make you nauseous

Colds tend to be quite a sinus problem. What I mean is that most of the symptoms affect your nose and throat. In turn, this often creates the feeling of your head being in a bubble. When your sinuses are infected or damaged, it does make you feel tired and ill. However, the flu makes you feel all sorts of other ailments as it's more of a total body disease. 

Nausea is a common flu symptom, but it's rarely seen when you have a cold. Generally, your eating habits aren't affected when you've got the common cold. You still have the urge to eat, it's just frustrating as you can't taste anything. By contrast, the flu can upset your appetite and make you go off food for a few days. As a result, you're left eating crackers and plain rice until your appetite returns. Thus, if you feel sick and have no inclination to eat anything, the chances are you have a cold. 

Hopefully, this gives you an idea of the differences between a cold and the flu. The flu is definitely a bigger concern, which is why there's a vaccine for it. Keep a look out for some of the defining symptoms that let you know if you have a cold or the flu!

If you love soft, gooey, buttery golden cookies and creamy chocolate, you’ll be falling head over heels for these perfect Kinder Bar Chocolate Chunk Cookies. With crispy edges and soft centres, these cookies are the ultimate sweet treat and ready in around 25 minutes.

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