It is amazing how a small acorn can lead to a huge tree.   And one chance meeting can lead to a something which brings about lasting relationships which help everyone. 

Let me tell you about Paper High because this chance meeting is how this company started.   From an acorn, Paper High has grown into a big tree.

Paper High sell unusual products which have been skilfully crafted by artisans in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.  They include photo albums, notebooks, gloves, hats, socks, throws, bags, rugs, Christmas decorations, garden decorations and more!

Paper High began when Mark and Claire (who are behind the company) went on a round-the-world trip.  The seed was sown as a result of a chance meeting with a paper maker which came about as an unexpected change in a destination, a longer stay in Kathmandu.  Today, Paper High work with a strong network of relationships with small family businesses, charities, community incentives and accredited Fair Trade organisations.  Everyone benefits.  All their products are hand made from sustainable materials which - wherever possible - have been recycled.

These are recycled newspaper photo frames and gifts

Some of these materials are unusual.   For example, how about a photo album which has been made mainly from elephant poo?  Or a photo frame which has been made from recycled newspapers? 

How about a large Colourful Elephant Dung Notebook
or other elephant dung gift?

They’ve got goodies made of recycled plastic, natural cork, recycled leather and recycled newspapers.  And of course elephant dung has gone through the elephant already.  They've also got mango wood items:

~
There are socks to help keep your feet warm!

   

They've got a great selection of animal hats!
Koala, giraffe, donkey, sheep, leopard, frog, crazy cat,
cow, penguin & more!

 
How about some Christmas decorations, such as this felt penguin in a Santa hat?  
See more Christmas decorations here 

Visit Paper High here to see all their beautiful products!

Green People are based in the lovely county of West Sussex and they produce organic beauty products.

They’ve got organic beauty products for all the family, from babies and toddlers, to teenagers, and adults, men and women.  Many are award-winning (they've won over 300 awards now) and they can also help with skin problems – Green People have a “Problem Solvers” section on their site with skin concerns, sun concerns and hair concerns.

They’ve also got travel sized products, so you can take them on holiday with you.   And if you’re going somewhere warm or you’re in the sun a lot, why not take their SPF quiz to see which product is right for you?

There's a Alexandra Kay Time to Relax Aroma Bracelet Gift Set
for £20.00.   Relaaaaxxx....!

Amongst their range, they have a number of scent free products.  You can care for sensitive skin with a range of gentle, scent-free products made with mourishing plant ingredients and no essential oils. 

Cleanser, shampoo, conditioner, eye cream, a day moisturiser, sun lotion, deoderant and hand wash are amongst their goodies! 

How about a Jade Gua Sha Massage Tool?
For £14.50, it's a home spa tool! 

I’ve been using Green People for a long time now.  I’m not a lippy and make-up sort of girl, so it was a huge swap for me to  go from soap to using their cleanser and moisturiser.  One of the things which swayed it for me and makes me feel good when I buy their products is that they support a number of charities, such as the Marine Conservation Charity and the World Land Trust whose supporters help with land purchase for conservation groups around the world.  Green People also support Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as the Founder’s daughter, suffered from this little known illness.   Their team have volunteered at team food banks, beach cleans and are constantly looking for other ways to help out.  

There's a Soothing Hand Essentials Set
for £25.00, with revitalising hand cream, softening hand cream
and nourishing hand cream. 

The Green People Beauty Club mean you can earn points as you shop, and actually you can convert these points into donations from one of the charities mentioned above - just imagine helping to preseve tropical rainforest as you shop !  You can also get points for referring a friend, signing up to the newsletter, creating an account and more!

There's a Citrus & Ginger Shampoo Bar 50g
for £16.50.  It comes with a recyclable cardboard case
which can be used to store your bar in between washes!

Head off to Green People here

Well, that time of year is approaching at a real gallop - so fast, especially with everything that's going on in the world - and many of us will already be looking to plan and buy for Christmas and the holidays.

And if you're looking for something special for your dog and/or cat, and the idea of an Advent Calendar is a consideration, take a look at Lily's Kitchen!   They make delicious recipes for dogs and cats to keep them in the best condition and give them food they will love at the same time! 

They have an Advent Calendar for cats AND one for dogs and so while you're devouring chocolate after chocolate or huge slices of Christmas cake, your cat or dog can enjoy the treats Lily's Kitchen have put in their Advent Calendars.  (Chocolate made for people is very dangerous for dogs so please don't give them chocolate treats meant for human consumption.)

From meaty bites for dogs to crunchy pillows for cats, each calendar has high-quality ingredients that make December extra special!   For both cats and dogs, the treats are made from natural ingredients and they are grain free.

This is the Advent Calendar for cats for £11.99. 
(The treats have ingredients of chicken, salmon and turkey.)

WOOF!  And here's the one for dogs...

There's an Advent Calendar for Dogs, too!  Also for £11.99
Fetch more information here.
(Ingredients are of turkey, chicken and beef)

There are also Festive Treats for Cats for £3.00
They are made of natural ingredients with freshly prepared turkey,
a touch of sweet potato and cranberries!
Yummy!

There are Christmas Bedtime Biscuits for dogs for £3.50.
They are full of natural ingredients, with a touch of festive cinnamon,
chamomile and ginger, just the thing before bedtime!

This is the Christmas Stocking Fillers for Dogs.
1 x Christmas Turkey Jerky
1 x Christmas Bedtime Biscuits
1 x Chew Sticks with Turkey
1 x Cracking Pork with Apple Sausages
1 x FREE Pocket Tin

Give your cat "Christmas Dinner with Your Cat"
 It's got:
4 x Christmas Turkey and Ham Feast
2 x Festive Treats with Turkey
1 x Chicken Treats
1 x Salmon treats

And that's not all!   Lily's Kitchen are giving £20,000 to charity this Christmas;  £10,000 to the Dogs Trust and £10,000 to L.I.C.K (London Inner City Kitties), which will help pets in need to enjoy the season as well.

Their website also has a Pet Care section with help and advice for cat and dog owners, including tips from Rory the Vet, feeding your pets, insurance - there's even a Game Time section to keep your dog active, indoors and out!  

I love Hive - they've got a great range of goodies for everyone in your family and friends, too.  With books, ebooks, DVDs, CDs and Vinyl, games and puzzles - you never know what you'll find! 

And those kindly folk at Hive have got lots of lovely gift ideas for all the family this Christmas - and they've got lots of special offers as well! 

For instance, they've got up to 20% off their Paddington Bear gifts range – it's enough to make you go and celebrate by tucking into a marmalade sandwich!  A selection of books, Paddington’s suitcase, a Paddington Bear with Boots soft toy, a comfort blanket, a tea pot and a cup and saucer, there's something for Paddington fans, whatever their age!

There's up to 20% off some Paddington Bear gifts and books

But Hive have got more than that and they have lots of special offers for the avid book reader in your life, including:

Are you watching The Mirror and the Light?
Hive.co.uk have this book on offer for £10.29 instead of £10.99 - 
and it should keep Wolf Hall fans occupied during the winter - 
there are 912 pages!!

Other offers include up to 25% off Cuddly Toys including Shaun the Sheep, toys from the Gruffalo range, Mog the Forgetful Cat, and up to 25% off Romantasy Fiction.  

There's also up to 25% off new biographies ( Bill Clinton, Boris Johnson, Martin Clunes, Miranda Hart, Ric Astley and Diane Abbot and others) 

And there's up to 25% off funny books such as How to Survive the School Year, Comedy Pet Photography Awards, Britain According to Very British Problems, You Can’t Say That Any More, Letters to the Human Race…from the cat, How to Really Be a Brit.   Great reading in those dark cold months!

Head off to Hive.co.uk to see what else they've got!

Cardology have some rather amazing 3D pop up cards covering a number of different themes, from animals (some of their cats and dogs cards support Battersea Dogs and Cats Home) to botanicals, food and drink to vehicles.   You can put them on a mantlepiece or shelf to brighten up a room, too!

There's a pop-up Christmas card for dog lovers
 and also one for cat lovers, too..

And at the moment, you can create your own bundle of pop up cards and get 10% off for 4 cards or 15% off for six or more cards!  Find out all about it here.

There's a Christmas Bear Pop Up card... just adorable!


There's a Christmas Bear Pop Up card

And there's a Winter Woodland Pop Up Card, too..

Mind you, there are all sorts of cards to choose from for all sorts of occasions - they are a bit like between a gift and a card and they're very different! 

Chuff chuff your way to more information...

Visit Cardology here to see their full range!