I love Russian Dolls (Babooshka dolls, call them what you will).  When I was in Prague before Christmas last year there were all sorts of these dolls in the stores - political figures, football teams, movie stars, you name it!  I think the idea of painting your own, however, is even better.

Russian Doll Painting Kit by House of Crafts at Prezzybox.com, £13.95 (GBP)

I try to keep an open mind about the English Royal Family.  I studied their ancestors for my History degree so I think it’s only fair that I give the present members a go.  They may be totally insane but they do seem to do some good for the nation.  But I digress, whilst I’m unsure how I feel about the English monarchs I’ve got nothing against royalty inspired designs, check out some of these lovelies:

A: Crown Bracelet by Tatty Devine, £41.00 (GBP)

B: Princess Spoon and Fork Set at Littlewoods Direct, £15.00 (GBP)

C: Queen Elizabeth II Cushion in Green & Blue by Karen Hilton Designs at Pink Doodle, £36.00 (GBP)

D: Sterling Silver Crown Ring by ASOS, £8.00 (GBP)

E: Royal Guards Skittles by John Jacques at John Lewis, £35.00 (GBP)

F: Keep Calm and Carry On Tote at V&A Shop, £30.00 (GBP)

I love this Solar Powered Windmill Kit. Not only is it quite cheap, it’s a great gift for anyone who is interested in the environment. I can picture this being used in classrooms, at home with the kids, or even sitting in your front window for the whole world to see. The kit includes the motor and the solar panels and comes with detailed instructions as to how to put the windmill together. What an excellent way to teach your kids about solar power and wind power! (Plus, how cool would it be to have sitting in your kitchen and lounge-room, twirling away happily without any use of mains power?)

Kudos to Biome Lifestyle for stocking this great little find.

I’m really horrible when it comes to saving money.  You could probably have guessed that yourself, given that I write a blog about shopping, but still - if it comes as a shock to you, I apologize.  Here’s hoping these awesome finds will help with my saving issues:

A: Menu Savings Tower at MyLivingSpace.co.uk, £19.00 (GBP)

B: Volcoino Piggy Bank at Amazon.co.uk, £21.00 (GBP)

C: Money Bank in Gold by Present Time at Amazon.co.uk, £7.99 (GBP)

D: Gold Piggy Bank at WhereDidYouBuyThat.com, £150.00 (GBP)

I love quizzes. I’m pretty sure our fellow pub-quiz competitors quiver with fear each Sunday night when we turn up, because we are that good. It’s true that the two bottles of wine you win if you come out on top are probably a really good incentive for us, and it’s also true that the four of us have the quite scary combination knowing an awful lot about children’s television, the English Premier League, and one hit wonders from the 80’s and 90’s. Either way, we play to win.

I really would like to get my hands on these awesome quiz-based games, they look like a great way to get dinner party conversation flowing and would also come in handy for long car trips:

A: Conversation Starts, Original Edition by Table Topics at Shakespeare’s Den, $25.00 (USD)

B: Wine Topics by Topics to Go at Shakespeare’s Den, $9.00 (USD)

C: Who is in the Bag? at GettingPersonal.co.uk, £14.95 (GBP)

D: Travel Topics by Topics to Go at Shakesepare’s Den, $9.00 (USD)