Lifestyle Buys

FATHER’S DAY PRESENT & GIFT IDEAS

There’s a certain breed of father who totes around the same battered overnight bag for years and years. (I’m still on the Father’s Day tip…). Whilst vintage is good, there comes a point where all bags need replacing. For the father who likes hard working, traditional and beautifully designed pieces, I’m going to recommend Sandstorm Kenya.

This is the Sandstorm Large Weekender Bag in Canvas and Leather. It’s £165.00 and is available in Olive Green, Safari Tan and Urban Black.

Established in Nairobi making luxury tents for East Africa’s leading safari camps; Sandstorm Kenya went on to combine the same traditional skills and materials to create a ange of Mens luxury safari-grade luggage and accessories, followed by a women’s collection too.

From www.sandstormkenya.com

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I’ve just bought Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches for my father’s birthday, & it’s the perfect Father’s Day present for a tennis nut dad.

McEnroe is a former Grand Slam doubles champion and singles semifinalist. He is currently the U.S. Davis Cup captain, a tennis commentator for ESPN, and head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program. And, of course, he’s John McEnroe’s brother.

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If your father — or your partner if you are buying on behalf of infants — has discovered the wonderful world of male grooming, then take a look at Timetospa.co.uk, the official Elemis online shopping site. They have an exclusive Fathers Day Collection for £25 (worth £40). Valid from 1^st to 20^th June 2010. Or (& I rather like this option), you can get the Father’s Day Collection ABSOLUTELY FREE if you spend £70 or more on timetospa.co.uk and quote FDGIFT at the checkout. The rest of their Father’s Day collection is here.

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My father loses wallets like I lose umbrellas, and I’m always looking for simple, not too expensive replacements. These leather wallets from Aspinal of London are particularly good. From £45+

Finally — not a cheap option, but what a great excuse to buy a gadget that I really want! The Dyson Air Multiplier
is currently on sale at Purelygadgets.co.uk for £179, reduced from £214. It’s a great fan for a family home, as it works very differently to conventional fans. By using Air Multiplier technology it creates a smooth powerful airflow with no unpleasant buffering. There’s no need for fast spinning blades, which means not only is the fan safer, it’s also very easy to clean.

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Spring is here — sort of, even though it’s raining today & I’m swaddled in cashmere. I suggest drinking tea from this blissful Emma Bridgewater Daffodil 1/2 Pint Mug.

£15.95 from Emma Bridgewater & lots more lovely flowery mugs here
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May I recommend this ravishing Château chair from Graham & Greene? Not cheap at £638, but rather lovely…

Or maybe a pretty velvet sleep mask for a less steep £12.95?

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Ah lovely Smythson. I do like this Mothering Sunday card. (UK only: March 14^th — don’t forget!) Most cards out there are hideous, all shiny & splashed with to a great mum messages, so I think investing £9.50 on a chic die-stamped greeting card that could be left on a mantelpiece or notice board all year is rather splendid. And of course Smythson cards are always delicious to open as they come with super thick tissue-lined envelopes.

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This Cath Kidston gadget case makes rather a nice change from black nylon for holding a camera or i-phone. It has a super soft , non scratch lining and a slot for your memory card. 8 x 13 x 4cm. Just £8.

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I’ve always had a thing for satchels, and I love this leather Elsie satchel by Toast. It’s not super cheap at £325, but it’s made from strong, soft, supple vegetable dyed leather which, with time, will darken and generally age well. There’s a buckled strap closure, large, unlined main compartment with one zipped and two open internal pockets, one large external pocket at back, a handle & a long, adjustable, buckled shoulder strap.

Click through for lovely big pictures!

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Extremely messy but obsessive about storage, I like to have a place for everything. I particularly like these glass storage jars from The White Company for storing cotton wool:

Small: £16 & Medium £20

And LLG readers can save 10% on the Spring Collection at The White Company by clicking through here

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I first recommended this for  Shrove Tuesday — Mardi Gras — but it’s just as useful all year round…

Ever reliable John Lewis’s very good non-stick pancake pan for just £8

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