Twinkling Christmas lights, mulled wine and dark nights in front of the fire all contribute to making Christmas one of the most romantic times of the year. Here are our top 10 tips which will ensure that you make the most of this perfect season for snuggling up and getting cosy with your loved one.

1) Decorate the Christmas Tree Together

Dig out a bit of Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra, crack open the wine and make your Christmas Tree the prettiest in the street!

2) Watch It’s a Wonderful Life

Boost your goodwill to all men by watching the ultimate feelgood film together. It will put you in a positive frame of mind and make you appreciate all the great things that you share in life.

3) Attend a Christmas Carol Concert

Whether you wish to ponder upon the Christmas message or simply sing your hearts out, there’s nothing like a Carol Service to enhance that festive spirit. Dress up warm and take time out to celebrate the season together.

4) Go Ice Skating

Lace up your skates, pull on your gloves and take to the ice for a truly romantic Christmas experience. Details of ice rinks across the country can be found here.

5) Enjoy a Pantomime

It might not be the obvious choice for Christmas romance, but sharing a laugh or two will certainly defrost the winter blues. Check out your local newspaper for listings.

6) Build a Snowman

Don’t despair if it snows. Instead, wrap up warm and go out and build a snowman with your loved one. It doesn’t matter if you get cold and wet because you’ll have the fun of drying out together once you’re back inside!

7) Make Your Own Romantic Christmas Card

Let your imagination run wild and make a romantic Christmas card for your beloved. Draw a picture or make a collage from magazines. The personal touch is rarely unappreciated.

8 ) Dine by Candlelight

Make the most of the dark nights and dine by candlelight. It will make a special night truly romantic.

9) Cook a romantic Christmas Breakfast

Surprise them with a gourmet Christmas breakfast. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast, bucks fizz and fresh coffee. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious you could even try to make some heart-shaped festive fare with our heart-haped cookie cutters.

10) Kiss Under the Mistletoe

Christmas romance just wouldn’t be the same without a sprig of mistletoe above the front door. Surprise them when they come home from work with a big smooch and let them know how much you love them.

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A truly personal Anniversary Gift is a letter of love.
Apart from proving to a loved one that you can write, it’s also a unique gift and an item that can be treasured for ever.
We’ve put together 5 top hints and tips that might be helpful.

1) Stationary
Use quality writing paper and a good pen for your final piece - i.e. it’s always best to practice on scrap paper first as this allows for errors and gives you the opportunity to make changes. Quality materials (paper, envelope, pen) are available from good stationers and we also sell a pretty stationary box for such occasions under Paper Anniversary Gifts on our website.

2) Beginning the letter
Begin informally, with an endearing greeting such as ‘My darling William…’ or ‘My dearest Alice’, using their first name, or pet name.
Then start by telling your loved one the reason for writing. Be bold and not timid. Don’t belittle yourself by saying, ‘you must think I’m mad’, or offend them by saying, ‘you probably don’t think this way’.

3) The Main Letter
Don’t be too casual, this letter will be one of respect that tries to convey hard to express emotions and you want it to be treated in the manner in which it was created. Be sincere and confident in expressing how you feel.
The following ideas are also useful to include:

• recall the time you first met.
• remember special times shared.
• tell them how you feel when your apart.
• highlight the things you like about them and what sets them apart from others.

4) Ending the Letter
Close with a positive and upbeat paragraph, ‘The times that I have known you have been the happiest…’, and then end with a heartfelt goodbye such as, ‘All my love, forever…’

5) That Little Extra
Add a small gift, it doesn’t have to be expensive (flower petals / a photo of you / or tickets for an event).
Another unique idea is to get a photo of the 2 of you created as the stamp on the letter - this is available from Royal Mail’s website details of which can be found here.

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Flowers make great Anniversary Presents and they’re readily available, but what makes a perfect bouquet?

We’ve put together 5 Top Tips to make the buying process easier and offer
advice on how you can avoid any pitfalls, so that you come up smelling of…
you get the picture!

1) Look for Freshness!
The stems should be strong and firm, the leaves green. Any hint of browning or crushed stalks and the flowers are already on their way out.

2) Unopened buds.
A fully opened bouquet looks great, but it’s not going to stay that way long. Make sure that the majority of the flower heads are in bud, or just opening.

3) Colours.
Stop a minute and try to remember what your lover likes. Are they into pastels or bold colours? Try to choose something that fits their personality and don’t go fo the most obvious or flashy display on offer.

4) Scent.
The first thing most people do when presented with a bouquet is smell it. Aim to buy flowers that have a pleasant aroma.

5) Packaging.
Check to ensure that it isn’t soggy or torn. Bad presentation can ruin the entire gesture.

Of course, if you really want to impress with a safe choice, then why not pick from one of our selection of fresh bouquets. We source these from a top UK supplier who has a fantastic attention to detail that will ensure your gift lights up a loved one’s day!

Starting the day by making your lover breakfast is a great way to show them you care and it doesn’t have to cost you the earth…

Heart-shaped poached eggs on toast is a healthy, tasty and easy dish to make that sets you up for the rest of the day and looks great on a tray.

Equipment that you’ll need:
Frying pan, Butter, Eggs, Amore Cookie Cutters (from our Tin Anniversary Gifts), Salt & Pepper, Bread

1) Fill the frying pan with water so that it’s 2 inch’s deep and bring to the boil.
2) Take the 2 largest Amore Cookie Cutters and smear some butter on the inside (this is to stop the egg sticking) then place in the pan of boiling water and reduce to a simmer.
3) Crack an egg inside each cookie cutter. The amount of time you leave them in the water determines the hardness of the yoke - generally speaking: 4 mins for a firm yoke, 3 for medium and 2 if you like them runny.

4) Pop the toast in the toaster and have a plate ready on a tray, perhaps with a cup of tea or coffee.
5) Once the toast pops, spread on some butter and check the eggs.

6) Once they look done, scoop them out with a slotted spoon so that the water drains and add to the toast.
7) Season with salt and pepper and then carry the food and drink on a tray to the sleeping beauty.

That’s amore!

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Our friends at Wedding Path (www.weddingpath.co.uk) a website that offers people who are getting married, or planning a wedding, the chance to create their own wedding page - have published a list of our tips on how to buy that 1st and most important Wedding Anniversary Present!

It’s always best to start as you mean to go on, so click on the image (right) to view the tips that might…
just save your life…

If your looking for a different idea to show your love - we can recommend a great service provided by Royal Mail called Smilers® stamps, which allow you to add a photo of your choice to the stamp.

This is a great way to personalise a letter, or a card to a loved one (especially for the first anniversary:paper) and you could also use a picture of the pair of you on a letter of invitation to friends and family if you decide to throw a party.

Its simply to use and prices start at £14.99 for a sheet of 20 first class stamps, including delivery.

You can create your Smilers® stamps by clicking on the link and using Royal Mails simple online application or, if your chosen photo is not in a digital format, simply download the order form and post it to them - they’ll do the rest.

In true Blue Peter fashion - I’ve attached a photograph of one we made earlier!