Autumn Must-haves Guide 2024: Essentials for this Autumn

/in /by

Arguably one reason the years go so fast these days is because businesses like to start advertising products for the next part of the year (way earlier in advance than necessary). Shops advertising for Christmas in the middle of August is the most well-known and disliked example, but it isn’t limited to this. In fact, nowadays, it happens all year round. 

Your dear author got mildly annoyed after seeing Creme Eggs – you know, a product for Easter – in a supermarket on Boxing Day. For those who aren’t aware, Boxing Day is on December 26th – in other words, Cadbury had rolled out Creme Eggs for Easter 2024 before it was even 2024. Talk about outrageous!

Now, Grace’s Blankets is a company which likes to be on trend; so without further ado, here’s an article on some fantastic autumn must-haves, in the middle of July! Now, in fairness to us, talking about these things early enables you to be suitably prepared for the autumn before it hits. It’s a season about comfort, warmth, and enjoying the little things in life. So, here are some must-have lifestyle items to make your autumn truly delightful.

 

The autumn must-haves you should get in advance

 

1. Scented candles

 

Autumn is the perfect time to fill your home with inviting scents. Scented candles can create a warm and cozy atmosphere – good ideas for fragrances include cinnamon, pumpkin spice, apple cider, and vanilla. 

These scents fit the autumn vibe very well and make the home more relaxing after a long day. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s even a fair share of funkier scents available if you know where to look, like donuts, pickles, or… bacon? Less of an autumn theme but definitely more interesting I guess.

2. Hot drink-related memorabilia

As the temperature drops, there’s nothing better than sipping on a warm beverage, especially when it’s miserably wet outside. Consider trying seasonal flavors like chai, pumpkin spice latte, or caramel apple cider, or experiment with different flavours of hot chocolate.

Invest in a good quality thermos or travel mug to keep your drinks hot when out for autumn walks, or for at home, try out an electric coffee mug warmer. Leave it on and set to your desired drinking temperature, and you’ll never worry about rushing a hot drink again!

3. Outdoor gear

In the year to November 2022, only 63.1% of those aged 16 and over in the UK were physically active, described as 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise each week. That’s quite low. 

Autumn is a fantastic time to go outdoors, when it’s dry, anyway, so why not try doing just that? A pair of walking boots, sturdy trainers or even just cheap wellies is more than enough to go for a casual stroll in. Woodland is especially fantastic to walk through in the autumn, and is well rewarded with a Sunday roast!

4. Quality books and entertainment

Autumn is the perfect season to curl up with a good book or enjoy some quality entertainment – and always best saved for a rainy day when going outside is no longer an option. A good idea would be to compile a desired reading list ahead of the autumn, so that when a rainy day comes, it’ll be easy to know what to get from the library. 

If you’re more of a TV person, consider leaving behind the relentless, uninspired, and unfaithfully altered reboots found on streaming services like Netflix; instead, find some classic movies that stand the test of time on a dodgy website.

5. Self-care essentials

As the days get shorter and the nights longer, it’s important to take care of yourself. Cost-of-living crisis? Who cares! Spoil yourself with some self-care essentials like bath salts, face masks, and moisturising lotions – a warm bath with some relaxing bath oils can do wonders for your mood and well-being. This would pair well with a bacon scented candle like mentioned earlier.

6. Personalised blankets

Now, a completely new idea on this website – what about personalised blankets? Keep a loved one warm this autumn with a blanket they will love. 

Not only can you show you care for them with an extra special message, you’ll give them a practical present made of high quality lambs’ wool that is machine washable at 30 degrees!

Now dear reader, if you follow the advice talked about here, you’ll have an insane autumn. You’ll be walking in the day, watching classic movies in the evenings under a personalised blanket, all after a relaxing bath with a bathroom smelling of bacon.

If you’d like to know more about the personalised blankets that we offer, and the variety of patterns we can do, please have a look here!

 

personalised family gifts

Unique gifts for friends: why not a personalised blanket?

/in /by

Looking for an extra special gift for a close friend? At Grace’s Blankets, we believe that we have just the ticket! As you’ve probably guessed from our company name that offers personalised blankets, which is one of the best gifts out there. 

It’s not only useful for keeping warm during those cold days and nights, but also shows that you’ve put real thought into your gift. Instead of just any blanket, we make one that carries a message from you woven right into it.

Personalised gifts have become increasingly popular in recent years. According to market statistics, 62% of Americans prefer personalised gifts over costly store-bought items. Meanwhile, the global market for personalised gifts was worth $25.8 billion in 2020, and it’s expected to continue growing worldwide. 

We also think it’s important to shop small. Our family business takes pride in creating high-quality blankets. A special blend of lamb’s wool keeps our blankets extra soft, and they’re easy to care for too since they’re machine washable at a gentle 30 degrees Celsius. Lamb’s wool is much warmer than other fabrics due to its great insulation properties, making our blankets especially useful in winter and more than just for show. Lamb’s wool also has other benefits such as being lightweight, and is hypoallergenic, making it less likely to cause allergic reactions compared to other animal fibres.

When you order from us, you’re not getting an off-the-shelf product. Whilst other places may have generic blankets as a canvas which they then quickly print your message onto, we take the time to hand make each one, weaving up to four lines of text into the blanket itself to make it truly personal.

How to choose a personalised blanket

Right, so you’ve decided on getting a personalised blanket. Good choice! Now, the next part is deciding what to get. 

If you click here, it should be self explanatory, but we’ll explain anyway. Pick a pattern and colour combination you like. Flag designs are also available if that’s more your style! Choose from stars, hearts, or fleur de lis, in colours including cream, mustard, red, green and blue.

personalised family gifts

Once you have your favoured combination, next is to choose your personalised message. Messages on our blankets are always block capitals and can occupy up to 4 lines in the centre of the blanket, up to 30 characters each including spaces.

personalised family gifts

Once your message is submitted and payment details finalised, you can expect for your blanket to be delivered, gift wrapped, within 28 days. If you’re wondering why the wait, it’s because each blanket is handmade to order!

So if that sounds like it would be a fantastic and thoughtful gift, then feel free to explore our website to see all the available options!

Personalised blankets

What style of personalised blanket is right for you?

/in /by

About our personalised blankets

We believe that a personalised blanket is among the best gifts to give. It’s practical – after all, if you’re from somewhere that can get rather chilly at certain times of the year, a woollen blanket will be sure to get some use at some point – and just as important, it’s especially thoughtful. Rather than just giving a generic gift, you are showing your recipient that you truly care for them with an extra special personal message.

As a small family-run business, we strive to ensure that our blankets are of the highest quality. We have perfected a blend of lamb’s wool for our blankets to be especially soft to the touch, and yet durable enough to be machine washable at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. 

Instead of printing custom designs onto generic blankets, we are unique in that we instead choose to weave your personalised message into the blanket itself – this is why our blankets take time to make as they must be handmade to order. For each blanket, we can accommodate up to four lines of text and will centre it for you on the blanket.

The styles of personalised blankets we offer

Flag designs

On our website, we offer several flag designs. Our flag blankets are full-size, with the flag design on one side, and a blank space on the other which is filled with your message. Greyscale versions of certain flags are also available if you’d like to be super stylish! Our full-scale flags are available for £149.95. Furthermore, if you don’t see your desired flag, you can request it and we can still make it for you!

flag designs

Patterned designs

For some more neutral designs, check out our selection of patterned blankets! Available in a few designs, such as hearts, stars, or fleur de lis, each design can then come with different colour combinations to create a whole host of unique possibilities! The patterns will appear on both sides, with a space in the centre on one of these sides for your message. Like our large flag designs, our personalised patterned designs are available for just £149.95.

patterned blankets

Baby blankets

A personalised, commemorative blanket is a fantastic gift idea for your little one – and luckily for you, we offer baby blankets too! In a smaller size, of course, our baby blankets are machine washable at 30 degrees and come in either the flag or patterned designs described above. A personalised baby blanket is available for £94.95.

Bespoke wedding blankets

If you are looking for a unique wedding blanket that fits your wedding theme and design, Grace’s Blankets is the place to go. You can order a blanket for yourself and your partner as a keepsake of your special day, or for your wedding party as a token of appreciation. If you contact us, we can arrange to have your blanket personalised with your preferred colours, patterns and fonts, to make it a memorable part of your wedding day!

So, if you’re still interested in providing a thoughtful, sentimental and practical gift for a loved one, feel free to browse across our store to find out what suits you best!