24th October - Gable's Christmas Wish List



I was lacking any real creative spark this morning when deciding what to write today's diary entry on, and so asked my partner what I should blog about. "Christmas presents", she replied, in reference to a WhatsApp group she set up over the weekend where she asked me to list items that I'd taken a shining to recently, to aid her own creativity in deciding what to place under the tree for me this year. Truth be told, I'm really not a materialistic person. I can function with the basics in life, and usually feel guilty if I buy something for myself which is not 'needed', but just 'desired'. My free time - or lack of - tends to dictate that I don't end up using such items, and then I realise I've just wasted money. It's the same reason why I'm refusing to buy 'FIFA 23' this year, when I only play a couple of games of 'FIFA 22' per month right now. It seems wasteful. Having said that, I didn't want to go against the grain, so sent a few items over, and those items were as follows: 

Cadburys Chocolate Football:
I actually received one of these last year after a visit to 'Cadbury World' in Birmingham and it was probably my most prized possession during the festive period. I'm a true choc-o-holic, I admit it. Christmas is a great time to crack out all the classics... After Eight Mints, tubs of Celebrations, Toffifee, Toblerone, Terry's Chocolate Orange, but this bad boy was something I kept chipping away at daily for the best of a month and it was still going! A true behemoth in the sweet treat pantheons. 





England Rugby Away Shirt:
I've always been more of a fan of the darker, away numbers sported by England over the years. The navy versions, the red one, even that controversial purple debacle, but this snazzy new black number might just be my favourite of the lot. Effortlessly sleek and topped by a classy collar, a cheeky deposit from Santa here would be just in time for the Six Nations! 





LUSH Bath Bombs:
If there's one thing I love more than chocolate or rugby, it's a hot bath. Fans of the diary will be aware of my love of all things water, right from the time I displayed my frog-like tendencies at Siobhan's Birthday party, 1995. The LUSH bath bomb, though pricey AF, is a true thing of beauty, fizzing and crackling away in a colourful firework-esque display of radiance, all whilst leaving your skin feeling silky, refreshed, and nourished. Oi LUSH, fancy hiring me as your copywriter?





Instax Camera:
In an age of digital photos stored on phones, and social media, the art of physical photos, all collected in those gorgeous feeling leather-bound photo albums, passed down through generations of families, has been lost. Most would argue that the first item they'd save from a burning building would be their photos, and the Instax offers a chance to create instant memories, all whilst retaining that super-cool Shoreditch flavoured retro hipster vibe.





Calvin Klein Defy:
A simply stunning scent for the modern man, this Eau De Toilette is fresh, fruity, and incredibly sexy. Not only does it display encouraging durability, but is an undebatable pheromone magnet. Plus, the huge bottle of CK One that I took advantage of in San Francisco airport is now running dangerously low and I dare not smell like a basic bitch with zero scent on my skin, heading into 2023. 





Amazon Wish List Books:
My aim this year was to plough through 24 books during the year (2 per month). Right now, I'm slightly below that amount (17) but I'm determined to hit the target, and I'd estimate that at least 90% of those books mentioned are sports autobiographies, by far my favourite type of read. There's still a few I'm yet to touch the pages on though, so I've added them into an Amazon Wish List! 





Classic Springboks Jersey:
1995 was a special year. Not just because of Siobhan's birthday party, but it was Nelson Mandela, apartheid, Bennetton, and of course, The Springboks. That side, led by Francois Pienaar, was so much more than a sporting achievement. It was a political movement which encapsulated the heart of the World. With my own trip to South Africa already booked for May 2023, what better shirt to rock along the Garden Route, than the classic replica of that gold & green icon?






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