Derval O'Rourke: Five impressive products to buy as Christmas gifts

And chilli and bacon beans on toast is the best weekend morning brunch 

This week I’ve picked five products that are perfect presents. Recipe-wise I’m cooking my chilli bacon beans — a great Sunday morning brunch option.

As a country, we are so incredibly lucky to have amazingly bright, intuitive and value-driven creators. I’ve always really admired people that have an idea and turn it into a product that adds to a person's life. This week let me take you through the five products that have really impressed me this year and would be an amazing present.

Perfect for Children: The Calming Caterpillar by the Fairy Door Company

To say I love this product is an understatement. It is the creation of the well-known fairy door company. The idea behind the weighted soft toy and timer is to help children get on top of their big overwhelming emotions. It comes with a guide on how to teach your child to use their breath effectively to calm themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed. My daughter is 6 and she loves her calming caterpillar.

Price €40

Perfect for anyone who has an appreciation for thoughtful gifts: Faerly gift boxes

Faerly is an online shop that stocks products that will inspire you to live a more considered and sustainable lifestyle. It was founded by James and Eoin who wanted to do their bit to reduce unnecessary plastics and chemicals in the world. Their passion is to support local and Irish makers. Their gift boxes are a really lovely collection of products beautifully put together.

Prices from €25

Perfect for Mum/Aunt/Friend: Ground Wellbeing Sleep sound gift

Ground wellbeing is the creation of Peigín Crowley. Peigín has a wealth of experience in the world of wellbeing and in 2020 she created Ground at her kitchen table. Her goal is making wellbeing accessible to all through her products. I love her sleep collection and all her products are really beautiful.

Prices from €18

Perfect for the busy person in your life: The head plan journal

The head plan is a productivity and wellness journal. There are a few different versions available on the website. This company was founded by Denise and Ciaran in a time in their lives when they were living through Ciaran’s diagnosis with leukaemia, thankfully he made a full recovery. Their products have come about out of their desire to reassess their busy lives. The journals aim to use visualisation, prioritisation and gratitude as tools.

Prices from €35

Perfect for a friend or work colleague: Voya Candle

I launched my online health and wellness product shop exactly a year ago: Voya is one of the companies that I stock and their products are incredibly popular. In particular, the Voya candles have been a huge favourite with my customers. I have two of them at home — one in the kitchen and one in my bedroom. It always feels like switching on a relaxation switch when I light them. I also use their body wash and again it feels like taking a moment to just be when I use their products.

Prices from €30

Wellness Tip: Most of us are busy every day. To help deal with this I have started introducing time buffers to my day. If I think a task is going to take 30 minutes I factor in an extra five minutes. This gives me time to just stop and take stock during the day. Consider where it might be helpful for you to factor in five minutes of buffer time each day.

Movement of the week: Calf raises are a simple movement that can be done in your day to day life. The next time you're brushing your teeth raise your feet a few inches so you're standing on your tiptoes for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this a few times and by the time you have finished brushing your teeth, you will have 20-30 done.

Chilli bacon beans

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This quick and easy dish is the ideal weekend brunch

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• ½ red chilli, finely chopped

• 100g bacon, chopped

• 400g tin of mixed beans, drained and rinsed

• 250ml passata

• salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.

2. Add the onion and chilli and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Stir in the beans and passata and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is piping hot.

5. Divide the beans between warmed serving plates. Season to taste.