Do You Celebrate #Galentines day? FT. Swarovski

With Valentine's day coming up it only seems fitting to spend some time talking about loved ones. You are probably sick of hearing about it now but I feel it is something worth talking about. I know so many people look down on days like Valentine's as it has become a 'Hallmark' celebration, where shops make extra money making you think you need to give astronomical gifts on the one day. I have always loved it. It is a nice day to celebrate and for us it's not just about a partner; it is about all. We give the kids cards and sweet treats and the kids have always taken a heart balloon and card to their Grandparents. We very much enjoy it as a celebration of love. 

This year, I felt very honoured to be asked by Swarovski to think about who I may give a gift to this #Galentines. A time to also celebrate all our girl friends at this time, which I have to say, I loved. It's not separating, or just making sure everyone gets something. It is sharing your love and stretching it further to touch the hearts of more!

It was a nice prompt for me really to think about someone special. I have good friends, really good friends and I have sisters, 3 of them, but my youngest sister Ella has done so much for me that it only felt right to include her in this. With a 12 year age gap it wasn't until recent years that we could really understand each other. That is simply due to our age. Ella was 8 when Rob and I got married. I remember as Rob and I were driving down to catch the ferry to France for our honeymoon, I spoke to my mum and at the time she had told me that the day after the wedding Ella had walked up to my bedroom, gone onto my bed and cried as it wasn't until the night of our wedding that I left the family home, moving into our house that we are still in now. Everything was still in there bar the essentials as we were moving everything out when we got back from our honeymoon 2 weeks later. I remember feeling so much love for her. She was very special as a child and until we recently redecorated the kitchen a picture of a fairy and a cat graced the inside of the cupboards which she had given us in the first few years of marriage. At 17, my relationship with her is now so different. It has gone from a more mothering one to a best friends one. We can laugh, drink and even swear together which has changed the whole dynamic of what it was. That is simply because she has grown up so now we see each other as friends more than the older sister relationship from before. I am also her Godmother so in a way I naturally see her differently to that of my relationship with Kizzy and Lily (Lord knows I love you two a lot too, so don't be going getting all pouty!!). 

When Swarovski sent me their new take on the old classic friendship necklaces I knew that I was going to give half to Ella. The idea behind the necklace is that you keep half and give half away. Their #Givebrilliant campaign focuses on giving something from their crystal wishes collection where you get two complete and beautiful necklaces to share.

Some of you may think this is just another fad to allow more of us to be consumed by this silly celebration,  but just think about how such actions of love in any remit make you feel and how good it is to pass that on!

Love you EllsBells

Emily xx

*Post in collaboration with Swarovski