This Christmas will be the first in three years that I haven’t been pregnant. So no more frumpy dresses and propping up the buffet table - I’ll be the first at the Champagne tray and the first to slur my way through a rendition of God Saves the Queen when Her Majesty wraps up her speech.

In fact, Christmas styling should be even more special this year given I’m furiously dieting in a bid to look like Catherine Zeta Jones for the festive season. Bring on the plunge neckline that will make the father-in-law blush, and the red lipstick that will stain the posh wineglasses currently gathering dust in the cupboard.

So when the very lovely Mel from Diary of a Jewellery Lover gave me a gentle nudge to enter her latest blogger comp to win some shiny stuff, it seemed like perfect timing. Given it’s Craigy’s turn to drive over Christmas he’s unlikely be in a generous mood this year; I suspect I’ll have to feign excitement over a perfume and some underwear that I can only dream of squeezing into.

Mel has partnered up with The Real Effect who sell stunning hand-crafted jewellery cut from silver and sparkly gemstones. For 20 years their silversmiths have shaped rings, pendants and bangles from blissfully smooth silver, using micro-finish precision to create some truly glittering pieces. They promise their pieces will feel every bit as luxurious as real diamonds and make the wearer feel every bit as spoiled & glamourous - perfect for this neglected and exhausted mama then!

Joking aside, I love the uniqueness of a hand-crafted product. Every ring that is loving bundled into the bed of a giftbox will have spent hours being cut, shaped and buffed by a human hand. It’ll also be just that tiny bit different from all others - making your piece truly one-of-a-kind.

All I have to do is pick out two pieces from the collection that would make my heart flutter, and trust me, this is hard. My jewellery box has been at the mercy of a curious toddler for the last year and I now have nothing worthy of a special occasion to wear.

But if pushed, I love this delicate linking Sterling Silver Bracelet - I’d wear it slightly loose so it shimmies over my wrist and catches the light. I can imagine wearing this and chucking canapes in my mouth at a candlelit gathering. It’s every inch what I hoped to wear at Christmas and impossibly inexpensive at just £97.70 > believe it or not, this is one of the pricier finds at The Real Effect.

To continue this glittering theme, I’d have this little beauty on my ring finger (or to give it its proper name, Fully Stone Set Cushion Cut Ring). Given Craigy is yet to ‘put a ring on it’, seeing me smile when I slip this baby on might give him the push he needs. This is exactly the style of engagement ring I want so it might even imprint itself on his memory when he takes that scary trip into Pravins to buy me the real thing. You wouldn’t believe this costs just £52.80 would you?!

The good news is that there’s plenty of time to enter yourself and there are three prizes up for grabs (£100, £60 and £40 to spend at The Real Effect!) so head on over and check it out - Best of luck with your entry (I promise not to boycott your blog if you beat me to a prize!). Finally, thanks Mel for such a lovely competition!