Brown paper packages…

Shopping for others is one of my favourite things to do. And what’s not to love? The excitement of shiny new purchases along with the smug sense that you’re doing something good, not just falling in love with another cushion and stashing the credit card statement. See? It’s practically philanthropic. If you don’t happen to be as in love with the gift-buying process as I am, we have our annual gift guide giveaway on page 62. There you’ll find 100 gifts for less than $100, and we’ve divided them up into clever categories based on the style personalities of your loved ones – that should give you a head start. Don’t forget to enter the competition (you’ll find the details on page 71) and perhaps all of your shopping worries will be over!

This year, we’ve gone super crafty with the home decorations. It’s been a year of adult colouring-in and origami, so why not apply those new skills (and create a bit of breathing space for yourself) by making your own decorations to style your festive home? You can get started by turning to page 46 and choosing your first project.

On a more practical note, we’ve not forgotten some of the big decisions you might be making as the temperature rises. On page 134, we enlist the help of our resident architect Andrew Benn to share his advice for cooling your home. And if you’re looking for some prime-time renovation inspiration, you’ll find all the winning rooms from this season of The Block on page 38. Even better, go to our YouTube channel and you can take a virtual tour with me and Shannon – we had a ball!