Even though it tends to make a person very unpopular with gardeners, blowing dandelion seeds into the wind is one of those simple pleasures that make you feel that you are not completely lost in a sea of commercialized fun and can still enjoy some naive, childish pastimes in our modern world.

As soon as I saw Tom Binns' Swarovski crystal embellished cuff I had visions of dandelions dancing in my head (which makes a nice change from the conventional sugar plums which are de rigeur at this time of year). Unfortunately the cost of the cuff takes it out of the "childhood pleasures" category and places it firmly in the "I need a sugar daddy" category...