Sorry, Christmas, George Home is replacing you with Pinkmas, as traditional colourways have been kicked to the curb and all things pink have been embraced.

Pink Christmas decor trends every year as a playful maximalist Christmas trend, and this year, George Home has proved, in spades, that they got the memo. From bedding and cushions to crockery and even trinket dishes, George Home’s pink palette is perfect for putting a playful spin on the festivities.

The pink colour trend is nothing new and instead reflects a wider, whimsical trend, whereby we’re looking to make our festive decorations more characterful and quirky. This year we’ve seen Merrymaxxing break out as a popular way to bring whimsy to our homes, and pink is just another branch of this playful maximalism.

You don’t have to drench everything in pink either – unless you want to, of course. A few pink accents, such as a few pink bows for your tree, or even a garland for your stairs, can introduce the colour to your decor without going overboard. So, I’ve rounded up my six favourite pink pieces from George Home’s Christmas collections that will bring some joy into your home.

Pink is surprisingly festive and versatile; however, if you’re nervous about using it within your Christmas decorating ideas, opting for a pink festive bedding set is a fun way to embrace the trend in the privacy of your own bedroom, away from the rest of your decor.

Are you willing to embrace pink Christmas decor? I think I am…

Loaf just launched the *dreamiest* velvet corner sofa bed, and, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the ultimate way to host festive guests in style this Christmas.

Squishy seating, a generous size, stylish good looks, *and* a comfortable mattress make the new Loaf Slow Riser Corner Sofa Bed a definite showstopper.

However, whilst I think it’s one of the best sofa beds on the market if you want to wow your overnight guests this upcoming hosting season, this new Loaf launch is also a definite investment, which is why I’ve also rounded up some more budget-friendly alternatives below.

As Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, I’ve spent the last five years visiting nearly every furniture brand in the UK to test their sofa bed collections, and Loaf is one of the retailers I recommend time and again.

In my experience, Loaf makes *very* comfortable sofa beds, and it’s one of the few furniture retailers where adding a hidden mattress to a sofa doesn’t mean compromising sitting or sleeping comfort. You still get all of the squish of a very sumptuous sofa, but with the bonus of being able to host guests on it too.

The brand’s sofa beds are also *stylish*, and I think its velvet upholstery options in particular are especially swoonworthy.

However, we all know you get what you pay for, and whilst Loaf’s might be some of the best top-of-the-range sofa beds I’ve tested, they’re also (sadly) some of the most expensive.

And, of course, a *corner* sofa bed with its generous proportions pushes the price up even more. The new Loaf Slow Riser Corner Sofa bed starts at £4895, and in my book, that’s a *lot* of money.

That’s why I’ve made it my mission to track down some more budget-friendly alternatives, so that if you too think the Slow Riser Corner Sofa Bed is your Christmas-hosting dream setup, you might be able to find an alternative that will still leave you some cash to buy a few Christmas presents on top!

Shop alternatives

Ninja’s first ever microwave (which is also, of course, an air fryer) has been sold out pretty much since the moment it was first released in September. Luckily I’ve found the one retailer where you can place an preorder: via Very, for £349.

With stock expected at Very from the 21st of November, there is still a little bit of a wait until you can get your hands on the Crispi Microwave (which our expert Home Economist recently rated very highly in her Ninja Crispi microwave review). But if you want to guarantee your order rather than be met with a ‘sold out’ sign, it’s your best bet at this moment.

This hybrid, which is a meeting of worlds between the best air fryers and the best microwaves, has all the power of Ninja favourites like the FlexDrawer with the convenience for heating up leftovers of your built-in microwave. A true space-saver, it’s also kitted out with a FusionCrisp mode, which allows you to cook foods by combining both functions. Here’s a closer look at your options if you want to snap up your Ninja Crispi before it sells out at Very, too.

At the time of writing, the Crispi is sold out across all UK retailers (including Ninja itself, John Lewis, Argos and Currys).

You can sign up for alerts to be notified when this air fryer comes back into stock at Ninja, which is also the only retailer to offer this appliance in an array of colours: silver, blue and black.

Very is the only one offering a preorder system, though Ninja’s website promises more stock is ‘coming soon’ via the product listing. And with Black Friday deals just around the corner, it looks like this is going to be the appliance everyone’s fighting for in the November sales, even without a discount applied!

In her review Helen said that the Crispi in some sense ‘outperformed’ her current Ninja air fryer and was fiercer than she expected at some air frying tasks. The microwave element delivered as expected, with the combination mode also impressing.

So, if you want to get your pre-order in of this clever hybrid before it also sells out over at Very, I’d advise acting fast!

Sofa armrest trays are an ingenious invention which is great in theory. The thing that I always find when confronted with one is that they are usually quite ugly. And if they’re not, they’re pricey. But this doesn’t apply to the new IKEA KRAMHULT armrest tray which is practical, stylish and budget-friendly – selling for only £5 a pop.

Armrest trays are a perfect small living room idea if you don’t have space for a side table to rest your morning coffee or afternoon cup of tea on. But even in living spaces that are on the bigger side, they’re a handy addition that will make your lounging and TV watching all the more comfortable as you don’t reach over or pretty much move at all to get your mug or TV remote from the coffee table.

I first came across the recently launched IKEA KRAMPHULT armrest tray through the viral Instagram reel of @millastori. I was instantly impressed with the aesthetically pleasing look of this modern living room idea, the affordable price point and the customisable element of the design.

Available in two colourways, I’m a fan of the aubergine version (which IKEA calls dark lilac-red) rather than the plain white. But both colourways come with the same features. For one, you can adjust the width of the base depending on the size of your sofa so that it fits perfectly. And it will be compatible with the majority of sofas out there.

While I personally prefer the sleek, unadorned look of the armrest tray, there’s also an option to purchase it with additional accessories for your sofa necessities. There is an option to get it with a pen holder, with hooks to hang small essentials on or with a grey felt storage basket for things like a book or a tablet. Getting the tray with these extras added on top will set you back only £10.

Armrest tray alternatives

Similarly to this Dunelm bedside pocket organiser which banishes clutter from your bedside table, this IKEA armrest tray will do the same for your living room and your coffee table. And for mere £5, it’s a bargain if you ask me. What are your thoughts – is this IKEA sofa tray a yay or a nay?