Fun for a Fiver - with added animal magic

I don't know about you but I feel like I could do with some perking up today: pay day is still somewhere off in the distance, the sky is defiantly grey and I *may* have had one too many beers last night. Armed with a strong coffee and a sausage sarnie, I've bravely set off in search of cheap thrills - fun things to lift everyone's mood for less than a fiver. And, even more cheeringly, everything I've found is animal related. The grand total of £16.50 can buy you owls, pugs, cats AND penguins. I've also included links to more creature comforts for free.

Pugs provide almost guaranteed cheer, so I don't think you'd ever regret spending the not-so-princely sum of £3 on these pug print socks from River Island (More pug related happiness can be found here.)

Moving from pugs to mugs, Sara wrote about Magpie at the start of the year. Their charming owl mug is currently reduced to £4.50 at Rockett St George (Like an owl? These are all things we've found worth getting in a flap about).

On the subject of familiar looking things, you may remember Louche's magnificent Kat Jumper. The secretari-cat is back! And available for your home, as well as your person, in the form of this charming coaster. It's a joyful £3 from Joy. (Crazy about cats? Take a peek at some of our purr-fect picks.)

Put a waddle in your set with this press out penguins set from Muji. You can get both daddy and baby penguin for a mere £4. (Pick up more penguin delights here.)

Is including this salt and pepper egg set cheating on the animal theme? Probably, but I don't care when they're such a cracking bargain - only £2 for this ceramic set of shakers, from The Contemporary Home (further chicken pickings can be found here). Let the £5 fun times commence! Thursday is starting to look a bit brighter.