Yes folks, I’m afraid it’s that time of year again. The shops are starting to fill with decorations, reindeer themed tat, harassed parents and shrieking children. The aisles of useful things like pet food, light bulbs and envelopes get randomly removed to make way for oversized boxes of Lego and when you do manage to find the pet food, the regular tins will have been moved to make way for advent calendars for cats. When you finally stumble across the light bulbs, they will probably have been marked with an ‘Idée cadeau’ sticker, just in case you are running low on festive gift giving inspiration.
But never fear! We’ve put together a gift guide for just about everyone in your family; all of which can be chosen and ordered from the comfort of your own home. So stick a log on the fire, pour yourself as glass of something festive and read on.
We all know that men are tricky to buy for but last summer I bought my dad a kindle and it’s been an absolute hit. The battery life means they are excellent for travelling and much easier and lighter than struggling with heavy books. The entry level models are reasonably priced and being able to access a huge number of free books is an absolute boon. My dad’s just downloaded the complete works of Balzac to take on a trip and says that with the estimated reading time being 286 hours and 18 minutes, he just hopes he lives that long.
Continuing with the gadgets for guys theme, a Go Pro is an ideal gift for any sporty types who want to record their exploits. If you’re struggling to think of something for the man in your life, this is bound to be a hit.
And if a Go Pro is a bit pricey, this waterproof camera is an excellent budget option and will guarantee you ‘top Aunty’ status if you need a present for a nephew or niece.
If you’re looking for something for younger children and are feeling generous or want to get the perfect present for brothers and sisters to share, then a trampoline is a wonderful gift and is something that will last for years. We bought one for our three as a joint Christmas present in 2006 and ten years later, it is still going strong. It gets regularly used (despite the kids now being 21, 18 and 14!) and has been bounced on most days for the last decade. Great fun for all the family and a fabulous fitness workout too.
Now we all know that it’s better to sleep in a cool bedroom (and keeping the thermostat down also helps with the heating bills) but if you feel the cold like me, then an electric blanket makes getting into bed a MUCH nicer experience. My parents bought us one a couple of years ago and it really was a top present!
Another gift I highly recommend is a foot spa. This is a wonderful way to care for tired and aching feet at the end of a long day and ladies everywhere will appreciate this one. And I guarantee the men will enjoy using it too!
Raclette is massively popular in France. It’s great fun and perfect winter food, especially after a long bracing walk! Inviting friends or neighbours round for a ‘Soirée raclette’ is an enjoyable way to spend an evening so this makes the perfect present for friends or if you haven’t already got one, maybe you should treat yourself.
And after all that raclette, you are going to need some exercise equipment to help get the New Year off to a fit and healthy start… There are some great deals on fitness equipment at the moment so something like this makes a great family present.
And last but not least, teenagers are notoriously difficult to buy for, especially if you don’t see them all the time. I personally don’t like handing over cash and would rather give a proper present but it is hard to know what they’d like. So I’ve consulted my three and their friends and can now inform you that all girls would be delighted to receive a gel nail kit like this one
and that both sexes are always pleased with new headphones. These are wireless and apparently just what is wanted.
My final approved by teenagers gift is an amp. Whether or not their parents will appreciate it is another matter!