The Gift Blogger

Halloween

Hello there and welcome to my weekly gift blog. This week I have been looking into my crystal ball to see which weird and wonderful presents are the best choices for unusual Halloween gifts this year, and you'll be pleased to hear I've come up with a few monster suggestions to get your loved one's spine tingling this holiday...

First up and my personal favourite, is the Haunted House Break for Two. This really is a present with a real presence that will be felt all the through the long night, whether you take your special someone on Halloween or not. This fantastic break offers couples the chance to join in with all manner of paranormal investigations such as séances and dowsing. You will both be invited to join in with group vigils during your stay and you will be offered a three course dinner - if you can stomach such luxury while quaking in your boots.

If however you suspect your loved one is already being haunted, why not give them the opportunity to delve a little into their own past? All the digging around that a Discover Your Family History box set involves may well allow them to get in touch with the resident family ghost and finally lay their legacy to rest. You may find a few skeletons in the closet along the way, but the thrill of having the power to unveil the past makes the surprises all the more worthwhile.

If looking into the past isn't for you, why not spook your recipient out this holiday with a Dinner In The Dark for two? This gift is in actual fact more fun than freaky but at least sitting in a candlelit restaurant where neither of you are sure what is going to happen next is in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

Last but not least, for those recipients who maintain they never jump no matter how scary the movie, why not try a blood curdling Murder Mystery Weekend? Simply do not explain the nature of your break and see how they react when one of the diners drops to the ground; I'll bet my bottom dollar they'll jump out of their bones!

Hello and welcome once again to my monthly acknowledgement of how the ever shifting stars should affect our gift choices for those around us. In other words, fellow gift seekers, we have entered into the sphere of the Libra sign and as such we should realign our thoughts to suit the recipients of this month's birthday gifts.

With its children being preoccupied with balance, harmony and justice, the scales famously represent Libra. An air sign, Librans are typically very good at communicating and so are excellent diplomats and hosts. In order for your beloved Libran to be able to carry around all the information he or she needs to represent both sides of the argument why not indulge their creative and fun side with a Volkswagen Memory Stick? Available as a blue beetle or a white VW camper van the vehicle of your choice will flash its lights as you transfer data and is bound to bring a smile to any Libra.

Librans will seek a fair resolution to any disagreement at all costs but when there's no reasoning with the other party why not let them blow their frustration with a couple of Shocking Tanks? These are great fun for all star signs especially for incompatible signs!

Often described as being 'in love with love' the average Libran often 'wears their hearts on their sleeves' so this year why not allow him to express himself with a different icon on his cuffs? With choices of St George, St David and St Andrew these silver plated cuffs will let him express himself in a different way and show the world another part of his make up other than his vulnerability.

Since the romantic Libran is said to love peace above all other things why not buy yours a National Trust Day Out for Two? You can choose the venue for your romantic and peaceful venture between the 300 participating sites, giving you the chance to create some precious memories in a place you've always wanted to visit together or somewhere local so you can get home early to put your feet up. As if all that wasn't enough, you and yours will even get a cream tea for two into the bargain so you can feel pampered on their day too!

Hi and welcome once again to the gift blog! I'm pleased to be able to share very good news with you this week that will improve your experience of giving gifts and wanting to reward those closest to you with bigger and better presents no matter what the occasion...


When it comes to buying gifts for my favourite people, I want to surprise them and get their pulses racing. In other words my gift of choice is often an experience gift, and whether it's a Day of Pampering or a Big Cat Encounter, I'm pleased to announce that these gifts can now earn you ipoints, which add up to some fantastic rewards for you. With everything from a coffee maker to a digital frame that displays your photos as a slide show to collect ipoints for, there's now even more reason to look into experience days for your next gift choice.


These gifts do offer the recipient a fantastic day out doing the activity that you have selected, and often the wide range of locations for each idea mean that no matter where you're based you can take up one of these great gifts. Making for a truly memorable day, experience days out range from the adrenaline boosting activity to something as personable as a Recording Artist experience.


The huge choice of days available means that no matter who you're looking for you'll find the treat to suit their taste - and better still - since there are often choices of days for two you as the gift giver can even join in on the fun!


If the idea of collecting ipoints appeal to you, but you don't think your intended recipient would go for an experience day, why not look into giving a piece of jewellery as a memento to mark the occasion and your love?


With items such as the Waterfall Diamond Necklace earning you a huge 4900 ipoints you can get your account started straight away and earn yourself a massive treat just in time for Christmas. Buy all your presents early for ipoints and by the time the New Year comes round you'll see that in gift giving is true that sometimes everyone's a winner.

Welcome to my latest thoughts on what and how to give the perfect gift. With so many of my closest friends expecting at the moment, my thoughts have been on what to buy for the new parents.

I strongly believe that gifts at this time should either be practical or pampering rather than cute, and that the best gifts are aimed at the new parents rather than the new addition. This is simply a matter of practicality, as the baby will grow out of the cute two-piece you've bought possibly before it's even been worn. A worn out couple however will find comfort in a bit of pampering while baby concentrates on doing that growing.

The Ultimate Relaxation collection can provide a welcome rest from the demands of being a new parent for one or both members of the lucky couple and with a choice of an Image Makeover Photoshoot, a Romantic Hotel Break for Two and a Dinner and Theatre Experience for Two, you can give your friends the perfect excuse to get out and have some time together while you baby sit. A gift with a committed date may not seem like the most sensible gift to give soon after the birth, but soon enough having a reason to go out will seem like a godsend to your friends. Bear in mind also that since the English way means they won't want you to have wasted your money - they will manage to have that precious evening together that is essential to their well being as a couple.

Of course, buying a wonderful photo holder such as the Cube Photo frame is also a fantastic present at this time, but why not try something a little different as a memento such as a Dedicate A Tree gift set to commemorate the little one? This set gives the parents a gift that will last as testament to their greatest achievement, while contributing to the environment. The perfect investment for their child's future, the British broad-leaved tree planted in the child's name will help the whole country to stay in bloom.