A handy little gift guide for Christmas

I’m going to come clean with you. I’ve always been pretty useless at buying gifts.

I get crazy ideas in my head about what people would like. I used to buy Dave zooty little ‘executive’ gifts to perk up his office when he’d much rather be hiking up a mountain with only a sleeping bag and a packet of dehydrated food, instead of sitting in a small room in front of a computer.

My kids would receive books, of all descriptions, because I thought they should read more, and in reality they would much rather rather be playing computer games or making Barbie cities.

The worst was when I bought Dave an electric carving knife for his birthday when we were first married because he used to complain that we didn’t have a sharp enough knife to carve Sunday roasts.

It didn’t quite get to mad-axe-man-stage, although he made sure I never lived it down – but guess what?

It’s still used every time we have a roast 25 years later. Result!

So in an effort to help me, and you, avoid embarrassing present buying mistakes this Christmas here’s a handy little gift guide for Christmas.

First of all: Make a list

Don’t overspend for a start. When you know how much you’ve got for presents then start jotting down ideas for each person. What are their favourite things and what hobbies do they have? If you don’t know, then ask someone close to them and try definitely to get beyond pants, socks and carving knives. If you don’t know what they like, then try to surprise them with something individual or unique.

We are after all, aiming for a “Wow! That’s great!” reaction on Christmas Day.

For the Healthy Foodie

Nearly everyone is concerned about how to eat right for their health these days. So if you’re not sure about someone’s hobbies how about a book to supercharge health written by Lee Holmes

“Just by eating well and changing your current lifestyle you can look forward to not only having boundless energy and a strong immune system, you will also be optimizing your health, preventing disease and increasing longevity. I believe in simplicity- if its too hard you are more likely to give up and grab convenience foods which in the long run are harmful to your body. The trick is to just make a just a few small changes to your daily routine, set aside time for a batch cooking day and have fresh ingredients on hand for those times when you want to whip up a quick snack,” says Lee

To buy: Click here

For the Travel Lover

No matter how exciting your trip, or how exotic the location or how wild the adventure … memories fade. Linda Fairbairn of Journey Jottings has created a range of inspired products called the Australia Jotting Range to help you remember your holidays for ever. Choose from Journal Maps pictured below, on which you can dot your route and jot your tales, to Mail-It Maps to keep family and friends posted, and a Journey Jotter to post home postcard like travel memories. Beautiful products 🙂 which will create lasting memories, don’t you think.

For Mums, Aunties or Nans

How about a string of pearls from I have a Little Shop? These pale peach pearls won’t break the bank at $100.

The description by Julieanne explains: “There are two varieties of cultured pearls; freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater pearls are grown primarily in man-made lakes and reservoirs in China. Saltwater pearls, which include akoya, Tahitian and South Sea, are grown in bays and inlets around the world. Saltwater pearls are considered more valuable than freshwater pearls, although rare and very high-quality freshwater pearls can be exceedingly valuable too.”

For the Fashionista

Don’t you think this elegant clutch from Katie’s would go with just about anything? It’s trendy and stylish and actually you can’t go wrong with the colour.

It’s sleek,  it’s a handy size for phone, cards & lipstick, with an optional shoulder strap.
Grey/White with detachable strap, internal compartments, tab fastening at front flap. $49.95. Click Here to buy.

5. For the Art Lover

It’s all very well buying from chain stores, but we should mix this up a bit and support local producers.

I think it’s important to buy local and support a gallery, and artists or artisans in your area. We have the lovely Lyndendale Gallery near us in the Ferguson Valley.

Now not everyone can afford to splash out on a piece of art, but how about a book of art? Here’s one idea.

Kevan Collett’s lovely book of his art is available in hard or soft cover. The images are stunning! It’s normally $30 but Kevan is making it available for $24 up to Christmas at The Lyndendale. You can find more gift ideas (some under $30) from the gallery at the Lyndendale Gallery blog.