9 minute read
The Good Gift Guide
The Good
gift guide
When times are hard, gifts take on a special meaning, brightening the lives of those around us. Here’s our pick of thoughtful gifts that won’t cost the earth…
Quoridor wooden strategy game
Quoridor is an elegant wooden game that’s suitable for anyone over eight. Quoridor has previously received the Mensa Mind Game award and was the Game of the Year in the USA, France, Canada and Belgium. It can be played by two or four players and is one of those games that’s easy to learn, but can involve deeper strategic gameplay. Players try to strike the right balance between building a wall to create a maze for their opponents and moving their pawn across the board to reach the other side first. Around £35 from www.amazon.co.uk or hobby retailers.
A taste of the East from Dorset’s Wasabi Company
IF you’re looking for a consciously considered gift, then turn your thoughts to the east and Japan. Dorset’s Wasabi Company stocks a range of over 400 Japanese homewares and ingredients, alongside products made from their own home-grown wasabi. There are beautiful ceramic bowls for miso or ramen, some amazing food kits for making matcha, sushi and even vegan ingredient hampers which adventurous cooks will love. There are some amazing table barbecues, sake sets and wasabi plants too. See the gift range at www.thewasabicompany. co.uk/gifts-and-kits
Vibrant textiles from Stitch Saint Luce
Stitch Saint Luce is a UK based charity that helped set up a women’s sewing co-operative in Madagascar, which makes some fantastic products including embroidered tablemats, bags, cushions, purses, friendship bracelets, glasses cases and even bow ties all in cheerful and dynamic colour combinations. Every piece is unique and hand made. Find them at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ StitchSainteLuce
Bramley Gift Sets
Bramley’s products are made in the UK using 100% natural ingredients and sustainable materials. There are lots to choose from including a Set for gardeners that includes flower snips and this £25 Revitalising Shower Gift Set which combines Bramley’s bestselling Body Wash and a Round Bamboo Body Brush to help cleanse, exfoliate, and rejuvenate the skin. Explore the range at www.bramleyproducts. co.uk
Lovevery’s toys for tiny tots
Lovevery’s award-winning toys are made of natural materials and designed by child development experts to provide exactly what children want and need at every stage. They’re also fun, simple, engaging and built to last with sustainably harvested wood, organic cotton, nontoxic paint and baby-safe plastics. They offer 14 different play kits designed to teach new skills as the child develops as well as a Block Set for £80 and their Pull Pup for £30. Discover the range at www.lovevery.co.uk
Edifier GX Gaming Headset
One for the gamers in your life. The Edifier GX is a high fidelity gaming headset that offers truly immersive audio, so it feels you’re really at the heart of the action. Fully-loading with the latest tech spec including 50mm titanium diaphragm drivers, designed by Edifier’s renowned team of audio engineers, a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz and a 24-bit decoder, the GX produces almost true-to-life audio fidelity. It’s compatible with PC, Laptop, Smart Phone, Pad, PS4 and other gaming devices. Find it for £69.99 at Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
Lund London Water Bottle
This beautifully minimalistic stainless steel water bottle is perfect for work or at the gym. It’s gloriously tactile and is free of BPA, PVC and Phalates too. At, £30, it comes in a presentation box and can be engraved with a name or message to make it even more personal. It’ll also last for years. You can find it – and a host of other cool customisable gifts at www.engraversguild.co.uk
Lilliputiens My First Farm
One for little ones over 18 months, this amazingly cute playset from Lilliputiens encourages a love of nature, endless storytelling and creative play. The soft fold-open barn comes with the farmer on his tractor, a duck, pig, sheep, chicken, donkey and the world’s most adorable purple cow. Find it at www.johnlewis.com for £45.50.
Acala DIY Tinted Lip Balm Kit
Crafty DIY gifts always go down well since they combine an experience with a tangible end product. Acala’s DIY Tinted Lip Balm Kit costs £19.99 from acalaonline.com. It’s reusable and zero waste, and uses natural, organically sourced ingredients and beetroot powder for colouring. It’s a good choice for friends that like a bit of pampering or teenagers who are exploring natural beauty. Alternatively, treat yourself and gift the finished tins as stocking fillers.
Bird & Blend Teas
The UK gets through about over a hundred million cups of tea every day, so the chances are that at least one person on your gift list is a major fan. Bird & Blend is an indie tea company with some interesting gift selections this festive season. The 30 Days of Tea Chest Selection Box, £35, from www. birdandblendtea.com is billed as the ultimate tea taster box featuring a single serve of tea, every single day, including Jelly & Ice Cream, Peppy Mint, Butter Brew, Dark Choc Chilli Chai and many more. They also do Matcha and Chai selections and a Christmas Tea Selection Gift Box, £24, which can be made to order or pre-packed with the Christmas flavour selections.
The gift of a good night’s sleep
Noted Aromas designer duplicate perfumes
Noted Aromas offer designer duplicates of some of the world’s leading perfumes and aftershaves, so you get all the fragrance with none of the marketing hype and exorbitant price tags. There are a wide range of options in unisex, masculine and feminine fragrances, from Monte Carlo, inspired by Baccarat Rouge, to New York, inspired by Santal 33 and a whole host inspired by Tom Ford’s perfume range. 50ml fragrances start from just £19.99 and are available from www.notedaromas.com Crane’s 4-in-1 Top Fill Drop Cool Mist Humidifier with Sound Machine would be a great choice for anyone on your list with a need for better sleep. The award-winning design is attractive and would suit all decors. It provides up to 500 sq. ft. of coverage over 24 hours of soothing moisture exposure, refreshing the air to help anyone sleep better. Add in the night light function, with a choice of seven colours, the aroma tray to add sleep-enhancing essential oil pads and a choice of three soothing sounds – white noise, rain, and ocean waves – it’s the perfect way to nod off. Find it at www. cheekyrascals.co.uk for £110.
Farhi Luxury Chocolate
What’s Christmas without a little overindulgence? Family owned luxury confectionery brand, Farhi, is known for its gourmet nuts, indulgent truffles and stuffed dates. Nut lovers will appreciate Farhi’s Cocoa Dusted Milk Chocolate Caramelised Pecans with a hint of gianduja, which come in two sizes at £15 or £30, or choose one of their hand-painted Bonbonnieres, £17.50 or £25 from www.farhi. co.uk These little keepsakes come filled with a variety of treats including dark chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate covered almonds or chocolate covered ginger.
Comforting cushions
South African based artist Shelley-Anne Graham creates beautiful prints and PRINT cushions inspired by African women. The cushions, which are around £27 each are manufactured in the UK. The limited edition prints are around £64 and have a serene, almost haunting, beauty that would be great for any practice room or meditation space. See the range at www.shelley-anne.com
ToucanBox crafts for kids
If the kids you buy for get too many gifts at Christmas, consider toucanBox, which is a subscription service delivering a craft kit every month for those aged 3-8. It’s a great way to foster imaginative play. You can buy individual kits for £9.95 each, or take out a subscription from £6.95 a month. If you need a preChristmas activity, try the limited edition Christmas toucanBox for £14.95. The company has also donated kits to over 10,000 disadvantaged children. All from www.toucanbox.com
Little luxuries from Little Print Gifts
Little Print Gifts offer a range of hair and other accessories products are made with bright Liberty Tana lawn or silk, are vibrant, sustainable and fun. They are all made in owner Victoria’s home studio. You’ll find everything from custom silver fingerprint cufflinks, to silk hair scrunchies and the cutest rabbitshaped lavender pouches, all at remarkably good prices, with hair bobbles from just £2. We loved this Liberty of London silk knot headband at £28. See the range at www.littleprintgifts.co.uk
Award-winning ethical fashion brand, Vendula London, make luxury vegan handbags and accessories including phone cases and notebooks. The bags are fabulously quirky, beautifully made and very original, often with a vintage theme or designed as shop fronts. There are also key chains, headbands and jewellery that would make good stocking fillers. You might even bag a bargain in the outlet section with prices reduced by up to 50%. See the range at www.vendulalondon.com
Neideregger Marzipan
There’s always someone on your list with a love for marzipan. Neideregger have the widest selection around and all of it is deliciously scrumptious. So it should be, given that this family firm has been around since 1806. We were taken with these little marzipan Santas. Find them at your nearest old-fashioned confectionary shop, Lakeland, John Lewis or online.
Arran Sense of Scotland Advent Calendar
Advent calendars are a great way to make someone feel special in the run up to Christmas. Opening up a little gift each morning gets the day off to a good start. You can buy them prefilled with everything from socks to beer, LEGO Minifigs to cheese. Alternatively, Hobbycraft has a good selection of DIY versions you can fill yourself. Our pick comes from Arran Sense of Scotland, which comes packed with everything from scented mini-candles to soaps, body lotion, shower gels and hair products in their amazing islandinspired scents. Retailing at £70, there are £140 worth of products, so it’s great value. Find it at www.arran.com/ products/advent-calendar-2022
