So, you’ve left it a little late to do your Christmas shopping this year have you? While you have been getting well into the festive season with all of the work drinks, family get together’s and Christmas parties, you’ve sort of left the gift giving until the last minute.
Not only that, but you have no actual clue what you are going to get your nearest and dearest. Here’s a few tips from a seasoned gift giver.
Mum
Oh your poor old long suffering Mum, you want nothing more than to treat her to make up for the year round angst you cause her by constantly needing lifts places, calling her up mortal and singing ‘Loveshack’ down the phone at 3am, and still not being a responsible adult enough at 26 to remember to feed the cats if she’s at work a bit late. So if there’s one thing that your poor old Mum probably want’s this holiday season, after remembering to get cards and presents for everyone (even the cats), it’s to relax. Although you Mum say’s she relaxes when she’s eating Galaxy on a Saturday night watching X Factor, she still has a menagerie of people in the house needing things desperately ironed before they go out or becoming stranded in Benfleet because they have spent all of their money on Jagerbombs.
Really get your Mum away from it all, and book her on a spa day. With plenty of Spa days, and packages available from http://www.spabreaks.com, you really can treat your Mum this Christmas. You can either book it up for her, or just get some vouchers and let her chose where she would best like to relax.
If your lucky, you might even get to be the plus one, oh I do love giving a gift that I get too!
Dad
Let’s face it, your Dad would really be epically happy with a fart machine and some sort of ‘100 greatest rock song’s for your car’ CD, but your Mum will never forgive you for buying him either, so you are going to have to think of something that he will really appreciate that doesn’t drive her insane.
He’s not really that into clothes, and only wears most of them because he can’t be bothered with the nagging, and he’s happier in his shoes he bought from Clarks than those really expensive numbers you got him a few Christmas’s ago and forced him to wear when you introduced him to your new boyfriend.
The truth is, your Dad is quite content with what his got, as long as he can watch the football in peace and know that all of the family are happy. But one time you see your Dad REALLY come into his own, is in the summer, when he fires up that BBQ that cost him more than the house. Oh yes, any excuse for s ‘do’ (it’s acceptable to have a birthday party for a cat right?) so he can fire it up and show off his barbeqution skills.
So instead of buying him a jumper he doesn’t like, or something that will make your Mum moan until New Years Eve, why not give him something to look forward to for the summer and head on down to Menkind and get him some wonderful BBQ accessories he can put away and look forward to using when it gets warm?
http://www.menkind.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=bbq
Sister
Yes, all you do is wind each other up, deny borrowing (and ruining) each others clothes, and turn up at each others houses to drink each others alcohol, but you really should get your Sister something nice for that time she didn’t grass you up for hitting someone while driving Mum’s car and helped you take off the handbrake and make it look like it had just rolled down the drive.
What could you possibly buy the sibling who you view as the golden child, favourite and most perpetually spoiled person in the western hemisphere? (little known fact: she also thinks this about you, and your parents love you both the same).
Get her something that will make you look REALLY good in front of your parents, and treat her to the iconic two coin necklace from http://www.sparklingjewellery.co.uk
She’ll love you for the fact it’s been on a few TOWIE favourites, and it means you might actually get something other than a bottle of 3 for £10 red from Morrisons next year.
Brother
Your Brother is a LOT less annoying than your Sister, gives you lifts without judgement and even stretches to picking you up a McDonalds now and again when you are hanging out of your arse. So, you actually WANT to get him something he will really like. The problem is, he has just started seeing some new tart he met in the city who is sure to buy him everything but a house with a pool, so it’s going to be hard to pick him something he hasn’t already got.
Have a nose at the Buyagift website, and pick him up a driving experience.
There are plenty available to chose from, and with any luck he might run over that new girlfriend of his you hates foot in the process.
Nan
If your Nan is anything like mine, she is the hardest person to buy for in the family. If we dare deviate from the approved list of things you can buy her for Christmas and Birthday’s, we will end up with it back on boxing day. We can’t buy Nan perfume, because it upsets her Asthma (mind you so did a plant someone bought her the other week which was actually plastic, so it must be really sensitive), she’s not really into bags, she has more ornaments than sense and everything upon everything makes her itch. She can’t eat chocolate (but she does) and she has two prosecco’s and she’s off her tits, so alcohol is out of the question.
Thank heavens then, for Marks and Spencer. For as awkward as your Nan is to buy for, there is a universally acclaimed shop for people over 60, which can always be guaranteed Christmas approval. Get her a nice nightie and you are well in with something that she will genuinely use.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/l/lingerie/nightdresses
Marks and Spencer have a great range of tasteful nightdresses that you can get your Nan without fear of ending up with it back on boxing day. Just in case though, get a gift receipt.
Granddad
As above, with your Dad, your Granddad would probably be pretty happy with a fart machine. If there’s one thing your Granddad does like though, it’s Whisky. Classing himself as a connoisseur because he once went to Scotland and bought a really good bottle of Scotch and had a ten minute conversation in the shop with the man, he enjoys the odd tipple when he can. 3 or 4 if your Nan’s gone to her bridge night or round your Mum and Dads.
Haig Club has caused a bit of a storm of late by being advertised by David Beckham, and lets face it as much as your Granddad pretends to watch the football so he can get some peace and quiet from your Nan, David Beckham probably really is the only footballer he’s heard of.
If you have a look at http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/feature/engraving/engraving.aspx?pid=25542 you can get him a personalized, engraved bottle to take pride of place on his shelf with his Famous Grouse and your Nan’s Babycham.
Your Fella
Although you like to think you keep on giving all year around, you should probably use the festive season to make up for nicking your fella’s socks, having the girls round all screeching to One Direction when he has to get up for work and telling everyone he watches TOWIE.
What better gift could you give, than letting him have your undivided time for a whole night in somewhere really swanky and posh. As much as he pretends to be indifferent to a bit of luxury, you’ve definately seen him be amazed when they have a suitcase stand and a mini fridge in your room on holiday. Lastminute.com are having a sale on some of their top secret 4 and 5 star hotels, with up to 35% off on some of them. Have a look http://www.lastminute.com/hotels/top-secret.html?intcmp=hpcq_categorypods_1_hotels_tsh_merch and see if you can get in his good books for telling his Mum about the fact he gets two wears out of his socks.
Your Best Mate
Wine.
It's More Fun In Your 30s 
Love to know your thoughts guys?