Gift a bundle of love with a twist to it!

February 27th, 2015

Deciding on a perfect gift is an uphill task for many of us. If you think that being a member of a royal family automatically exempted you from this trouble, think again! Even members of the royal families have to think long and hard before they settle on that perfect gift to honour an occasion or a person. In fact, with the availability of a large number of pre-filled gift hampers online, gifting has become a much easier process for us! There have, however, been some shining examples of precious and unique gifts made in history, some of which have been listed below:

The Trojan Horse – One of the most daunting and cunning gifts in the history of time, the Greek waited for a number of years to capture the city of Trojan and carried a large wooden horse when they finally carried out their attack. They tactically left behind the horse and withdrew from the war scene and the Trojans were overjoyed that they won. They dragged the large wooden “gift” inside their city walls but received the shock of their lives when Greek soldiers dropped from it in the middle of the night and eventually accomplished what they had set out to do – win a war!

Clever Cleopatra – Perhaps one of the most unique gifts in history, this involved the very beautiful Cleopatra, who was demanding and audience with Julius Caesar so she could seek his help during their times of war. Caesar kept avoiding this meeting and Cleopatra hit upon a brilliant scheme wherein she asked to be rolled into an expensive carpet that she wanted to gift to him. Bundled in a pricey carpet, Cleopatra “gifted” Caesar more than he expected and she ultimately got what she wanted – an opportunity to speak with the king.

Majestic Beauties – These would be tough to beat but you could steal the spirit of innovation and dedication from these royal examples! Shah Jahan was so infatuated with his wife Mumtaz Mahal that he got an entire world wonder created for her – the Taj Mahal. Considered the ultimate gift one can give to his wife, this beauty was made entirely of marbles and precious gemstones on the banks of river Yamuna in Delhi. Nebuchadnezzar II was another royalty who was totally in love with his wife – Queen Amytis – for whom he got the Hanging Gardens of Babylon set up. It is said that his wife missed the lush greenery of her Median home and to assuager her homesickness, he commissioned this world marvel, which included several thousand kinds of plants, trees, vines and shrubs. Although, largely considered a mythical concept, it is indeed a thrilling one that could inspire you to go green with your expressions of love!

These are just some examples of popular gifts. Others included islands, jewels and bejewelled clothes and weapons, beautifully penned and decorated letters and poems, etc.

Top Cheap Hampers For Loved Ones

February 26th, 2015

Instead of buying one gift for a loved one, isn’t it better that you present a whole hamper of gifts? A personally assembled gift hamper is valued much because of the effort that went into creating it.

Hamper gift is also not expensive as you fear. By carefully picking items, one can cut down the cost. One can also tailor the contents of the hamper according to the taste and likings of the recipient. One can get cheap hampers delivered anywhere in the country.

Here are a few ideas for top cheap gift hampers (All items cost less than £35) at Express Gift Service:

  • Brunch Fruit Tray: This gift box is packed with delicious, healthy dry fruits. It is an exquisite brunch time item to savour. It provides instant dose of energy and pampers the taste buds. The hamper consist of a selection of cranberries, figs, pineapple and apricots. It is packed in an octagonal tray, wrapped aesthetically with a ribbon and can include a personalized gift card.
  • Gourmet Nuts Tray: Nuts are the best way to keep warm in the winter or rainy season and the nuts in the hamper are crunchy and delicious. This hamper contains seasonal dry fruits like walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts and hazel nuts. These can be placed in an attractive box and secured with a pretty ribbon.
  • Birthday Flower Gift: A lovely display of 12 tender spray carnations in attractive hues like white, pink and yellow blooms. There are at least four blooms on every stem, which will provide 48 flowering heads for 12 stems.
  • Pine Nuts Tray: Delight your family with this healthy snack. Hamper is made of a selection of Brazil nuts, walnuts and almonds. Can be set in a pine nut design tray, secured with a ribbon and feature a personalized gift card.
  • Kula Spa Bath Tub: This attractively arranged mini bath tub will sit pretty in any bathroom and provide for a pampering, luxurious experience in summers and winter (the whole year round). Fragrance is of Sea Kelp which calms the body.  It also contains Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, Pro Vitamin B5, Evening Primrose Oil,   Vitamin E and Vitamin A.  The hamper also features Body Lotion, Body Butter, Body Spray, Towel Sponge and Shower Gel.

 

  • Sweet and Pickle Hamper Basket: Add spice and flavour to your meals using sweets and pickles. The hamper is based on a classic contrast between sweet and sour. Some products, which you can add include English breakfast marmalade, Strawberry jam, gardener’s choice chutney and potting shed Pickle.
  • Christmas Tree Fruit Cake: This scrumptious fruit cake is an ideal gift hamper for friends and family in the holiday season. It is made of natural ingredients, top class fruits covered with marzipan and fondant icing. It has a long shelf life, so enjoy for a long time. Ingredients are Currants, Sultanas, Wheat flour, Cherries, Sugar, Whole egg, mixed peel, Vegetable fats, Maize starch, Raising agent, whey powder, natural preservatives, colours and flavours. It is suitable for vegetarians and is free of alcohol.

 These are top seven gift hamper treats you can get within 30 pounds.

Ideas for Some Great Hobby Based Gift Hampers

February 26th, 2015

Gift hampers based on the theme of hobbies suit almost everyone. One obstacle on the way is if you have no idea about the hobby of the recipient.

But there are ways to get around this. First, you can snoop around by asking friends, family or colleagues. Second, you can pay attention to the topics frequently discussed by the recipient. Finally, take a peek into their social media entries like Facebook or Twitter accounts. If all these fail and you find the recipient lacking a hobby, you can get him/her started on one.

Here are examples of a few hobby based gift hampers:

Beach Theme:  Items that can be included are:

  • Container can be a bag: Choose from a straw bag or a plastic bag or  a tote bag.
  • Sunscreen: Choose from  spray -ons to lotions and ones to match the skin types and age of recipients.
  • After sun lotion: to cool down after a day in the sun
  • Mineral water: Beats all the colas
  • Water proof/ zip loc bags: To safe keep water sensitive items like phone, watch, etc.
  • Towels: Most useful items
  • Goggles, flippers and snorkels: for sea lovers
  • Silicon plugs for ears and nose clip: for lovers of pools.
  • Paint brush: to wipe away sand
  • Mini soap and shampoo: To take bath at the pool or the sea before heading home.
  • Hat: Straw hats are popular
  • Sunglasses and case
  • Flip flops: are inexpensive but sturdy wear for the beach.
  • Crossword puzzle, Frisbee, Kite and bucket and shovel (for little ones) for entertainment.

Techie Theme: The life of a techie revolves around his gadgets. Here are a few ideas to keep him happy:

  • Container can be a lap top tray or a basket.
  • Memory stick: To help those running out of memory or battery.
  • USB power car adaptor: to charge any device with USB cable while travelling by car.
  • Ten in one USB charging cable: The cable has 10 different adaptors for charging all kinds of devices.
  • USB port hub: Divides any USB port into 3-4 ports.
  • Cord organizers: To sort tangles made by wires and hubs.
  • Mono head set featuring microphone: Great for users of Skype and for calls over the internet.
  • USB Blue Tooth Dongle: A cool and cheap widget. Allows PC/ Laptop to sync with other Blue tooth devices sans wires.
  • Lap top tray: Protects lap tops from heating
  • Mini lap top mouse featuring retractable cable
  • Silicone USB number keypad.
  • Gamepad USB  controller for PC games.
  • Color sticker for cover of lap top
  • USB fan
  • USB keyboard light
  • Cell phone card holder
  • Table stand for cell phone
  • Wall stand for charging cell phone
  • Universal battery charger for cell phone
  • Charging cable for iPhone/iPad
  • FM Transmitter for iPhone/ iPad.
  • Touch pens
  • Screen protectors
  • Cap protecting ear phone plug from dust
  • i Phone style mouse pad
  • I Phone and iPad cases
  • Silicon speakers

These are two types of hobby themed gift hampers and their useful contents. If you find it difficult to assemble the hamper yourself, you can order hobby themed gift hampers online and surprise your loved ones.

The meaning behind popular Valentine’s Day gifts

February 18th, 2015

Gift-giving, in essence, is a very simple and straightforward task. The premise is that you know the person well enough to know his or her likes and dislikes, and you then choose something based on this information. This kind of logical thinking works fairly well in most cases when one is bound by social obligation to buy a gift. But on special occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, the exchange of gifts is more than just a socially dictated compulsion – it is also an expression of love and care and everything else that makes one go starry eyed and weak kneed. The only problem is the perfect Valentine’s gift is not so easy to find.

But perhaps, knowing a little bit more about the traditions and symbolism behind the gifts would help ease your dilemma? Here’s the lowdown on some popular gift choices and how you should interpret their meanings:

Flowers

A rose is not just a rose, dear reader. On Valentine’s Day every rose, and logically every flower, has a different meaning. Gerbera daisies with their peppy colours and large flowering heads symbolise beauty, purity, and innocence and are known to bring cheerfulness to the receiver. Tulips are epitomes of perfect love and are a classic choice for this love-filled day. If your man, or woman, brings you a bunch of tulips be aware that they did not just happen to pass by them while driving down the road. Roses of course are the best choice of flowers for February 14th and their virtue as an undying symbol of true love has been extolled for generations. Maybe because Shakespeare had his Romeo waxing eloquent about them or perhaps because the colour red has been associated with love and passion since time immemorial, but either way one can never go wrong when choosing a bouquet of roses as gifts on this day.

Jewellery

Jewellery is an expensive gift choice and it tells the receiver that the one gifting it is serious about the relationship; so much that they do not mind spending a huge amount just to show how much they care. Casual flings do not warrant such pricey offerings, and the moment you are presented with something blingy you might want to start thinking about the next level in your relationship. Of course, the type of jewellery also has special significance. While a precious metal like gold and platinum would represent a rock-solid union, a gift of diamonds – especially when it is gifted by a man – is usually taken as a sign of impending commitment. So, choose the metal and the jewellery wisely. Remember you are trying to get a message across, but very subtly and stylishly!

Perfumes

Many people would write off perfumes but we beg to disagree. What a person chooses to wear as a scent says a lot about their tastes and personality, and it is pretty subjective choice. If you are successful in buying the right kind of perfume for your Valentine, it would only go to show how well you know them – from head to toe, literally. The problem with perfume though is that might sometimes come across as a last minute or a clichéd gift idea, so do feel free to throw in some add-ons if you are worried about that. An assorted hamper from a reputed website that does gift hamper delivery in the UK would be a great addition.

Whatever, your choice of gift is, make sure it comes from the heart and that you have a reason and meaning behind gifting it. It is the only way that even the simplest of gifts would make someone special light up on this very special day.

Gift giving on Valentine’s Day made simple

February 18th, 2015

Whether or not you agree with the notion of having a special day to celebrate love, you cannot argue with the fact that having a special day for lovers sort of raises the expectations for all those in a relationship. From the ones who have just started dating to the ones who have been in a committed long-term relationship, the task to do something out-of-the-box can become a huge burden if you don’t think it through wisely.

The norm on this day is for couples to go out and have a romantic dinner together, and buy each other special gifts. Now, we trust that you already have your plans in place for the dinner en amoureux, but if you need help picking out the perfect gift these tips below might come to your aid:

Gifts for someone you have met recently

So, you have met someone special recently, but you obviously do not want to go overboard trying to impress them. So, what do you buy that signifies romance and care but is on the right side of overwhelming? Well, you can have a dinner at home instead of going out. Cook their favourite meal and don’t forget to stock up on the wine. Keep it low-key so as not to seem desperate. If you do want to buy a gift, go ahead with something neutral like a perfume or an accessory set from a brand that they like or have mentioned in passing. This should show your loved one that you care enough to remember the little things they talk about.

If you’ve been going steady for a while

By now you must have run through the list of acceptable gifts – books, perfumes, accessories, and the likes. This year, use the weekend to do something more fun. Take a hike, for instance. And we literally mean so. Get away from the city for a while and indulge in some personal ‘we’ time. If, however, you find that a weekend getaway is not possible, and you have to make do with old-fashioned gift giving, then make sure that your gifts are quirky and fun. Your relationship is probably at the stage where price tags do not matter anymore, so put thought into the gift instead of money and come up with something unique that is, truly, from the heart.

For married couples

Married couples know just how important it is to keep the first love burning bright, so don’t leave an opportunity like Valentine’s pass you by. If you have been listening, you will know exactly what your significant other has been lusting after recently. Splurge on that dream; it is for a good cause after all. Or, you could even buy several small gifts and present them throughout the day. You can find a lot of great stuff online from websites that have reasonably cheap gift hampers in UK; order a hamper of spa products or a set of assorted chocolates and then add similar themed gifts to create a unique ensemble.

Heartfelt expressions of love are always welcome, so for once leave the debate of how commercialised Valentine’s has become and do something that will blow your spouse’s mind, figuratively of course!