Choosing the perfect Christmas gift
“Christmas comes but once a year and when it comes it brings good cheer” (As long as you choose the right present… tee hee 
)
Have you heard the story about the little girl who wanted to buy her Grandmother a box of handkerchiefs for Christmas? The problem was she “couldn’t work out what size her Grandmother’s nose was”
And you know, when it comes to buying clothes or shoes for someone at Xmas, a lot of us have a similar problem. Though items like clothes are a popular item to buy for friends and family, we thought we would like to help you be a little bit more adventurous this year, and perhaps a little less predictable?
It’s worth remembering that, for a lot of people, some of life’s most cherished memories relate to Christmas and the giving and sharing of presents with their loved ones. So it’s always worthwhile to make the effort to choose a present that they will get a lot of pleasure from… Something they will always look back on with fond memories.
So, with these things in mind we’ve listed what we think are the 10 best Christmas presents for 2011 in each category. The ones that we think will make the most impact. In each category there is a variety of products with prices to suit most pockets. And just to keep you up to date, we’ve also listed the very latest gift ideas being released for Christmas 2011 on our ‘Latest gift ideas’ page.
Top 10 Xmas gifts for Mum
Top 10 Xmas gifts for Dad
Top 10 Xmas gifts for boys
Top 10 Xmas gifts for girls
How to make this Christmas special
Make this Christmas special
Apart from birthdays and anniversaries, Christmas is the main occasion in which a family usually gets together and enjoys spending time with one another. So why not make sure that at least one of the presents you buy is something the whole family can enjoy together …
Christmas gift ideas
If you’re really struggling to think about what you can buy members of your family this Christmas, then here’s a few tips that might help.
When choosing something for relatives who are a bit hard to please (you know the ones) your safest option is to get them a gift card, or present them with cash. But at least make it more interesting by wrapping them up as you would a present. This makes it a bit more fun and prolongs the excitement of when they receive their present. You can also feel confident knowing that they will surely be pleased by the fact that they can go out and purchase something they really want, and in their own time.
The main advantage of giving them cash is that you won’t need to guess which stores they prefer to shop at. Giving them cash means they can shop for something they want wherever they please. A gift card or voucher might be more restrictive, but if you know they like books for example, they can go and buy a book that they like without you having to guess which book they might really want. Also, buying a voucher from a bookseller that sells a wide range of other products as well, such as WH Smith for example, means that if they can’t find a book they want they can always choose something else. A DVD perhaps, or a music CD.
Obviously you want to make sure that everyone you buy a gift for, will enjoy receiving it. So if you’re not really sure then it’s best to play safe.
If you think that presenting gift vouchers or cash is just plain boring, then the next thing you need to consider if you’re determined to buy them something they would really like, is to choose something related to a hobby they may have, or an activity that they are regularly involved in. Or how about something related to their favourite TV show? Perhaps a ‘behind the scenes’ book of the show, (or movie if they have a favourite film) Or if they like quiz shows, how about a board game based on the show. At least with a board game it means that everyone can join in with the fun and make it more exciting.
Taking the time to find out about what the recipient would really like means they will be more aware of the thought that you put into buying a gift that suits them. In view of this, careful consideration made on your part will make the gift so much more appreciated.
Retro toys will be popular this Xmas
A recent report from one of the World’s leading toy associations says that some of the toys that are likely to sell well this Christmas are ones that were popular around the 1980′s. “I think every generation has retro toys” quotes Jeff Hurst president of the CTA. Toys that are fondly remembered by children’s parents are often sought out and passed on to their children because they want to share the enjoyment they gained from their own childhood experiences. Toys such as Hot Wheels, Transformers, Thunderbirds, popular board games and Meccano sets that have been updated are all expected to sell well this Xmas.
Remember these?
Thunderbirds Tracy Island – Cabbage Patch Kids – Space Hopper – Chocolate Machine Money Box – Big Trak – Care Bears – G.I. Joe – Thundercats – Meccano sets – Transformers – Kitchen Play Set – Joe 90 – Star Wars
Yes, they’re still available and can be found on Amazon
What little girls want for Xmas
Choosing a Christmas gift for a little girl should never pose a problem. We all know what little girls love to play with. Anything to do with dolls is always a winner. Barbie dolls are especially popular and have been bringing smiles to the cheeks of little girls for more than half a century. Currently popular is the Fashionistas Barbie and a new rage of dolls produced in association with ‘The Saturdays’ girl band is selling like hot cakes. But there is such a wide range of dolls in the Barbie range to choose from, it’s hard to decide which ones to buy. And there are so many accessories too, including various outfits, sports and activity gear, plus vehicles such as camper vans and a convertible car, bicycle etc., and there’s even the Barbie Glam Vacation House and the Barbie Princess Charm School Castle. It’s incredible the amount of choice available.
Little girls also love cuddly animals (especially ones that move and make sounds like GoGo My Walking Pup) and household toys such as the Honeybake oven and hob play set which provides endless hours of fun pretending to be grown up and making meals just like Mum.
Young children love to play grown-ups with their dolls and kitchen toy sets, and taking care of their little pets, but as they grow older they also become more interested in toys that challenge not only their imagination, but also educate them and help them learn. The ION Piano Apprentice is a great product for helping girls (and boys) learn to play keyboards, which also helps them learn notation too when used in conjunction with the ipad or iphone.
Whatever gifts you choose for Xmas, I’m sure the pleasure you gain from seeing your children play with their new toys will be equal to the enjoyment they get from them.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus 16GB Sim Free Smartphone
For the man in your life
The latest Smartphone from Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus sim free smartphone is where the innovative hardware of Samsung and the immensely popular software of Google come together in a mobile phone that trounces the competition in terms of performance and usability.
Super fast download /upload speeds with HSPA+21mbps and HSUPA 5.76mbps as well as super fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections are available to the user. And the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first device with the Android Ice-Cream sandwich OS (the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system) plus updated user interface and features.
It’s 4.65″ HD Super AMOLED display provides amazing clarity and colour and is great for watching movies, playing games or playing back the videos you’ve just recorded.
Built with seamless compatibility with Android apps, the Galaxy Nexus is your direct line to the latest Google apps and Android updates where you can choose from over 100,000 apps from the Android marketplace.
For more in-depth information and to view a picture of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Smartphone then click this link.
Gift ideas for young boys
As boys approach the age of 10 many of them have formed a strong interest in an activity or sport that they feel passionate about. So there should be no shortage of gift ideas.
If they’re interested in sport then usually they have a favourite sport, for example football, so do they have the latest football strip? Does their old football need replacing? Do they need new football boots? A set of goalposts perhaps? Or maybe they have an interest in another sport as well. There is such a wide range of sports, there’s always something sports-related that should appeal to the active pre-teen boy.
Another ‘must have’ present that is hugely popular with boys between the ages of 8 and 10 (and over) are BMX bikes. As boys grow and reach a certain age they start to sprout in height relatively quickly, so the bike they have now may no longer be suitable (or have much ‘street cred’ ) And the one great advantage of having a new bike is that it keeps them active, even if they have no interest in sport.
Perhaps they already have a good bike though and might be more interested in the latest video games (sports games or otherwise) Would they appreciate the latest games console if they’re still using an old outdated machine? I’m sure they would. The Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii or the handheld DS consoles are all still popular and in demand and all of them have a huge choice of games to choose from.
Books and films on DVD or Blu-Ray make great stocking fillers. Board games are also strong sellers at Xmas. A trip to your local toy store such as Toy R Us may provide just what you’re looking for. On the other hand, the choice that stores like these provide may overwhelm you. If you prefer to shop online the places like Amazon and Argos may just have what you’re looking for. And most likely offer a better deal. Amazon in particular has some heavily discounted prices on thousands of products.
Just to throw up more ideas that may help you find something suitable, or inspire you on what to buy, here’s a list of just some of the type of products you can purchase online that boys in particular might be interested in….
Lego sets (always a favourite) Vtech educational toys, Radio controlled helicopters and cars, Scalextric sets (my best Christmas ever was when I got a Scalextric) Model railway train sets, Electronic toys, Robots, Pool tables, Walkie Talkies, Digital camers, Karaoke systems (for budding X Factor stars) Table tennis tables, Snooker tables, Electronic keyboards, Acoustic and electric guitars, Digital camcorders, Superhero costumes, Vtech laptops, Portable DVD players, Star Wars toys, Battleship games, Plug n Play toys, Educational toys, and the list goes on…
All these and more can be found at Amazon