Stuck for a gift idea? Gift Cards are an option

If you are really stuck for gift ideas for this Christmas, then why not think about gift cards or e-gift cards?

Amazon gift cards are available, including gift cards that you can send to anywhere in the world by email. 

They offer an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card for Any Amount in a Reveal available in amounts from £15.00 to £1,000.

Wetherspoon sell gift cards which are available for sale in any Wetherspoon pubs.

One For All gift cards are accepted by multiple retailers from All Bar One to Beer52, from Boots to Browns, from Shoezone to Tui and TK Maxx.

 https://www.one4all.com.

Another multiple retailer card is https://www.highstreetvouchers.com

Boots sell there own gift cards, as to most other High Street and online retailers. Just check on their websites, or ask in your nearest branch.

(Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann and Pixabay)

Want a unique Christmas gift? Visit Emma Make

Emma says: "Hi, I'm a Black-British designer living in Lisbon, Portugal. 

"I have a well established Etsy shop and have just opened my own website emmamake.com."

What is available? Tiny Paintings, Blankets, Physical Prints, Printables, Aprons, Cards, Digital Patterns, Hair Scrunchies, Framed Art, Postcards, Scarfs, Wrapping Paper.

There's a wide range of absolutely stunning art pieces that will make absolutely wonderful Christmas gifts that you will certainly not be able to find anywhere else.

Dreaming of dessert with Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK)

This winter, Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK) is celebrating the showstopper: Those indulgent, often stunning centrepiece desserts that are the real stars of the festive season.

The latest edition of this special-issue series puts the spotlight on some of the world’s most fascinating signature desserts, from Sweden’s Budapest roll and Viennese sachertorte to matcha mille crepe cake and New York cheesecake.

Glen Mutel, editor of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “During the colder months, it’s important to be kind to yourself. And what better way than to indulge in something sweet?

“In this issue, we’re celebrating the sumptuous desserts that adorn dinner tables across the globe during the festive season, from our own beloved trifle to France’s outrageous croquembouche.”

Also in this issue, we enjoy herring on Germany’s Baltic coast; Georgia’s signature cheesy bread, khachapuri, in the capital Tbilisi; a family feast in Singapore; and the culinary pleasures of Cornwall out of season, away from the summer crowds. All this, plus the highlights of Chicago, Lille and Toronto.

In addition, expect the usual mix of thought-provoking features and easy-to-follow recipes from world-renowned contributors.

Don’t miss:

• Deconstruct: Massaman curry, the lowdown on this mellow Thai classic

• My Life in Food: Actor Idris Elba on African cuisine and learning to cook with his mum

• Try it Now: How Korean corn dogs made the jump from social media to UK menus

• Five Ways With: How how to get the best out of walnuts

• Recipe Journal: Four cheese dishes from around the world

• Make Perfect: Tips for mastering arepas

• The Pioneer: Netherlands-based chef Emile van der Staak on turning his back on meat and his restaurant’s ‘food forest’

26-PAGE DIGITAL EZINE SAMPLE http://magazine.natgeotraveller.co.uk/food-dec22

Fast facts

Issue 18

On sale date: 1 December 2022

Price: £4.80

Website: Competitions, subscriptions, blogs, features and more: nationalgeographic.co.uk/food-travel

Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/NatGeoTravelUK

Twitter: twitter.com/NatGeoTravelUK

Tumblr: NatGeoTravelUK.tumblr.com

Pinterest: pinterest.com/NatGeoTravelUK

Instagram: instagram.com/NatGeoTravelUK

All I Want for Christmas is.... A Vintage Poster from Orson & Welles

Fantastic Festive Offerings!​

With our amazing array of eclectic posters in our new collection we are sure you will find something for that special someone (or yourself!) to spoil on Christmas day.

With over 70 new additions added they say "We will eat our Santa’s hat if you can’t find something you love!"

From Bond to Bullitt and Jaws to Jimi Hendrix, from Dumbo to Ginny Girl, they most certainly do have something for all tastes!

https://www.orsonandwelles.co.uk

Christmas Linens - Table Linens and Tea Towels From Home Landing Ltd

A simple tea towel can make and excellent Christmas decoration. To the left, you will see "Toy Shop", which is a 100% sustainably produced tea towel that is printed in the UK, at a cost of £8.95.

Selected Christmas table linens and Christmas tea towels are excellent at providing festive cheer to any table this Christmas.

Others available are "Fairy Trees," Linen tablecloth printed in Italy and at a cost £110.00.

"Christmas Cats in Waiting", a recycled cotton tea towel, cost £7.75 and “Schiaccianoci,”  "Nutcracker," Linen table runner printed in Italy, costs £47.00.

To learn more call them on 01635 48521 or visit www.home-landing.co.uk.

Roots to the Future starts Roots Grotto to help make this a happy Christmas for everyone

Roots to the Future has put out a mass appeal for unused items, that can be wrapped and given to families who are currently struggling with household bills and inflation across the board. 

A spokesperson said: "We are also asking for items that are going to be of direct benefit to those unfortunate enough to be sleeping rough at this time of year.

"We are deeply saddened to see that more families than ever are finding this winter tough with the rising cost of living. Parents are having to cut costs on basic essentials such as food and heating just to make ends meet.

"The reality is many children will go without a single present this year as many parents just cannot make the pennies stretch far enough.

"For this reason, we're organising a Christmas Present Appeal, whereby we will be taking donations, wrapping them up, and helping local families in need. We'd love to take away some of the stress for families this Christmas, putting a smile on children’s faces with a simple spoonful of kindness!"

They went on to say: "We'd be so very grateful to have your support in this appeal and would love to accept any donations of toys, gifts, toiletry sets, games, scooters, bicycles, electrical items, etc so that we can wrap up and pass them on to local families in need at this time of year. We are seeking presents for boys and girls, men and women, of all ages.

"For those who wish to donate, or receive, please visit the website rootstothefuture.co.uk and go to the tab named Roots Grotto where you'll find more information on how to get involved. There will even be a chance for you to help with wrapping in our Christmas Workshop!

"We will do our very best to make this a Happy Christmas for many more families this year."

You can find out more at https://www.rootstothefuture.co.uk.

How to sidestep the Royal Mail strikes

How can you sidestep of even beat the Royal Mail strikes in the run up to Christmas? There are several things you can do.

Visit your nearest town and see what gift buying opportunities are there on your local High Street. Craft shops, giftware shops, local jewellers, haberdashers, clothing shops, toy shops, charity shops (which often sell new items or Amazon returns) market stalls at the local market, specialist Christmas markets, craft shops, wool shops, local bookshops, delicatessens, off licences, etc, etc. 

And speaking of Amazon, if you don't have a suitable nearby town why not open up an Amazon Prime account? If you open an Amazon Prime account many of the gift items that you will want to buy are offered on next day delivery and because Amazon Prime orders are usually delivered by couriers and not by Royal Mail you can be more certain of ensuring that the gifts you need will arrive even before you need them for the big day, Christmas Day on December 25th! 

And why not consider E-cards this Christmas? One such UK-based E-card company which has lovely Christmas cards is Jacquie Lawson. You can check her cards out here https://www.jacquielawson.com.