Tag Archives: presents

Top Handmade Gift Ideas For Your Loved One This Christmas

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With Christmas now only a matter of weeks away, it’s time to finally get started on the mammoth task of the Christmas shopping – time to traipse through every single store on the high street and attempt to tick off every item on your wish-lists as quickly and as easy, as physically possible.

All-in-all, everyone in your family is pretty easy to buy for; the kids know exactly what they want, your mum has given you a strict set of instructions and your dad is happy with any item that’s either a book or a CD. Sorted, right? Not quite. Because there’s one last person you need to buy for; lovely other half. And, you have absolutely no clue what to get them.

If I’m talking to all of you females out there, you know that no book, CD, aftershave or even stylish jumper is going to solve your problem, after all, you’ve already bought him hundreds of these. And, if I’m talking to you boyfriends out there, well, you’re guaranteed to get the jewellery wrong and flowers don’t quite cut it for Christmas. You’re in dire need of some help.

Well, it’s time to get creative. Because, if you’re dab hand at being  creative, then making your own Christmas presents is the perfect way to surprise your loved one this year. As well as helping to cut down the cost of Christmas, they’ll also add a bit of sentiment to your gifts that no shop could ever provide.

So, grab any craft materials you get your hands on and take a little inspiration for some of the ideas below:

For Him : An iPad Cover:

So, you may wonder how on earth you’re going to tackle making an iPad case for your man, but believe me when I say that it’s actually relatively simple.

All you need is a bit of felt, cotton lining material, some wadding, a needle and thread, some Velcro.

Method:

1. Cut out rectangles measuring 11¼in (28.5cm) x 16½ in (42cm) from the felt, cotton and wadding. Layer the wadding, felt and cotton (right side down), lining up edges.
2. Machine-sew (or, if you don’t have a sewing machine, use your needle and thread!) the three layers together with a ¼in seam, leaving one short edge. Clip corners and turn right side out by sliding your thumbs between the felt and the cotton.
3. Press and turn in the raw edges by ½in and sew a ¼in seam on outside.
4. Then using any leftover felt, cut out a small piece measuring 9in (23cm) x 6in (15.5cm). You can use a contrasting to colour to make it look more professional.
5. Fold this small piece of felt in half lengthways and sew a 1/4in seam all the way around, leaving one short edge.
6. Turn this small sewn piece right side out, turn in raw edges, sew a ¼in seam on outside and press. Pin and sew to outside of felt cover, 4in (10cm) in from one short edge.
7. Pin one side of Velcro to end of tab and sew in place. Fold cover in half and bring tab from back to front to work out where other piece of Velcro should be. Sew to body of cover.
8. Blanket-stitch top and bottom edges of cover together using embroidery thread.

And there you have it, a lovingly made iPad case that he’s bound to use everyday!

For Her: Customised Photo Frame: 

Right guys, some of you may prefer to just go and buy your other half a present from the shop, because in your mind, it’s ten times easier to do. But, making a present for your loved one really will surprise them and add a whole new meaning to the gift you give to them.

So, if you’re not the creative type but fancy doing something different for your loved one, making a customised photo frame  is the perfect thing to do – us girls love all of this kind of sentimental stuff, so it’s guaranteed to put a smile on her face.

I bet if you take a look around your home, you’ll have plenty of materials kicking around that’ll be perfect your customising your photo frame with; from buttons, ribbon, patterned paper, glue, glitter and marker pens are good places to start. If not, you can always invest a few bits and bobs from craft shops, such as craft supplies uk, to help you on your way.

Simply start by buying a plain wooden frame. Then gather up all of the items you’ve managed to find (or those you’ve bought from the craft shop) and simply decorate it in anyway you like. Spread on some glue and dust it with glitter, cut out material hearts and stick them around the frame, or simply write them a little love note around the wooden edge. Then all that’s left to do is find your favourite picture of you both, maybe change the colour settings on the computer to make it a little bit different (sepia or greyscale are always a good option), press print and place it in the back. Perfect!

 

Theatre Collection Presents Pinky Cagebirds

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If you are looking for a top night out at the theatre go and see the latest play from the Theatre Collection.
After David Campton

“There is nothing either good or bad, But thinking makes it so”.
William Shakespeare

Set in a bird-cage, each of the birds is totally absorbed in her own particular characteristics. But then the Mistress introduces the Wild One who tempts them to fly for freedom.

Directed by Victor Sobchak

October 30 – November 11

Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Sunday 5pm

Tickets: £12/10

Booking:

www.theatrecollection.net

Phone: 07966597190

 

Theatre Collection

51 Camden Park Road

London NW1 9BH

www.theatrecollection.net



THEATRE COLLECTION was founded in 2009 by Victor Sobchak (Artistic Director) and Shaban Arifi (Producer,Director and Actor)

TC is the sequel of the highly acclaimed ‘ART-VIC’(Anglo-Russian Theatre) and ‘Act Provocateur Int.’ With a history spanning for 15 years.

During this period our companies have produced over 100 productions which gained great interest and awards from both audiences and Press all over the world.

We have performed at 11 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and in various National and International festivals in USA, Africa, Europe and Russia.

TC will continue to justify its name presenting to the audience a collection of very different styles: from medieval farce to experimental theatre, from classic to modern International drama and new writing.

Mother's Day Ideas

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It is mothering Sunday on the 18th and Frost has sourced some gift ideas and treats for the special women in your life.

This Mother’s Day, treat your mum to exclusive and stylish gifts from Isabella Oliver 365. Select from luxurious and timeless pieces such as the Everyday Scarf, the Essential Skinny Belt or the Leopard Skinny Belt, perfect for any chic mum’s wardrobe. Spoil your mum this Mother’s Day and treat her
to a gift that she will always love. To view the collections visit IsabellaOliver.com . I love all of the collection, it is just effortlessly stylish.

FROM INDIA WITH LOVE ON MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day is celebrated the world over, and this year British Airways will be flying in a special selection of Mother’s Day cards made with love from the Sreepuer village in Bangladesh.

The beautifully handcrafted cards have a deeper meaning than the words on the cover – as all profits are returned to Sreepur Village, a home for destitute women and children in rural Bangladesh.

Rob Jenkinson, who distributes Sreepur cards in the UK, said: “This Mother’s Day you can make two Mum’s happy as well as making a world of difference to the women of Sreepur. They do an incredible job to create these cards all year round, while bringing up their families below the poverty line. Every single penny makes a difference and goes straight back to the project.”

British Airways has supported the Sreepur project since it was established, helping with vital distribution flying a range of greetings cards into the UK, as well as retailing them internally in their Head Office.

The cards are made from jute, also known as Hessian, which grows in abundance in the area around Sreepur, helped by the ideal wet and warm conditions of the monsoon area. The cards are decorated with a combination of wheat straw and paper, with the finished product made from locally sourced natural products to a high standard.

Mary Barry, British Airways community relations manager said: “We’re so proud to be part of this project. I have seen first hand how the village has been transformed, thanks to the generosity of all the people who buy these cards and I would like to thank them for their contribution.”
There’s still time to buy a card before Mother’s Day on Sunday 18 March, please visit – www.thesreepurvillage.org

If you really cannot think of what to get her, try a gift card.

As demands of the modern day can make it increasingly difficult to dedicate time to the family, we need to make that extra effort to show our appreciation on important dates such as Mother’s Day. ‘Children’, both young and old, should be thinking of ways to thank their mums for those long years of suffering, even if they are not able to spend the day with them. To help with this, the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association (UK GCVA) has surveyed 100 modern day mums and found out what they would really appreciate this Mother’s Day. The top results included:

1. A day out with all the family;

2. To be excused from cooking and cleaning over the Mother’s Day weekend;

3. For a beauty or pampering session;

4. Peace and quiet for the whole 24 hours of Mother’s Day;

5. A voucher for her favourite clothing or make-up brand

The top entry of ‘a day out with all the family’ will not come as a surprise to many, however meeting this request by getting everyone together may be difficult for some families.

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the UK GCVA suggests using gift cards and vouchers to compensate for not being with your mum on Mother’s Day:

“An experience voucher (such as for a family day out at the zoo or a weekend away) is a great way for the whole family to enjoy a fun day out together, and mum can make the most of some quality time with the kids. A bonus of these gifts is that they can be redeemed at any time meaning that, if you’re unable to see your mum on Mother’s Day, the gift can be enjoyed at a later date.

Similarly, if you’re not able to spend the day with her, and she wants peace and quiet, why not send your mum away for a spa day by herself so she can unwind. There is a large selection of gift cards on offer that your mum can choose from for a spa retreat.”

Johnson continues:

“As mums are not generally that demanding of their children, many of you will need to think ‘outside the box’ for ideas to show your true appreciation on Mother’s Day. Gift cards and vouchers are an easy and effective way of doing this. To make up for not being around on the day, a further idea may be to give your mum a voucher for her favourite clothing store so she can treat herself.”

There are so many options available to show our mothers how grateful we are to them and all it takes is a little imagination to ensure that mum has a smile on her face on 18th March.

Love Your Mum with New Zealand Lamb

This Mother’s Day, let Mum put her feet up, and cook a meal that comes straight from the heart. This simple roast recipe is easy enough even for kitchen novices to try their hand at, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the family. For those who are looking for further inspiration, check out www.loveourlamb.co.uk to see New Zealand chef Peter Gordon teaching England rugby star Will Greenwood how to make this meal – live from 1st March 2012. You can view the video on Frost Magazine


Serves: 4-6

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 2h 20


1 x 2 – 2.5kg leg of lamb

1 large red onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (optional)

The leaves from 2 x 10cm stalks of rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium parsnips peeled, topped and tailed, cut into chunks

1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed

800g mashing potatoes, peeled and cut in half

100ml double cream

60g butter

1 medium head broccoli, cut into large florets

150g frozen peas

A small handful mint leaves, torn

1½ tablespoons flour

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Place the lamb in a roasting dish and poke a thin, small knife into it in about 20 places. In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil with some salt and pepper and rub this all over the lamb. Leave for 20 minutes, then rub it in again and place in the centre of the oven and roast for an hour.

Turn the lamb over and add the parsnips to the roasting dish along with half a tea cup of hot water. Roast for 45 minutes, basting the lamb with the pan juices a couple of times. Turn the lamb over again and add the baby carrots. It will be cooked medium (which is lovely for a leg of lamb) in another 20-40 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water.

Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and place in a dish loosely covered with foil. Rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes into a colander. Using the pot they were cooked in, bring the cream and all but 1 tablespoon of the butter to the boil. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with salt and pepper. Keep a lid on the pot to keep it warm.

Bring another pot of lightly salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Bring back to the boil and add the peas. Bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then toss with the reserved butter and mint and keep warm.

If you can place the vegetable roasting dish on the hob, then remove the vegetables. If not, pour the roasting juices into a saucepan. Place over a moderate heat, add the flour and stir to make a paste, then slowly add the juices from the leg of lamb and as much liquid from the vegetables as possible to make gravy. Taste for seasoning.

To serve: simply carve the lamb and arrange on warmed plates with vegetables, mash and gravy.


It’s the thought that counts Now for some stats and facts!

Standard Life’s ‘Your Commitments, Your Future’ report reveals the nation’s true time and money spent on their parents – a clue to what mums might have in store this Mother’s Day.

Treating your parents:

* Adults in the UK spend just £13 a month on average on their parents, that’s just over £150 a year
* In comparison, parents in the UK are spend over three times as much, £456 a year on average, spoiling their children

Thinking about parents:

* Adults in the UK spend on average nearly half an hour (27 minutes) each day thinking about their parents
* However, women think about their parents significantly more than men, with women devoting 10 minutes more each day – that’s nearly 70 hours more each year!
* Women aged 18-24 spend almost three quarters of an hour (44 minutes) each day thinking about their parents, the most of any age group
* In comparison, men in the same age group devote half the time to their parents, just 22 minutes each day
* On the other hand, parents in the UK on average spend 41 minutes a day thinking about their children, with women aged 45-54 devoting almost an hour a day (58 minutes)

Who/what else do we spend time thinking about?

· Partner/Spouse – 50 minutes a day on average

· Work colleagues – 18 minutes a day on average

· Credit card payments – 11 minutes a day on average

· Investments – 6 minutes a day on average

· Current accounts – almost 4 minutes a day on average

· Pensions – 3 minutes a day on average

Julie Russell, Personal Finance Expert at Standard Life, said:

“We spend a lot of time thinking about our families and like to treat the people we love. So it’s worth remembering that planning our future finances can play a key role in our relationships with our loved ones. Whether we’re spoiling our mums with a well-deserved treat this Mother’s Day or planning a fun family break this summer, budgeting and looking ahead is essential. And with the end of the tax year looming, it’s a great time for us all to sit down with our families and think about how we can improve our finances to help us enjoy our family life even more.”

To help people better understand their financial and emotional commitments, Standard Life has published knowyourcommitments.co.uk with an interactive tool and thoughts on financially preparing for the future. Further help with financial planning is also available at yourfuturemoney.co.uk

Now for something a bit different, but an excellent idea.

Newcastle-based Shared Interest is an ethical investment co-operative that aims to reduce poverty in the world by providing fair and just financial services. The Society, which was started in 1990, is the world’s only 100% fair trade lender. Shared Interest accepts investments from UK based individuals as well as from businesses, schools, community and faith groups. Account values range
from £100-£20,000. All invested funds are then pooled and used to make low interest loans to fair trade businesses in the developing world. With the support of over 8,000 members the organisation
was able to lend £40 million over the last 12 months. The organisation has expanded its international
presence in the past three years opening offices in Kenya, Peru and Costa Rica. This regional presence
– and the vital local knowledge that the staff are equipped with – means that they are able to help
even the most remote communities by enabling them to access the credit needed to take goods to market.

www.shared-interest.com

It's Christmas time- there's no need to be afraid.

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I’ve just seen an ad for Littlewoods, or copses as they should be known. It’s your usual fare. Loads of cute kids on stage at a school and the proud parents beaming from the fold-up chairs below. It’s not a nativity of course, god forbid, it’s a singing tribute to how wonderful mums are. Nice? Well not really no, because the song- and there’s even a rap in there to keep it ‘street’, is all about how mum is wonderful for buying just about every consumer electrical gizmo you could imagine that doesn’t begin with an ‘i’.

There’s a laptop and an HTC Android phone. The first kid proudly holds up his X-Box Kinect unit like it’s the ‘fragrances that are also useful in scrabble’ shop’s entire stock of Myrrh.

It ends with a little girl, her ruby cheeks poking out from between the just-closed curtains, reminding us that the mark of a wonderful mum is the quality, measured in expenditure, of her gifts. And that we should, therefore, measure our own maternal love by that scale alone.
The add stops short of having Santa flying overhead trailing a banner from his sleigh that reads, “MONEY = LOVE, don’t forget kids!” But that mantra is sewn, inextricably, into the underpants of every precious, seasonal second.

I’m not against Christmas, contrary to the view of the parent of a child that approached me once and asked if I was Santa’s sister because his mum has said I was ‘Aunty Christmas.’ I love Christmas. I come over all Jimmy Stewart as soon as Summer’s over and I can’t hear the opening bars of ‘Silent Night’ without bursting into tears and wanting to join the Sally Army. I just hate this unnecessary and inexplicable extortion every year.

I don’t have kids, and I’m sure some of you are thinking, “If your wife’s as tight as you are, you never will!” But my sister does. My sister is a single mum with two sons. The eldest is 22 now so his festive focus has fully relocated from under the tree to under the table but his kid brother is 14. Old enough to want everything but too young to care what it costs.

When his mates are all tweeting photos of their new PS3 on their new ipads and running round to his house in their new trainers to make sure he got it because he hasn’t ‘RT’d’ yet, he’s going to hide his market versions- the ‘iPhone’ and the ‘Games Centre Play Console- with 7 game cartridges included!’ And look at my poor sister like she’s picking the last of Santa’s gonads from between her teeth just because she couldn’t get herself into deep enough debt to avoid the emotional scarring a shit present can have on a teenager.

He won’t really because he’s a good kid. He’ll do what I used to do and pretend it’s just as good as the thing you really wanted then find a way to hide it long enough to casually mention you played with it so much it broke, and suffering the inevitable comeback, “That doesn’t just apply to toys you know!”

I still remember desperately faking happiness when the ‘Evil Knievel action figure with interchangeable costumes and multi-trick stunt bike’ I’d asked for turned out to be a small plastic moulded ‘figure-on-bike’ with a big glued seam running down the middle that you revved up and watched career in a short curve into the nearest skirting board. Not to mention picking the stitching from the fourth stripe on my ‘same as Adidas’ trainers before I got to school only to be told by my jeering fellow students, as I knelt down for assembly, that they had different coloured soles- not from genuine Adidas trainers but from each other.

That was nearly 30 years ago. The pressure’s ten times worse now.

Why? Where did this law that you have to spend a couple of hundred quid on gifts come from?
Not the Nativity, that’s for sure. Its been sacked by Littlewoods in favour of ‘Grange Hill does the Ludovico Technique.’ (Google anyone?) And I’m sure Jesus would be spinning in his shroud, if he was still dead, at the thought of his birthday being hijacked by everyone else. Imagine if everyone got presents on your birthday. It’d certainly take the sheen off it I’ll bet, and that’s my point really. Birthdays are personal and they only involve one person.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I agree with the first part, although the day I heard my mum say, “by the time I realized it wasn’t wind it was too late,” doesn’t even make my top 100, but you get my point. Presents on birthdays make sense! Let’s just do that shall we?

Here’s what I think we should do: Everyone, at the same time, stand up and say, “There won’t be any presents this Christmas.” Then enjoy a huge sigh of relief and start, for the first time in a long time, to really look forward to the holidays.

It’s important that everyone does it at the same time and sticks to it, which will be hard to organize and even harder to check, and there will be mass disappointment for every child in England but it will pass when they all realize they’re in the same boat and they’re not missing out.

Now imagine the Christmases that will follow. Everyone can just work until the holidays start and then enjoy time with their friends and families. Boyfriends and husbands won’t have to reduce themselves to asking the teenage assistant behind the perfume counter for suggestions because they’ve forgotten what their wife’s favorite is called and EVERYTHING just smells of perfume!

It can feel like a real holiday for a change and, once it’s all over, there won’t be a national depression as everyone spends January skint, cold and about as festive as Scrooge’s warts. Better still, single parents or families that have little or no income won’t have to worry that their kids will hate them and/or get bullied at school. Loan sharks, feeding on the poor and vulnerable in in the less affluent areas of the country, will have to find other ways to ‘help people out till pay day’.

A weight of unnecessary obligation would be lifted from everyone and we would all be no less festive for it.

As for Christmas morning? Imagine getting up (whenever you like- you’re on holiday remember) and strolling downstairs to greet your family with a hearty breakfast and a mulled wine and hugs all round. Elders can talk to youngsters while the crisp winter morning air draws the first flame from the Yule log. Christians can take a moment for silent reflection while the rest of us slap a bit of Slade on and work up an appetite for the largest and best meal of the year. Happy in the knowledge that it’s cost you no more than all the good will and genuine Christmas cheer you can muster.

Sounds great to me.

The Gifts We Must Stop Giving: Ideas For Christmas

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Shop smarter, not harder, this Christmas
 
While we all try our best to keep up that polite exterior, most of us have some experience of forcing a smile upon receiving an unwanted gift. Novelty ties, ill-fitting underwear, naff toiletry sets – it seems we are a nation stuck in a never-ending cycle of buying for the sake of it, and receiving useless presents in exchange.
To support the launch of their new range of lifestyle gift experiences, powered by Time Out, Smartbox set out to find out more about the nation’s gifting habits.  They surveyed 845 people, up and down the country, and found that:
Receiving
·         Graciously accepting and quickly returning unwanted gifts is fast becoming the norm. 44% of people have returned a gift that was bought for them, with Londoners he most likely to do so
·         40% of people asked prefer to choose their own gifts
·         When asked to name the worst present received, the most popular response was an item of clothing (particularly socks, ill-fitting pants and hosiery)
·         It’s not all about the money. A whopping 84% said that an expensive gift would not mean more to them, with 95% claiming they’d prefer a gift that’s thoughtful, regardless of cost.
Giving
·         Despite the efforts of the eager 8.5% of the population who begin their Christmas shopping in January, 47% don’t feel their gifts are always truly appreciated
·         66% often spend more on a gift than they had hoped to, with a shocking 42% admitting they often spend more than they can afford.
Garry Barone, Head of Sales and Marketing at Smartbox UK, said: “We all know what it’s like to receive a gift we’re not too keen on, and I think if we’re honest, most of us have bought a gift that we knew wasn’t quite up to scratch. When you think about it, buying for the sake of it is a pretty pointless and sometimes costly exercise – particularly when it comes to Christmas. Our survey found that the average person buys for 10 or more people each year – and spends around £250.
“However, when it comes to receiving gifts, it really is the thought that counts. A Smartbox lifestyle gift experience gives you the best of both worlds. While you choose the themed Smartbox that best suits your loved one, they themselves are able to take their pick from up to 200 experiences detailed within.”
Smartbox is Europe’s leading lifestyle gift experience company. This year, they have joined forces with Time Out to offer an incredible range of gifts to suit every age, personality and pocket.
Unlike your usual gift cards and vouchers, each Time Out Smartbox comes in a quality gift box. The voucher comes with a glossy book featuring full details on each experience, making it really easy to choose. What’s more, the price is nowhere to be seen, so they never need to know how much you spent.
The booking process is easy as the voucher is activated on purchase.  All the recipient needs to do is choose what they want to do, where and when. They book directly with the experience provider and redeem the voucher on site. And with many of the packages available for two people, you can share the experience – bonus!
The Time Out Smartbox range includes:
·         Adrenaline (£119.95)
·         Adventure (£29.95)
·         Charming Getaways (£139.95)
·         Delicious Retreats (£199.95)
·         Gourmet Escapes (£269.95)
·         Table for Two (£59.95)
·         Tastings (£29.95)
·         Unusual Escapes (£89.95)
·         Zen & Spa (£59.95)
Also available:
·         The Michelin Star Dining Smartbox (£169)
Smartbox gift boxes are available at selected John Lewis, Butlers, Beales, Clinton Cards, Waterstones, Heal’s and Cargo stores. See website for full details & terms www.smartbox.co.uk.